Chapter 130: Rashomon

When Sheng Yuanyao faced a major life crisis in Qingyao Garden, Pei Chuyun over there also encountered a crucial turning point in her life.

The Nü Hehuan Sect has potential influence in the capital... not a brothel, but many officials' inner quarters have been infiltrated by them.

Among them is the matriarch of the Hou Fu, who appears to be of high virtue and great prestige on the surface, but is actually a high-ranking member of the Nü Hehuan Sect. First, she became a mistress, caused the death of the legitimate wife, and after being elevated to the main position, she drained the old Marquis to death. She "endured hardships" to raise the young Marquis, who still regards her as his mother and is incredibly filial; she controls all the power within the entire Hou Fu.

The Nü Hehuan Sect has infiltrated the court using similar tactics on no small number of occasions.

Other Mo Sects also have some similar tricks; the court, which in Lu Xingzhou's eyes is still salvageable due to Meng Guan, Meng Li, and others, is already riddled with holes in the eyes of the various Mo Sects.

Following Lu Xingzhou's advice, Pei Chuyun originally intended to visit the Hou Fu matriarch and subtly inquire whether she knew anything about Pei Qingyan's past.

But as soon as she jumped over the wall into the Hou Fu's rear courtyard, a chill ran through her entire body.

In the rear courtyard, a woman sat leisurely there drinking tea; although she made no special movements and her attire was very ordinary, even as a fellow woman, one could feel that terrifyingly seductive charm.

The Master of the Nü Hehuan Sect, Pei Chuyun's master.

Their names are often unknown to the world; people only refer to them as "Xuan Nu".

Pei Chuyun suppressed her shock and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Master. Why has Master come to the capital?"

"Since you have entered the Pei Manor, of course I must come," Xuan Nu said indifferently. "Otherwise, if you listened to Pei Qingyan's nonsense, would you not become estranged from us?"

Pei Chuyun hurriedly said, "Master is overthinking it; how could Yun'er listen to one-sided words from others?"

"But you have doubts in your heart, which is why you came to Lady Su's side to try and hear multiple perspectives, is that not so?"

Pei Chuyun fell silent.

Xuan Nu said indifferently, "What did Pei Qingyan say? That we killed your mother?"

Pei Chuyun made an "Hmm" sound, then added, "I didn't believe it."

Xuan Nu snorted, "As for the actual truth, there is no need to hide it from you anymore. Your mother was my junior sister; back then, she indeed intentionally approached him, wanting to be like Lady Su... The difference is that Pei Qingyan's legitimate wife died in childbirth when giving birth to Pei Yu back then, so he had no main wife. As long as she could successfully marry into the Pei family and raise Pei Yu, who was still in the cradle at the time, she could naturally seize the Pei family's authority. This is our standard tactic."

"And then?"

"At that time, Pei Qingyan's cultivation was not as high as it is now, and your mother's Nü Xuan Gong was concealed very well; he did not discover it. Later, the two indeed became 'confidants and good friends'; your mother also seized an opportunity to use some tactics, making him mistakenly believe he was confused by passion and rolled into bed with her."

Pei Chuyun's heart stirred slightly: "Since it was already done, why not simply use the Nü Xuan Gong to control him?"

"The Pei family is a great clan; there are countless strong people within the clan. As long as Pei Qingyan returned to the Hehe clan, it would be very easy for someone to discover signs of him being controlled, so your mother adopted another method..." Xuan Nu smiled slightly: "Do you know when men trust you the most?"

Pei Chuyun did not know before, but now she understood: "He was guarding against you using the Nü Xuan Gong, but in reality, you did not use it; you were just sincerely making him comfortable."

"Correct." Xuan Nu nodded approvingly: "Pei Qingyan is not an ordinary person; at first, the Nü Xuan Gong did deceive him, that is true, but once they coupled, that moment could truly not be concealed. And your mother clearly knew he had discovered it, was nervous and on guard, yet she never used the technique. What do you think Pei Qingyan would think?"

