Chapter 73
The window was still open, and a gust of cold wind suddenly rushed into the room, making Yin Qiu shiver.
"You won't let me get first place..." Yin Qiu was caught off guard and looked at the person in front of her in surprise, "Why?"
Gongzi Fan put down his teacup, tracing the rim with his fingers, and said, "If you get first place, you'll have to acknowledge Xie Yijun as your master. Mingguang Hall is not like the New Disciples' Courtyard. I can't be looking for you under Xie Yijun's nose every night."
Yin Qiu was stunned, looking bewildered, and said, "But didn't you support my decision to become the sect leader's disciple before? Why have you suddenly changed your mind?"
“I never said I wanted you to become Xie Yijun’s disciple,” Gongzi Fan said. “I taught you kung fu only to give you the ability to protect yourself. In short, it doesn’t matter who you become a disciple of, just don’t go to Mingguang Hall. If you become the disciple of the sect leader, then our relationship will end here.”
Yin Qiu was silent for a moment, then frowned and said, "If I don't go to Mingguang Hall, I can only go to other peaks. You know, my master has never been willing to take on disciples. Even for me, she was determined not to budge. And every new disciple of each peak will inevitably go down the mountain to train. In that case, won't I be far away from my master? From the beginning, I just wanted to be as close to my master as possible."
It should be noted that once new disciples go down the mountain to gain experience and become familiar with the affairs of the various prefectures, they are unlikely to return to Yunhua Palace. The disciples who can be recalled to the palace are those who have been down the mountain for several years. This year, Man Jiangxue did instruct Lu Huaiwei to recall a batch of disciples, but that was only because there were not many disciples left in the palace. Who knows if Yin Qiu will be so lucky to be recalled after going down the mountain?
Moreover, Yin Qiu's goal from the very beginning was to win first place in the new disciple competition. She wanted to see Man Jiangxue every day, and this was the only way she could do it. But now Gongzi Fan wants her to admit defeat. What a joke!
Then Gongzi Fan laughed and said, "Do you really think Man Jiangxue would just stand by and watch you be sent down the mountain?"
Yin Qiu was stunned for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
“Xie Yijun is indeed a good sect leader, but she will not be a good teacher,” Gongzi Fan said. “In terms of martial arts, she has always been the weakest among her fellow disciples, even inferior to Wen Chaoyu. You won’t learn any skills from her. If you don’t believe me, you can look at Ye Zhilan. Although she is the senior sister of the palace sect, her swordsmanship is not even half as good as Ji Wanshu’s. She only wins because of her calm temperament, which makes her suitable for doing things. Although Xie Yijun has the intention to cultivate her, she has not been able to teach her good martial arts. Among your several uncles, only Man Jiangxue is truly skilled. Even your mother is not as good as her. Your mother is just famous. Man Jiangxue is low-key, but her strength is unfathomable.”
Yin Qiu lowered her eyes and said, "So you mean, instead of becoming the sect leader's disciple, it's better to become a disciple of an elder from another peak?"
Gongzi Fan said, "That's right. The elders of Yunhua Palace are no less than Xie Yijun. Her advantage is that she is the disciple of the old sect leader and has the priority to succeed him. In terms of martial arts, she is certainly not a master."
Yin Qiu understood, but she still couldn't dispel her concerns and didn't know what to do, so she could only remain silent.
"This time, you were taken to the Ziwei Sect by Wen Chaoyu, so you should have realized the importance of having martial arts skills," Gongzi Fan said when Yin Qiu remained silent. "Even Ji Wanshu, the chief disciple, couldn't withstand Nangong Min and went into seclusion to practice martial arts after returning. What about you? If something unexpected happens again in the future, you can't always rely on others to save you. It's better to rely on yourself than on others. If you can learn good martial arts skills, it's better than relying on anyone else."
His words really struck a chord with Yin Qiu.
During this trip to the Ziwei Sect, Yin Qiu truly realized how important it is to have excellent martial arts skills. Gongzi Fan could move freely in front of Nangong Min simply because he was highly skilled and unafraid of Nangong Min. The same was true for Man Jiangxue and the woman in purple. On the other hand, although Ji Wanshu had always been known as a swordsmanship genius and was not afraid of Nangong Min, under the absolute suppression of strength, even if she was fearless, it was all in vain. If she couldn't win and had no power to fight back, she could only be slaughtered.
