Chapter 130: Rashomon

When Sheng Yuan Yao in Qing Yao Garden encountered a major life crisis, Pei Chu Yun on the other side also reached a crucial point in her life.

The Charming Female He Huan Sect had a potential influence in the capital... it wasn't a brothel, but many officials' back courtyards had been infiltrated by them.

Among them was also the old madam in charge of a Marquis Mansion. On the surface, she was virtuous and respected, but in reality, she was a high-ranking member of the Charming Female He Huan Sect. She first rose to power as a concubine, causing the death of the principal wife, and after becoming the principal wife, she supported the death of the old Marquis. She "endured hardship and raised" the big and small Marquises until the small Marquis now regarded her as his mother, extremely filial, and the entire power of the Marquis Mansion was under her control.

The Charming Female He Huan Sect used similar tactics to infiltrate the court, and there were quite a few such instances.

Other demon sects also had somewhat similar tricks. Because of Meng Guan, Meng Li, and others, the court was still salvageable in Lu Xing Zhou's eyes, but in the eyes of the various demon sects, it was already full of holes.

Following Lu Xing Zhou's suggestion, Pei Chu Yun originally wanted to visit the old madam of the Marquis Mansion once, indirectly probing if she knew about Pei Qing Yan's past.

As a result, as soon as she stepped into the back courtyard of the Marquis Mansion, her entire body shivered.

In the backyard, a woman was leisurely sitting there sipping tea. She clearly had no special actions, and her clothes were also very ordinary, but as a woman herself, she could feel the terrifying charm that radiated from the other woman.

It was the master of the Charming Female He Huan Sect, Pei Chu Yun's master.

Their names were often not known to people; the world only called them "Xuan Nu".

Pei Chu Yun suppressed the shock in her heart, saluted, and said, "Greetings, Master. How did Master come to the capital?"

"Since you entered the Pei Mansion, of course I had to come," Xuan Nu said faintly. "Otherwise, letting you listen to Pei Qing Yan's nonsense, do you want to become estranged from us?"

Pei Chu Yun hurriedly said, "Master overthinks. How could Yun Er listen to others' one-sided words?"

"But you have doubts in your heart, so you will come to Madam Su's side to try to hear different sides, isn't that right?"

Pei Chu Yun was silent.

Xuan Nu said faintly, "How did Pei Qing Yan say? Did he say we killed your mother?"

Pei Chu Yun said "um" and added, "I didn't believe it."

Xuan Nu sneered, "What actually happened, there's no need to hide it from you now. Your mother was this seat's junior sister. That year, she indeed deliberately approached him, wanting to be like Madam Su... The difference was that Pei Qing Yan's original wife died in childbirth when she gave birth to Pei Yu. He had no principal wife on his side. As long as she could successfully marry into the Pei family, then raise the infant Pei Yu who was still in swaddling clothes at the time, she could seize the power of the Pei family. This is our regular routine."

"What happened later?"

"At that time, Pei Qing Yan's cultivation was not as high as it is now. Your mother's Charming Female Xuan Gong was hidden very well; he didn't discover it. Later, the two indeed became 'close friends'. Your mother also seized an opportunity and used some means to make him mistakenly think he was infatuated and they ended up in bed."

Pei Chu Yun's heart moved slightly. "Since she already succeeded, why not simply use Charming Female Xuan Gong to control him?"

"The Pei family is a big family. There are unknown numbers of strong individuals in the clan. As long as Pei Qing Yan returned to the He Dong clan, it would be very easily discovered if he was being controlled. So your mother adopted another method..." Xuan Nu smiled slightly. "Do you know when a man trusts you the most?"

Pei Chu Yun didn't know before, but now she could understand. "He was guarding against you using Charming Female Xuan Gong, but in fact, you didn't use it. You just sincerely made him comfortable."

"Correct," Xuan Nu nodded with approval. "Pei Qing Yan is not an ordinary person. Initially, Charming Female Xuan Gong was hidden from him, that's true, but once intimate, that kind of moment really can't be hidden. And your mother clearly knew he had discovered it and was nervously guarding, yet she didn't use the gong the entire time. How do you think Pei Qing Yan would feel?"

