Chapter 197
The sun was setting slightly, and although noon had passed, the warmth still lingered in the air.
Yin Qiu felt a little hot, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on the spot where Man Jiangxue was holding her. For some reason, she didn't dare to look Man Jiangxue in the eye.
The light in the room moved around, from the window to the desk, and Man Jiangxue's hand did the same. If she had just moved up a little more, she could have touched Yin Qiu's thigh, but she didn't. She simply held Yin Qiu's weight firmly in her hand through the fabric, as if she were holding a light feather.
Yin Qiu said, "Uncle-Master—"
Man Jiangxue sniffed at Yin Qiu's neck, inhaling her scent. As her call faded, she kissed Yin Qiu's lips again, silencing her.
Under the same blue sky, within the same palace walls, not far apart, and only one night apart, Man Jiangxue misses her dearly today.
I really want to.
Yin Qiu went elsewhere, but her shadow was everywhere in Chenxing Palace. When Man Jiangxue returned, she didn't really think about anything else. It wasn't that she deliberately wanted to think about Yin Qiu, nor did she want to use Yin Qiu to dilute those messy thoughts. It was just that no matter what she thought of, Yin Qiu's face would quickly appear in front of her.
This gave Man Jiangxue a very subtle and indescribable feeling.
Before meeting Yin Qiu, Jingyue Peak had no one she could care about. Back then, the secret guards were rarely seen, always hidden in the shadows, and were not as active as the new disciples. The hall was quiet and deserted, with no one walking around Jingyue Peak at any time.
Man Jiangxue could recall those years. She lived alone in this place, seemingly both in and out of the world, without any ties. She had nothing much to do each day; she slept when tired, ate when hungry, practiced swordsmanship alone, read late into the night, or played chess with herself. She didn't dwell on the past, nor did she speculate about the future. She had long been prepared to grow old alone, but fate sent Yin Qiu to her side overnight.
Yin Qiu was an unexpected surprise in her life. She came so suddenly, barging into Manjiangxue's world without warning, adding a rich and colorful stroke to her otherwise blank and pure life.
Without Yin Qiu's Jingyue Peak, it loses its true color. When Man Jiangxue sits in this hall, she feels as if she has returned to the past.
She once thought she wouldn't be afraid of loneliness; she didn't even know what loneliness was. In short, year after year passed by like that, and Man Jiangxue never pondered what loneliness was, or whether she had ever truly experienced it, nor was she quite sure.
On this ordinary spring day, without Yin Qiu by her side, chatting and laughing, Man Jiangxue encountered this thing called loneliness for the first time. This thing is intangible yet tangible, more of a feeling that comes and goes without a trace, very strong and very clear, which she could not ignore and had no say in.
Man Jiangxue was initially puzzled by this, unable to grasp its specific meaning. It wasn't until Yin Qiu stepped into Chenxing Palace and sat down beside her that she heard Yin Qiu's voice and smelled her scent. The feeling that she had never noticed in the past but had always surrounded her faded away in an instant, and even disappeared without a trace.
Man Jiangxue finally understood—
So this is what loneliness is.
It turns out that she felt lonely when Yin Qiu wasn't around.
·
The voices outside subsided, and the disciples left one after another, as if to tacitly create a precious moment of peace for the two inside.
Yin Qiu didn't know when she was pressed against the door frame. By the time she realized it, Man Jiangxue had already pinned her against the door. Today's kiss was longer and more tender than any before. Man Jiangxue's movements were so light, and there was an unprecedented sense of caution in them. Yin Qiu experienced something completely new under Man Jiangxue's unique treatment. Man Jiangxue made her feel as if she had become a gust of wind, or a wisp of mist; she felt as if she might unconsciously leave or dissipate.
Even though she didn't want it to be this way, and wouldn't want it to be this way, Man Jiangxue's slight unusual behavior today forced her to speculate in this way.
She sensed Man Jiangxue's attachment to her, and also the unease emanating from Man Jiangxue. Even though this unease was faint and almost imperceptible, Yin Qiu keenly noticed it, and during the kiss, she was still carefully sensing and probing.
disturbed?
