thefictionvixens Chapter 89, "Ye Qingmei," is here!
Chapter 89, "Ye Qingmei," is here!
The mountains in the eastern suburbs of Kyoto are silent.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the forest.
At first, there were only a few scattered sounds, but soon they joined together, as if the entire canopy of the mountain was swaying.
A large flock of white cranes soared into the sky from the dense forest.
They stretched out their long necks, their broad wings cutting through the night, their snow-white feathers gleaming hazily in the moonlight.
Following closely behind were dozens of golden eagles, with wingspans of nearly ten feet, their iron-hook-like talons tucked under their bellies, and their sharp eyes gleaming in the darkness.
Following behind were swans, eagles, peregrine falcons, crows, magpies, sparrows... all the birds together numbered about two thousand.
Such a huge flock of birds soared into the sky without uttering a single cry.
Only the "whoosh" sound of its wings flapping was muffled and rhythmic, like a huge dark cloud sweeping across the sky, flying straight toward Kyoto.
In the center of the flock of birds, on the back of a white crane with a wingspan of nearly two feet, stood a graceful figure.
Her pure white clothes fluttered gently in the night breeze, and her black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.
The moonlight shone on her face, highlighting her delicate features and serene expression.
Wu Feng, disguised as "Ye Qingmei," stood quietly, his true energy circulating around him, maintaining a subtle connection with the flock of birds.
In less than fifteen minutes, the flock of birds arrived over Kyoto.
All birds began to descend in altitude.
Sixty zhang, fifty zhang, forty zhang...
When they were only about 20 feet from the ground, the silence spell seemed to be suddenly lifted.
"Gah!"
"Chirp, chirp!"
"Coo coo..."
The sound of birdsong exploded instantly!
Two thousand birds sang at the same time, their voices mingling into a deafening cacophony that drowned out all other sounds of the Kyoto night.
The flapping sound of the wings striking the air was like a torrential downpour.
The entire city of Kyoto was alarmed.
"What was that sound?!"
"Oh my god...look at the sky!"
"Birds! So many birds!"
The people ran out of their houses, the merchants dropped their abacuses, the officials ran into the courtyards, and the children pointed at the sky and screamed.
Everyone looked up, mouths agape, in shock at the dark, heavy cloud of birds.
Wherever the flock of birds passed, lights lit up one after another.
People crowded the streets, stood on rooftops, and peered out of windows, their eyes filled with horror and bewilderment.
This sight... is like a miracle!
-
The Censorate, beneath its high pavilion.
"Dean! Something terrible has happened!" Zhu Ge's voice was unusually panicked. "Birds! So many birds! So many birds over Kyoto!"
Fei Jie, Yan Ruohai, Yingzi, and others had already gathered in the courtyard, all looking up with shock on their faces.
Inside the pavilion, Chen Pingping and Fan Jian had already heard the commotion.
Fan Jian forgot the argument they had just had, and Chen Pingping also forgot the order to "not disturb them".
The two of them simultaneously rushed to the railing and craned their necks to look up at the sky.
This is the scene that Zhu Ge and the others saw when they rushed up to the top of the pavilion.
Chen Pingping leaned half his body over the railing, his fingers gripping the wooden bars tightly. Fan Jian stood beside him, his eyes wide open.
"Their direction..." the shadow suddenly spoke, its voice tense, "seems to be our Overwatch Council."
These words struck Chen Pingping like a bolt of lightning.
Be extra careful in the sky tonight.
She... will most likely appear.
"It's Miss!" Chen Pingping blurted out, her voice trembling with excitement. "It must be Miss! Miss has appeared!"
Fan Jian was startled and turned to look at Chen Pingping, then stared intently at the sky.
As if to confirm Chen Pingping's words, the flock of birds really flew over the Imperial Censorate!
Two thousand birds circled and chirped above the courtyard, their flapping wings stirring up dust from the ground.
They didn't fly around randomly, but instead formed a huge vortex, with its center directly facing the tall pavilion.
Chen Pingping excitedly gripped the armrests of his wheelchair, trying to stand up, but with his legs crippled, how could he stand steadily?
Fei Jie immediately steadied him, saying, "Dean, be careful!"
"Miss..." Chen Pingping shouted towards the sky, her voice choked with emotion, "Is that you?"
Just then, the flock of birds changed.
Small birds such as sparrows, magpies, cuckoos, and warblers gathered together and surrounded the largest white crane.
The flock of birds descended slowly, finally hovering in the air not far from the pavilion, only three or four zhang away from the railing.
Everyone in the Overwatch Council held their breath.
Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, Zhu Ge, Fei Jie, Yan Ruohai, Yingzi... every face was a mixture of shock, excitement, anticipation, and deep nostalgia.
The small birds slowly dispersed.
The moonlight and the dim yellow lights in the courtyard intertwined, illuminating the figure on the back of the white crane.
