"Send some medicine to both pavilions as usual," Fang Yun said to Sun Fang, sounding annoyed.
"Yes, Master."
Xue Qing stopped Sun Fang, who was about to go out to carry out a mission: "Wait a minute, Sun Fang, tell me in detail about the casualties on both sides."
"Reporting to Uncle-Master, more than ten disciples of the West Lin Pavilion have died, while fewer than ten have died in the East Qi Pavilion," Sun Fang replied.
Xue Qing had a bad feeling. Xiao Guiying had begun to grow stronger, and now the East Qige Pavilion was stronger than the West Qige Pavilion. She was afraid that the West Qige Pavilion would soon be unable to hold on.
Xue Qing's face showed a serious expression, and she asked again, "What kind of person is Xiao Guiying?"
“It is said that the Master of Dongqi Pavilion is handsome and a man of both literary and martial talents. When he took over as Master of Dongqi Pavilion at the age of fifteen, Dongqi Pavilion was almost destroyed after more than a hundred people were slaughtered by Xilin Pavilion. Now Dongqi Pavilion has the upper hand. His literary and martial talents are beyond doubt. After meeting him in person, I can confirm that he is indeed as handsome as the rumors say. His manners are elegant and friendly, and he is definitely not someone to be underestimated,” Sun Fang replied.
Given Sun Fang's honesty and simplicity, he wouldn't exaggerate or embellish his words. His praise for Xiao Guiying was heartfelt. Xiao Guiying was indeed as virtuous and respected as in the novel. It was precisely because of his high reputation in the martial arts world that his exposure of Xue Qing and Yan Ming's illicit relationship was convincing. However, even though he knew that the female lead's relationship with Yan Ming was not innocent, he concealed the part about the female lead. Later, he also lost his life at Yan Ming's hands because of this. Xue Qing, now in this body, had no choice but to say from her own perspective, "She brought this upon herself."
Xue Qing's timing for transmigrating was too late; her relationship with Yan Ming was already a fait accompli. The dark butterfly tattoo on her left chest, hidden under her clothes, was indelible evidence. Even if she now ate vegetarian food, chanted Buddhist prayers, and prayed for world peace every day, the foolish things Xue Qing did before would still be attributed to her. Poor Xiao Guiying, in order to save his life, had no choice but to sabotage his future. Moreover, if the novel's trajectory changed, perhaps even his ending could be rewritten, and maybe he wouldn't die.
"Sun Fang, notify me first of any news from Dongqi Pavilion in the future," Xue Qing instructed. In the original novel, Xue Qing always bossed people around, and she wanted to imitate that aura.
"Yes," Sun Fang replied.
Xue Qing was still worried and instructed again: "You must inform me of any news about Xiao Guiying in a timely manner. If you ruin my plans, I will hold you responsible."
“Yes, disciple has remembered,” Sun Fang replied.
Xue Qing was finally relieved. Sun Fang was reliable, the Lingyu Sect was powerful, and she would keep track of every move of Dongqi Pavilion and even Xiao Guiying.
"Good girl, that's right." Xue Qing smiled and flicked Sun Fang's head twice with her finger. "Senior sister, I'm going back to my room first. There's a row of medicines on my cabinet. They were sent by different sects when I was unconscious. I don't need them now. I'll send someone to get them and send them to the wounded."
"Okay, leave everything to Sun Fang. You've just recovered and shouldn't overwork yourself, so don't worry too much."
Xue Qing agreed and left happily. She had gained the upper hand in her game of chess with Xiao Guiying, and her future was becoming increasingly bright.
Once Fang Yun was sure Xue Qing had gone far away, he spoke to Sun Fang: "Do you think Qing'er is particularly interested in the Dongqi Pavilion Master?"
“Yes, my martial aunt has always focused solely on martial arts; this is the first time I’ve seen her interested in people,” Sun Fang replied.
"Qing'er... does she have feelings for Pavilion Master Dongqi..." Fang Yun's eyes lit up.
"The Dongqi Pavilion Master is both a scholar and a warrior, which truly meets the requirements of my martial uncle: 'He can strategize for the world with his literary skills and secure the country with his martial skills.'"
