Lan Yin Bi Yue

Chapitre 56

Lin Suyang could only shed tears. The scene of Qin Yu's death was still vividly echoing in her mind. She could hear her own lament, as Qin Yu said she was lonely and wanted someone to be with her...

Ever since Lin Suyang was diagnosed with a Gu poison, she has frequently dreamt of Qin Yu, dreamt that Qin Yu, dressed in a pure white dress, comes to hold her hand, and says that they will be together forever. Does this mean that she will soon leave this world?

Volume Four, Palace Absolute, Chapter 126: Difficult to Distinguish Between Truth and Falsehood (Part Two)

Flowers dyed with ink are black, flowers made of clay are gray, flowers made of paper are white, and I ask you, what color are the flowers made of raindrops?

……have no idea.

Ha, how silly, of course it's transparent...

If raindrops form flowers that are transparent, then are teardrops also transparent?

Lin Ziyan stood in the room, his slender fingers sliding along the dusty table, leaving clear marks in their wake.

Beside the mahogany bed was a cabinet, which was also covered in a grayish hue. He walked over, opened the cabinet drawer, and found many children's toys inside.

Brother, I'll give you something fun.

What.

Close your eyes first.

I closed my eyes.

Okay, look.

Brother, you don't like it.

Yan'er, you're so naive.

But……

Okay, I'm going to sleep. You can leave now.

You never like the things I give you. Whenever I excitedly bring you a treasure that Dad gave me, you always take it, glance at it, and put it back in my hand. Then you tell me not to bother you.

But why do you always take things from me and carefully put them back in the cabinet? I asked. You said you just didn't want these things to interfere with my studies. Lin Suyang, so that's how you've always been—saying one thing and meaning another. And you haven't changed even now.

Lin Ziyan looked at the empty bed in front of him, sighed, and slammed the drawer shut.

"Second Young Master, Master wants to see you in the study," Qiao Sheng said as he arrived at the door. Since the upheaval at the Scholar's Mansion, Qiao Sheng had been depressed all day. Lin Cheng knew it was because of Lin Suyang's situation, and instead of blaming him for his negligence, he rewarded him with a considerable sum of money. However, Qiao Sheng felt no joy whatsoever; instead, he felt even more guilty for not taking good care of the eldest young master, truly feeling indebted to the Lin family. Therefore, he could only do his best to serve the Lin family to repay their kindness.

Seeing that the young master's room was still the same as before, but everything had changed, it was hard not to feel a little sad.

Lin Ziyan knew Qiao Sheng's feelings and didn't dare tell him that his "young master" wasn't actually dead. He could only pat him on the shoulder as if to comfort him and then went out to the study.

It had been almost a year since Lin Ziyan last saw his father, and he noticed that his father had a few more strands of white hair at his temples, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were like the fine cracks on wood lacquer, becoming more and more profound with the passing of time.

"Father. You wanted to see me?"

Lin Cheng raised his head, his eyes gleaming. He stared intently at his son for a long time before whispering, "You... haven't seen her, have you?"

Lin Ziyan shook his head, "I know that everything is beyond repair, and I... don't want her to worry."

“It’s Daddy’s fault.” Lin Cheng leaned back in his chair. “Daddy shouldn’t have dragged you into this pool. You’re all covered in muddy water and can’t get out.”

“Father, what’s the use of saying all this now? Besides, I did it willingly. It’s just that my sister is suffering. She knows nothing. She’s the one we’ve wronged.”

"So be it. Since there's no turning back, let's see this through to the end... Once we've settled things in that person's harem, our battlefield will begin..."

Lin Suyang has recently become a light sleeper; the slightest noise at night will wake her up, and she often has nightmares. Each time she wakes up, she is either drenched in cold sweat or in tears.

Si Junxing didn't know what to do. He sent a message by carrier pigeon to Master Guigan, but Master Guigan said this was a normal occurrence and that he just needed to take good care of her. So he had no choice but to stay by Lin Suyang's side every night, waking her up whenever he saw her in pain in her dreams. After a few days, he had lost a lot of weight.

