Chapter 12: Third Madam
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
But the fatal attack he expected didn’t occur. Someone stood in the white fox’s way.
A nun dressed in Taoist robes appeared in front of Ye Sheng and protected him from the white fox.
The white fox stomped its feet and said, “Auntie, why are you blocking my way? This pervert was peeping at me while I was bathing!”
Ye Sheng quickly explained himself, “It wasn’t on purpose. I came to the mountains today to pay respects at my mother’s grave. I practiced some martial arts tonight, and I’m covered with perspiration, so I came here to take a bath. I really didn’t mean to offend this young lady.”
“You’re just making excuses. I’m going to kill you now!” The white fox refused to let him off and raised her fingers again.
“All right now. I know this person, so don’t kill him.” A gentle voice could be heard. That stopped the white fox’s attack.
Both Ye Sheng and the white fox looked in surprise at the nun.
“Auntie, you know this person?” said the white fox with a frown.
Ye Sheng also looked at her rather curiously. He had lived in Ye Manor all his life and hardly got a chance to come out of the house. Why would anybody outside the house know him?
The nun didn’t answer and just turned around to face Ye Sheng.
Ye Sheng stared at the nun and suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Third Madam?”
This nun was Lord Ye’s third wife. She had given birth to a son, but he had been beaten to death because he went to learn martial arts secretly against his father’s commands. After that, she moved out of Ye Manor to live quietly near Icy Mountain Temple.
Ye Sheng had seen this lady when he was a child. She was really very beautiful and was comparable to his mother in beauty. She was certainly prettier than both First Madam and Second Madam. More than ten years had passed, but it seemed as if time hadn’t left any marks on her face. She still looked the same, so Ye Sheng recognized her immediately.
The nun was indeed very beautiful, and she looked at Ye Sheng with a faint smile and she sighed. “It’s been so many years since I last saw you. You’re so big now.”
“Ye Sheng greets Third Madam,” said Ye Sheng as he quickly stood to his feet and clasped his hands together politely to greet her.
“There’s no need to be so formal with me. I’m already someone who is outside the family, and I’m no longer the Third Madam of Ye Manor,” said the nun with a calm expression as she waved her hands.
The white fox had transformed back into human form and looked charming and pretty in her chiffon dress. She asked in surprise, “Auntie, this person here is a relative of yours?”
“You could say so. He’s a younger member of the family. He definitely didn’t come here to stare at you on purpose, so let’s end this matter here,” said the nun with a nod.
“What? He’s seen my body, so how can I just let this matter go?” said the white fox with raised eyebrows and a cold smile on her face.
Ye Sheng said apologetically, “I was indeed the one in the wrong. What can I do in order to appease the anger you feel inside?”
“Very simple. Dig out your eyes,” said the white fox flatly.
Ye Sheng felt completely shocked and didn’t say anything. He definitely wouldn’t do that.
The nun quietly said, “Ling’er, don’t go too far.”
“Fine. Since you’re Auntie’s relative, then I’ll be a little more lenient on you. I want to beat you up then,” said Ling’er.
Ye Sheng had a bitter look on his face as he replied, “Miss, your abilities are above average, so I don’t think I can hold up against even one move of yours.”
Ling’er’s pretty nose wrinkled as she said, “You’re right. You’re too weak, and you can’t even take one hit from me. If I really did beat you up, even if you didn’t die, you’d be incapacitated. Then Auntie would blame me for it.”
“You’d better remember this well. I’m going to remember that you owe me. When you become more capable, make sure you give me some priceless treasure, you hear me?” said Ling’er as she glared at Ye Sheng.
“Ye Sheng will remember this.” Ye Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to get through this crisis. This Fox Spirit was way too formidable, and he was no match for her at all.
The nun nodded satisfactorily once she saw that Ling’er wasn’t going to pursue the matter anymore. She looked toward Ye Sheng, and a strange look flashed in her eyes. “I remember that you weren’t allowed to learn martial arts at Ye Manor, right?”
Ye Sheng immediately looked shocked and didn’t say anything.
