Chapter 38

The study was so quiet that even the sound of breathing felt abrupt; only the occasional rustle of plane-tree leaves drifting in through the window broke the silence.

A draft slipped through, making Ye Rui shiver. She glanced at Xie Tinglan’s expression, then decided the chill crawling up her spine had nothing to do with the wind.

“She thinks I’m pork or something. Wash it clean? What, is she planning to steam me or braise me?”

She brushed it off with a joke, then opened the letter to read it. Even without looking at Xie Tinglan, Ye Rui could still feel the atmosphere ease after she said that.

Ri Xi let out a soft laugh, then withdrew and very considerately closed the door behind her.

Ye Rui studied the letter’s contents carefully. It described a man’s appearance, his martial arts and footwork, as well as the places he had visited on the day he rescued Gu Sheng.

The man had a long scar across his face; he wore black clothes, stood six feet tall, and had a bamboo hat on. Although his martial arts seemed to combine the strengths of many schools, his movement technique still gave him away. It was closest to the Chaoyang Sect’s Sun-Chasing Steps, though the wild, unsystematic feel of it was hard to miss. He likely came from humble origins and later attached himself to the Chaoyang Sect.

After he rescued Gu Sheng, Gu Sheng gave him all the silver he had on him. Later, a eunuch came to take Gu Sheng away. That eunuch had met the man before Xie Tinglan slaughtered the entire Gu household, but he had always worn a bamboo hat, so his identity remained unknown; only that others addressed him as “gonggong.”

Afterward, the man went to Baihe Tower for a feast, then to Yanyu Tower that night. He drank several cups of huangjiu but never revealed his identity, which showed he was cautious. After leaving Yanyu Tower, he headed straight out of the Capital City and went south.

South; the Chaoyang Sect was located south of the Capital City.

“How is it?”

Xie Tinglan asked. Ye Rui didn’t answer; she simply handed the letter over. Xie Tinglan paused, then took it.

Xie Tinglan never let anyone else see her private correspondence. Usually, if there was no need to keep a letter, she would burn it after reading it. When Ye Rui handed it over so decisively just now, Xie Tinglan had been a little surprised, because that was a sign of trust.

Xie Tinglan took the paper between three fingers and glanced at Ye Rui. Those pretty eyes were bright with light; it seemed the letter had already given her the answer she wanted.

This person really did wear her heart on her sleeve.

Xie Tinglan read the letter carefully and, almost by reflex, raised her wrist as if to bring it toward the candle flame. Only when her hand lifted did she remember the letter wasn’t hers.

After returning the paper, she said, “It does look like the Chaoyang Sect.”

“Then what do we do next?”

Ye Rui asked, both hands pressed on the desk as she looked at Xie Tinglan expectantly, as if waiting to hear what plan she had.

“No rush. Matters in the jianghu should be settled in the jianghu. That person has forces of his own in the jianghu; we have ours as well.”

Xie Tinglan gave a cold laugh, her eyes and brows bright with pleasure. It seemed the news had put her in an excellent mood. Seeing that, Ye Rui’s lips also curved slightly. “So you’re planning to use Wuming against them?”

“Not Wuming.”

Xie Tinglan turned to look at Ye Rui, a trace of amusement slipping into her eyes as she smiled. “Wuming kills like a rakshasa, moving through the dark. But someone has to do the work of a bodhisattva, walking in the sunlight; only then can we infiltrate the jianghu.”

The waters here ran deep.

“Then... which sect is yours?”

The moment Ye Rui asked, the smile on Xie Tinglan’s mouth deepened. Ye Rui knew that smile too well. Xie Tinglan was about to do something bad!!

“Come here; I’ll tell you.”

Ye Rui was sitting in her usual spot for calligraphy, close enough that Xie Tinglan could have reached out and taken her hand. But since Xie Tinglan had told her to come over, she was definitely going to make her stand right beside her.

What sort of mischief was she planning this time?

Nervous, yet with a thread of anticipation, Ye Rui felt as though Xie Tinglan had her completely wrapped around her finger. She walked over to her side. Xie Tinglan hooked a finger. “Lean in.”

