妖女不妖 : The Demoness Is Not Evil Chapter Eight (Part 1)

CHAPTER EIGHT (PART 1)

Not long after, the guards of Fei Ying Bao protectively leads Shui Su Yun in leaving Hong Ye Town.

Standing at the road, Ji Chui Yu could not hold back his sigh, “No matter what, for a lady, this is just too cruel.”

Qu Qing Yin who was standing at the side, just coldly looks on, “To her it is cruel, to others is it not cruel then? Since she has the guts to harm others, then she should have the guts to handle the consequences.”

Ji Chui Yu could only shake his head.

“Drunkard.”

“Little Feng!” He turns back, to see the sudden appearance of Liu Feng, his faces showing an expression of shock, “When did you arrive?”

“Yesterday.”

“Why did you only show up today?” Once the words escaped his mouth, he comes to a realisation, looking towards the direction in which the figures of Fei Ying Bao had disappeared, “It was good you did not show up.”

Liu Feng laughs, and heads towards the other person, “Qing Yin.”

Qu Qing Yin coldly glances at him, then turns around and walks off.

Liu Feng helplessly shrugs his shoulders.

Ji Chui Yu walks over, placing his hand on his shoulder, as he speaks with mixed feelings: “Your woman really is a ruthless character.”

“At least I do not have to worry about her suffering unfavourable situations.”

“These words of yours, don’t you think you’re also ruthlessly protective?”

Liu Feng’s face turns serious, glancing down the road, his voice weighs heavy as he speaks: “Qing Yin is right, since you have the heart to harm others, then you must accept the appropriate consequences. In this world there is definitely something called heaven’s judgement.”

“Are you not going to catch up?” Ji Chui Yu playfully juts his lips towards the direction Qu Qing Yin had left in.

Liu Feng shakes his head, “Right now she does not want to see me.”

“In the end, this whole situation is trouble caused by you attracting all those rotten peach blossoms.” _{(Remember peach blossom can mean to attract love)}

“Let’s not bother with that for now. So tell me, what is the situation like here?”

Ji Chui Yu wipes away all traces of playfulness, saying: “You guessed right, her target has always been the rapist, and it seems like her understanding of the rapist is way beyond your expectations.”

Liu Feng remains silent.

“Since when did you realise it was her who lured the rapist away?”

“Since when we were at Mount Zhong Yi Manor.”

“That early?”

“En.” Liu Feng nods, “How did this matter with Shui Su Yun happen?”

Ji Chui Yu’s expression looks complicated, before he speaks, he first lets out a sigh, “Before she had arrived in Hong Ye Town she had already met the rapist, and even set up a plan, her goal was to make Qu Qing Yin become the rapist’s woman, thus eliminating the chances of you two being together.”

Liu Feng tightens his hold on his fan.

“Lady Qu is sharp eyed and clear headed, she managed to detect the peculiarities, whilst quietly staying calm and collected, she took on each tactic accordingly, then ultimately put missy Shui into the pit.”

Liu Feng speaks with certainty: “Qing Yin must have gave her chances.”

Ji Chui Yu nods, “She did, unfortunately someone did not know how to cherish them.”

“I best go and see her.”

Liu Feng uses qinggong to quickly chase after Qu Qing Yin, not long after, he sees that she had stopped under a tree, leaning against it, he cannot tell what she is thinking.

“What do you want to ask me?” She looks up to the lush foliage of the treetops, faintly speaking.

“Qing Yin.” He only lightly calls out to her.

“In this world there is not that many coincidental meetings, those coincidences were all fake. Her target has always been you, yet she stumbles along to make coincidental meetings with me. Moreover I know the whereabouts of the rapist, just from looking at her behaviour, to not be able to encounter the rapist is almost impossible.” Qu Qing Yin reaches out to tear off a few leaves, blowing them away. “I have tried to make her quit, unfortunately, that Shui missy really does not understand good grace.”

Liu Feng reaches out and pulls her into his embrace, “Don’t think too much of it, things can always be resolved.”

Qu Qing Yin self-mockingly laughs, “I feel like I am becoming less and less of a nice person.”

“Did you not already say, you have not been a nice person for many years now?”

“That’s true, probably because I have been the bad person for too long, I somewhat miss the times when I was once a nice person.” She turns to look at him, “You as a Hero with such famed reputation, to be with me who has not been a nice person for so many years, are you not afraid of all the gossips?”

“I’m not afraid.”

“Did you know? Just before, I suddenly had this terrifying thought. Just thinking about it has shivers running down my back.”

Liu Feng shivers with uneasiness, “What?”

Qu Qing Yin just shakes her head, “Maybe I am thinking too much. I really hope it is me that is thinking too much. It must be me thinking too much.”

Because of her words being spoken three times, each with her tone changing to be more and more fearful, Liu Feng thinks that her thoughts must be truly terrifying.

“Don’t ask me what it is, I don’t dare to say it.” Scared that once said, it will become reality, and that would be far too terrifying.

Liu Feng silently nods.

“From now on, never let Ji Chui Yu look out for someone in your place, he will put you in a disastrous situation.”

