Breaking the exquisite (5)
In the dead of night, the bright moon was veiled by dark, veil-like clouds, appearing and disappearing intermittently. Two miles from Yuancheng stood a high mountain, its trees lush and towering into the clouds. Occasionally, a few faint rays of light would fall through the forest, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
A cold wind occasionally swept by, shaking the branches of the trees. Moonlight shone on their shadows, which danced on the ground, holding a silent banquet, tranquil and eerie. Suddenly, a solitary figure passed through the woods, her light footsteps treading on the fallen leaves, creating a crisp sound.
She moved with incredible speed, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye. When she reappeared, the moon cast a faint ray of light, illuminating her silhouette and revealing her cold, beautiful face. She was a strikingly beautiful woman with fair skin, unadorned, and her phoenix eyes were sharp and deep, unfathomable. She wore black, her dark hair casually tied back with a hairpin, a few strands falling loosely, giving her a carefree beauty. Yet, she exuded an aura of coldness that kept everyone at a distance, impossible to ignore.
The woman stopped, surveyed her surroundings, and finally fixed her gaze on a stone tablet. The tablet was carved from white marble, its base broad and sturdy, its cap adorned with intricate patterns—clearly the work of a wealthy family. In the very center of the tablet were bold characters: “Tomb of the late, illustrious father, Duke Qi, whose given name was Ao.”
This is the tombstone of Qi Ao, the seventh patriarch of the Qi family. If asked about his extraordinary abilities, most of the Qi family's descendants would remain tight-lipped. After all, it was this man who once scattered ten thousand taels of gold at a banquet attended by powerful and influential families, just to make a smile from the beauty known as the most beautiful woman in the world. Later, the beauty was heartless and abandoned him, eloping with some unknown lover.
This matter spread throughout the cultivation world and became a topic of casual conversation. Its popularity led to the Qi family being regarded as a representative of "foolish, rich, and vulgar" for a long time.
However, some believe Qi Ao did it intentionally. After all, his extravagant spending became known throughout the continents, boosting the Qi family's fame and business. Qi Ao remained unmarried for life, having only one adopted son, which added a romantic touch to his extravagant spending saga. However, the truth has long since vanished with his passing, and further speculation remains merely conjecture.
Qin Zhiqing stared absently at the tombstone when suddenly, footsteps echoed from the woods behind her. At first, the footsteps were very light, hidden in the wind, making them difficult to discern. But then, the sound grew clearer, seemingly four feet tapping the ground alternately. She looked around warily, holding her breath, listening intently to pinpoint the direction of the sound. The unknown footsteps were sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, chaotic yet possessing their own unique rhythm, much like the drumbeats of a marching army, filled with a sense of oppression.
Qin Zhiqing bent down, lowering her center of gravity, assuming a defensive posture. One hand rested on the short knife at her waist, poised to strike. As soon as the owner of the footsteps approached, she would not hesitate to stab it in a vital spot.
She waited patiently for the enemy to appear, but the footsteps lingered around the trees around her for a while before gradually fading away.
Knowing this was no place to linger, Qin Zhiqing decisively rushed back the route she had come from. She leaped lightly through the air, minimizing her noise. The dark forest was shrouded in gloom, and as she drew closer to the exit she had marked, Qin Zhiqing gradually lowered her guard. Just then, a golden light flashed into her peripheral vision. Qin Zhiqing turned her head sharply, only to find only darkness.
This wasn't the first time; there must be some living creature in these mountains. Qin Zhiqing gritted her teeth and quickened her pace. Her slender figure darted out of the forest, returning to her courtyard in Yuancheng in the blink of an eye.
Qin Zhiqing knew the patrol routes of the household servants like the back of her hand. She avoided their gazes and easily slipped into the bedroom. Then, she pulled off the jade hairpin from her hair, letting her long, flowing hair cascade over her shoulders. Qin Zhiqing changed out of her night clothes and hid under the bed before climbing into bed and falling into a deep sleep.
The next day, gentle sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Her maidservant arrived at the appointed time and gently knocked on the door, saying, "Miss, it's time to get up."
The maid pushed open the door and entered, only to see her young mistress sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes clear and bright. As expected of the eldest daughter of the Qin family, she was self-disciplined and strict with herself; even something as common as sleeping in late had never happened to her.
"Has the Qi family said what the arrangements are for today?" Qin Zhiqing got up and washed her face with the water brought in by the maid.
"Miss, Young Master Qi said he would like to invite you to listen to music at the Drunken Gold Pavilion in the city today."
"Listen to music?"
Qin Zhiqing frowned slightly, a hint of doubt on her face. Neither the Qi nor Qin families had a custom against the bride and groom meeting before the wedding, which was why she had agreed to Qi Shuojun's frequent invitations recently. But in the past, it was always Qi Shuojun who took the initiative to come to her residence; this was the first time he had invited her out for a gathering.
The maid seemed to sense her mistress's confusion and said demurely, "Perhaps Young Master Qi is worried that you're too bored staying at home, so he wants to invite you out to relax?"
Since Qin Zhiqing moved into this house in Yuancheng, she has hardly left the house. So, it's not hard to understand why Qi Shuojun invited her.
