Chapter 1410 - 765: Joyful News (Double Chapter)

Evening, New Year's Eve.

The joy of the New Year resembled a beautifully woven brocade, initially accumulating before now slightly subdued in its luster, waiting for the brightest and most dazzling moment.

At a leisurely midpoint, the resonance lingered, only waiting for the sound of a firecracker.

The red silk lanterns hanging in the Prince Mansion remained unchanged, with the servants and maids each keeping vigil, the air permeated with peace.

Now the courtyard where Lin Wanxiao resided was even more tranquil.

A few old plum trees had passed their prime, with the lingering fragrance faintly detectable. Her body feared the cold and she disliked the stifling air from coal, so after lighting several lamps, she opened the door for ventilation. The cold wind whistled, she shrunk her neck, and instructed Xiuhe to set up a small table indoors, placing the embroidery frame and threads to pass the time with needlework.

This had been her habit since childhood, to pass the long hours in the boudoir.

"It'll ruin your eyes, madam."

"There's nothing else to do, got to stay up for the new year; once or twice won't matter."

Normally by this time, after dinner, she would have rested in bed, unless... that person came over to cause a scene.

Xiuhe lit the lamp, then moved a small chair to sit slightly behind her, also holding an unfinished purse to embroider, accompanying her with work, chatting like a warbler, mostly with Xiuhe talking, and Lin Wanxiao occasionally interjecting a word or two.

Despite having enough sleep these days, she felt particularly fatigued at this moment,

"Madam, the other day I heard from a lady in the kitchen that now the most popular book in the market is called 'Jade Hairpin Record,'" Xiuhe's voice was gentle and curious, "they say it's about a Daoist nun falling in love with a scholar, sounds quite rebellious."

"Read it long ago, it's popular again now, truly don't understand the thoughts behind it." Lin Wanxiao's fingers wove the silver needle through the fine silk, her eyelashes not lifting at the words, "A place of Buddhist and Daoist purity, not a place for idle talk of romance. Writing such stories only stirs up trouble."

"Madam is right." Xiuhe smiled, then said, "That book called, what's it called... 'Qiao Taishou's Chaotic Matchmaking,' it's bustling, but the mix-ups and swaps inside are dizzying."

"Human affairs are chaotic, mix-ups and mistakes are the norm." Lin Wanxiao's tone remained calm, "How can everything go as one wishes."

If everything went as one wished...

Forget it, no need to think about it.

The young lady did not want to think about it, since she came of age to this year at twenty-two, there were too many things that did not go as wished, the most unfulfilled wish was running into that person, the year she was only eighteen or nineteen, she became a widow, and has been alone for three years.

However, she didn't really fulfill his wishes either, did she?

"In the corner... for wood... it's not like that..." Lin Wanxiao murmured and repeated it, as if this sentence was proof.

Could what that person said about the corner for wood be from some storybook?

Though she couldn't understand, Lin Wanxiao still tried to guess, it didn't matter if she guessed wrong, it wasn't to be said aloud anyway.

"Anyway... I won't fulfill his wish."

Xiuhe detected a hint of loneliness in her words, and after a while, changed the topic to an earlier storybook, "… in 'Nianyu Guanyin,' that Qu Xiuxiu died and turned into a ghost to follow Cui Ning, said to be steadfast in love, but I feel it's quite eerie, too obsessed."

Lin Wanxiao quietly listened, the lamp light cast through the window eaves, leaving spots of light on her lowered neck and slender fingers, her skin overly pale, suggesting spring's decline.

The handkerchief she was embroidering had already outlined a continuous cloud-crane pattern, she seemed inclined to agree with Xiuhe's words, her lips parting slightly, softly speaking: "Can't obtain, can't let go, that's how it is… let alone human and ghost..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a flicker before her eyes.

The light, the patterns on the silk, and Xiuhe's chattering voice seemed to suddenly be drawn away, blending into a blur of halo and noise.

An inexplicable unease came over her heart, like a large cloud sweeping across the sky.

"Anyway, later that Jade Guanyin shattered, this human-ghost love remained unfinished, written earlier than Peony Pavilion, not as fulfilling as Peony Pavilion, wouldn't you say, madam… madam?"

"Madam?!"

.........

The end and beginning of the year were filled with celebration everywhere.

Yin Tingxue wiped the sweat from her forehead, a bit tired, so she stopped to rest for a bit.

"Don't stop."

Just as she stopped for a few moments, she heard the urging of a one-armed woman, and the White Sword at Yin Tingxue's waist flew out from the Sword Scabbard, displeased, towards the woman ahead.

The woman merely flicked her fingers, and the aggressive Qingjing Sword was flicked away.

"Ah!"

The young girl quickly caught the Flying Sword, her movements somewhat flustered, but fortunately, she caught it,

"Master Zhou, it doesn't understand very well, don't hold it against it."

The night was pitch black, broad land stretching from the western mountains to the eastern river, the trio on Cangwu Peak traveled through the night, having walked hundreds of miles over these days, the outline of Sword Mountain no longer visible, just a dot on the map now.

Though it was New Year, there was no hint of the New Year's atmosphere among the three, as they were Taoists engaged in meditation, even if they weren't hidden away in austere retreat, everything was kept simple.

Yin Tingxue couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed, it used to be quite interesting celebrating with Chen Yi.

But now, she could only follow the course as it was.

Unaware of how long they had been walking, time passed, and the night deepened even further, Yin Tingxue could hardly endure, only breathing heavily.

Fortunately, Zhou Yitang finally stopped.

There was no Wild God Temple, nor mountain cave, merely a slightly elevated flatland, lush trees on either side, due to the darker sky, the moonlight was even brighter.

Yin Tingxue could finally stop to rest her feet; in the past when descending Dragon and Tiger with Chen Yi, it was never this tiring. She relaxed to stretch, only to see Senior Sister Lu standing on the green rock, staring directly at her.