Love & Redemption
Chapter 89 - 46 Fuyu Island (5)

Chapter 89: Chapter 46 Fuyu Island (5)

The revised two Chapters are placed here, and I’ll update the newly written ones tonight.

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Chapter 46: Fuyu Island (Part 5) Revision

When the two arrived in Fuyu Town, they naturally comforted the disciples who had been driven away. Fortunately, although these young disciples were heartbroken, each of them was very loyal, saying that if their master did not call them back, they would rather stay in Fuyu Town for the rest of their lives and never leave.

Yu Sifeng asked a few people about the reasons and consequences of being expelled, consoled them with a few words, and then left with Xuanji to eat the barbecued meat she had been craving.

"Some of these expelled disciples were favorites of Lady Dongfang," Yu Sifeng said while eating. "This island owner’s wife, having no martial skills herself, liked to play the role of master’s wife. She favored her disciples, and she would always care for them thoroughly. So when Donggang Island Master discovered his wife had... another, his first suspicion fell on his male disciples."

"How could there be something between a master’s wife and a disciple, Uncle Dongfang is too suspicious," Xuanji thought. In her mind, a master and his wife were like a father and mother, totally unrelated to the word ’lover’."

Yu Sifeng shook his head and said, "You can’t say that. Dongfang Island Master is over forty this year, right? His wife is probably not even thirty. Such a large age difference, coupled with his wife being beautiful, it’s normal for a man to feel insecure."

A man’s normal psychology? Xuanji asked carelessly, "Then, does Sifeng also feel this way?"

He suddenly choked, coughed twice, and said artificially, "We’re talking about Dongfang Island Master. Don’t change the subject."

He seemed a bit guilty, but Xuanji, who didn’t care much, simply asked casually.

"I wonder how Uncle Dongfang met his wife. He must have been very happy to marry the most beautiful woman as his wife."

Now that Yu Sifeng had finished eating, he lowered his head to drink tea and mused, "When I was young, I once overheard my master and others chatting about the marriage of the island master. His wife was originally from Zitong Mountain. At that time, Zitong Mountain was plagued by a cult, which had come up with some evil technique. They frequently captured young women for alchemy, causing great anxiety among families with daughters there. Dongfang Island Master then went to Zitong Mountain to quell the disturbances and rescued a woman who had been captured but not yet killed, who was Lady Dongfang. It was said that she was an orphan with no parents, and out of pity, Dongfang Island Master took her back to Fuyu Island, and within half a year, he married her."

Though the hero rescuing the beauty is a very cliché theme, it became utterly romantic when placed upon someone familiar. Xuanji’s eyes shone as she exclaimed, "So there’s such a story! Why has Uncle Dongfang never mentioned this!"

Yu Sifeng continued, "That’s someone’s private matter. Why should it be openly discussed? Moreover, my master said back then that he feared the island master would be bewitched by beauty, that woman was no ordinary person... Think about it, all the girls who were captured died. Why was she the only one alive? And according to the locals of Zitong Mountain, they never knew of such a person nearby. Even if she was an orphan, it’s too hard to explain."

"Ah, you mean... Lady Dongfang is actually involved with that cult?" Xuanji was somewhat incredulous.

"We can’t conclude now," Yu Sifeng poured another cup of tea, "But ordinary women, when rescued by their heroic saviors, would be endlessly grateful and admiring. Does Lady Dongfang seem to be that kind of person?"

Indeed... His words made her consider it, she really didn’t seem to be, plus she and Manager Ouyang, who was never quite like Uncle Dongfang... seemed rather close.

"So I think if we can clear up the background of this Lady Dongfang and gather good evidence, we might be able to clear these disciples of their undeserved charges."

Xuanji clapped her hands and laughed, "Sifeng is indeed clever! I always say, listen to Sifeng, and you can’t go wrong!"

Yu Sifeng blushed, suddenly speechless, just as he was about to find some topic to change the subject, he heard someone laughing behind him, "Look at who I see? What are you two mischiefs doing here!"

The two felt the voice was very familiar and turned their heads together, only to see several people standing at the entrance of the eatery, wearing bamboo hats, and long swords at their waists, all smiling at them.

"Dad! Brother!" Xuanji shouted joyfully, rushing out. She looked around, at one after another, unable to speak.

Yu Sifeng also hurriedly followed and bowed, "I have the honor of seeing Sect Leader Chu, and all the elder brothers."

Chen Minjue laughed heartily, "It really is you! What brings you kids to Fuyu Island? The eldest disciple said you looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure."

The person who spoke earlier was him, and although it had been a few months since they had seen each other, he’d let his beard grow, which made him look more reliable.

Being unexpectedly reunited with his beloved daughter here, Chu Lei was naturally overjoyed. However, he was a man of strict nature and said with a smile, "Don’t make noise at the entrance, let’s talk inside."

People gathered around, pushing tables and chairs together to form a circle and sat down, and there was a lively reunion. Xuanji, although she had always been somewhat frightened of her father, felt a surge of joy at their long-awaited reunion. Besides, he was quite amiable today, which made her fear dissipate; she began to speak in a stammer about her experiences on the road. Unfortunately, her elocution was lacking, and by the end, it was Yu Sifeng who was telling the story.

