Chapter 65: From the Flower Reflects a Picture – Part 21

 

 

After Huai Yu finished speaking, he paused, then lightly threatened, “If you rush out right now, I will tap your acupuncture points again.”

Ming ChangYan’s expression was extremely ugly, his usual mischievous smile vanished, instead turned very solemn.

He asked, “Who is it??”

Huai Yu said, “Bai Jin.”

Huai Yu waited for him to buffer, before adding, “Ming ChangYan, you should know the merits and drawbacks.”

Ming ChangYan clenched his fists. It wasn’t an exaggeration that he and Ugly Guanyin hated each other to the bone. It all started with the extermination of the GuiFeng sect and the death of Wan QianQiu, they were the ones who stirred Ming ChangYan’s entire life into a jumbled mess.

Zhong YuLou and Yi Yue’s deaths were all related to Ugly Guanyin!

Ming ChangYan said, “How sure are you that she’s definitely Ugly GuanYin?”

Huai Yu, “Very sure.”

He then added, “Year ago, we met Ugly Guanyin at GuangLing. When I fought her, a nearby colored glass mirror was shattered. At that time, her first reaction was to cover her face, which means that her face is very important to her.”

“Back then I’d thought that she had covered her face because it was ever-changing and could not be injured, now it seems that’s not the case. And in place of her face, her arm was then injured. But she didn’t just sustain injuries on her arms back then, if I guessed correctly, there should be scars surrounding her body that were left by me.”

Ming ChangYan said, “So you’re saying, you were the one who left those scars on Li Li’s arm?”

Huai Yu nodded, which made Ming ChangYan sit further into his stool, “When Zhao XiaoLan mentioned it, I was only slightly suspicious. Later when he wanted to send the ointment directly to Li Li, I took this as a chance to personally go take a look. It seems my guess isn’t that far from yours.”

Ming ChangYan asked, “If she’s Ugly Guanyin, why would she allow you to meet her face to face?” It was likely for her to be recognized by Huai Yu, wouldn’t she want to escape?

Huai Yu understood what he was indicating, but shook his head, “She wouldn’t care too much. Have you forgotten what she’s an expert at? As long as she wants too, she could be like a fish in the water when she’s among crowds, we wouldn’t be able to find her even if we overturned the entire capital. The best-case scenario for her would be to keep her identity a secret, but even if she was exposed, it wouldn’t matter to her. That’s why at this moment, we mustn’t inadvertently alert the enemy.”

Ming ChangYan suddenly realized, “So that’s why you recognized her in the Hundred Flower Abyss, but pretend to not know anything!”

Huai Yu nodded.

“The white-clothed female Taoist you met three years ago, was probably Bai Jin.”

Ming ChangYan recalled that Ugly Guanyin not only has a face that was ever-changing but also had a variety of personalities. If it wasn’t for their abundance of evidence, he would’ve never connected that madman and Maiden Li Li together.

“You’re right, that year due to the Flower Lantern Festival, the Zhao family had invited her over from the capital to Lin’an to stay for a while. It seems that she didn’t come here to be the flower goddess, instead, she came to harm me.”

He picked up a cup of tea and downed the entire thing, extremely puzzled, “If Li Li really is Ugly Guanyin, it’s not like I have anything to do with her, and I’ve never met her up until the Flower Viewing Festival, why does she hate me so much?”

Huai Yu said, “She has no connections toward you, with someone like you, even if you fell down from a high place it would still be considered normal if people then started throwing stones at you. But for her to harm you so, it’s obvious there’s a foreign force to this. If she had no connections to you, it means it’s not entirely related to you, but instead is working under someone, someone who knew you were still alive the moment you stepped foot into the palace.”

He faintly glanced at him, “Ming ChangYan, I will ask you again, after waking up, how many people knew that you were alive, who was the first to know, and how many? If you don’t take precautions, what happened three years ago will likely happen again.”

