Looking to the Thirteen Rivers

Fu Xiang sat in the waterside pavilion all morning, the charcoal brazier was cold, and the tea on the table was also cold, and she didn't take a sip.

The pavilion in the middle of the lake is quiet, no one is walking around, the sparse river lanterns are floating on the water surface, a few swimming fish are playing around the river lanterns, making a few water sounds from time to time, which are quickly covered by the noise outside the courtyard .

The Mozi Terrace was held as scheduled, and many knight-errants had already gathered outside. According to the rules, Fu Xiang should also lead the disciples of Mingyue Tower to watch, but she was not interested. She sat here alone waiting for Meng Wugui to see her. But it was almost noon, and Meng Wugui never sent anyone here.

I don't know how long it took before I saw Afu flying all the way from the top of the corridor, landed and said, "Senior Sister, Master is busy right now, she doesn't have time to see you."

Today is a cloudy day, but the sky is covered with dark clouds, which seems to be a sign that it will rain again. Fu Xiang looked up at the place without looking back, and said, "I don't have time to see you, or I don't want to see you."

Afu was quiet for a while, but still told the truth: "I really don't want to see... I heard that Yin Qiu almost died, and the master has been angry for the past two days, scaring me to death! I didn't even dare to walk in front of her, so I just reminded her." You were still waiting here, and you were scolded bloody..."

Fu Xiang sighed lightly: "Actually, I don't have the face to see Master, I just made a mistake, how can I escape?"

"So why didn't you come that night?" Afu asked, "Even if Steward Zhao stopped you, with your skills, he couldn't stop him, right?"

Fu Xiang then turned around, looked at Afu and said, "He put sweat medicine in my meal, and I slept for twelve hours."

Afu was stunned, scratched her head and said, "Oh...that's it, I can't blame you."

"I went to the west of the city yesterday, but I didn't see Xiaoqiu," Fu Xiang said. "They didn't let me see, saying that Xiaoqiu's life was dying, and they didn't want anyone to disturb her."

Afu had personally experienced how critical the situation was that night. Yin Qiu not only forcibly broke the formation, but also learned that those men in black were the people around him. She couldn't help it, not to mention she was thinking of Shen Mandong, no one saw her, and she went through such a catastrophe, no matter who encountered such a thing, it was impossible for anyone to be safe.

Afu sighed: "You haven't seen Yin Qiu's appearance that day...I didn't like seeing it."

Fu Xiang was deeply saddened and blamed himself extremely.

Ever since she entered Yunhua Palace, Meng Wugui had been asking her to secretly protect Yin Qiu, but in retrospect, she hadn't really been able to protect her, and was even protected by Yin Qiu once.Although she approached Yin Qiu with a mission, the friendship between the two had nothing to do with the mission. She really regarded Yin Qiu as a friend, and it was so hard-earned.

Being able to return to Mingyue Tower as she wished, Yin Qiu has helped Fu Xiang a lot, so she has been looking for an opportunity to repay her all these years. This time, Meng Wugui specially asked her to come to Weicheng. She had a dispute with Fu Cen for the first time in Mingyue Tower , refused to give in, froze for a few days before Fu Cen was relieved, but she didn't expect that she came, but she didn't accomplish anything. The task given by her master failed, and Yin Qiu was also killed by her negligence. like that.

"It's all my fault," Fu Xiang said bitterly, "I can't accomplish anything. I can't be a hostess, and I can't protect my friends. I'm useless."

Afu looked at her and sighed again: "Don't say that, you didn't do it on purpose, I originally thought that with you and Yin Qiu joining forces, and I was covering by the side, those people are not worth it at all." Speaking of which, who would have thought Steward Zhao was so vicious? But fortunately, Wen Chaoyu has come, and she has helped a lot!"

Hearing Wen Chaoyu's name, Fu Xiang turned his eyes and asked, "By the way, why did she come?"

Afu shook her head: "I don't know, she's here anyway."

Fu Xiang thought for a moment, and said, "None of us has reported to the Ziwei Sect, and this matter has nothing to do with her at all. How did she know?"

"I also find it strange, but she didn't say that that night," Afu said, "and the timing is so good, it saved my life!"

Fu Xiang was silent in thought.

