When Di Yiqiu returned to Xuanwu Si, it was already the fifth watch. Since daybreak was approaching anyway, he didn’t sleep again and simply went to his study to review official documents.

By the third quarter of the mao hour, he came to “attend to” Huang Rang’s waking. After Huang Rang was properly dressed, she discovered she had a wheelchair.

Di Yiqiu placed her in the wheelchair. That chair was especially suitable for her, as if it had been custom-made to her measurements. Huang Rang nestled in the chair. Because her hair wasn’t messy, the Jianzheng didn’t comb it again—it seemed there were things he wasn’t good at after all.

He pushed Huang Rang outside. The sky wore a gloomy expression, about to snow but not yet snowing. In the courtyards, students passed by holding books, and as usual, they still saluted Di Yiqiu.

Occasionally passing pavilions and towers, all of them hung with couplets encouraging diligent study.

The atmosphere of learning at Xuanwu Si was very strong.

Di Yiqiu pushed the wheelchair all the way to a classroom.

It wasn’t yet class time. The teacher was mixing soil. Seeing him enter, the teacher hurried forward and said: “Jianzheng.”

Di Yiqiu waved his hand, found a corner, and placed Huang Rang beside it. Only then did Huang Rang understand—he was having her attend class?

Sure enough, Di Yiqiu set her down, took a charcoal pencil and drew a circle around her, then turned and left. In the classroom, the teacher looked at her, she looked at the teacher—two people staring at each other.

As time gradually passed, students entered the classroom one after another.

The teacher had no choice but to begin the lecture.

Huang Rang sat upright to the side. Her corner had an excellent view—she could see the entire classroom. And this teacher’s lesson was actually about cultivating improved varieties. This hit right on Huang Rang’s specialty, and she listened very carefully.

It was just that this master teacher’s knowledge was mostly theoretical with very little practical experience. Huang Rang listened while silently adding corrections in her mind. The students below occasionally stole glances at her, eyes full of curiosity, each one a hundred times more energetic, even forgetting to doze off.

Di Yiqiu left Xuanwu Si all the way to the outside. Outside was a long street with vendors on both sides mostly selling brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, or various classical texts. Occasionally there were shops, but the storefronts all sold items students commonly used.

Di Yiqiu didn’t stop at these places and went all the way to the vegetable market.

Here, people came and went—very noisy.

Di Yiqiu found a teahouse. The teahouse’s storefront was old, but inside it was very clean. As soon as he entered, the proprietor immediately came forward: “Jianzheng, the usual?”

Di Yiqiu made a sound of acknowledgment and found a seat by the window to sit down.

Before long, the proprietor not only brought up several types of pastries but also included a cup of clear tea.

Di Yiqiu smelled the tea fragrance—very familiar. Sure enough, the proprietor smiled and said: “This is this year’s new tea, called One Petal Heart. It’s a variant personally cultivated by Miss Huang Rang a hundred years ago. This evening, I’ll send some to Xuanwu Si for the Jianzheng to taste.”

Di Yiqiu glanced at the tea and said: “You’re thoughtful.”

The proprietor immediately beamed with joy and bowed as he withdrew. Before long, Li Lu also walked in. He went straight before Di Yiqiu and saluted: “Jianzheng.”

Di Yiqiu raised his chin: “Sit.”

Li Lu sat across from him. Outside came a burst of commotion. Several constables were seen dragging a person over. The constables wore black uniforms with swords at their waists and command flags on their backs. These were Si Tianjian’s uniforms.

At this time, an official wearing scarlet robes walked out from the crowd—it was Tan Qi, Shaojian of Baihu Si.

He called out loudly: “By court decree, immortal sect people entering the capital’s inner city must hold official travel permits. Yesterday, verified by Si Tianjian, this person as an immortal sect member—crime one: not obeying laws and regulations; crime two: showing contempt for the court. Today, Baihu Si of Si Tianjian will publicly execute punishment—stripping his cultivation and one hundred strokes of the rod!”

With a rumble, the surroundings immediately erupted in an uproar.

Immortal sect people had always held quite a lofty status in the common people’s hearts.

Now the court’s Si Tianjian openly brought one to the vegetable market for punishment—this action probably had profound meaning.

Without doubt, the criminal being punished was exactly the spy from Yuhu Xuanzong that Li Lu had mentioned yesterday.

Tan Qi announced the criminal’s offenses and immediately waved his hand. Constables naturally dragged the spy up and pressed him onto a punishment bench.

