To Travel by the Edge of a Creek

Chapter 45: Conjecture

In the neighboring room at the inn, He Xi packed away her things with a practiced ease. Jiang Ling pouted, “So you’ve been living next door since the beginning.”

The both of them had independently decided to stay at the inn where they had first met—the Shengping Inn. 

“I booked a room before you did.” He Xi pinched Jiang Ling’s lips and tugged on them, “Careful, your face will freeze like that.”

Jiang Ling pushed He Xi’s hands away, “Weren’t you the one always avoiding me…”

“Brother Jiang! Brother Jiang!” Tang Yi’s voice sounded from outside the room, breaking up their squabbling. For some reason, this Tang Yi had left home to come see Jiang Ling again. 

Jiang Ling sent a strained look at He Xi, who was naturally unperturbed, “How about you let him in.”

As soon as he entered, Tang Yi noticed the woman standing beside Jiang Ling, who was both elegant and slightly taller than him. Internally, he took it as Jiang Ling being like him and preferring older women and felt even closer. A grin hanging from his lips, he greeted He Xi respectfully: “Hello, sister-in-law.”

Jiang Ling’s eyes widened into saucers, startled by his address. She could escape Zhuo Zhuo calling her ‘brother,’ but she could not escape Tang Yi, who was now even using terms like ‘sister-in-law.’ Jiang Ling clutched her forehead. However, He Xi accepted his greeting in a self-possessed manner. She saw that, from his breathless appearance, he must have rushed over with utmost haste, so she poured a cup of hot tea for him. 

Tang Yi likewise did away with the distance of an outsider and took the cup that He Xi passed to him and plopped down onto a seat, “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Tang Yi drained the cup in one gulp, “I owe you much, Brother Jiang, for pointing me in the right direction. I felt much more clear-headed when I returned home, and so I remembered something that happened as a child and immediately ran here to notify you.”

Jiang Ling sat, as well, and continued the thread of Tang Yi’s story, “What did you remember?”

“That year, when that brother of the Gu family passed, weren’t there also his shimei and da-ge of the Gu family, not just the Manichaens?”

Jiang Ling nodded. Indeed, it was so. 

“I remember that the eldest daughter of the Gu family brought her younger brother to the Tang residence with her once when I was a child.” Jiang Ling did not think this strange, as Gu Zhao and Tang Wanyi had always been close and the two families often interacted. She listened as Tang Yi continued speaking. 

“That brother had been greatly interested in our Tang family’s hidden weapons, and I remember my sister giving him a pack of some of them.”

Tang Yi’s words fell with the force of a lightning bolt, shocking Jiang Ling to her core. She shook her head repeatedly, flustered and alarmed. She did not dare believe the implication, “But they’re brothers…” This was entirely beyond Jiang Ling’s conception. 

Tang Yi patted her on the shoulder, his expression as if speaking from experience, “Even brothers of the same blood will kill each other, let alone those without that connection.”

Tang Yi recalled the things he and Tang Wanyi had suffered and his eyes filled with a sharp, murderous light, “Those so-called ‘uncles’ and worthless ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’, acting close to your face but pulling all sorts of betrayals behind your back, making them impossible to defend against. If it wasn’t for the eldest daughter of the Gu family saving my sister out of kindness, who knows who would be leading our Tang family now. We might have even kowtowed to our own enemies.”

Tang Yi clenched his fists. The struggle for the position of Sect Leader had caused no end of grief; hatred too was born of the heart. 

Jiang Ling was still recovering from her shock, and He Xi pondered with a still gaze. 

Tang Yi observed their silence. Evidently, they were taken aback by this bold conjecture. He said, “Brother Jiang, this is also but one guess of mine.”

Jiang Ling replied bitterly: “I know.”

Besides this one supposition, which was the hardest for one to accept, there was also the time they had spent at the Qingshan Sect. There had not been a single note of discord between the two brothers. Furthermore, Gu Shi had also been seriously injured and had fallen into a coma for a month. He had been destroyed to learn of Gu Yun’s death. Which was it, true feeling or a feigned display? Jiang Ling could not understand. When she lived on Minghe Mountain with her shixiong and shijie, even if they were not blood related, they had been each other’s family. Fratricide was something Jiang Ling had only ever read about in books. 

Tang Yi looked around and found that Jiang Ling had already packed her things, “Brother Jiang, you’re leaving?”

Jiang Ling leaned back in her chair and shut her eyes, draping an arm over her forehead as she let out a long sigh, “We were planning on going to Mingzhou.”

“I know the gravity of this matter. Nothing is final until there is conclusive evidence.” Tang Yi was used to power struggles within large, influential families, “I will wait for my sister’s return before deciding.”

“This matter cannot be disclosed.” Jiang Ling exhorted. Regardless of its veracity, prior to conclusion of their investigation, if word were to get out about the senior disciples of the Qingshan Sect’s elders harming each other, there would be dreadful ramifications whether true or false. 

Tang Yi knew the weight of the matter, of course, and bid Jiang Ling rest easy. Tang Yi would be busy with his own affairs, anyway. 

Despite spending the past two days with Jiang Ling, Tang Yi had never seen He Xi. He was unavoidably curious and thought to learn a thing or two from Jiang Ling, “Brother Jiang, how could you not introduce me to sister-in-law before? If I hadn’t come to your door to see you, you would’ve kept it from me forever.”

“…” Jiang Ling rolled her eyes internally. This Tang Yi was as mercurial as ever, constantly shifting topics. She was still feeling sad about Gu Yun and now this brat was asking about personal things again. 