“Did something happen?”

“He most probably did not dare to tell you. He had unknowingly fell into someone’s trap, had he not, that night, the rapist would not have got anything done.”

“Did you not remind him?”

Qu Qing Yin speaks honestly, “Because at that time, I suddenly wanted to be a bad person.”

Liu Feng shakes his head, probably because at the time she was fuming inside, not to mention she is originally a paradox of both evil and good, so her temper would naturally act regardless of whichever side, this is all too normal.

“Now that the news have already spread across the Jiang Hu. From this point on, I am afraid that since we have driven the dog into a dead end, the dog would anxiously do whatever it takes.” This was the only thing that he was worried about.

“But this is a solution that stemmed from having no solution.”

“It is.” This is the most helpless factor.

******

The Fei Ying Bao Guild Master has sent out an announcement, inviting the rapist on the fifteenth of September, the night of the full moon, to a verdict of life and death in front of Fei Ying Bao, in order to settle the scores between them.

Everyone within the Jiang Hu are praising the Fei Ying Bao Guild Master’s courage, taking on the responsibility, so his daughter does not need to face such burden on her own.

At the time when she was listening to the news, Qu Qing Yin was in the middle of pouring tea, as she holds up the pot, the hot water splashes onto the back of her hand.

Liu Feng immediately grabs hold of her hand, using his fan to cool it, saying: “Be careful, this water is really hot.” He calls over the worker: “Worker, bring some ice over, quickly.”

“Got it, please wait, I’ll be there in no time.”

Qu Qing Yin calms her mind, “Just a slip of hand, it’s nothing.”

“You still say it’s nothing, it’s all red.” Liu Feng’s dashing brows knits together, just then the worker brings the ice over, he takes out a handkerchief to wrap it up and gives her the ice pack.

Qu Qing Yin asks him, “What’s going on with Fei Ying Bao Guild Master?”

“Must be the eagerness of doting on his daughter.”

“You think the rapist will turn up?”

“In normal situations, Jiang Hu people values their reputations, and ought to turn up, but this is not the case for the rapist. He also knows that right now, the people of the Jiang Hu are all searching for him, coming out would make him the public’s target.”

“Since everyone is aware of this point, then say, why would Guild Master Shui spread the news like this?”

Liu Feng could not help but look at her, failing to see the look of indifference in her face, “It is rare to see you trying to get to the bottom of something.”

Qu Qing Yin smiles, “Looks like I am not usually very curious.”

“That’s good. Curiosity in Jiang Hu people, is not a particularly good thing.”

“Looks like you feel this deeply, is this a vital insight?” She quips.

Liu Feng nods with utmost seriousness, saying: “It is.”

She blankly looks at him, “You still haven’t answered me.”

Liu Feng thinks for a moment, and says: “Although in accordance to common sense, the rapist should not show up, but I actually feel that this time he would come out to accept the battle invitation.”

“Your instincts?”

“Yeah, what about you?”

Qu Qing Yin juts out her bottom lip, her tone a little solemn, “I also have such instinct.”

Liu Feng looks at her, “Are you planning on watching the scene?”

Qu Qing Yin asks back: “Could it be, you don’t have such plans?”

Liu Feng laughs, “Then is this considered ‘heart and mind think alike’ of us?”

Qu Qing Yin slaps away his hand, taking it upon herself to tend to her hand.

Liu Feng does not mind, pouring her a cup of tea, and places it by her side.

“What happened?” Ji Chui Yu enters through the window, lifting his robes to sit by Liu Feng’s side. He was little surprised to see Qu Qing Yin there with an ice pack.

“She wasn’t paying attention and got burnt by the water.”

Ji Chui Yu grabs the wine flask from the table and pours himself a cup of wine, after draining the cup in one go, he says: “Lately the amount of women on the streets is getting less and less. If the rapist is not exterminated soon, such days will be impossible to go through.”

Liu Feng looks him up and down, “Did you not climb out from the connubial bed?”

Ji Chui Yu speaks righteously: “I am complaining for all the men in this world.”

Qu Qing Yin calmly speaks: “As long as you keep your belt securely tied up, the men in this world will be very grateful to you.”

Ji Chui Yu swallows the wine in his mouth with great difficulty, with a choked up face, he stares at his good friend, “Can you not do something about that mouth of hers?”

Liu Feng laughs as he pours himself a cup of wine, lightly sipping from it twice, before he says: “Her words cannot be considered false.”

“As a person, sometimes you should not be so honest.”

Liu Feng thinks otherwise, “Dishonesty is also of no good.”

Qu Qing Yin follows on with another stab, “Those that are like Hero Ji, clearly aren’t honest.”

Ji Chui Yu sighs, “You both singing in harmony like this, really is ‘a couple of one heart, sharpness enough to cut through gold’.”

Liu Feng laughs and helps him fill up his cup with wine, “Let us toast to such words.”

Qu Qing Yin’s face remains unchanging as she continues to tend to her hand.