Pei Chu Yun pursed her lips. Logically, he would be very moved and feel very accomplished, as he had actually captured the heart of a Charming Female demon woman. But the outcome of the matter didn't seem to be this way...

Xuan Nu laughed coldly. "Pei Qing Yan was indeed very moved, and then promised your mother a position in an outer residence."

Pei Chu Yun: "???"

"The master of a top-tier world family, generations of high officials, can take you, a demon woman from a demon sect, as an outer room to raise. Don't you still feel favored?" Xuan Nu laughed heartily. "We thought of everything, calculating the hearts of men, yet we were defeated by the different values of world family disciples compared to ordinary people... He genuinely felt this was particularly reasonable and was particularly benevolent to your mother, ha ha ha..."

Pei Chu Yun: "..."

Although her mother didn't have genuine feelings either, it was nothing more than a woman trying to fish meeting a scumbag, and she was countered by heaven. But listening to this was really quite difficult to bear.

"Your mother was very angry and also admitted defeat. They parted ways then. As a result, she discovered she was pregnant two months later..." Xuan Nu sighed. "To the sect, going out to deceive a man and ending up pregnant is truly too embarrassing. She had no face to return to the sect, yet she was also reluctant to abort you, so she secretly gave birth outside."

"Then how did she die? Difficult labor too?"

"To be honest, how she died is a doubtful case," Xuan Nu said. "Your mother's cultivation was very high. Logically, she shouldn't have died in difficult labor. Moreover, she wasn't without money. Although she hid herself, the conditions weren't that shabby... But when I found her, there was no midwife by her side, only you stuck there, and she was already without breath... I suspect it was the Pei family people who came to 'clean up the portal' that caused it. Otherwise, why would a group of Demon Suppression Department people suddenly hunt me down as soon as I arrived?"

Pei Chu Yun was silent.

"I only managed to take you away. I don't know what happened afterward," Xuan Nu laughed coldly. "As for whether this 'cleaning up the portal' was done by Pei Qing Yan himself, or by other people in the Pei family while Pei Qing Yan himself didn't know, to be honest, I have no evidence. If we have to say she died in difficult labor, perhaps that's also right. Anyway, I have no evidence either."

Pei Chu Yun was silent for a long time, then spoke somewhat wearily, "The possibility of it being other people in the Pei family is higher... So hiding the fact that Pei Qing Yan still had a child, I see that he really didn't know... And the message passed to Pei Qing Yan that the Charming Female He Huan Sect killed her, perhaps from his perspective, it was you who were cleaning up the portal instead. So the stories from both sides also match up."

Xuan Nu nodded. "After we discussed, we also felt this possibility was higher... This is a problem you should explore. If it's really the case, whether to avenge your mother is also a matter you should consider."

Pei Chu Yun steadied herself and asked, "Then why didn't Master tell me directly and let me seek relatives and secretly scheme to enter the Pei family?"

"Do you think Pei Qing Yan is a fool? No matter what excuse you find to seek relatives, he will inevitably investigate your background. How can you hide that body of Charming Female Xuan Gong from him? Then it's impossible to gain his trust," Xuan Nu laughed coldly. "The best plan, of course, is for even you yourself not to know. After you debut, do some other things, and your reputation reaches Pei Qing Yan's ears. He will doubt himself and go to seek the answer himself... At that time, even if he discovers that you were raised by us since childhood and possess Charming Female Xuan Gong, his mindset won't be the same."

This is still allowing her to have the surname Pei, and also teaching her some useless cultural knowledge from childhood, but not willing to clearly tell her the reason...

Pei Chu Yun's eyes changed even more. "Master's meaning... That way, he is more likely to pity me for being deceived and recognizing a thief as my father, and he will try to inform me of the 'truth' and together find you all to take revenge?"

"Correct. Human hearts are just like that," Xuan Nu said faintly. "So why didn't we create some reputation as a talented woman for you as usual? Precisely because it's still too artificial, and Pei Qing Yan might still be suspicious. Instead, letting him feel that you possess innate talent and ability but are suppressed by us can further solidify certain judgments."

Pei Chu Yun stood there blankly, her mind a little empty.

