Chapter 30 : An Unforeseen Disaster

A figure came through the window, everyone was surprised to see this person.  It was Yu Peiyu.

The sisters looked surprised and happy to see him; Yu Peiyu looked amazed too to find the sisters here.

He went over to Zhu Lei’Er and unsealed her acupoints and said: “Unseal their acupoints and follow me.”

Zhu Lei’Er got up and immediately asked: “Do you know these two?”

Yu Peiyu picked up the unknown man and had already left the house, he didn’t answer her question.

She bit her lip and looked at the sisters for a moment, Yu Peiyu said from outside: “Hurry up!  Yang Zijiang could come back.  I will be waiting for you in the abandoned barn up ahead.”

Zhu Lei’Er picked up the clothes of the sisters and threw them at their feet.  She looked at them bemused and unsealed their acupoints, she said: “Put your clothes on!  I don’t like my husband seeing naked women.”

The sisters were stunned for a moment, the younger sister said with indignation: “Husband?”

Zhu Lei’Er looked at them and said: “Don’t you recognize my husband?”

The elder sister nodded, the younger sister said: “We know young master Yu, but who is your husband?”

Zhu Lei’Er looked annoyed and said: “Young master Yu is my husband, my husband is young master Yu.  Do you understand?”

The younger sister sneered: “Oh really!  Congratulations.  For a moment there I thought you were the daughter of young master Yu.”

Zhu Lei’Er looked angered and said: “I knew it.  You have an eye on my husband.  But if I see you trying to seduce him I will kill you.”

Yu Peiyu had reached the barn; he put the man down and unsealed his acupoints.

The man got up and bowed to Yu Peiyu, he said the following: “Thank you my friend for saving me.  I take it you are befriended with the sisters.”

Yu Peiyu said calmly: “I do know them and we are indeed befriended.  But I wouldn’t sell out my own family because of them.”

The man backed a bit away from Yu Peiyu and stuttered: “What...what do you....you mean?  I...  I don’t understand.”

Yu Peiyu sighed: “Tell me the truth, Tang Yue. Second young master Tang, please no more lies.”

The man was trembling and looked very nervous.

Yu Peiyu sighed again: “I never guessed it would be you.  I never guessed that you could betray your family and clan like that.  But when I saw Miss Golden Blossom and Iron Blossom, I figured it out.  You betrayed your father because he objected to your relationship with Miss Golden Blossom.”

Yu Peiyu paused for a moment before continuing in a stern voice:” So you helped them to create a perfect imposter who will approve of your relationship with Miss Golden Blossom.  However by doing so you have not only betrayed your father but also the entire Tang Clan.”

Tang Yue backed to the wall and shouted: “My father is dead already.  I did not kill him and by helping them I’m giving my brothers and sisters a father again.  My brothers and sisters won’t have to deal with the tragedy of losing our father.  I have done nothing wrong!  I am right!”

Yu Peiyu angrilly scolded: “So you rather have your brothers and sisters acknowledge an imposter to be their father.  Don’t you even realise what he can do if returns?  The entire Tang Clan will be ruined, the hard work of generations will be lost.”

Tang Yue looked like a defeated man and said: “Do you realise the pain I will be in, if I cannot see her. I know my crimes are unforgivable and I will rot in hell, but I don’t care.”

He looked at Yu Peiyu and continued: “Do you know what love means?  Have you any idea what love can do to you?  I suppose not.  If you do understand you won’t blame me for my actions.”

Yu Peiyu looked sad now and smiled wryly: “I understand what you’re going through.  I too know what love is and I am still in love with someone.  I won’t blame you if you would elope with Miss Golden Blossom.”

Tang Yue smiled sadly: “Eloping?  If things were that simple?”

Yu Peiyu said: “If the two of you truly love each other that deeply, you can find a remote place in the world and spend the rest of your life there.  Both of you are people who can live without any luxuries of life.”

Tang Yue said: “Someone else could perhaps do that, but........”

Yu Peiyu asked: “But what?”

Tang Yue continued: “Do you know how the Tang Clan deals with those who violate the family directives?  They will hunt us down to the corners of the world.  Besides the Heavenly Silkworm Sect is ten times more vicious than the Tang Clan.”

Yu Peiyu said: “To my knowledge hierarch Sang doesn’t oppose your relationship.”

Tang Yue said sadly: “He doesn’t object, because he wants me to wed his daughter officially.  He knows that this will never happen.  If this doesn’t happen he won’t allow us to be together.”

Yu Peiyu said: “But you can run away.”

Tang Yue said tragically: “Maybe we can escape the pursuit of my clan but we cannot escape from the Heavenly Silkworm Sect.”

He said even more tragically: “If Golden Blossom betrays her father and sect, she will die horribly after seven months.  After seven months her body will slowly rot away.”

Yu Peiyu was worried and said, he quickly asked: “How is that?”

Tang Yue continued sadly: “Only hierarch Sang knows how to compose the antidote to prevent the caterpillars to come out from the Heavenly Silkworm Cocoon.”

