Chapter 121
Fu Xiang sat in the waterside pavilion all morning. The charcoal brazier had gone cold, and the tea on the table had gone cold, but she hadn't drunk a drop.
The pavilion in the middle of the lake was quiet and secluded, with no one around. Sparse river lanterns floated on the water, and a few fish played around them, making occasional splashes that were quickly drowned out by the noise outside the courtyards.
The Mozi Terrace was held as scheduled, and many martial arts heroes had already gathered outside. According to the rules, Fu Xiang should have led the disciples of Mingyue Tower to watch the event, but she had no interest and sat here alone waiting for Meng Wugui to see her. However, it was almost noon, and Meng Wugui still had not sent anyone to the place.
After an unknown amount of time, Afu flew down from the top of the corridor and landed, saying, "Senior Sister, Master is busy right now and doesn't have time to see you."
It was a cloudy day, but dark clouds covered the distant sky, a sign that it was going to rain again. Fu Xiang looked up at that place without turning around and said, "Is it that you don't have time to see me, or that you don't want to see me?"
After a moment of silence, Afu finally told the truth: "I really don't want to see her... I heard that Yin Qiu almost died, and Master has been furious these past two days, it's terrifying! Even I don't dare to linger around her. I just reminded her that you were still waiting here, and I got a real dressing down..."
Fu Xiang sighed softly: "Actually, I'm too ashamed to see my master, but I've made a mistake, how can I run away from it?"
"So why didn't you come that night?" Afu asked. "Even if Butler Zhao tried to stop you, with your skills, he couldn't have stopped you, could he?"
Fu Xiang then turned around and looked at Afu, saying, "He put sleeping pills in my food, and I slept for a full twelve hours."
Afu paused for a moment, scratched her head, and said, "Oh... I see. Well, I can't blame you then."
“I went to the west of the city yesterday, but I didn’t see Xiao Qiu,” Fu Xiang said. “They wouldn’t let me see her, saying that Xiao Qiu’s life was in danger and that no one should be allowed to disturb her.”
Afu had personally experienced how critical the situation was that night. Yin Qiu not only forcibly broke the formation, but also learned that those men in black were people close to her. She suffered a double blow to her body and mind. No matter how strong she was, she couldn't withstand it. Moreover, she was thinking about Shen Mandong. She hadn't seen him and had gone through such a catastrophe. No one could have survived such a thing unscathed.
Afu sighed, "You didn't see how Yin Qiu looked that day... I felt terrible seeing her."
Fu Xiang felt deeply saddened and filled with self-reproach.
From the moment she entered Yunhua Palace, Meng Wugui had always tasked her with secretly protecting Yin Qiu. Looking back, however, she realized she hadn't truly succeeded in protecting her; in fact, Yin Qiu had protected her once in return. Although she approached Yin Qiu with a mission, the bond between them had nothing to do with the mission. She genuinely considered Yin Qiu a friend; true friendship for true friendship was so precious.
Yin Qiu was able to return to Mingyue Tower thanks to Fu Xiang's help, so she had been looking for an opportunity to repay her all these years. This time, Meng Wugui specially asked her to come to Weicheng. She had her first argument with Fu Cen at Mingyue Tower and refused to give in. It took several days for Fu Cen to relent. But she didn't expect that although she came, she didn't accomplish anything. The task given by her master failed, and Yin Qiu was also harmed by her negligence.
“It’s all my fault,” Fu Xiang said bitterly. “I’ve accomplished nothing. I can’t be a good young master, nor can I protect my friends. I’m useless.”
Afu looked at her and sighed again: "Don't say that. You didn't do it on purpose. I originally thought that with you and Yin Qiu working together, plus me covering for them, those people would be no match for us. Who would have thought that Butler Zhao would be so unethical? But thankfully, Wen Chaoyu came. She was a great help!"
Upon hearing Wen Chaoyu's name, Fu Xiang's eyes lit up, and she asked, "By the way, why did she come?"
Afu shook her head: "I don't know, but she's here anyway."
Fu Xiang pondered for a moment and said, "None of us informed the Ziwei Sect, and this matter has nothing to do with her. How did she know?"
“I found it strange too, but she didn’t say anything that night,” Afu said. “And the timing of her arrival was perfect; she even saved my life!”
