Chapter 147
“Wan Shu is already on her way back to the palace with Huai Wei,” Man Jiangxue said. “Once they arrive, we can get to the bottom of things.”
Xie Yijun was taken aback again: "Wan Shu? Isn't she still in seclusion?"
Man Jiangxue said calmly, "I asked her to secretly leave seclusion so that she could investigate the spies in the palace."
Xie Yijun glanced at her and chuckled, "You told her to come out of seclusion?" She shifted her gaze to Wen Chaoyu beside her and said ambiguously, "Do you really think I'm that easy to fool?"
Wen Chaoyu crossed her arms and said, "What are you looking at me for? It wasn't me who told her to come out of seclusion."
Xie Yijun said, "With Wan Shu's seclusion day fast approaching, she emerged early and went to Wei City to investigate spies, even keeping it from me. Anyone with a brain can figure out why she went to Wei City. You traitor, you've brought disaster to the palace and misled the younger generation!"
Wen Chaoyu said, "I can barely accept misleading others, but what kind of logic is it to harm the palace? During my years at Yunhua Palace, I didn't do anything immoral. Why can't people from our Ziwei Sect come to your Yunhua Palace to learn from us?"
"Nonsense!" Xie Yijun said coldly, "Of course not!"
“But I’ve already become an apprentice,” Wen Chaoyu said with a forced smile, nudging Xie Yijun with her elbow. “We’re fellow disciples, so don’t get so worked up. To be honest, I haven’t done anything to harm the palace. Just think of it as me coming to the palace to study for a few years. What’s the big deal? You’re already the sect leader, yet you’re still so petty. Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at by all the juniors in this room?”
"Shut up," Xie Yijun glared at her. "Those who betray their sect are punished according to the rules of the palace. They should have their martial arts skills abolished on the spot and be exiled to Tianchi. I am only willing to say a few more words to you now because I think you are not a bad person and you have not done anything terrible. Don't take advantage of me. If you really anger me, Nangong Min will not come to save you."
Wen Chaoyu scoffed, "So what can you do to me? I'm here to testify that Lu Huaiwei is a spy. Don't you know any etiquette? If you really can't stand me, just let me go now. Stop nagging!"
Xie Yijun sneered: "Let you go? You wish! Yunhua Palace can't tolerate you now, and the Ziwei Sect has already regarded you as a traitor. Wen Chaoyu, you're caught in the middle, yet you still dare to make a fuss. After Huaiwei's matter is over, you'd better not come begging me to protect you."
"Why should I beg you?" Wen Chaoyu showed no mercy. "I would beg Man Jiangxue but not you. Besides, if you are not polite to me, I will run away with your chief disciple and see where your Yunhua Palace will find another future young sect leader."
"Drag her away and lock her up!" Xie Yijun's patience finally ran out, and she shouted, "Now!"
Bai Ling scratched his head and glanced at Man Jiangxue. Man Jiangxue didn't react at all, so Bai Ling had to give a wink to the disciples outside the hall. Wen Chaoyu said with a grin, "You stingy little thing, you don't need to do anything, I can walk by myself."
After she finished speaking, she followed Bai Ling out of the hall. Xue Tan saw this and quickly followed Wen Chaoyu's footsteps. After the group left Mingguang Hall, Bai Ling was still thinking about where to lock Wen Chaoyu up when Wen Chaoyu suggested, "Let's go and take a look at Jingyue Peak."
Bai Ling asked in astonishment, "Jingyue Peak?"
Wen Chaoyu smiled and said, "That's a place I used to live. It won't hurt me to take a look."
After saying that, she ignored Bai Ling's reaction and led Xue Tan towards Jingyue Peak with practiced ease. Bai Ling and the disciples looked at each other, but they were all inexplicably reluctant to stop her, so they had no choice but to follow Wen Chaoyu.
Xie Yijun saw that Wen Chaoyu and the others had actually gone in the direction of Jingyue Peak. She was furious but had no choice but to give up. She sighed to Man Jiangxue and said, "Look at her. She went back to Yunhua Palace like she was going back to her parents' home. If you didn't know better, you would really think she was some kind of distinguished guest. She said that Huaiwei is a spy. Can you believe that?"