Upon hearing this, Ming ChangYan’s forehead was covered in a layer of cold sweat, it was clear who Huai Yu’s words were pointing to. And he had just questioned her a few days ago. Huai Yu wasn’t familiar with Yun Luo, so it’s normal for him to be skeptical, but what about him? Does he doubt Yun Luo too? Even if it was Yun Luo, right now she’s so weak she can’t even walk for long periods of time, where would she have gotten the strength or idea of hurting him?”

After thinking about it, Ming ChangYan sighed in his heart, but he was still unwilling to believe that up till now, it had been Yun Luo who’d been harming him.

Noticing his complexion worsened by the minute, Huai Yu stopped questioning him, merely saying, “This is all my speculation, it’s still up to you on how you decide to look at things. Right now you have to focus on getting better, there’s still some time to rest before the Great FengShan Feast. I’ll go prepare the medicine, calm down, it’s best if you stop thinking about those things.”

At this time, palace servants of the Ninety-Ninth Palace carried up a wooden bathtub. The hot water was freshly heated as if preparing for a medical bath.

Ming ChangYan had a raging headache and just stopped thinking, taking advantage of this rare opportunity to properly relax oneself.

Huai Yu poured the medicine into the tub, and after a while, the familiar smell of medicine arose in the room. When Ming ChangYan had soaked in this medical bath prior, he had marinated himself to the point where one could almost taste the flavor on himself, his entire body emitted the smell of bitter Chinese medicine. But upon smelling this scent again, it didn’t feel foreign.

Huai Yu stood at the edge of the bathtub and tested out the water temperature.

The water was boiling hot, the white vapors kept tumbling and transpiring in the air before ultimately lingering on his face. Ming ChangYan sat idly on a stool, with nothing to do he decided to admire the little beauty to pass time. Huai Yu was among one of the best in terms of looks and talents, he was naturally blessed from appearances to his stature.

He attentively sized him up, and thought to himself: It seems like I’ve never really properly looked at his face before.

In Ming ChangYan’s memory, his impression of Huai Yu has stayed the same all the way back to when they first met. Nowadays when compared to that nineteen-year-old youth, he’s now all the more mature and steady. Despite having a little bit of a temper sometimes, from the time he entered the palace up till now, he had been relying on Huai Yu to take care of him. And unconsciously, he has become accustomed to it.

His gaze involuntarily focused on the vapor that was wandering in front of Huai Yu’s body, the vapor wrapped around his neck, and then slipped itself into his neckline.

Huai Yu took back his hand and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Ming ChangYan had been slightly stunned, after coming back to his senses and upon realizing he had just let his imagination run wild, he rubbed his nose and smiled, “I’m looking at you, it’s not like there’s anyone else here for me to look at. Huai Yu, at your age, haven’t you thought about finding a sweet, gentle young lady to accompany you?”

Huai Yu walked forward and grabbed his collar, dragging him towards the bathtub.

Ming ChangYan, “MY NECK!!”

Huai Yu, “Undress.”

Ming ChangYan, “Ok ok ok, I’ll undress, I’ll undress.”

He took off his clothes efficiently and burrowed his way into the tub. Outside the Ninety-Ninth Palace, a flash of lightning cut through the horizon, after that sudden shock came the beginnings of a downpour.

After Ming ChangYan had taken off his clothes, he was frozen to the point of becoming delirious, promptly diving deeper into the steaming water.

The Ninety-Ninth Palace was originally already filled to the brim with cold air. But with a rainstorm raging outside, and the sounds of the gale blowing in causing the white gauze to flutter about, it made the Ninety-Ninth Palace resemble that of a haunted palace hall.

Ming ChangYan said, “Huai Yu! Did you close the windows, why is it so windy!”

Ming ChangYan wished he could submerge his entire body into the water, the tattoo on his back became all the more prominent upon coming in contact with the hot water.

After having called out twice without hearing any news of activity, Ming ChangYan quickly turned around to take a look.

Yet who would’ve imagined that as soon as he raised his head, he would be met directly with Huai Yu’s eyes. He had placed his hands on the edges of the tub, encircling Ming ChangYan in it. He looked up, Huai Yu lowered his head, he was merely a breath away from him.

