Chapter 91 World Four (Eighteen)
Baoshan raised her head, her pink eyelids were as red and swollen as apricot kernels, but it did not diminish her beauty at all.
The tip of her straight nose was tinged with red, the same color as her soft lips. Her eyes were as if washed by a spring, shimmering and revealing a hint of pity.
The little donkey's near-accident was merely the trigger for her cries. Baoshan's heart sank. If it was the little donkey who suffered today, she might suffer in the future. She was frail, powerless; any disciple from Yunning Peak could have used brute force to restrain her. Baoshan's voice trembled, like the gentle sound of a reed, as she collapsed into Xie Wenying's arms, seeking some solace.
"I'm afraid..."
It goes without saying what one is afraid of.
Xie Wenying's eyes darkened as his thoughts raced. Before he could come up with a plan, a soft hand grasped his arm, and he whispered softly, "There are so many dangers in this world. I'm afraid I'll lose my life if I'm not careful."
Just listening to what Baoshan said and imagining the scene of her death, Xie Wenying's heart seemed to be thrown high into the air and fall into a bottomless ravine.
Xie Wenying denied Baoshan's words in a deep voice: "No, I'm here."
This statement had nothing to do with love, but rather a sense of responsibility. During the many days that Baoshan had stayed at Yunning Peak, Xie Wenying had grown accustomed to protecting and caring for her. He was also able to handle Baoshan's sudden heart attack with ease, unlike his initial panic. Xie Wenying had grown accustomed to Baoshan's softness and fragility. Or perhaps, like a frog in boiling water, he had become accustomed to the fact that Baoshan was under his wing, taking it for granted.
Baoshan's emotions gradually calmed down. As Xie Wenying stood up to leave, he noticed the crimson shirt she was wearing. His dark eyes narrowed slightly: Given Baoshan's temperament, she rarely wore such bright colors.
But Xie Wenying didn't ask. He felt a little strange, actually starting to pay attention to women's clothing and appearance. This was really inappropriate. Xie Wenying thought: I still need to practice swordsmanship diligently to eliminate distracting thoughts and clear my mind.
When the room was quiet again, Baoshan stepped down from the bed in her brocade embroidered shoes. She used a warm handkerchief to gently apply to the redness and swelling of her eyes.
Looking at herself in the diamond-shaped mirror, wearing a crimson shirt, Baoshan frowned slightly.
In the diamond-shaped mirror, her face was slightly pale, which should not have matched such bright clothes.
But the pink color on the lips complements the bright red color, showing a different kind of beauty.
But Baoshan had no intention of watching. He took off his outer coat and changed into a light-colored dress.
Thinking of Bai Jiqing's words, Baoshan's brows darkened slightly. If these were really the clothes of other disciples, why was the person who changed her clothes not a gentle woman, but a strong and powerful man?
Although Baoshan was unconscious, the burning gaze fixed on her could not be ignored.
She seemed to be being watched by an unknown beast, treated as a meal, a pawn in its hand. Bao Shan's brows relaxed, his heart at ease.
She was so weak and pitiful, she could only belong to Xie Wenying. Similarly, the righteous Xie Wenying could only belong to her.
When Baoshan went to see the little donkey, it was lying in the stable, its eyes, which usually sparkled brightly.
Now it was drooping limply, with its front hooves bent, its hind legs stretched straight, and even its tail hanging down in dejection, without any spirit at all.
Hearing the approaching sound, the little donkey pricked up its ears. The soft hand of the precious fan gently stroked its fur. The lower left side of its neck was extremely white, and without the sleek mane, it looked pitiful and ridiculous.
Baoshan's palm was extremely light and the voice was soft, which made people weaken.
The land of gentleness moves not only humans but also all living things.
The little donkey perked up, stretched out its four hooves, and neighed cheerfully. Baoshan whispered, "Still so restless! This time, it's only a little damage to its fur. Next time..."
She patted the donkey's head gently and said, "Next time, you will be used as a meal by others."
Baoshan knew that the little donkey was fine. After all, she had been with Baiwei for a long time and was already familiar with his temper.
