Chapter 30
Yin Qiu said, "Nobody taught me, I was just curious."
Man Jiangxue was unusually speechless for a long time before finally saying, "What old maid? If you keep talking nonsense, your martial uncle will beat you."
"Why can't I say 'old maid'?" Yin Qiu looked at her.
"Why so many questions?" Man Jiangxue stopped, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Yin Qiu blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "I just want to ask, if... if your senior sister told you that she likes you, what would you do?"
Man Jiangxue met Yin Qiu's clear eyes and smiled helplessly: "Most of my senior sisters are over thirty years old. They are either elders of various peaks or managers and seniors in the palace. Almost all of them have husbands. What you asked about is impossible."
"I mean, hypothetically," Yin Qiu pressed, "what if my martial uncle encountered such a situation? How would you handle it?"
Man Jiangxue's eyes flickered slightly, and she actually began to ponder.
Seeing that she didn't answer immediately, Yin Qiu added, "But the premise is that you don't like this senior sister; it's just that this senior sister likes you unilaterally."
Upon hearing this, Man Jiangxue instantly realized what was going on and looked Yin Qiu up and down, saying, "You're asking me these things in such a roundabout way, could it be that someone is talking to you about..."
Yin Qiu quickly denied it: "No, it has nothing to do with me."
Man Jiangxue said, "Then why did you think of asking that?"
The matter of the medicine bottle had already indirectly implicated Fu Xiang, and Yin Qiu didn't want to betray her any further, so she said ambiguously, "Um... I'm just curious. If you really don't know how to answer, then just pretend that I'm the one who encountered this situation. Can you teach me how to refuse that senior sister?"
Upon hearing her words, Man Jiangxue stopped in her tracks, looked down at Yin Qiu, and asked, "Who is it?"
Yin Qiu tilted her head back, puzzled: "What?"
"The person who likes you," Man Jiangxue asked, "from which peak?"
Yin Qiu hesitated for a moment, then quickly explained, "It really wasn't me. Didn't I already say it was just a hypothetical scenario?"
Man Jiangxue was not so easily fooled, and said, "If it weren't true, you wouldn't have thought of asking this for no reason."
After speaking, Man Jiangxue realized that Yin Qiu was not young. There were many female disciples in the palace who were dating in private. As Yin Qiu said, many girls outside the palace got married at the age of twelve or thirteen. It was not uncommon for girls to fall in love at that age. Moreover, Yin Qiu was beautiful and quiet. Anyone who met her would have a good impression of her. Furthermore, she was Shen Mandong's daughter. Because of this relationship, many disciples were willing to take the initiative to get close to Yin Qiu.
In Man Jiangxue's eyes, Yin Qiu's sudden questioning today must mean that someone had confessed their feelings to her, and she didn't know what to do, so she asked her vaguely.
But how long has it been since Yin Qiu arrived at the palace? She's already been targeted by someone. Man Jiangxue finds it both laughable and absurd.
"Uncle-Master, stop guessing. It really wasn't me." Yin Qiu found it both absurd and funny, and emphasized it repeatedly.
Manjiang Xue started walking again and said, "Alright, let's just say it's hypothetical. If a senior sister says she likes you, but you don't reciprocate her feelings, then you should make your stance clear in time to avoid ambiguity and prevent the other party from misunderstanding and causing unnecessary trouble."
"What if this senior sister is of a high generation and keeps finding various excuses to come to me, and I can't refuse her?" Yin Qiu bit her finger, looking ahead thoughtfully.
"Who dares to be so bold?" Man Jiangxue frowned. "Although the palace has not explicitly prohibited disciples from being too intimate, it absolutely does not allow anyone to bully others by abusing their power. If what you said is true, then that person should be dealt with according to the palace rules, have their waist token removed, and be sent to the punishment hall to be punished."
Yin Qiu never expected the matter to be so serious, and quickly said, "I told you it was just a hypothetical situation, Uncle-Master, you're taking it so seriously."
"Do you think I can't tell you're lying?" Man Jiangxue became serious. "Since you don't want to say, I won't ask for that person's name. I just want to remind you of a few things. If the person you mentioned tries to force you to do something just because she's your senior sister, you must not swallow your anger. If you back down, she will take advantage of you. You've always been the one who doesn't speak up when you're bullied, always keeping it to yourself. This will only make people think you're easy to bully, and I won't be able to help you out in time. In short, if things really come to the point where you can't handle them yourself, you must come and tell me, understand?"