Ming ChangYan’s breathing suddenly stopped. Amidst the steam, his shoulders had turned a light pink from the heat, both his cheeks and earlobes were flushed a pale pink. His eyes were hazy, his lips were suffused into a dark red, the reflected light from the water shimmering. But because he was too close, he wasn’t able to clearly see Huai Yu’s face.

He opened his mouth, “Huai Yu?”

Huai Yu got up, and as soon as he left, Ming ChangYan’s consciousness came back to him.

Huai Yu closed the window, but with his back facing Ming ChangYan, and didn’t turn back around.

No matter how slow Ming ChangYan was, even he noticed this strange and dubious atmosphere that really shouldn’t have appeared between the two men. He quickly cupped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face. Even after the hot water flowed out of the crevices of his fingers, his hands never left his cheeks.

Only until Ming shaoxia felt his face was no longer so hot that he laughed, and pretended to be natural, “Huai Yu, why are you just standing there?”

Ming ChangYan looked at his back, after waiting another quarter of an hour, Huai Yu suddenly said, “The person behind Ugly GuanYin isn’t the same force as Zhuang Xiao.”

Ming ChangYan immediately shifted his attention, asking, “Explain.”

Huai Yu said, “Do you still remember that opera from the Flower Festival? That opera told of the story of the happenings of the Zhuang family, why would Ugly Guanyin purposefully arrange for us to see this play?” When he’d first received the invite from XiaoLan for the Flower Festival, he never expected for Ugly Guanyin to have covertly played a female role in there, leading up to the tragic accident that would occur afterward.

At that time the role “themself”—Zhu Rong, or Zhuang Xiao, had sat beside them and watched that play together with them. Thinking about this, Ming ChangYan said, “That play wasn’t directed at me, but rather at Zhuang Xiao.”

Huai Yu nodded, finally turning back around, “Zhu ShiYing being abducted by bandits back then was no trivial matter. The master of the Zhuang family had to band up with several close friends and even then, it took almost 10 days before they were able to locate the mountain stronghold that Zhu ShiYing was in. In the play, the role Ugly Guanyin was acting as, was probably the Zhuang family’s master.”

“Hold on, Li Li was sitting next to us on the other side of the viewing platform when that opera took place.”

“What I can confirm is that the Ugly Guanyin we came across in GuangLing was definitely Bai Jin herself, and the one that appeared in the opera, since it presented itself in front of Bai Jin, she must have already known about this in advance. Tell me, besides us, who would be able to recognize Ugly Guanyin from no basis and a few encounters? In addition, the Ugly Guanyin on stage never changed their face in front of us.” In other words, the Ugly Guanyin in the opera didn’t have the ability to change their face but completely grasped that they could retreat.

Ming ChangYan said, “And then she gave the actress playing Zhu ShiYing a sword through the chest.”

Huai Yu said, “Yes. I didn’t think much of it back then, and that Ugly Guanyin was just killing for the sake of it. Now looking back, it wasn’t that simple. I’m afraid that Ugly Guanyin was reenacting a scene from back then.”

Ming ChangYan was surprised, “Reenacting? Then doesn’t that mean that the Zhuang family’s master killed Zhu ShiYing! But on second thought, there is a possibility. He had clearly called upon multiple martial art figures but wasn’t even able to rescue his wife. It’s said that Zhuang Xiao was the only one who was rescued, his mother was unable to recover. But why did the Zhuang family’s young master kill his own wife?”

Huai Yu said, “It wasn’t because she was unable to recover, it was most likely for the sake of the family’s reputation. After taking care of the bandits, the Zhuang family’s master then murdered his own wife. After all, such an illustrious family, when the wife of their family is held captive by bandits for 10 days, and this family’s master likely wouldn’t permit an ‘unclean’ lady to enter their home.” Hearing this, Ming ChangYan thought about Hua YunChang again,

“However that’s not the point, regardless of whether the Zhuang family’s master murdered Zhu ShiYing. Ugly Guanyin didn’t hold this play for you, but for Zhuang Xiao. I believe Zhuang Xiao himself would have been happy watching this play, it’s sufficient to say that the two of them are foes.”

