Volume 1, Chapter 18: Her Master’s Name Is Yanli

"Fusang!"

Ye Fusang ran all the way out of the Eldest Princess's mansion, her hair in disarray.

From a distance, a male voice called out to her. Ye Fusang glanced to the side. Across the street stood a young man with the refined appearance of a scholar. His skin was very fair, his lips a vibrant red, and his eyes were clear and bright. He did not appear effeminate, but rather intelligent and cultured.

Song Xinyi.

The name surfaced in her mind, and a wave of dense, stinging bitterness surged in her heart. It felt as if she had been pierced by a blade, and a tear fell uncontrollably from her eye. Ye Fusang sensed it; it was the original owner's farewell.

Song Xinyi had evidently been waiting outside the princess's mansion for a long time. He trotted over, his eyes slightly moist. "I'm sorry, Fusang. It's my own incompetence. Are you doing well in the princess's mansion?"

He handed her a pouch of silver and wiped his tears as he tucked it into her hand. "Blame me for being useless, unable to save you. I just thought you might need some silver to grease the wheels and make your life a little easier."

Ye Fusang did not accept it, saying only, "Her Highness treats me very well."

"That is good, then..." A smile finally appeared on Song Xinyi's face. "Fusang, the Eldest Princess wants Ye Yun. Once she sees Ye Yun, will she let you leave the mansion?"

*You silly child...* Ye Fusang sighed inwardly. The original owner and Song Xinyi were indeed two of a kind—both foolish. "I am now her person in life, and I shall be her ghost in death. Xinyi, I have only one request of you: help me keep that secret, and let it rot in your stomach for the rest of your life."

"Very well. But what about us..." Song Xinyi looked troubled. "Remaining in the Eldest Princess's mansion will ruin your entire life."

"Ye Fusang."

Xiao Wogu had been dragged along by those weak-willed maids and was already extremely displeased upon finally seeing her. "I am following you, not that woman."

Seeing Xiao Wogu beside Ye Fusang, Song Xinyi's face paled. He stepped forward to take Ye Fusang's hand. "Fusang, what is this..."

Ye Fusang was pulled toward him. Song Xinyi looked refined, yet his grip was unexpectedly strong. Ye Fusang pulled her hand away, suppressing a sudden, uncontrollable heart palpitation. "Song Xinyi, I am already Her Highness's person. From now on, we are merely friends, nothing more."

Xiao Wogu used his sword hilt to knock Song Xinyi’s hand away. "You are both men; what else could there be?"

Song Dailan was walking down the street arm-in-arm with Ye Wansu. Upon seeing Ye Fusang with Song Xinyi, she charged forward like an enraged lioness. "Ye Fusang, you half-baked sleeve-slasher, entangled with Ye Nitian, and now you come to harass my brother? How truly despicable!"

Song Dailan wore a goose-yellow dress, her face fair and pretty, but her temper was explosive. Seeing the red mark instantly bloom on the back of Song Xinyi's hand, she quickly pulled him aside. "Brother... look, your hand is bruised from being struck!"

Pointing at Xiao Wogu, Song Dailan shouted angrily, "You, too, are a damned sleeve-slasher, actually hurting people without cause for Ye Fusang's sake!" With that, she lunged forward to strike Ye Fusang.

*If you’re going to pick a target, don't pick the softest one!*

Ye Fusang dodged with a few agile movements, which only infuriated Song Dailan further as she tried to snatch Xiao Wogu's sword. "You dare to dodge!"

"Dailan, stop this..." Song Xinyi stepped forward to restrain her, but was accidentally struck by Xiao Wogu’s elbow and fell to the ground.

"Brother..." As Xiao Wogu went to pull him up, Song Dailan stomped hard on Xiao Wogu’s foot. "You and Ye Fusang are both shameless, you adulterous scoundrels!"

Ye Fusang rolled up her sleeves, ready to show off her martial prowess, when Ye Wansu grabbed her arm. "Younger brother, you don't intend to strike a woman, do you?"

"They can't hit a woman, so I will!" A young girl in a black dress with her hair tied in a high bun flashed over from nowhere and slapped Song Dailan across the face. The "crack" was deafening. "So *you* are the one flirting with my brother? Who is shameless? You are the most shameless of them all!"

Song Dailan was stunned by the blow, her face swelling instantly. Clutching her cheek, tears flowed uncontrollably. "You... you... you wretched creature, how dare you strike this young lady!"

"Brother, what is wrong with you? I know you don't hit women or children. This isn't a child; feel free to hit her." The girl stared at Xiao Wogu, sensing that her brother had changed; he was actually being bullied by a girl who couldn't even truss a chicken.

"You are my sister?" Xiao Wogu’s expression was indifferent. After what had just happened, he truly wanted to avoid these women.

"I am not your younger sister, I am your elder sister." Seeing his reaction, she immediately realized he had lost his memory. Her brother was never this humorless. She stepped forward and suddenly checked Xiao Wogu's pulse. "Black Mandara... no wonder he has fallen to the point of being bullied by such people."

"Brother, are you just going to watch me get beaten?" Song Dailan cried, her eyes red, looking at the bewildered Song Xinyi.

Seeing the injuries on Song Dailan, Song Xinyi felt a pang of pity. "You shouldn't have attacked people the moment you arrived. You are a young lady; if Father finds out, he will lecture you again."

Song Dailan was so angered by her own brother that she clutched her chest, turned, and ran off. "Ye Fusang, just you wait!"

