Chapter 141
The carriage swayed and rattled along the mountain path. The snowy night was moonless, and Bai Ling hung two lanterns on the front of the carriage. The curtains were blown by the cold wind, and the dim candlelight reflected on the two people inside the carriage, like a layer of twilight sunlight floating on them.
“Cheng Xiu…” Man Jiangxue remembered the name and said, “Is she the female disciple who was responsible for boiling water in the boiler room and whose face was disfigured?”
Yin Qiu became increasingly alarmed as she thought about it, and said with a sore voice, "It's her."
“That makes sense,” Man Jiangxue said. “She was transferred to Yaodingcheng by Huaiwei.”
Yin Qiu felt a bitter taste in his throat. After a moment of silence, he said, "Now that I think about it, the poisoning of those refugees in Yao Dingcheng must have been done by them in secret. Do you still remember that rice shop assistant, Liu Ba?"
After Liu Ba was imprisoned, in order to atone for his crimes, he confessed that someone had met with him at the post station when he poisoned the poison. However, after examining all the disciples at the post station, he found nothing.
Lu Huaiwei was also present at the time, but Liu Ba did not identify her. Instead, he was extremely excited when he saw Cheng Xiu passing by. However, after he saw Cheng Xiu's face, which was damaged by the fire, he was dumbfounded and said that he had mistaken her for someone else.
“This means the contact person is not Huaiwei, but Chengxiu,” Man Jiangxue said. “Huaiwei knows how to disguise herself, and Liu Ba claimed that he saw a man, so it must have been Huaiwei who changed Chengxiu’s appearance.”
At this point, Man Jiangxue recalled another matter and said, "On the day you were taken to the government office and imprisoned by the officials, I interrogated Mr. Ya in Zhengya Hall. Before he died, he also pointed to Huaiwei, but I didn't think much of it at the time and was attracted by the Duan family's land deed. Now that I think about it, he had already revealed who instructed him back then. It's just a pity that I was careless."
Connecting the dots, everything seemed to be related to Lu Huaiwei, and there were no suspicious points. After Ye Zhilan was implicated by the surviving secret guards, Yin Qiu immediately thought of many inconsistencies. However, after analyzing everything about Lu Huaiwei with Man Jiangxue, she couldn't find a single suspicious point. It seemed that the flute player was indeed Lu Huaiwei.
After confirming that everyone around her was a spies with malicious intentions, Yin Qiu couldn't help but feel grief. However, after the incident with the secret guard disciples, she was somewhat prepared. She feared that more people's true colors would be revealed in the future. Although Yin Qiu was still somewhat unable to control her sadness, she had learned to calm down quickly and was not greatly affected.
"Did your senior uncle and senior sister Lu know each other before?" Yin Qiu asked after a brief silence.
“I should know her, but I don’t remember who she is,” Man Jiangxue replied.
“She might be from beyond the Great Wall,” Yin Qiu said, “but your master didn’t stay there for long. Do you know you have enemies?”
“I didn’t know before, but I do now,” Man Jiangxue said. “Apart from the old people of Xiling Kingdom, no one should have spent so much time and energy dealing with me.”
Yin Qiu thought for a moment and guessed, "If that's the case... then could she blame the destruction of Xiling on my uncle? After all, many people still don't know the real story of why my uncle came to the Central Plains back then. They all think that it was your refusal to marry that led to the destruction of Xiling."
Man Jiangxue said, "It's possible."
“But Senior Sister Lu is only in her early twenties this year, and she looks about the same age as me,” Yin Qiu said again. “If our calculations are correct, she should have been only two years old when Xiling was destroyed. That means someone told her about what happened back then. Is it possible that there is someone even more deeply hidden behind Senior Sister Lu?”
“That’s possible,” Man Jiangxue said. “Fortunately, the situation has improved. She doesn’t know that we’ve found her yet, so we should pretend nothing happened. After we return to the palace and report the details to our senior sister, the sect leader, we’ll find a pretext to summon her back to the palace for questioning.”
Yin Qiu pondered, "But she has been too cautious all these years and has not left any clues. We don't have any physical evidence yet. Based solely on Wen Chaoyu's identification, I'm afraid we can't convict her."
It's important to understand that Ye Zhilan was able to be imprisoned so quickly because she had compelling witnesses and physical evidence. Therefore, although Xie Yijun was heartbroken and knew Ye Zhilan might be innocent, she couldn't openly defend her due to the constraints of the palace, and could only reprimand and imprison her. However, Lu Huaiwei's situation was different. Without concrete evidence, and with the witness being a protector of the Ziwei Sect, Wen Chaoyu's one-sided testimony naturally couldn't convince everyone. Lu Huaiwei could then use this to her advantage and defend herself.
“So before we return to the palace, we need to go to Yaoding City,” Man Jiangxue said. “We must first secretly detain Cheng Xiu and interrogate him thoroughly. Wen Chaoyu’s words may not be credible, but if Cheng Xiu can also come forward to identify him, then it will be a different story.”
