Chapter 132
Man Jiangxue sat in the front hall. The food on the table was reheated again and again, but she didn't eat a single bite, not even touching her chopsticks.
The sky had darkened, but the rain hadn't stopped. The banana trees in the courtyard were battered by the downpour, and two emerald green leaves fell off. The banana leaves flowed along the puddles and were stopped by the stone steps outside the corridor. So the little bit of color stayed there, and together with the light cast by the lantern, it was reflected in Manjiangxue's eyes.
"We've come up empty-handed and still can't find a way to solve this problem," Meng Jing said, folding up the medical books on the small table, his frustration evident. "The only thing we can do now is go back to the palace and ask my master if he has any ideas. The conditions here are simple, and the medical books in the library are not as complete as they are. I also have limited knowledge and really can't find a good way to cure the poison."
Man Jiangxue held a book in one hand, leaning back lazily in a rattan chair, gazing thoughtfully at the rainy scene outside.
“I see that Yin Qiu can move around freely now, so there shouldn’t be any problem with her setting off,” Meng Jing said, holding the medical book in his arms and looking at Man Jiangxue. “Uncle-Master, when shall we set off back to the palace?”
They had been stuck in Weicheng for almost a month. If it weren't for Yin Qiu's accident, they should have returned to Yunhua Palace long ago.
After thinking for a moment, Man Jiangxue said, "I'll discuss it with Xiao Qiu when she comes back and then decide."
Meng Jing glanced at the sky and saw how hard the rain was outside, and couldn't help but worry: "It's already this late and she still hasn't returned. Yin Qiu is still injured. Why don't you stop waiting, Uncle? Have your dinner first, and I'll go pick her up."
Man Jiangxue put the book in her hand aside, looked Meng Jing up and down, then stood up and said, "No need, you're still injured, I'll go."
Meng Jing responded and immediately fetched an umbrella. Man Jiangxue, wearing a brocade robe, and the two of them had just entered the corridor and hadn't even had a chance to go down the steps when Yin Qiu returned by herself with an umbrella.
Meng Jing was about to hand the oil-paper umbrella to Man Jiangxue when she saw Yin Qiu's figure and withdrew her hand. She stood by the railing and looked at Yin Qiu from afar. Suddenly, a white shadow flashed in her eyes. Man Jiangxue didn't even take the umbrella and walked quickly towards Yin Qiu in the rain.
Seeing this scene, Meng Jing moved slightly, intending to follow Man Jiangxue. However, Man Jiangxue moved too quickly. By the time Meng Jing reacted, Yin Qiu had already raised the brim of the umbrella, revealing a gentle and quiet smile. Man Jiangxue leaned slightly towards her, and at the same time, she raised her hand to grasp the umbrella ribs and took the umbrella from Yin Qiu's hand.
The two stood in the rain, neither of them seeming to have any intention of going back inside to take shelter. The rain was so loud that Meng Jing couldn't hear what they were saying. He could only see that Yin Qiu's gaze at Man Jiangxue was inexplicably tender, while Man Jiangxue's well-defined profile held a smile that was not usually seen on her face.
Meng Jing was stunned for some reason, feeling a mix of indescribable emotions at the sight before him.
She unconsciously gripped the umbrella handle tighter, gazing at the two somewhat similar figures, a strange emotion instantly welling up inside her.
"Alright, stop looking. Is it really that good?" Suddenly, a slightly hoarse voice rang out from behind.
Meng Jing was taken aback and turned around somewhat hastily, only to see Bai Ling leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, coughing in a low voice, and saying with a half-smile, "Where's the medicine I asked you to brew for me? I've been waiting for ages and you still haven't come."
Meng Jing glanced at her and immediately set off, saying, "I was just talking to my martial uncle. I'll prepare the medicine for you now."
Bai Ling gave her a meaningful look for a moment, then followed Meng Jing. When they reached the corner, Bai Ling looked back at the two in the courtyard, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Meng Jing, there's something... I think I should tell you."
