Take care of yourself
She remembered that Gu Yi once admitted that his Junior Master Charioteer's power in the North was not as great as Mo Yimingyue's Xingfeng Hall.
Mo Yimingyue's eyes brightened as she looked at A Qiu and said in a deep voice, "That happened after Master appeared. While I was hiding my identity and fleeing north alone, I was bullied by a group of villains on the banks of the Yangtze River. Master happened to be passing by at that time, rescued me, and took me back to Lanling Hall. You know what happened after that."
After that, he became the second disciple of Wan Qiqing, the master of Lanling Hall, and later became Xingfeng Hall Master, a renowned warlord on both land and sea. No one knew that he was once the son of a spy from the Northern Qiang.
Mo Yimingyue's current status and foundation are largely due to the protection of his master's name. Otherwise, given his status as the son of the traitor Mo Yi Bishuang, the Hu people would never have allowed him to establish a foothold and territory in the north.
Ah Qiu had a question, but he swallowed it back before he could say it.
Born and raised in the Southern Dynasty, she had no idea that her master, Wan Qiqing, wielded such influence in the North. Her subordinate, the Divine Weapon Hall, was primarily responsible for assassinations, but their intelligence network was inefficient. In the past, the information gathering and analysis before missions were handled by the Xingfeng Hall under Mo Yimingyue. Her men only needed to go to the designated location and complete the mission. The Xingfeng Hall handled the pre-mission diversion and the post-mission cleanup. Furthermore, A Qiu herself had never been to the North on a mission, so she knew almost nothing about her master Wan Qiqing's strength there.
Including this recent mission of Mo Yimingyue as an envoy of the Northern Qiang to the Southern Dynasty, he claimed it was on his master's orders. What exactly is the relationship between his master, Wanqiqing, and the Northern Qiang?
She had never considered this question before, because her master, in terms of appearance and demeanor, was the quintessential member of a prominent Southern Dynasty aristocratic family—clad in snow-white robes, serene and divine. She had always believed that her master had sent her to infiltrate the Southern Dynasty's central government to pave the way for his own ascension to the throne. After all, in chaotic times, only the capable could claim the throne, and which of the powerful clans of the Southern Dynasty wasn't eager to seize power and become emperor?
But only now did she realize, as if waking from a dream, that her master's surname, "Wanqi," was the noble surname of the Xianbei Tuoba, a minority ethnic group.
Although this may not be the master's real name.
At least she knew very well that he also had another name, "Shi Changqing".
Another fact, previously mentioned by Shangguan Yuqi, which she had overlooked, suddenly became clear amidst the myriad clues as she faced her senior brother, Mo Yimingyue.
Shangguan Yuqi once said that her thirteenth great-uncle, the high-ranking and honorable former Grand Chancellor of the Great Huan Dynasty, Shangguan Jin, later concluded that Shi Changqing, the musician of Xianshao Academy at the time, was very likely a spy from the Northern Qiang who had infiltrated the Southern Dynasty's court.
But that was a deduction made after Shangguan Jin retired. The former Huan court had nearly 10,000 musicians, and many of them were singers and dancers from other ethnic groups. Although Shi Changqing was dazzling, no one thought of that aspect.
But who is Shangguan Jin? His deductions are certainly not unfounded.
A Qiu's heart suddenly sank.
If her master were from a Southern Dynasty aristocratic family and only wanted to replace the rule of one clan with another, A Qiu believed that there was still room for negotiation between her and her sect. However, if the Northern Qiang were behind it, she would find it extremely difficult to make a decision and compromise.
The fact that Mo Yimingyue is waiting for her here at this moment is probably not just a simple matter of personal grudges over her betrayal of her sect, but also a struggle between the Northern Qiang and the Southern Dynasty regime represented by Gu Yi.
Mo Yimingyue said coldly, "You've finished asking me questions. Now it's my turn to ask you."
A-Qiu, on high alert, said, "I'm all ears."
Mo Yimingyue looked at her, a sharp glint in her eyes, and said, word by word, "Do you still consider yourself a disciple of Lanling Hall at this moment?"
This was a problem that A-Qiu had never anticipated.
That night at the Martial Saint Shrine, Master Wanqiqing had already publicly announced her expulsion from the sect. Although Master was free-spirited and unrestrained, he always meant what he said, and he wouldn't have uttered such heartless words unless he was truly enraged. However, as the current master of Lanling Hall, he always had to prioritize his own interests. If he wanted to achieve his great cause, he had to abandon her, and he wouldn't hesitate.
However, Gu Yi later said that Wan Qiqing had held back with those two palm strikes. Although they seemed fierce, they did not damage the root of the problem. Otherwise, A Qiu would not have recovered her internal strength so easily later.
A Qiu's mind flashed with memories of his time at Lanling Hall. Finally, he bit his lip and made up his mind, saying, "I will never forget my master's kindness in teaching me and his protection."
Mo Yimingyue stared intently at her and shouted, "Why do you only talk about kindness and not about affection?"
A-Qiu finally looked up, revealing an almost bitter smile. She seemed to be addressing Mo Yimingyue, yet also seemed to be murmuring to herself, "What kind of person is Master? In his heart, all things in heaven and earth are like straw dogs. He only shows kindness to people. As for the word 'loyalty,' who in the world is worthy to discuss loyalty with him?"
Her words perfectly captured Wan Qiqing's arrogance and aloofness, a true prodigy who looked down upon all others. He might not have been entirely devoid of affection for his disciples, but the exact degree to which that affection held sway in his heart was something no one could truly say.
