Blooming of the Red Spider Lily: The Enchanting Pavilion Master - Chapter 49 - Hurting Others, Hurting Oneself

By the time Le Zimu and Feng Moqing arrived, everything had already settled: inside the room lay the corpses of the bandits and a stunned Li Bai, while outside, Bi’an held the unscathed Feng Mojin protectively in her arms. However, to their surprise, Bi’an’s hair seemed to have been cut significantly shorter; what should have been cascading down to her ankles now only reached her waist, as if severed by a sharp blade.

Yet, Le Zimu and Feng Moqing had no time to ask questions. One of them cradled Feng Mojin, escorted by Jiang Qing and others back to the palace, while the other took Li Bai home, parting ways.

When Feng Mojin woke up, it seemed to be deep into the night. She quietly stared at the gauzy curtains in front of her, taking a long time to realize that she was safe and back in a familiar place. As she closed her eyes again, the image of Li Bai’s hand piercing through her chest came flooding back.

She suddenly sat up in bed, reaching for her own chest, but to her astonishment, there was no pain at all. Furrowing her brows in confusion, the next moment, Feng Mojin’s eyes widened uncontrollably.

“Lv’er, I want a bath. Prepare hot water for me.” She shouted to the servants outside. A drowsy maid sprang awake at her command and hurried off to prepare the water.

Waving her hand to dismiss the waiting maid, Feng Mojin slowly began to undress before the mirror. As her clothes slipped away, she was horrified to discover a scar on her chest. The scar was deep enough to signify just how serious her injury had been-it could even be described as fatal! But why was there nothing else but this scar? Not a single drop of blood remained, as if she had never been injured at all.

“Then let’s make a deal,” an out-of-place voice echoed in her mind. After a moment of thought, Feng Mojin recalled that this phrase had been spoken by Bi’an while she was in a daze. However, she couldn’t remember the details of her conversation with her at that time.

A deal? What kind of deal had Bi’an made? Was this so-called deal meant to save her life? The life-threatening wound left behind only this peculiar scar. It seemed Bi’an had played a part in this. But what had Bi’an sacrificed as the other party in this deal?

As she sank quietly into the warm water, Feng Mojin closed her eyes and placed her hand over her chest, feeling a warm current surge within her. She had never imagined that seeing Bi’an at such a critical moment would bring her such a sense of security, nor had she ever thought that one day she would be saved by someone she despised the most. The feeling was strange yet comforting, similar to the warmth she felt when protected by her brother and the others.

As dawn broke, Feng Mojin hurried out of her quarters and dashed to wake the still-sleeping Feng Moqing. She leaned close to his ear and shouted, “Brother, I’m going to the Pavilion of Rebirth to find Bi’an-Jie!”

Feng Moqing was still in a daze, but hearing “Bi’an-Jie” sent a shiver down his spine. He flipped out of bed like a fish leaping, grabbing his sister’s shoulders. He looked left and right, even reaching out to pinch Feng Mojin’s cheek.

He knew Xiao Jin despised Bi’an so much; how could she possibly call that person ‘sister’? Could it be that someone was impersonating her?

“Brother, be serious! Bi’an-Jie saved me yesterday! Hurry and take me to thank her!” Feng Mojin pouted and pulled down Feng Moqing’s hand, then pointed at his disheveled state and whispered, covering her eyes, “If Bi’an-Jie sees you like this, she’ll definitely be disgusted!”

Feng Moqing looked down at his own messy attire, his nightshirt barely covering him. Then he glanced at Feng Mojin’s slightly flushed ears and finally recollected Bi’an’s indifferent face. Coming to his senses, he pushed the giggling and shy Feng Mojin out of the way and slammed the palace door shut behind her.

Feeling frustrated while waiting outside the Palace of Pure Sorrow, Feng Moqing finally emerged, fanning himself with grace just as Feng Mojin was about to rush back in in impatience. With his phoenix-like eyes, expertly trimmed hair, and a face like a peach blossom, he presented the image of a refined young gentleman, leaving Feng Mojin momentarily stunned, unable to connect him to the lethargic figure she had just seen.

What a stunning figure! She couldn’t help but curl her lips in disdain internally.

When the three of them reached the Pavilion of Rebirth, it appeared that Hua Ning and Bi’an had already been awake for some time. Hua Ning was sitting at the edge of the table, a cloud of worry on her face, one hand resting on her chin while the other waved a piece of paper.

“Hua Ning, what’s that?”

“Xiao Jin, you’re here! Look, there’s one for you too!” Hua Ning replied, raising her head at the sound and handing over several other paper invitations set aside to Feng Mojin and the others. “Invitations! For the wedding banquet of Le Zimu and Hongxiao.”

Heartbroken and despondent; these feelings only arise when something you cherish deeply has been trampled on.

Invitations? Wedding banquet invitations? For Le Zimu and Hongxiao? Feng Moqing, Feng Mojin, and Li Bai exchanged glances, snatching the invitation from Hua Ning’s hand and reading word by word, desperate not to miss a single character. After several reads, they had to confirm that this was indeed the wedding of Le Zimu and Hongxiao, and not with Li Bai.

Feng Moqing furrowed his brows deeply as he recalled Le Zimu’s anxious expression upon learning something had happened to Li Bai. It certainly didn’t seem like an act; Le Zimu truly loved Li Bai. Why then would he choose to marry Hongxiao and hurt Li Bai?

“Change of heart!” This phrase suddenly flashed in Feng Moqing’s mind, but it was too quick for him to grasp the significance. All he could ascertain for certain was that this wedding was not driven by genuine feelings.

