A Glimpse into the Hundred Faces (18)
"Your master needs time to adjust, so just wait patiently."
The one who spoke was the blindfolded woman. Later, Yun Yanqiu learned that her name was Wu Shao, a witch from the Valley of Witches. She was skilled in divination and knew some of the secret arts unique to the witch clan. She had come to implant a magical artifact into Li Zhoubai's body. It was said that this artifact could limit his cultivation and prevent him from attracting heavenly lightning when he moved around outside Xuanming Mountain.
Although Wu Shao was blindfolded, his movements were not affected at all. He spent his days either ordering Yun Yanqiu to make tea or nagging him, "Are you really Li Zhoubai's apprentice? Or just his servant?"
"Yes, I am your disciple." Yun Yanqiu poured tea with a slightly awkward manner, causing small ripples to appear in the cup.
Wu Shao's eyes lit up, as if she had discovered something rare: "I never expected that someone as aloof as him would actually take on a disciple." After saying that, she took a sip of tea and then asked, "So it's true that he has a Daoist partner?"
"yes."
"Wow, not bad!" Wu Shao clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I thought he was going to live a lonely life!"
This attitude surprised Yun Yanqiu, as if the Li Zhoubai she spoke of was a completely different person from the master he knew. He couldn't help but ask, "Have you known my master for a long time?"
“That’s quite a long time ago.” Wu Shao crossed his legs and downed his tea in one gulp. His bold posture made it seem as if he were drinking wine rather than tea. “When your master was young, he often traveled with us.”
Yun Yanqiu paused slightly as he added tea, surprised by the unexpected connection between them.
Wu Shao chuckled softly, then suddenly lowered her voice and asked mysteriously, "Do you know who else is with us?" The boy looked blank. She tilted her head, propped her chin up with her hand, and curled her lips into a playful smile: "Never mind, none of them are big shots. They've all gone their separate ways now, and they might even become enemies in the future."
These words seemed like casual remarks, but as soon as Yun Yanqiu thought about her identity as a shrine maiden, she couldn't help but feel heavy-hearted.
Wu Shao, however, didn't seem to care and changed the subject: "Do you have a Daoist partner?"
"Huh?" The topic changed so suddenly that Yun Yanqiu was stunned for a moment.
"Looks like there isn't one," Wu Shao said with a mischievous smile. "Then do you prefer someone older or younger than you?"
“…” Yun Yanqiu frowned and remained silent.
Wu Shao leaned against the table and continued to joke, "Tell me about it, maybe there's someone suitable in our valley who can set you up."
"No need," Yun Yanqiu decisively refused. "I'm not interested."
"Not interested?" Wu Shao perked up instead. "What, have you already set your sights on someone?"
Yun Yanqiu didn't want to say anything more, pursed his lips, and turned to leave.
"Don't go!" Wu Shao quickly stopped him. "How about I tell your fortune about marriage?"
"unnecessary."
"Tsk tsk, as expected of Li Zhoubai's apprentice, even the tone of voice is exactly the same!" Wu Shao shook his head and sighed, "Young man, you'll easily get beaten up outside like this!"
Yun Yanqiu left quickly, expressionless, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would be overwhelmed by the woman's nagging. So this is what the Witch Clan is like—completely different from the mysterious and aloof figures described in the books!
He hurried back to his courtyard, and as soon as he entered the house, he saw Yingying fast asleep on his quilt.
Back in his courtyard, he pushed open the door and saw Yingying curled up asleep on the bed. Yun Yanqiu's eyes softened instantly. He quietly sat down by the bed, his fingertips stroking the bird's soft feathers, and a feeling of boundless tenderness welled up in his heart.
After Yingying shielded him from the aftershocks of the tribulation lightning that day, she fell into a deep sleep. Perhaps due to the depletion of her spiritual energy, she could only recover in this way. If the little bird hadn't been breathing steadily, he would have almost immediately set off for Jinzhou to seek Qi Rongting's help.
Gazing at the fluffy little creature, he unconsciously lay down, his eyelids slightly lowered, lost in thought. Yun Yanqiu felt that having this little bird was wonderful, almost like a dream; he simply couldn't imagine life without it.
He couldn't resist stroking the little bird's downy feathers, while Ye Yingying slept soundly, completely unaware that someone was patiently stroking her head. Even though the tuft of feathers was flattened by Yunyan Hill, she remained sound asleep.
Yun Yanqiu chuckled to himself as he looked at his "masterpiece," the image of Yingying shaking her feathers after waking up flashing in his mind. Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed that the little bird had drowsily opened its eyes.
His breath hitched, and his hand, which had been stroking the feathers, hung in mid-air, feeling inexplicably guilty.
Ye Yingying, however, did not notice anything amiss. She habitually shook her body, and her eyes lit up the moment she saw Yun Yanqiu. She rolled over and bumped into his arms, rubbing against him affectionately.
The boy was flattered and quickly curled up to hold the little bird in his arms, his palm covering the soft downy feathers again: "Have you slept enough?" The blue-and-white bird chirped happily and snuggled closer to his palm. Yun Yanqiu felt his heart melt. He held the little ball of fur in one hand, his eyes overflowing with joy.
