I am that wisp of cloud on the horizon, impossible to grasp; the mountain wind whistles past my ears. Shui Wu'er laughs loudly in her dream.
Chapter Four: Rambling Thoughts and Interpretive Words (Part One)
Meeting Yin Wuxiao, the most talented woman in the world, was both the luckiest and the most unfortunate thing in Shi Mansi's life.
According to Shi Mansi's mother, she was a beautiful and talented young lady from a prestigious family, while Shi Mansi's father was a scoundrel.
Shi Mansi's mother passed away before she could recount in detail how wicked her father was. When Shi Mansi was four years old, she was taken in by the young lady of the Yin family. This young lady was very well-dressed and very rich. Shi Mansi thought, since following her would bring her good fortune, she might as well go with her.
She followed him for over a decade, during which time Shi Mansi gradually discovered that while the young lady of the Yin family wasn't a complete scoundrel, she couldn't exactly be described as a typical well-bred young lady either. The young lady's parents died shortly after her birth, so her wet nurse, concubine, and everyone in the Yin household doted on her, spoiling her rotten. Of course, Shi Mansi wasn't exactly innocent either. Thus, the two of them found themselves kindred spirits, needless to say, turning the Yin household into chaos.
When the two were six years old, they had a baby.
This treasure is no ordinary treasure; it belongs to a person.
This precious boy's grandmother was an old lady whom Shi and Yin greatly admired. One day, the old lady brought her grandson to the Yin residence. While the adults chatted and drank tea in the front hall, they sent the grandson off to wander around the backyard. This wandering led them to the courtyard where Shi and Yin lived. Upon seeing the young man, Shi and Yin were astonished. They felt that a twelve-year-old boy with such domineering presence and handsome features must have a bright future. After a brief discussion, they decided to set a trap for him.
By then, Shi Mansi had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, and was quite adept at feigning innocence. She wept pitifully, her face streaked with tears, and the young man, overcome with a sense of justice, went to comfort her. However, in his attempt to soothe the young woman, he inadvertently wrote a contract promising to "be with her forever." And when the young man was about to leave the manor with his beloved old man, that contract transformed into a perfectly formal and flawless indenture of servitude.
The reason why she is considered a "precious old lady" is that she didn't raise any questions about the written agreement. She solemnly admonished her grandson that a person, especially a man, must always keep their word.
To become a true man, the young man swallowed the bitter pill inflicted upon him by these two girls, whose combined age was only equal to his. However, he insisted that the contract of servitude should have a time limit.
Yin Wuxiao and Shi Mansi exchanged a glance and smiled wickedly: "Sixteen years is a very auspicious number. Let's leave it at that."
The boy almost shed a tear.
The old man, very responsible, left his grandson at the Yin residence, then turned and left without even taking a piece of tofu with him. The young boy stood alone in the hall, listening to the two maids' lively discussion:
"Whose room should we hang him in on the first night?"
A single tear from a child fell.
From then on, Shi Mansi had a new follower. Shi Mansi could tell that the boy harbored resentment towards Yin Wuxiao, because he felt that Yin Wuxiao was the mastermind behind his scheme. She deeply regretted the boy's poor judgment, because she herself was no saint either.
Shi Mansi was the kind of person everyone loved, who made flowers bloom and dogs frolic, yet whose heart was as dark as Yin Wuxiao's. Later, by chance, she became the apprentice of the legendary martial arts master, Tianshan Laoren, and learned an unparalleled skill in disguise, a unique and intricate art of mechanics, and a martial arts skill that was even less than that of a novice.
Over the next decade or so, Shi Mansi smoothly grew into a chivalrous woman, while Yin Wuxiao smoothly grew into a talented woman. Due to Shi Mansi's lack of well-rounded development, she frequently caused trouble in the martial arts world. Surprisingly, however, after each incident, a group of men in black would always follow her around, cleaning up the mess. Over time, Shi Mansi earned the nickname "Black Jade Goddess."
Having seen many handsome men in the martial world, the Black Jade Goddess, upon returning to examine the strikingly handsome young man Cen Lu hanging in her room, found him to be nothing special. Cen Lu thus fell out of favor in a rather desolate manner and was relegated to the position of manager at Huanyi Study, a branch of the Yin family.
Meanwhile, the two young women—no, the two charming ladies—began plotting a major undertaking. With the Black Jade Goddess Shi Mansi dictating and Yin Wuxiao writing, the two collaborated to create a remarkable book. This is the best-selling single-volume work in the martial arts world in the last hundred years: *The Record of Male Beauties in the Martial Arts World*.
Upon its release, the daughters of all families vied for it like starving mad dogs.
When the two were nineteen, Shi Mansi suddenly had a whimsical idea: to retire from the world of martial arts. Since the ancients said, "The greatest hermit lives in the court," Shi Mansi decided to take the imperial examination and surprisingly became the second-place scholar.
Shi and Yin didn't care too much about the ranking. Shi Mansi felt that compared to Yin Wuxiao, her literary talent wasn't particularly outstanding.
They didn't care, but the top scholar who benefited was very upset. The top scholar, Deng Qinghui, somehow got wind of the fact that Shi Mansi was a woman, and he took it to the imperial palace to complain.