“At present, Huaiwei is indeed highly suspicious, and it can be basically confirmed that it is her,” Man Jiangxue said. “Besides Wen Chaoyu, there is also Ding Lianzhen who can testify. We have already ordered people to put Ding Lianzhen in the torture hall. When Huaiwei returns, we can summon and interrogate her together.”
Upon hearing the name Ding Lianzhen, Xie Yijun recalled for a moment and said, "Is she the female disciple from Tianyin Peak who committed a crime a few years ago?"
Man Jiangxue nodded: "It was her. Huaiwei helped her escape from Tianchi and impersonated a female disciple of Liuli Peak. The case of Yao Dingcheng's refugee poisoning was all done by her and Huaiwei."
Xie Yijun's expression changed several times, and she couldn't help but angrily say, "This is outrageous! How could they raise such despicable creatures?"
"It's good that the matter has been investigated," Man Jiangxue said. "In this way, Zhilan can also be cleared of half of the suspicion. Senior Sister, there's no need to be angry. This is all a good thing."
She used the word "half," and Xie Yijun naturally understood its meaning. Since Lu Huaiwei was an internal traitor, the mask material in Ye Zhilan's room was easy to explain. However, Lu Huaiwei had never been involved in the formation of the secret guard disciples, and Ye Zhilan herself still couldn't explain the whole story. Therefore, Ye Zhilan could not be easily exonerated.
“Then it depends on whether the secret guard disciples are related to Huaiwei,” Xie Yijun pinched the bridge of her nose, her face showing unconcealed weariness. “If the secret guard disciples were also her doing behind the scenes, then Zhilan can be exonerated from all crimes.”
“It’s not that easy. There’s something else I haven’t told you,” Man Jiangxue said, briefly summarizing the matter of the flute player before concluding, “She came for me, which is why she sent Wen Chaoyu to rescue Xiao Qiu. This shows that she’s not with the Dark Guard disciples. Besides Huaiwei, there should be someone else in the palace who is even more deeply hidden.”
Even though she had heard too many unexpected things today, Xie Yijun was still shocked when Man Jiangxue told her about the flute player.
"So, according to your speculation, Huaiwei might also be a former member of the Western Ling Kingdom? And the person behind the Dark Guard disciples is another murderer who destroyed the Ruyi Sect?"
The tea in the cup had gone cold. Man Jiangxue glanced at it, and Yin Qiu thoughtfully poured her a hot cup. Man Jiangxue looked at Yin Qiu and replied, "That's right."
"Yunhua Palace, which was once a beautiful place, has been turned into a den of thieves!" Xie Yijun was furious, pacing back and forth. "If my master could see this situation in heaven, I don't know how he would scold me. This is truly..."
During their conversation, Yin Qiu had not interrupted rashly. Only when she heard this did she gently comfort her, "Sect Leader, please don't be anxious. The truth will come out eventually. As the saying goes, it's hard to guard against a hidden arrow, and people's hearts are unpredictable. Even if Grandmaster finds out, he won't blame you."
Xie Yijun sighed, "Even if Master doesn't blame me, I won't feel good about it." She looked at Yin Qiu, "But you, is there any way to cure that Gu poison?"
Yin Qiu shook his head and smiled, "We haven't found a way yet, but we already know that Senior Sister Lu is a flute player. Let's wait for her to come back and then we'll talk about it."
“Alright, she must know who’s behind the secret guards,” Xie Yijun pondered. “In any case, let’s just be patient and wait. You’re right, things will become clear sooner or later. There’s no use rushing now.”
The three chatted for a while longer until they had lunch together at noon. Then, Man Jiangxue led Yin Qiu toward Jingyue Peak. After they left Mingguang Hall, Yin Qiu took the initiative to suggest, "If Uncle Wen goes to Jingyue Peak, it might be difficult to avoid any mishaps if Bai Ling is the only one looking after him. Uncle, please go back and keep an eye on things. I want to search Sister Lu's room."
Man Jiangxue said, "Okay, I'll go and rub her acupoints and then come back to find you."
Yin Qiu chuckled: "It's better not to. After many years, when we revisit this place, I don't think Aunt Wen will run away so quickly. It's just that she's used to being free, and whether she runs away or not is entirely up to her. With Aunt Wen in charge, she'll be more obedient. There's no need for a little trick. Aunt Wen can just wait for me at Chenxing Palace."