Pei Chuyun pressed her lips together; logically, she should have been very moved and felt a sense of accomplishment, having actually won the heart of the Hehuan demoness. But the outcome of the matter did not seem to go that way...

Xuan Nu sneered: "Pei Qingyan was indeed very moved, and then promised your mother a position as an outer concubine."

Pei Chuyun: "???"

"The head of a top-tier aristocratic family, with generations of distinguished service, can accept you, a demoness from a Mo Sect, as an outer concubine to be kept; do you not feel this is a special favor?" Xuan Nu laughed heartily: "We thought of everything, calculated men's hearts to the last detail, yet we fell victim to the value perception of this aristocratic scion, which is different from ordinary people... He genuinely felt this was particularly reasonable and a special favor to your mother, hahaha..."

Pei Chuyun: "..."

Although her mother did not have genuine feelings either; it was just a gold-digger meeting a scumbag, and she was completely outmatched, but hearing this was really hard to bear.

"Your mother was furious, admitted defeat, and parted ways. But two months later, she discovered she was pregnant..." Xuan Nu sighed: "For the sect, going out to trick a man and ending up with a huge belly to return is truly too shameful. She had no face to return to the sect, yet she could not bear to abort you, so she secretly gave birth to you outside."

"How did she die then? Was it also difficult childbirth?"

"To be honest, how she died is a mystery." Xuan Nu said: "Your mother had very high cultivation; logically, she should not have died in difficult childbirth. Moreover, she had money at hand; although she hid herself, the conditions should not have been too shabby... But when I found her, there was no midwife by her side, only you stuck there, with no breath left... I suspect it was caused by the Pei family coming to 'cleanse the household'; otherwise, why would a group of people from the Demon Suppression Bureau suddenly hunt me down as soon as I arrived?"

Pei Chuyun fell silent.

"I only had time to carry you away; I do not know what happened afterwards." Xuan Nu sneered: "As for whether this 'household cleansing' was done by Pei Qingyan himself, or by other Pei family members while Pei Qingyan remained unaware, to be honest, I have no evidence. If one must say she died in difficult childbirth, that might also be correct; anyway, I have no evidence."

Pei Chuyun fell silent for a long time, then spoke wearily: "It is more likely that other members of the Pei family were responsible... So, hiding the fact that there was another child from Pei Qingyan, I think he truly did not know... Furthermore, the message passed to Pei Qingyan was that the Nü Hehuan Sect killed her; perhaps from his perspective, it was you cleansing the household. In this way, the accounts from both sides match up."

Xuan Nu nodded: "After our discussion, we also felt this possibility was the most likely... This is a problem for you to explore; if it is truly so, whether to avenge your mother is also something you should consider."

Pei Chuyun steadied herself and asked, "Then why did Master not tell me directly, letting me seek relatives and infiltrate the Pei family to plot in secret?"

"Do you think Pei Qingyan is a fool? No matter what excuse you use to come looking for relatives, he will inevitably investigate your background; how could your Nü Xuan Gong deceive him? Then you would never gain his trust." Xuan Nu sneered: "The best plan is naturally for even yourself not to know. After entering the world, do some other things; let your reputation reach Pei Qingyan's ears; he will suspect it himself and seek the answer... At that time, even if he discovers you were raised by us since childhood and possess the Nü Xuan Gong, his mindset will not be the same."

This was the reason she was still allowed to keep the surname Pei, and was even taught some useless cultural knowledge since childhood, but was not explicitly told...

Pei Chuyun's eyes changed: "Master's meaning... in that case, he would be more likely to feel sorry for me being kept in the dark and recognizing a thief as a father, and would try to tell me the 'truth', seeking revenge against you together?"

"Correct. Human hearts are like this." Xuan Nu said indifferently: "So why did we not follow the custom to create a reputation for you as a talented lady? It is because the craftsmanship is still too heavy; Pei Qingyan might still suspect. Instead, letting him feel that you possess innate talent and genius but were suppressed by us can better solidify certain judgments."

Pei Chuyun stood there dazed, her mind somewhat empty.

