Chapter 68
Raindrops pattered on the green tiles of the roof, and a dark purple copper bell hung under the eaves, tinkling melodiously.
As darkness fell, the palace lanterns were lit everywhere, but no one had come to light the lamps in this place yet. Yin Qiu looked up at the patterns on the bronze bell and said calmly, "I guessed it."
Seeing that she wasn't looking at her, Meng Jing wasn't too reserved. She followed Yin Qiu's gaze to the bell and said softly, "When I was little, I was always sick. My family was poor and couldn't afford a good doctor. The doctors we encountered were all itinerant quacks who roamed the mountains. After it was confirmed in Qingluo City that I had a congenital heart disease, I remembered that a doctor had said the same thing before. But my parents refused to believe it at the time, thinking that the doctor was just exaggerating and trying to extort money. My father chased him away with his hunting knife. Perhaps because of this incident, no doctor who passed by our house after that would tell the truth, and my illness just dragged on."
Until last winter, she coughed up blood repeatedly and caught a cold, and her health deteriorated. The couple were so anxious that they sought medical help everywhere, but they had no money. Who would be willing to brave the wind and snow to go deep into the mountains and forests to treat people? Just when they were at their wits' end, the Su family from the city came to their door with the unconscious Yin Qiu and fifty taels of silver.
Meng Jing had never seen so much silver in his life.
Palace lanterns flickered in the rain, casting a faint, distant light. Yin Qiu reached out and scooped up some water to wipe her sword, then took out a handkerchief to clean it. She didn't want to talk about this topic, so she asked something else: "Then why did they make you dress up as a boy?"
Meng Jing watched her movements and replied, "My parents said that it would be easier to raise a boy, so ever since I can remember, they have always called me 'son.' My original name is not Meng Jing; I changed it later, also to make me sound like a boy."
Yin Qiu then turned to look at her and said, "So you came to the women's compound in the middle of the night to take a bath?"
Meng Jing hummed in agreement.
Yin Qiu thought for a moment: "The boilers in the bathhouse were all turned off back then, so there was no hot water. How did you take a shower?"
Meng Jing said, "Just wash it like that."
No wonder her heart ailment relapsed more frequently after she came to Yunhua Palace. In such cold weather, she bathed in cold water every day; it would be strange if she didn't get sick.
“I was wondering why you always doze off during your studies,” Yin Qiu said. “You have to get up in the middle of the night to take a bath, and you have to worry about being discovered… Haven’t you thought about going back to being a girl? It will be very inconvenient if this continues.”
Meng Jing hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "I've gotten used to seeing myself as a boy, so it doesn't matter whether I recover or not." She paused, then added, "Anyway, I'm not very popular, so not many people can tell whether I'm a boy or a girl. If it weren't for you running into me during these two episodes..." She choked up at this point, not finishing her sentence.
Yin Qiu looked embarrassed and cleared her throat: "I didn't mean to..."
Meng Jing seemed even more embarrassed than her, her eyes darting away, and she didn't respond.
Yin Qiu sighed, wrung out the water from the handkerchief, and said, "But you can't live like this forever, can you? It wasn't a big deal when you were at home, but now that you're at Yunhua Palace and living in the men's quarters, what if someone sees you doing something? Wouldn't that be troublesome?" As she said this, she remembered something and asked, "Did your mother teach you anything about proper conduct for girls?"
Meng Jing was puzzled: "What do you mean by 'girls' business'?"
Yin Qiu said, "For example, do you know what Gui water is?"
Meng Jing raised her eyelashes, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded: "I know... my mother said so."
Yin Qiu scrutinized her: "Then you..."
Meng Jing answered quickly: "Not yet."
Yin Qiu looked at her with concern: "That's troublesome. It's very inconvenient when you have your period. If you have a stomachache, you'll need someone to take care of you. Staying in the men's hospital isn't a good solution."
Mentioning this, Meng Jing couldn't help but become anxious again: "What should I do? I don't want anyone to know that I'm a woman."
Yin Qiu couldn't quite understand her feelings and asked, "Why? You're a girl, why can't people know?"
Meng Jing scratched her hair, somewhat annoyed, and said, "It feels so awkward. I've been like this since I was a child. I can't turn back into a girl overnight."
This time it was Yin Qiu's turn to be anxious: "What should we do...?"
Meng Jing remained silent for a while before finally saying, "Let's take it one step at a time. This is all we can do for now. As long as you keep this a secret, I can make sure no one finds out."
Right now, there's no better way than to continue mingling with the male disciples. Yin Qiu said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"When Fu Xiang comes back, you can't tell her, understand?" Meng Jing instructed.
“I know,” Yin Qiu agreed, “I won’t tell anyone.”
At this point, both of them fell silent.
