Isn't that right?
Mu Wanfeng suddenly stood up and slowly turned around.
"You...you're right. It's always better to let someone live than to let them die."
Chapter Twenty-Six: Where is the Mirror Reflected? (Part One)
Upon receiving the news that his elder brother's condition had finally improved, Baili Hanyi rushed back to Baili Prefecture in Jiangnan overnight.
"How is my brother now?" As soon as he got off his horse, Baili Hanyi reached out and grabbed Uncle Jiao, the old steward who came out of the mansion to greet him.
"He hasn't woken up yet, but Doctor Xuan said his life is no longer in danger, and that if he takes good care of himself, his martial arts skills can be restored to normal."
"This...this is wonderful!" He exclaimed with joy. "Has the Yin family in the capital been informed?" These past few days, it wasn't just the Baili family who had been living in fear. If that person knew this news, he would probably be even more overjoyed than the three brothers.
Uncle Jiao asked in surprise, "Second Young Master, you don't know? Miss Yin just left the manor."
Just left the manor? Could it be...?
"Didn't Physician Xuan say before that, given my brother's injuries, unless there is divine assistance and all three medicinal ingredients are gathered, there is no hope of recovery?"
"I'm not too sure about that, but I do know that Miss Yin did bring a lot of precious medicinal herbs with her this time. Oh, and she also brought someone with her."
Who is it?
"It was a woman with her face covered, and she looked very strange. But Miss Yin said that this person was the key to healing the wound."
"Where is Miss Yin?"
"Second Young Master, you have such a bad memory. Didn't I tell you, she just left the manor?"
"...I'd better go see my older brother first."
As soon as Baili Qingyi stepped into her bedroom, Baili Hanyi saw her slowly open her tired eyelids. He smiled with relief.
Since waking up from a coma that had lasted for months, Baili Qingyi has keenly noticed that things are different in the Baili Manor than before.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what was different. He only felt that everyone in the manor seemed to be deliberately avoiding him. Even his three brothers would avoid his eyes when they met and spoke to him. The renowned physician Xuan He, who refused to leave and insisted on staying until he was fully recovered, forced him to drink large amounts of dark, thick soup every day. Whenever he asked, "What kind of medicine is this?" the physician would glare and bristle.
"I'll eat you to death!"
The explosion had dealt a devastating blow to his body, a fact he knew all too well. Although he had escaped the epicenter, he had been struck by blasted rocks, fallen to the bottom of a cliff, and buried in a pile of rubble. All his meridians were destroyed, and his bones were broken. To have survived was a miracle. So when Baili Hanyi told him that with patience and consistent rehabilitation, even his martial arts skills could be restored, he began to believe that something was being kept from him by everyone.
Sitting in a wheelchair specially made by Physician Xuan, Baili Qingyi moved around the mansion.
"Young Master! Young Master!" Uncle Jiao, carrying a thick blanket, caught up from behind, panting.
Baili Qingyi sighed helplessly and stopped to wait for the old man to catch up.
"Uncle Jiao, what are you up to now?" Baili Hanyi knew he couldn't resist Uncle Jiao's nagging, so he assigned the old man to keep an eye on him. Poor Baili Qingyi, who used to be able to leave many martial arts masters behind with a flick of his robes, now even Uncle Jiao was sticking to him like glue.
"Where is the young master going? You should at least cover yourself with a blanket, or you'll catch a cold. How am I supposed to explain this to Doctor Xuan?" Uncle Jiao grumbled as he spread the blanket over Baili Qingyi's legs.
"Don't worry, Physician Xuan will never ask you for an explanation." Physician Xuan's eyes seemed to say that saving him was simply a waste of medicinal herbs.
"Uncle Jiao, I want to go for a walk in the street. I've been staying at home for so long and I'm getting bored."
"Oh? The eldest young master wants to leave the manor? Let me go and inform the second young master..."
Baili Qingyi frowned at Uncle Jiao, a rare occurrence for her: "When do I need Hanyi's approval to do anything?"
