Chasing Rainbows

Chapter 10

Zibu and I listened from the side, our hearts sinking. The indifference of the people from Nanfeng Fort was far greater than we had imagined.

The only person they wanted to find was Yi Mei and Nan Ya's younger brother—the eighth young master of Nanfeng Fort. But he was only thirteen years old, too young to speak up, so no one paid him any attention.

Zibu angrily said, "Then I'll go to the surrounding villages to find people. I can surely gather twenty or thirty people. It's just a matter of giving them silver, isn't it?"

He did find about thirty people, but the villagers said that searching at night was pointless. The miasma in the suspended valley was severe in the early morning and evening; ordinary miasma-avoiding pills wouldn't last long. They would have to wait until sunrise to allow the miasma to dissipate somewhat before entering the valley the next day. Hearing that they had fallen around 3 PM, he shook his head and said, "That's a bit unlikely. One miasma attack would be one thing, but if we go searching tomorrow, we'll have encountered two miasmas. And there's more than one kind of miasma down there. We don't even know if they're alive or dead."

My heart ached as I listened. I had thought they weren't seriously injured and that we could just find someone to rescue them. We, who had always lived in the north, never imagined that the miasma could kill.

Zibu and Yimei were also a bit stunned, but Yimei said, "We still have to go find them, whether they are alive or dead."

The next day, we set off at dawn. Although the Eighth Young Master was small, he was quite clever and slipped some miasma-avoiding pills into our hands.

As I walked, my heart was pounding with anxiety, unsure of what the outcome would be, until I saw Bai Yifei and Nan Ya sitting in the valley under the rising sun. Although the cave wasn't very high from the valley floor, I didn't know how he had gotten down. When I saw him, his clothes were torn in various places, and he didn't look well, but he could still move. He smiled slightly when he saw me. Nan Ya, on the other hand, was fairly well-dressed, except for a torn piece of clothing wrapped around her head.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

On the way back, we were surprised to encounter a large entourage of servants from Nanfeng Fort. It wasn't until we saw Nan Cong walking in front that we realized it was the head of the household returning.

I heard that my second cousin was punished later, but I no longer care about it; Nanfeng Fort is simply unbearable to stay here any longer. Xin Zibu is going back to Nanjun, and I've decided to go with him to see my maternal grandfather. As for Bai Yifei, he'll stay in Nanfeng Fort to recuperate before returning to the Central Plains.

*************

It was already December, but it wasn't very cold in Nanjun. The southern winter sun felt warm on my skin as I strolled slowly down the street, my eyes taking in the various stalls, but my mind wasn't on shopping. I had completed my task of descending the mountain, but I didn't want to go back to Xuefeng Mountain yet. However, with the Lunar New Year approaching, I hadn't decided where to spend it.

As I passed Fang's shop and the tall archway, I suddenly heard someone call my name. The voice was so familiar that it sent a shiver down my spine, yet I felt a little incredulous. I looked up and, sure enough, it was Bai Yifei, whom I hadn't seen for less than ten days.

Seeing the surprise on my face, he came over and took my hand: "Xiaowu, I remembered something I forgot to tell you the other day. You said last time that you might not come home for the New Year. I wanted to ask you, would you be willing to come back to Baimazhuang with me for the New Year?"

That wasn't what I was thinking about. I just stammered, "Your foot is better? How did you find me this time?"

He tightened his grip and said, "My foot is just sprained, I can ride a horse. The other minor injuries are nothing to worry about. As for finding you, Xin Zibu is your cousin, your maternal family's surname is Xin, the Xin family of Nanjun, so it won't be hard to find you."

"What a coincidence, you saw me by accident again?"

He smiled and said, "I went to the Xin family's house. The servants said that Miss Biao had just gone out to the street, so I caught up with her."

The slight hesitation and emptiness he felt when he left home suddenly vanished. He pressed on, "Was what I said earlier good?"

At the time, I didn't think about how a woman should be reserved, and I agreed with a smile.

However, I ultimately did not spend the New Year in Baimazhuang.

I returned to Baima Manor with Bai Yifei, but two days later, Nan Ya also arrived. She said that Nanfeng Fort had sent her to deliver a letter. What kind of letter would require the Second Miss's attention? I didn't ask further, because I knew she was also eager to leave Nanfeng Fort as soon as possible.

