Chapter 85: Qin Se

Ou Peng smiled proudly and said, "Yan'er, you're absolutely right. A man should stand tall and do something great. Farmers take pride in growing crops, merchants take pride in amassing wealth, and people in the martial world take pride in their fame. Since I am the leader of the Piaomiao Sect, I should be proud of the Piaomiao Sect, proud of my brothers, and proud of making the Piaomiao Sect flourish. Perhaps when I grow old and can no longer walk, I will retire to your Huanxi Manor."

Ou Yan nodded happily and said, "Huanxi Manor will always be open to you, Brother, and to Sister-in-law, and to our future nephews and nieces, hehe, and even to our future grandnephews and grandnieces."

At this point, Ou Peng suddenly asked, "Yan'er, you're not young anymore. Shouldn't I give you some advice about marriage?"

Ou Yan blushed and said, "Brother, you should focus on the affairs of the sect first. If there's someone suitable, I will definitely tell you first. I have to go talk to Sister Qin now."

Then, she stood up and walked over to a row of hall leaders, finding a middle-aged woman to talk to.

Seeing his sister run away like a fleeing rabbit, Ou Peng couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking, "It seems Yan'er is of age now. I should start looking for a match for her. There are quite a few eligible young men in the martial world, so I'll have to take my time choosing."

The Sister Qin Ou Yan was talking to was the leader of the Mingcui Hall of the Piaomiao Sect, known as Big Sister Qin. As the saying goes, people in the martial world have deep feelings. Where there are men, there are women, and the Piaomiao Sect is no exception. Besides the majority of male disciples, they also recruit some talented young girls to be trained as female disciples. These female disciples, except for a few who follow their masters, like Xue Qing, are all under the Mingcui Hall. Most of the famous female heroes in the martial world are exceptionally talented, and this talent is often reflected in their appearance. Generally, female heroes are beautiful and captivating. However, Big Sister Qin was an exception. Her appearance was quite ordinary, even just barely passable, and her skin was rough and dark. At first glance, she looked no different from a rural woman, and in some ways, she was even worse. Why?

You might think that people in the martial world practice martial arts to protect themselves and, of course, to stay fit. A slender figure is a must; if you don't have a slender figure, you wouldn't even dare to say you're in the martial world. But Big Sister Qin was different. She had a barrel-like waist, which, combined with her face, made her look even worse than a rural woman.

What was even more frustrating was that Big Sister Qin's specialty was the Snake Fist. No one knew whether she practiced it for martial arts or for some other purpose. However, most people didn't have the chance to see her perform the Snake Fist. Those who did either died on the spot or fainted from anger and later died from vomiting.

But Big Sister Qin had one redeeming quality: her voice. When she spoke, it was as clear and pleasant as a lark, and people never tired of listening to her. When she sang, it was even more sensational. Many martial heroes followed her voice, listened to her sing, and then used their lightness skills to escape. "When I close my eyes, I want to commit a crime; when I squint, I want to retreat; when I open my eyes, I want to defend myself" was a famous line written by a talented man in the martial world for Big Sister Qin. However, Big Sister Qin also made a significant contribution to the martial world. For a long time, the rate of flower theft cases in the martial world dropped dramatically, and many flower thieves gave up their criminal activities, no longer trusting their ears. Moreover, the preferred martial skill of many talented young men in the martial world became lightness skills. Big Sister Qin's contribution to the promotion of lightness skills in the martial world was undeniable, to the point that several sects known for their lightness skills wanted to find her and present her with a banner.

However, before these sects could act, an unexpected event occurred. Big Sister Qin's true love appeared. One day, while Big Sister Qin was bathing and singing, our Brother Qin followed the sound, entranced by the heavenly voice. When the singing stopped, he realized the awkward situation. You might think that Brother Qin, after listening and watching, would just run away. But Brother Qin had always despised lightness skills, considering them low-class. Normally, his poor lightness skills didn't show, but in this critical moment, the difference became apparent. The others who were also listening and hiding managed to escape gracefully, but the poor Brother Qin, who was caught by Big Sister Qin after she put on her clothes, was easily caught. From then on, he fell into Big Sister Qin's clutches and was forced to marry her. For a long time after the wedding, Brother Qin would grab people by the hand and say, "I was really foolish, really." Then, he would lift his almost straightened back and say, "I only knew that practicing lightness skills was for escaping, not for a man to do. I also knew that flower thieves had good lightness skills for other purposes, so I didn't bother to practice them. But I didn't know that lightness skills were also for saving lives. If I can't even practice lightness skills well, how can I survive in the martial world? I really regret it. If I had another chance, I would tell my master, 'I was wrong.' If I had to add a few more words, I would say, 'I will never eavesdrop on someone singing again.'" He would then drink the deer blood and tiger bone soup he carried with him and cry bitterly.