After a while, Yin Qiu asked again, "Does Senior Sister Lu know?"
Meng Jing pondered for a moment: "She probably doesn't know. Although I've had the most contact with her, we're not very close." After saying this, she added, "Actually, I don't have many close people."
Yin Qiu felt exhausted for her, but since Meng Jing herself was unwilling to return to her female identity, she couldn't persuade her too much. She could only comfort her by saying, "Then take good care of yourself. If you need any help, just let me know. I won't refuse to help as long as I can."
Meng Jing looked at her gratefully and stammered a thank you.
·
"This is the list of disciples to be assigned to various state post stations after the New Year. Please take a look, Martial Aunt." Lu Huaiwei handed the list to Man Jiangxue and offered her a cup of tea.
Since the beginning of spring, the snow has stopped falling, but the spring rains have been falling endlessly. Manjiangxue covered the window, took the list and glanced at it, saying, "There have been too many outer disciples in the past two years, and fewer disciples have stayed in the palace. Take some time to look around. If there are any outer disciples who have performed well, make a list and give it to the sect leader. Select a batch to send to the palace."
Lu Huaiwei said, "Is Martial Uncle going to promote an outer disciple? This is a good thing."
“It’s not about promotion,” Man Jiangxue said. “It would be better for talented people to stay in the palace, but they must also meet the standards. Those with criminal records or whose backgrounds are not clean should be carefully screened. Most of the people on your list are senior disciples in the palace, which is not suitable. Send some less talented people out to hone their skills.”
Lu Huaiwei smiled and said, "As expected of my senior uncle, you are very thoughtful. Before I go down the mountain, I will definitely send you the newly drafted list to take a look."
Man Jiangxue looked at her, pondered for a moment, and asked, "When are you going down the mountain?"
Lu Huaiwei is a disciple of Wu Hui Peak. She has always been in charge of personnel transfers, whether it is sending people to the palace or assigning them to various prefectures. She does not stay in the palace for long. Almost every year, she spends most of her time outside to mentor younger generations. If it weren't for the injury she suffered before the new year, she would have left the palace long ago.
Lu Huaiwei said, "There's no rush. I need to hand things over with Senior Sister Ye when the sect leader and Senior Sister Ye return before I leave."
Man Jiangxue thought for a moment and said, "Wan Shu is in seclusion, and most of the affairs in the palace have fallen on Zhilan's shoulders. She certainly can't handle it all by herself. Don't leave this year. Stay and help her. You can also share some of the affairs that Wan Shu is in charge of. I will talk to your elders about who will go down the mountain and ask them to choose someone to replace you."
There aren't many people who can get Man Jiangxue to personally ask them to stay, so this is tantamount to a form of recognition. Lu Huaiwei was flattered and said, "I will leave it to my master's arrangement."
Man Jiangxue hummed in agreement, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then asked, "How's the investigation into the mask going?"
At this point, Lu Huaiwei's earlier joy vanished, and she said with a guilty expression, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Uncle-Master. This matter is difficult to investigate. Although more than half a month has passed, there is still no progress."
Man Jiangxue glanced at her: "Not a single suspect?"
Lu Huaiwei lowered her eyes and said, "No, really. Vice Elder Li's disguise skills are superb, but he has said that he will not take on any disciples to teach the skills until he passes away. This is to prevent people with bad intentions from using disguise to do bad things. So basically no disciples in the palace have learned disguise. Even though the materials for making the masks were indeed stolen, there is no evidence, so it is really hard to find out who took them."
Even if a disciple had learned the art of disguise before entering the palace, they might not necessarily be from Wu Hui Peak. The scope of the investigation is too broad, making it difficult to pinpoint the target. Moreover, the person did not leave any clues. Finding out who stole the materials would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The spies in the palace are deeply hidden. Even if you catch one, there will be another, lurking in the shadows, always watching the movements of Yunhua Palace, ready to inform the Ziwei Sect at any time. As long as this person is not brought to justice, he will remain a hidden danger.
The difficulty lies in the fact that this person is far too cautious. At least for now, no one knows who he is; they only know that such a person exists. If this continues, it will be impossible to guard against him.
There was no point in saying more now; it would only be empty talk. Man Jiangxue nodded slightly, signaling Lu Huaiwei to step back. She put down her teacup and continued reading the book on the desk. Suddenly, a faint golden light flashed in her eyes. Man Jiangxue glanced at it and saw that Lu Huaiwei was wearing a black rope bracelet with two small gold beads and a soft blue-gray bird feather hanging from it. It was quite pretty.
Perhaps noticing her gaze, Lu Huaiwei paused, glancing at the bracelet with a hint of confusion: "Does Martial Aunt have something else to say?"
Man Jiangxue slightly raised her chin: "These beads and bird feathers look familiar, where did they come from?"