Lin Suyang felt heartbroken seeing Si Junxing like this. Knowing she couldn't persuade him, she could only force herself not to fall asleep at night so she wouldn't be troubled by her dreams. After a while, she seemed to have gotten used to closing her eyes at night but not sleeping, so she told Si Junxing that she was fine and that he should rest too.

Si Junxing observed her for several nights with some skepticism, but when he saw that she was really sleeping well, he felt relieved.

When Lin Suyang heard the steady breathing behind her, she opened her eyes, then turned over and snuggled into Si Junxing's arms, staring into the darkness until dawn.

Traveling at varying speeds, Lin Suyang and his companions took nearly half a month to reach the border between Yanliao and Dayang. With the token Han Yufeng had given Si Junxing, they easily passed through the checkpoints and entered Yanliao territory.

Since their destination was the southern part of Yanliao, they chose a section of the upper reaches of the Jinshan River. As long as they crossed the Jinshan River and continued straight ahead, they would soon reach the edge of the territory of the Jiang tribe.

The Jinshan River is wide but shallow in its lower reaches, but it requires a boat to cross in its upper reaches. However, the weather is cold and gloomy, and there are hardly any ferries on the river. Fortunately, Si Junxing once again used the token to summon a wooden boat from the border military camp and took them to the other side.

After crossing the river, it was nearly dark, and Si Junxing decided to rest for the night on a slightly drier high ground by the river. He and Yan Muqing went to find firewood and food, while Shen Xiao took care of Lin Suyang.

Shen Xiao sat with Lin Suyang for a long time. Seeing that she kept her head down and didn't say anything, she worriedly asked, "Sister Suyan, are you alright?"

Lin Suyang raised her head, her eyes sparkling, and smiled as she said, "It's nothing. I just feel really bad asking you all to come with me to find the antidote."

"Sister, you're saying that again. Didn't I tell you before that we're friends? Friends shouldn't say such inappropriate things."

Lin Suyang, holding Shen Xiao's hand, said, "Okay, I won't say anything more."

“You promised before not to tell,” Shen Xiao said, frowning.

"I promise I won't say it again." Lin Suyang shook her hand and said, "Alright, Xiao'er, don't be angry. Listen to the sound of the river."

The two fell silent, the whistling wind mingling with the crashing of the Jinshan River against the dark rocks, sounding like music.

Si Junxing returned, soaking wet, carrying several still-living fish. A little while later, Yan Muqing also came over, dragging a large bundle of firewood.

"Tonight, we'll have grilled fish," Si Junxing said with a smile, putting the fish in his hand aside and helping Yan Muqing start a fire.

Lin Suyang took out a handkerchief from her bosom and walked over to him to wipe the water droplets from his face. "You'd better dry your clothes quickly. It's so cold, even a martial arts practitioner's body can't stand it." After the fire was lit, Lin Suyang pulled Si Junxing to sit down and warm himself up, and then she and Shen Xiao worked together to prepare the river fish.

Si Junxing took off his outer garment and draped it over a tree branch to warm himself by the fire. Only after he had warmed himself up did he start chatting with Yan Muqing.

"I've calculated the time. I estimate we'll reach the border town of the Xinjiang tribe the day after tomorrow. Once we get there, we'll plan how to cross the Serpent Valley."

Yan Muqing nodded in agreement, saying, "The medicine my master gave me includes an antidote pill, which we can take first in case of future problems. I also brought a lot of realgar powder with me. We should be able to get through smoothly."

"Thank you for your help this time."

"If you're brothers, stop being so wishy-washy. It's only by being with you that I've broadened my horizons. Otherwise, I might have just stayed on the mountain and experienced nothing, and my life would have passed by without me ever getting to know anyone."

