Chapter 564 Where Did Yue Chuzi Go? [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
Yu Nianyuan went out this time to look for news of his junior sister.
On their return, they happened to pass by the painted boat and casually went over to deal with the zither music that had everyone on edge and the "Butterfly Loves Flowers" song that had made Xue Zhongzhu's face darken. The two ladies of Yunmeng sighed; their plan to destroy Buddhism had truly been fraught with twists and turns…
Originally, the Buddha statue arrived suddenly, and their personnel were not yet in place. They had to act hastily, and the eldest princess was also late. The Imperial Observatory launched a preemptive counterattack, and they dispersed in a rather disheveled manner. They thought the plan had failed, but less than half a day later, a shocking piece of news came: the Xingzifang Buddha statue, which was heavily guarded by the Imperial Observatory and elite soldiers, had collapsed, and several important figures were beheaded on the spot. The officialdom of Jiangnan was shaken!
Yunmeng Jianze and the other Jianghu forces that had gathered in Tiannan were also bewildered, looking around blankly... Then, a series of messages came in, roughly outlining the original situation:
It turned out that the Imperial Observatory and the Jiangzhou government had just foiled a plot by rebels to attack the convoy escorting the Buddha head. The Buddha head was safely transported to the Xingzi Lake construction site. Just as it was about to be hoisted up and merged with the Buddha body, a mythical sword suddenly appeared. Shaped like a moon wheel, it was controlled by a mysterious swordsman and destroyed the Donglin Buddha with overwhelming force, beheading several important figures who were in charge of the Donglin Buddha, including the governor of Jiangzhou and the eldest son of the Prince of Wei.
The mysterious swordsman seems to have escaped unscathed from the heavily guarded Xunyang City. The Imperial Observatory and the Jiangzhou government, instead of capturing him, have launched a furious manhunt for this "Master of the Butterfly Love Flower," with extensive searches... a testament to the court's rage. As for the specifics of how the mysterious swordsman destroyed the Buddha with the mythical sword, including detailed information about this newly appeared sword, no reliable information has emerged. Instead, there are many conflicting accounts: some say it's a new, crescent-shaped sword; others say it's the resurrection of an old sword; still others claim it ignited a cauldron fire...
However, this latter point is highly questionable. Ding Huo was no joke, and many people don't believe it, only circulating it privately as gossip. Moreover, the Imperial Observatory and the Jiangzhou government, who knew more detailed information, also kept silent, not revealing any specific details about the killing and destruction of the Buddha statue by the Ding sword that day. There are many different opinions outside, and none can be taken as definitive. However, the fact that the mysterious sword wielder, "Master of Butterfly Love Flower," cooperated with the rebels of Tiannan Jianghu to destroy the Donglin Buddha is indeed undeniable.
As for the identity of the Butterfly Love Flower's owner... the group of Jianghu forces from Tiannan, gathered by Yunmeng Jianze, were initially disheartened and wary of the Great Zhou Dynasty's brutal military force after their retreat, having tallied their losses and casualties. They even harbored doubts and dissatisfaction. However, upon hearing this news, they were stunned and involuntarily turned their gazes toward Yunmeng Jianze, who had spearheaded this operation... Was this also part of the plan? So that's how it is. That's incredibly ruthless.
Faced with a series of gazes that went from bewilderment to understanding to respect, Xue Zhongzhu, Yu Nianyuan, and the other Yue women fell silent... At this moment, on the deck, Yu Nianyuan couldn't help but glance at the tall Hu woman's back. She understood her usually strong-willed senior sister's chaotic feelings at this moment; she must be feeling terrible.
"Junior Sister is still nowhere to be seen. She hasn't returned to our agreed meeting place on Dagushan Mountain in Longcheng County."
After Yu Nianyuan finished speaking softly, he noticed the slight change in Xue Zhongzhu's expression and comforted her, "I left someone there. They will notify us as soon as Junior Sister returns. Don't worry, Senior Sister, Junior Sister isn't the type to cause trouble..."
"Alright, that matter aside, but apart from that, Junior Sister has never caused Senior Sister any worry. She'll take good care of herself." She paused for a moment before continuing.
