Volume Two: An Abundance of Blossoms Always Feels Lonely
The Old Acquaintance Hasn’t Departed
Qingyu, the person whom her mother has missed for twenty years
A gentle breeze lifted the branches and leaves, deep within the loquat forest stood an exquisite wooden house. A house and a garden, a flower and a grass, all personally managed by Yi Qingyu. Twenty years ago, this was an empty plot, and she found loquat seeds and flower seeds to create her own world here.
Qin Junlan only brought Liu Qianxun along, while the remaining three waited outside the courtyard. Yi Qingyu, aloof and proud, faced Qin Junlan, the sovereign, with an elder’s demeanor and did not even look directly at Liu Qianxun.
But Liu Qianxun kept observing her; this legendary woman was indeed the second young lady of the Yi family. She once dominated the martial world, and those bandit villains all lost courage upon hearing her name. The evil people she had slain were countless.
During her years in Jidu, Liu Qianxun had always been searching for her, turning the entire Jidu inside out without a trace. It turned out she had secluded herself from the world. She would not forget her mother’s instructions to find this woman and see if she was well.
It turned out that the woman her mother was infatuated with all her life was this woman in front of her. Liu Qianxun saw her aura and bearing, not lacking in heroic demeanor, and combined with royal majesty, she could understand why her mother was so enamored.
“Aunt’s garden is still so exquisite.” Qin Junlan had loved coming here since childhood, and it was also Yi Qinghuan’s longing for her younger sister that brought her here. Initially, she feared that Yi Qingyu would not like Qin Junlan, but unexpectedly, she always showed great affection.
Yi Qingyu, with her back to the two, suddenly turned and attacked Qin Junlan, her palm generating wind, and her strong internal force lifted the flowers and grass.
“Yan’er, be careful!” Liu Qianxun shouted a warning. Qin Junlan sidestepped, her toes lightly touching the ground, easily avoiding the attack.
Yi Qingyu’s thunderbolt palm strike was as fast as lightning, fierce and without any leniency towards Qin Junlan. Qin Junlan moved swiftly like the wind, using the tree trunk for leverage to spin away. At the moment her foot touched the ground, she delivered a counter move, meeting Yi Qingyu’s palm head-on. Their internal forces clashed, causing Qin Junlan to be pushed back a few feet, while Yi Qingyu remained unmoved.
“Thank you, aunt, for your teachings.”
It turns out that all of Qin Junlan’s martial arts were taught by Yi Qingyu. No wonder when chasing her initially, she was able to easily deal with her three subordinates. An emperor who manages countless affairs daily still finds time to practice martial arts and has developed such excellent skills; truly an extraordinary person.
Liu Qianxun’s thoughts flickered, but she suddenly saw a figure pressing towards her. She retreated step by step, neither avoiding nor countering. Yi Qingyu’s figure was light, as if stepping on the wind, attacking Liu Qianxun.
Qianxun pretended to be unable to dodge, standing in her original spot, gazing directly at the imminent attack.
“Xun’er!” Qin Junlan was greatly surprised, unable to stop it in time.
Yi Qingyu’s powerful palm wind lifted a strand of Liu Qianxun’s temple hair, finally stopping her palm one finger’s distance from her head. She gazed directly at Liu Qianxun, losing her focus.
“Zhu’er?” She withdrew her palm, only seeing Liu Qianxun’s face clearly at that moment, resembling too much the person she thought of day and night, from outline to features, too similar.
“Aunt, what’s wrong with you?” It was the first time Qin Junlan saw her so lost in thought. Yi Qingyu, however, excitedly grasped Liu Qianxun’s arms, “Who are you? What’s your name? Why do you look so much like her?”
“Surely the senior has mistaken someone else. This girl is just twenty; how could she know your old acquaintance?” Liu Qianxun remained calm and composed, showing no fear, though her body was shaken and her arm hurt by the grip. Qin Junlan hurriedly held her hand, “Aunt, calm down, you’re hurting her.”
