Lin Yuhuang dragged Yin Ci away.
Xuezhi hadn't figured out what was going on, so she had to lie down and rest. Actually, she was very agitated because the secret manuals of Chonghuo Palace were all in her backpack, which was with Shangguan Tou. If he wasn't careful and lost the manuals, wouldn't that mean...? Xuezhi didn't dare tell Lin Yuhuang any of this.
Yin Ci fed her a bunch of strange medicines and gave her massages, and her injuries healed at a rapid pace. Two days later, Xue Zhi was able to get out of bed and walk, and four days later, two female disciples who claimed to be sent by the Second Valley Master took her around Moonrise Valley.
Xuezhi asked Lin Yuhuang where he had gone, but neither of the two female disciples would say.
Although Moonrise Valley has a considerable population, its territory is vast. At first glance, only a few scattered figures can be seen moving about; the rest is filled with blooming Bauhinia flowers and lush green forests. Moreover, its geographical location is unique. The islands on the Tianxing River unfold like snowflakes. Two opposing islands form the two extreme entrances, while the other four, plus the central island, are home to four island lords, each named after a different planet: Jupiter (East), Mars (South), Venus (West), and Chenxing (North). The two valley lords reside on the central Zhenxing Island, whose main building sits on the largest piece of land. And where she stands is Chenxing Island, nestled against the Shaolin Mountain wall.
Xuezhi remained listless, simply following the two disciples. They had told her that the purple thorns here were currently only for decoration and would eventually become secret passages and mechanisms, and that she should ask the Second Valley Master if she had any questions. She wouldn't listen, nor did she know how to remember the way. Of course, at that moment, she could never have guessed that this matter would directly affect her life's most important event.
Because of her severe leg injury, she always walked with a limp, so her two disciples took her by boat across the river to visit the fragrant peach and plum blossom island of Suixing. But just as Xuezhi stepped onto the bow of the boat, someone rushed over to say that the Great Valley Master had returned and was summoning all the disciples in the valley to gather at Zhenxing Island.
Upon hearing this, Xuezhi couldn't help but go and see for herself.
So the three changed course and headed south.
Zhenxing Island, the moon rises over the tower.
The building had five floors and was the tallest and largest in Moonrise Valley. With its yellow roof and red facade, its decor alone exuded a strong sense of wealth. The number of people from Moonrise Valley who gathered was three or four times more than Xuezhi had imagined. Everyone rushed inside, and Xuezhi followed the crowd.
Sure enough, upon entering, they saw Shangguan Tou standing at the far end of the main hall. A disciple held up the same portrait, raising it high above his head.
Shangguan Tou paced back and forth until almost everyone had gathered. He pointed to one of the portraits and said, "Everyone, please go out and search for the woman in the portrait. There will be a large reward for whoever finds her. If you have any extra portraits, you can go to the front entrance and ask Zhong Tao for them. Let's set off now."
The disciples all replied in unison, "Yes!"
"Meeting adjourned."
All the disciples surged out again.
When some people came out, they whispered among themselves, "Who is that girl? She's quite pretty."
"It must be the Valley Master's new love interest. I rarely see him in such a hurry."
"He's never come to us about anything like this before... But the 'small reward' the Valley Master mentioned before was only a few hundred taels of silver. How much would a large sum of money be..."
"Are you all blind? You couldn't even recognize such an easy-to-identify face? That's Chong Xuezhi."
"Chong Xuezhi?!"
...
After most of the people around Xuezhi had left, Shangguan Tou grabbed the cloak from the back of the chair, draped it over his shoulder, and strode out.
As he walked past Xuezhi, Xuezhi tugged at his sleeve.
57
Shangguan Tou turned around, about to say that he had something to say and would talk to him when he returned, but he was immediately stunned when he saw Xuezhi.
Meeting him was still somewhat awkward. Xuezhi's smile was stiff: "No one has told you I'm here yet, has anyone?"
Shangguan Tou coldly asked, "Why didn't you say anything before you left?"
"I..." Xuezhi thought that if she told him the reason, he would definitely ask her to find out the truth, so she had no choice but to give Lin Yuhuang a perfunctory reason, "I'm sorry, I was a little dizzy at the time, and I went to the back mountain to breathe some fresh air and fell into the river."
Shangguan Tou answered without hesitation: "Back then, you couldn't even speak clearly, how could you have walked over?"
Xuezhi lowered her head and scratched her head: "I'm sorry."
"Wait for me a moment." Shangguan Tou said a few words to the person behind him, instructing him to inform the disciples to retreat, and then returned to Xuezhi's side. "No matter how angry you are with me in the future, don't do anything so dangerous. I thought you had been harmed, and I haven't slept for the past few days."
"sorry."
Xuezhi didn't dare to look up, but she noticed that his clothes were wet. She reached out and pinched his sleeve, which was wet; she pinched it further up, and it was still wet; she pinched it all the way up to his collar, and it was still wet.