Since Zhulin and his party were planned by Meng Wugui to lure out the man in black, no third party would ever know about it. Where did the Ziwei Sect get the news?It is impossible for Meng Wugui to speak out by herself, and she has no leverage to invite Wen Zhaoyu, let alone the man in black, who would invite someone to kill herself?

Could it be that someone leaked the wind?

"What are you looking at me for?" Noticing that Fu Xiang suddenly cast a suspicious look at her, Afu immediately shouted, "I didn't say anything! My mouth is tight!"

After saying this, she remembered that in the bamboo forest that day, she had already told Yin Qiu everything, so she couldn't help feeling a little guilty, and shyly stood on the edge of the pavilion.

"Are you strict?" Fu Xiang looked at her, "I don't care if your mouth is strict or not, you should think about it carefully. Is there any mistake in the middle, have you been in contact with other people, or said something that should not be said?" If so, I didn't respond."

Afu thought for a while, then complained, "No! I've only been in contact with Yin Qiu from the beginning to the end, where are the others?"

"That means there is a third party hiding in the dark," Fu Xiang speculated, "He wants Wen Chaoyu to rescue Yin Qiu, and he can be regarded as a good person for the time being, but since he knows that someone is going to kill Yin Qiu, it's still a good idea." It means that he, like us, also knows the existence of that person."

Afu stared at the toe of the shoe for a while, then suddenly raised her eyes and said: "Oh! I remembered! Yin Qiu mentioned a flute player, she said that guy could hurt her with the sound of the flute, could it be he?!"

Piper?Fu Xiang was startled: "Where did this person come from? Master never mentioned it."

"Yeah, I just didn't mention it!" Afu said, "But the flute player is going to deal with Yin Qiu. According to what you said just now, he has no reason to ask Wen Chaoyu to save her. Isn't that self-inflicted?" Contradictory?"

Fu Xiang frowned, thought for a while and said: "No, I must see Master today. If I don't discuss these matters with her to find a result, I don't know what troubles will happen next."

Afu said: "Then you have to be mentally prepared, and don't say that I didn't stop you. It's been miserable enough for me to be a man with my tail between my legs these two days. Don't ask Master to blame me again."

Fu Xiang ignored her, raised his legs and walked towards the corridor.

"Hey! There is one more thing!" Afu hurriedly called Fu Xiang, hesitant to say anything, "Then what... Yin Qiu said something to me that night..."

"What?" Fu Xiang looked at her sideways.

Afu murmured for a while, then whispered: "She is really too sensitive, I didn't let her slip!"

"What exactly?" Fu Xiang urged.

"She...she said..." Afu faltered, and finally said, "She asked me, are you my senior sister..."

Fu Xiang's expression changed.

"Oh, don't hide it if you can't hide it. You can show your cards with her!" Afu's eyes dodged, "I didn't tell her anyway, and I don't know where she came to the conclusion. Don't blame me!"

Fu Xiang's expression changed a few times, and his already chaotic mood became even more complicated.

After a long time, she sighed, "Okay... I see."

·

At night, the rain still fell.

The drizzle was falling, disciples were walking around in the courtyard, and there was a smell of medicine everywhere in the mansion. Ji Wanshu just went to the kitchen to stare at the people and boiled medicine for a while, and stopped for a while when passing by the east wing. He walked over with a lantern.

When the disciples guarding the door saw her, they all nodded tacitly and saluted without making a sound.

"How are you?" Ji Wanshu asked.

"I just woke up," said a disciple, "I still don't need anyone to wait on me, I changed my medicine by myself, and I'm eating right now."

Through the window paper, I saw candles burning inside, and there was also a figure eating with chopsticks reflected on the window. Ji Wanshu didn't say much, he only said a few words of greeting, and then he was about to leave.

But the disciple said: "Sister Ji, why don't you go in and have a look?"

Ji Wanshu paused: "What are you looking at?"

The disciple sneered: "You haven't met Wen Chao...Master Uncle Wen for five years, don't you want to catch up with her?"

Ji Wanshu looked at him flatly: "What's the old story?"

The disciple was overwhelmed by Ji Wan's imposing manner and bowed his head, and said, "Uncle Wen said earlier that she asked you to go in and sit down when you come. She wants to tell you something."

Ji Wanshu glanced at the figure on the window again, and said, "I just want me to let her go. There is nothing to talk about or discuss about it."

