Chapter 52
Yin Qiu washed her face with hot water, rinsed her mouth, and was combing her hair when several maids lifted the gauze curtain and came in, carrying several sets of clothes of different colors. They all smiled gently when they saw her.
"Your Highness is awake? This was sent by the Sect Leader. Please take a look and see which set you like?"
Yin Qiu glanced at them, feeling a little uncomfortable being served like this. Just as she was hesitating, she heard Nangong Min's voice come from the side, saying, "Take a look and see. You should change into some clean clothes."
Yin Qiu stood by the dressing table, looking left and right, and finally pointed to a white dress in a maid's hand and said, "I want this."
The maidservant, as if she had received a great favor, immediately took two steps forward happily, but Nangong Min waved his hand and said, "Since it is the New Year, you should wear something brightly colored. Change into something else."
Yin Qiu had no choice but to change her answer: "Then..."
“Blue isn’t good either,” Nangong Min interrupted her again, “Let’s pick another one.”
Yin Qiu watched her expression, her fingers moving over the maids one by one, finally stopping on the person directly opposite her.
Before she could speak, Nangong Min had already laughed: "Red is good, it's festive."
This isn't about letting her choose.
Yin Qiu inwardly grumbled, but outwardly appeared obedient, took the red dress handed to her by the maid, and changed into it behind the curtain.
The disciples of Yunhua Palace all wore simple white robes, and Yin Qiu had never worn such a brightly colored dress before. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror a few times and was still a little unaccustomed to it.
“It’s nice to wear the same color as your aunt,” Nangong Min said, patting Yin Qiu’s head affectionately. “Such a beautiful little girl, she makes people feel cheerful just looking at her.”
Yin Qiu shrank back, avoiding Nangong Min's touch, and looked up at her, saying, "I'm hungry."
Nangong Min then took her hand and led her to the outer hall, saying gently, "Let's go have breakfast then."
Before she knew it, Yin Qiu had been staying at the Ziwei Sect for quite some time. During this time, Nangong Min was very fond of her, just like a gentle elder. He not only sent several maids to serve Yin Qiu, but also personally dressed her and combed her hair, taking good care of her.
If Yin Qiu hadn't remembered all the evil deeds this person had committed, she would have almost forgotten that she was the leader of the Demonic Sect many times, and almost had the chance to get close to her.
We must not let our guard down. Apart from my martial uncle, no one will be kind to me for no reason.
Yin Qiu silently berated herself and then silently withdrew her hand from Nangong Min's grasp.
The two had breakfast together, and then Nangong Min took Yin Qiu out of the main hall to play. Unlike Yunhua Palace, Ziwei Sect was not built on a high mountain, but was located in a low basin. It was surrounded by high mountains on all sides, with natural barriers to resist the invasion of foreign enemies. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, the scenery here was also very different from Yunhua Mountain. Although it did not have the beautiful mountains and forests, it had dangerous mountains and strange gorges, and towering peaks, showing unique wonders everywhere.
This was Yin Qiu's first time going out since arriving at the Ziwei Sect. Seeing all sorts of amazing sights, her mood brightened considerably, and the pent-up sorrow in her heart eased a lot. She subconsciously wanted to cheer with the people around her, but then she immediately remembered that the person standing next to her was not Man Jiangxue, so she immediately suppressed the smile on her face and stood properly.
Seeing this, Nangong Min smiled and asked, "What, are you thinking of Man Jiangxue?"
Yin Qiu glanced at her but didn't say anything.
Nangong Min said, "Then why don't I tell you some good news?"
Yin Qiu asked, "What good news?"
Nangong Min said, "Call me 'Aunt' first, and then I will tell you."
Yin Qiu's face was full of resistance.
"It's about Man Jiangxue," Nangong Min said, scrutinizing her. "Don't you want to hear it?"
Yin Qiuwei raised her eyelashes slightly, but still didn't say anything.
"If you don't want to call me, that's fine." Nangong Min didn't force her.
Yin Qiu thought for a moment, then tentatively said, "Can't you tell me first?"
Nangong Min smiled: "No."
After hesitating for a long time, Yin Qiu finally gave in because of Man Jiangxue, and called out in a barely audible voice, "Auntie..."
Nangong Min leaned closer to her, smiling contentedly: "What?"
Yin Qiu bit her lip and said defiantly, "Auntie!"
