Chapter 43
This time, we've really offended Ding Lianzhen.
Yin Qiu stood in the courtyard, silently watching the group leave angrily. Several female disciples even turned around and glared at Yin Qiu, clearly harboring resentment towards her.
"They really don't know what's good for them."
"That's right. If she weren't Uncle Shen's daughter, I would have gone over and taught her a lesson."
"Let's skip the lesson. Although Uncle Shen is dead, Uncle Man is still alive. She's a candidate for the sect leader's last disciple. We can't afford to offend her."
"Forget it, let's not say anything more and hurry up and leave. If we wait until Uncle Man comes out, we'll be in big trouble."
...
The whispers reached her ears, and Yin Qiu heard every word clearly, but she didn't take them to heart. She glanced to the side and saw that Meng Jing had already entered the school with his books, leaving Yin Qiu with only his distant back view.
"Wait a minute!" Yin Qiu shouted.
Meng Jing stopped in his tracks in the inner hall, but did not turn around.
Yin Qiu caught up with him, smiled and said, "Thank you for getting me out of that situation earlier."
Meng Jing glanced at her and said in a flat tone, "There's nothing to thank me for. Just consider it... we're even."
Yin Qiuzhen never expected Meng Jing to stand up for her. He must have overheard her talking to Ding Lianzhen. But it was already long after class ended, so why was he still in the classroom instead of going back to his room?
Yin Qiu glanced in the direction of the dining hall, then turned her gaze to the book in Meng Jing's hand, and tentatively asked, "Didn't you go to eat?"
Meng Jing said, "I ate it."
Yin Qiu said "Oh": "Then what are you still doing at the school? And where did these books come from?"
Meng Jing subconsciously raised his sleeve to cover himself, his face expressionless, and said, "If you're going to help the teacher organize the files, how can I act if I don't have something in my hands?"
Although he moved quickly, Yin Qiu immediately noticed that the top book was the "Thousand Character Classic," and then she understood: Meng Jing had come to the classroom to study alone.
It seemed he had indeed taken his words to heart and was going to start studying hard. Yin Qiu saw through his words but didn't say anything, and thanked him profusely again.
After he finished speaking, Meng Jing suddenly said, "I believe what you said last night."
His sudden remark caught Yin Qiu off guard: "...What did I say?"
“You said someone bullied you too,” Meng Jing said. “Now I believe it.”
Yin Qiu was speechless for a moment.
That was just a lie she made up; no one actually bullied her.
Seeing Meng Jing's serious expression, Yin Qiu couldn't help but find it amusing. She felt that although Meng Jing seemed fierce before they cleared up their misunderstanding, after spending the last two days together, Yin Qiu discovered that Meng Jing was actually a bit naive and silly.
"Why is she clinging to you like that?" Meng Jing asked again.
Yin Qiu was taken aback. How could she possibly tell him that she was being targeted by Ding Lianzhen? So she stammered, "She is... she came to me because..."
But I just can't bring myself to say the truth.
Seeing that she was being vague, Meng Jing seemed a little impatient and looked away, saying, "Fine, don't say if you don't want to."
Yin Qiu quickly said, "No, you misunderstood. It's not that I didn't want to tell you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Meng Jing frowned slightly, waved his hand to indicate that Yin Qiu did not need to say anything more, and went into the hall by himself.
Are you angry?
Yin Qiu stared at Meng Jing's retreating figure, a look of confusion on her face.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Jingyue Peak, a disciple of the Dark Guard flew out of the forest and landed outside the tightly closed palace gate, gently knocking on the palace door three times.
Soon, Man Jiangxue's voice rang out in the hall: "What is it?"
The guard disciple lowered his head and said, "I just rushed here from the new disciple courtyard. Senior Sister Ding from Tianyin Peak asked Junior Sister to go work at the Sword Forging Pavilion."
Inside, Man Jiangxue sat alone at his desk, practicing calligraphy. Upon hearing this, he stopped and frowned slightly.
"The person was taken away?"
“No,” the disciple in the secret guard said. “Junior Sister is clever. She used the Master’s name to politely refuse Senior Sister Ding. I was watching from the shadows the whole time. I saw a male disciple step forward and put on a show for Junior Sister to get rid of Senior Sister Ding.”
Man Jiangxue asked, "How did Ding Lianzhen react?"
The guard replied, "He doesn't look well; he seems somewhat embarrassed and angry."
Man Jiangxue put down his pen and remained silent for the time being.
Since the incident at Tianyin Peak, Man Jiangxue had arranged for this disciple to keep an eye on Ding Lianzhen's movements. She thought that Ding Lianzhen had been behaving herself these days, but she didn't expect that she would still not repent and would once again approach Yin Qiu.