The disciple showed embarrassment and was about to speak when he heard Wen Chaoyu drop the bowl and chopsticks inside with a "slap", there was a lot of movement.

Ji Wanshu ignored it and turned around neatly.

"Stop!" Wen Zhaoyu seemed to have reached the door, and shouted at Ji Wanshu through the two wooden doors, "Come in if you have the guts, let's argue!"

Ji Wanshu paused on the steps, without turning his head, he said, "How do you reason?"

Wen Zhaoyu was very dizzy, but there were not many injuries on her body, but she was very weak after the exhaustion of her true energy. She supported the door frame to stabilize herself, and tried her best to hold up her aura, and said, "You are not my parents, and you are not me. Boss, why did you lock me up here!"

Ji Wanshu sneered: "You are a prisoner, you are not qualified to challenge me."

"I want to!" Wen Chaoyu raised his leg and kicked the door like cotton, "Open the door for me!"

"You can drive it yourself if you have the ability," Ji Wanshu said, "or you can ask me."

Wen Chaoyu laughed angrily: "Please? Dream!"

Ji Wanshu immediately retorted: "Then it's just a dream if you think about it."

"I'm the one who saved Yin Qiu's life!" Wen Chaoyu was furious in this place, "Is that why you treat me like this?"

Ji Wanshu sneered again: "You are also a member of Ziwei Sect, so it's not bad to have this kind of treatment."

Wen Chaoyu scolded: "You lock me up, and if you have anything to ask, you can ask me sooner, and I can leave after asking clearly, what's the matter with me!"

Ji Wan was quiet, raised her legs and walked to the door, and said, "Not only will I leave you alone, but I will also keep you here forever. Whenever I leave, you also leave, and where am I going?" , you can only follow me anywhere."

Hearing her indifferent tone, Wen Chaoyu seemed to ignore herself at all, and couldn't help but angrily said, "Are you sick?!"

"That's right, I'm terminally ill and hopelessly ill," Ji Wanshu snorted, with a sarcasm in his tone, "Didn't you always want to escape? Let me see how you escape this time."

She finished speaking, as if she had no patience to talk to Wen Zhaoyu, she carried the lantern and left, leaving a few gatekeeper disciples outside looking at each other.

"Come back!" Wen Chaoyu was still shouting, "If you make me mad, you will be happy!"

Ji Wanshu turned a deaf ear to her words, and left the east wing with a blank expression.

·

Bai Ling packed the trauma medicine prescribed by the doctor, went to the porch with the bottles and jars and knocked on the door. After the person inside spoke, she kicked the door open with her foot and walked in quietly.

"Uncle, it's time to change the medicine."

Man Jiangxue still stood by the couch and never left. When she saw this, she got up and brought the prepared hot water, took a clean handkerchief, and said, "After wiping my body, I will apply the medicine. Come here and help me."

Bai Ling quickly put down the things, lifted the quilt carefully, helped Yin Qiu up, and leaned in his arms.

The person was still in a coma, and there was no sign of waking up. When Bai Ling hugged Yin Qiu, he didn't dare to use force, for fear of accidentally hurting her again. Man Jiangxue moved the charcoal brazier on one side closer, and then pulled Yin Qiu. He opened Yin Qiu's collar, wiped the cold sweat from her neck, and finally took off Yin Qiu's obscene clothes.

Thick bandages were wrapped around both arms. A day later, a lot of blood had been stained on them. Man Jiangxue gently removed the bandages, and sword wounds of different depths came into view immediately.

Although the wound wasn't too deep, it was just cut through the flesh by the sword blade, but there were too many wounds, and there was some blood oozing after removing the bandage, so it still looked a little scary.

Bai Ling felt a pain in the flesh, couldn't help but look away, and sighed, "Senior Sister Ji was helping to change the dressing two days ago, I haven't seen it before, how could it hurt like this..." She said Here he glanced again, frowned and said, "With so many sword wounds, the opponent must have a lot of people, poor Xiaoqiu is alone and helpless... Sigh."

Hearing the words "isolated and helpless", Man Jiangxue seemed to be stabbed in the bottom of her heart by something. She looked at Yin Qiu silently, lowered her head to clean her wound, and carefully applied Trauma medicine, and wrapped a clean bandage around her two arms.

