"Master?" Ye Qinglian suddenly stopped as if she had been hit hard, trembling and turned around to look back.
It was not because he heard that he was being targeted by a crossbow, but because he recognized that the owner of the voice was Ye Qinglian, the master who had stolen him out of the brothel and brought him up since childhood.
"Qing'er, long time no see!" Yu Bolian smiled and raised the lantern, illuminating her face that was no longer young and her head full of pearls.
More than thirty servants armed with horned bows, short crossbows, swords, and darts quickly surrounded Ye Qinglian, trying to block Ye Qinglian's way. Yu Bolian saw it clearly, and immediately shouted in a low voice, "Stop everyone, no one is allowed to approach Ye Qinglian."
Son, she is my only disciple. Coming here is like returning to your own home!"
"This..." The servants hesitated and stopped, but still pointed their horned bows, short crossbows and other weapons at Ye Qinglian to prevent her from jumping over the high wall and escaping while others were unprepared.
"Put down all your bows and arrows. I said, this is Qing'er's home. It's up to her when she comes and when she leaves!" Yu Bolian's brows immediately furrowed, she unsheathed her sword, and pointed it at the crossbow.
The servants glared at him.
The servants looked at each other, reluctantly put away their horned bows, crossbows, darts and other weapons, faced Ye Qinglian, and slowly retreated.
The pressure from all around disappeared quickly. Ye Qinglian also put away the Emei thorns, quickly stepped forward and gently took Yu Bolian's arm, "Master, why are you here? Didn't we buy our own house and fields in Korea?
Are you a villager? You also said that you want to recruit a few more apprentices and teach them to learn literature and martial arts..."
While asking, she quickly looked at Yu Bolian's lips, eyes, nose and other places to determine if her master had been poisoned and trapped in this weird house?
And Yu Bolian had brought her up since childhood, how could he not guess what she was thinking? He smiled and interrupted softly, "I don't understand, there is no girl as smart as you in the surrounding areas. Teach them,
I'm afraid of exhausting myself to death. Damn girl, don't make blind guesses, I'm not forced to stay here. Unless you cut off my hands and feet, or kill me. Otherwise, if I want to leave, who in the world can stay?
Can you help me?"
A few words, spoken very domineeringly, immediately convinced Ye Qinglian that her master was not under any duress.
Since she had not received any coercion, it was the master who took the initiative to stay in this mansion. She had previously felt that the marks left by the assassins were similar to the secret secrets held by the backbone of the Red Lotus, and she instantly had the answer!
The master did not wash his hands with a golden basin! Although she complained time and time again about how the leader had let her down. Although she had personally promised herself that after returning to Goryeo, she would be a rich man in peace and contentment and no longer get involved in the world.
While she was away, she quietly returned to the Song Dynasty. Then she quietly came to find the leader whom she had always heard about but never met. She was willing to use him, helping him train his minions, and even killed people and set fire to him.
.
A chill quickly surged into Ye Qinglian's heart. She immediately wanted to turn around and run away, but she was unable to move her steps even one inch.
Those servants put away their horned bows, crossbows, and darts, but did not leave. Although her master was getting older, he was still very proficient in martial arts. Especially in the skill of placing hidden weapons, he was still far ahead of her.
If she turned around now, she couldn't guarantee whether the master would immediately kill the family.
After all, her master was the one who taught her the skills of secretly targeting the opponent's vital points with a hidden weapon while her face was filled with joy and sweet words. She could not guarantee whether the loving look on her master's face at this moment was true or false.
"Why, I'm not being coerced to stay here, but you're unhappy?" Yu Bolian's feeling was very keen, she smiled and patted the back of Ye Qinglian's hand, whispering annoyance.
"I, I..." In an instant, Ye Qinglian was in a state of confusion.
The master went to all the trouble to return to the Song Dynasty only for the sake of the leader who never saw the dragon. And the assassin who intercepted Han Qing today was probably sent by the leader.
The assassins had a bad start and lost their troops. When the leader was furious, he would definitely send higher-level assassins to murder Han Qing and Han Qing's family.
As for the level of poisoning, assassination, and game planning, among the people she has seen in her life, the master considers himself second, but no one dares to claim the first!
"You kid, you are such a bad girl!" Yu Bolian patted the back of her hand again, as if she was the latter's real mother, and shook her head dotingly, "You think those who assassinated Han Qing were teachers?
Sent? I would be so stupid, forgetting that his skills are far beyond mine, and just send a bunch of losers over? Isn't that the same as giving him a warning? "
"No, it's not!" Ye Qinglian felt guilty and quickly denied it. "I didn't expect to see Master here. So I kind of doubt that I was dreaming."
