This chapter was translated for only. And only for those people who don’t mind reading unprofessional translation that was being translated FREELY at the translator’s and editor’s own free times. So rude & ent.i.tled people aren’t welcome to read this translation!!! So GO AWAY…..
By Qian Lu
Chapter 71
The Cabin
Murong Shu Qing still remained silent and sat with Qi Rui, regarding Jing Shui’s matter, it was very difficult to choose, but for Qi Rui, it was tormenting even more. Qi Rui’s hand was even colder than the wind during the winter. Murong Shu Qing lightly sighed, and lightly said to Qi Rui who was still pondering; “Should I speak with Jing Shui or you speak with her.”
For a very long time, Qi Rui finally mumbled lowly: “You go!”
Murong Shu Qing just wanted to reply, but Qi Rui suddenly said: “No, I will go instead.” It was time that he should really talk seriously with her for once, and he would not allow her to escape anymore.
Murong Shu Qing nodded her head, this time, Qi Rui did not need her to speak too much, what he needed was peacefulness, and a time to think. Lightly getting up, she did not disturb him anymore. Looking at the direction that Chu Yun went to, she considered it for a moment, and Murong Shu Qing walked over.
After walking for a while, she came to the deepest part of the plum forest, the plum trees were a lot more than the ones crowded outside together. The red color of the plum flowers here were already blooming and very lively. The cold wind was even colder, and the blowing wind made Murong Shu Qing to tighten her coat. She could see Chu Yun’s fiery figure all along, but he suddenly disappeared in front of her, so Murong Shu Qing was looking all around. But she could not see anything within the plum trees, there was no other reflection everywhere. After walking forward for a moment again, Murong Shu Qing stopped her footsteps, and looked at the sky. But it was only a dust gray color, she could not see the time, and could not differentiate the directions even more.
“Yan Yu.” Murong Shu Qing softly called out, n.o.body answered her, except for the red plum flowers that were swaying gently and the cold wind that was brushing willfully, nothing else. Murong Shu Qing was leaning by the side of a tall plum tree, and she decided not to walk anymore. In the past, she watched a movie and read a book about the arts of five elements in Chinese philosophy (Wu Xing – as in wood, fire, earth, metal & water) and the eight divination trigrams (Ba Gua), the method from the ancient traditions, it seemed that she was very fortunate to experience these today. She should be trapped within Chu Yin’s five elements array.
She did not know where Yan Yu was, and did not have any good way to escape from this entrapment. If the book that she read before did not lie to her, she was hovering within a small range, so she was actually standing within some of the diversionary entrapment. If she could not find a way to walk after a long time, she would be spinning around within the original place. It would be better for her to conserve some energy, and to think of a way to walk again. Murong Shu Qing was simply staying in the original place, sitting by the side of the plum tree, and leaning on the wide tree trunk. She was lightly shaking the plum branch that was on her hand, and softly closing her eyes to listen to the surrounding sounds.
The sound of the swaying wind seemed to vigorously pursue the plum petals, the atmosphere was so natural and quiet, and it made Murong Shu Qing feel somewhat drowsy. When she was about to almost fall asleep, there was a faint and low sound of a guzheng (long zither) from a distant place! Murong Shu Qing opened her eyes, lightly smiled and got up, it seemed that the Master was hoping to see her. After she mended her slightly wrinkled coat, she searched for that sporadic guqin sound and walked in to that direction.
Sure enough, not walking too long, she could see a small wooden cabin, in front of the wooden cabin, there was wooden fence that was built using some thin woods. Chu Yin was sitting by the side of a low table in front of the courtyard, his hand was holding a wooden guzheng instrument. He seemed to inadvertently strike the strings, it was not a complete melody, but the sound hit the heartstrings straightforwardly. There was a pot of green tea on the low table, several jade cups, and no other things.
Murong Shu Qing entered the circle of this plum forest, but there were only plum trees within the small courtyard, besides its simplicity, no one could use any word to describe it. There was one room, one table, one guqin, one person, that was it. Even the door of the courtyard was that simple, and did not have any inscription (name of the courtyard), as if it was the same as a pheasant family’s small courtyard, and did not have any artificial elegance. There was no stone bench, bamboo chairs and so on within the courtyard, besides the low tables, there were several soft straw cushions. Casually picking up one cushion, Murong Shu Qing sat down next to Chu Yin.
“Have you all decided?” Chu Yin put away the wooden guzheng (long zither), his face that was always cold, showed a faint smile. This woman’s energy made him unable to ignore her, once she entered the fantasy area, she did not appear to lose her head out of fear. She was just sitting within the plum forest, and could still have a smile on her face, did she always plan in advance so she could be calm and collected like this, or act recklessly until she was closed to being blind with hope. No matter what, she had succeeded, he was somewhat reluctant to leave her light and warm smile, and did not want her to die either.
Murong Shu Qing shook her head, and answered: “I have said that this decision is not up to me.”
Pouring himself a cup of tea, Chu Yin hooked up a light smile, that deep as the ocean eyes swept past traces of great waves. Using his distinct indolent voice, he unhurriedly asked: “Then, what are you doing following me?”
Murong Shu Qing did not immediately answer him, she pick up a cup of quan shen tea that was already in front of her. The fresh green tea was hot and moist, the tea fragrant was also mellow, rich and alluring, she could feel that the quan shen tea was already cool from her hand. Murong Shu Qing quietly drank it, then she slowly answered: “I want to ask you about one matter.”
Chu Yin raised his eyebrows with a smile, and waited for Murong Shu Qing to continue the topic.
