They were still in the remains of the Jianyin Bang headquarters building waiting for all the dead to be buried, also hoping that Xie Tianhu and Xun Tianyi would come back to retrieve Xun Qianniu. However, even Huang Zhe's shadow was not seen, it seemed that those people really didn't care about the lunatic woman.
They all let Zhang Zheliang have more time to rest. Liuxin walked over to Yue Songdai, asking him to give the old man a huanming yao pill soon after he was awake so that he could gain control of his mind.
"All right," Yue Songdai said flatly, receiving the medicinal pill and watching it for a while before putting it in his pocket.
"Yue Dage, what happens?" Liuxin asked as she saw Yue Songdai's weird attitude. "I'm Liuxin, don't you remember me?"
"I know you are your highness Liuxin Junzhu," Yue Songdai replied in his weird tone, "I will take care of my master."
He quickly turned around and went to the building where Zhang Zheliang was. Liuxin was about to step after him but Baique had already grabbed her wrist, whispering a few words to her ear, "Your father is here, Yue Shaoxia just doesn't want to attract his attention."
Liuxin stopped her steps and turned to meet Shuiyao instead. It was true that Yue Songdai had already seen Liuxin when the little princess arrived at the Jianyin Bang headquarters with the other Yumen descendants. He was actually quite aware and felt happy to finally be with Liuxin again. But then he saw that Liuxin's father had also come, and that the little princess had indeed returned to being an honorable princess, while he was just an orphan who wouldn't deserve her.
"Liuxin," Shuiyao said quietly to her, "I will transfer you the guardian's inner energy here. Later you don't have to come back to the capital with us, you can go with your friends."
"Is fuwang fine with that?" Liuxin asked happily.
"You don't have to worry about your father," said Shuiyao.
Shuiyao summoned Jinshui and all the other descendants who were there, asking them to help her transfer the guardian's internal energy to Liuxin, just like the other Yumen guardians did with their descendants. Xianjing Wang just stood there watching, apparently all the way from Yiling District to this city, Shuiyao had already informed him and asked him to compromise.
They all sat in a circle under the roof of the half-burned building. Shuiyao started pouring her inner energy into Liuxin. Zhu Baique, Li Qian, and Liao Xian used their inner energy to help her, while Jinshui and Huang Yu, and Qin Liangjie kept the process from being interrupted.
"Jinshui, Huang Yu must have told you and the other Yumen descendants to gather in Chen-an City, at the appointed time," Shuiyao said to Jinshui as they started the process. "Chen-an City is the closest city to Yumen's previous base in Baiyu Shan (White Jade Mountain)."
"I know," replied Jinshui, "in time we have to go there, and rebuild the Yumen base in its original place."
"That place was destroyed a dozen years ago," Huang Yu said, "isn't it better to build Yumen's headquarters elsewhere? We've taken over the traitor Wang Ruanya's residence in Anning Hegu, that's a pretty good place to start it all."
Shuiyao shook her head. "Baiyu Shan is the most significant place to guard the martial world against the threat of Liu Songqiao's cult," she said. "About thirty years ago, during the reign of our late jiaozhu, this place was chosen as Yumen's headquarters too because it was the most suitable place. Also, because there is the residence of a female character who is very influential to our Yumen."
"Someone lived there still?" Jinshui asked.
"Some of you may have heard of Tianbian Xing (Horizon Star) Gu Qiongnan and Wuyan Guniang (Faceless Lady) Bai Qiuyi," said Shuiyao, "a couple who had become the talk of the martial world in the past fifty years."
"Chailang Shifu once said to me that they were husband and wife, mastering high-level martial arts," said Huang Yu. "However, they were not present in the martial world for long. Rumor said that Tianbian Xing Gu Qiongnan, Gu Daxia joined his father in the war against some border tribes, while his wife stayed at their residence in Baiyu Shan."
"Yes," said Shuiyao. "This couple had a daughter, who later became our jiaozhu furen. When Baiyu Shan was made the headquarters of our Yumen, the residence of jiaozhu furen's mother was relocated to a cliff called taiyang feng (sunset cliff). This cliff was separated by a number of mountain roads and it was considered a sacred place by our people. Yumen followers were not allowed to go there without clearance."
"That Wuyan Guniang is still alive?" asked Jinshui.
"Wuyan Guniang was gone since a long time ago Baiyu Shan's owner was only known as a woman named Yunian," said Shuiyao. "Just like Lin Tongtian who had to seclude himself every year to practice beifeng qi, this Yunian also secluded herself every time, cultivating a kind of manual that cannot be learned by just anyone. Reportedly, this manual can make anyone who masters it stay young, can live longer than other people."
