Chapter 247 Two Women Search for Him
Dagushan.
People seeking refuge continued to pour in.
From the foot of the mountain to the summit, you can see families everywhere.
Inside Donglin Temple, the monks opened the main halls to allow the people of Longcheng to rest.
The only county officials maintaining order at the refugee camp were County Magistrate Diao and a few senior clerks, with a dozen or so people busy running around.
Most of the county government's forces had been drawn away by Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang during the mobilization at the foot of the mountain.
In addition, some officials were working on repairing the Di Gong Dam upstream of Butterfly Creek.
There is a severe shortage of manpower.
Fortunately, having learned from the previous experience, the people of Longcheng who went up the mountain trusted the county government quite a bit.
Or rather, the trust placed in that magistrate made it easy for Assistant Magistrate Diao and his associates to manage the county.
Nevertheless, the influx of a large number of people made Dagushan a chaotic place at this time.
At this moment, somewhere in Donglin Temple, behind the door of a sutra copying hall, Wei Shaoxuan withdrew his gaze from the monks and minor officials who were comforting the people in the incense square in the distance.
The Sutra Copying Hall is located in a relatively secluded area, surrounded only by a Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall and a pagoda.
However, there used to be quite a few worshippers copying scriptures, but in the past two days, some bad rumors have spread about the scripture copying hall, so the abbot of Donglin Temple has temporarily closed the scripture copying business, which has made things convenient for Wei Shaoxuan and others.
Not long ago, while Qiu Shenji was desperately holding off the eldest daughter of Yunmeng Jianze on Xiaogushan Mountain, he gained some time.
Wei Shaoxuan, Liu Fu and others hurriedly left Longcheng County and rushed to the bustling Dagushan Mountain. Taking advantage of the chaos of the crowd, they sneaked into Donglin Temple.
At this moment, Boss Li, whom we hadn't seen for a long time, cautiously approached Wei Shaoxuan from behind, his eyes darting around as he said:
"Sixth Young Master, rest assured, there are many people here. People from dozens of miles around gather on the mountain. No matter how fiercely the Great Lady of Yunmeng and Mr. Qiu fight, even if it turns the sky dark, they will take the initiative to stay away from here."
"The truly wise hide in plain sight; finding us here is like looking for a needle in a haystack!"
Boss Li patted his chest confidently.
Wei Shaoxuan nodded slowly, then asked, "What about our godfather?"
“Mr. Qiu knows that you, young master, are going to translate Buddhist scriptures and sword techniques, so you should be able to guess that we are here. Don’t worry, Sixth Young Master, there are people watching outside. As long as Mr. Qiu comes here, he will be able to find us.”
Wei Shaoxuan frowned, glanced at the sky in the direction of Little Lonely Mountain, and said impatiently:
"Of course I know my godfather is intelligent. What I'm worried about is the fight between my godfather and Xue Zhongzhu..."
He gritted his teeth:
"How did Xue Zhongzhu know about the Dingjian incident and come to Longcheng? Of all times, why did he have to come at this time? Could it be that someone tipped him off?"
Boss Li remained silent, trembling with fear.
Wei Shaoxuan's expression was uncertain. "It's really annoying when things go off track like this."
Boss Li suggested, "I will send someone to investigate. The most urgent task for the Sixth Young Master is to summon the true form of the Dingjian as soon as possible and secure this once-in-a-century fortune."
"I know." Wei Shaoxuan waved his hand and nodded slightly. "However, you should investigate the Liu family more thoroughly. There's something strange about Liu Zilin. He broke up with us on the way back, saying he was going back to the Liu family mansion on business. It sounded like an excuse, which is suspicious."
"Yes, Sixth Young Master."
Wei Shaoxuan turned his head and glanced at the sutra copying hall beneath his feet.
It is quite familiar.
He couldn't help but frown and glance back at the golden Buddha statue in the center of the hall.
The Buddha has a kind and benevolent expression.
Occasionally, a strange "thump" sound would come from the Buddha's body, echoing in the empty hall, which seemed rather eerie.
