Chapter 40

Inside the warehouse, the stench of sweat and blood mingled with the sour, unwashed reek of clothes worn far too long, making Ye Rui feel close to retching.

She hadn’t even started fighting yet, and she was already being assaulted by the smell. How was she supposed to handle that?

Ye Rui covered her mouth and nose, frowning as she looked toward the ring at the burly man standing in front of her. He sized her up, then snorted. “Girl, you still have time to quit.”

Ye Rui curled her lips, thinking this man talked entirely too much nonsense. She had already tested him earlier; using the way Yin Yue had taught her to judge a person’s martial skill by their steps and breathing, she could tell he was no expert. His footing was steady, his breathing heavy, and his steps unremarkable. He was exactly as that expert from before had said: just a man who brawled in the wild.

Ye Rui didn’t have much practical combat experience, but Yin Yue’s hellish training had been effective enough. Her body already had muscle memory, and now she was extremely confident when it came to fighting.

“Enough talk. Let’s begin!”

Ye Rui didn’t draw her sword, because the other side was empty-handed too. She couldn’t go around bullying him.

“Watch yourself, girl!”

The man raised a fist and swung toward Ye Rui’s face. She stepped back twice with nimble footwork, deftly dodging the punch, then used the fist Yin Yue had taught her to strike the lower edge of the man’s ribs, at the Qimen point.

Yin Yue had said this spot was poorly protected; with enough force, the ribs could break and injure the internal organs. It was a place for killing. However, Ye Rui hadn’t used much force, and she didn’t have enough strength to break someone’s ribs anyway. Even so, it was already enough to make the man suffer.

Sure enough, after that one blow, the man staggered back in pain. Before he could react, Ye Rui pressed the attack and punched his abdomen at the Guanyuan and Qihai points. The man immediately doubled over and collapsed to the ground.

The shouting around them cut off at once. That brief silence made the air feel strangely wrong. The man still tried to get back up, but the rough voice broke the stillness. “No need to keep going. The girl’s a proper martial artist. Keep this up and you’ll be going to see your ancestors!”

There was no anger in the voice; instead, there was a hint of appreciative laughter. Then he said, “Bring the girl up.”

Ye Rui hadn’t expected the man to have no ability to fight back at all. No wonder when Yin Yue had taught her this fist technique, she’d said: this fist technique isn’t flashy. Though basic, it’s a true killing art.

She also remembered Yin Yue saying that the greatest weakness of someone who hadn’t trained in martial arts was their footwork and their underestimation of the opponent’s strength; that was why Yin Yue had spent so much time making her practice horse stance and observe breathing.

Right now, Ye Rui felt a great surge of joy, as though all the things she had learned in school were finally becoming useful. The resentment and shadow she’d felt toward Yin Yue also eased considerably.

The warehouse was huge, and on the wooden stairs above, there was even a loft. Liu Yang was inside.

The loft wasn’t very spacious. Only Liu Yang and one attendant were inside, and because Liu Yang’s body was covered in bulky flesh and he was enormous in build, the tiny loft felt even more cramped.

Ye Rui even felt uncomfortable just standing there.

“What a pity. Looks like Liu doesn’t have the fortune to marry you as his wife after all.”

Liu Yang sounded regretful. The tiger tattoo on his chest moved with his sigh. Ye Rui resisted the urge to roll her eyes and only said, “Enough nonsense. Boss Mu asked me to come see you.”

“Boss Mu?”

Liu Yang already looked rough and imposing, with thick brows, large eyes, and a full beard. The first thing Ye Rui had thought when she saw him was the character Zhang Fei. Now, hearing the words “Boss Mu,” his eyes widened even more. His expression was impossible to read as either terror or surprise; in any case, he was clearly shocked.

“Why didn’t you say earlier that Boss Mu summoned you!”

Liu Yang practically sprang upright. The wide chair beneath him let out a creak, as if it were groaning in pain.

“No, no, this honored one, I was rude just now. Please don’t take offense. Liu is just a crude fellow and doesn’t think before speaking. I hope you’ll forgive me!”