"Second Sister, you should go after her. If she gets sick from the anger, I won't be held responsible." Ye Fusang glanced at Ye Wansu.

Ye Wansu glared at Ye Fusang. Before, he hadn't been surrounded by so many people; he had been like a dog she could beat or scold at will. But now, he had managed to escape her clutches time and again!

"Brother, you lost your memory and now you follow a brat like this?" The girl looked at Ye Fusang with disdain. "No internal energy, no physique, no backbone."

"My name is Ye Fusang. Since you've found your brother, you can take him back."

"I am not leaving," Xiao Wogu said flatly, continuing to follow Ye Fusang.

The girl raised an eyebrow. Her brother was never interested in anything but the sword; yet now, he was following this young lad. She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a tortoise shell, and shook a few ancient copper coins inside before tossing them into the air.

The cold light reflected by the coins made Ye Fusang frown. Her lazy phoenix eyes stared carelessly at one of them, then she suddenly bumped into the girl, shouting, "She's coming again!"

In the blink of an eye, the girl’s hand swept past the coin. Irritated by the bump, the girl checked the result in her hand and frowned in disappointment. "Where? Why are you so jumpy?"

*This young girl actually knows the art of divination. But in front of me, she will not succeed.* Ye Fusang scratched her head and apologized, "Sorry, I saw it wrong."

"Young lady, can you let me see those copper coins?"

"You're barely older than me and you call me a young lady? My name is Xiao Mingyue." Xiao Mingyue snorted and tucked away the tortoise shell and coins. "Those coins are not for public viewing."

Xiao Mingyue simply couldn't stand Ye Fusang’s slovenly attitude, especially now that her brother was hanging around such a ruffian.

"Why are you here?" Xiao Wogu seemed to have accepted Xiao Mingyue as his sister.

"The Emperor of Lan Yue has finally come to his senses and intends to choose a National Diviner from among the practitioners. Naturally, I came." As she thought of this, Xiao Mingyue's eyes dimmed. "I heard the position has already been promised to the new Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion."

Ye Fusang had heard this from Bing Yan earlier and was no longer surprised. "The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion consists entirely of diviners, so I suppose that makes sense."

"What do you know?" Xiao Mingyue’s expression turned cold and stern. As the autumn wind stirred her hair, her presence became sharp. "They are a group of hypocritical villains. If my grandmaster were still alive, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion would not be in this state."

"Grandmaster?"

Ye Fusang had never heard of anyone in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion taking an apprentice in the past; it must have been in the last two years.

The figure, often veiled in black, became clear in Xiao Mingyue’s mind. "My master is called Yanli, one of the Senior Envoys of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion."

Hearing that name after a lifetime had passed, Ye Fusang’s heart trembled. She steadied her voice and asked, "Then where is your master?"

"I don't know..." Xiao Mingyue’s eyes grew red. She looked up slightly. "The last time I saw her was five years ago. Her limbs were severed, and she fell off a cliff."

Hearing this, Ye Fusang turned away, her voice trembling. "Did you not go to the bottom of the cliff to look for her?"

"How could I not? I sent people to search for a whole month, but there was no trace of her, dead or alive!" Thinking of the river stained red, two tears rolled down Xiao Mingyue’s cheeks.

After venting the emotions she had held inside, Xiao Mingyue stabilized. She wiped her tears and said coldly, "Forget it. Why am I telling you this? Just pretend you never heard it."

The palm of Ye Fusang’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, was pierced by her nails until it bled. Her heart felt as if it were being torn apart; she never imagined that Ye Ning would go to such lengths!

If she had killed her for the position of Pavilion Master, that would be one thing—her own life in that lifetime was nearing its end anyway. She had never intended to seek revenge in this life, only to live out her remaining days in peace.

But she hadn't even spared Yanli!

They had grown up together, closer than sisters, and now she had betrayed her like this!

Ye Fusang’s breathing became painfully difficult. She suddenly thought of her brother and her face turned pale. "...I heard that besides Pavilion Master Yan, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion also had her brother? Since they are of the Yan lineage, why didn't he inherit it?"

Xiao Mingyue sneered coldly, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Young Master Yan Heng died coughing up blood in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, distraught over the Pavilion Master's death. Coughing up blood... the young master had deep internal energy; how could he just die coughing up blood in the pavilion?"

"Ye Ning’s ambition is clear! How is today's Heavenly Mystery Pavilion even worthy of the name?"

*Distraught, died coughing up blood...*

Ye Fusang felt a roar in her brain. She gripped the clothes over her chest, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. "Puff... cough, cough..."

"Ye Fusang." Xiao Wogu frowned and steadied her. "What is wrong with you?"

Ye Fusang closed her eyes, her cold, sorrowful phoenix eyes hidden beneath long lashes. She raised a hand to cover her eyes, crying and laughing at the same time, her tears mixed with blood. "...My chest hurts so much. That Song Dailan must have poisoned me."

Xiao Mingyue checked her pulse and fed her an antidote. Watching Ye Fusang, even Xiao Mingyue felt a tremor in her own heart. She sensed a kind of desperate sorrow in him. "I didn't expect such a fool to use poison, but it’s not a potent one. Stop crying; act like a man."

After a long while, Ye Fusang moved her hand away. The tears on her face were chilled by the autumn wind. Her phoenix eyes were bloodshot, like a cuckoo weeping blood.

*It is all my fault! It is all my fault! I planted these bitter fruits; I was unworthy of being the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion!*

Ye Ning and Bing Yan were so vicious. In this life, she would surely make them pay for their blood debts!