Love & Redemption
Chapter 87 - 44: Fuyu Island (Part 3)

Chapter 87: Chapter 44: Fuyu Island (Part 3)

Both hid behind the flowering tree, not daring to even breathe deeply.

In truth, there was no need to feel so guilty as if they were committing a crime, but for some reason, knowing the secret of the beautiful woman before them, they inexplicably couldn’t face her and were terrified she would discover them.

Perhaps what they feared even more was witnessing for a second time her forbidden rendezvous with that housekeeper-lover. However, after observing for quite some time, it seemed she was alone, gazing absentmindedly, lost in thought.

"Let’s get out of here," whispered Xuanji, making a gesture to retreat; she wanted to avoid trouble.

Yu Sifeng shook his head, "Wait... let’s see what she’s going to do." He wanted to gather some evidence, to prevent being accused by her in case things came to light, which would be truly embarrassing.

The beautiful woman quietly watched the colorful falling petals, suddenly sighing deeply in a voice more soothing than the Jade Flute itself. It seemed to contain endless sorrow and resentment, causing a tingling sensation in the listener, who couldn’t help but wish to do something to make the beauty smile again.

"She seems to be singing..." Xuanji focused intently to listen, the melody of her voice, carried over by intermittent sea breezes, was like that of merfolk from the deep sea, sometimes halting the flowing clouds and sometimes plummeting, spreading a sound of scattered pearls and jewels.

"Look at the clear streams, the green bamboos so lush. A gentleman of such quality, like jade being meticulously cut, carved, and polished, strumming gently here, thunderous there. A gentleman of such quality, never to be forgotten."

Her voice gradually weakened, the beauty leaned against the tree, toying with the noisy blossoms, and fell silent once more.

What was she singing? Xuanji looked at Yu Sifeng, instinctively knowing he would have the answer.

Yu Sifeng spoke softly, "She’s singing about a gentleman, beautifully sculpted from jade, extolling his valour and grandeur, hence she cannot forget him."

"A love song!" Xuanji was deeply moved. So this was the legendary love song! It was the first time she had heard one.

"It’s really beautiful; if only she would sing a bit more," she remarked wistfully.

Yu Sifeng pondered, "It seems she is truly affectionate towards that housekeeper, only how did she come to marry the Dongfang Island Master by some mistake and end up playing with fire? It’s just not clear whether that housekeeper truly loves her..."

Xuanji asked in surprise, "What, do you actually want to help them get together?"

He shook his head, "How could that be possible, marriage is a lifelong commitment, not to be taken lightly. Since she took her vows with Dongfang Island Master, there’s no turning back."

"But what you just said..." What did it mean? Xuanji was confused by him.

"I meant..." he narrowed his eyes, showing a hint of pity, "If the housekeeper also has true feelings, then at least her love is not in vain. Whatever the case, being toyed with in matters of the heart is always pitiable."

That made sense. Xuanji nodded, her internal scales unknowingly tipping in favour of Lady Dongfang.

After being silent for a while, Lady Dongfang sang a few more lines, nothing but praises for that gentleman, expressing her own longing. Xuanji felt her singing was so melancholic it seemed to verge on despair, like extreme joy, yet beneath that joy was profound sadness. Could falling in love with someone really be so painful? She remembered an overheard private conversation between her mother and Linglong about Zhong Minyan; her mother had asked Linglong if she truly liked him. Linglong blushed and hesitated before saying that she was immensely happy whenever she saw him, but incredibly miserable when he wasn’t around. Her mother nodded and said, "To have feelings for someone is to be filled with insecurity; love is always half pain and half sweetness."

She had never understood what ’half pain and half sweetness’ meant. Being with someone and enjoying their company, how could that be painful? If it were painful, then why not simply avoid seeing him? Why the happiness in seeing him again?

Yet now, listening to Lady Dongfang’s sorrowful song, she suddenly became dazed, as childhood memories seemed remote, tangled like soft silk threads, impossible to sever or arrange neatly. The various episodes of the past reemerged, the so-called insecurity, the indistinct mesh of sweetness and pain – she felt as if she almost understood.

"Let’s go, we shouldn’t watch any longer."

Yu Sifeng suddenly tugged at her sleeve. Xuanji snapped back to reality and quickly nodded, and both of them tiptoed from behind the trees, leaving that place of charm far behind.

Xuanji walked with her head down behind Yu Sifeng, lost in thought, and neither spoke. After a while, she quietly said, "Sifeng, are you still planning to clear things up with Uncle Dongfang?"

Their original plan was to indirectly reveal the truth to Dongfang Qingqi, to allow those wrongfully accused disciples to return. But with the current situation, who could bear to expose it?

Yu Sifeng took a deep breath and spoke softly, "They are all pitiable people, and it’s hard to bring ourselves to hurt them. Let it be for now. We’ll see what kind of person that housekeeper is during dinner tonight, and then decide."

Xuanji nodded, and after a lot of effort, they made their way back to their respective rooms through the twists and turns of Fuyu Island.

Indeed, at dinnertime, Dongfang Qingqi sent someone to invite them, and after another round of maneuvering through the blossoming paths, they arrived at an elegant octagonal pavilion. The pavilion, draped with a green gauze, was lightly touched by moonlight, rendering it hazy and indistinct. The beauty inside the pavilion appeared to be a fairy stepping out of a painting, so breathtaking that it was hard to look at her directly.

