Blood sedge

Chapter 1211 Siblings Cherish Each Other (Part 1)

"Bang, bang bang!"

"Hey girl, are you asleep?"

Late at night, after pacing around the courtyard for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Wu Shuang, still worried, decided to knock on Xun Zhen's door, even though the candles in her room had already been extinguished.

"squeak!"

A moment later, the candlelight in the room was relit, casting a faint yellow glow, and then Xunzhen slowly opened the door.

"I apologize for disturbing your peaceful sleep." Looking at Xunzhen, who was still sleepy and looked puzzled, Wu Shuang looked ashamed and bowed repeatedly to apologize.

"Brother, is there something you need?" Xunzhen knew that Wu Shuang wouldn't come to the temple without a reason, and that disturbing him so late at night must mean something very important, so he wasn't annoyed.

"I will be leaving Luoyang City early tomorrow morning, and I would like to see you one last time before I leave."

"What's wrong with you, brother?" Xunzhen was taken aback and teased, "Didn't we just say goodbye? Why are you doing this again... In my memory, you're not usually this fussy."

“I’m just… a little worried.” As Wu Shuang spoke, she reached out and tugged at the cloak draped over Xun Zhen, wrapping her up even more tightly to prevent her from catching a cold. “I used to think that my sister came to the Central Plains under the guise of carrying out an order to travel around and have fun, but after all this, I’ve truly realized how hard you’ve worked.”

"Instead of worrying about me, brother, you should worry about yourself first!" Xunzhen didn't want to mention his own hardships, nor did he want to be pitied or sympathized with. So he smiled nonchalantly and then teased Wu Shuang, "You suggested that Valley Master Xiao go to the Western Regions to beg Master Kongsheng to come out of seclusion. Are you hiding your own ulterior motives?"

"What selfish motives could I possibly have?" Upon hearing Xun Zhen's words, Wu Shuang's eyes became somewhat evasive, and her voice sounded a little guilty.

"Do you really think Valley Master Xiao can persuade Master Kongsheng to return to the Central Plains?" Xunzhen raised an eyebrow, her ambiguous smile clearly indicating her disbelief in Wu Shuang.

“It’s not impossible! As long as Master still cherishes his relationship with Granny Peach Blossom, he won’t care about these worldly formalities…” Under Xun Zhen’s scrutinizing gaze, Wu Shuang became increasingly hesitant, her voice growing softer and softer. Finally, unable to bear her inner turmoil any longer, she simply spoke frankly, “Of course, I’m doing this to protect myself, to avoid being scolded by Master. The incident with Xu Qingnian last time has already made Master dissatisfied with me. If it happens again… at best, I’ll be confined to my room for three to five years to reflect on my mistakes; at worst, he might expel me from the sect. But I absolutely cannot bear either outcome, so…”

"Isn't it also acting on your own initiative to bring Valley Master Xiao there without permission?"

"That's different!" Seeing that Xun Zhen understood his predicament, Wu Shuang, who had been looking ashamed, immediately perked up and explained smugly, "Valley Master Xiao isn't an old friend of Master's, so Master won't have any reservations about her. Whether she goes or not is entirely up to Master to decide, and it's not my idea. But if I bring Granny Peach Blossom directly, it will be just like with Xu Qingnian last time. Whether it's out of courtesy or out of consideration for our relationship, Master will eventually have to meet her. In that case, it would be like me acting first and informing later, forcing Master into a situation where he has no choice, and he will definitely cause me trouble afterwards."

“That’s why I said the person you should be worried about is yourself.” Xunzhen, who had already seen through his thoughts, couldn’t help but chuckle. “If Valley Master Xiao finds out that you’re being insincere with her, she will not let you off the hook.”

“But I think… she probably knows what I’m thinking, but has no intention of exposing me.” Wu Shuang frowned and slowly shook her head. “Perhaps she’s worried that Granny Peach Blossom will be rebuffed like Xu Qingnian, and that it’s better not to see her at all. So she plans to go ahead and test the waters for Granny Peach Blossom. If Master’s attitude is firm, it will save Granny Peach Blossom from making a fool of herself. But if Master’s attitude softens, even if he refuses to return to the Central Plains, at least when we take Granny Peach Blossom to see him then, it won’t be so awkward for either of us.”

What you said... seems to make some sense.

"Moreover, I've already laid it all out beforehand. I told Valley Master Xiao that my master has long since transcended the Three Realms and is no longer bound by the Five Elements; his temperament is far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Therefore, even if she is extremely sincere, my master may not see her. Even if he does see her, he may not agree to see Granny Peach Blossom." Wu Shuang added, "As for what to do next, I'll let Valley Master Xiao decide for herself; there's absolutely no coercion involved. With Valley Master Xiao's shrewdness, she can't be easily fooled by a few words from me. Her willingness to listen to my advice must stem from her own weighing of the options and considerations."

“Weighing and considering…” Xunzhen’s eyes flickered, and he asked suspiciously, “I heard that Yun Zhuiyue and Yun Jianping will also be on this trip?”

"Not bad!" Wu Shuang ran his hand through his hair, feigning pride as he said, "Ping'er is devoted to me, and I am loyal to her. This time, she wants to leave with me, to roam the world and laugh at the world. There's nothing I can do about it; blame it on your brother's talent in both literature and martial arts, and his handsome looks. Tell me, what woman in the world wouldn't like that?"

“Yun Jianping is infatuated with her brother, but Valley Master Xiao may not be at ease.” Xun Zhen pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, and a mysterious smirk involuntarily appeared on his lips. “It seems that… Valley Master Xiao’s trip is not only for Master Kong Sheng, but also for you.”

"Attack me?" Wu Shuang was taken aback, clearly not understanding Xun Zhen's implied meaning. "What do you mean?"

