Chapter 101

While Nie Yun and Ren Woxing were scheming against each other, Min Rou, who remained on Mount Hua, also frowned.

“Junior sister, you said you wanted to go out and clear your head, but it’s been almost two months. You can’t just stay away from home forever!”

Looking at Min Rou, who remained silent, Shi Qing said helplessly, “Even if you’re angry with me, Jian’er has been separated from us for over ten years. Now that he’s finally back with us, shouldn’t you, as his mother, spend time with him?”

Hearing Shi Qing mention his eldest son, Min Rou’s heart softened considerably. She turned to look at the boy sitting next to Shi Qing, her eyes filled with affection, but then her expression became incredibly complex.

She took a deep breath and smiled at Shi Zhongjian, asking, “Jian’er, you must have had a long journey!” As she spoke, she looked at Shi Zhongjian with hopeful eyes, “Look at you, you’ve even lost some weight!”

Shi Zhongjian met his mother’s eyes, then awkwardly turned his head to the side and whispered, “I’m fine, but… but I miss you terribly, Mother. I wish I could sprout wings and fly over here.”

Seeing his guilty expression, Min Rou’s eyes flashed with disappointment, but she still smiled and asked, “When did you leave Suzhou?”

Shi Zhongjian turned to look at Shi Qing, gritted his teeth, and said, “We…we set off ten days ago. Mother, please come back with us!”

The light in Min Rou’s eyes dimmed instantly, her hands clenched tightly, and she bit her lip hard. She gave Shi Zhongjian a deep look, then turned her head to the side.

“Mother, what’s wrong?” Shi Zhongjian was already feeling guilty, so he quickly stood up and asked when he saw this.

Min Rou closed her eyes, sighed, and gently shook her head. When she turned back, she had returned to her usual dignified and virtuous demeanor, but the loving look in her eyes had vanished without a trace.

“Mother…” Shi Zhongjian shrank his neck slightly, feeling that the already fading mother-son relationship between him and Min Rou was becoming increasingly distant.

“It’s alright. I’m very happy that you’re so filial.” Min Rou smiled slightly, but the smile was only on the surface and did not reach her eyes.

She turned to Shi Qing and said, “Senior brother, since you’ve come all this way, didn’t you take Jian’er around to see the sights?”

A strange look appeared on Shi Qing’s face, but he quickly smiled and said, “No, we thought you were just out for a stroll and would be back in a few days. We didn’t expect you to stay in Huashan for so long. Jian’er and I missed you terribly, so we rushed to Huashan.”

Although he appeared calm, his heart was in his throat.

“Junior Sister, do you know something by asking this?” Shi Qing looked at Min Rou’s all-seeing eyes and unconsciously swallowed, secretly guessing the purpose of Min Rou’s question.

“Oh,” Min Rou responded indifferently, her face showing neither joy nor sorrow.

For a moment, none of the three spoke, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat awkward.

“Ahem, junior sister, now that Yu’er has unfortunately passed away, we must live our lives well. If he knew in the afterlife that our family is like this…” Shi Qing felt a little uneasy, so she forced herself to speak.

“Senior brother is right.” Min Rou glanced at her husband with a half-smile. “I’ve thought a lot about this trip. I really shouldn’t trouble myself with trivial matters.”

Shi Qing was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly said, “Junior Sister, let’s go back together!”

Min Rou shook her head and said with a smile, “Senior brother, there’s no need to rush. You’ve had a long journey. It’s a rare opportunity to come to Mount Hua, so take a good rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Yun’er is away these few days, so why don’t you stay a few more days and wait for him to return so you brothers and father and son can have a good chat.”

“Junior sister…” Shi Qing looked at the gentle smile on her face, feeling a little guilty, and stepped forward to take his wife’s hand.

Min Rou stood up before he got close, just in time to avoid his hand.

Shi Qing awkwardly withdrew his hand and gave an embarrassed smile.

Min Rou ignored them and said calmly, “Since you’ve decided to stay here, I’ll go tell Madam Yue. Please sit here for a moment, I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for their reply, she gracefully walked towards the door.

Shi Qing and Shi Zhongjian exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

Min Rou walked out of the room, looked up at the white clouds in the sky, her face already streaked with tears.

“Yun’er, you’re all I have left.” Recalling the news she had received from Nie Yun, the last trace of affection this virtuous wife and loving mother had for her family vanished completely.

********************

“My godfather and my stupid second brother must have already come out of Xiong’er Mountain. They’ve been wandering around for more than ten days without finding Mei Fanggu. They must be very disappointed.”