"The manual was named leng qing yu hua (cold jade grieve)," Huang Yu said slowly, "it was some kind of a very ancient martial arts no one nowadays ever seen its greatness."
"When Yumen's headquarters was destroyed thirteen years ago, Yunian was in her seclusion, and she didn't know what happened," continued Shuiyao. "Jiaozhu furen at that time also gave orders to the two vice leaders of Yumen to cut off the road to taiyang feng, so that those who came did not disturb her peace."
"Should we find her?" Jinshui asked.
"Yunian was not a member of Yumen, but she had an agreement with Liu Songqiao, and she was also the one who gave permission to our late jiaozhu to relocate the Yumen headquarters in her residence," said Shuiyao. "I don't know if she is still alive today, nor do I know if she will accept the descendants of Yumen. However, we eight guardians have agreed to leave me behind so that when the time comes, I can tell you about this, asking you to go find that woman before continuing our great task."
The process of transferring the inner energy to Liuxin has been completed. Shuiyao's face was pale. She knew that after transferring this internal energy, she was nothing but an ordinary person, and she was no longer a guardian of Yumen. However the descendants had gathered, everything that had to be said had been said, and her task was done.
"Shuiyao Shishu, who is this Liu Songqiao?" Qin Liangjie asked. "Why was everyone chanting his name as if he was a calamity, a figure so feared that it required a Yumen Jiao to confront him?"
"Liu Songqiao was the disciple of the previous generation of Yumen's leader," Shuiyao replied. "He…."
Shuiyao had not yet explained further, at that time from the gate of the Jianyin Bang headquarters a woman stepped in, carrying a cloth package in her hand. The woman was dressed in white mourning clothes, walking slowly, ignoring the guards who were about to block her. Wang Chun and Sima Yisheng seemed to know her, and let her walk into the courtyard.
"Qingyi," Qin Liangjie recognized the woman who had just arrived, he quickly stood up and walked over to her. "Qingyi, I am Qin Liangjie, the disciple of Menggui Shifu, do you still remember me?"
The others also stood up. Liuxin came after Qin Liangjie, feeling familiar with the new coming woman's face. Jinshui went over to Xu Qiao to protect her if anyone had bad intentions.
The woman stopped her steps and looked at Qin Liangjie for a moment, her face was cold and the look in her eyes was as if she didn't care. He did not answer Qin Liangjie's question, her gaze was then directed at everyone in the ruins of the Jianyin Bang headquarters as if to identify them and determine who was the purpose of her arrival.
"Is Menggui Shifu coming with you?" Qin Liangjie asked the woman again. "At that time I was seriously injured, separated from you and Menggui Shifu, and I didn't know how to find you."
The woman looked back at him. "Of course, you don't know how to find us," she said sharply, "because you don't care about us. My mother had already given her inner energy to you. She couldn't protect herself after, couldn't protect me. You were separated from us, weren't you happy instead, not to be afraid of my mother anymore?"
Qin Liangjie was silent. Indeed, after being separated from his master Menggui and Qingyi several years ago, he then returned to his hometown, hoping that he would no longer have to carry on his duties as Yumen descendant. Until recently in Bai Tu Shanzhuang, he also intended to break free and live a quiet life with his wife and child. But then Li Qian slowly convinced him, and at the Yiling meeting, he had unhesitatingly identified himself as Menggui's descendant.
"Qingyi," Jinshui called her name too.
"Jinshui Gege, who's Qingyi?" Xu Qiao asked, she felt like she had heard Jinshui mention this name before.
"Menggui Shishu's daughter," said Jinshui.
"Hua Jinshui," the woman in mourning clothes was indeed Menggui's daughter, namely Qingyi, the little raft girl who had picked up their guardians and young descendants at Xuanwu Lake ten years ago. "You still remember me. Do you also remember that you promised my mother to take care of me for the rest of my life?"
She asked Jinshui without looking at the person. Just like when she spoke to Qin Liangjie, her tone was also cold and even contained hatred. Jinshui didn't know why Menggui's daughter acted like she was hostile to the Yumen descendants, moreover didn't know why she suddenly appeared here after being missing for so long.
"Today I didn't come to ask about your promise, I have a more important thing to deal with," Qingyi said to Jinshui again, her tone sounded very strange. "I came here to see Shuiyao."
