Chapter 110
Yin Qiu placed the oil paper bag on the table, gestured to Man Jiangxue, and then turned and pushed open the door.
Today there was neither rain nor snow, and the wind was not strong; it was a pleasant overcast day. The courtyard of the house was dotted with a few sparse green plants, mostly evergreen Aspidistra. There were no brightly colored flowers to be seen here, and even the potted plants were newly added. The blue tiles on the eaves had not been maintained for a long time and were covered with green moss. The beams and pillars also looked old, indicating that the house was quite old.
This house was purchased by Xie Yijun in Weicheng. She has hardly ever lived here, and no one knows why she would buy a house so far away from Yunhua Palace. After all, it was many years ago, and even Man Jiangxue has never asked her why.
Four days before the Mozi Terrace, many of the invited martial arts sects have checked into the inn specially set up by the Nine Immortals Hall. Man Jiangxue, who prefers quiet, asked for the key to the house in advance on the day she returned to Yunhua Palace to meet Xie Yijun.
Bai Ling and her disciples worked all day to clean up the inner and outer rooms. There were still many people cleaning up dirt and fallen leaves in the courtyard. Man Jiangxue, wearing wooden clogs, sat in the house brewing tea. She asked Yin Qiu, "Where are we going?"
As Yin Qiu closed the door, she gave her a "I'm not telling you" look, her smile tinged with slyness. She pursed her lips and remained silent. Her light footsteps were reflected in the translucent window paper as she quickly disappeared into the corridor.
Man Jiangxue didn't call out to Yin Qiu. She turned her gaze away and quietly looked at her tea.
Ever since that day in Yun Jian City when she knelt, the disciples have been extremely cautious, doing everything with utmost care to avoid disturbing Man Jiangxue. Yin Qiu walked through the corridor and greeted the disciples who were working. Both sides remained silent, as if exchanging a cryptic message. Yin Qiu then went to the backyard alone. Her expression was calm, seemingly taking a stroll, but her hands, clasped behind her back, were trembling incessantly, suggesting a strange anxiety.
There were many clean clothes hanging outside the laundry room, still wet. Yin Qiu walked around the area carefully twice, and after confirming that no one was around, she quickened her pace and rushed to the sink behind the laundry room, leaned against the wall, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Earlier on the street, Yin Qiu had been putting on a brave face, not letting herself show any sign of something amiss. She acted very well and even fooled Man Jiangxue.
The bright red, warm blood fell into the ditch, quickly losing its original color in the filthy sewage, dispersing into indistinct wisps of dark red, clinging to the silt. The smell dissipated quickly as well; Yin Qiu didn't even smell any blood.
His inner energy surged, rampaging through every corner of his body—the result of being forcibly suppressed. Now, freed from its restraints, it erupted like a wild horse, its power exceptionally fierce. Yin Qiu felt as if his chest was on fire, and he vomited several more mouthfuls of blood. Finally, utterly exhausted, he slid down the wall and collapsed into the damp dust.
Her mind became clouded, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. Yin Qiu gasped for breath, her feigned composure vanishing in an instant. She became weak and confused, her mind a complete blank.
The sound of a flute... it's the sound of a flute again.
Was that elusive black figure the one Nangong Min said was going to kill her?
Yin Qiu's vision blurred, and she used her remaining consciousness to let her mind wander aimlessly.
He was very bold; he dared to make a move right under Man Jiangxue's nose. He was provoking her.
But Yin Qiu racked her brains but still couldn't figure out who she had offended.
She had no grudges against anyone in the world, so why would someone want to kill her?
It's still done in such a torturous way.
Yin Qiu could only be certain that this person had nothing to do with the Ziwei Sect, otherwise Nangong Min would not have come to remind her personally. But apart from the Ziwei Sect, she really couldn't think of any other suspects.
Who exactly is it?
The cold wind dried her sweat, bringing a deeper chill that seemed to cling to her skin and be embedded in her bones, lingering for a long time. Yin Qiu gasped for breath in the wind, trying to force herself to ignore the unbearable pain. Her face was pale as she stood up, scooped water with a wooden ladle, and washed away the remaining filth and blood in the ditch.