Ye Rui bent slightly at the waist and turned sideways. Xie Tinglan slowly leaned closer, and warm breath brushed Ye Rui’s ear from point-blank range. The tingling, ticklish sensation caught at her ear; just as she was about to pull back, Xie Tinglan hooked an arm around her shoulder and kept her from escaping.

“It’s... the Wangshu Sect in Jiangnan.”

Ye Rui was just about to straighten up, but that warm breath held her there.

“So your ears are this sensitive. They’re red.”

Before Ye Rui could object, she felt a wet, warm, slick sensation slide across her earlobe. Her whole body shuddered.

“They’re even redder now.”

Ye Rui instantly took a step back, one hand flying to cover her ear. For some reason, tears had welled at the corners of her eyes. She pointed at Xie Tinglan and took a deep breath, but still couldn’t get a single word out. Xie Tinglan, meanwhile, had her head lowered, laughing wickedly.

“You’re this sensitive? Just from licking a little, you’re already... about to cry?”

Ye Rui’s eyes went wide. She could hardly believe Xie Tinglan would say something so outrageously shameless! She huffed, straightened her back, and said, “We’ll see who’s crying then!”

With that, she strode straight out. She absolutely could not stay in the same room as this wicked woman right now; it was too dangerous. Every time they touched, it felt like a spark was about to catch fire!

What was all that nonsense she’d been spouting? She was only acting like this because she knew Ye Rui liked her, so she was doing whatever she wanted!!

Wait... hold on. What had she just said?

We’ll see who’s crying then!

Heavens! What on earth did I just say!

At that moment, Xie Tinglan, startled into laughter, burst out laughing. Her laughter carried from the room into the courtyard, and Ye Rui was so embarrassed she nearly ran out of Xie Tinglan’s courtyard.

Help—! I’m definitely being infected by Xie Tinglan. I’m a very proper person!

Ye Rui hurried back to her own courtyard and sat beneath a tree to calm herself. At that moment, Hu Tu suddenly spoke up: 【Wow, that felt so refreshing!】

Hu Tu’s voice instantly dragged her back to her senses. Only then did she remember to ask: 【If you don’t say anything, I’d have thought you fell into a latrine pit.】

Hu Tu: 【...Nonsense! Dumping our electronic waste takes hours, and it only gets discharged once every ten days, so of course it takes a while!】

Ye Rui: 【How big is the pit that can hold your electronic waste?】

Hu Tu: 【Bah! We handle electronic waste with immediate eco-friendly processing, unlike you humans. Not eco-friendly at all.】

Ye Rui: 【Stop, stop, stop. Hurry up and tell me what the electronic wast— no, the side quest is!】

The phrase electronic waste felt like brainwashing. She brushed the golden-yellow plane-tree leaves off the stone table and waited for Hu Tu to continue.

Hu Tu: 【Right, right. The side quest is to fight in the underground arena in Youlan City; you have to win. If you do, you’ll get three points of stamina.】

Ye Rui: 【Only three? That’s so little.】

Hu Tu: 【Your newbie discount period is over. It’s harder to earn points now.】

Ye Rui: 【...So the crazy point bonuses before were actually a newbie discount? What happens if I fail?】

Hu Tu: 【Five points of stamina will be deducted.】

Ye Rui: 【Fine. I’ll take it.】

Ye Rui accepted the side quest. She had only been practicing martial arts for a short time, but she still needed real experience to improve. This underground arena quest was a good opportunity.

After regaining her composure, she still chose to return to the study and continue practicing calligraphy. That stubbornness had always been there; in the course of studying and working, she had never failed to encounter setbacks, but every time she gathered herself, she would keep doing what she was supposed to do.

So Ye Rui forced herself to forget what had just happened and went back to the study. But the moment she sat down, wrapped in the autumn wind, Xie Tinglan said, “I thought you wouldn’t come back.”

The end of Xie Tinglan’s words still carried a smile, which made Ye Rui blush again. Thinking of the bold words she had just shouted, she really wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

“Who’s in charge of the Wangshu Sect?”

Ye Rui quickly changed the subject. She couldn’t keep talking to Xie Tinglan about that anymore, or else she would definitely be the one to lose; after all, Xie Tinglan had skin thick as armor!

“Not me.”

