Chapter 129
At this moment, the woman sat desolately at the foot of the hall steps, staring blankly into the depths of the grand hall.
As the bright sun gradually set in the west, she saw no trace of the true disciple, and despair welled up in her heart.
Her gaze was distant and unfocused, and in a daze, she seemed to see the scenes of this morning again.
"Yan Xiu, these are the top-quality Golden Cloud Pills I've collected. Their effectiveness is better, and there's minimal pill toxicity. Take them back and train diligently, don't hold back," Qi Yu, adorned in a joyful red wedding dress, extended a porcelain bottle to her with delicate, pale hands emerging from wide sleeves.
"Senior Sister Qi Yu? Why don't you leave, why aren't you leaving? Once you leave, it won't matter anymore, who can stop you?" Lu Yanxiu was suddenly shocked and couldn't help but feel sorrowful.
Qi Yu reached out and gently embraced Lu Yanxiu, who was crying like a person drowned in tears, "Following Cai Yufeng, there will be better pills, more profound cultivation techniques, perhaps it will allow me to go further."
"Listen to me, train well," Qi Yu's voice remained calm, showing great composure.
"No, no, no." Lu Yanxiu broke free from Qi Yu's embrace, mechanically shaking her head, looking at the impossibly beautiful face before her, muttering, "This is not you, Senior Sister, this is not you."
At this time, outside, Cai Yufeng's attendants, accompanied by a maid, approached the door: "Madam, the auspicious hour has arrived, please set off."
Lu Yanxiu was startled, unable to say anything more, and anxiously exclaimed, "Don't go, Senior Sister, don't go."
She suddenly reached out, trying to grab Qi Yu's body.
But Qi Yu's energy rippled, gently pushing her away. Seeing Lu Yanxiu in such pain, a hint of regret flashed under her calm eyes, but she shook her head slightly and walked resolutely toward the outside.
Lu Yanxiu was pushed away by Qi Yu, idiotically watching Qi Yu's disappearing figure, and collapsed to the ground hopelessly.
"Senior Sister, Senior Sister...."
Lu Yanxiu seemed to think of something and hurriedly got up, ignoring her already swollen eyelids, and rushed toward her master's quarters.
"Master, Master will have a way, Master will definitely be able to save Senior Sister," Lu Yanxiu stumbled her way toward their master's residence.
But seeing the tightly closed door, Lu Yanxiu fell into deep despair again: "Open the door, Master, open the door. Save Senior Sister Qi Yu, only you can save her."
Lu Yanxiu's voice was hoarse, as if crying blood.
"Master, I know you're inside, please open the door, won't you?"
Lu Yanxiu slapped the door repeatedly.
But there was no response from inside.
Inside the room, an old woman with disheveled hair lay slumped on the stone steps, her hazy eyes staring blankly at the sky: "What kind of world is this!"
Outside, after pounding on the door for a long time, Lu Yanxiu finally gave up.
Like a wounded fawn, she ran aimlessly. She visited the heads of various veins, but after hearing about the matter, they all kept their distance.
Some even cursed angrily, "What are you worried about? If it ruins Cai's envoy's affair, even if they sell you into prostitution, serving thirty men a day, you won't escape."
These words completely extinguished the last spark of hope in Lu Yanxiu.
The uncles she knew, the elders, and the deans all changed their expressions, and those senior brothers and junior brothers were nowhere to be seen.
In her haze, she somehow found herself in the Central Hall.
Perhaps, deep down in her heart, she understood that only Meng Nanyan could truly save Qi Yu.
Now, the sun was almost set, and she could only see the high-ranking figures coming and going; Meng Zhenchuan's figure was nowhere in sight.
Other women accompanied their elders to the hall, and when they saw Lu Yanxiu's state, they couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude.
"Wretched girl! Look at your pitiful state! Qi Yu relies on that face to cling to Cai's envoy. She acts all cold and aloof, who knows how restless she is in bed?" a few women thought hatefully.
