Chapter 149
The extinguished lamp had not yet cooled down, and its residual warmth remained. A wisp of smoke drifted from the wick in the darkness. Yin Qiu reached out and touched Zhu Bing, holding it tightly in his hand, drawn by the scent of the smoke.
A cold wind swirled outside, and the lanterns under the eaves flickered on and off. The dim, yellowish light couldn't illuminate the scene inside. Yin Qiu sat motionless on the edge of the couch, maintaining the posture of drawing his sword, adjusting to the sudden darkness, and calmly surveying his surroundings.
This is Jingyue Peak, and Manjiangxue is in the adjacent Chenxing Palace. Even if someone were to trespass, they would have to be a highly skilled expert who is fearless in the face of Manjiangxue. Yin Qiu pondered many things in that brief moment and did not act rashly. She waited quietly, and after a while, she heard a deep and somewhat familiar voice outside the window: "Not bad, you have improved."
Yin Qiu suddenly looked up and glanced to the other side. She saw a blurry shadow reflected in the tightly closed window. She opened her eyes wide and looked closely. The person then opened the window by himself.
By the flickering light in the corridor, one could see that the person was wearing a black robe with wide sleeves and cloud patterns. He was tall and upright, with his black hair neatly tied up. His face was covered by a silver mask, which concealed the upper half of his face, leaving only half of his well-defined chin and a pair of slightly thin lips.
The night and snow made him appear somewhat ethereal and refined. The mask on his face reflected the light from the lantern, which was reflected in Yin Qiu's eyes from afar. In that light, the two seemed to exchange a silent glance for a moment.
“You…” Yin Qiu suddenly stood up, staring blankly at the person, and said, “You are…”
“Come out and talk,” Gongzi Fan raised his hand and shook the bamboo branch in his hand. “Be careful, the walls may have ears.”
Yin Qiu was both surprised and delighted, overwhelmed with excitement. She quickly leaped out of the window. As soon as she landed, before she could utter a sound, Gongzi Fan put his index finger to his lips, gesturing for her to be quiet. Then he pulled Yin Qiu into his arms and they quietly left the place, flying into the maple forest far away from Chenxing Palace.
As soon as the two stopped, Yin Qiu said excitedly, "Godfather! What brings you here all of a sudden? We haven't seen each other for five years. Why haven't you come to see me all these years? Where have you been?"
Since the new disciple assembly that year, when Yin Qiu finally arrived at Jingyue Peak, Gongzi Fan had never reappeared, not even sending a letter. Furthermore, Fanxin Valley was far too mysterious and low-key, never getting involved in any of the major or minor events in the martial world. Therefore, over the past few years, Yin Qiu had almost forgotten about Gongzi Fan. Seeing Gongzi Fan suddenly appear tonight, Yin Qiu was greatly surprised and overjoyed. His heart surged with excitement, and he couldn't contain his emotions, even stammering a little.
The forest was dark and the snow was falling heavily. The two stood facing each other, their faces barely visible. Gongzi Fan glanced back at Chenxing Palace, took off his outer robe and draped it over Yin Qiu, saying gently, "This is not the place to talk. Come with me."
Seeing that he wanted to find another place to catch up, Yin Qiu hesitated and asked, "Where to? What if my martial uncle finds out I'm not in my room?"
Gongzi Fan said, "Don't worry, she'll be paying more attention to Wen Chaoyu right now than to you."
Having said that, Gongzi Fan lightly rose into the air and instantly flew into the depths of the maple forest. Yin Qiu was stunned and quickly ran while shouting in a low voice, "Father, wait for me! I'm injured and can't use my lightness skill yet!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gongzi Fan quickly turned back and, as before, firmly embraced Yin Qiu. The two walked through the dark snow, stepping on the maple trees, going up and down, and soon arrived at the main peak of Yunhua. They bypassed the brightly lit Mingguang Palace and landed in a grove planted with many plum trees.
Upon discovering that Gongzi Fan had brought her to the plum garden where Xie Yijun often stayed, Yin Qiu was startled and said, "How did we end up here? It's not as good as Jingyue Peak."
The candlelight from the Mingguang Hall shone from afar, not bright, but enough to illuminate the view. Gongzi Fan stepped into the pavilion, sat down at the stone table, and said, "This place is very safe. No one will patrol at night, making it a good place for conversation."
Yin Qiu looked around and whispered, "How did you know? This is where the sect leader works every day. If someone sees us here, we're doomed."
