Chapter 63

Three days later, drawing on the intelligence Zhang Tingluo had gathered with Ye Rui and Lu Yihua, he set his sights on a small sect and two bandit strongholds in a mountain north of Jiangnan.

Taken together, the sect and the two strongholds had well over six hundred people. More importantly, they already knew martial arts. If they could be properly drilled in discipline and obedience, they would make a sharp, capable force.

Besides those three places, Zhang Tingluo had actually also targeted two more small sects near Yushu Town outside Jiangnan. But they no longer had time to linger here. So Zhang Tingluo planned to bring these three under control first, then have the sect master of one of the smaller sects serve as an intermediary. After all, the Jiangnan sects were fairly united and got along well; they had some ties with one another, and sending him would be ideal.

The lobbying went on for seven days before they finally brought in every force Zhang Tingluo had set his sights on. The three of them were preparing to rest for the night and head back the next day.

Zhang Tingluo had already handed Qingzhou City’s token over to the leaders of the bandit strongholds and sects. From here on out, they only needed to arrive in Qingzhou City in batches and enlist.

Ye Rui had never seen recruitment done this way before. Zhang Tingluo really was using every method he could. Qingzhou City had been recruiting soldiers for a long time, but very few people ever went, and it wasn’t compulsory either. Otherwise, the original purpose of protecting the country and the people would have changed.

That night, Ye Rui loosened up in the courtyard. After several days of running around, and having to spar with words against those people, she was truly worn out and wanted to stretch out and relax her body. Lu Yihua happened to have the same idea, so the two of them stretched in the empty courtyard while chatting idly.

Though they were talking about Qingzhou City, both of them carefully avoided saying the three words “Qingzhou City.”

“I wonder how Pang Niu and the others are doing now. Have our houses been built yet?”

The construction had been moving quite fast. Everyone seemed very familiar with building work; they picked up tools and got right to it, as if they had done it countless times before.

“Maybe they’ll be finished by the time we get back. I just don’t know whether anyone will come cause trouble in our village.”

Lu Yihua also missed the members of the Phoenix Army. If it came to scenery and food, Jiangnan was naturally better, but in the Phoenix Army there was always a sense of steadiness that put her at ease.

Lu Yihua suddenly felt that the blood of a soldier seemed to have always been influencing her. She could still vaguely remember the old stories her parents had told her about the army: when there were no missions, everyone would go hunting together, fishing together, and even sneak behind the enemy lines to burn their grain supplies.

Of course, when they ran, they ran so hard smoke practically rose from their soles. They hadn’t burned much of the enemy’s grain, but because they had abandoned their posts and disobeyed orders, they were each punished with five army canes.

“Don’t worry. Sister Li will definitely have arrangements in place.”

Ye Rui wasn’t worried. Li Yan was still very capable, and they had only just broken the Crow Tribe. The other tribes were probably still frightened and hadn’t recovered their wits yet; they wouldn’t be able to organize and come after them so quickly.

As the two of them joked around, they even brought up Jiangnan Drunk. But Ye Rui hadn’t brought much silver with her this time, and Lu Yihua, as Mu Xue had said, was just a little pauper. Zhang Tingluo’s silver had also nearly been spent, so they really couldn’t afford Jiangnan Drunk.

A cup of spring water, a mist of tea; ten li of flower lanterns and wine-soaked banners. Speaking of Jiangnan Drunk, Ye Rui suddenly thought of that line of poetry describing Jiangnan again. There were so many memories.

She still remembered buying all sorts of souvenirs to take back, and the joy on everyone’s faces when they received them...

“Jiangnan Drunk?”

At that moment, a familiar voice reached Ye Rui’s ears. The two of them immediately looked over warily, and a woman was walking into the courtyard in a white crossed-collar robe, followed by a lean man.

Her robe was edged with gold thread and embroidered with distinctive patterns, giving her an air of nobility and grace. Her unparalleled beauty carried a faint trace of age, yet she was still breathtaking beyond belief. Ye Rui was so startled that she instinctively touched her mask. Only when her fingers met the cold surface did she finally let out a breath of relief.

