https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-202-A-Dispute-Between-the-Stars-and-the-Moon/12536240/
Chapter 203: The Reach of the Yi Hua Palace is Quite Extensive
Chapter 203: The Reach of the Yi Hua Palace is Quite Extensive
No battle erupted in the side hall, so Jiang Feng remained oblivious to everything that transpired.
He merely returned to Lan Hua Pavilion with Hua Yue Nu and took a leisurely afternoon nap. Afterward, they strolled through the courtyard, admiring the myriad of flowers and the mountain scenery, feeling utterly content.
"Living here is truly soothing for the soul," Jiang Feng remarked.
"You can stay here for as long as you like, Master Jiang," Hua Yue Nu said with a smile.
"However, while this environment is pleasant for a short while, I think I'd find it boring if I stayed here too long," Jiang Feng said. "This place suits hermits who are introverted and prefer solitude, but it's not for everyone."
"We do venture out from time to time," Hua Yue Nu said. "We take turns going to Yichang or Xiangyang, and we don't stay in these mountains all year round."
Jiang Feng nodded in agreement. Otherwise, how would Yi Hua Palace have gained its renowned reputation? In the original story, Si Chen Ke and Hei Mian Jun were startled at the sight of that ink jade plum blossom. They wouldn't have reacted that way if the palace members never left these mountains.
"So, you've only been to Yichang and Xiangyang?" Jiang Feng asked.
"Not at all. We've also been to Guanzhong and Shu, and sometimes we even accompany the two Palace Masters downstream to the Jiangnan region," Hua Yue Nu said.
Jiang Feng blinked in surprise. "You've traveled to quite a few places, then?"
Xiu Yu Valley was located at the eastern foot of Shennongjia, but this vast stretch of primeval forest extended westward to Sichuan and Shaanxi, and northward to Guanzhong. Traveling from Xiangyang, one could enter the Han River, and from Yichang, one could venture into the mighty Yangtze River. It was indeed a convenient location.
At the very least, it was far more convenient than the Wicked Valley, which was situated at the Kunlun Mountain Pass.
"Of course," Hua Yue Nu said with a laugh. "We rarely reveal ourselves to others, and we seldom engage in fights."
Jiang Feng nodded, recalling how Yao Yue had bound Xiao Yu'er and brought him to a certain ancient temple, accompanied by several palace maids from Yi Hua Palace. She had even arranged the surroundings with exquisite and luxurious decorations.
That place was definitely not Xiu Yu Valley. It was likely somewhere in the Jiangnan region, not far from Anqing City, where the incident had taken place.
The original novel had revealed very little. Many secrets and details about Yi Hua Palace had been left untold, and only a few snippets had been mentioned by Tie Ping Gu. How much core information could she have possibly known?
"After my injury heals and I leave, you can also go downstream along the Yangtze River to find me in Jingzhou," Jiang Feng said, immediately wanting to kick himself for being so loose-lipped.
However, Hua Yue Nu didn't seem to mind. She merely smiled and said, "That would depend on the arrangements of the Palace Masters."
Jiang Feng nodded. He couldn't very well ask her not to tell Yao Yue and Lian Xing to look for him, so he changed the subject and asked about their life in Xiu Yu Valley or any interesting stories from their travels.
"There's nothing lacking in Xiu Yu Valley. Life here is worry-free," Hua Yue Nu said.
"Once, a villain injured one of our sisters and tried to escape into the Wicked Valley. I pursued him with another sister all the way to Shu, and we killed him at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain," she continued.
"Another time, I accompanied the Grand Palace Master on a trip to the northwest, and we happened to meet Murong Yong and his wife returning to Longxi for a family visit," another maid added.
"Hmm?" Jiang Feng paused, suddenly intrigued. "Murong Yong's wife is from Longxi?"
Hua Yue Nu nodded. "The Gu family of Longxi is quite famous for their Divine Fist. Didn't you know that?"
Jiang Feng could only remain silent, as he truly hadn't known.
