Chapter 37
Ye Zhilan walked through the courtyard, closed her umbrella, lifted her skirt, and stepped up the stairs.
After several days of heavy snowfall, the eaves and corners of the buildings were covered with frost, and the air was bitterly cold. The smell of medicine filled the air inside and outside the medical pavilion, and busy figures could be seen everywhere.
"Senior Sister Ye." A disciple hurried over and called out in a low voice.
"What is it?" Ye Zhilan shook the umbrella and turned around.
“That Meng Jing just came again,” the disciple said with a helpless expression. “He insists on seeing Senior Sister Lu, and no matter how the disciples try to persuade him, he won’t listen. He’s throwing a tantrum outside.”
“Nonsense,” Ye Zhilan frowned. “Huaiwei has finally woken up. How can we let him disturb her so easily? Just send him away.”
The disciple shrugged and said, "I don't know how to deal with him. He faints every time he comes. He already has a heart condition, and he faints when he gets anxious. I don't dare to be rough with him anymore. I really can't do anything with him."
Ye Zhilan said, "Then light his acupuncture point and carry him back."
"That's right!" the disciple exclaimed with delight. "Senior Sister is so clever; how come we didn't think of that?"
Seeing that the disciple was about to take her leave after bowing, Ye Zhilan stood for a moment and called out to her again, "Has Martial Aunt returned yet?"
The disciple turned his head and said, "I just arrived. I've already taken Junior Sister back to her disciple's quarters. I reckon it'll be a while before I come back."
"You saw your junior sister?"
"I saw him."
Is she alright?
The disciple paused, then said with a hint of doubt, "Nothing's wrong, I'm fine." He added, "With my uncle accompanying me the whole way, what could possibly happen?"
Ye Zhilan said, "After all, the Ziwei Sect comes and goes without a trace. I'm worried that they might cause trouble on the way and harm my junior sister."
The disciple smiled and said, "Don't worry, Senior Sister. Martial Uncle and Junior Sister are both safe and sound."
Ye Zhilan hummed in agreement and nodded, saying, "I understand, go ahead."
Just as the disciple withdrew, Xie Yijun came over from outside the courtyard. Upon seeing Ye Zhilan, she said, "I heard Huaiwei has woken up? I came to see her."
Ye Zhilan nodded, and the two walked into the pavilion together. The smell of medicine inside was even stronger and more pungent. Many disciples were busy brewing medicinal soup. On the bed, Lu Huaiwei was drinking medicine sip by sip. Hearing the noise, she raised her head and said weakly, "Sect Leader, Senior Sister."
"Lie down quickly," Xie Yijun hurriedly stepped forward, "You're finally awake."
Lu Huaiwei smiled faintly: "I'm so sorry to have worried the sect leader and senior sister."
Xie Yijun said, "What are you saying? You're injured, how could I not worry about you?"
Although Lu Huaiwei's face was pale, she seemed to be in good spirits. She adjusted her posture and said with a wry smile, "I am not as skilled as others and have really disgraced my sect. Fortunately, a female knight came to my rescue that day. Otherwise, I would have been beaten to death by the Ziwei Sect outside the palace gate. If word got out, it would have been a disgrace to my sect."
"The Ziwei Sect's methods are despicable, resorting to sneak attacks. You don't need to blame yourself," Xie Yijun said. "But do you know who that female knight is?"
Lu Huaiwei recalled for a moment and shook her head: "I don't know. I only saw that she was wearing a purple dress and had an average appearance. She was accompanied by a little girl. Neither of them seemed to be from the martial arts world, but their skills were superb. They defeated Qin Zheng in just a few moves and left her helpless. After I woke up, I thought about it carefully, but I didn't recognize the woman. She was probably someone who didn't often travel in the martial arts world."
“Shangyuan City is part of Yunhua territory,” Xie Yijun pondered. “Since she met you halfway up the mountain, it means she was coming to my Yunhua Palace. Why did she leave quietly after rescuing you?”
"Perhaps they're just passing by?" Lu Huaiwei smiled. "It's just a matter of helping those in need."
Xie Yijun sighed, her expression turning slightly grave: "It's good that you're alright, but it's a pity that we fell into the trap set by the Ziwei Sect. You were ambushed on your way here, while they used a diversionary tactic to kill the spies in the palace. Now all the leads have been cut off, and it's not easy to investigate any further."