Yu Peiyu sighed deeply: “So because of this you would rather sacrifice the lives of others including your family......”

Tang Yue said: “But I’m not a heartless man, but I will know how to deal with those conspirators too.”

Yu Peiyu asked: “What do you mean?”

Tang Yue explained: “I can help them succeed, but I can also foil their plans.  Sooner or later I will expose their crimes.”

Yu Peiyu said with surprise: “Sooner or later?  You are going to wait?”

Tang Yue said: “I will wait when I’m married with Golden Blossom.”

Yu Peiyu said: “Do you realise the damage they can do in the meantime?”

Tang Yue said: “This......”

Yu Peiyu sternly said: “The secretive weaponry can fall in the hands of outsiders, all the Tang disciples would obey the commands of the imposter and become his slaves.  Furthermore have you thought of how many people can die at the hands of those conspirators, including your brothers and sisters.  Your entire family can be destroyed before you can take actions against them.”

Yu Peiyu added calmly: “Most important, can you live that long to expose them?”

Tang Yue was now a broken man, he was crying and said softly: “Am I wrong?  Have I really made a grave mistake?”

Yu Peiyu said: “Are you still unaware of your mistakes?”

Tang Yue said: “That day my father ordered me to switch places with you.  He told you to wear a mask and wear my clothes, he instructed my brother and I to contact Yu Fanghe......”

Yu Peiyu said: “Yes I know this already.”

Tang Yue smiled wryly: “That day he ordered me to go and see Yu Fanghe, but he warned me not to pull anything on him.  Or else he would make sure I will never see Golden Blossom again.”

Yu Peiyu said grimly: “But you didn’t listen to him, did you?”

Tang Yue said sadly: “If someone didn’t offer me all sorts of advantages, I wouldn’t betray my father.  But Yu Fanghe told me that my father and my brother were dead.  If this news would spread the entire Tang Clan would be in chaos, the entire Wulin would be thrown in chaos too.  So he asked me to help him to create an imposter.”

Yu Peiyu asked: “And you believed him?”

Tang Yue said: “I found his idea ridiculous too, but this way was the only solution. Furthermore there would be a great advantage for me.”

Yu Peiyu said: “Except for agreeing your marriage with Miss Golden Blossom, I think he also promised you to be the new leader of the Tang Clan.”

Tang Yue lowered his head and said: “In a fit of confusion I agreed, but afterwards I regretted my decision.  I knew too that they would silence me.”

Yu Peiyu sighed deeply: “You’re quite an intelligent man, but sometimes you are a bit too naive. This is what they call.......”

He didn’t finish his sentence: greed makes blind.  He felt that this Tang Yue was very sad already, he didn’t want to make him feel worse anymore.

Tang Yue continued: “I have kept contact with Golden Blossom via letters.  When I arranged a meeting with Yu Fanghe, I told her to meet up with me after meeting with Yu Fanghe.”

Yu Peiyu said: “A very clever move.”

Tang Yue sighed: “That is why people say that life is similar to a game of go. I have made one major move, which I cannot correct......”

Before Tang Yue could finish, Golden Blossom stormed in and hugged Tang Yue, she sobbed: “You have done nothing wrong.....I was wrong....This is my fault.”

Yu Peiyu was saddened by this scene, their love for each other was touching.

Although Tang Yue’s actions were unforgiveable but understandeable.

But their undying love for each other really touched Yu Peiyu.

Zhu Lei’Er quietly approached Yu Peiyu and asked: “Did you see my characters under the carriage?”

Yu Peiyu just nodded, initially he wanted to scold her for bold and rash actions.  However when he saw her again, he couldn’t scold her anymore.

Zhu Lei’Er just gently pulled her sleeve, looking like she was awaiting a scolding or a praise.  But either way she would accept it, because both would come from her beloved Yu Peiyu.

Yu Peiyu said gently: “If I didn’t see your message, I wouldn’t be here.”

Zhu Lei’Er smiled sweetly: “When did you arrive?  Did you see the Parrot?”

Yu Peiyu laughed: “Nobody can see the Parrot.”

Zhu Lei’Er looked pensive for a minute and said sweetly: “If the Parrot wasn’t here.  Were you the one who scared away Yang Zijiang?”

Yu Peiyu smiled and nodded his head, he added softly: “That is why I am afraid he will return.”

Zhu Lei’Er laughed: “That Yang Zijiang must think that they real Parrot is chasing him.  He won’t dare to open his mouth to speak, by the time he figured it our we will be long gone.”

Iron Blossom stood some metres away from them, but she had her eyes on Yu Peiyu and Zhu Lei’Er the entire time.  Their soft and intimate whispering pained Iron Blossom to her heart.  She bit her lip and turned away from them, she felt that nobody cared for her anymore.  The sobbing of Tang Yue and her sister were sad enough, but the initimate talking of Yu Peiyu and Zhu Lei’Er were even more depressing.  She wished she was dead now.

