Li Feiqing was momentarily captivated by the dazzling light and sighed softly, "No wonder your mother insisted that my master give her the Moon-Emerging Golden Lotus. With such a beautiful flower, what woman wouldn't want to possess it?"
Gu Qingyun glanced at her, bent down and carefully plucked the Moonlit Golden Lotus, handing it to her and saying softly, "This flower brought together your master and mistress, and my father and mother, two loving couples. It will surely bless our marriage. After returning to Feihua Manor, we will get married."
Li Feiqing felt a sweet warmth in her heart and nodded with a blush.
Suddenly, someone laughed and said, "What a beautiful scene of lovers whispering sweet nothings under the moon. But Master Gu, you're giving away a rare flower from someone's valley to your lover without even asking the owner's permission. Isn't that a bit inconsiderate?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a red shadow fluttered, and Ye Hongyun emerged from the shadows of the trees with a smile on her lips. Her eyes were ambiguous, and she kept looking back and forth between the two of them.
Gu Qingyun and Li Feiqing were startled. They were experiencing the thrill of mutual love for the first time and were so excited that they didn't even notice when Ye Hongyun arrived and hid to the side.
Li Feiqing, recalling how much of her intimate conversation with Gu Qingyun had been overheard, felt uneasy and angrily said, "Why are you sneaking around here! How long have you been here?"
Ye Hongyun blinked and laughed, "That's strange. The entire Fuliu Valley belongs to my territory. How could I be sneaking around when I come here to inspect the growth of the flowers and plants?" Seeing that Li Feiqing was speechless and had no answer, she smiled slyly and said leisurely, "I haven't been here for very long, but I just happened to see Miss Li with a nosebleed."
Upon hearing this, Li Feiqing let out a soft gasp, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment and anger. But then she heard Ye Hongyun laugh and say, "I heard you all talking badly about me behind my back! Master Gu, when you said I wasn't as beautiful as her, were you telling the truth, or were you just saying it to please Miss Li?"
Gu Qingyun blushed slightly, cleared her throat, and said, "Is Valley Master Ye the one who guards this Moon-Surging Golden Lotus?"
Ye Hongyun laughed and said, "That's right. I've been guarding this Flower of Beauty with my master since I was seven years old. I've waited for it to bloom tonight, only to have it picked and given away by you, Master Gu. Do you think I'm being wronged as the guardian?"
Gu Qingyun glanced at Li Feiqing, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ye Hongyun and said, "I was being presumptuous, but this Moon-Emerging Golden Lotus is of great importance to me. I wonder if Valley Master Ye would be willing to part with it? If so, Feihua Manor also has some rare treasures and secret manuals that I would like to exchange with Valley Master Ye."
Ye Hongyun's eyes flickered, and she smiled, saying, "The treasures and secret manuals in Feihua Manor are probably all priceless. However, my Moon-Emerging Golden Lotus is an important ingredient needed to prepare medicine according to ancient prescriptions. I, Hongyun, live a secluded life in the valley, enjoying alchemy every day, and I have no interest in those precious treasures and secret manuals."
Gu Qingyun's eyes showed a hint of disappointment, but then Ye Hongyun continued with a smile: "However, since Master Gu has already used this flower to propose to Miss Li, it would be a good thing for Hongyun to use this Moon-Blooming Golden Lotus as a congratulatory gift for the two of you to make your marriage."
Gu Qingyun was overjoyed and immediately thanked her. Ye Hongyun smiled at Li Feiqing and said, "Miss Li, you don't want to fight me now, do you?" Li Feiqing blushed and bit her lip without answering.
Ye Hongyun then said with a smile, "Master Gu, I have another question to ask you. Just now you mentioned that the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus brought together two couples. I wonder what the details are? Could you please tell me?"
Gu Qingyun hesitated for a moment, then said, "I also have some questions I would like to ask Valley Master Ye. I would be honored to accept your offer."
The three of them returned to Ye Hongyun's residence. A maid served tea and snacks, and Gu Qingyun then told Ye Hongyun about Mu Feiyu's encounter with his master's wife, Li Feiqing, in order to obtain the Moon-Emerging Golden Lotus, which led to his breaking off the engagement and causing Hua Wushuang to run away.