After a moment's thought, Man Jiangxue agreed. She hugged Yin Qiu in her arms, lowered her head and kissed Yin Qiu's forehead, saying, "You've had a hard journey these past few days. Go and come back quickly, don't overwork yourself."
This was the only way to the Mingguang Hall, and there were disciples patrolling and figures moving around everywhere. Yin Qiu panicked and hurriedly broke free from Man Jiangxue's embrace. She carefully looked around and said, "Uncle-Master... we have already returned to the palace. You can't be as casual as you were down the mountain. What kind of image would it have if someone saw us like that?"
Man Jiangxue understood what she was worried about, but still asked, "Are you afraid?"
Noticing that the disciples around them were casting subtle glances at them, Yin Qiu quickly pulled Man Jiangxue away from the area and turned onto a quiet, deserted stone path. Yin Qiu lowered her voice and said, "Of course I'm scared, but I'm not afraid of anything else. I'm just afraid that my martial aunt will be criticized."
Man Jiangxue looked at her and smiled gently: "Who dares to criticize me?"
Yin Qiu looked helplessly at Man Jiangxue and said, "I dare not openly criticize her, but in my heart, my uncle is a person revered by thousands. I don't want my uncle to become the subject of gossip." She paused and continued, "But my uncle also needs to know that I don't think that we should hide things because we are ashamed. I am very happy to be with my uncle and I also want to receive everyone's blessings, but the way we are... there will always be many people who cannot accept it, so I don't want my uncle to suffer those strange looks. Can my uncle understand?"
Man Jiangxue said, "I understand." She touched Yin Qiu's face and said softly, "But these are things I should be thinking about for you. You don't need to worry too much about this. I was just afraid of making you feel wronged, so I didn't want to hide anything. If you feel that this is not appropriate, then I will pay more attention in the future and do whatever you want. Is that okay?"
As she spoke, her face revealed undisguised doting and affection. This feeling of being carefully cared for deeply moved Yin Qiu. She smiled slowly and said softly, "Of course, that would be great. Actually, I... I just didn't want my martial uncle to suffer any injustice."
“No one can make me suffer,” Man Jiangxue said with a smile. “You can rest assured about that.”
Yin Qiu blushed slightly, peeked out, and tugged at Man Jiangxue's sleeve, saying, "Now... now there's no one left."
Man Jiangxue leaned slightly closer to Yin Qiu and deliberately asked, "So?"
Yin Qiu pursed her lips, looked at Man Jiangxue's face so close to hers, hesitated for a moment, then stood on tiptoe and kissed her.
But after only a light touch, Yin Qiu blushed and moved her lips away. She lowered her eyes and whispered, "We still can't be too blatant. It's not a good look."
“Then why did you kiss me?” Man Jiangxue said. “You’re pretending to be serious, but you’re also avoiding other people. Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”
Yin Qiu said, "It's not like what you said, Uncle. I just don't want to be too intimate with you in front of others. Aren't we all just passing by now?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Who said no one passed by? Look behind you, who is that?"
Yin Qiu was stunned, and a wave of panic washed over her. But when she turned around hesitantly, she found that there was no one behind her. Yin Qiu said irritably, "How could you lie to me, Uncle-Master? You scared me to death."
"You haven't done anything wrong, what are you afraid of?" Man Jiangxue found Yin Qiu cute and couldn't help but tease her. "There really is someone there, you just didn't see them."
Yin Qiu said, "I don't believe it!" She pushed Man Jiangxue and turned around, saying, "I'm ignoring you. I'm going to go check on Senior Sister Lu's room."
Man Jiangxue chuckled softly from behind. Yin Qiu hadn't taken more than a few steps before she caught him again. Man Jiangxue held him tightly, kissing him as she asked, "Are you really ignoring me?"
Yin Qiu was breathless from the kiss, her waist was being gripped tightly, and she could hardly stand. Every time Yin Qiu tried to speak, Man Jiangxue would block her way. After a while, Man Jiangxue finally raised her head and asked again, "Are you still going to talk to me?"
Yin Qiu was truly helpless against her, her body going limp as she leaned against Man Jiangxue's chest, and said, "Mmm..."
