Chapter 97: Unwavering Vow

  Things are roughly like this. The emotions that were squandered in the recklessness of youth are also fragile to this extent. Those who were thought to be waiting forever will eventually become sorrowful, tired and gone. What is brought underground is forgetfulness or unforgiveness, but it's also hard to pursue now.

  Shen Bailian looked at the broken string on the guqin and shook her head silently. A person is dead and cannot be revived, just like this string that once broken can no longer produce beautiful music, what's the use of regretting now?

  With a creak, the cold wind gently pushed the window open by a foot. The candle flame on the table flickered and turned into a faint wisp of smoke that vanished. However, neither of the two people inside bothered to relight it. The desolate moonlight seeped in from outside, drop by drop, as if also chillingly penetrating the human heart.

  After a long time, in the darkness, I heard Qinji's weak and faint voice, as if she was muttering to herself: "What lofty ambitions, what flying swords and immortals, are all inferior to him standing before me, just like when we first met that year, he smiled at me slightly... Even if one really became an immortal, what would be the point? The person I wanted to see, the person who played the qin and xiao with me, is no longer by my side..." Then, a rustling sound was heard, vaguely like the sound of tears falling onto her clothes. "I'm so regretful... really so regretful! Qin Yi... husband..."

  Quietly listening to the faint sobbing sound beside her ear, Shen Bailian closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

  It was unknown how long had passed when Shen Bailian opened her eyes, only to see that the sky outside the window had gradually turned a pale white. Turning her head again to look at Qinji, she was still staring blankly at the ancient zither on the table, the tears on her face had long since dried up, and her eyes were also calm and peaceful.

  Shen Bailian's heart skipped a beat, nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart, Qin Ji looks like this...

  "It's dawn." Seemingly having heard the sound of Shen Bailian's clothes rustling, the woman in green sitting at the table spoke softly, her calm tone devoid of even a hint of sorrow, which was eerily different from the intense grief she had shown last night.

  "Qin Ji..." Shen Bailian furrowed her brow and called out, but didn't know what words of persuasion to use, and was momentarily at a loss for words.

  Qin Ji raised her head, a calm expression on her face, and no ripples in her eyes: "Shen Shaoxia, thank you for listening to me talk about those old things. Now I have to leave first."

  "Where are you going?" Shen Baiying was taken aback, remembering that she had previously told Bo Suanzi that she wanted to pay her respects to her late husband, but now it seemed a bit too early.

  Qin Ji was silent for a while, then replied: "...... I want to go to Xuan Ge Tai and take a look."

  Shen Bailian suddenly felt a pang of concern, this was the place where Qin Yi and Guqin first met, for her it was full of memories. Now that the person had passed away, she was a woman in her prime who was grieving, and might do something rash if she became too emotional... After thinking about it, Shen Bailian couldn't help but say: "I'll accompany you instead." In her heart, she thought, just in case she had any extreme thoughts, she could comfort her. Such an extraordinary woman would be truly wasted if she were to die young.

  Qin Ji looked at him deeply, then silently lowered her head and picked up the guqin, walking out the door.

  Shen Bailian knew that she had acquiesced, and hastily rushed downstairs to call the innkeeper to settle the bill. The innkeeper was still sleepy, and after taking the silver money, he was still a bit dazed, watching the two of them leave for a long time before suddenly raising a big question: yesterday there were clearly two men and one woman, how did that old man disappear?

  Two people walked out of Shengping Inn, Qinji hugged the zither and led the way. Both of them had magical powers in their bodies, so they naturally didn't walk slowly, and within half a stick of incense, they had already arrived at the east of the city from the south. From afar, only a stone wall was seen, with many green willows on the wall head stretching out millions of tender green silk ribbons against the morning glow. After Qinji saw the long stone wall, she paused for a moment, then quickened her pace slightly, and Shen Bailong followed her through an archway to the other side of the stone wall.

