Chapter 189
The setting sun dipped below the mountain peak, and fiery clouds blanketed the sky, as if someone had splashed a splash of vibrant, dark ink.
Yin Qiu walked up the mountain path, her clothes tinged red by the beautiful sunset glow. Forsythia blossoms, like stars, climbed the palace walls. Several familiar female disciples approached from the opposite direction. Yin Qiu broke off a branch of flowers and gave it to them, asking, "Happy festival, senior sisters. Have you seen your master?"
"No, we just came from that side, and we didn't see our martial uncle going that way."
Yin Qiu glanced behind them, hesitating whether to take another step forward. One of the female disciples teased, "How strange! In the past, when we wanted to find our Martial Uncle, we only needed to ask you, Junior Sister. Today, it's the other way around. Junior Sister is asking us where our Martial Uncle is."
The female disciples covered their mouths and laughed.
Yin Qiu laughed and said, "What's so strange about that? I'm not with my martial uncle all the time. I have things to do, and she has things to do too."
“Why not all the time?” the female disciple said. “In my opinion, my senior uncle and junior sister are just like these forsythia flowers.”
Yin Qiu smiled and asked humbly, "How about this flower?"
The female disciple's eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint as she teased, "Master Aunt is the vine, and Junior Sister is the flower. The two of you are intertwined; neither can leave the other!"
Her analogy stunned Yin Qiu, who couldn't think of a reply for a long time. Seeing her silent and embarrassed, the senior sisters burst into laughter and teased Yin Qiu even more.
"What, Junior Sister, can't stand hearing such things? Are you shy or something?"
"That's a brilliant remark! In all these years in the palace, you're the only one who can make your martial uncle willingly act as his 'protector of flowers'! It's truly enviable!"
"Junior Sister, you probably don't know yet, but the new batch of disciples who were transferred to Jingyue Peak used to work with a few of us. Lately, we've heard them talk about you and Martial Uncle quite a bit. Now that you're here in person, why don't you tell us about it yourself? We don't know how Martial Uncle treats people in private, and we're quite curious!"
Yin Qiu blushed slightly, half amused and half helpless, and said, "What 'protector of flowers'? Don't talk nonsense."
"What nonsense! Do you really think the news hasn't spread throughout the palace yet? Xiao Qiu, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time. Do you want to hear it now?"
Yin Qiu asked, "What did you say?"
The female disciple exchanged glances with her companions, then took a few steps closer to Yin Qiu and said mysteriously, "What I want to say is—you and your martial uncle are a perfect match, truly a match made in heaven!"
Yin Qiu's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly reached out to cover her mouth and whispered, "Aren't you ashamed to say such things! Stop talking!"
Several female disciples, wanting to tease her, laughed so hard they bent over and hid away.
"We're not ashamed at all. Junior sister is too shy to listen to such things."
"It's not that I can't listen to it, it's that the person speaking is wrong. If it were my martial uncle speaking, I'm afraid I could listen to it!"
"That's right, let's go! Let's go find our martial uncle together!"
Yin Qiu was at her wits' end with them and wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground. But her senior sisters wouldn't let her off the hook. They were quick-witted and loud, as if they were afraid no one would hear them, leaving Yin Qiu speechless. She could only chase after them and playfully fight with them.
Bathed in the evening glow, the group chased each other back to the palace along the mountain path. The senior sisters ran ahead, constantly turning back to laugh at Yin Qiu.
Yin Qiu wasn't angry; she just wanted them to shut up quickly to avoid attracting more senior sisters to join the fun. The evening breeze carried the scent of flowers and a sweet, cloying aroma wafting from somewhere, smelling like freshly made sweet rice balls in fermented rice wine. The female disciple from before exclaimed, "Oh, what a fragrant smell! Xiao Qiu, you always love sweets. Today is the Lantern Festival, why isn't your uncle with you watching the lanterns? It looks like there will be a beautiful moon tonight. A romantic evening under the moon and flowers—hurry up and find your uncle to eat sweets with you!"
Yin Qiu finally seized the opportunity, leaping forward and grabbing the female disciple from behind, accusing her: "Stop making fun of me! What kind of hero are you, ganging up on me with so many of you!"
