El cielo sobre los ríos y lagos está despejado

Capítulo 37

I wasn't worried about being discovered. I knew that once the poisonous miasma appeared, no one would dare risk coming to our rescue, not even with miasma-avoiding pills. Fortunately, our cave was some distance from the valley floor, so the miasma hadn't reached an incurable level yet.

After the passion subsided, he fell into a deep sleep. I forced down the pills I had with me before carefully cleaning up the scene. I dressed us both and wiped away the unsightly traces. I had originally intended to leave it in its mess, but suddenly I became terrified of seeing the look of regret and remorse on his face when he woke up.

The next day, he was the one who woke up first. There was still miasma in the valley, but the phoenix flowers and illusion flowers only bloomed vigorously in the evening, and were gone in the morning. I took out the miasma-avoiding pills I had with me and handed them to him. After taking them, he smiled at me and said, "This miasma seems to be draining my strength. I feel a bit sore and tired."

I nodded. Yes, I don't have much strength either.

But he recovered quickly. As the first rays of sunlight broke through the fog, he looked outside and said, "It's alright, not too high, and not exactly sheer cliff, we can still get down. I'll help you, we'll go slowly."

We supported each other as we slowly descended to the bottom of the valley. Sitting close together, I felt incredibly safe, but at the same time, I sensed a subtle tension between us, with more physical contact. I believe he doesn't know that I was the one who enjoyed him last night, or rather, he has no memory of last night at all. But I believe that after a night like this, an inexplicable feeling was flowing between us.

From afar, I could hear Qi Wu and my older brother calling my name. They had finally found me.

I was carried out on a sedan chair. Actually, his foot was also injured, but he insisted on walking on his own. I saw Qi Wu come up to help him, and he held her very tightly, even stealing a kiss from her when no one was looking. Perhaps last night wasn't entirely without trace.

I knew that Nanfeng Fort and Baima Manor had business dealings and correspondence, and I had even noticed carrier pigeons flying in when Bai Yifei was at Nanfeng Fort. I believed these messages must have mentioned the marriage between the two families, but Bai Yifei had remained completely silent before, neither expressing anything to me nor mentioning anything to Qi Wu. After this incident, Qi Wu and Xin Zibu quickly left Nanfeng Fort, and I didn't even have time to hint at anything to her. After she left, Bai Yifei, who had originally planned to recuperate in the fort, left Nanfeng Fort after only a few days, not even waiting for her injuries to heal.

I told my father that I was willing to marry the young master of White Horse Manor. My father was naturally delighted and personally drafted a letter to White Horse Manor.

The elder brother was surprised to hear this, but he didn't say anything more.

Nanya Extra (2)

My sister-in-law, upon hearing the news, came to question me angrily. I replied to her, feeling wronged, "This matter was arranged by the elders long ago, and they probably had their intentions before my sister-in-law's wedding. How could I object? I know that Brother Bai and Xiaowu are in love, but I can't make the decision for them."

My sister-in-law stared at me coldly for a while before asking, "Did something happen to you during your night in the Hanging Valley?"

I lowered my head, blushing, and told the truth: "That night, we were both under the influence of the Red Phoenix Poison. Brother Bai couldn't control himself, so we... we had physical intimacy. He deflowered me, so I have no reason to go against Father's wishes."

Her brows furrowed: "Does Wu'er know about this?"

I looked around and said, "Yes, she... knows."

She then asked, "I don't think Bai Yifei will leave Wu'er. Are you planning to marry Bai Yifei along with her?"

I replied, "I am...it's alright."

She sneered, "You're fine, but she is. How could someone of her status share her husband?"

Yes, I knew she definitely wouldn't, even though I didn't know her status. Before, I had cautiously probed her views on marriage and polygamy in wealthy families, and she seemed completely bewildered. Yes, bewildered, because she simply couldn't understand why men would marry so many wives, or how a man could love so many women at the same time.

Actually, I don't understand it either, but I don't want to think about it anymore, because that's just how reality is.

But my sister-in-law's next words left me speechless.

She paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Did you do this on purpose? I know that people from Lingnan have the habit of carrying miasma-avoiding pills when they go out, let alone people from Nanfeng Fortress in the martial arts world. You are always meticulous and think more than others."

I stammered, "I brought some miasma-avoiding pills, but there's no definite antidote for the Red Phoenix Miasma, so..."

Her lips twitched slightly, a silent, cold laugh.

