The finest pine incense from Nande burned faintly—was it from his homeland or from an enemy nation? And being here, was this a family home or a prison cage?
Yuan Cheng reclined on his side on the cool couch, without the slightest desire to sleep.
In his memory, had there ever been a sound sleep with no dreams until dawn?
Never. How could there be?
Sometimes he would still dream of his father’s blood-covered face and his white-haired grandfather, still dream of playing with his elder brothers, still dream of his mother’s warm, loving hands holding the small him while singing songs.
After becoming Nande’s top scholar, what followed endlessly were social engagements, false courtesies, and vigilance. Sleep seemed to be merely a formality. After eating and drinking for three days and three nights, when others were so tired their eyes couldn’t stay open, he remained witty and eloquent, firmly maintaining the rhythm he needed at the gathering. If he could close his eyes to rest for two hours, that day’s rest was already luxuriously sufficient.
A fifteen-year-old top scholar—everyone called him a child prodigy. A child prodigy? Without paying the price of arduous effort, even a prodigy would only waste their natural talent and ultimately become an ordinary person. He didn’t know whether he was a prodigy, but he knew that during ten years of cold window study, he hadn’t wasted even a single hour.
Time, for him, always seemed less than others’. And after the person who had saved him in his youth passed away, who around him was truly sincere? He used money to buy everything around him, but laughably, he himself also became something that could be measured by silver in others’ eyes. Loyalty, care, and affection—he could buy them all, but they were all fragile decorations. On the day he was thrown into the imperial prison, they were crushed one by one before his eyes, not even leaving dust behind. Though he had never held expectations, when that day came, though he laughed outwardly, there was loss in his heart. He had thought that among so many things belonging to him, at least one would be real.
Mo Zi? Yuling’s most beautiful peony flower. She had said she was from Yuling, and indeed even her name belonged to Yuling. Yuling had now fallen as a nation—would she, like him, harbor national enmity and family hatred? Looking at the way she jumped over the wall, he really couldn’t see any hatred. She seemed quite content with this lively current situation.
“Young master, the person has already left through the north gate. Following your instructions, we didn’t continue tailing. However, not barring the gate seems improper. Your safety is our responsibility. This garden is quite large and easy for people to hide in—security requires extreme care. Leaving one door open, especially the secluded north gate, is truly—” Outside the window, a shadow, tall and thin, pressed against the snow-white cotton paper, the head and neck area slightly bent.
Yuan Cheng opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance fully revealed within, and said only two words: “Leave it.”
“Yes.” The shadow immediately gave a very brief response of compliance.
“Those who want to take my life—would they give up just because my doors and gates are tightly closed?” What difference were doors and walls to those people?
The shadow didn’t answer but remained pressed against the window, not moving an inch.
“Huayi.” He still had something to ask.
“Young master.” Through the window, the shadow seemed to know early on that Yuan Cheng’s words weren’t finished.
“Were you by my side just now?” The moment when Mo Zi and the other maid jumped down from the wall.
“Yes.” His duty.
“Then do you know why the other young lady suddenly dropped her and jumped back over the wall?” He was somewhat concerned. If Mo Zi’s movements hadn’t been nimble, that fall wouldn’t have been light.
“…” The shadow was silent for a moment. “Because of me.”
“As I thought.” He had guessed correctly. The other maid had obviously brought Mo Zi leaping down, presumably knowing martial arts. “Seeing you, an expert, she automatically retreated?”
“No… that’s not it.” The shadow called Huayi hesitated but still told the truth. “She’s my junior martial sister.”
“Since you’re her senior brother, why did she flee upon seeing you?” Oh? So it wasn’t just him who encountered a coincidence, but Huayi as well.
“My master only ever accepted male disciples, yet he brought back a little girl as his final disciple. If he had been willing to teach her it would have been fine, but he insisted he’d made a mistake, thinking she was a boy, who knew she was a girl. He absolutely refused to teach her martial arts, dumped her on us senior brothers, and ran off himself. At that time we were still at a playful age. We couldn’t not listen to Master’s words, but bringing her along sometimes we inevitably lacked patience, to the point where she became extremely afraid of us.” After several years without seeing her, that girl’s lightness skill had improved considerably, though her internal power hadn’t advanced.
“Now that you’re much closer, why not take the opportunity to improve your sibling relationship?” Hearing this, he could imagine several half-grown stinking boys bringing along a little girl—the little girl probably suffered quite a bit of bullying. No wonder she didn’t even dare land and scurried back.
“Huayi came here only to protect your safety, young master.” Acting under orders, no time to attend to other matters.
“Indeed not a likeable personality. Your junior martial sister undoubtedly avoids you because of this. Huayi, how old are you this year?” Having encountered an old acquaintance, Yuan Cheng’s mood was unprecedentedly good. Though he hadn’t slept all night, he was in high spirits.
“…” The shadow shook. “Huayi is the same age as the young master, twenty-four.”
“Then you really do look old.” Huayi had been ordered to protect him since yesterday.
The shadow shook again, this time silently.
“Have you taken a wife?” Dawn was approaching—finding someone to chat with.
“I have not.” Not only was his personality unlikeable, his appearance wasn’t good either. Usually when he put on a stern face, it would scare children to tears.
“I notice you don’t like to talk.” Someone who answered one question per question, unless it concerned his duties.
“My task only requires using a blade, not my mouth.” Speech could be avoided whenever possible.
“That’s not entirely true. Your deputy is very talkative.” It was a matter of personality, wasn’t it?