Fu Xiang remained silent, lost in thought.
Since the trip to the bamboo forest was orchestrated by Meng Wugui to lure out the man in black, no third party could possibly know about it. Where did the Ziwei Sect get the information? Meng Wugui couldn't possibly reveal it herself, and she didn't have the leverage to persuade Wen Chaoyu. The man in black was even less likely to know; who would hire someone to kill themselves?
Could it be that someone leaked the news?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Noticing Fu Xiang's sudden suspicious gaze, Afu immediately exclaimed, "I didn't say anything! My mouth is sealed tight!"
After saying this, she remembered that day in the bamboo forest, when she had told Yin Qiu everything. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty and stood timidly at the edge of the pavilion.
"Are you tight-lipped?" Fu Xiang glanced at her. "Whether your mouth is tight or not is another matter. Think carefully about whether there was any mistake in the process. Have you been in contact with other people or said things you shouldn't have said without realizing it?"
Afu thought for a long time, then complained, "No! I've only ever been in contact with Yin Qiu, where did anyone else come from?"
“That means there’s a third party hiding in the shadows,” Fu Xiang speculated. “He asked Wen Chaoyu to rescue Yin Qiu, so we can assume he’s a good person for now. But since he knows someone wants to kill Yin Qiu, it means he knows about that person’s existence just like us.”
Afu stared at the toes of the shoes for a while, then suddenly looked up and said, "Oh! I remember now! Yin Qiu mentioned a piper. She said that guy could hurt her from a distance with his flute music. Could it be him?!"
The piper? Fu Xiang was taken aback: "Where did this person come from? Master never mentioned him."
“Yes, he never mentioned it!” Afu said. “But the piper is after Yin Qiu. According to what you just said, there’s no reason for him to send Wen Chaoyu to save her. Isn’t that a contradiction?”
Fu Xiang frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "No, I must see my master today. If I don't discuss these matters with her and get a result, who knows what kind of trouble will happen next."
Afu said, "Then you'd better be mentally prepared. Don't say I didn't stop you. I've already had a hard time keeping my tail between my legs these past two days. Don't let Master blame me again."
Fu Xiang ignored her and walked towards the corridor.
"Hey! There's something else!" Afu hurriedly called out to Fu Xiang, then hesitated before saying, "Well... Yin Qiu said something to me that night..."
"What did you say?" Fu Xiang turned her head to look at her.
Afu hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "She's just too perceptive. I didn't let it slip!"
"What exactly did you say?" Fu Xiang urged.
“She…she said…” Afu stammered, but finally managed to say, “She asked me if you were my senior sister…”
Fu Xiang's expression changed.
"Oh well, if you can't hide it anymore, then don't. Just confront her!" Afu's eyes darted around. "Anyway, I didn't tell her, and I don't know where she got that conclusion from, so don't blame me!"
Fu Xiang's expression changed several times, and her already chaotic thoughts became even more complicated.
After a long silence, she sighed and said, "Okay... I understand."
·
As night fell, the rain finally started to fall.
A light rain was falling, and disciples were moving back and forth in the courtyard. The smell of medicine wafted throughout the mansion. Ji Wanshu had just gone to the kitchen to supervise the brewing of medicine for a while. He paused for a moment when he passed by the east wing, but still carried his lantern and went over.
When the disciples guarding the gate saw her, they all nodded and bowed silently, without saying a word.
"How is he?" Ji Wanshu asked.
“She just woke up,” a disciple said. “She doesn’t need anyone to serve her. She changed her own dressing and is eating right now.”
Through the paper window, one could see candlelight burning inside, and the reflection of a person eating with chopsticks on the window. Ji Wanshu didn't say much, only gave a brief greeting after hearing this, and then prepared to leave.
But then the disciple urged her to stay, saying, "Senior Sister Ji, won't you go in and take a look?"
Ji Wanshu paused in her steps: "What are you looking at?"
The disciple chuckled, "You haven't seen Wen Chao... your senior sister-in-law for five years. Don't you want to catch up with her?"
Ji Wanshu looked at him calmly: "What old stories are there to reminisce about?"
The disciple lowered his head, feeling intimidated by Ji Wanshu's imposing aura, and said, "It was Senior Aunt Wen who said earlier that she wanted you to come in and sit down, as she had something to say to you."