Nie Yun lay on the bed, a cold smile playing on his lips. “It’s a pity that the crazy woman is long dead. Now that she can still put her remaining energy to good use, it’s a good way to make use of her.”

Although Min Rou had fallen in love with someone else, she still harbored a lingering affection for her husband and son due to her kind nature.

Upon seeing this, Nie Yun ordered Cong Buqi, who was guarding Jiangnan, to keep an eye on the movements of Xuansu Manor and send a message to Huashan every ten days.

Every time a message came, Nie Yun would give it to Min Rou to put her mind at ease.

Min Rou naturally knew that Nie Yun did all this for her sake, and deeply moved, she willingly unlocked several embarrassing positions in bed.

Meanwhile, Nie Yun secretly sent a message to Xuan Suzhuang, telling Shi Qing that Mei Fanggu was living in seclusion in Xiong’er Mountain and advising him to get to know this crazy woman.

After receiving the letter, Shi Qing hesitated for a long time, but finally took Shi Zhongjian to Xiong’er Mountain.

He also felt that this grudge had dragged on for too long, and it would be better to find this woman who was infatuated with him and clear things up once and for all.

Of course, the message Min Rou received was that the father and son had gone north to Huashan to pick her up and take her home.

The thought of seeing her family soon filled her with joy.

Unexpectedly, after waiting and anticipating, they finally received news that the two had headed straight for Xiong’er Mountain.

When Min Rou heard Shi Zhongjian recount his childhood experiences that day, she already knew that Xiong’er Mountain was the place where Mei Fanggu lived in seclusion.

Now that she knows her beloved husband and son haven’t come to pick her up after she ran away from home, but instead went to find the person who killed her son, one can only imagine the bitterness in Min Rou’s heart.

Having already understood the personalities of the father and son, Min Rou naturally did not believe that they were going to seek revenge on Mei Fanggu.

She had been holding onto a sliver of hope, but Shi Qing and Shi Zhongjian never arrived, even after Nie Yun descended the mountain.

When they finally met, the father and son’s concealment dealt Min Rou the final blow, completely severing the ties between her and her husband and son.

Since Shi Qing and Shi Zhongjian did not see Mei Fanggu resolve her hatred, they naturally would not tell Min Rou the truth, lest she become suspicious.

Min Rou was unaware that the two had been wandering in the mountains for so long, and was convinced that they were enjoying family life with Mei Fanggu in the mountains, keeping her completely in the dark.

None of the three knew that all of this was Nie Yun’s elaborate scheme, and that Mei Fanggu had already been killed by Huang Zhonggong and the other two men he had sent, and that her body had been cremated and buried without leaving a trace.

After Min Rou’s complete submission, Nie Yun felt the renewed increase in fortune within the Xuanling Jade Disc, turned over contentedly, and fell into a deep sleep.

********************

The next morning, Nie Yun disguised himself as a rough and tough man and followed Ren Woxing straight to Blackwood Cliff.

In the original story, Ren Woxing, who was almost frozen to death by Zuo Lengchan’s icy true energy, still rushed forward. Now that he is unharmed, it is naturally even easier for him.

After changing their clothes, the group mingled smoothly with the disciples heading up the mountain and arrived at the main hall without any problems.

What followed was effortless: the fake Dongfang Bubai was exposed, the outwardly strong but inwardly weak Yang Lianting was beaten half to death, and all the disciples in the sect bowed down in submission.

Nie Yun sized up Yang Lianting and saw that the man was tall and strong, with a full beard and an extremely imposing appearance.

“It looks very much like the original story. I guess Dongfang Bubai is definitely a transvestite!” Before going up the mountain, Nie Yun was still secretly guessing what Dongfang Bubai looked like.

There’s no way around it; Brigitte Lin’s image of drinking wine in the water is just too damn deeply ingrained in people’s minds. And after Yu Zheng’s version of “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer” aired, the infatuated Dongfang Bubai became the favorite of every time-traveler.

However, seeing Yang Lianting’s current appearance, Nie Yun had already given up hope.

Driven by a thirst for revenge, Ren Woxing grabbed Yang Lianting and shouted, “Quickly, tell me, where is that traitor Dongfang?”

Yang Lianting said arrogantly, “Who do you think you are to ask me?”

Enraged, Ren Woxing snapped his legs twice with a cracking sound.

Yang Lianting was quite tough; despite suffering such serious injuries, he didn’t utter a sound, only glaring fiercely at everyone.

Nie Yun stopped Ren Woxing, who was about to make a move, and said to Yang Lianting, “Yang, I respect you as a tough guy, so I won’t torture you. At this moment, the passageways to and from Blackwood Cliff are already cut off. Unless Dongfang Bubai grows wings, he will have no chance of escaping. You should take us to him quickly. Why should a real man hide his head and show his tail? Wouldn’t it be better for us to settle things cleanly and quickly?”