"You!" Yu Bolian raised her hand and gently poked Ye Qinglian's forehead, "I have been lying since I was a child without blinking an eye. If you hadn't discovered the marks left outside, how could you have chased me here? And you could still chase these marks.
For whom?"
"Master -" Even though she had been strictly trained since she was a child, Ye Qinglian broke through her skills in an instant, her charming face was so red that it almost bled, "I, I'm just surprised, those marks are similar to the marks you taught me. That's it.
Come here and find out what's going on, you're not investigating something for others."
"Then take a heavy blow and kill my Greyhound and five of his subordinates!" Yu Bolian rolled his eyelids and curled his lips in disdain.
Ye Qinglian was immediately speechless, lowered her head, pretending to be aware of her mistakes and willing to correct them, and allowed her master to fail.
In this situation, her only way to escape was to take her master hostage and force her servants to send her out.
However, she has respected her master as her own mother since she was a child. At this moment, even if she knew that the other party was trying to keep her around, she still couldn't be cruel.
Therefore, she could only use the skills taught by her master, first admit her mistakes, and accept her mistakes. After passing the current hurdle, she could then find another way to escape.
I don’t know whether she really deceived her master, or whether Yu Bolian couldn’t let go of the relationship between master and apprentice for many years like her. When the latter saw her bowing her head and accepting punishment, she immediately laughed again, “Okay, don’t pretend to be pitiful.
Yes. Dogs are kept for use, and so are humans. There has been a misunderstanding between them and you, and they are still incompetent. If you kill them, you will kill them. Master can never ask you to pay for them with your life."
Knowing this would chill the surrounding servants. After thinking about it, she added sternly, "However, death penalty can be avoided, but living crime cannot be escaped. Follow me into the back hall, and I will assign you a task. If you do
If you do well, I will allow you to atone for your sins. If you do not do well or are not careful, I will not spare you even if you are my only disciple!"
After that, he grabbed Ye Qinglian's wrist, turned around and left.
"Yes, Master!" Ye Qinglian didn't know how to respond, so he had to let her pull him, step by step away from the unconvinced servants, and walked into the back hall next to the garden.
The back hall is very spacious, and the furnishings inside are as luxurious as those in the courtyard. Glazed lamps, sandalwood tables and chairs, ivory seats, silver incense cages, and many exquisite objects that Ye Qinglian has never heard of are all dazzling.
But Yu Bolian seemed to have long been accustomed to this kind of luxurious life. Like a hostess, she pulled Ye Qinglian into a nanmu chair covered with ivory mats and sat down. Then she also found a chair and sat down, using her fingers.
He gently tapped the table between the two of them and said, "Baoqin, go to the kitchen and pass the supper and snacks. I want the taste from Chang'an. The girl likes it!" (Note: Girl is the name given to unmarried girls from wealthy families in the Song Dynasty.)
"Yes!" A maid immediately agreed outside the door in a low voice, and then the sound of soft footsteps gradually faded away.
Immediately afterwards, four more maids in rather luxurious clothes approached the back hall from the yard. They knocked on the door lightly a few times and announced their identities. After receiving Yu Bolian's permission, they walked into the house and took a tray with them.
A sterling silver tea set and freshly brewed tea soup were presented.
Although Ye Qinglian had used her identity as the head of the Lotus Troop to cover up her time in hiding, Ye Qinglian was surrounded by maids, and her food and clothing expenses were not inferior to those of girls from wealthy families in Chang'an City. At this moment, she was still dazzled. Until the third day.
This time, Yu Bolian urged me to drink tea to quench my thirst. I finally calmed down, picked up the teacup, and sipped slowly.
The tea is a small dragon dumpling as a tribute, which was rarely seen in the Chang'an market in the past. Occasionally it appears, and the weight is measured in two, and the price exceeds that of pure silver of the same weight.
Therefore, after Ye Qinglian took the first sip, she realized how precious this tea was. She frowned and looked at Yu Bolian with confusion in her eyes.
However, Yu Bolian had already put down the silver cup, looked her up and down, and commented softly, "You have lost weight and become darker. You must have been having a hard time these days! If I had known this, I should have sent someone to call her earlier.
You came to the reunion. I just kept thinking that you might have gotten married with Han Qingcheng as you wished, so I didn’t bother you."
"Master, what are you talking about?" Ye Qinglian was shy and moved at the same time. She put down the tea cup and protested in a low voice, "I just didn't know anyone in Korea and couldn't get used to the food there, so I returned to the Central Plains.
no……"
"I understand, Master understands. Master won't tell me, I won't tell you." Yu Bolian smiled and nodded lovingly, "But it's okay. The more he refuses to cherish you, the sooner you can get over this situation.
