“Who do you think you are? You who was such a curse that caused your own husband’s death. You are not even married into my Yan clan and you dare to claim to be carrying our holy bloodline?!” (This is not a hint that Hua Qing actually caused her husband’s death. Unfortunately, there is a superstition that family members’ death could be caused by someone carrying “bad luck” with them. So widows (it could be both male and female) and orphans are often accused of carrying bad luck.)

“Huai Shi!” Hua Qing takes a step back and yells loudly “Can you hear? I will just ask you one question, will you marry me or not!” 

Dead silence descended as everyone held their breath, all completely stunned at the woman’s daring act. 

Standing under the sunlight in front of the thousand remaining people, the woman bares her stomach proudly, proposing marriage publically without a care of her reputation, all to save the man she loves. 

The short silence felt long and difficult to endure for everyone as they held their breath. 

From the depth of the ancestry chapel, came Yan Huai Shi voice from far far away. 

It was only one word.

“I will.” (I know that’s two words, but in Chinese is only “Marry” which wouldn’t really make sense in English)

The answer was firm, without any recourse. 

The thousand plus guards forgetting themselves all cheered. Zhi Wei’s eyes sparkled brightly, the blood coursing through her vein that she thought had long been chilled started to boil in an instant.

Ning Yi who had remained silent all the while suddenly turned to look at her. Zhi Wei doesn’t dare to meet his gaze but abruptly hears him letting out a small sigh. 

Hua Qing’s head is tilted upward, there are tears in her eyes but they never did fall. 

“Even if he marries you,” After blinking in surprise for a bit, the clan leader finally yells “How can you be sure this would be a boy? A girl would not be allowed in either!” 

“This is an easy problem to solve.” Hua Qing sneers in derision.

Zhi Wei’s heart suddenly jumped. 

*clang* 

An introduction to the characters in The Rise of Phoenixes – Cfensi

Hua Qing reaches over her shoulder and pulls out the fishing spears from her back. Under the sunlight, the fishing spear that has been polished well gleamed.

“We just need to take a look to know!”

With a flash, the fishing spear aimed straight towards the belly. 

“Don’t……” A horrified clan leader yells! His poor heart almost stopped in that instant. 

No killing of any member of Yan clan (sorry, I think this only applies to males) is allowed within the ancestry chapel or the culprit will be exiled out of South Sea after their legs are broken. If the baby cut out of the belly really turns out to be a boy then he can’t even redeem himself by death.

*whack*

A well aimed walnut saved the life of Yan Chang Tian just in time.

Ning Cheng has already jumped in to take the fishing spear. As he walks away with the spear in hand, Ning Cheng pats Hua Qing’s shoulder and laughs quietly “You got the timing perfectly.” 

Seemingly as if she didn’t hear anything, Hua Qing holds a hand to her belly. Her move just now was actually very quick and sure so the sharp spear had pierced through the skin, drops of red blood dripping continuously onto the stone ground. 

The thousand plus people stood as if frozen– since this woman appeared, every single person has been stunned by her every move and has long forgotten to make any sound. 

“You are the one who doesn’t want proof from me.” Revealing her sharp white teeth, her smile was like that of a certain wild animal in the mountain “Now, open the door, the first household’s oldest grandson Yan Chang Tian wants to enter.”

Staring at her for a long moment, Yan clan leader finally waves his hand with a frustrated and resigned expression. 

The ancestry door opens, the sunlight that had been rejected previously finally shines into the darkness behind the metal door creating a fan shape of light. 

Zhi Wei looks at the fan shape that is getting bigger by the second then at the smiling Hua Qing who is proudly caressing her belly before finally letting out a long breath. Taking a step backward, Zhi Wei found a flat surface and sat down. 

Ning Yi who had been listening intently to what was going on immediately turned to look towards her direction. 

“Ning Cheng.” Zhi Wei calmly gives an order to Ning Cheng, “In a bit, keep a close watch over your master. Don’t let him get too close. Also, if it’s possible, help me stop Brother Gu as well.” 

And then she promptly falls backward.