Suddenly Yu Peiyu smiled to her: “Miss Iron Blossom, I haven’t seen you for months you look slimmer than the last time.”

If Yu Peiyu stayed silent, she wouldn’t be this sad but now her tears almost poured out.

She thought: Yu Peiyu.....Yu Peiyu......Do you know why I’ve become this slim?  If you’re really that concerned about me, how could you marry someone else?

She wanted to hug Yu Peiyu and cry her eyes out.  She even wanted to bite him a few times.

She was confused; she didn’t know whether to feel sad or happy to hear him talking to her again.

She doesn’t know what to say now, and before she knew it Yu Peiyu turned his attention to Tang Yue again.  It seemed that that sentence was just normal pleasantry.  Her heart sank away to her feet, it was like her blood was sucked away from her body in one go.  Yu Peiyu didn’t understand the hearts of young women.

Yu Peiyu sighed to Tang Yue: “I’m not blaming you, you should decide what you should do now.”

Tang Yue stayed silent for a moment, suddenly he said resolute: “I will go with you.”

Yu Peiyu asked: “Where to?”

Tang Yue said: “Back to the Tang Manor and expose their crimes.”

Yu Peiyu looked pleased and praised: “That is the true way of a hero.  If you’ve made up your mind nothing can stop you.  Furthermore if you have the tenacity you can solve any problem.”

Zhu Lei’Er was happy too that Yu Peiyu had accomplished so many things today, she was happy that his mission for the truth has made incredible progress.  Everyone was feeling happy, except Iron Blossom.

Tang Yue wiped away the dirt on his face and vowed to correct his mistakes and change his ways in his heart.  Golden Blossom just stared at him with praise and tears in her eyes, she felt proud that her man was able to take responsibility for his actions.

Zhu Lei’Er laughed: “We have wasted enough time already; we should be on our way.”

Yu Peiyu said: “Indeed, we can discuss the necessary on our way.”

A voice from outside the barn said: “Indeed, we can discuss the necessary on our way.”

Although everyone knew that this wasn’t the real Parrot and had to be Yang Zijiang.  But in their eyes Yang Zijiang was equally scary as the Parrot.

Zhu Lei’Er turned pale and shouted: “Yang Zijiang, come out like a man!  Stop playing tricks!”

Golden Blossom tightly held on to Tang Yue’s hand and scoffed: “You ran away like a coward earlier. How dare you to come back again, have you no shame!”

Yu Peiyu said loudly: “Yang Zijiang, since you’re here there is no need to hide yourself anymore.”

When Zhu Lei’Er and Golden Blossom there was no reply but as soon as Yu Peiyu spoke the voice repeated: “Yang Zijiang, since you’re here there is no need to hide yourself anymore.”

Zhu Lei’Er gritted her teeth and shouted: “Yang Zijiang, it could be that other people fear you. But Yu Peiyu doesn’t fear the likes of you!”

Golden Blossom shouted too:” Are you a man or not!  Come out!”

They few of them continued to scold, curse but in vain.  However when Yu Peiyu opened his mouth the voice would repeat the words of Yu Peiyu.

The few of them exchanged looks and nodded, they all stormed out the barn together.

When outside there wasn’t even a shadow of another person.

Yu Peiyu said sternly: “If you’re insulted that I’ve tricked you earlier, come out now.  I will fight you to the death.”

The voice repeated: “If you’re insulted that I’ve tricked you earlier, come out now.  I will fight you to the death.”

This time the voice came from behind the barn, when they rushed over there nobody was there again.

Zhu Lei’Er suddenly said to Yu Peiyu: “You stay here and the rest of us will each take a different position.”

Yu Peiyu nodded and waited when they were in position and shouted: “Yang Zijiang, come out!”

The voice repeated: “Yang Zijiang, come out!”

The voice came from the east, Yu Peiyu, Zhu Lei’Er, Golden Blossom and Iron Blossom all rushed over to Tang Yue’s position.

They saw Tang Yue looking frantically; he was looking all around him.  Zhu Lei’Er asked Yu Peiyu: “Did you hear where that voice was coming from?”

Yu Peiyu nodded; Golden Blossom held Tang Yue’s hand and asked Tang Yue: “Did you see anyone?”

Tang Yue looked extremely pale now and said trembling: “The voice came from behind me but when I turned around the voice shifted again and my back was faced to him again.  When I turned for another time he was gone and the voice too.”

Golden Blossom said to Tang Yue: “We will stay together this time, back to back.”

Zhu Lei’Er sighed: “But that way there will be an opening he can take advantage of.”

They all looked together and were stunned.  After some time Zhu Lei’Er said: “I don’t think it is Yang Zijiang that is playing tricks with us.”

Tang Yue asked: “Why do you say that?”

Zhu Lei’Er said: “Yang Zijiang has orders to take your life; he could have taken your life when you faced him with your back.  So therefore I conclude this voice isn’t Yang Zijiang.”

