Chapter 24: The Three Autumns of Chu's Embankment on the Yangtze River

  The night air is quiet, the music and dance are faint, in the four-sided building half-hidden with glass lamp light, the curtain is swaying in the autumn wind with a clear and dark sound, occasionally bringing out the ring of jade pendants with a soft and crisp sound, like the lingering echo of a gentle breeze.

  You dismounted at the door, and your expression made the fellow who came forward to attend you pause. You didn't say a word, threw down the reins, raised your hand to brush away the silk threads that flew up to caress your face, and quickly entered inside.

  In the shadow of the curtain, Lan Yu and other girls were still in front of the hall. Su Niang didn't know why she came back from Tian Wu's wine shop, and was softly talking to them. As soon as everyone saw Qing Chen, they all stood up and came over. Lan Lu bowed deeply and said to her: "Thank you so much for tonight, young master!"

  You dusted off quietly, looked at Su Niang with a cold expression, then reached out to help Lan Lu up, and said warmly: "What are you thanking me for? Would the people of our Four-sided Building tolerate others bullying us?"

  Lan Lu and the others noticed that her face was a bit unusual, with a hint of anger between her eyebrows. Her voice was gentle, but not as soft and clear as it usually was, making people hesitant to respond.

  Qingchen was always chatting and laughing with them, but had never shown such an attitude before. Everyone suddenly fell silent. Qingchen saw the situation and slightly raised his eyebrows, smiling: "What's wrong with you all? Are you scared of someone who's drunk?"

  Lan Lu hesitated for a moment and asked timidly: "Is it tonight... giving trouble to the young master, won't that Young Master Wei give up?"

  "You don't have to worry, he won't dare to treat you like that again. With me around, nothing bad will happen to you."

  The young girl patted Lan Lu's hand and said: "With the young master protecting us, we are very fortunate. The young master must be tired, let's all go back to our rooms."

  You dust phoenix eyes quietly provocative, as if inadvertently in Su Niang's eyes fell, silently swept across the whole body, and actually saw her heart lightly trembling. But see You dust lips still faintly hanging smile, said: "It's late, let's go rest first, if there's anything else to say tomorrow." After finishing speaking, he turned around and went upstairs with a flick of his sleeve.

  The young girl sent everyone away and looked up at the building with growing doubts, her heart filled with increasing unease.

  You dusted through the flying corridor along the long corridor to the back building, and pushed open the door of Xie Jing's room. The room was quiet and soundless, no one had returned, she turned around and sat down in front of the case, the cold air made people gradually calm down, but there were still a few angry intentions that appeared from time to time.

  The ghostly assassin who wields a thin blade, Xie Jing, the one who killed Ye Tianling, and the astute Su Niang - from the moment she stepped into the Four-Faced Building, it was as if she had entered an intricate and perfect scheme. Whether by deliberate arrangement or taking advantage of circumstances, the organization that Ming Wei had mentioned before seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally drawing her in.

  She sat in the darkness, carefully recalling that day when a basin of water was mysteriously splashed on her in the street, and only now did she realize that she was completely soaked. Xie Jing and Su Niang were all in on it; what were they after? If their goal from the beginning was Ye Tian Ling, it seemed a bit far-fetched.

  She was deep in thought when there was a sudden noise outside the door, followed by someone stumbling and pushing the door open. She stood up from her desk, brushing off her clothes, and heard Ming's urgent voice saying: "Su Niang, hurry! Big Brother is injured!"

  The room suddenly lit up, and under the faint firelight, Ming Ye raised his head to see Qing Chen standing in the depths of the shadows. His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, his jade face turned cold, and he gazed at them with a chilly expression.

  Just then, Su Niang happened to arrive and saw Xie Jing's appearance in the dim light, and she exclaimed softly. Qing Chen looked over and was also slightly stunned, Xie Jing almost relied on Ming Ye's support to prop himself up, his body had already fallen into a semi-unconscious state, with a pool of dark red blood beside him, slowly flowing and expanding. With the moonlight, it could be seen that there were bloodstains all over the ground outside the door, presumably left behind by him along the way.

