Chapter 97
Just past noon, the snow that had stopped for two days in Jincheng started falling again.
The sky was gray and the earth was frosty. Ye Zhilan read the letter that Yao Dingcheng had sent in the council hall and recognized that it was Yin Qiu's handwriting.
"If this letter was delivered by express courier, why has it only arrived now?"
Standing below was a female disciple, travel-worn and dressed in a practical outfit. Upon hearing this, she replied, "The incident happened suddenly. I encountered heavy snow on my way and was chased by members of the Ziwei Sect for two days, which is why I am late."
Ye Zhilan frowned and said in a deep voice, "The refugees from Yao Dingcheng are dead. We must be on guard in all the other major cities. You must quickly go to the refugee camps and make sure everything is in order. Make sure the Ziwei Sect doesn't take advantage of the situation and cause trouble again. We must also keep a close watch on the city gates. Report the matter of Yao Dingcheng to the government. If Jincheng is also driven to the city by the Ziwei Sect, we must prepare a response in advance. We must communicate with the government in advance to avoid being caught off guard."
The disciples readily agreed, each taking on their assigned tasks and leaving the room. Ye Zhilan then led two disciples to the refugee shed to assess the situation.
Apart from Yao Dingcheng, the refugees in the other cities had all been settled. They had household registration certificates and had long since moved into the refugee sheds in the city. When Ye Zhilan arrived, the servants of the Ji family were distributing food.
The Ji family is the most prominent family in Jincheng. The Ji couple are known for their philanthropy and generosity, which is why the disaster in Jincheng was controlled better than in other cities. Ji Wanshu had not been in seclusion for five years. Master Ji and Madam Ji missed their daughter, so when they heard about the disaster and the refugees, they immediately sent people to help Yunhua's disciple, which was of great help.
The refugee hut was also built with money from the Ji family. It was sturdy and solid, with no drafts on any side. People lived inside covered with cotton quilts, and although there was no charcoal fire, it was warm enough.
Ye Zhilan arrived just in time and spotted a familiar figure in the shed.
Madam Ji instructed several servants to distribute the hot soup she had prepared to everyone. When she turned her head and saw Ye Zhilan arrive, she couldn't help but smile and say, "Zhilan, why are you only arriving now? This old woman got up earlier than you."
Ye Zhilan smiled shyly and quickly stepped forward to help Madam Ji up, saying gently, "It's snowing again today, Aunt should stay at home. It's cold and windy outside, don't catch a cold."
“I am getting old, but my health is not that bad,” Madam Ji smiled kindly, placing her palm on Ye Zhilan’s hand and said, “Wan Shu has been a disciple of your Yunhua Palace since she was a child. She has a fiery temper and is impatient. She has caused you a lot of trouble over the years. As her parents, we can’t do much to help, but we can do our part in these matters, which is a small token of our appreciation.”
“Uncle and Aunt are kind and generous people,” Ye Zhilan said. “On behalf of the palace disciples and these refugees, Zhilan thanks you both.”
Madam Ji had a kind face and was well-maintained. Even though she was over fifty, she still had a beautiful appearance. Her every move exuded a dignified air and she was very approachable. She pulled Ye Zhilan aside and said, "No need to thank me, it's what we should do." Then she sighed, "Wan Shu has been in seclusion for so many years, and I don't know when I will be able to go home to visit her. Zhilan, what month was the last time you received her letter?"
Ye Zhilan thought for a moment and said, "It was on the day of the Autumn Equinox. Her letter was simple, only saying that everything was going well and there was no need to worry. Since she said that, she must have made great progress. Aunt, don't worry. When Wan Shu leaves the pass, I will definitely be the first to tell you."
Madam Ji smiled and said "good" three times. Ye Zhilan inspected the refugee shed and, seeing that everything was in good order, personally drove the carriage to take Madam Ji back to the Ji residence.
As night fell, Yunhua disciples left people to guard the area around the sheds, and the refugees extinguished their candles and went to sleep. As the night deepened, a dark figure was seen leaping down from the city wall and silently approaching the dark alley behind the refugee sheds.