“That’s why his blade isn’t as fast as mine.” Those who can talk can’t fight. Suddenly thinking of his junior martial sister’s chattiness back then—all the senior brothers would be silent, yet she alone could babble on cheerfully by herself.
“I can see that.” An existence as easily overlooked as a shadow, but once something unexpected happened, Huayi’s powerful aura was enough to make opponents’ blood run cold. Even though he didn’t know martial arts, he could feel the astonishing battle intent. “If your junior martial sister were someone coming to ambush me, would you show mercy?”
“I would not.” Though they were fellow disciples, those few years studying together, there really wasn’t any deep sibling affection.
To him, a little girl with half his strength and frustratingly short stature was just an annoying burden. Every time it was his turn to supervise her, he never had a pleasant expression. Of course, he didn’t normally smile foolishly either. However, the day Xiao Yi left without saying goodbye, he, like his senior brothers, felt the anger of betrayal. Having spent so much time together, even if they weren’t harmonious, there was still fellowship between disciples, wasn’t there? Leaving without a word was really not understanding the rules. The eldest senior brother’s constant admonishment to Xiao Yi was that everyone in the school was senior to her.
To be honest, the moment he saw Xiao Yi jump out, he received a tremendous shock. Someone he thought he’d never see again in this lifetime appeared without warning in such a manner—maintaining composure was very difficult. Xiao Yi’s sudden leap back inside the wall was very likely because she was frightened by his expression at the time.
“Even if she’s your junior sister, you could raise your blade and strike?” Is that so? Yuan Cheng didn’t quite believe it.
“If the young master permits, I will spare her life. Moreover, her martial arts are very poor and wouldn’t threaten the young master. Within twenty moves I could strike her unconsciousness point and make her unconscious for three days.” Back when Xiao Yi was chattering, Second Senior Brother invented this move, and from then on everyone used it. However, he had only practiced it, never actually used it on her.
This Huayi was quite honest—clearly not ill-intentioned at heart, yet born with a villain’s face. Yuan Cheng smiled and said that would do. The shadow immediately disappeared from the window. He didn’t know if he had questioned him too harshly, but the disappearance seemed rather eager.
He raised his hand, thumb and index finger pinching a pure white pearl. Having absorbed his body temperature, some purplish-red hues spread through it. He had once thought nothing would truly belong to him, yet now he had something.
This Water-Purifying Pearl had originally been what he intended to use as the price to exchange for his life, but he never imagined that Mo Ge from the smuggling ship would return it to him with “I present you this bright pearl.” Before that, he hadn’t done anything for her—only treated her with genuine sincerity. Yet he hadn’t known that she would, just because of who he was as a person—not fearing the once high-ranking and powerful Nande Prime Minister, not seeking profit from a prisoner who might still have some oil to squeeze, even return the Water-Purifying Pearl she had obtained back to him.
If his appearance had been undamaged, his bearing graceful, he could still assume she had feelings for him. When he was young and successful entering officialdom, those who threw themselves at him were countless. The type of woman he most detested was the clingy, brainless kind. But at that time, his face was completely ruined, his limbs inflexible, so wretched that even he himself was disgusted. And talking with her, he could feel considerable wisdom. Looking at her actions, truly no less straightforward than a man’s. If she had feelings for him, she’d probably have to be blind.
So, could he believe that his life was more precious than a Water-Purifying Pearl worth two hundred thousand? For the first time, it wasn’t he who gave value to others through power and position, but rather someone else who gave him value.
Mo Zi—if he looked with these eyes that had seen through countless human hearts, she should have absolutely no expectation of his gratitude. She didn’t expect him to repay the favor, so should he take the initiative to repay this debt of gratitude?
Let him think about it.
“You don’t know?” The pure gold fan waved, golden wind sweeping through.
Mo Zi sat there, dazzled dizzy by the brilliantly shining young master in the main seat, accidentally spilling a few drops from the cup in her hand. Facts proved that whether a gold fan or paper fan, the wind-producing effect was the same.
“Sister Mo, careful.” An adorable face with a scholar’s topknot suddenly appeared, smilingly supporting Mo Zi’s hand.
“Brother Bailiang, thank you.” Once unfamiliar, twice familiar. When they whirled in like the wind again, Mo Zi discovered this pair of twins actually knew lightness skills.
“Sister Mo, I’m Qianliang.” The scholar who helped her corrected her.
“Sister Mo, don’t listen to him. I’m Qianliang.” The one beside Young Master Jin refuted.
Mo Zi couldn’t tell who was who either. In any case, they competed to be Qianliang—probably their lifelong goal—so she smiled and nodded, oh yes, yes.
This was Young Master Jin’s money house.
Coming out of the abandoned mansion—no, Yuan Mansion—she hadn’t gone to Wangqiu Tower but had headed straight for the Gold and Silver Money House. Because she couldn’t figure it out and urgently needed verification.
“I don’t know.” If she knew, why would she specially make this trip to ask him whether anyone had collected the Water-Purifying Pearl? As a result, each time she came, each time this Young Master Jin invited her in to drink tea.
“It was collected.” Young Master Jin seemed quite indifferent, the tea lid striking the teacup with a tinkling sound.
No matter what, she felt there was resentment!
“Who collected it?” Mo Zi asked one more question.
“Who else? Naturally the number one good official.” Good official?
He, Young Master Jin, was famous for being treacherous and cunning, yet on that fellow he couldn’t gain even the slightest advantage.