Chapter 406 The Embroiderer So Close...?
Autumn day, dawn.
White dew turns to frost.
Dewdrops condensed on the eaves or bluestone slabs of the Buddhist halls, pagodas, and dining halls of this ancient temple on the mountaintop.
The strange phenomena that appeared in the sky to the southwest of the temple in the early hours of last night seemed to have never happened, leaving no trace.
Frosty tiles, bell tower, ancient pagoda... it's still a day when the sun rises as usual.
As for the collapse of a newly built sutra-copying hall on the southwest side, and the presiding monks and the early shift monks' frantic efforts, the pilgrims staying in the temple's dining hall were unaware of it, and not many people were aware of it.
The same applies to the Sanhui Courtyard, where Aqing's family lives.
We get up early to do laundry, cook, and do everything as usual.
Liu's mother, Yunniang, Ashan's widow, and Aqing, three women of different ages, lived together. Naturally, they were more diligent than the men. However, this morning, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared in Sanhui Courtyard.
While Aqing and the others were eating, they heard the commotion coming from the courtyard outside. The first rays of dawn broke through the sky, and it was just getting light.
They ate breakfast rather early today.
Outside the courtyard, there was a sound of footsteps; there seemed to be quite a few people.
"Did that thief really linger in this courtyard?"
Outside the courtyard wall, a faint, unfamiliar, and indifferent female voice rang out first, seemingly asking her companion.
"Um."
A gentle female voice replied, paused, and answered slowly and deliberately:
"There were bloodstains on the wall, and in the yard, there were three places where the grass roots had been trampled. Although there was no blood, the grass was not frosted, which contrasted sharply with the surrounding frosted grass. It was clear that the person had fallen into the yard and hurriedly washed themselves with a bucket of water. However, the action was hasty, the fall was rapid, and the person left in a hurry as well..."
"This scholar must have stayed in this courtyard temporarily to recuperate from his injuries. He originally intended to hide, but after cleaning up the horse's tracks, he realized it was counterproductive and left, heading down the mountain instead..."
“There are his footprints and bloodstains on the mountain path behind, which are newer than those in this courtyard. They were left behind when he left.”
The harsh, cold voice of the candle in the snow rang out again:
"This little thief has some connection with Buddhism, yet he wields the cauldron sword, each strike producing lotus blossoms, resonating with some Zen principle, and his sword energy seems endless..."
"However, when I observed the flow of spiritual energy during its escape, it was only a mere eighth-grade blue aura."
"Although he managed to escape by chance, he was injured by my sword energy and his injuries are not light. He can't run far and will need to heal. However, when we chased him down to the pavilion halfway up the mountain, all traces of him disappeared, as if he had vanished into thin air. Could it be that an eighth-rank cultivator can fly on the wind?"
That gentle female voice murmured:
"Therefore, there are only two possibilities."
"If it weren't for the fact that they used methods we didn't know about to erase the traces and fly away."
"Or it could be a smokescreen, where the person is actually still in the temple, but has created obvious traces of leaving the mountain, only to return and hide to heal their wounds. If that's the case..."
Snow Candle, impatient with the detailed analysis, asked directly:
"So you prefer the latter one? You brought us back to investigate the suspicious points more thoroughly?"
The gentle female voice didn't answer the question, but simply chuckled softly:
"Leave the investigation to the pavilion halfway up the mountain to Sixth Junior Sister. She is meticulous and cautious, and has first-class lightness skill, making her suitable for finding people along the way. Eldest Senior Sister has Insect Girl follow her in the sky to help with sentry duty. If anything changes, Insect Girl can fly back to notify her immediately."
"As for us, there's no need for us to rush in. Too many people will only draw more attention... Let's come back and take a look, see if we've missed anyone."
"This scholar seems very familiar with Donglin Temple. You can tell by his escape route. He chose all the hidden shortcuts. I don't believe he's here for the first time. If I were him, I would choose a familiar place to lie in wait. The most dangerous place is also the safest place."
She laughed again and changed the subject:
"But to be honest, looking at the whole process, this Confucian scholar has been very calm in his dealings with people. If I were in his situation, facing the pursuit of the senior sister, I might not have done as well as him."
"It is in times of crisis that one's true character is revealed. There is a reason why this scholar was able to sever the swordsman's vital points."
Xuezhongzhu asked in a cold voice, "Is Second Junior Sister praising this little thief?"
A gentle female voice chuckled softly, "I wasn't praising him, I just want to catch him even more now. Break his arms and legs, throw him in the water dungeon, and we can have a good chat later."
He paused for a moment, then asked with a hint of curiosity, "By the way, where is Senior Sister's sword?"
The candle in the snow remains silent.
The gentle female voice asked again, "Why does Senior Sister keep calling me a little thief? Could it be that you stole something...?"