“No wonder she’s been claiming to be sick lately and has avoided attending banquets with talented young men. It turns out she already has someone she likes. That girl is really something. She must be too shy to say it. If she had told me sooner, I could have helped her make a decision.” Fang Yun complained, but his face was all smiles. “Given the current situation, Pavilion Master Dongqi must be extremely busy. Sun Fang, you keep a close eye on things and tell me as soon as he has some free time. I want to invite him to Lingyu as a guest.”
"Yes, disciple respectfully obeys master's command."
Heading to the Emei Sect
Poor Xue Qing was unaware of her senior sister's conspiracy. She returned to her room and saw that Liu Ying was indeed waiting for her obediently. Xue Qing felt a little warmth in her heart. She had transmigrated to a place where she was unfamiliar with everyone, but she had someone she could rely on who would always obey her. The author was not completely heartless towards Xue Qing, giving her an absolutely loyal Liu Ying.
"Uncle-Master." Seeing that it was Xue Qing who entered the room, Liu Ying stood up and said.
"Sit down, I have something to tell you." Xue Qing pressed Liu Ying's shoulder to make her sit back in the chair, and then sat down opposite him.
Xue Qing grabbed a pen and paper from the low table beside her and quickly listed the things she needed to bring on her trip: aphrodisiacs, sleeping pills, and wound medicine; candles, hemp rope, and a tinderbox. She had to choose the best sleeping pills, the kind that weren't available on the market. If she was going to buy them, she had to buy the professional brands used by brothel thieves. She would buy the aphrodisiacs directly from Qingping Le (Note 1: Qingping Le is the most famous brothel in the novel). She would buy all the aphrodisiacs she could get her hands on, such as Hehuan San, Xiangjiao Le, and Yili Shen. Her bag would be made of snow wolf skin, so it couldn't be cut no matter how hard she tried. She would also carry two large bottles of wound medicine, produced in Emei, the kind that was limited in the martial arts world. As long as she was slightly injured, whether she was bleeding or not, she would grab a handful and rub it on herself, giving her a genuine ginseng smell. She would feel very prestigious! I'll also put a bundle of hemp rope in my bag, the kind that's been blessed in a Buddhist temple. Just the sound of the wooden fish drum alone will cost dozens of taels of silver. Then I'll buy a few candles, the kind with 24-hour long-lasting lanolin—it's expensive! Burning them all night will cost several taels of silver! The inns I'll stay at will be either Yue Lai Inn or Longmen Inn. If it weren't a nationwide chain, you'd be embarrassed to even invite me in. How much do you think this whole outfit will cost? I think it'll be at least several hundred taels of silver! Several hundred taels of silver is the starting price. In Jinjiang novels, it starts at a thousand taels of silver, and don't complain about the price, there are no discounts. You have to understand the psychology of us transmigrated women who become bourgeois. A transmigrated woman who's willing to spend several hundred taels on hemp rope doesn't care about spending a few hundred more to round it up. Do you know what it means to transmigrate into the bourgeoisie? It means buying the most expensive things, not necessarily the best! So our motto as transmigrated women is: Don't seek the best, seek the most expensive!
"Liu Ying, buy everything on this list for me. Be careful not to get caught." Xue Qing handed the shopping list to Liu Ying.
Liu Ying took the list and looked it over. A conflicted expression appeared on her pure and beautiful face. Xue Qing didn't know if her expression was a reaction to seeing a sleeping potion or an aphrodisiac, or if she had a bad association with the candle and rope. The ancients were really something, couldn't they have a more positive mindset?
Xiao Guiying was working hard to unify the east and west branches of Qilin Pavilion, and Xue Qing couldn't just wait idly. She had Liu Ying prepare her luggage in advance so she could act immediately if Xiao Guiying made any moves. Xue Qing should be glad she made that decision, because just a few days later, with her luggage packed, she was about to run away from home. The trigger was a single sentence from Fang Yun.
"Qing'er, dress up nicely the day after tomorrow. I've invited the Pavilion Master of Dongqi Pavilion to discuss matters concerning the Martial Alliance," Fang Yun said to Xue Qing with a beaming smile. She thought that Xue Qing would be delighted by her thoughtfulness.
Xue Qing's reaction was indeed very strong. She hadn't been this shocked in a long time since she was seven years old and found half a worm inside an apple after taking a bite. Seeing Xue Qing's dazed look, Fang Yun wanted to laugh. In her eyes, Xue Qing was just shy because of her sweetheart's arrival.