Tang Yue shivered and asked with a trembling voice: “Who.....who do you think it is?”

Zhu Lei’Er said: “If it isn’t Yang Zijiang it must be the real Parrot......”

When she said this she herself was stunned and shocked, she unintentionally backed closer to Yu Peiyu.

Yu Peiyu stayed silent for some time and said earnestly: “No matter what, our plans stay the same.  I don’t care who he is, if he doesn’t have the courage to face me.  I am not afraid of him, just because he’s repeating my words.”

Although he said this to assure Zhu Lei’Er and the others, he was very worried now in his heart.

The voice repeated his words again now.

As soon as Yu Peiyu said something the voice would repeat it.

Everyone was feeling worried and scared; this mysterious martial arts expert was following them and spying on them.  The mere thought was enough to make them gloomy.

Whenever Yu Peiyu spoke the voice would repeat it, it was unbearable.  And any lesser man would have cracked already.

Near dusk they reached a rather big town, they found the best inn and decided to lodge and eat there.

When they entered the inn, they saw it was rather crowded.  There was no sign of Yang Zijiang.  But could one of these customers be the infamous Parrot?

Yu Peiyu now loudly said: “Listen, I’m talking again.  Repeat my words.”

His voice carried very far and everyone heard him.  The customers of the inn and the waiters all looked up and stared at him.  They all thought why he talked that loudly and his words made no sense at all.  Everyone stayed quiet, and nobody repeated his words.  The customers stared at Yu Peiyu for a moment now and thought this man was mad.  They ignored him and continued to eat and talk again.

But Yu Peiyu and his friends were very happy for him and laughed happily and loudly now.

The customers and waiters looked up again and wondered how this group of madmen had money to eat and lodge here.

Zhu Lei’Er almost cheered with happiness; she used a lot effort to control her emotions before saying: “The Parrot is gone now, isn’t he?  Can you hear it too?”

Golden Blossom and Tang Yue said simultaneously: “You’re right, he is gone.  We can hear it too.”

Some of the waiters and customers looked at them again and wondered: What are they talking about?  There wasn’t any noise earlier?  These people are madder than I thought.”

Zhu Lei’Er said: “It seems it really was the Parrot, Yang Zijiang wouldn’t leave us alone like that.”

Yu Peiyu was still a bit restless and tried one more time, he said loudly: “If he really wants to harass me, why would he leave so soon.”

Fortunately there wasn’t a voice to repeat him, the imitator was really gone now.

Zhu Lei’Er smiled: “Perhaps he didn’t really want to harass you, he just wanted to teach you a lesson for using his fame.  So he played a little joke on you too.”

Golden Blossom smiled too: “I agree, now that the joke is over he has gone weary of you.”

This dinner was a very cosy, there was a lot of talking.  However not on the side of Yu Peiyu and Tang Yue. With three women in the company men can hardly talk.

But of the three women, the least talkative was Iron Blossom.  She kept looking and observing Yu Peiyu and Zhu Lei’Er.  She wondered whether they were really married and whether they really were husband and wife.

After the dinner she had her answer.

Yu Peiyu ordered five rooms in total he said: “Well, we need to rest properly now.  Furthermore we need the energy to face the possible troubles ahead.”

He turned to Tang Yue and laughed: “You have neighbouring rooms and there is a door linking to both rooms.  Although I asked for five rooms but I’m not a conservative man.”

Yu Peiyu was feeling quite pleased and even joked a bit now.

Golden Blossom looked at Tang Yue and Tang Yue looked at her.  When their eyes met they both blushed, it seems they had never been intimate with each other before.

Golden Blossom blushed and said timidly: “We need all the rest we need, we won’t make use of that door.”

It would have been best if she kept quiet, but now everyone started to laugh loudly including Tang Yue.

Golden Blossom blushed even more and pouted to Tang Yue: “Laugh all you want now.  I will lock that door and see if you can laugh tonight.”

Before she could finish, she herself started to laugh.  She quickly entered her room and closed the door.

Yu Peiyu patted on Tang Yue’s shoulder and joked: “We have a long day ahead of us, that day will come very soon.”

Both he and Tang Yue entered their own rooms, they all felt relaxed now.  Their sorrow and troubles were not so threatening anymore at this moment.

However Iron Blossom was the happiest of them all.

She smiled to Zhu Lei’Er: “My sister and my brother-in-law aren’t officially married yet, so that’s why they sleep in different rooms.  But why are you sleeping in different rooms too?”

Zhu Lei’Er was looking at Yu Peiyu’s closed door and felt quite melancholic as it is.

But hearing the words of Iron Blossom was like pouring oil on fire.

She angrilly said: “That is a matter between him and me.  It is not your concern.”

She walked into her room and heavily closed the door.

Iron Blossom looked at Yu Peiyu’s door too for a moment and looked through the window to stare at the moon.  She suddenly sighed deeply: “It is a long night.......perhaps too long.....”