Good thing she had stayed cautious; even in the inn, she had never taken off the mask.

Helian Duanhua was holding a jar of wine. Even before it was opened, the rich aroma had already drifted out. Her gaze swept over the two of them, then she lifted her eyes carelessly toward the sky, the corners of her lips carrying a faint smile.

Ye Rui recognized the scent as Jiangnan Drunk. She had seen Ri Xi drink it before; the taste was just like this, soft as water and carrying a hint of sweetness, like Jiangnan weather itself.

“If you ladies like it, this jar is yours.”

With a smile in her eyes, Helian Duanhua lifted the jar of Jiangnan Drunk and offered it to them. Ye Rui and Lu Yihua exchanged a glance, both seeing caution in each other’s eyes. Then Ye Rui said, “Thank you for your kindness, miss. My sister and I still have important matters to attend to tomorrow, so we can’t afford to drink and delay things.”

Ye Rui didn’t know what Helian Duanhua wanted or why she was here. Was this really just a chance encounter? Where was the Moon Immortal? Was she here too? Even if the Moon Immortal didn’t know her name, if Helian Duanhua knew she possessed the Fireheart Art, then she would definitely know she was Ye Rui. Would the Moon Immortal betray her?

Behind her mask, Ye Rui’s expression shifted again and again.

Helian Duanhua let out a regretful sigh when she heard this. “What a pity.”

She walked a few steps to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. Ye Rui felt uneasy just looking at her and wanted to pull Lu Yihua away. But Helian Duanhua spoke first.

“I’m blind to many things, but from your clothing, I’d say the two of you are people who roam the jianghu, yes?”

Both Lu Yihua and Ye Rui cultivated internal martial arts, and their movement techniques were from the jianghu as well. So pretending to be martial world wanderers would leave no flaw.

“Yes. May I ask what guidance the young lady has for us?”

Ye Rui wanted nothing more than to leave, but acting guilty would only expose them. So she steadied herself and waited to see what Helian Duanhua wanted to ask.

Under the moonlight, the silver glow spilled softly over the courtyard, mingling with the small lanterns hanging beneath the eaves and making this chance meeting seem especially delicate, as if it were fate itself and impossible to escape.

“As you two travel the jianghu, have you perhaps seen a woman named Ye Rui?”

As soon as those words were spoken, Helian Duanhua, who had been languid and indifferent all along, slowly lifted her gaze and looked straight at Ye Rui. There was even a trace of amusement in her eyes, making Ye Rui’s whole body go cold. Beside her, Lu Yihua clenched her teeth just enough to keep her expression from changing, though cold sweat was already beading at her temples.

The visitor had ill intent, yet didn’t seem likely to do anything too outrageous.

“No. Does this person have a grudge with you?” Ye Rui asked, her tone calm. She couldn’t help thanking heaven, earth, and herself; her acting had finally improved. Even though she couldn’t see her own expression, at least her voice was under control.

Helian Duanhua chuckled softly. Her long index finger traced the rim of the sealed jar, then she untied the cord and opened it. At once, the fragrance of wine burst into the air. The scent drifted through Jiangnan’s misty rain and somehow became even more intoxicating and lingering.

“I have no grievance or enmity with this Miss Ye Rui.”

Helian Duanhua stared straight at Ye Rui as she hooked a finger around the neck of the jar and lifted it to her lips. “I’m merely acting on someone’s request, helping ease another person’s longing. Some forms of longing become a sickness, one that can’t be cured no matter what price is paid, not even by the most precious life-saving medicine.”

By the time she finished speaking, Ye Rui’s heart was pounding wildly, and even her fingers had started to go cold. She had the terrifying feeling that she had been seen through.

“What do the two young ladies think?”

Helian Duanhua tilted her head back slightly and took a sip. Her sharply outlined red lips were stained with color, leaving a faint mark on the jar’s mouth; it was very noticeable, just like she was. Impossible to ignore.

