妖女不妖 : The Demoness Is Not Evil Chapter Six (Part 2)

CHAPTER SIX (PART 2)

Qu Qing Yin bursts out laughing with a ‘pu chi’ sound, wrapping her arms around his waist, she says: “Shi Fu once said, the words men say on the bed, are most un-trustable. Say, should I trust you?”

Liu Feng bitterly laughs, “Your Shi Fu really……”

“Really did thoroughly figure out what the hearts of men are like?”

Liu Feng shakes his head and continues to laugh.

Qu Qing Yin rests her head on top of his chest, her voice revealing a trace of weariness, her speech also somewhat vague, “Do you know why I wanted to give myself to you that night?”

“Why?”

She lowly laughs in his embrace, “Liu Feng, do you know how I felt went I heard Ji Chui Yu say you were still a young chick _{(a virgin)}?”

Hearing this, Liu Feng’s face heated up, she heard that?

“Shi Fu has also once said, if I ever meet someone who is not bad, someone who I also like, and also happens to be someone who is willingly as pure as jade, then I must take the upper hand and make him mine.”

Exactly what kind of Shi Fu is this? Liu Feng reaches up to rub his temple.

The person his embrace still continues to speak: “I used to believe his words were just irresponsible remarks, not bothering to listen to them.”

“Then why did you still……”

“But at that time I felt that your intentions really weren’t bad, and I myself did not hate it.”

Liu Feng laughs and speaks: “You also tested me quite a few times, is that not right?”

Qu Qing Yin’s consciousness was becoming a little fuzzy, “How did I, I was only making use of the situations at hand, nothing more, who told you to take advantage of me……?”

Liu Feng holds her close, sighing before he says: “I too just could not control my feelings, it could not be helped.”

The person in his arms had already fallen asleep, he places a kiss on her hair, and follows her into dreamland.

This is love. Who schemed who into it, is no longer important. What is important is that they both love each other.

On a day of light rain, people cannot help but to feel a bit under the weather. Liu Feng reaches out and pushes open the inn’s window, looking down at the sparse amount of pedestrians on the streets.

“The heavens really are not rewarding.” He sighs, then turns to look at the person at the dressing table.

Her outfit today is different from the usual, it does not carry the air of a Jiang Hu person at all.

Layers on top layers of clothing, there is at least a number six or seven layers. Her attire accentuated with exquisitely beautiful accessories, also adding a few more hair ornaments.

Her dressing like this, looks just like a fine lady from an aristocratic family.

Watching her get up and walk towards him, Liu Feng’s heart lets out sigh, she really isn’t revealing enough, sits without bending her knees, smiles without showing her teeth, moving without shaking her garments.

“Is this the real you?” He could not help but ask.

“If this is the real me, would I let you on my bed?”

Liu Feng laughs out loud, reaching out to pull her into his embrace, he lowers his head and plants a kiss on her lips, “Such words are indeed true.”

Qu Qing Yin stands by his side, by the window. Her face showing grief, “The me like this is what my parents are familiar with, what Shi Fu wishes for me to be. That is why I have dressed like this to see them, only then can their hearts rest assured.”

Liu Feng gives her shoulder a strong pat, his hand reaching out for the umbrella, “Let’s go, the carriage I have hired is waiting below.”

Qu Qing Yin grabs hold of his hands, “Liu Feng, you and I have not yet wedded, it is not right for you to go.”

Liu Feng loudly sighs, “Qing Yin, of course it is a must for me to comply with these formalities, I believe the elders would even more like to see you have someone to rely on for the rest of your life.”

“You going really is wrong though.” She insists.

Liu Feng’s hand reaches up to her face, attentively looking at her, her expression does not disclose any information, he closes his eyes, puts down his hand, and holds onto her shoulders, “Fine then, since you are insisting on this, I believe you have a reason that you cannot tell me.”

Qu Qing Yin lowers her head and says nothing.

“Go then, don’t miss the hour, come back early, I shall be waiting at the inn for you.”

She nods her head, accepting the umbrella from him before she turns and steps out the door.

Liu Feng watches her leave the inn from the window, getting onto the horse carriage, gradually blending into the rain, and slowly disappears from sight.

Reclining back on the window frame, both his arms are folded across his chest. The expression on his face looking deeper than water.

