Chapter 13
The night was dark and the wind was strong; the snow began to fall again.
Walking back along the way they came, Yin Qiu relaxed completely and leaned on Man Jiangxue's shoulder, having forgotten the danger and fear she had just experienced. She hugged Man Jiangxue's neck tightly, smelling the half-bloody scent on her body, but instead of finding it pungent, she felt very at ease.
"Are you cold?" Man Jiangxue stepped down from the top of her head and gently patted Yin Qiu's back.
“A little.” Yin Qiu looked up and saw that in front of her was the mountain temple where Wen Chaoyu had kidnapped her.
The torches standing on the outer wall had long since died out and were now icy cold from the fine snowflakes. Yin Qiu clearly remembered that when Wen Chaoyu took her away, he had deliberately covered up all traces of this place. But now, upon closer inspection, she found many footprints scattered on the snow at the temple entrance, and a motionless person lying there.
Yin Qiuse shrank back: "Who is that?"
Man Jiangxue picked her up and jumped into the temple, saying, "The one who will take you away."
"Is it that horseman?" Yin Qiu asked in surprise. "Didn't he leave a long time ago?"
“I intercepted your path,” Man Jiangxue said, closing the door behind her. “I asked him to bring me here, otherwise it wouldn’t have been so easy to find you.”
Yin Qiu exhaled a puff of hot air and rubbed his hands together: "He's dead?"
“Yes,” Man Jiangxue said, “Let’s sleep here. They won’t come back.”
There was no firewood or straw in the temple, and the conditions weren't great, but at least it kept out the wind and snow. It was better than sleeping in the woods. Manjiangxue took off his outer robe and spread it on the ground. He lay down first and waved to Yinqiu.
"Come."
Yin Qiu's face stung from the cold, and she quickly snuggled into her arms.
"Are you scared?" Man Jiangxue asked in her ear.
“I was very scared at first,” Yin Qiu said, “but I knew you would come to save me.”
“It was my carelessness before,” Man Jiangxue said, “but Wen Chaoyu is injured, so she will definitely stay quiet for the next few days.”
Although she hadn't seen the fight between the two women clearly, she had witnessed Wen Chaoyu spitting out blood. Yin Qiu asked, "Is she badly injured?"
Man Jiangxue said, "She has both external and internal injuries. Even with the best medicine, she won't recover in less than two months."
A chill from the ground surged into Yin Qiu's body in waves, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. Her lips trembled as she said, "Uncle-Master is so...so amazing."
Man Jiangxue glanced at her, reached out and scooped Yin Qiu up from the ground, tossed her to her chest, and said, "It's alright, it's still early before dawn, go to sleep."
Yin Qiu nestled obediently against Man Jiangxue, like a soft, cuddly kitten. She felt Man Jiangxue's body temperature and heartbeat, and her heart warmed, even more so than if she had drunk a large bowl of hot soup.
"Am I too heavy?" Yin Qiu even softened her breathing.
"No," Man Jiangxue said.
"Can you catch your breath?" Yin Qiu asked, afraid of pressing down on her.
“It’s angry.” Man Jiangxue seemed to chuckle softly.
Yin Qiu suddenly wanted to see her, so he propped himself up on his elbows and groped for Man Jiangxue's face in the dim light.
"What are you doing?" Man Jiangxue didn't move, only staring at her fluffy head.
"Are you hurt?" Yin Qiu touched her face and then buried her head to sniff her.
"I'm fine," Man Jiangxue said, listening to her soft breathing. "What are you smelling?"
Yin Qiu frowned, his nose almost touching the skin on Man Jiangxue's neck, and said, "Your sword is bolted to the door, so why do you still smell so strongly of blood?"
Man Jiangxue said, "It's not my blood," her voice tinged with amusement, as she raised her hand and pressed Yin Qiu's head down. "Alright, I'm not hurt. Go to sleep now."
Yin Qiu was finally relieved. Satisfied, she snuggled against Man Jiangxue and fell asleep on top of her.
·
The next morning, Yin Qiu was lifted up by Man Jiangxue in her sleep. The horse was still tied in the woods where the incident had occurred the night before. The two mounted the horse and set off again.
As expected, they encountered no further troubles in the remaining days, nor did they see anyone from the Ziwei Sect. That evening, the two of them, one big and one small, set off on the official road and entered a prefecture city, where they chose an inn to stay temporarily.