Si Junxing smiled, but thought to himself that without Lin Suyang, he might still be caught in the bloody power struggles within the Demonic Sect. Turning to look at that slender figure, he felt a surge of joy. They had long since decided to be together through thick and thin, so whether or not they successfully obtained the antidote was no longer the most important thing.

He had thought a lot these past few days. He realized that his past self-sacrifice and indulgence of Lin Suyang had not only caused him pain but also caused her so much hurt from others. Therefore, he decided he would never let her leave again, not with Qin Hao, Lin Cheng, or even Qin Xiao; he didn't want Lin Suyang to return to their side.

He had this idea as early as when he decided to go to Dayang with Hanyu Feng, and he did just that. The reason he took her away in front of everyone was twofold: first, he discovered she was poisoned; second, he had already planned this "kidnapping," and it just so happened that the opportunity arose.

It's said that everyone looks out for themselves. Si Junxing is human. Of course, he can be selfish, but his selfishness almost entirely revolves around Lin Suyang. He follows her wishes and her heart. He doesn't care whether she responds or not; he only thinks about doing everything he can to be good to her. Now that he thinks about it, if he had been more assertive back then, would things have come to this? So he doesn't want to continue being so selfless. No matter what Lin Suyang thinks in the future, he has decided not to let go.

Several river fish were strung together on a tree branch, and Yan Muqing and Si Junxing each took some and put them on the fire to grill. Shen Xiao looked at the river fish that were gradually turning yellow, his mouth watering, but he suddenly complained, "Oh no, there's no salt, this is definitely not going to taste good."

"You, all you ever do is eat. I bought you so much last time, and look at you, you ate it all in less than a day. You should learn from Su Yang, who is so greedy at such a young age," Yan Muqing said, glancing at her.

"Oh dear, Brother Muqing, you're even more talkative than Master. If you keep going like this, who will dare to marry you?" Shen Xiao said with her eyes fixed on him.

"If no one else will marry you, then just marry him," Yan Muqing thought to herself, but dared not say it aloud.

Lin Suyang rested her head on Si Junxing's shoulder, one hand around his waist from behind, the other reaching forward to touch the hair at his temple. Si Junxing involuntarily trembled, almost dropping the fish in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Lin Suyang asked with a smile, "You didn't even realize you had some seaweed hanging on your head."

Si Junxing felt that familiar aura blowing directly into his ears, and his heart trembled slightly. Could it be another Lin Suyang?

Unexpectedly, Lin Suyang quickly let go of his hand, moved closer to the fire to add a few pieces of firewood, and then started talking to Shen Xiao. Si Junxing thought to himself, "Thank goodness it's not him." After flipping the fish over, he started to space out, and then, thinking about it, he even started to chuckle to himself.

"Sister Su Yan." Shen Xiao nudged Lin Su Yang's hand, making her look behind her. Lin Su Yang turned her head and saw Si Junxing with a smile on his lips, not knowing what he was laughing about.

"What happened to Brother Si Junxing?"

“Probably,” Lin Suyang turned back to look at the fire, a strange light flashing in his eyes, and said, “You must be starving.”

Volume Four, Palace Secrets, Chapter 127: Difficult to Distinguish Between Truth and Falsehood (Part Two)

The night air was cold and heavy. Because Lin Suyang and his companions needed to cross the river, their carriage was left on the other side, so they had to rely on a fire burning all night to keep warm.

Si Junxing lit another fire on the ground, then extinguished the first one, spread a layer of dried leaves and weeds on it, and placed his own dried coat on top before letting Lin Suyang lie down.

Shen Xiao watched with envy, murmuring, "I wish my future husband would treat me like this."

Hearing her words, Yan Muqing tapped her on the head and said, "You're dreaming! Su Yang doesn't have martial arts skills and can't keep warm, but you've been practicing martial arts for so many years and you're afraid of this little bit of cold?"

Shen Xiao curled his lip and replied, "There's absolutely no way to communicate with you."

Yan Muqing snorted coldly, turned around, and lay down on the ground. Chen Xiao, feeling bored, also turned his back to Yan Muqing and closed his eyes.

