"You really shouldn't have shown off your talismanic skills in front of me."
The proprietress, Du Hongxian, casually tossed Mu San's corpse aside. The body flew sideways and crashed into a tree by the roadside. His lower back slammed into the tree trunk, and his body immediately bent backward. With a crack, his head hit his buttocks. Such a difficult feat could only be accomplished by someone who specialized in contortionism, or by a dead person.
Du Hongxian glanced at Li Xiaozong seemingly indifferently, then brushed the snow off her clothes.
"I refuse to believe I could keep this from you for three years in Fan Gu."
Li Xiaozong shrugged, glanced back at Wu Peisheng's corpse, and said helplessly, "Do you know how much trouble you've caused me? This guy was the Imperial Study's chief eunuch, a eunuch greatly favored by His Majesty the Emperor. He carried immense weight both inside and outside the palace. He died in Fan Gu; if I couldn't come up with a good excuse, I might be brought back to Chang'an to be executed."
"If the Emperor were willing to kill you, he'd be an idiot."
Du Hongxian glared at him: "Wu Peisheng is already dead beyond repair. Would His Majesty the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty sacrifice another seventh-rank martial arts and talisman-wielding genius for a dead man? If he could do that, how could he have stood out from the seven princes to ascend the throne?"
"You seem to know a lot about court affairs."
Li Xiaozong frowned and asked. "I don't know much, but I do know some things others don't. I've probably lived in the capital longer than you have."
Du Hongxian looked at Wu Peisheng's corpse and asked, "You can only wield one ice spike now?"
"Yes."
Li Xiaozong nodded.
"I really should have killed you before you became too powerful."
Du Hongxian said earnestly.
"But you don't seem to intend to kill me."
Li Xiaozong shrugged somewhat shamelessly. "The Great Sui Dynasty has far too few geniuses in cultivation. Your death is truly a pity. I'll consider it a good deed for His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Sui, and for the people of our Great Sui. Seeing perhaps another ninth-rank master in the future is something to be happy about, no matter what. So you should be grateful for your talent, grateful that Heaven has given you such great gifts."
Du Hongxian thought for a moment and then said, "However… I have some questions to ask. If you don't answer me truthfully, I'll beat you again, and this time I won't hold back."
"Ask away."
Li Xiaozong gestured for him to ask, then took out some medicine from his person, sprinkled the powder on his most severely injured shoulder, and then tore off a piece of his clothing to wrap it.
Du Hongxian asked, "If I hadn't shown up today, Fang Jie would be dead. Then he'd be branded with some ridiculous crime, and his death wouldn't even be peaceful. His body would either be buried haphazardly or abandoned outside the city to feed the wild wolves and jackals on Wolf Milk Mountain, right?"
"Exactly!"
Li Xiaozong said seriously, "If you hadn't shown up, how could I be so foolish as to kill a favorite of the emperor for no reason? And what about the more than thirty officials from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of War combined? Do you think I have absolute power in Fangu, able to kill people without restraint? If I had that kind of status, why would I have come to Fangu to suffer for three years?"
"In the camp, weren't quite a few people killed because of framing Fang Jie?"
Du Hongxian asked again.
"Twenty-five."
Li Xiaozong answered truthfully.
"What do you plan to do?"
She asked again. "In the fifth year of the Tianyou era of the Sui Dynasty, the Imperial Envoy, the Grand Eunuch Wu Peisheng, led thirty-six men from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of War to inspect Fan Gu. Twenty-six li outside Fan Gu, they were attacked by Mongol cavalry who had infiltrated Sui territory. Upon receiving the news, I led eight hundred elite soldiers to their rescue. By the time we arrived, the Imperial Envoy had already been killed in battle by a powerful eighth-rank expert. Although I knew I was outmatched, I still led my troops in pursuit. I sustained thirty-two wounds and lost dozens of men, yet I still could not avenge the Imperial Envoy."