Ye Rui watched her quietly, only to find that the smile at the corners of Helian Duanhua’s eyes concealed a trace of melancholy. That thread of sadness was clearly related to the Moon Immortal.

Lu Yihua naturally didn’t understand the meaning behind Helian Duanhua’s words. She asked foolishly, “Then why doesn’t that person go look for her in person? Wouldn’t that be more sincere?”

Hearing this, Ye Rui’s scalp went numb. She almost wanted to cover Lu Yihua’s mouth. She did not want Xie Tinglan to come in person!

Helian Duanhua smiled again and looked at Lu Yihua. “Girl, you’re still young. Perhaps you don’t understand that there are many things in this world that go against one’s will. The word ‘choice’ itself is a kind of cultivation; but that kind of cultivation often hurts both others and oneself.”

She took another sip of wine, but Lu Yihua still didn’t understand. She sighed. “I understand choice, but if you like someone, why be afraid of going through fire and water?”

“If that person’s choice was made precisely so you wouldn’t fall into a world of suffering, how do you know everything she did wasn’t going through fire and water?”

Lu Yihua scratched her head, her face turning red with frustration. “I can’t argue with you.”

After saying that, she turned to look at Ye Rui, clearly hoping she’d say something. Wasn’t she usually the one who was so good with words?

Perhaps sensing Lu Yihua’s pleading gaze, Ye Rui said, “Today’s conversation with the young lady has been most enlightening. However, the principle that one should not pry into the affairs of others, like the story of the fish, I believe you should understand as well. Whether one goes through fire and water or schemes with every last calculation, the rise and fall of fate itself is a kind of choice.”

She then cupped her hands and bowed to Helian Duanhua. “Miss, we’ll meet again.”

Ye Rui had originally wanted to say they would never meet again, but the words stopped on her tongue. She felt it would be somewhat rude to say that to someone she had just spoken to for the first time.

“Until we meet again.”

Helian Duanhua watched the two of them leave. Along the way, she even heard Lu Yihua murmur, “People who’ve read books really do speak differently.”

Lu Yihua hadn’t exactly never read books; she just preferred martial training, so when it came to reading, she tended to make do.

“I’ll give you a few books to read later.”

Ye Rui was clearly teasing her. Lu Yihua’s expression changed dramatically. “Spare me!”

The two of them chatted and laughed their way out of the courtyard and back to their room. Left behind in the courtyard, Helian Duanhua continued drinking in silence, murmuring softly, “The rise and fall of fate is also a kind of choice... heh.”

“But how are we supposed to know when fate begins, and when it ends?”

Helian Duanhua turned to look in the direction Ye Rui and Lu Yihua had left. A cold wind blew in through the archway they had entered by; even though it carried the scent of spring, she still felt it pierce down to her bones.

The weather was turning warm. Spring was really coming, and with it, a new situation.

**

Ye Rui still couldn’t tell whether Helian Duanhua had recognized her. She couldn’t see through that woman at all; it always felt as if every sentence she said carried something beneath the surface.

Her mouth seemed capable of spinning flowers out of thin air. If Ye Rui hadn’t overheard her quarrel with the Moon Immortal and seen her run out of things to say, she would have almost thought she spoke the same way to everyone.

In any case, they were leaving Jiangnan today and heading back to Qingzhou City, so she wouldn’t run into Helian Duanhua again. Still, she’d have to ask Mu Xue carefully about this person.

Suddenly, another fierce opponent had appeared out of nowhere. Xie Tinglan had never mentioned her before; did that mean she didn’t know about her either?

Their return trip to Qingzhou City went smoothly. Aside from several days of rain that forced them to find emergency shelter, nothing else happened. Once they were back in Qingzhou City, Ye Rui and Lu Yihua immediately returned to the Phoenix Army to report in.

Only after returning did they discover that the housing construction was nearly complete, and the mining work had also been arranged properly. Every three days, people from other armies would come to take the ore, paying with supplies and silver in exchange. Life in the Phoenix Army had finally started looking up.