Lu Huaiwei, who had been away from the palace for a long time, was naturally unaware that the palace was investigating spies. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "How could that be? Even if I were ambushed, it wouldn't hinder the palace's investigation. How could the spy be killed so easily?"
"Isn't this all thanks to your senior sister Ji?" Xie Yijun sneered. "She was originally in charge of interrogating the spy, but after hearing that you were injured, she abandoned her post, which gave the spy the opportunity to commit suicide by poison. The spy had already given himself away, but all her efforts were in vain."
Lu Huaiwei looked embarrassed: "This... Senior Sister Ji was just concerned about me, she certainly didn't mean it that way."
Xie Yijun said coldly, "If she did it on purpose, I wouldn't let her off. It's only because she was worried about your injuries that I didn't let her go to the punishment hall to receive her punishment."
Lu Huaiwei said with shame, "It's all my fault."
"It's none of your business," Xie Yijun comforted her. "It's good that you're back safe and sound. Just focus on recovering and don't worry about anything else."
Lu Huaiwei put down the medicine bowl and said, "Every year at the end of the year, the Ziwei Sect comes out to stir up trouble. Now that I'm back, I should still stay in Shangyuan City as I have in previous years."
Xie Yijun waved her hand: "You don't need to worry about this matter. With Zhilan and Wanshu here, you just need to take care of your health."
Lu Huaiwei felt bad and insisted, "How can this be? Senior Sister Ye is in charge of palace affairs, and Senior Sister Ji is the chief disciple. How can we let the two senior sisters do this kind of work? I will do it myself." As she spoke, she stretched her limbs and said, "Actually, I have recovered quite a bit these days. In previous years, I was the one who took charge of guarding Shangyuan City. The two senior sisters are not as familiar with it as I am. I can get out of bed after lying down for two more days. Please allow me, Sect Leader."
Although Lu Huaiwei was an apprentice of the elder of Wu Hui Peak and did not become Xie Yijun's disciple, she was always well-behaved, sensible, and ambitious. Xie Yijun had always liked her to some extent. Upon hearing this, she still politely declined, saying, "There are so many disciples in the palace. A few can easily replace you. You should listen to me so that your master won't keep running to me and saying that I only know how to order around the juniors of Wu Hui Peak."
Seeing Xie Yijun's repeated persuasion, Lu Huaiwei couldn't insist and happily said, "Then thank you for your concern, Sect Leader."
·
As night fell, the dense snowflakes swirled and intertwined in the lamplight, like soft bird feathers. The courtyard was quiet, with only a few scattered figures visible. Candles were lit in the disciples' rooms, large and small, and the fragrance of cold plum blossoms permeated the air amidst the swirling snow.
Yin Qiu pushed open the door, quickly lit a lamp, placed the small bundle she was carrying on the table, turned to look at Man Jiangxue and said, "It's getting late, Uncle-Master, you should go back and rest."
These past few days have been exhausting. Yin Qiu has been sleeping soundly in the carriage every day, but Man Jiangxue has been the coachman all the way and hasn't had a good night's sleep in days. She was already mentally and physically tired before setting off, and now that she's come back from the mountain, she looks even more exhausted.
"You kicked me out as soon as I got back," Man Jiangxue chuckled. "Won't you even invite me to sit down?"
Yin Qiu quickly pulled her down to sit, and said apologetically, "Why did I send you away? I was hoping that my martial aunt could stay with me."
In the few days since the two left, Ye Zhilan had already delivered the newly added bedding and other items. There were also several wooden boxes piled up in the corner, all of which were things bought in Shangyuan City. Man Jiangxue said, "Now you have enough to eat and wear, so I'm not worried about anything else. If you need anything else, just ask Zhilan."
Yin Qiu nodded, then leaned into Man Jiangxue's arms and said, "Uncle-Master, you've worked so hard these past few days, traveling and taking care of me at the same time."
Man Jiangxue pulled her onto his lap and asked, "So, were you happy coming down the mountain this time?"
"Of course I'm happy," Yin Qiu said, her eyes and brows beaming with joy. "I celebrated my birthday with my martial uncle and even went home for a visit. I'm overjoyed."
“Then you need to work even harder,” Man Jiangxue said. “If you get good grades next time, your master will give you a reward.”