Xuezhongzhu paused for a moment, then suddenly turned around and said, "The Insect Maiden sent a signal from the sky. All the Yue women within the city should have seen it. Retreat and return..."
Yu Nianyuan sighed softly and replied, "But now... only Junior Sister hasn't returned."
In the snow, candlelight flickered, and she paced on the deck. In the dark night wind, her long, flowing golden hair shone brightly, cascading like a waterfall.
"Could something have happened? Why are they still in Xunyang City? It couldn't have been discovered by that zither music..."
"Impossible. Junior Sister is as still as a virgin. Before this operation, to ensure she could get close to the Buddha statue at the Xingzi Lake construction site, she also consumed half of the tortoise-shell longhorn beetle as a precaution. If it were only the concealment effect of the tortoise shell beetle, she might still be exposed. But with both combined, she will definitely not be discovered..."
Yu Nianyuan shook his head and said, when Xue Zhongzhu suddenly interrupted loudly:
"That's just that it doesn't manifest in the music, but as long as she makes a move, her spiritual energy will still leak out... After all, it's only half a tortoise-shell longhorn beetle, so the effect is not as good as the whole one."
She forced back her twitching eyelids and said, "That half of the tortoise shell longhorn beetle should not have been wasted on her sickly young husband. It was such a waste."
"If we had kept it and given it to our junior sister, she would have obtained the complete divine power. Now, she could enter and leave Xunyang City with ease, and she could have destroyed the Xingzifang Buddha. Why would there be so many problems now?"
"This tortoise-shelled longhorn beetle was originally left to her by her master..."
Halfway through the conversation, the tall, blonde orchid suddenly rushed out the door.
"Senior Sister, no!"
Yu Nianyuan stood in front of Xue Zhongzhu, pressing one hand on her shoulder, his tone serious:
"Going there now was a completely impulsive act; not only did we fail to find our junior sister, but we also ended up surrounded..."
The candle in the snow took a deep breath:
"Before our master left, she was most worried about our junior sister. She said that our junior sister's infatuation was a good thing, but also a bad thing... She was prone to making foolish mistakes, stubborn, and sacrificing herself for others."
"We shouldn't have let her go on this mission in the first place. Now it seems there was a problem with one link in the chain. She might still be foolishly staying in the city for something she thinks can help us, like helping to destroy the Buddha's head or something..."
"I promised Master that I would take good care of you all, especially Junior Sister. How can I just stand by and watch you all alone outside..."
"Then Senior Sister must not act impulsively."
Yu Nianyuan's voice was a little louder, and his expression was serious:
"If you rush over now, it will only make it easier for her to expose herself. Perhaps Junior Sister is trying to escape, and all your efforts will be in vain."
"The government officials probably didn't even know of Junior Sister's existence. If Senior Sister goes out to look for her, wouldn't that be like alerting the enemy?"
Xuezhongzhu frowned as he looked at her.
Yu Nianyuan continued in a gentle voice:
"What the senior sister said is right. The junior sister is very likely still in Xunyang City."
"However, after this battle, there are no more of our people in Xunyang City. The Li family and other supporting families have all had their connections dismantled by the Censorate. The city is now full of spies from the Imperial Observatory."
"It's really not easy for Junior Sister to get out safely..."
"What if something happens to my junior sister after a long time?"
A candle in the snow poses a question.
Yu Nianyuan remained calm and composed, raising one index finger:
"No, at the beginning, we should have been worried because that was the most dangerous time. But now so much time has passed and there's been no bad news. The longer time goes on, the safer our junior sister will be. She should be out of danger now."
"If Senior Sister insists on trying to save her, it shouldn't be based on this momentary urgency. Why not calm down..."
"How can Second Junior Sister be sure Junior Sister is alright? Aren't there no informants left in the city for the time being?"
"There are no more informants in the city, but it's not a big problem."
The candle in the snow asked coldly, "What do you mean?"
Yu Nianyuan narrowed his eyes:
"I've had people investigate the casualties in Xunyang City. There are no casualties like Junior Sister. This means that Junior Sister wasn't discovered by Qin Yin that day. Even if she was discovered, she had already left and nothing happened to her... at least she didn't die at the hands of the female officials of the Imperial Observatory."