They returned dusty and tired, and Li Yan gave them a day off. Ye Rui was exhausted and fell straight into a deep sleep, planning to visit Mu Xue once she woke up.

Lu Yihua didn’t rest; instead, she went into the city.

All the way there, she kept thinking about one thing: should she read more books? Waging war and leading troops didn’t rely on strength alone; it also required brains. If she wanted to rise higher and lead more people, she couldn’t rely on brute force forever.

She should read more. That was the conclusion Lu Yihua reached.

So when she entered the city, she was there to buy books. But once she stepped into the bookshop and smelled the ink fragrance drifting from the volumes, she started feeling a little dizzy. Looking at the rows upon rows of books, she didn’t know which one to choose. If Ye Rui hadn’t been sleeping, she would definitely have dragged her along to help pick.

Just as she stared at the densely packed characters before her and struggled between one thick book and another thin one, a familiar voice rang out.

“Little pauper, I didn’t expect you to come back and browse a bookshop.”

Mu Xue came down from the second floor, holding two scrolls. Her purple dress trailed over the wooden stairs; each step seemed to make flowers bloom in the wood. There wasn’t much embroidery on the dress, so it wasn’t especially lavish, yet her beauty and bearing gave it a touch of immortal grace.

“Miss Mu Xue, you... why are you here?”

Lu Yihua thought she was seeing things. Why would someone who should be enjoying herself in the capital city end up in this borderland? Could the distinguished guest Ye Rui had said she was going to meet before be Mu Xue? Were the carts of grain and the roasted pork for the New Year all sent by Mu Xue?

Were those two...

“Why can’t I be here?”

Mu Xue brushed past Lu Yihua, leaving behind a seductive patchouli fragrance. After setting the scrolls down, she came back to Lu Yihua’s side. “What book do you want to buy? Maybe I can give you some advice.”

Wonderful! In an instant, Lu Yihua felt she had found a savior!

Like Ye Rui, Mu Xue was eloquent, so she must also be exceptionally cultured and well-read. Her advice would surely save her a great deal of trouble.

Mu Xue first asked Lu Yihua what she wanted to read. After learning she wanted books on military strategy, Mu Xue immediately gave up on all the obscure, difficult volumes filled with nothing but text and instead led Lu Yihua to a corner of the bookshop.

Perhaps because Qingzhou City was a frontier stronghold, people here valued martial arts more than scholarship. In the vast city, there were only five bookshops. Though their collections were large, few people came in. Lu Yihua had already been there for two ke, and aside from the sleepy shopkeeper, there hadn’t been a single other customer.

And yet, the five bookshops had supposedly been open for five years, losing money every year without any sign of closing. No one knew which foolish owner had opened them.

Mu Xue led Lu Yihua to the corner and pulled out a thick book. The moment Lu Yihua saw that it was three fingers thick, her legs already started to go weak.

She had never felt this weak even when charging onto the battlefield to kill Crow Tribe members.

But when Mu Xue opened the book, Lu Yihua discovered that it was full of illustrations, with only a few words here and there. This was practically a blessing for someone like her who didn’t like reading!

“I specially had someone draw this. It lays out military tactics and formations clearly. It took me two months of revisions before I was satisfied.”

Mu Xue handed the book to Lu Yihua and added, “Looking at you, little pauper, I figured you probably don’t like reading. I’ve already seen you yawn three times since you came in.”

Lu Yihua’s face turned red at being called out. She looked away a little guiltily and said, “About that... I really am a bit lacking in that regard.”

This time, Mu Xue didn’t laugh at her. The fact that she had come into a bookshop meant she had the ambition to improve herself, and on that point, Mu Xue didn’t intend to put the little pauper down.

“Take it. I won’t charge you.”

Only then did Lu Yihua react. Mu Xue had said the book was specially drawn by people she hired, and she was letting her take it for free. Could it be...

“You’re the boss... cough, you’re the owner of this bookshop?”

Lu Yihua was clearly in disbelief. Was this really the Mu Xue who counted every coin so carefully in the capital and who had been thriving in Youlan City?