"As for not giving you any authority..." Xuan Nu's lips curved slightly, seeming to laugh coldly. "Yun Er, you must prove... if one day you enter the Pei family, you won't cling to a top-tier powerful family, but instead turn to deal with us. This is not only the meaning of the high-ranking officials in general, but also this seat's meaning."

Pei Chu Yun left the Marquis Mansion as if sleepwalking, and returned to the inn in a daze.

By the time she got back, Lu Xing Zhou and his disciple were still eating at the Sheng family's. Pei Chu Yun waited for a long time and they still hadn't returned, and her heart became more and more unbearable.

It felt as if she had lost her main support...

She desperately wanted to discuss it with Lu Xing Zhou. At this moment, only Lu Xing Zhou's words could calm her chaotic heart a little.

Her heart was still faintly thinking, her mother didn't use Charming Female Xuan Gong, and after moving Pei Qing Yan, that was the result... How reliable were the tacit understanding and feelings between herself and Lu Xing Zhou?

Lu Xing Zhou's lover was Shen Tang... From the beginning, it wasn't her, Pei Chu Yun. At most, he just lusted after her beauty.

Suddenly, there was a light rain, pattering and drifting in the courtyard.

Pei Chu Yun slightly raised her head, letting the fine rain wash her face, trying to clear her thoughts a little.

As a result, the only thing echoing repeatedly in her heart was Lu Xing Zhou's one sentence, "Boundless silk rain fine as sorrow."

Pei Chu Yun took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

After who knows how long, the sound of a wheelchair rolling on the floor came from the door. Pei Chu Yun opened her eyes and looked at the smiling and squinting faces of the master and disciple as they entered the door. She suddenly felt like she was in another world.

"Eh..." Lu Xing Zhou leaned closer and strangely reached out to wave in front of her. "Why do you look like you have something on your mind... Sitting alone getting rained on, don't tell me you still haven't eaten?"

Pei Chu Yun forced a smile. "Where did you go? I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Lu Xing Zhou's expression became serious. He pulled her into the room. "Talk inside."

Inside the room, the wind and rain were blocked outside, and it seemed to be warmer.

Lu Xing Zhou stood up, got a towel, gently helped Pei Chu Yun wipe her face, and then put down her long hair to dry it slowly. "Who bullied my little maid?"

Pei Chu Yun stared fixedly at the copper mirror not far away. The mirror reflected his gentle appearance. Finally, she spoke, "I saw Master directly... and Master also told me the truth directly."

"Um," Lu Xing Zhou said. "Looking at your appearance, your heart should be chaotic and uncertain... Don't mind telling me about it."

Pei Chu Yun slowly recounted everything one by one.

Lu Xing Zhou also thought absentmindedly for a while and laughed softly. "This is the Pei family feeling your enemy is the Charming Female He Huan Sect, while the Charming Female He Huan Sect feels your enemy is the Pei family."

Pei Chu Yun pouted and leaned on his body somewhat petulantly. "Actually, what enemy? I'm even thinking, what does this matter have to do with me..."

"Thinking this way is also quite good. As long as we muddle along, no one can utilize you, right?" Lu Xing Zhou said with a smile and squinted eyes. "Furthermore, eh, on the surface, the words of both sides can match up, but there's still a problem here. I don't know if you've thought about it..."

Pei Chu Yun knew that talking to him would bring new ideas and couldn't help but perk up. "What?"

"According to your Master's words, your mother didn't contact the sect... But how is she so clear about these details? Not only does she seem to know the subtle changes in mindset regarding whether to use or not use Charming Female Xuan Gong as if she held them in her palm, she even knows about her being afraid of losing face afterward, as if she were an eyewitness? This little essay is written as if she experienced it herself..."

Pei Chu Yun was stunned there.

"To say, ah, this matter is actually very simple, if you are really willing to muddle along and not think about revenge or not..." Lu Xing Zhou combed her hair and said leisurely, "You just don't take the initiative and don't refuse. Wait for Pei Qing Yan to discover your identity and come to recognize his relatives. Be a comfortable Miss of the Pei family, and then be a comfortable Saintess of He Huan. Don't do the things that both sides hope you will do... One day, someone will be the first to be unable to hold back. At that time, you will know everything."

Pei Chu Yun was stunned for half a day, then suddenly chuckled.

What things, in his few sentences, all seemed to become very simple.

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