Nangong Min is too unpredictable. On the surface, she is obedient to Yin Qiu, but in reality, she is just using her. If she really wanted to take good care of Yin Qiu to fulfill Yin Xuan's request, as she said, she shouldn't have let Yin Qiu leave so easily, or even tried to bring her back. It is clear that Nangong Min is just deceiving Yin Qiu. Although she doesn't know what Nangong Min is really planning, Yin Qiu can see that Nangong Min doesn't really treat her as a niece. She is just an insignificant pawn.
What are chess pieces? They are kept if they are useful, and discarded if they are not. If Yin Qiu loses her already meager value one day, Nangong Min can kill her at any time. If that day comes and Man Jiangxue is too late to save her, Yin Qiu will lose her life.
Silently pondering the pros and cons, Yin Qiu finally spoke after a long while: "But my martial uncle also wants me to win..."
“That’s because she never intended to take you as her disciple,” Gongzi Fan said. “She doesn’t care who you become her disciple, but you have to consider your future.”
Yin Qiu said, "I understand what you mean, but... but I still don't want to leave my master, nor do I want to go down the mountain."
Gongzi Fan said, "Then don't you want to take a gamble?"
Yin Qiu looked up, her eyes filled with confusion: "What are we betting on?"
Gongzi Fan smiled slightly: "Let's bet on whether Man Jiangxue will take you to her side or not."
“Once you don’t get first place in the new disciple competition, Xie Yijun will take someone else as a disciple,” Gongzi Fan continued. “At that time, the elders of each peak will select the remaining promising talents. Don’t you want to know if Man Jiangxue has a chance to compete with the elders for you?”
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu was taken aback at first, then unconsciously revealed joy: "You mean, it's still possible for my martial uncle to accept me as a disciple?"
Gongzi Fan said, "I can't guess whether she will accept you as her disciple, but I can be sure that she will most likely let you stay on Jingyue Peak."
Yin Qiu, her previous somber mood vanished, pressed on, "How can you be so sure?"
“Because you are Mandong’s daughter,” Gongzi Fan said calmly. “Don’t forget, when you were still in Sangyu Mountain, Man Jiangxue personally braved the heavy snow to pick you up. It’s shameful to say, but when I heard about your whereabouts, I only sent a team of men to look for you and did not come myself.”
Recalling that snowy day and the scene of her first meeting with Man Jiangxue, Yin Qiu smiled and said, "My aunt cares about me a lot. She is very good to me. Moreover, she has always known that I want to follow her. Perhaps, as you said, if I can become the sect leader's last disciple, my aunt will certainly be at ease. But if I don't get first place, my aunt might still think about me. Who knows, she might really keep me by her side."
Seeing her smile, Gongzi Fan smiled too: "So now do you think it's a good idea for me to make you lose the New Disciple Tournament?"
Yin Qiu suddenly understood, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon, and she was overjoyed. "Of course it is!" she exclaimed. She jumped up from the wooden chair excitedly. "I really need to take a gamble. I don't believe that my martial aunt is really so heartless as to push me to someone else, nor do I believe that she really doesn't want to take care of me. If she still refuses to take me then, I will pester her until she agrees!"
After saying this, Yin Qiu looked at Gongzi Fan and said, "But if I go to Jingyue Peak, won't you be even less able to come find me? My martial aunt is much more powerful than the sect leader, she will definitely find out."
Gongzi Fan twirled the teacup in his hand, then chuckled softly, "That's alright. With Man Jiangxue, you no longer need me."
Yin Qiu's smile faded slightly as she asked, "Does that mean we won't be able to see each other again?"
Gongzi Fan looked at her and softly hummed in agreement.
Since they met, Yin Qiu has spent most of her time at Yunhua Palace practicing swordsmanship with Gongzi Fan. The fact that she was able to fight Fu Xiang to a draw despite starting her training late is largely thanks to Gongzi Fan. It was his careful guidance and teaching that enabled Yin Qiu to make such rapid progress in such a short period of time.
