Ch 178: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Xie Yun’er instinctively glanced at Xie Feng. Seeing that he had no objections, she said, “Of course, Miss Shen, please come with me.”

Shen Yunxuan followed Xie Yun’er outside, while two special forces soldiers trailed behind them at a distance. Xie Yun’er glanced back, smiling. “Miss Shen, your guards are very dutiful. May I ask where you are from? Are you here to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head. “My home is quite far away. I simply wanted to travel and happened to pass by here.” She then got straight to the point. “When I saw Brother Xie today, he had lost a lot of blood, was unconscious, and had a blade beside him. I hesitated for a moment, unsure if he was good or bad. But since it was the wilderness, leaving him there motionless could attract wild beasts, which would be too dangerous. After weighing my options, I decided to save him.”

Xie Yun’er earnestly said, “I truly appreciate it. Without you, Miss Shen, I can’t imagine what would have happened to my second senior brother. Please stay here and allow us to extend our hospitality.”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “No need to be so formal, Miss Xie. This afternoon, I’ll be buying some things and then staying at an inn. I’ll be leaving tomorrow or the day after.”

Xie Yun’er was momentarily stunned, and the hint of hostility in her expression completely disappeared. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed, realizing that Shen Yunxuan had noticed her earlier coldness.

Thinking about how Shen Yunxuan had saved Xie Feng’s life, she felt guilty for her previous behavior. Stopping in her tracks, she sincerely said, “Miss Shen, I was rude earlier. I apologize. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

Shen Yunxuan generously replied, “It’s fine. I understand that you were just worried about Brother Xie. Honestly, I asked him so many questions because I’m very interested in martial arts. That’s why we talked so much. Since Brother Xie was grateful for my help, he was willing to share more with me.”

She then added meaningfully, “I understand your feelings for Brother Xie, Miss Xie, so please don’t take it to heart. If I have any questions in the future, may I ask you for guidance instead?”

Xie Yun’er immediately said, “Miss Shen, may I call you ‘Sister Shen’ instead?”

“Of course! Then I’ll call you ‘Yun’er’ as well,” Shen Yunxuan quickly closed the distance between them. The two smiled at each other and walked toward a pavilion to sit down.

Xie Yun’er said, “Thank you, Sister Shen, for not holding a grudge against me. If you have any questions about martial arts, I’ll tell you everything I know.” She then sighed, her expression turning melancholic. “Sister Shen, even you could see my feelings for my second senior brother upon meeting me. Why is it that he refuses to believe it?”

Shen Yunxuan replied, “From what Brother Xie said, the one who nearly killed him was your eldest senior brother, Chen Dong. If Chen Dong hadn’t tricked him with poison, Brother Xie would have already slain him. Is Chen Dong truly that hateful?”

Xie Yun’er nodded without hesitation, her eyes flashing with complicated resentment. “Normally, one shouldn’t air family scandals, but since you already know, I won’t hide it. Chen Dong was my father’s first disciple, and my father treated him like his own son. I also regarded him as my older brother.”

“But my father thought his personality was too impulsive and wanted to temper him before teaching him our sect’s secret martial arts. However, Chen Dong suspected my father was favoring my second senior brother and secretly teaching him instead. His actions became more extreme, and he even tried to steal my father’s martial arts manual. When my father caught him, he drugged my father and injured him.”

“At that time, I had gone out to buy supplies. My second senior brother and the others were training, so they didn’t realize what had happened for a long time. By the time we found my father, it was too late. He only managed to say a few words before… I didn’t even get to see him before he passed.”

Tears welled up in Xie Yun’er’s eyes. Shen Yunxuan quickly took a handkerchief from her pouch and handed it over. Xie Yun’er suppressed her grief and continued, “Today, I went to the pawnshop, and Chen Dong came again to steal the manual. My second senior brother went to fight him, and when I returned, I couldn’t find either of them. Luckily, he made it back safely. If something had happened to him, I would never forgive myself.”

Shen Yunxuan comforted her, “You just happened to be away; it wasn’t your fault. Brother Xie deliberately went out to duel because he was afraid of involving you. He also feared that you might hesitate because of your past feelings for Chen Dong.”

“How could I still have any feelings for him? A father’s murderer cannot be forgiven. If I ever see Chen Dong again, I will personally kill him!” Xie Yun’er said fiercely, her anger blazing. But she also seemed perplexed. “Why does my second senior brother always think I care about Chen Dong? No matter how many times I deny it, he won’t believe me.”

Shen Yunxuan suddenly felt like she had stepped into a martial arts drama—complete with a martial arts tournament, a revenge plot, and a misunderstood love triangle. It was filled with dramatic twists and turns. Since she was already involved, she decided to play along and see if she could turn the situation to her advantage.

She turned to Xie Yun’er and said, “Do you trust me? Let me help you test Brother Xie’s feelings.”

Xie Yun’er was confused. “Sister Shen, how… how do we test him? He won’t believe me no matter what I say.”

Shen Yunxuan said, “Just cooperate with me and speak your true feelings. Come.” She pulled Xie Yun’er to her feet and instructed one of the special forces soldiers to summon Xie Feng.

The soldier went back to where they had placed the travel packs and began moving them. When Xie Feng saw this, he immediately stood up, worried that Shen Yunxuan was about to leave. He quickly followed and asked, “Where are you taking these? Where is your lady?”

The soldier replied, “Miss Xie said she has arranged a room for my lady and asked me to bring the luggage over.”

Hearing this, Xie Feng thought it sounded as if Xie Yun’er had asked Shen Yunxuan’s guards to retrieve her belongings. He wasn’t sure if Shen Yunxuan had agreed to stay, whether their plan to go out shopping had changed, and he was also worried that Xie Yun’er might not be treating Shen Yunxuan with proper hospitality. So he said, “I’ll go with you and check on the room arrangements.”