The female disciple, laughing and joking without a care in the world, readily agreed, saying, "It's because you're so good at kung fu that we can't beat you, so we can only bully you verbally. If all else fails, go tell your martial uncle!"
Just as Yin Qiu was about to reply, "Fine, I'll go!", a voice behind her interrupted, "What are you complaining about? Tell me."
The group paused and turned around. They saw Man Jiangxue walking gracefully through the clusters of flowers. Her white clothes, as white as frost, danced in the wind. Her figure was both upright and light, like a ray of bright moonlight, which made them look stunning.
Yin Qiu immediately withdrew his hand and moved away from the female disciple. The senior sisters were initially taken aback, then scrutinized Yin Qiu and Man Jiangxue for a while before running away with a laugh without saying a word.
Seeing them flee so quickly, Yin Qiu instinctively started running in the other direction as well. Man Jiangxue raised an eyebrow at this and called out, "Why are you running?"
Yin Qiu ignored her, leaving Man Jiangxue behind, and disappeared into the dazzling sea of lights without even looking back.
Man Jiangxue stared at her retreating figure, looked at Yin Qiu for a moment, then silently took to the air and landed in front of Yin Qiu, just blocking her path. Man Jiangxue asked again, "Why are you running?"
Yin Qiu's face was still flushed. Surrounded by lights, her skin was fair and radiant. Her eyes reflected the colorful lanterns, like a lake dotted with fallen stars. She looked both charming and gentle. Man Jiangxue pulled her into her arms and said, "You didn't stay with Bai Ling and the others. You came here alone. You must have come specifically to find me. Why did you run away as soon as you saw me?"
Yin Qiu's action just now was subconscious; she herself didn't know why she ran away. Still remembering her senior sisters' teasing words, Yin Qiu looked up at Man Jiangxue and couldn't help but burst out laughing, saying, "I wanted to lure you here to guess riddles. Now I'll give you a riddle, and if you answer it correctly, I'll share my candy with you."
Man Jiangxue said, "I don't want to eat that, I want something else."
Yin Qiu asked, "What do you want?"
Man Jiangxue lowered her head and whispered to Yin Qiu, "Give me a kiss for every question I answer correctly."
After a moment's thought, Yin Qiu replied, "Alright, then listen carefully." She took a step back and left Man Jiangxue's embrace. "Let's start with an easy one—'Flying on Grass,' guess a single character."
Man Jiangxue said, "Isn't that too simple? Do you think I've never been to school?" With a smile in her eyes, she replied, "It's the character '早' (early)."
Yin Qiu laughed and said, "What's with the 'early morning'? It's almost dark. Why are you saying 'good morning' to me, Uncle-Master?"
Man Jiangxue chuckled softly: "That's sophistry. You're just trying to trick me. Anyway, I've already answered correctly, so you have to keep your word."
Yin Qiu glanced at her, and without any hesitation, leaned close to Man Jiangxue and gently touched her lips.
Man Jiangxue said, "Very good, you keep your word, and you are a promising young man."
“The next question isn’t so easy,” Yin Qiu thought for a moment, then continued, “Half warm, half cold; half round, half curved; white when viewed from the north, black when viewed from the south. What character is this?”
Without hesitation, Man Jiangxue replied, "That's simple, it's the character 'Ming'."
Seeing that she answered so quickly, Yin Qiu couldn't help but playfully say, "No, I'll owe you one. I still have a lot of questions to ask. How about you answer them first, and I'll give you one after I've finished asking you all, okay?"
Man Jiangxue said softly, "What can't you say? Please continue asking."
Yin Qiu smiled and shook her head, saying, "It was originally the season of falling leaves and desolation, but the spring breeze turned the riverbank green. Who knew that a lone wisp of smoke would rise overnight, and the peach blossoms and spring scenery would be lost forever." After reciting the poem, she looked at the snow-covered river for a moment and said, "Let's guess a word."
Man Jiangxue lowered her eyes, seemingly deep in thought, but in reality, she already knew the answer. She didn't even need to hear the last three lines of the poem; she had already guessed Yin Qiu's riddle just from the first line. Man Jiangxue deliberately delayed for a while before replying, "This is indeed a bit more difficult; I really don't know."