The wind was biting, and the snow fell intermittently, without any discernible pattern. Many people were sweeping the snow along the long street, and lanterns had already been hung up. The buildings were shrouded in a white haze, and the icicles under the eaves were straighter than pillars.
Yin Qiu stood by the window, still half asleep, for a while to get some fresh air and perk herself up. She wasn't really interested in anything new, and after running around for the past two days, she started coughing non-stop again.
"Take your medicine," Man Jiangxue said.
Yin Qiu opened her mouth, and Man Jiangxue stuffed a pill into her mouth. Yin Qiu swallowed it with water, but she was still too sleepy to continue. She lay down on the couch and took a nap. When she woke up again, it was completely dark outside.
After the meal, Man Jiangxue applied some ointment to the wound on Yin Qiu's forehead. In the cold winter, the wound healed slowly, and it had only scabbed over in the last few days. The scab was about the size of a fingernail, but Yin Qiu's face was only the size of a palm, and her skin was fair, so the scab looked rather conspicuous, as if someone had deliberately dipped a brush in vermilion ink and made a dot on it.
After a period of recuperation, Yin Qiu's complexion has improved a lot. Man Jiangxue took meticulous care of her, providing her with the best food and supplies, and did not mistreat her at all.
Yin Qiu was obedient. A child who has been hungry for a long time is not picky about food and will eat whatever is available. Her little face gradually regained color, her eyes became bright and sparkling, and her cheeks became radiant. She was delicate and lovely, and was no longer the sallow-faced, thin, and sickly little girl she once was.
"Uncle-Master, how much longer until we arrive?" Yin Qiu held the pen and wrote his name stroke by stroke.
"Do you see that mountain?" Man Jiangxue pointed out the window.
Yin Qiu turned her head and looked out the small window into the distance, where she could vaguely see a high mountain with a blurred outline in the darkness.
"I saw it."
“That’s Yunhua Mountain,” Man Jiangxue said. “Yunhua Palace is on the mountaintop.”
"We've arrived already?" Yin Qiu asked, somewhat surprised.
“This is Shangyuan City,” Man Jiangxue leaned back in her chair, looking relaxed. “It’s your first time entering the palace, so you should be more energetic. You’ve been working hard these past few days, so get a good night’s sleep tonight and rest up. It’s not too late to go back tomorrow.”
"Oh." Yin Qiu lowered her head.
Man Jiangxue leaned over and looked at her handwriting: "Not bad, you've improved."
Yin Qiu was absent-minded.
"What's wrong?" Man Jiangxue held her hand. "I just praised you once, and you wrote it wrong."
Yin Qiu looked at her, unable to hide the disappointment between her brows, and whispered, "I thought... it would be a few more days before we arrived."
Man Jiangxue guided her hand to write, then asked, "Don't you want to go back so soon?"
Yin Qiu's lips moved slightly, but she didn't speak.
Actually, it wasn't that fast. The journey through the mountains was arduous, with wind and snow, and poor food and sleep. Yin Qiu also had a hard time enduring the bumpy ride on horseback, but with Man Jiangxue by her side, she could bear it and even felt very happy.
Unexpectedly, she was going to Yunhua Palace tomorrow. Yin Qiu felt really rushed. Even though she knew where she was going all the way, she was not really mentally prepared as the journey was coming to an end.
Moreover, what Yin Qiu cared about more was that once she arrived at Yunhua Palace, she could no longer stay by Man Jiangxue's side every step of the way.
"I live in the disciples' quarters, where does my martial uncle live?"
“Jingyue Peak,” Man Jiangxue said.
"Is it far?" Yin Qiu leaned on the table, tilting her head to look at Man Jiangxue's face.
“It’s not far,” Man Jiangxue sat down on the stool next to her. “Once you learn lightness skill, you’ll be able to come and go as you please.”
Yin Qiu asked, looking completely bewildered, "Then what am I supposed to do when I go to the palace?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Let me introduce you to the sect leader first. Someone will teach you what to do next."
Yin Qiu nodded slowly, then fell silent.
The servant brought hot water, and the two of them took a bath together, changed into clean clothes, turned off the lights, and went to bed. Yin Qiu had something on her mind, and stared wide-eyed, unable to fall asleep.
The wind howled stronger at night, and there was no light inside the house. People occasionally passed by in the corridor outside, accompanied by low voices. Yin Qiu rested her head on Man Jiangxue's arm, smelling her faint fragrance, and thought about many things in this quiet moment.
