My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 37

As soon as the words “Du Yunge, the Sect Leader of Miaoyin Sect” left her lips, the atmosphere in Tian Zaishui abruptly shifted:

The women who had been singing soft melodies, playing the qin, chatting with guests over a game of chess, all halted their activities at once. Gathering their robes, they rose swiftly and hurried to the entrance. Those near the windows first secured the shutters and doors, leaving only the main entrance open before arriving slightly later, kneeling on one knee at the back to welcome her. Upon hearing the commotion from the first floor, the women upstairs soon descended in haste as well. Arriving a bit later, they knelt in the farthest spots from Du Yunge. In less than ten breaths, the once lively Tian Zaishui fell into a sudden, profound silence.

To be honest, when an entire establishment of talented, respectable, and empathetic women knelt in two neat rows before someone, paying such profound respect, anyone unfamiliar with such a scene would inevitably show a hint of discomfort or fluster. Yet Du Yunge displayed not a trace of such emotion, which only deepened the admiration of the kneeling women. They exchanged furtive glances among themselves:

Truly worthy of being the Sect Leader unshaken by such a mere spectacle, a person accustomed to grand occasions!

In reality, Du Yunge was simply utterly bewildered.

Fortunately, she was still wearing her sheer veil hat, and beside her stood the intimidating figure of Xue Shuyan. Even if someone dared to glance up at her, they wouldn’t dare scrutinize her closely.

This overwhelming display left the guests utterly perplexed. Many of them were seated at a distance and, lacking martial training, had relatively weaker hearing. Naturally, they couldn’t make out Du Yunge’s words and repeatedly pressed their equally confused companions:

“What’s going on? Is someone here to cause trouble?”

“No, looking at this setup, it doesn’t seem like troublemakers. If it were, these women would be charging forward faster than you. See how respectfully they’re behaving could it be some royal nobility has arrived?”

That guess seemed somewhat plausible, yet the very next moment, the one who proposed it refuted it himself: “No, that can’t be. The Miaoyin Sect has excellent relations with the court. Even if royalty showed up, these people wouldn’t need to be this deferential, to the point of holding their breath.”

Just as this person surmised, the attitude these women displayed toward the two at the entrance was indeed excessively reverent. The current emperor ruled with benevolence, and even the nobility and officials had to maintain an approachable facade. Since they were putting on an act, commoners had to play along; being overly reverent would only undermine their performance, blatantly handing their political opponents evidence that “this person isn’t actually benevolent.”

Finally, someone’s guess hit closer to the mark. With a face pale as gold paper, he stared apprehensively at the woman at the entranceeven without seeing her face, it was clear she was a peerless beauty and whispered in a trembling voice:

“Tian Zaishui is a business of the Miaoyin Sect!”

It was truly a wake-up call. Under such an obvious hint, the people around quickly caught on. The quicker ones had already tossed down their silver and rushed out through the side door in a flurry of steps, while the slower ones trembled as they rose to their feet, hurriedly settling their bills for drinks and food before making a run for it.

Even in such a state of panic, not a single person dared to take advantage of the chaos to skip out on paying.

Du Yunge watched the fleeing figures as if they were escaping for their lives, feeling puzzled. She asked, “What are they so afraid of?”

Xue Shuyan felt an urge to laugh, finding the scene before her utterly absurd. Clearing her throat, she leaned in close to Du Yunge’s ear and whispered, “They think I have a fearsome reputation. Since you, Yunge, are the sect leader who can keep me in check, doesn’t that make you even more fearsome than I am?”

Xue Shuyan’s words were not far from the truth, for this was exactly what these people were thinking.

To many elders with good memories, to those living in the borderlands, to those who grew up on tales passed down through generations, and even to those with some knowledge of history, the term “Hu” had never carried a positive connotation. It was almost synonymous with words like “savage, rude, and brutal.”