She wore a plain white dress, her black hair fluttered gently in the night breeze, and her beautiful face wore a serene smile.
Ye Qingmei.
"Miss!" Chen Pingping burst into tears instantly.
"Qingmei!" Fan Jian's voice was hoarse, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
Fei Jie and the others also had tears in their eyes.
The people in the Overwatch Council had deep respect and admiration for Ye Qingmei, and at this moment they were all too excited to speak.
Everyone who saw the fairy-like figure on the back of the white crane in the sky was deeply shocked.
The person on the white crane's back did not speak.
She just smiled at them.
They were all too familiar with that smile: the eyebrows curved, the corners of the lips slightly upturned, with a hint of mischief, yet also an air of worldly wisdom and detachment.
That one smile caused Chen Pingping and Fan Jian to burst into tears.
"Miss, you..." Chen Pingping asked in a trembling voice, "Are you alright? Aren't you cold wearing so little?"
Fan Jian cried like a child: "Qingmei, you're not dead! You're finally back, aren't you? I knew you wouldn't die..."
Ye Qingmei remained silent in the air.
She turned around, her back to everyone, and took out a demon mask with a blue face and fangs from her sleeve, gently putting it on her face.
She spoke with her back still turned to them.
A clear, ethereal voice rang out, not loud, but so clear it seemed to whisper right in everyone's ear.
The voice was ethereal and otherworldly, unlike any human voice.
"Pingping, Brother Fan."
Chen Pingping and Fan Jian tensed up at the same time.
"This time, I'm leaving."
"Miss..." Chen Pingping's voice trembled, "You...you really won't be coming back?"
"Qingmei, where are you going?" Fan Jian leaned forward anxiously, almost falling over the railing.
"I don't know either." The voice in the air remained calm. "I am a dead man, and I have come to see you this time to say two things."
Chen Pingping immediately replied, "Please speak, Miss!"
Everyone stared intently at that figure from behind.
"The first thing," Ye Qingmei said slowly, "is that I entrusted the three major workshops and Qingyutang to Li Yunrui. No one is allowed to touch them, including other members of the royal family."
Chen Pingping nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, Miss. As long as I'm here, no one can touch the Three Great Workshops and Qingyutang."
"Secondly," Ye Qingmei continued, "don't seek revenge for me. That place... is beyond your reach."
"unless……"
"Unless what?" Chen Pingping hurriedly asked.
Ye Qingmei turned around.
The ghost mask covered her face, but her eyes peered through the holes, looking down at Chen Pingping.
"Pingping, you've met him, haven't you?"
Chen Pingping immediately understood who "he" referred to: "Yes, Miss, I've met him before."
"That's good." There seemed to be a hint of relief in Ye Qingmei's voice. "Cooperate with him. From now on... he will protect you."
"I understand, Miss," Chen Pingping said solemnly, tears streaming down her face.
Ye Qingmei then looked at Fan Jian.
"Brother Fan, I feel so guilty. I didn't expect..."
"Qingmei!" Fan Jian interrupted her, his face showing an expression that was almost frank, even honored. "This isn't your fault, it's something I did willingly! I'd do anything for you!"
Ye Qingmei gently shook her head.
"Brother Fan, this isn't right." Her voice softened. "However... I'll make it up to you and your wife."
Finally, she looked at the members of the Overwatch Council.
His gaze swept across each face through the masks: Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, Zhu Ge, Fei Jie, Yan Ruohai…
Everyone's eyes reddened, and some even had tears streaming down their faces.
"Everyone," Ye Qingmei's voice became ethereal, "forgive me for not being able to continue leading you all. From now on..."
At this point, an unexpected change occurred.
Her voice began to break off, and her figure became blurry...
In an instant, three illusory images of "Ye Qingmei" appeared in the air, then merged back into one, before splitting again...
The interplay of reality and illusion, flickering and unpredictable.
Everyone in the Overwatch Council was on tenterhooks.
They didn't know what was happening, but their intuition told them that this was not a good sign.
Chen Pingping suddenly remembered what Wu Feng had said: every time the young lady appears, she expends a huge amount of energy...
"Miss!" he cried out.
Just then, the white crane suddenly flapped its wings and took flight!
Smaller birds gathered again, surrounding the white crane. Two thousand birds flapped their wings simultaneously, creating a deafening roar.
The flock of birds took off, circled, and then flew away from the Censorate in the direction they had come from.
"Miss!!!"
Chen Pingping stretched her hand toward the sky, her voice filled with heart-wrenching despair.
"Light Eyebrows!"
Fan Jian leaned on the railing, tears blurring his vision.
The flock of birds flew further and further away.
Only a few scattered feathers drifted down slowly.
The high pavilion was deathly silent.
Chen Pingping slumped in her wheelchair, her hand still outstretched, tears streaming silently down her face.