Chapter 67
Wen Chaoyu, draped in a cloak that covered him completely, stood in the courtyard watching his subordinates clear the rubble.
Several rains have fallen in Hezhou City in the past few days. The main altar was burned to a crisp, but the rain washed it clean, though it still looked quite desolate.
The church hired many craftsmen. One group was busy with the renovations, and another group was busy rebuilding the buildings. People were coming and going everywhere. The believers hadn't slept for days. Their eyes were bloodshot, they were sleep-deprived, and their legs were weak when they walked.
Apart from Nangong Min's palaces, most of the buildings in the main altar were burned to ashes. The believers had nowhere to live, so Wen Chaoyu had been resting with them in a makeshift shed for the past few days. She was covered in injuries and had to endure the cold wind at night. On the surface, she seemed fine, but in reality, she was exhausted and on the verge of death. A slight gust of wind could knock her over.
Several subordinates demolished the abandoned building in the courtyard. Broken wood and charred tiles fell down, raising a thick cloud of dust. Wen Chaoyu was hit by the dust and coughed twice while covering his face with a handkerchief, blood trickling from between his fingers.
Her subordinates couldn't bear to see her like this and repeatedly advised her, "Protector, you should go back and rest. If you don't take good care of your health, you might develop chronic illnesses..."
Wen Chaoyu tossed the handkerchief aside, washed her hands in the pool beside her, and said coldly, "I won't keep it. It's better if it dies."
The subordinate said, both amused and exasperated, "What are you saying, Protector? If anything happens to you, the leader will definitely skin us alive."
Looking at her reflection in the pool, Wen Chaoyu said in a nonchalant tone, "She'd love for me to die."
The subordinate was about to offer some advice when his gaze shifted and he noticed a figure quietly approaching from behind Wen Chaoyu. He froze for a moment, quickly shut his mouth, and shoved the people around him away to continue working.
A few red shadows appeared in the pool water.
Wen Chaoyu looked at the shadow without raising her head and said, "I've already scolded you and punished you, what other thankless task do you want me to do?"
Nangong Min kicked away the broken pieces of wood at his feet and said with a smile, "Are you angry with me?"
Wen Chaoyu chuckled: "How dare I?"
"Then can't I come to see you?" Nangong Min looked at her with a smile. "In your current state, you can't do any good work."
Wen Chaoyu remained silent.
On the night the main altar was destroyed, Nangong Min originally summoned Qin Zheng to question her, but Wen Chaoyu was seriously injured. When she met Nangong Min with Qin Zheng, she fainted after being scolded a few times. She lay on the bed for a day and a night. When she woke up, Qin Zheng removed her waist token. Wen Chaoyu is no longer the leader of the Four Protectors. Qin Zheng took her place.
The sky after the rain was spotless, with a few wispy clouds floating on the horizon. Wen Chaoyu looked up at the sky, knowing that she couldn't hide forever; Nangong Min would eventually have a talk with her. So she asked bluntly, "What do you want to ask me?"
Nangong Min said, "Let's have a heart-to-heart talk."
Wen Chaoyu laughed out loud: "Then you go ahead, I'm listening."
Nangong Min then said, "I am suffering in my heart."
Wen Chaoyu glanced at her: "What's so bitter about it?"
"Fifteen years ago, Man Jiangxue wreaked havoc at the gate. The elders of the Central Plains martial arts world wanted to kill her on the spot. It was my father who helped her," Nangong Min said, sitting down by the pond and stirring the cold water with his fingertips. "A down-on-her-luck princess from beyond the Great Wall wanted to escape to the Central Plains for refuge. No one was willing to take in such a menace, especially since she was also a swordsmanship genius. If they couldn't recruit her, they had to nip it in the bud. I admired her a bit, so I begged my father to overpower the crowd and bring her back to the Ziwei Sect. But I didn't expect that Yunhua Palace would beat them to it and let them get away with it."
Wen Chaoyu didn't understand why she suddenly brought this up, but she replied, "I know that, so what?"