Meng Jing didn't look at her, but stared straight ahead and asked, "What is it?"
Bai Ling glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and said, "This time, Xiao Qiu was seriously injured and has been unconscious for many days. Her condition is very critical. You may not know this because you are in Cang County. These days, your uncle has been watching over Xiao Qiu by her bedside almost every night. He hasn't had a good night's sleep. We can't help much, so we can only wait outside. Xiao Qiu was able to get out of bed and walk around so quickly, all thanks to your uncle's careful care. If it weren't for your uncle, Xiao Qiu would probably still be lying in bed."
Meng Jing didn't quite understand why she suddenly brought this up, and said, "I know that, what's wrong?"
Bai Ling cleared her throat, looked around to make sure no one was passing by, and then continued, "I wanted to tell you that during the days when Xiao Qiu was unconscious, whether she was drinking water or taking medicine, it was all her uncle who personally fed her, understand?"
Meng Jing was completely confused. He stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Bai Ling, and said, "I know that too. What's wrong?"
Seeing that she seemed not to understand what she meant at all, Bai Ling couldn't help but roll her eyes and said irritably, "You're supposed to be a disciple of medicine, and I've made myself perfectly clear, yet you keep asking me what's wrong. I'm asking you, how do you get medicine into someone's body when they're unconscious?"
Without hesitation, Meng Jing replied, "Actually, if a person is unconscious, feeding them water or food is forbidden. A slight mistake could cause them to suffocate and die. However, given Yin Qiu's critical condition at the time, if she didn't take her medicine and receive timely treatment, she would have a very high chance of dying. Therefore, even if we had to feed her medicine, we had to pry open her lips and teeth, use a spoon to press down on her tongue, and feed her little by little. And we had to be extremely careful and attentive throughout the process—"
Before she could finish speaking, Bai Ling interrupted Meng Jing with a speechless expression, saying, "Please, don't give me all that nonsense. I'm not a medical student and I don't want to listen. Let me ask you again, if we don't use a spoon, how do we feed them?"
Meng Jing frowned, puzzled, and asked, "What exactly are you trying to say...?"
Bai Ling was at her wit's end and could only bite the bullet and say, "Why are you...you're really driving me crazy! Besides feeding with a spoon, there's another way—using your mouth! Do you really not know that, or are you pretending not to know?!"
Meng Jing paused, then suddenly raised her eyelashes, her eyes filled with surprise, and said, "You mean..."
Seeing that she finally understood, Bai Ling breathed a long sigh of relief: "That's right, it's exactly what you think."
Meng Jing's expression changed several times, and after a long silence, he said with a complicated expression, "So this is what you wanted to tell me?"
Bai Ling nodded and patted Meng Jing hard on the shoulder: "We're fellow disciples, so I'll do you a good deed and give you a reminder."
Meng Jing clenched his fists secretly, but maintained a calm expression: "What reminder?"
Bai Ling glanced at her and said with her hands in her pockets, "You don't need to pretend in front of me, do you? I know perfectly well what you think of Xiao Qiu. I just want to remind you that Xiao Qiu has no parents, and her marriage will definitely be decided by her martial uncle. If you are interested in Xiao Qiu, you must get past your martial uncle first."
Two figures in the courtyard suddenly appeared before his eyes. Meng Jing's heart tightened, and he gripped the umbrella ribs in his hand so tightly that they creaked.
“That’s not true,” Meng Jing finally managed to say with difficulty, suppressing his inner turmoil. “I have no improper thoughts about Yin Qiu. I only consider her a friend.”
Bai Ling wanted to offer her some more advice, but seeing the heavy and cold look in Meng Jing's expression, she wisely refrained from saying anything more and tried to speak in a light tone: "If that's really what you think, then of course that's the best thing."
·
Yin Qiu lifted her skirt and was led by Man Jiangxue through the rain into the corridor. She put her open umbrella on the ground and looked at Man Jiangxue's once clean cloud boots, which were now soaked. She couldn't help but sigh and laugh, "It's only a few steps away. Uncle-Master doesn't need to come to the courtyard to meet me."