Although the two only focused on their training whenever they met and didn't have much interaction, Yin Qiu had already gotten used to his presence. Now that he learned that he might not come again after the new disciple conference, it was hard for Yin Qiu not to feel disappointed.
Perhaps noticing the slight change in Yin Qiu's expression, Gongzi Fan smiled and said, "What, you still can't bear to part with me?"
Yin Qiu looked at him and stammered, "Of course I'll miss it..."
Hearing her say this, Gongzi Fan looked gratified and sighed, saying, "People always have to go through separations. No one will stay with anyone forever. I didn't protect Mandong back then, which is my lifelong regret. Now, seeing you grow up, I feel that I have made up for some of my regrets. I do feel sorry for letting you follow Xie Yijun, but it would be a different story if it were Man Jiangxue. Spring has arrived, and there are still several months left. Before the new disciple assembly, I will continue to teach you martial arts. As for what happens after that, we'll talk about it later."
Yin Qiu felt a pang of melancholy upon hearing this and couldn't help but take a few steps closer to Gongzi Fan, saying, "Then how should I address you? You said that you're not really my master, but you did teach me martial arts, and I have no way to repay this kindness, so I should at least give you a respectful title, right?"
A few cool breezes mingled with the moonlight, causing Gongzi Fan's wide sleeves to flutter. His face, hidden beneath a mask, was indistinct, but his eyes shone like stars, filled with deep affection.
He gazed at Yin Qiu for a long time, and finally reached out to touch her head.
"If you are truly sincere, you might as well call me godfather."
·
The dark clouds of the past few days have finally dissipated, the sky is a clear, deep blue, and the sun shines brightly, casting a dazzling golden light that warms the spring day.
The peach trees in the courtyard have been sprouting buds lately. The flowers haven't bloomed yet, but their fragrance can be faintly smelled over. Meng Jing sat alone under the peach tree and read for a while. She was drowsy from the sunlight. She looked up and caught a glimpse of Yin Qiu carrying a sword as he walked out of the gate.
Meng Jing glanced at the sky. It was still past noon, and most of the disciples had just finished eating and returned to their rooms to rest. Judging from Yin Qiu's appearance, he was probably going to the training ground to practice his sword.
Meng Jing wanted to greet her, but before she could speak, Fu Xiang came into view. She quickly caught up with Yin Qiu, put her arm around Yin Qiu's shoulder with a smile, and the two chatted and laughed as they walked towards them.
Upon seeing Fu Xiang, Meng Jing felt a surge of displeasure. She wanted to slip away quietly before the two noticed her, but as she turned around, she heard Yin Qiu call out, "Meng Jing!"
Meng Jing paused, then turned around.
"Why are you running?" Yin Qiu strode up to greet him, a smile on his face.
“He didn’t run away.” Meng Jing held the book, his gaze fixed solely on Yin Qiu.
“We’re going to the training ground to practice swordsmanship,” Yin Qiu said. “Since you have nothing to do, would you like to come with us? It’ll be good to get some sun.”
Meng Jing hesitated for a moment before declining Yin Qiu's invitation: "No, thank you."
“Anyway, we’ll be having martial arts class soon, so why don’t you come with us?” Yin Qiu glanced at the book in her hand. “It’ll save you from having to come out again later if you’re too lazy to go back to your room now.”
Meng Jing glanced at her, but still refused: "I'm a little tired, you can go." After saying that, she turned and left without caring whether Yin Qiu would try to persuade her or not.
Fu Xiang watched Meng Jing's retreating figure, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What's wrong with this kid? He doesn't even look at me. Is he that annoyed with me?"
Yin Qiu also looked at Meng Jing and said, "You're overthinking it. She doesn't look well. Maybe she's just really tired."
“I’m not blind,” Fu Xiang said, somewhat displeased. “Speaking of which, I helped Ding Lianzhen out of that matter last time, but for some reason, this kid has been particularly hostile towards me. Especially after I came back from Mingyue Tower this time, he’s been ignoring me and always has a cold face whenever he sees me. What did I do to offend him?”