The pool water soaked his sleeves and clung tightly to his wrists, but Nangong Min was completely unaware of the chill there. He continued, "But fifteen years later, not only did she not remember my kindness, she also stormed into Ziwei and ruined my father's life's work. Even though she didn't set the fire or kill the people, if she hadn't come, those two wouldn't have come either. Although I don't lack money, every brick and tile of this headquarters was added by my father when he was alive, and now it's all gone."
Wen Chaoyu crossed his arms and looked at her with an ambiguous expression.
"Also fifteen years ago, my father and I rescued Yin Xuan at a restaurant," Nangong Min said, feeding the few remaining koi fish in the pond with fish food from his sleeve. "His parents died tragically at Ruyi Gate. I saw that he was about my age and quite handsome. He was being kept as a male prostitute at the restaurant, suffering the lust of those old men. It was a pity. So I begged my father to bring him back to Ziwei Sect. But like Man Jiangxue, he ignored my kindness. After years of planning, just when things were about to succeed, he fell in love with Shen Mandong and stole my Holy Sword, wanting to elope with Shen Mandong and run away together."
A bird flew overhead carrying a twig in its beak, and several twigs landed on the ground. Wen Chaoyu caught them with her hand, and with a little force, crumpled them into a pile of sawdust.
"Fifteen years ago, my father and I passed by the clinic and saved you when you were on the verge of death," Nangong Min threw a handful of fish food into the water, turning his head to look at Wen Chaoyu. "My father and I provided you with food and clothing, and gave you a stable place to stay, but you did the same thing as the other two, stabbing me in the back and trying to scheme against me, without appreciating my kindness in the slightest."
After she finished speaking, she stood up and leaned closer to Wen Chaoyu, staring at her and whispering, "Tell me, how could I not feel bitter?"
Wen Chaoyu couldn't see the expression on Nangong Min's face. Of course, she had never seen it clearly in all the years they had known each other. Wen Chaoyu said, "When have I ever stabbed you in the back?"
Nangong Min raised his hand and clapped twice loudly.
A servant from outside the courtyard entered, dragging a subordinate who had been beaten beyond recognition. Wen Chaoyu glanced at him; although the man was bruised and battered and looked disheveled, she still recognized him.
This was one of her few trusted confidants in the Ziwei Sect.
"Why did you arrest him?" Wen Chaoyu asked calmly, without showing any emotion.
“There’s a reason for that,” Nangong Min glanced at her indifferently. “For example, what did you write in the letter you asked him to send to Man Jiangxue?”
Wen Chaoyu looked enlightened and replied, "You'll have to ask Yin Qiu about that."
Nangong Min laughed: "Without someone working from the inside, Man Jiangxue could not have come and gone freely in the main altar. Besides me, only you few protectors know about the secret passage."
Wen Chaoyu remained calm and said, "The letter was written by Yin Qiu; I was just passing it on."
Nangong Min didn't comment on these words. She turned to the side, looking down at her subordinate, and said, "The woman in purple who appeared at Mingyue Tower a couple of days ago is no ordinary person; she's from the Nine Immortals Hall. As for the masked man, I've also investigated him; he's the Valley Master of Fanxin Valley." After speaking, she shifted her gaze back to Wen Chaoyu, a half-smile on her face, and asked, "When did you get involved with these two sects?"
The clouds in the sky had dispersed at some point, blurring into a messy wisp of mist, as if it had been torn apart by someone. Wen Chaoyu twirled a splinter of wood between her fingers and chuckled softly.
"What are you laughing at?" Nangong Min looked at her with interest.
“I’m laughing at you. You’ve been like this since you were a child,” Wen Chaoyu looked back at her. “You’re naturally suspicious and extremely arrogant. Even if you’re certain about something, as long as you have a little doubt, you have to try to trick me. We’ve known each other for many years, and this kind of thing is no longer interesting. Just tell me, how do you want to deal with me?”
