Chapter Ninety-Two: Together We Go

Su He opened the door and found, to his surprise, that it was none other than Yi Qingchen, whom he had only just parted from last time. Meeting again, astonishment was inevitable.

He more or less knew something of the state of Sparse Star Tower. A new tower had only just been established, and there was no end of tedious matters to attend to. Yi Qingchen’s sudden appearance made one inevitably wonder whether something had gone wrong inside the tower.

Yet her face was bright as the moon, with no sign of worry.

She glanced into the courtyard and said, “Aren’t you going to invite me in for a seat?”

Su He came to himself at once and hurriedly apologized. “I’ve been rude, terribly rude. Please, come in.”

He led her into the December Wind Pavilion, then shut the door and turned back to ask, “How did Miss Yi know we were here?”

Yi Qingchen smiled. “That? Naturally, I have my ways.”

“Oh? As expected, nothing escapes Miss Yi’s keen eye.”

“Hm? What are they doing?” As soon as Yi Qingchen stepped into the courtyard, she saw the two men glaring at each other like fighting cocks, and turned back to ask Su He.

Su He did not hide anything from her. He told her the whole story from beginning to end.

Hua Yin, by contrast, had felt thoroughly ill at ease ever since Yi Qingchen entered.

His old face burned hotter and hotter. Afraid she might notice something amiss, he quietly turned his face away, a sight that made the jade-like girl beside him so sour she felt like the wild grapes on a mountain slope.

Her little hands twisted together in irritation, and she nearly wanted to march over and kick him a few times.

But the moment Yi Qingchen looked her over, she quickly tucked her hands behind her back and fidgeted bashfully, too shy to meet her gaze.

Yi Qingchen nodded in understanding and said to Su He, “This matter is difficult, but it can also be easy.”

“What plan does Miss Yi have?”

“Simple. Let me go.”

But the moment she said it, before Su He could speak, someone beside them sprang up first and shouted her down. “No.”

“Why not?” Yi Qingchen smiled faintly, confusion in her eyes.

“Brother Hua?”

“Nothing. It’s just impossible.”

Su He thought for a moment and also urged, “Miss Yi, you are now the tower master of Sparse Star Tower. How could you still go and take such risks so lightly? Let us not speak of this again.”

Yi Qingchen, hearing this, suddenly felt as though her heart had been wrapped in the warm sunlight of an early spring day. Somewhat shyly, she shook her head. “No. Sparse Star Tower has now mostly settled down again. Even if there is an accident, Uncle Qi is there to hold the line.

“And you and Brother Hua are both men. Jade Shard has only just recovered, and to cross Single-Yin Bridge into Yin Mountain Lake, there is no one more suitable than me.

“Or do you not trust my ability?”

As she spoke, there was no hiding the feelings in her soft and glistening eyes.

“Miss Yi!” Su He froze on the spot. It felt as though an unseen hand had struck his heart hard.

He was not unaware of the feelings Hua Yin held for her, nor did he not understand the way the jade-like girl looked at Hua Yin.

All along, his conduct toward Yi Qingchen had been guided by decorum. He had never imagined that one day she would reveal such feelings to him.

If that were the case, would it not amount to stealing the affection of another?

That… was not what a gentleman should do.

Besides, a man like him… it was better not to delay another’s happiness.

So as not to bring about, ah…

When Yi Qingchen saw the shock in his eyes, and then saw him regain his composure in an instant, the gladness in her heart slowly turned into an indescribable bitterness.

She did not want to make things hard for him, so she lowered her eyes and concealed everything, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. In terms of skill, I’m only a little short of you.”

She said it lightly, her brows graceful and her smile lovely, yet in that instant Su He understood for the first time what heartache truly was.

She was wonderful, truly wonderful. But he was not the one meant for her, and could not give her what she wanted.

Forgive me… “I cannot agree.”

Hua Yin watched the undercurrent between the two of them, feeling as though he were soaked in sour wine. He was relieved that Su He had not agreed, yet bitter that the young tower master—no, the tower master—seemed always to look only at his brother.

As a brother, of course he knew Su He had no improper intentions.

But as a man, forgive him if he could not be so unconcerned.

Yet if he was sour, then how could the jade-like girl not be sour as well? That wooden lump had his whole heart fixed on Miss Yi—what was she supposed to do?