  The young lady hurried forward to help and support him, seeing Qing dust blocking in front of the bed, calling out: "Young master!"

  A hint of light flashed in your eyes: "Why must you still pretend, do you still think I am Ning Wencheng?"

  Su Niang and Xie Jing had been together for a long time, their feelings for each other were deep, she said urgently: "....Feng Niang, saving people is important!"

  Your complexion hasn't changed, but your eyes have slightly softened, and you stepped aside to make way.

  Su Niang and Ming Yi helped Xie Jing onto the couch to examine his injuries, while Qing Chen watched coldly from the side. Apart from the original wound on his right shoulder inflicted by Ye Tian Ling, Xie Jing had many deep and shallow wounds all over his body. The most severe one was a sword wound on his leg, which had clearly hit an artery. Fresh red blood continuously gushed out of the wound, staining his black clothes with a thick layer of dark color, quickly seeping into the bedding. His face was deathly pale, having lost too much blood and nearly going into shock.

  The blood seemed to be unstoppable, and the usually expressionless face had lost its calmness. He bent down and used a cloth to apply pressure on Xie Jing's wound, repeatedly calling out in a low voice: "Big brother, big brother!" Su Niang hastily fetched some medicine and applied it to the wound, but the gushing blood washed it away. Just as she was getting anxious, she heard Qing Chen say in a cold voice: "Move aside!"

  The young lady knew that Qingchen's medical skills were exceptional, so she quickly made way for him. Qingchen swept aside his robe and knelt in front of the bed, raising his hand to press down on Xie Jing's femoral artery, immediately slowing down the bleeding. "Tear some strips of cloth."

  The dark, torn bed sheets were handed over. Qing Chen used her skilled hands to wrap the silk strips around the wound near the heart for two or three weeks, tied a half knot, and then raised her head to scan the room, pointing at the ivory bone fan on the table: "Give me that one."

  The young girl took it, and Qīng Chén placed the bone fan on the semi-knot and tied a full knot again. She gently twisted it, and Xiè Jīng's wound bleeding slowed down and gradually stopped. She applied medicine to the wound before starting to treat other injuries. Compared to the leg wounds, these were relatively minor, but the sword wound on his shoulder from last night was quite severe. She quickly bandaged and treated them, frowning slightly, wondering why Xiè Jīng was so badly injured, as it seemed that the person who had done this had intended to kill him.

  After treating the wound, she turned around and threw the medicine to Ming Hui, got up and asked: "Since Ye Tian Ling said he would let you go, it's impossible for him to pursue and kill again. What happened?"

  "We've encountered people from Bi Xue Pavilion."

  The young girl's expression changed, and Qing Chen asked: "What is the Azure Blood Pavilion doing? Why did they have to resort to such ruthless measures?"

  Ming Du said: "The Bi Xue Pavilion has always colluded with the Chang Men Gang, and last time we almost wiped out the Chang Men Gang. Tonight they took advantage of our weakness, humph! If Big Brother hadn't been injured earlier, how could they have succeeded so easily?"

  Mentioning tonight's matter, Qing Feng's eyes slightly chilled as she turned around and said: "Then what are you people, what organization?"

  Ming Yi and Su Niang exchanged a glance, somewhat hesitant, but then heard someone behind them respond: "Ming Yi Building."

  Three people looked at the couch and saw that Xie Jing had already woken up. Qing Chen gazed at him for a moment, saying lightly: "Xie brother, you've been hiding it from me for so long. That day when we first met, you deliberately brought me to the Four-Faced Building, making arrangements for me to stay here. You clearly knew my true identity but pretended not to know, and tonight you put on such a good show. Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

  Xie Jing leaned against the couch with Su Niang's support and said to her: "Wen Qing..."

  "Feng Xuechen." She interrupted Xie Jing's greeting: "Since you've known all along, why bother to pretend anymore? No matter why you befriended me, I, Feng Xuechen, have always considered you a friend."

  Xie Jing's expression changed slightly, and he said: "Alright, Qing Chen, being friends with you is one of the greatest fortunes in my life. I know you must be angry now, although everything was done on orders, but for what happened before, I owe you an apology." As he spoke, he struggled to get up from his bed, wanting to apologize to her.