Wei Shaoxuan's expression shifted slightly. He reached into his sleeve and touched a jade ring covered in cracks.
He pursed his lips, ignored it, and turned to walk to a wooden table where incense burners and Buddhist scriptures had originally been placed.
At this moment, a Mo family sword box lay quietly on it.
Wei Shaoxuan reached out and stroked the box.
"Are the monks at Donglin Temple reliable?" he asked, looking down.
Not far behind Wei Shaoxuan and Boss Li, Master Shandao was sitting on the ground with a worried expression, surrounded by eight burly men holding knives, their gleaming blades pressed against his neck without any blind spots.
Before Master Shandao was a Sanskrit Buddhist scripture, and on the ground around him were Buddhist texts that were being read and examined.
The old monk chanted "Amitabha," but was covered in sweat as he buried himself in Buddhist scriptures, translating Sanskrit word by word.
Boss Li scratched his head and thought, "He's a temple abbot, a highly accomplished monk. Sixth Young Master, there shouldn't be anyone more powerful than him in Donglin Temple. We can't go wrong by capturing him."
Master Shandao perked up his ears, raised his hand to speak, and humbly smiled, saying that there were other eminent monks in the temple who were more knowledgeable in Sanskrit and the profound Buddhist teachings than he was, and that they could be invited to help Young Master Wei solve his worries.
As a result, they were coldly ignored by Wei Shaoxuan and the others.
Strange "thump" sounds occasionally echoed in the main hall, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that made the white-browed old monk's shoulders tremble from time to time.
Master Shandao looked around in a panic, his face long and pained.
“Young Master Wei, the matter of the marriage fortune sticks last time was definitely an accident. I took the wrong fortune stick container when I went out that day. My unfilial disciple Xiufa likes to use my fortune stick container, which caused me to take the wrong one. I have taken the right one today. Why don’t we take another one? I guarantee it will be accurate.”
Wei Shaoxuan's eye twitched violently. He stroked the sword box without looking to the side, and snorted coldly without saying a word.
"Alright, stop with the tricks, you old bald monk. All you do is ramble on and on. Just finish translating the Buddhist scriptures properly, and the Sixth Young Master will not only see you off with courtesy, but also reward you handsomely," Boss Li admonished and urged.
Just then, the palace door, which was several feet tall, creaked open, and Liu Fu appeared in the doorway, his hunched body squeezing into the hall through the crack in the door.
"Sixth Young Master!"
How's it outside?
"I haven't detected anyone from Yunmeng Jianze chasing after me yet."
"Hmm. Liu Fu, you've worked hard all these years in the Liu family. When I return, I'll ask my father for credit for you."
Wei Shaoxuan breathed a sigh of relief, but Liu Fu's next words made him raise his eyebrows.
"Thank you, young master. It is all I should do. I will always remember the kindness of the King of Wei. However, when I returned, I also found traces of an interesting family. I think you might be interested."
"Which family?" Wei Shaoxuan asked curiously.
The main hall was pushed open a little more, and Liu Fu pointed to the Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall next door and said:
"The Su family from Luming Street took refuge in the neighboring house."
Wei Shaoxuan raised an eyebrow.
"Just their family?"
"It was just their family, all four of them, with only a few maids and servants accompanying them, hiding furtively."
"Where is that Xie woman?"
"No trace of him." After a pause, the lame steward straightened his back and said calmly, "Even if he were here, he couldn't harm the young master."
"Is that so..." Wei Shaoxuan looked over there with interest, then turned to Boss Li and said:
"Didn't you run back earlier and say that the Li family was rescued by the Xie family? How did they end up here?"
"I don't know either. Maybe they're just taking refuge... The people of Longcheng are all running to the mountains. The Su family is a wealthy household that donated money, so it's normal that they were given a place in the main hall."
After finishing his story, Boss Li recalled with a mournful face:
"I was instructed by the Sixth Young Master to send men disguised as bandits to take control of the Su residence. I was hoping the Sixth Young Master would return so I could 'rescue the beauty,' but I didn't expect that Xie woman to arrive so quickly... Luckily, I ran fast, or I would have been caught and exposed."