Then she slowly continued, "I know what you're thinking. You like Bai Yifei, and there were signs of it back in Longcheng. Now that you've done this, Wu'er knows it, and no matter what Bai Yifei does, she will definitely leave him. It's a pity how much effort she put in to save you that day. The fort refused to send anyone, so she and Xin Zibu went to nearby villages to hire people. I can understand a woman with a heart full of love, but how selfish and dark you are."

After that, my sister-in-law treated me as if I didn't exist.

I didn't care about her attitude. What worried me was where Bai Yifei had gone. Had she gone after Qi Wu?

Coincidentally, the fortress needed to send someone to deliver the marriage certificate, and this task suited me perfectly, so I mentioned it to my father. When my father saw that I wanted to deliver it myself, he chuckled and agreed. Although it wasn't very presentable for a woman of marriage to be so anxious, people of the martial world don't concern themselves with such trivial matters.

Bai Yifei brought Qi Wu back to Baima Manor for the New Year, and everyone in the manor should understand the implications. So when I delivered the letter to Baima Manor, the manor lord smiled at me, but when I wasn't looking, he frowned.

The rest is up to Baima Village to worry about.

But Bai Yifei still didn't respond, and seemed quite reluctant to teach me the Baili Liuxi Sword Technique. I had no choice but to explain the situation clearly.

That day, while Bai Yifei was teaching me the Hundred-Mile Stream Sword technique alone, I told him what happened in the valley that night. I still have the undergarment and skirt from that day; the marks are still on them. I'll take them out if necessary.

He was shocked but didn't question it. He just stood there dumbfounded in the woods for a long time.

Then he said, "That day, I did have some memory of it. I just thought it was a dream, and a dream with Wu'er at that. But it was... it was you?"

I said, "It's the effect of the Red Phoenix Mist and the Illusion Flower Mist. Anyone in front of you will appear as your beloved."

He was silent for a moment before smiling wryly and saying, "I mean, the dream was so vivid. And in the dream, Wu'er called me 'Brother Bai,' but she always calls me Yifei."

I said, "I was also infected by that miasma. In my eyes, the person in front of me must also be the one I love, but that person has always been you. So the one I call out is you."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with emotions I couldn't decipher. After a long silence, he said, "It's always me who ruined your reputation, I should take responsibility. Don't you want to think about it anymore?"

I didn't think too much about it, because I knew Master Bai was very particular about matching social status. Qi Wu's appearance suggested she came from a prominent family, but not necessarily a martial arts family. Furthermore, she wouldn't reveal her background, making her seem like someone without connections in Bai Ma Manor's eyes. Therefore, Master Bai's scales had already tipped in my favor. As for Bai Yifei, given the situation, I naturally had a place. However, would he persuade Master Bai to marry both women? If so, my position in Bai Ma Manor would be the same as my mother's in Nanfeng Fort. Besides, she and Xin Zibu were cousins, and while the Xin family wasn't martial arts, they were a prominent family in Nanjun, a family only Bai Ma Manor couldn't match. However, her own parents had never mentioned this.

The best solution would be for her to leave on her own initiative.

I know what to do for someone as proud as her.

I chose that particular evening, to seduce Bai Yifei in the woods in the backyard, hoping we'd be caught. I knew that although the woods were secluded, Bai Yifei's servants all knew the place; when they came to call him for dinner and witnessed that scene, the news would inevitably reach her ears.

What I didn't expect was that she herself would witness my entanglement with Bai Yifei.

I'm not thick-skinned enough to be completely indifferent, and I don't know what to say for a moment.

Bai Yifei went to see her that night; perhaps it was to confront her.

I was afraid it wouldn't be enough, so I went to see her the next day, told her my troubles, and said that we would get married after the New Year. In fact, the wedding date was not set at all.

She left Baima Manor with a hairpin behind. It was a gift from Bai Yifei; there was originally a pair, but I had taken only one. It was truly fate.

But when Bai Yifei learned of her departure that day, he locked himself in his room and wouldn't come out no matter who called him. The next day, when I and his servant broke down the door, he was already drunk and unconscious, with empty wine jugs scattered on the table and floor. We tried to wake him, but he grabbed my hand and mumbled, "Wu'er, Wu'er!" His voice was desperate, and my heart ached terribly.

But I think that once I've been ruthless, it'll be over, and then I won't have any obstacles left.