The man was dressed in black, his face was covered, and he moved furtively. Judging from his figure, he was a man. As soon as he landed, he quickly looked around the shed without making a sound. Seeing that the Yunhua disciples were all sheltering from the snow in a small bamboo shed not far away, he took a piece of sleeping incense from his sleeve and gently poked a hole in the window paper, intending to use the incense to make the refugees completely unconscious in their sleep.
The night snow was long and the wind carried a chilling frost. While keeping an eye on the movements of the Yunhua disciples, the man brought his lips to the bamboo tube containing the sleeping potion. However, before he could move, a blinding white light flashed in his eyes. He turned his head abruptly and saw someone standing beside him, watching him silently.
She was a young woman with a slightly pale complexion.
The woman wore a tattered straw hat, a dark blue dress with tightly fitted cuffs, and black cloud-patterned boots. Over this, she wore a thick cloak, blending into the night like a floating lake of blue water.
She had a small throwing knife with a dark red ribbon hanging from her waist; the blade flashed a sharp white light in the light cast by the torches on the city wall.
The man's hand trembled involuntarily, and the sleeping incense fell to the ground. He exclaimed in shock, "Protector Wen...?"
A faint scent of perfume wafted in the air. Wen Chaoyu bent down and picked up the incense. Her handsome face was adorned with deep features. She smiled and said with a hint of amusement, "It's been years. Why is your Great Protector Qin still using such cheap perfume for your subordinates?"
The man frowned, glanced at the Yunhua disciples inside the bamboo shed, and saw that they were all huddled together for warmth and had not noticed the commotion. He then said in a deep voice, "I have come here to fulfill Protector Qin's instructions. I would like to ask Protector Wen to do me a favor and return the sleeping incense."
Wen Chaoyu smiled enigmatically: "What are you going to do?"
The man said, "Protector Qin specifically instructed me not to make a big fuss about this, so I avoided those Yunhua disciples and planned to drug the refugees inside and then smear poison on their bowls and chopsticks. If nothing unexpected happens, these people will all be dead tomorrow."
"Good idea," Wen Chaoyu clapped his hands twice, then asked, "What if something unexpected happens?"
The man looked puzzled: "What kind of accident could happen?"
Wen Chaoyu gave him a bright smile and pointed to herself.
The man paused slightly: "You?"
Wen Chaoyu hummed in agreement: "That's right, it's me."
After she finished speaking, she took out a tinderbox from her sleeve and burned the sleeping incense without saying a word.
"You—!" The man's pupils contracted, and his face immediately changed drastically. "Why did you burn it! How dare you obstruct our work! Not only the sect leader, but even Protector Qin will not spare you if he finds out!"
“Then tell her to come find me,” Wen Chaoyu said, the bamboo tube in her hand bursting into flames, the firelight illuminating her nonchalant face. “Even if you give her another five years, she still won’t be able to beat me. What do you think?”
The man snorted coldly, his tone disdainful: "Giving you face and calling you Protector is already an honor. Who in the sect doesn't know that you've been like a cripple all these years, despised by the sect leader? With your current sickly appearance, you still dare to spout nonsense that Protector Qin is no match for you? What a joke!"
Wen Chaoyu gave a forced smile, her eyes gleaming with a slowly rising flame. She threw the sleeping incense into the snow, stomped on it twice, and said, "That makes sense. How can a cripple like me possibly defeat the Great Protector?" With that, she took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands, turned her head slightly, and said, "Tie him up."
The man was startled, and then several dark figures suddenly appeared behind Wen Chaoyu. The group worked together to tie him up tightly, making him unable to move.
"Wen Chaoyu!" the man gritted his teeth and said, "You've ruined the sect leader's and Protector Qin's plans, you won't get away with this!"
"Don't worry, I won't kill you," Wen Chaoyu looked down at him, still smiling. "It's just that you came to Jincheng. If you wanted to attack other prefectures, I, Wen Chaoyu, wouldn't care, nor do I have the ability to protect everyone. But this is Jincheng. If you want to kill and set fires under my nose, it won't be so easy, understand?"
Jincheng is a prosperous place brought about by the Ji family. Who in the martial arts world does not know that the Ji family of Jincheng is the master family of Ji Wanshu, the chief disciple of Yunhua Palace?
