Chapter 485: 335. Lady Yunmeng Zé Makes an Exception, Yue Lady Yue Chuzi Breaks Her Vow

335. Lady Yunmeng Zé Makes an Exception, Yue Lady Yue Chuzi Breaks Her Vow

The rain had passed, and the sky cleared.

The pear trees across the mountain, washed clean of all pretense, bloomed with lush, dewy beauty.

Elegant ancient-style buildings with upturned eaves clung to the slopes, scattered across the peaks and valleys, their total footprint unknown.

The carefully crafted gardens, rockeries, and ponds built along the slopes revealed the owner's refined taste.

This place bore a peculiar name: Xuemu Mountain Villa.

Nestled deep within the wild mountains, only those closely tied to the villa's owner were permitted entry; ordinary visitors were politely turned away if they strayed in by accident.

The villa's owner, it was said, was a widow who had lost her husband in youth, and for a time, her name stirred gossip across the Jiang Nan realm.

Yet this widow, along with Xuemu Mountain Villa, remained exceedingly low-key.

Yet the villa's secular enterprises spanned the Jiang Nan Circuit; even with its reclusive owner, its reputation remained considerable.

Outsiders saw the spectacle; insiders saw the mechanism.

Those who understood the Jiang Nan underworld knew such a glaringly obvious prize could not go unclaimed by either black or white factions.

Yet it had endured quietly, peacefully, year after year—never swallowed by powerful figures—making it impossible to underestimate.

This widow either had someone above her, or she was someone above others.

One of the two had to be true.

In the morning, the villa was silent.

Sunlight fell upon pear branches heavy with dew, filling the air with the scent of spring soil.

A crisp freshness lingered, like that after a mountain rain.

Within the villa, atop the peak, no luxurious mansion had been built—only a perfectly proportioned, elegant pavilion.

The pavilion's plaque bore the name "Chunting"; its design was refined, evoking the spirit of the Spring and Autumn era, adorned with black and green silk curtains, a hue echoing ancient Wu Yue aesthetics, highlighting the owner's taste.

A tall Hu Ji with waist-length golden hair sat cross-legged on a white rush mat within the pavilion.

A sword scabbard lay horizontally across her knees.

The snow-white blade had already been drawn.

Before her stood a large tub filled with clear water, littered with fallen pear petals.

The pavilion was silent, faintly humming with the sound of a sword.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu dipped a folded white cloth into the water and wiped the snow-white blade; white petals clung to its surface.

Her sword finger pressed through the cloth against the blade, and each stroke drew a low, resonant hum from the sword.

This water was morning dew and rainwater collected from the spring pear trees blanketing the mountain.

It was an ideal drink for Qi-refining cultivators.

Yet now, the Lady Yunmeng Great Lady used it to cleanse her sword and herself.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu's expression was calm, her emerald eyes half-lowered, utterly focused.

Outside the pavilion stood the largest pear tree in the entire villa, as if silently accompanying her.

One woman, one sword, one pavilion, one tree.

The biting mountain wind avoided this peak, leaving only stillness.

Boom—!

At that moment, a soft sound echoed outside the pavilion, like something landing on a branch.

Simultaneously, a small petal—once white, now faintly pink from spring rain—drifted slowly from the branch.

Like rain.

On the branch perched a massive, three-legged, four-eyed monstrous bird, motionless.

It had just descended from the high clouds.

Its two claws gripped the branch; its third claw held a silk scroll bound with red cord.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu did not pause, lowering her head to wash the sword.

The three-legged bird suddenly turned its head, gazing toward a pond on the mid-slope not far from the peak.

From this pavilion atop the peak, one could directly overlook the scene beside the pond.

In the pond's center stood a rock formation, and within the water swam a rare white sturgeon.

The white sturgeon circled the oval pond endlessly, as if tireless.

On the pond's edge, a little girl with pink-and-white ruqun and topknots ran in short steps, chasing the sturgeon in circles around the water.