A large part of Le Zimu’s decision to hold this wedding might have been for Li Bai’s sake.

“How could this be? What about Li Bai? She likes him so much!” Feng Moqing was still trying to decipher Le Zimu’s thoughts when Feng Mojin, holding the invitation, struggled to maintain her composure. Despite the fact that Li Bai had nearly taken her life yesterday, Feng Mojin firmly believed that the Li Bai she knew was never someone who would harm others for her own sake!

But how could Li Bai, who cared so deeply for Le Zimu, withstand the reality that he was marrying someone else?

“Wait, what about Li Bai? Does she already know?” Feng Mojin suddenly shouted at Hua Ning, who nodded gravely. “All these invitations came from Li Bai. She said Hongxiao and Le Zimu went to customize their wedding outfits because time is tight.”

Hua Ning wished she could forget the expression on Li Bai’s face while delivering the invitations-a look of profound sorrow, despair, and heartache. Her lively eyes had become like a stagnant pool, devoid of ripples. Looking into them, one could see nothing but a painful void, and that emptiness only deepened the heartache.

That overwhelming sorrow seemed to infect everyone around her. Hua Ning couldn’t fathom how anyone could bear to hurt someone as pure and innocent as Li Bai, who was like a blank sheet of paper.

“Is that so? Li Bai knows already? What will she do?” Sitting across from Hua Ning with an anxious expression, Feng Mojin fidgeted with her clothes, feeling utterly at a loss. She was still young and inexperienced, completely unaware of what Li Bai would do in such a situation. Besides feeling heartbroken, what else could she possibly do?

Meanwhile, the Li Bai that everyone worried about was preoccupied with preparations for the wedding of Hongxiao and Le Zimu. She refused to slow down, for she realized that stopping would allow the pain from that human realm to seep in, agonizing her deeply. Though she felt no heart, she was tormented as if she had one-pain so intense it took her breath away. She wanted to escape, but that pain ensnared her like a web, leaving her with nowhere to run, forcing her to be gradually consumed by the suffering.

“Didn’t the young master always like Miss Li Bai?” A familiar voice suddenly rang in Li Bai’s ears. She quickly recognized it as one of the maids from Le Mansion, and it seemed they were currently preparing the hall for the wedding banquet.

“I actually think the young master likes Miss Hongxiao. Just think about it- they grew up together as childhood friends and their family backgrounds are compatible. I’ve heard that the old master has been wanting to betroth them for a long time, but was afraid the young master and Miss Hongxiao would refuse. Now look, the young master has declared he wants to marry Miss Hongxiao. I even heard that Miss Li Bai’s background is questionable! Although she’s from Li Mansion, it seems the neighbors say that this house appeared out of nowhere. It used to be an abandoned garden-how strange is that?” another voice chimed in, laced with a sense of knowing more than others.

Li Bai had halted her steps the moment she overheard their conversation, quietly hiding behind the wall to listen. The more she heard, the deeper her pain felt. Eventually, the weight of that pain overwhelmed her, and she uncontrollably sank to the ground, burying her head in the red satin ribbon meant for the wedding.

Don’t think she was completely oblivious; don’t think she didn’t understand the ways of the world. At the very least, she knew that a wedding represented a lifelong commitment. Once Le Zimu married Hongxiao, their fates would be intertwined, bound together in shared glory and disgrace. There would no longer be room for anyone else between them-least of all for her, Miss Li Bai, a person of ambiguous origins.

“Why isn’t it enough? Just having Li Mansion isn’t sufficient? Why is it still not enough?” Li Bai murmured, looking somewhat lost. She had once thought it was enough to simply have a mansion; she conjured one up and created a crowd of people. She believed that this made her worthy of Le Zimu and that she could marry him. But was it really not like that? Was it still not enough?

Subtle sobs escaped the red ribbon as Li Bai leaned against the wall, releasing her sadness in a quiet outpouring. From the moment she met Le Zimu, her world had revolved solely around him. The desire to be with him filled her entire existence. But what was she supposed to do now that this singular wish had turned to smoke? What was she supposed to do?

“Come back, dear child.” Suddenly, an elderly voice broke through her thoughts. Li Bai looked up, her tear-streaked face revealing her dazed expression. Gazing into the empty air before her, she nodded silently. A moment later, a thin, gnarled hand reached out from that emptiness, pulling Li Bai in. Before long, only the scattered red ribbon remained on the ground.

“Popo¹!” Li Bai cried as she threw herself into the arms of the newcomer, allowing them to repeatedly stroke her head with a hand that was almost nothing but skin and bones, filled with warmth and affection.

The one who cared most for her in this world was probably the old cypress tree demon right in front of her. Popo had been someone she encountered while creating Li Mansion and had since become its matriarch, always by her side, like family.

“Silly child, I’ve told you before that relationships between humans and demons rarely end well. Why cling to it so stubbornly? Sometimes, letting go is the best choice. Since that young man has found a suitable match, you should truly wish him well,” Bai Li said gently, her wrinkled face breaking into a loving smile. She believed that someone as intelligent as Li Bai would understand her words. Having lived for nearly a thousand years, she had seen her fair share of human-demon relationships. How many had truly found happiness in such unions?

Humans and demons belonged to two different worlds; how could they ever truly come together? It would only result in mutual harm!

Footnote:

1. Popo(婆婆): “Popo” is a term of endearment and respect in Chinese, similar to “granny” or “grandmother,” often used for an older woman who is like family but not related by blood.