“Huh?”

Ye Rui had originally expected to hear some famous jianghu figure’s name from Xie Tinglan, but this answer was somewhat unexpected.

The Wangshu Sect wasn’t actually under Xie Tinglan’s control, which meant there was another person Xie Tinglan trusted deeply enough to be manipulating it.

“I never thought the Wangshu Sect and the Chaoyang Sect had been neighbors for so long and still got along fairly well. Turns out they were each serving different masters, both harboring their own hidden agendas.”

Xie Tinglan ignored Ye Rui’s confusion. Ye Rui could tell she didn’t want to say more, so the topic of the person behind the Wangshu Sect ended there.

“Then do you have a plan for what comes next?”

Ye Rui asked. It looked like Xie Tinglan didn’t intend to wipe out the Chaoyang Sect; she must have a more suitable plan.

“The heart of an emperor is the hardest thing to guess. A mere gust of wind or a ripple of movement can keep him sleepless through the night, unable to eat in peace. Trust is the sharpest blade of all.”

By this point, Ye Rui roughly understood the direction of the plan: they were going to make the Yu Emperor’s trust in the Chaoyang Sect collapse. From the very beginning, the court and the jianghu had already been at odds many times over; perhaps their relationship was sustained only by interests, shaky and liable to fall apart at any moment.

If Xie Tinglan poured another spark onto it, maybe she could really burn away the little trust they had left.

Ye Rui didn’t ask further. She lowered her head and continued practicing calligraphy, trying hard to forget the interruption from earlier. Fortunately, Xie Tinglan seemed to have important matters of her own and was focused on reviewing official documents; neither of them brought up what had happened.

By the time noon was over and Ye Rui was preparing to go practice martial arts, Xie Tinglan finally spoke. “That woman has a grudge against me; don’t believe everything she says.”

After she said that, Ye Rui glanced at her, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then left the study.

That Mu Xue was a cunning fox, so of course Ye Rui wouldn’t believe everything she said. But she was, at least, a seller with some conscience; at minimum, she had given Ye Rui useful information. So during these three days in Youlan City, Ye Rui had to do her best.

Still, Ye Rui felt that she would very likely end up face to face with the man who had rescued Gu Sheng, since the main quest required her to kill him. Before that, she had to train properly. Right; she also needed to prepare some hidden weapons to carry on her person.

Those concealed weapons would be her lifeline at critical moments.

**

Three days later, Ye Rui left with her longsword and Liuying Longbow. Before she set out, Xie Tinglan had even been inspired to name Ye Rui’s longsword: Rui Feng. Rui described the appearance of a newly sprouted plant; Rui Feng meant a young calf that feared no tiger, something small enough to break the hard, courage enough to overcome enemies.

It had to be said; Xie Tinglan really was a scholar. Even when naming something, she made it sound so ornate.

Perhaps because she knew Mu Xue would specially come to the Xie residence to pick her up, Xie Tinglan didn’t come out to see her off. After returning from court, she went straight into the study to handle official documents and only had Ri Xi leave behind one reminder: be careful in all things.

Mu Xue traveled with only one guard and one coachman. That really could be called traveling light. Ye Rui, however, felt a little awkward. Could it be Mu Xue was expecting her to protect her?

At her current level, she could barely protect herself!

“You only brought two people?”

Mu Xue was brewing tea. Hearing Ye Rui’s question, she immediately looked up. Seeing the worried look on Ye Rui’s face, Mu Xue burst out laughing. “What are you afraid of? Looking down on my martial arts?”

Right. Back when Ye Rui had drunk with Mu Xue on the painted pleasure boat, Mu Xue had told stories about her years roaming the jianghu; her martial arts must not have been ordinary. Unfortunately, what Ye Rui remembered more clearly were the bawdy, suggestive tales Mu Xue had told.

“You just need to keep me company and take a stroll.”

Mu Xue closed the tea lid, and Ye Rui clicked her tongue. “Then wouldn’t I be getting that intelligence for free? I even get to go sightseeing.”

“Exactly. I’m the one making the losing deal here~”

Mu Xue shook her head and feigned a headache, but Ye Rui laughed outright. “You fox, you definitely have troublesome things you want me to do.”

