Twin Stars Tower.

When Yu Jiuling strode into Twin Stars Tower dressed in brand-new brocade robes, he showed no sign of unease. In fact, he appeared rather imposing.

Perhaps it was the three thousand taels of silver tucked against his chest that had bolstered his confidence. Perhaps it was the boost of new clothes. Perhaps it was that Twin Stars Tower was no longer entirely unfamiliar territory.

This ease and confidence persisted right up until he laid eyes on Miss Yin. In front of her, every trace of it vanished entirely.

Truly — not a shred, not an ounce remained. She bore down on him until he no longer felt like a man, and he was thoroughly ashamed of himself.

The Miss Yin sitting across from him wore an expression of coy demureness and cast Yu Jiuling a sidelong look, thinking: this wealthy young gentleman seems rather refined — not the slightest bit impatient.

Such a young gentleman — not handsome exactly, but not unappealing either. He appeared a touch slight and lean, but compared to the Young Lord he was somewhat more solidly built, if only just.

The coy demureness on her face had materialized only after a one-thousand-tael banknote was placed before her. Before that, her face had been flat and expressionless.

Yu Jiuling sat there completely unable to work out what on earth Young Lord Yang Zhuo’s taste was.

Miss Yin was not from the Central Plains. She appeared to be from one of the smaller kingdoms somewhere in the western regions — she had the unmistakably prominent nose and deep-set eyes of that origin, and above her lips there was faintly discernible… fuzz. The powder had not quite managed to cover it.

In terms of appearance she was presentable enough, only her build was on the robust side. Robust to the degree that she could comfortably fit one Yu Jiuling inside her.

What exactly was it that people found appealing about her?

Yu Jiuling was pondering this question. And what kind of person was this Young Lord, exactly? Had he known it was going to be like this, he would never have put on that show of reluctance in front of Li Chi.

Her bosom on one side alone was larger than Yu Jiuling’s whole face. Jiang Ran, who liked to flex his pectoral muscles, would be a hopeless runt in comparison.

“Young Gentleman?”

Miss Yin called out softly, her expression growing even more bashful.

Yu Jiuling pretended not to hear the expectation in her voice, and instead sat up straight, addressing Miss Yin in a very serious tone.

He asked: “You — a person who has come from the western regions, traveled ten thousand li to the Central Plains… is it because you could no longer get by in the western regions?”

Miss Yin did not catch the implication in these words and assumed this wealthy young gentleman was feeling sorry for her, moved by her plight.

So she leaned forward. The moment she did, Yu Jiuling shifted back, clearly startled.

“No no no, let’s just have a proper conversation.”

Miss Yin gently took Yu Jiuling’s hand in hers. Yu Jiuling said with feeling: “Ow, ow, ow — please let go first, then we can talk properly.”

Miss Yin said: “Young Gentleman, look at you being so shy.”

Yu Jiuling said: “I wasn’t shy before I saw you.”

Miss Yin’s face flushed slightly pink, and she gave Yu Jiuling a small punch with her little fist: “Look at you — you’ve made me embarrassed.”

She rested her cheek against Yu Jiuling’s shoulder, her voice soft and low: “Women like us rarely encounter a gentleman as tender and considerate as you. I truly do… I truly do like the Young Gentleman…”

Yu Jiuling took a deep breath.

He simply couldn’t understand — all of this, to bring down one Young Lord? Was it truly necessary?

And Luo Jing didn’t even know any of this was happening. If he did, he’d probably charge into the Yongning Tongyuan Carriage Company with that long lance of his rather than into the Young Lord’s compound.

He’d press that lance right up to Li Chi’s face and demand: “Why?! I just want to know why!”

Li Chi would probably be so mortified he’d want to disappear into the floor.

Thinking about all this, Yu Jiuling couldn’t help letting out a long sigh. He looked at Miss Yin and said: “Miss, you weren’t making your living in Jizhou from the start, were you?”