She recalled the days of wandering and suffering, the people who had treated her badly, and the few who had cared for her. She also thought about everything that had happened since she met Man Jiangxue, and her emotions were complicated.
She secretly thought that it would be great if Man Jiangxue would take on a disciple, so that she could continue to stay by her side.
But Man Jiangxue said she was not yet qualified to be a teacher. What kind of logic is that? Even Wen Chaoyu was beaten by her without any chance to fight back. With such good skills, how could she belittle herself?
Or is it that Man Jiangxue actually does not refuse to accept disciples, but simply does not want to accept her as a disciple?
So, what should she do to get Man Jiangxue to become her master?
"Can't sleep?" Man Jiangxue suddenly asked.
Yin Qiu quickly closed her eyes and hugged Man Jiangxue even tighter: "No... I'll go to sleep now."
·
Snow fell on the courtyard, staining the entire small building. The icy railings and jade tiles, the bas-reliefs and thin frost, the whole world was shrouded in a snowstorm.
Wen Chaoyu strolled leisurely in the courtyard, her steps slightly unsteady.
She wasn't wearing a straw hat today, but had changed into a light blue robe. Her heroic face had a hint of coldness, and her complexion was very bad. The bandage wrapped around her shoulder was twisted and turned around half of her neck, making it difficult for her to breathe.
There were no flowers in the courtyard, only maple trees planted in the four corners. The red maples were covered with a thin layer of snow, which weighed them down. The red and white colors were beautiful, but they also made people feel dejected.
Wen Chaoyu, annoyed by what he saw, pointed at his subordinates by the door and said, "Is there a gold ingot or a beautiful woman lying naked on the ground? All of you, lift your heads!"
The subordinates quickly craned their necks to look at the sky, not daring to utter a sound.
"A bunch of wilted eggplants!" Wen Chaoyu said, her face pale but her voice still strong. "If you keep looking so unlucky, I'll send you all back to cleaning latrines, and you'll never have to hold your heads high again!"
Anyone who is a subordinate must be prepared to be mistreated at any time. This protector was humiliated outside and was unhappy. He has been looking for ways to vent his anger these past few days. Anyone who comes across him will suffer. It's really not uncommon.
The subordinates were fully aware of this, but dared not utter a sound, and all began to act as wooden stakes.
Wen Chaoyu felt uncomfortable all over; her skin and bones felt like they had been struck by lightning, and the pain was endless, as if someone was constantly whipping her, relentlessly.
"Where is the leader?" Wen Chaoyu walked to the building entrance, gently rubbing her right shoulder.
"They're practicing martial arts inside. We told them not to let anyone in," one of the subordinates replied.
Wen Chaoyu glanced at the tightly closed door, listened for a while, and heard faint sounds of women laughing inside, along with some indescribable noises.
"Then why did she ask me to make this trip?" Wen Chaoyu waved her hand. "You can all leave now. I'll wait here myself."
His subordinates then left one after another. As they walked out of the courtyard, Wen Chaoyu's face contorted in pain. He leaned against the railing and sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing to ease the pain.
Once everyone left, the place became even more deserted, and the noise inside the building grew even louder.
Laughter, panting, and unrestrained cries flowed into the ears like streams of water, dense and continuous, making listeners blush, their hearts race, and their minds wander.
Wen Chaoyu sat cross-legged for a while, enduring the pain, but finally couldn't help jumping up and banging on the door, saying, "Can't you be a little more discreet in broad daylight? Sect Leader! If there's nothing else, I'm going back. What's with leaving me hanging?"
No one answered for a long time.
After a while of noise, the room finally quieted down completely. Wen Chaoyu was holding her hands when she saw the two doors in front of her suddenly open by themselves. A strong incense wafted out of the room, accompanied by a cloud of hot air, which made Wen Chaoyu cover her nose.
A short while later, a smiling voice rang out from inside the building: "I haven't punished you for not doing your job properly, but you can't even stand being left out for a while?"
Wen Chaoyu stood at the door without moving, looking at the women huddled together in the lobby, barely clothed, and said, "That's no way to leave them like this. You're inside with women on your left and right, while I'm outside getting chilled. Isn't that unfair?"
Soon, the curtains hanging behind the women were lifted by a slender hand, and a beautiful woman in red with dark hair and fair skin stepped out. She smiled slightly at Wen Chaoyu and said, "If you are interested, pick one of them. I am not a stingy person."