Jie. There is no need for me to worry about you day and night."
"Master, no, no!" When Ye Qinglian heard this, the shyness in her heart was immediately replaced by disappointment. She blushed and shook her head gently, "He did not cherish me, and I was not trapped by love. It's just, it's just
…”
She didn't know how to explain her feelings for Han Qing. She admired and liked him very much, and she felt relaxed and happy when getting along with him. However, she couldn't marry him, and it seemed that there was nothing to worry about.
The years have gone by, and he and I are both still young. As we are now, each other knows the other's existence, is willing to do something for each other, is more than a friend, and is not a couple, so that's fine.
If I really marry him, just thinking about being trapped at home and not being able to roam around as I please makes me feel uneasy and have a headache.
"It's just that for a while, I can't see anyone more pleasing to my eyes than him, right?" As the saying goes, a good daughter is like a mother. Yu Bolian immediately understood what Ye Qinglian didn't say, and smiled to complete the words for her.
Ye Qinglian was stunned for a moment, and her face turned red again.
Yu Bolian saw all her expressions in his eyes, sighed and shook his head gently, "Oh, silly girl, how long do you have to wait? A woman's youth is very short. After the age of twenty, she is an old lady.
Do you have to be like Master and wait until wrinkles appear on your face before you start to regret it? Why didn't you make up your mind and take the gamble?"
"I, I..." Ye Qinglian felt so uncomfortable when she was told that. In an instant, she didn't have the strength to put on any more fake faces. "I don't know, Master, I really don't know. I'm a little scared. I'm afraid that after marrying him
, but I feel regretful. I, I don’t know how to be someone else’s wife, let alone how to share the same husband with Dou Rong and Xu Ziling.”
These are all truths. Although she can pretend not to care, in fact, it makes her feel more panicked than facing thousands of fully armed enemy troops.
Unfortunately, she had no friends or relatives around her. She tried to find an elder to help her resolve her doubts, but she couldn't find one. Today, she met her master, and after hearing the other person's words, she immediately couldn't resist the urge to talk.
"You silly girl!" Yu Bolian seemed to feel the same, and sighed softly with red eyes, "Who can predict the future events accurately? Even if you regret it, at least you have tried it, and you will not leave it in your heart.
It’s a pity. The day has really come when we are tired of each other and we just walk away. Master, how can we still lack a room and food from you?”
"Master——" Ye Qinglian's heart felt warm after hearing this, and tears rolled down her face uncontrollably.
The master is a holy girl from the Red Lotus Sect. The master regards human life as nothing but grass. The master talks about people and ghosts. He is fickle and ruthless.
However, the master is her master after all. He has brought her up as his own daughter since she was a child. Even now, even if she doesn't like Han Qing, he still works hard and patiently to help her with suggestions. Moreover, he promises to give her a forever natal family!
"Why are you crying? Marry him if you like it. If you don't like it, don't marry him. I'm not forcing you!" Yu Bolian also felt a little sour in her heart. She raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears on Ye Qinglian's face, "Good boy, don't cry.
If you still have any difficulties, you might as well tell Master. Master will help you find a solution together."
"No, no!" Ye Qinglian raised her hand and grabbed her master's hand, blushing and shaking her head gently.
Yu Bolian's hand was very hard and dry, and it was like grabbing a piece of firewood in the palm of her hand. It was completely different from the feeling Ye Qinglian had when she was a child.
She knew that her master was really old. She also knew that she shouldn't let her worry about her. She quickly wiped her eyes with her other hand and tried to show a smile, "It's really gone. Master, you don't have to worry about me. That's right."
How are you doing lately?"
"What do you think?" Yu Bolian glanced at her, pursed her lips and asked. The corners of her brows and eyes revealed genuine satisfaction.
"Master, master should be living a good life!" Ye Qinglian suddenly realized, raised his head, looked around, and then looked at his master carefully again.
Yu Bolian is no longer young, but her makeup is very careful, the jewelry on her head and the clothes on her body are all exquisite.
Since she met her master, this was the first time that Ye Qinglian saw her master dressed up so gracefully and luxuriously. She was like a royal wife, sitting in the courtyard of a deep house, enjoying the happiness and glory her husband had won for her with peace of mind.
"Before I met you, I met your master." Yu Bolian was a little shy when she was looked at by her disciple. She lowered her head and explained in a very gentle voice, "He bought this house at that time and wanted me to live in it.