Wei Shaoxuan lowered his eyes, nodded, and did not answer. After pondering for a while, he muttered to himself:
"If we can be neighbors, and you're young lady, it seems we're really destined to be together. Those two broken fortune sticks of that old monk were just talking nonsense."
"It's alright." Wei Shaoxuan suddenly patted Boss Li on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Since you didn't give anything away, you've already done a great job. However, we'll have to trouble Boss Li again."
The Persian merchant was taken aback upon hearing this, and a cautious look appeared in his cat-like green eyes. He bowed and asked, "It is all within my duty. Please give me your instructions, Sixth Prince."
Wei Shaoxuan draped his arm over Boss Li's shoulder, pointed to the Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall next door, and squinted:
"Let's go again."
"..."
...
A figure in a red dress swiftly traversed the empty streets of Longcheng County, leaping across rooftops.
They rushed towards Luming Street.
Her graceful figure was as stunning as a swan.
Her dress fluttered hastily.
He would occasionally stagger and look around anxiously.
However, the county town was deserted at the moment, and no one saw this sorrowful figure.
At a certain moment, on an exterior wall facing the street in Meiluyuan.
The woman in red suddenly stopped, panting as she looked around.
She clutched a white sandalwood target knife that she had just gotten her hands on again.
"Senior Brother..."
Those once beautiful eyes were now completely red-rimmed, and her pale lips murmured:
"Where did you take Liu Zilin and the others... How could you be so stupid..."
The cold wind made the red dress on the wall sway from side to side, as if it might fall down at any moment.
Xie Lingjiang looked around blankly.
She temporarily put aside the smoke and flames rising from the distant mountains upstream, and the aftershocks of the battle on Xiaogushan Mountain across Butterfly Creek behind her.
Xie Lingjiang knew that if her senior brother were by her side at this moment, he would definitely tap her on the head and tell her to calm down and not to be rash and impulsive.
After making proper arrangements for her uncle's family and fulfilling her duties to the best of her ability, she didn't want to stay a moment longer. Without stopping, she rushed down Dagushan Mountain to search for the ancient Yue sword shop.
Full of joy and anticipation for help, she ran over, only to receive a cold, sharp knife from Yan Liulang, along with a piece of news that struck her like a bolt from the blue.
Ouyang Rong left with Liu Zilin.
She felt dizzy just listening to what happened at the Guyue Sword Shop and on Xiaogushan Mountain not long ago, let alone the terrible news involving her senior brother.
After hastily administering a Rejuvenating Pill to A Qing, who had fainted from blood loss, Xie Lingjiang left the sword shop without a moment's hesitation to search for Ouyang Rong's whereabouts.
Previously, Ouyang Rong and Liu Zilin had traveled by fast boat, and Ouyang Rong had even given orders that Yan Liulang and the others were not allowed to follow, without explaining in detail where they were going.
At present, no one knows where Ouyang Rong took Liu Zilin.
"What 'illusory thing'? What illusory thing would Senior Brother have? I know him well enough. Before today, Senior Brother knew nothing about the Cauldron Sword. If this wasn't just something he made up on the spot to save A Qing and fool Liu Zilin..."
“I heard about what happened from the surviving craftsmen. Ah Shan clearly stepped forward on his own. He sacrificed himself for Longcheng, not for you. Why do you feel so guilty and blame yourself for everything?”
She bit her lower lip tightly, her face full of tenderness and affection:
"Senior brother, senior brother, where did you take Liu Zilin...?"
A lone woman in red stood atop the wall, a gentle, cold breeze carrying away her anxious whispers.
Just then, a slight sound of a door being pushed open came from ahead. Xie Lingjiang was startled and looked up.
Not far away in the Sika Deer Park, a young woman walked out of a house through a door.
This unfamiliar girl had eyes like streams and eyebrows as delicate as the landscapes of Wu and Yue, yet she carried a long sword on her back, a sword that seemed quite out of place with her small and slender frame.