“What? Don’t I look like it?”

Mu Xue rolled her eyes at Lu Yihua’s blank expression and waved a sleeve, making Lu Yihua step aside so she could pass. “I run my business with principles. I know where to charge more and where to charge less.”

“Why don’t you hurry up and take your book and scram?”

Mu Xue was already heading back upstairs. Their voices hadn’t been quiet, but the shopkeeper who had just been dozing had slept through everything and never even woke up. He really had no sense of alertness at all.

If a thief came here, he probably wouldn’t even notice... Thinking of that, Lu Yihua couldn’t help smiling. Actually, no thief would probably want to come here.

Still, Qingzhou City had soldiers patrolling all the time; its defenses were extremely tight, and public order was excellent. If some petty thief dared to come steal, he really would be tired of living. After all, the rules followed inside and outside Qingzhou City were military law, not the laws of Great Yan.

One army cane could cost you your life.

“Hey!”

Seeing Mu Xue about to go upstairs, Lu Yihua hurriedly grabbed her wrist. Mu Xue glared at her, and Lu Yihua immediately let go.

In the military camp, people weren’t so particular about things. A little hand-holding, and Mu Xue was already mad about it?

Lu Yihua took a small wooden carving from her chest. It depicted the Qingzhou Army’s military banner; it was the mighty and peerless dragon totem.

“For you. As an exchange.”

Lu Yihua pressed the carving into Mu Xue’s hand. “This is our Qingzhou Army’s banner totem. I carved it myself; it’s very precious to me. My parents always said, ‘As long as the banner stands, the people stand; if the banner falls, the people die.’ I hope you won’t dislike it.”

After saying that, she didn’t give Mu Xue any chance to refuse. Hugging the book, she turned and ran.

Of course Mu Xue didn’t stop her. She only lowered her head to look at the round wooden carving in her palm.

This totem... she had designed it, so of course she knew it was the Qingzhou Army’s banner totem.

If her draftsmanship had been any worse, she probably wouldn’t have been able to draw such a mighty image. The dragon’s head was raised high; its twin horns resembled the peaks of a jade mountain, its mane stood up and curled like thunder and wind. Its long body was covered in green scales, and its four claws were sharp and poised as if seizing the sun and stars. The dragon had a pair of wings on its back, birdlike in shape; when spread, they looked as though thunder had split the sky.

Every single detail of this came from her own design. This person was quite skillful, having restored the totem’s details to a very great degree, as if she had studied the military banner a thousand times over.

This person... was truly interesting.

Mu Xue tightened her grip on the carving. As she passed the counter, she tapped it lightly, finally startling the shopkeeper awake. But she didn’t scold him; she just went upstairs and continued reading the book she hadn’t finished earlier.

Only while reading, Mu Xue found her fingers unconsciously toying with the little wooden carving, turning it over and over in her hand.

Then she suddenly understood what Lu Yihua had said earlier.

My parents always said, “As long as the banner stands, the people stand; if the banner falls, the people die.”

That line was very familiar... no, not just familiar. It was a memory she had deliberately tried to forget, and now a tiny wooden carving had brought it back to the surface.

Her parents...

**

When Ye Rui woke up, it was already evening. After hastily eating at the mess hall, she asked Li Yan for permission and entered the city.

Once in the city, she wasted no time and headed straight for the prefect’s residence, only to be told that Mu Xue wasn’t there. When Ye Rui heard that Mu Xue wasn’t there, she thought she had gone back to the capital; fortunately, a guard told her that Mu Xue had gone to the bookshop in the south of the city that day and still hadn’t returned.

When she had just entered the city, Ye Rui had passed that bookshop. Now she had to go back again; it was really troublesome. Luckily, this time she didn’t make a wasted trip. Mu Xue really was on the second floor of the bookshop.

A candle burned on the counter, illuminating the shopkeeper’s grizzled beard as it swayed with his sleeping breath. The scene was actually rather warm and lovely. One thing was odd, though: besides the scent of ink, the bookshop was filled with a strong tea fragrance.