He paused, then added, "Of course, I will submit a written statement..." "A memorial of apology. I beg Your Majesty to send another capable official to garrison Fan Gu. I am willing to pay with my life to atone for the death of the Imperial Envoy. However, even in my dying moments, I must not forget to select talented individuals for the Empire. Fang Jie, the deputy commander of the Imperial Fan Gu border scouts, is brave in battle, having rendered meritorious service twenty-one times. Especially during the pursuit of the Mongol cavalry, he fought valiantly, killing six enemy cavalrymen and sustaining multiple wounds. According to the rules established by His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Sui, I, this general, recommend Fang Jie to enter the Martial Arts Academy to take the examination."
After saying this, he asked Du Hongxian, "Is that enough?"
"Will the Emperor believe me?"
Du Hongxian asked. Emperor Xiaozong smiled and said, "As you said, even if His Majesty doesn't believe it, he will choose to believe it. To sacrifice a promising young general for a dead eunuch is a losing proposition. You wouldn't do it, and His Majesty the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty certainly wouldn't either. Punishment is inevitable, but it won't be crippling. After all, I am a member of the Li family of Longyou. If General Li Yuanshan of the Right Valiant Guard submits another memorial confirming that what I said is true, what could possibly happen to me?"
"Aren't you afraid of provoking a war between the Mongol Yuan and the Sui Dynasty?"
Emperor Xiaozong smiled and countered, "Perhaps His Majesty is waiting for such an excuse to fight the Mongol Yuan…" "Going to war? The wrangling alone will drag on for at least a year. By then, the old ministers in the court will definitely object; at most, they'll send men to slaughter a few small tribes. As for the Mongol Yuan… if they wanted to fight, would they have waited until today?"
"If you weren't a Sui citizen…"
Du Hongxian turned and walked away, her voice fading into the night: "I would have already smashed you into mincemeat… I would have given those unjustly killed soldiers a proper burial, and provided generous compensation to each family. If you fail to do so, I will come back to kill you."
"That's not a problem."
Emperor Li Xiaozong said, watching Du Hongxian's retreating figure, a fleeting shadow of gloom in his eyes.
...
...
Red Sleeve Pavilion.
Xiao Dingdian glanced at Fang Jie, who was slumped on the bed, and said angrily, "Knowing you can't fight, you still went out to fight. I heard many people died in Ximen; you were only saved by Master Luo because you were lucky. Aunt Xi, of all people, why did you have to make me apply medicine to your wounds!"
Fang Jie laughed as he laboriously unbuttoned his clothes: "Isn't it because you know I've long harbored feelings for you? Aunt Xi is helping us get together; how could you be so oblivious?"
"Go to hell!"
Xiao Dingdian punched Fang Jie hard in the chest, and Fang Jie cried out in pain. His body went limp, and he fell backward, motionless. Xiao Dingdian rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't play dead. You always try to fool me like this. Can't you stop joking about this? I'm a decent girl… Fang Jie, get up!"
She reached out to pull him up, but couldn't budge him. Looking closely, she saw that Fang Jie had truly fainted. Little Dingdian was terrified, her face turning pale. She immediately got up and ran outside to call for help.
Aunt Xi's room was on the second floor of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, at the very back. It was a large room with three interconnected rooms. The room was furnished in an antique style, and the stove burned brightly, creating a stark contrast with the outside temperature. Sandalwood incense was burned to reduce the smoky smell, something ordinary families couldn't afford.
The room was dry in winter, so three basins of hot water were changed every half hour. The steam rising prevented the dryness in the throat and nose. The most striking feature of the room was the large bookshelf against the wall, densely packed with all kinds of books—historical classics, musical scores, and painting albums. On the desk sat the most precious Huangzhou Chenni inkstone, and the paper was Dezhou Qilou Xuan paper.
The furnishings of this room alone, converted to money, would be enough for the entire population of Fangu City to live on for a period of time.
Wearing a graceful, light purple dress, Aunt Xi glanced at Mu Xiaoyao sitting opposite her, then at the old cripple who kept chuckling foolishly.
"Master Luo, congratulations," she said with a smile.
The old cripple nodded vigorously, saying, "If it were Aunt Xi offering congratulations in the past, I wouldn't dare accept it. But today, this matter truly deserves congratulations, so I'll accept it. For decades, I've searched and searched, and finally found a successor. At least I can die without regrets."