But she was not one to let go easily. Since Miss Yi had someone in her heart, why not form an alliance?

As soon as this thought arose, the one who had been listless a moment before suddenly straightened up, brimming with energy again, full of vigor and resolve. Hua Yin watched her in bewilderment.

He thought to himself, what trick is this girl up to now?

Just as he was about to ask, she no longer paid him any mind. Instead she trotted over, hooked her arm through Yi Qingchen’s, and called out in a soft, sweet voice, “Miss Yi.”

“Eh—” Hua Yin shivered all over at once, and could only say that when women became fickle, they became terrifying indeed.

Su He could not help but smile and shook his head helplessly.

Yi Qingchen asked, “How is it? Is everything all right?”

“Yes. Miss Yi, could I go with you across Single-Yin Bridge?”

“This…” Yi Qingchen instinctively looked toward Hua Yin. “Would that be all right?”

Hua Yin opened his mouth to say no, but after several attempts of his upper and lower lips meeting and parting, he still could not force out the word. In the end, all that came out was a string of halting sounds.

The jade-like girl said, “Miss Yi, think about it. Single-Yin Bridge can only be crossed by women, but it never said only one person may cross at a time, did it?

“One person only has one share of strength. Why don’t we go together? Then we can watch out for one another.”

As she spoke, she gave a meaningful look and added, “That way, Big Brother Bai and the villains won’t need to worry, right?”

Yi Qingchen paused, then understood her meaning. She cooperated at once. “Exactly. Su He, isn’t that reasonable?”

Hua Yin heard this and urgently gestured with both hands, desperately telling them not to agree, not to agree no matter what.

With this old ancestor following along, it would already be good if she did not make a mess of things.

Su He was silent for a long while, then took a Wind-Calming Pearl from his sleeve and placed it into Yi Qingchen’s palm. “This is a Wind-Calming Pearl. I obtained it from a maidservant in the lake.

“Keep it safe. It may prove useful.”

The warmth of that brief touch ran through her heart like a current, instantly softening her entire being. Blushing, she nodded. “Mm, I will.”

I will keep it safe, and I will wait for the day when you… are willing to turn back and look at me.

Seeing this, the jade-like girl felt as though someone had shoved sand into her eyes. She was sour and bitter all at once. Looking back, she saw that Hua Yin’s attention was entirely on Yi Qingchen.

So bitter that she almost drowned in it, she stepped forward with light and furious strides and kicked Hua Yin once, then held out her hand and demanded, “Give it here.”

Hua Yin was just about to flare up when he suddenly saw that fair, tender palm held out before him, and froze for a moment, not reacting at all. He pushed her little hand back and asked, “What do you mean?”

The idiot. The blockhead. The bastard.

“If you won’t speak, then stop blocking my way. I need to talk to Brother Hua. Going across Single-Yin Bridge is not child’s play. This is…” Before he could finish, the jade-like girl yanked him back.

“What are you pulling me for?”

“Nothing. Hurry up and find me some treasure for protection too, or else I’ll haunt you even as a ghost.”

“I don’t have any.”

“Will you give me one or not?”

“I really don’t…”

“Miss Yi.”

Hua Yin had not yet reacted when the girl had already buried herself in Yi Qingchen’s arms, weeping like pear blossoms in the rain, choking on sobs so pitiful it was painful to hear.

Watching this, Hua Yin was utterly dumbfounded. Had this woman prepared her tears in advance and simply been waiting for him there?

And when he met Yi Qingchen’s reproachful gaze, he had a mouth full of words yet could not defend himself with a single one. Before he knew it, he had become a man of questionable character.

How was anyone supposed to reason with that?

Yi Qingchen gave Hua Yin a glance, then comforted the jade-like girl as if nothing had happened. “Be good, Jade Shard. When the time comes, stay close to your sister. If things seem wrong, run back at once, understand?”

“Wuwu… Miss Yi, you’re still the best. You’re a hundred times, a thousand times better than certain people.

“Unlike some people, who speak beautifully but in their hearts…”

Hearing the jade-like girl going farther and farther off the mark, Hua Yin, fearing that his image would be ruined completely before the beauty, hurriedly cut her off. “Stop. Enough.”

