Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 161 Leaving without saying goodbye
Everyone greeted the two: "Old Man Li, Old Woman Li..."

The old woman nodded, reached out and took Rong Wanyin's hand, gently stroking it, and continued, "Everyone has had a commotion and is tired, so get some rest. This little girl is in the same room as me, and we hit it off immediately. This girl's skills are truly remarkable; she has surpassed her teacher!"

Rong Wanyin smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

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After everyone had rested, the old woman and Rong Wanyin shared a room. The old woman asked, "Little girl, now that there are no outsiders, I'll get straight to the point and ask directly, what is your relationship with Elder Wuji?"

Rong Wanyin was slightly surprised and didn't know how to answer for a moment. After all, her master had been living in seclusion for many years, and she didn't know whether this old woman was an enemy or a friend.

The old woman chuckled and said, "Little girl, don't be nervous. He's just an old friend. I was just asking because I saw you using the Wuji Sword Technique."

Knowing that the other party meant no harm, Rong Wanyin respectfully said, "Old Man Wuji is my master."

The old woman snorted: "Jiang Yan is your senior brother?"

Rong Wanyin was somewhat surprised: "Senior, you know this?"

The old woman chuckled wryly, "That old fellow isn't all that great, but all his disciples are quite good. However, your mastery of the Wuji Sword Technique isn't as good as your senior brother's, so you can't slack off! How is your master?"

Rong Wanyin became even more respectful: "Yes, Master is in good health."

The old woman laughed and scolded, "You old fellow, you're still quite resilient. Since you're a disciple of an old friend, I'll give you a gift."

The old woman took out a somewhat worn book from her bundle. The cover only had the four characters "The Essentials of Scouting" written on it. The old woman said with some emotion, "This is what I have learned in my life. I used to be a scout in the army. This book records in detail the techniques of reconnaissance, methods of disguise, and methods of intelligence transmission. Over the years, I have traveled all over the country, and my health has deteriorated. I am now one of those people who are about to die, but I have not been able to find a successor. Now I am giving this book to you. I hope you will not let the tradition be lost. Of course, you must also make sure it does not fall into the hands of evil people."

Rong Wanyin knew the significance of this book, so she quickly knelt down and kowtowed three times to the old woman: "Thank you, senior. I will definitely work hard."

The old woman smiled calmly: "Get up, good child. There's nothing to strive for. If someone reads what you write, it's not a waste."

Looking at the old woman's kind face, Rong Wanyin was moved and her eyes reddened as she thought of her own grandmother.

The old woman patted Rong Wanyin's head, somewhat sadly saying, "It's a pity that I've never been able to take on a disciple in my life. I finally found one I liked, but that old man beat me to it. Humph, he's been my lifelong nemesis! But even if I don't take you as my disciple, I can still teach you some skills. When you go back, remember to tell your master that you were taught by Lady Thousand Faces. Just to annoy him, hahaha."

Rong Wanyin nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Senior!"

The old woman was very pleased and nodded, smiling, "Come, let me show you my skills."

After the old woman finished speaking, she slowly raised her hand and gently tore off the disguise from her face, revealing her true appearance. Beneath the mask lay a captivating face. The woman had eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn water, a straight nose, and naturally red lips. Her black hair was casually tied up, with a few strands falling beside her ears. Although middle-aged, she still possessed a captivating charm. She slightly raised her eyes, her gaze like water, seemingly holding countless stories, yet carrying a hint of coldness and arrogance, making one hesitant to approach. Her face was exceptionally beautiful, except for a somewhat pale complexion. Rong Wanyin guessed it was because she had worn the mask for so long and didn't think much of it at the moment.

Rong Wanyin was stunned for a moment, blinked, and after a while, asked, "Senior, you are so beautiful. Is this a disguise?"

The Thousand-Faced Lady nodded and smiled, "Would you like to learn?"

Rong Wanyin's heart surged with excitement and secret joy. This was too amazing! "I want to learn, of course I want to learn! Senior, how did you do this?"

The Thousand-Faced Lady gently pinched Rong Wanyin's nose with her finger: "You should thoroughly understand the book I gave you first, and then I'll find a chance to teach you. The skills in the book go far beyond what you've already learned." Rong Wanyin grinned and said, "Senior, you can teach me yourself. It's too tiring to learn by reading alone!"

Lady Thousand Faces touched Rong Wanyin's face, her eyes full of affection: "Youth is wonderful, but youth is also impetuous and easily embarrassed. Don't miss out on the person right in front of you."

"Huh? Cherish the person in front of you?" A tall, handsome figure flashed through Rong Wanyin's mind. Her face flushed, and she said coquettishly, "Master, what are you saying? What do you mean by 'the person in front of you'..."

The old woman was amused by Rong Wanyin. She covered her mouth and laughed, "I've been through this before, do you think I'm blind? Do you really not like that young man surnamed Yan? If you don't say anything and he doesn't say anything either, it's easy to miss out."

Rong Wanyin's face turned bright red, almost bleeding. She sat on the bed, hugging the blanket, and buried her head in it, saying, "Senior..."

The two hit it off immediately and chatted about local delicacies and various amusing stories about their master.

As they chatted, Rong Wanyin drifted off to sleep.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next day, the storm had passed and the sun was shining brightly. Rong Wanyin slept soundly all night, got up, stretched, washed up, and went out for breakfast.

"Good morning!" Rong Wanyin yawned and greeted everyone.

“Miss Rong, it’s getting late…” Mo Yun teased. “My stomach is rumbling, and everyone is waiting for you to eat! The master insisted that you worked hard yesterday and wouldn’t let me call you.”

Yan Mingzhang glanced at Mo Yun: "Eat up! Can't you shut up even with food?"

Mo Yun exaggeratedly closed her mouth tightly.

Everyone laughed and busied themselves, some serving porridge, others distributing bowls and chopsticks.

Rong Wanyin looked around, somewhat puzzled, and asked Granny Li, "Granny Li, where is my Thousand-Year-Old Senior?"

Everyone was curious, and Mo Yun was the first to speak, asking, "Thousand Faces? Senior?"

Yan Mingzhang stopped what he was doing and asked, "You mean the old woman from yesterday?"

Rong Wanyin answered excitedly, "Yes! Did you know? She can disguise herself! She taught me some yesterday. I wish I could be that good!"

She then told everyone everything that had happened the day before.

Yan Mingzhang's expression turned serious. He was puzzled and opened his mouth, but hesitated for a moment before saying, "Senior left this morning. I was reading in the courtyard when she told me to let you rest a little longer, saying that you went to bed late last night."

Rong Wanyin immediately pouted, tears welling up in her eyes, and stood up to look towards the door: "Why did you leave so early?"

Yan Mingzhang pulled her back: "Senior said that if we are destined to meet again, we will meet again. She may come to the capital to see you when she has time. Senior has important matters to attend to."

Rong Wanyin felt very wronged: "Why did she leave without saying goodbye..."