Nan Ya and I then settled down at Bai Ma Manor. When Nan Ya saw that Bai Yifei was teaching me swordsmanship, she said, "Xiao Wu has always used a whip and is already very skilled. Does she need to learn more? I do want to learn swordsmanship, but unfortunately, I'm not very good at it."

Bai Yifei said, "Xiaowu and I are just exchanging ideas. If you really want to learn, I can help you." She said she wanted to start learning from the first move of the Baili Liuxi Sword, "Whispering Water," so I made sure to leave the time for her.

But after her first day of sword lessons, when Bai Yifei came to teach me sword techniques again, his expression was very strange; he seemed embarrassed, or perhaps absent-minded. He taught me halfway through when the manor lord sent someone to call him away, and he never returned.

After that, the time he spent practicing swordsmanship with me became shorter and shorter, and I later realized that he seemed to be avoiding me.

That day, I intended to go to Qingyin Courtyard, where Bai Yifei lived, to find him, but I overheard servants from Baima Manor chatting behind the flower wall. A servant asked a maid, "What do you think the young master means by hiring two young ladies to stay at Baima Manor? Which one has he taken a fancy to?"

The maid said, "Miss Qi has come twice. I guess it's Miss Qi. But Miss Nan seems to be more beautiful. Who knows if the young master has changed his mind?"

The servant continued, "Is Miss Nan beautiful? I think she and Miss Qi are just different in their own way. To be honest, both of these young ladies are quite kind to us servants. It's just that Miss Nan's kindness is like that of a master to his servants, while Miss Qi's kindness is more like that of a friend."

The maid continued, "Yes, Miss Qi is more easygoing. But the other day I heard the master say to the young master, 'Even our martial arts families need to choose a suitable match. Nanfeng Fort is a great family in the martial arts world after all.' I didn't hear what the young master said. It seems that the master favors Miss Nan. Alas, I haven't heard the young master mention Miss Qi's background either."

I hesitated for a moment at the door, then turned back. So that's why he was avoiding me. But I didn't want to be rejected like this; I had to fight back. Background wasn't the issue. Although I listened to my mother, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I decided I had to honestly tell Bai Yifei about my background.

On this day, his servant said that he had gone out with the master of the manor on some business.

The next day, he didn't come to find me to practice swordsmanship. As evening approached and darkness fell, I decided to go find him again. This time, the servant said that the young master and Miss Nan had gone to practice in the training ground in the backyard. I went there, but no one was there. Suddenly, I remembered the woods behind the manor where we used to practice swordsmanship. It was just outside the side gate of the backyard, over a low hill. So I went there.

That day, the north wind blew. I can only blame myself for being too sharp-eyed and sharp-eared, and also for finding such a good angle.

Chapter Sixteen: Wounds

On the hilltop, I heard the voices of two people talking in the woods, carried by the wind. Their words were broken and fragmented, and they were talking about martial arts moves. It seemed that they were quite tired from practicing. Listening more closely, I could hear groans. Could it be that the two of them were so engrossed in their practice that they injured each other? I quickly took two steps down.

My vantage point was perfect; standing behind a half-grown, bare azalea tree, I could clearly see the erotic scene unfolding in the almost leafless woods below. Hearing the woman's intense screams, I initially mistook them for servants from the estate, but seeing their disheveled clothes hanging half-on their bodies confirmed my suspicions.

They certainly looked like they were practicing martial arts, leaning against the tree, but practicing a different kind of skill. I'd frequented the Brocade Pavilion and Brocade Spring Garden of the Beauty's Father, and although I hadn't witnessed many live sex acts, I had seen them a few times, so I knew that for two people standing like that, raising their legs, bracing their arms, and hooking their waists, was not something an ordinary person could do. The battle seemed to be still intense, and Nan Ya's screams were chilling.

My head must have been slammed in a door. At that moment, I was still desperately thinking, "Bai Yifei, so that's how you use your 'Waterfall Down the Stream' and 'Torrent Flowing a Thousand Miles' techniques!" It wasn't until Nan Ya yelled, "Brother Bai, you're so kind! I'm about to die!" that I snapped back to reality: I really am about to die…

I couldn't move anymore, so I sat down under the azalea tree. It wasn't until it was so dark that I could only make out faces in front of me that I heard Bai Yifei's somewhat panicked voice: "Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu! How long have you been sitting here?"

