lovenovelstory Chapter 522 Northern Mang Xuan Yin Sect
Chapter 522 Northern Mang Xuan Yin Sect
Mingyue's body trembled slightly as she stepped over the threshold and sat down next to Su Wan. She sat upright, her hands on her knees, not daring to move or raise her head.
Jianlai stood at the doorway, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the corridor.
The waiter came in carrying a pot of tea, poured a cup for everyone, and then respectfully handed over the menu.
Qin Mu took the menu, glanced at it, and handed it to Xu Fenghua. "You order. You're familiar with it."
Xu Fenghua took the menu and lightly traced her fingers across the paper. She ordered roasted lamb leg, hand-pulled lamb, baked buns, lamb skewers, big plate chicken, naan bread with meat, yogurt, milk tea, and two pots of aged Shaoxing wine.
The waiter noted down the names of the dishes and quickly retreated.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the women, a smile still playing on his lips.
"Don't be shy. Eat and drink as you please."
Jiang Zhaoyue picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and smiled slightly.
Xu Fenghua lowered her head, her fingers gently stroking the rim of the cup.
Yun Suxin sat in the corner, silent, like a porcelain statue without warmth.
Han Xin'er poured Su Wan a cup of milk tea and said softly, "Drink it."
Chen Wanqing picked up her teacup, took a sip, and gazed at the night outside the window.
Su Wan held the teacup with both hands, taking small sips, her eyes sparkling.
Mingyue sat in the far corner, head down, her slightly curly long hair slipping from her shoulders, obscuring half of her face.
The dishes were served quickly.
The roasted lamb leg is golden brown and glistening with oil, emitting a wonderful aroma. It sits on a huge iron plate, sizzling with oil.
The hand-pulled mutton was piled on another plate; the meat was tender and glistening with an amber light.
Lamb skewers are stacked one by one on the iron rack, the aroma of cumin and chili mingling together, making one's stomach churn.
Qin Mu picked up a knife, cut off a piece of roasted lamb leg, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and nodded.
"good."
He cut a few more pieces, then used chopsticks to put one piece into Jiang Zhaoyue's bowl and another into Xu Fenghua's bowl.
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled and lowered her head to eat.
Xu Fenghua stared at the mutton in the bowl for a moment, then picked it up and ate it slowly.
Qin Mu cut another piece and placed it in Han Xin'er's bowl. Han Xin'er's face flushed slightly, and she whispered, "Thank you, young master," before taking small bites.
He cut another piece and placed it in Chen Wanqing's bowl. Chen Wanqing's hand trembled slightly, and she lowered her head without saying a word.
He cut a fifth piece and placed it in Su Wan's bowl. Su Wan suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief, her lips trembling violently, trying to say something, but unable to utter a single word.
"Eat." Qin Mu's voice was very soft.
Su Wan lowered her head, picked up a piece of mutton, took a bite, and tears silently welled up in her eyes.
Qin Mu cut the sixth piece and placed it in Mingyue's bowl. Mingyue's body stiffened abruptly, as if burned. She looked up, her amber pupils reflecting Qin Mu's smiling yet cold face. Her lips parted slightly, then closed, then parted again, then closed again.
"Thank you, young master." Her voice was very soft, as soft as a withered leaf falling from a branch.
Qin Mu didn't look at her. He turned around, picked up a skewer of lamb, took a bite, and chewed.
Eat it all. Don't leave any.
Only then did the women begin to eat. The crisp sound of bowls and chopsticks clattering echoed in the private room, like an off-key melody.
Mingyue ate the mutton in her bowl, tears still streaming down her face. She didn't know why she was crying—was she crying because she was finally eating a decent meal, or because her life was no longer her own? She didn't know. All she knew was that the mutton was very hot, burning her heart.
Halfway through the meal, Mingyue suddenly froze.
Her chopsticks froze in mid-air, her eyes fixed on the window. Her pupils suddenly contracted, as if pricked by a needle. Her lips trembled violently, and her fingers clenched tightly in her sleeves, her knuckles turning white.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment. "What's wrong?"
Mingyue did not answer. She just stared out the window, like a stone statue that had been immobilized.
Qin Mu followed her gaze. Outside the window was a street, bustling with people and brightly lit. A vendor was selling candied hawthorns on a street corner, an old man was leading a donkey cart past, and several brightly dressed women walked together into a cosmetics shop across the street. Everything seemed normal.
But Mingyue's gaze didn't fall on those places. She stared at a woman walking across the street. The woman wore a dark green long dress, her hair was tied up in a high bun, adorned with a gold hairpin, and her gait was graceful, like an elegant crane. Her face was not clearly visible in the twilight; only a section of her fair chin and slightly upturned lips could be seen.
Qin Mu's eyes flickered slightly. "You know her?"
Mingyue's lips trembled violently; the words rolled countless times in her throat before finally being squeezed out. Her voice was hoarse, filled with an overwhelming fear.
"She...she's from the Northern Barbarians."
The private room fell silent instantly.
Everyone stopped eating and their eyes all fell on Mingyue's face.
Jiang Zhaoyue frowned slightly. Xu Fenghua's fingers paused for a moment on the rim of the cup. Yun Luan's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharp as a knife, shooting out the window. Jian Lai straightened up from the doorframe, his hand on the longsword at his waist.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. "How did you know?"
Mingyue's body was trembling, from her fingertips to her wrists, and from her wrists to her arms. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging fear little by little, her voice hoarse.
"I...I saw her in Northern Mang. That was three years ago, before Loulan was destroyed. I was captured and taken to Northern Mang and imprisoned in a manor. That manor belonged to a sect in Northern Mang. She...she was a member of that sect. I saw her twice, each time she was wearing dark green clothes and leading a group of people through the manor. Everyone treated her with utmost respect, calling her...calling her 'Elder Yin'."