"Don't worry, the patrolling disciples won't come here," Gongzi Fan said, pulling Yin Qiu to sit down beside him. "Even if someone does come, with my skills, I can quickly get you hidden."
Hearing this, Yin Qiu relaxed a bit and her face lit up with joy again. "Then why did my godfather suddenly think of looking for me? You've been out of contact for years, and there's not a single word about Fanxin Valley in the martial arts world. What have you been doing?"
The pale beam of light happened to avoid the pavilion, and the two figures were not conspicuous in the shadows. Gongzi Fan looked Yin Qiu up and down for a moment, and replied, "When I left, I told you that unless you encounter some danger, or your mother appears, there will be no possibility of us meeting again."
"So, my godfather must have heard the false news about my mother in Weicheng," Yin Qiu asked. "Did Meng Wugui tell you?"
Gongzi Fan said, "She did not inform me. I only learned about this after the conference of the organization had ended." He paused and then said, "I have also heard about what happened to you in Weicheng. Unfortunately, I have been recuperating in the valley for the past few years and have rarely traveled the world. As a result, I am relatively out of touch with the news. If I had heard about it earlier, I would have rushed to Weicheng to help you."
The large outer robe not only retained the warmth of Gongzi Fan's body, but also carried a very distinct medicinal smell. Yin Qiu had smelled it before, and upon hearing his words, she asked in surprise, "Recuperation? You... what illness do you have that requires several years of recuperation?"
"It's an old wound, nothing to worry about," Gongzi Fan smiled and asked with concern, "And you? How's your injury?"
“I’m fine,” Yin Qiu said. “I just narrowly escaped death, but I’m alright now. I just can’t use my inner energy yet, and I’ll probably need to recuperate until spring to fully recover.”
Gongzi Fan looked at her and sighed, "You've suffered so much. Such a terrible thing happened, and I'm so sorry I'm late. Thankfully, you escaped danger and things didn't turn out beyond repair. After leaving the valley, I investigated in many ways, hoping to see you as soon as possible, but Man Jiangxue has been by your side the whole time, and I couldn't find a suitable opportunity, so I could only come tonight. Tell me the whole story of what happened in Weicheng, as soon as possible."
Explaining all these events couldn't be done in just a few words. Yin Qiu organized her thoughts and then recounted everything that had happened since she went down the mountain to help the refugees in early winter, as concisely and succinctly as possible, to Gongzi Fan.
"The current situation is that the spy in the palace is Senior Sister Lu from Wu Hui Peak. She is also the flute player who is targeting me and my master. In addition to her, there is also the mastermind behind the group of secret guards from Jing Yue Peak. He is another murderer who destroyed Ru Yi Sect. Meng Wu Gui, Nan Gong Min, and Senior Sister Lu all know about his existence, but it is not clear whether they know exactly who he is."
Gongzi Fan was silent for a moment, then said, "So, this person hidden behind the Dark Guard disciples gave Nangong Min the blueprints for the underground mechanism of Liucang Mountain before the incident at Ruyi Sect, and framed your father. Now that Meng Wugui wants revenge, he used Man Dong's information to lure you and Man Jiangxue to Wei City, just to draw this person out as well."
“That’s right,” Yin Qiu said. “Does your godfather know who this person is? And do you know that besides the Ziwei Sect, there is another murderer in this world who destroyed the Ruyi Sect?”
After listening to Yin Qiu's words, Gongzi Fan appeared somewhat heavy-hearted. He slightly curled his fingers and tapped them lightly on the table, saying in a low voice, "I don't know. But I'm quite surprised that you said Meng Wugui is Man Dong's cousin. After you were abducted to the Ziwei Sect's headquarters, I had a brief conversation with her. Although we had discovered each other's identities, we remained wary and cautious, and neither of us intended to have any further contact. We haven't had any dealings with each other since. I really didn't expect that she would actually be Man Zhen..."
"Manzhen?" Yin Qiu said, "Is Meng Wugui's real name Shen Manzhen?"
Gongzi Fan said, "That's right. She's a few years younger than your mother. In this generation of the Shen family, there are only your mother and Manzhen left. And apart from not liking to practice martial arts, Manzhen is quite similar to your mother in both personality and appearance. When the Ruyi Sect was destroyed, she was just a little girl. Many years have passed in the blink of an eye. The little junior sister who used to cry when she held a sword has become a well-known figure in the martial arts world. She must have suffered a lot over the years."