Seeing that she was certain that someone had disturbed her, Yin Qiu only wanted to ask Man Jiangxue for advice, but instead she took the blame. She was truly bitter but couldn't express it, and it was difficult to explain, so she could only obediently say, "I understand, I will remember what you said, Martial Uncle."
·
The next day at dawn, Yin Qiu was woken up by Man Jiangxue while half asleep. After eating, he reviewed his lessons. When it was almost time, Man Jiangxue personally escorted Yin Qiu back to the disciples' quarters.
Winter mornings are always exceptionally cold. For several days in a row, it had been raining and snowing. With the end of the year approaching and Yunhua Palace located on a mountaintop, the temperature was even more frigid. Yin Qiu shivered and huddled in her snow-covered brocade robe, muttering to herself as she recited her lessons along the way.
"Don't be nervous when the exam starts, just take it easy." Man Jiangxue stopped at the courtyard gate and handed the books in her hand to Yin Qiu.
"Will it be difficult?" Yin Qiu couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
“It’s not time for you to write anything,” Man Jiangxue said. “You will be tested on what you have learned this month. As long as you have really worked hard, you will not find it difficult.”
Yin Qiu nodded, and Man Jiangxue offered her a few more words of concern. The two cuddled together outside the door for a while. Yin Qiu was reluctant to leave Man Jiangxue and lingered outside. The disciple guarding the door couldn't help but laugh and say, "Junior Sister, stop bothering your Uncle. It's not too late to ask your Uncle for a reward after you get a good score."
Yin Qiu blushed slightly at these words and quickly stepped out of Man Jiangxue's arms, saying, "Then I'll go in. Uncle, take care on your way back."
Man Jiangxue responded with an "okay," and stood there watching Yin Qiu leave. After the small figure disappeared from sight, Ye Zhilan suddenly walked up behind her and called out, "Uncle-Master, I have something important to report!"
"What is it?" Man Jiangxue turned to the side.
“Junior Sister Lu just returned from Qingluo City,” Ye Zhilan said solemnly. “She was injured and has been sent to the medical pavilion. It is said that she encountered Qin Zheng, one of the four protectors of the Ziwei Sect, on the way. The other party had many people and was no match for Junior Sister Lu. She was almost beaten to death on the spot. Fortunately, a master passed by and rescued her. Junior Sister Lu was then brought back by her disciples.”
Man Jiangxue frowned slightly, not daring to ask any further questions at this moment, and said, "Let's go."
Ye Zhilan followed closely behind.
Upon arriving at the medical pavilion, they found the disciples bustling about. Xie Yijun was standing outside waiting. When she saw Man Jiangxue and Ye Zhilan hurrying over, she said, "You've come at the right time. Huaiwei is unconscious, and I haven't had a chance to question her about what happened."
The three of them went inside first and checked on Lu Huaiwei's condition. She was indeed badly injured, covered in blood. Several accompanying disciples stood anxiously by the bedside, their faces full of worry.
“Don’t just stand there,” Xie Yijun said. “You guys go to the hall first and explain what happened.”
After everyone left the room and took their seats, a disciple reported, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, Senior Sister Lu and I set off from Qingluo City to return to the palace a few days ago. The journey was smooth, and we arrived in Shangyuan City at midnight. Thinking that we didn't need to stay overnight in the city, we rushed back overnight. Who would have thought that when we were going up the mountain, Qin Zheng and his men suddenly appeared and attacked us without saying a word. We were caught off guard. Senior Sister Lu was trying to protect her junior brother, so she was restricted in her movements and was caught off guard, which is why Qin Zheng was able to launch a sneak attack and beat her like this."
Xie Yijun was furious and sneered, "This is outrageous! Provoking trouble and committing violence at the gate of my Yunhua Palace, Nangong Min is becoming more and more arrogant!"
The disciple looked disheveled, with bloodstains all over his body. He said, "Fortunately, a master stepped forward and single-handedly drove Qin Zheng away. He also fed Senior Sister Lu a Heart-Protecting Pill, which saved her heart meridian. Otherwise, after this incident, Senior Sister Lu might have really lost her life."
Xie Yijun quickly asked, "What kind of expert?"
"The disciples didn't know either. It was an emergency. After that person repelled the Ziwei Sect, he gave Senior Sister Lu the medicine and left. The disciples didn't have time to ask."
"Man or woman?"
"It was a woman, who looked quite young, probably in her early twenties. She didn't utter a single word the whole time, and left without a sound. By the time the disciples realized what was happening, she had already vanished without a trace."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yijun pondered for a moment, and Ye Zhilan immediately followed up with, "Did you get a clear look at her physical features?"