She wore a simple, plain white Wu-style long dress, her hair was tied up, and she wore an old wooden hairpin.
At that moment, the girl in the Wu skirt lowered her head and walked out of the house.
Whether it was because Xie Lingjiang was too heartbroken and dejected, or for some other reason, her keen senses failed to detect anyone around her.
If I hadn't caught a glimpse of this girl in the Wu skirt out of the corner of my eye, I would have almost turned away and ignored her.
This woman's every move seemed to leave no trace, giving people the feeling of a quiet, invisible person.
Despite her delicate and beautiful features, she is extremely easy to overlook, even in the eyes of a Qi cultivator.
Still as a virgin.
Xie Lingjiang's pupils contracted slightly.
In the plum grove courtyard, the girl in the Wu skirt frowned slightly, her eyes reddened, and she lowered her head as she walked out of the house. She seemed to be in a very low mood. She didn't even notice the woman in red standing quietly on the wall not far away until she was almost at the courtyard gate.
She only looked up briefly when Xie Lingjiang's gaze became too obvious.
Two pairs of eyes met in the air.
One woman stands on the wall, and another woman stands in the courtyard.
They gaze at each other from afar.
A moment of silence fell over the air in the Sika Deer Park.
The two women who are both searching for the same person today seem to be the same, yet also different.
What they had in common was that their eyes were red-rimmed, their faces were tired, and their eyes were anxious or disappointed.
The difference is that the two women each have their own unique beauty.
One woman in red, noble and elegant; the other in white, slender and beautiful.
Thus, Xie Lingjiang's radiant appearance conveyed a sense of stubbornness and obsession, befitting a well-bred lady.
The young woman in the Wu skirt appeared delicate and pitiful, like a girl from a modest family.
The two women stared at each other silently for a while.
"Who are you, young lady? Why are you trespassing into my senior brother's courtyard? What are you looking for?"
Xie Lingjiang asked with a furrowed brow.
The girl in the Wu skirt carrying a sword on her back seemed unsurprised by Xie Lingjiang's appearance, her gaze drawn to the sword in her hand.
Xie Lingjiang gripped the skirt-shaped knife she had once given to her senior brother tightly, tilted her head, and asked, "You recognize it? You recognize my senior brother?"
The girl in the skirt did not reply.
The mute girl kept glancing out of the corner of her eye towards the direction of Little Lonely Mountain on the opposite bank, her small face showing worry and fear that she could not shake off.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly noticed that the woman's right hand, which was hanging down from her long sleeve, was missing a little finger.
At this moment, the mute girl with the severed finger suddenly looked up.
Xie Lingjiang also looked up.
A small white dot appeared in the sky, moving slowly, as if a snow-white bird was flying in, getting closer and closer to the two women's heads.
Xie Lingjiang quickly looked down and saw that the girl in the skirt had disappeared without a trace in the courtyard ahead.
They left without a sound.
However, she seemed to be trying her best to avoid something.
Xie Lingjiang frowned and looked around: "This ancient dress...and carrying a sword, and the little finger is missing...it seems a bit familiar."
Just then, Xie Lingjiang suddenly sensed that the jade piece she had left for Li Guo'er before going down the mountain, which was infused with her spiritual energy, had shattered.
"Did Li's sister find her senior brother? Is he at Donglin Temple? Or is he in danger?"
Xie Lingjiang put the strange girl out of her mind.
He rushed back to Dagushan, stormed into Donglin Temple, and headed straight for the Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall.
At the entrance of the main hall, Xie Lingjiang, who had rushed back, slowly stopped.
Inside the main hall, besides Li Xian's family, there were quite a few other figures, led by a smiling young master.
The atmosphere inside the hall was not tense, but rather harmonious and pleasant.
Xie Lingjiang turned her head and looked at the crowd behind her uncle.
Li Guo'er lifted a corner of the thin veil on her cheek with her fingertips, her starry eyes glancing sideways.
The two women exchanged glances.
(End of this chapter)
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