Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Disgraced Third Young Lady

Word travelled fast in Longxin City. Soon, everyone had heard about the "accident" that had befallen the Third Daughter of the Li family. For an elite of the Jianghu to fall so easily, people began to murmur and wonder if she had really been that good to begin with. Those who had once praised her name now jeered against her.

Li Yingshan was forbidden from leaving the Li family manor. Her father, unable to handle the stain to the Li family's reputation punished her with house arrest. Qiu Ling accompanied her as she wheeled herself around the back gardens. Now confined to a wheelchair, Li Yingshan's life was bleak, quiet, and uneventful.

Watching the koi fish swim around in the pond, she sighed sadly. Qiu Ling stood at her side, ever present.

"My Lady, perhaps you could try some embroidery or play some music?"

Li Yingshan shook her head. "I'm not Yingxue or Yingyu. I'm not skilled in the ladies' arts. Without my martial arts, I'm nothing."

"Don't say that, my Lady. You're still the Third Young Lady of the Li family."

She scoffed, "More like the Disgraced Third Young Lady of the Li family. Don't think I haven't heard the gossip. I'm Longxin City's best news right now. Every restaurant and inn's storytellers are talking about the Disgraced Third Young Lady of the Li family and how I went from being an elite of the Jianghu to an invalid. Why do you think my father detained me here? It's so that I don't cause the family any more embarrassment."

Her eyes turned downwards as she murmured ruefully, "Who knew? I'd only be loved by my father as long as I upheld the family reputation. If I fail at all, there's no love at all."

"My Lady..." Qiu Ling began. "I'm sure things will turn out alright."

Li Yingshan grabbed onto the wheels and spun herself around. "Doubtful."

She began to roll herself away from the koi fish pond. Qiu Ling grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed her back to her residence. On their way, servants passed them and whispered amongst each other.

"She dares even show her face around this manor?"

"The Master should send her to the family's residence in the border city. She's disgraced the whole family."

"That's right. What martial artist is she that she can even fight a few men?"

Eyes blazing, Li Yingshan spoke up, "If you count over thirty five men against one as a few, then I'd like to see you fight them to the death."

Realizing they were caught, the servants shut up and scurried away. Qiu Ling's shoulders slumped.

"My Lady, even the servants look down on you now. How dare they!"

"Let it be, Qiu Ling. This is my lot now. It's been a week, and my wounds are still healing. The numbness in my legs hasn't faded at all. Physician Huan is probably right. I will never walk again."

"Don't say that, my Lady! There can always be hope."

"How? I've lost my martial arts. I have no internal forcemartial artists' "power" in wuxia novels anymore. What hope is there?"

Back at the Peace of Mind residence, Li Yingshan was copying Buddhist scripture when her father slid the doors open. He walked in and stopped a few paces away. She looked up.

"Father."

"I've called off your engagement. I won't subject Xiao Xuthis is a nickname, the character's real name will be revealed later in the novel to disgrace also by forcing him to marry you."

Li Yingshan swallowed a sob. She took a deep breath and nodded. "I understand."

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Without another word, Old Li turned around and left as quickly as he had come. Fleeing almost as if she had the plague. Sadness and despair filled her.

My father can't even stand to look at me or be in my present for more than five minutes. What has my life come to?

"My Lady..."

"Qiu Ling, will you draw me a bath? I want to relax a bit. My muscles are tense."

"Yes, my Lady."

After drawing the bath and throwing some rose petals in on the top, Qiu Ling helped Li Yingshan change out of her lavender purple and peony pink Beizi and then climb into the bathtub. After settling in, Li Yingshan closed her eyes. The steaming hot water felt good, and she quickly relaxed.

"My Lady, may I say something?"

With her eyes still closed, she replied, "You've been with me forever, Qiu Ling. You know I've never punished you for speaking your mind. Go ahead."

"What if you tried to exercise your legs? Could that help you to regain feeling in your lower body?"

"I don't know if that would work. But perhaps, it would keep my legs strong. If some day, I really could stand and walk again, my legs would have to be strong enough to support me."

"I can create a schedule for you, my Lady."

"Do so, then. I'll look it over later to approve it."

"Yes, my Lady."

Qiu Ling left, and Li Yingshan was alone with her thoughts.

What really happened that day? Was it the dagger? But how? It was just a cut, albeit a deeper one. But there's not way it could've paralyzed me unless it hit one of my acupoints. But I didn't think it did. And Physician Huan didn't say anything about my acupoint being injured. And who is it that wanted me dead?

∇

Later that night, Li Yingshan looked over the schedule Qiu Ling had written up. After approving it, she settled into bed for the night. As she laid there, trying to fall asleep, her father's words echoed in her mind.

I won't subject Xiao Xu to disgrace also by forcing him to marry you.

She thought of the man she had been supposed to marry when she turned eighteen. All she knew was that he was another martial artist and the son of one of her father's sworn brothers. They had been betrothed to each other since childhood but had never met each other.

I'm not even seventeen yet. I never gave my marriage much of a thought, but I guess now that I'm invalided, I'll never marry. Father's probably furious about that as well.

A single tear slid down her cheek.

She whispered to herself, "Li Yingshan, Li Yingshan, how much longer can you keep on living like this?"

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