"How could that be? Heaven has already arranged everything. We didn't meet before because our fate wasn't right."
Aunt Xi turned her gaze to Mu Xiaoyao, smiling as she asked, "Would you be willing to stay at Hongxiuzhao? Since you're Master Luo's apprentice, I naturally can't treat you like an ordinary girl. So, I'll take you in as my sworn sister. In the future, you can be close to Zhuxin when you have free time. Master Luo is of a high generation, so taking you in as my sister is actually a bargain for you."
"Whether I stay or not depends on Fang Jie."
Mu Xiaoyao was a little nervous. For some reason, sitting opposite Aunt Xi made her even more uncomfortable than facing the domineering proprietress or the old cripple. It was unclear whether it was because of Aunt Xi's seemingly amiable yet commanding presence, or simply because the room was so warm.
"Oh?"
Aunt Xi seemed intrigued and couldn't help but ask, "What's your relationship with Fang Jie?"
"I can't say."
"Where did you come from?"
"I can't say."
"Why are you and your companion hiding in the shadows?"
"I can't say."
Aunt Xi asked three questions, and Mu Xiaoyao answered "I can't say" three times.
Afraid of upsetting Aunt Xi, the old cripple quickly changed the subject, saying, "This girl is meeting you for the first time, so it's understandable that she's nervous."
Aunt Xi smiled and shook her head, saying, "That's right, I can't say. It's better to be straightforward than to come up with some ridiculous excuse. Master Luo… do you like this apprentice?"
"Yes!"
The old cripple nodded vigorously. "But Fang Jie is going to the Chang'an Martial Arts Academy to take the entrance exam. If Fang Jie leaves, she will definitely go with him."
The old cripple's face changed, and he chuckled awkwardly, "I'll try to persuade her again… I'll try to persuade her again. Since she is a disciple, a disciple should naturally listen to his master. How can she disobey his orders?"
"It's no use persuading her."
Aunt Xi stood up and personally poured Mu Xiaoyao a cup of tea. "I can tell from her eyes that I can't persuade her. Let's not try to persuade her anymore."
"Thank you!"
Mu Xiaoyao clasped her hands and said, "If becoming a disciple means I have to stay at Hongxiuzhao, then I cannot become a disciple. Fang Jie and I cannot be separated; the three of us cannot be separated."
Aunt Xi asked, "Why is it that wherever Fang Jie is, you are there, instead of wherever you are, Fang Jie is there?"
"Because he is Fang Jie, and I am Mu Xiaoyao."
The answer was confident and righteous, illogical yet strangely reasonable.
...
...
When Xiao Dingdian saw that Fang Jie had truly fainted, she was terrified and rushed outside to find help. In her haste, she bumped into someone. She nearly fell, but a slender, delicate hand caught her just in time.
"Always so clumsy, aren't you afraid of falling?"
The woman holding Xiao Dingdian's hand seemed to be scolding, but her tone was full of pity. She wore a snow-white long dress, perfectly fitted at the waist, making her look no less stunning than Mu Xiaoyao. However, her figure was even more perfect than Mu Xiaoyao's; her legs, waist, upper body, and neck were all in flawless proportions. Every part of her was perfectly proportioned, neither too much nor too little, without a single imperfection.
She walked barefoot, yet her feet were breathtakingly beautiful.
Just looking at that one delicate hand was enough to make one unable to look away. Her hands, like her figure, were pleasing to the eye in every way; they couldn't be any more beautiful, nor could they be changed in the slightest.
A red thread tied to her wrist held a small bronze fish. Not only her wrists, but also her ankles. Her fair skin, slender hands and feet, paired with that simple red string, created a flawless picture.
"Miss... Fang Jie... Fang Jie is dying."
"Fang Jie? Who is that?"
"It's the owner of this establishment, injured..."
"I'll go see him, don't worry."
Just as she entered the room, the unconscious Fang Jie suddenly sat up. He sniffed, murmuring, "So fragrant... this scent, whose beautiful lady is it?"
After saying this, he slumped back down.