Yin Qiu said, "Next time, please don't spend so much money. I just want you to keep me company. I don't want anything else."
"The exam hasn't even started yet," Man Jiangxue said. "Are you already this confident?"
Yin Qiu stuck out her tongue and laughed, "Didn't my martial uncle say it himself? If I didn't even have this much confidence, how could I even think about becoming your disciple?"
“It’s good to be confident,” Man Jiangxue said, “but unfortunately I don’t know how to take on apprentices.”
This wasn't the first time Yin Qiu had heard her say this, and she wasn't disappointed. Instead, she said cheerfully, "If you don't want to accept me, then so be it. Even if I become someone else's disciple, I will still love my master the most."
Looking at her obedient little face, Man Jiangxue smiled slightly, stood up and said, "Then we won't delay any longer. You should go to sleep early. I'll go back now."
Yin Qiu immediately said, "I'll see my martial uncle off."
“No need,” Man Jiangxue stopped her. “You must be tired on the way. Go to sleep early. You’ve missed a few days of schoolwork. Get some rest so you can study hard tomorrow.”
Yin Qiu said, "I know, then please take care, Uncle."
The door opened, and Man Jiangxue quickly left. Yin Qiu stood at the door watching her until Man Jiangxue's figure was completely out of sight. Only then did Yin Qiu fetch hot water to wash up, but she didn't immediately turn off the light and go to bed. She first looked at the brand-new bedding and the winter clothes in the closet, and then opened the wooden boxes and rummaged through them, sorting everything out. She also specially packed a lot of food into a small box, intending to give it to Fu Xiang to try the next day. After doing all this, Yin Qiu crawled into bed to prepare for sleep.
Gradually, the lamps in the disciples' courtyard were extinguished one after another, plunging into darkness. The night snow fell endlessly, and the soft sound made people feel peaceful and at ease. Yin Qiu fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow and slept very soundly.
Around midnight, a sharp sound came from the window, as if someone had deliberately thrown something over. Yin Qiu vaguely heard the sound, woke up for a moment, but quickly lost consciousness again.
Not long after, she heard a very soft sound, as if the window had been gently pushed open. Yin Qiu shivered inexplicably in her drowsy state and immediately woke up. She subconsciously sat up and looked towards the window. She saw that the small window had been opened at some point, and cold wind and snow rushed into the room. There seemed to be a dark figure standing in the dim corridor.
Yin Qiu was startled and reached under her pillow to pull out the small iron sword. When she looked again, she saw the figure slowly walk to the window. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could see that his face was covered by a silver mask that gleamed with a cold light.
It's Young Master Fan!
Yin Qiu's fear turned to surprise, and she hurriedly threw off the covers and got out of bed.
Since the two parted ways in the forest, many days had passed without them seeing each other. Yin Qiu had been living a rather fulfilling life and had almost forgotten about it. She couldn't help but whisper to Gongzi Fan, "Why are you here?"
His black robe trailed on the ground, his clothes and hair covered in snowflakes. Gongzi Fan lowered his chin slightly, as if sizing up Yin Qiu, and said, "Of course I'm here to see you. Is there any need to ask?"
He just stood there so brazenly outside. Yin Qiu was terrified. She quickly closed the window, opened the door, and whispered, "Don't let anyone see us. Come in quickly."
Gongzi Fan walked to the door but did not go in. He just looked at Yin Qiu and said, "What are you going in for? You should come out."
Yin Qiu kept an eye on the surroundings and pointed to the snowflakes swirling in the night sky, saying, "With such heavy snow, you're not going to make me go practice swordsmanship with you, are you?"
"So what if it snows?" Gongzi Fan said. "Can't even a martial artist endure this little bit of hardship?"
Yin Qiu said urgently, "It's not that I can't endure hardship, you come in first and we'll talk later."
Knowing what she was worried about, Gongzi Fan did as she was told and stepped into the room, smiling and saying, "You don't need to be afraid, no one will find out."
"What if it's not true?" Yin Qiu hurriedly closed the door, clutching her chest, and said, "If we're found out, I'm dead."
Gongzi Fan chuckled lightly: "You're so timid, unlike your mother."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu looked at him and asked, "Are you very familiar with my mother?"
“We’re acquaintances,” said Gongzi Fan. “We’re old friends. I told you before, but you didn’t believe me.”