"This... Hey, that's not what I meant. I meant... Young Master's injury has healed with great difficulty. You've spent so much manpower and resources, bringing in cartloads of precious medicinal herbs. How... how can you not appreciate it?" It's truly pitiful for Old Man Jiao, having to run around so much at his age. But what can be done? He's the only one in the entire Baili Manor who can rely on his age to keep an eye on the Young Master.
As he spoke, Uncle Jiao plopped down and began to tearfully recount the events: "You know how important you are to the Baili Manor and the martial arts world. This time you were injured, how many people spent so much effort to pull you back from the brink of death? The Second Young Master shouldered the burden of the Baili Manor alone, the Third Young Master searched everywhere for medicine for you, almost running his legs off, and even the Fourth Young Master, who never left the house, was busy taking care of you and lost a lot of weight. Can't you just listen to me and focus on recovering?"
"It's...it was my fault, Uncle Jiao, please don't cry anymore." Baili Qingyi rubbed her forehead, her head aching. "Then, Uncle Jiao, could you push me back to my room?"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Jiao jumped up with astonishing leaping power and said with a happy smile, "Okay, okay."
"Uncle Jiao, you said you used up a lot of expensive medicinal herbs for my illness?"
"That's right. Putting everything else aside, just those three medicinal ingredients alone..." Uncle Jiao suddenly stopped talking.
"Three medicinal ingredients?"
"Well... a ginseng, deer antler, and mink fur coat. Sigh, let's hurry back, it's windy outside." Uncle Jiao casually changed the subject.
"Uncle Jiao, ginseng, deer antler, and sable fur coats are the three treasures of Northeast China," Baili Qingyi said with a smile.
"Huh? Really?"
When Baili Qingyi called his three brothers and Xuan Hegu into the room to discuss matters, Baili Hanyi knew he couldn't hide it anymore. Anyway, he hadn't really intended to keep it from Baili Qingyi.
To be honest, how could Baili Qingyi not know the true state of Baili Manor's finances? It was all a facade; in reality, Baili Manor was dirt poor. Yet, for the past few months, Baili Qingyi had been consuming an old ginseng root almost every day, and all the medicinal herbs and ingredients used were incredibly valuable. And yet, Baili Manor hadn't gone bankrupt. How could Baili Qingyi not be suspicious?
Upon entering the room, Baili Hanyi saw the other three standing to the side with somber expressions.
"Hanyi, what exactly are you hiding from me?" Baili Qingyi didn't mince words and went straight to the point.
Baili Hanyi knew that when Baili Qingyi asked such a question, it meant that he had neither the mood nor the tolerance to wait for an answer that was evasive.
So he sighed and obediently confessed everything he knew.
Before Baili Qingyi regained consciousness, everyone in the Baili household was clearly threatened and forbidden from revealing a single word of this to Baili Qingyi. If it weren't for Baili Qingyi's lingering influence, he would almost have thought that the person in charge of the Baili household had been replaced by a woman.
"Actually, after the explosion that day, everyone thought you had perished at the bottom of the cliff, and even we almost gave up hope. It was Miss Yin who, despite her serious injuries, insisted on ordering everyone to search the bottom of the cliff for three days and three nights, and that's how we managed to pull you out alive from the pile of rubble."
"The Divine Physician Xuan said that you need three medicinal ingredients to give you a chance to live. The Ruyi Grass of the Old Man of Tianshan, the Ten-Thousand-Year Purple Ginseng of the Mongolian King, and a martial arts master whose skill is comparable to yours to inject half of his internal energy into your body at the right time. Not to mention that the first two are priceless treasures, the third is an impossible task. There are no more than five people in this world whose martial arts skills can match yours. Who would be willing to hand over the martial arts they have practiced for many years?"