In a myriad of lights, she seems to see someone lunging towards her and someone yelling fiercely.

 “Zhi Wei!” 

The one who leaped over was Gu Nan Yi, the one who yelled was Ning Yi, Ning Cheng wasn’t able to stop either of them. 

Gu Nan Yi is the best fighter among them so naturally he got there before Ning Yi and immediately reached out a hand to grab Zhi Wei. Before he could though, Ning Yi is already there but instead of trying to grab Zhi Wei from Gu Nan Yi, Ning Yi simply slaps towards his hand. 

Unwilling to have any physical contact with anyone other than Feng Zhi Wei,  Gu Nan Yi instinctively pulls his hands away. Zhi Wei falls right into Ning Yi’s waiting arms. 

Half kneeling with Zhi Wei in his arms, Ning Yi’s expression turned to one of horror the moment he took her pulse. Ning Cheng rushed over to pull him away “Master you can’t, plaqu…” 

“Shut up!” 

Turning his somewhat unfocused eyes on Ning Cheng, Ning Yi demands with a low chilling voice.

“Where did you guys go?”

His expression growing colder as Ning Cheng stammered out how they had to travel through that plagued infested mountain village, Ning Yi asks “Why are you guys fine?”

“We all ate some medicinal herbs, I don’t know why she would….she was fine just now.” Ning Cheng replies with confusion.

Gu Nan Yi suddenly says “Diarrhea.”

It took a moment for Ning Cheng to understand what Gu Nan Yi meant. Thanks to the seafood feast Zhi Wei had stayed up most of the night before alternating between throwing up and running to the outhouse. After a night like that, she traveled far to have the battle of wits with Minister Zhou then rushed at full speed back to the ancestry chapel while worrying the whole way. Mentally and physically exhausted, she was the weakest among them so that’s why she was the only one who fell prey to the sickness.  

Tight lipped, Ning Yi’s face is as white as snow even as Zhi Wei in his arms is burning as hot as fire. She has obviously been feverish for a while, when did it start? Yet again she stayed silent, yet again she waited until everything was settled before she was willing to let herself collapse! She must’ve known she has already been infected which is why she kept refusing to get close to him and here he was thinking… 

Half kneeling on the ground completely disregarding the dirt and dust all over his robe, Ning Yi’s hands holding Zhi Wei begins to tremble. 

How he hates that he can’t see! How much he hates that he is blind! 

Standing behind Ning Yi holding a handful of walnuts, Gu Nan Yi stares at Zhi Wei as her face begins to turn ashen…she is sick? When did she get sick? How did she get sick? Why did he not know? 

That Ning Yi, why is his expression so grave? She will die?

She will die? 

 Shocked by the thought, Gu Nan Yi suddenly feels slightly uncomfortable as if something is blocking his airway, making it difficult to breathe. It was such a foreign feeling, one he has never felt in the past. 

His emotions have always been like a lake of dead water, just as his heart perpetually beat at the same rhyme, emotions everyone would have such as sadness, sorrow, joy, conflict is foreign to him, he doesn’t have them nor does he understand them. 

He lost his father when he was three years old, he was very calm. 

His nursemaid passed away when he was eight. On her deathbed, she tearfully held his hand and said “Poor child, someone such as you, why do you still have to carry that…” 

That night under the lamp night, he stared dispassionately at his nursemaid, calmly freed his hand and the first thing he did was to wipe away the drop of her tear that had fallen on it. Then he turned away, walking past a room full of people who were waiting and bowing to him. 

Someone such as you? What is he? No one told him. Everyone just looked at him with the same look in their eyes before walking past him with a sigh. 

He doesn’t care about their look or their expression, his own affair, even to him is still something that happened to a stranger, something of another world. 

Yet, at this moment he suddenly wants to know what is happening to him.

Is it because he is different from other people so even though he is right next to Feng Zhi Wei he had no clue what had happened to her? 

If she died…if she died….

Taking a step back, Gu Nan Yi touched his left chest, closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing…he must’ve been infected as well and will die. 

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