“Not sincere enough,” Nangong Min teased her, “How did you address Man Jiangxue as your 'Shishu'?”
Yin Qiu thought to herself, "Can you even compare to my martial uncle?" But she still suppressed her discomfort and tried to speak softly, "Aunt."
Nangong Min then showed a satisfied expression and said, "I received a message by carrier pigeon this morning, saying that Man Jiangxue left Yunhua Palace overnight, probably to come and rescue you."
Yin Qiu's eyes lit up immediately.
“Don’t be too happy yet,” Nangong Min said. “She only brought Ji Wanshu with her. Isn’t that a bit too disrespectful to my Ziwei Sect?”
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu's earlier joy vanished without a trace.
If Nangong Min knew Man Jiangxue's whereabouts, it must be because someone from Yunhua Palace tipped her off. In that case, she would definitely set up a trap to wait for Man Jiangxue.
My uncle only brought Senior Sister Ji with him. If he wants to fight against the Ziwei Sect, wouldn't that be like throwing an egg against a rock?
Yin Qiu suddenly didn't want her to come.
But if she doesn't come, how am I supposed to leave?
“She should have come,” Nangong Min said, picking a bright green leaf and playing with it. “She couldn’t save your mother back then, but now she should risk her life to save you.”
Yin Qiu glanced at her sideways and couldn't help but ask, "Why did you try to kill the Ruyi Sect back then?"
Nangong Min chuckled lightly: "Isn't that simple? In the world of martial arts, it's always been a matter of you fighting me and me fighting you. No one is innocent. If I don't fight Ruyi Sect, they will eventually join forces with Yunhua Palace to deal with me."
Yin Qiu remained silent.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Nangong Min continued, "I was thirteen years old when I ascended the throne," she gestured with her hand above Yin Qiu's head, "just like you, a child. At that time, the old head of Yunhua Palace was still alive. She wanted to take advantage of my weakness to wipe out the Ziwei Sect in one fell swoop. She almost killed me several times. In addition, your mother was a disciple of Yunhua Palace and was the chief disciple. Yunhua Palace and Ruyi Sect were even more closely related and their power grew. If I wanted them to fall apart, I could only start with your mother. Fortunately, I succeeded after years of planning. Otherwise, I'm afraid I would have been reincarnated by now and would be playing in the mud somewhere."
Yin Qiu was quiet for a while, then asked, "So how did you find my father? And even recognize him as your sworn brother?"
Nangong Min sighed softly: "Your father? He was a man with a tragic fate."
Yin Qiu had already heard about her mother's life story, but she knew very little about her father. Upon hearing this, she asked, "What happened to him?"
“He grew up in Ruyi Gate in his childhood,” Nangong Min said as they walked slowly along the mountain path with Yin Qiu. “The Yin couple were the managers of Ruyi Gate. They were living a good life, but they saw something they shouldn’t have seen and were murdered. Both of them became mute and blind cripples. Your father was young and should have gone to school to study properly, but because his parents were disabled and could not take care of themselves, he became a lowly servant in Ruyi Gate and supported the family of three with that little bit of money.”
·
At that time, Yin Xuan was only six or seven years old, and not even as tall as a sapling in the yard.
Before the incident involving the Yin couple, they were honest and respectful, and as stewards of the servants, they managed all the affairs of the Shen family in an orderly manner, earning high praise from the Shen family. In addition, their son, Yin Xuan, was diligent in his studies, had a steady temperament, and although he came from a poor family, he was more outstanding than the children of wealthy families. Therefore, the three members of the Yin family were considered to be doing quite well in the Ruyi family.
However, as the saying goes, "Man proposes, God disposes." One day, after school, Yin Xuan returned to his courtyard as usual, only to find his parents bleeding from all seven orifices and lying unconscious on the ground. When he called a doctor, he learned that they had been poisoned. Although their lives were saved, they were left with eye disease and muteness.
Heartbroken by this calamity, Yin Xuan was completely distraught. The old sect leader, Shen, investigated for months but couldn't find out who was responsible. Yin Xuan and his wife couldn't see or speak, so when Yin Xuan asked them to write down the person's name, the couple cried out in distress and refused to write it down.
Once power is lost, the more glorious and respected one was before, the more destitute and disliked one will become afterward.
