Suddenly someone approached from the opposite direction, asking bluntly, “Have you seen Rong Pu?”

Just from this random, choppy questioning, they knew it was Hu Yin. She was carrying a food box and looking at the two of them with eyebrows furrowed enough to crush a fly.

“He’s at Junzi Hall. Why are you looking for him, Miss?”

“No, isn’t he sick? Why is he still running around? Time for medicine has come. His servant boy is looking for him everywhere.” Hu Yin raised the food box in her hand and walked away in a hurry.

The last time Tie Ci had seen Hu Yin seeking out Rong Pu for conversation, she had thought the Western Rong had some dealings with the Rong family. Now it seemed Hu Yin had taken a fancy to Rong Pu and was actively pursuing him?

That fit her personality—thinking what she wanted, doing what she pleased, speaking of one matter at a time. Just like how she had never liked Tie Ci herself, but had still gotten into a fight at the beginning of the school term because of people’s unfair criticism of her. Yet afterward she never mentioned it, and seeing her again didn’t necessarily make her any warmer.

Rong Wei beside her suddenly said, “This girl dares to love and hate.”

Tie Ci said, “The spirit of children from the great desert.”

“Then I also…”

“Ye Shiba, where did you run off to! Why are you always absent from the quarters night after night!” Suddenly another person jumped out, red robes like fire, a lapis lazuli heavenly pearl earring glimmering faintly.

Rong Wei’s face visibly collapsed.

Dan Ye emerged from behind a clump of hibiscus flowers, his robes covered with deep red and light purple petals that he didn’t bother to brush off. He hastily grabbed Tie Ci’s hand and ran forward, “Quick, quick! Hu Yin is rarely in the mood today and roasted a whole sheep. Everything else she makes is terrible, but her roasted lamb is heavenly! Quick! If we’re late, Mo Ye will eat it all!”

As he spoke, he dragged Tie Ci away with rapid footsteps.

Rong Wei: “…”

After a long moment, he gathered his sleeves and watched Tie Ci and Dan Ye’s retreating figures expressionlessly, thinking that little brat Ye Shiba—if he really didn’t want to be dragged away, Dan Ye wouldn’t necessarily be able to move him an inch.

Clearly, he had guessed something himself and was taking the opportunity to escape.

Rong Wei slowly raised his chin, gazing at the bewitchingly red and luxuriously green summer night ahead.

“…Once I obtain Liaodong, I’ll first destroy your Western Rong.”

…

In the end, Rong Wei still followed Tie Ci to the forest by Fragrant Lake to eat roasted lamb. Both Dan Ye and Mo Ye brothers were reluctant, but Dan Ye wanted to show magnanimity, while Mo Ye simply cowered whenever he saw Tie Ci.

It always remembered this fierce person who had once swung it to the ground and couldn’t understand why his buddy wouldn’t break off relations with this person.

Are we brothers or not?

In the end, it was because Tie Ci saw the increasingly aggrieved expression in Hai Dongqing’s golden, glittering eyes, plus considering that Rong Wei had been running a fever during the day and shouldn’t eat such heating foods, that she said they should return early.

When she left, Dan Ye also stopped eating, and the three returned to their quarters together. Rong Pu had already returned and was sleeping.

Rong Wei hadn’t paid attention during the day, but now he suddenly noticed that Rong Pu, Dan Ye, and Ye Shiba’s beds were adjacent, with those two flanking Ye Shiba in the middle.

That Dan Ye fellow was different from others, sleeping with his feet at the head end, so his head was right next to Ye Shiba’s. Only the low couch’s armrest separated them.

While he slept alone on the opposite side.

Rong Wei stood there pondering for a while, realizing that forcing Dan Ye to switch ends wouldn’t work either—that would put his stinking feet facing Ye Shiba’s head.

After watching for a while, Rong Wei went to sleep without saying anything.

In the middle of the night, Tie Ci suddenly smelled a faint sweet fragrance.

Having been trained against knockout drugs, she immediately opened her eyes and saw Rong Wei sneakily getting out of bed barefoot, holding a dagger that gleamed pale and sinister in the darkness.

Tie Ci’s heart jumped, and she reached under her pillow for her knife.

Though she thought it unlikely, long years of palace life had made this instinctive.

She also looked at Dan Ye and Rong Pu on either side.

He wasn’t planning to slaughter these two, was he?

Was he dissatisfied with the portfolio reading, or uncomfortable from the lamb?

Tie Ci inexplicably felt a headache coming on, vaguely sensing that she wouldn’t get a good night’s sleep in Room Wu anymore.

Rong Wei took two silent steps and reached Dan Ye’s bedside.

Tie Ci held her breath, thinking of how to wake Dan Ye inconspicuously—maybe by pretending to stretch and hitting his head—when she suddenly saw Rong Wei crouch down.

Tie Ci: “?”

