劍問蒼天 - 第88章 死澤 - 清風書屋

Xiao Wan was his granddaughter after all, and her heart was concerned for him. Then it occurred to her that although mosquitoes swarmed all along the way, they had not touched her or Jin Pingyue in the least, biting only Zhou Yixuan. There must be something odd about that, and since she herself had no such power, it must lie with Jin Pingyue.

So she turned back and looked at Jin Pingyue, who smiled as though nothing were amiss. "Sister, what is it?"

Xiao Wan gave a wry smile. "Sister, my grandfather, he... well, I know your powers are vast. Could you help him?"

Jin Pingyue glanced at Zhou Yixuan with some disdain, but then, turning back to Xiao Wan's pleading eyes, she shrugged. "Very well. For your sake, he shall have this favor."

With that she drew a small white jade bottle from her robes and handed it to Xiao Wan. "There is some medicinal water in this bottle. Have him smear it on his body, and the mosquitoes will keep their distance."

Xiao Wan took it delightedly, her face beaming. "Thank you, Sister." She hurried to Zhou Yixuan and handed him the bottle. He stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly leaped up and shouted angrily, "You had such a good thing and you didn't even—"

Jin Pingyue's face turned cold and she fixed her eyes on him. Zhou Yixuan's voice died at once. As though he had some guilty conscience, he lowered his head, took the bottle, poured out the liquid, and smeared it over himself. In a moment a faint fragrance rose, and sure enough the mosquitoes that had been dancing and plaguing him moments before fell silent, and his whole body and mind relaxed.

Xiao Wan walked slowly back and returned the bottle to Jin Pingyue. After a moment's hesitation she said in a low voice, "Sister, do you still hold it against my grandfather for the wrong he did back then?"

"Hmph!" Jin Pingyue's face turned slightly cold. "Three years ago by the Eastern Sea, his wild ranting nearly put me in a place of eternal damnation. Had you not discovered it early, sister, and willingly sacrificed a year of your own lifespan to work the Wondrous Soul-Retrieving Formation for me and rid me of the demon spirit possessing my body, I would by now be worse off than dead. That old reprobate—if not for..."

Xiao Wan gently took Jin Pingyue's hand and called softly, "Sister."

Jin Pingyue glanced at her and gave a faint sigh, then a smile surfaced on her face and her eyes filled with tenderness. She patted Xiao Wan's hand. "Enough, enough. With a good sister like you, I let go of the past long ago; only sometimes, looking at that grandfather of yours, I still find him hard on the eyes and can't resist letting him suffer a little. Heh heh, good sister, you won't blame me, will you?"

Xiao Wan smiled and shook her head.

Jin Pingyue smiled as though to speak, when suddenly her face chilled. She whirled about and cried, "Who goes there?"

Xiao Wan and Zhou Yixuan both started and looked all around, but saw only vast mist and thick water-weeds. Apart from the occasional bubble rising on the water, there was not the slightest stir.

Yet somehow, seeing Jin Pingyue's face—always so composed—now suddenly grave and wary, and utterly unlike the gentle, quiet manner she showed when chatting and laughing with Xiao Wan, a cool hint of killing intent showing through her calm, as though she had become another person altogether, it seemed that whatever had come was a formidable foe not to be taken lightly.

After a moment, from deep in the distant mist a voice came drifting, saying mildly, "Immortal Maiden Jin, we agreed to meet yesterday at the Blackwater Trench to discuss grave matters. Why did you not come?"

Jin Pingyue seemed now to know who it was, and her expression eased slightly, yet the wariness in her eyes did not diminish in the least, and her tone was not the least bit courteous. "I don't know the road."