At first, the Shen family was able to support the three members of the Yin family out of consideration for their past relationship. But as time went on, they stopped caring about them. After all, who would want to support two useless people? Yin Xuan had no choice but to abandon his studies and work as a handyman to earn a living. Life was extremely difficult. After several months, one night, the Yin couple suddenly hanged themselves with white silk. Before their bodies could be collected, Yin Xuan was maliciously framed for stealing money. He was beaten down the mountain by several servants and became a helpless orphan.
“When I first met him, he was working as a servant for the owner of a restaurant,” Nangong Min said, picking a clean stone bench to sit down. His tone was so indifferent that no emotion could be discerned. “My father took me to a banquet. While more than ten of us were eating, drinking, and having fun, your father was busy running around behind the owner, doing whatever he was told to do.”
At this point, she frowned slightly, put her arms around Yin Qiu's shoulders and pulled her into her arms, and continued, "At that time, my father was seriously ill and didn't have many years left, so he called the leaders of other sects to discuss matters and asked them to take care of me in the future. There was an old man at the table, over sixty years old, I don't remember who he was, he said that he could take care of me, but he had taken a fancy to a boy in this building and wanted my father to give him the boy as a thank you gift."
Perhaps because Nangong Min's expression gradually became heavy as he recounted his story, Yin Qiu did not push her away. Hearing this, she was moved and said, "He has taken a fancy to my father?"
Nangong Min scoffed: "Is your father good-looking?"
Yin Qiu looked puzzled.
Nangong Min looked at her and said, "Some older men like handsome young boys and keep them in their homes as male concubines, you know?"
Yin Qiu's expression changed, and she exclaimed in shock, "He...he's targeting my father..."
Nangong Min put his index finger to his lips and shushed him: "But my father did not agree."
Yin Qiu paused for a moment, then asked, "And then?"
“Then the old man lost his temper in public,” Nangong Min said. “And then my father stabbed him and killed him.”
“Perhaps everyone thinks the Ziwei Sect is a demonic sect, but in my eyes, there is no such thing as black and white in this world. Everyone is just trying to make a living for their own benefit,” Nangong Min said again. “After that old man lost his life, no one else dared to say a word. My father called your father over to question him. After learning about his background, he brought him back to the Ziwei Sect to study literature and martial arts with me. After a year, my father officially adopted him as his godson, and we became siblings.”
Yin Qiu was shocked to learn that her father had such a background.
At that moment, she understood why her father had pretended to get close to her mother and helped the Ziwei Sect destroy the Ruyi Sect.
Even someone as young as Yin Qiu could guess, after hearing these things, that the Yin couple must have been harmed by people from the Ruyi Sect. How could Yin Xuan himself not know this? He lost both his parents and suffered endless humiliation. For him, the Ziwei Sect was nothing short of a way out in his desperate situation, giving him hope and an opportunity for revenge.
“It’s just a pity that your father actually fell in love with Shen Mandong in the end,” Nangong Min said. “No matter how talented your mother was, she was still a woman, and a woman who had just given birth and was weak and powerless. How could your father not beat her? He was just willing to hand his life over to her and seek his own death.”
After she finished speaking, her laughter carried a subtle meaning, like sarcasm or self-mockery.
All the scheming and plotting ultimately came to nothing. The great revenge was achieved, but the dead are gone and cannot return. The pain brought by hatred cannot be stopped, but instead brings out more helplessness and regret.
Living together day and night, even feigned feelings become genuine over time, especially for someone who is in the public eye. Just mentioning her name is enough to elicit praise from everyone.
The more people live in the shadows, the more they crave those glamorous existences. If they were to actually reach out and touch them one day, how could they not cherish them?
Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back; similarly, life doesn't offer the option to go back and relive the journey.
·
A cold wind swept across the valley, carrying the lingering frost. When it reached my nose, it seemed to carry the fragrance of unknown flowers.
Yin Qiu once thought that her father was the heartless villain described by outsiders. So, even after she learned about her background, she still missed her mother, but she rarely thought of her father.
But now that she knows about his past, Yin Qiu suddenly feels a pang of indescribable sadness.
What kind of person is Father...?
But she has no way of knowing now.
The conversation ended there, and both of them fell silent, neither of them speaking again.
After a long silence, Yin Qiu took a deep breath and said, "But since you said you didn't think the Holy Sword was definitely in my mother's hands, why did you still bring me to the Ziwei Sect?"