  "You, what are you doing?" She seemed to have let out a breath and asked, "The air returns to the air, but I believe I won't misjudge friends, so you must have a reason. So who's orders are you following, what are you doing, and why did you find me? And why do you want to assassinate Ye Tianling!" Her gaze quietly swept from Zhe Jing there to Su Niang and Ming Wei's faces, for some reason the three of them seemed to be somewhat intimidated by her, and they all avoided eye contact.

  After a while, Xie Jing said: "I am not in charge of answering what you asked. Some things cannot be said, and some I don't know very well."

  Your eyes are deep and bright in the dust, still looking at the three people in front of you: "Then find someone who can make decisions to come, today I must have an answer."

  Xie Jing hesitated for a moment, then said to Su Niang: "Go and invite Ming Xuan Hu Jian Shi."

  The young woman glanced at Qing Chen and quickly walked out. Xie Jing and Ming Yi both fell silent, and the room was somewhat stifling for a while.

  You dust stood in front of the bed, suddenly frowned at Xie Jing and said: "What is Mingxuan Hu Jian, can it be eaten?" When she spoke, her eyebrows were raised, and there was a hint of playfulness in her expression.

  Xie Jing and Ming Hui were both stunned at the same time, Xie Jing bitterly smiled and said: "Eating his flesh and eating his bones, shouldn't there be such a big grudge?"

  However, Qing Chen said again: "If he can eat, I'd like to stew him later and give him to Xie brother to nourish his body. He sent you to assassinate Ye Tianling, didn't he ever think that this is sending you to your death?"

  The atmosphere relaxed slightly, and Xie Jing knew that her words were actually defending herself. She smiled and said: "My brother and I have been raised by Mingyi Building since we were young, and this life is all about Mingyi Building. If there's a need, we'll die for it without hesitation. This kind of task doesn't count as anything."

  "Killing the prince, regardless of success or failure, where will the Four-Faced Building be? You, Ming Wei, Su Niang, the women in the building, even the Tian Wu Zui Fang, aren't they all going to be buried together?"

  Xie Jing thought for a moment and said: "After all, we still have to ask Ming Xuan Hu Jian Shi about this matter. However, once I understand the truth, I may not be able to drink the tonic soup anymore."

  At this time, even the usually serious Ling Meng couldn't help but curve up the corners of her mouth, and Qing Chen also couldn't resist pursing her lips into a smile. Xie Jing looked at her and said, "It's better when you're smiling, I didn't expect that your stern face would be so intimidating."

  "You're not in a very good mood if you don't clarify the reason for tonight's events."

  Xie Jingdao said: "I can only tell you that for an organization like Ming Yi Building, assassination is just a commissioned task, what other reason could there be?"

  "Who entrusted you?"

  Xie Jing shook his head and said, "The identity of the client cannot be revealed, it's a rule."

  You also know that there is such a rule. The corner of the mouth was not full, but heard someone say: "This matter is not difficult for Feng Niang to guess."

  As they spoke, Su Niang and an old man entered the room. The old man covered his face with a black cloth, making it impossible to see his features. His demeanor was deep and calm, like a serene mountain valley. When he raised his eyes, his gaze fell on Qing Chen's face as if it were solid, and he bowed his hands, saying: "Ming Yi Lou Tian Zhuan Gong Hu Jian Shi Ming Xuan, has seen Feng Niang."

  "You've had a long reputation." He only felt that this person's eyes and tone were very familiar, but when he thought about it, he couldn't get his head around it, so he asked: "From what was just said, it seems that the Mingyi Building doesn't intend to keep the client's secret."

  Ming Xuan Dao: "Rules are rules, but if Feng Jie Niang herself guesses that someone is willing to pay 50,000 taels of gold for Ling Wang's life, then there's nothing we can do about it."

  50,000 taels of gold, what a huge price! You dusted off and asked in a low voice: "Is he a member of the imperial family?"

  Ming Xuan smiled and said: "Although there are struggles within the Central Plains imperial family, it has not reached this point yet. I'm afraid no one wants Ling Wang's life that much."