“Xun’er? Yes, you’re not her. How could you be her? She’s been dead for twenty years, even if alive, almost forty. You’re not her, haha…” Yi Qingyu released her grip, eyes showing sadness, and stumbled towards the house, “Looking in the mirror to draw eyebrows, apply powder, bun hair combed, red lips adorned, alas, all became in vain. Zhu’er, no one can help me comb my bun anymore…”
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Those desolate words contained so much sorrow and longing, immersed in the world for twenty years, never forgetting the person in her heart. Yi Qingyu’s life felt long, long enough to wish for an early end to see her loved one, which was a distant hope. That powerless and pale figure, that touch of loneliness, was overwhelmed by thoughts and pain, unable to control herself.
“Xun’er, you wait here; I’ll go check on Aunt.”
“Okay.”
Qin Junlan chased inside the house, while Liu Qianxun rolled up her sleeve. The spot where Yi Qingyu had grasped her was already turning purple and blue.
Sure enough, her internal force is profound. If Liu Qianxun were to truly fight her, she might not be able to match her. After all, Tian Cang Pavilion is a renowned righteous sect, and Yi Qingyu, even as an outer disciple, had received true teachings. Back then, she roamed the martial world without encountering an equal. Seeing her today, she is indeed extraordinary.
“Ye Ming, don’t you ever wear women’s clothing?” Bai Ruoxi never stopped teasing Ye Ming, always finding this serious person quite amusing.
“No.”
“Why not? You would certainly look very good in women’s clothing.”
“Convenient.”
“You don’t have any feminine charm this way, so no men will like you.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Ye Ming always used concise words to try to dismiss her, yet never actually ignored her. Bai Ruoxi loved to stick close to people. She was slightly shorter than Ye Ming and always clung to her, just like now. She had one foot raised, leaning all her weight on Ye Ming’s body, “But it doesn’t matter; maybe a woman will like you.”
She seemed to be talking to herself, ignoring Ye Ming’s responses, and all her words could form complete sentences. Ye Ming stood straight, like a real block of wood, completely ignoring Bai Ruoxi’s presence, treating her like a chattering oriole.
But no matter how cold Ye Ming was, Bai Ruoxi continued to entertain herself enthusiastically, talking to herself, while in Ye Ming’s sight, there was only Liu Qianxun.
Liu Qianxun’s skills were much higher than hers, but because she needed to hide her martial arts, Ye Ming had to stay close to protect her. Just now, Yi Qingyu’s probing had flustered her; she had felt the strong merging of internal forces from afar.
She walked forward a few steps, seeing Liu Qianxun standing alone there, also catching sight of her. That beautiful eye seemed to send a command, prompting Ye Ming to move forward immediately.
“Tower Master… what are your instructions?”
“Find a chance to send my mother a letter, just say I saw that person, all is well, and hope she won’t worry.” Liu Qianxun sighed slightly. Can knowing everything is well really bring peace to her mother?
“That person?” Ye Ming did not know the reason behind this.
“If it’s not something you should know, don’t ask more.” Liu Qianxun’s tone was cold, always strict with Ye Ming, but Ye Ming never complained, “This subordinate spoke out of turn.”
Qin Junlan had been inside for a while, unaware of the deep bond between her and this aunt who neither entered the court nor inquired about the martial world.
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Inside the house, sandalwood fragrance lingered, with an ancient and classic atmosphere. The backyard was a cluster of tender forest, where Yi Qingyu bent over to move the soil, caring thoroughly.
“Aunt, did you take action to test her depth?” Qin Junlan understood Yi Qingyu. During those years of traveling the martial world, she met countless people. Even though she had been reclusive these years, she likely still knew everything happening in the world thoroughly.
“Her martial arts should not be weak, but she didn’t avoid or yield to my killing move, and remained so calm. Few people in the world can achieve this.” Yi Qingyu didn’t raise her head and focused on the fine bamboo in her hands.
“Sure enough…” Qin Junlan trusted her judgment. Martial arts experts can often judge people by aura, and those who practice martial arts have a certain aura that can resonate with them.
“She is Yan’er’s acquaintance and confidante. Yan’er is going on a secret southern tour, and it just so happens they accompany each other along the way.”