If Yunyuxi were to see this scene, he would surely accuse him of wasting his time on frivolous pursuits. But Yunyanqiu didn't care at all—with Yingying by his side, what did other people's opinions matter?
The man and the bird stared at each other in silence. Yun Yanqiu was mesmerized when he suddenly heard unhurried footsteps outside. He sat up abruptly, tucked the bird into his clothes, and pushed open the door. He found that standing outside was none other than Qin Wenshuang.
"Master's wife?"
"Shh—" Qin Wenshuang put his index finger to his lips, a complex emotion swirling between his brows, "Where is your master?"
“He…” Yun Yanqiu was speechless for a moment, staring blankly at Qin Wenshuang who had suddenly appeared, “He is in seclusion.”
"Seclusion?" Qin Wenshuang frowned in confusion. "Who is that woman in the courtyard?"
“She’s an old friend of Master’s,” Yun Yanqiu answered truthfully. “Master wanted to go down the mountain to find you, so he specially asked her to help suppress your cultivation.”
Qin Wenshuang's expression froze: "Suppressed cultivation? What did they do?"
"I'm not entirely sure either, but Master went into seclusion precisely for this matter..." Yun Yanqiu paused, then couldn't help but ask, "Master's wife, why did you suddenly come back?"
“Those demonic cultivators have calmed down for now, so I came back to check on them.” Qin Wenshuang put her hands on her hips, her tone calm, but her knuckles tightened unconsciously. “By the way… there are some things I need to ask your master.”
"What's up?"
I can't tell you right now.
"Oh." Yun Yanqiu wisely refrained from asking any further questions.
After a brief silence, Qin Wenshuang unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck and suddenly said, "Why don't you come with me to see that woman?"
Yun Yanqiu's eyelids twitched. He had just escaped from Wu Shao's place, and if he went back now, he might get teased by her again. He could already picture that woman's face! Yun Yanqiu forced a smile and said, "Master's wife, that person is really difficult to deal with. Why don't you go by yourself?"
"Do you think I can handle this? I don't even know who she is." Qin Wenshuang bit her lip, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes. "Your master has never mentioned to me that he knows any other women..."
Oh, so that's what you're worried about. Yun Yanqiu suddenly realized and quickly explained, "She's Wu Shao from Wuren Valley. She used to travel around with my master. That's all."
"The Witch Clan?" Qin Wen's pupils contracted slightly, and she froze on the spot as if struck by something. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Master's wife, what's wrong?" Yun Yanqiu stepped forward with concern.
Qin Wenshuang seemed to wake from a dream, and hurriedly shook her head: "It's nothing. Since that's the case, I'll go see her myself." After saying that, she turned and left, her back view revealing a hint of panic.
Yun Yanqiu watched her retreating figure, feeling that something was amiss. Just as he hesitated whether to follow, Ye Yingying in his arms suddenly flapped her wings and flew in the direction Qin Wenshuang had left.
"Yingying!" Yun Yanqiu panicked upon seeing this and quickly followed.
The little bird darted nimbly through the lush foliage, guiding him along the winding path. Finally, he had to climb a branch to catch the mischievous bird. Turning his head, he discovered that from this vantage point, he could see the courtyard not far away—Qin Wenshuang and Wu Shao stood facing each other, one seated on a stone bench, the other frozen in place, as if separated by an invisible chasm.
Even from a distance, Yun Yanqiu could feel the heavy atmosphere. He held his breath and vaguely heard Wu Shao's smiling voice: "So Li Zhoubai really does have a Daoist partner. I thought his disciple was joking."
Qin Wenshuang stood there with her arms crossed, looking somewhat nervous. Seeing this, Wu Shao joked, "Miss Qin, why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea with me? Standing like this makes me, as a guest, seem impolite."
"That's not what I meant." Qin Wenshuang's voice tightened. "I just... heard some rumors on my way back. And you just happened to be here, it's just... too much of a coincidence."
"Oh?" Wu Shao leaned closer with interest. "What news has made you so nervous? Why don't you tell me?"
Wu Shao's attitude was relatively friendly. Qin Wenshuang took a deep breath and then slowly asked, "You... know Lu Jiuzhong?"
The teacup on the stone table trembled slightly. Wu Shao was taken aback, pondered for a moment, and then nodded in acknowledgment, "I do have some connection with him."
Upon hearing this, Qin Wenshuang's face darkened, and she suddenly felt dizzy. She quickly covered her forehead, her knuckles turning white as she forced herself to calm down.
Then, she spoke with difficulty, her voice almost hoarse: "What kind of person was Li Zhoubai before?"
The breeze on the mountain suddenly stopped, and she was met with an eerie silence.
Wu Shao's blindfold stopped moving, and the smile on her lips gradually faded. She remained silent, as if considering how to begin. The more silent she was, the more tormented Qin Wenshuang felt.
After a long silence, Wu Shao sighed softly, "Miss Qin, the Li Zhoubai I know is definitely very different from the one you know." She paused, then continued, "But no matter what Lu Jiuzhong told you, Li Zhoubai's feelings for you are genuine. People change, things change, and some conclusions... shouldn't be drawn too early."
Qin Wenshuang froze on the spot like a statue. Wu Shao seemed to see her trembling fingertips and said softly, "You actually prefer to hear the answer from him himself rather than from me, don't you?"
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