Then several constables quickly stripped the criminal completely naked in public. No matter how the criminal struggled and cursed, they ignored it. The common people stepped back a few paces. Seeing an “immortal master” punished naked for the first time, they were both terrified and curious.

Di Yiqiu drank tea while tasting pastries, his manner leisurely.

The sound of the heavy rod striking flesh was especially dull. After three strikes, blood was already seen. The punished person initially cursed, but later his voice broke.

The proprietor also served tea and snacks to Li Lu, but Li Lu had no mind to use his chopsticks—with Si Tianjian doing this, it would be strange if Xie Lingbi let the matter rest.

Yuhu Xuanzong was currently governed by two people—one was Sect Master Xie Hongchen, the other was Ancestor Xie Lingbi.

After Xie Lingbi passed his position to his disciple Xie Hongchen, although he retreated behind the scenes, he hadn’t lost the power in his hands.

Li Lu knew all too well how much he cherished his own reputation.

Sure enough, halfway through the punishment, a thunderclap sounded in the sky, booming in everyone’s ears.

The common people covered their ears and no longer dared watch the excitement, hurriedly taking shelter.

Clouds gathered in the sky. In a moment, a white light descended, quickly wrapping around the spy being punished. Just as the white light was about to take the person away, the teacup in Di Yiqiu’s hand tilted. A stream of tea shot out the window, instantly transforming into a golden light.

The white light and golden light collided with each other. With a bang, they each dissipated.

The common people poked their heads out from the shadows, quietly checking. Tan Qi knew his Jianzheng was nearby, so his heart remained steady. He still commanded his subordinate constables and insisted on completing the full hundred strokes, then stripping his cultivation.

That spy was beaten half to death and had his cultivation stripped. Draped in clothes, he didn’t even have the strength to curse and couldn’t get up for a long time. Two constables were about to drag him out of the inner city when suddenly, the stone lion holding a ball beneath the gate tower let out an angry roar—it had actually come to life.

Step by step, it came before the spy, spat out the stone ball in its mouth, picked up the spy in its jaws, and slowly left. Its steps were heavy. Stepping across the long street, stone slabs shattered one after another. Like someone’s demonstration of power.

Everyone knew that this time the grudge between Si Tianjian and Yuhu Xuanzong had truly grown large.

Di Yiqiu came out from the teahouse, glanced at the broken stones and damaged road, and said: “Have the Ministry of Works repave the streets and alleys. Send the bill to Yuhu Xuanzong.”

Li Lu responded affirmatively and said: “Today’s events, I fear Xie Lingbi and Xie Hongchen won’t let this go. The Jianzheng must be on guard.”

Di Yiqiu sneered coldly and paid no attention. The two walked together. Li Lu very consciously fell half a step behind and said: “Today Baowu returned. Will the Jianzheng see him?”

Baowu was another Jianfu of Si Tianjian. Most of the time, he led the sect’s disciples on external duties, doing things like subduing demons and eliminating evil for the common people.

Di Yiqiu made a sound of acknowledgment and suddenly stopped moving.

Li Lu was alarmed, thinking something was wrong, but saw him suddenly enter a rouge shop.

A rouge shop?!

Li Lu hurried to follow. Di Yiqiu’s expression was frigid as he looked left and right. The proprietress in the shop, seeing their official robes, had already turned pale with fright.

Her tongue was tied as she asked: “Two, two officials, this humble woman’s shop has been open in the capital for over ten years doing honest business. Please don’t wrongly kill innocent people, officials!”

Li Lu also examined inside and out but didn’t notice anything unusual. He could only ask: “Jianzheng, is there something strange about this place?”

Di Yiqiu slowly paced to the shelf and carefully examined the rouge and powder on it. He picked up a box of goose egg powder, opened it and smelled it, then suddenly asked: “How much?”

“Ah?” The proprietress was stunned.

Li Lu was also stunned. After a moment, it was still the proprietress who reacted first. She let out a long breath and quickly put on a smiling face, saying: “The official wants to look at rouge and powder for his wife! Ah, nowadays, handsome and accomplished officials like you who dote on their wives—you really can’t find them even with a lantern!”

Perhaps because the crisis was resolved, having survived the disaster, she was full of good feelings toward the handsome official before her. So the proprietress enthusiastically said: “Please sit here, official. When it comes to women’s rouge and powder, ah, there’s much to say. This humble one will serve you two gentlemen fragrant tea, and we can talk slowly.”