Yang Lianting sneered, “Master Dongfang is invincible. It’s better that you dare to go and die. Very well, I’ll take you to see him now.”

When Ren Woxing saw that he agreed, he arranged for two people to lift him up on a stretcher and let him give directions.

The group walked behind the main hall and came to a garden, then entered a small stone house on the west side.

Yang Lianting said, “Push the left wall.”

Xiang Wentian reached out and pushed, and the wall turned out to be movable, revealing an iron gate.

Yang Lianting took out a bunch of keys from his side, handed them to Xiang Wentian, and opened the iron gate, which led to a tunnel.

The group descended through the tunnel, making several turns, until the view suddenly opened up, revealing the light of day.

After being cooped up in the tunnel for a long time, the group was suddenly greeted by a fragrant floral scent, which brought them a sense of relief.

Emerging from the tunnel, one finds oneself in an exquisitely beautiful little garden.

The garden features towering artificial hills, clear ponds, red flowers, and green bamboo, creating a delightful scene.

There is also a delicate little house in the garden. Judging from the pink curtain by the bed, it is a woman’s boudoir.

Ren Woxing snorted coldly and said, “This scoundrel certainly knows how to enjoy himself!”

Ren Yingying loved flowers and plants, and her eyes lit up instantly when she saw this scene.

Nie Yun thought of the scene in the original story where Dongfang Bubai pricked her face with needles, and his heart skipped a beat. He whispered, “Yingying, you should go back. Dongfang Bubai is not easy to deal with. I’m afraid he might hurt you.”

Ren Yingying knew that her martial arts skills were not very high, so she took a few steps back, but the worry on her face became even more pronounced.

“Brother Yun’s martial arts skills are already superb. Even he said he’s not easy to deal with. Today will probably be a fierce battle!” She gripped the short sword in her hand, secretly on guard.

Seeing her furrowed brows, Nie Yun smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m here, I definitely won’t let you get hurt!” As he spoke, he took her small hand and gently scratched her palm with his fingers.

Ren Yingying intertwined her fingers with his, a tender look in her eyes, and whispered, “You must be careful!”

Just then, someone inside the small hut said, “Brother Lian, who did you bring with you?”

The person’s voice was extremely sharp, yet it was as rough as an old ox’s. At first glance, it sounded like a woman’s, but upon closer listening, it sounded like a strong man’s. The crowd felt increasingly uneasy, and their hair stood on end.

Hearing this voice, Nie Yun sighed and thought to himself, “Goodbye, Sister Qingxia and Sister Qiao En!”

Since it’s not a heavily modified version, it must be the transvestite character from the original work.

Thinking of the 1996 TVB version of Dongfang Bubai, which is the only one among the many film and television adaptations that is faithful to the original novel, Nie Yun suddenly felt a little nauseous.

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the nausea in his chest, and stared intently at the small house.

Yang Lianting said, “He’s an old friend of yours, and he insists on seeing you.”

The person inside said, “Why did you bring him here? Only you are allowed in here. I don’t want to see anyone but you.”

The last two sentences were spoken in a high-pitched, affected voice, clearly a woman’s tone, but the voice was obviously a man’s.

Ren Woxing and his companions were very familiar with Dongfang Bubai. Upon hearing the voice, they confirmed that the person inside was indeed him, but it sounded as if Dongfang Bubai was clenching his throat and trying to sing a female role.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with utter horror.

Yang Lianting sighed and said, “No, if I don’t bring him, he’ll kill me. How can I die without ever seeing you?”

The person inside the room shrieked, “Who dares to bully you like this? Is it Ren Woxing? Let him in!”

Ren Woxing was deeply impressed by Ren Woxing’s wisdom when he heard him guess that it was him with just one sentence.

He gestured for everyone to go inside.

Shangguan Yun, who had already submitted, stepped forward and lifted the brocade curtain embroidered with a cluster of peonies, and the others followed him inside.

The room was filled with flowers and the air was thick with the fragrance of cosmetics. A woman dressed in pink sat by a dressing table on the east side, holding an embroidery frame in her left hand and an embroidery needle in her right. She looked up at everyone with surprise.

His face was covered in makeup, and his lips were painted bright red. The clothes he wore were neither male nor female, and the colors were both flamboyant and glaring.

“Damn it!” Nie Yun could no longer suppress the nausea in his chest, and ran straight outside, bent over and vomited violently.