“Running errands; how is that troublesome?”

Mu Xue rolled her eyes at Ye Rui, then added, “When you first got on the carriage, you looked like I was about to eat you alive. Why aren’t you afraid now?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? If you eat me, the one who loses is you; do you want to lose your woman and your troops?”

That made Mu Xue laugh. She had a feeling this trip would be very interesting indeed. As expected, with an interesting person by one’s side, even a dull road became entertaining.

**

Inside the study of Tinglan Pavilion at the Xie residence, Xie Tinglan pressed a hand to her temple while looking down at the official documents covered in dense writing.

“My lord.”

Ri Xi brought over a pot of hot tea, then ground ink for Xie Tinglan at her side. “Zhongshan Prince’s birthday is approaching. Should I still be the one to prepare the birthday gift?”

“Mhm. You prepare it.”

After Xie Tinglan answered, Ri Xi asked again, “My lord, is there really no need to send Jin You and Yin Zuo to protect Ye Rui?”

Xie Tinglan’s breathing caught; then she shook her head and sighed. “No need. If they go with her, Mu Xue will discover them very quickly. If we anger her, it will instead put Ye Rui in an unfavorable position.”

Ri Xi understood and nodded, but as she ground the ink, her brows remained tightly furrowed. Even after she finished, she still hadn’t left.

“Anything else?”

Seeing Ri Xi so hesitant, Xie Tinglan grew curious about what she wanted to say.

“My lord, you’re obviously different toward Ye Rui, but why... does it always feel like something is missing?”

After leaving Wuming, Ri Xi had followed Xie Tinglan all this time. She was Xie Tinglan’s most loyal subordinate and also her closest friend; there were many things only she dared ask Xie Tinglan about.

Xie Tinglan’s gaze began to drift. The words before her seemed to turn into little tadpoles, swimming in and out of view, scattering and gathering again and again.

“Ri Xi, from the moment you followed this prime minister, I was already a dying person. Every winter has been terribly hard to endure, yet the King of Hell still refuses to take me.”

At those words, Ri Xi’s eyes and expression darkened. Her eyes gradually turned red, and even her tightly pressed lips began to tremble.

“What a dying person lacks, perhaps, is simply a fierce yearning for the future. This prime minister only wants to fulfill my own vision as much as possible; even if... that one will certainly help me complete it.”

Even without this poison, this was already a place surrounded by tigers and wolves, where life and death were uncertain from one day to the next. How could she promise anything to anyone else?

Ri Xi shook her head, crouched down slightly, and placed a hand gently on Xie Tinglan’s forearm. “My lord, the blazing yang energy in Ye Rui’s body can ease your pain. And we’re still searching for the Longevity Grass and Yama Flower; my lord won’t be in any danger.”

Xie Tinglan curved her lips in a faint smile, looking unconcerned. “Ye Rui’s background... forget it. Ri Xi, I don’t think you truly don’t understand why, after all these years of searching, we still haven’t found word of those two herbs.”

Ri Xi frowned and lowered her head helplessly.

“Someone wants to cut off this prime minister’s path to survival, so this prime minister will fight the heavens for it; I’ll fight for every fleeting moment of this half-broken life.”

At that, Ri Xi tightened her grip on Xie Tinglan’s arm and said in a low voice, “My lord, Ye Rui’s blazing yang energy can help you. Even if she learns the truth of her own background, she’ll surely help my lord.”

Xie Tinglan only stared blankly out the door. Another yellow leaf drifted down, helplessly carried by the wind until it landed on the ground.

“Let’s wait until she returns, then this prime minister will speak to her.”

Seeing Xie Tinglan soften, Ri Xi finally let go and stood up. “My lord, we’ll continue trying to find those two medicinal herbs. Huan Jing said she once heard news of the Longevity Grass in Jiangnan; we’ll definitely find it.”

“Mm.”

Xie Tinglan answered and let her gaze fall back onto the documents.

Even though she knew one’s earnest feelings were doomed wherever they were given, how could my remaining lamp burn for long...

Winter was coming again; when the white snow fell, who would it bury this time?

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Author’s note: Actually, Prime Minister Xie really doesn’t like winter. She super, super hates it.