Yin Qiu sighed: "Senior Sister Lu's matter is not difficult. No matter how much she denies it, she will eventually give in. But what about the Holy Sword? The Star Gazing Platform has the cenotaphs of all the patriarchs. If the Holy Sword is buried in one of the patriarchs' cenotaphs, how can we get it?"
To dig up the graves of our ancestors to find something is a heinous crime. Not to mention how the martial arts world would judge it if word got out, it would also cause a lot of rumors within the palace. Whether Xie Yijun would agree to it was also a question. More importantly, if the Holy Sword was not in the grave after it was dug up, it would be difficult to clean up the mess.
After pondering for a while, Man Jiangxue said in a deep voice, "Then let's not mention this matter for now. As long as Huaiwei confesses her guilt and we find out the whereabouts of the Holy Sword from her face to face, things will be easier later."
Yin Qiu remained silent for a moment, then softly responded, closed her eyes, leaned against Man Jiangxue's chest, and let out a long breath.
Having traveled for several hours while injured and dealt with Nangong Min for a long time, Yin Qiu had already exhausted a lot of energy and was constantly on edge. In addition, now that he had learned that Lu Huaiwei was a spy, Yin Qiu inevitably felt physically and mentally exhausted and quite distressed.
The carriage bumped along, the night wind was cold, and the person in her arms was thin and frail, with a deep weariness on their face. Man Jiangxue held Yin Qiu, a tender tenderness welling up in her heart. She stroked Yin Qiu's head and asked softly, "Are you tired?"
Nestled in her arms, Yin Qiu smiled involuntarily upon hearing those deep and gentle words, saying, "I used to feel a little tired, but now that my martial uncle is with me, I don't feel tired at all."
"Why don't you take a nap?" Man Jiangxue took off the brocade robe from her shoulder and wrapped it around Yin Qiu. "It's already very late, you must be tired."
Having finished discussing business and putting aside those complicated and chaotic thoughts, Yin Qiu came back to her senses at this moment. She looked up at Man Jiangxue with undisguised affection in her eyes and said softly, "But I don't want to sleep. I can't bear to leave my martial uncle."
“I’ll stay right here and not go anywhere,” Man Jiangxue said gently. “I told you I’d go wherever you go, your uncle didn’t lie to you, right?”
Yin Qiu smiled brightly and nodded, saying, "Uncle-Master is the best."
The dim light resembled moonlight soaked in water. Man Jiangxue lowered her head, her jade-like face appearing somewhat serene in the dim night. She raised her hand, her icy fingertips caressing Yin Qiu's face, and suddenly said, "This afternoon in the city, I saw you and Nangong Min."
Yin Qiu felt a little ticklish from her touch, and while laughing, she dodged away, saying, "Really? Then Nangong Min guessed right. She said that our martial uncle might be watching us from the city."
Man Jiangxue hummed in agreement: "I was watching you," she paused, then continued, "watching you share an umbrella, walking hand in hand in the snow, both wearing the same red dresses."
Hearing this, Yin Qiu was stunned for a moment, and then felt a little strange. She looked at Man Jiangxue's slightly blurry face, and her heartbeat started to quicken involuntarily.
"What's wrong?" Yin Qiu's eyes crinkled, and her smile grew even brighter.
Man Jiangxue leaned closer to her and said, "Nothing much, I just feel a little regretful."
Regret? This was the first time Yin Qiu had heard the word "regret" from Man Jiangxue. She blinked and asked, "Regret what?"
Without thinking, Man Jiangxue said, "I shouldn't have let you wear this dress."
This is the truth.
Ever since she took Yin Qiu into her life, she had always dressed simply and rarely wore anything too brightly colored. Man Jiangxue had gotten used to having a clean-cut little follower by her side. But back in Cangjun City, when she saw Nangong Min get off the carriage and walk toward Yin Qiu, Man Jiangxue realized that the two of them could be so close, even intimate. Especially when Yin Qiu and Nangong Min were wearing similar red dresses and walking around the streets chatting and laughing, Man Jiangxue felt something different from usual.
As for how to describe that feeling, Man Jiangxue didn't know; she only knew that she wasn't feeling well.
That's strange.
The close proximity caused their body heat to transfer between them. Yin Qiu listened to Man Jiangxue's words and found it both funny and absurd. She secretly wondered if her martial aunt was jealous.
The word "jealousy" seems completely out of place with Man Jiangxue.
Does my martial uncle get jealous?
In that short moment, Yin Qiu seemed to have touched upon another side of Man Jiangxue that no one else knew. She was delighted and satisfied with this small discovery.
Meeting Man Jiangxue's lowered gaze, Yin Qiu couldn't help but laugh out loud, saying in a light tone, "Then I won't wear it anymore. Whatever my martial uncle likes, I'll wear, okay?"