"As for not giving you any authority..." Xuan Nu's lips curled slightly, as if sneering: "Yun'er, you must prove... if one day you enter the Pei family, you will not cling to the top-tier wealthy family and turn against us. This is not only the general opinion of the high-ranking members, but also my own opinion."

Pei Chuyun left the Hou Fu as if in a dream and returned to the inn in a daze.

When she returned, Lu Xingzhou and his disciple were still eating at the Sheng family; Pei Chuyun had not returned for a long time, and her heart became increasingly unbearable.

It felt as if she had lost her backbone...

She very, very much wanted to discuss it with Lu Xingzhou; at this very moment, only Lu Xingzhou's words could make her chaotic emotions return to normal.

Deep in her heart, she was also vaguely thinking: if her mother did not use the Nü Xuan Gong, moved Pei Qingyan, and the result was still like that... then how reliable is the tacit understanding and heart-fluttering between herself and Lu Xingzhou?

Lu Xingzhou's lover is Shen Tang... she was never Pei Chuyun; at most, she was just the beauty he coveted.

Suddenly, a light rain began, pattering softly, sprinkling over the courtyard.

Pei Chuyun tilted her head back slightly, letting the fine rain wash over her face, trying to clear her mind a bit.

But what kept echoing in her heart was Lu Xingzhou's line: "Endless silk rain, fine as sorrow."

Pei Chuyun took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Not knowing how much time had passed, the sound of a wheelchair rolling over the floor came from outside the door; Pei Chuyun opened her eyes, looking at the master and disciple smiling as they entered, and suddenly felt as if a lifetime had passed.

"Eh..." Lu Xingzhou arrived beside her, strangely reaching out and waving his hand in front of her: "Why do you look like you have something on your mind... sitting alone in the rain? Don't tell me you haven't eaten yet?"

Pei Chuyun forced a smile: "Where did you go? I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Lu Xingzhou's expression turned serious; he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room: "Come inside and talk."

Inside the room, the wind and rain were blocked outside, making it feel a bit warmer.

Lu Xingzhou stood up, took a towel, gently wiped Pei Chuyun's face, then let down her long hair and slowly dried it: "Who bullied my little maid?"

Pei Chuyun stared steadily at the bronze mirror not far away, which reflected his gentle appearance, and finally spoke: "I met Master directly... and Master also told me the truth directly."

"Mm." Lu Xingzhou said: "Judging by your look, your mind must be in turmoil... you might as well tell me."

Pei Chuyun recounted everything in detail, slowly.

Lu Xingzhou fell into thought for a moment, then smiled lightly: "This is because the Pei family believes your enemy is the Chana Hehuan Sect, while the Chana Hehuan Sect believes your enemy is the Pei family."

Pei Chuyun pouted, leaning against him somewhat resentfully: "Actually, what grudge is there? I've even been wondering what this has to do with me at all..."

"Thinking that way is quite good. As long as we rot, no one can use us, right?" Lu Xingzhou said with a grin: "Besides, on the surface, both sides' accounts seem to match, but there is still a problem here, I wonder if you have thought of it..."

Pei Chuyun knew that talking to him would bring new ideas, so she perked up a bit: "What?"

"According to your Master, your mother had no contact with the sect... yet why does she know these details so clearly? Not only is she fully aware of the subtle shifts in mindset regarding whether or not to use the Chana Profound Art, but she even knows that she feared losing face afterward, as if she witnessed it? This little story reads as if she experienced it personally..."

Pei Chuyun stood there, stunned.

"If you ask me, this matter is actually very simple. If you are truly willing to rot and not think about revenge..." Lu Xingzhou combed her hair, speaking leisurely: "Then you neither take the initiative nor refuse, and wait for Pei Qingyan to discover your identity and claim kinship. Be a comfortable Young Lady of the Pei family, and also a comfortable Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect. Do not do what both sides hope you will do... One day, someone will be unable to hold back first, and at that time, you will know everything."

Pei Chuyun was stunned for a long while, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Whatever the matter, after he said a few words, it seemed to become very simple.

(End of this chapter)