The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 171 - Asura

Song Jue was truly upset. He knew that Song Chuyi had been carefully groomed by Song Chengru and the Old Lady, always acting with purpose and logic. Yet, as her older brother, he couldn't bear to see his sister burdened with such a reputation.

Several times, Song Chuyi tried to make peace by bringing him pastries, only to be met with a cold glare and sent away. So she stayed quietly in her room, waiting for the spring hunt to end. At least now, with her ominous reputation as the "lone star of disaster" spreading, the buzzing flies around her had scattered. Even Lady He, who reluctantly visited a few times, returned home shaking in fear and reportedly caught a cold the next day, preparing to leave for the capital.

Before departing, Master Yuanhui specifically came to see Song Chuyi. First Lady Cui and Lady Yu flanked him, both anxious and fearing he would say something unfavorable again, making the situation irreparable.

But Master Yuanhui simply wore his usual warm smile as he looked at Song Chuyi's composed demeanor, asking, "Are you truly so resolute, Miss Song? With two fates—proof enough that you're connected to the Buddha. If you could find enlightenment, lay down your burdens, and turn toward Buddha, there might still be a path to redemption. They say that death is the end of all, but holding on only makes things harder. Letting go is better than clinging to resentment."

As a monk, he was far softer than those with bloodstained hands, often preaching compassion and forgiveness. In his view, he was giving Song Chuyi a chance to live. But to Song Chuyi, it was a dead-end path—her grudge with Prince Duan and Chen Xiang had reached a point of no return. If she laid down her weapons now, those two hungry wolves would not hesitate to tear her apart.

Song Chuyi was never one to make such a foolish choice. She looked at Master Yuanhui's compassionate expression, smiling calmly yet resolutely. "I'm just an ordinary person with attachments and desires. Even if I chose a worldly path, my six roots are still impure. I would likely sully the Buddha's pure ground, so please don't try to convert me, Master."

Buddha said there was no one in this world beyond redemption, yet Master Yuanhui could see a deep, worldly weariness in the girl's eyes, one far beyond her years. Realizing she was unlikely to turn back, he only smiled slightly, stood up, and chanted a Buddhist blessing.

He had done all he could. The rest was beyond human hands. Some people are determined to seek destruction, and nothing can stop them.

First Lady Cui, blinded by concern, didn't catch the hidden meaning in their exchange, but Lady Yu seemed to understand. After escorting Master Yuanhui out, she sat down and studied Song Chuyi for a while, hesitantly asking, "That whole thing about your fate—the 'lone star of disaster'—you didn't spread it yourself, did you?"

It wasn't unreasonable for Lady Yu to think this way; her niece was anything but ordinary, with a clever mind that held many intricate schemes. There was hardly anything Song Chuyi wouldn't use as leverage if it served her purpose.

Song Chuyi shook her head honestly. "How could I have managed to convince Master Yuanhui to endorse such a thing? Besides, this isn't exactly a good reputation to have."

Lady Yu sighed, giving her a playful poke. "Good to hear. If I find out that this was yet another one of your uncle's indulgences, I'll have both your hides!"

One had to wonder how Cui Shaoting managed as an uncle—he indulged Song Chuyi far more than most family members would. Even her direct uncle, Cui Yingshu, wasn't as lenient. But Shaoting, without fail, would agree to whatever she asked, no matter how outrageous, never fearing it would spoil her.

Just then, Princess Duanhui entered with Cui Yingshu. Catching Lady Yu's comment, she turned to Cui Yingshu and teased, "Are you hiding something from me again, conspiring with this girl?"

Completely lost, Cui Yingshu looked from Song Chuyi to Lady Yu and Princess Duanhui, bewildered. "I've been out hunting with His Majesty every day. Where would I find the time?" Besides, he knew that Song Chuyi preferred to team up with Cui Shaoting rather than himself, her direct uncle.

He wasn't lying; he had spent most of his days hunting with Emperor Jianzhang, and his nights calculating the costs of bridge construction in Jiangxi. He'd only just heard about the rumor concerning Song Chuyi's fate, and hurried over as soon as he could.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in fate, but like Lady Yu, he suspected Song Chuyi might have had a hand in the matter. If she wasn't directly involved, she certainly wasn't innocent. After all, Master Yuanhui's reading had taken place at Princess Duanhui's residence. As a respected monk, he wasn't one to spread rumors. So how had word traveled so fast, even reaching the Empress? And knowing Song Chuyi's friendship with the Crown Prince's heir, who else but the heir could have encouraged the Empress to mention it?

Cui Yingshu squinted at Song Chuyi for a while, suspecting he'd get little from her. He thought about turning to Song Jue for answers but then stopped and instructed Lady Yu and Princess Duanhui, "The girls have that riding and archery competition tomorrow, right? Let's not let her attend with all this talk going around. I still haven't settled our previous score." The "score" naturally referred to her race with the Ninth Princess.

This was a time to keep a low profile, and Lady Yu and Princess Duanhui quickly nodded in agreement.

That night, Song Chuyi pleaded with Song Jue, "If I don't go, won't all my efforts be wasted? If Chen Xiang decides to have me abducted and killed, no one will even know."

She had already planned with Zhou Weizhao for the situation to escalate, which was why the riding and archery competition was important.

Song Jue gave her an annoyed glare. "With the way you are, how could your two aunts ever stop you?"

That was as good as approval. With a little cheer, Song Chuyi leaned in closer to Song Jue. "Actually, it wasn't my idea. Master Yuanhui came with orders. Whether I wanted it or not, he was going to say what he did."

What Song Chuyi didn't dare mention was that Master Yuanhui's reading likely wasn't all slander from Chen Xiang—it might be closer to the truth. His accuracy, to the point of mentioning past and present lives, made it seem as if he had truly glimpsed her two lifetimes. Master Yuanhui was indeed a monk of remarkable skill.