The memory of the era of the Five Barbarians’ chaos, which had unfolded many years ago, left a deeply harrowing impression on later generations. The Hu people had rampaged recklessly into Han households, plundering grain and supplies resources their armies desperately needed but could not produce themselves as well as gold, silver, and jewels, which they used as currency to trade for more provisions and warhorses, pushing their invasion further into the heart of the Central Plains.

Beyond seizing these essential military supplies, some of the more extreme among them would abduct the wives and daughters of innocent civilians, subjecting them to unspeakable atrocities. The most brutal among them even treated these unfortunate women as food, driven by a grotesquely simplistic and absurd notion: since they were so beautiful, would their flesh taste better than that of cattle or sheep?

The overwhelming smoke and bloodshed of that era, even after being washed over by the long river of time, had not faded in the slightest. Reading about this history during the day could make one feel as if a winding river of blood flowed beside their pillow at night. Although the entire martial world knew that Xue Shuyan was now a member of the Miaoyin Sect, that she was a mixed-blood outcast disliked by both sides, and that her conduct was upright enough to be a model for others, the common folk outside the martial world had their own opinions of her opinions she could easily guess without even trying, especially given her prominent high nose and deep-set eyes, which clearly set her apart from the people of the Central Plains.

Among those who had just scrambled out of Tian Zaishui in a panic, there were hardly any martial artists. But then again, why would martial artists come to dine and drink in a place under the Miaoyin Sect’s jurisdiction? It would be as dangerous as eating beside a dozing tiger that could awaken at any moment.

Thus, in the eyes of ordinary people, the two women standing at the entrance were not merely young ladies in the prime of their youth. Instead, they were seen as a savage, unpredictable beast that might leap at any moment to tear out a person’s throat, and the beast tamer holding its leash.

And what kind of benevolent soul could possibly tame such a beast?

Certainly not one!

Du Yunge’s reputation was widely known whether it was her naive, easily deceived nature or her long-standing fame for her stunningly beautiful appearance, it nearly rivaled that of Xue Shuyan. However, this renown was confined solely to the martial arts world. To ordinary people outside this circle, even the most common outer disciple of the Miaoyin Sect on Mount Wangyou seemed like an unattainable, untouchable being from another realm, let alone the enigmatic sect leader herself, with whom they now found themselves sharing a room!

They fled in such haste that it left Du Yunge, who was eager to hear Xue Shuyan’s explanation, utterly bewildered.

Xue Shuyan, with her mixed Hu heritage and years of martial training, naturally stood taller than most women. When she leaned in to whisper into Du Yunge’s ear, a faint warmth brushed against Du Yunge’s skin. Du Yunge’s entire body was fair and delicate, the result of years of meticulous care, and her ears were especially sensitive even the slightest stimulation felt magnified.

Thus, Xue Shuyan watched as the small, pale earlobe quickly flushed a deep crimson, like the fiery clouds that suddenly fill the sky at dusk. The swift transition between these two shades was a captivating sight, stirring the heart with just a fleeting glance.

It was only then that Xue Shuyan belatedly realized how close she had been when she whispered into Du Yunge’s ear perhaps a little too close.

An awkward tension settled between them, lingering even as the Tianzaishui branch leader hurriedly arrived. The branch leader’s face was deathly pale, clearly aware that the discrepancies in the account books had finally come to light. Beads of cold sweat, large as soybeans, rolled down her temples. Her lips trembled, yet she remained silent, kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly as if pounding garlic.

According to Feng Chengchun and the others, this branch leader from Qinhuai was either driven by greed or acting under someone’s orders. Regardless of the circumstances, she had to be punished to maintain discipline, especially since a detailed audit of the Qinhuai accounts revealed issues spanning over a decade. Over the years, she had embezzled at least two hundred thousand taels of silver.