Liu Yang’s attitude changed instantly. He and the attendant both cupped their fists and bowed to Ye Rui, which made her somewhat unable to adapt at first. Liu Yang was drenched in sweat, his eyes darting around anxiously, clearly afraid Ye Rui wouldn’t forgive him.

Seeing him change so quickly, Ye Rui figured he must have great respect for Mu Xue. Mu Xue had even told her to meet Liu Yang first before bringing out her name, forcing her to go through that whole fight. She was clearly just teasing her!

She really did keep taking losses at the hands of women!

“Come with me!”

With that, Ye Rui turned and left. She didn’t want to linger in the stench-filled warehouse any longer. She was already thinking that when she got back, she would have to wash thoroughly and scrub the smell off completely.

Hu Tu: [Side quest completed. Three points of stamina added; you now have forty-eight stamina points!]

Ye Rui had originally still been harboring some resentment toward Mu Xue, but thinking that she had completed a side quest on this trip too, she decided that at least it had been worthwhile.

She didn’t want to come a second time.

Just as she stepped out of the warehouse and could finally breathe fresh air, that woman in black immediately blocked her path, hugging a sword to her chest.

“Is there something wrong, miss?”

Ye Rui knew this person was no simple figure, so she naturally didn’t dare be rude. She still knew how to read the room.

“What is your relationship to the assassin Snow Fox?”

Snow Fox? Huh? I know about the Snow Fox from stories, but I’ve never heard of some assassin Snow Fox!

“I don’t know any assassin Snow Fox. I still have important matters to attend to, so please let me pass.”

Yes, Ye Rui used the words “let me pass,” because she knew that if this woman didn’t let her leave, she wouldn’t be able to get out of there easily.

“Lady Heiya, this one is Boss Mu’s person. Why not…”

Liu Yang came out and said a few respectful words to the black-clad woman in front of him. Heiya narrowed her eyes at Ye Rui. After a while, she finally stepped aside.

“I’ll go with you.”

Ye Rui: “?”

Seeing Ye Rui’s surprised and troubled expression, Liu Yang hurried to explain, “This honored one, Lady Heiya is Boss Mu’s confidant stationed in Youlan City.”

So that was it.

Really, Mu Xue had the nerve to say that Xie Tinglan didn’t tell her anything because she didn’t trust her. And now Mu Xue hadn’t told her anything either. By that logic, didn’t that mean she also didn’t trust her?

Looks like she really wasn’t someone worth trusting!

Hu Tu: [You’re saying that in a huff!]

Ye Rui: [Your brain suddenly got sharp!]

Hu Tu: [My brain has always been sharp!]

Ye Rui: […Fine, that was definitely just my imagination.]

Hu Tu: [?]

And so, Liu Yang and Heiya followed Ye Rui back to Mu Manor. Along the way, Heiya’s gaze never once left her, making Ye Rui extremely uncomfortable.

It was like needles pricking her back.

**

After returning to Mu Manor, Liu Yang and Heiya went into the main hall to discuss matters behind closed doors with Mu Xue. Ye Rui, with nothing else to do, practiced a set of fists in the back courtyard, then went out to the market for a stroll.

She thought that Youlan City was most famous for tea and wine, and planned to buy some to bring back. Unfortunately, she didn’t understand tea. Every time she bought tea, Xie Tinglan said it wasn’t good. It was one thing to say it wasn’t good, but she would also tease her about it, calling her tea-blind.

As for wine, thankfully Ri Xi had once given her some guidance. Back then, she had casually mentioned the famous Flying Star Wine and Jiangnan Drunk of Youlan City, and Ye Rui planned to buy those two back.

As for tea…

“Customer, this is our Youlan City jade sprout tea, and this is purple spirit tea. They’re both treasured products of Youlan City!”

The tea shop owner introduced them enthusiastically, but Ye Rui still hesitated. It wasn’t that the tea was bad; it was that buying it would halve her savings. This wasn’t a tea shop at all; it was a gold-digging pit!