  You lowered your head and remained silent for a moment, then spoke a few simple words: "Tujue royal family."

  Ming Xuan's eyes flashed with a hint of approval, and Qing Chen raised an eyebrow in understanding. Anyone who could afford such a price was either wealthy or noble. As for the Tujue tribe, it wasn't just 50,000 taels of silver; even if it were 100,000 taels of gold, they might be willing to pay it to buy Ye Tianling's life. Since Ye Tianling led his army at the age of 15, he had repeatedly defeated the Tujue tribe in several major battles, causing them to lose nearly 10,000 miles of territory and bury countless soldiers and generals, including Guli Wangye, the younger brother of Shi Luo Khan. The Tujue tribe feared Ye Tianling like a ghost, hating him to the bone, and no one would want to see him dead more than they did.

  She sneered: "Not a worthy opponent, no wonder you lost to Ling Wang every time."

  Ming Xuan could tell from her tone that she had a connection with Ye Tianling, and asked: "Miss Feng seems to be quite familiar with King Ling?"

  "You saved me once, and I saved you too. Based on these two points alone, I cannot ignore this matter. Can the Dark Clothes Building cancel this commission?"

  "It cannot be done." Ming Xuan said.

  "Why?" Qing Chen asked.

  "Revocation of authorization must follow the host's command." Ming Xuan said again.

  "May I have an audience with your esteemed master?"

  A hint of a smile appeared in Ming Xuan's eyes: "The master of the Nether Pavilion has been missing for over thirty years, and the current master has yet to take office."

  Your eyes flashed with a clear and sharp light, scanning his eyes with a smile, and slowly said: "Are you teasing people?"

  Ming Xuan said calmly and unhurriedly, "No such intention, Feng young lady. I wonder if you have any interest in going outside to observe the celestial phenomena together?"

  Upon hearing such an inconsistent proposal, Qing Chen felt unexpected but didn't show it, and instead took the lead to step out of the house.

  Ming Xuan followed, walking slowly with her to the middle of the courtyard on the second floor of the four-sided building, and stood still, looking up at the sky: "Does Miss Feng have any understanding of astrology?"

  She raised her eyes and gazed quietly, under the autumn night, a thin moon with one eyebrow, beside it were light clouds and sparse stars, not as resplendent as summer days. The night sky looked clear and transparent, vast and profound. She said: "I know a thing or two."

  "Ming Xuan Dao: 'Can Feng Niang see that star?' Qing Chen followed his gaze, and in the quiet night sky, there was a bright star hanging at the edge of the sky. Its light was clear and cold, deep and radiant, not inferior to the new moon beside it, which was pale gold and delicate. Even through the thin wind, it surpassed the moonlight, like a sharp and piercing light drill in the dark blue sky, making all the other stars and stones dull and dim."

  "What is that star?" Qing Chen asked in confusion, as he had never seen a star like this before, neither in the past nor now.

  "This is a rare celestial phenomenon that appears only once in a hundred years. The clear light purifies the universe, and the Purple Microcosm converges with the heavens. And this heavenly star is gradually entering the position of the North Dipper Heavenly Palace corresponding to my master, the Lord of the Dark Clothes Pavilion, which is the trend of entering the Seven Stars."

  "Oh?" Qing Chen said: "Isn't that when the master of Ming Yi Building can be seen, we can also discuss what we just said?"

  Ming Xuan looked at her and said: "The person from the Heavenly Star is currently in Yige City."

  "Who is it?" Qing Chen asked.

  "Far away in the sky, yet right before one's eyes." Ming Xuan smiled.

  "You're quite unexpected, aren't you?" he said with a chuckle. "Are you saying that's why you've been keeping an eye on me all this time?"

  Ming Xuan said with a serious expression: "I'm not joking, the celestial stars have changed, and they correspond to a person. I've been searching for this person for a long time. Feng Niang had stayed in Mo Bei before, and arrived at Yi Ge City during the summer solstice, which coincides with the celestial stars. Moreover, does Miss have a string of jade beads?"