There was indeed an extra door in Golden Blossom’s room.  When she entered her room, she immediately fell down on the bed.  She wanted to sleep but couldn’t fall asleep and kept tossing and turning.

In the end she sat up and looked at the door, it was quiet on the other side.

Is he asleep now?  What is he doing?  Those were the thoughts of Golden Blossom.

She kept waiting and waiting, she was confident that Tang Yue would look for her.  But he didn’t come, she thought: If you’re not coming here, I will look for you myself.

She got off her bed and gently walked to the door, because she was a girl from Yunnan she was accustomed not to wear shoes.

And the inn was very clean.

Suddenly she heard a soft knock on the door; she immediately went back to her bed.

She laughed softly: “I knew you couldn’t resist the temptation, but...but.....there is time for that later on.”

It remained silent on the other side, was Tang Yue angry now.

Golden Blossom said gently: “It is not that I don’t want to let you over, but they might hear us and laugh at us tomorrow.”

But there was still no sound on the other side; the last words of Golden Blossom would at least trigger a response.  Golden Blossom asked: “Are you angry with me?”

It was still quiet on the other side, after some time Golden Blossom became annoyed and said: “Are you dead or something?  Answer me!”

Again there was not a sound coming from the other side.  She know realised something was amiss and stormed into Tang Yue’s room.

Iron Blossom was lying in her bed too and she was smiling.  All her worries were over now.  Because Zhu Lei’Er and Yu Peiyu were sleeping in separate rooms.

Although she was not sleeping with him either, but at least nobody else was sleeping with him.

That thought made her very happy and secure again, Yu Peiyu was still available.

She suddenly felt that life and the psyche of women was very strange downright funny even.

She could also overhear the words of Golden Blossom, she secretly laughed at her sister.

After some time she heard the door opening of Golden Blossom’s door to Tang Yue’s room.  She blushed because she could imagine how things would end.

She smiled and felt happy for her sister.

However she heard her sister shriek very loudly.  That didn’t sound like the sound of two lovers meeting in the night.  She got up at once at rushed over to see what was wrong.

Zhu Lei’Er was lying in her bed and was sobbing.  She was crying because Yu Peiyu humiliated her in front of Iron Blossom.  Not because he didn’t want to sleep with her.

She didn’t even mind if she would be sleeping on the floor, she wouldn’t even mind if she crawled out through the window and went back to her own room later on.

She just wanted that Iron Blossom could see her and Yu Peiyu enter the same room together.

She couldn’t hear the words of Golden Blossom, but she could hear the shriek over Golden Blossom clearly.

The shriek sounded awfully eerie; when she opened her door she saw that Yu Peiyu and Iron Blossom had opened their doors at the same time.

What happened in Tang Yue’s room?

They heard Golden Blossom cyring loudly now and when they looked inside Tang Yue’s room.......

They saw Tang Yue lying on the floor; his normal handsome young face looked awful now.  His hands made a fist, his face was contracted together.

The other lodgers of the inn were also aroused by the noise; they all came out to have a look.

Yu Peiyu walked in and closed the door; he and the rest were not in the mood for gawkers.

Iron Blossom was stroking the hair of her sister and consoling her softly.  But soon she broke out in tears too and didn’t know how to console her sister anymore.

Yu Peiyu was angry, sad and upset, he was trembling now.  Zhu Lei’Er walked over to him and asked softly: “How did he die?”

He shook his head and didn’t answer; he picked up the body of Tang Yue and placed him on the bed.

There were no visible wounds, how did he die.

Yu Peiyu stayed silent after awhile he asked Zhu Lei’Er: “Was he poisoned?”

Zhu Lei’Er examined the pot of tea on the table; she tasted a bit and shook her head.

Yu Peiyu asked: “There is no poison in the tea?”

Zhu Lei’Er shook her head and said: “None.”

Yu Peiyu looked at Tang Yue’s body and noticed something, it seemed he was clutching to something in his hand.

He wanted to see what that was; Zhu Lei’Er stopped him and said: “Let me have a look.”

She opened the hand of Tang Yue and saw blood dripping from his palm, the blood was black.

She pulled out a small metallic object shaped like a flower, with tiny sharp spikes.

Zhu Lei’Er said earnestly: “What a lethal poison!  I wonder whether I could handle this poison myself.”

Yu Peiyu also looked very serious and said: “This is one of the Tang secretive weapons, the spiked bludgeon.  It is extremely lethal and the victim will practically die instantly.”

Zhu Lei’Er said with surprise: “Tang secretive weapon?  So do you mean he committed suicide?”

Yu Peiyu said: “Perhaps three months ago he would but now......”

He didn’t finish his sentence he looked sadly at the weeping Golden Blossom.

Zhu Lei’Er said loudly: “It must be that Yang Zijiang.”

The night slowly passed, it was dawn now.  Golden Blossom gradually came by her senses.  She paid the proprietor a lot of silver to buy a coffin and order the best undertakers in the town.  She personally supervised every detail when the undertakers came; Yu Peiyu, Zhu Lei’Er and Iron Blossom sat down and saw her walking about being busy.

