52: A Warning Received
Lu Yanran lowered her eyes, her pupils devoid of any emotion. "This subordinate acknowledges her fault and willingly accepts punishment."
"Acknowledges her fault? I see you not only fail to acknowledge it, but have learned the art of saying one thing while doing another!"
The black-robed woman grew even more furious. She raised her voice. "Do I need to remind you how your parents died miserably under Lu Wencheng's sword? Do I need to remind you how your entire family was buried in a sea of flames? Ah?!"
Lu Yanran's face instantly turned deathly pale. She suppressed the painful memories that kept churning within her heart. After a long while, she said in a low voice, "No... there is no need, Sect Master. I know I was wrong."
The black-robed woman snorted coldly, but the dark clouds between her brows did not disperse. "I sent Wei Xiao to assist you in infiltrating the Heavenly Pole Sect. You certainly know how to make use of people, sending him to secretly help Fu Peibai. Fine, truly fine."
"You even lost your composure in front of Lu Wencheng and revealed flaws. Do you realize that this single action could nullify the plan and blood and sweat we have spent years laying out?"
After shouting, the black-robed woman's chest heaved violently. She seemed somewhat short of strength and stumbled on her feet. Lu Yanran stepped forward quickly and steadied her.
The black-robed woman brushed her hand away. After barely standing firm, she narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at this disciple she had personally raised, the one she was most satisfied with.
"Seventeen."
"This subordinate is here."
"Have you developed true feelings for that Fu Peibai?"
Lu Yanran suddenly raised her head, her expression appearing somewhat dazed. "No, I have not..."
Upon hearing this, a strange smile appeared on the black-robed woman's face. She said loudly, "Xing Guang, go now and immediately bring me Fu Peibai's head."
"Yes."
"No!" Lu Yanran cried out in alarm, her face showing a panic she had never displayed before.
The black-robed woman waved her hand to halt Xing Guang. She stepped forward, seized Lu Yanran's chin, and peeled away the thin human skin mask from her face in one motion, revealing her true appearance beneath.
The face beneath the mask was also extremely beautiful. Her features were similar to those on the mask, yet not quite the same type. This true face featured slender willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix-shaped eyes, and still those translucent, pale brown pupils. The corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, and beside one eye hung a tear mole, like a teardrop about to fall, adding a touch of allure.
This face was even more striking and seductive than the beautiful face on the mask. And this was originally the true face of "Lu Yanran."
The black-robed woman's grip on her chin grew tighter and tighter, until the fair, delicate skin turned slightly red from the pressure.
She stared intently, as if trying to see through those deep eyes. "Seventeen, have you worn the mask for so long that you can no longer tell who you really are?"
Seventeen felt pain in her jaw, but she did not resist. "No. I, I am Seventeen."
The black-robed woman's grip loosened slightly. She stroked the delicate skin beneath her hand and asked slowly, "Would you betray me for the sake of an outsider?"
Seventeen lowered her gaze and said softly, "I would not. I will never betray the Sect Master."
The black-robed woman suddenly released her. "Good. I will give you one more chance. Remember the words you have spoken today. You must also remember that if I wish, I can make Fu Peibai disappear from this world at any time. What I do depends entirely on what you do."
Seventeen breathed slightly unevenly, her expression obscure.
"Yes."
The black-robed woman put on her outer robe again, concealing herself within it.
Then the three left the cave. They had barely stepped out when a sudden sound of a branch snapping rang through the quiet forest.
Xing Guang immediately flew toward the sound. A short while later, he dragged a young man and woman with disheveled clothes from the woods and threw them before the black-robed woman and Lu Yanran.
Seventeen recognized them. They were people from the back mountain of Chaoquan Peak. Though she knew them, this pair did not recognize the strange, beautiful face before them. They had been intimate in the woods and heard faint footsteps nearby. They had peeked to look, only to accidentally step on a dry branch underfoot and make a noise. Before they could react, they had been caught and brought here.
The man's voice trembled as he spoke shakily, "We didn't hear anything, didn't see anything. Let us go. We won't say anything."
But the woman beside him suddenly pointed at Xing Guang and exclaimed, "I recognize you. You are, you are someone from the Peak Master's side. Why are you here? Who are you people?"
The man's eyes went wide. He was both angry and anxious. "Shut up! Do you want to die?"
Only then did the woman realize what was happening. In the middle of the night, with the moon hidden and the wind high, these three were conspiring here. Moreover, there were two unfamiliar faces. What good could come of this? She was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground and tightly covered her mouth.
The man began kowtowing uncontrollably, on the verge of tears streaming down his face. "Please let us go. We didn't hear anything. We won't say anything. Please, let us go."
Seventeen frowned but did not speak.
The black-robed woman glanced at the man and woman. She said indifferently, "Xing Guang, dispose of these two."
"No..." Seventeen had just opened her mouth when the black-robed woman turned to stare at her, her eyes clearly displeased.
She swallowed the rest of her words and closed her eyes weakly.
The night wind was bleak. Tonight's sky was as heavy as spilled ink, burying everything in boundless darkness. Two sharp screams rang out, then quickly faded. The deep mountain forest returned to silence, as if nothing had happened.
The bodies of the two slumped softly to the ground, making dull thuds. Seventeen pressed her thin lips tightly together. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly at the sound.
……
"Uncle Wang, have you seen that kid Zhang Meng from the alliance and Miss Zhao?"
"No. Don't know where they ran off so early in the morning."
Meng Yan scratched his head and muttered something about where everyone had gone. Then he arrived at the medicine hall. At that moment, Fu Peibai had just put on her outer robe inside the room.