They recognized her as the same person who had sung under the flower trees that afternoon. She had changed into a moon-white long dress, and a white jade hairpin slanted in her hair. Without the trace of makeup, she looked even more like a peony enveloped in mist, ethereal and utterly unworldly.

Even though it was not their first encounter with such beauty, Xuanji’s heart was still heavily shaken, and it seemed that Yu Sifeng was also somewhat reserved. Both approached quietly, not daring to speak aloud.

Dongfang Qingqi, smiling, sat opposite the beautiful woman and waved at them, "Come over here. You’ve always raved about Fruit Yellow, but today you’ll get to taste the Baihua Qinglu Wine of Fuyu Island."

They approached politely; Xuanji glanced many times in Lady Dongfang’s direction before finally stammering, "Xuanji has seen the Sect Leader’s Wife."

The beauty slightly raised her eyebrows, revealing a smile, and softly spoke, "Are you Sect Leader Chu’s daughter? You’ve grown into such a graceful young lady. Is this your first visit to Fuyu Island? You should stay longer and enjoy yourself."

Xuanji saw that, even though she was polite, she could not hide her indifference, as if she wasn’t interested in anything there. Perhaps it was because the Chief Steward she liked was not present?

Poor Dongfang Qingqi kept up appearances in front of the juniors, sometimes toasting, at others serving dishes, only bringing up amusing anecdotes from old times, while Lady Dongfang from beginning to end didn’t utter a word, just sipping her wine slowly. Xuanji and Yu Sifeng felt uncomfortable seeing him playing solo, and joined in with forced banter, making the meal incredibly awkward.

"You’ve surely learned a lot on this trip down the mountain, haven’t you?" Dongfang Qingqi, either intentionally or not, kept drinking cup after cup, and before the meal was halfway through, two jars of Baihua Qinglu Wine were already emptied.

Xuanji and Yu Sifeng exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. Yu Sifeng managed a smile, "Indeed, we used to think demons were unintelligent and foolish. Now we know that, after thousands of years of cultivation, they can have the same emotions and desires as humans, love and hate, gratitude and grudges. The world is so vast, and there is too much we don’t yet know. It is truly sigh-worthy."

Dongfang Qingqi, already tipsy, just smiled and nodded.

Xuanji continued, "But even if they take human form, at their core, they are still demons; one can smell the demon energy as they draw near."

Dongfang Qingqi chuckled, "Little Xuanji, your cultivation has deepened to the point where you can sense demon energy? Brother Chu is indeed remarkable, a tiger father will not have a dog daughter!"

Is this related to deep cultivation? Xuanji was taken aback, not daring to boast any further. She was very clear about her actual skill level; it was nowhere near ’deep,’ she was simply lucky, managing to turn danger into safety time and again.

Suddenly, Lady Dongfang, who had been silent for a long time, said lightly, "Don’t be so absolute. Not all demons can be detected by their demon energy. Those with profound cultivation are indistinguishable from humans."

Everyone was startled by her sudden interjection. She then added, "When one is a demon, they live freely and often dream of becoming immortal, which requires a human form. But upon reaching that stage of cultivation, one realizes they’ve merely turned into a human, filled with sorrowful passions. The so-called immortals are merely flowers in the mirror or the moon’s reflection in water."

Isn’t being human good? Xuanji really wanted to ask why she would say that, but before she could, Dongfang Qingqi placed his cup down, saying, "Qingrong, you’ve had too much to drink."

So Lady Dongfang’s name was Qingrong, fittingly elegant and detached.

Yet she frowned slightly and whispered, "You’re the one who’s drunk, lord."

The two sat across from each other at the delicate stone table, holding each other’s gaze in silence, leaving the two juniors too intimidated to even breathe, feeling this was the most painful meal they had ever had.

After a long while, Dongfang Qingqi chuckled and waved his hand, probably trying to dispel the awkwardness. Qingrong, however, stood up and said, "I am tired; I’ll go rest. You two make yourselves at home on the island; treat it as your own. If you need anything, just ask Manager Ouyang."

Could this Manager Ouyang be the gentleman she referred to? She suddenly seemed to remember something, turned, and instructed the disciples outside the pavilion, "Send for Manager Ouyang to keep an eye on your master, and make sure he doesn’t drink too much in his merriment."

The disciple agreed and went off, soon returning with a tall figure dressed in white, with jet-black hair and a face that might be handsome if not for the crimson scar across it that added a violent twist.

Xuanji and her companion, recognizing the man, tensed up. They heard Lady Dongfang order, "Ouyang, keep the lord company and have a couple of drinks. But be careful not to drink too much. We have young guests here today, and we wouldn’t want to spoil their fun."

Ouyang acknowledged the command, stepped forward, grabbed the wine pot, and refilled everyone’s cups with practiced ease.

Xuanji saw Lady Dongfang standing behind him, gazing quietly at the scar on his face with a look filled with both tenderness and pain, which disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. No one else noticed but her.

(To be continued... For the continuation of this story, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, and your support for the author and for legitimate reading is appreciated!)