Fortunately, Man Jiangxue didn't notice, fortunately no one saw her here, and fortunately she hadn't fainted yet.
Yin Qiu tried to comfort herself by thinking "thankfully" three times in a row, but just as she put down the wooden ladle and was about to turn around, she heard a familiar voice behind her say, "How long are you going to keep this a secret?"
·
Suddenly a figure appeared in the ditch. The swaying water made the shadow flutter wildly, but the cold wind carried the scent of medicine from the person.
A bead of cold sweat dripped down her brow, adding another layer to her disheveled appearance. Yin Qiu closed her eyes, turned to look at Meng Jing, and said, "As long as you're willing to keep your mouth shut, I can keep it a secret indefinitely."
Meng Jing stood in front of the drying line, with a large amount of clothing, sheets and quilts hanging behind her. The fabric separated this place from the outside world, dividing the two of them into a small world.
"I'm fine," Yin Qiu said, unable to smile today, and not wanting to, so she simply said seriously, "Don't make a fuss."
Meng Jing's light blue pine robe billowed in the wind. She frowned, clutching a tattered booklet in her hand. She didn't speak, but stared at Yin Qiu for a long time. Then she suddenly turned around, ripped off the clothes covering her back, and tore a hole in this little world.
"Meng Jing!" Yin Qiu cried out urgently, "Come back!"
Meng Jing, her face grim, ignored Yin Qiu's shouts. She took a few quick steps and then started running. Yin Qiu gritted her teeth and had no choice but to forcefully circulate her still-unsettled inner energy to appear in front of her in a flash. For the first time, she used force against Meng Jing and dragged her back without saying a word.
The two started fighting next to the laundry room.
"Someone wants to kill you, doesn't that mean it?" Meng Jing was shoved to the sink by Yin Qiu. Her face was extremely pale, and she was so engrossed in the booklet that it made a cracking sound. She could barely stand.
"I told you, I'm fine." Yin Qiu's face was cold, and her tone was cold as well.
"You don't get to decide!" Meng Jing couldn't control his emotions and was furious. "This person is hiding in the shadows, plotting against you at every moment. How can you defend yourself? It hasn't been that long since the last time, and now he's back with a vengeance, not even afraid of Uncle Man's whereabouts. This is blatant provocation! So rampant, so crazy, you think you can handle this on your own? You'd better have the ability!"
Yin Qiu's face was deathly pale, and her steps were unsteady. She had never argued with Meng Jing when they were children and before they had cleared up their misunderstandings. But at this moment, Yin Qiu said in a stern voice, "I have my own plans. I know how to deal with this. If you really consider me a friend, then don't interfere."
"I'm going to cause trouble!" Meng Jing said. "Even if you break off our friendship because of this and become strangers from now on, I will still tell my martial uncle!"
Before Yin Qiu could reply, Meng Jing continued, "You're oversimplifying things! Think about it carefully. If that person had a grudge against you and wanted to kill you, he wouldn't need to resort to such underhanded tactics. He could have simply killed you with a single blow—it would have been easier and more convenient! But he chose to torture you. Why? Have you ever considered whether he was truly torturing you? He was torturing someone else!"
Yin Qiu looked surprised and asked, "What do you mean...?"
“Since the day you vomited blood, I have been thinking a lot,” Meng Jing suppressed his anger and tried his best to calm himself down. “In less than half a month, I have worn out this medical book, but I still can’t find a method that matches your symptoms. I have checked the classics, the ancient books, and even those supernatural and evil arts, but so far I have not found any book that records the skill of using flute music to injure people without leaving any aftereffects. What does this mean? It means that the person who wants to kill you came prepared. He carefully selected this method to deal with you. What else does this mean? It means that he doesn’t actually want to kill you. His purpose is just to torture you.”
"What good does it do to torture me..." Yin Qiu stammered.
“Yes, what good would it do to torment you?” Meng Jing emphasized each word, her chest heaving as she took a few steps closer to Yin Qiu. “You have no family, no relatives. You grew up in Yunhua Palace. What enemies could you possibly have? Who would go to such lengths to harm you?”