Lin Suyang felt Si Junxing holding her tightly, and he kept radiating heat. Soon, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. So she turned around and whispered to Si Junxing, "Actually, I... am not cold."

Si Junxing was stunned for a moment before remembering that she had used Nine Lotus Ice and was no longer afraid of hot or cold.

Holding on tightly, he opened his mouth and said, "But I want to hug you."

Lin Suyang smiled, said nothing more, tilted her head back and gently touched his lips, then leaned against him and closed her eyes. Only the crackling of burning firewood could be heard in the wind, and the fiery red light made Si Junxing's face glow.

Jiyue Town is a border town of the Xinjiang ethnic group and a necessary passage to the center of the Xinjiang region. Located between two mountains, Jiyue Town is easy to defend and difficult to attack, which has made it an important place for the Xinjiang people to confidently defend their gateway.

After several days of arduous travel, Si Junxing and his companions finally arrived in Ji Yue Town, only to be caught in a downpour. They hurriedly found an inn to stay at, intending to wait for the rain to stop before venturing out to investigate the path into the Serpent Valley.

Because they arrived in time, their clothes weren't too wet. So instead of going back to their rooms, they sat in the lobby by the window and had the waiter bring them some hot tea to ward off the chill.

The rain poured down outside the window. Chen Xiao glanced outside and saw that there weren't many pedestrians on the street. Even the vendors had packed up their stalls early. Many people were huddled under the eaves to avoid the rain. Some had even run into the inn. Suddenly, the lobby was bustling with activity.

Just as he was about to look away, a figure suddenly entered his field of vision. Shen Xiao couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Yan Muqing asked, looking at her.

Shen Xiao pointed blankly outside. Yan Muqing looked in that direction but saw nothing. She turned back and looked at her in confusion.

"I...I really want to see Kong Ling."

"What?" Yan Muqing exclaimed in surprise, "Are you seeing things?"

"...Am I seeing things?" Shen Xiao muttered, touching her braid in annoyance.

Remembering that they were unaware that Kong Ling was still alive, and even had defected to Yan Liao, Si Junxing calmly poured tea for Lin Suyang while saying, "With such heavy rain, it's not surprising that you misread things. What would you like to eat? Let the waiter order."

Lin Suyang hung her head, seemingly lost in thought. Si Junxing leaned closer and asked, "Wife, what would you like to eat?"

The word "wife" struck a chord in Lin Suyang's heart, causing her excruciating pain. Her mind was in turmoil, with countless figures swirling around her, blurring her vision. All she knew was that her consciousness was beginning to fade.

"Su Yang?" Si Junxing sensed something was wrong and quickly put his arm around her shoulder to ask her.

Lin Suyang put down her teacup. Turning her head, she said, "Don't be nervous, I'm just thinking about something."

Shen Xiao laughed jokingly: "Brother Si Junxing, you're too anxious for Sister Suyan."

Si Junxing also felt that he was becoming more sensitive, always feeling that the people around him could turn into strangers at any time. So he wished that Lin Suyang was always under his nose so that he could discover anything unusual as soon as possible.

They ordered a lot of vegetarian dishes from the waiter and remained seated quietly. Shen Xiao looked around, seemingly preoccupied with something, and no one wanted to speak. Bored, Shen Xiao twirled her cup on the table, when suddenly, "crash!" the cup fell to the floor. The tea spilled, but the cup didn't break. She bent down to pick it up and noticed something strange: almost everyone around them was wearing a pair of unusual boots.

It's not exactly special; the boots aren't uniformly colored, but what they all have in common is a snake pattern on each boot. The snakes, coiled and flicking their tongues, come in various colors, some as large as a copper coin embroidered on the side of the boot, others on the top. Because the clothing of the Jiang people differs from other ethnic groups in Yan and Liao, their upper bodies are short, and the trouser legs are tucked into the boot shafts. Thus, the entire boot is completely exposed.