Chapter Ninety-six: Lamenting Love with a Zither Song

  Qin Ji came to, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in a bedroom. The room was dimly lit, with a faint yellow glow seeping through the curtains from outside. She felt bewildered, wondering to herself: Where am I? As she threw off the covers and got out of bed, she discovered that her outer clothes were still intact on her body, which made her feel much more at ease.

  As soon as his hand touched the bed curtain, he heard a warm and gentle voice exclaim with surprise and laughter: "You've finally woken up. I'll go call Elder Mo now." Then he heard footsteps echoing, followed by the sound of the door opening and gradually fading away.

  When Qín Jī lifted the curtain, she only had time to see a figure in a light blue long shirt flash by, but that voice she quickly remembered was the young man who had accompanied the strange middle-aged man who had blocked her way during the day. The "Guà Xiān Qiān Bèi" in his mouth was naturally that middle-aged man. She looked around the room and saw only a wooden cabinet, a wooden table, and several stools. Her guqin was placed neatly on the corner of the table, with a teapot and tea cups on it, looking like an ordinary inn. At this point, she didn't think much of it, but in her mind, she thought, Guà Xiān, Guà Xiān... Ah yes, that person indeed looked like he could tell fortunes, saying he had the heavenly eye since birth, and insisted on taking her as his apprentice, also saying... also saying she was carefree...

  When she recalled the words of the fortune teller about her own fate, she thought again of the scene in front of the Qin's mansion. Her body trembled slightly, and her feet could no longer stand still. She swayed once and fell onto the stool beside the table. In her mind, however, there were countless thoughts: That fortune teller was indeed straightforward... I, I am already free from all attachments, aren't I? Qin Yi... Qin Yi, how can you be so heartless, not even giving me a glance before leaving like this? Thinking of her late husband, she couldn't help but tear up again.

  At this time, footsteps were heard approaching, and then two people walked in from outside the door.

  It was Shen Bailian and Bu Suanzi who arrived. After learning of the death of Qin's young master during the day, Guqin had been unable to withstand the blow and fainted, but despite this, the Qin family still refused to accept this former young madam into their home. However, the old steward of the Qin family, remembering her relationship with his own young master, secretly handed over some silver money to Shen Bailian and Bu Suanzi, instructing them to take good care of Guqin. But Bu Suanzi proudly said: "What does my disciple have to do with your ordinary family? Don't sully us with these dirty things!" With a flick of his sleeve, he swept away the silver money, only to hear the sound of clinking as the coins were embedded in the golden plaque on the gate of the Qin family, each one deeply embedded. The servants of the Qin family were shocked and pale-faced, but Bu Suanzi merely smiled coldly and left, floating away. Those servants naturally did not dare to block his way.

  He then took Qinji to the Shengping Inn in the city with Shen Bailian, where they rented a room and temporarily settled her down. Shen Bailian had learned some basic medical skills from his mother when he was young, and seeing that Qinji's eyebrows were furrowed with worry and her face was full of fatigue, he knew that she was exhausted and needed to rest and calm her mind. He lit some calming incense to help her sleep soundly until now. Bu Suanzi couldn't wait any longer and went downstairs to the kitchen to look for food, leaving only him quietly guarding the room until Qinji woke up.

  At this moment, he and Bo Suanzi walked into the guest room. Qin Ji saw him busy and stood up. She had already guessed that everything that happened after she fainted was taken care of by these two people. They were able to do so much for someone they just met, and her heart was filled with gratitude. She bowed deeply and said: "The great kindness and virtue of the two of you, Qin Ji will always remember in her heart, if there is a chance in the future, she will definitely repay it."

  Shen Bailian saw that she was tearful, obviously still grieving over her husband's passing. He quickly comforted her, saying: "It's just a small matter, why take it to heart? Qiniang, everyone has their own fate, and grieving is only in vain. Although Qin Gongzi has passed away, if he knew that his wife was so sorrowful on earth, I'm afraid he wouldn't be at peace even in the afterlife... you shouldn't be too distressed either."