Soon, another disciple brought over the boiled medicinal soup. Bai Ling put Yin Qiu's clothes on, put her back on the couch lightly, looked at the medicinal soup and said, "Human! I haven't woken up yet, how do I feed this medicine? Does my uncle want my help?"

Man Jiangxue held the medicine bowl in his hand and said, "No need, just go down."

Bai Ling replied "Okay", and before he left, he saw that Man Jiangxue's face was tired and his eyes were flushed, so he said with concern: "Master, I haven't closed my eyes for several days, why don't I go back to my room to sleep Once you wake up, I'll take care of Xiaoqiu here, how about it?"

Man Jiangxue blew on the decoction, but still refused: "No need, I'll do it."

Thinking that Man Jiangxue must be worried about being watched over by others, Bai Ling didn't try to persuade her, she tidied up the dirty bandages and retreated.

It was raining patter outside, and the house was very quiet. After several days of constant care all night, Yin Qiu's faint breath had gradually stabilized, but her face was still pale, and she hadn't opened her eyes again since that day. Before she woke up, Man Jiangxue fed all the medicine to her one mouthful at a time.

Under the light of the candle lamp, Yin Qiu took long breaths, but his sleeping face was not relaxed, as if he had fallen into a nightmare again. Man Jiangxue looked at her face that had lost a lot of weight, and felt pity in her heart.

After leaving the Nine Immortals Hall that day, Man Jiangxue rushed back almost without touching the ground. After she opened the door of Yin Qiu's room, she found that Yin Qiu had disappeared. After searching for a long time and running outside the city for a long time, it was not until a heavy rain fell that she finally saw Yin Qiu lying down in the bamboo forest.

The scene at that time is still vivid in my mind, the torrential rain was fast and rapid, blurring Yin Qiu's thin body into a shadow, and the moment Man Jiangxue saw her, it seemed that she had returned to that snowy night many years ago.

She still remembers how her mother was lying in a pool of blood, snowflakes covered her face, drenching her cold, just like Yin Qiu in the rain, fragile and helpless.

In some unknown moments, Man Jiangxue couldn't help but wonder why the people around her always leave her?

The mother is like this, the master and Shen Mandong are like this, even the current Yin Qiu is almost like them, almost disappearing from her side.

Those who have been cherished by her, or have a place in her heart, seem to have accidents due to some uncontrollable changes, and she has no time to guard against them every time, and it is too late to keep them.

Although Yin Qiu stayed this time, Yin Qiu didn't rely on her, she relied on herself.

Realizing this level, Man Jiangxue couldn't help but dim his eyes when looking at Yin Qiu.

Since her master passed away, she lived alone in Jingyue Peak and became the "Uncle Master" in the eyes of everyone. She seemed to have a responsibility that she didn't have before, as if everyone around her regarded her as a kind of existence that she could rely on.Not to mention the disciples in the palace, even Xie Yijun is very dependent on her after becoming the head of the sect. Any important matter must be in her hands before she can rest assured. Trust her with all your heart, rely on her, and regard her as an indestructible backing, as if no matter what danger you encounter, she can solve it and destroy it.

And this kind of trust from others also subtly affected Man Jiangxue in the passage of time.

She also gradually felt that she should be worthy of the trust of those people, and that was the responsibility she should shoulder. However, the fact was that she couldn't protect anyone, and she didn't let anyone really rely on her.

She seems... not able to protect the people she cherishes.

She seems... and in fact, she is far from being as powerful as outsiders say.

The smell of medicine left between her lips and teeth became more and more bitter, Man Jiangxue gently held Yin Qiu's hand, and held her in her arms again after a while.

She leaned against the head of the bed, her downcast gaze fixed on Yin Qiu's face, and after an unknown amount of time, Man Jiangxue suddenly called out in a low voice: "Xiao Qiu?"

One could imagine how Yin Qiu would react if she heard her call, she would raise her beautiful eyelashes with a smile, and answer her in a soft voice: "Uncle?"

But she can't hear that "Master Uncle" now.

With deep pain overflowing in her heart and many unspeakable feelings, Man Jiangxue hugged Yin Qiu and closed her tired eyes amidst the pattering rain.

"Xiaoqiu..."