This word seems to be mismatched with "a river full of snow".
Why is she uneasy?
A hint of doubt arose in her heart, followed by a palpable tenderness. Yin Qiu slowly opened her eyes, and Man Jiangxue was also looking at her. The two were almost pressed together. The hall was so spacious, yet they had to squeeze into this cold, hard doorway, making their own space so narrow, as if only by doing so could they both have the same sense of security.
The windows in the bedroom were not closed, and the curtains separating the outside from the outside swayed in the spring breeze, carrying a familiar, delicate fragrance. Yin Qiu and Man Jiangxue gazed at each other silently, their kiss continuing. Neither of them dared to stop abruptly. Man Jiangxue tilted her head back and gradually increased the pressure on Yin Qiu's hand.
Yin Qiu felt a little pain from being pinched, so she raised her chin and let out a long breath before resting her head against the palace door. Man Jiangxue looked her over and said, "You're daydreaming."
The person hadn't gotten close, but the voice seemed to be right next to her ear. Yin Qiu suddenly shuddered and, holding onto Man Jiangxue's arm, said, "Uncle-Master, please put me down. Aren't you tired?"
"I'm not tired," Man Jiangxue lowered her head slightly and rested her forehead on Yin Qiu's chest. "What were you thinking about just now?"
Yin Qiu tried to organize her thoughts, but failed. She kept those unspoken feelings to herself, unable to find a suitable way to tell Man Jiangxue. So Yin Qiu smiled and said softly, "It's nothing, it's just that I feel like my martial uncle likes me more."
Man Jiangxue's lowered eyes flickered.
“Is that so?” she said softly.
"Whether it is or not," Yin Qiu said, "I have to tell you myself, Uncle-Master."
“It seems I don’t need to tell you myself,” Man Jiangxue said, “you’ve already sensed it.”
"Is that so?" Yin Qiu smiled happily and asked in the same tone as Man Jiangxue.
"Or maybe it's not that I like you more." Man Jiangxue bit Yin Qiu's collar, revealing her fair skin and slender collarbone.
A faint, almost imperceptible breath escaped her chest, carrying the coolness of a passing breeze, while a subtle warmth probed repeatedly. Yin Qiu tensed involuntarily, struggling to calm her pounding breath as she asked, "What is that?"
Man Jiangxue didn't make a move, but just kept biting Yin Qiu's front. She was hidden in the dim light, her face partially obscured by her long hair, and her well-defined profile showed an unusually focused expression.
Yin Qiu's fingers curled slightly as she looked at the carved wooden railing above. Out of the corner of her eye, she took in all of Man Jiangxue's movements. She had a premonition; she seemed to know what Man Jiangxue was going to do next.
"I think I love you even more now."
As the last syllable of that sentence faded, Yin Qiu's collar slipped down, and at the same time, something slippery and wet lightly touched her.
Yin Qiu's mind went blank for a moment, and the warm, moist touch sent shivers down her spine.
She couldn't stop trembling.
"Do you still remember," Man Jiangxue asked, her lips landing on that soft spot, her voice slightly indistinct, "last winter, you went to Yunjian City, while I returned to the palace."
Yin Qiu's chest heaved, her palms clenching Man Jiangxue's white robes.
She remembers.
She obtained invitations to the Ice Chasing and the Mechanism Conference from Afu in Yao Dingcheng. Man Jiangxue personally returned to the palace to discuss this with Xie Yijun. Yin Qiu, along with Meng Jing and Bai Ling, set off for Yun Jian City first, where she was injured for the first time by Ye Zhilan's flute playing. Even at top speed, it would take seven or eight days to travel from Yunhua Palace to Yun Jian City, but Man Jiangxue only took four days. When she arrived in Yun Jian City, the disciples at the post station had all gone to the grasslands to ride horses. Yin Qiu even separated from the group and met Fu Xiang. Later, Man Jiangxue punished them by making them kneel in the courtyard for a long time, including Yin Qiu.
She not only remembers, but she remembers it very clearly.
But... why ask this at a time like this?