I looked up and saw that Nan Ya's beautiful face looked a little awkward. She explained, "Xiao Wu, you came to find us. We're in the woods..."

I interrupted her blankly and said bluntly, "I know you're practicing martial arts in the woods, I don't want to disturb you!"

Even in this darkness, I could still see the changes in their complexion, from red to white.

That night, none of the three of us ate dinner. Bai Yifei took me back to my room. He hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Xiaowu, I'm sorry. It's my fault. My father had already sent a message to Nanfeng Fort when I went to Longcheng, intending for me to marry Nanya. I didn't know at first, but I found out later when I was at Nanfeng Fort, but it wasn't settled yet."

I didn't want to hear him talk about how loving he was with Nan Ya, so I said, "What are you apologizing for? You've never told me you like me. Are you apologizing for kissing me a few times before?" I did remember the day I rescued them from the Hanging Valley. He was very excited and hugged me tightly and kissed my face several times when no one was around. Didn't he already receive the news from his family that he should marry Nan Ya at that time?

He became a little anxious and said, "Xiaowu, I'm sorry, you're a good girl, and I like you, but now I'm not good enough for you."

I shook my head: "Am I not good enough for Baima Village?"

He added, "No, I've never thought like my father. But I also have responsibilities to Baima Village. In short, it was my fault, but I must marry Nanya."

He kept saying he was wrong, but he didn't seem to have any intention of correcting his "wrongness." I finally got tired and said coldly, "I want to rest."

The next day, Nan Ya came to my room and talked to me for half a day.

On the third day, I packed my things, bought a horse, and left White Horse Village.

It's best to go back to where your parents are for the Lunar New Year.

*********

That day, on my way back to Zifeng Pavilion from the backyard of Qingyu Manor, I lay on the bed and slowly recalled the past. I realized that I no longer felt that tightness in my chest, and some details that I thought I would never forget gradually became blurry.

When I woke up the next day, I found that Yi Ge was sleeping on the tatami mat in the room. I was still a little dazed yesterday and didn't even acknowledge him when I came in.

The martial arts tournament had begun. Several high platforms were erected in Good Sound Valley, and various sects and factions began deploying their forces for one-on-one battles. I, along with Master Tao and others, sat in the judges' seats, right among these platforms. I was purely there to watch the excitement, unlike Nan Cong and Bai Yifei, who were also participating. Qi Long, on the other hand, didn't bother watching the first day's spectacle and didn't even show up. He Lanqian, however, stood far away on another slope in Good Sound Valley, her eyes searching around. After watching the commotion for half an hour, probably unable to find Qi Long, she turned and left.

Both Nan Cong and Bai Yifei won easily. Bai Yifei returned to his seat at Baima Manor without even breaking a sweat. I had been watching his match closely, and he had indeed improved considerably since a year ago. Nan Ya greeted him, saying, "Brother Bai, I knew you wouldn't take long." He smiled at Nan Ya, but his gaze swept over the judge's seat, lingering on me for a moment. I shifted my gaze to Yi Ge. Leaders from other sects came to congratulate Master Nan and Master Bai, praising their young masters as heroes. Master Bai humbly smiled and said, "I didn't expect him to achieve anything; it was just a chance to train the young man." The man then said, "Young Master Bai has risen to fame this year, showing the demeanor of a great hero. The future of the martial world will surely belong to them."

Sigh, I've been completely out of touch with the world of martial arts for almost a year now, and he has indeed made a name for himself in the martial arts world. He has the potential to be a peerless hero, right? It's a pity that what A-Yan said is true: "Peerless heroes don't look at you."

The competition lasted for three days. It only became somewhat interesting on the afternoon of the second day, when all the remaining fighters were top-notch from each faction. Some factions even had two or three fighters qualify for the next level of competition. On the third day, only two arenas remained in Good Sound Valley. I saw Qi Long lazily appear in the audience, one arena away from me. Looking at him, I felt that his behavior was becoming more and more like my fourth uncle's.