Yu Nianyuan said calmly:
"In addition, from Jianze's side, the fifth and sixth junior sisters who were guarding the hall and didn't come also sent a letter today. The letter said... Senior Bai has not made any unusual moves for the time being... which means that the junior sister is indeed fine and is doing well."
When Yu Nianyuan spoke the first part, Xue Zhongzhu had been frowning and looking dissatisfied. But when he heard about the "white ape" later, his expression changed and then... his brows relaxed.
On the deck, the two stood in a stalemate. After a while, Xue Zhongzhu turned around and temporarily walked back to the cabin, with Yu Nianyuan following behind.
"Second Junior Sister, you're quick-witted. Right now, finding Junior Sister should be your top priority... I'll listen to you this time. Last time at Xingzifang, I was a bit too headstrong and didn't listen to you, which almost got you into trouble too. If I had been there then, I could have kept an eye on Junior Sister..."
Yu Nianyuan heard his senior sister's deep voice coming from ahead.
I couldn't help but look over, and saw the tall, golden-haired oriental woman with her head slightly lowered, seemingly a little... downcast?
The usually arrogant and domineering senior sister surprisingly engaged in self-criticism.
However, as soon as he returned to the cabin lobby and sat down again, Xue Zhongzhu raised his head, his blue eyes like stars, and regained his spirits:
"Where are the people from the southwest?" she suddenly asked.
Yu Nianyuan glanced at his senior sister.
Many people are unaware that the secret of the Donglin Buddha was obtained from the head of a Buddha statue in Guizhou that was overthrown and seized by the Kuangfu Army.
She took out a secret letter from the southwest from her sleeve and handed it to Xue Zhongzhu, saying slowly:
"They're still on their way. They didn't arrive as agreed. They sent someone to inform us in advance, so we have to wait... It seems they've run into some trouble. Well, it makes sense, things are very strict in Hongzhou right now."
"After the last attack, Qin Jingzhen's Xuanwu Camp began to investigate all the merchant ships fleeing from the southwest and pursued the Qi cultivators very closely."
"Not to mention the collapse of the Donglin Buddha in Jiangzhou not long ago, which killed an official of the imperial court. The Zhou court in the north was shaken and is now under martial law everywhere."
Xuezhongzhu narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Xuanwu Camp is an organization within the southwestern front-line expeditionary force that specifically handles matters concerning Qi cultivators. It boasts a large number of elite troops, possibly comparable to the number of female officials in the Supervisory Council of Xunyang City, Jiangzhou.
Yu Nianyuan then said seriously:
"In particular, the Censorate and the Xuanwu Camp have introduced a new rule: for wanted posters of rebels, the people of Jiangnan are allowed to report to the authorities afterward. If they are held hostage or protected by rebels, they will not be prosecuted, as long as they report their whereabouts immediately afterward. They can also receive some of the reward, and the government will keep their information confidential..."
The second lady of Yunmeng shook her head with a bitter smile on her lips:
"The person who came up with this move is a master..."
The candle in the snow frowned:
"I overheard someone say during the meeting that this was the idea of that newly appointed acting governor of Jiangzhou, an official surnamed Ouyang, who advised the lackeys of the Imperial Observatory. This sudden increase in the arrest warrant was also instigated by him after he took office..."
"I see." Yu Nianyuan said thoughtfully, "It seems we should keep an eye on this person."
The hall was silent for a moment. The two stared at each other without speaking for a while. Xue Zhongzhu asked in a cold voice:
"How did the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower escape the sound of the zither?"
Yu Nianyuan thought for a moment, took out a wanted poster, handed it over, and said softly:
"At first, I was also curious. This child has a special way of hiding the sword energy of the Dingjian and avoiding our Red Lotus Sword Imprint's detection. We know this, just like our senior sister's sword before..."
Xuezhongzhu suddenly turned around. Yu Nianyuan paused, coughed lightly, skipped over this detail, and continued:
"Concealing sword energy is one thing, concealing spiritual energy cultivation is another. Could this kid also be like the junior sister who swallowed half a tortoise-shell longhorn beetle, able to evade the sound of the zither?"