  Kotohime turned around and wiped away her tears with her sleeve, forcing a faint smile as she said: "I treated him that way, I'm afraid he's already forgotten me. Perhaps now he won't be uneasy, but instead has already reincarnated early." Before she finished speaking, her eyes reddened again.

  "Reincarnation or not, let it be! Since you, my disciple, have no home to return to and nothing to tie you down, there's no reason for you to refuse. Hurry up and pay your respects, then follow me!" Bu Suanzi didn't bother with Shen Bailian and Qinji's conversation, his mind solely focused on the big event of accepting a new disciple, he stroked his beard and smiled at Qinji.

  Shen Bailian looked down at the ground in dismay, thinking to herself: At a time when Qinxue is already heartbroken, how could she possibly have the energy to think about these things? Gu Xian Lao really is reckless and inconsiderate of others' feelings.

  "Indeed, Qīn Jī said in a faint tone: 'I'm grateful for your kindness, senior, but things are complicated at the moment and I really don't have time to think about anything else. Please don't pressure me about becoming your disciple again. For now, I just want to pay my respects to my late husband by burning incense in front of his spirit tablet; as for other matters... they'll have to wait.'"

  The fortune teller sighed and muttered, "If it's not forced, then it won't be forced. Can the destined apprentice still escape?" Thinking of the divination he had done earlier, he regained his confidence and said calmly, "Alright, I'll give you some more time. Wait until you've dealt with these mundane matters, and then I'll take you as my apprentice. You mentioned earlier that you would repay me for my great kindness, but don't worry about it. I have a place in Jiangdu, go there to find me after you leave Chenzhou, and that will be your repayment. You can't refuse this, can you?" He looked at Qinji with piercing eyes.

  Qin Ji saw the eager anticipation in his eyes, and thinking that since they met, this person had no ill intentions towards her, and moreover, he had helped her, so she could only agree.

  Hehe, with a big laugh: "A word once spoken is like white silk. Good disciple, I'll be waiting for you in Jiangdu!" As soon as the words fell, he turned around and walked out, his one step crossing over instantly brought him outside the door. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew from where he was standing, the force was so powerful that it stung people's faces and blurred their vision. Shen Bailian and Qinji hurriedly raised their hands to cover their faces, when they put down their hands after the wind had gradually subsided, where was the figure of Guaxian Laoqian?

  This Gu Xian senior had traveled thousands of miles to Chenzhou for the sake of his disciple, who was calculated by the gua symbol, and had entangled Qinji for so long. Unexpectedly, after getting a promise from Qinji, he became nonchalant again, saying goodbye and leaving immediately. Qinji and Shen Bailong chased out of the door, only to see a long corridor, where was his figure? At this moment, the two people looked at each other in dismay, and had no choice but to return to the guest room again.

  After a long silence, Shen Bailian stared at the lamp on the table in a daze, when suddenly he heard Qinji softly say: "Young Master, that Guaxian Old Senior... is he your sect's elder?"

  Shen Bailian came back to her senses and shook her head in denial: "No. I just met Guaxian senior today, he's so accomplished, how could I be worthy of being his disciple?"

  Qin Ji smiled slightly and didn't say anything more, lowering her head to gently pluck at the strings of her ancient zither on the table.

  The only sound was the lingering music of the guqin, gradually forming a melody, but with a hint of sorrow and longing that seemed to be a woman's gentle lament for a loved one who had departed. Shen Bailian listened for a while, feeling melancholy fill his heart, and looked up at the person playing the guqin, only to see Qin Ji's face alternate between smiles and tears, gradually transforming into a look of deep regret, as if she was deeply trapped in memories of her past life with her husband Qin Yi. Her hands moved involuntarily, and the music became increasingly mournful, the sound growing louder and more piercing until it suddenly snapped, startling Shen Bailian, as one of the guqin strings could no longer bear the tension and broke apart.

  The music stopped abruptly, and so did the thoughts of Qin Ji. She lifted her head, with a hint of sadness still on her face, and two tears rolled down her cheeks in silence, like autumn flowers holding dew, revealing a sense of desolation and beauty. Shen Bai Lian watched this, feeling sympathetic, and handed over a handkerchief from his sleeve. Qin Ji shook her head in gratitude, only to gently wipe away her tears with her own sleeve, then sighed softly after a while, asking: "Young master, you've helped me like this, but I haven't even asked for your name yet, do you...?"