"Hmm," Man Jiangxue held the person firmly in her arms, her voice tinged with laughter, "What's 'hmm'?"
Yin Qiu, her face buried in her hands, couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, and said, "I'll talk to you... I'll talk to you, okay?"
Man Jiangxue then released Yin Qiu and said gently, "Of course that's fine. Alright, business is more important. You go first, and remember to come back early."
Yin Qiu nodded, reluctantly took two steps back, looked at Man Jiangxue, stood there for a while, then ran into Man Jiangxue's arms and gave her another kiss.
·
Snow was falling heavily, and the sky was already darkening. On the rugged and winding mountain road, a horse-drawn carriage passed through the quiet forest and came to a stop by a stream.
Ji Wanshu dropped the reins, drank the last mouthful of water from the water bag, and Lu Huaiwei lifted the curtain to look and asked, "Where are we?"
“We’re almost at Shangyuan City,” Ji Wanshu wiped the water from her lips with her sleeve, glanced at the stream beside her, and said, “Do you have any more water? Give me your water bag, I’ll go get some.”
These past two days have been rushed, and Ji Wanshu has hardly stopped along the way. Lu Huaiwei has been jolted a lot in the car, unable to eat or sleep well, and looks terrible. She handed her water bag to Ji Wanshu and said as she looked at Ji Wanshu's back, "Why don't we find a place to rest later? I really can't take it anymore."
Ji Wanshu filled both water bags, then jumped back onto the cart frame and said, "How long have you had this cold? Why isn't it getting better? Did you bring your medicine?"
Lu Huaiwei coughed hoarsely, leaning against the door and said, "It's been more than a month, and I've been running around all the time. How have I had time to sit down and recuperate?"
Seeing that Lu Huaiwei looked unwell and was out of breath, Ji Wanshu took off his outer robe and draped it over her.
There was no one in the mountains, not even birds. It was desolate and quiet all around. Ji Wanshu drove her horse and searched for half a day before finally finding a dilapidated mountain god temple. She jumped off the carriage and said to Lu Huaiwei through the curtain, "Wait here first, I'll tidy up before you go over."
Lu Huaiwei responded with an "okay" from inside the car. Ji Wanshu then entered the temple alone, laid out a pre-prepared mattress on the floor, and gathered some straw and firewood to start a fire. After doing all this, she was about to call Lu Huaiwei in when she turned around and saw several figures flash by in her peripheral vision. Ji Wanshu looked closely and saw that Lu Huaiwei's mouth was stuffed with cotton cloth and her body was tied with hemp rope. She was being dragged away by several people.
Someone was trying to kidnap her!
"stop!"
Ji Wanshu let out a sharp shout and immediately drew her sword to chase after him. The men didn't even turn their heads when they heard the noise. They clearly knew that Ji Wanshu was not someone to be trifled with and did not want to get entangled with her. They all ran away with incredible speed.
Having been in seclusion for five years, Ji Wanshu's skills had greatly improved, and she didn't take these people seriously at all. She raised her hand and threw her sword. The silver-white sword light carried a cold killing intent and quickly rushed to Lu Huaiwei's front, accurately cutting the ropes binding Lu Huaiwei.
Seeing this, Lu Huaiwei immediately struggled to get up and pulled the cotton cloth out of her mouth, but she was sick and weak, and at this moment she was powerless to resist. She could only shout to Ji Wanshu, "Senior Sister! Save me!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Wanshu caught up in the blink of an eye. Lu Huaiwei was suddenly grabbed by the front of her clothes and fell into Ji Wanshu's arms. The sound of swords clashing rang in her ears, deafeningly loud.
Lu Huaiwei's breathing became erratic, and her legs went weak from the sudden turn of events. Ji Wanshu knew that she was currently unable to protect herself, so he could only hold her and use his sword techniques, not daring to leave her aside. Seeing that Ji Wanshu was powerful and difficult to deal with, the others immediately gave up trying to snatch Lu Huaiwei back and retreated in perfect unison, intending to make their escape.
However, Ji Wanshu did not give them a chance to escape. He immediately took Lu Huaiwei into the sky and caught up with the group in the blink of an eye. Lu Huaiwei felt a heat on her cheek as if something warm had splashed onto her face. She turned her head and saw that the long sword in Ji Wanshu's hand was stabbing into someone's heart. The spot stained Lu Huaiwei's eyes with blood.