After the wedding, Big Sister Qin no longer involved herself in the martial world, living a secluded life with Brother Qin. This left the sects that wanted to present her with a banner disappointed.

Big Sister Qin's joining the Piaomiao Sect was also an accident. She and her husband encountered enemies in a remote area, both sustaining serious injuries. On the brink of death, they were saved by the Piaomiao Six Tigers and taken to the Piaomiao Manor for treatment. Unfortunately, Brother Qin's injuries were too severe, and he passed away a few days later. Big Sister Qin, however, survived and joined the Piaomiao Sect, taking charge of the Mingcui Hall. The name "Mingcui Hall" comes from the line "Two orioles singing in the green willow, a line of egrets flying into the blue sky," which suited Big Sister Qin well.

When Big Sister Qin joined the Piaomiao Sect, there were many followers of her voice. They felt sympathy for Brother Qin's fate, and many had been grabbed by Brother Qin. However, the final farewell between Brother Qin and Big Sister Qin left everyone stunned and unforgettable. On Brother Qin's deathbed, Big Sister Qin held his hand and said, "Brother, when you were forced to marry me, I knew it was a burden for you. You suffered a lot by being with me. I am sorry."

Brother Qin weakly shook his head, using his last strength to hold Big Sister Qin's hand and said, "No, you're wrong. Meeting you was my greatest happiness. As the ancients said, after the lights are out, all women are the same. But they were wrong. After the lights are out, you are the best in the world. To have a wife like you, what more could a man ask for? Can you sing one last song for me?"

Big Sister Qin, despite her extreme weakness, opened her dry, cracked lips and sang, "A plum blossom stands proud in the snow..." In the lingering melody, Brother Qin closed his eyes, and Big Sister Qin was in tears. To everyone's surprise, after the song ended, Brother Qin opened his eyes again and said, "Also, the deer blood and tiger bone soup you made is very good."

Big Sister Qin understood and forced a smile, saying, "I'm fine, and you're fine."

Then, Brother Qin's hand relaxed, and he passed away.

Big Sister Qin fainted in pain and didn't wake up until a day and a night later. She then, with her injured body, arranged Brother Qin's funeral and cut her hair as a vow never to remarry or sing again.

This story spread throughout the martial world, and everyone sighed, "Deep affection, the plum blossom is cut off."

As a result, Big Sister Qin earned the respect of the entire Piaomiao Sect.

Ou Yan, of course, was no exception. She liked this female hall leader and often chatted with her, especially since Big Sister Qin's voice was so pleasant.

However, today, before Ou Yan could say much to Big Sister Qin, she saw Zhang Chengyue walk up to Ou Peng and whisper a few words. Ou Peng nodded and stood up, calling Hu Laoda and Li Laoer of the Piaomiao Six Tigers. The three of them left the meeting hall.

After leaving, they followed the corridor to the back of the meeting hall, passed a row of spacious rooms, and entered a door. In front of the door was a wide courtyard, and across from the courtyard was a large hall with a sign that read "Enforcement Hall." This was the location of the Piaomiao Sect's Enforcement Hall. At the entrance stood a strong, stern-faced old man, the head of the Enforcement Hall, Liu Yuzhou.

Seeing Ou Peng and the others, Liu Yuzhou stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Sect Leader."

Ou Peng quickly returned the bow and said, "Old Hall Leader Liu, no need for formalities. Has Shui Yupeng been brought to the hall?"

Liu Yuzhou cautiously replied, "Yes, Sect Leader. The escort was very careful, so it took a bit longer. Shui Yupeng's family members were also brought along and were well taken care of according to your instructions, with no casualties."

Ou Peng nodded in satisfaction and said, "Thank you, Old Hall Leader Liu. I trust this matter to you."

Liu Yuzhou smiled and said, "Sect Leader, you are too kind. This is what I should do."

Ou Peng laughed and said, "Old Hall Leader Liu, you don't need to be so formal. You have been the head of the Enforcement Hall longer than I have been the Sect Leader. Your caution and diligence are a great contribution to the Piaomiao Sect. Let's go inside and see what we can get from the leader of the Luoshui Sect."

With that, he led the way into the Enforcement Hall, and the others followed.

The hall was large, with few chairs and few windows, all of which were closed, making the room dark and cold. Most of the disciples were at the meeting hall or the square, leaving only a few capable ones.

These disciples held their weapons, ready and alert, as the hall's prisoner, the leader of the Luoshui Sect, Shui Yupeng, sat in the center.