  "My surname is Shen." Shen Bailian hastily replied.

  Qin Ji nodded and continued to look down at the piano body, after a moment she said: "Shen Shaoxia, are you willing to listen to me tell my story?"

  "Listen quietly and wash your ears clean." Shen Bailian said.

  "My name is not actually Qín Jī, but I've been called that since childhood because of my love for music, especially the guqin. My parents and friends all call me Qín ér. Now that I'm in this situation, I don't dare mention my former name... My mother was known as the 'Iron Lute Heroine' when she was young and traveled the jianghu. I inherited her skills in music and martial arts. That's why I yearned for the freedom of life on the jianghu when I was young, and after coming of age, I eagerly set out to make a name for myself, thinking that using my martial arts to help the weak and poor would be the most enjoyable thing in life."

  Shen Bailian praised: "This is great, it seems that you, Qinji, are also a famous female knight in the Jianghu."

  Qin Ji shook her head and sighed, "In my youth, I was reckless and didn't know the height of the sky or the thickness of the earth... Later, when I happened to pass by Chenzhou, I played a tune on my zither while touring the lake, not knowing that a flute sound would come from the lakeside, harmonizing with my music. Following the flute sound, I found myself at the Strings and Songs Pavilion by the lake, where I saw a young gentleman standing there, holding a jade flute - it was Qin Yi... I will never forget that scene for the rest of my life, and during those four years apart, I often dreamed of it... He wore a white robe, with willow flowers blown onto his shoulders and sleeves by the wind. He gently brushed off the petals from his robe, turned around, and gave me a faint smile... In this lifetime, I have never had another moment that made my heart flutter like that..."

  It was as if she had returned to the moment when they were inseparable, and a faint smile of happiness floated on her face. After a long time, she continued: "Not long after we met, he took me in as his wife. Although he didn't know martial arts and his body was weak, he was the best person in the world. We studied music scores together, and he even taught me to write and read books. Those days were actually more enjoyable than when I was roaming the rivers and lakes... But after all, the Qin family wasn't like those people on the rivers and lakes, and my parents-in-law didn't like me, a rough woman. Even if my husband could defy them once or twice for me, he couldn't do it thousands of times. Gradually, I wanted to return to the carefree life I had before marriage... Coincidentally, one day, my mother-in-law scolded me again over something, and even my husband blamed me a few words. I really couldn't bear it, so I left a note and took this ancient zither he gave me and ran away from home."

  Shen Bailian suddenly remembered what Bo Suanzi and Qin Guanjia had said, and only then did she understand that there was another reason why Qinniang had left home.

  Qin Ji continued: "After leaving home, I felt a sense of relief in my heart. Moreover, before marrying Master, I had planned to seek out the Sword Immortal and learn immortal techniques. So, I took the opportunity to visit famous mountains and rivers everywhere. Later, I joined the Tianyuan City of Kunlun Mountain and became one of its disciples..."

  "Tiān Yǒng City!" Shen Bailian was taken aback. Tiān Yǒng City, along with Qióng Huá Sect and other famous Kunlun sects, was known as one of the eight great Kunlun sects in the world, a renowned immortal sword sect. She had not expected that Qin Ji would come from there. Shen Bailian was shocked, and her gaze at Qin Ji was completely different from before.

  "Presumably, Shen Shaoxia has also heard of Tianyuan City. The swordsmanship of the immortal family is naturally a hundred times more exquisite than the mortal martial arts. I have been studying for only four years and my swordsmanship has made great progress. However, in the quiet mountains, after bitter practice, I find myself thinking of Qin Yi more and more. In the middle of the night, I dream of him and it's hard to suppress my longing... In the end, I came down from the mountain again, just wanting to secretly take a look at how he was doing, but unexpectedly..." Her face revealed an extremely painful expression, "I would rather he not forgive me, not want me to be his wife again, nor want him to..."