  Just as she lifted her head, she felt a sudden clarity before her eyes. Before her lay a vast and sparkling lake, like an endless mirror reflecting the sky. The leaves of the lotus plants stretched up to the heavens, and amidst them, she could vaguely see the pink buds of the water lilies that had yet to bloom. A gentle breeze carried the sweet fragrance of the flowers, and the morning sunlight added a touch of elegance to the scene. This sight was truly breathtaking. Shen Bailian couldn't help but exclaim in admiration at the beauty before her. Suddenly, she heard Qinji's soft voice beside her ear: "This is Thousand Island Lake, and it's especially beautiful in early summer. If we weren't here so early, we could still hear the music coming from the pleasure boats... He once praised the jade lotus flower of the leaning railing pavilion, saying that the woman's zither playing was exceptionally good. Alas..." She gazed wistfully at the pleasure boat moored by the lake shore for a moment before turning to continue walking forward.

  Along the gravel path, they walked for a while and arrived at a small floating bridge at the other end of the lake. The bridge was winding and connected to a platform in the middle of the lake. On the platform stood a pavilion with its eaves flying upwards and its corners rising high, reflecting the sunlight that shone through the clouds and mist. Qin Ji stood still at the head of the bridge for a long time before speaking softly: "This is the Yuege Pavilion." As she spoke, she let out a gentle sigh and walked slowly into the pavilion.

  Shen Bailian followed and walked past, leaning on the railing to look out. He saw that outside the pavilion, the lotus leaves were swaying in the wind, the lake water was calm and clear, and except for the sound of the wind blowing the lotus flowers, there was no other sound. It was very quiet and secluded. He thought about how Qin Yi had met Guqin here many years ago. The talented young man held a fan, and the beautiful woman held a zither. They played a tune that lingered on the surface of the lake. What a wonderful thing it must have been! He couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. However, when he thought about how the talented young man was now buried under a mound of yellow earth, leaving only the beautiful woman to pine away in sorrow, a wave of sadness surged up in his heart. He quickly collected his thoughts and turned to look at Guqin, finding that she too was standing by the railing, staring out at the lake with her eyes downcast. It seemed as though something bright in her eyes was gradually fading away. Shen Bailian's heart sank, and he hastily interrupted her train of thought, asking: "You said yesterday that you wanted to go pay your respects... If the Qin family gives you trouble again, what will you do?"

  Qin Ji was taken aback, and after a long time of contemplation, she said: "I myself did wrong, so I can only accept this result... As long as I can see him again, talk to him again, any humiliation I can bear." She was originally a female knight with great self-esteem, but after going through all these things, she had become much more indifferent.

  Shen Bailian, however, felt that it was not right. Yesterday, he had seen clearly how the servants in the Qin household treated this former young mistress with great disrespect, from top to bottom. It seemed that her father-in-law and mother-in-law were even more harsh towards her. He furrowed his brow and said, "If they bully you too much, don't worry about it too much, just use your magic to make them obey."

  Qinji shook her head: "The Qin family is a scholarly family, extremely particular about etiquette, and should not be like this. Moreover, I have already made up my mind, in this life, I will no longer use these martial arts." When she said the last sentence, her expression was solemn and very serious.

  "What's gotten into you?" Shen Bailian exclaimed in surprise, "Even if your heart is aching, there's no need to go this far..."

  Qin Ji held the guqin in her arms even tighter, speaking softly: "He was most displeased with me dancing with swords... I left him for so long to practice swordsmanship... Cultivating martial arts is supposed to be for helping others and saving people, but I ended up getting it backwards, losing the person I cherished and valued the most in my life. Thinking about it carefully, this set of martial skills has actually been harmful and useless to me..." A hint of regret appeared on her beautiful face, and she slightly moved her sleeve, revealing a glint of sword light as she drew out the sword from the hidden compartment at the bottom of the guqin. The sword trembled in her hand, casting an unsteady shadow on the ground. Her voice was calm yet firm, full of conviction: "I, Qin Ji, swear that for this lifetime, I will never use martial arts again. If I break this vow, may I... may I never be able to see Qin Yi again, neither in heaven nor on earth!" With a flick of her wrist, she threw the sword into the center of the lake, and it sank beneath the water with a soft splash, leaving behind only ripples on the surface.

  For a moment, there was no one speaking in the pavilion. Shen Bailian looked at the lake surface that gradually calmed down again, and several times wanted to speak but stopped, but when her eyes met Qinji's determined face, she swallowed back thousands of words of persuasion.