Xie Feng led the special forces soldier toward the guest rooms in the back courtyard. As they approached, he suddenly heard two people talking inside a room, mentioning both him and Chen Dong. He gestured to the soldier to stop and remain silent, and the soldier cooperated, standing quietly to the side.

Inside, Xie Yun’er asked, “Sister Shen, do you think Chen Dong is dead? Did he lose a lot of blood?”

Shen Yunxuan replied, “He bled a lot. He was probably seriously injured by Brother Xie. Are you worried about him? Earlier, Brother Xie seemed to think you still cared for him.”

Xie Yun’er’s voice was full of hatred. “How could I be worried about him? I wish I could tear him to pieces!”

“Then…” Shen Yunxuan’s voice hesitated for a moment. “You don’t have feelings for him anymore?”

“Me? When did I ever like him?” Xie Yun’er sounded confused as she explained, “Sister Shen, don’t misunderstand. I have always regarded him as an older brother.”

“I heard that you two were once engaged…”

“Oh, that was just my father’s initial thought—a casual remark. Later, he realized that Chen Dong had a bad temperament and asked me about it. I told him I had no romantic feelings for Chen Dong, so he never formally arranged the engagement.”

“I see. Then, on the day your father was harmed, why did you defend Chen Dong and say it couldn’t have been him?”

Xie Yun’er’s voice dropped. “Because he was like an older brother to me growing up. My father treated him like a son, and at the time, no one had seen what happened with their own eyes. I just couldn’t believe he would kill my father. Moreover, before that, my father had told me that he saw great improvement in Chen Dong and was planning to teach him the sect’s martial arts manual.”

“I thought my father valued him so much that there was no reason for him to harm him. But later, when I heard Second Senior Brother tell me my father’s last words, I realized that Chen Dong was utterly heartless. His so-called improvement was all an act to deceive my father into teaching him martial arts. He is my father’s murderer—I can never forgive him!”

Xie Feng was stunned upon hearing this. Since this was a private conversation between Shen Yunxuan and Xie Yun’er, it had to be genuine. So, Xie Yun’er had never liked Chen Dong, nor had she been defending him—she had simply believed that he had no motive to kill their master. Xie Feng, on the other hand, had assumed that since their master hadn’t yet passed the martial arts manual to Chen Dong, Chen Dong had a clear motive for the crime.

So, he had misunderstood his junior sister.

Just as Xie Feng was about to enter, he heard Shen Yunxuan ask another question. “So, if you never liked Chen Dong… does that mean you like Brother Xie?”

Xie Feng stopped in his tracks, his face full of shock. Before he could think further, he heard Xie Yun’er’s slightly shy voice.

“Sister Shen, how did you know? I’ve liked Second Senior Brother for a long time. He is kind, righteous, and filial, and he has always taken care of me. Whenever he goes out, he brings me gifts. Over the years, no matter what my mood was, he was always there for me. I can’t imagine life without him.”

Xie Feng’s face instantly turned red, and he turned around and fled!

Hearing the noise, Xie Yun’er opened the door, only for the special forces soldier outside to say, “Master Xie heard everything. He just ran off out of embarrassment.”

“Embarrassed?” Xie Yun’er widened her eyes in disbelief. She couldn’t imagine her Second Senior Brother being shy. Did that mean… he had feelings for her too?

Thinking this, Xie Yun’er’s cheeks flushed pink.

Shen Yunxuan teased, “Alright, I’ve helped you break the ice. From now on, be bold and express yourself. You two have known each other for so many years, and regardless of the outcome, you shouldn’t be afraid.”

“Today, I am merely a passing guest, and you already felt threatened. What if, in the future, another woman becomes interested in him and they develop feelings for each other? You’d regret it too late. From the way he keeps dwelling on your connection with Chen Dong, it seems to me that he cares about you as well. You should take the initiative—while he’s recovering, take extra care of him and use this chance to secure your relationship.”

Xie Yun’er, a traditional woman of ancient times, had never heard such direct words before. But the more she thought about it, the more they made sense. If Shen Yunxuan had truly been interested in Xie Feng, as his lifesaver and a woman of beauty and noble character, he would surely have fallen for her. She wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Thankfully, Shen Yunxuan had no romantic interest in Xie Feng and would be leaving soon. She couldn’t afford to give any other woman the opportunity. She had to clarify things with Xie Feng now.

Xie Yun’er bowed deeply and once again thanked Shen Yunxuan. As she lowered her head, Shen Yunxuan noticed that she wasn’t wearing any jewelry—only simple velvet flowers in her hair. She suddenly remembered that Xie Yun’er had mentioned going to a pawnshop earlier. Thinking back, the main hall of the Qingyun Sect also had few valuable decorations.

It seemed they were struggling financially.

Glancing at the special forces soldier holding her luggage, Shen Yunxuan grabbed Xie Yun’er’s hand and said, “Yun’er, if you truly want to thank me, why don’t you help me instead? I really love learning about martial arts. You can teach me more and give me advice on what things I should buy. In return, I’ll exchange some good things with you.”

As she spoke, she took out a solar-powered flashlight from her bag.

Xie Yun’er was immediately shocked. “What is this? How is it so bright?”

“This is a flashlight, a treasure for illuminating the night. It’s even more useful than a luminous pearl. I’m giving it to you.” Shen Yunxuan handed the flashlight to her, then closed the doors and windows before pulling out a set of brand-new undergarments and lightweight sleepwear from her bag.

“Yun’er, this is another great gift for you. Save it for your wedding day…”

“Ah! What is this, Sister Shen?!”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