Meng Jing was suspicious of Fu Xiang and didn't like her much. Yin Qiu knew this, but after that day's test, Yin Qiu had dispelled her doubts and told Meng Jing about her conversation with Fu Xiang. However, Meng Jing didn't listen much and still suspected that Fu Xiang had ulterior motives.
Yin Qiu couldn't change Meng Jing's opinion of Fu Xiang, so she could only comfort Fu Xiang by saying, "Don't overthink it. Meng Jing may seem unapproachable, but she's actually not a bad person. Besides, you two haven't had much contact. You'll get to know each other better after spending more time together."
Fu Xiang scoffed and rolled her eyes at Yin Qiu: "Tell me honestly, did you say anything bad about me to him or not!"
Yin Qiu found it amusing: "Why would I say bad things about you to her?"
Fu Xiang snorted and drew her sword, saying, "I don't believe it! You two are definitely hiding something from me! Come on, come on, I'll beat you to a pulp if you don't tell the truth!"
Seeing her like this, Yin Qiu laughed out loud, and the two started fighting on the spot, all the way to the training ground, until the martial arts class started and they stopped fighting and calmed down.
Although Yin Qiu had already made up his mind to lose to Fu Xiang at the new disciple tournament, he still did not forget to practice martial arts diligently. After witnessing Nangong Min's prowess, Yin Qiu worked extremely hard, not wanting to waste any spare time. He always carried his sword with him wherever he went, determined to master his skills.
Fu Xiang was clearly much more serious than before the New Year. She was determined to win first place. Despite having a foundation, Fu Xiang did not dare to underestimate Yin Qiu, who was diligent in her studies. The two of them arrived at the training ground earliest and left latest every day. They practiced swordsmanship so hard that they forgot to eat and sleep, which greatly impressed Xu Lianzhi.
When the martial arts class ended at dusk, the two drank tea at the teahouse and then sat down on the stone steps to rest. Fu Xiang, panting, leaned against Yin Qiu and said, "I didn't expect you to work so hard. It makes me feel bad about slacking off." She looked at Yin Qiu with a smile and her eyes shining. "Good Xiao Qiu, you're the best. Why don't you stop working so hard and go easy on me on the day of the competition so I can get first place?"
Yin Qiu said coldly, "Dream on." She smiled and said, "I was hoping you would give way to me. You've already learned kung fu, so don't try to take advantage of me and then act innocent."
Fu Xiang immediately put on a hurt expression and said aggrievedly, "I've only learned some rudimentary skills. You even have Uncle Man giving you private guidance. You're the one who benefited."
"Stop trying to shift the blame," Yin Qiu pushed Fu Xiang aside, picked up her sword and stood up. "Speaking of which, it's been quite a few days since I've seen my martial uncle. I'm not going to waste any more time talking to you. I have to go to Jingyue Peak."
"I'm so envious," Fu Xiang said sourly as she fell to the ground, "Why can't I meet such a wonderful martial uncle?"
Yin Qiu looked down at her and smiled mischievously: "If you're really envious, you can call me your martial uncle."
"Take this!" Fu Xiang did a somersault and jumped up to deal with Yin Qiu.
Yin Qiu laughed a few times, dodged the attack, and ran out of the new disciples' courtyard without looking back.
·
Man Jiangxue burned incense in the hall and scented her newly washed clothes.
Before it got dark, she instructed her guards to tidy up the pavilion in the maple forest. Just as she was about to send someone to the disciples' courtyard to summon Yin Qiu, she heard footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard.
As the sun set, the sky was ablaze with the colors of the sunset. A small, lithe figure ran through the light and shadow. Man Jiangxue quickly descended the steps and caught Yin Qiu in her arms as she entered the house, saying, "Slow down, what if you fall?"
Yin Qiu took off her outer robe, sweating profusely from running. She looked up at Man Jiangxue and said, "It's been a while since I've been here. I've come to see my martial uncle."
Man Jiangxue smiled, took Yin Qiu's hand and walked towards the maple forest, saying, "You've come at the right time. I was just about to call someone to pick you up. There are some snacks prepared in the pavilion. Let's sit for a while."