Si Tianjian was very busy, okay? Where did he have time to listen to her talk slowly! Li Lu was about to speak when Di Yiqiu walked to the counter and sat down.

…

What could Li Lu do?

He could only sit beside Di Yiqiu and listen to the proprietress introduce these rouges and powders in endless detail.

Things like Rouge Dot Snow, Flower-Reflecting Perched Rouge, Ink Brocade Charm…

Good heavens. Li Lu’s head was spinning from listening.

Di Yiqiu’s face bore not a trace of smile. His gaze was calm with even a bit of coldness. But he listened seriously. So the proprietress simply used all her skills, with an attitude of imparting everything she knew.

Half an hour later, the Jianzheng had bought Star Black Eyebrow Dye,額黄茜Powder, Peach Blossom Lip Rouge, Peony Flower Jelly…

Li Lu walked out of the rouge shop carrying these excessively delicate bottles and jars, his heart full of the absurd feeling of “who am I, where am I.”

And at this time, thousands of miles away at Yuhu Xuanzong, the orchids covering the mountains had already withered by more than half.

Xie Hongchen wore white robes like snow draped over him, a water-blue shoulder guard on his shoulders, waist bound with a matching color sash, jade hanging below. As the master of a sect, he didn’t look so imposing, but rather appeared gentle and scholarly.

He stood at the edge of the flower field, looking at these flowers and leaves that, no matter how they were tended, still slowly withered. Who would have thought these flowers were originally such delicate varieties? When that person was here, they were as hardy as weeds.

Behind him, footsteps approached. Xie Hongchen didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. He turned and saluted, saying: “Master.”

The one who came was indeed Xie Lingbi. He wore a black robe, held a white jade ruyi in his hand, his face gloomy enough to rain.

Seeing Xie Hongchen, he said in a low voice: “Today’s events, you must already know.”

“Master refers to the matter of Si Tianjian publicly beating our sect’s outer gate disciple with the rod at the vegetable market?” Xie Hongchen’s tone was calm, without much joy or anger.

Xie Lingbi snorted heavily and said: “Not just publicly beating—making our sect’s disciple receive punishment naked! That brat Di Yiqiu even dares to use such despicable tactics!”

Xie Hongchen looked at the greatly enraged Xie Lingbi and suddenly asked: “Several days ago, when the old sect master of Mihua Sect celebrated his birthday, he invited Master and me to attend the celebration together. After Master and I left, four thieves immediately broke into the sect. Actually, this disciple wants to ask Master—what did they steal?”

Xie Lingbi paused slightly and immediately said angrily: “You should ask them!”

“This disciple has checked the sect’s secret treasures. Nothing is missing.” Xie Hongchen had doubts in his heart, not only because of Xie Lingbi’s rage, but also for another reason.

—His wife, Yuhu Xuanzong’s sect master’s wife Huang Rang, had been missing for ten years.

For ten years, Yuhu Xuanzong had claimed externally that she was recuperating from illness.

However, only a few people knew that she had disappeared. Inexplicably and suddenly her whereabouts became unknown.

For the sake of the sect’s reputation, Xie Hongchen couldn’t search for her with great fanfare. But privately, he hadn’t spent little effort on it. After ten years without results, he wasn’t without suspicion in his heart. He always felt that no matter what happened, Huang Rang wouldn’t easily leave.

—As long as he was still Yuhu Xuanzong’s sect master.

And in the entire immortal sect, if there was anywhere he hadn’t searched, it would definitely be Xie Lingbi’s Dark Thunder Peak.

Actually, from the beginning, Xie Lingbi had disagreed with Xie Hongchen taking Huang Rang as his wife. Huang Rang came from Immortal Tea Town—she was the daughter of a fallen earth spirit Huang Shu. Her humble status was one thing, but she also had considerable means and schemes.

Xie Lingbi looked down on her from the bottom of his heart.

And Xie Hongchen, who had always obeyed his master in everything, chose to insist on his own view in this matter.

Xie Lingbi didn’t want any rift to develop between master and disciple over a woman, so he ultimately agreed to this marriage. But there were conditions—Xie Hongchen could only spend one hour per day together with Huang Rang.

Speaking of it, this was simply requiring him to exercise self-discipline and restraint, not indulging in romantic love.

Xie Hongchen hadn’t objected. He knew Huang Rang wouldn’t object either.

—What kind of person Huang Rang was, he actually understood all too well.

This woman had refused to accept her fate since childhood.

