"Good sister, stop shaking me, you'll break my bones." After a pause, Ouyang Hui took Ouyang Jin's hand and said softly, "Although we are half-sisters, we've been close since childhood. My mother passed away early, leaving me, her daughter, in the Ouyang family. Of all my brothers and sisters, you're the closest to me. I've always granted your requests. How could I, as your elder sister, not know what you're thinking? But have you considered that a head maid like Lüyun, who has served her master since childhood, would not simply serve a stranger?" She stopped there, waiting for Ouyang Jin to figure it out herself.
Ouyang Jin frowned and asked doubtfully, "Sister Hui, you said that Brother Tang likes that Mu girl, so he asked Lüyun to serve her? No way, there's nothing special about her, and her clothes are even worse than our second-class maids. She's definitely not a young lady from a noble family."
Ouyang Hui said earnestly, "You said it yourself, she doesn't seem like a young lady from a noble family. Yet Headmaster Tang has taken great care of her, not only arranging for her to stay at Chongyao Terrace, but also assigning Green Cloud to take care of her personally. Think about it, Chongyao Terrace is not a place for ordinary guests to stay. You even begged Headmaster Tang to his face, but he still wouldn't let us stay there."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Jin bit her lips so hard that a deep tooth mark appeared before shaking her head and saying, "I still don't believe it. With her looks and character, how could a god-like figure like Brother Tang like her?"
Ouyang Hui was amused by her words and said, "Yes, how could your god-like Brother Tang like such an ordinary woman? My sister is more beautiful than a fairy and is a perfect match for him. Why don't you ask your Brother Tang when he will propose to our father? That would be the right thing to do."
Ouyang Jin blushed and said, "Sister Hui, you're teasing me again. How can a girl like me ask such a question?"
Ouyang Hui straightened her expression and said, "You can't ask Sect Leader Tang. But you can ask that Miss Mu."
Ouyang Jin hadn't expected her to circle back to the same point again. Although she didn't believe Tang Huan would like a woman as plain-looking as Mo Xi, she was still a young girl at heart, and Ouyang Hui's repeated mentions had inevitably aroused her suspicions. She thought to herself, "I must ask her." But aloud she said, "It can't be. She must be shameless, clinging to Brother Tang. If that's true, I'll definitely teach her a lesson."
Ouyang Hui said, "Although people from the martial arts world are not bound by formalities, we are different from girls from ordinary families. If this kind of thing, where two women are fighting, gets out, it will ultimately damage our reputation. You should go and ask that Miss Mu privately, and it's best not to let anyone see you."
Ouyang Jin hesitated again and said, "What if she insists on denying it and doesn't tell the truth?"
Ouyang Hui chuckled and said, "Could it be that all those years of martial arts training and swordsmanship practice were for nothing?"
Ouyang Jin listened thoughtfully and remained silent.
Seeing that she was suffering from unrequited love in broad daylight and was just staring blankly at herself, Ouyang Hui chuckled inwardly and quietly slipped out.
―――――
Inside Qinghui Pavilion, Tang Huan was serving food to Mo Xi. He smiled slightly and said, "Although the ingredients for this stir-fried three shreds dish are simple, it is a famous dish from Sichuan. The flavor is fresh and light, and you should like it. This purple mustard greens are good for replenishing blood; eating more of them will be beneficial for your injury."
Mo Xi took a bite of the stir-fried three shreds. The ingredients were just shredded pork, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms, but it was surprisingly refreshing and delicious.
She put down her chopsticks and said, "What do we do next? We've found the martial arts manual, but we don't know if it's from the Langya Staff. Besides, the clues to the Langya Staff have gone cold." Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Do you know why the library is built in a place surrounded by water? Looking at all the buildings in the Tang Clan, the layout is very particular, but the location of the library is somewhat unexpected. When the library was being built, it's impossible that they didn't consider the harm that too much moisture would cause to the books."
Tang Huan said, "'Broken Scroll' has stood for a hundred years. I don't know why it was chosen to be located on the Yao River. Perhaps it's because the entire Tibetan region is heated by water, which makes it unusually dry."
Mo Xi thought to himself: This doesn't make sense. The plumbing here is definitely a high-tech project, far less convenient and widespread than heating with earthen stoves. Could it be that the ancestors of the Tang Clan really chose Yaohe as their location because of the beautiful scenery?
Author's Note: The next chapter might be a bit angsty. Just a little bit. ^^
The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), in its chapter on *Jue Qi* (Decisive Qi), states: "The upper burner opens, permeating the skin, filling the body, and nourishing the hair, like the irrigation of mist and dew." — *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic)
Thunderbolt Fireball
( ) Mo Xi murmured, "Water... duck water..."
Suddenly, their eyes lit up simultaneously. They looked at each other and said in unison, "Do you think there might be something strange underwater near this place?"
Tang Huan immediately thought of a phrase—"telepathic connection".
Mo Xi said, "Elder Yin once said that Senior Tang Xin liked to practice her lightness skills in Tibet, and always at dusk. Let's wait at Sufengdeng before dusk today and see what's so strange about it."
Tang Huan pondered, "Could it be because of the sunlight that this time was chosen?"
Mo Xi nodded and said, "Very likely."
So the two of them went back to the "broken scroll" and waited by the fence of the "seventh heaven" before sunset.