Wan Qiqing is naturally a person with great charm and style in every gesture. Like the sun at its zenith, he inspires people to yearn for and admire his radiant brilliance.
But in reality, he is not a warm person.
Getting close to him will only result in two outcomes: either you will feel his icy, bone-chilling coldness, or you will feel his scorching, burning heat. And for an independent person, both of these are extremely unbearable.
Gu Yi was exactly the opposite of him.
He appeared calm and rarely showed any emotion, but whether he was a composed and taciturn young master in normal times or a ronin spouting wild words when he was having an episode, he always carefully controlled himself and did not hurt others.
If A Qiu were to confess her feelings in front of Gongyi Xiu, she certainly wouldn't dare say it. Because her eldest brother has always had an almost blind adoration and reverence for their master. She and Mo Yimingyue, however, tacitly ignore this and never try to shatter Gongyi Xiu's illusions.
She didn't know if her answer would satisfy Mo Yimingyue; she just didn't want to say something against her conscience to the person she had known and trusted since childhood.
Mo Yimingyue stared at her for a long time, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
He nodded and said, "It's wonderful that you can see it so clearly."
A-Qiu asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that, Senior Brother?"
Mo Yimingyue glanced thoughtfully at Jinling Terrace and said softly, "Now you should know how to deal with him."
A Qiu followed his gaze, but when she saw the tall, slender figure in white robes standing proudly on the third floor of Jinling Terrace, she almost lost her soul.
That's none other than Master Wan Qiqing, the master of Lanling Hall.
Seeing her flustered expression, Mo Yimingyue knew what she was worried about and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, I volunteered to clear the way for Master's trip into the palace. No one will know he's coming." She added, "At this moment, all the junior guards on duty at Jinlingtai have been knocked out by the sleeping incense I used. This poison is tasteless and has no effect, so they won't notice anything unusual when they wake up. No one will disturb them for half an hour."
Mo Yimingyue's skill in using poison can be considered one of the sect's unique abilities. In the past, all of A Qiu's actions leading the Divine Weapon Hall were cleared by Mo Yimingyue, making it a flawless operation both before and after the event.
Seeing him turn to leave, A Qiu suddenly remembered something and asked urgently, "Where are the thirteen shadows of my Divine Weapon Hall now?"
She had secretly deployed the Thirteen Shadow Warriors to protect Marquis Li Chongyu, a move kept under wraps from her master. It involved coercion, bribery, and all sorts of other methods. All of this was witnessed by Mo Yimingyue. Later, after betraying her sect, she remained worried that the Thirteen Shadow Warriors would be implicated. Knowing that the Lanling Hall's methods would never end well, even after traveling to the southwest, she secretly sent a message to Gongyi Xiu, hoping he could devise a plan to protect the Thirteen Shadow Warriors.
Logically speaking, it is not easy to train such a powerful assassination force as the Thirteen Shadows. They were only used by A Qiu personally, but they did not betray the Hall. Wan Qiqing would certainly not destroy them, but they would suffer a lot. Otherwise, how could the Ming Hall have laws and regulations?
Mo Yimingyue did not turn around, but sighed, "It is impossible for Master to know everything that happens in the city at any time and in every place. Xingfeng Hall's net is Master's eyes and ears. If these eyes fail to function for a moment in some places and miss something, Master will not have time to check them one by one."
A Qiu suddenly realized. This meant that as long as the Thirteen Shadows openly protected Li Chongyu on the outer palace city wall, and the Xingfeng Hall's spies there temporarily failed, then the intelligence sent back would not contain any description of the Thirteen Shadows of the Divine Weapon Hall appearing there that night.
As for why the hidden agents of Xingfeng Hall in the outer palace city malfunctioned temporarily, it was clear that no one but Mo Yimingyue could have done such a thing.
Ah Qiu was so overwhelmed with gratitude that she couldn't speak. She said in a hoarse voice to Mo Yimingyue's retreating figure, "Senior Brother!"
Mo Yimingyue simply waved her hand and said in a deep voice, "It's nothing, and besides, I don't want anyone in this hall to fall out of favor. You'd better take care of yourself."
He disappeared into the sycamore grove, just as silently as he had come.
A-Qiu took a deep breath and stepped onto the stone steps of Jinlingtai.
She knew that tonight she was about to face the greatest test of her life.
The melodious sound of a zither drifted down from Jinling Terrace, as melodious as celestial music, into the deepening night.
The music was intricate and complex, fluctuating unpredictably. At times it was like a thousand troops clashing on a battlefield, full of fighting spirit; at other times it was like an orphan or widow feeling sentimental about a scene, her sorrow lingering. Her emotions were plaintive and resentful, and her beautiful sound was tinged with a cold and desolate chill, just like the character of Wan Qiqing.
In A Qiu's memory, he was always a noble scholar in white robes, a free-spirited and unrestrained romantic talent. But A Qiu also had an intuition like Shangguan Yuqi's: that his deep affection or indifference were probably just a facade. No one knew what kind of emotions and past were hidden beneath his carefree and unrestrained exterior.
He would never allow his disciples to pry into his state of mind.
He is someone who seems close to you, but in reality, he is always very far away from you.
This is the strategist's style passed down through generations in the "One-Man Show" system.
Step by step, A Qiu climbed upwards, winding and turning, until he reached the highest level of Jinlingtai.
Because that was the source of the sound, and it was there that Wan Qiqing, the master of Lanling Hall, was waiting for her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com