But thinking that this was her first time traveling far from home, she still wanted to bring something good back for the Xie residence, and so she reluctantly bought it.

After that, Ye Rui wandered around the market for quite a long time. Stone bridges drifted with mist like gauze; young ladies held paper umbrellas and stood on the bridge pointing at something in the distance, discussing who knew what. Young men sat in pavilions with scrolls in hand, looking at the girls on the bridge.

What she had once thought existed only in books or TV dramas was now right before her eyes.

Perhaps because she no longer had her phone, and could only use her own eyes to discover the beauty of this moment, Ye Rui found that she seemed to notice far more beauty than she had before.

The distant mountains were like black-green brows; willow branches brushed lightly in the breeze. This city was like a tender, affectionate girl.

It took Ye Rui quite a while before she returned. She hadn’t expected that the moment she stepped through the door, she would see Lady Heiya standing in the courtyard with her arms around a sword, seemingly waiting for her.

Ye Rui pretended not to notice her, carrying several bags in her hands as she was about to head back to her room. But she was still called to a stop by Heiya.

“Miss Ye. What you used just now was the Inch-Life Fist. It’s a vicious skill in the jianghu; one punch can place life in the gap of an inch. It came from no named school, though not many have seen it, because everyone who has seen it is dead.”

Ye Rui said nothing, but after hearing the words “no named school,” her mind began racing rapidly. Yin Yue had clearly said that it was a basic fist technique. How had it suddenly become some Inch-Life Fist, and also a vicious art?

Could the assassin Snow Fox Heiya mentioned be Yin Yue?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

With that, Ye Rui was about to slip past Heiya. But Heiya spoke again. “I only want to know her whereabouts. I still have an unfinished duel with her. She vanished for many years, and only now have I finally gotten a lead.”

“I really don’t know anything about no named school or Snow Fox. Miss Heiya, why not ask Mu Xue instead? She controls intelligence all over the world; how hard could it be for her to find one person?”

Seeing Ye Rui’s impatient expression, Heiya swallowed the words she had wanted to say and could only watch Ye Rui’s back as she left.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried asking Mu Xue. Mu Xue simply refused to tell her, and even said: there is no longer any Snow Fox in this world.

Was Snow Fox dead? Heiya hadn’t been certain before, but now that the Inch-Life Fist had reappeared, she was sure Snow Fox had not died.

Back in her room, Ye Rui turned to make sure Heiya hadn’t followed before closing the door. After putting the tea and wine away, she sat down and carefully thought over what Heiya had said.

If the assassin Snow Fox really was Yin Yue, then Ye Rui definitely couldn’t reveal it. After all, no named school was Xie Tinglan’s hidden chess piece. If it were exposed, it might provoke a huge upheaval. One had to know that there were no secrets in the Capital City; with even the slightest disturbance, the old foxes and tigers in those great mansions would all be alerted.

From Heiya’s reaction, Mu Xue should not have told her where she came from. Then this secret could be kept for now; the only thing she didn’t know was whether… Mu Xue would use this to threaten her into doing something against her principles.

Forget it. There was no point worrying further. Since Mu Xue hadn’t said anything for now, she probably wouldn’t say anything next. She would just have to watch what Mu Xue did next.

Over the next two days, Ye Rui was sent running all over the place by Mu Xue. She went to the shops in the west of the city to inspect them, then to the east to call several shop owners to meet Mu Xue, and later to the north to speak with the craftsmen building a shop and pass along Mu Xue’s requirements.

Running back and forth so many times nearly exhausted her. By then, she had almost walked through all of Youlan City. During this time, Heiya never appeared again. According to Mu Xue, she had gone to the three cities of Yuanzhou to handle something for her, so Ye Rui wouldn’t be seeing her.

Today, Ye Rui returned from outside and hadn’t even had time for lunch before going back to her room, taking off her boots, and applying medicine to the blistered, cracked skin on the soles of her feet.