Ye Hongyun lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before asking Li Feiqing, "May I ask what Miss Li's teacher's name is?"
Li Feiqing was stunned and said, "I only know that my master's wife's surname is Li, but I have never heard my master mention her name. Even the tombstone erected for her only has the words 'Tomb of my beloved wife, Mu' inscribed on it."
Ye Hongyun nodded slightly and said, "If that's the case, then it's most likely her."
Gu Qingyun's eyes flickered as she asked, "Could it be that Sect Leader Mu's wife also comes from this Willow Valley?"
Ye Hongyun paused for a moment, then slowly said, "That's right, her name is Li Ruanlan. She is my senior sister. My master searched for her for half his life but could not find her. He was still thinking about this matter before he passed away. I never expected that Senior Sister Li would hide her identity and become the wife of the head of Yingshan Sect."
Li Feiqing exclaimed in surprise, but then remembered that her master had said that her master's wife was the one who guarded the Moonlit Golden Lotus. If that was the case, it wouldn't be surprising that she came from Fuliu Valley. Thinking of this, she asked, "But why is my master's wife unwilling to reveal her identity and has severed ties with your master?"
Ye Hongyun sighed, "I suppose it's because of those ancient remedies."
Li Feiqing asked doubtfully, "An ancient remedy?"
Ye Hongyun smiled at Gu Qingyun and said, "Master Gu is truly a man of his word. He promised to keep the secret, and he hasn't even revealed a word to his closest confidants." She then turned to Li Feiqing and said, "Miss Li, to be honest, our Fuliu Valley is a secret sect passed down from ancient times. Our followers are skilled in using poisons to concoct medicines and are passionate about cultivating rare flowers and herbs. The Moon-Blooming Golden Lotus is our sect's sacred flower, and the sect leader is the envoy who guards this flower. Over time, the sect has dwindled in number, leaving only a handful of people. However, some ancient formulas still exist in the valley, recording the methods for refining some rare poisons and medicines—these are the ancient formulas."
Seeing that Li Feiqing nodded, she continued, "The 'Azure Phosphorus' poison that the people of Kongtong were poisoned with before was one of the ancient miraculous prescriptions. When I saw that the prescription in the valley had been spread, I invited Master Gu to come to the valley to discuss and find clues to investigate the matter."
Li Feiqing glanced at Gu Qingyun and realized that her previous suspicions that he had feelings for Ye Hongyun were all unfounded. However, if she hadn't been so anxious about this matter, she probably wouldn't have understood her own feelings so quickly. Thinking of this, she felt very sweet.
Ye Hongyun continued, “Because the matter of Senior Uncle Li involves the secrets of our sect, I have never mentioned it to Master Gu. This happened twenty-six years ago, when Senior Uncle Li was still the leader of our sect. According to my master, this Senior Uncle Li was obsessed with the study of poisons to the point of madness. When the blooming of the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus was approaching, Senior Uncle Li said that once the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus bloomed, he could use its roots to refine a strange poison. This poison was colorless and odorless, and could cause those who were poisoned to die invisibly without their knowledge. It was called ‘Stream Poison.’ The method of refining ‘Stream Poison’ was very complicated, and it was missing a few rare poisons from the valley. Therefore, Senior Uncle Li ordered my master to go out of the valley to collect them. However, when my master returned to the valley after collecting those poisons, he found that Senior Uncle Li had already left Fuliu Valley, and the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus, along with those ancient formulas, had all disappeared without a trace. It seems that she took them with her.”
Li Feiqing and Gu Qingyun exchanged a glance and understood each other. Li Ruanlan had secretly taken away the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus and the ancient formula, and was ashamed to face her junior sister. That was why she had gone into seclusion on Shadow Mountain and even kept her own name a secret.