As soon as he arrived, I searched for He Lanqian, fearing she might jump out and shout "Qi Long!" Sure enough, she was on the opposite slope. Her gaze swept over the four brown-clad youths behind Qi Long, becoming somewhat excited, but when it landed on Qi Long, she froze. I waited anxiously, holding a preserved plum from the dish in my hand, ready to flick it out and silence her if she called out. I was already better than her in martial arts, and with a surprise attack, success shouldn't be difficult. However, she was clearly stunned. I was a little doubtful; could it be that Qi Long was wearing a mask, and after three years apart, she really couldn't recognize him at all? She stood there for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then quietly slipped away from the crowd.

Surprisingly, there were many draws. Besides Bai Yifei, Nan Cong, and the second young master of the Ouyang family from Chixi, who were also quite capable, the major sects Suyi Sect and Liuhe Manor also had outstanding disciples. There was also a young man named Sun Jing who was exceptionally talented, and I think he was on par with Bai Yifei and Nan Cong. He claimed to be from the Lingnan Famen sect, but I had never heard of this sect before. I planned to ask Yimei about it tonight.

The fourth day will be the decisive day. I heard that the sects that have already qualified can change their representatives to fight, so I guess that tomorrow, White Horse Manor, Nanfeng Fortress and Ouyang Family will probably send out their veterans.

After the banquet, I was about to return to Zifeng Pavilion when a servant from the manor came to announce: "Miss Qi, someone outside the manor requests an audience."

The person who contacted me was He Lanqian.

She asked, "Was the silver-masked man I saw under the second platform this afternoon Qi Long?"

I chuckled to myself. They'd been staying at the same inn for three or four days, and she still hadn't run into Qi Long. It was truly a case of the eye being blind to what's right under your nose.

Since the martial arts tournament was almost over, I told her, "Yes! You still haven't found him?"

I was about to add, "You can talk to him privately, but don't make a scene." But then I thought, if she doesn't make a scene, what's the point of her coming here? Is she chasing after her lover?

However, she didn't say anything more. I looked at her closely and saw that she seemed a little dazed.

Perhaps I had been staring at her for too long, because she suddenly snapped out of her daze, smiled, and said, "Don't look at me so cautiously, I won't tease him."

When she saw through my lie, I chuckled and said, "Oh well, so you came all this way for nothing?"

She glanced at me with her dark, round eyes and said, "It wasn't a complete waste of time; at least I left the palace on my own."

That's true. I guess Fourth Uncle won't be scared, he'll be angry. But then I suddenly remembered something: "Hey, by the way, how did you find your way here? I remember you've never left the palace alone before, let alone traveled this far?"

She suddenly smiled and said, "I have a master to help me."

I really wanted to find out who was behind this, but judging from her expression, she didn't want to talk about it, so I gave up.

Qianqian went back to Wangtian Pavilion to find Qilong. With her assurance, I was finally relieved of this worry.

Yi Ge didn't come back for dinner; I guessed he went to Wangtian Pavilion to find Qi Long. But he still hadn't returned late at night. When Chunman came in to bring hot water for washing up, I casually asked, "Where did the Prince Consort go?" She wrung out a hot towel for me and replied, "After the event ended this afternoon, he didn't return to Zifeng Pavilion. Eunuch Jing saw him heading northwest of Haoyin Valley." I paused in wiping my face, but then I thought, perhaps Qi Long sent him on a mission? Besides, everyone has their secrets; it's none of my business, so I might as well ignore it.

I've been going to bed early these past few days. Sometimes he lies on the tatami mat in the room, probably because I'm sleeping in the wrong position and he doesn't want to disturb me. Thinking about how cramped the tatami mat is for his size, I leaned back a bit when I got into bed. I guess I'm thinking of him; if I roll out of bed again later, it's not my fault.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I felt the door open gently, and the scent of pine trees wafted in from Yi Ge. He stood in the room for a moment, then quietly walked to the bedside. Still drowsy, I mumbled, "You're back? It's too late, go to sleep." Beside me, Chunman had already laid out another blanket. I felt the bed dip slightly; he was already on it. After a while, one of his arms draped over me through the blanket.

The fourth day was rather chaotic.

The drawn lots were: Baima Village versus Ouyang Family, Nanfeng Fort versus Liuhe Village, and Suyi Gate versus Lingnan Famen.