Zhu Lei’Er said sadly: “Let her be.  It will give her some distraction.”

Yu Peiyu said sadly: “It won’t be usy to recover from this tragedy.”

All of a sudden Iron Blossom asked them: “Do you think Yang Zijiang is really the killer?”

Zhu Lei’Er said: “If it isn’t him who could it be.”

Iron Blossom said: “If it was him he could have killed my brother-in-law at the barn.”

Yu Peiyu smiled sadly: “Maybe he thought we couldn’t escape from him anyway.  So he deliberately played with us and waited for a good chance to surprise and shock us.  He has his revenge now.”

Iron Blossom stayed quiet and said softly to herself: “Yes, he is that kind of man.”

She looked at Yu Peiyu and said: “Perhaps he hasn’t left at all and is spying on us this very moment.”

Yu Peiyu nodded.

Iron Blossom looked in front of her and said slowly: “He won’t stop at one; he will kill us all one by one.”

Zhu Lei’Er looked at a willow tree; she shivered when she heard the words of Iron Blossom.

After some time Yu Peiyu smiled: “Killing us all, that won’t be that easy.”

They noticed that Golden Blossom wasn’t in the yard of the inn anymore.

A strong wind was blowing now; everyone shivered a bit and felt it was a bad omen.  It seemed like Yang Zijiang was spying on them.

Zhu Lei’Er asked Iron Blossom: “Where is your sister?  Will she commit......”

Yu Peiyu quickly interrupted her: “She is a very strong woman; both she and Miss Iron Blossom are not those who seek death.”

He didn’t want to hear the word suicide.

Zhu Lei’Er said: “If she was feeling sad and heart-broken, I would feel secure.  However she was looking so determined and calm earlier, she couldn’t have put away her sadness that easily.”

Iron Blossom immediately got up and started to look for her sister, Zhu Lei’Er looked sad and sighed: “With Tang Yue dead, I am afraid that Golden Blossom won’t want to live either.......”

Yu Peiyu suddenly noticed that Zhu Lei’Er has become more mature and adult over these two days.

Zhu Lei’Er noticed Yu Peiyu looking at her and she seemed to understand what he was thinking.  She lowered her head and said: “Men need more time to mature, but women can mature very quickly sometimes even overday.”

Yu Peiyu stayed quiet and didn’t know what to say.

Suddenly he remembered something he heard about: Girls become women after they get married.
He wasn’t sure if Zhu Lei’Er meant that and he was too afraid to ask.  He didn’t want to talk about this matter at least not now.

Fortunately Iron Blossom came back with Golden Blossom, Golden Blossom wore a beautiful dress with bright colours.
Yu Peiyu thought it was strange that she would something like that now, shouldn’t she be wearing mourning clothes instead.

Golden Blossom sat down in front of Yu Peiyu and asked: “What do you think of this dress?”

Yu Peiyu was dumbfounded by this question and smiled awkwardly: “Very nice.”

Golden Blossom smiled: “My mother told me once if a person is tired and exhausted, you should freshen up and wear new clothes.  You will feel perky again.”

Yu Peiyu sighed: “Do you feel better now?”

Golden Blossom didn’t hear that question; she gently touched the embroided flower on her dress.  She turned to Yu Peiyu and smiled: “I embroided this flower myself, even little Yue hasn’t seen this dress before.  You’re the first man who sees this dress.”

Her voice sounded very gentle.  Yu Peiyu didn’t know how to react.

Zhu Lei’Er was a bit taken by her words too and thought: Why is she saying these words to Yu Peiyu, Tang Yue died only less than half a day ago.  Is she looking for a replacement now?

Zhu Lei’Er knew that this possibility was not big but she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about that.

Golden Blossom said: “I know that everyone is very tired, I have ordered the kitchen to prepare a few of their famous dishes.  Let us rest and drink some wine.”

Her fiancé just died, how can she drink?

Zhu Lei’Er asked: “Can you really eat and drink now?”

Golden Blossom laughed faintly: “He is dead now, even if we cried our eyes out he cannot be brought back. We should take good care of ourselves if not he won’t die peacefully.”

These words that others should console her, but she was using them to console them.

Zhu Lei’Er was dumbfounded again.

In awhile the waiters brought in the dishes and wine, she poured a cup and raised her cup and said: “Let us drink.”

Yu Peiyu was a bit hesitant; Zhu Lei’Er was looking at Yu Peiyu and saw him drinking a cup too.

Golden Blossom said: “Miss Zhu.....”

Zhu Lei’Er said loudly: “I do not have the mood to drink, perhaps you do.”

Golden Blossom smiled: “Anyway I have to drink this cup, Miss Zhu......”

Zhu Lei’Er said coldly: “Anyway I won’t drink this cup.”

Golden Blossom looked into her cup, the red son shone on the wine.  The wine looked red, like blood.