Recalling the plot, he remembered how Xiao Yu'er had left the Wicked Valley and headed west to Qinghai, where he soon encountered Murong Jiu. She had then imprisoned him in an ice chamber, and he almost died before being rescued by the White Sheep and Black Ox of the Twelve Zodiac Guardians. After that, they had traveled south to Shu and eventually arrived at Emei Mountain.
At that time, the estate where Murong Jiu had been staying couldn't possibly have been the Murong family's estate in the Jiangnan region. The location simply didn't match up.
No wonder!
No wonder Murong Jiu had taken Xiao Yu'er on a stroll through the estate, and there had been hardly anyone around. No wonder the White Sheep and Black Ox had dared to burn down that estate. It turned out that the estate wasn't part of the Murong family's holdings at all. Instead, it was a separate residence established by the Murong sisters in their mother's family's territory.
At that time, all eight Murong sisters had already married and left, so Murong Yong's wife had naturally accompanied him in the Jiangnan region. Thus, only Murong Jiu had been present at the estate, along with Gu Renyu, her cousin.
Whether it was to escape the summer heat or because someone had tried to matchmake Murong Jiu and Gu Renyu, they had been at that estate when Xiao Yu'er happened to pass by after leaving the Wicked Valley.
Gu Renyu was the son of Murong Jiu's maternal aunt. Naturally, Murong Jiu's mother would have the surname Gu!
Jiang Feng sighed. He had even met Murong Yong and his wife, yet he hadn't known that Murong Yong's wife was from the Longxi Gu family. Instead, he was learning this from Hua Yue Nu, who wasn't very familiar with the ways of the martial arts world...
He was truly an unqualified member of the jianghu.
So, Jiang Feng could only make up for his lack of knowledge. "I had always assumed that Murong Yong's wife was also from the Jiangnan region, considering..."
Considering that twenty years later, the husbands of the eight Murong sisters were all exceptional young talents from the Jiangnan martial arts world. The original novel had even mentioned that they were the cream of the crop in that region.
"Considering how distant the Jiangnan Murong family and the Longxi Gu family are from each other, isn't that right?" Hua Yue Nu said with a smile. "I heard that Murong Yong's wife went to the Jiangnan region to uphold justice, and a misunderstanding occurred between her and Murong Yong, leading to her teaching him a lesson. Later, somehow, they ended up together, and Murong Yong has been a bit henpecked ever since."
Jiang Feng nodded in understanding. So, the men of the Murong family were indeed useless!
...
As the sun set, bathing the valley in a golden glow, Yao Yue and Lian Xing arrived at Lan Hua Pavilion once again.
Yao Yue still carried herself with a cold and arrogant aura, but as she stepped into the pavilion, her dignified and aloof demeanor softened, revealing a hint of gentleness.
Lian Xing's face remained adorned with a naive and charming smile, and her intelligent eyes shone as she looked at Jiang Feng with a hint of affection. However, compared to before, she seemed more restrained.
Following behind them were several white-clad maids, carrying a basin of soup and various utensils.
Yao Yue turned to Jiang Feng and offered him a smile.
"Today, some of our disciples caught a few fresh fish from the mountain streams," Lian Xing said. "We made fish soup, and with the pleasant weather, my sister and I thought we'd come and share a meal with you."
Jiang Feng quickly stood up to express his gratitude, and they proceeded to dine together.
To Jiang Feng's surprise, the atmosphere between Yao Yue and Lian Xing seemed even more harmonious than before, and the way they looked at him had lost some of its aggressive intensity.
Of course, their gentleness and the subtle hints of affection remained, which both relieved and unnerved Jiang Feng. He wondered what had brought about this change.
"The person I sent has returned, and the message has been delivered to Jiang Ping. You can rest assured now," Yao Yue said.
"Thank you," Jiang Feng said.
"It was a minor matter, not worth mentioning," Yao Yue said. "If you wish to thank me, perhaps you could accompany me on a stroll and keep me company."
Lian Xing's eyes sparkled, but she remained silent, skillfully using her chopsticks to place another piece of fish in Jiang Feng's bowl.
(End of Chapter)
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