I know she can't be removed from Bai Yifei's heart, so I have no intention of doing so. A gentleman like Bai Yifei will surely let time pass and he will gradually let go of her, at least on the surface he will never have any further entanglement with her.

But it would have been better if I hadn't seen her. Seeing her, Bai Yifei's melancholy expression still made me feel uncomfortable.

What's even more disheartening is that we learned Qi Wu's true identity at the martial arts tournament. Initially, I thought she was just from a prominent family, and her parents weren't necessarily anyone remarkable. But I never imagined she was a true princess, surrounded by admirers both in and out of court. This realization shocked both Master Bai and Bai Yifei, and they fell silent, perhaps out of regret.

On the day the martial arts tournament ended, I went to the backyard of Cheyu Manor to look for Bai Yifei, but in the grove I heard him confess to her, "I have always loved you the most." She said, "What's the point of saying all this? Now the magistrate is married, and Luofu is married." He hurriedly explained, "I am not married." She then said sarcastically, "Yes, the magistrate is engaged."

What you can't have is always the best. That's the truth. It's not that I don't hate, but I know I have no reason to vent my hatred.

The opportunity finally came in April of the following year, during a treasure hunt at the ruins of the Ghost Palace. Her husband turned out to be the young master of the Ghost Palace, so naturally, some women from the martial world wanted to gain both wealth and beauty in the quickest and easiest way. Fang Lan'er of the Fa Men was one of them. Of course, the Fa Men supported the young master of the Ghost Palace, and they repeatedly tried to send their female disciples to the princess's residence as concubines, but they didn't know what kind of person the princess was. Such roughnecks probably didn't care about the princess's character; in their eyes, the martial world and the imperial court were two different things. Since the princess was willing to mingle in the martial world, she would naturally follow the ways of the martial world. So, I kindly went to give them some pointers.

And so, trouble arose between the princess and her husband. The princess turned and left, and I heard she was captured by the Ouyang family. Those Ouyang family are truly audacious; they even dared to hold a princess hostage. I feel no pleasure in doing these things, but I can't help but do them, and I'm only saying it.

But when my fiancé heard that the princess was missing and being held hostage, he abandoned the treasure hunt and rushed off to find her.

My sister-in-law, however, seemed somewhat lucid. I don't know what she said to Qi Wu's relatives, but that young lady from the Si Xie Palace stormed in, first beating up Fang Lan'er and Mu Ying from the Fa Men, and then coming after me. My father wasn't there at the time; he was discussing matters with the young master of the Ghost Palace, but my brother was. Seeing me being beaten, he came out, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the man behind He Lan Qian. To be honest, I had seen him before. I'd heard he was Qi Wu's brother, the Huaiyi King of the Northern Di, who was out for a stroll with his sister. He wasn't usually such a cold person, but that day, just standing there, he exuded an icy aura that made people want to run away.

I was no match for Helan Qian, so I couldn't retaliate much. With every step my brother took, Prince Huaiyi followed suit, completely immobilizing him. Perhaps he felt it was enough, for he calmly stopped Helan Qian.

That day, before entering the underground palace, my brother said to my sister-in-law, "I know she's your close friend, but how could you do this and let Xiaoya be humiliated? If you weren't pregnant, I really wanted to..."

The elder sister-in-law sneered, "What do you want? Wu'er was also your sister's friend. What did she do? She used underhanded means to steal someone else's fiancé, and now she's still not letting it go, even trying to get others involved in her life. Who wronged whom? What did I do? I only said a few words in front of others, just like her. Nan Cong, let me tell you, I've had enough of this filthy place like Nanfeng Fort. If you have the guts, divorce me, so I can go back to Dragon City."

Seeing his sister-in-law about to rush out the door, the eldest brother panicked and quickly grabbed her, saying, "Mei'er, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I just felt a bit helpless seeing Xiaoya being beaten. I took my anger out on you."

The elder sister-in-law, however, was unyielding, sneering, "Is that so? I'm an outsider, so you can take your anger out on me? Nan Cong, if it's just taking your anger out on me, that's fine. I just see that there's no justice or right and wrong to speak of in Nanfeng Fort. A robust woman like me from the north is really not suited to this place, so I ask to leave on my own. Is that alright?"

The elder brother was very anxious and hurriedly said, "Mei'er, our relationship isn't just based on arranged marriages. Don't you care about my feelings for you? I've never treated you like an outsider. Please, stop making a fuss. Can we talk properly after I come back from the underground palace? Don't go."