"Master Xiao's precious daughter has already given her heart to him, how can a mother not care? But unfortunately, she has a very shallow relationship with her brother and knows very little about your background, so..." Xun Zhen's words were unintentional, making Wu Shuang, who was slow to realize what was going on, feel a chill down her spine.

"Sister, you...you mean..."

“What I mean is exactly what you think, brother.” Having never seen Wu Shuang so panicked, Xun Zhen chuckled. “Brother, you might want to think about it. Yun Jianping and you are deeply in love, so it’s not surprising that she insists on coming along. But Yun Zhuiyue has always been aloof and arrogant, so why is she being so proactive about other people’s affairs? Isn’t there something wrong with that?”

"Perhaps it was for Master Xiao."

"Of course he did it for Valley Master Xiao, but Valley Master Xiao is a mother to her child. She clearly knows that Liu Xunyi doesn't like Yun Zhuiyue, so why did she agree to travel with him? Little does she know that the journey to the Western Regions is long and arduous, and they will be spending every day together." Xunzhen looked at the bewildered Wu Shuang with her big, bright eyes and continued, "Xiao Zhirou could only have one reason for agreeing, or rather... only for one person." "Ping'er..." Wu Shuang swallowed hard.

“Exactly!” Xunzhen’s smile deepened. “Yun Zhuiyue is Yun Jianping’s adoptive father after all. He is a loving father and a filial daughter, and his kindness is as deep as the sea. Now, his daughter’s lifelong happiness is at stake. How can he, as her father, stand aside? A father’s love for his daughter is a reason that no one can refuse. Valley Master Xiao had no choice but to let him come along.”

"what do you mean……"

"It's likely that someone is using the guise of visiting Master Kongsheng to secretly... meet with their in-laws."

"Meeting in-laws?" Wu Shuang was shocked and almost cried out, "Meeting in-laws of what?"

"What do you think?" Xunzhen smiled, asking a question instead of answering.

"This..." At this moment, Wu Shuang was completely panicked. He stood dumbfounded in front of the door, looking at Xun Zhen, who was trying hard to suppress her laughter, with a wronged expression in his eyes. He said bitterly, "I thought I was scheming against Valley Master Xiao, but I didn't expect... I was the one who was schemed against. Fortunately, my sister reminded me..."

“Brother, don’t be sad. It’s not a bad thing.” Xunzhen comforted him. “It’s good to see each other! You and Yun Jianping are in love, and this day will come sooner or later.”

"That may be true, but I was completely unprepared. Besides, I'm used to a carefree and unrestrained life, and I don't want to rush into marriage and be bound by someone else..."

"Brother, watch your words!" Seeing Wu Shuang's predicament, Xun Zhen was not about to let him off easily. "Such irresponsible remarks are just like those playboys who toy with emotions. If Valley Master Xiao or Saint Master Yun heard this, they would skin you alive."

"Sister, stop making fun of me!" Wu Shuang was extremely frustrated, but he was helpless against Xun Zhen. He could only laugh at himself with a humiliated expression, "Now, my situation is probably more difficult and dangerous than yours."

"Yun Jianping is naturally beautiful and has a stunning appearance. Apart from being a little willful at times, she is a good girl." Seeing Wu Shuang's worried expression, Xun Zhen stopped teasing him and earnestly advised, "Brother, you must seize the opportunity and not let down Miss Yun's sincere heart. Don't miss out on her and regret it for the rest of your life."

"This matter... allow me to think it over some more. Fortunately, the journey to the Western Regions is thousands of miles long, giving me time to seriously consider a solution." After saying this, Wu Shuang slowly raised his head, staring intently at the bewildered Xun Zhen with a solemn expression. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke slowly, "Since we've brought up matters of the heart, don't blame your brother for nagging. The feelings between men and women are the most unpredictable. They are internalized and manifested in actions. They may not be apparent in ordinary times, but in critical moments, they can often make people disregard life and death, forget everything, and do things they wouldn't even dare to think of in normal times."

Upon hearing this, Xunzhen's heart sank, but he remained outwardly calm: "What exactly does my brother want to say?"

"I'm still a little worried, and I want to remind you again: be extremely careful with Liu Xunyi, and don't let yourself get involved."

"I suppose this is the real reason why you came so late at night, brother?"

"Well... it was mainly to say goodbye, and to give you a few words of advice." Having her thoughts exposed by Xunzhen, Wu Shuang couldn't help but look embarrassed. "Don't misunderstand, little sister, I know you wouldn't do something so foolish..."

"you do not know."

Before Wu Shuang could finish speaking, Xun Zhen, already flustered, blurted out the answer unconsciously.

"What?" Wu Shuang was stunned, seemingly unable to believe her ears. "Sister, what you just said..."

“My brother has treated me with sincerity and has told me everything. On the contrary, I have been avoiding the truth and hiding my thoughts. Since that’s the case… I might as well trouble my brother to take some things to the young Prince of Qin for me, so that I can put my mind at ease.” At this moment, Xunzhen’s heart was in turmoil, but her expression was neither happy nor sad, and her tone was as calm as water, seemingly without any emotion.

"what?"

"A letter!" Before she finished speaking, Xunzhen had already returned to the room, taken out a secret letter she had written beforehand, and stuffed it into Wu Shuang's hand without saying a word, as if she was afraid that if she was too slow, Wu Shuang would have the idea of ​​backing down.

Looking bewildered, Wu Shuang glanced at the letter in her hand, then at Xun Zhen, whose eyes trembled slightly and whose lips were tightly pressed together, and asked suspiciously, "This is..."

"This is my letter of apology. Please, elder brother, present it to the young Prince Qin!"

……

(End of this chapter)