She walked step by step to Yin Qiu, her ruthless expression reminiscent of the Meng Jing of the past. She seemed to be interrogating him, yet not quite.
Who cares about you the most? Who is most concerned about you? And who least wants to see you get hurt or have an accident?
Yin Qiu felt a chill run down her spine under her sharp gaze. She took a step back and said, "There are many people like that..."
Meng Jing said, "I asked about the 'most'."
Yin Qiu was taken aback, then suddenly raised her eyelashes and said, "Uncle-Master..."
“You went out with your martial uncle today, and soon after you returned, you hid and vomited blood,” Meng Jing said. “While you were out, did you run into that person?”
Yin Qiu's expression changed several times, but she did not answer.
Meng Jing didn't need her answer; she had already confirmed it from Yin Qiu's expression.
"That day on the journey, he was just testing the waters, wanting to see if his methods would work, so he let you hear the flute music and then left quickly. But he came again today. No, to be precise, he had actually been following you the whole time. When he saw you standing with your master, that was the scene he wanted. He attacked you right under your master's nose because he wanted your master to know he was there. He was using you to deal with your master. He is not your enemy at all!"
A sudden gust of wind whipped up the overflowing water in the trough, splashing it down with a loud spray. The seemingly ordinary sound of the water sent shivers down Yin Qiu's spine, and his deep voice murmured, "He's not... he's my martial uncle's enemy!"
“That’s right, he’s my uncle’s enemy,” Meng Jing said decisively. “Even if the facts haven’t been clarified yet, I can already confirm that my deduction is correct. After hearing this, do you still think this matter should be kept from my uncle? This is no longer just your matter, do you understand?”
Yin Qiu was deeply disturbed and fell silent at that moment.
Seeing that she was just staring blankly and hadn't given an answer, Meng Jing pressed her again: "This person is cunning and vicious. He's in the dark, and you're in the light. You say you know how to deal with him, so tell me, how are you going to deal with him?"
Yin Qiu couldn't answer.
She had absolutely no way to deal with it; all she could do was bear it alone and do her best to keep Man Jiangxue from finding out.
Perhaps it was because she was too concerned that she made a mistake. Yin Qiu should have thought of all the things Meng Jing was analyzing, but she only had Man Jiangxue in her mind. She did not put her own safety first. All her thoughts were focused on how to hide the matter from Man Jiangxue, which caused her to ignore a lot of key information and clues. She was blinded by her own involvement.
“No matter what you say, I must report the truth to my martial uncle this time,” Meng Jing said, a complex look of grief in his eyes. “Your current situation is too dangerous. I can’t turn a blind eye. I’ve already witnessed someone I cherish die before my eyes once, so I can’t just watch you die… I can’t just watch you die too…”
She didn't finish what she was saying.
Yin Qiu frowned as she looked back at Meng Jing, quickly analyzing all the pros and cons during the brief silence between them.
After a long while, she finally calmed down her somewhat out-of-control emotions and regained her usual composure. Yin Qiu said, "I understand what you said, and I think it makes a lot of sense, but Meng Jing, my decision will not change. I will still keep it from my martial uncle."
"You—" After hearing what she said, Meng Jing was greatly puzzled. "I've explained it to you so clearly, why do you still insist on doing things your own way?"
“Because I don’t want that man’s evil scheme to succeed,” Yin Qiu said. “If he really is targeting me to get back at my master, trying to use me to threaten or torture him, then I will take all the risks. As long as my master doesn’t know, that man’s plan will fail, and I will make him waste his efforts.”
"You're treating your own life like this!" Meng Jing raised his voice.
“My life was saved by my martial uncle,” Yin Qiu said. “I belong to my martial uncle as well. I don’t want my martial uncle to be disturbed, I don’t want him to fall into a trap, and I don’t want that person to feel smug when he sees my martial uncle anxious but helpless. I can bear it. As long as my martial uncle is happy, I am willing to do anything.”
“But this may not be what my martial aunt wants. If she finds out, she won’t be happy.” Meng Jing’s tone was stiff.
“Then consider it selfish of me,” Yin Qiu said. “In this matter, I wanted to be selfish.”
Meng Jing was speechless and choked with emotion.