Ming ChangYan was still contemplating, “No, no wonder!”

Huai Yu looked at him.

Ming Changyan said, “No wonder of all the sects Zhuang Xiao exterminated was his father’s old friends. Only old friends and no other, they should have the ones that went together to save Zhu ShiYing. Zhuang Xiao is taking his anger on them for not stopping his own father!”

Huai Yu, “The particulars cannot be directly investigated, we can only know the answer if we directly ask him.”

If all those sects were exterminated due to this, who’s to say that Zhuang Xiao isn’t the one who burned down the Zhuang family home? Ming ChangYan found it hard to imagine that Zhuang Xiao would be so dangerous as to not even let his entire family go.

Ming ChangYan suddenly thought of something and said, “Shoot! Zhao XiaoLan that little idiot is in trouble!”

He began, “Good lord, what kind of people is he provoking!”

If Ugly Guanyin really had a feud with Zhuang Xiao, wouldn’t Zhao XiaoLan who was sandwiched in the middle of all this, be using his life to bear the brunt of it with his life!

With this in mind, Ming shaoxia lost all interest in soaking in the medical bath, wanting to quickly crawl up.

But as soon as he got up, he was pressed back down by Huai Yu.

“Calm down, it’s okay.”

Ming ChangYan, “How could this be okay! Zhao XiaoLan that scoundrel just had to take a liking to Ugly Guanyin! He could’ve made friends with anybody, and he decided to befriend Zhuang Xiao! He really, really is, really is…..”

He repeated “really is” for a good while, and without a reason why, scolded, “Reckless!” Even after scolding him, he didn’t feel like it was enough and added, “How is he so good at making friends? Is he a genius?”

Huai Yu said, “There’s no need to worry about him. Bai Jin doesn’t dare to do anything as of now, that’s also including the person behind her. Otherwise, why would I have asked Chang Xu to return?”

Ming ChangYan was stunned.

Huai Yu, “As for Zhao XiaoLan, as long as he stays in Egert Academy, Liu Kuang will naturally guarantee his safety. It’s just that during this period, you tell him to not come in contact with either Bai Jin or Zhuang Xiao.”

Ming ChangYan said, “Is there any use of me telling him? One’s his crush, and another’s his best friend. What position am I supposed to take to stop them from meeting up?”

Huai Yu, “Noble Gentleman.”

Hearing this, Ming ChangYan laughed, “Right! I forgot XiaoLan is still a follower of mine! I’ll go sign a few autographs after I finish my medical bath and then send it to him!”

Huai Yu said, “I’m not concerned about him. Ming ChangYan, if you don’t want to die, stay beside me during this period of time.”

Ming shaoxia said, “Yes, yes, when have I ever left you!”

He had been soaking in the tub for a while now, shivering, he got up to put his clothes on.

“Huai Yu, your palace really feels like winter, it’d be a good place to stay during summer.”

He had planned on walking on the ground barefoot, but nearly slipped if not for Huai Yu grabbing him.

Ming ChangYan’s legs were born straight and pretty, his skin pale as jade, holding it in his hands made it appear smoothed by cream, looking very satiny.

Huai Yu said, “Put on shoes.”

Ming shaoxia quickly took his foot back, “Alright, I’ll wear them! Don’t just suddenly grab me!”

After putting on his shoes, he ran toward the bed. It was only after he’d laid down on bed that he asked Huai Yu in retrospect, “Where do I sleep tonight?”

Huai Yu didn’t even look back, after palace maids carried the bathtub away and he cleaned the place, he removed a book from the bookshelf and indifferently said, “Bed.”

Ming ChangYan said, “If I sleep on the bed, where would you sleep?”

He remembered that there are no other rooms in the Ninety-Ninth Palace apart from Huai Yu’s bedroom on the top floor. The attendants of the palace never stayed overnight, no there existed no extra beds.

Although it wasn’t too cold at the moment, there was still a rainstorm going on outside, so the temperature in the Ninety-Ninth Palace was lower than usual; sleeping on the ground will definitely hurt one’s health.

Ming ChangYan said, “Your bed’s so big, how could I take up all of it, I’ll give you half of the bed.”