Man Jiangxue paused for a moment, her expression revealing a rare sense of bewilderment. She seemed to be experiencing an indescribable feeling, yet she couldn't find the right words to describe it. So, Man Jiangxue stopped thinking about it and replied to Yin Qiu, "That's not what I meant. I wouldn't even care about your clothes. I just..."
Yin Qiu stared at her: "Just what?"
Man Jiangxue paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know."
Yin Qiu joked, "Is there something even my martial uncle doesn't know?"
Sensing the sarcasm in her words, Man Jiangxue laughed and said, "Of course there will be."
"How could that be?" Yin Qiu's eyes were clear, but her smile was a little mischievous. "In my heart, my martial uncle is knowledgeable about everything under the sun. He should know everything in this world."
Man Jiangxue looked at her and said, "Since you know me so well, guess what I'm going to do next?"
Yin Qiu had no idea what she was going to do, but she still gave her face and thought about it for a moment. She was about to answer when the light in front of her suddenly dimmed and Man Jiangxue lowered her head without warning and gently kissed her.
Yin Qiu opened her eyes wide in the darkness, and couldn't help but let out a low gasp. Man Jiangxue held the back of her neck, and after the gasp was covered by the wind, she sealed Yin Qiu's lips even deeper, preventing her from making any more noise.
Bai Ling sat on the carriage, urging the horses on. With her keen hearing, she quickly caught the sounds inside the carriage. Bai Ling wanted to lift the curtain to see what was going on inside, but when she turned her head, she saw the hem of Man Jiangxue's skirt hanging through the gap in the curtain. After thinking for a moment, she turned her head back.
With her martial uncle around, why would Yin Qiu need her to take care of her?
Bai Ling cracked her whip, yawned, cleared her throat, and shouted in a loud voice, "Giddy up—!"
Yin Qiu was already lost in Man Jiangxue's kiss, but Bai Ling's sudden shout pulled her back to reality. Yin Qiu looked panicked and subconsciously pushed Man Jiangxue away, her face turning bright red in an instant.
"No, no... Bai Ling is still outside..."
The kiss was interrupted, and Yin Qiu was so flustered that Man Jiangxue couldn't help but find it amusing, saying, "What's wrong with her now? She can't see."
Hearing Man Jiangxue's self-righteous tone, Yin Qiu's cheeks burned, and she said embarrassedly, "That's not right..."
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Man Jiangxue said. “What are you afraid of?”
Yin Qiu's ears turned red, feeling that Man Jiangxue's gaze on her was particularly unbearable to look at. She buried her face in Man Jiangxue's shoulder shyly and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "It's just not good..."
Man Jiangxue curled her lips and chuckled softly. She didn't say anything more, but reached out and pinched Yin Qiu's chin, lifting her up again and pressing herself against Yin Qiu once more.
The carriage swayed and the snow continued relentlessly, the world chilling to the bone. Yet, the two inside were unusually passionate. Soft touches lingered on their lips, mingling with each other's breath, intoxicating and utterly captivating. Yin Qiu felt the delicate tenderness of the snow-covered river, her heart melting into a warm pool. She was enveloped and enveloped by that warmth, her mind buzzing, oblivious even to the wind.
Man Jiangxue kissed her and caressed her gently and slowly. Yin Qiu's breathing gradually became erratic, and she couldn't help but gasp for breath. As she listened to her increasingly obvious panting, her cheeks grew hotter and hotter. She tried to suppress it, but she couldn't. She felt uncomfortable, but she couldn't bear to push Man Jiangxue away again. She could only breathe rapidly and awkwardly respond to Man Jiangxue.
A cold wind blew through the curtains, but it couldn't dispel the heat radiating from Yin Qiu's body. Her head began to spin, and her body quickly became weak and limp. She half-opened her eyes, and through her hazy vision, she saw Man Jiangxue still intently kissing her and holding her tightly.
Tears welled up in her eyes for no reason, wetting her long eyelashes. Yin Qiu couldn't help but sob softly. Finally, unable to bear the intense feeling of suffocation, she turned her face away. She leaned heavily on Man Jiangxue's shoulder, completely exhausted. Man Jiangxue leaned against the car wall, pulled her into her arms, and whispered, "Can't breathe?"
Listening to Man Jiangxue's heartbeat, and also to her own, Yin Qiu tried to calm her breathing and mumbled, "Mmm..."
Man Jiangxue turned her head slightly and saw that Yin Qiu's fair neck was stained with a fine layer of red. She stared at that spot for a while, then moved her hands away from Yin Qiu and stroked Yin Qiu's neck with her cool fingertips.
As if gently brushed by a feather, Yin Qiu trembled slightly in Man Jiangxue's arms, and involuntarily raised her flushed face to say, "Uncle-Master..."
Man Jiangxue smiled without saying a word, then gently hugged Yin Qiu's head.
The cramped carriage and the warm embrace gave Yin Qiu an immense sense of security. She pursed her lips, nestled in Man Jiangxue's arms, closed her eyes, and gradually drifted into a light sleep in this tender and tranquil moment.
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