In her hand she held a long, straight branch of pear blossoms, thrusting it into the water.

As she circled the pond, the branch slashed the surface, splashing continuously—like she was truly drawing circles on the water.

The white sturgeon followed her.

The two were having a grand time.

Only no one knew whether she was imitating the fish, or the fish her.

The three-legged bird atop the pear tree's branch, its eyes reflecting this scene, tilted its head slightly.

Its four eyes instinctively followed the little girl with the topknots as she spun around the pond, moving up and down, left and right.

At one moment, as if dizzy from her spinning, the bird blinked rapidly, flapped its wings, and shook its head violently.

Inside the pavilion, the tall Hu Ji suddenly rose, the snow-white blade still unsheathed, stepping out in long strides.

Her icy, beautiful face had reached its limit of patience.

"Senior Sister."

A gentle, white-robed female teacher arrived at the peak, holding a scroll, stopping before the pavilion.

She subtly positioned herself between Xue Xue Zhongzhu and the pond below, where the girl and the fish circled.

"Oh? Message from Fifth Sister? Chongniang has arrived."

Yu Nianyuan smiled softly, pointing to the pear branch near the pavilion.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu ignored her.

"What is that girl doing?" Xue Xue Zhongzhu suddenly spoke, her tone impatient.

"Um, she seems to be guarding her front tooth."

"Guarding? Front… tooth?"

Xue Xue Zhongzhu enunciated each word, forcing down her anger.

She had never imagined she, the proud, domineering Lady Yunmeng Great Lady who intimidated all the men of Jiang Nan, would ever utter these words strung together.

Truly a misfortune.

Yu Nianyuan, her white robes fluttering, pressed the scroll to her lips, sighing helplessly:

"Little Shu messed around yesterday afternoon and was thrown out by Senior Sister. She accidentally knocked out a lower incisor. She held it in her hand all night, woke up this morning without eating, and ran out saying she wanted to… to throw her lower incisor somewhere high, the higher the better, so it would grow back faster…"

Yu Nianyuan omitted the little girl's whispered reassurance during their conversation—"Don't worry, Master, the big sister doesn't hold grudges overnight"—and continued sighing:

"This peak, where Senior Sister is washing her sword, is the highest point here. Little Shu originally wanted to throw the tooth here, but she was afraid of disturbing Senior Sister, so she didn't come. Instead, she threw it into the pond below, where the white sturgeon swims."

Xue Xue Zhongzhu took a deep breath, utterly at a loss for words, and asked through gritted teeth:

"So if she's done throwing it, why hasn't she left?"

Yu Nianyuan suppressed a smile, maintaining a serious tone as she explained gently:

"After throwing the tooth, she regretted it. I don't know who she heard it from—maybe her father—saying fish have terrible memories and forget quickly… She fears that the white sturgeon, 'Da Bai,' will forget their bond and swallow her tooth at the bottom of the pond, making the wish ineffective… So she came up with this plan: circling the fish to dizzy it…"

Under Xue Xue Zhongzhu's expressionless stare, Yu Nianyuan's voice grew quieter.

Taking on such a naive little female disciple inevitably made her feel a little guilty.

"Cough, forget her. Let her be. She'll tire herself out soon enough."

Xue Xue Zhongzhu reluctantly turned back, returning with Yu Nianyuan into the pavilion.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu waved her hand casually; the three-legged bird named Chongniang flew over and placed the red-corded silk scroll into her hand.

Under Yu Nianyuan's watch, Xue Xue Zhongzhu glanced briefly at the secret message, then calmly tucked it into her sleeve.

"Speak," she said coldly, not mentioning the letter.

Yu Nianyuan nodded, withdrew a sheet of paper from her arms, and offered it.

"What is this?"

"The original text of 'The Peach Blossom Spring.' Master Wei provided it voluntarily."

Xue Xue Zhongzhu sneered:

"Wasn't he hiding it?"

