Quand l'amour approche, c'est comme la neige

Chapitre 143

Yongye gasped. So much for their Buddhist devotion that they'd built a temple in their own home! The An family must have a lot of money. She stood outside the temple; all was quiet, not even a cicada's chirp. In the sweltering heat of August, not a single cicada was chirping? She looked around curiously, noticing small sachets hanging from the trees around the temple. Were these for repelling cicadas? Where did the An family find such a skilled pharmacist?

"Young Master Li, please!" An Boping said with a smile as he stepped out of the Buddhist hall.

As Yongye entered the Buddhist hall, she was greeted by a strange fragrance, its rich aroma filling the entire space. Looking closely, she saw a wooden Buddha statue over ten feet tall in the center, its color a yellowish-brown—undoubtedly made of agarwood. A piece of agarwood could be exchanged for its equivalent volume of gold. Agarwood is mostly made from decayed wood and fine branches, primarily used for incense. This Buddha, over ten feet tall and exquisitely carved by Master Zhao, must be worth a fortune. She blinked, recalling the days when she and Yuepo struggled to make ends meet, counting their copper coins. If only she had come to the An family's Buddhist hall and cut off a section of Buddha's hand, it would have been enough for them to eat their fill. Even if they didn't sell it, they could have used it to smoke the pigsty. Perhaps the pigsty would have yielded more than just a few liters of rice and a piece of meat. If she hadn't worried about food back then, if she hadn't pawned that piece of Tianhuang seal stone, if she hadn't tried to get revenge on Dachanghao for undercutting her price, would so many things have happened? Would Qiangwei still appear? Were she and Yuepo still leisurely drinking porridge, admiring the moon and stars in the courtyard?

"Young Master Li, this is my mother."

Yongye snapped out of his reverie and saw an old lady sitting on a carved wooden chair to the side. She had white hair, wore a brown ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and held a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand. She looked serene, as if she had risen into the air with the fragrance of sandalwood. Her features were very regular, and she must have been a beauty in her youth.

A maid stood beside the old lady, her face also cold. She glanced at Yongye with the look of someone looking at an ant under their foot.

Yongye quickly bowed; she had never liked this type of woman.

The old lady opened her eyes and said calmly, "Since you are the one who painted Guanyin, you must also have Buddha in your heart and be a compassionate person. Go."

Yongye agreed, but for some reason, she felt the old lady looked strangely familiar. She couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, only to be startled by the old lady's squinting, probing gaze. She quickly composed herself and carefully examined the wooden Guanyin statue in the Buddhist hall. After an incense stick's time, she heard the old lady slowly speak: "Young Master Li, you've been looking at this Guanyin for quite some time. What do you think?"

"Reporting to Madam, this Guanyin statue stands on a lotus pedestal, its appearance dignified and lifelike. What's most remarkable is its smooth, flowing lines, full and rich, with a compassionate expression. The round carving and openwork techniques are exquisite, and the robes seem to flutter in the wind. Large pieces of agarwood are hard to find, and Master Zhao didn't waste much. Moreover, agarwood is extremely difficult to carve, and only a master like Master Zhao could create something so extraordinary. I've truly broadened my horizons." Yongye didn't know if the old lady was testing her or just asking casually, but she answered seriously.

The old lady said calmly, "Young Master Li has his own insights. Boping has good judgment. Go ahead."

Yongye respectfully bowed and left the Buddhist hall.

As Yongye bowed and took his leave from the old lady, that familiar feeling returned. He thought for a long time, but still couldn't remember where he had seen the old lady before.

As they walked out of the Buddhist hall and into the forest path, An Boping whispered, "Young Master...you are truly talented and learned. I'm sweating bullets."

Yongye quietly observed her surroundings, and seeing that no one was around, she smiled and said, "So the old lady was testing me. If I may be so bold, is the old lady the eldest young master's biological mother?"

An Boping shook his head: "My mother was my father's concubine and has passed away long ago. She was my father's first wife and the mother of the third son. My father passed away early, and at that time, Boping was away managing his business and was not by his side. At the beginning of the year, the old master also passed away, and that's when Boping took over as the head of the An family."

"Oh, where is the old lady from?"

"My mother's family home seems to be a place called Fubao Town, which is in the mountains. Qi State is full of mountains, but Boping doesn't know which mountain it is."

Looking at the vast Anjia Garden, Yongye felt that although the garden was beautiful, it was eerily quiet, like a tomb. Life in such a large family must not be easy.

That evening, she was placed in a guest room in the inner courtyard. An Boping's reason to the outside world was that she needed to observe the Buddha statues for a few more days before she could paint. Outside the guest room, Yongye instructed that no extra staff were needed and that everything should proceed as usual.

She racked her brains, trying to remember where she had seen the old lady before. The guest room was spacious, with an outer hall and an inner room. The outer room served as a study, and all the necessary materials were provided for her painting. Yongye casually sketched the old lady's face, looked at it again and again, and made some adjustments. The old lady's face became another person's face, and the two people looked about seventy percent alike.

Yongye's brush trembled, her hand shaking uncontrollably. A moment later, she casually drew another image of Guanyin, a smile gradually spreading across her face. She took a deep breath and placed the two sheets of paper over the candle flame, intending to burn them. Just then, she heard a noise outside the door. Yongye blew out the candle, sprang into action, and flew out of the window.

A dark shadow flashed across the rooftop not far away.