Miss Yin nodded: “That’s right. A poor wretch like me — I came from the western regions, suffering countless hardships to reach the Central Plains. I’d heard the men of the Central Plains were very fond of women from the western regions. But little did I know, I wandered through Shuzhou, then Yuzhou, and finally arrived in Jizhou, and it was here I met the very first man who truly cared about me — and he turned out to be a… turned out to be a Young Lord!”

Yu Jiuling said: “You really have had it hard. The Young Lord he… when you think about it, probably had it hard too, waiting for you all these years.”

Miss Yin said: “It truly wasn’t easy. But at last, not a beauty with an ill-fated life after all. There is finally someone who understands me and cherishes me, rather than leaving me to bear everything alone.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Just from hearing you speak I can tell you are a woman of rich experience — come from the western regions, been through Shuzhou and Yuzhou, no wonder your Central Plains speech has such a complex accent.”

He drew a steadying breath and told himself he must be a man of his word. So in a very grave tone he said: “Now — a second man has appeared who wishes to cherish and protect you. Your destined second.”

“Mm!”

Miss Yin wrapped her arms around Yu Jiuling: “He’s standing right before me, I can see the Young Gentleman’s sincerity.”

Yu Jiuling was so startled he broke free and scooted back. “Let’s both… let’s both keep our heads.”

Miss Yin said: “At a moment like this, what does the Young Gentleman need to keep his head for? I can be without a head, and so can the Young Gentleman.”

Yu Jiuling said: “I can still hold myself.”

He coughed a few times and said: “What I mean is — the second man who wishes to cherish and protect you is not me.”

Miss Yin froze. “Why? Does the Young Gentleman feel I am not worthy of him?”

“No no no. In truth, I came to see you on another’s behalf. All this silver was entrusted to me by someone else to pass along to you.”

Miss Yin was bewildered. She asked Yu Jiuling: “Young Gentleman, are you saying this because I failed to attend to you properly? I was indeed a little rude just now, and if the Young Gentleman does not mind, I would like to attend to you properly now.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Miss Yin, please listen to me calmly.”

Miss Yin said: “Young Gentleman, don’t call me Miss Yin — that is my Central Plains name. I am glad to share my true name with a good person like the Young Gentleman. I am originally from the western regions, from the land of Tianzhu. My original name is… Saiban. If the Young Gentleman is willing, you may call me by my original name.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Saiban…”

Miss Yin said: “Young Gentleman.”

Yu Jiuling: “No no no, let’s skip past this part for now and speak of the actual business.”

He coughed a few more times and said: “Miss Yin — have you heard the name of Luo Jing, the young general of Youzhou?”

Miss Yin thought for a moment and nodded. “I have heard of him. They say he is the greatest warrior in the northern frontier, invincible and without defeat.”

“Exactly!”

Yu Jiuling said: “It is General Luo who wishes to meet you. He entrusted me to come see you today, to ask whether you would be willing to meet with him tomorrow night. His admiration for you is like a river flowing upside down — impossible to contain. If you are willing, a carriage will come to fetch you tomorrow.”

Without waiting for Miss Yin to interject, he continued: “Not only is General Luo invincible in battle, he is also of striking appearance. In martial valor he is the foremost warrior of the northern frontier. In bearing and appearance he may be called the foremost handsome young man of the northern frontier.”

Miss Yin’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t help asking: “But General Luo has never seen me — how could he feel this way?”

Yu Jiuling thought: because he’s been afflicted — he himself doesn’t know it’s an affliction, it’s Li Chi’s doing that he’s afflicted.

But he answered: “General Luo once came to Twin Stars Tower and caught a distant glimpse of you. In that single glance he fell, unable to free himself, and when he returned he could think of nothing else — falling ill from longing…”

As Yu Jiuling said this, he thought: Luo Jing, ah Luo Jing — I owe you one for this. Before it was Li Chi who owed it, now it’s me who owes it — we should keep these things separate. I do still have some moral principles.