The elder sister-in-law brushed away her elder brother's hand and said, "I need to go find Wu'er now, so I can be true to my conscience. You go to your underground palace."

I watched them argue, stunned and forgetting the pain in my body and face. What am I doing? Am I even trying to break up my brother and sister-in-law?

When Bai Yifei returned, he saw the injury on my face and was somewhat surprised. He asked what had happened, and I naturally told him tearfully about Helan Qian's actions. I nestled in his arms for a long time, but he didn't move much. When I looked up, he was looking at me probingly and said, "Miss Helan is straightforward. She has never had any conflicts with you. If she's doing anything wrong, it's only because of Wu'er. Did you say or do something again?"

I remained silent. If I lied, he could find out the truth from He Lanqian, but admitting it was absolutely impossible for me. So I kept quiet.

He sighed deeply and said, "Xiaoya, she has never hurt you. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

After a while, he said again, "I will marry you. After things are settled here, I will discuss our wedding date with my father. It will definitely be within the year."

For a moment, I didn't know whether I should be happy or not.

When the plane trees in the north turned yellow, I married into Baimazhuang.

Life in the manor was just as I had imagined. It was much more peaceful than Nanfeng Fort. Although he had two younger brothers and several cousins, there seemed to be no conflicts between them. Besides, he was diligent in his training, and none of the disciples in the manor could match him. Naturally, no one would provoke him. That's how the martial world is; it's always a paradise for the strong.

He treats me very well, always speaking softly and gently, and his intimacy with me is regular and tender. My life as a young mistress is quite leisurely, but I always feel that he is somewhat distant from me, a kind of indescribable distance. He seems to never tell me what's on his mind.

The year after our marriage, I gave birth to my eldest daughter, Ruo'er. For some reason, I haven't been able to conceive since. My in-laws have hinted that he should take a concubine, but he hasn't given any indication. I think he still cares about me quite a bit.

I just didn't expect that he simply hadn't met the right person.

So, when he brought Jiang Rong home to show me at the beginning of the year, I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. That face, that face that resembled her, made me realize that there was always an insurmountable obstacle in his heart—her. I thought time would fade her memory, but in reality, she was rooted in his heart, waiting to sprout.

He said she was the most beautiful courtesan in the Jade Pavilion, a pure and innocent woman, and that he had redeemed her because he pitied her background.

The old man had probably seen through his thoughts long ago, and sighed, saying, "People of the martial world don't need to care too much about their background. As long as they behave uprightly and honestly in the future, that's enough. It'll also ensure the continuation of the family line."

He came to ask my opinion, and since my father-in-law had already agreed, what could I do? Should I refuse? I had to pretend to be magnanimous.

On the eve of their wedding, he came to my room, gently took my hand, and said, "Xiaoya, I won't lie to you. I just want to fulfill a dream. Your position in this family will never change. I will definitely promise you that. I just hope that after she enters the family, you won't make things too difficult for her. If anything happens, just tell me, and I will keep her in check and not let her become so arrogant as to overpower you."

I nodded, but inwardly I chuckled: "What's there to argue about with a stand-in? Just consider it satisfying one of my husband's fetishes."

Jiang Rong was a sensible person, and as a courtesan, she had seen her share of grand occasions. So nothing happened to me, and the family lived peacefully as Bai Yifei had imagined.

A year after their marriage, Jiang Rong indeed gave birth to a son for him, who looked quite like Bai Yifei. However, he said with a barely perceptible sigh, "He doesn't look like her at all?" But which "her" was impossible to identify.

Shen Yimei's Side Story: Who is the Hero?

I saw Wu'er again at Qi Long's wedding in the first month of that year. Half a year had passed since that chaotic treasure hunt.

The wedding of Prince Huaiyi was a huge sensation in the capital, no less grand than the wedding of Princess Wu'er years ago. Furthermore, the fact that this man, hailed as the number one prince of the Northern Di, married an unknown woman from the martial arts world, shattering countless hearts, made people curious about just what kind of woman he had chosen.

But I know that Helan Qian cannot be said to be a completely commoner woman. The Helan family is a prominent family in Yunyang, and her mother was actually a fallen nobleman of the Northern Di. She fell into poverty and ended up in Yunyang, living off a manor. But a nobleman is still a nobleman.