As the sun began to set in the west, both of them held their breath. When the last ray of dark golden light fell upon the lantern, the inner layer changed in an instant; faint gray lines emerged, but due to the distance, they were indistinct. The two immediately leaped up to examine it closely. When the inner and outer layers gently rotated to a point of convergence, the meticulously painted mountain lines on the outer layer perfectly merged with the watermark-like gray lines emerging from the inner layer under the light, forming a maze-like scene. Unfortunately, this wondrous sight was fleeting, lasting only a few seconds. The two exchanged a glance and leaped back to the railing.
Mo Xi said, "No wonder Tang Xin often comes to see this. The whole picture is too complicated; you can't remember it at a glance." At this moment, she envied Chu Huaiqing. His brain was like a computer chip; he could input data with just a glance, saving so much trouble. Mo Xi missed modern society immensely. Without photographic memory, a digital camera would be great; those few seconds would be enough to capture a moment.
Tang Huan nodded and said, "It seems we should also follow the example of Senior Tang Xin and stay here every day until we understand the secrets."
Mo Xi sighed, "Yes, that's the only way." After a moment's thought, she added, "The scene just now looked like an aerial view of a maze. Do you think the location of that palace-dressed beauty might be the entrance to the maze?"
Tang Huan nodded and said, "That's what I think too. But there's one thing I can't figure out. If Senior Tang Xin had fully grasped the secrets and found the location of the maze, why is it that no one in the Tang Clan knows about it, not even a single rumor? If she had discovered the secrets on her own and didn't want others to know, she could have destroyed the Wind-Tracing Lamp. But she didn't."
Mo Xi pondered for a moment and said, "I suspect that Tang Xin informed a highly respected person in the Tang Clan about this matter. Tang Xin left the Tang Clan many years ago, yet her memorial tablet was still able to enter the ancestral hall and be worshipped by her descendants. Perhaps this was not because of her superb poison skills, but because of her discovery of the maze. The person who could make the decision to move her memorial tablet into the ancestral hall must be a very influential figure in the Tang Clan."
Tang Huan agreed, saying, "The Tang Clan does indeed have several semi-reclusive elders who will not appear unless it concerns the life or death of the Tang Clan. Even I, as the sect leader, have only occasionally heard of their existence, but have never known who they are."
Mo Xi thought to himself: How important must those semi-reclusive elders be? A while ago, when the entire Yuejian Sect came to Tang Sect to cause trouble, they were able to remain calm and continue to operate in seclusion.
Tang Huan continued, "Today we will begin practicing the breathing technique. I wonder how long it will take to master this skill. Even if we don't solve the mystery of the Wind-Tracing Lamp, practicing this skill will be of great benefit."
Mo Xi nodded and smiled, "I've really benefited from your help."
Tang Huan shook his head and said seriously, "If it weren't for you, I might not have been able to find that booklet on my own."
From then on, the two began their arduous training and relentless pursuit of their chosen location. For seven consecutive days, they spent their days discussing and studying techniques together, and then went to the "Seventh Heaven" to view the lanterns before dusk. After each viewing, while their memories were still fresh, they would draw the scene separately and then compare their work. Although progress was slow, they made progress every day. After several days of this, they managed to piece together a fairly complete picture.
As usual, the two recorded pictures that day, and after having dinner together at Qinghui Pavilion, Tang Huan escorted Mo Xi back to her bedroom before leaving.
As soon as Mo Xi stepped into the room, a sword came flying towards her neck from behind. In fact, she had already sensed that someone was in the room and that their skills were slightly weaker than Lü Yun's, so she just thought it was some little girl.
Judging from the sound of the wind breaking, the newcomer's sword strike was from a third-rate opponent, both in terms of speed and power. Mo Xi lightly tiptoed with her left foot, spun backward, leaned forward, and simultaneously struck the opponent's right wrist with her left hand.
With a clang, the longsword fell to the ground.
A sharp shout rang out: "You dare to disarm me!"
Ouyang Jin, dressed in an apricot-colored long dress, stood in front of Mo Xi. Her face was slightly flushed with anger, and her almond-shaped eyes were wide open as she said aggressively, "I asked the little maid who is in charge of cleaning here. Lately, you've been bothering Brother Tang. The two of you are out early and back late every day. I wonder what you're up to."
Mo Xi said calmly, "Miss Ouyang, it's late, please go back."
When Ouyang Jin heard that Mo Xi was completely ignoring her and was trying to send her away, she became even more furious and shouted, "That's too much! I'm not leaving! Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with Brother Tang?"
Mo Xi did not answer, but only politely gestured for the guest to leave.
Ouyang Jin's mother was the most favored by her father, Ouyang Qing, among his many wives and concubines. Coupled with her already frail health, she died young after giving birth to Ouyang Jin. Ouyang Qing was not a man of lasting affection, but her passing added a sense of profound loss, like the line "ten years have passed, life and death are separated by a vast distance," inevitably channeling all his affections into Ouyang Jin. Thus, from a young age, Ouyang Jin was pampered and indulged in the Thunderbolt Hall, receiving everything she wanted. Even when she misbehaved and secretly ventured out into the martial world, someone would secretly follow her and clean up her messes. Out of respect for the Thunderbolt Hall, the martial world tolerated her behavior. Over time, this fostered her current willful and domineering nature.