Lu Yanxiu's commotion today was not small, letting quite a few disciples of Xuri Martial Academy understand. The female disciples clapped and cheered. After all, Qi Yu was so beautiful and had such a great gift for martial arts. Countless senior brothers and junior brothers admired her.
Most of them were incredibly jealous.
Hearing that Qi Yu had been schemed by Cai Yufeng made them want to cheer. To be made a concubine, and when she grew old and faded, to be cast aside was a situation as delightful as eating ice-cold watermelon on a hot day.
In the seemingly bustling Central Hall, Lu Yanxiu's strange behavior naturally drew attention. But everyone only watched from afar, their expressions betraying nothing.
After all, Qi Yu was to be a concubine, and she had a sisterly bond with Lu Yanxiu; no one dared to step forward and mock, only to discuss quietly behind their backs.
As the golden crow set in the west, Lu Yanxiu still did not see Meng Zhenchuan pass by.
She knew that the matter of Qi Yu had thoroughly lost hope. For some reason, a desire for death rose in her heart.
"Senior Sister, if you were not burdened, you should be able to escape the cage. Like a bird, freely flying in the sky."
Lu Yanxiu's eyes were misty, as if she vaguely saw her heart floating up, floating over Qi Yu's rooftop, beckoning to Qi Yu, flying toward the brilliant sunshine together.
"Just like this."
Lu Yanxiu closed her eyes, with the final tear quietly slipping down from her corner of her eye.
Silently she drew out the dagger she had prepared long ago, the bright blade glinting in the sunlight.
"What, what is she doing?" gasped the observing female disciples.
***********
And within the hall.
"Thank you, Senior Sister!" Lin Yuan cupped his fists.
"Having comprehended the Roc Swallowing Sun Technique, you and I are truly from the same sect, no need for formalities," Meng Nanyan smiled faintly, speaking as she sat back at the desk and resumed reading.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan did not linger, and stepped out of the room.
At the entrance of the hall, he saw the various disciples' gazes subtly fixed on the woman at the foot of the steps.
"Is it yet another pitiful soul?"
Lin Yuan's perspective only offered a glimpse of a hem of clothing, and he shook his head slightly, prepared to leave from the side steps. Many often wept here, seeking justice from the true disciples.
But these matters were beyond his concern, and not something he needed to trouble himself with. For this reason, he had specifically had the driver park the carriage outside the side steps to avoid these things.
As he descended the steps, the driver had already lifted the curtain, inviting him to enter.
"Sir, are we returning to the residence?" the driver asked in a low voice.
"Yes. Let's go back!" Lin Yuan's left foot had already stepped onto the carriage.
However, even at his level, with power enough to hear the march of ants, the surrounding exclamations stirred his heart.
"What, what is she doing?" gasped the observing female disciples.
Lin Yuan sighed softly and turned slightly to look at the woman.
The next moment, killing intent erupted from Lin Yuan.
Lu Yanxiu tightly shut her eyes, grasped the dagger in reverse, and stabbed fiercely down towards her abdomen.
Just one stab, then a gentle pull to the side.
And it would be over.
But in the next moment, a strong hand, with unknown timing, tightly gripped Lu Yanxiu's wrist, and the dagger could not advance an inch.
"Senior Sister Lu, what's happening?"
The clear voice seemed to suppress a fury.
Lu Yanxiu heard the somewhat familiar voice and opened her eyes.
A thin figure stood before her, the setting sun's afterglow behind him, casting a crimson glow on his outline.
Lu Yanxiu followed the black boots upwards, his figure looming over her, able to see only a silhouette, unable to discern his true face.
But the outline was one she knew very well.
Lu Yanxiu rasped, "Junior Brother Lin..."
Lin Yuan crouched down, staring into her bloodshot eyes.
His voice was low like a tiger: "Tell me, why?"