Her smile was gone now and said recited: “I urge him to drink another cup, in the west there are no friends anymore......”

She drank the wine and laughed: “Who says that I do not have friends anymore, at least I have little Yue.”

Iron Blossom raised her cup and wanted to drink too, but she dropped her cup and shrieked: “Eldest sister..........”

Golden Blossom said gently: “I am fine, I am very happy.  I have never been happier before. Because in a few moments I will be together with little Yue forever......Nobody can separate us again.”

Zhu Lei’Er quickly took the cup from Golden Blossom’s hand and wanted to taste to see what poison she used.

Yu Peiyu also stood up with surprise; Golden Blossom gently held Zhu Lei’Er’s hand and said: “You don’t have to taste it; there is no poison in my cup.”

Zhu Lei’Er said sadly: “But.....you......”

Golden Blossom said gently: “The poison was in my heart, when little Yue died I had already.......”

She couldn’t finish her words.  At least she didn’t suffer, staying alive and living on was suffering in her eyes.

It was dusk, the wind was howling and there were soft cries of weeping. Yu Peiyu, Zhu Lei’Er and Iron Blossom looked at the new graves.

Zhu Lei’Er kept blaming herself and sobbed: “If only I had drunk that wine too. Why didn’t I drink the wine?........”

The night set in now, Zhu Lei’Er continued to sob: “She was planning on dying all along, why didn’t I act?  Why didn’t I stop her?”

Yu Peiyu looked at the two graves and thought why these loving couple had to die?  Why did so many loving couples have to die?

He wiped away his tears and said: “Let us go.”

Zhu Lei’Er raised her head and cried: “Let us go?  Is that the only thing you can say now?”

Yu Peiyu said tragically: “What can I say?  What else is there that I can say?”

Iron Blossom suddenly said: “At least we shouldn’t stay here and cry.”

Zhu Lei’Er sobbed: “Why?  Why?”

Iron Blossom looked around her like there could be spies all around them.  She said: “If he sees us this sad, he will be very happy.  Why will we allow him to be happy?  I will let my tears flow somewhere else.”

Zhu Lei’Er and Yu Peiyu knew who [he] was, Zhu Lei’Er stood up and looked around too, she thought: Could the eyes of him really be looking at us and is he laughing now?

Yu Peiyu wiped away the tears on the tombstones and said: “Let us go now.”

Zhu Lei’Er nodded and said: “Let us go.”

The three of them moved in the darkness, Yu Peiyu felt very sad.  Tang Yue died, he didn’t deserve to die, he was about to correct his mistakes.

Furthermore with him dead, Yu Peiyu’s quest was set back too.

The disappointment was really big for Yu Peiyu.

Zhu Lei’Er walked beside him, although she understood what he was thinking she didn’t interrupt his thoughts.

After for walking for some time Yu Peiyu didn’t speak, all of a sudden he said loudly: “Why should I give up!  I lost this round, but I won’t give up not while I am still breathing.”

Although he was talking to himself, Zhu Lei’Er looked at him full of praise and love.  She said gently: “Exactly as long as we are still standing, we will be able to topple him.”

Yu Peiyu looked up and said: “Indeed that day will come.  Although brother Tang Yue has died we still have to go to Tang Manor.  We cannot allow a mere old stable-boy become the leader of the Tang Clan.”

Zhu Lei’Er smiled again when she heard the words [a mere old stable-boy].

She smiled and said: “We will degrade him again to the stable-boy he is.  Miss Iron Blossom, what do you.........?”

She turned around and saw that Iron Blossom was gone.

Iron Blossom was walking behind them.  She felt like a third wheel in the company of Yu Peiyu and Zhu Lei’Er.

Both Zhu Lei’Er and Yu Peiyu started to look in the vicinity and yelled: “IRON BLOSSOM, WHERE ARE YOU!  COME OUT!  CAN YOU HEAR US!  PLEASE ANSWER US!”

Suddenly Yu Peiyu rushed over to Zhu Lei’Er’s position and held Zhu Lei’Er’s hand.  He was afraid that she will disappear into nothingness too.”

The moon lit up a brook near them; Yu Peiyu started to follow the stream and hoped to spot Iron Blossom near it.

Zhu Lei’Er asked softly: “Do you think she would have left us without telling.”

Yu Peiyu said: “Will she really leave us like that?”

Zhu Lei’Er bit her lip and said: “Do you think that Yang Zi...zijiang seized her?”

Suddenly Yu Peiyu saw something in the bushes; it was a shoe of Iron Blossom.

When Iron Blossom was around Zhu Lei’Er hoped she would go away, the look Iron Blossom gave Yu Peiyu always got on her nerves.  But now she wished she was back.

She started to sob when she realised that Iron Blossom might be gone forever.

She dug a little hole and buried the shoe and said: “Perhaps she really did leave on her own and wasn’t captured or attacked by Yang Zijiang.”

Yu Peiyu sighed deeply and said in the end: “Maybe.”