Only the Suyimen and Lingnanfamen retain their original two members. Baimazhuang has been replaced by Bai Xianglong, while the Ouyang family still has their second young master. Nanfengbao has been replaced by Nan Qingyong, and Liuhezhuang still has the same disciple.

Upon seeing the people standing on the platform, the crowd of heroes immediately began to jeer. Master Tao then stepped forward to explain that because the matter of resolving the Ghost Palace treasure still needed to be addressed, they had decided to choose a sect as their leader, not just any individual. The jeering continued, but someone shouted, "Let's have the competition first, who knows what the final result will be?"

Bai Xianglong faced off against Young Master Ouyang. Bai Xianglong didn't use a sword, only his fists, while Young Master Ouyang used a broken iron-boned fan.

The Chasing Wind Fist of Baima Manor was indeed incredibly powerful in Bai Xianglong's hands. Each punch was faster than the last, the only sound the "whoosh" of the blows, and the only sight the movement of the fists. Experience prevailed; the Second Young Master Ouyang, hampered by his inferior internal strength, gradually showed signs of defeat. Seeing the outcome was certain, Bai Xianglong threw a punch at the Second Young Master Ouyang's shoulder, seemingly holding back. The Second Young Master Ouyang crouched down, taking a step back, his fan handle pointing towards Bai Xianglong. Four or five small triangular nails shot towards him; the distance was too close, and it seemed impossible to avoid. Shouts and curses erupted from below the stage. On stage, Bai Xianglong hurriedly withdrew his fist, his robe sleeves suddenly billowing as he blocked and rolled up. Taking advantage of this opening, the Second Young Master Ouyang leaped up, the edge of his fan pressed against Bai Xianglong's neck. I saw Bai Xianglong holding a triangular nail in his hand, which struck the Second Young Master Ouyang's Xuanji acupoint.

The audience fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a clamor. Some accused Young Master Ouyang of being insidious and treacherous, while others accused Bai Xianglong of bullying the younger generation. Someone shouted, "It's shameless to shoot arrows from the audience, but when facing off on stage, everyone should use their own methods. Hiding nails in fans is also a characteristic of Young Master Ouyang. If this is not allowed, then all the schools that excel in hidden weapon skills should not compete at all."

The Plain Clothes Sect is known for its hidden weapons. Upon hearing this, the disciple who was originally going to compete touched his hidden weapon bag and looked at Master Tao.

Master Tao cleared his throat and said, "I suppose this game is a draw."

Nan Qingyong faced Liu Hezhuang, and Suyimen faced Lingnan Famen at the same time. The disciple from Liu Hezhuang was also using a whip, so I focused my attention on that stage.

Just as they were engrossed in watching, a very eerie laugh suddenly rang out from above Good Sound Valley. A voice shouted, "The Ghost Palace was originally a sect of Nandan. The descendants of the Ghost Palace will handle their own belongings. How ridiculous that you are actually here seriously arguing over someone else's treasure!"

The man's voice was so powerful, and with the echo in the valley, the word "ridiculous" was stretched out infinitely, giving me the creeps. I suddenly felt as if "everyone here is like a thief caught red-handed," and I felt a little relieved.

Author's Note: Well, Jinjiang (a Chinese online literature platform) has been acting up these past few days. Uh, no, it acts up every day. The main problem is that yesterday it wiped out all the comments. I checked the clicks and points in the backend, and they hadn't changed at all. They only change after I update the page. The only thing that shows up immediately is the comments, letting me know that at least someone is reading them. Yesterday, when I saw all the comments were gone, and I couldn't reply to them either, I almost lost all motivation to continue writing.

Feedback is motivating, please give me some encouragement.

Chapter Seventeen: Pursuing Love

The competition could not continue, and some of the heroes in the valley began to hurl insults at the voice that came from an unknown source.

Master Tao stood up, took a deep breath, and said loudly, "Who are you? May I show myself? You say that Ghost Palace is a sect of Nandan, but it is located in Yunyang. If there are descendants, their wealth can be passed down. However, Ghost Palace has been destroyed and no one can pass it on. Their wealth should be something that everyone can find."

The man said, "How do you know the Ghost Palace has no descendants?"

Bai Xianglong also raised his voice and said, "You say there is one, why not invite him out to show himself? Or at least tell me his name?"

The man laughed loudly again and said, "Should I name you so you can gang up on me and wipe me out again?"