This woman was tall and slender with a graceful figure. At first glance, her face was strikingly beautiful, but upon closer inspection, it was as delicate as the moonlit night. Her alluring eyes were full of affection, and her red lips were pursed into a beautiful curve. She possessed a captivating charm with a hint of unspoken desire, making her extremely alluring.
As soon as she appeared, the women on the ground all leaned towards her as if they were boneless, yet none of them dared to touch her in the slightest. The room was filled with swaying, graceful bodies, willow-leaf waists, and snow-white arms, gently swaying at the hem of their alluring red skirts, a scene of vibrant beauty that was captivating.
Wen Chaoyu was already used to this scene and laughed, "Then forget it. I should be grateful that the sect leader doesn't punish me, so how could I accept a reward?"
Nangong Min reached out and gently stroked the head of the person beside him, saying, "You are so chaste; it doesn't seem like the style of someone from the Demonic Sect."
Wen Chaoyu said, "I can't compare to the leader's boundless energy, who is surrounded by beautiful women all day long. The leader should restrain himself to avoid taking a toll on his health."
“Replenishing yin with yin, how could you not be able to handle it?” Nangong Min looked at her. “For whom have you remained chaste? This sect leader will do a good deed and capture him for you.”
Wen Chaoyu smiled wickedly and said, "How could I trouble the sect leader to take action personally? That would shorten my lifespan."
Nangong Min's gaze fell on the bandage around her neck, and he smiled: "You got beaten up?"
Wen Chaoyu leaned against the door frame and sighed, "Man Jiangxue is heartless. She beat me so badly. The duck that was about to be eaten flew away several times. I can't afford to offend her. You should take care of it yourself, Master."
Nangong Min walked past the women to the door, and the others dressed and withdrew. Nangong Min said, "Judging by the days, they should have arrived in Shangyuan City by now."
“There’s no way to stop them,” Wen Chaoyu said. “Shangyuan City is under the jurisdiction of Yunhua Palace, and the checks are very strict. I can’t do anything about it this time.”
Nangong Min said, "Then let's not stop them. Let them go back. That child will eventually come to me."
Wen Chaoyu said, "You have a backup plan?"
Nangong Min laughed: "Back then, you came back without a word and revealed your identity. It wasn't so easy to plant spies in Yunhua Palace. But things are what they are. In these ten long years, there will always be times when we can't guard against it."
Wen Chaoyu raised her eyelashes, appearing nonchalant: "It's a good thing, it saves me from having to go looking for a beating every time."
Nangong Min glanced at her sideways: "Aren't you going to ask who I am?"
"I won't ask," Wen Chaoyu said, habitually reaching for her waist before realizing she hadn't brought her broadsword. "If I ask, it will become my problem again, so please don't tell me."
As if suddenly remembering something, Nangong Min said, "You've become increasingly lazy. Are you afraid of running into someone?"
Wen Chaoyu pouted: "Full of snow, huh! Who isn't afraid of that?"
Nangong Min smiled and said, "Really? I thought it was your precious disciple."
Wen Chaoyu's heart skipped a beat, but she remained expressionless: "What treasure or not, now that you've grown up and become successful, every time you see me you wish you could stab me through the throat with a sword, and I wouldn't dare to fight back. I'm afraid Man Jiangxue would chase me day and night. I'm not stupid, I can always hide!"
Nangong Min patted her shoulder and said gently, "If it's really that troublesome, I'll kill her for you. I'm not afraid of Man Jiangxue coming after me anyway, how about that?"
Wen Chaoyu's body went numb from Nangong Min's slap, but she could only grin and say calmly, "That's great!"
“You’re not acting properly,” Nangong Min withdrew his hand, his eyes crinkling. “If you can’t bear to part with someone, just say so. Why pretend? Didn’t I tell you, if you really like someone, I, the sect leader, will just bring them to you. Why are you pushing them into the line of fire?”
"She's just a girl with a bad temper," Wen Chaoyu said calmly. "Master, you have so many beauties, so don't bother with that kind of wild girl. She's not to your liking."
Nangong Min raised one eyebrow and said as he walked, "Whether it suits your taste or not, we'll only know after we've tried it."
Wen Chaoyu laughed heartily, responded twice, and followed. After a moment, she looked at Nangong Min's back and her smile vanished, her eyes filled with a cold, surging killing intent.
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