Murong Shu Qing was looking straight at that cold and deep eyes, and she asked: “Do you really like to watch the struggling aspect of humanity?”
Chu Yin did not antic.i.p.ate that Murong Shu Qing would ask like this, her sharpness and imagination, speaking bluntly, she made his heart slip into a trace of shocking. After he was slightly astounded, Chu Yin was actually laughing out loud, not at all avoiding the topic, he answered: “Yes, that is right, do you think it is very interesting?” At one side, those so-called righteous ministers, were arguing noisily about one’s n.o.ble characters and sense of propriety, while the other side, the vicious and merciless people were exhaustingly doing some dirty and cruel things. To them, these might be their fundamental beliefs even if they did not know what struggling was.
Murong Shu Qing slightly lowered her head, and was not willing to see Chu Yin’s eyes that already lost their tranquility at the moment, and showed some of the demonic eyes. Taking that cold plum flower that was on her hand and putting it on the table, Murong Shu Qing poured a cup of tea for Chu Yin. She gently pushed it to him, and with a gentle voice, she lowly sighed and said: “The result of the struggle is nothing more than good is even better and evil is even more evil, so there is no concern on one’s welfare at all.”
Her low sighed was very light, there was no disdain to refute Chu Yin’s regard about the humanity, she did not attempt to preach the argument about the truth of the humanity either. It was just that clear and light sentences made those so-called human’s struggling ‘interest’ to become tasteless.
“What is your name?” Chu Yin suddenly wanted to know who this unusual woman was.
“Murong Shu Qing.”
“You are Murong Shu Qing?” Hearing that she called Qi Rui, eldest brother, he guessed that she would be a Qi family’s person. But he did not expect that she would be the master of the Murong"s family, no wonder that she stood out from the ma.s.ses like this. No wonder that there were many people who wanted her to die, and also many people who wanted her to live.
Recently, it seemed that her ‘reputation was risen’, Murong Shu Qing laughingly answered: “I do not know that I am very famous!”
“But your life is very valuable.” Chu Yin was lightly tapping the low table, with a soft intonation but it made people unable to think the chilliness from the person. It seemed that all around the plum blossom reacted to this trance atmosphere, with the rustling and trembling of the plum flower petals.
Murong Shu Qing"s mind was not disturbed by the killing aura that was released from Chu Yin, if Chu Yin really wanted to kill her, it would be as easy as killing an ant. There was no use to be afraid either, so she did not have any alternative but to shrug her shoulders, and with self ridiculed, she said: “I am honored by this.”
Her light smile with slightly knitted eyebrows, made Chu Yin to shake his head and laugh gently, the undercurrent from the murderous spirit from a moment ago, disappeared without a trace now. Chu Yin suddenly suggested: “You are very interesting, and also very intelligent. If you are willing to stay by my side, I can pa.s.s you my medical expertise, and can also guarantee that you will live a long life until you are 100 years.”
This idea was not bad, if she stayed here, his days would surely be very interesting, and she was intelligent and wise, so it would not be difficult to teach her his medical expertise. Seeing that she appeared to actually understand about the swapping of the face, perhaps, he could still get some enlightenments from her. Chu Yin was thinking more and more satisfied towards this one proposal of him.
Facing Chu Yin’s sudden impulse, Murong Shu Qing helplessly avoided his burning gaze, and she did not answer his question directly. Lightly shaking the half remaining quan shen tea that was on her hand, she seemed as if she did not sweep a glance at that simple wooden room, and she said with an anxious and light smile: “Do you have enough quan shen tea? I am afraid that they will not be enough if you add one more person.”
Murong Shu Qing’s voice just left off, once Chu Yin finished listening, he started laughing out loud, and could only see him saying with his clear voice towards the inner room: “Mo Can, your martial arts are wasted.”
Mo Can? How could it be him?! She only felt that there was one more person inside the room, in order to avoid Chu Yin’s proposal, she was forced to mention it. How coincidental this actually was, he appeared at the Shuang Tian Bie Yuan last night, perhaps it was because of Chu Yin. Who would have thought that they would meet again this quick.
He was still as before with a cold air in his body and ice-cold eyes, it was obviously in the middle of the day, but he brought the dark night cold air into the room. Even this cold wind during the early winter, could not compare to his frosty expression. Mo Can came out from the inner room, and walked directly to the front of the low table, he took a cup of tea and drank a mouthful of it.
“Mo Can, you are wasting my good tea.” Chu Yin clicked his tongue and shook his head, his cold face showed a complete unspeakable expression, but even after he said it, it did not prevent Mo Can from continuing to gulp that cup of tea.
Murong Shu Qing was sitting opposite them, and looking at the two people in front of her, she laughingly thought this sentence ‘birds of a feather flock together’, this group of men. These two people were ice-cold and ruthless, one person was cold and did not have any feeling. Even though they were not exactly the same, but each one of them was cold, and would not yield to any opponents. The two of them actually turned into friends, so it could be considered as a perfect match!
Sian"s notes:
The actual raw actually ended at the ** sign. When I started translating Ch 72, I felt that there was something missing in this chapter, but didn"t think about it further until I was done translating Ch 77. I felt there was quite a few paragraphs in Ch 77 that didn"t make any sense at all so I went back to this chapter & decided to add the paragraphs in Ch 77 into this chapter instead. I feel that the story makes a lot more sense now than keeping the parts in Ch 77.
Guqin is a 7 strings instrument while the Guzheng is a 16 (& more) strings instrument. While these two instruments look very similar but I found out from a friend of mine that they"re required different set of skills to play these two instruments. My friend"s wife and kids know how to play the Guzheng but they can"t play the Guqin.