What she feared most was that things would remain peaceful and uneventful at the An family home. Upon seeing the shadowy figure, Yongye was unwilling to give up. She used her lightness skill to its fullest extent, getting closer and closer to the shadowy figure.

It seemed to know she was chasing it. The dark figure tumbled down from the rooftop and landed in a courtyard.

Yongye followed without hesitation.

Suddenly, a silvery lake appeared before them, and the man in black was already standing in a small boat.

With a light touch of his toes, Yongye darted forward like a soaring eagle, landing perfectly on the small boat.

The man in black looked at her and slowly said, "No one would have guessed that your lightness skill is actually superior to that of the man in green. You kept it a secret for a good time."

Yongye shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. He smiled and said, "Young Master Moyu, oh, the Third Young Master of the An family. I've heard so much about you!"

Mo Yu wasn't wearing tight-fitting night clothes; instead, he wore a dark green long robe with a jade belt around his waist. His demeanor was completely different from when he was in the Peony Courtyard, resembling a dashing young nobleman. Only his eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment as he stared at her hatefully: "You knew I was luring you out, so why did you fall for it? Do you think Feng Yangxi can save you here again?"

“My lightness skill is not bad, and my accuracy with hidden weapons is also not bad. Young Master Moyu is only a zhang away from me. Aren’t you afraid of dying?” Yongye smiled. “Besides, there are many experts in the An family. Young Master Moyu has obviously made arrangements so that no one will disturb you. That’s why the journey has been so smooth. Another advantage is that no one has come to rescue you.”

Mo Yu snorted: "You're right. I lured you here because it's quiet. I don't believe I can't kill you!"

“Yongye really wants to know, why does Young Master Moyu hate me so much? He's usually so gentle and protective of beautiful women, he wouldn't lay a finger on them.” Yongye exaggeratedly gestured with her fingers. She tilted her head in confusion, then suddenly understood: “I understand! Young Master Moyu has been in the Peony Courtyard for so long that he's lost interest in women and prefers men! However, I always appear in men's clothing, and even the former deposed crown prince of Anguo, Li Tianrui, praised me. If I were to become a male prostitute in the Peony Courtyard, Young Master Moyu wouldn't be the top courtesan. A beauty like me, beautiful enough to be both men and women, is unparalleled in the world. Why does Young Master Moyu want to kill me?”

She rattled off a string of words, igniting a raging fire of anger in Mo Yu's eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "Once I catch you, I'll slash your face, sever your tendons, and render you unable to use your lightness skills or throw hidden weapons. Let's see if anyone will still show you any mercy then."

A gust of wind rose, and a silver light shone directly at Mo Yu's face. He turned his head away in shock, a section of his hair was cut off, and a shallow cut was made on his cheek, with a thin line of blood flowing down his face.

"Third Young Master, it's alright. You don't rely on Peony for a living anyway. And for a man, being a little ugly doesn't matter. Those men who are nice to you are not only after your face, but also your waist and thighs! But what does it prove if you scratch my face? I'm not going to compete with you for food in Peony Courtyard," Yongye said maliciously.

Mo Yu glared at her through gritted teeth, let out a loud shout, drew a soft sword from her waist, and swung it with the agility of a snake, aiming straight for Yong Ye's throat.

Suddenly, Yongye leaped from the ship like a spring onion. This was superb lightness skill; it was as if a noose was pulling her straight up. Before she was even out of breath, Yongye somersaulted in mid-air, her throwing knife, gleaming with moonlight, shooting straight at Moyu. She thought disdainfully, "You absolutely cannot dodge this."

A blade struck Mo Yu's hand, causing his sword to fall onto the boat. Another blade struck him, causing him to tremble before collapsing and tumbling into the water. Yong Ye followed, but regretted it the moment she entered the water.

A transparent net swirled around her. Unable to use her light-footed skills in the water, Yongye retreated, but couldn't dodge in time and was caught in the net. Moyu's狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face was in front of Yongye. Her throwing knife struck him, but he seemed completely unaffected.

A layer of sadness welled up in Yongye's eyes. Even her throwing knives couldn't pierce her armor; Moyu had come prepared. She tried desperately to cut through the silver net, but to no avail. Yongye gave up; the more she struggled, the tighter the net entangled her. She could struggle no more.

Mo Yu dared not approach her, only tightening his net and glaring at her. Unable to cross the eternal night, she could only hold her breath, carefully controlling the air in her lungs. Mo Yu couldn't stay underwater forever; he would eventually surface.

The Heavenly Meridian Inner Scripture slowly circulated within his body as Yongye and Moyu confronted each other. Her martial arts were superior to his; she could kill him and untangle the net the instant he ascended to breathe.

At this moment, she saw Mo Yu take out a tube from his bosom, put one end in his mouth, and stick the other end out of the water.

Yongye knew she was in trouble. With a struggle, she swam towards Moyu, still wrapped in the net. Her throwing knives were aimed at Moyu's head, face, and hands, but their effectiveness was greatly reduced in the water, and the net tightened around her. She was almost powerless to throw any more hidden weapons.

The suffocation almost made her chest explode; she couldn't break the surface, and Mo Yu held onto the net tightly from below.

Yongye struggled reflexively, her limbs gradually weakening. As Moyu swam to the surface and pulled her up, he struck her hard with his palm. Darkness enveloped her, and she thought of Feng Yangxi. This time, he was truly not by her side.

The eyes of Buddha statues can speak.

Yongye stayed at Anjia for one night and then disappeared.