The shop was very quiet. Mu Xue was sitting upstairs reading, so Ye Rui went up. Her footsteps echoed on the stairs, and Mu Xue noticed her. On Mu Xue’s table were two neat stacks of books, two lamps lit, and tea simmering over a low flame. No wonder the whole bookshop smelled of tea.

To be precise, Mu Xue had already known she was coming the moment Ye Rui stepped through the door. That person seemed to have run here, because her breathing wasn’t steady when she reached the entrance. She didn’t even use her internal energy to calm it down; her internal power had really gone to the dogs.

Right, Mu Xue only then remembered that Ye Rui couldn’t use lightness skill. She was capable in many ways, but not knowing lightness skill was something that could make her suffer big losses at any time.

Is this how Xie Tinglan raised people? She didn’t even teach her lightness skill?

Ye Rui sat down in front of Mu Xue’s desk. Rarely seeing her reading something other than account books, she asked curiously, “I didn’t know you liked reading.”

“Oh? So curious about me; have you given up on that Xie Tinglan and fallen for me instead?”

Mu Xue’s eyes stayed on the book; she didn’t even look at Ye Rui, and naturally didn’t see Ye Rui roll her eyes. “No, no. I can’t let you make a losing deal; that would be a grave sin.”

Mu Xue burst out laughing, looking as if she were being magnanimous. “Ah~ I’m not against making a losing deal. Look at this bookshop; today I only got one customer, that little pauper, and in the end I still had to give away a book.”

Hearing that, Ye Rui glanced around the bookshop, which was as full of books as a library, and asked in disbelief, “You own this bookshop?”

“Don’t I look like it?”

Mu Xue raised her brows, arms folded, clearly somewhat displeased by Ye Rui’s question.

Ye Rui was entirely unafraid of Mu Xue’s so-called displeasure and said without hesitation what she really thought: “No. You don’t look like someone who doesn’t like making money.”

“Little brat!”

Mu Xue shot her a glare and flicked a finger through the air toward Ye Rui. Ye Rui thought she was doing some kind of spell, but then a dull pain hit her forehead. She cried out, only then realizing belatedly that Mu Xue really had used a technique!

Finger-flick divine skill!? Was this the legendary Finger-Flick Divine Skill?!

“What kind of martial art is that?”

Seeing Ye Rui’s shocked expression, Mu Xue felt quite pleased with herself, though she didn’t hide it. “As long as you can use your internal energy skillfully enough, you can shoot it out from your fingertip.”

“Is there some trick to it?”

As she asked, Ye Rui tried the same flick Mu Xue had just used, but her internal energy only gathered at her fingertip and couldn’t be shot out; she couldn’t hurt someone from a distance.

“Idiot. You’re good at archery, aren’t you? Just imagine your hand as a bow and arrow.”

The instant Ye Rui heard that, she understood. “Got it. I’ll try again later. I came this time because I want to ask you something.”

Mu Xue gave a cold snort on hearing that, then smiled. “So now you’re treating my intelligence network like it’s free?”

“Hey, don’t be so petty. At worst I’ll trade you another piece of information.”

When Mu Xue saw Ye Rui’s sly expression, her interest was instantly piqued. She leaned forward, bracing herself on the desk. “Fine. Deal. What do you want to ask?”

Ye Rui looked at Mu Xue’s brilliant eyes and suddenly thought of the faint, ambiguous smile in Helian Duanhua’s eyes that day.

“Helian Duanhua. Do you know this person?”

“Oh? Have you heard of her, or have you met her?”

When Mu Xue heard the name, she obviously became interested too. She even closed the book casually, clearly prepared to talk properly with Ye Rui.

The two candle flames on Mu Xue’s desk made her alluring, flirtatious face even more breathtaking. Ye Rui stared at her a little blankly.

If this were a world of immortals, this woman would definitely be a demon; the kind of demon among demons.

“I met her.”