She does not trust him!

Even though she had given herself to him, she still does not trust him.

There is clearly something between her heart and his, not visible, not tangible, but there is truly something that is definitely there.

He had come with her to her hometown, but is not allowed to follow her to sweep the graves.

It is not that he cannot sneakily follow her, but he knows that if found out, the relationship between the two of them would end there, this is probably the reason why she is willing to let him follow her to her hometown.

She has always been a clever lady, so clever to the point it gives him some headaches.

It is difficult to travel on a rainy day, the horse carriage runs slowly, arriving at the halfway point, the carriage had even got caught in the mud, unable to get out.

Qu Qing Yin opens up the umbrella and steps off from the carriage, walking ahead on foot.

This rain falling from the heavens, is just like her state of mind right now, filled with sadness.

Every year around this time, this is when things feels most difficult, most miserable for her. Ever since Shi Fu has passed away, she has truly become lonesome with no family, living on in this world all alone. In the wilderness with not a single soul, Qu Qing Yin who is holding onto the apricot-yellow umbrella is just like passing smoke, not caring about the amount of mud dirtying her embroidered skirt and shoes.

Approximately four hours^[1] later, she stops outside a quiet little village.

In front of her were two graves, placing down the fruit offerings down on both of them, she lights the incense and joss paper.

“Shi Fu, he has almost committed more than a lifetime’s worth of unpardonable sins^[2], in time Yin-er shall be going to collect his corpse, fulfilling yours and his master-disciple fate.”

Qu Qing Yin watches as the joss paper burn out in front of Shi Fu’s grave, sighing, she reaches out to place her hand on the gravestone, softly speaking: “But Yin-er still does not understand, he went as far as deceiving his master and betraying his ancestors, why do you still accept him as your disciple? Could it be that, even when walking the wrong path, you have to walk it to the very end, such thing is actually your true way of working?”

Between her words, the memory of Shi Fu’s old but powerful voice lapses before her eyes – your Shi Fu I have never admitted wrong in my lifetime.

This Shi Fu of hers who would never admit his wrong, ah~……

The time for such occasion has passed by, Qu Qing Yin once again stands before both graves, hesitating repeatedly, before finally saying: “Father, mother, your daughter I has met someone, unfortunately, this person is difficult to keep in control, your daughter I had made a decision in a moment of haste, don’t know how I should follow on from there.” Her voice was cut off for a long time, before continuing, “Once I get this task done, between me and him, if our fate is still intact, then your daughter I shall bring him along to meet you both and Shi Fu.”

In front of the graves, ashes blends into the mud, the fruit offerings remain there despite the pouring rain, also in front of the graves, the smoothly slender figure is no longer there.

Not long after, Qu Qing Yin returns to where the horse carriage had gotten stuck, the coachman honestly and sincerely still there waiting there for her, she sits back in the carriage and returns to the little town called Hong Ye Town _{(Red Leaves Town)}.

The horse carriage parks up in front of the inn, a hand lifts the carriage curtains from outside.

Qu Qing Yin looks at the owner of the hand, not saying a word.

Liu Feng offers her a hand, “Come, I’ll help you off.”

She places her right hand on his, allowing him to support her as she steps down the carriage, she coldly speaks: “Scared I won’t return?”

He asks back, “Have you ever thought of the possibility that I would be the one to leave first?”

Qu Qing Yin gives him the umbrella, entering the inn by herself, as she speaks without a care: “That will be perfect.”

Liu Feng follows after her, “Really don’t care?”

“En, there is a great saying, a three legged frog is hard to find, but a man with two legs is extremely easy to find.”

She turns her head and gives him a glance as light as the clouds.

Liu Feng’s hand wraps around her waist, leading her upstairs, “With this weather, watch out you don’t catch a cold. Look at you, your hands are so cold. I asked the worker for some hot water, so you can take a nice hot bath.”

Inside her room, Qu Qing Yin sits at her bed, falling into a daze.

Liu Feng lifts his robes and sits next to her, grabbing hold of her chilly hands, saying: “Should have let me accompany you, look at you going by yourself, and coming back looking like you lost your senses. Also,” His hand reaches up to stroke the corner of her eyes, “How could you cry your eyes out to such state?”