Even though Xie Hongchen was immersed in the tender haven she wove, he hadn’t lost his reason. He had carefully investigated Huang Rang’s life history. Huang Rang was born into a family of rural earth spirits. Her father Huang Shu was lustful and greedy for wealth. The family had many brothers and sisters.

And Huang Rang was the most outstanding one among all of them. She was delicate and dignified, intelligent and serene, and had always cultivated improved varieties for her father, her beautiful reputation spreading far. But these were only appearances.

Beneath this beautiful veneer, she secretly cultivated improved varieties behind her father’s back, even selling them privately while evading the court. She pleased her father while excluding and suppressing other brothers and sisters. Her brothers and sisters were habitually fierce, but in the entire Huang family, no one dared provoke her.

Huang Shu was already foolish and was coaxed around by her. The family’s improved varieties were almost all cultivated by her. Saying she was the family’s head wouldn’t be wrong—she just lacked the title.

With such a lowly birth, she forcibly created for herself the beautiful reputation of “Xuandu Fairy,” resounding throughout the immortal sects and the court.

Many talented men had always shown interest in her, but she treated them with gentle warmth while pretending not to understand. While spreading her net, patiently waiting for the biggest fish to take the bait.

Xie Hongchen was that big fish.

Possibly big beyond her imagination.

So from the beginning, Huang Rang had used every means on him. Xie Hongchen had never been blinded by tender feelings, yet he still fell into the net.

He disregarded Xie Lingbi’s opposition, stubbornly went his own way, and married Huang Rang as his wife.

These years, he had tolerated his father-in-law Huang Shu’s mediocre incompetence and also balanced Huang Rang’s brothers and sisters’ insatiable greed. He had made the greatest concessions for his own love, so he had always been calmly restrained with Huang Rang. Or rather, he deliberately neglected her.

He installed Huang Rang at Prayer Dew Terrace, and he himself rarely went there.

Xie Lingbi had made a three-part agreement with him, allowing him to go daily and stay for one hour. Actually, he mostly didn’t go.

Even when desire crisscrossed and deeply entangled, he could ignore it.

He knew Huang Rang wouldn’t care about these things.

Sure enough, Huang Rang didn’t care.

She seemed to have no complaints. No matter when he went, she always greeted him in elaborate dress. She properly stayed at Prayer Dew Terrace, researching fine wines, fragrant teas, and pastries.

Xie Hongchen didn’t like her cultivating improved varieties. He thought the sect master’s wife frequently entering and leaving farm fields was always unseemly. So Huang Rang even gave up these things.

Only because Xie Hongchen liked orchids, she planted the entire Yuhu Xuanzong full of orchids.

In a hundred years’ time, she transformed from the originally renowned “Xuandu Fairy” into the sect master’s wife of Yuhu Xuanzong, deeply beloved by disciples.

She could extremely well control her emotions, was adept at maneuvering with ease, and skilled at winning people’s hearts and fishing for fame. So everyone praised her as gentle and dignified, virtuous and chaste.

Xie Hongchen felt he shouldn’t like this kind of woman.

This woman was inconsistent inside and out, every single thing she did had its own purpose—she knew too well what she wanted. To achieve her goals, she could be unscrupulous and emotionless.

Even someone like Xie Hongchen with such firm character could, before marriage, undress with her and overturn phoenix and luan.

Xie Hongchen actually held contempt in his heart for this person. But what noble ladies from distinguished families didn’t dare do, she dared. That passion not fit to show others was too deeply etched in his bones. He was both clear-headed and addicted.

Before Huang Rang disappeared, she did something that displeased him.

This was the first time in a hundred years of marriage that she had said something she shouldn’t have said.

She said to him: “Has husband ever thought about paying attention to Ancestor’s movements? Some days ago I discovered something and have been uneasy in my heart. I always feel that husband should go alone to Dark Thunder Peak to take a look.”

Xie Hongchen immediately rebuked her angrily. Because he knew Xie Lingbi had considerable prejudice against her, he had already tried his utmost to avoid interaction between the two. Xie Lingbi ordinarily didn’t go to Prayer Dew Terrace, and Huang Rang didn’t go to Dark Thunder Peak.

Though he was attached to Huang Rang’s charms, he absolutely wouldn’t tolerate this woman interfering with his master. So he didn’t say more and left with a wave of his sleeve.

After that, for a full month, he didn’t visit Prayer Dew Terrace.

Later, Huang Rang disappeared.

He thought she was playing some trick again to make him anxious. But after that, for ten years, he never saw her again.

That time was actually their last meeting.