Yin Qiu took a couple of breaths, stopped, opened her arms, and said to Man Jiangxue in a coquettish tone, "I'm so tired from running, Uncle-Master, carry me."
Man Jiangxue glanced at her with her eyes down and then reached out to pick up Yin Qiu.
"lazy."
It was already springtime, and the warm tents in the pavilion had all been removed. The two took their seats, and Man Jiangxue skillfully brewed tea, asking Yin Qiu, "The monthly examination is tomorrow. How are your preparations going?"
Yin Qiu was still a little unsteady on her feet. After sitting for a while, she said, "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll get the top score this time."
Man Jiangxue said, "So confident?"
Yin Qiu chuckled, "Many of my classmates have changed classrooms for the spring exams after the New Year. The teacher said that among the remaining students, I am the best student, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to become the top scholar."
If it weren't for an unexpected incident that caused her to miss the spring exams, she would have been able to switch to another classroom to study.
"What about the martial arts exam?" Man Jiangxue asked. "Can one get the top score in the martial arts exam?"
"Well..." Yin Qiu rolled his eyes and said meaningfully, "It doesn't matter whether I get the top score in the martial arts competition or not, as long as I can get the top score in the new disciple assembly."
Hearing the confidence in her words, Man Jiangxue slightly curled the corners of her mouth: "It's good to be confident, but don't be overconfident."
Yin Qiu looked at her, tilted her head and snuggled into her arms, trying to say naturally, "My senior uncle always taught me to be confident, and I have indeed learned that, but what if I don't get the top score on the day of the competition?"
Man Jiangxue chuckled lightly: "To ask such a question, you still dare to say you're confident?"
Yin Qiu knew she would say that, so she wasn't annoyed. She still asked, "I was just asking, please answer me quickly, Martial Aunt!"
Man Jiangxue withdrew her hand, pulled Yin Qiu closer to her, and said, "Then you should take the time to visit the various peaks and see which elder you like. Make preparations as soon as possible. If you lose on the day of the competition, you will have to become an apprentice of an elder of a peak. But with your qualifications, there should be many people vying for you. Compared to other disciples, you still have room for choice."
Yin Qiu looked at her with clear eyes and replied, "Master Aunt is also the master of a peak, so may I choose you?"
Man Jiangxue raised an eyebrow slightly but did not answer.
"Why are you so unwilling to take on apprentices?" Yin Qiu sighed. "I'm really worried sick about it."
"Then why do you insist on becoming my apprentice?" Man Jiangxue said, and also sighed like Yin Qiu.
“Because I like my martial uncle,” Yin Qiu said defiantly, her eyes wide. “Isn’t it only natural to like someone and want to be with them forever?”
Before Man Jiangxue could reply, Yin Qiu snorted again, "I know, my master doesn't like me. Because he doesn't like me, he doesn't want to be with me, so he won't accept me as his disciple. Why is my master like this?"
Man Jiangxue was both amused and exasperated by her scolding: "Who said I don't like you?"
Yin Qiu feigned anger: "It's clearly there!"
Man Jiangxue sized her up a few times and laughed, "I thought you really came to see me today, but I didn't expect you to come here to throw a tantrum at me."
Seeing that she wouldn't even bother to appease her, Yin Qiu lost interest in acting. She put her arms around Man Jiangxue's neck, rested her head on her shoulder, and said, "If you don't want me, fine. Besides you, many elders want me. Even our instructor asked me what my plans are today. She said that if I'm willing, I can stay with her in the disciple's courtyard."
Man Jiangxue gently patted Yin Qiu's back and whispered, "The disciples' academy... is indeed a good place."
Yin Qiu was truly disheartened and looked up, saying, "You're willing to let me go to the disciples' academy, but you won't agree to let me follow you?"
Seeing that she was about to burst into tears, Man Jiangxue chuckled and said, "When did I ever say that I wouldn't let you come with me?"
He'll just play games with her! Yin Qiu pouted, quickly suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and let out another low snort, saying, "We'll see about that!"
Man Jiangxue still looked at her and smiled: "What are you waiting to see?"
Yin Qiu said, enunciating each word clearly, "I won't tell you!"
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