“Confidante?” Yi Qingyu’s lips curled slightly as she cast a glance at her. “I think you like her, don’t you?”
“Eh? Aunt… I like Xun’er. She is a bit cold towards people and things, but once you get to know her, she is gentle and kind.” Qin Junlan felt a slight warmth on her face, though she didn’t admit it verbally. She also felt unsure about what kind of feeling this really was, always sensing a hazy beauty mixed with caution and unease.
“I’m not your mother, so you don’t need to hide your feelings. The way you look at her, I’m too familiar with it.” Yi Qingyu sighed deeply. She didn’t know why she felt so sentimental today; she should have long been used to it, shouldn’t she? Yet her heart still rippled with emotion.
“Although I am a woman, I am also the ruler of a country. The nation is most important, whether it is romantic feelings or a confidante, none is as important as the country.” Qin Junlan spoke these words full of helplessness. She bore the destiny of the nation and never dared to hope for anything else.
“Is that so? One day you’ll understand that losing one person makes gaining the whole world meaningless.”
“Mother hates the idea of women being in love with each other, and I currently have no other thoughts. Besides, I don’t know her intentions. Slow and steady, let’s leave it to fate.”
“Yan’er will certainly be like a moth to a flame, a deeply affectionate person, even if you are the ruler of a country.” Yi Qingyu relaxed her expression and indulgently patted her shoulder.
“Aunt, why do you say that?”
“You know well that her identity is suspicious, yet you still keep her by your side. If you hadn’t moved with feelings, this woman would hardly be able to get close to you.”
“Yan’er will be cautious, aunt, rest assured.” Qin Junlan’s heart was as clear as a mirror. Her suspicion towards Liu Qianxun never completely disappeared. Although many tests were resolved, she understood that being too meticulous is deliberate, and often she doesn’t want to understand.
“Ah, Yan’er, you are first a woman, then an emperor; a woman is naturally soft. You’ve been alone for many years, diligently ruling. It’s time to find someone to accompany you.”
“Yan’er understands. I should depart, and in the next two days, Jin’er will bring Guo’er to see you.”
“Good~ In my youth, I was frivolous, and unexpectedly met two people in a foreign land, haha~” Yi Qingyu lightly laughed, turning around, unconsciously chanting again. She crossed over the rooftop, flew back to the front yard, and gazed at the person whose brows and eyes resembled Liu Zhu.
“Senior.” Liu Qianxun nodded slightly, politely bowing her head.
“Hahaha…” Suddenly, she looked up and laughed heartily, gracefully rising. Her toes tipped up a wine jar in the courtyard. As the jar flew up, she caught it with one hand, poured out the wine, and caught the wine in her open mouth, gracefully displaying her martial arts.
Her agile skills played with the wine jar to perfection, muttering words, “Ride a horse across the world, wield a sword to roam the horizon, meet fine rain in a corner, lament the fate of beauty. If born not to meet the time, after death why share the same grave, hahaha…”
She flew away again, her mournful long howl echoing powerfully.
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Liu Qianxun had originally thought she had long let go of her mother with the passage of time, but now it seemed Yi Qingyu was not living well. Liu Qianxun saw her deep affection, alone in this vast, endless forest. Her lover had passed, and she had nothing to live for, yet she still endured this boundless loneliness and solitude.
For twenty years, she did not know that the person she cherished was actually still alive.
“Xun’er, let’s go. Aunt has wounds in her heart, there’s no need to mind.”
“If life has feelings, death will not extinguish them; maybe this is the true meaning of feelings.” Seeing her like this, Liu Qianxun suddenly thought about whether to help her mother meet her, but with the mission at hand, she feared it might cause unnecessary trouble, so she decided to think about it later.
Moreover, her mother might not have the courage to see Yi Qingyu again.
“Xun’er, do you also wish to find someone to grow old with?” Qin Junlan tilted her head, deliberately testing, her eyes deep.
Liu Qianxun looked at her and smiled slightly, “Who doesn’t wish to find someone to grow old with, to hold hands and not part?”
Qin Junlan lowered her brows and smiled slightly. If she could truly find someone to stay with, this life would be enough.