Nangong Min said, "We need to find out everything that is uncertain. I don't know whether your mother is alive or dead, which makes it even more important to investigate. If she is really alive, you are the only one who can lure her out right now."
Yin Qiu looked at her, and Nangong Min said again, "Besides, you are my niece in name only. What's wrong with bringing you to the Ziwei Sect? There is no one in Yunhua Palace who is really your relative."
Yin Qiu was slightly taken aback, then shook her head and said, "No, there's also my martial uncle."
Nangong Min said, "Do you think you can stay by her side for the rest of your life?"
"If my martial uncle doesn't get married..."
What if she gets married?
"If we get married..."
Yin Qiu considered the possibility for a moment, and her mind became chaotic: "My martial uncle said that even if she gets married, she won't abandon me."
Upon hearing this, Nangong Min neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply looked at Yin Qiu indifferently.
Although she didn't speak, Yin Qiu still felt uncomfortable under her gaze. Yin Qiu broke free from Nangong Min's embrace, stood up and said, "Even if I can't stay by my uncle's side for the rest of my life, I don't want to stay in the Ziwei Sect."
"Why?" Nangong Min looked her over. "You were just an ordinary disciple in Yunhua Palace, but if you stayed in Ziwei Sect, you would be a young master of noble status. Even the Four Protectors would have to bow and scrape before you. Can Manjiangxue give you such treatment?"
“My master can’t give it to me,” Yin Qiu said, “but it’s not what I want either.”
Nangong Min asked, "Then what do you want?"
Yin Qiu looked slightly bewildered, and after a pause, she said, "I want to... stay with my martial uncle forever."
The snow fell like cotton, covering the mountains and forests. The snow scene reflected in Nangong Min's eyes, like a cold moonlight. She straightened up, looked down at Yin Qiu and said, "What if I told you that your father left a will before his death, instructing me to raise you to adulthood and never let you come into contact with anyone from Yunhua Palace?"
Yin Qiu was stunned: "Did he say that?"
Nangong Min nodded slightly.
Why must she never be allowed to come into contact with Yunhua Palace?
“The Holy Sword is important, but we don’t necessarily have to use you to find it,” Nangong Min said calmly. “The reason I brought you back is simply because I remembered your father’s last words.”
Yin Qiu asked skeptically, "Really?"
Nangong Min chuckled: "What good would it do to lie to you?"
“But I’ve already met my martial uncle,” Yin Qiu said. “Besides, since my father entrusted you with this task, why didn’t you bring me back back then?”
“I would like to,” Nangong Min said, “but I’ve searched the entire Liucang Mountain and can’t find you. You’ve been hidden away. Someone doesn’t want you to fall into the hands of the Ziwei Sect or Yunhua Palace, do you understand?”
Yin Qiu was surprised.
In fact, she had thought about this question countless times: if she was able to survive the Ruyi Gate Incident, how come no one noticed her? And how did she end up on the streets?
She had asked Man Jiangxue, but Man Jiangxue didn't know either.
“To tell you the truth, even if Yunhua Palace were willing to exchange the Holy Sword for you, I would not let you go,” Nangong Min said. “You have absolutely no connection with Yunhua Palace. Shen Mandong is just a disciple of Yunhua Palace. She is ultimately a member of Ruyi Sect, while your father is a member of my Ziwei Sect. Now that Ruyi Sect no longer exists, you should stay in Ziwei Sect, not go to Yunhua Palace.”
Yin Qiu frowned and said somewhat stiffly, "But I'm all grown up now. To me, you're all just strangers. Don't I have the right to choose where I go?"
“No, not really,” Nangong Min smiled with a hint of mischief, “at least not at the moment.”
Yin Qiu said, "If she were my martial aunt, she wouldn't force me to do anything. You're not as good to me as she is."
Nangong Min said, "No matter how good she is to you, she's still an outsider. I'm your aunt, no doubt about it."
Yin Qiu was speechless for a moment, feeling that Nangong Min was really domineering and unreasonable, but she didn't know how to refute him, and refutation would be useless anyway.
“You’ll see how good Ziwei’s teachings are once you stay a few more days,” Nangong Min patted the back of her neck, speaking gently. “Your aunt will treat you even better than Man Jiangxue. You might as well wait and see.”
Yin Qiu lowered her eyes, remained silent without saying anything, and fell silent once again.
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