After waiting for a long time without Man Jiangxue speaking, the hidden guard disciple took the initiative to say, "When I left, I heard those female disciples of Tianyin Peak saying some complaints about Junior Sister. I'm afraid that Senior Sister Ding will hold a grudge and bully Junior Sister. Should I warn her again, Uncle?"
If the warning had any effect, Ding Lianzhen would have stopped looking for Yin Qiu, which shows that the warning had no effect.
“Keep an eye on her,” Man Jiangxue said through the door. “If she dares to do anything to Yin Qiu, inform me as soon as possible and catch her in the act.”
"Disciple understands."
Hearing the departing voices of the secret guards, Man Jiangxue sighed softly.
They really are a handful.
·
"I heard you fainted in the bathhouse yesterday?" Ji Wanshu, holding a long sword, leaned against the wall next to the beaded curtain, watching Lu Huaiwei drink three bowls of medicine in one go.
"That's true." Lu Huaiwei took a sip of tea to rinse her mouth; her lips were as white as her face.
"You were unconscious for the entire afternoon," Ji Wanshu said incredulously, "and nobody even remembered you?"
Lu Huaiwei said, "I told them they didn't need to come along. The Medical Pavilion has so many things to do, how can they take care of everything?"
Ji Wanshu was convinced: "They didn't even know a living person was missing, let alone you who were injured. Why did you defend them? In my opinion, they should all be given a good beating to teach them a lesson."
Lu Huaiwei shook her head and chuckled: "No one is perfect. The sect leader always says that you are the chief disciple and should set an example. Senior sister needs to work on her fiery temper."
"I care about you, and you're lecturing me." Ji Wanshu was impatient and got up to leave.
"Look at you, always so petty," Lu Huaiwei said. "Come back quickly. I've been wanting to ask you, after you left the post station and returned to Jincheng that day, did you give my regards to your uncle and aunt?"
Ji Wan coldly replied, "No."
If anyone else had asked her about this, Ji Wanshu wouldn't have bothered to say a word. She was used to being alone in the palace and didn't have many close friends. Apart from Man Jiangxue, who she respected, the only person she could be considered to have a good relationship with was Lu Huaiwei. Although Ji Wanshu was a few years older than Lu Huaiwei, after Wen Chaoyu left, Ji Wanshu became an orphan without a teacher or apprentice and stayed at Wuhui Peak for two years. She became acquainted with Lu Huaiwei, and the two even stayed at the Ji family home together a few times. Both Ji's parents had a very good impression of Lu Huaiwei.
So Ji Wanshu added, "My dad and I had a huge fight. It's good enough that we didn't fight. Why are you asking me anything?"
"You still want to make a move?" Lu Huaiwei pointed outside and said, "Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"
Before going into business, Master Ji had also practiced martial arts. His temper was exactly the same as Ji Wanshu's. Whenever the father and daughter had a dispute, they would argue fiercely. Master Ji often hit Ji Wanshu and never showed any mercy.
In her childhood, Ji Wanshu could not fight back and had to run away. She entered Yunhua Palace and learned kung fu, which gave her the ability to fight back. The father and daughter often quarreled over a word, and then they would exchange sword moves. Several of their houses were demolished.
"He always attacked first!" Ji Wanshu sneered. "If I hadn't fought back, he would have killed me with a single sword strike. Besides, I didn't really fight back. Isn't defense enough?"
Lu Huaiwei exclaimed in surprise, "I've never seen a father and daughter get along like you and your uncle before. What kind of father would actually kill his own flesh and blood? What are you saying?"
Ji Wanshu said, "They're all lecturing me, it's all my fault anyway, you're all right!"
She left those words behind and stormed out of the medical pavilion. She hadn't gone two steps when she bumped into Xie Yijun and Man Jiangxue, who had come to visit Lu Huaiwei.
Upon seeing Ji Wanshu's furious expression, Xie Yijun shouted, "What are you doing, all murderous? You're acting like a senior disciple!"
How come I keep running into this big Buddha wherever I go! Ji Wanshu was at her wit's end and remained silent.
"I could hear you making a racket from far away!" Xie Yijun said angrily. "You're getting more and more rude!"
Ever since that traitor from the Ziwei Sect died by poison, Ji Wanshu has been subjected to a lot of scolding from Xie Yijun. Every time they meet, he gets a cold shoulder and is filled with anger, but he can't vent it.
She gritted her teeth, unable to contain her anger, and said stiffly, "Anyway, you find fault with everything I do, and now you won't even let me speak."
Xie Yijun said in a deep voice, "You dare to talk back? I'm telling you to stay in your room and reflect on your mistakes. Who gave you permission to come out!"
