Tang Lici was currently drinking tea with Cheng Yunpao, Yu Furen, Dong Hubi, Meng Qinglei, and a group of others.

Winter at Haoyun Mountain didn’t bring ice, but the cold was extreme. When white mist drifted past in clouds, it could truly chill to the bone. Tang Lici wore a lined jacket in pale goose-yellow with light green silk threads and gold thread woven into patterns, embroidered with annual brocade, similarly trimmed with a circle of snow-white sable fur at the collar and cuffs – magnificent and luxurious.

On the table was this year’s “White Milk” tea from North Garden. This tea was originally tribute tea, but the court only needed fifty pieces annually, leaving quite a surplus, including many premium products. The “White Milk” Tang Lici brought wasn’t pressed into dragon and phoenix tea cake shapes, but was still a type of cake tea. He used Zhongshan Spring water to brew the “White Milk.” Zhenjiang’s Zhongshan Spring was the world’s foremost spring for brewing tea. Lu Yu’s “Tea Classic” states: “For water, mountain water is superior, river water medium, well water inferior. For mountain water, choose milk springs with stone pools and gentle flows as best.” Zhongshan Spring was located in the treacherous whirlpools of the Yangtze River, making water collection extremely difficult. Though it was the world’s finest spring, very few could drink its water.

The brewed “White Milk” was poured into small cups of lustrous black color, seemingly made of ink jade. Though the tea was scalding hot, holding the cups didn’t burn one’s hands. Everyone smelled the refined tea fragrance in their hands, carefully holding those ink jade cups, all secretly thinking that despite wandering the jianghu for so many years, they had never drunk such things that even the emperor drank.

Everyone drank their tea. The dense, gentle tea fragrance in their mouths felt quite unaccustomed, but seeing Tang Lici exhale a breath with his cheeks growing even more flushed, apparently very used to this flavor, everyone also put on airs, holding their priceless tea while feigning indifference.

“The gathering at Beauty Dwelling was indeed a trap by the Wind and Moon Store. Fortunately Young Master Tang arrived in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.” Meng Qinglei said. “When Young Master Tang rushed to Beauty Dwelling to save people, Miss Tao encountered an ambush in her room, fell off a cliff with uncertain life or death. Brother Yu, Young Hero Gu and I have gone down the mountain to search twice without results, causing great concern.” Cheng Yunpao and Dong Hubi didn’t respond. Tang Lici smiled. “Miss Tao’s whereabouts, I will certainly investigate. Please rest assured, everyone.”

Meng Qinglei said cheerfully, “Since Young Master Tang says so, we naturally feel at ease.” Tang Lici avoided the topic and briefly described what happened after Beauty Dwelling at Wangting Manor. When he spoke of Zhu Yan’s surprise attack on Biluo Palace and being persuaded by Wanyu Yuedan to return to battle at Wangting Manor, everyone exclaimed with wonder, not knowing the outcome and expressing regret.

That day, after Tang Lici and Wanyu Yuedan lay chatting idly on the grassland for a while, when they returned, Xue Tao was already gone.

A’Shui had accompanied her alone until death, changed her into clean clothes, went out to circle the town. The town had a shabby old coffin shop – the young people had fled, but the old man hadn’t. She paid for a thin coffin. When Yu Tuan’er and Lin Bu returned, the three of them together placed Xue Tao in the coffin and dug a simple grave behind the house for burial.

No one erected a tombstone for her. The stone workshop in town had fled entirely, no stone materials could be bought, and they couldn’t afford it anyway.

When Tang Lici returned, Xue Tao was already buried.

No one asked him for money, and no one took the gold from his clothes to buy a better coffin. Though their strength was meager, they never depended on others.

Tang Lici dug up a stone from behind the mountain, carved it into tombstone shape with his short blade, then used the blade tip to engrave “Xue Tao” on the stone and erected it before the grave.

Afterward they never spoke of Xue Tao again. Lin Bu bid farewell to everyone and left on his own. He turned south, his steps reaching wherever the great earth and rivers lay. Though he seemed to have some lingering attachment, he didn’t linger.

A’Shui, Fengfeng, and Yu Tuan’er followed Tang Lici back to Haoyun Mountain. Shen Langhun escorted Wanyu Yuedan back to Biluo Palace.

Now Tang Lici was drinking tea with everyone at Sword-Asking Pavilion. A’Shui sat in her room holding Fengfeng. Tang Lici had sent her and Fengfeng silk and satin, various auspicious gold and jade ornaments, even rouge and powder. He had similarly given Yu Tuan’er a share. Yu Tuan’er wore those things, dressing herself up until her appearance was quite charming. A’Shui hadn’t used any of them, carefully storing each item. She didn’t refuse them, just packed them into several bundles and stored them away. Sometimes she would open them to look, taking out each garment, each piece of fabric, each jade and gold ornament to examine, feeling something indescribable in her heart.