Man Jiangxue draped the brocade robe over Yin Qiu's shoulders and led her towards the side room, saying, "Why did it take you so long to come back?"
Yin Qiu caught a chill from the wind, coughed twice while holding her handkerchief, and said, "I almost missed it, but luckily Fu Xiang was still willing to see me. After all, it's been five years since we last met, and we'll have a lot to talk about."
The two chatted all the way back to their room. Man Jiangxue changed into clean clothes and had hot water brought over. Yin Qiu took a bath behind the screen while recounting to Man Jiangxue everything that she had talked about with Fu Xiang that day.
The room was filled with humid heat, and the windows could not block the cold wind. White mist swirled in the room, and the candlelight flickered. Man Jiangxue knelt in front of the low table, warming the medicine that Yin Qiu wanted to drink with hot water, and said, "Meng Wugui has planned this all along. If Fu Xiangruo becomes the master of the Mingyue Tower in the future, it will be as if the Mingyue Tower is in Meng Wugui's hands."
“She contacted me several years ago, but a step later than my martial uncle,” Yin Qiu said. “And the reason she hasn’t acknowledged me all these years is probably because she is wary of the Ziwei Sect and the other murderer who destroyed the Ruyi Sect, and doesn’t want to expose herself. But this time in Weicheng, she suddenly drew all of us out. What does she want to do?”
Man Jiangxue said, "Her purpose is easy to guess. It is nothing more than revenge and rebuilding Ruyi Gate. She did not acknowledge you before not only because she did not want to expose herself, but also for your safety. Now that you have grown up, you are able to face these things and have a certain ability to protect yourself. For Meng Wugui, now is naturally a good time to mature."
"Then why won't she see me now?" Yin Qiu said. "After I parted ways with Fu Xiang, I asked to meet with Meng Wugui, but Afu said that Meng Wugui didn't want to see me and told me to go back to the palace as soon as possible and not to stay in Weicheng for long."
“Because Nangong Min still doesn’t know your relationship with her,” Man Jiangxue said. “If Nangong Min finds out Meng Wugui’s true identity, he will not let her go unchecked. The old members of Ruyi Sect are not scary; what’s scary are the surviving descendants of the Shen family. If Nangong Min destroys Ruyi Sect, she will naturally be wary of Meng Wugui and seek revenge. In other words, you are still in a passive and dangerous situation. Once Nangong Min finds out who Meng Wugui is, he can take action against you at any time to restrain Meng Wugui.”
More importantly, besides Nangong Min, there is also the mastermind behind the secret guards who is eyeing her covetously. Meng Wugui has to face not only the Ziwei Sect, but if she reveals her identity at this time, Nangong Min may join forces with that person to deal with her. Since she cannot protect Yin Qiu and Fu Xiang has not yet truly become the leader of Mingyue Tower, Meng Wugui will still be unable to escape her current situation of being weak and alone.
“That’s why she took the initiative to reveal her identity to her martial uncle, hoping to get your support,” Yin Qiu suddenly realized. “But what she wants is not just revenge, but also for the rebuilt Ruyi Sect to dominate the martial arts world. And to dominate the martial arts world, in addition to dealing with the Ziwei Sect, she also needs to take down the Yunhua Palace.”
At present, Yunhua Palace is the number one sect in the martial arts world, followed by the evil Ziwei Sect. Leaving aside other sects for the time being, Meng Wugui's ambition is so great that it is almost a pipe dream to overthrow these two sects by himself.
Furthermore, there are nine hall masters in the Nine Immortals Hall, and Meng Wugui is only one of them. She does not have the ability to command the entire Nine Immortals Hall for her own use, but as long as Fu Xiang becomes the head of the Bright Moon Pavilion and wins over Man Jiangxue, it is not impossible to achieve the goal.