Ji Wanshu was about to retort when Man Jiangxue interrupted her, saying, "I asked her to come find Huaiwei."
"You—" Xie Yijun was furious and sighed, "Can't you stop protecting her a few times? It's all because of you that she's become so arrogant! Has there ever been a chief disciple in the palace like her? I get a terrible headache just seeing her."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanshu thought to herself that anyone who wanted to be the chief disciple could be, and she didn't care at all.
“The end of the year is just two days away. Huaiwei is still recovering from her injuries, so someone needs to be on duty in Shangyuan City,” Man Jiangxue said. “Wanshu has never done this before. I asked her to come and ask Huaiwei for advice, so that nothing goes wrong.”
Xie Yijun then looked at Ji Wanshu and asked, "Did you find out anything?"
Ji Wanshu not only failed to get any information, she didn't even bother to ask, and just sulked.
"Look at this!" Seeing Ji Wanshu remain silent, Xie Yijun knew perfectly well what was going on and sighed again, "How can I entrust Yunhua Palace to her?"
Ji Wanshu was furious, and several times she swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
Xie Yijun could tell she had something to say, and said with a stern look, "Why are you being so coy? Just say what you have to say!"
Ji Wanshu then said, "I never thought about taking over as sect leader, nor do I want to be the eldest disciple. Zhilan is worse than me in every way. Why don't you remove me and call her over?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yijun flew into a rage: "How can you be so unambitious? All my years of teaching you have been for nothing! Kneel down!"
Ji Wanshu was quite decisive, bending her knees and kneeling down.
“The palace rules are clear: the best swordsman is the chief disciple,” Xie Yijun said. “Do you think you can just throw it away like that? Do you even respect me as the sect leader?”
Ji Wanshu was so tired of hearing it that she was extremely annoyed. She thought to herself that she would have to say it again, and if she did, she would get scolded. No matter what she did, she would not get any credit.
The commotion was so great that, upon hearing that the sect leader had lost his temper, the disciples inside the medical pavilion dared not move around easily. Those outside dared not come in, and those inside dared not go out. They could only hide in the shadows and look at each other in bewilderment.
"No need to kneel! Gather your disciples immediately to guard Shangyuan City!" Xie Yijun's chest ached with anger. She steadied herself with Man Jiangxue and said, "That spy is dead, so be it. I won't pursue the matter further. But if anything happens again this year, you're going back to Jincheng. Don't ever come back again!"
In the past, Ji Wanshu had also angered Xie Yijun, but Xie Yijun had never said she didn't want her to come back. It seems that this time she was really angry.
Ji Wanshu lowered his head, stood up without a word, bowed deeply to Xie Yijun and Man Jiangxue, and left with his sword in hand.
·
The next day at dusk, after the martial arts class ended, Yin Qiu sheathed his sword and, along with the other disciples, bowed to their instructor sister before heading to the disciples' quarters.
Seeing Fu Xiang rushing to the tea stall for a drink, Yin Qiu paused, but instead of waiting for Fu Xiang as usual, she left first.
She was a little angry.
Since being abandoned by Fu Xiang yesterday, Yin Qiu has not spoken a word to Fu Xiang. Whether in class or at mealtime, she ignores Fu Xiang. She even finds other disciples to team up with when practicing swordsmanship, refusing to practice with Fu Xiang. No matter how shamelessly Fu Xiang tries to find her, Yin Qiu remains unmoved.
Yin Qiu thought to herself, she had gotten herself into trouble because she was trying to help Fu Xiang, and now she had offended Ding Lianzhen. But Fu Xiang was different; she betrayed Yin Qiu without saying a word when she met Ding Lianzhen and ran away as fast as she could.
Even though it was really not a big deal and not worth affecting their friendship, Yin Qiu was still a little bothered by the fact that even Meng Jing had stepped forward to help her out. Fu Xiang, who was Yin Qiu's best friend, had abandoned her at the last minute. Moreover, Yin Qiu was still young and still had some childish temper.
So she decided to ignore Fu Xiang and let him be alone for as long as he wanted.
On the other side, Fu Xiang had finished drinking her water and thought that Yin Qiu would wait for her as usual. However, when she turned around, she saw that Yin Qiu had already walked out of the training ground. Fu Xiang chuckled helplessly and quickly threw down the water ladle to chase after him.
"Xiao Qiu! Wait for me!"
Yin Qiu ignored her calls and quickened her pace.
Knowing that Yin Qiu was still angry about yesterday's incident, Fu Xiang rushed forward, grabbed Yin Qiu quickly, and said with a smile, "Oh, don't be angry, don't be angry. I'll apologize to you, okay?"
Yin Qiu didn't even look at her.