"Xiaoyi, is this really you?" Liuxin asked Qingyi, recognizing the face behind the veil of the mourning clothes was her loyal servant who came to the headquarters of Jianyin Bang a few months ago, a young girl who always kept her face down as if she didn't want anyone to see her. "You are Xiaoyi, that day we parted too in this place. I didn't leave you on purpose, but because that day Yu Gege ordered his servant to abduct…."
"Junzhu, the matter of you leaving without saying goodbye that day, I have absolutely no intention of making a fuss." Qingyi interrupted her words quickly, her gaze toward Liuxin containing even more hatred.
Liuxin immediately stepped behind Qin Liangjie, not knowing why her former maid could suddenly turn into the daughter of one of Yumen's guardians, moreover not knowing why Qingyi seemed to want to kill her.
"Shuiyao," Qingyi walked over to Shuiyao. "Do you still remember your good sister Yue Ling?"
Huang Yu stood in front of Shuiyao. He remembered Menggui's daughter, Qingyi, but he also didn't have any idea why she came so differently. Shuiyao was in a weak state from just giving Liuxin her all inner energy. Huang Yu didn't want anyone to take a chance against Yumen's only remaining guardian.
"It's okay," Shuiyao said to him, asking Huang Yu and the others not to get in the way. She approached Qingyi. "You are Qingyi, daughter of Menggui Jiejie. All this time I've been trying to find you, also trying to find your mother, but Menggui Jiejie sent a letter that day, saying it was only necessary to leave one guardian of Yumen, no need to spare another."
"I've been in wangfu all this time, you've seen me often, it's just that you don't recognize me," Qingyi said. "My mother entrusted me to Xianjing Wang, I don't think Xianjing Wang felt the need to tell his beloved concubine that he had found a long-lost daughter, preferring to arrange me to be Liuxin Junzhu's maid."
Shuiyao looked at Xianjing Wang imperceptibly, but she clearly didn't understand why Qingyi had brought up the old prince's name. It was true that six years ago Xianjing Wang had already given Liuxin a maid named Xiaoyi. However, Shuiyao never asked where this Xiaoyi came from, and she didn't feel the need to investigate watching that the servant kept her head down and didn't say much all the time.
"Menggui Jiejie knew wangye?" Shuiyao asked. "Long-lost daughter? What are you trying to tell me?"
"Wangfei Niang Niang please ask wangye, does he still know Yue Ling's name."
Along with her sentence, Qingyi unwrapped the cloth package in her hand. The cloth package apparently contained a lingpai or a dead person's nameplate, on it was clearly written Menggui Yue Ling. Shuiyao immediately looked at Xianjing Wang, waiting for his reaction.
Xianjing Wang took two steps closer, taking a quick glance at the nameplate, but he only raised an eyebrow for a moment, not feeling the need to explain to Shuiyao or anyone else.
"Xianjing Wang already knew my mother before meeting you. Sixteen years ago he came to Yumen Jiao's headquarters in Baiyu Shan to pick up my mother and I," Qingyi said again, "but at that time my mother was not there, you were there. He didn't pick us up, forgot about us, all because he was seduced by a fox demon like you."
"What did you say?" Shuiyao asked in shock. She knew Menggui was not married but had a daughter, but Menggui never told her who the child's father was, and she didn't ask further. When Xianjing Wang took her to the capital, she told Menggui, at that time Menggui also just smiled and wished her happiness.
When they met at Zilan Huayuan, Menggui even asked Shuiyao if Xianjing Wang was good to her, but didn't say anything, and everything about the past was completely covered up. Now that Menggui's daughter suddenly called her a fox demon, Shuiyao really didn't expect it at all.
"You were then brought to the capital, earned the title of a concubine, and enjoyed a luxurious life for sixteen years, not my mother," Qingyi continued, "when the guardians of Yumen agreed to leave one person behind, you were also chosen to live a good life under Xianjing Wang's protection, while my mother had to live on the run, never in peace, until the end she died alone without anyone burying her body."
Shuiyao was still in a weak state after exerting all her inner energy, instantly vomited fresh blood, and drooped down. Zhu Baique quickly caught her, Liuxin ran to her.
"Liuxin Junzhu left me here a while ago, I didn't hurry back to the capital with the others, I went to look for my mother," Qingyi continued, "I just found out, not long after dropping me off to my father six years ago, my mother was going to back to her hometown. It's just that she was seriously injured, and didn't get her chance to reach her destination, a year later someone who knew her found her short blade scattered in the forest, along with her bones and the remain of her clothes."