The man spat and said contemptuously, "Back then, you repeatedly disrupted the sect leader's plans because of Ji Wanshu. Now, almost five years have passed. I thought you would have learned your lesson, but I didn't expect you to still be such a traitor! Even if you don't kill me, I won't be grateful to you! When I return to Cang County, I will report the truth to the sect leader and Protector Qin!"
Wen Chaoyu chuckled: "I dare to detain you, and I'm not afraid of you reporting it. You can go to other prefectures as you please; I can sit idly by and do nothing."
As she spoke, she slowly raised her left hand and removed her straw hat, her smiling eyes revealing a hint of barely perceptible coldness.
"But Jincheng is absolutely out of the question."
·
As dawn broke, Jincheng awoke amidst the swirling snowflakes. The streets became bustling, and people began to move about in the refugee shacks. As usual, Yunhua's disciples methodically prepared the porridge, and the Ji family's servants also came to help. The refugees lined up to receive their food, chatting and laughing, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
They were unaware that they had narrowly escaped death the previous night.
Wen Chaoyu moved a grand chair and sat on a nearby high-rise building, watching the busy crowd below with a blank expression.
The white mist drifted over with the cold wind, carrying a strong smell of medicine and firewood smoke. It smelled bitter and pungent. Wen Chaoyu covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and turned her head to look to the side.
There, a young man in black was crouching down, fanning the stove with a palm-leaf fan. His eyes were watering from the smoke, and he was coughing softly with his other hand clenched into a fist against his lips.
Wen Chaoyu frowned involuntarily as she looked at his hand, which was covered in crisscrossing scars and had a dislocated wrist.
This young man is named Xue Tan. He is one of Wen Chaoyu's few confidants in the Ziwei Sect. Five years ago, he was just one of the confidants, but now he has become the only one.
Of course, five years ago he was just a young boy. Because he helped Wen Chaoyu deliver a letter to Man Jiangxue on behalf of Yin Qiu, he was brutally beaten by Nangong Min and crippled. His hand was broken, his leg was lame, many bones in his body were not set in time, and he was covered in old injuries. His martial arts skills were also useless. Now he can't even hold a sword and can only do some rough work.
Wen Chaoyu looked at him for a while, then casually looked away and said, "Do you really have to brew medicine upwind? Are you trying to suffocate me with the fumes?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Tan immediately realized his mistake and quickly stood up, saying, "It was my oversight. I'll find another place to cook right away."
Wen Chaoyu ignored him and glanced at one of his subordinates behind him. The subordinate understood and immediately took the stove from Xue Tan and moved it inside.
“I’ve told you so many times, you don’t need to do these things yourself,” Wen Chaoyu said. “You’re a fine young man, don’t spend all your time following me around like a maid.”
Xue Tan looked embarrassed and touched his nose. Seeing the refugees below eating their porridge with relish, he couldn't help but sigh and said, "Protector, you've been in the Blazing Fire Pool for almost five years. You were finally pardoned by the leader recently, so you should behave yourself. If the leader finds out that you helped Jincheng this time, he'll probably be angry with you again."
"I'm not afraid of the Fiery Pool, so why would I be afraid of her getting angry with me?" Wen Chaoyu's mouth tasted bland. She wanted to drink some alcohol, but the astringent smell of the medicine made her give up the idea.
Xue Tan said, "That follower was still locked up in the woodshed last night. Does the Dharma Protector really not intend to kill him?"
“Killing him is useless,” Wen Chaoyu said casually, licking his dry lips. “The cult leader will find out about this sooner or later, and killing him won’t keep it a secret.”
"The Dharma Protector went straight to Jincheng as soon as he came out," Xue Tan smiled. "Miss Ji's day of leaving seclusion is still far off; perhaps it will have to wait until after spring?"
Wen Chaoyu hummed in response, then glanced at Xue Tan with a grin and said, "How come you're even more talkative than me? Did I ever say I came to Jincheng for her?"
Xue Tan looked up at the sky: "No."