Two hundred thousand taels was no small sum. With that amount, one could purchase official positions for every male in a family, all the way up to prefectural governors; or raise a private army, fully equipped and well-trained. Yet, the Qinhuai branch leader owned little land or property, lived alone without dependents, and had no apparent need for such extravagant spending. According to intelligence reports, her daily life was frugal, and aside from occasional correspondence with Qiu Yueman, her direct superior, she had no other social interactions. Every letter sent to Mount Wangyou underwent rigorous inspection, if there had been anything suspicious in those letters, it would have been detected long ago by the four guardians or Xue Shuyan, and she would have been punished as an example.

So, where did all that silver go? As Qiu Yueman, furious and speaking without restraint, put it.

“Even if that bastard were to throw money into the water just to hear the splash, two hundred thousand taels of silver would be enough to dam the Qinhuai River!”

The Qinhuai Branch Master was well aware that this was an enormous sum. If held accountable, she would have no chance of survival. Without a word, she knelt before Du Yunge, who was more than a decade younger than her, and kowtowed three times with loud thuds before speaking:

“Sect Master, the girls at Tian Zaishui know nothing about my embezzlement. I beg you to spare their lives.”

Du Yunge had always been soft-hearted and couldn’t bear to see others plead with her so desperately. As Xue Shuyan had once remarked, her mindset was like that of a child, she only wished for everyone to be well, for harmony and reunion, and for nothing unpleasant to happen in the world. That, to her, was the pinnacle of perfection.

But in this world, how could such a dream ever come true?

Just as she was about to ask, “Do you have some hardship?” Xue Shuyan suddenly took half a step forward. In one fluid motion, too fast for Du Yunge to clearly see, she drew her blade. The gleaming Yanling Sword was now pointed at the ashen-faced Qinhuai Branch Master:

“Enough nonsense. Just answer whatever the Sect Master asks. Why all this clamor?”

The tip of her Yanling Sword was aimed precisely between the Qinhuai Branch Master’s eyes. Everyone knew that Xue Shuyan had reached the realm of projecting her inner energy externally. Being targeted at such a vulnerable spot was utterly unnerving. If she truly angered the future Deputy Sect Master of Miaoyin Sect, she might end up with a gruesome “blossoming” between her brows red and white splattered everywhere. Terrified, the Qinhuai Branch Master immediately fell silent and waited obediently for Du Yunge to speak.

Du Yunge took a deep breath and spoke calmly:

“Dishonest dealings, falsified accounts, embezzling no less than two hundred thousand taels of silver from Tian Zaishui over the years, do you admit it?”

The Qinhuai Branch Master trembled and nodded repeatedly, her voice shaking as she replied, “I admit it.”

Her swift confession, without even disputing the amount, surprised both Xue Shuyan and Du Yunge. They had expected a greedy, cowardly person to struggle and resist at the last moment, yet she had confessed so readily.

However, no matter how much integrity she showed, punishment was inevitable. Without further ado, Xue Shuyan said sternly:

“The amount is too large. The penalty is death. You have half a day to settle your affairs, then come and end it yourself.”

“No need.” The Qinhuai Branch Master gave a bitter smile, slowly rose, and bowed to Du Yunge, saying:

“I have wronged the Miaoyin Sect. The former Sect Master treated me with immense kindness, yet I have been worse than a beast, devoid of conscience. According to the rules of the Miaoyin Sect, out of respect for my past contributions, I would be granted a whole corpse. But I truly have no face to meet the former Sect Master in the afterlife.”

“However, in the martial world, there are too many things beyond one’s control. Sect Master, I will say no more.”

Her voice grew fainter and fainter until it faded into silence. She collapsed soundlessly, her face as pale as gold paper, a trail of purplish-black blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. It was clear that a potent poison had taken effect. Even if Hua Tuo were reborn, he could not bring her back to life.

The maidens of Tian Zaishui remained kneeling in two silent rows. Each had memorized the sect rules upon entry, and upon hearing the staggering amount of silver embezzled by the Qinhuai Branch Master, they were struck with shock, resentment, and indignation. For a moment, no one dared speak or plead for mercy.

