Song of Everlasting Regret - Chapter 25
In the end, after discussing the matter, the three elders decided to send Yu Jingqiu and Lang Ye to Heavenly Star Palace to retrieve the Dewdrop Emerald Pearl.
It was already summer, and the weather was scorching.
Inside Chengxin Waterside Pavilion, the doors and windows at both ends stood open. A cool cross-breeze flowed through, refreshing the body and mind, yet it could not dispel the gloom in Yun Yao’s heart.
She handed Yu Jingqiu a change of clothes.
“Senior Sister, must you and Senior Brother be the ones to go?”
“Martial Uncle Lou’s life is at stake. I am actually grateful that Martial Uncle Yu asked me to go.”
Yu Jingqiu picked up her sword.
She remembered what Lou Jing had said that night: if Lou Jing was not the murderer, then the murderer must be someone else within the Qianyuan Sect.
How could Yu Jingqiu fail to understand that?
She simply had not allowed herself to consider it deeply.
Now that vigilance had taken root in her heart, she had become more cautious.
“I would not feel at ease if someone else went.”
Yun Yao pressed her lips together and forced a smile.
“Master is gone. Little Monkey went to Jiangnan to find Martial Uncle Lu, and no one knows when he will return. Ah-Jing escaped down the mountain and has sent no word.
“Now even you and Senior Brother must leave. I will be the only one remaining on the mountain.”
Yu Jingqiu said gently, “We will travel day and night. The round trip to Heavenly Star Palace should take no more than five days.
“We will be back in the blink of an eye.”
Lang Ye’s voice came from outside.
He entered the pavilion carrying a beautifully delicate child in his arms. It was Lu Yuanding’s disciple, Chunting.
Whenever Martial Uncle Lu was absent, Chunting usually stayed with Lang Ye and Di Hou.
“Senior Sister, are you going down the mountain again?”
Although the mountain was filled with disciples, Chunting was closest only to Yu Jingqiu and the other four.
Whenever they left, he seemed to be left entirely alone.
Yu Jingqiu nodded to him before turning toward Yun Yao.
“You will not truly be alone on the mountain. Chunting will still be here.”
Yun Yao accompanied them outside the pavilion.
The sunlight was dazzling, and they stood beneath the shade of the corridor.
Yu Jingqiu stopped.
“Yao’er, after we leave, I must trouble you to pay close attention to Martial Uncle Lou and the innkeeper.”
“I understand, Senior Sister.”
“As for Di Hou, tell him to contact Martial Uncle Lu as quickly as possible. And Jing’er… continue watching for any news of her.”
Yun Yao’s expression remained gloomy.
“Mm.”
Yu Jingqiu studied her for a moment, then placed a hand upon her shoulder.
“Yao’er, the present is no longer like the past.
“Master is dead, and Jing’er has suffered a grave injustice. The storm has already arrived. Perhaps only by working together as martial siblings can we survive this crisis.
“Our carefree days are over.”
The words filled Yun Yao with sorrow.
She bit her lip and remained silent.
Although she was naturally lazy, she did not fear hardship.
What she feared was the separation of life and death.
Yu Jingqiu and Lang Ye were about to leave.
Yun Yao beckoned to Chunting.
“Chunting, come here.”
Lang Ye set him down.
Chunting ran to Yun Yao and took her outstretched hand.
Yun Yao bent slightly and said, “Senior Sister and Senior Brother are descending the mountain to retrieve medicine for Martial Uncle Lou.
“They will return in only a few days. You must not make trouble for them. Do you understand?”
Lang Ye laughed.
“Chunting is extremely obedient. When has he ever caused trouble—”
Yun Yao held both of Chunting’s hands and faced him.
“Come. Wish Senior Brother and Senior Sister a safe journey.”
Her voice had already become choked with emotion.
Lang Ye abruptly stopped speaking.
Both the adult and child had tears gathered in their eyes.
Chunting obediently said, “Senior Sister, Senior Brother, have a safe journey.”
Lang Ye sighed emotionally.
“We are not leaving forever. What are the two of you doing?”
“Then come back soon.”
Chunting’s voice was young and pitiful, making him especially endearing.
Lang Ye replied softly, “Naturally.”
Chunting gazed earnestly at him.
“Senior Brother must not lie to me.”