I was invited to the wedding again because I gave birth to Ning'er in Longcheng, which isn't too far from the capital, so I took Ning'er with me to the capital to see Wu'er and Qianqian. I gave birth to Ning'er at my parents' home, which doesn't sound very nice, but Nan Cong was by my side. A month before the birth, Nan Ya and Bai Yifei were getting married, and Nan Cong was going to escort the bride to Baima Village, so I took the opportunity to go with them. Actually, I didn't really want to stay in Nanfeng Fort for long. My sister-in-law is finally married, and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I had a big argument with Nan Cong at Qushui that time, and although he later apologized and especially after we came out of the underground palace, he never said another word to me, I still felt uneasy.

I'm growing to dislike Nan Ya more and more. It's only Nanfeng Fort that can produce a woman with this kind of personality. Look at Wu'er and Qianqian, they're about the same age and have similar looks, but neither of them is as gloomy as her.

Seeing her every day in Nanfeng Fortress makes me uncomfortable. I always hope that Bai Yifei won't regret it and will marry her sooner rather than later, which would be a relief for both of us. I've also wondered if Bai Yifei will really regret it, but considering that they've already been intimate, I think he won't abandon her.

Finally, their wedding was set for October, and she married him peacefully.

I told Nan Cong that my due date was approaching. Longcheng was much closer to Baimazhuang than Nanfengbao was, so I asked my father to write to me. Surprisingly, he sent Yi Sang to meet me on the way. I couldn't help but smile. The four young masters of yesteryear were all fathers who doted on their daughters. Uncle Tan and Uncle Cong were obvious examples; Wu'er enjoyed double the fatherly love. And wasn't my father the same?

When I traveled with him, I met Nan Cong. I didn't know he was the eldest son of Nanfeng Fort. I only thought he was handsome and kindred spirits, so I wanted to marry him. My father agreed without saying anything, and only then did he inquire about his family background. He even told me, "I inquired about his family background not to see if it was a good match for you, but to see how you two could work things out to make it work." At that time, I thought Nan Cong doted on me and would definitely indulge me in the future, so I didn't care too much. However, my father warned me that marriage is not just about marrying a husband; the temperament of the family members is also important. You can only get along well if you understand them. If others can't do this, so be it. We at Baiyantang have the resources to do so, so we can make thorough preparations.

When he learned that Nan Cong was the eldest son of Nanfeng Fort, he hesitated for a moment. He said to me, "Mei'er, in terms of family background, they are quite well-matched, but the more prestigious the family, the harder it is for the daughter-in-law, especially the eldest daughter-in-law. The pressure is quite high. You're used to being comfortable at home, so you'll have to be careful in this kind of in-law family. Fortunately, you have the reputation of the Hundred Words Hall in the martial arts world, so they shouldn't make things too difficult for you. Nanfeng Fort is truly a complicated place. Fortunately, Nan Cong doesn't seem to have the deep scheming and ruthlessness of his grandfather and father."

I'm not a particularly shrewd person, but I trust my intuition. I knew Nan Cong was a sentimental person, which explained his low opinion of Nanfeng Fort and his sympathy for his stepmother and sister. He also didn't like staying at Nanfeng Fort. So I told him that such an environment wasn't suitable for me either, but I loved him and was willing to go with him, with only one request: he had to take me with him whenever he wanted to go out for some fresh air. He smiled and agreed.

But after emerging from the underground palace, both my father-in-law and Nan Cong seemed to have changed. My father-in-law said that if he had known the treasure of the Ghost Palace came from Nan Dan, he shouldn't have been so greedy. For someone who almost never admits his mistakes, saying this must have been difficult. I heard that Yi Ge saved them in the underground palace, giving them a chance to live, and that Qi Long led people to dig them out. But after Wu'er and Yi Ge escaped from the underground palace, they never mentioned this to me. Later, Yi Ge gathered the remaining sects, and Yi Nuo gave them souvenirs. We no longer had the heart to investigate what treasures were actually in that underground palace.

It seems the confusion caused to Wu'er by Nan Ya, Fang Lan'er, Mu Ying, and the likes during the trip to the underground palace has dissipated. I see Yi Ge is with Wu'er everywhere he goes now, frequently glancing at her with his eyes; his intimacy and love are undeniable. I saw the disappointment in Bai Yifei's eyes, and could only sigh in my heart. What's lost is lost; there will always be someone who loves her more than you.