"What happened?"
"Don't ask so many questions, I'm going back to rest." Shangguan Tou tugged at his shawl and prepared to leave.
Xuezhi rushed to him, touched his forehead, and said, "This won't do, you'll get a fever. I'll go find Second Uncle and Immortal Xingchuan." Shangguan Tou grabbed her wrist and pulled her away, somewhat impatiently, "Don't bother."
This was the first time Xuezhi had heard Shangguan Tou speak like that. Suddenly remembering what had happened at the Weapon Ranking Tournament, she felt incredibly frustrated. Gritting her teeth, she stomped her foot and ran away. Shangguan Tou watched her departing figure, stood for a moment, then sat down on a nearby chair, pressed his forehead, and sighed. He remained silent thereafter.
That evening, Shangguan Tou indeed developed a fever.
Yin Ci checked his temperature and said it was a rather bad cold, but nothing serious; some medicine would cure him in a couple of days. He then gave Lin Yuhuang and Xuezhi some medicine to prevent infection. Lin Yuhuang went to check on Shangguan Tou's room and sat outside waiting. Xuezhi, limping, went to fetch water to brew the medicine, bustling about frantically. Lin Yuhuang watched her daughter running around, a strange smile on her face: "Zhi'er, your injuries haven't even healed yet, and you've already become a living saint?"
Xuezhi shook her head: "He got a fever because of me." She carried the water back to Shangguan Tou's side and wiped his face. After wiping his face, she squatted down, fanned him with a palm-leaf fan, and prepared the medicine before feeding it to Shangguan Tou. Shangguan Tou was in a daze, his eyes half-closed, and mumbled a few words before falling asleep again. Seeing that her second father wasn't looking inside, Xuezhi sat on the edge of the bed, cradling the back of Shangguan Tou's head as she fed him. Later, when she couldn't hold him any longer, she let him lie on her lap. After feeding him, she put the medicine aside and was about to move his head back to the headboard when Shangguan Tou suddenly grabbed her hand, opened his reddened eyes, and looked at her: "Zhi'er, I'm sorry for what I did to you that day."
"Don't talk," Xuezhi patted his face. "Go to sleep for a while."
Shangguan Tou held her hand tightly: "Don't go."
"Okay, okay, I won't leave."
Outside the door, Lin Yuhuang picked up an axe and growled, "Shangguan Xiaotou, you've made it big! If it weren't for the fact that you're sick, I—" He then chopped a piece of wood into pieces.
At that moment, a pair of exquisitely beautiful hands picked up a piece of wood, and a woman's melodious voice came: "Is Zhi'er back?"
Lin Yuhuang looked up, not surprised, and simply nodded silently.
Half an hour later, Shangguan Tou fell asleep. Xuezhi gently moved his head off his numb legs, covered him with a blanket, rubbed her own legs, and limped out.
There was one more person at the door.
A tall woman stood beside Yu Huang, her hair reaching her waist, black and lustrous. Her makeup was simple and elegant, and her features were exquisitely beautiful. She looked at Xue Zhi, a gentle smile playing on her lips. Lin Yu Huang thought for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Zhi'er, let me introduce you... This is Jie Yu, you can call her Auntie."
"...Auntie?"
Jieyu glanced at Lin Yuhuang and hesitated before saying, "Your second father and I only got married last year, so... However, you can also just call me by my name, Chong Jieyu."
"Reinterpret language?" Xuezhi stared blankly at them, then forced a dry laugh. "Huang'er, are you kidding me?"
58 59 60
58
"I knew you wouldn't be able to accept it so easily." Lin Yuhuang smiled as she looked at Jieyu, then at Xuezhi. "Actually, she's not only your aunt, but also your great-aunt. I only found her not long after your great-uncle passed away."
"No, no, I still don't believe it. You're all just teasing me." Xuezhi shook her head in disbelief, then suddenly looked up at Lin Yuhuang and said seriously, "Grandpa has only been gone for seven years. I thought his feelings... would be worth anyone spending a lifetime mourning."
Lin Yuhuang paused for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Yes, Zhi is right."
Jieyu glanced at Lin Yuhuang, smiled, and said, "You two talk first. I'll go in and check on Tou'er."
As soon as Jieyu left, Xuezhi's face immediately turned ugly: "If you still want me as your daughter, either give me a reasonable reason, or leave her immediately!"
Lin Yuhuang walked over and patted Xuezhi's head: "Zhi'er, don't be like this."
Xuezhi slapped his hand away forcefully: "I'm serious!"
Lin Yuhuang sighed, "Zhi'er, I was not even thirty when Lian passed away. Second Uncle was indeed a tough man, but life is too long... You and Xiao Zi will eventually get married. When Second Uncle gets old, who will take care of him?"
"If you truly remain unmarried for the sake of your great-father, I will remain unmarried and stay with you until we grow old!"