Ji Chui Yu tosses the wine down his throat, wiping his mouth, and says: “I must say, when it comes to the arts of remaining calm, you are truly admirable.”

Qu Qing Yin raises her hand, saying: “I have been burnt by tea.”

“This, could it be because lady could not stay calm enough?”

Qu Qing Yin nods, “Yeah.”

“What did you hear to make you so un-calm?” Ji Chui Yu was curious.

Liu Feng explains to him, “She heard that Master Shui, on the fifteenth of September, the night of the full moon, has invited the rapist to a battle.”

“This matter seriously makes it uneasy for one to remain calm.” Ji Chui Yu grabs hold of a pair of chopsticks to pick some food, eating as he speaks: “The people outside, are all wondering if the rapist would show up when the time comes.”

“What do you think?”

“I believe the rapist will go.” Ji Chui Yu says it without the slightest hesitation.

Liu Feng laughs, “Great heroes think alike.”

“What about lady Qu?”

“Although a little far-fetched, I can also be considered a hero.”

“I must say, Master Shui is a true man, to dare to send out his invitation like that.” Ji Chui Yu speaks with admiration.

Qu Qing Yin adjures a cry.

Liu Feng looks at her, “Qing Yin has other thoughts?”

Her gaze falls upon the streets below, voice coldly saying: “A father who truly dotes on his daughter would not do such thing, this is no different to a sword driving her to her death.”

Ji Chui Yu could not refrain from asking: “If he does not do this, how is he supposed to vie for justice, in name of his daughter?”

“There are many ways to kill someone off, martial arts does not always represent capability, especially in such times when the rapist is the public’s enemy. It was not necessary for him to make such a high profile invitation to a battle. A show when overdone just looks fake.”

Liu Feng refrains from putting himself in a position, swaying the fan in his hand, and remains silent.

“Is this your prejudice against Master Shui?”

“I am merely speaking the facts as they are.”

“Master Shui is a generous and forthright man, he is after all, regarded as a great leader.” Ji Chui Yu could not help but to come to the subject’s defence.

“And what about it?”

In face of her question, touching on his point lightly, Ji Chui Yu suddenly does not know what to say.

Liu Feng makes a timely interjection, “Have you two bore a grudge against one another in your previous lifetime? Always pitting against each other like this.”

Ji Chui Yu laughs out loud, playfully blinking his eyes, saying: “Between us two, it can be said that enemies destined to meet. Little Feng, are you jealous?”

Liu Feng reaches out and pulls the person beside him into his arms, placing her on his lap, he laughingly says: “If you’re like that, I can only be jealous.”

From the beginning to now, the meatball^[2] held in Qu Qing Yin’s chopsticks did not shake the slightest bit, she turns to look at Ji Chui Yu, then calm and collectedly plops the meatball into her mouth.

Ji Chui Yu blankly stares for a moment, then suddenly fills up his cup of wine, raising his thumb up to her, “Lady Qu, I really give it to you.” Her expression, her action, really did not change the slightest bit.

In the next moment, Qu Qing Yin’s left hand takes out a hairpin from her head, within a lightning flash, she stabs it at a certain someone’s thigh.

Liu Feng’s fan opens up, blocking the hairpin, he bitterly smiles, “I was wrong, is that not enough?”

Qu Qing Yin coldly stares at him.

Liu Feng takes hold of the hairpin in her hand, putting it back into her hair. Honestly and sincerely putting her back into her original seat, he stands up and earnestly says: “I’m sorry.”

Ji Chui Yu glances at the hairpin in her hair that had been gifted by Grand Madam Guan. The corners of his lip twitches, as he lowers his head to concentrate on drinking his wine.

Qu Qing Yin takes out the hairpin again, coldly saying: “This hairpin, I may like right now, but that does not mean that I will carry on liking it for the rest of my life, you understand?”

Liu Feng’s face slightly changes, tightening his hold on his fan, “Qing Yin—“

Qu Qing Yin looks at the hairpin in her hand, her eyes looking rather complex.

Liu Feng once again takes the hairpin from her hand, putting it back in her hair. He lightly holds her hand, sighing loudly, “Don’t be angry.”

Qu Qing Yin also sighs, turning her body, she half lies on the window sill, and watches the pedestrians on the streets.

Liu Feng and Ji Chui Yu looks at one another, and then continues to drink and eat as they please, wisely leaving her undisturbed.

Because they both realised, right now, Qu Qing Yin is in a very, very bad mood. Just one little provocation will ignite a monstrous fire.

[1] The word used for waiter or worker is actually Xiǎo Èr / 小二 –  an addressment used to call a waiter or a worker in inns, restaurants, etc. Literal translation – little number two – I’m assuming it refers to the idea that customers are number one priority, thus the workers have to respect them as they are always below them hence being number two.

[2] More specifically speaking, the meatball is actually called lion’s head or shī zi tóu / 狮子头 is a Huaiyang cuisine, which consists of pork meatballs (about 7–10 cm in diameter) stewed with vegetables. There are two varieties: the white (or plain), and the red (红烧, cooked with soy sauce).

[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion%27s_head_%28food%29 ]