Yin Qiu couldn't answer; she couldn't even utter a sound that symbolized a response. She hastily withdrew one hand, covered her mouth, and her eyes quickly filled with tears. She was too ashamed to lower her head.
“Before I left the palace to meet you, I went to the Star Gazing Platform to pay my respects to my master,” Man Jiangxue said haltingly, her hand lingering on Yin Qiu’s chest. “The secret guards who accompanied me at the time said that the sect leader had ordered them to renovate the cenotaph.”
Manjiangxue's tongue was wet and slippery.
Yin Qiu clung to her, her back drenched in sweat. She struggled to stay awake amidst the relentless surge of emotions, trying to keep up with Man Jiangxue's train of thought.
But she failed; she had lost her composure and could only utter a barely audible syllable from her throat.
"Um……"
"Hmm?" Man Jiangxue paused, looked up at Yin Qiu, and said, "You're daydreaming again."
Yin Qiu tilted her head back, her exposed skin flushed a striking red. She stammered, her voice barely audible, "I...I can't concentrate..."
Man Jiangxue took two steps forward, pressing herself even closer to Yin Qiu. She said, "It's okay, take your time."
Vision blurred, and Man Jiangxue became a vague shadow. Yin Qiu felt uncomfortable from the door behind her, so she shifted, her legs wrapped around Man Jiangxue's waist forming a beautiful arc. Man Jiangxue, maintaining her composure, lowered her head and didn't rush to start again.
"And now?"
Yin Qiu closed her eyes, catching her breath amidst the lingering aftershocks. She sorted out her thoughts, silently recalling what Man Jiangxue had just said.
But it's too difficult.
Problems that she could normally figure out effortlessly were now beyond her ability to analyze.
"Could we go somewhere else?" Yin Qiu asked hesitantly. "I...we'll go to the sleeping quarters..."
Man Jiangxue said firmly, "No," and then she took that soft spot into her lips again, coaxing her gently, "Think carefully, why would the Dark Guard disciples renovate the cenotaph?"
With this obvious reminder, Yin Qiu finally regained his senses and asked uncertainly, "Did they...did they move the Holy Sword away?"
“Yes,” Man Jiangxue said, “Anything else?”
"Anything else?" Yin Qiu trembled, and after a brief moment of thought, she suddenly understood what Man Jiangxue meant.
"Uncle-Master, are you referring to... the Sect Leader?"
Man Jiangxue asked, "Do you think it could be her?"
Yin Qiu felt a chill run down her spine and exclaimed in surprise, "How could this be—"
“Before today, I had actually been to the Hall of Punishments once,” Man Jiangxue remained calm throughout, even as she was doing something unspeakable to Yin Qiu. “And I had already tested her, but I still cannot be sure.”
Yin Qiu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she suddenly realized.
No wonder Man Jiangxue was in a daze for so long in Chenxing Palace today, and no wonder she acted so strangely. It turns out it was because of this.
After investigating and investigating, the investigation finally led back to his own senior sister, who was also the head of a sect. No one could have treated that with a normal attitude.
"Then... did the senior guard also say he's the sect leader?"
Man Jiangxue nodded and said calmly, "I need to be wary that he might recant his testimony after the sect leader meets him, which is why I told Meng Jing that this person can be killed."
If the secret guard recanted his testimony, it wouldn't necessarily prove Xie Yijun was a suspect. He might hesitate to accuse her directly because Xie Yijun was the sect leader, or he might vaguely claim he misremembered, in which case Xie Yijun wouldn't be able to blame him. However, this would bring Man Jiangxue's current situation from the shadows to the light. If Xie Yijun was indeed the mastermind, she would become suspicious and more vigilant once she discovered that Man Jiangxue had been investigating her all along.
Meanwhile, Meng Wugui's situation is gradually improving. It's only a matter of time before she attacks Yunhua Palace. Therefore, Man Jiangxue cannot alert her. She cannot let Xie Yijun realize her intentions. If Xie Yijun runs away, it will not be so easy to catch her.