Yin Qiu paused for a moment, then said softly, "It's a pity that I haven't met her yet, and because of all this mess, I can't get close to her. Although she is my only relative in the world, I always feel that we can't be on the same path. In order to rebuild Ruyi Sect, she not only has to deal with Ziwei Sect, but also Yunhua Palace. If she comes to me in the future and asks me to avenge my parents, I really don't know what to do."
Gongzi Fan looked at her and said, "So, these past few years have passed, and you've grown up. You now know that your father was wronged. Do you want to avenge your parents?"
Yin Qiu paused for a moment before replying, "To say I don't want revenge would be a lie. If Meng Wugui's only goal was to deal with the Ziwei Sect and the other culprit who destroyed the Ruyi Sect, then of course I would do everything in my power to help her and stand firmly on the same boat as her. But her ambition is so great that she even wants to destroy Yunhua Palace as well. How is that possible? I have long regarded Yunhua Palace as my home. This place is of great significance to me and my martial uncle. I would never betray Yunhua Palace and become a traitor. So the best solution I can think of is to find out that person myself and find out what really happened back then."
“You really don’t need to acknowledge Manzhen now. She knows it too, which is why she’s been avoiding you,” Gongzi Fan sighed, patting Yin Qiu on the shoulder. “However, Manzhen’s patience in waiting until now to declare war on her enemy is also out of consideration for you. You’re not a little girl anymore; you have a certain ability to discern things, and you can accept these grudges and grievances with equanimity. Plus, with Man Jiangxue protecting you, I’m quite at ease. As for what Manzhen will do next, I will meet with her after we part ways.”
Even after going through so many hardships, there were still people around who cared about her. Yin Qiu was moved and reminded her, "Then you must ask her about the blueprints. The underground mechanism was built by the Nine Immortals Hall, so the blueprints must have been leaked from within the Nine Immortals Hall. Also, how did she get to the Nine Immortals Hall after she survived? You need to find out about that too. It seems that Meng Wugui is the person who knows the most about everything right now. She doesn't want to see me, so I can't ask her in person. I can only ask you, Godfather."
Gongzi Fan replied, "Alright, I will do my best."
It was late at night, and the snow was still falling. The two talked to each other, and even though they hadn't seen each other for many years, they didn't seem distant. From the moment they first met, Yin Qiu had always felt an inexplicable closeness and trust towards Gongzi Fan. Perhaps it was because he deeply loved Shen Mandong, and because of that love, he cared for and looked after Yin Qiu. Everything Gongzi Fan did for her was without any ulterior motives or interests. In Yin Qiu's heart, he was the only person besides Man Jiangxue whom she could trust and entrust her heart to.
"Has Godfather still been alone all these years?" Yin Qiu asked with a slight smile, gazing at Gongzi Fan.
“I’m used to being alone,” Gongzi Fan said, looking back at Yin Qiu. “I’ve told you before that no woman in this world, except for Mandong, can catch my eye.”
"What will happen to your godfather when he gets old?" Yin Qiu leaned over the stone table, propping his face up with his hands. "You're not married, you have no wife or children, you'll be very lonely when you get old."
Gongzi Fan smiled slightly, his eyes behind the mask shimmering with a gentle light. He also imitated Yin Qiu by placing his hand on the table and making the same gesture as Yin Qiu, and said, "Then you call me godfather, and you have some feelings for me. When I get old, will you be willing to take care of me in my old age and see me off in my final days?"
Yin Qiu replied quickly: "Of course I'm willing, you're a good person."
Gongzi Fan said, "I don't mind. I've been used to being alone for so many years. More than myself, I hope you can find a good place to live in the future. If you ever find someone you can entrust your life to, please remember to tell me. After all, you've called me your godfather, and I'll prepare a dowry for you."
Yin Qiu avoided eye contact, and while thinking it over, she suppressed the urge to tell him about her relationship with Man Jiangxue, and said shyly, "Well... it's still a long way off."
“It’s getting late,” said Gongzi Fan. “You’ve grown up.”
Yin Qiu pursed her lips and smiled, "I'm still young, so I'm not in a hurry. It's my godfather who worries me the most. Now that things have come to this, I feel that my mother is very likely no longer alive. Although I am touched by your devotion, I sincerely hope that you will meet a good person in the future. You still have a long life ahead of you, so you should think more about yourself."
Upon hearing her words, Gongzi Fan's smile gradually turned bitter. He sighed and said softly, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Give me your hand, and I'll take your pulse."