“Hiss—”

Her feet were practically smoking from all the walking. Mu Xue really knew how to make use of people. Though nothing she had her do was a big deal, all those errands were extremely tedious. No wonder carriage drivers would rather go haul cargo at the docks than do this kind of work.

After she finished applying the medicine, there was a knock at the door. Ye Rui said “wait a moment,” hurriedly pulled her boots back on, and limped over to open it.

The moment the door opened, a wave of fragrance drifted in. Mu Xue stood at the entrance with a half-smile and said, “No way. You only ran around for two days and you’re already done for?”

“You try it.”

Ye Rui rolled her eyes at Mu Xue, then said, “What is it this time?”

Every time Mu Xue came looking for her, it was never for anything good. Every time her soles hurt so badly she broke out in a cold sweat, she had only one thought holding her up; she had to keep her promise, or else she’d be turned into a human stick.

“Relax. I’m not here to send you running around again.”

Seeing Ye Rui standing on one leg, supporting herself with only the other, Mu Xue restrained her smile and asked, “You’re hurt?”

“Just some blisters. Nothing serious.”

She had several blisters, actually, but she didn’t plan to tell Mu Xue. She had even worn through one pair of boots; today’s were brand new.

Mu Xue seemed like she wanted to say something else, but in the end, she didn’t ask. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll return to the Capital City.”

“Alright.”

Ye Rui paused, then added unwillingly, “If there’s anything else you need me to help with, just say so.”

“There isn’t. You’re already useless.”

Mu Xue looked at her with obvious disgust, then gave a mocking little laugh before turning and leaving.

Ye Rui: “?”

I’m useless?! How could I be useless?!

Fine. I really am useless; I need to rest.

After closing the door, Ye Rui sat down and massaged her leg.

These past few days of running errands hadn’t been only for errands. She had also inquired about the Chaoyang Sect. Since Youlan City was close to Jiangnan, and the Chaoyang Sect and Wangshu Sect were both based in Jiangnan, she kept hearing about those two sects here.

On the surface, the two factions seemed harmonious and mutually supportive, but in truth, they were both vying for Jiangnan’s number-one sect. Because the Wangshu Sect had Moon Immortal in charge, with her Lone Moon Sword Art famous throughout the jianghu, and because she had even taken first place in the last martial arts tournament, everyone said Jiangnan’s Wangshu was the number-one sect.

Setting aside the rivalry between the two sects, the Chaoyang Sect still had some notable figures, such as Liang Batian of the Subduing-Tiger Fist and Yu Bunan of the Dragon-Slaying Blade.

Ye Rui had naturally inquired about that man’s identity, and had almost confirmed that he was Yu Bunan’s chief disciple, Yu Bin.

It was said that the scar on Yu Bin’s face was cut by Moon Immortal, because at the time Yu Bin had verbally offended her and said: If the Moon Palace can be a nest for red candles, then please, Immortal, share a night of bliss with me.

One sentence earned him one scar. According to rumors, if Yu Bunan hadn’t stopped it then, Yu Bin might already have lost his life.

When Ye Rui heard this, she only had one thought: it’s a pity he wasn’t cut to death.

Still, people said Yu Bin was not easy to deal with. He was Yu Bunan’s most outstanding disciple, his Dragon-Slaying Blade technique fierce and powerful, and among the younger generation, there weren’t many who could beat him. Moon Immortal was one of them.

Ye Rui had asked many people about Yu Bin’s strength, and the conclusion she came to was that, as she was now, she had absolutely no chance of winning.

Troubling. So troubling. She was starting to worry about her main quest.

**

Three days later, Ye Rui returned to the Capital City. Before she got off the carriage, Mu Xue suddenly seized her wrist. Ye Rui’s orange-red sleeve brushed over the back of Mu Xue’s hand, like a flame passing by.

Only after Ye Rui turned around did Mu Xue say, “Hey. Since you’ve been so diligent helping me, I’ll tell you one more piece of intelligence.”

“What is it?”

Ye Rui sat back down, curious to hear what other intelligence Mu Xue would leak to her. Her gaze burned with the intensity of a student thirsting for knowledge.