"Miss, we can also take this opportunity to see if any of those beautiful women in the restaurant have any designs on Young Master Qi," the maid suggested. "At the very least, it can boost our prestige and let them see who is the future mistress of the Qi family."
"Zhi Que," Qin Zhiqing snapped, casting a slightly warning glance at her. "You're getting more and more outrageous."
"It was my fault for being so talkative." The maid named Zhique bowed her head in apology and curtsied to Qin Zhiqing.
"I've told you countless times to be careful with your words and actions. This is still the Qi family's residence. If someone with ulterior motives were to overhear this, it would not only be me who would lose face, but also the Qin family."
Zhique dared not say anything more, only whispering, "This servant knows her mistake."
"Comb my hair."
Qin Zhiqing swept her hair behind her back and sat down calmly in front of the mirror. Zhi Que stepped forward, picked up a sandalwood comb from the side, and gently combed a strand of her long hair.
Zhique had served Qin Zhiqing for quite some time, but she could never quite figure out what her mistress was thinking. The biggest difference between Qin Zhiqing and all the other mistresses she had ever met was that this young lady didn't like to talk about the intrigues and power struggles within the household.
When Qin Zhiqing was the only young lady in the Qin family, Zhique didn't think much of it. But after the master took a concubine and then had a second and third young lady, Qin Zhiqing still didn't care. She never competed or fought for anything, and was always the most inconspicuous one in the family. If she hadn't made a name for herself at the Gathering of Heroes, she probably would have lost her marriage to Young Master Qi to those two young ladies.
Although Qin Zhiqing didn't care, Zhique did! Back in the Qin family, the eldest daughter was at least a legitimate heiress, and with that title, even if the two younger sisters acted recklessly, they couldn't touch her. But in Yuancheng, it was the Qi family's domain. What if Young Master Qi brought some confidante into the family one day? Wouldn't the young lady be bullied? As a maid, Zhique's fate was intertwined with her mistress's; how could she not understand this crucial connection?
To be frank, the young lady and Young Master Qi's relationship was merely an arranged marriage between their elders when they were children. The lack of a solid emotional foundation was already a problem. When Young Master Qi finally came to them hoping to build a relationship, the young lady always maintained a calm and indifferent expression, never giving him a smile. Let alone Young Master Qi, even if it were her, Zhi Que, marrying such a cold and aloof woman would certainly cause some reservations.
Men are inherently fickle. What if, because of the young lady's cold attitude after marriage, Young Master Qi runs off to find new lovers, and the concubines start dominating the mistress? What will happen then? Surely we can't just rely on our superior cultivation to beat them all into submission? Or does the young lady intend to beat Young Master Qi into submission, so he won't dare to have multiple wives and concubines? No, no, our young lady isn't that violent!
While Zhique was lost in thought, Qin Zhiqing was oblivious to it all. Her investigation of the Qi family ancestral land was making no progress; the true nature of that mysterious golden light was still a concern, and failing to uncover it would likely hinder her future plans. With her wedding fast approaching, her time was running out…
But despite her urgency, Qi Shuojun came to see her every day, staying for most of the day, and she had to deal with him to avoid arousing his suspicion. Therefore, aside from the quiet of the night, she simply didn't have any extra time to investigate the situation in the ancestral lands. Just like now, she could only go to the Drunken Gold Pavilion for her appointment—
Qin Zhiqing boarded the carriage prepared for her by Qi Shuojun and arrived at Zuijinlou. Zhique followed behind her, and together they were invited by the manager into a private room that had been prepared beforehand. Before the door was even opened, the sounds of string and wind instruments could be heard from inside, interspersed with a few voices, seemingly engaged in conversation. Qin Zhiqing was suspicious. She watched as the door was pushed open, and saw her impeccably dressed groom sitting directly in front of her, holding a wine cup and talking to a young swordsman in white beside him.
She recognized the young swordsman; he was Zhao Yuxiao, the young master of the Lingyun Alliance, whom she had defeated at the Heroes' Gathering. Beside Zhao Yuxiao sat a stranger. All three of them turned to look when the door opened.
Qi Shuojun's eyes lit up when she saw it was her. She smiled and waved to her, then patted the empty seat next to her and said, "Zhiqing, come and sit down!"
Qin Zhiqing didn't say much, but moved directly to his side, then glanced at the unfamiliar woman. The woman's eyes sparkled, and she smiled warmly, waving to Qin Zhiqing when their eyes met.
"This is Miss Ye, my guest. She just arrived from the Secret Sea yesterday. Let's have a meal together today as a welcome back dinner," Qi Shuojun introduced her.
Ye Yingying took the initiative to bow to Qin Zhiqing: "I am Ye Yingying, and I greet Miss Qin."
Qi Shuojun coughed twice and added, "I had also invited Senior Yun, who is a guest elder of the Lingyun Alliance. Zhao Yuxiao rarely sees him, so he specially came to attend our wedding. But Senior Yun is unwell today and is resting at the inn, so he couldn't come."
After listening to this introduction, Qin Zhiqing observed Ye Yingying again. She saw that Ye Yingying still had that same smile, which was hard to understand.
The Qi family wedding wasn't something just anyone could attend; the guest list had been finalized a month in advance. Their sudden arrival at this crucial moment must have a different reason. Seeing this, Qin Zhiqing felt a sense of foreboding; she had probably come to the wrong place for this meal.
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