“I found her just last night.” He Xi confounded the matter even further with one brief statement. 

Tang Yi’s jaw dropped. He could not believe that He Xi was the one pursuing Jiang Ling, “Your little brother here envies you.”

Why wasn’t A Qi chasing after him now? He had pursued her for so long and she still hasn’t acknowledged him at all. It seems as though he could not learn anything from Jiang Ling’s example. 

Jiang Ling was rendered speechless by the two of them. 

Seeing that they had finished their discussion, Tang Yi made his farewells, “Since you will be leaving, Brother Jiang, then your little brother here will say his goodbyes now. If something comes up, I will send a messenger bird your way.”

“I must thank you, Brother Tang. You’ve helped me resolve a great deal.” Tang Yi had indeed helped Jiang Ling much. Jiang Ling did not know how to thank him. 

The two of them exchanged a few words then parted. 

“I don’t know what’ll happen with him and Miss Qi.” Jiang Ling was still worried that her advice to Tang Yi would be of no use with Miss Qi. 

“He is still with that girl at Yunxiang Gardens?” He Xi had thought he was simply a pleasure-seeking rich young master, but there actually was something like this. 

After Jiang Ling told He Xi of Tang Yi’s matters, He Xi took on an odd expression and glanced at Jiang Ling, her gaze deep. 

Jiang Ling rubbed her face, “What, is there something on my face?”

He Xi shook her head, wearing a sympathetic expression, “I think Young Master Tang and I have encountered the same difficulty.”

Jiang Ling was baffled by He Xi’s puzzling words, “What difficulty?”

“You know, the Tang family never had a second young master.” He Xi thought Jiang Ling was intelligent and could figure many things out instantly, but sometimes she was rather dense. She never inquired after the trivialities within Jianghu, and she was probably convinced that Tang Yi was a young master of the Tang family. 

“…”

Jiang Ling, hammered by each successive ‘surprise, could no longer think straight, “Then, ‘he’ is…”

“Tang Shuyi.” A sister born of the same mother, second young mistress of the Tang Sect. This was information that A Na had collected when they had traveled here three years ago, “I’m afraid she’s met someone even more stubborn than you.”

Jiang Ling did not agree with He Xi’s assessment at all. He Xi had clearly been too forward and had done that kind of thing with her when she was muddled. She only wanted to run away once she returned to herself and thought that she had done something improper. She and Miss Qi were in completely different situations. 

So Tang Shuyi was not only facing the difference in their statuses and the blood feud, but this as well…

Jiang Ling walked over to the bed, not wanting to think about it, “I should get some sleep.”

“You aren’t getting breakfast with me?” He Xi sat on the edge of the bed, her right hand stroking Jiang Ling’s back. Jiang Ling, face covered by the pillow, shook her head. He Xi raised an eyebrow, “I always eat breakfast. How about I eat…you?”

“Let’s go get breakfast.” Jiang Ling immediately rolled over and grabbed He Xi’s roaming hand, pulling her along to buy breakfast. 

…

Jiang Ling now had time to calm down and carefully consider what Tang Shuyi had told her. As a junior with an intimate relationship with a suspect, it would be too rash to head directly to Mingzhou, and it might even offend the Gu family. She should first find her shifu and shijie and consult with them. If shifu thought it feasible, having him, as a senior, appear personally would be easier. At present, the most important thing was to gather more evidence and determine if there was a fourth party besides herself, He Xi and Gu Shi. 

And so, Jiang Ling decided to first go to the Qingshan Sect and sound out Gu Shi, simultaneously writing a letter to Yun Yangzi. She wrote that she had found some new information relating to Gu Yun that she wanted to discuss with him and wanted to meet with him in Jiangdu. 

Jiang Ling and He Xi set out for Jiangdu. Three years ago they had gone their separate ways, but this time they walked the same path. 

“You’re leaving?” As the two of them passed by Yuxiang Gardens, Qiu Shi called out to Jiang Ling. 

Not busy in the daytime, Qiu Shi was sitting by the window when she spotted Jiang Ling and the woman who had taken her away that night. Their hands were clasped together, so they had probably made up. She was not afraid that the woman would be jealous and called out familiarly. 

He Xi let go of Jiang Ling’s hand. Jiang Ling understood and went up to the private room where Qiu Shi was, “Qiu Shi-jiejie, thank you for last time.”

Qiu Shi was leaning against the window as before. She glanced outside at He Xi, who was brushing the horses downstairs, and turned back with a smile on her lips, “It’s good that you two are together again.” Then, she looked out into the distance and sighed. 

“B-brother Tang’s matters…” Jiang Ling was evidently tongue-tied. Qiu Shi knew of Tang Shuyi’s identity, on the whole. 

“You don’t have to comfort me.” Qiu Shi seemed to have already let go of the obsession in her heart. 

“I’ve thought it over these last few days. I think what I liked wasn’t her.” Qiu Shi paused, “What I probably liked was her persistence towards Miss Qi.”

She envied Qi Yue. She envied her for having someone who would always wait for her. After envying another for so long, she fell in love with the envy itself, with Tang Shuyi’s persistence. 

Qiu Shi turned at the waist and walked up to Jiang Ling. She opened her palm, saying charmingly, “Young Master Jiang, it’s one liang for today.”

Jiang Ling frowned slightly, then relaxed. She pulled out a liang of silver and placed it in her palm, “Take care.”