Then she heard faint scraping sounds, followed by the adjacent bed seeming to jolt, then stop. Then two more scraping sounds, the bed jolted again, then stopped.

The sound of something being slowly lifted and placed on the ground.

No smell of blood, so it probably wasn’t Dan Ye’s corpse.

The soft sound of rustling clothes arose, and Rong Wei returned to his own bed.

Tie Ci pretended to turn over and glanced next door, but saw nothing.

Was Rong Wei sleepwalking?

She was truly drowsy, so she closed her eyes and slept until awakened by a loud shout.

Opening her eyes to bright daylight.

Dan Ye’s roar struck her ears like thunder: “Which bastard sawed my bed!”

Tie Ci sat up and looked—good heavens, I have to say good heavens!

Everyone slept on low couches with four foot-high bed legs. Now only Dan Ye’s bed legs had been cut off, leaving just the bed board, making him look like he was sleeping on the floor.

Tie Ci thought no wonder she couldn’t see anything last night—now she had to look down at the ground to see Dan Ye.

But why would Rong Wei do such a boring thing?

She couldn’t figure it out at all.

They say women are troublesome. But when men get bored, women really have nothing on them.

She couldn’t be bothered with these disputes—today she needed to collect a debt.

Rong Wei stayed in the quarters to recover from his injury while she went to the lecture hall.

Having slept all day yesterday, when she went out to class today, she received a baptism of gazes all along the way—crowds parting, teachers watching, and universal silence.

If Crown Princess hadn’t already grown accustomed to such scenes—having witnessed hundreds of officials dancing and shouting “Long live!” on the white jade plaza before Chongming Hall since age six—she might have felt nervous.

Before reaching Liang Hall, she could already see from afar that a large red paper had been posted outside the door, reading: “Congratulations to Ye Shiba on promotion to You Hall. Though mountains are high and waters long, we shall not meet again in these martial circles.”

Tie Ci: “…”

She had forgotten—three consecutive excellent grades meant promotion to a higher hall.

Look at Liang Hall’s joy. That eager look of sending away a plague god.

Her desk, along with her books, ink, paper, and inkstone, had already been moved out early and placed at the entrance. The attitude was as if they hoped she would never set foot in Liang Hall again.

Tie Ci leaned against her desk, gazing inside with reluctance. Wherever her gaze fell, people shrank like quail.

They had originally thought this fellow was just sharp-tongued and broadly learned, but still physically weak.

Who knew that on the martial field, the weakling’s archery had taught them how to behave.

Now forget about factions, rules, or hierarchies. Hairight faction boss Ma De was still eating prison food, and his mother’s entire family was being investigated. All their businesses, routes, and shops were controlled by officials, reportedly uncovering smuggling routes to Dayan.

Capital faction boss Qi Yuansi was currently burying his head under a desk, not having eaten the steaming hot stuff from the outhouse yet.

“Hey everyone,” Tie Ci waved with apparent regret, “I haven’t even warmed the benches in Liang Hall, and now I have to leave? Will you miss me? Will you think of me?”

Everyone: …As if.

In the entire hall, only the round-faced boy dared stand up, pointing to Tie Ci’s desk and saying, “All the money the academy lost to you has been exchanged for bank notes—Huifeng Bank notes, placed in the box on your desk. Our people ran the errands, consider it a gift from Liang Hall. Please be merciful and spare us—come visit a few times less in the future, okay?”

Tie Ci was overjoyed, grabbed the box, and counted with a rustling sound, “Deal!”

The people of Liang Hall watched her expectantly—Won’t you leave, sir?

Sir wouldn’t leave. After counting the tickets, sir hugged her chest and raised her chin toward Qi Yuansi.

“Brother Qi.”

When facing death, there’s no escape. Qi Yuansi slowly raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, saying indignantly, “Brother Eighteen, I admire you as a true man…”

“So?” Tie Ci smiled.

“So I’ll eat this product of the five-grain cycle! I only ask that after I risk my life to keep my word, brother, you’ll consider me a friend for my courage!”

Qi Yuansi gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and picked up a basin from under the desk.

Everyone covered their noses, closed their eyes, and turned their heads, making expressions of unbearable sight.

Tie Ci craned her neck to look and shook her head, “Brother Qi, that’s not proper of you.”

Qi Yuansi: “?”

“This is clearly not fresh, hot five-grain recycled matter. You must have processed it to be relatively palatable.” Tie Ci shook her head. “What to eat and how to eat it—shouldn’t that be up to me to decide?”

Students from various halls had also gathered at the door to watch the excitement. Hearing Tie Ci’s words, they immediately erupted in uproar. The students of Liang Hall hadn’t expected her to be serious and pleaded for mercy one after another.

Qi Yuansi was outstanding in his studies and gentle in temperament, always well-liked at the academy.

Even Dan Ye came over, tugging at her sleeve and saying, “This seems a bit excessive. Aren’t you afraid of disgusting yourself?”