Fortunately, after his initial anger subsided, the emperor actually rewarded Shi Mansi handsomely. It goes without saying that Shi Yin and Shi Mansi had pulled many strings behind the scenes.
Perhaps out of a sense of integrity and uprightness, the emperor didn't care, but the top scholar did. Once the top scholar started to care, all the Confucian scholars in the country began to care about Shi Mansi's gender, which triggered an unprecedented wave of Confucian student strikes in the dynasty.
The emperor was finally finding it hard to keep up, and Shi Mansi also became quite disheartened.
It turns out that the imperial court is even more treacherous than the martial arts world. Why should she retire? She should just return to the martial arts world.
The martial arts world was thus plunged into another catastrophe.
The Black Jade Goddess, who has returned to the martial world, has not had a very pleasant three years. The reason for this is that Yin Wuxiao, who has been colluding with her for more than ten years, has been missing for three years.
Shi Mansi deeply felt that it was truly beyond her capabilities to wreak havoc on the world alone.
On this day, she was finally able to see the first beauty in her "Records of Male Beauties in the Martial World," the young man in blue, from a distance of no more than two feet, but she felt very sad.
Back when she and Yin Wuxiao were pondering the first line of the poem, how carefree and unrestrained they were!
Three months had passed since the marital breakdown at Chuxiu Manor. Baili Qingyi strolled through the winding corridors of the Yin residence, when he unexpectedly caught sight of the withered flowers in the green pond. And in the very center of those withered flowers, a delicate, emerald-like blue lotus was in full bloom, leaving him slightly lost in thought.
Shi Mansi approached him from behind like a cat: "Does the young master in blue know that the Sanskrit name for the blue lotus is 'Utpala'? The Zen saying 'holding up a flower and smiling' refers to this flower."
The young man in blue composed himself, turned around and smiled, "Miss Shi is very knowledgeable; I am no match for her."
Shi Mansi walked forward with a faint smile, one hand touching the emerald green corridor railing, her gaze gazing into the distance: "When Awu was alive, there was the 'flower-picking smile,' but now that Awu is gone, who else can pick up this lotus flower and smile with such great wisdom?"
After a moment's thought, the young man in blue realized that the "Awu" Shi Mansi was referring to was Yin Wuxiao.
“Miss Yin is exceptionally intelligent and will naturally be blessed with good fortune. I believe the truth about the Yin family case will soon be revealed.”
Shi Mansi pondered for a moment: "The young master in blue is really a strange person."
"Oh? Where is the monster in blue?"
"The words of the young man in blue are sincere and convincing, and every word is precious. However, the young man in blue himself is shrouded in mystery, making people hesitant to believe him."
Baili Qingyi chuckled: "Miss Shi, are you saying that Qingyi is a hypocrite who is two-faced?"
Shi Mansi giggled and waved her hand: "Mansi wouldn't dare. What the young master in blue says, he will definitely do; Mansi firmly believes it. It's just..."
"only?"
Shi Mansi turned her head and touched her hair bun. She did not answer, but slowly said, "When the young master in green was eighteen years old, he single-handedly broke through the Tianmen Village, which was known for its ruthless killings, and disbanded its seventy-six subordinate mountain strongholds. From then on, there were no more highway robbers in the Yan and Zhao regions, and the young master in green became famous in the martial arts world because of this battle."
"good."
"The young master in green was only twenty-one years old. When the two peerless masters, Old Man Qiushan and Yu Zongdaomo, were fighting on Mount Song, the young master in green, for the sake of the martial arts world, went to persuade them to stop the fighting. Later, the young master in green was seriously injured in the fight, but he single-handedly resolved the decades-old feud between the two, which led them to enlightenment and enter the Buddhist order, thus preventing a catastrophe in the martial arts world."
Baili Qingyi raised her eyebrows, momentarily unsure of her intentions.
"The young master in green was twenty-four years old. When the imperial court, instigated by treacherous officials, launched a massive attack on Fengyue City, the city lord, Ling Fengyue, pleaded for help from the young master in green. He responded swiftly, and the entire martial arts world rallied to his aid, successfully lifting the siege of Fengyue City and forcing the imperial court to sign a pact of never invading again. Two years ago, Old Master Baili passed away, and the young master in green officially took over the Baili Manor, commanding the entire realm with absolute obedience." Shi Mansi gazed at him with bright, sparkling eyes. "Is there anything wrong with what Mansi has said?"
The young man in blue gazed at her, his heart gradually calming down: "Miss Shi knows so much about my background, I am truly flattered."
If the investigation hadn't been so thorough, how could one have written "The Record of Male Beauties in the Martial World"? Shi Mansi pursed her red lips and continued, "However, compared to the Qingyi Young Master's many achievements, what captivated countless young ladies even more was the Qingyi Couplet from six years ago, wasn't it? Just what kind of couplet was it that even Awu was stumped by you?"
"Does Miss Shi also want to give it a try?" the young man in blue asked sarcastically.