Ji Wanshu glanced at the figure in the window again and said, "She just wants me to let her go. There's no room for discussion or negotiation."
The disciple looked embarrassed and was about to speak when he suddenly heard Wen Chaoyu slam down her bowl and chopsticks inside, making quite a commotion.
Ji Wanshu ignored him and turned around decisively.
"Stop!" Wen Chaoyu seemed to have walked to the door and shouted at Ji Wanshu through the two wooden doors, "If you have the guts, come in and let's have a talk!"
Ji Wanshu stopped on the steps, and without turning her head, said, "What kind of argument do you want to have?"
Wen Chaoyu was extremely dizzy. She didn't have many injuries, but she was very weak after her true energy was depleted. She steadied herself by holding onto the door frame and tried her best to put on a brave face. She said, "You are neither my parents nor my master. What right do you have to lock me up here!"
Ji Wanshu sneered: "You're just a prisoner, you have no right to challenge me."
"I insist!" Wen Chaoyu raised her leg and kicked the door as if she were stepping on cotton. "Open the door for me!"
“If you’re so capable, open it yourself,” Ji Wanshu said. “Or you can beg me.”
Wen Chaoyu laughed angrily: "Beg you? Dream on!"
Ji Wanshu immediately retorted, "Then you're dreaming if you think you can come out."
"I saved Yin Qiu's life!" Wen Chaoyu was seething with anger. "Is this how you treat me?"
Ji Wanshu scoffed again: "You're also a member of the Ziwei Sect, you should be grateful for this treatment."
Wen Chaoyu cursed, "If you've locked me up, you should ask me what's wrong now so I can leave. What's the point of leaving me hanging like this!"
Ji Wanshu paused for a moment, then walked to the door and said, "Not only will I leave you hanging, but I'll also keep you locked up here forever. Whenever I leave, you'll leave too, and wherever I go, you'll have to go with me."
Hearing her nonchalant tone, as if she didn't care about him at all, Wen Chaoyu couldn't help but retort angrily, "Are you sick in the head?!"
“Yes, it’s terminal, beyond cure,” Ji Wanshu chuckled, her tone sarcastic. “Haven’t you always wanted to escape? Let’s see how you escape this time.”
After she finished speaking, as if she had lost patience with talking to Wen Chaoyu, she picked up her lantern and left, leaving the gatekeepers outside looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Come back!" Wen Chaoyu was still shouting. "Would you be happy if you made me so angry I died?!"
Ji Wanshu ignored her words and left the east wing without expression.
·
Bai Ling packed the medicine for external injuries prescribed by the doctor, carried the bottles and jars to the corridor, knocked on the door, and waited for the person inside to speak before kicking the door open and quietly going inside.
"Uncle-Master, it's time to change the dressing."
Man Jiangxue remained by the bedside, never leaving her side. Seeing this, she got up and brought over the prepared hot water, took a clean cloth, and said, "Wash your body before applying the medicine. Come and help me."
Bai Ling quickly put the things down, carefully lifted the blanket, helped Yin Qiu sit up, and let her lean against her chest.
She was still unconscious and showed no signs of waking up. Bai Ling held Yin Qiu tightly, afraid of hurting her again. Man Jiangxue moved the charcoal brazier closer, then pulled open Yin Qiu's collar and wiped the cold sweat from her neck before finally taking off Yin Qiu's undergarments.
Both arms were wrapped in thick bandages, and after a day, they were stained with a lot of blood. Man Jiangxue gently unwrapped the bandages, and sword wounds of varying depths immediately came into view.
Although the wounds weren't too deep, just cuts in the skin by the blade, there were simply too many wounds, and with some blood seeping out after the bandages were removed, it still looked rather gruesome.
Bai Ling felt a pang of heartache at the sight and couldn't help but look away, sighing as she said, "Senior Sister Ji was helping me change the bandages the past two days, I hadn't seen her like this before, how did she get injured like this..." She glanced at it again and frowned, "So many sword wounds, the enemy must have outnumbered us, poor Xiao Qiu is all alone and helpless... Sigh."
Upon hearing the words "isolated and helpless," Man Jiangxue felt as if something had stabbed her heart. She silently looked at Yin Qiu, lowered her head to clean her wounds, carefully applied ointment, and then wrapped clean bandages around both of her arms.
