Chapter 5 A Late Night Talk by Candlelight
Bianyi?
Lin Chengye froze, all the questions she wanted to ask stuck in her throat, turning into a sticky, sour feeling that she swallowed. She hadn't seen the Jiangjin Alliance leader's face clearly, but since waking up and regaining her senses, she suddenly realized that the leader's voice was exactly the same as the white figure under the moonlight who had walked out of her mother's room that day.
Everyone in the martial arts world knows the prestige of the Jiangjin Alliance, but this is the first time she has heard of the name of the alliance leader.
"Truly, fate is fickle..." Lin Chengye sneered, his lips twitching, his eyes chillingly cold. The girl beside him trembled at his sudden change in expression and took a step back without making a sound.
If it weren't for this sudden turn of events, she had imagined countless scenarios of meeting Bian Yi. Perhaps she would have already made a name for herself in the martial arts world, catching Bian Yi's eye and becoming his friend. Or perhaps she would still be wandering aimlessly, simply listening to her stories as before, respecting her day after day for ten years.
But the conversation she overheard between Bian Yi and her mother three months ago now sounds particularly jarring to her; these fleeting, romantic thoughts are no match for the overwhelming suspicion.
"Why do you...you..."
Impossible! His Majesty would never do such a thing.
...Then take this with you.
If it's true... Cheng Ye, she..."
What wouldn't His Majesty do? If what Mother said is true, then what is it? What did Bian Yi take away? What is her relationship with Mother? Is this whole affair caused by the Lin family incurring His Majesty's suspicion?
Still recovering from her severe injuries, even deep thought was painful; her forehead burned, and her head throbbed with a needle-like pain. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from reliving those horrific scenes over and over again, and from speculating on fragmented words, as if this could distract her from the guilt and fear of living alone.
But Lin Chengye's intuition told him that the person who risked everything to save her would never harm her. Even if there was something to hide, Bian Yi would never harm the Lin family or disregard the lives of the people of Litao Prefecture.
“…Miss Lin?”
The girl mustered her courage and called out.
"Feel sorry."
Lin Chengye snapped out of his daze, glanced at the girl who was trembling with fear, and his expression softened slightly.
"May I ask, young lady, when will Alliance Leader Bian return?"
He couldn't let his mind wander like this any longer; he might as well just ask that person in person. Lin Chengye had only been sitting for a short while when he felt dizzy and his chest tighten. He quickly lay back down and shrank back under the covers.
"It will probably take three days. The Alliance Leader went to check on the medicinal herb garden in the mountains west of Wucheng. He left this morning after seeing that you were stable. Right now, he's probably wandering around taking pulses and examining patients."
The girl quickly tucked the blanket around Lin Chengye and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. She had been busy serving the leader these past few days, and this was the first time she had seen him so anxious about someone, his inner strength flowing like it was free, and his temper had worsened.
“Miss Lin. The Alliance Leader also instructed us that you are of noble status, so from today onwards, my sister and I will serve you. My younger sister just went out to warm your ginger wine. If you agree, would you mind giving us new names?”
"You two...were originally her maids?"
"Yes, we were a pair of beggars on the street, and were later brought back by Alliance Leader Bian. But we weren't really serving each other. Alliance Leader didn't need anyone to take care of him, and he didn't really tie his hair up. He usually just liked to play chess with us."
Lin Chengye glanced at the girl. She looked like a girl from an ordinary family. Her clear eyes showed no trace of the humility and timidity of someone who had been a beggar. Clearly, she had healed from her past wounds. Lin Chengye felt relieved and stopped overthinking.
"So your name is Wutong, and your sister's name is Cangliu. Do you like that?"
"I love it! This is much better than the Alliance Leader's taste."
Before Wutong could nod with a happy expression, a crisp voice followed, and a smiling woman walked in from outside the door, carrying a silver bowl that was still steaming. The spicy and mellow aroma made Lin Chengye frown.
"Miss Lin, drink this ginger wine before you sleep. It was personally prepared by the Alliance Leader; it's very delicious..."
Cang Liu, her hair tied in a bun on the side, chattered on and on, scooping out a little bit with a spoon and feeding it to Lin Chengye, who was craving it.
"No, thank you. I don't really want to drink it."
Lin Chengye pursed her lips and shook her head. She saw Wutong and Cangliu looking at each other with conflicted expressions, and knew that she had caused trouble for the two of them.