Qin Mu's eyes flickered slightly. "Elder Yin? What sect?"
Mingyue shook her head, her voice even softer. "This concubine...this concubine doesn't know. This concubine is confined to the backyard of the manor and rarely has the opportunity to go out. This concubine only knows that that sect is very powerful in Northern Mang, and even the local officials have to be subservient to them. The people in the manor say that the sect is called...something like 'Xuanyin Sect'."
Qin Mu tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice, making a "tap-tap" sound.
"The Xuan Yin Sect? Never heard of it."
Jian Lai stood at the door, his gaze fixed on the dark green figure, his brows furrowing slightly. "Young Master, there are many sects in Northern Mang, most of which are henchmen supported by the Khan. I have never heard of this Xuan Yin Sect before. However, the presence of people from Northern Mang in the Northern Territory is unusual in itself."
Qin Mu nodded, his gaze falling on the dark green figure that was gradually disappearing into the distance.
"Yunluan".
Yunluan stepped forward and bowed her head. "Young Master."
"Go. Find out where this woman lives, what she's doing in the Northern Territory, and what sect she belongs to. I need answers within half an hour."
Yunluan clasped her hands and bowed. "Yes." She turned around, quickly walked out of the private room, and disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. The smile on his lips remained, revealing no emotion.
Mingyue sat in the corner, head down, her shoulders still trembling slightly. Those images replayed repeatedly in her mind—the Northern Mang manor, the dark green dress, that icy face, and the name that had haunted her nightmares for a year—Elder Yin.
Qin Mu picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and put it down. "Continue eating."
No one touched their chopsticks. The women looked at each other, none of them speaking.
Qin Mu picked up a skewer of lamb, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. His gaze fell on the brightly lit street outside the window, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"These people from the Northern Barbarians come to the northern border and dress so ostentatiously. They're either fools or they're fearless."
Jian Lai stood at the door, his voice steady. "Young Master, which category do you think she belongs to?"
Qin Mu smiled and tossed the bamboo skewer onto the table. "You'll know when Yun Luan returns."
The private room fell silent. Only the candlelight burned quietly in the lampshade, occasionally crackling softly. The noise from outside drifted in faintly through the window, as if through a thin veil, indistinct and hard to hear.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Yunluan returned.
She pushed open the door, walked quickly to Qin Mu, knelt on one knee, clasped her hands and bowed her head.
"Young master, the investigation is complete."
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her face. "Speak."
Yun Luan straightened up, her voice clear and steady. "That woman's surname is Yin, and her given name is Su Tang. She is an elder of the Xuan Yin Sect in Northern Mang. The Xuan Yin Sect is a sect secretly supported by the Khan of Northern Mang, specializing in intelligence gathering, assassinating political enemies, and bribing officials. Yin Su Tang holds a high position in Northern Mang, being one of the five elders of the Xuan Yin Sect. She is proficient in disguise, hidden weapons, and poisons, and her martial arts skills are unfathomable."
Her voice paused, then lowered even further. "She arrived in Huaiyuan City three days ago and is staying in a house in the west of the city. That house belongs to a merchant from the Northern Border, who has long-standing business dealings with the Northern Barbarians. I investigated and found that the merchant's surname is Zhou, and his name is Zhou Demao. He is the largest fur merchant in Huaiyuan City. People from the Northern Barbarians frequently come and go from his house."
Qin Mu's eyes flickered slightly. "Zhou Demao? Does he have a large business empire in the Northern Territory?"
Jianlai stood at the door and took over the conversation. "Reporting to Young Master, Zhou Demao is one of the top three fur merchants in the Northern Territory and has a long-standing business relationship with the Northern Territory Royal Palace. Many of the leather armor, saddles, and boots used by the Northern Territory cavalry are purchased from him."
Qin Mu tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice, making a "tap-tap" sound.
"Interesting. A merchant who does business with the Northern Kingdom's Palace lent his house to an elder from a sect in Northern Mang. Was this Zhou Demao's own idea, or was someone acting as an intermediary?"
Yunluan lowered her head. "I'm still investigating. Time is too tight; this is all I've found."
Qin Mu nodded, leaned back in his chair, and gazed at the deep night outside the window.
"No rush. Now that she's here, she won't leave so quickly. Continue the investigation. Find out exactly why she came to the Northern Territory, who she met, and what she said. Don't miss a single detail."
Yunluan clasped her hands and bowed. "Yes."
She stood up and stepped aside.
Qin Mu picked up his wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and put it down. The smile on his lips remained, but beneath that smile lay a chilling edge.
"A person from the Northern Barbarian Kingdom has come to the Northern Border and is staying in the residence of a merchant who does business with the Northern Royal Palace. What do you think she's up to?"
No one answered.
Jiang Zhaoyue kept her head down, her fingers gently tracing patterns under the table. Xu Fenghua's face was ashen, her fingers clenched tightly in her sleeves, her nails digging into her palms. Jian Lai's brows were furrowed, his gaze fixed on the window, lost in thought. Mingyue sat in the corner, head bowed, her shoulders still trembling slightly.
Qin Mu smiled, a faint smile, yet it carried a chilling coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.
"Whatever she's planning to do, I'm very interested."
He stood up, straightened his robes, and walked towards the door. "Let's go back and rest. Tomorrow, I'm going to meet this Elder Yin."
The women stood up and filed out.
Mingyue walked at the very back, her steps unsteady as if she were stepping on cotton.
Only one thought occupied her mind—Elder Yin has arrived.
The person who gave her nightmares for a whole year is in this city.