Holding someone in her arms always felt restrictive. After killing one person, Ji Wanshu decisively threw Lu Huaiwei down. Lu Huaiwei cried out in surprise and barely managed to land in mid-air by channeling her inner energy. Before she could even regain her footing, she quickly looked up again. Ji Wanshu's figure flashed past her sight, and the group rushed into the forest and quickly disappeared without a trace.
The cold wind howled, and the blood on her face quickly turned icy cold. Lu Huaiwei tried her best to call out to Ji Wanshu at a high volume, but received no response for a long time. She scooped up handfuls of snow to wash the blood off her face, and finally stood up, leaning against a tree trunk beside her. Fortunately, she hadn't gone far when a figure in green robes slowly emerged from the woods ahead. Lu Huaiwei's face lit up with joy. Despite her discomfort, she ran a few steps and called out in a hoarse voice, "Senior Sister! Are you alright?"
Ji Wanshu, sword in hand, walked step by step through the forest. For some reason, she suddenly became cold and ruthless, her eyes filled with a chilling killing intent, and her whole body exuded an undeniable coldness.
Lu Huaiwei was startled by her appearance and asked, "Senior sister... what's wrong?"
Ji Wanshu stopped in front of her and after a long while, she asked, "Who were those people just now?"
Lu Huaiwei looked at her, coughed twice, and said, "I don't know either. I was just sitting in the carriage when they suddenly rushed in and tied me up... Did Senior Sister kill them all?"
“Kill them,” Ji Wanshu said in a low voice. “They were just a few insignificant cowards, no match for me at all.”
Lu Huaiwei breathed a sigh of relief and was about to tell Ji Wanshu to leave quickly when Ji Wanshu suddenly pressed the tip of his sword against her throat and said coldly, "They wanted to kill you while I was away and silence you. Tell me honestly, who are they?"
Lu Huaiwei's expression changed, and she asked in surprise, "Senior Sister?"
"Speak quickly!" Ji Wanshu shouted, "I know I have a bad temper and act impulsively, but I am by no means a stupid person. These people would not kill you for no reason, and based on what I know about you, you don't have any enemies. But they suddenly appeared on our way back to the palace, which can only prove that you lied to me in Yaoding City. You are a spy in the palace, and they came here to stop you from returning to the palace, right!"
Faced with Ji Wanshu's questioning, Lu Huaiwei turned deathly pale in an instant. Her lips trembled as she looked at Ji Wanshu helplessly and fearfully, and said in a trembling voice, "You...you actually suspect me of being a spy in the palace? I...I don't know them at all!"
“There must be a reason for this,” Ji Wanshu said in a deep voice. “We’ve been staying in Jincheng for many days without incident, and we were just about to reach Shangyuan City when suddenly a group of people came to attack you. Do you think I’m a fool? Are you lying to me or not?”
Lu Huaiwei staggered two steps, tears welling up in her eyes in an instant: "No, no, I don't know them, and I don't know why they attacked me. Senior sister, believe me! I'm not lying to you!"
Ji Wanshu gritted his teeth and finally sheathed his sword, saying, "Huaiwei, I have been in the palace for many years. Apart from trusting my martial uncle, I only consider you a friend. If you are lying to me, if you are a spy sent by the Ziwei Sect, don't blame me for being heartless once the matter is found out. As the eldest disciple, I will definitely clean up the sect. If you can tell the truth now, I can still plead with the sect leader and my martial uncle to spare your life. So you'd better think carefully before you answer."
Hearing her words, it was clear that she had already concluded that Lu Huaiwei was the spy. Lu Huaiwei was speechless and disheartened.
"I really didn't lie to you, and I'm really not a spy," Lu Huaiwei cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "Senior sister, you have to believe me..."
Seeing her like this, Ji Wanshu couldn't help but waver a little, but since it involved spies, she couldn't act on her emotions. Ji Wanshu remained silent for a moment, then said "sorry" in a low voice, and then quickly pressed on Lu Huaiwei's sleep acupoint.
She hoisted Lu Huaiwei up, abandoning the carriage, and placed her horizontally on the horse's back before speeding away.
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