Qu Qing Yin looks down to her feet, her voice almost gone with the wind, “Liu Feng, I made up my mind. Next year I will be bringing someone to go clean the graves with me, but I do not know if that person would be you.”

“Then it will definitely be me. You think you still have the chance to exchange for someone else?”

Her eyes rolls up to look at him, slightly pursing her lips, “I do not wish to exchange either, but I will not be hanging myself from a tree. Shi Fu once said, a girl’s youth is precious, it is not to be wasted.”

Liu Feng strikes whilst the iron is still hot, “Let us marry this year then.”

Qu Qing Yin shakes her head, “Cannot do this year.”

“Why?”

“Some things must be experienced to know whether it is worth it.”

Liu Feng no longer asks, only wrapping her into his embrace.

A burst of noise suddenly sounds from outside the window, both of them looks towards it.

“Go take a look.” Qu Qing Yin says.

Liu Feng releases her, and opens the window, a messenger pigeon stands there, he takes out a bamboo tube from its legs, opening it up.

At this time the worker comes in with hot water, after pouring it all, he quietly withdraws.

Qu Qing Yin shuts the doors, she takes out the hair ornaments, then starts undressing.

“Do you not want to know what it says?” After reading, he turns to the screen divider, watching the heavenly scene of the beauty entering the bath.

Qu Qing Yin does not even bat an eyelid, slowly sitting down in the bathtub, her head leaning back on it, “Gentleman Xiao Yao always has many matters to attend to in the Jiang Hu. The more I know, the more troubles I get, better not knowing at all. Is there not that great saying, ignorance is a bliss.”

“A problem has arose at Qi Shi Er Lian Huan Wu.” _{(Note: Remember Zhang Shan or Brother Zhang from chapter 3?)}

“You need to go there.” She was not asking but was sure.

Liu Feng eyes her, “You definitely wouldn’t go.”

“Not going.” She directly rejects.

“Then don’t go, these Jiang Hu troubles you have never liked anyway, just that……” He grabs hold of her right hand from inside the tub, firmly gripping onto it. “Don’t do anything dangerous, I’ll be worried.”

“Okay.”

“You say it, you do it.”

“I will not do anything dangerous.” She promises.

Liu Feng pats her smooth, bare shoulders, then turns and leave the screen. Before he jumps out of the window, he once again repeats, “Don’t do anything dangerous.”

Hearing the sound of windows close, Qu Qing Yin laughs, using her arms as a pillow, she turns to looks towards the outside.

And what exactly is considered dangerous?

Walking the Jiang Hu, has always been a dangerous task in itself.

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[1] I’ve converted the time here to the present day equivalent. Back in ancient China there were only twelve hours a day, so each hour or shí chén / 时辰, were equivalent to two hours of the present day. [Additional note: the twelve hours were also named after the zodiac animals in order, starting from the hour of rat – 11pm to 1am, all the way to the hour of the pig – 9pm to 11pm]

[2] The actual phrase that was used here was è guàn mǎn yíng / 恶贯满盈 which I have already translated as accurately as possible in the above extract – committed more than a lifetime’s worth of unpardonable sins/evil doings. But the phrase also suggests that – it’s about time he receives heaven’s judgement.

Here Qing Yin refers to herself as Yīn-er / 音儿, Yin obviously comes from her name whilst er means child. When added at the end of your name, it becomes an affectionate term that older family members call you.

So we have just gotten past the halfway mark of the novel, and this is the chapter that reveals to us, the more vulnerable side of Qing Yin. We also got to know a little more about her task, which is an easy guess haha.

Also I have decided to translate the novel 红颜乱: Chaos Of Beauty and it’s definitely not a light read like this one, it’s more about the battle of wits within the imperial palace. So if you’re not into these sort of books, then you’re better off staying away from it. May I also warn those with second lead syndrome, that you may cry your eyes out for this fabulously tragic character of General Lin Rui En. But the thing that really pulls you into this novel is that it is just so so beautifully written by 朵朵舞 Duo Duo Wu. I’m going to post up the description of the novel sometime soon, and possibly the intro chapter too but I won’t be officially translating it until I finished with The Demoness Is Not Evil. Hope you guys will be looking forward to it 🙂