If Man Jiangxue were willing to help her, it's no exaggeration to say that Yunhua Palace would be easily within her grasp. With just a word from Man Jiangxue, Xie Yijun could abdicate at any time. With the powerful Yunhua Palace backing her up, Meng Wugui would have no fear of the Ziwei Sect. If she and Man Jiangxue joined forces, killing Nangong Min would be a piece of cake. As for the people behind the secret guards, they would be even less worth mentioning.
“It’s a pity I won’t help her,” Man Jiangxue said calmly. “Unless she can tell who is behind the Dark Guard disciples, but I won’t help her, so we can only remain at a stalemate, and she can only be at a loss and continue to keep her distance from you.”
If Meng Wugui's only goal is revenge, Man Jiangxue might still have room to consider it out of respect for Shen Mandong and Yin Qiu. However, Meng Wugui is determined to become the overlord of the martial arts world. If Man Jiangxue really helps her, who can guarantee that Meng Wugui won't become the next Nangong Min?
Man Jiangxue would not hand over Yunhua Palace to someone with ulterior motives, nor would she allow Yunhua Palace to become a tool for someone else's revenge.
Factional conflicts and turmoil in the martial world would cause countless innocent deaths. Given such risks and consequences, Man Jiangxue would never agree to Meng Wugui's request.
·
“But she also told Nangong Min about my mother,” Yin Qiu said, looking down at the water. “So many days have passed, and Nangong Min hasn’t even shown his face in Weicheng. Why did Meng Wugui bring her here as well?”
Man Jiangxue said, "There is only one possibility: Meng Wugui wanted to test whether Nangong Min knew about that person's existence. Nangong Min came to Weicheng to confirm her senior sister's life or death. After all, the Holy Sword has been lost for many years, and she will not let go of any opportunity that may lead to its recovery."
Yin Qiu said, "But Wen Chaoyu saved me, which was not Nangong Min's intention. Doesn't this mean that Nangong Min didn't know about that person's existence?"
“She must have known,” Man Jiangxue said. “Otherwise, how could she have guessed that someone might kill you just because Meng Wugui released the news about your senior sister, and even personally went to warn you?”
Yin Qiu thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense..." She scooped up some water to wash her face, perked herself up, and then said, "So right now, Nangong Min and Meng Wugui must both know that the other knows about that person. Is it possible that the two of them will secretly join forces? Since Martial Uncle is unwilling to help, Meng Wugui will definitely find someone else to form an alliance, even if that person is Nangong Min."
Man Jiangxue said, "That depends on whether Nangong Min has any grudges with that person. If she also has unknown grievances with that person, she might be willing to join forces with Meng Wugui, but only if she doesn't know who Meng Wugui is."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu suddenly had a thought. She turned around, leaned over the edge of the bathtub, and looked at Man Jiangxue's shadow through the screen, saying, "So, Nangong Min knows what Meng Wugui is unwilling to tell us."
Upon hearing this, Man Jiangxue also raised her head, looked back at Yin Qiu, and said, "You want to ask Nangong Min for an explanation?"
Separated by the screen, neither of them could clearly see the other, but neither looked away, and they stared at each other in this ambiguous way. Yin Qiu said, "Is it not allowed? She came all the way to remind me, which is a favor. I'll ask to see her on the grounds of expressing my gratitude. She should see me."
Man Jiangxue said, "But she might not tell you what you want to know."
“But there are two things we need to figure out,” Yin Qiu said. “First, I don’t believe that Senior Sister Ye is the mastermind behind the Dark Guard disciples. She doesn’t have the influence to make Meng Wugui so wary. As for whether she is a spy for the Ziwei Sect, we can leave that aside for now. Second, who told Wen Chaoyu to come and save me? Since it wasn’t Nangong Min who gave the order, then who is that person, and does Nangong Min even know them? What does that person want to do? If I were to investigate these two things myself, I wouldn’t have any direction at all. Besides asking Nangong Min, I can’t think of any other way at the moment.”
Man Jiangxue paused for a moment, then said, "I already asked Wan Shu to inquire about the person who sent Wen Chaoyu to rescue you."
Yin Qiu said, "Really? Why didn't my martial uncle mention this to me?"