The candle in the snow suddenly interrupted, its tone forceful:
"The reason this little thief became the sword wielder is because he stole our Sword Sect's Ding Sword. According to the Red Lotus Sword Seal, this Ding Sword was left behind by that old fellow from the Ancient Yue Sword Shop. Back then, he entrusted Xiao Qi to deliver a message, promising to compensate our sect with a Ding Sword on behalf of his sect, along with a spirited Yue woman as a candidate for the Hidden Lord... As a result, I kept my promise and went as scheduled, but something unexpected happened."
The gentle female voice sighed softly:
"Indeed, the identity of this fox-faced scholar is questionable. Why is the Ding Sword in his possession? He may have been involved in the events in Dragon City on the day the Ding Sword was created, but we don't know what role he played. Could he have some connection or deal with that old gentleman?"
"Playing tricks and deception."
Xuezhongzhu snorted coldly, as if recalling what had happened that day.
The sounds of conversation outside the courtyard wall could be faintly heard inside.
Inside the main house of Sanhui Temple, a family is eating porridge.
Except for one taciturn man whose movements remained unchanged, the other women looked at each other in bewilderment.
Just then, a cold and distant female voice came from outside the courtyard wall: "You and Xiao Qi go and look around. Report back if you find any clues. Leave this to me."
Immediately.
"Thump thump—!"
There was a knock at the door, and before anyone inside could react, the person knocking pushed the door open and entered. The knocking was merely symbolic.
A tall, blonde woman with waist-length hair walked into the house with an overbearing air, her blue eyes surveying everyone inside.
However, after she had a general idea of what was happening inside the room, she toned down her imposing aura slightly.
There were four people in the room. An elderly woman with white hair was bedridden; a young woman with her hair tied up in a bun and wearing an apron; a thin, bamboo-like girl with her hair in a topknot and not yet of marriageable age; and a taciturn man kneeling by the bedside, feeding his sick mother.
The general situation of this family was obvious at a glance. Xue Zhongzhu's gaze swept over this poor and ordinary family, and he suddenly let out a soft "Eh," unable to resist taking a few more glances at the thin, bamboo-like girl with the character "Yue" tattooed on her forehead. The girl was pretty and delicate, but she lowered her head, not daring to look at strangers, and seemed timid and weak.
"Who are you, and what brings you here?"
Liu's mother gently pushed away her son's hand, which had returned to feed her, and forced herself to sit up to face the imposing Xue Zhongzhu. She was the first to speak.
Xuezhongzhu didn't speak. He looked around, turned and went out, but didn't leave.
As everyone watched, the tall, imposing woman walked around the courtyard without any ceremony, opening each room in turn and coldly scrutinizing them.
She seemed to be observing whether the number of people eating in the main house matched the number of rooms for the guests in this courtyard.
At the same time, they should also be observing whether the corresponding rooms are occupied.
These things cannot be faked in a short period of time.
Sensing Xue Zhongzhu's intentions, inside the main house, beside Liu's sickbed, stood a taciturn man, newly dressed in a thick robe stuffed with reeds and straw, his eyes slightly lowered.
Ah Qing tilted her head and shook her head almost imperceptibly at "Brother".
Soon, Xue Zhongzhu frowned slightly and returned to the main house.
The number of people corresponds perfectly to the number of rooms, including this taciturn man, who also has a room filled with clean and simple personal belongings.
She pursed her lips, returning empty-handed, having found nothing.
Of course, Xuezhongzhu didn't know that after Liu Ashan's heroic sacrifice, Aqing specially prepared a room for her brother to take care of Liu's mother's feelings, and put all his belongings there, wiping them clean every day.
Even after Liu's mother learned of her son's sacrifice, this habit did not change; instead, it became a tacit understanding within the family.
Even though she has moved to Sanhui Temple now, Ah Qing has specially set aside a room, not only to remember Ah Shan, but also to make it convenient for "new brother Ah" to stay when he comes to visit.
Suddenly, Xuezhongzhu walked towards Aqing.
The taciturn man who had been quietly feeding his younger sister Aqing by the bedside suddenly stood up and stood in front of her, staring directly at Xue Zhongzhu without saying a word.
Xuezhongzhu coldly watched him.
Aqing quietly tugged at her brother's sleeve, shook her head at him, and indicated that it was alright.
The taciturn man remained silent for a moment, then slightly stepped aside to make way. Xue Zhongzhu never gave men a kind look. Ignoring the taciturn man who seemed to be her elder brother, she walked straight to A Qing and took out a small bag of broken silver and a piece of jade from her sleeve.
She held the jade stone in her hand, infused it with spiritual energy, and the milky white jade stone immediately took on a faint purple hue.
Xuezhongzhu put the purple jade into a bag of broken silver and handed it to Aqing.
"I come from Yunmeng Sword Marsh, a place with many folk rhymes and legends in the Wu and Yue regions. I won't explain much, but I will give you one piece of advice. You are naturally gifted with spiritual talent and a radiant divine court. You are outwardly weak but inwardly strong. You are a potential cultivator. You shouldn't stay here for the rest of your life and waste your time."
"If you are tired of this cage-like life and wish to radiate light and warmth, you can smash this jade stone. I will sense it and come to take you as my disciple."