Yin Qiu rolled up her sleeves and offered her hand to Gongzi Fan. Gongzi Fan took her pulse for a while and said slowly, "This Gu poison is indeed strange. Your pulse is steady, and I can't detect anything suspicious. But don't worry, now that I know about this, I won't sit idly by. When I return to Fanxin Valley, I will ask the children in the valley to find a way to cure the poison."
Yin Qiuxin said with delight, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Godfather."
Gongzi Fan said, "It is my duty to take care of you, don't be so polite. Just focus on recovering from your injuries. Everything will eventually come to light. We've already talked for so long tonight, we can't delay any longer. Get up, I'll take you back."
Yin Qiu got up with him, and the two entered the plum grove, heading towards Jingyue Peak. Yin Qiu thought for a moment, then tilted her head and asked, "Then how should I find you if I want to see you again?"
After a moment's thought, Gongzi Fan said, "I will immediately set off for Weicheng later. After I have met with Manzhen, I will come to find you again."
Yin Qiu glanced at him and said, "When you go to Weicheng, you and Meng Wugui will have a frank talk and reveal your identities to each other. If Meng Wugui asks you to use Fanxin Valley to help her, will you agree?"
“You can rest assured about that,” Gongzi Fan said. “Even if I cooperate with her, I will only deal with the culprit who destroyed Ruyi Sect. I will not harm the innocent, especially I will not help her deal with Yunhua Palace. Moreover, I will also advise her on this matter. You don’t need to worry. I know what I’m doing.”
Yin Qiu said, "In that case, can I tell my martial aunt about knowing you? I've kept it from her for so many years, and I don't want to keep it from her any longer. I believe that once my martial aunt knows about you, she won't stop us from meeting again."
Gongzi Fan paused, pondered for a moment, and hesitated before saying, "This matter... it's best to keep it a secret for now. Telling her now is pointless and will only distract her. If she finds out I exist, she will definitely try to investigate me. In that case, Man Jiangxue will have even more to consider. Right now, your most important task is to resolve the internal problems of Yunhua Palace. It's best not to add any more trouble for her at this critical juncture. When the time is right, I will meet you openly and honestly. There's no need to hide it anymore."
His words made sense, so Yin Qiu agreed. After leaving the plum garden, Gongzi Fan led Yin Qiu back to the maple forest on Jingyue Peak without their feet touching the ground, and the two walked through the forest.
It was already past midnight, and snow was falling heavily. The long night was still dark, and the snow in the forest was so deep that it was difficult to walk.
Gongzi Fan led the way, holding Yin Qiu's wrist and guiding her. Even though the visibility was poor, the dense and scattered maple trees around them were still impossible to ignore. However, the usually tender red had turned into a silent black at this moment. The night blurred the maple leaves into a blob of ink, making them indistinct. Only the rustling sound in the wind reminded Yin Qiu what was standing around her.
Suddenly, Yin Qiu remembered a long-standing unanswered question. She stopped in her tracks and looked at Gongzi Fan in the darkness, saying, "There's something I haven't been able to figure out for the past few years, and I have nowhere to ask. If my godfather knows, I hope you can tell me."
Gongzi Fan asked, "What is it?"
“Actually, I should have asked you before, but I don’t know why I forgot,” Yin Qiu said. “Nangong Min once left me with a mystery. She said that my martial uncle was not present on the two important days when my mother gave birth and on my wedding day. I asked my martial uncle about it later, but she seemed to have some difficulty speaking. Does my godfather know what happened?”
Gongzi Fan was slightly taken aback, and a hint of unease flashed across his face hidden behind the mask. However, the night was too dark for Yin Qiu to see the change in his expression, so Gongzi Fan did not try to hide it. He simply asked, "Do you really want to know? This matter... I'm not sure if you can accept it after hearing it."
Yin Qiu frowned: "What is the reason behind this? Nangong Min said something like that before, and now you're saying it too. What exactly happened between my uncle and my mother?"
Gongzi Fan looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Do you remember what I told you before, that your mother loved someone else from beginning to end?"
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu felt a sudden surge of emotion. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Another person? The one she loves... isn't it my father?"
Gongzi Fan said, "No, it has never been like that."
Yin Qiu's expression changed, and she pressed for an answer: "Who is that?"
Gongzi Fan remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "At this moment, I think you already have the answer in your heart."
A snow-white figure immediately appeared in her mind. Yin Qiu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she suddenly froze on the spot.
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