Man Jiangxue paused, but did not answer the question. Instead, she changed the subject and said, "The water must be getting cold. Aren't you coming out?"
Yin Qiu had no choice but to quickly get out of the bathtub, hastily dry herself off, put on her clothes, and rush out behind the screen to ask Man Jiangxue, "Who is it?"
Man Jiangxue glanced at her, picked up the medicine in her hand, and said, "Guess who it is?"
Yin Qiu gulped down the bowl of medicine in one go, then rinsed his mouth with tea and said, "How can I guess? Uncle-Master, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly."
Man Jiangxue remained silent, but beckoned to Yin Qiu. Yin Qiu glanced at her, then put down her teacup and walked towards Man Jiangxue. Before she could even sit down, Man Jiangxue stretched out her hand and pulled Yin Qiu towards her, saying in a calm tone, "Before answering your question, you have to be honest with me first. Is there anything you're hiding from me?"
Bathed in the flickering candlelight, Man Jiangxue's lowered eyes appeared somewhat deep and mysterious. When Yin Qiu met her gaze, he couldn't help but feel puzzled: "What could I possibly be hiding from my martial uncle?"
“Then you’ll have to ask yourself,” Man Jiangxue said.
Yin Qiu immediately began to ponder. Before long, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and a hint of panic appeared on her face, her eyes darting around.
Man Jiangxue took in all her reactions and, seeing this, asked again, "You remember now?"
Yin Qiu lowered her head and asked nervously, "Is what I'm thinking the same thing that my martial uncle said...?"
Upon hearing this, Man Jiangxue raised an eyebrow: "It seems that there's more than one thing you've been hiding from me."
Although Yin Qiu felt guilty, she still honestly replied, "No, there's only one."
Seeing that she was keeping her head down and not daring to look at her, Man Jiangxue stopped teasing her and said, "Wen Chaoyu didn't say the person's name. She only said that he was a flute player."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu was first taken aback, then her expression turned strange.
"Doesn't it seem contradictory?" Man Jiangxue pinched Yin Qiu's chin, lifting her up to face her. "He wants to harm you secretly, yet he also wants someone to save you. Isn't that a strange move?"
Forced to look up, Yin Qiu endured Man Jiangxue's direct and unrestrained gaze. She moved her lips, but didn't know what to say. After a long while, she drooped her eyelids and said, "...When did Martial Uncle find out?"
Man Jiangxue held her tightly, her face devoid of any smile, even displaying an unusual seriousness. She stared at Yin Qiu and said, "I've always taught you to be confident, so you're so confident that you think you can stand up to anyone, there's no need for you to tell me?"
Hearing the scolding tone in her voice, Yin Qiu couldn't help but panic and quickly said, "No, no..."
"What's wrong?" Man Jiangxue asked.
Yin Qiushuang was swayed like a wilted eggplant, forced to let Man Jiangxue hold her, and said in a voice barely audible, "I'm just worried about my martial uncle..."
“The fact that you can say that only proves that you also guessed that he was going to deal with me,” Man Jiangxue said. “Do you think that keeping this a secret will solve the problem?”
Before Yin Qiu could answer, Man Jiangxue continued, "Or do you already have a way to deal with this person?"
Yin Qiu paused, then said dejectedly, "No..."
“I’ll be angry if you misbehave like this,” Man Jiangxue said. “Luckily, this time he sent Wen Chaoyu to rescue you instead of going there himself to kill you. Otherwise, with me in Jiuxiantang and you all alone, you would have lost your life. What would I have done then?”
Hearing her words, Yin Qiu felt ashamed and guilty, and couldn't say another word.
Man Jiangxue looked at her but said nothing more.
The two fell silent, with only the ceaseless sound of the wind outside. After a moment of torment, Yin Qiu cautiously raised her eyes to look at Man Jiangxue and said, "Is Martial Aunt angry? I know I was wrong..."
Seeing her like this, Man Jiangxue couldn't muster any anger. She sighed, gently pulled Yin Qiu into her arms, and said, "You..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