Mu Xue spoke slowly. “Even if Xie Tinglan clears the poison from her system, her body will still be very weak. After all, the poison has already settled inside her for so long. Even if she’s nursed carefully, I’m afraid it still won’t be easy to recover.”

“Then what should we do?”

Ye Rui felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. Her heart ached as if it were being scratched, and a sense of helpless anxiety spread through her entire body.

“There was once a martial art in the jianghu called the Burning-Heart Inner Cultivation Art. It’s extremely yang and rigid. If practiced, it can nourish Xie Tinglan, and it’s more effective than any medicinal food.”

Seeing Ye Rui’s earnest worry, Mu Xue turned her gaze out the window instead. Her eyes were distant; no one knew what she was thinking.

“However, the owner of the Burning Heart Art disappeared twenty years ago. Because it was one of the strongest inner cultivation arts in the world, and because this person had no sect protecting her, greedy jianghu people hunted her down until she vanished without a trace.”

“This isn’t really anything unusual in the jianghu. It’s just that those orthodox sects, in order to hide their own greed, slandered that person as a demon or the leader of a demonic cult. Go ask around and you’ll know.”

After saying that, Mu Xue waved a hand. “Alright, alright, I can’t say any more. I’ve already lost enough.”

Ye Rui was silent for a long moment, watching Mu Xue cover her mouth to yawn, as if this woman was lazy no matter where or when she was. But after spending some time with her, Ye Rui finally understood: sometimes when Mu Xue covered her mouth and yawned, it was only to hide her own awkwardness and unnaturalness.

She didn’t want others to know when she was doing good deeds. This woman was quite awkward too.

“If Xie Tinglan can’t recover properly, what will happen?”

Mu Xue glanced at Ye Rui and laughed softly. “She won’t suffer as badly as when the poison was active, but her body will still be frail and weak. She won’t die, but if she catches a chill or is poisoned again, that’s hard to say.”

Ye Rui let out a sigh, then smiled at Mu Xue. “Thank you, Mu Xue.”

“Oh? You can say thank you too? You must have cursed me plenty when I had you running yourself ragged for those two days, right?”

To be honest, Mu Xue had a lot of fun traveling with Ye Rui these past few days. Watching Ye Rui being teased by her and not daring to resist was quite entertaining. Now that it was time to part, Mu Xue unexpectedly felt a trace of reluctance too.

“That’s right. During that time I wanted to curse you so badly that even when you went to the latrine, you couldn’t find any toilet paper.”

As soon as she said it, Mu Xue not only failed to get angry, she laughed instead, bending over with amusement and no longer caring about her image.

“But still, thank you.”

Probably not used to warmth, Ye Rui said that and then got ready to get out of the carriage without waiting to hear what Mu Xue would say. But Mu Xue called her back.

At this moment, the smile on Mu Xue’s face had already faded somewhat. She opened her mouth, but in the end still said nothing. “Forget it. Go on.”

Ye Rui shrugged and got out of the carriage, not noticing Mu Xue’s gradually darkening gaze and expression.

What exactly do I lack compared to Xie Tinglan?

The moment Ye Rui got off the carriage, she strode into the Xie residence. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw that person standing beneath the sycamore tree in a white fur robe, her black-and-silver hair loosely tied back, her features gentle, languid, and carefree. A sycamore leaf had fallen onto her shoulder, yet she remained unaware, head lowered in a daze, lost in some thought no one knew.

Only when she heard movement did she look toward the gate. An orange-red figure appeared before her, as if lighting up the gray, overcast day.

At the moment their eyes met, it was as though many words had already been spoken in silence. Xie Tinglan’s lips then curved into a very faint smile, so light it was like the sycamore leaf on her shoulder.

Ye Rui froze at that moment, as if even time had stopped; yet the sycamore leaf was clearly still drifting.

If the autumn wind could carry feelings, what feeling would it carry?

The feeling of longing.

-----------------------

Author’s note: Little Ye: I really want my wife.

Prime Minister Xie: Me too.