If she went on, who knew what even more outrageous nonsense would come out.

After fumbling around in his sleeve pocket for quite some time, he found a wooden bird and said, “I may not have any treasure to protect you, but if you run into danger after going in, you can use this to send word.

“Don’t let its ordinary appearance fool you. It can pierce barriers. If anything really goes wrong, it will be a great help.”

In truth, he did not want to give the wooden bird to the jade-like girl. He did not have many of them—only two in all, one for sending messages and one as a spare. If he gave one to her, it would mean that he and the royal city would only be able to keep contact through a single line, with no other choice.

That would also raise the risk along the way.

The jade-like girl did not care about his private calculations at all. She snatched the wooden bird away, played with it twice, and tucked it into her sleeve.

Of course she knew what a marvelous thing the wooden bird was. There were not many of them, and she did not even have one herself. She had once asked her father if he could give her one, but he refused.

He had said, “These are only dead objects. If you miss your father, your father will naturally come see you.”

Though the item was utterly ordinary, she was still very happy. After all, this was, in the end, the first gift Hua Yin had ever given her.

Su He saw that matters were mostly settled, so he led them to the main hall to sit, and introduced Zou Jiren to Yi Qingchen.

It was not until midday, after a round of discussion, that they finally decided Yi Qingchen and the jade-like girl would enter first to scout the way, while Hua Yin, Su He, and Zou Jiren would guard the perimeter.

This was to prevent the Three Evils from suddenly returning, and to buy time for those inside.

As for Que Yunzi, he would remain in the December Wind Pavilion to await news. If the situation turned bad, he would go to Moon-Invitation Peak to seek reinforcements.

For compared with the Gate of No Birth, Moon-Invitation Peak was nearer to the Xiaotong region.

Once all matters had been settled, Su He finally had time to ask the question that had been on his mind. “Miss Yi?”

“Hm?”

“Didn’t Miss Yi only descend from Moon-Invitation Peak the other day? How did you find the time to come here?”

Yi Qingchen set down her teacup and said, “What I said before, that Sparse Star Tower has basically stabilized, was only one reason. There is another: I discussed it with Uncle Qi, and he will stay behind to oversee Moon-Invitation Peak.

“As for me, I came down to the Sea of Desire Heaven to take a look.

“My enemy is hiding in the dark. If I merely sit tight and refuse to move, first, it will weaken the prestige of Sparse Star Tower and only make a laughingstock of me in the eyes of my enemies. Second, I intend to use myself as bait and lure the snake out of its hole.

“No matter how deeply he hides, given time, I will find traces of him.”

“But isn’t this far too dangerous?” To wipe out Sparse Star Tower so thoroughly, how could such a person be anything ordinary?

If they met, it would be no different from sending a sheep into a tiger’s mouth.

Yi Qingchen shook her head and smiled faintly. “How can one catch the tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den?”

If one could not bear to part with the child, how could one draw out the hidden hand in the dark?

In truth, there was one thing she had not said. Saint Lord Qi had not originally approved of her entering the world at this time. Sparse Star Tower had only just suffered a devastating blow and could not bear the pain of another white-haired parent mourning a black-haired child.

It was she who had sent people to inquire and learned that the Three Evils had escaped Eight Winds Isle, while Su He was trapped in the Xiaotong region. Unable to rest easy, she used the pretext of seeking her enemy to persuade Saint Lord Qi to remain in the tower.

As for her, the first thing she had done after descending the mountain was to find Su He. She did indeed need to seek out her enemy, but wanting to see him was real as well.

Su He felt ashamed and said, “Miss Yi’s courage truly puts us men to shame.”

“How flattering.” She glanced at the sun outside and said, “I think this matter should not be delayed. Why not set out now?”

The longer they dragged it out, the greater the risk.

And no one knew when the Three Evils might return, so it was truly unwise to delay any further.

Su He also knew that Yi Qingchen’s concern was justified. He rose and bowed to Que Yunzi. “Then everything will be entrusted to senior’s judgment. If we are unable to return in time, I ask that senior take the trouble to make a journey.”

“All right, go on, go on. I know what to do,” the old man said.

“Thank you, senior.”

“Let’s go.”

In an instant, several streaks of light flew out from the December Wind Pavilion.