Lang Ye raised his brows.
“A true man’s word, once spoken—”
Chunting wiped away his tears and put on a solemn expression.
“Even four horses cannot pull it back!”
Yu Jingqiu and Lang Ye left Xiangri Peak and went directly to the sect master’s study.
Only Wu Qingtian and Li Changhong were present.
They offered several instructions, nothing more than, “Elder Lou is gravely injured, and there can be no delay. You must travel quickly,” and, “Exercise caution along the road.”
After speaking, Li Changhong began searching across the desk.
Wu Qingtian watched him for a while before frowning.
“Where are the letter and token?”
“I am looking for them. Why are you rushing me?”
Li Changhong raised his head from the desk and stared into empty space.
Then he exclaimed, “Aiya! The letter is still with Yu Xiu. I forgot to retrieve it.”
With that, he hurried outside.
Wu Qingtian muttered, “Senile old fool,” before pulling Yu Jingqiu aside.
Apparently, he had further instructions for her.
“Originally, the three of us intended to send only Lang Ye. But your Martial Uncle Yu reminded us of something.
“The Dewdrop Emerald Pearl is, after all, a treasure of Heavenly Star Palace. Sending some ordinary disciple would appear too casual and disrespectful.
“We are the ones asking a favor, so it was decided that you should go as well.
“First, the two of you can support one another. Second, your presence will demonstrate proper sincerity and solemnity. Third…”
Wu Qingtian raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yu Jingqiu.
“Do you know the third reason?”
Yu Jingqiu remained silent.
“Your Martial Uncle Yu already believes that you are qualified to become sect master of the Qianyuan Sect.
“Once you return and Martial Uncle Lou awakens, the matter can be settled.”
Wu Qingtian sighed with emotion.
“When the new sect master is selected, everyone in the Qianyuan Sect will be able to feel at ease, and the sect will finally stabilize.”
Yu Jingqiu lowered her eyes.
“This disciple has already expressed her wishes.
“Now that the sect has suffered upheaval, I am willing to contribute what little strength I possess to preserve its stability.
“However, becoming sect master and leading the entire sect is beyond my ability.
“During these days when Martial Uncle asked me to manage Master’s funeral affairs, I came to understand something clearly.
“This disciple is truly unsuited to administration.”
“What you do not know can always be learned. I believe making you sect master was also your master’s wish…”
As he spoke, Li Changhong stepped over the threshold carrying an envelope.
“This contains a letter explaining our Qianyuan Sect’s difficulties and request.
“There is also a jade pendant inside as a token. City Lord Nie gave it years ago when he owed us a favor.
“With these two objects, persuading City Lord Nie to lend us the Dewdrop Emerald Pearl should not be difficult.”
Li Changhong handed the envelope to Lang Ye.
“Guard it carefully. Do not lose it.”
Lang Ye accepted it with both hands.
“This disciple will remember.”
Seeing this, Wu Qingtian did not continue the earlier conversation.
“All right. We will discuss the position of sect master after you return.
“Do not delay along the road.”
Yu Jingqiu cupped her hands over her sword.
“Martial Uncles, take care.”
Wu Qingtian nodded and accompanied the two outside the study.
When they emerged, they saw someone waiting below the steps.
The child was eleven or twelve years old, with red lips, white teeth, and an extremely handsome face.
A long sword far too large for his slender body was strapped across his back.
He stood resolutely beneath the blazing sun.
The moment Wu Qingtian and Li Changhong saw him, helpless expressions appeared on their faces.
Yu Jingqiu called, “Dongfu.”
Lou Dongfu bowed properly.
“Senior Sister.”
Yu Jingqiu asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Senior Sister is going to Heavenly Star Palace to borrow the Dewdrop Emerald Pearl and save my father?”
“Yes.”
“I will go with Senior Sister.”
Wu Qingtian shouted angrily, “Nonsense! Go back!”
Lou Dongfu was young and somewhat delicate.
After Wu Qingtian shouted at him, his eyes immediately reddened.
Yet he was also stubborn and remained standing without moving.
“I want to save my father.”
Li Changhong walked down the steps and caught hold of him.
“Your senior sister and senior brother will return in only a few days.
“Is your qinggong better than theirs? Are your martial arts stronger than theirs? Why would you go and create trouble?”