Yin Qiu peeked at the sky outside through the crack in the door and window, then turned and said, "You should come find me after the snow stops."
Gongzi Fan sat down at the table and said with a smile, "What, you won't practice martial arts just because it's snowing? When we parted last time, I told you that you should pay more attention when we met again, and I would be much stricter than before."
Yin Qiu's refusal to learn martial arts from Luo Xue wasn't because of Luo Xue. It was just that the palace had been under strict surveillance lately, and the disciples were arresting suspicious people. There were night patrol disciples everywhere on Yunhua Mountain. If they were caught by someone while they were out, they would definitely be accused of being spies of the Ziwei Sect.
Yin Qiu pondered for a moment, her eyes flickering. After a brief silence, she looked at Gongzi Fan and said, "Actually... I was just about to tell you that I really don't want to learn martial arts from you anymore."
Gongzi Fan showed no surprise upon hearing this. He calmly asked, "Why?"
Yin Qiu hesitated for a moment, then lowered her eyes and said, "The medicine you sent me before was discovered by my martial aunt. To avoid arousing her suspicion, I lied to her several times, and also lied to Fu Xiang. I've thought a lot about this lately, and I think it's better not to learn martial arts from you. There are so many highly skilled senior brothers and sisters in Yunhua Palace, I don't need to secretly learn from you. Do you... understand what I mean?"
Gongzi Fan didn't speak for a while before saying, "Since you've already lied and deceived Man Jiangxue and Fu Xiang, things have come to this. Just be more careful in the future. Why give up halfway?"
Yin Qiu shook her head: "You're just hoping for the best. I never wanted to lie to my martial aunt. You can hide it once or twice, but you can't hide it forever. If my martial aunt finds out about something again someday, I really don't know how I'll face her. Rather than living in fear, I'd rather be honest. I just can't get over lying to my martial aunt."
“I understand what you mean,” Gongzi Fan stood up, his tone unchanged, “but are you really sure? Let’s not even talk about whether you can get first place under Xie Yijun next year, you certainly won’t be able to go to Man Jiangxue’s place. When the new disciples are assigned to the elders of each peak, you will only be an insignificant palace disciple. Don’t even think about being like Man Jiangxue, you might not even be able to surpass your senior brothers and sisters. You always say you want to repay Man Jiangxue, so let me ask you, how will you repay her?”
His words were all reasonable, and Yin Qiu fell silent.
They also forgot about the assignment of new disciples. As Gongzi Fan said, if Yin Qiu didn't get first place, Xie Yijun wouldn't accept her as a disciple, nor would Man Jiangxue. At that time, Yin Qiu would have no choice but to go to another peak and become an ordinary disciple, far away from Jingyue Peak, and unable to have much contact with Man Jiangxue.
However, Yin Qiu had many concerns. She had lied to Man Jiangxue a while ago and dragged Fu Xiang into it. Yin Qiu was already feeling uneasy. What should she do if something unexpected happened in the future?
Just as he was struggling with his own thoughts, he heard Gongzi Fan speak again: "You went down the mountain with Manjiangxue this time and went to Ruyi Sect. You also saw the state of Ruyi Sect today. You said before that you didn't want to avenge your parents. Now I'll ask you again, do you still not want to avenge them?"
Yin Qiu looked up, her expression surprised, and exclaimed, "You were following me?"
Gongzi Fan gazed at her and said calmly, "I am, after all, the master of a valley. There is no need for me to follow you. The disciples of Fanxin Valley are all over the world. It is not difficult for me to find out where you went."
Yin Qiu couldn't help but take a step back, her face showing panic. "Then why are you asking me about me?" The more she thought about it, the more alarmed she became. She asked again, "Whether I become your disciple, whether I learn martial arts well or not, or whether I take revenge or not, it has nothing to do with you. Why do you care so much?"
Seeing her wary expression, Gongzi Fan chuckled and sighed, "It's not for any other reason than that you are Mandong's daughter."
Hearing him address his mother by her name, Yin Qiu sensed something was amiss: "What exactly is your relationship with my mother?"
Gongzi Fan did not answer, but said, "I will not comment on what you said today. I will give you another day to think it over. I will come again tomorrow night. If you still decide this way then, I will agree to your decision and will not come to see you again."
After saying that, regardless of Yin Qiu's reaction, he pushed open the door and walked into the wind and snow, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