But she simply couldn't muster any strength; even opening her mouth felt exhausting. Besides, it would be futile for her to drink anything; she couldn't retain the nutrients or benefit from them.
Lin Chengye slept very restlessly for the past three days.
Her body alternated between chills and high fever, and her once stable condition deteriorated day by day. She rarely woke up, and Wutong would bring her yet another bowl of bitter medicine. Lin Chengye would refuse most of the time, but occasionally he would force himself to drink a few sips for the sake of the anxious girl.
But after nightfall, when the cold wind rises, even those medicines more valuable than real gold and silver will be vomited up along with the acidic fluid.
For the next two days, Lin Chengye didn't touch anything at all. With nothing in her stomach, she naturally wouldn't vomit, and it was better to avoid trouble. Wutong sat by the bedside, looking at her with teary eyes, almost begging her to drink a sip.
"It really is useless."
Lin Chengye tried to force a smile, her usually calm voice becoming ethereal, like a rootless duckweed. But seeing that even Cang Liu was almost in tears, she paused and then said...
"If all else fails, get me some thin porridge to fill my stomach. Don't waste these medicines."
"How can you call it a waste? The Alliance Leader clearly said it was useful..."
Over the past few days, Cang Liu has watched Lin Chengye lose a lot of weight, his cheeks are sunken, and his once beautiful eyes are now lifeless, causing her great anxiety.
At first, she was somewhat reluctant when the leader suddenly pushed the two of them out to serve others. But her sister said that the young lady must have suffered a lot, and that the leader had carried her back in the middle of the night, his white clothes stained red, with bloody footprints in every step, so she reluctantly agreed.
But in the past few days, she discovered that although Miss Lin was not stern, she actually saw everything and took care of her and her sister in every way, just like the silent pine tree at the foot of Jiangjinmeng Mountain, which provided shelter to those who came and went.
"Then I'll make some shrimp and egg custard for you, Miss. You should at least have some."
Afraid that Lin Chengye would refuse again, Cangliu quickly turned and ran out of the room. Wutong then sat down and carefully helped Lin Chengye up, leaning him against the cushion.
"I'll keep you company for a while, Miss. Please don't go to sleep yet. It's a pity my martial arts skills are not good enough to transfer internal energy to you like the Alliance Leader..."
"There are probably very few people in the world who can be like her."
The internal energy was gentle yet vast like a river. She had seen her mother fight Lin Chengtong before, but she had never felt anything like it. Lin Chengye forced a smile and leaned against the cushion, gazing out the window in a daze.
The sky was hazy today, as if it had rained, and the air smelled of damp, fresh earth.
It would take a while to make the shrimp and egg custard. Lin Chengye looked at Wutong's distressed face and couldn't help but rub his forehead. He then casually started a conversation.
“…I am not a member of the Jianghu and know very little about the Jiangjin Alliance, but I roughly know that this place was a chaotic and disorderly place before the Jiangjin Alliance was established. Why don’t you tell me about this place?”
I always felt it was rather strange to inquire about the leader of another alliance on their own turf. It would be better to inquire from the sidelines, since when talking about the Jiangjin Alliance, one can't avoid mentioning that mysterious leader.
"Cangliu and I are from the Southern Qi. Due to a natural disaster, we became beggars on the streets. A young woman saw our pitiful situation, pointed north, and said, 'Why don't we try our luck at Jiangjin Alliance?' Unfortunately, my mother passed away halfway there. We were only seven years old when we were found and brought to Jiangjin Alliance. We did not experience the past upheavals, but we had heard the four elders talk about it."
Wutong's eyes lit up. It was rare for Miss Lin to show interest in anything, and her words just kept pouring out like beans.
"Jiangjin Alliance was established in Yongjing 9, and it has only been twelve years since then. Compared with those centuries-old Jianghu sects, it is nothing. But now everyone in the Jianghu has to show it some respect."
Around the second year of Yongjing, the leader of the alliance opened a Jiangjin Medical Clinic in the then chaotic Jiangjin Realm, which was known as "Wucheng" by the people, to help people and treat illnesses.
The four elders of the Jiangjin Alliance met the Alliance Leader back then. The four young heroes hit it off immediately and vowed to prevent the tragedy that happened to them from happening again, and to turn the blood-soaked "Wucheng" into a peaceful and prosperous "Fancheng".