From where the trace of blood had trickled from the corner of the Qinhuai Branch Master’s lips, the skin began to fester and rot. Wherever the freshly oozing, uncoagulated blood touched, the decay spread further. Even deep flesh and blood sparing only the hard skull could rot away entirely. In no time, the entire head had corroded clean, leaving no possibility of deception, before the process finally ceased.

Xue Shuyan, well-traveled and knowledgeable, immediately recognized the poison:
“This is ‘Hairpin Flower’.”

Du Yunge felt her entire body stiffen, a phantom agony from her death throeslike a blade churning relentlessly through her organsresurfacing in her gut. She exhaled softly, struggling to keep her voice steady. Behind her white veil, her face was deathly pale; had anyone dared to look up, they would have struggled to tell whether her pallid face or the veil itself was whiter.

“I know of this one. ‘White hair adorned with flowers, yet sorrow remains unrelieved’, it has always been a closely guarded poison of the He Family Manor.”

“Even with meridians severed and the ropes of the underworld’s envoys already looped around one’s neck, as long as the final strike to the heart is withheld, taking Hairpin Flower can sustain life for three days and nights. But before death, not only will all martial skills be lost and the face utterly disfigured, one must also endure the torment of rotting bowels and pierced intestines throughout those three days. Such a refined and elegant name is wasted on this.”

“Although this person was suspected of colluding with other factions and embezzling such a vast sum in life, having suffered for so many days, the dead deserve respect. Let us prepare her burial with due care.”

As she patiently explained these grim details, her voice carried a note of sorrow yet remained gentle, evoking both pity and reverence. Considering the Qinhuai Branch Master’s unworthiness of her position, Du Yunge’s decision to grant her an honorable burial demonstrated remarkable magnanimity, a testament to the profound compassion of the Miaoyin Sect Leader.

In that moment, every member of Tian Zaishui was convinced: their sect leader was indeed as benevolent as the legends claimed not only forgiving but also kind-hearted and gracious, truly worthy of leading a major sect. Suddenly, someone knelt and called out softly:

“Thank you, Sect Leader, for your boundless generosity. We vow to serve you faithfully, even at the cost of our lives.”

This broke the heavy silence, which had been so profound that the pipa melodies from outside the building could be clearly heard. The members of Tian Zaishui bowed deeply in unison, declaring:

“Thank you, Sect Leader, for your boundless generosity.”

Outside, the pipa’s tune abruptly turned mournful. Du Yunge, with her keen hearing and fondness for poetry, faintly recognized it as a piece by the Hermit of the Valley, “Song of a Southern Country,” carried to her ears by the bleak, whistling wind:

【All things follow the wind and rain, cease, cease.】

“We pledge to serve you faithfully, even at the cost of our lives!”

Amidst the universal admiration and awe, only Xue Shuyan noticed Du Yunge’s unusually ashen complexion and frowned slightly.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Let’s lighten the mood with a little skit, don’t panic!

【Mini Skit】

Bystander: The sect leader of Miaoyin Sect actually managed to tame someone as fierce as Xue Shuyan! Truly a remarkable figure!

Bystander: Then she must be even more ruthless?! How terrifying, I want to go home!

Bystander: Scrambling away, lucky I ran fast! I can still brag to my wife that I escaped right from under the nose of the Miaoyin Sect leader!

A thoroughly confused Du Yunge: ????????? What did I even do?????????

Attached is the full text of Huang Tingjian’s “Song of a Southern Country”:

The generals speak of titles and honors,
Leaning alone on the tower, a short flute and lingering songs.
All things fade with wind and rain. Enough, enough!
At Xima Terrace, golden bridles gleam.

Do not delay the urging of wine,
This autumn’s brew tastes just like last autumn’s.
Flowers laugh atop the old man’s head. Shy, shy!
White hair adorned with blossoms, yet sorrow remains.

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