Soon, another disciple brought over the brewed medicinal soup. Bai Ling helped Yin Qiu put on her clothes, gently placed her back on the bed, and looked at the medicinal soup, saying, "She's still not awake. How should I feed her this medicine? Does Martial Aunt need my help?"
Man Jiangxue held the medicine bowl in her hands and said, "No need, you may leave."
Bai Ling agreed, but before leaving, she noticed that Man Jiangxue looked tired and her eyes were bloodshot. She then asked with concern, "Uncle-Master hasn't slept for several days. Why don't you go back to your room and get some sleep tonight? I'll stay here and watch over Xiao Qiu, okay?"
Man Jiangxue blew on the medicine and still refused, "No need, I can do it."
Knowing that Man Jiangxue must not trust others to take care of her, Bai Ling did not try to persuade her further. She cleaned up the dirty bandages and left.
It was drizzling outside. The house was quiet. After several days and nights of care, Yin Qiu's weak breathing had gradually stabilized, but her face was still pale. She hadn't woken up since she briefly opened her eyes that day. All her medicine was fed to her by Man Jiangxue, bite by bite.
Under the candlelight, Yin Qiu's breathing was deep and even, but her sleeping face was not relaxed, as if she had fallen into a nightmare again. Man Jiangxue looked at her face, which had become much thinner, and felt a pang of pity in her heart.
After leaving Jiuxiantang that day, Man Jiangxue rushed back almost without touching the ground. When she opened Yin Qiu's door, she found that Yin Qiu was indeed missing. She searched everywhere in the city, frantically searching for a long time, and then ran around outside the city for a long time until a heavy rain fell. Finally, she found Yin Qiu lying on the ground in the bamboo forest.
The scene was still vivid in her mind. The torrential rain was swift and urgent, blurring Yin Qiu's slender figure into a shadow. The moment Man Jiangxue saw her, it was as if she had returned to that snowy night many years ago.
She still remembered the way her mother lay in a pool of blood, snowflakes covering her face and drenching her, just like Yin Qiu in the rain, fragile and helpless.
In some unknown moments, Man Jiangxue couldn't help but wonder why the people around her always left her.
Her mother was like that, her master and Shen Mandong were like that, and even Yin Qiu almost ended up like them, nearly disappearing from her side.
Those she cherished, or those who held a place in her heart, seemed to meet with accidents due to some uncontrollable changes, and each time she was caught off guard and unable to keep them.
Although Yin Qiu stayed this time, she didn't rely on her; she relied on herself.
Realizing this, Man Jiangxue's gaze towards Yin Qiu dimmed slightly.
Since her master's passing, and after she settled alone on Jingyue Peak, becoming known as "Junior Aunt" to everyone, she seemed to have taken on a responsibility she had never had before. It was as if everyone around her regarded her as someone they could rely on. Not to mention the disciples in the palace, even Xie Yijun, after becoming the sect leader, depended heavily on her. She would only feel at ease if she entrusted any important matter to her. It was as if wherever she was, no matter who it was, they would wholeheartedly trust her, rely on her, and regard her as an unbreakable support. It was as if no matter what danger they encountered, she could solve it and destroy it.
This trust from others subtly influenced Man Jiangxue over time.
She gradually felt that she should live up to the trust those people placed in her, that was the responsibility she should bear. However, the truth was that she couldn't protect anyone, and she never let anyone truly rely on her.
It seems she...can't protect the people she cherishes.
She seems... and in reality, she's far less impressive than outsiders describe.
The lingering taste of the medicine on her lips and teeth grew increasingly bitter. Man Jiangxue gently grasped Yin Qiu's hand, and after a moment, she hugged her tightly.
She leaned against the headboard, her gaze fixed on Yin Qiu's face. After what seemed like an eternity, Man Jiangxue suddenly called out softly, "Xiao Qiu?"
She could imagine how Yin Qiu would react if she heard her call; she would surely raise her beautiful eyelashes with a smile and reply in a soft voice, "Uncle-Master?"
But she can no longer hear that "Uncle-Master".
A deep pain welled up in her heart, along with many indescribable emotions. Man Jiangxue held Yin Qiu in her arms and closed her weary eyes amidst the pattering rain.
"Xiao Qiu..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