Yin Qiu immediately beamed and said, "There's something my martial uncle doesn't know? I don't believe it. Are you deliberately letting me win?"
Man Jiangxue smiled without saying a word.
“I’m not someone who can’t accept defeat,” Yin Qiu said. “Tell me quickly if you can guess it. It doesn’t matter if you can’t guess the others, but you absolutely have to guess this one correctly.”
Man Jiangxue said "Oh" and then said, "Since you put it that way, then fine." She tapped Yin Qiu's forehead with her fingertip and said, "I guess the answer is you."
The person who answered correctly was clearly not Yin Qiu, yet she was even happier than Man Jiangxue. Yin Qiu's gaze wandered, looking left and right. Seeing that the place was quiet and no one was passing by, she tiptoed and kissed Man Jiangxue twice, saying, "See? I kept my word, didn't I?"
Man Jiangxue was very satisfied, and then pulled Yin Qiu into her arms, saying, "Then I'll give you one too. If you guess it, I'll kiss you too."
Yin Qiu thought to herself that she wasn't at a disadvantage in all this kissing and said happily, "Please speak, Martial Aunt, I'm all ears."
Man Jiangxue then said, "After the rain, the setting sun shines on the horizontal mountains, as if flowers are flying in the blue sky. I have traveled thousands of miles in the human world, and at will, I can pick them up and turn them into dew." She smiled slightly, "I'll guess a word for you too."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yin Qiu said, "Uncle-Master underestimates me too much. This riddle is no more difficult than mine."
Man Jiangxue said, "I am following your example, so that we can be evenly matched."
"What a perfect match! You've praised both me and yourself," Yin Qiu chuckled, shaking her head. She then mimicked Man Jiangxue's earlier action, raising her hand to tap on Man Jiangxue's brow. "My martial aunt guessed my name just now, so let me guess yours now. Am I clever or not?"
Man Jiangxue was very accommodating and said seriously, "Extremely intelligent."
Yin Qiu pursed her lips, straightened up, and said with her hands behind her back, "Then it's my turn, Uncle-Master, to kiss me."
Man Jiangxue was originally holding her, but Yin Qiu was standing so straight and didn't seem to be looking up, so Man Jiangxue said, "It's not appropriate for me to kiss you like this."
Yin Qiu said, "Why can't I kiss you? I was willing to stand on tiptoe to kiss you just now, so why can't you bend over to kiss me?"
"Is this my problem?" Man Jiangxue said seriously. "It doesn't seem to be my problem."
“It’s my problem,” Yin Qiu said with the same righteous expression. “I know, but I’m going to do it this way.”
Man Jiangxue was thoroughly amused by her, so she leaned down and kissed Yin Qiu, tilting her head to the side. Just as Yin Qiu was about to comment, Man Jiangxue suddenly reached out and lifted her up. The two shared a passionate kiss in the dim light. Yin Qiu was worried about being seen and felt that it was too blatant. As soon as Man Jiangxue's lips left hers, Yin Qiu quickly said, "Okay, okay, put me down now."
“Eat more food and less sugar. You’re too thin,” Man Jiangxue said. “How come you can’t gain weight even during holidays? You look like a kitten when you’re held.”
Yin Qiu said, "If you get fat, you won't be able to carry me anymore. By the way, Uncle-Master, where did you go earlier? We were in the Mingguang Hall discussing matters with the Sect Leader, why didn't you come?"
Man Jiangxue glanced at her, then took Yin Qiu's hand and strolled among the lanterns. Man Jiangxue said, "I went to Wenxin Peak to find Meng Jing; there's something I need to confirm."
Yin Qiu asked, "What is it?"
Man Jiangxue said mysteriously, "I can't tell you that; it has to be kept a secret for now."
Yin Qiu couldn't help but say irritably, "It's Meng Jing again, and you two are keeping secrets from me again. Just how many things have you been hiding from me?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Not many, just two items."