"Perhaps he saw the sincerity of this dispatch of Lady Yunmeng Orders. He's loosened his grip, allowing us to seek the Peach Blossom Spring—but he still hesitates on the painting, refusing to show it."

Xue Xue Zhongzhu's lips curled as she took the paper, lowering her eyes as if carefully reading "The Peach Blossom Spring," then quickly tucked it away—no one knew if she understood the archaic text—and replied:

"Hmm. Interesting. Send it back to Lady Yunmeng. Give it to Xiao Wu." She handed it back to Yu Nianyuan with a calm expression.

"Understood." Yu Nianyuan fetched brush and ink, swiftly wrote a few elegant strokes on the paper, refolded it, stepped outside the pavilion, and waved her plain sleeve.

Chongniang landed on her arm; she retied the red cord to its foot, and it soared into the sky.

"Look for it. We know Lady Yunmeng Zé better. Tao Yuanming's writings might point to the location—let Xiao Wu and the others try."

"Mm."

"Anything else?"

Yu Nianyuan whispered:

"About the Restoration Army—on the southwest front, Lord Li's latest letter requests one thing from the Great Lady."

"Speak."

"Lord Li hopes our Sword Marsh can lend a hand to the Restoration Army; in return, they promise great rewards. In his letter, he even permitted Master Wei to show us the Peach Blossom Spring map when necessary."

Snow Candle spoke softly:

"By obstructing the Great Buddha, aren't we helping them? We're disrupting Jiangzhou's rear, drawing away some of the imperial court's attention—how can they still lack gratitude? And what more do they want?"

Yu Nianyuan sighed gently and said:

"That Lord Li said he hopes our Sword Marsh can help even further—just like… just like how the Lady's Hall once aided several southern dynasties during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. He wants that level of aid."

The atmosphere inside the pavilion suddenly fell silent; the air slowly grew cold.

Yu Nianyuan saw a long, snow-white sword hovering in the pavilion.

Outside the pavilion, a large pear tree had shed all its blossoms.

"Hah." The golden-haired Hu Ji laughed lightly as she walked over, sheathing the snow-white sword; her silhouette stood tall.

"Li Li Zhengyan knows quite a bit—he even knows the old southern court affairs. Who told him? His noble grandfather? Or the someone who gave them the Peach Blossom Spring map?"

"I don't know. They suddenly brought it up this morning—I was surprised too. First, how dare they raise it? Second, how did they find out? Few in this world still know this truth. The Southern and Northern Dynasties' struggle contained many things that could never enter official histories, especially after the Da Sui founded their state. Even in unofficial records, those accounts were mostly destroyed by deliberate hands. The current Zhou dynasty's compiled history of the Southern and Northern Dynasties would never mention it again…"

Snow Candle sneered:

"They still have the nerve to bring up the southern court's past? Back then, our Lady's Hall was foolish—we pitied those northerners fleeing south, only to prop up a pile of useless mud. We even leaked precious Qi-refining techniques from our sect, and the impact on the mortal world remains unclear."

"Looking across the entire southern court, almost all were worthless—except one Yue Huan, one Chenjun Xie the scholar, and one Liu the warrior, who had some talent. The capital Jiankang, once famed for six dynasties' elegance, was full of clan self-interest. First dismantled by the Da Sui, then stripped and renamed by the Da Gan. Now it's called Jin Ling—laughable and tragic… and in the end, it turned against Lady Yunmeng…"

"Now, why are Jiang Nan and Lingnan so neglected? Isn't it because they're useless? Why should Lady Yunmeng care for them anymore? But the Tiannan Jianghu of Tiannan isn't as pitiful as they are."

"That's true, but…"

Snow Candle cut in: "Tell Second Sister to reply. If they want our Lady's Hall's exceptional aid, ask them if they're worthy. Don't raise the bar—just ask Li Li Zhengyan: can he match those three—Yue Huan, Chenjun Xie, and Liu?"

"Also, tell them I demand to examine the Peach Blossom Spring map. That is the prerequisite. Only if they agree can we begin discussing anything else!"