"Why don't you knock? Brother Meng?"
"We're both men. What's there to knock for?" After saying this, Meng Yan pulled Fu Peibai over and looked her up and down. He nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. You're young after all. Your body is sturdy. One sleep and you're completely fine."
"But what exactly happened to you yesterday? You were so weak that the Peak Master had to carry you back. You're a grown man. Aren't you embarrassed? If it were me, I would have crawled back myself."
Fu Peibai's mouth fell open, her face full of shock. "What? The, the Peak Master carried me back?"
"Yes." Meng Yan chuckled. "How about that? You must be especially happy now."
Fu Peibai felt a little dizzy. Happy, yes, she was happy. But it felt like stepping on a soft cloud, somewhat unreal.
She touched her nose and asked unnaturally, "How did she carry me?"
"How else? Horizontally in her arms, of course. It's a good thing you're small-framed. If it were someone my size, the Peak Master would have been crushed flat."
She had been completely unconscious at the time and didn't remember this at all. Now she couldn't help but feel regret that she hadn't been able to properly experience what it felt like to be carried by the Peak Master.
Meng Yan saw her ears turning red. He leaned closer and said, "Little Bai, yesterday when I saw the Peak Master carry you back, her face was full of tension. I've never seen her look like that before. I think she has feelings for you too. You brat, you've had incredibly good luck. Forget what I said before. Go bravely and claim your moon."
He thought Fu Peibai would definitely get excited. But after hearing this, her expression remained as usual. She said calmly, "The Peak Master's feelings for me are not like that. If any of you were injured, she would worry too."
"Besides, I have thought through some things. I won't be attached to romantic feelings anymore. The path of life is wide and long. I have more things to do." Although she said this lightly, as if she had seen through the world, there was still a small ache in her heart. Feelings weren't something one could just put down immediately.
Meng Yan immediately punched her shoulder. "You're so young. Why do you talk like those bald donkeys from Prajna Temple? It makes people annoyed just listening. Forget it. Other people's words are useless when it comes to your own feelings. I just hope you follow your own heart and don't regret it." At the end, he pointed at the position of Fu Peibai's heart.
Fu Peibai was silent for a moment, then nodded solemnly. After that, the two went out to eat together. They were walking one after the other when Fu Peibai narrowed her eyes and saw a figure in dark cyan running toward them from not far away. The figure grew closer and closer. She dodged to the side in a flash, and Lu Qingwan crashed right into Meng Yan.
One large pair and one small pair of eyes looked at each other in terror. Meng Yan held his arms high, standing straight as a wooden post.
Lu Qingwan quickly jumped away from him and stomped her foot in annoyance. She was about to get angry when she turned and saw Ding Yi running over. He grabbed Fu Peibai in a hug, and that person didn't dodge or avoid it, but instead smiled and hugged back. She gnashed her teeth in anger.
"Why can he hug you, but I can't?"
Fu Peibai said righteously, "Second Young Miss, men and women should not touch each other casually. Ding Yi and I are both men, so naturally there is no need to be concerned."
Ding Yi pursed his lips to hold back a smile. Lu Qingwan chattered noisily without stop. Meng Yan and Fu Peibai smiled without speaking. Then the four of them made their way toward the kitchen, teasing and playing around.
After breakfast, Fu Peibai contentedly patted her stomach and let out a burp that was neither too big nor too loud. Ding Yi and Meng Yan happened to burp at the same time. Three burps rang out in unison. The three looked at each other and all burst out laughing.
Lu Qingwan looked at the three of them with speechless disdain. She lost her appetite and threw down her chopsticks.
On the way back, she kept pestering Fu Peibai about what exactly happened yesterday. Fu Peibai didn't want to go into detail, so she answered simply with a few words.
Seeing her perfunctory attitude, Lu Qingwan's temper flared up. She pulled a long face and didn't speak. In the end, it took Fu Peibai's gentle coaxing before she reluctantly left Chaoquan Peak. Meng Yan also went to handle chores in the back courtyard.
Seeing that no one else was around, Ding Yi pulled Fu Peibai into the room with a serious expression. He pressed her into a chair and asked gravely, "A-Pei, you like the Peak Master, don't you?"
Fu Peibai's brow twitched. After a moment of silence, she gave a low hum of acknowledgment.
"Does the Peak Master know you're a woman?"
"She doesn't know."
"Then you two..."
Fu Peibai smiled faintly, but there was no mirth in her eyes. "We are nothing. And we won't be anything in the future. Ding Yi, do you find me disgusting? A woman falling in love with a woman. It goes against natural order and cannot be tolerated by heaven."
Although she tried her best to hide her emotions, the way she tightly gripped her trouser leg revealed the unease in her heart.
Ding Yi released her shoulders and shook his head. He spoke seriously, "No. A-Pei, we are friends. You have someone you truly like. I couldn't be happier for you. How could I despise you? It's just that you are both women. This path is destined to be difficult. I'm just worried about you, that's all."
Fu Peibai's eyes grew warm. Her throat felt slightly choked. Ding Yi was the first person to know that she, as a woman, had fallen in love with another woman. He understood and even supported her. How could this not be moving?
"Thank you, Ding Yi." After saying this, she stood up and took the initiative to hug Ding Yi.
Although Ding Yi was three or four years older than Fu Peibai, his temperament had never been particularly steady or mature. But at this moment, he seemed to suddenly grow up, like a true older brother as he gently patted Fu Peibai's back and comforted her softly.
"No need for thanks. A-Pei, we are friends. Whatever you want to do, I will always support you."