“I merely wish to contribute something toward saving my father.”
Lou Dongfu and Lou Jing were cousins, after all.
Their stubborn expressions bore some resemblance.
Seeing this, Yu Jingqiu could not help sighing emotionally.
She also stepped forward to persuade him.
“Dongfu, does remaining beside your father’s bed and caring for him not count as fulfilling your filial duty?”
Confusion flickered in Lou Dongfu’s eyes.
His temperament was somewhat softer than Lou Jing’s, so Yu Jingqiu was still capable of persuading him.
“Do not worry. Senior Sister and Senior Brother Lang Ye will retrieve the Dewdrop Emerald Pearl and return soon.
“Martial Uncle Lou will certainly recover safely.”
“Senior Sister…”
Lou Dongfu considered her words.
He understood half of the reasoning himself. Then he looked at his senior sister’s affectionate face, and the other half of his heart softened.
He lowered his head.
“All right. Dongfu will listen to Senior Sister.”
Yu Jingqiu smiled slightly and comforted him with a few more words.
Then she and Lang Ye bid farewell to everyone and descended the mountain.
At the mountain gate, two figures stood upon the platform, watching them depart.
One person said, “Senior Brother Han, everyone on the mountain is saying that Senior Sister Yu will soon become sect master.
“I am not afraid to reveal something to you. My master and the other martial uncles have discussed it several times and already made their decision.
“They say that once Senior Sister Yu returns, they will begin preparing the succession ceremony.
“Senior Brother Han, after Senior Sister Yu becomes Sect Master Yu, the distance between your positions will be enormous. I fear you will have even less chance of entering her eyes.”
Han Ling’s gaze was dark and profound.
At the end of the long staircase, the elegant figure was reflected within his eyes.
Storm clouds gathered there, drowning all brightness.
His expression turned livid.
He glared fiercely at Jia Yu without saying a word, then turned and left.
After Yu Jingqiu and Lang Ye descended the mountain, the two fellow disciples responsible for escorting them had already gone ahead and prepared horses.
The group of four traveled north.
Before long, they left the town and reached a fork in the main road.
One path led east, while the other continued north.
Yu Jingqiu pulled the reins and brought her horse to a halt.
She looked east.
The fifteenth. Ancient Plum Blossom Cave.
Today was the fifteenth.
If she traveled east, perhaps she could meet her elder sister.
Her horse circled in place.
Beneath the distant blue horizon, signs of human habitation were visible.
Lang Ye and the two other disciples also stopped.
Lang Ye asked, “Senior Sister, what is wrong?”
Yu Jingqiu gripped the reins tightly and stared eastward, lost in thought.
She seemed not to hear him.
Without any guidance from its rider, the horse appeared to understand Yu Jingqiu’s desires and slowly took several steps toward the eastern road.
Lang Ye hurried forward and caught its reins.
“Senior Sister, you are taking the wrong road.”
Yu Jingqiu awakened as though from a dream and gave him an apologetic smile.
Her expression was sorrowful.
“I became lost in thought.”
She turned the horse northward.
She carried an important responsibility and could not allow herself to be delayed.
Furthermore, she believed that if they were destined to meet, the opportunity would eventually come. There was no need to force fate through human effort.
In the end, she chose to keep her promise to Master and did not attend the meeting.
Yu Jingqiu pressed her legs against the horse and urged it into a gallop.
“Let us go.”
Yet she could not stop herself from looking east one final time with lingering reluctance.
Not far from the roadside stood a pavilion where travelers were often given farewell banquets.
Someone was presently offering wine to a departing friend.
A performer sat beside them holding a pipa and singing Three Refrains at Yang Pass, while cups were raised in farewell.
Though close at hand, we are parted by a thousand li.
Before drinking, the heart is already intoxicated.
Who can understand this grief?
Alas, how sorrowful. Alas, how sorrowful.
So deeply sorrowful—I cannot bear to part, cannot bear to part.
The lingering melody was plaintive and winding, like a solitary fallen leaf drifting after the travelers as they journeyed far away.
Elsewhere, while Yu Jingqiu’s group traveled toward Heavenly Star Palace in the snowy region, Lou Jing had already evaded the Qianyuan Sect’s pursuit and escaped Tiger Roar Mountain several days earlier.