"But Miss Yin never gave up hope. First, she used precious snow lotus seeds to prolong your life, and then, despite being newly recovered, she knelt for three days and three nights in the snow and ice at the foot of Tianshan Mountain, finally moving the Old Man of Tianshan Mountain, who gave her a Ruyi Grass."
"It is said that the Mongolian king's ancient purple ginseng has been presented to the imperial palace. Miss Yin spent a lot of money to hunt down the master thief Zhi Xiaoyao all over the world, and lured him into the palace to steal the ginseng. Finally, she obtained the second medicinal ingredient."
"The origin of the third medicinal ingredient is even more miraculous. Miss Yin actually persuaded Mu Wanfeng, who had been living in seclusion in the valley, to treat your injuries! The ruthless leader of the Qiong Sect, Mu Wanfeng, actually used her own internal energy to treat your injuries! Now she has gathered all three medicinal ingredients. She then rushed to Jiangnan to personally watch Doctor Xuan use these three medicinal ingredients to regulate your vital energy and reconnect your meridians."
"Furthermore, the medicines and ingredients you used after you regained consciousness were continuously transported from the Yin family in the capital. Otherwise, with the meager resources of our Baili family, we would have been completely depleted long ago."
“Miss Yin’s methods and decisiveness are truly remarkable. She threatened everyone in our manor, forbidding anyone from telling you what she did for you, and we really kept quiet. Just thinking about her stern gaze still sends shivers down my spine,” Baili Tieyi interjected, chuckling and shrinking back.
He had been wondering how his older brother would react to the truth—whether he would be moved to tears, furious at the deception, or depressed because his male pride had been hurt. But he shouldn't be like this. He was so calm and collected, as if he had known everything all along and was just confirming it.
"Brother, are you alright?" Baili Tieyi asked cautiously.
Baili Qingyi raised her eyebrows and laughed out loud, her chest heaving.
"Good, that's perfect. You can leave now."
"Huh?" That's it?
Even Baili Ziyi couldn't help but ask, "Brother, after hearing all this, is there really nothing you particularly want to do?" He had never had a good impression of that woman, but since she was the woman his brother had secretly loved for six years and had done so much for him...
Well, he had to admit, he admired that woman and was very grateful to her...
“Big brother, you’re not like me. I’ll probably be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, but you’ll be able to move around normally soon. You…you’ve had a crush on her for six years. If this continues, the three of us brothers will start laughing at you.”
Baili Qingyi gave him a deep look. "I understand."
"You understand? You understand and yet..." Baili Tieyi shouted. He had long disliked his elder brother, and now even an idiot could see that Miss Yin was deeply in love with him.
"Enough, you two." Baili Hanyi interrupted him, looking at Baili Qingyi with a smile. "I trust that my elder brother knows what he's doing."
Baili Qingyi nodded and returned his smile with brotherly affection.
Three days later, Baili Qingyi, who still needed a wheelchair to get in and out, disappeared from the heavily guarded Baili Mansion.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Where is the Mirror Reflected? (Part Two)
At night, the magnificent Yin Mansion in the capital city resembled a lifeless black tomb. Yin Wuxiao ordered large red lanterns to be hung on all the doors and corridors, to be kept lit until dawn every night.
"Is there a happy occasion going on in the mansion?" Yun'er asked curiously.
"No, these red lanterns are used to summon the spirits."
During the day, the Yin mansion was bustling with servants and stewards coming and going, but at night, only Yin Wuxiao and Yun'er remained in the vast residence. The servants whispered among themselves that the tragedy three years ago had probably left the young lady with lingering fears, and she dared not leave any servants or slaves living in the mansion anymore.
"Yun'er, go to sleep first." Red candles shed countless tears. Yin Wuxiao yawned delicately, looked at the maid who was nodding incessantly beside her, and couldn't help but feel pity.
"That won't do. What if Miss gets thirsty or hungry..."
"I have hands and feet, I'm not thirsty or hungry. If anything serious happens, I'll knock on your door and call you."
Yun'er nodded and obediently left.