  After a while, Qin Ji sighed softly and said: "Shen Shaoxia, you don't have to worry. I haven't yet paid my respects in front of my husband's spirit, this wish is still unfulfilled, I will definitely take care of myself, absolutely won't do anything stupid like seeking death lightly, nor will I allow others to humiliate me easily. Moreover, I am clear in my heart, my husband... even if he resents me in his heart, he wouldn't be happy to see me die for him, how can I seek liberation through death? Only living is the truly painful thing, I still have to continue living in this world, remembering his kindness towards me, thinking about the mistakes I've made, only then can I atone for my sins...

  Shen Bailian listened intently as her voice gradually weakened, only to feel that the helplessness in his heart lingered on. Was this young woman going to spend the rest of her life in regret? Was living like a dying ember the only way for her to find some solace?

  "Then... after bidding farewell to Qin Gongzi, where do you plan to settle down?" Shen Bailong asked.

  Qin Ji's face revealed a hint of an unintentional smile, and she said lightly: "Since I've already promised to meet with Gu Xian senior in Jiangdu, I'll naturally go there first. As for afterwards..." She looked down at the ancient zither in her arms, and her arm tightened around it, "As long as I'm accompanied by this, no matter where I go, I won't feel lonely..."

  Shen Bailian gazed at her, his eyes deliberately devoid of any sympathy. He knew that a woman like her had her own dignity and would not want to see pity in anyone's eyes. He spoke slowly: "Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you anymore. There's just one thing I must say - Gu Xian, the old master, is truly a rare and exceptional person. To be honest, even among the top masters of Tianyuan City, there are few who can match him. It's a rare opportunity to have gained his favor, even if you no longer wish to use your martial arts skills. Following him and learning from him would still be beneficial, Qinqu. Don't waste the kindness he has shown you." As he spoke, he kept his eyes on Qinqu's face, but saw that her expression remained indifferent. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, but thinking of Gu Xian's unyielding attitude, he felt a glimmer of hope when they arrived at Jiangdu - perhaps there would be another chance.

  "Thank you, Shen Shaoxia, for pointing that out. Qinji is deeply grateful." After he finished speaking, Qinji bowed deeply to him, and then she looked up at Shen Baiying with a strange expression in her eyes. She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I also have something I'd like to tell you, Shaoxia, although it may not be related to you. It's just that Qinji has some doubts and speculations in her heart, so please just listen."

  Shen Bailian listened to her tactful words but detected a hint of strangeness in her tone, and after a moment's pause, nodded and said, "Please speak."

  Qin Ji looked at him for a long time before speaking: "As I mentioned earlier, I joined the Tianyuan City to learn the immortal family's magic four years ago. It is located in the northwest of Kunlun Mountain, where the air is extremely fresh and it is an ideal place for cultivation... The elders of the sect all have their own magical powers, among them there is an elder named Yu Zhao, who has the highest power and is strict and dignified. He is the disciplinary elder of Tianyuan City, in charge of the rules and regulations of the sect, and all the disciples are respectful and fearful of him, even more so than the master... Perhaps due to his deep powers, this elder looks younger than the other elders by many years, with a face that appears to be only in his early twenties. If not for his silver hair, it would be difficult for anyone to guess that he is nearly eighty years old... He..." Qin Ji looked at Shen Baiyun again, before continuing seriously: "He looks similar to Shen Shaoxia, about 80 or 90%."

  "What?" Shen Bailian was stunned, an elder of Tiangong City, looked so similar to himself?

  Qin Ji nodded slightly: "Yes. The sect gathers disciples every few days to pass on martial arts from the elders, and Yu Zhaozhen can often be seen... I was also startled when I first saw you, young hero, and didn't expect there to be someone so similar in the world."

  There are actually people so similar in the world... Hearing Qinji's words, Shen Bailian's heart skipped a beat, and suddenly another voice echoed in his ears, colder, weaker, full of hatred yet also full of longing. He had forgotten it before, and intentionally didn't think about it in the following days, but that voice suddenly echoed again at this moment, telling him that he had never truly forgotten: "Bailian... my son... if one day you remember... cough, go find a person named Shen Zhao... tell him, I have hated him all my life, he owes me, even... even if I can't get it back in this life, I will make him pay it back in the next! Cough... ask him, does he regret or not?"

  Shen Zhao... Shen Zhao... If that person were still alive, he would probably be around eighty years old. What exactly is the relationship between the Jade True Person of Tianyuan City and him...