“So you’re learning martial arts secretly? How very bold of you. Don’t you remember what happened to your Third Brother?” The nun smiled coldly as her tone of voice began to sound a little angry as if she was being reminded of her pitiful son.
Ye Sheng replied in a low voice, “Instead of being a useless bum for the rest of my life and be trampled upon, I’d rather risk it and fight.”
The nun looked straight at Ye Sheng, and her eyes started to get red as she said, “You are really a lot like him.”
Ye Sheng asked, “Do you mean Third Brother?”
“That’s right. That’s what he said back then too,” said the nun as she lifted her head up so that her tears wouldn’t flow down.
“Third Madam, why won’t he let us learn martial arts? Even a distant relative who just wants the backing of the Ye family gets to learn martial arts. Why are Third Brother and I the odd ones out?” asked Ye Sheng puzzledly.
“Why?” The nun started laughing. “That’s because the two of you have descended from improper families. Your Third Brother had the bloodline of a family Lord Ye is wary of, and you are the son of the Sacred Lady of the Reincarnation Sect. How could he possibly allow you two to practice martial arts?”
“Everyone thinks that Lord Ye is a great hero who wields tremendous power over this country, but he’s actually a huge coward, and he’s afraid of trouble. Even if there was only a very slim chance that something bad might happen, he’d rather nip the problem in the bud rather than take the slightest chance,” said the nun in a mocking voice.
Ye Sheng replied angrily, “The Reincarnation Sect has been destroyed for nearly 20 years now, and my mother has already quietly passed away. You mean he’s still going to be wary of someone like me who is known as a useless bum by everyone else?”
“That’s right. If you weren’t his son, he would have killed you with his own hands. And even though you are his son, if you ever touch a raw nerve, then he won’t show you any mercy either.” The nun’s expression was icy cold, and the hatred in her eyes was apparent.
Ling’er was still standing by their side, and she quickly said, “Auntie, don’t stand and talk about these things here. The wind in the mountains at night is very strong, and you might catch a chill. We’d better go back.”
The nun remained quiet for a while before saying to Ye Sheng, “Come along with me. You are a child as ill-fated as your Third Brother, so if I don’t help you, you will probably end up just like him.”
Ye Sheng quickly followed her. He didn’t have time to think about whether she was up to no good or not, because, right now, Ye Sheng didn’t have any chance of fighting back at all.
The moon shone brightly over the entire mountain and its forests and was as gentle as water, but the wind in the same area blew fiercely and sounded like the howls of vengeful ghosts. It was especially apparent when they passed through a patch of unmarked graves where ghostly flames flickered, but none of them dared to come out when they sensed the presence of the white fox.
Everything that Ye Sheng saw and heard during this journey renewed his understanding of this universe. So all these foxes, demons, spirits, and ghosts really existed...
After walking for about an hour, Ye Sheng saw that there was a nunnery hidden deeply within the mountain forest. It was extremely secluded, and there were vegetable patches and a rice field around it that were growing well. This place looked like a good hideout.
The nunnery wasn’t very large. It was just made up of four rooms. There was a statue placed in the main hall that resembled an infant. The body had been carved very realistically, but when Ye Sheng looked at its face, he realized that it was a blur without any features.
The smell of incense filled the nunnery, and it was fairly clean. After walking in, Ye Sheng remained reserved. He wasn’t sure what Third Madam wanted with him.
After the nun walked in, she lighted up some joss sticks and put them into the urn in front of the statue before kneeling down to bow before it three times with great sincerity.
Ling’er stood behind her and gave Ye Sheng a lit joss stick and motioned to him to do the same thing as she did.
Ye Sheng quickly followed Ling’er’s actions as she knelt on the mat and bowed respectfully to the statue as well.
“Get up. You’ll sleep here tonight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” said the nun after standing up.
Ye Sheng nodded and didn’t raise any objections.
“Ling’er, take him to a room to rest,” said the nun.
Ling’er didn’t seem playful or lively anymore after stepping into this main hall. She behaved as steadily as if she had been a well-brought-up and elegant daughter to a wealthy family as she led Ye Sheng to his room.