With that, in order to prove the bed was big, Ming ChangYan rolled two circles around the bed.

It really was big, more than enough for three adult men to sleep in.

Huai Yu, “I’m not sleeping.”

Ming ChangYan began, “You’re not sleeping again. Huai Yu, I’m very still when I sleep, I definitely won’t frail about. Don’t worry, you sleep on the inside, and I’ll sleep on the outside, if I move too much in my sleep, you don’t have to hesitate to kick me off the bed!”

Huai Yu glanced at him.

Ming ChangYan was laying on the bed, because he was rolling so vigorously, his clothes got disorderly, his hair in disarray, and his collar opened wide. And this person was in a state of excitement, inviting him to sleep on the bed.

Huai Yu turned a page in his book and said, “Not sleeping.”

Ming ChangYan was lying on his side, his right hand propping up his head with his left leg bent, raising his eyebrow he said, “Really not sleeping?”

Huai Yu shook his head.

Ming ChangYan suddenly launched an attack, suddenly jumping up from the bed and pouncing on Huai Yu.

The unsuspecting Huai Yu was pounced head-on and nearly lost his balance. Ming ChangYan quickly snatched the book out of his hands, and sure enough, Huai Yu’s complexion changed and he raised his voice, “Give it back!”

The moment Ming ChangYan saw his reaction, he was certain that there were comics hidden inside the book. He stubbornly refused to give it back to Huai Yu, holding in his hands as he grinned, “Young Prime Minister, let’s see what’s so good about this book that you could read it all the way from night to day!”

He laughed and in just a few steps moved from the floor to the bed, deliberately flipping through the book in his hands as loud as possible.

Huai Yu’s expression was calm as he reached out to steal it back. Ming ChangYan had become much stronger than before. After he had recovered half of his cultivation, he didn’t need to keep getting beat up by Huai Yu, this time he could fight back a few times.

The two immediately got into a fight over a book on the bed. Huai Yu deliberately let him, while Ming ChangYan went all out, going back and forth ultimately coming to a tie.

Then suddenly, Ming ChangYan abruptly pulled down the white gauze, obstructing Huai Yu’s line of sight. He seized the opportunity, turning around and got on top of him, laughing.

When that white gauze was pulled by him, the window that hadn’t been firmly closed was blown open again by the wind, rustling, once again fluttering the white gauze in the room.

Ming ChangYan exclaimed, “If you don’t sleep, I’ll force you to sleep!”

He pulled open the neatly folded quilt and used it to cover Huai Yu’s body.

With a move of his hand, Huai Yu took the white gauze and used it to bound the hands of a momentarily complacent Ming ChangYan. Ming ChangYan’s center of gravity became unstable and he crashed back onto the bed. Before he could even react, a startled cry stopped in his throat, Huai Yu had returned an eye for an eye. Ming ChangYan’s line of sight was blackened, Huai Yu had used the quilt to cover his entire body.

Ming ChangYan, who was wrapped tightly by the quilt into a ball, was still crookedly struggling around.

Huai Yu trapped his hands, half-kneeling on him as he gazed at the person under him whining for help in the quilt. Huai Yu was silent. After a while, he bent down, his eyes half-lidded and eyelashes faintly trembling. Separated by a quilt, he quietly planted his lips on top of it.

 

The author has something to say:

Little fish is so careful, so nervous!

If you have the ability then take away the quilt and do it directly!!

 

 

 

This was translated by https://poppyscanlations.video.blog/, any repost of this is stolen and if you steal my work I’ll roll you into a blanket burrito.

 

 

 

( ✧≖ ͜ʖ≖)

 

Side note: Guys, please respect your translators. I saw some real rude comments about how slowly one translator released their chapters when they’re literally going at what I thought was godspeed. These people are translating these novels free to you and for you, the least you could do is be respectful of their schedule and not be insolent.

If you see any translation/grammatical errors please tell me!! Why do I always post these things at like the dead of night?

Have a fantastic weekend~~

 

 

 

Chapter 64 : Table of Contents : Chapter 66