Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 89.4 - She's One of Moon Water Paradise's People?! (4)

Chapter 89.4 - She's One of Moon Water Paradise's People?! (4)

Ch. 089.4: She's One of Moon Water Paradise's People?! (4)

Translator: MoonWhisperer, TWIP | Editor: TWIP
"As expected, you're able to play this flute," Fairy Shui Qing said emotionally. "Water Moon Paradise has two flutes. It's said that both of these flutes have intelligence and will only let the people they acknowledge play them. The secret book and flute started circulating over a hundred years ago, and there have been many people who managed to learn some Sound Arts. However, no particularly powerful individuals have actually emerged from amongst them all this time. This is because the people who can't even play the flutes won't be able to experience the wonder of Wind Blowing Snow."
"You... Why did you need to do this? Don't the people of Jiang Hu normally keep their secret martial art books very deeply hidden away? Why did you spread around these two items which are of such great importance?" Du Xiao Li voiced her bewilderment.
"Sigh, this story is a long and complicated one..."
It turned out that Water Moon Paradise was a branch of a mystery sect. They relied mainly on Sound Arts and were formerly the strongest branch of that sect.
That flute in Du Xiao Li's hands was called the Phoenix Flute. It was the weapon that belonged to the previous sect masters of Water Moon Paradise, and only those who could play that flute would be able to become the Sect Master. Yet no one else had been able to play this flute ever since the last appointed Sect Master died over a hundred years ago.
Consequently, the members of the sect's other branches seized this opportunity to attack them, bringing them down from the strongest branch to the weakest.
In order to find the people who had a predestined affinity with the Phoenix Flute, Water Moon Paradise had no choice but to release the flute and the secret book, allowing the flute to find its own master. While the flute was being moved around, Water Moon Paradise had always been surreptitiously following its movements closely. It was just unfortunate that, in the past hundred years or so, no one had been able to play the flute, but it did incite quite a lot of carnage in the
martial arts world.
Water Moon Paradise watched as the time allotted by the main sect to select a new Sect Master gradually dwindled down to a few years. Yet they still hadn't found someone who had a predestined affinity with the Phoenix Flute. Once the time was up and they still hadn't found someone who could play the flute, the main sect would take back the Phoenix Flute and disband Water Moon Paradise, integrating the members amongst the other branch sects.
It was right at this critical point that Water Moon Paradise lost the flute's whereabouts for the first time. The Phoenix Flute seemed to have vanished from the world. In order to find the whereabouts of the Phoenix Flute and the secret book, Water Moon Paradise dispatched many people to hide their identities and infiltrate every territory and venue, and Feng Li Shang was one such person.
Du Xiao Li got a shock from hearing this information. Water Moon Paradise was already one of the top three forces in Jiang Hu, yet it was unexpectedly just one branch of a sect! Then just how formidable must the strength of the sect be?! Moreover, everyone only knew about Moon Water Paradise and had no idea about any other sect. It was clear that they must have concealed themselves tremendously well!
"Wait a moment," Du Xiao Li interrupted Fairy Shui Qing. "You said whoever can play the Phoenix Flute is your what... Sect Master?"
"Yes. That's why I said we're not here to snatch away the secret book. Instead, we're here to find you," Fairy Shui Qing replied.
"You came to find me... to make me your Sect Master?"
"Yes. You managed to play the Phoenix Flute, so you're our Sect Master," Fairy Shui Qing said with certainty.
"My father is a member of the Imperial Court."
Members of the Imperial Court and Jiang Hu normally had no dealings with each other, and there had never been a case in which a member of the Imperial Court was the leader of some Jiang Hu force.
Of course, people like Feng Li Shang who entered the Imperial Court with a hidden identity weren't counted.
"It doesn't matter."
"I refuse."
"Miss Du, you don't need to make a decision for this matter so quickly. I know that perhaps it may be momentarily difficult for you to accept all of this since you've only just been made aware it, but I believe Miss Du will thoroughly consider the merits and drawbacks of this matter. In fact, the line dividing Jiang Hu and the Imperial Court isn't a particularly clear one. Aren't your parents the best example of that?"
After Du Xiao Li returned to her own room, she lay down on the bed and thought about all the information she'd been given today. This matter did indeed shock her somewhat, and she also found it rather hard to accept. However, upon thinking of Su Su Xin, Du Xiao Li felt she would be stepping into the Jiang Hu world sooner or later anyway.
At dawn of the second day, Du Xiao Li and the others checked out of the inn as the members of Water Moon Paradise had already prepared the horses the previous day.
Ever since Du Xiao Li's conversation with Fairy Shui Qing and Feng Li Shang the previous afternoon, the latter two didn't bring up the matter again. Even during dinner time, they only spoke about other things. Still, it was only because Beiling Yi Cheng was injured that Du Xiao Li accepted Fairy Shui Qing's offer to send them back to the city.
Due to Beiling Yi Cheng's injury, Du Xiao Li's party could not travel at a fast speed. So when they passed through the same woods from the previous day, they even encountered the corpses from the previous day's battle.
Initially, because of the previous day's interrupted assassination, it should have been a fairly smooth-sailing journey at present. Nevertheless, they were still stopped midway.
Du Xiao Li gazed at the black-clothed people who suddenly appeared on the coll. She truly never expected that she would encounter so many problems during this short trip out of the city. It seemed that many people wanted to get rid of her—the thorn in their side!
"Protect Miss Du!"
Fairy Shui Qing gave out an order, and the members of Water Moon Paradise dispersed to form a protective circle around Du Xiao Li and Beling Yi Cheng.
"There are many more people this time in comparison to yesterday! Are they members of Hitman Pavilion?" Beiling Yi Cheng asked.
"No, their clothes aren't the same," Du Xiao Li.
Beiling Yi Cheng took a more careful look. Although the people were also dressed in black clothes, these black clothes were indeed somewhat different from those of the people from the previous day.
Seeing the ferocious group of people, Du Xiao Li laughed grimly. She said, 'I didn't even know... Surprisingly, there are so many people who want to kill me!"
Logically, there should have only been a small number of people who knew about her departure from the city. Aside from Du Yun Han and Han Ming Yi, the only one remaining was that person on the throne, the Emperor. However, he shouldn't be someone who wants to kill her, at least not at present. Otherwise, Northern Qi's princess was going to die in Feng Ming, and that was definitely something he wouldn't want to see happen.
References
1.1 — The lowest point of a high edge between two mountains, usually where you can pass between them