Fengfeng was beginning to learn speech. He learned quickly, and the dimple on his cheek became increasingly obvious. A’Shui gently caressed that dimple – she liked dimples. She had never seen Hao Wenhou’s siblings, but perhaps his brothers and sisters had dimples, so it wouldn’t be strange for Fengfeng to have one.

“Sister A’Shui,” Yu Tuan’er had gone today to look around the cliff where “Xifang Tao” had fallen. “The place where Yu Konghou fell is really quite dangerous. He’s truly lucky to be unharmed. Wonder how he is now. His face was injured and he doesn’t dare show himself easily. Wonder if he’s found Liu Yan to treat his face?” A’Shui sighed softly. “I think Yu Konghou’s battle with Zhu Yan must have resulted in more injuries. If it were just scratches on his cheek, he wouldn’t stay hidden for long. But whether he can find Liu Yan to help heal his wounds, I don’t know either.”

Yu Tuan’er whispered, “I heard Brother Shen say that Young Master Tang gave Xiao Fang an address. Xiao Fang must have taken Liu Yan there. If only Young Master Tang would tell me, I could go find them.” A’Shui shook her head. “He won’t tell you.” Yu Tuan’er sighed disappointedly. “How long must I wait here before I can see him again?” A’Shui pulled her over and smoothed her forehead hair. “Young Master Tang won’t tell you the location, but if he misses you, he’ll have Brother Fang come fetch you. Your being at Haoyun Mountain isn’t hard to discover news of. As long as he still remembers you and misses you, he’ll definitely have Brother Fang come fetch you. Don’t worry, wait patiently.”

“Sister A’Shui, what if he has Xiao Fang come fetch you but not me?” Yu Tuan’er asked gloomily. “If he dislikes me and forgets me, he won’t come looking for me.” A’Shui smiled. Her smile always carried that awakened weariness from experiencing all worldly affairs. “He won’t, silly child.” Yu Tuan’er said quietly, “If he has Xiao Fang come fetch you, please don’t go back with him, okay?” A’Shui gently embraced her back. “Alright, I definitely won’t go with Brother Fang to see Liu Yan. I’ll let you go, okay?” Yu Tuan’er nodded. “You’re so good.” A’Shui arranged her hair. “I’m not particularly good – you’re the one who’s good to him.”

“You’re good to Young Master Tang.” Yu Tuan’er suddenly said. “But he always bullies you. You clearly didn’t want to come to Haoyun Mountain with him, but when he told you to come, you came.” A’Shui smiled slightly. “Yes, I wanted to live my own life with Fengfeng, but how could I truly survive in the jianghu alone without depending on anyone? I tried leaving Young Master Tang – it only brought more trouble to others. This time, I’ll stay at Haoyun Mountain.” Yu Tuan’er huffed. “Liar! You just always go along with his wishes. When he told you to come, you came because you’re afraid of making him angry! That’s all it is, yet you make up a bunch of reasons to fool people! Young Master Tang is just a bad person! A big bad guy!”

A’Shui gazed at her for a while. This little girl had a clear heart, so her insight was sharp. Perhaps… it really was as she said – she simply didn’t want to go against Tang Lici’s wishes, simply feared making him angry. But regardless of the reason, she was just a toy in Tang Lici’s hands. When he wanted her to come, she should come. When he wanted her to leave, she had to leave. When he wanted to viciously hurt her, she should be hurt. When he wanted someone to talk with, she had to accompany him drinking.

Tang Lici was too lonely. He greatly needed someone to accompany him, care for him, be good to him. For a man with such an extreme and changeable personality like his, the way to be good to him… was to let him manipulate her as he pleased.

Very few people could endure such terrible treatment. She had to endure it because Tang Lici only demanded from her alone.

Before everyone else, he had to display absolute dominance, absolute excellence. He was number one in the world, unmatched under heaven, invincible and capable of solving any problem.

Maintaining such dominance was very hard and exhausting, just as her maintaining her composure and rationality was very hard and exhausting. She could understand Tang Lici’s suffering, but Tang Lici would obviously never understand her suffering.

If she were as pure and straightforward as Yu Tuan’er, if she could disregard everything, she would immediately flee from Tang Lici’s side, flee far away, escape back to Luoyang or flee to Fu Zhumei’s side. The more she understood Tang Lici, the more she comprehended what he needed, and the more she understood what he needed, the more she couldn’t help wanting to cherish him.

She had stayed by his side too long, understood this person too well. Perhaps one day, she would truly willingly die for him, to fulfill his wishes, to earn his smile – but if such a day really came, what about Fengfeng? What about Fengfeng’s future life? And what about Tang Lici when she was no longer by his side to accompany him?