  You dusted off a little, shook your sleeve lightly, and showed it to him. Ming Xuan looked at the clear and bright jade pendant under the night sky and sighed: "This is the lost token of the master of the Mingyi Building for many years."

  You were shocked, but thinking of the strange Jiu Zhuan Ling Lu array, you couldn't help but have doubts. However, Ming Xuan said: "Feng Gong Nang, don't worry about it for now, if you enter the main hall of Ming Yi Lou, not only will we take care of the matter with Ling Wang, but you can also learn some information about the Wu tribe. This Bi Xi Chuan Zhu has been the Wu tribe's treasure since ancient times, I'm sure you'll be interested in its origins."

  Your phoenix eyes swept across, and the mysterious person in front of her seemed to know her quite well. "Such a tempting condition, it seems that you have thought deeply about it, but can a large building like Mingyi Tower be owned just by talking to me?"

  Ming Xuan smiled and said, "Feng Gongzhu still needs to get the recognition of Ming Yi Lou's Ling Shou Xue Zhan, and after that, as the master of the building, do three things to make the seven palace officials convinced."

  "You also know how to make that spiritual beast recognize you and make you obey the public?"

  Ming Xuan Dao: "Above is the heavenly mandate, below is human effort. If Feng Jie doesn't have the ability and courage to be the master of Ming Yi Lou, everything would be empty talk. However, if Feng Jie truly wants Ming Yi Lou to give up assassinating Ling Wang or understand the secrets of the Wu tribe, she must have a way to achieve these things."

  Your lips curve into a elegant, gentle arc, as if smiling yet not quite: "You've half invited and half forced me to take the position of Lou Zhu, aren't you afraid I'll seek revenge in the future?"

  Ming Xuan coughed and said, "With Feng's intelligence, if she became an enemy, I would be a bit worried. But I think Miss Feng is not that kind of person."

  "It's hard to say, I'm just a woman."

  The old man's eyes suddenly lit up and he asked, "Miss Feng, could it be that you're still harboring a grudge against me over the matter of Ling Wang?"

  In his words, there seems to be a hint, but you are slightly stunned in your heart, and with a calm and leisurely glance, he suddenly says: "Ling Wang has been fighting north and south to protect the country's borders. For 50,000 taels of gold, he became an enemy. The Meng Yi Building seems to have helped the tyrant."

  Ming Xuan Dao: "It's precisely because Ling Wang's order made the Turkic people extremely wary, so they will inevitably try every means to get rid of him. This matter doesn't require our involvement as there are others who can do it for us. Why don't we just wait and see? At least that way, we can stall for time. Can't Feng Niang see that attempting to assassinate Ling Wang like this tonight is fundamentally impossible?"

  Your eyes narrowed slightly, and you said in a light tone: "So you're going to send Xie Jing to the sword blade, if I don't meet Ling Wang tonight, if I have no relationship with Ling Wang, isn't he dead for sure?"

  Ming Xuan raised his eyes: "Feng Niang protects everyone, but only doesn't understand Lao Fu. As the guardian of Tianxuan Palace in Mingyi Building, how could Xie Jing die so easily? Moreover, Feng Niang was clearly present tonight, it's impossible that she wasn't there, unless Feng Niang would see someone die and not save them?"

  She gazed calmly at the old fox in front of her, thinking about Ye Tianling's safety and the secrets of the Wu tribe. Even if she knew that ahead of her lay a sea of knives and fire, she couldn't ignore it. After a moment of contemplation, she lightly threw out a sentence from between her teeth: "I really had the idea to let Xie Jing drink soup tonight." Under Mingxuan's puzzled gaze, she turned to smile faintly and said: "So presumably you've also made arrangements for what comes next, might as well gather the seven palace guardians to meet them. And," she continued with a smile that suddenly became serious: "The Bi Xue Pavilion injured Xie Jing and Ming Wei, might as well settle this account with them properly."

  Her calm tone had a hidden air of dignity, seemingly effortless yet making Ming Xuan suddenly feel an inexplicable chill. He took a step back and respectfully said: "Your subordinate will follow the orders of the Phoenix Master."

  You raise your head and gaze into the distance at the sky's edge, where night is faintly bright, and stars shine.