"I really know I was wrong!" Fu Xiang kept begging for forgiveness, holding onto Yin Qiu's hand tightly. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone. You can be angry with me, hit me, scold me, anything is fine, just please don't stop talking to me. I'm about to suffocate!"
Yin Qiu kept her eyes fixed ahead, remaining calm.
"Please, please!" Fu Xiang hugged Yin Qiu tightly, burying her head in Yin Qiu's shoulder and moving around incessantly. "Forgive me! The cold war is really killing me. I won't do it again, my dear Xiao Qiu! Say something!"
"Please, speak to me!"
"I am utterly wicked and guilty of heinous crimes, so please give me a good scolding!"
"Xiao Qiu!"
"Say something!"
She was quite loud and kept pestering Yin Qiu. The disciples walking in front heard the commotion and turned around one after another to watch the fun, laughing at the two of them.
Realizing she was being watched by many people, Yin Qiu finally lost her composure and said, "Get out of my way, don't block my way."
Upon hearing Yin Qiu's voice, Fu Xiang seemed to have received some great news, and said excitedly, "Okay, okay, I won't stop you. Are you tired? Do you want me to carry you?"
"No." Yin Qiu still wouldn't look at her.
"Then I'll help you." Fu Xiang kindly took Yin Qiu's arm.
“…Let go.” Yin Qiu shook it off.
“No, I’ll help you walk,” Fu Xiang said.
"Let go!"
"I don't!"
"Fu Xiang!"
"Yes!" Fu Xiang responded loudly, grinning, "I'll let go if you forgive me now."
Yin Qiu refused: "Let go first."
Fu Xiang refused: "Forgive me first."
Yin Qiu was at her wit's end and said helplessly, "Stop making a scene. So many people are watching, and your instructor hasn't gone far."
"So what if she hasn't gone far?" Fu Xiang said dismissively. "Even if she were standing right here, it wouldn't stop me from demanding your forgiveness!"
She spoke with absolute certainty, exuding an air of fearlessness, yet her face held a smug, almost punchable expression, which made Yin Qiu burst out laughing.
"Okay, stop bothering me, okay? I won't hold it against you anymore."
Fu Xiang felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and immediately leaned against Yin Qiu like she had no bones left, laughing, "You said it, you can't go back on your word!"
Yin Qiubai glared at her: "Who wants to go back on their word? I'm not like you at all!"
Having finally appeased Yin Qiu, Fu Xiang felt relieved and grinned, saying, "By the way, what did Senior Sister Ding take you to do yesterday? She didn't... you know what, did she?"
Yin Qiu gave her a cold look and then recounted what had happened yesterday to Fu Xiang.
"Meng Jing?" Fu Xiang asked in surprise, "Didn't that brat have a huge prejudice against you? Why is he suddenly helping you?"
Yin Qiu said, "We made everything clear when we were being punished in the library. Although he didn't say it explicitly, since he helped me, it's clear that he doesn't hate me as much anymore. So we can be considered to have made up."
“No wonder,” Fu Xiang suddenly realized, “It seems he’s not a bad person after all.”
At this point, the two of them turned around and looked back, just in time to see Meng Jing standing by the tea stall with a small stool in his hand, seemingly pouring water for a drink.
“Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, let’s get along well from now on,” Fu Xiang said, watching Meng Jing’s back. “Speaking of which, you two are both innocent victims. Compared to me, he can understand your feelings better. It would be great to make friends.”
Yin Qiu nodded slowly and said, "As long as nothing unexpected happens, being friends shouldn't be a problem."
The two stood there chatting idly. Fu Xiang then suggested waiting for Meng Jing and going to the dining hall together later. Yin Qiu agreed and looked up again, only to see a group of female disciples walking towards Meng Jing. Several of them surrounded Meng Jing in the center, as if asking him something.
Because they were quite far away, it was impossible to see their faces clearly. They could only vaguely make out that they were talking to Meng Jing. But not long after, Meng Jing suddenly threw down his stool and was about to leave. The female disciples stopped him, and the two sides seemed to have a conflict and started pulling at each other on the spot.
"What's going on?" Yin Qiu frowned, looking around. "Why are they fighting?"
Fu Xiang stared intently for a while, then her expression changed: "Oh no, those are people from Tianyin Peak."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be that Senior Sister Ding sent them to find Meng Jing?"
“That’s possible,” Fu Xiang said. “She must feel that Meng Jing ruined things, and since Uncle Man wouldn’t dare to do anything to you, she’s causing trouble for Meng Jing.”
Yin Qiu quickly said, "Meng Jing is in a hurry and must not get angry. We mustn't let anything happen to him. Let's go and help him!"
Fu Xiang said, "Let's go!"
The two exchanged a glance and immediately rushed towards Meng Jing.
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