Tie Ci brushed away his hand and said coolly, “Wolf Lord, save those words for your Western Rong subjects.”

Dan Ye raised his eyebrows at her. Tie Ci ignored him, extending her hand toward Qi Yuansi with a smile.

Dan Ye threw off her sleeve and leaped onto a beam to sit with Hai Dongqing, who was watching the excitement there. “If a Western Rong woman dared speak to me like that, her bones would have been crushed in Daliang Mountain long ago.”

Hai Dongqing: “Gah!”

Under everyone’s gaze, Qi Yuansi’s face went from white to green to purple, transforming from spring breeze for ten li into bitter winter wind for ten thousand li. After a long while, he smashed that plate of stuff to the ground angrily, “You’re going too far!”

Tie Ci said, “Look, it’s all dried and hard, making a clacking sound when it hits. It doesn’t even smell. You’re cheating.”

Qi Yuansi looked like he was about to vomit blood again.

He covered his chest and stood up swaying, staring at Tie Ci, truly not understanding what was wrong with this Ye Shiba—why he wouldn’t accept either soft or hard approaches, wouldn’t accept his goodwill. He had never offended him, had even repeatedly expressed admiration!

With a heart full of confusion, anger, and grievance, after taking at least seventeen or eighteen deep breaths, he finally calmed down somewhat. Pressing his hand on the desk, he smiled tragically, “Fine. You call the shots.”

Tie Ci’s smile deepened, and she gracefully gestured for him to proceed.

Qi Yuansi walked out stiffly, asking in a completely flat tone, “Which outhouse?”

Thinking to himself, if it was the women’s outhouse, he’d just perish together with Ye Shiba.

Tie Ci smiled and pointed outside, “The one by Fragrant Lake.”

Quite far, but at least not the women’s outhouse.

Qi Yuansi hadn’t yet decided whether to die or not, but his legs had already followed Tie Ci’s steps outside.

Earth-shaking gossip always spreads at light speed. In just a short while, the entire academy knew that Ye Shiba was making Qi Yuansi fulfill his promise, refusing to accept overnight dried goods and demanding a live broadcast.

Everyone was stirred up. Those in class ran out, those not in class didn’t go, and even teachers came out of their quarters carrying books. More and more people followed, streams converging continuously. Soon there was a mighty, serpentine crowd behind the two.

Qi Yuansi: …Want to die.

Someone shouted by the roadside: “Ye Shiba! Sages value magnanimity, while common people despise the masses! Don’t go too far!”

“Sages also said,” Tie Ci glanced sideways with a smile, “A person without trustworthiness—who knows what they’re capable of!”

“Ye Shiba,” Teacher Ying also stood by the road, earnestly saying, “Respectfulness prevents insult, magnanimity wins people over. Spare others when you can!”

“Teacher’s instruction is correct.” Tie Ci bowed. “So one bite will do.”

“…”

The outhouse by Fragrant Lake came into view, with countless people craning their necks nearby.

Tie Ci thought Qi Yuansi should be grateful he wasn’t born in Master’s era—otherwise, cameras would be serving him now, with the whole nation eagerly waiting.

The young masters of the Capital faction were all there, seeing off their boss with sympathetic gazes.

Qi Yuansi buried his face in his sleeve and hurried forward with his head down.

I’m still alive, but I’m already dead.

Tie Ci suddenly said, “Actually, you don’t have to eat it.”

Qi Yuansi looked up with wild joy.

Tie Ci stood outside the outhouse, smiling, “The teachers want me to show gentlemanly magnanimity. I should humbly accept their instruction. Don’t you have many friends and followers? Here’s what I’ll do—I’ll give you a chance. If any of your friends can come out and defeat me… No, defeating me would be too much bullying. How about this—if anyone can take ten punches from me, we’ll call this gambling debt even.”

Qi Yuansi said, “I myself…”

“You don’t count.”

Qi Yuansi cast hopeful glances at his gang of friends.

They were all close brothers, and most had some martial skills. Coming out to take a few punches for him to spare him this humiliation—he’d be willing to give everything to repay them!

Someone seemed tempted.

Tie Ci casually said beside him, “Ten punches like this.”

She seemed to punch lightly, and with a crack, a tree as thick as a waist beside them snapped in half.

The foot that had stepped forward immediately stopped, and after a moment, slowly withdrew.

Qi Yuansi’s hopeful gaze swept over those familiar faces one by one—those brothers who usually called each other sworn brothers, ate and used his things, and were so close they almost shared the same pants. One by one, they lowered their heads and turned away. No one met his gaze.

Unbearable dead silence.

After a moment, Tie Ci smiled lightly.

She said nothing, but this smile made everyone present feel as if they’d been slapped hard across the face.

Qi Yuansi suddenly showed a weary expression, feeling that such struggling was enough.

He strode into the outhouse.

Tie Ci followed him in.