"Two items aren't enough?" Yin Qiu said. "Right now I'm worried about Fu Xiang. Meng Wugui has taken over Mingyue Tower, and I don't know what she'll do next, or how the real culprit who killed my mother will continue to deal with her. At such a tense moment, my uncle actually went to discuss other things with Meng Jing without telling me."
As darkness fell, the sunset over the western hills gradually faded, as if turning into a wisp of mist that would dissipate in the wind. Man Jiangxue slowed her pace, her expression becoming more serious as Yin Qiu finished speaking. She said, "I haven't been ignoring these matters. On the contrary, I went to see Meng Jing today to investigate a certain point of suspicion. But I'm not sure yet, so I can't tell you for now, lest you become suspicious and lose your composure. As for Fu Xiang, you don't need to worry about her; worry about yourself first."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu asked in confusion, "Myself?"
“Meng Wugui wants to deal with Yunhua Palace. Once Fu Xiang becomes the leader, she will inevitably follow her,” Man Jiangxue said calmly. “In other words, you and Fu Xiang will inevitably clash one day.”
Yin Qiu was taken aback.
She had previously analyzed the situation with Lu Huaiwei in the Mingguang Hall, covering all aspects, but she hadn't thought of this one point at all.
Yin Qiu remained silent for a moment, then frowned slightly: "This... I really didn't expect that."
Man Jiangxue patted her head to comfort her: "If Meng Wugui is going to lead people to attack our Yunhua soon, then Fu Xiang will definitely obey her orders. Although we don't know if she will harm the disciples in the palace, if she really comes, the two of you will be on the opposite side."
Yin Qiu paused and stopped.
The bright lights were blinding, and Man Jiangxue shielded Yin Qiu from the glare. She didn't want to say much, but she still asked, "If that day really comes, do you know what to do?"
Yin Qiu kept her head down, and after a long while, she sighed and said, "Since fate has arranged it this way, forcing us to face each other head-on, then we can only face it calmly." As she spoke, she looked up at Man Jiangxue, "Protecting our sect is the responsibility of every Yunhua disciple, and we have no choice but to do so." After saying that, she gave a bitter smile, "Speaking of which, Fu Xiang is my good friend, and Meng Wugui is my aunt. Neither of them is insignificant to me, but since they will not stop for my sake, I will not abandon our sect for their sake either."
Man Jiangxue looked pleased, her eyes filled with appreciation. Not wanting the conversation between the two to become heavy, she teased Yin Qiu, "Hmm, you're making it sound plausible now, but don't panic when the time comes and not know what to do."
Hearing this, Yin Qiu's expression indeed improved considerably. Yin Qiu said, "Even if I panic, I'm not afraid. I still have my martial uncle with me, right?" After saying that, she added, "If it were any other time, I would indeed have had a difficult time making a decision. But after listening to Meng Jing's words at the medical pavilion last time, I was deeply moved and benefited greatly. She told me not to be too kind and to always maintain a proper balance in everything. I have reflected on myself a lot after hearing that and I think what Meng Jing said makes a lot of sense. Don't worry, martial uncle, with the big picture in mind, I know how to act appropriately."
Man Jiangxue said, "Everyone can be a teacher. She has advantages over you, and you can indeed learn from her and emulate her more."
Yin Qiu nodded, then smiled again: "Then tomorrow, Uncle-Master, please accompany me to Shangyuan City. I want to go to Lotus Street to find the powder shop that Young Hero Shen mentioned, and see if he has any good news."
Man Jiangxue said, "Okay." She paused, then reminded her, "Speaking of Meng Jing, I noticed she looked unwell today and even coughed up blood. You might want to go see her when you have some free time."
"Coughing up blood again?" Yin Qiu sighed softly. "Her heart ailment is a big problem, and it can't be cured. She hasn't been well since last winter. When I get back to the palace tomorrow, I'll have to ask Elder Xu to see how Meng Jing is doing. She has no relatives or friends. Thanks to my uncle's advice, I should take better care of her."
Man Jiangxue smiled and asked, "So, shall we continue guessing riddles now?"
Yin Qiu smiled and said, "I want it!"
The author has something to say: The riddle "Flying on Grass" was something I learned from a riddle game I played with my parents when I was a child, so I'm marking it here as a quote from the Riddle Encyclopedia.
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