Shi Mansi giggled, her laughter scattering a shower of crabapple blossoms on the ground: "I wouldn't dare. Besides, I've heard that Qingyi has already been chosen by the eldest daughter of the Yuwen family. Young Master Qingyi, are you planning to marry Miss Yuwen on a chosen day?"
The young man in blue glanced down at the mottled railing, his eyes as black as lacquer: "I am but a boring man, pursuing boring things in this world. It is my good fortune to be favored by such a beauty, but I dare not ruin someone's life."
Shi Mansi couldn't help but chuckle. The sound was originally unrefined, but it was extremely cute coming from her.
"The young man in blue is just like her; he loves to say nice things, but in reality, he dislikes doing things to please others. How strange!"
"This 'she' you're referring to must be Miss Yin, right?" The young man in blue suddenly brightened up. "Miss Yin...did you go to Yunshan six years ago?"
Shi Mansi was taken aback. She reacted quickly, covering her mouth and exclaiming, "What are you talking about? My Awu, apart from necessary business dealings, has never left the house. She's never even been to Yunpo, let alone Yunshan. Awu is not a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world), please don't tarnish her reputation, young master in blue."
The young man in blue frowned, about to ask more about Yin Wuxiao, when he was interrupted by Baili Hanyi who was rushing over.
"Brother, Madam Yun..."
The young man in blue stopped laughing, cupped his hands, and said, "Then, please excuse me, young man in blue."
Shi Mansi gave a slight bow, watching the two Baili brothers leave. Then, she smiled and looked at the proud blue lotus standing in the misty, cold pool, murmuring, "What kind of person is this at heart? Perhaps only you can guess?"
But where is that person now?
Chapter Four: Rambling Thoughts and Interpretive Words (Part Two)
Mizuno didn't know if she was dreaming or already dead. Or perhaps, she was dreaming after she died.
In her dream, the young man in blue said to her with deep sorrow, "So it was you. What you did was wrong, it violated the code of the martial world, and everyone has the right to kill you."
Then the young man in blue wiped his face, transforming into Yin Zhangzhang. Yin Zhangzhang laughed shrilly and said, "Come join 'Traceless'!"
Yin Zhangzhang suddenly transformed back into Shi Mansi. Shi Mansi said aggrievedly, "I've hated you since I was a child, and I still do. You didn't know that, did you?"
Shui Wu'er cried and said, "How would I know? What should I do if even you hate me?"
Suddenly, a pair of hands pulled her away from Shi Mansi and grasped her shoulders. The person said to her with deep affection, "Shui Wu'er, you are a pure land in my filthy life."
A bolt of lightning struck down, and Shui Wu'er awoke.
This person is Yin Bitong.
Shui Wu'er felt that the first few parts of the dream were barely acceptable, but the last sentence made her shudder violently.
But when she touched her face, her neck, and her chest, she felt incredibly refreshed.
She sat up abruptly, staring blankly at her own hands, then blankly at Yin Bitong in the room.
In the same guest room of the inn, Yin Bitong was still taking a bath, using the same wooden tub, the water pattering softly, seemingly sweet and tender.
She sat there blankly for a while, then suddenly looked at Yin Bitong's bare back and said, "Why are you taking a bath again?"
Yin Bitong took a small wooden comb and carefully combed his wet hair. Hearing this, he turned around in the tub, facing her directly: "The blood from your nose and eyes has all flowed onto me, it's filthy." He stood up without any concern and wiped himself with a large towel. Then, he stepped out of the tub and slowly put on his clothes.
Shui Wu'er hurriedly averted her gaze, clutching her hair in a daze. Could it be that Rong Qiurui, Lu Mian, and Uncle Yin were all just a dream? Was she dreaming before, or was she dreaming now?
Or perhaps she was truly so lucky that a kind person at the bottom of the cliff actually built a pond for her?
After dressing, Yin Bitong stretched out her two slender fingers and lifted Shui Wu'er off the bed by the back of her collar.
"What are you doing!" Shui Wu'er blushed and shouted.
Doesn't he know that being held by the back of his collar like that will expose his belly?
Yin Bitong ignored her, stretched her arm out straight, and walked straight out of the room and downstairs. She ran into the waiter in the corridor, whose tray slammed onto the floor with a loud crash, leaving a dent.
Yin Bitong tossed Shui Wu'er onto a stool at a table downstairs and handed her a pair of chopsticks: "Eat."
The inn fell silent instantly, and the guests stared blankly at us, biting their chopsticks.
In this situation, should she eat or not?
Shui Wu'er then threw her chopsticks aside, picked up the oily chicken leg in front of her and started gnawing on it. While eating, she would steal glances at the person opposite her, Yin Bitong, who was drinking her white porridge in a refined manner.
The waiter came over and said to Yin Bitong with a smile, "Sir, it's not easy for our little shop to do business. Would you like to give me this thing..." The waiter glanced meaningfully at Shui Wu'er and made a gesture of emptying a slop bucket.
Yin Bitong put down her porridge spoon and suddenly asked the waiter in a very solemn tone, "Do you know who she is?"
The waiter shook his head innocently.
"She is a descendant of the Divine Martial General."
Shui Wu'er sprayed chicken bone fragments all over the table.