The disciple thought for a moment and replied, "She was wearing a purple dress and didn't carry any conspicuous weapons. Her appearance wasn't particularly outstanding either; I forgot about her after just one glance. She was accompanied by a girl of about twelve or thirteen years old, who also didn't say a word. However, they seemed to be a master and servant pair. In general, neither of them was anything special, but they were quite capable."
There are many capable and extraordinary people in the martial arts world. Apart from seeing it with one's own eyes, one cannot guess who the woman is based solely on these words. Xie Yijun said, "Never mind, since she saved us, she must not be an enemy. But you said earlier that Huaiwei was protecting a junior brother. Which junior brother is it?"
The disciple then turned to the side and pointed towards the side room.
Xie Yijun got up and glanced through the beaded curtain. She saw a boy with tears streaming down his face lying by the bed, looking at Lu Huaiwei and sobbing softly.
“His name is Meng Jing,” Man Jiangxue said. “He is the son of a farmer’s family on Sangyu Mountain.”
Xie Yijun had heard Ji Wanshu mention him before, but she didn't know that Lu Huaiwei would bring him to the palace. However, since the child's parents had been killed by the Ziwei Sect and he had nowhere to go, it was not impossible for him to come to the palace.
"Alright, now that things are clear, let's not just stand here," Xie Yijun said. "Zhilan, stay here and keep an eye on Huaiwei. Your Uncle Man and I have something to say to each other."
Ye Zhilan asked, "And this child?"
Xie Yijun said, "Send him to the disciples' courtyard. Don't let his crying affect Huaiwei. Just make proper arrangements."
After dismissing the extra disciples, the people in the room gradually left. Man Jiangxue and Xie Yijun planned to go to Mingguang Hall to talk. Just as the two of them went down the steps, Ji Wanshu arrived in a hurry.
"I just heard the news. How is Huaiwei?"
Upon seeing her, Xie Yijun's anger, which had just subsided, flared up again, and she couldn't help but shout, "How dare you ask? You're always out in the wilderness outside the palace, only knowing how to go looking for that Wen Chaoyu. Why don't you pay attention to the movements of the Ziwei Sect? I told you before that Huaiwei would be back soon. If you had met her in time, things wouldn't have turned out like this!"
Ji Wanshu was scolded as soon as she arrived, and her face was not good. She said in a muffled voice, "I was originally staying at the foot of the mountain. You were the ones who told me to come back."
"You still dare to talk back!" Xie Yijun said. "I called you back to investigate spies. As the chief disciple, no one can control you all day long. You've been doing whatever you want all year. Look at your junior sisters and brothers, which one of them has it better than you?"
Ji Wanshu fell silent, feeling extremely annoyed.
She was scolded for staying at the foot of the mountain and neglecting palace affairs. When she returned, she was blamed for not investigating the movements of the Ziwei Sect in time, which led to Lu Huaiwei's injury. No matter what she did, it was her fault. But Ji Wanshu was not some kind of immortal. She only had two eyes. How could she see everything about the Ziwei Sect at all times?
"I'm going to check on Huaiwei." Ji Wanshu said with a sullen face, and turned to leave.
"What are you still looking at?" Xie Yijun was furious and spoke in an unfriendly tone. "Stop causing trouble and get to the bottom of that group of Jincheng disciples right now!"
Ji Wanshu had truly walked into a trap, but she couldn't retaliate, so she could only reply, "I've already had someone watching over her."
"You want someone else to watch over things?" Xie Yijun pointed at Ji Wanshu. "Then what are you doing! Zhilan can't get away right now, and Huaiwei's life is in danger. I can't leave her with other disciples. At such a critical moment, you should be taking care of that. Why did you come here!"
Ji Wanshu's lips moved as if she wanted to say something in her defense, but seeing Xie Yijun so angry, she forced herself to remain silent.
"Senior sister, calm down." Man Jiangxue pulled Xie Yijun aside and glanced at Ji Wanshu, signaling her to take her leave.
"Aren't you going yet?" Xie Yijun's voice grew louder.
"I'll go check right away." Ji Wanshu gritted her teeth, bowed and stepped back. However, as soon as she turned around, she saw a disciple jump over the courtyard wall and rush over.
"Sect Leader, something terrible has happened! There's been an accident!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yijun's heart tightened again: "What happened now!"
"I was just ordered by Senior Sister Ji to interrogate that group of disciples, but I didn't expect that no sooner had Senior Sister Ji left than one of the disciples vomited blood and died!"
"What?" Xie Yijun's expression changed drastically. "How could someone suddenly vomit blood and die?"