After Ye Rui said that, Mu Xue clicked her tongue three times with a look of regret. “Then you’re really unlucky.”

Hearing this, Ye Rui’s scalp couldn’t help going numb. She remembered how Helian Duanhua had suddenly appeared that day and then said those deeply meaningful words, and it really made her uneasy.

“Why have I never heard of her before?”

After Ye Rui asked her question, Mu Xue’s eager expression deepened even further. “I only recently received news about her from the capital. Before that, I hadn’t paid attention to this person either.”

Mu Xue paused, picked up the teapot that had been simmering over low heat, and poured tea for both herself and Ye Rui before continuing. “She’s the eldest legitimate daughter of the Helian family. Unfortunately, when she was eight, she fell seriously ill and became mentally impaired. After that, the Helian family treated her as a stain on the clan and kept her hidden at home; not a single bit of news about her ever leaked out.”

“Recently, the Helian family’s eldest son was wanted for embezzling disaster relief silver; later, he was killed by Helian Duanhua’s guard at Rizhao Temple. After that, Helian Chi suspected the second son, Helian Yong, of murdering his brother, and the rift between them deepened. In the end, Helian Yong tried to seize the family head position, only to be beaten to death by Helian Chi in the process. Helian Chi himself also fell gravely ill.”

As she spoke, Ye Rui’s brows furrowed tightly. She seemed to think the two events were too coincidental, each one connected to the next. Could someone be setting up a trap?

“Both men who could inherit the family head position died, and then this eldest legitimate daughter, who had supposedly been idiotic for thirty years, suddenly appeared and swept through the Helian family’s assets, suppressed the ambitious collateral branches, and forcefully became the new family head.”

By the end, Mu Xue’s expression had gained a bit of curiosity too. From the way it sounded, the deaths of the Helian family’s two sons probably had a lot to do with this Helian Duanhua.

Pretending to be mad and foolish for thirty years, all for the sake of seizing power in a single move. With that kind of patience and scheming, no wonder everything she did succeeded.

“I think even Xie Tinglan was kept in the dark. After all, I only recently learned that someone’s blade could be honed for thirty years.”

Thirty years to sharpen a single blade; how could it possibly be only about taking the position of family head? Before, Mu Xue hadn’t been sure who Xie Tinglan’s co-conspirator was. But now that Helian Duanhua had suddenly emerged, the situation had become clear.

Who would have thought that the gentle elder sister who once made her pastries and personally stitched her battle robes would be hiding such enormous ambition?

Helian Shaohua... you really are something.

Still, that man did not deserve his position. Heaven and earth would not tolerate it; this was the punishment he deserved.

“Now that she controls the Helian family, she also controls the Southern Moon Workshop, the family business that brings in the most income. A single workshop’s wealth is enough to make the court chase after you and curry favor with you in the capital!”

When Ye Rui saw that Mu Xue even looked a little envious, she smiled and said, “And you? Does the court try to curry favor with you?”

“Don’t come at me. If my identity were exposed, the whole of Qingzhou City would be buried with me.”

Mu Xue said it in a joking tone, but Ye Rui understood how serious it was, so she didn’t continue down that path and instead asked, “Then what do you think her next move will be?”

“Hell if I know. If I knew what she was thinking, then I’d have known she was pretending for thirty years too.”

Mu Xue rolled her eyes at Ye Rui, feeling that Ye Rui really overestimated her. She was just a merchant, not a fortune-teller, and certainly not a deity. How could she know everything?

“Oh right, how did you meet her? What did she say to you?”

Speaking of that matter, Ye Rui’s face turned bitter again as she told Mu Xue what had happened in the inn courtyard. After hearing it, Mu Xue only gave a cold laugh, then looked at Ye Rui with an expression that clearly said, you’re doomed.

“She knows your identity.”

“How is that possible!”

Ye Rui had still been wearing a mask at the time, and she hadn’t even used her internal energy. How could Helian Duanhua know who she was?

“Intuition. And my intuition has always been very accurate.”

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

Author’s note: Here we go~