Lu Huaiwei immediately showed a look of surprise: "You've seen this before, Martial Aunt? I bought it last year from a Western Region vendor in Shangyuan City. I thought it was beautiful at the time, and Senior Sister Ji even paid for it for me."
Man Jiangxue stared intently for a moment, then casually remarked, "Is that peddler a former resident of the Western Ling Kingdom?"
Lu Huaiwei asked in surprise, "How did you know, Martial Aunt?"
“The pattern on this bead is the totem of the Western Ling Kingdom, and only members of the royal family can wear it,” Man Jiangxue paused, then said calmly, “It’s an item from a fallen kingdom, you’d better take it off.”
Although it has been more than ten years since the fall of Xiling, the great powers beyond the Great Wall are still searching for the remaining members of the various small countries that escaped the net back then. Wearing such a status symbol on one's body is tantamount to inviting trouble. Lu Huaiwei was frightened and quickly took off the bracelet: "I didn't know about this. Fortunately, my martial uncle reminded me. If I meet people from beyond the Great Wall one day, they might mistake me for a descendant of Xiling and kill me."
Man Jiangxue glanced at the bracelet again, but didn't say much. She only asked, "Has the sect leader sent a letter?"
Lu Huaiwei nodded: "They said they would be setting off back to the palace in the next couple of days. Since my uncle returned, he has been helping to manage palace affairs. It's getting late, so he should rest early. I will make arrangements to meet the sect leader in advance."
Man Jiangxue responded with an "okay," and as Lu Huaiwei left the palace, she glanced at the golden pearl in her hand without making a sound.
The evening breeze was cool, rustling the books on the desk. Man Jiangxue sat quietly for a moment, then picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and skillfully traced the patterns on the gold beads.
Before long, she crumpled the Xuan paper and threw it into the brazier at her feet, where it burned to ashes in an instant.
·
Several rains have fallen in the mountains, bringing renewal to everything and filling the air with the scent of spring.
The snow that had accumulated before the New Year had melted, the trees had shed their withered leaves and sprouted new buds. Yin Qiu returned to her normal routine, studying martial arts step by step every day, which was no different from before. The only thing she was not used to was that Fu Xiang was not returning for a long time, and Yin Qiu felt a little lonely.
With a clang, the two small iron swords clashed together, producing a piercing sound. Yin Qiu deftly twirled her sword, deftly flipping over the opponent's sword. She thrust her sword out, then gently flicked it with just the right amount of force, knocking the female disciple to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Yin Qiu withdrew his hand and bent down to help the female disciple.
"It's alright." The female disciple had been taking Fu Xiang's place these past few days, constantly sparring with Yin Qiu. Her strength wasn't great; she couldn't last more than a few moves against Yin Qiu before she had to admit defeat. Among the disciples of her generation, there weren't many who could fight Yin Qiu to a draw.
"You've improved so quickly," the female disciple said sincerely as she stood up, brushed the dust off her skirt, "You're getting better every day. I can't catch up with you even if I try my best."
"No, you're very skilled too." Yin Qiu wiped the sweat from his forehead and was about to challenge the female disciple to another spar when the bell rang behind them. The two smiled at each other, and the female disciple bowed and said goodbye, agreeing to practice again the next day.
Yin Qiu was still not satisfied, so she practiced the sword moves again in the training ground. She didn't leave, and neither did Meng Jing, who sat on the small stool watching her practice.
After practicing for a while, Yin Qiu sheathed his sword and ran to the tea stall to pour himself a bowl of tea to quench his thirst. Meng Jing followed him, and the two stood under the tea stall, chatting amicably.
“You’ve been practicing a bit too fast these days,” Meng Jing said. “The new disciple conference is still a long way off, so don’t be too stressed.”
Yin Qiu shook the tea in her hand and sighed, "We have to be in a hurry." She glanced at Meng Jing, smiled, and said, "If we get caught and taken to the Ziwei Sect again someday, how can we manage with just this mediocre skill?"
Looking at the sword in her hand, Meng Jing said with some envy, "At least you still have time to practice..."
Yin Qiu glanced at her and handed the sword hilt to Meng Jing: "Want to give it a try?"
Meng Jing couldn't practice martial arts, so naturally she didn't have a sword of her own. She looked down at Yin Qiu's hand, wanting to reach out and grasp the hilt several times, but in the end she only touched it lightly and said, "Never mind, there's no point in trying."
Yin Qiu didn't force her. She gently patted Meng Jing's shoulder and said, "It's alright. Put your share on my head. I will definitely work harder." After she finished speaking, she looked at the training ground, which was now deserted. "If Fu Xiang were here, I could practice a little longer."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jing remained silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "I advise you not to get too close to Fu Xiang."
