Chapter 188: Senior brother, are you lying?
In the early morning, at the peak of Yishui to the north of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, light snow gently fell, accompanied by the pleasant sound of a piano echoing between the mountain peaks. Beneath the solitary pavilion on the cliff, a woman with flowing blonde hair knelt before an ancient guqin. Her emerald fingers danced between the strings, plucking and pressing with grace.
Adorned in a close-fitting gown with golden edges and a fluttering feather belt on her shoulders, the woman exuded an air of luxury and elegance, accentuating her slender waist and ample bosom. Despite the mature attire, a hint of the girl’s gentleness and innocence still lingered in her cheeks. This extraordinary woman was Yun Yiyi, the eldest daughter of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect.
On the pavilion beam hung an exquisite portrait of a young man. With each note played, Yun Yiyi would glance at the picture as if playing the guqin for the young man depicted. After a while, a maid-dressed figure approached from a nearby path.
Yun Yiyi paused in her playing and inquired, “Huang Quan, what is it?”
The maid replied, “Miss, there are two pieces of bad news.”
“Go on,” Yun Yiyi urged.
“Three days ago, the heavy snowfall collapsed our alchemy room, and the icy air infiltrated the alchemy furnaces. All six Xuan alchemy furnaces turned into scrap metal.”
Yun Yiyi nodded, acknowledging the first piece of bad news. “And the second?”
“Miss Yun Xi returned to the sect yesterday, accompanied by a female cultivator of unknown origin. She possesses formidable sword skills.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Yiyi furrowed her brows and gestured that she understood. Looking into the distance, she contemplated the thousand-foot stone sword sculpture standing at the center peak of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect. Her father, Yun Tianchong, would emerge from seclusion in a few months. Before his last seclusion, he entrusted Yishui Peak, Jian Jiu Peak, and Xiri Peak to Yun Yiyi and her siblings, stating that the most prosperous peak among them would determine the next sect leader.
Yun Xi held the top position on the ranking board a year ago. However, after leaving for Chilong Mansion, the dynamics shifted. If Yun Yiyi could successfully secure cooperation between the Moon Shadow Sword Sect and Chilong Mansion, she would have a solid chance at claiming the sect leader position. However, recent events in Chilong Mansion, including the involvement of a demonic cultivator and the death of Li Feng, created complications. Eleven Sword Sect disciples under Yun Yiyi also lost their lives. This not only constituted a mistake but also left her empty-handed. Nevertheless, she still had a chance. The elders maintained a ranking board on the thousand-foot stone sword sculpture, and Yun Yiyi saw an opportunity.
Looking at the portrait of the young man, she bit her lip slightly. As long as she avoided significant mistakes in the coming months and successfully arranged a marriage with the young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, she could surpass Yun Xi’s Xiri Peak and claim the top position on the board. After all, the Hundred Lotus Sect recently acquired a spirit stone vein from the Xuanxing Sect, and their sect leader, Ye Anping, had only one son. Marrying the young master would be like receiving a valuable dowry for the Moon Shadow Sword Sect. However, the reality was more complex than it seemed.
In reality, Yun Yiyi still harbored some hesitation. If she were to marry, she preferred to become Daoist companions with someone willing to spend the rest of their lives listening to her play the piano rather than an unknown young man. Moreover, she wondered whether Ye Anping indeed resembled the portrait before her. The young man depicted in the picture was exceptionally handsome and full of spirit, perfectly aligning with her ideal appearance for a Daoist companion. It seemed the artist had drawn him based on the image of her dream lover.
Charming and exuding a cold, proud demeanor, his lively features retained a hint of a child’s unique childishness and cuteness.
Yun Yiyi paused and, with a smile, asked her maid, “Huang Quan, do you think this portrait is genuine?”
Huang Quan glanced at it and said, “Miss, I believe it’s fake. I once heard an interesting anecdote. Would you like to hear it, miss?”
“Go ahead,” Yun Yiyi encouraged.
“In Huilong Town in the Southern Territory, a young master and a girl from a thousand miles away exchanged letters for decades. They both sent portraits to each other and finally agreed to meet in Nanyang Fairy City and make a lifelong commitment.”
Yun Yiyi raised her eyebrows, curious. “And then?”
“After arriving in Nanyang Fairy City, the young master and the girl waited for each other in the agreed restaurant for half a month. Eventually, they recognized each other only after asking casually. Both were surprised, pointing at each other and saying, ‘Why is your face so pockmarked?’ and ‘Why are you so fat and big-eared?'”
“Puff—” Yun Yiyi couldn’t help but chuckle, then looked at the portrait in front of her and, propping her chin, asked, “Am I marrying the person in the painting or Ye Anping? If I break off the engagement, Yun Xi’ll still overshadow me.”
“Hmm…” Huang Quan pondered momentarily and said, “I can represent you at the wedding. After all, it’s so dark on the wedding night that you can’t see faces.”
Yun Yiyi listened and looked at her, momentarily reluctant. Huang Quan was her close maid, and she couldn’t bear to let Huang Quan sacrifice herself for her. But she recalled the teachings her mother gave her when she was young:
“Yiyi, you have to discard your current innocence. The path of immortality is fraught with dangers. To go far, you must treat everyone as a tool. Moreover, your father has too many Daoist companions and constantly practices, neglecting family matters. Your tenth brother passed away on the day of his birth not long ago, probably because your fourth mother gave your seventh mother some medicine…”
Upon reaching this point, Yun Yiyi let out a long sigh and glanced at Huang Quan, who was fervently willing to sacrifice herself. She shook her head and said, “Huang Quan, let’s discuss this later. The Hundred Lotus Sect hasn’t responded yet… For now, help me draft an urgent jade slip to be sent to the Hundred Lotus Sect. I’ll offer them some additional benefits…”
As she mentioned, another maid approached from the path, stopping outside the pavilion and bowing respectfully.
Yun Yiyi paused and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Miss, the young master Ye Anping of the Hundred Lotus Sect requests an audience.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Yiyi and Huang Quan exchanged glances and simultaneously looked at the portrait of the young man beside them.
After a prolonged hesitation, Yun Yiyi inquired, “How many people have come?”
“It’s just the young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect. It seems he came alone.”
“In that case…” Yun Yiyi contemplated for a moment and said, “Fetch a curtain for me and prepare some tea. Invite him to come up the mountain.”
“Yes.”
The little maid nodded and went down the mountain to convey the message. Several maids brought pink silk curtains and surrounded the pavilion. Yun Yiyi quickly stowed the portrait in her storage bag and began playing the ancient guqin before her.
The harmonious melody filled the air. Before long, the sound of footsteps approached from the path. The maid from Yishui Peak led a young man in embroidered clothing to the pavilion and informed, “Young Master Ye, the eldest lady is in the pavilion.”
Ye Anping nodded but refrained from saluting immediately. He waited until Yun Yiyi’s music ceased, then presented his identity token and bowed, saying, “I apologize for the interruption during your busy time. I am Ye Anping, the young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect.”
…
