Yi Mu’er muttered while leaving, “Do you really have to speak to me like this and draw such clear boundaries?” She didn’t deliberately lower her voice, and the whisper clearly reached Cloud Qi’s ears, but he said nothing, just quietly watching Yi Mu’er leave his sight.
Chapter Four: Change (2)
He was already overwhelmed and had no energy to take care of everything, so Yi Mu’er became his only outlet for emotions. Cloud Qi was even powerless to feel reluctant because he had many more things to do, and at least before he left, he would try to leave happiness for Bing Zhi.
“Old Li, come here,” Cloud Qi knew Old Li was standing outside the door and raised his voice, “I have something for you.”
“Young Master, what are your orders?” Old Li bowed respectfully, waiting for Cloud Qi’s instructions.
He had watched Cloud Qi mature step by step, especially after the great disaster at Proud Dragon Manor. The current Young Master Cloud Qi was completely different from before, and with more experience, he would surely inherit the Autumn Water Palace’s great cause and dominate his realm.
Cloud Qi said solemnly, “You need to send a carrier pigeon to have the Hidden Executor handle this. Send an order in my name for the Hidden Executor to dispatch the best people from his Hidden Gate to find out the whereabouts of the Four Guards and report any special actions they’ve taken in recent days. No matter what he’s currently working on, he must prioritize this.”
It was well-known in the martial arts world that the White Frost Sword Master was also the current Crown Prince. Xiao Han was unrivaled in skills and flawless in character, and even though he represented the imperial court, martial artists had no major objections. So if Cloud Qi wanted to find information about Xiao Han, he first had to locate the Four Guards; otherwise, sending people to inquire about a “dead person’s” whereabouts would be too rash.
“Yes, this servant will do so immediately,” Old Li was about to leave when Cloud Qi spoke again, with a coldness and ruthlessness never seen before, “Tell the Hidden Executor to find the person even if he has to dig three feet underground. Otherwise, he can bring his head to apologize to this Young Master!”
Old Li felt a chill down his spine. He had been with the Young Master for some time, and he had always been gentle. This matter must be extraordinarily important.
“This servant understands and will not disappoint the Young Master,” Old Li could only say this after careful consideration.
Old Li was not worried about the Hidden Executor’s life. The martial arts world only knew that the Autumn Water Palace was divided into Brave and Scholar gates, further divided into red, black, and purple gates. There was another gate called the “Hidden Gate” led by this Hidden Executor, who had been in Autumn Water Palace for over thirty years, handling tasks flawlessly. However, due to the extraordinary and confidential nature of the Hidden Gate’s missions, the Hidden Executor’s identity remained secretive, and even Old Li had only heard of but never seen him.
“Alright, you may leave. Time is tight. I’m giving him only three days. If there’s no news after three days, the consequences will be the same. I believe the Hidden Executor, who has served the Cloud family for years and made great contributions, knows the stakes.” Cloud Qi’s words were a mix of kindness and threat. Though the person was right in front of him, Old Li felt as if he was hearing a distant, blurry voice, creating a sense of estrangement.
So she was no longer cold; she was willing to smile more at them. Bing Zhi had also thought things through: she and Xiao Jin and Yun Qi should not continue like this, as the result would only lead the three of them deeper into suffering. She thought that after that great fire, having walked through life and death, she could no longer lie to herself.
Bing Zhi laughed and scolded, “You, how many times have you said this! We are both martial arts practitioners. Even if my martial arts are not great, I still understand the principles of regulating qi. Occasionally going out for a walk won’t be a problem.”
Seeing Yi Mu’er at a loss for words, Bing Zhi continued, “Just for a short while, like the days before. Go out, get some fresh air, see the scenery. If I start feeling tired, I’ll immediately return home to rest. How about that?”
Yi Mu’er looked troubled, unable to come up with any other arguments to refute Bing Zhi. Several times she tried to speak but couldn’t, feeling anxious.
“No response means agreement? Let’s go.” Bing Zhi seized the opportunity, pulling the dazed Yi Mu’er up and heading outside.
“
Yi Mu’er panicked, knowing she was out of options and Bing Zhi was determined to go out. Suddenly remembering Yun Qi’s previous instructions, she found an excuse, “Bing Zhi, I want to change my clothes. Wait for me! You must wait!”
Before Bing Zhi could respond, Yi Mu’er had already run off. Bing Zhi’s eyes held a smile, thinking Yi Mu’er was always so energetic in everything she did.
Bing Zhi didn’t want to just stand waiting, so she slowly walked towards the mansion gate, thinking Yi Mu’er would catch up by the time she reached the entrance. But step by step, she unknowingly reached outside, not only failing to see Yi Mu’er approaching but instead seeing a scene of mourning white… In that instant, Bing Zhi felt the world collapse, the fire from that night, the heart-wrenching cries, the mourning of birds and animals all returning before her eyes and ears…
Yi Mu’er, don’t blame big brother. He just hopes for your well-being, which is why he resorted to such a strategy.”
“Have you ever thought, have you, Yun Qi, that one day I would find out? How do you know I won’t become equally disheartened in the future?
“
How do you know I won’t follow Xiao Jin’s path? He died for me. How can I live peacefully in this world!” Bing Zhi questioned sharply, wanting to cry but finding her eyes dry, unable to shed a single tear.
Yun Qi had never seen Bing Zhi like this. Even when cold, she had never spoken so harshly before, each word piercing her heart. Ultimately, she would only be like this for Xiao Jin! Yun Qi self-mockingly thought, softly saying, "Bing Zhi, can we not discuss this now? It's all my fault. Your body has just barely recovered, so don't use your true essence again!"
"Wrong... No, it's not you, I'm wrong. I left him back then, so now he's taking revenge on me. He chose to leave me forever, not even willing to leave a trace of memory behind... Jin, how can you be so heartless?" Bing Zhi's voice suddenly dropped, as if muttering to herself or confessing something. Even Yi Mu'er beside her couldn't bear to watch.
"Bing Zhi!"
"Bing Zhi!"
Unexpectedly, right after speaking, Bing Zhi's eyes went dark, and she lost consciousness. Yun Qi and Yi Mu'er simultaneously caught the falling Bing Zhi. Yi Mu'er stepped back, allowing Yun Qi to carry her to her room, following quietly without a word.
Bing Zhi’s fainting had alarmed the entire Luoxia Manor. Yun Qi sent Old Li to fetch a doctor. In the chaos, time seemed to slip away, and it was almost dinner time.
“Mother, Bing Zhi just suffered a shock. Please don’t let anything slip. I will find an opportunity to tell her about being my sister, but not now. She cannot bear it at this moment,” Yun Qi instructed.
Xun Luoxia rushed over after Bing Zhi fainted, refusing to leave her side. Seeing Bing Zhi’s pale face, how could a mother not feel heartache?
“Don’t worry, my child. Mother understands,” Xun Luoxia responded to Yun Qi, tears flowing. “My daughter, how can you be so unfortunate! This is a sin, a true sin. If I had known, I would never have sent you away!”
Yun Qi couldn’t bear to see Xun Luoxia blame herself but didn’t know what to say. “Mother…”
For a moment, the two sat in silence, each sighing inwardly.
Chapter 5: The Incident (4)