.But I was just like you now, worried about gains and losses, and didn’t know how to get along with his wives. As a result, twenty years passed as soon as I was delayed."
"The foundation of the Red Lotus Sect was chosen by Han Qing, and you left me in Korea. I suddenly realized that what I want most is his woman." She looked up at Ye Qinglian and added faintly.
"Don't rush to say good things for Han Qing. In fact, I don't hate him that much. If he hadn't destroyed the Red Lotus Sect, I might not have seen my true intentions clearly."
"Yes!" Ye Qinglian smiled and nodded gently. Suddenly, it seemed as if he was back in the past again, where he and his master were sitting across from each other under the lamp, talking about everything.
"Then I came to Bianliang. I planned to look at him from a distance and then leave. But I found that he had kept this house for me. And he tried hard to decorate it the way I liked it. Even after I
When I told him that he liked the gardens and rockeries in Suzhou, he dug them out for me at all costs."
"Then the master stayed!" Ye Qinglian was sincerely happy for the master and added with a smile, "I'm afraid it would be the same if it were me."
"You girl!" Yu Bolian was a little embarrassed by what she said. He raised his hand and gently poked her forehead. "You actually made fun of Master!"
"I'm not joking, I'm not joking, I really mean it." Ye Qinglian followed the master's movements, leaned back, smiled and waved her hands, "I am really happy for the master when I see him living the life he likes. I am
…”
Halfway through her words, she suddenly sat up straight again and gently moved her waist and neck.
Her waist and neck were as flexible as usual. However, the backward movement just now made her feel a little out of control.
This was the instinctive reaction of a martial arts practitioner, and then she smiled and shook her head slightly.
I have been too tired recently and I need to take a good rest. Since Master likes her life now, I should not continue to disturb her.
As for whether the master is actually the leader himself and what his identity is, there is no need to ask more. As long as he treats the master well, that is enough.
"What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?" Seeing Ye Qinglian suddenly start to move her body, Yu Bolian asked with concern.
"No." Ye Qinglian stood up and said goodbye to the master with a smile, "I am happy for the master. I have to go. Wu You, who is under Han Qing's command, has made an appointment with me to meet tonight. If you can't find me,
I’m afraid I’ll chase you here.”
"Did you date Wu You?" Yu Bolian frowned slightly and asked in a low voice. "Why did you date him?"
"I didn't know Master lived here!" Ye Qinglian quickly explained in a low voice, the apology on her face was genuine, "That's why I asked him to track down the assassin separately. Master, don't worry, I won't tell anyone, nor will I reveal it.
The secret here. This matter is in the past. You said that the assassin was not sent by you. I don’t want to get involved in this matter anymore. With you and Master on one side and Han Qing on the other, I’d better go away."
"You girl!" Yu Bolian stood up immediately and shook his head gently, "You are still as smart as before. Why stay out of it? Your master actually also admires Han Qing. You can pull him over for your master and let's have fun.
How nice it would be to be a family?"
"But Master, you have to give me a little time to think about how I can do it." Ye Qinglian slowly took a half step back, her knees were slightly weak, but she tried to keep herself steady. She tried hard to use the skills taught by her master.
, responded with a cute face. "I really have to go. Wu is the commander of the Zhenrong Army. He is thoughtful and his skills are not inferior to Han Qing. He also has a lot of veterans who have retired from the Zhenrong Army. In case the two sides
If there is a conflict, my disciple, I must be very uneasy."
"It's okay. Just think about the late night snacks and the room that Master has prepared for you here. Master is the only disciple like you. We haven't seen each other for a long time. Why are you willing to leave now?" Yu Bolian smiled.
, shook his head slightly, "As for that Wu Mata, if you really made an appointment with him, I would send someone to kill him. Of course your master has a way, send someone to destroy the body and eliminate the traces!"
"Master, you..." Ye Qinglian felt sad and regretful at the same time. Her body trembled slightly and her steps began to stagger.
The tea was not poisonous. When she took the first sip, she was careful and did not dare to drink more. However, the incense cage should be lit with incense! It was covered with osmanthus, and the yard was full of
The sweet-scented osmanthus.
"Stay, good boy!" Yu Bolian smiled so weirdly, stepped forward and hugged Ye Qinglian's waist, her voice sounded like Sanskrit singing, "I have a good disciple. If you don't stay, who can help your uncle deal with Han?"
Qing? Haven't you always envied Xu Ziling? Let him come to save you once. Then, when your master changes another day, the master will reward you with the title of princess, kill Dou Rong and Xu Ziling, and let you and Han Qing, Feng