The disciple was terrified and whispered, "It looks like she was poisoned. Her words were suspicious during the interrogation. We were about to take her away for further interrogation when she suddenly vomited blood and died right in front of us. There was no way to save her."
Xie Yijun was furious and glared at Ji Wanshu, saying, "You've abandoned your post! Look at the mess you've made! You're going to drive me crazy!"
·
While the outside world was in turmoil, the disciples' courtyard remained as peaceful as ever. Half past 9 a.m., the heavy bell rang, signaling the end of the first monthly examination for the new disciples. Following the master's command, the students filed out and gathered in small groups to discuss the exam questions.
Yin Qiu was called upon by the teacher and stayed in the classroom with another female disciple to collect the exam papers.
"Your handwriting is quite good. How do you feel about your exam?" The teacher sat calmly in his high seat and glanced at Yin Qiu as he took the exam paper.
Yin Qiu was flattered and smiled, saying, "It's...it's alright..."
"You are the best student in this classroom," the teacher said with a pleased look. "If you can rank among the top in this monthly exam, you can be transferred to another classroom in two months."
Yin Qiu raised both hands above his head and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Master."
"Studying is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Don't be arrogant when you receive praise. You still need to work hard in the future," the teacher said. "Stay a little longer. After everyone has left, lock the classroom door and go down."
Yin Qiu responded with a "okay," bowed again, and stood respectfully at the classroom door waiting for the teacher to leave.
As noon approached, the disciples went to the dining hall in groups to get their meals. They had originally agreed to meet Fu Xiang after the exam, but Fu Xiang had not shown up for a long time, and no one knew what she was busy with. Yin Qiu did not wait for her. She inspected all the classrooms by herself. After confirming that everyone had left, Yin Qiu locked the school gate and hurried to the dining hall alone.
"You brat, you dare throw mud at me? You're asking for it!"
As Yin Qiu walked through the front yard, a furious shout suddenly reached her ears. She stopped and looked around, but there was no one in sight.
"I was just trying to be nice and show you the way, but I only asked you a few questions about your parents' health. Why did you suddenly go crazy and try to hit me?"
"Exactly! We rushed to pick you up without even having lunch, and you, you're really being unreasonable!"
"Why bother with him? Let's go! Let's call the teacher to settle this!"
After he finished speaking, several male disciples with angry faces strode in from outside the courtyard gate. They were all furious, cursing and swearing. Their disciple robes were covered in mud and they looked rather disheveled.
Yin Qiu looked closely and realized that these male disciples were her classmates who took martial arts classes with her, so she asked, "What happened? Why are your clothes so dirty?"
"It was all that brat's doing!" a male disciple said angrily. "We had just finished our exams when the teacher told us that a new disciple was coming to the academy and that we should go to the main hall to pick him up. Who knew that this kid was out of his mind? He started hitting people for no reason and even threw mud at us! It's outrageous!"
Several male disciples echoed this sentiment.
Yin Qiu took out a handkerchief and handed it to them to wipe their faces, saying, "But the teacher has already left, and the teaching assistant is not here either."
"Then let him be!" the male disciple said angrily. "I've never seen such an unreasonable person before. Let someone else do something about it!"
Yin Qiu thought for a moment and said thoughtfully, "Since it was the teacher who instructed us, let's not act rashly. Why don't you wait here while I go out and check on him?"
Several male disciples immediately said, "Don't go! That kid's a scoundrel. Don't let him beat you up again!"
Yin Qiu smiled and said, "It's alright. I'll just stand at the door and try to persuade him. Or you can come with me. If the teacher finds out that you're not doing anything to him, you'll be punished."
Several male disciples, unable to contain their anger but also fearing the master's wrath, and considering that Yin Qiu was, after all, a young lady, and that boy, no matter how fierce, couldn't possibly bully a girl, agreed and stood in front of Yin Qiu as they headed towards the door.
Author's Note: Meng Jing is about to make his appearance, everyone please calm down.
I know this character isn't likable, but I still want to say that he will change and grow; it just takes time.
I know that Yin Qiu might be criticized as a saint, but as a child who has been bullied since childhood and has no one to rely on, being submissive has become her habit. In the past, no one would stand up for her when she was bullied, and forbearance was the only option. So, in my opinion, it is inconsistent with her character to suddenly rebel.
After all, I have classmates like that who were ostracized and isolated but dared not confide in their teachers or parents, and I also have people who I initially thought were bad but later became good friends with.
So please be patient, angels! Just a few more chapters and it'll be fine! Please be gentle with your criticism!
The characters' values do not represent the author's values!
Sauce!
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