Little Luo — though I haven’t met you face to face or had any dealings with you, I still feel I’ve done you wrong.

For Miss Yin and Young Lord Yang Zhuo to have found each other — why pull them apart at all?

How can you be so shameless, Li Chi?

Yu Jiuling sighed. “If you are willing, tomorrow night I’ll arrange a carriage to bring you to meet General Luo. The General also has generous gifts.”

Miss Yin nodded slowly. “I have actually long admired General Luo as well. His name is well known — a peerless hero. I am willing to go meet him.”

Yu Jiuling hastened to say: “Then consider it settled. I can breathe easy now. I’ll go report back to General Luo immediately. Get yourself ready, miss — we’ll meet again tomorrow.”

Miss Yin was startled. “Young Gentleman, you’re not staying?”

Yu Jiuling said: “I cannot — I must go see General Luo at once. You have no idea how consumed with anxious impatience the General is.”

Miss Yin felt somewhat regretful, for Yu Jiuling had struck her as a man of genuine grace.

And then she discovered that not only was he a man of grace — he was a man of wind as well. With a whoosh he was simply gone, as if by conjuring.

One hour later, back at the carriage company.

Yu Jiuling solemnly handed Li Chi the remaining one thousand tael banknote.

“Didn’t spend that much — only two thousand. Saved you a thousand. No need to thank me, I feel this is just what I should do.”

Li Chi was somewhat confused. He asked Yu Jiuling: “Didn’t you have it all worked out before? After everything was said and done, you’d give that last thousand taels to the girl.”

Yu Jiuling shook his head repeatedly, standing upright with all the dignity of a man of principle. “Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Take this thousand taels back. Holding onto it for even a moment longer feels like it’s burning my hand — an injury to me both in dignity and body.”

Li Chi took the banknote back. He now genuinely wondered what exactly the banknote had done to Yu Jiuling. Whether the banknote had made the first move.

Tang Pidi sat nearby, equally baffled. This was not the Yu Jiuling he knew. This was a counterfeit Yu Jiuling.

Zhuang Wudi said nothing, just reached out and gave Yu Jiuling’s face a fierce pinch, nearly stripping the skin off.

Yu Jiuling yelped in pain. Zhuang Wudi savored the feel of it, then gave a nod. “Real.”

Tang Pidi said: “Then he must have had his soul taken from him. He looks like Yu Jiuling, but is merely Yu Jiuling’s vessel. His soul is no longer Yu Jiuling’s — it’s become… Miss Yin!”

Yu Jiuling: “…”

He let out a long sigh. “Impossible. My frame can’t contain Miss Yin’s soul.”

At that, the implications clicked for Li Chi and the others at once, and they understood that this Miss Yin was something quite out of the ordinary.

Yu Jiuling said: “I have never thought a woman being a bit heavyset wasn’t appealing. Truly. But heavyset and built are two different things. Perhaps it’s the unique environment of the Tianzhu lands in the western regions that produced her…”

He fell silent for a moment, then said: “I just can’t work out what unique environment produced Young Lord Yang Zhuo.”

Li Chi said: “Give me a rough hint, so I can at least form some mental picture of this western lady’s charms.”

Yu Jiuling looked around and truly couldn’t find a suitable point of reference.

Li Chi said: “I understand now.”

Yu Jiuling suddenly caught sight of the great eagle.

Li Chi: “Know when to stop.”

Yu Jiuling sighed.

He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Is there a kind of man in this world who has a certain rather… unusual preference…”

Tang Pidi asked: “You mean a preference, or an lament?”

Yu Jiuling said: “Same thing.”

Tang Pidi froze, then his eyes slowly went very wide.

Li Chi was silent for a good while, then murmured as if to himself: “After this is all over, I’ll find a chance to treat Luo Jing to a proper meal. After what’s happened, whatever grievances were between us before needn’t matter anymore. We should be able to turn swords into ploughshares…”

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