Yin Qiu tried her best to control her mind, but her breathing became heavier and heavier. She bit her lip tightly, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped Man Jiangxue's hand. Yin Qiu said, "But the words of the secret guards alone are not enough to convict the sect leader. If I were that person... I would definitely continue to use Senior Sister Ye's name, not to mention that this happened before they attacked me in Wei City, when Senior Sister Ye had not yet been exposed." She couldn't continue, her voice filled with pleading, "Uncle-Master, I... I have no strength left."
The tightly closed palace doors creaked open. Yin Qiu could no longer withstand the intense licking and biting. She lost her strength and slid down the door panel. Man Jiangxue bent her knees and followed Yin Qiu to sit on the ground.
Her cool hair fell down, and Man Jiangxue's face appeared deep and serene in the dim light. She looked at Yin Qiu without any hesitation, her condescending gaze containing a restrained smile.
Yin Qiu lay on her back on the ground, the sweat on her back becoming slightly cool as it seeped into her clothes from the cold earth. She had never faced Man Jiangxue so disheveled before. The unique grace and curves of a young woman were faintly visible in her disheveled clothes, and every time Man Jiangxue's gaze fell upon her, Yin Qiu couldn't help but tremble along with her eyes.
Even though she had already been tasted by Man Jiangxue.
Footsteps sounded outside the door, and a disciple carrying a food box came over. Yin Qiu's heart pounded, and she quickly sat up. Man Jiangxue helped her up, preventing her from running away, and then spoke before the disciple could knock on the door, saying, "Leave the things outside the door, I'll get them myself."
The disciple paused, his hand still raised. He hadn't expected Man Jiangxue to be right by the door, her voice so close, so sudden, and so timely. Startled, the disciple quickly put the food box down and said, "Oh... is Martial Aunt practicing martial arts? Then remember to eat. If the food gets cold, just let me know and I'll reheat it for you."
As Man Jiangxue pushed Yin Qiu's coat down, she calmly replied, "Thank you for your trouble."
Yin Qiu's heart tightened, and she immediately threw herself into Man Jiangxue's arms, wishing she could stick every inch of her skin firmly to her body.
The white dress bunched up at her waist, like a soft cloud. Man Jiangxue spread her palms out and measured her waist, thinking that Yin Qiu's waist was unbelievably thin; she was really too thin.
"Go to bed?" Man Jiangxue traced the arc with her fingertips and asked gently in Yin Qiu's ear.
She had practiced martial arts for many years, and even now she still practices swordsmanship every day, her palms and fingertips developing thin calluses from the sword hilt. Man Jiangxue didn't care much about this; she hadn't made any special effort to maintain her hands, but that didn't stop them from remaining long and beautiful.
Yin Qiu never told Man Jiangxue that she really liked the calluses on her hands.
Just like now.
Those hands rested on her back, gently stroking and caressing, the slightly rough calluses scraping and rubbing against her. It was a little itchy, yet also a little comfortable.
Yin Qiu took off her clothes, but didn't feel cold. She was actually quite hot, her face flushed a deep blush from the heat. She wrapped her arms around Man Jiangxue's neck and said softly, "Okay..."
Man Jiangxue chuckled softly, then scooped Yin Qiu up by the back of her knees and carried her into the bedchamber with the tip of her shoe.
Yin Qiu squinted slightly, blinded by the bright light inside, and quickly said, "The window isn't closed."
Man Jiangxue carried her to the window and said, "Turn it off."
Fortunately, there were no other people outside, only the red maple trees rustling in the wind, standing unchanged in the courtyard year after year.
Yin Qiu hurriedly and frantically closed the window.
Man Jiangxue turned around, picked up Yin Qiu and gently placed her on the bed. With her back to the light, she raised her hand and lowered the curtains, then sank into the soft cloud-like quilt with Yin Qiu.
Half an hour later, the disciples who had finished practicing their swords came through the forest.
"Hey... why hasn't Uncle-Master eaten yet?"
"The food is all cold. I remember Senior Sister Yin came back too, but I haven't seen her all this time?"
"It seems like he and his martial uncle have been inside and haven't come out since...?"
The disciples whispered among themselves, craning their necks to peer into the tightly closed doors and windows of the Chenxing Palace, but none of them dared to knock on the door and ask questions.
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