If the little donkey had been used as a meal, Baiwei's anger would certainly not have been as mild as it was that day.
Everyone in the kitchen only knew that Baiwei was shy and his occasional angry outbursts were frightening, but they didn't know that his anger had already subsided.
Because the little donkey was locked in the kitchen, not in the food box.
Bao Shan wanted to use this opportunity to make his own situation clear—
She was frail and had no one to rely on on Yunning Peak. Even the donkey tied to Yunning Peak might be in danger, let alone her. The only person she could rely on was Xie Wenying.
Xie Wenying had already taken her under his wing. Compared to the simple responsibility he had felt towards the treasured fan when he first arrived at Yunning Peak, the desire to protect her now seemed to be growing from the bottom of his heart, entwined with his flesh and blood, inseparable.
Everyone in the kitchen was blamed, but they didn't dare to cry out even a little bit of grievance.
After all, they were willing to work for Qu Linglong without worrying about the consequences.
Although these people were not close friends with Baoshan, they had seen Baiwei walking with Baoshan, and he looked frail and fragile.
It was said that the delicate girl, Baoshan, had even been reduced to tears and injured because of their actions. The disciples in the kitchen blushed, filled with shame: they were fortunate enough to be able to circulate spiritual energy and enter Yunning Peak to practice martial arts. They should have upheld justice. Instead, they had resorted to bullying a weak woman. This was truly unjust.
Qu Linglong wanted to find everyone in the kitchen to "fight" against Xie Wenying's ruthlessness. He only knew how to protect the fragile precious fan, but was a cold-faced demon when facing her.
But everyone in the kitchen was feeling guilty, and when they saw Qu Linglong, they inexplicably felt a little uncomfortable.
Without waiting for Qu Linglong to say a few words, he found an excuse and hurried out.
Qu Linglong's old anger had not gone away, but instead she felt new annoyance.
It was not until she opened the wooden box and saw the dazzling red-tailed phoenix pearl hairpin that the depression in Qu Linglong's chest was relieved a little.
Just as she put it in her hair, she heard hurried footsteps outside and someone shouting, "Master is back!"
Qu Linglong's palms trembled and she almost dropped the hairpin to the ground.
Upon hearing the news that her master had returned, Qu Linglong was overjoyed. She pushed the door open and walked out, forgetting for a moment to take off the hairpin from her long black hair.
All the disciples of Yun Ning Peak are looking forward to it. They admire and respect the master who taught them martial arts and mental skills.
The precious fan is slender in shape, like a slender willow branch in early spring, and extremely flexible.
However, among the disciples of Yunning Peak, there was a young and impulsive one who almost bumped into Baoshan. In the end, it was Xie Wenying who rescued her from the predicament. Baoshan raised her porcelain-white face slightly and carefully studied Xie Wenying's expression.
Unlike others, he had no joyful expression on his face and seemed a little cold.
But Baoshan noticed that his body was slightly stiff, and knew in his heart that Xie Wenying was not completely without any affection for his master.
An old man with white hair and long beard came into everyone's sight.
He was in good spirits and his steps were not heavy but light and agile.
Baoshan couldn't tell his age. After all, there was spiritual energy lingering in this world, and everyone's lifespan had been extended.
It is impossible to guess his age just by looking at his face, let alone the fact that he is the master of all the disciples of Yun Ning Peak, whose internal strength is profound and unfathomable.
But Baoshan felt that this elder must be quite old. His eyes were as calm as water, and he faced the gazes of his disciples without revealing the slightest emotion.
Only those who have experienced too many years can put their emotions away, and no matter what sudden changes occur, they will not be disturbed in the slightest.
The elder walked up to Xie Wenying and asked, "Have you made any progress in martial arts?"
Xie Wenying answered them one by one.
The elder then asked the other disciples, but did not praise those who had made great progress.
He did not harshly rebuke the disciples who had not made progress. Finally, the elder's gaze fell on the treasure fan.
Bao Shan shuddered, her head lowered slightly. Xie Wenying moved sideways to block her. "She's the daughter of an old friend. I brought her to Yunning Peak."