There are differences between the TV series and the original novel, but if it were to be adapted exactly from the original, it might be used as a video for weight loss and vomiting.

When Ren Yingying saw Nie Yun’s condition from outside, she quickly went over and gently patted his back, asking with concern, “Brother Yun, are you alright?”

“Ugh—” Nie Yun waved his hand weakly, “It’s nothing, I just feel disgusted seeing this dead transvestite!”

The people inside the room heard the commotion outside. Although they didn’t know what “transvestite” meant, they could guess what it was based on Dongfang Bubai’s appearance.

Dongfang Bubai trembled with rage, his face darkening as he asked, “How can this person be so blind? Can’t he appreciate my beauty? Brother Lian, was he among those who hurt you just now?”

“Hehe…” Nie Yun rolled his eyes inwardly and vomited even more violently.

Yang Lianting also looked annoyed and shouted, “My leg is broken, and you still care about your beauty!”

Dongfang Bubai shrieked, “What? Brother Lian, your…your leg?”

He leaped to Yang Lianting’s side, picked him up, and gently placed him on the bed, handling him with the same care as if he were a fragile antique.

Dongfang Bubai’s face showed boundless affection as he asked repeatedly, “How are you feeling now? Does it hurt a lot?”

He glanced at Yang Lianting’s broken leg, then patted his chest and said, “It’s just a broken leg bone, it’s nothing serious, don’t worry, I’ll set it right away.”

After saying that, she slowly took off his shoes and socks, pulled over the fragrant embroidered quilt, and covered him with it, just like a virtuous wife serving her husband.

The people inside looked at each other, wanting to burst out laughing, but finding the situation too bizarre to do so.

Although the sun was shining brightly outside, the group still felt a chill run down their spines and up their heads.

The magnificent and splendid embroidery room, adorned with beaded curtains and brocade veils, surprisingly gave off a gloomy feeling.

Dongfang Bubai took out a green silk handkerchief from his side and slowly wiped the sweat and mud from Yang Lianting’s forehead.

Yang Lianting angrily said, “With a formidable enemy at hand, why are you being so wishy-washy with me? Hurry up and get rid of these people before you try to be affectionate with me.”

Dongfang Bubai smiled and said, “Yes, yes! Don’t be angry. Yue’s legs are hurting a lot, aren’t they? It’s really heartbreaking.”

Ren Woxing had previously read the “Sunflower Manual” and had some guesses in his mind. The others, however, felt both strange and somewhat disgusted.

Tong Baixiong, who considered himself Dongfang Bubai’s closest friend, couldn’t help but step forward and shout, “Brother Dongfang, what… what are you doing?”

Dongfang Bubai raised his head, his face grim, and asked, “Were you among those who harmed my brother Lian?”

Although Tong Baixiong was highly skilled in martial arts, his mind was as hard as stone. He incited hatred with just a few words and was killed by Dongfang Bubai with a single embroidery needle.

Ren Woxing slowly drew his longsword and said, “Dongfang Bubai, congratulations on mastering the martial arts in the Sunflower Manual.”

Dongfang Bubai said, “Leader Ren, you passed this ‘Sunflower Manual’ to me. I have always remembered your kindness.”

Ren Woxing sneered, “Is that so? So you locked me at the bottom of West Lake, keeping me from seeing the light of day.”

Dongfang Bubai said, “I didn’t kill you, did I? If I just told the Four Friends of Jiangnan not to send you water, could you survive for ten days or half a month?”

Ren Woxing said, “So, you’ve treated me pretty well?”

Dongfang Bubai said, “That’s right. I’ll let you live out your days in peace and comfort by West Lake in Hangzhou. As the saying goes, there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. The scenery of West Lake is famous throughout the world, and Plum Villa on Gushan Island is the most beautiful place in West Lake.”

Nie Yun, listening from outside, was scratching his head in disbelief. He truly couldn’t understand what these two big shots were thinking. They were already locked in a life-or-death struggle, so why were they arguing about these useless things?

He had almost finished vomiting by then, so he went into the room and interrupted the two men’s “reminiscing”: “Are you two still fighting or not? I’m waiting for lunch!”

Dongfang Bubai turned to look at him, her eyes filled with intense malice, as if she wanted to tear Nie Yun to pieces.

“You seemed to have a good time throwing up outside just now!” Dongfang Bubai said, holding the embroidery needle between her fingers. “How about I help you solve this once and for all, so you’ll never throw up again!”

Nie Yun sighed and said, “I don’t want to throw up, but your face makes me really want to!”

“court death!”

A red shadow flashed, a silver light appeared, and the embroidery needle pierced towards Nie Yun with a sharp whistling sound.