Yin Wuxiao sighed. Yun'er, this maid, wasn't particularly clever or talkative. She would cry in the face of grand occasions and would secretly accept any small favors. She wasn't lazy, nor was she particularly attentive; she was a typical girl from a humble family. It was only girls like her who could earn Yin Wuxiao's trust and confidence.
She rubbed her aching temples and continued burying herself in the mountain of ledgers. Cen Lu had suffered a terrible ordeal at Seven Absolutes Cliff, and his indenture had finally expired. Now, neither Man Si nor Cen Lu had the time to help her manage the household affairs, and the heavy burden of the Yin family fell squarely on her shoulders. She had been busy seeking medical treatment everywhere recently, and the backlog of tasks had almost suffocated her.
She knew how people outside viewed her. After the Seven Absolute Cliff incident, as the fiancée of the former leader of the Qiao Clan, she defied public opinion and supported Fang Hongjing, the head of the Mingjing Hall, to succeed her as leader. This made the Qiao Clan's collateral branches see her as an irreconcilable enemy. Afterwards, she returned to the capital as if nothing had happened to take over the Yin family's businesses. Some stewards who had been in the household for less than three years looked down on her because she was just a weak woman, and embezzlement occurred frequently. She had to make an example of them to establish her authority, but the people in the household were no longer as trustworthy as they had been three years ago. She had to personally travel to other businesses with whom she had business dealings to negotiate. Now, everyone in the capital knew that the eldest daughter of the Yin family, over twenty years old, still had no intention of marrying and was making public appearances, indecently disgracing the public.
She knew, of course, that rumors would stop with the wise, and she wouldn't take the slander of petty people to heart. But worldly views weren't entirely without reason. She was now alone and without family. Even if she had a fortune, what difference would it make if she could dominate the business world in ten or twenty years? All her former ambitions and dreams now seemed so empty and meaningless.
Out of the corner of her eye, Yin Wuxiao caught sight of a visiting card that had been presented to her that afternoon, and she frowned. It was an invitation from the current prime minister, Deng Qinghui, to attend a poetry and literature gathering at his residence in three days.
Deng Qinghui? The top scholar she humiliated in the Yunge Poetry Competition back then?
The youthful spirit of those days seems like a distant memory. Three years ago, Deng Qinghui achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination and was appointed as the Vice Minister of Revenue. Now, in just three years, he has already risen to the position of Prime Minister, perhaps the youngest Prime Minister in the entire dynasty? Could it be that he invited her to his residence to seek revenge for what happened back then?
Alas, she didn't actually like a group of literati, especially the scene of them composing poems and indulging in romantic pursuits in officialdom, but she couldn't afford to offend the prime minister. Besides, attending such an occasion would be entirely beneficial to the future of the Yin family, so she had no choice but to accompany him, even at the risk of her life.
She was indeed suited to navigating between the imperial court and personal gain; the martial world was too far removed from her, and those who lived in the martial world were even further removed from her.
As for that man who was as gentle as a spring breeze and as proud as a lotus, she would never have any further involvement with him in her life.
She recalled the earth-shattering collapse at Seven Absolutes Cliff, and the utter devastation she felt.
She recalled the gruesome sight of Baili Qingyi, her flesh mangled and bloody, when she was pulled from the pile of rubble.
She recalled what Qiao Fenglang had said to her after he recovered from his injuries:
"At the time of the explosion, the person closest to the gunpowder was not the young man in blue, but me. Yet my injuries were much less severe than his. Do you know why?"
"...Why?" she asked, trembling.
"Because he saved me. Yes, it was him... who saved me."
When Qiao Fenglang said this, there was no gratitude, but rather a hint of disgust. He didn't know whether the person he disliked was Baili Qingyi, himself, or both.
"Why...why did he save you?" Yin Wuxiao asked, only to realize how ridiculous his question was. Given Baili Qingyi's character, he would save even the most wicked and evil person in the world, right?
Qiao Fenglang gave her a strange look.