The elder's eyes, as dry as water, finally wavered, not at the treasured fan, but because his most indifferent disciple had taken the initiative to stand in front of the woman.
The man is tall and straight, while the woman is gentle and docile, which is a perfect match in the eyes of the world.
Qu Linglong frowned slightly, feeling dissatisfied. It was fine on normal days, but why was there a fight over the treasured fan now that her master was back?
Qu Linglong quickly spoke, recounting the many things that had happened during the time the elder had been away from Yunning Peak.
She is like a chirping little bird, with a lively expression and is very close to the elders.
After Yun Ning Peak suffered a surprise attack, several disciples' wounds had not yet healed and suddenly turned black and festered. After careful investigation, it was discovered that they had been poisoned by a secret poison.
This poison will not take effect immediately and is extremely difficult to detect. By the time it takes effect, it has already penetrated deep into the bone marrow and is incurable.
Seeing several disciples struggling in pain, Ye Muya was extremely anxious.
But before she found a solution, her junior fellow apprentice told her that the master wanted to see her.
Ye Muya's heart sank slightly. After thinking for a moment, he still did not put down the clue in his lapel.
After all, if she keeps it on her, she can ensure its safety. If she keeps it in the room, she doesn't know when it will be taken away by others.
Ye Muya walked into the hall. Her master was sitting at the top of the table. Next to him stood Qu Linglong, her lips moving as if she was saying something.
Ye Muya stopped and clasped his fists slightly: "Master."
Only then did she hear clearly what Qu Linglong had just said, "The senior brother has changed," "The senior brother doesn't care about the feelings between disciples," and so on. Ye Muya was in a state of confusion, and only heard the deep, deep voice ringing out.
"Have you investigated the sneak attack?"
Ye Muya shook his head and told the truth about several disciples being poisoned.
"My disciples are useless. The attacker was vicious and used ruthless tactics. I should have gotten to the bottom of this and brought justice to Yun Ning Peak, but I found nothing."
The red-tailed phoenix pearl hairpin in Qu Linglong's hair was shining brightly. She lowered her eyelids and thought of Bai Jiqing.
Bai Jiqing also helped Ye Muya a lot, and he must have some ideas about the sneak attack.
Qu Linglong was happy to see Ye Muya get humiliated, so she suggested to her master: "Second Senior Sister has no clue, but maybe the others do."
So Bai Jiqing and several other disciples were called in, stood in the hall, and listened to the master's questions.
Bai Jiqing frowned slightly and presented the clues he had found one by one.
The same was true for the other disciples. Although they could not find any crucial clues, they still gained some small clues.
Ye Muya clenched the sword in his hand and watched as several people listed the clues.
These clues are only one or two tenths of what Ye Muya has.
Although I can get a glimpse of the details, I cannot connect the dots and find out who is behind the scenes.
Ye Muya's hand that was tightly gripping the sword relaxed slightly. She was struggling with two thoughts in her heart. She felt that what she was doing was wrong and that she should hand over the clues and find out who was behind the scenes so that she could detoxify the injured disciples and save them from the dire situation.
On the other hand, Ye Muya felt as if a string was stretched tight in her mind, and she didn't dare to relax for a moment.
If I hand over the clues, it will implicate others. I can't do that.
Bai Jiqing connected the clues presented to him, but he still had no idea. He could only apologize to his master, saying that he was truly incompetent.
"I wanted to help Second Senior Sister, but I couldn't even offer any help. I'm truly ashamed."
Bai Jiqing was usually gentle and smiling, but now, as he was blaming himself, he gave off a melancholy vibe that made it hard to criticize him.
The master did not blame him. He just looked at the tense second disciple and asked in a deep voice: "Mu Ya, what you should know will be known sooner or later. Why are you hiding it?"
Ye Muya's eyes widened, knowing that her master had seen through her. It was a waste of effort to cover it up, so she gave him all the clues.
The master didn't look at the clues, but only asked who was behind the scenes.
Ye Muya tightened her grip and spoke in a hoarse voice: "The clues point to the person behind the scenes..."
"It's Big Brother."
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