Zhu Lei’Er said: “If she was attacked, she would have at least put up a struggle.  She wouldn’t be overwhelmed in one go, she is strong enough to ward off a few stances.”

Yu Peiyu nodded in agreement.

Zhu Lei’Er said: “Furthermore if she is dead, there is bound to be a body.  But there isn’t one so it is safe to presume that she is still alive now.......”

She suddenly broke out in tears and said: “Why am I lying?  She is probably dead now and it must be that Yang Zijiang that is behind this.  He won’t allow us to make it alive to the Tang Manor.”

Yu Peiyu let her cry and said after some time: “Let us move on.”

Zhu Lei’Er composed herself again and said: “Yes, let us move on.  Let us find him.”

Yu Peiyu shook his head and said: “We’re not looking for him.”

Zhu Lei’Er asked: “What are we going to do now?”

Yu Peiyu said: “We will await his arrival.”

Zhu Lei’Er bit her lip and sighed: “You’re right.  He is bound to look for us, but are we going to stay here and wait for him?”

Yu Peiyu said: “Our goal is still the same; we go to the Tang Manor and stop the imposter.”

He looked very determined and resolute; nothing and nobody in this world could change his mind about his plan.

His stern and executive tone made an impact on Zhu Lei’Er too, she said firmly: “We will go to Tang Manor, no matter what.”

She said loudly, she wasn’t afraid that Yang Zijiang would hear her.  In fact she was hoping he would hear their determination.

Yu Peiyu patted her on the shoulder as a meaning to praise her.

He tightly held on to her hand and was afraid the mysterious black oblivion would swallow her too like it did to Iron Blossom.

They were extra careful now and it made their journey even more difficult.  With extreme difficulty they reached the next town, Yu Peiyu and Zhu Lei’Er went to an inn.

Yu Peiyu told her: “We will rest in this town and travel to Tang Manor tomorrow morning.”

Zhu Lei’Er looked at him gently and sighed: “You really need to rest too.”

The proprietor of the inn asked how many rooms Yu Peiyu wanted.

Yu Peiyu looked at Zhu Lei’Er and said to the proprietor: “Just one room will do.”

Zhu Lei’Er’s heart skipped a beat; the proprietor was disappointed because the business of his inn wasn’t doing too well.  And he also thought these two didn’t really look like husband and wife, they were acting too formal.

When they entered the room, Zhu Lei’Er’s heart was beating very fast.

Yu Peiyu locked the door and secured the windows; he now turned to Zhu Lei’Er and smiled gently: “Sleep now.”

Zhu Lei’Er lowered her head and asked: “How about you?”

Yu Peiyu said: “I will put two chairs together and sleep on it.”

Zhu Lei’Er said: “You should sleep on the bed because you need a good rest.”

Yu Peiyu looked at her; he noticed she looked very tired and pale.

His affection for her grew when he saw her like that.

He thought: “Yang Zijiang could appear at any moment, why should I even bother with that damn etiquette.  I will only make her feel worse; I want her to sleep properly.  Why can’t we share a bed?”

Zhu Lei’Er was making up the bed for Yu Peiyu and smiled with difficulty: “I can sleep in a chair, I’m used to that.  When I took care of my third uncle I did the same.”

Yu Peiyu said with soft and gentle: “We will share the bed, it is a big bed.  And I am not fat.”

Zhu Lei’Er was just holding a pillow at this moment and when she heard his words she dropped the pillow immediately.

She wanted to look at Yu Peiyu now but was afraid to do so, she just stuttered: “Aren’t you......you....afraid......”

Yu Peiyu didn’t let her finish and interrupted: “Afraid of what?  Don’t tell me that you hit people when you’re asleep?”

Zhu Lei’Er blushed and giggled: “No I don’t hit people in my sleep, but I tend to occasionally kick people in my sleep.  You might end up sleeping on the floor after all.”

It wasn’t a very big bed; the proprietor had really no intentions that their guests would share beds even if they were husband and wife.

Yu Peiyu was really exhausted and he was asleep very soon.

Zhu Lei’Er was very anxious and didn’t even dare to look at Yu Peiyu.  She didn’t even dare to touch his blanket.

One day ago she wished she could share a room with Yu Peiyu but now they were sharing a room she was scared out of her wits.

She backed to the wall and tightly held on to her blanket, her heart was beating faster and faster.

If Yu Peiyu would reach out to her, what will she do?

Zhu Lei’Er was too afraid to think about that but she couldn’t resist the temptation to think about what would happen.

She felt very warm but didn’t dare to put her head out.

Fortunately Yu Peiyu was asleep and she could put her head out for some air, but when he suddenly turned again she quickly retreated back under her blanket.

But in her heart she was filled with happiness because Yu Peiyu was sleeping next to her.  She wanted to scream on the rooftops and let everyone know what happened here.  But if people would come now and enter their room she would hide herself under her blanket again.

The happiness of a young girl..........the happiness and innocence of a young girl.