Is she selfish?
She's clearly a complete idiot!
“When I was a child, I always wanted to be as outstanding as my martial uncle, but later I found that it was impossible. I was just an ordinary person with average talent,” Yin Qiu said with a smile. “So when I grew up, I changed my mind. I wanted to protect her in the way my martial uncle protected me. You see, God has been good to me. He gave me such an opportunity. Why can’t I hold onto this opportunity firmly? I feel that my life has some value because I can protect my martial uncle. This can be the meaning of my life.”
When she was young, she asked Man Jiangxue how she should repay her. Man Jiangxue said that she did not need her repayment, she only needed to grow up well.
But that was only Man Jiangxue's wish, not Yin Qiu's.
“I know you care about me, just as I care about my martial uncle,” Yin Qiu said earnestly, the atmosphere of the argument had faded. “But you could put yourself in my shoes and replace my martial uncle with Senior Sister Lu. Then think about it, would you make the same choice as me?”
Meng Jing paused for a moment, her clenched teeth not loosening. She said in a cold tone, "Two different things." Then she added, "Besides, the one who saved my life was actually Senior Sister Ji. Senior Sister Lu had no debt of saving my life to me, only care and concern."
“You’re just making excuses,” Yin Qiu laughed. “Actually, you can understand my feelings, but you don’t want to admit it.”
Meng Jing became irritated again: "Stop talking."
Yin Qiu ignored her and continued, "Just like how you never let me know every time your heart disease relapsed in the palace. You could let others know, but you insisted on keeping it from me. Why?" She looked at Meng Jing and tried to persuade her with words, "Because you know I would worry and be anxious, and my concealment of my martial uncle was also due to the same concern."
“No, it’s different,” Meng Jing said.
"What's different?" Yin Qiu asked patiently.
"Your feelings for your martial uncle, and my feelings for you..." Meng Jing's voice gradually faded as he spoke.
"How do you feel about me?" Yin Qiu asked.
After holding it in for a long time, Meng Jing finally blurted out in a huff, "...You're not my martial uncle!"
“I’m your childhood friend,” Yin Qiu said. “If a friend is in trouble and asks for your help, are you really going to cruelly refuse?”
Meng Jing looked conflicted and said through gritted teeth, "You're good with words, I can't argue with you!"
“You lost your composure today. If Elder Xu sees you like this, he will be disappointed,” Yin Qiu said with a gentle smile. “You have been pretending to be calm and composed for so many years, but you have exposed your true nature in front of me without even realizing it. You still have a lot of work to do.”
Meng Jing was taken aback, as if Yin Qiu had touched a sore spot. But before she could retort, she heard Yin Qiu sigh softly and say, "If Fu Xiang were here, she would definitely not make things difficult for me."
Meng Jing's expression was unpredictable, sometimes turning pale and sometimes flushed. In Yin Qiu's eyes, she was completely naked, as if she had been seen through without any clothes.
Yin Qiu was right. Her composed demeanor was all an act. As the saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." She was still the same person who was easily angered and irritable. If she hadn't been suffering from a mental illness, even if she had let go of her hatred, she wouldn't have become a completely different person.
It's possible that Yin Qiu could see through it, which wouldn't be embarrassing for Meng Jing.
She even felt a kind of unspeakable joy.
"Where are you going?" Realizing that Meng Jing was about to leave without saying a word, Yin Qiu quickly chased after him.
Meng Jing paused, turned back and gave Yin Qiu a cold look: "...Go brew your medicine." After she finished speaking, she left without looking back.
Yin Qiu laughed again, but after Meng Jing left, she completely wiped the smile off her face.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
A note from the author: A friend disappeared for a while after going to work in another city, and one day suddenly contacted my QQ account.
"Dear friend, could you send me some of the novels you've written? The more, the better."
What are you going to do?
"Here's the thing, I have a girlfriend. When I confessed my feelings to her, I bragged that I could write novels, and that's why she agreed to be with me. Now she wants to read them. Could you send me a TXT file of what you've written? I need your help urgently."
"..."
"…………?"
(Why does even someone like this have a girlfriend, while my dear reader is still single???)
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