Nangong Min said, "If you say it has nothing to do with you, I will not punish you."
Wen Chaoyu shook his head and chuckled: "Given your style, if you were really certain that I was the one who did it, you should have killed me with one palm when you came here. It's clear that you know very well that I have no connection with those two people or Man Jiangxue. But since you're going to go through all this trouble, and I can't guess what you're planning to do, I can only ask you how you want to deal with me."
Nangong Min scrutinized her for a long time, then sighed, "You understand me best. What can I do? I've given you countless chances, wanting to hear you express your loyalty to the Ziwei Sect. I came to see you today for the same reason, but you always evade me. You've disappointed me once again." She lifted Wen Chaoyu's bamboo hat and threw it into the ruins. "Then tell me, what use are you to me?"
What use is someone whose heart isn't in the Ziwei Sect?
Wen Chaoyu laughed indifferently: "Do as you please, I don't want to live anymore anyway."
“I regret it, I really regret it,” Nangong Min raised her hand and gently stroked Wen Chaoyu’s face. Her movements were gentle, but there was no emotion in her eyes. “My father always told me to be a bad person and not a good person. When I was young, I didn’t listen to him and saved one person after another. But in the end, none of them were grateful to me and eventually became my enemies.”
“If even you betray me, my heart will break,” Nangong Min said with a slight smile, gradually increasing the pressure in his hand. “So before you actually stab me, I’ll cripple your hand so you can’t hold any knife.”
Wen Chaoyu stared directly at her, her calm eyes finally flashing at this moment. Bright red blood slowly flowed from the corner of her mouth, smearing onto the back of Nangong Min's hand and dripping onto the ground.
Wen Chaoyu still stood tall and straight, without making a sound. Her hands, hidden in her cloak, hung loosely at her sides, never clenching.
With a "crack," the wheelbarrow loaded with scrap rolled over the ruins, crushing the dust-covered straw hat and painfully splitting it in two.
·
At the end of the 5-7 PM, dark clouds gathered again on the summit of Yunhua Mountain.
Yin Qiu's sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound. She bent down to pick it up and heard a muffled rumble of thunder coming from the distant horizon, as if it was about to rain again.
After the martial arts class ended, the disciples bid farewell to Xu Lianzhi as usual and went to the dining hall for their meal. Yin Qiu stood in the crowd for a while, feeling a little flustered for some reason. She gripped the hilt of her sword, her feet seemingly rooted to the ground, unable to move a step.
In the two days since she returned, the disciples in the courtyard have been very caring towards her. Even her senior brothers and sisters who had never met before came to visit her. Yin Qiu was naturally happy to return to Yunhua Palace, but along with her happiness, she always felt a little empty inside, though she couldn't explain why.
Soon, the thunder drew closer, and raindrops began to fall, one by one, splashing onto the green stone slabs like shattered flowers.
"Yin Qiu! Would you like to have dinner with us?"
Several female disciples surrounded them.
Yin Qiu smiled and said, "No need, I've been eating at Jingyue Peak these past few days. You can go ahead."
Ever since Fu Xiang went to Mingyue Tower, these female disciples have been inviting Yin Qiu to go with them every day and have been taking extra care of her. But after hearing what Yin Qiu said, they didn't try to dissuade her. They all expressed their concern and envy for Yin Qiu and then left happily.
The rain came quickly, and in no time the training ground was too crowded to stand in. Yin Qiu hurried to the corridor to take shelter from the rain, and when she got closer, she found that Meng Jing was also standing there with a small stool, seemingly waiting for her.
Since Yin Qiu returned, Meng Jing has not spoken to her. Whether in the school or elsewhere, when they meet, they only exchange brief glances and do not speak to each other.
"Aren't you going to the cafeteria? If you're late, there won't be any hot food left." Yin Qiu dusted off her skirt and spoke up.
“No rush,” Meng Jing looked her over, tossed aside the small stool in his hand, and mumbled, “I happen to have some questions for you… Are you free now? If you’re in a hurry to get to Jingyue Peak, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Yin Qiu glanced at him and smiled: "No rush, what do you want to say?"