Ye Hongyun shook her head and said, "My master was always puzzled by Senior Sister Li's sudden departure from the valley. Only after Young Master Gu's explanation today did I understand. It turns out that Senior Sister Li fell in love with Sect Leader Mu, but knew that if she married into Shadow Mountain, she couldn't take those poison formulas with her to continue refining poisons. That's why she left without saying goodbye. My master was still young at the time, and in desperation, she rewrote the poison formulas and medicine formulas she knew by heart. But since she didn't remember them all, many formulas were lost. This matter troubled her to the end. Master Gu, Miss Li, if you hadn't witnessed the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus blooming tonight, I wouldn't have known the whole story. It seems that fate has its own way of things, and this Moon-Surging Golden Lotus was destined to be given to you."
Gu Qingyun pondered and said, "Since Madam Mu also has an ancient prescription, could the poison that the people of Kongtong were afflicted with have originated from Yingshan?"
Li Feiqing said, "Master's wife has been gone for many years. If Master knew about the existence of the ancient formula, even if he didn't mention it in daily life, he would have given instructions when he passed away. It is clear that he didn't know about this matter either. Could it be that Master's wife secretly hid the ancient formula from Master?"
Gu Qingyun said slowly, "If that's the case, those ancient remedies must have been stolen. Do you remember what Shen Luo said about all the orchids planted in front of your master's grave withering away?"
Li Feiqing's heart tightened, and she said, "You suspect that my master died from poisoning by an ancient remedy?"
Ye Hongyun listened to their conversation, her eyes thoughtful, and suddenly asked, "Orchid?"
Gu Qingyun said, "That's right. All the orchids planted in front of Sect Leader Mu's tomb have withered, but other flowers and plants are growing well. Does Valley Master Ye know the reason for this?"
Ye Hongyun frowned and said, "When Senior Uncle Li was still in the valley, he once concocted a poison. This poison was extremely potent, took effect very quickly, and had no antidote. Those who were poisoned showed no signs of illness after death, making it very difficult for anyone to detect. Senior Uncle Li once said that this poison was too insidious and domineering. He originally intended to destroy the formula, but after much consideration, he couldn't bear to part with it and copied it down, preserving it along with the ancient formula. However, he added a few herbs to it to counteract the effects of orchids, as a warning. This poison was then named 'Orchid Tomb' by her. My master also wrote down a copy of this formula from memory, and I even tried to concoct it once. Could it be that Sect Leader Mu died from this poison?"
Gu Qingyun said in a deep voice, "We intend to go to Shadow Mountain tomorrow to investigate this matter. Would Valley Master Ye be willing to come along?"
Ye Hongyun smiled and said, "Even if Master Gu hadn't mentioned it, I was prepared to shamelessly go to Ying Mountain to investigate. The ancient formulas have flowed out of my valley, and I must find them. I cannot let these formulas fall into the hands of evil people and harm the martial arts world."
Seeing Li Feiqing's furrowed brows and uncertain expression, she wanted to comfort her and said with a smile, "Ah, it's already so late. Master Gu, you should go back and rest. Miss Li just packed her things and left. She seemed to have said that she didn't want to stay with me. I suppose she's planning to go back and stay with Master Gu tonight?"
Li Feiqing was stunned. Turning her head, she saw Gu Qingyun staring intently at her, seemingly intending to take her back to live with her. She quickly coughed and said, "Um, I... I'll go back to my room to sleep first." With that, she hurriedly turned and left in a panic.
Author's Note: ...I was actually eavesdropped on, what a failure, Master.
Doubts arose
The next morning, everyone packed their bags and prepared to head to Shadow Mountain. Ye Hongyun gave Li Feiqing a gold-inlaid wooden box containing a seven-leafed green grass, instructing her to put the Moon-Emerging Golden Lotus inside, which would ensure that the flower would never wither.
Along the way, everyone from Feihua Manor was secretly delighted to see Li Feiqing blushing and gazing into Gu Qingyun's eyes, looking so affectionate.
Suddenly, the nameless swordsman burst into laughter several times. Zhang Datou glared at him, astonished, and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
The nameless swordsman laughed, "I'm happy!"
Hua Liran's perpetually deadpan face finally broke into a smile as she said, "The purpose of this trip to Shadow Mountain is twofold: first, to investigate the cause of Sect Leader Mu's death; and second, to discuss with the Shadow Mountain Sect how to arrange the marriage."