She paused, then coldly addressed the taciturn man and Yunniang:
"Next time I pass by, I will come again. If you, as elder brothers and elder sisters-in-law, try to stop her for your own selfish desires and I find out, I will make sure you don't see the sun rise the next day. If you generously let her go, I will leave you another piece of jade. If you encounter difficulties in the future, the Sword Sect can help you once. That's all I have to say."
After saying that, Xue Zhongzhu turned around and strode away.
Everyone fell silent.
Yunniang glanced at the taciturn man and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, the candle in the snow stopped and turned around to question:
"You've styled your hair up and become a wife, so you and this man must be husband and wife, right? Why are you sleeping in separate rooms?"
Yunniang froze, stammering slightly.
Ouyang Rong sensed something was wrong, but the sickly Liu's mother beside him immediately answered:
"Although my family is poor, we are a family of propriety. My son and Yunniang have just been engaged and brought home. We cannot break the rules. They need to be formally married before they can live together."
After listening to Xue Zhongzhu, he looked them over, nodded slightly, and turned to leave.
Stepping outside, Xue Zhongzhu's face immediately turned cold. His personal sword had been taken by that petty thief; it was an utter disgrace.
The main problem was that the sword was too unorthodox. The swordsman was clearly only an eighth-rank cultivator, yet she, as a high-rank purple qi cultivator, was actually outmatched in terms of spiritual energy reserves! As a result, when she was exhausted and needed to breathe, that little thing easily disarmed her.
Yunmeng Sword Marsh is not lacking in famous swords. Throughout history, countless swordsmen have left behind their beloved swords at the many Sword-Asking Tournaments.
However, the confiscated personal sword had been with Xue Zhongzhu for a long time, and even through a secret technique, it was connected to her heart and mind, and they could sense each other. So not long ago, she could still sense that the sword had been touched by that scholar's dirty hands, which made Xue Zhongzhu, who had a cleanliness obsession, feel nauseous to this day.
No one knows what methods this little thief used, but every time Xue Zhongzhu tries to sense the sword, his spiritual sense disappears without a trace.
Today was truly a terrible day.
We must not let this thief catch us.
In addition, Donglin Temple was also a source of distress for her; every time she came here, nothing good ever came of it.
That's what happened last time when I was dealing with my junior sister's worldly affairs.
Xuezhongzhu left the courtyard expressionlessly...
A moment later, a commotion came from outside the courtyard wall.
The imposing, tall woman with a haughty air seemed to have met up with some "Second Junior Sister" and "Little Seven." The women exchanged a few words, apparently finding no clues, and then called out to leave.
Inside the main house, Aqing glanced at Ziyu, hesitated for a moment, then looked at the taciturn man. Seeing that he didn't object, the pretty young girl got up and chased after him out the door, calling out to the retreating figures of Xuezhongzhu and the other Yue women:
“Take it, we don’t accept money. I… I don’t want to leave. I want to stay with my mother, brother and sister-in-law.”
Xuezhongzhu ignored her and turned to instruct the group of curious junior sisters behind her:
"Let's go look ahead. Hey, Xiao Qi, what are you standing there for? Come on, are you getting nostalgic again?"
"Uh... um."
Among the group of women, a quiet and reserved young woman answered blankly from beginning to end.
The open mouth contains only a single syllable.
Inside the main house, the taciturn man, who had been silently waiting for the troublesome Yue women to leave, suddenly froze.
That voice... it's the embroiderer!
Ouyang Rong, disguised in a mask, suddenly stood up, took two steps but stopped, unable to step out the door.
Even though they were right next to each other, he couldn't call out to anyone.
A moment later, Ouyang Rong could no longer hold back. He went to pick up a chamber pot from under Liu's bed, strode out, and pretended to empty the chamber pot.
He quickly arrived at the courtyard. As he passed the open gate, he turned around and looked back. What came into view was the departing figures of Xue Zhongzhu and a group of women wearing the same Wu-style skirts.
Among the women's vests, there was a barely noticeable yet incredibly familiar mute girl's back; she was closely following Xue Zhongzhu, without turning around...
Qianqian's back view was charming and beautiful.
Strangely, from behind, the slender, mute girl seemed to be wearing something on her head: a sky-blue ribbon wrapped around her head and tied into a bow at the back of her head.
The long, flowing black hair, draped over her shoulders, appeared even more jet-black and smooth against the backdrop of the sky-blue satin ribbon.
I don't know if it's a special women's forehead band.
She looked beautiful; none of the other women from Wu and Yue were dressed like that, she was the only one.
Ouyang Rong stood there, watching the "butterfly-knotted Yue woman's" figure gradually disappear into the distance, his mouth open, but no sound came out.
A cautious voice came from behind: "Brother, what's wrong?"
The taciturn man carrying the chamber pot suddenly calmed down and gently raised his hand to adjust his heavy mask.
"It's nothing. I just thought of an old friend."
(End of this chapter)
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