Meng Jing had already heard Lu Huaiwei recount Yin Qiu's experiences at the Ziwei Sect. He had always wanted to talk to Yin Qiu, but his heart ailment had relapsed these past two days and he wasn't feeling well. He didn't have a chance to ask while studying in the classroom, and he was mostly recuperating in his room during martial arts classes, so he couldn't see Yin Qiu. That's why he came here today, just waiting for Yin Qiu to finish class.
However, when Meng Jing actually met Yin Qiu, he found himself at a loss for words. His face still looked sickly. After a moment of silence, he chose a topic that seemed like a pointless question: "I wanted to ask... how were you doing at the Ziwei Sect?"
Yin Qiu smiled slightly and replied, "It's alright, better than I expected."
Whether it was his imagination or not, Meng Jing suddenly felt that something had changed about Yin Qiu, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He stared directly at Yin Qiu, and finally looked away somewhat awkwardly, saying, "Oh..."
Yin Qiu thought he would say something more, but Meng Jing only said "Oh" and then remained silent for a long time. Yin Qiu smiled and asked him, "Are you done talking?"
Meng Jing looked at the ground, his eyes lowered, and said, "Hmm..."
Although he was thin, he was much taller than Yin Qiu. The two stood facing each other under the eaves, and the scene looked quite harmonious. Seeing him stammering, Yin Qiu knew that Meng Jing must have something to say to her, but was too awkward to speak. So she deliberately turned to the side and said, "Since you've finished talking, I'll be leaving now?"
Meng Jing frowned, thought for a moment, and then reached out and grabbed Yin Qiu's sleeve, saying, "The Ziwei Sect really didn't make things difficult for you?"
Yin Qiu stopped and looked back at him: "You've been in the palace for so long, you should know about my background. You should also know why the Ziwei Sect captured me. There's no point in them making things difficult for me."
Meng Jing stopped and let out a long sigh: "That's good." He was silent for a while, then said, "That day... I shouldn't have asked you to meet me in the backyard."
After Yin Qiu was abducted to the Ziwei Sect, he kept blaming himself. If he hadn't suggested meeting in the backyard, Yin Qiu might not have returned to her room so quickly. Or if he had told Yin Qiu earlier that there was no need for lunch and that they could talk directly in the backyard, perhaps Yin Qiu could have avoided the people who abducted her, and then the subsequent events might not have happened.
At that time, he was unaware of Yin Qiu's background and only found out later by asking Lu Huaiwei. Therefore, he was always worried that Yin Qiu would encounter misfortune in the Ziwei Church, after all, he had personally experienced the methods of the Ziwei Church.
Yin Qiu understood the implication in his words and said frankly, "It's none of your business. I have something I want to ask you." She subtly observed her surroundings and, seeing that it was raining heavily and there were few people passing by, she continued, "Now is a good time. If we couldn't talk about it that day, are you still willing to talk about it now?"
Even though he had been mentally prepared for the past two weeks, Meng Jing still couldn't help but feel nervous. Even though both of them knew what they wanted to talk about, he didn't know how to get straight to the point. So Meng Jing decided to hand over the reins to Yin Qiu and said, "That depends on what you want to ask me."
So Yin Qiu didn't beat around the bush and asked, "You're a girl, right?"
Perhaps not expecting Yin Qiu to be so direct, Meng Jing was stunned for a moment, but only for a moment. He suppressed his surprise and his expression became complicated.
Raindrops were blown by the slanting wind and fell on his hair, turning into scattered raindrops. Meng Jing subconsciously clenched his sleeves, and after a long while, he nodded solemnly. However, he did not dare to look at Yin Qiu. His voice was mixed with the sound of wind and rain, sounding extremely weak, yet strangely clear.
She said, "I am..."
Author's Note: Meng Wugui, Afu, and Fu Xiang are all positive characters, not bad people.
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