Upon hearing that Linglong and Min Yan had gone missing, Chu Lei asked, "Did you search around Gao Mountain? How did you end up coming to Fuyu Island?"

Yu Sifeng said, "We searched everywhere and found nothing. We had planned to go to Fuyu Island, so since we couldn’t find them, we decided to wait here on Fuyu Island, hoping that they are safe and will arrive soon."

Hearing this, Chu Lei could only nod his head. This method was certainly the best course of action; continuing the search blindly could lead to dangers and potentially disastrous results. Now, their only hope was that Zhong Minyan and the others were safe and on their way here.

He glanced at Xuanji. In the few months they had not seen each other, she had grown taller and thinner. She no longer had the naive and ignorant look she wore while at Shaoyang Sect. Her face bore the traces of travel, and she seemed more mature, to his joy and relief. "Xuanji," he said, "you’ve been away from the mountain for a while now. You understand the hardships of the outside world, don’t you?"

Xuanji nodded, feeling someone watching her. She turned her head and saw her eldest senior brother, Du Minxing, smiling warmly at her. Noticing her gaze, he gently said, "Little junior sister, has your injury healed? Bone fractures are unlike other injuries; if not properly cared for, they become very painful on rainy days."

She hastily nodded, "It’s all healed! It doesn’t hurt at all now, and it’s even better than before!"

She waved her arm to show how well it worked, prompting laughter from the others. Du Minxing took out a small black box from his bag and handed it over, "If it feels uncomfortable, apply this medicine to the injured area three times a day. It relieves pain and promotes blood flow."

After speaking, he looked at Yu Sifeng, his expression briefly complex before he smiled and said, "Si Feng, remember to use it too."

Yu Sifeng thanked him and placed the medicine in his sleeve pocket.

Seeing the sword on Xuanji’s waist was not her usual one, Chu Lei sighed and looked at Yu Sifeng, who had no weapons on him, "You two are too reckless, venturing out without even preparing proper weapons. If not for good fortune, I fear..."

Xuanji whispered, "My sword was taken by the demon Zi Hu, and we couldn’t find it. So Si Feng lent me his sword. He still has daggers and other weapons."

Chu Lei had already noticed the unusual tensions between the young couple. Yu Sifeng, coming from a reputable family and having excelled in their past demon hunts, was handsome and performed brilliantly. He was well-liked by Chu Lei, who noticed his extensive care toward his most troublesome daughter, and thus favoured the idea of their union.

Being cultivators, they were not bound by many conventional rules. Chu Lei himself had been deeply in love with He Danping in his youth, so he did not interfere in the romantic affairs of his children.

He took out an ice-blue sword from his baggage and handed it to Xuanji, "From now on, use this sword. Return Si Feng’s sword to him. It’s not appropriate to use someone else’s frequently worn sword; it could place him in danger."

Receiving the sword, Xuanji uttered an "oh," and gently drew it, revealing a blade as clear as autumn water, beautifully patterned like water ripples. Though she had never seen such a blade, her eldest brother and others recognized it as a product from the Sword Casting Platform of Dianjing Valley. Two such swords were made with great effort and resources back then, one named "broken gold" and the other, the one Xuanji now held, called "Bengyu."

"It’s called Bengyu," said Chu Lei softly.

Bengyu and Broken Gold were gifts from Valley Master Rong after his two daughters were born. When Linglong was eleven, He Danping had given her Broken Gold, and now, Bengyu was given to Xuanji.

"Your mother has always been worried about you facing dangers outside. We came to Fuyu Island to secure places at the Flower Pinning Conference, and she instructed me to bring this sword. If I met you, I was to give it to you."

Seeing the beautiful design of the sword, unlike any treasure sword she had seen before, and its narrow blade emanating a chilling presence, Xuanji was extremely delighted and murmured, "Th-thank you, father."

Chen Minjue chuckled, "Little junior sister, you have no idea how fast this sword is. Let me show you. This is a divine weapon, not at all inferior to Broken Gold!"

Picking up a piece of leftover pumpkin skin from the table, he lightly tossed it onto the sword; everyone watched as it cleanly split into two pieces and fell to the ground. He then plucked a hair, placed it on the blade, and blew a breath; the hair, too, split in half.

"How sharp!" admired Xuanji.

Chu Lei gently said, "With Bengyu, you need not worry about encountering demons from Sea Bowl Mountain and Gao Mountain anymore. Treat it well and do not disrespect the divine artifact."

Xuanji fastened Bengyu to her waist, returning Yu Sifeng’s sword to him while occasionally caressing Bengyu’s blade, her heart overflowing with joy.

Shortly after, everyone had some food, and the conversation shifted to the Sea Stabilizing Iron Chain and the imprisoned demons. Chu Lei’s expression subtly changed, he seemed about to speak but ultimately did not, merely asking, "What’s this about Dongfang Island Master expelling many disciples from the sect?"

Xuanji and Yu Sifeng exchanged glances, and finally, Yu Sifeng said, "Sect Leader Chu, that’s a long story..."