To avoid attracting attention, Lou Jing changed into men’s clothing and wore a bamboo hat to conceal her face.
She also smeared yellow mud across her face and neck, giving her skin a waxen complexion.
She had no great reputation in the martial world, so few people recognized her.
Even members of her own sect might fail to identify her without looking carefully several times.
Her escape from prison and descent from the mountain had been a sudden decision.
She had possessed neither the time nor the state of mind to carefully plan what she would do afterward.
She had only one thought:
Find the true murderer.
She had already concluded that the murderer belonged to the Qianyuan Sect.
While remaining within the sect, she had been like someone viewing flowers through fog, too deeply involved to see clearly.
Only after removing herself could she act freely and observe everything from an outsider’s perspective.
Yet she was young, inexperienced in the martial world, and possessed no established foundation.
Now that she had separated from the Qianyuan Sect, investigating its hidden secrets through her own strength alone would be extremely difficult.
Even people with considerable methods in the martial world might fail if they attempted to place spies deep inside the Qianyuan Sect.
Thus, the only lead available to Lou Jing was Shen Zhongyin.
At present, the most widely discussed matter in the martial world was the murder of Lou Xuanzhi, sect master of the Qianyuan Sect.
Who was Lou Xuanzhi?
No one in the martial world of the Central Plains was unfamiliar with him.
Whenever his name was mentioned, anyone would offer at least a few words of praise.
His murder was naturally a major event.
Lou Jing, Shen Zhongyin, Lou Yan, and the others involved were also constantly mentioned by people throughout the martial world, becoming subjects of conversation over tea and meals.
Along her journey, Lou Jing overheard a great deal of information.
Unfortunately, none of it provided what she needed.
Some claimed Shen Zhongyin had been killed.
Others said he had escaped back to Jiangnan.
Still others claimed he was gravely wounded and hiding inside a cave to recover.
The accounts were wildly varied and unsupported by evidence, making it impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Lou Jing thought that she might as well return to the inn from that day.
It was the last place Shen Zhongyin had appeared.
No matter where he had fled, a passing wild goose would always leave traces behind.
She should be able to learn something there.
Thus, she took the road toward Xinyang City.
Within a day, she arrived at the inn outside the city.
The building was badly damaged.
Its eaves had been torn away by the violent wind, and half of its eastern corner had collapsed.
The inn was empty, with a thin layer of dust covering everything.
Lou Jing involuntarily walked into the rear courtyard.
Sword marks from that day still remained upon the ground.
She crouched and gently traced the gouges with her fingers.
Suddenly, movement came from the front.
Lou Jing immediately became alert.
Moving lightly, she circled toward the collapsed eastern corner of the inn.
Like a fish slipping through water, she leaped through an opening and entered a shadowy space formed by the fallen structure.
A narrow crack ran through the wall.
Lou Jing crouched and placed one eye against it.
A group of people had entered the inn.
At the front were a man and woman.
The man was extremely tall and thin, resembling a bamboo pole.
The woman possessed a graceful figure and wore a layer of deep purple gauze.
The man’s voice contained anger.
“Shen Zhongyin is far too arrogant. He holds our Caoliu Manor in no regard whatsoever.
“Had the heavy rain not forced us to repair the cemetery, we would never have discovered that shameless Shen Zhongyin desecrated my nephew’s corpse!”
The woman’s voice was charming.
“Shen Zhongyin even dared kill Lou Xuanzhi. What does your Caoliu Manor amount to?”
The man did not take offense and merely snorted.
“If I capture him, I will cut him into a thousand pieces!”
Lou Jing immediately understood.
These people belonged to Caoliu Manor.
Judging from their conversation, they were also searching for traces of Shen Zhongyin.
Lou Jing remembered that she still carried the grievance involving Cao Ruxu with Caoliu Manor.
If they discovered her, they would certainly not let the matter rest.
She restrained her breathing and remained completely still.
A faint hissing suddenly sounded through the air.
Coldness swept across Lou Jing’s back, and her heart dropped.
She abruptly turned around.
A long snake hung from the wall behind her.
Its entire body was emerald green, while its eyes were bright red.
Its front half was coiled, and its pair of vertical pupils stared directly at her.
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Thank you so much for the translation! I’m looking forward to further chapters.