At that time, the leader was not yet the leader. He just waved his hand and told them to do whatever they wanted, saying that he did not have such ambition, but if they needed thugs, they could come to him.
Later, the clinic's reputation grew, attracting both those seeking medical treatment and those coming from afar. Both the Southern Qi and Lai kingdoms grew wary and dared not act rashly, yet unwilling to let the other occupy the land, they reluctantly allowed the martial arts practitioners to manage it. Seeing the time was ripe, the four elders established the Jiangjin Alliance and jointly elected Bian as their leader.
"It sounds like Bian Yi was forced into this position and had no choice but to accept it."
Cang Liu had already brought back the bowl of shrimp and egg custard. Lin Chengye listened with great interest, and even the egg custard tasted sweeter in his mouth, so he couldn't help but eat a few more bites.
No wonder when she heard bits and pieces about the name Bian Yi, it was mostly about someone's child or wife suffering from a strange illness. There was a traveling doctor who didn't want to charge for consultations, only asking for vegetables and eggs as payment. But his medical skills were superb, and he called himself Bian Yi. The people called him Doctor Bian the Divine Doctor.
"Miss Lin, it would be better if you addressed me as the Alliance Leader..."
Wutong was terrified by Bian Yi's clear and resonant voice. She had never seen anyone address the leader by his name so naturally before, and she stammered out her reply.
"It's not what you think, Miss Lin. Actually, it's because everyone loves and respects the Alliance Leader. Moreover, the Alliance Leader has established a rule that if you truly want to join the Jiangjin Alliance, you must forget your past and settle your grudges. Therefore, most people who come here change their names and become simple chivalrous heroes."
She ate half a bowl of steamed egg custard, but even the most beautiful story wouldn't go down her throat. Lin Chengye's tired eyelids drooped, and she had to shrink back into the blankets. Just before falling asleep, the three words Wutong had said kept replaying in her mind.
Forget the past, settle all grudges?
Forget the past, settle all grudges.
But how can one forget such a deep-seated hatred?
Is Bian Yi free from worries about the past, or has she also chosen to forget it?
...
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Chengye heard a soft creak of the door, and the footsteps of the newcomer were so light they were almost inaudible. Bian Yi, who seemed to have returned from somewhere, still carried the heavy chill of the night, and came to her place immediately without even stopping.
"woke up?"
Half-asleep, Lin Chengye heard another cold snort, which woke her up completely. But she could also hear the undisguised anger in Bian Yi's words, and this time she really didn't want to open her eyes.
Bian Yi ignored her and continued to chatter on and on, even reaching out to grasp Lin Chengye's pulse and recklessly channeling her inner energy into him.
"The phoenix tree and the willow tree complained to me, saying that you haven't been taking your medicine or eating these past few days... I... I painstakingly searched for medicinal herbs all over the mountains and plains of Yunling, west of Wucheng, and I've been cultivating them for several years..."
"Okay, that's enough, stop now."
Lin Chengye never expected Bian Yi to be so difficult to deal with, so she quickly opened her eyes. She saw that the man was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed with his eyes lowered, looking at her with those sorrowful eyes.
The rain had just stopped, leaving the sky clear and bright. The moon hung in the air, like a silver ribbon spread across Bian Yi's body. She was dressed in a moon-white, fitted outfit with tight sleeves. Gold thread embroidery outlined ripples on the white cross-collar top. Black leather wrist guards adorned her arms, and her hair was half-tied up and secured with a simple wooden hairpin. Her belt appeared intricate, made of many silver threads interwoven like strands of hair, with a white silk sandalwood fan hanging from one of them.
Compared to the austere, martial arts-inspired air of her attire, her eyes and brows were undeniably soft, and she frequently adopted a condescending tone when speaking. Amidst the chivalrous air, Lin Chengye also detected a languidness born of bygone eras.
So this is what you look like. Lin Chengye let out a muffled, self-deprecating laugh.
It was more beautiful than any of the rumors she had heard. After thinking it over, she realized that her brother's words, "a banished immortal," were the most fitting.
Lin Chengye took a deep breath, pried Bian Yi's fingers, which were transferring internal energy to her, off her wrist one by one, and looked into the person's tearful eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"There's no need for it; it's just that I don't want to live anymore."
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