Upon hearing this, Xuezhongzhu frowned, but Yu Nianyuan didn't pause for long before saying softly:
"However, this time, the wanted posters for the owner of Butterfly Love Flower include multiple portraits, some of which are of women, all of whom are familiar faces that I saw in their camp back then..."
"It seems this person knows the art of disguise. Even the female officials of the Imperial Observatory don't know what he looks like. Judging from this, he must have mixed in with the Qi cultivators of the Imperial Observatory that day."
Xuezhongzhu took the wanted poster, lifted a corner with his fingers, and looked down at it.
The portraits of her and her second junior sister Yu Nianyuan on the wanted posters were all copied by the Imperial Observatory based on the memories of the parties involved, including important features such as waist-length golden hair, bare feet, and bells.
As for the owner of Butterfly Love Flower, who ranks first on the wanted list alongside Snow Candle, ... mainly he has a bronze fox mask, and also a poem by Butterfly Love Flower titled "Yue Girl Picking Lotus by the Autumn Water".
This is also the reason why most people, including those on our side, misunderstand it now.
Unfortunately, Yunmeng Sword Swamp can't publicize this to outsiders yet. At most, they can explain it to their own people, like they did during the meeting just now. But what's the point of explaining it to the imperial court publicly...?
Moreover, the sword repair by the Butterfly Love Flower Master was indeed... barely... helpful to them.
However, the thought that in the eyes of the Imperial Observatory and the people of the world, this guy would be regarded as their Yunmeng Sword Marsh's grand finale "treasure"... making it seem as if he was the leader and she and the others were his assistants, made the blonde queen feel like she had a toothache from a fire.
The Yue maiden gathers lotus by the autumn waters… He left this poem, "Butterfly Loves Flowers," for the Imperial Observatory. Now, no matter how Xue Zhongzhu looks at it, she feels he has ulterior motives, that his words are mocking, because the Dingjian sword originally belonged to their Yunmeng Sword Marsh…
With a "bang," the wanted poster was slammed heavily onto the table, and long, slender, snow-white fingers crumpled the seemingly harmless face of someone wearing a bronze mask on the paper.
"Hiding your head and tail, you are not worthy to be ranked with me."
Yu Nianyuan glanced sideways and saw that his senior sister's face was full of dissatisfaction.
...
night.
Xunyang City.
Yinbingzhai, in a dimly lit bedroom.
The moonlight fell on the ground, as cold as frost and snow.
Ouyang Rong suddenly turned over on the bed and touched the area under the pillow.
He reached for nothing, finding no square, hard object. His expression faltered for a moment, and he let out a long breath.
I just had another dream about my past life, and then I was woken up by a buzzing sound...
Even after all this time, I still haven't forgotten the habit of waking up to touch something; it's become a conditioned reflex.
Hearing the even breathing of the little girl beside him, Ouyang Rong rolled out of bed and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
He glanced at the night view outside the window.
During the day, the head of the Donglin Buddha was transported to the Xunyang Grottoes construction site, and the Xingzi Lake construction site was vacated and handed over to Jiangzhou Hall.
Granny Song and all the female officials from the Censorate withdrew to concentrate their efforts on guarding the Xunyang Grottoes, which will become the focus of their attention from now on.
When he returned in the evening, the sudden fluctuation of his merit points, which were inexplicably deducted and then increased, confused him for a while. However, after thinking about it for a while, he vaguely guessed what was going on.
It must be because of the wanted notice issued by the owner of Butterfly Love Flower that my merits were deducted? But the reason for the increase is strange... Could it be that someone likes traitors?
But his real appearance wasn't displayed either. Or is it that the more the court opposed it, the more they liked it?
Surely it's not because they admire him because of the high bounty... The world is going to the dogs, it's all a mess.
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
"I'm not going any faster. You can have Miaosi and Junior Sister fish you out. Why are you acting like an alarm clock, reminding me every day? You know you're at the bottom of the lake, but you're acting like a king..."
He started to have doubts, went to change his clothes, and prepared to go out and try to catch the moon's reflection...
————
(P.S.: Please vote for me!)
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