Xue Qing drifted away silently, silently returned to her room, silently closed the door, silently opened all the cabinets, and silently tidied her clothes.
Liu Ying knocked on the door and entered the room. Seeing that Xue Qing's room was in a mess, as if it had been robbed, she asked in confusion, "Uncle-Master, did you look for me?"
"Take this," Xue Qing stuffed the snow wolf skin bag into Liu Ying's hand: "Didn't Abbess Dingni write to ask about my health a few days ago? I'll go to the Emei Sect to see her now."
When are you going?
"Now! Immediately! Right now!" Xue Qing said simply and clearly. She used to often go down the mountain under various pretexts to meet with Yan Ming in secret, which the disciples guarding the mountain found strange. Moreover, she was the sect leader's junior sister, so the disciples guarding the mountain could not disobey her.
What is the martial arts world? A pot of wine, a sword, and the joys and sorrows of life—it's the chivalrous dream that every urban woman who grew up watching Hong Kong and Taiwanese martial arts dramas yearns for. Watching the disciples diligently practicing their swordsmanship on the high mountain of Lingyu didn't evoke much feeling, but after descending the mountain and seeing the ancient market and the bustling crowds in ancient costumes, the feeling of having traveled through time became even stronger. Everyone here, from the vendors to the pedestrians, is from ancient times… What to do? I really want to tease them!><
"Liu Ying, do you know the way to Emei?" Xue Qing asked, taking a deep breath of the fresh air from the foot of the mountain.
“Yes, taking the official road through the escort agency is the fastest and safest way. You can take a carriage from the post station all the way there,” Liu Ying replied.
"Okay, go rent a carriage, the fastest and most stable one, money's no object." Xue Qing patted the thick stack of silver notes in her arms. In those days, there were no bank cards, and she was afraid of losing them if she put them in her baggage, so keeping them in her arms somehow made her go up a cup size.
Liu Ying went to the post station to rent a carriage. Xue Qing didn't dare to move and obediently waited for him. The world of martial arts was dangerous; those who appeared to be old, weak, or women might actually be peerless masters. Xue Qing was a useless person without internal energy, so she should keep a low profile. Before long, Liu Ying returned with the carriage. The carriage wasn't luxurious, just made of ordinary locust wood, but it was spacious and clean. The carriage was padded with several thick layers of soft cushions, which Xue Qing was already quite satisfied with. Looking at the coachman, he seemed honest and kind. The dark, muscular arms were the result of driving, while his lower body was thin due to years of sitting in the carriage without exercise. He was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, which was the physique of a coachman, indicating that he wasn't a martial arts expert in disguise. Only then did Xue Qing feel at ease and get into the carriage.
Xue Qing only realized something was wrong after getting into the carriage. Although she enjoyed watching martial arts dramas, she only cared about the romances of the heroes and didn't understand the actual martial arts. Upon seeing the coachman, a set of cause-and-effect reasoning immediately formed in her mind, as if she were a seasoned veteran of the martial arts world. Perhaps it was a primal reaction; Xue Qing came from a martial arts background and had roamed the martial arts world since childhood, developing an instinctive connection to it.
"Uncle-Master, is there anything else you want to buy?" Liu Ying lifted the curtain and bent down to ask.
"That's all," Xue Qing said, shaking her head.
Liu Ying then entered the carriage, leaving a crack in the curtain, and said to the coachman, "Shangguan Road."
While Xue Qing and Liu Ying were riding leisurely in a carriage drawn by two fine horses, things were in turmoil on Lingyu Mountain. Fang Yun's disciples searched half the mountain but couldn't find Xue Qing. He went to Xue Qing's room himself and punished the disciple in charge of looking after her by making him kneel on the ground.
"Tell me, where did Qing'er go? If you can't tell me, go to the dark room and reflect on your mistakes!" Fang Yun shouted angrily from the center of the room.
The disciples looked at each other. Martial Aunt Xue Qing was gone, and Senior Brother Liu Ying was gone too. Several of Xue Qing's usual clothes were missing. It was obvious that this was a premeditated escape. But why would Martial Aunt Xue Qing run away? Lingyu Sect was her home. What was there to run away from in her own home? So this wasn't running away; it was running away from home!