"Qingyi," Jinshui approached and immediately pulled Qingyi. "Shuiyao Shishu just gave Liuxin Meimei all her internal energy, she is still in a weak state. Whatever happened with your mother, we can talk about later."
"Liuxin Meimei," Qingyi said to him, finally looking at his face, "You call her so familiar." She glanced at Xu Qiao, the girl who stayed by Jinshui's side. "This young lady is also beautiful and attractive. Jinshui, no wonder you forgot your promise, don't care about me anymore."
"I do not forget," replied Jinshui. "I can still take care of you for the rest of your life."
"Qingyi...." Xianjing Wang looked deeply at his daughter, the words of explanation that had reached the tip of his tongue were swallowed back. He was a great prince, liking a woman didn't need to tell other woman, and liking a Fu Xueying didn't need to ask Yue Ling's permission either. When he had a Yue Ling, there was no need to tell anyone either. His story with Yue Ling was only a short story, his story with Fu Xueying meant much more to him. "You can't blame Xueying," he finally said. "She doesn't know anything."
"That's right, she doesn't know anything and I can't blame her," Qingyi replied, "but you can't stop me from telling her either."
"Qingyi," Jinshui called her too.
"Alright, the descendants of Yumen have gathered here, resurrecting Yumen is only a matter of time." Qingyi was still a little reluctant to Jinshui. "But, I'm not one of you, you want to revive a demon sect or create a truth-defending organization, it has absolutely nothing to do with me."
She pulled her hand from Jinshui's grip, then turned around and walked out of the place, taking her lingpai with her.
"Wait," Liuxin called her. She handed the weak Shuiyao to Zhu Baique, then approached Qingyi. "You are Fuwang's daughter, which means you are also my sister from another mother. Xiaoyi, if you are willing, actually I can ask Fuwang to give you a formal status, and you can come with me back to wangfu, and of course, you are no longer my maid."
Her words were spoken firmly, but they contained the last of her good intentions. Qingyi was Xianjing Wang's illegitimate daughter, for several years living in her own birth father's residence but only being considered a maid, Liuxin somehow felt pity. Moreover, during these few years, Xiaoyi had been a good maid to her, and Liuxin knew it was not easy for her.
"You can ask for a formal status for me?" Qingyi asked, the hatred in her eyes was completed with jealousy and envy. "I don't need the noble Liuxin Junzhu to ask my own father to give me my birthright."
"Then you can go," Liuxin said more sharply, "you harbor hatred and discontent towards Shuiyao Shifu, and I saw what you did to her. In the future, even if Fuwang is willing to give you a formal status, I will never consider you as a sister."
Qingyi drew a short blade from her waist, swiftly charged toward Liuxin, aimed straight at her neck, and was about to slay her mercilessly. Liuxin didn't expect the attack to come so quickly, but she still quickly dodged, then also drew a similar short blade, in the next moment greeted Qingyi's attack with that weapon.
Liuxin had just received the guardian's inner energy from Shuiyao, in that short time even though she couldn't use it properly, but the fight made the new energy feel turbulent, just like what happened to Jinshui three years ago and caused the death of nine elders of Haitang Jian Pai.
In just an instant, Qingyi had changed from an attacker to a person who had to desperately defend herself. Liuxin slashed her weapon mercilessly, overwhelming her. Liuxin's short blade cut the skin of her arm and blood flew from that wound.
"Liuxin Meimei," Jinshui quickly came between the two, using the energy Moying gave him to grab Liuxin's hand and snatch her sword. Qin Liangjie also came forward and restrained Liuxin, asking her to spare Qingyi. Liuxin turned around unhappily, returning to Shuiyao's side.
"Qingyi, our new Yumen has just begun," Jinshui said to Qingyi, "I hope there is no enmity between brothers and sisters."
He tore off his own cloth and used it to treat the wound on Qingyi's arm, then gave the girl his long robe. Qingyi's gaze towards him turned calmer, she still remembered how Jinshui used to be kind to her and her mother.
"Jinshui," suddenly she hugged Jinshui, and held him for a while looking at Xu Qiao.
Xu Qiao stayed where she was, not expecting anyone to be so bold as to hug Jinshui in public. Liuxin glared at this sight, almost attacking Qingyi once more, but Shuiyao had already grabbed her hand.
Qingyi let go of the hug before Jinshui refused. She knew that Yumen's primary descendant now had someone else, and Qingyi's name had probably been hidden in a deep corner and it would take a long time to get it back.
"Jinshui," she whispered softly, "whatever you owe me, I will collect it all later."
That girl for once really turned around and just walked away, and there was no one to stop her.