Zhang Datou asked in surprise, "A marriage?"
Ye Hongyun laughed from the side, "Your master is about to marry Miss Li, how come you didn't know?"
Upon hearing this, everyone from Feihua Manor looked at Li Feiqing with smiles. Li Feiqing felt extremely embarrassed and blushed as she tugged at Gu Qingyun's sleeve in complaint. Gu Qingyun remained unmoved and instead reached out to put his arm around her waist.
Zhang Datou glared at Ye Hongyun and said, "Then why are you still following us? So you haven't given up on our master yet?"
Zhou Yi shouted, "You're spouting nonsense again!"
Ye Hongyun wasn't angry at all. She just glanced at Zhang Datou with a smile and then turned her head away.
Zhang Datou was feeling smug when he suddenly felt an itch on the back of his neck. He quickly reached out to scratch it, and as soon as he did, he felt the itch spread all over his body. Unable to bear it, he cried out "Ouch!" and jumped up.
Everyone was startled and looked at him. They saw him yelling and scratching at his body, jumping up and down in a very disheveled state. In the end, he even jumped into a puddle by the roadside, getting his head and face covered in mud.
The people of Feihua Manor were shocked. When they saw Ye Hongyun's eyes flicker and she chuckle, they knew that she was the one causing trouble. They couldn't help but feel even more wary of this beautiful and charming Valley Master Ye.
When the group arrived at Shadow Mountain, Yi Feng, Mu Linlang, and a group of Shadow Mountain disciples, having been informed, came out to greet them.
Seeing that Mu Linlang had changed into the attire of a young married woman, Li Feiqing knew that she had already married Yi Feng. When Mu Linlang saw her gaze falling on her, she smiled and greeted her, "Junior Sister, it's been a long time."
Li Feiqing responded softly, feeling quite embarrassed as she recalled the scene when the two met last time. She was also stunned when she saw her senior brother Yi Feng glancing in their direction, and suddenly felt a tight grip on her hand as Gu Qingyun reached out and held it.
Gu Qingyun smiled slightly and said to Yi Feng, "Sect Leader Yi, this matter is sudden and I did not inform you in advance before visiting. Please forgive me."
Yi Feng glanced at their clasped hands and smiled, "Master Gu, you're too kind. Everyone has come a long way and must be tired. Please come in and rest for a while. Linlang, you and your junior sister have been separated for many days and you've been saying you miss her. Now that she's back on the mountain, you two can have a good chat."
Mu Linlang smiled and reached out her hand, pulling Li Feiqing towards the back room.
Mu Linlang was usually aloof and rarely got close to Li Feiqing. Moreover, the two had a conversation in the back mountain last time, and Li Feiqing was now alone with her, so she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.
Mu Linlang suddenly said softly, "Junior Sister, are you still blaming me?"
Li Feiqing asked in surprise, "Is it your fault?"
Mu Linlang smiled faintly and said, "That day on the mountain behind the mountain, you risked your life to save me. Even now, I still feel very grateful to you."
Just as Li Feiqing was about to speak, Mu Linlang said again, "But I still married my senior brother."
She looked at Li Feiqing and said, "Actually, I realized a long time ago that Master Gu's marriage proposal that day was to help you out of a predicament. I think Senior Brother must have realized it too."
Li Feiqing lowered her head silently. She had once resented her senior brother for not standing up for her and admitting their feelings for each other, and for not reacting at all when Zhan Hengye injured her with his sword. It wasn't until Mu Linlang told her about the past between her senior brother and second senior sister on the back mountain that she felt relieved. Now... she naturally cared even less.
Thinking of this, Li Feiqing smiled slightly and said to Mu Linlang, "Fourth Senior Sister, I have never blamed you. Even without you, Senior Brother and I would never have been destined to be together. Besides..." Her face flushed slightly, and she said softly, "Gu Qingyun is very good to me. We... are about to get married."
Mu Linlang looked at her, a smile slowly appearing in her eyes, and asked, "You two? You've fallen in love with him?"
Li Feiqing blushed and nodded gently.
Mu Linlang chuckled, took her hand and paused for a moment, then said, "Even after we got married, my senior brother has always been very good to me, but I know he hasn't forgotten my sister yet. But one day, I will make him fall in love with me wholeheartedly."