She paused, then swept her sleeve: "Even that is merely the beginning."

"Understood." Yu Nianyuan nodded, smiling softly: "Even agreeing to talk means they should understand the immense honor."

Snow Candle said nothing, standing tall with lips tightly pressed.

By this generation, Lady Yunmeng Sword Marsh had greatly declined; nearly none of the previous generation's elders remained—it was the karmic backlash from the southern court's fall.

Thus, our generation is unique. All the Ladies, including Yue Lady Yue Chuzi, have yet to mature; the position of Yunmeng Yuanjun remains vacant. Fortunately, Yue Lady Yue Chuzi assumed her role early—like a crown prince in a mortal dynasty, she steadies the hearts of all.

In the past, would the Zhou court have dared to build a Great Buddha in Jiangzhou? Hah—they probably didn't know the power of the Heavenly Ones of Shenzhou.

Yu Nianyuan suddenly said: "Wei Wei Shaoqi seems ill."

"Oh." Snow Candle's reaction was flat.

Yu Nianyuan asked softly: "Should we bring that Sun man from the prison to treat him?"

"You still mention that old Sun? I've spared his life—that's already my greatest tolerance. He lost his eyes in 'Eye Extraction,' incited Yue Lady Yue Chuzi to break her vows… and now you want to let him wander free? Like a regular outing?"

"Besides, Wei Wei Shaoqi isn't worthy either. Until they surrender the map, they won't get a single thing from our Lady Yunmeng."

"Fine." Yu Nianyuan's expression remained calm: "I just admire him a little."

Snow Candle suddenly asked:

"Why not just send a letter directly to Little Seven, ordering her back? Would she dare disobey me? After Second Sister received that letter from the Qunyang bald monk, why all this indirect maneuvering?"

"Big Sister, this time we broke protocol by opening Mengyuan and distributing so many Lady Yunmeng Tokens. When Seventh Sister sees them, she'll know our current situation—she'll know Mengyuan has opened, and she'll know what to do… All these years, you've stood in front of her, entering Mengyuan was your duty, the Peach Valley Sword Duel was yours… Seventh Sister knows better than anyone how hard you've worked. Don't pressure her, Big Sister—you're too eager. Even last time in Longcheng."

Yu Nianyuan spoke softly:

"Among all our sisters, Seventh Sister is truly the most sensible. But because she's always been so sensible, her occasional disobedience stands out so sharply. The letter from the Great Master, delivered by the Fang sisters, said much the same: mortal affairs must be understood by Yue Lady Yue Chuzi herself—forcing it won't work…"

Snow Candle's face remained cold; after a moment's silence, she asked: "Are you certain she's safe in the city?"

"Yes. The letter said that after the Great Buddha collapsed, Seventh Sister first hid in the Beitian Relief Courtyard of Chengtian Temple, then moved out later…" Yu Nianyuan hesitated.

Snow Candle took a deep breath:

"You know about Little Sister's eyes. Though… for now, no immediate danger, but her cultivation has already been damaged by the loss of her virginity. She barely offset some of it by consuming half a Turtle-Shell Heavenly Cow—if she suffers further harm in Prince Xunyang and returns worse… Second Sister, you decide for yourself. Think about how we'll answer to our Master and the Lady Yunmeng ancestors."

"I understand." Yu Nianyuan's eyes dimmed slightly, then she smiled gently: "But I've witnessed the Great Master's Chan teachings—they're powerful. If even the most skilled Buddha-teacher cannot awaken her, how could our nagging help?"

But I've experienced it—those monks' Zen teachings are quite powerful; if even the most persuasive Buddhist Zen can't awaken them, how much less our sisters' nagging?

With the topic of Little Sister, the pavilion fell into temporary silence, broken only by the distant sound of a little girl happily splashing water with a stick…

When mentioning the little junior sister, the atmosphere inside the pavilion briefly fell silent, leaving only the sound of a young girl cheerfully splashing in the water with a stick from nearby…