"That settles it then." Wen Chaoyu rolled her eyes at him, took the medicine handed to her by her subordinate and drank it all in one gulp. She stood up from the armchair and was about to walk downstairs.
Xue Tan hurriedly followed: "Where did the Protector go?"
As Wen Chaoyu walked, she said, "Have you prepared all the joss paper and incense I asked you to buy yesterday?"
Xue Tan nodded: "It's all prepared. Who is the Protector going to pay respects to?"
Wen Chaoyu coldly replied, "Nonsense, it's just paying respects to the dead."
After a short while, the two arrived at a deep, dense forest. Upon exiting the forest, a tombstone appeared on the hillside. In front of the grave were many offerings, including paper money and incense, indicating that people often came here to pay their respects.
Wen Chaoyu burned the joss paper, lit a few white candles, and stood silently in front of the tombstone for a long time.
The mountains and forests were covered with frost and snow. As far as the eye could see, everything was a vast expanse of white. The tombstone was well-built and well-maintained, clean and dust-free, as if it had just been built.
There are no inscriptions on the stele.
A mountain breeze swept by, and Wen Chaoyu's cloak swayed slightly in the wind. She grabbed a handful of soil and threw it on the grave. She heard Xue Tan say from behind her, "The Protector used to come here often. Who exactly is buried in this tomb?"
Xue Tan had asked this question before, but Wen Chaoyu had never answered it. However, at this moment, Wen Chaoyu answered it for the first time. She said calmly, "She is the eldest daughter of the Ji family."
Xue Tan was slightly surprised: "So you're the eldest daughter of the Ji family," he paused, glancing at Wen Chaoyu, "I didn't expect Miss Ji to have an elder sister."
Wen Chaoyu didn't reply. She walked to the side, reached out and touched the branches and leaves a few times, washing her hands with the snow water.
Xue Tan immediately handed her a handkerchief and asked, "How did she die?"
Wen Chaoyu wiped the water off her hands with a handkerchief, and after a moment of silence, said, "I killed him."
Xue Tan was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Guardian, don't joke around. How could you bear to kill Miss Ji's elder sister?"
“Someone wants her dead, she has no choice but to die,” Wen Chaoyu said, her eyes lowered and filled with sadness. “As long as she dies, I can live too.”
Seeing that she didn't seem to be joking, Xue Tan's heart sank.
Having followed Wen Chaoyu for a long time, he naturally knew Wen Chaoyu's feelings for Ji Wanshu. Xue Tan knew the inside story of the love-hate entanglement between the master and disciple over the years better than anyone else.
But he never expected that Ji Wanshu's elder sister would die at the hands of Wen Chaoyu.
"What you're saying, Protector..." Xue Tan couldn't hide his shock, and after a long while, he said, "Is someone coercing you?"
Wen Chaoyu smiled silently and did not reply.
She raised her head, looked back at the lonely grave, her eyes devoid of any emotion.
She even seemed unusually aloof.
Xue Tan took this as a tacit agreement and continued to speculate, "Could it be the sect leader... but what would be her motive for killing the eldest daughter of the Ji family?"
Thick clouds hung in the distance, obscuring the sky with a grayish-white hue. Wen Chaoyu looked up and said calmly, "It has nothing to do with Nangong Min."
"That is..." Xue Tan was about to ask again, but seeing the subtle displeasure in Wen Chaoyu's expression, he changed the subject and said, "So, the reason why the Protector has been avoiding Miss Ji all these years is because of this?"
Wen Chaoyu finally sighed: "Not entirely."
She tucked the handkerchief into her sleeve, turned her back, and walked slowly into the woods.
Seeing this, Xue Tan wisely kept quiet and quickly followed after them, limping along.
The two walked in silence for a while, then Wen Chaoyu suddenly stopped ahead. She looked preoccupied and her brows furrowed.
There were no birds in the woods, and everything was quiet. A series of messy footprints stretched across the snow. Wen Chaoyu turned around and glanced at the tombstone in the distance, her voice so soft it was as if she were talking to herself.
“It’s a good thing she’s dead,” Wen Chaoyu said. “If she were still alive, Wan Shu and I would never have met.”
Author's Note: Hehe.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