※ ※ ※ ※
Li Feiqing and Mu Linlang talked for a while in the side room, when a servant from the mountains came to deliver a message, saying that Yi Feng invited the two of them to the study to discuss matters.
The two entered the study and found Gu Qingyun, Ye Hongyun, Hua Liran, Yi Feng, and Shen Luo already waiting in the room.
Upon seeing the two of them arrive, Yi Feng gestured for Mu Linlang to close the door. Then, with a solemn expression, he asked Gu Qingyun, "Master Gu, my third junior brother has already told me about the withered orchids in front of Master's grave. I wonder if you have come here for this matter?"
Gu Qingyun nodded and said, "That's right." He glanced at Ye Hongyun, who smiled and said, "Since we're all family here, there's nothing to hide about what's going on in our valley. Please speak freely, Master Gu."
Gu Qingyun then recounted how Li Ruanlan left Fuliu Valley with the ancient formula and married into Yingshan. At the end, he added, "The Bilin poison that the Kongtong Sect members were poisoned with is undoubtedly one of the ancient formula's poisons. The withering of the orchids in front of Sect Leader Mu's tomb is quite strange. We suspect that he may not have died from a relapse of his old injuries, but from a deadly poison recorded in those formulas."
Yi Feng, Shen Luo, and Mu Linlang exchanged glances, all looking uncertain.
Ye Hongyun said, "Sect Leader Yi, may we visit Sect Leader Mu's grave?"
Yi Feng nodded and led everyone to the back mountain. There, they saw that Mu Feiyu's grave was covered with flowers and plants. Li Feiqing stepped forward and bowed several times with tears in her eyes. Ye Hongyun took out a wooden box from her bosom, took out several orchids stored inside, and placed them on the ground next to the grave.
After a while, the stems and leaves of those orchids withered, their petals fell off, and they all died. Ye Hongyun's eyes flickered, and she murmured, "It really is the poison of 'Orchid Cemetery'."
Yi Feng pondered and said, "So, the deaths of Master and the others from Kongtong were all related to the ancient remedy left behind by Master's wife."
Ye Hongyun asked, "Has Sect Leader Yi ever heard Sect Leader Mu or Madam Mu mention any ancient remedies?"
Yi Feng shook his head and said, "My master's wife passed away very early. At that time, I and... were still young. My master never mentioned this formula. I guess if my master knew that my master's wife had such a poison formula, he would have advised her to destroy it to prevent it from spreading and harming the martial arts world."
Ye Hongyun sighed, "Perhaps that's why Uncle Li didn't dare tell Sect Leader Mu about the existence of the ancient formulas. He secretly hid them away, but they ended up in the hands of evil people, which ultimately cost Sect Leader Mu his life."
Mu Linlang had been quietly listening to the discussion, but her face grew paler and paler. Yi Feng took her hand and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Mu Linlang hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and said, "My sister... might know about these ancient remedies."
Yi Feng exclaimed, "Qingqing?!"
Mu Linlang glanced at him and said in a low voice, "When I was little, I loved to cling to her. Every night, my sister would coax me to sleep. But one night, I woke up in the middle of the night and found that my sister had gotten out of bed and was opening the door to go out. I thought she had something fun to play with and was deliberately keeping it from me, so I secretly got up and followed her from a distance, thinking that I would suddenly appear and scare her. But when I finally found her, I discovered that she was burying the bodies of small animals. Lynx, rabbit, squirrel... they were all dead, all of them... poisoned."
Li Feiqing let out a soft "Ah," noticing Mu Linlang trembling slightly, as if still shaken by the memory of that night. Mu Linlang continued, "I was so scared that I burst into tears. When my sister turned around and saw it was me, she was startled and rushed over to comfort me. After I stopped crying, she threatened me, saying that if I told a third person about this, she would poison me like those little beasts. I was terrified, and from then on, I never dared to sleep in the same room as my sister again, nor did I ever tell anyone about it."
Yi Feng looked incredulous and said dejectedly, "Qingqing actually... but she has never revealed a word to me."