Yin Qiu was surprised to hear this: "Why?"
“I always felt that she was not a kind person,” Meng Jing glanced at Yin Qiu. “At such a young age, she was already adept at getting along with everyone, and she was good at reading people’s expressions and speaking and acting. She was very shrewd.”
Yin Qiu was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and said, "No, Fu Xiang is just outgoing and good at getting along with people. She's straightforward and doesn't have any ulterior motives. She gets along with everyone, which is something I can't do as well as her."
“It’s precisely because she gets along with everyone that I think she’s not simple,” Meng Jing said. “She’s too fake. She never tells the truth. The more perfect and well-liked a person is, the more they’re likely to put on an act. It’s normal for people to have flaws. She’s not normal.”
Yin Qiu had always had a very good impression of Fu Xiang and truly considered her a good friend. However, Meng Jing's words at this moment completely overturned Yin Qiu's opinion of Fu Xiang.
She never expected that Fu Xiang would be seen this way in Meng Jing's eyes.
"How could you say that?" Yin Qiu frowned, somewhat incredulous. "Fu Xiang has never harmed anyone or done anything wrong. How can you think of her like that?"
As if she knew she would react this way, Meng Jing said calmly, "Do you think I'm as easy to fool as you? You only see the good in people and not the bad. You wouldn't even know if you were sold out one day."
Yin Qiu said, "Fu Xiang won't sell me. What do I have to sell?"
Meng Jing suddenly blurted out, "Have you forgotten how your mother was deceived by your father?"
Yin Qiu paused, then looked up at her.
Meng Jing snorted: "I dare say, your mother didn't think your father wanted to harm her back then. You can't be too careful. I'm just being nosy today, gossiping behind people's backs. Take it or leave it."
Yin Qiu scrutinized her for a while, put down her teacup, and her expression became serious: "The fact that you said that can only mean that you have seen something, or that you have a problem with Fu Xiang. I now consider both of you as my good friends. If you have any misunderstandings about her, I can't turn a blind eye."
Seeing that she was determined to get to the bottom of things, Meng Jing remained silent for a moment before saying, "Actually, in the first few days after I arrived at Yunhua Palace, I always felt that Fu Xiang looked familiar, as if I had seen her somewhere before." She looked back at Yin Qiu and said in a deep voice, "It wasn't until the day Ding Lianzhen came to find you and she abandoned you and ran away that I saw her back and remembered that I had indeed seen Fu Xiang once in Qingluo City."
Yin Qiu thought for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "I know about this. My uncle and I were able to find you in time because she gave us directions. Is there anything wrong with that?"
“Of course there’s a problem,” Meng Jing said. “Senior Sister Lu also told me about Fu Xiang’s background. She claimed that she didn’t know kung fu and that she would learn from the basics with you. But I clearly saw her fight with a little girl in Qingluo City. Her kung fu was far superior to everyone in the new disciples’ academy.”
Yin Qiu was taken aback: "You mean, she was originally very good at martial arts?"
Meng Jing nodded: "That's the problem. Why would someone who already knows kung fu secretly come to Yunhua Palace to learn from a master? If she has such good skills, she should stay at Mingyue Tower. What is she doing at Yunhua Palace?"
Before Yin Qiu could think it over, Meng Jing continued, "Besides, she's so good at making friends, so why is she only close to you after entering the palace? Don't you think she intentionally got close to you?"
Yin Qiu was increasingly alarmed as she listened, and said blankly, "But what good would it do her to get close to me? Besides, we've known each other for so long, and she's never harmed me."
“Just because I’m not harming you now doesn’t mean I won’t harm you in the future,” Meng Jing said. “Your identity is special, and even the Ziwei Sect is watching you. What if Fu Xiang came to the palace for your sake? Moreover, I strongly suspect that the Ziwei Sect was able to send someone to abduct you from the palace, perhaps because she secretly helped them.”
A series of images of her time with Fu Xiang flashed through her mind. Yin Qiu took a step back and said in disbelief, "No way... Fu Xiang... isn't that kind of person."
Seeing her expression, Meng Jing paused and softened his tone: "Of course, I'm just guessing. You have to admit that what I said is true. She concealed the fact that she knows martial arts. She met you in Qingluo City, and after entering the palace, she naturally became your friend. She must have some purpose in entering Yunhua Palace, but whether it's good or bad for you is still uncertain. I just want to remind you that it's never a bad thing to be cautious."
"In short, before you know Fu Xiang's background, you'd better not get too close to her."
A note from the author: I caught a cold, and after taking cold medicine, I felt incredibly light and energetic. I haven't been able to write anything for the past two days.
Sisters, please take care of yourselves during the changing seasons!
Okay, let's continue with the red envelope giveaway in this chapter. As usual, leave a comment before midnight!
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