“Silly girl, how could you not get married? As a father, I can’t just watch my daughter suffer with me.”
"These are all excuses," Xuezhi said resolutely, gritting her teeth as she looked at Lin Yuhuang. "Second Father, although I didn't say it, I've always regarded you as a god. It turns out, you're just an ordinary man after all..."
"Being a god isn't easy. In this world, one Lian is enough."
Therefore, no ordinary person is worthy of his love.
Lin Yuhuang's smile gradually faded: "Yes. I've been with him for over ten years, and I've been flattered almost every moment. When have I ever been worthy of him?"
Xuezhi had intended to provoke him, but he still reacted this way. Feeling both sad and angry, she took out a jade pendant from her hand and stuffed it into Lin Yuhuang's hand: "Take this. This is the jade pendant that my great-father liked to carry with him when he was alive. Originally, I wanted to keep it with me, although I thought that even if I gave it to you, you would lose it within a few days. But I think he would definitely want you to keep it safe."
Lin Yuhuang took the jade pendant, held it gently in her palm, and smiled: "Thank you, Zhi girl, I will keep it safe."
"I can't believe you've changed your mind so quickly," Xuezhi said, then turned and left.
Years ago, Lin Yuhuang bought Chonglian a red jade lotus hairpin, the lotus petals of which were exquisitely carved. Half a year later, when Chonglian returned it to Yuhuang, the red jade lotus petals on the hairpin had been worn smooth.
Lin Yuhuang held the jade pendant, but her heart felt heavy.
Chong Lian could pour her heart and soul into one person. The timid Lin Yuhuang, however, couldn't. Death was a release, a clean end, leaving nothing behind but a mess for others to clean up. The living, on the other hand, had to suppress their grief and keep moving forward. Just as Lin Yuhuang himself said, he was an ordinary man, always pursuing the life and happiness that ordinary men desire. Therefore, no matter what he did, he tried his best to avoid thinking about Chong Lian.
The pain of ordinary people is that when they desperately try to forget someone, that person appears in every corner of their life at all times.
Xuezhi said, "You've changed your mind so quickly."
Lin Yuhuang still had a helpless smile on her lips.
That's easy for you to say. If someone could really change their mind, I'd be more than happy to accept it.
But can someone who has been loved by Chonglian ever fall in love with someone else again?
If Chonglian were still alive, perhaps he could find fault with him for running away when he forced him to stay, and rediscover the thrill of liberation. But now, Chonglian is free, leaving Lin Yuhuang with eternal shackles.
"Chong Feilian, you've ruined Second Master's life."
Lin Yuhuang gently rubbed the jade pendant with her fingertips, and her originally heroic face instantly aged at least ten years.
At that moment, someone knocked on Xuezhi's door.
Xuezhi weakly said, "Come in." The person who entered made her jump off the bed.
"Is Zhi'er already asleep?" Jieyu, who had been peeking in, smiled and stepped back. "Then I'll come again tomorrow."
"Wait!" Xuezhi said, "We'll talk about it today."
Jieyu walked to the table: "Is your injury any better?"
"It's all over now. Just tell me if you need anything."
"Just as expected, you have the same temperament as Yu Huang." Jieyu was slightly surprised, then smiled and said, "I just came to tell you about your second father."
"Please have a seat."
"Thank you, Zhier." Jieyu sat down by the window, thought for a moment, and looked up, saying, "Actually, you misunderstood him. He talked to you so much today because he probably didn't want you to blame me. I don't know if you've heard about me from your great-father?"
Xuezhi nodded.
59
Of Chonglian's siblings, only one sister survived, presumably Jieyu. She was deeply loved by Chonglian in her childhood, but knowing the perilous nature of the martial world, he sent her to Hangzhou early to marry a young scion of a prominent family. Unfortunately, Chonglian knew nothing of what happened afterward. Jieyu discovered her husband's abusive tendencies shortly after their marriage, and coupled with her inability to conceive for two years, her status in his household declined daily. In the third year, she finally became pregnant, but miscarried during one of her husband's violent outbursts. After recovering, the doctor declared she could never conceive again. In other words, for an ordinary woman in this social context, her life was over. Not long after, her husband took a concubine, who harbored ambitions of becoming his wife. After Jieyu became pregnant, the concubine treated her like a mistress to a maid, demanding she cook, massage, boil water, and wash her feet—all of which Jieyu endured. After the child was born, she finally persuaded her husband to divorce her. This caused a huge uproar in Hangzhou, and Lin Yuhuang happened to be passing by and rescued her. She had originally planned to seek refuge with Chong Lian, but learned from Yu Huang that Chong Lian had passed away. Despairing, she was told by Yu Huang that he could take care of her and let her follow him. So she followed Yu Huang to practice martial arts. Normally, a woman nearing thirty could only learn martial arts for self-defense, but she actually made a name for herself, even prompting Lin Yu Huang to remark that perhaps all men with the surname Chong were this skilled.