Mu Qingyan had always known that Cai Zhao was sweet on the surface but ruthless at heart. When she said she wanted to sever ties, she would get up in the middle of the night to sharpen her knife.
As he expected, early the next day, Cai Zhao had the inn’s servants clean out the upper floor of the small building. She then forcibly dragged the still-yawning Fan Xingjia to move in. As she had seen the night before, this floor originally contained well-maintained suite rooms. The demon in human skin had removed all the furnishings and decorations, covered all the windows with grimy linen, and brought in piles of clumsy, large wooden planks as a disguise.
After half a day of tidying up, Fan Xingjia watched as the once-shabby room transformed into a bright, clean, and comfortable space with several inner rooms. It was far more spacious than the upper rooms his fellow disciples were staying in. His attitude changed from reluctance to embarrassment.
Ding Zhuo came to look around and immediately had the servants move his luggage over. Fan Xingjia hoped his senior brother would give a reason for moving in, to which Ding Zhuo replied, “I’m worried you might be afraid of the dark at night.” Fan Xingjia retorted that he’d rather his senior brother hadn’t said anything at all.
Qi Lingbo was both angry and jealous but couldn’t openly ask to change rooms now. He stormed off in a huff, with Dai Fengchi following as usual to console him.
Song Yuzhi gave Cai Zhao a complicated look, which she avoided. She knew Song Yuzhi had guessed her intentions, and Song Yuzhi knew that Cai Zhao knew he had guessed, but neither of them brought it up.
After all this fuss, Cai Zhao’s message was clear—if that Mu guy tried to sneak into her room again, Ding and Fan would wake up and alert everyone. It would immediately become a confrontation between both sides, with swords drawn!
But Mu Qingyan was no pushover. If he couldn’t do it covertly, he’d do it openly.
At noon that day, when the disciples of the Qingque Sect and Taichu Temple were gathering for a feast on the second floor of the inn, they found Mu Qingyan already seated across from them with his followers. They had the same fragrant honey wine, the same braised pork trotters with glutinous rice, and even the roast goose heads were arranged in the same indignant pose.
Dai Fengchi slammed the table and stood up, loudly questioning their intentions.
Mu Qingyan, dressed in a grand red robe embroidered with gold clouds, his hair as dark as ink, adorned with a gold crown and jade hairpin, leisurely fanned himself with an ornate jade and gold folding fan. Posing as a dashing young gentleman, he feigned innocence and said, “I was just out shopping and got hungry, so I came for a meal. Is shopping illegal? Is dining illegal? Do you Northern Chen disciples have to control even this?”
You Guanyue and Shangguan Haonan immediately chimed in, leading their lackeys in a chorus of mockery, asking if this street or this city belonged to Northern Chen and so on.
Mu Qingyan glanced subtly at a certain young lady, feigning melancholy as he said, “Alas, they say the Six Northern Chen Sects are the leaders of the righteous path, but how times have changed. Their disciples are increasingly unrestrained, becoming aggressive and unreasonable after just a few words!” The last few words were almost squeezed through his teeth.
Dai Fengchi’s face turned green with anger. Ding Zhuo and Fan Xingjia both recognized this as Mu Qingyan’s provocation, but only Song Yuzhi knew that this wasn’t provocation, but rather an unconventional form of flirtation.
The surrounding disciples all stood up, angrily denouncing the Devil Sect’s fallacies. Qi Lingbo, seeing that Cai Zhao was still playing dumb, angrily questioned, “Sister, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Cai Zhao retorted, “I did say something.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, ‘Senior Brother is right.'”
“Just that?!”
“I also said, ‘Senior Brother is right.'”
Qi Lingbo was so angry he nearly fell over. Seeing her lips move to spout more nonsense, Cai Zhao pulled her close and threatened in a low voice, “If you dare bring up my past of protecting that person again, I’ll beat Second Senior Brother to a pulp and then hire seventy or eighty storytellers to turn your ambiguous affair with him into a novel and have it sung all over the land!”
Qi Lingbo’s hair stood on end, “I can also reveal your sordid affair with that Devil Sect demon!”
Cai Zhao replied calmly, “I was deceived back then, but now I’ve seen the error of my ways. What about you, Senior Sister? You’re still inseparable from Second Senior Brother. Unless you cut ties with him immediately, but can you bear to do that?”
Qi Lingbo was hit where it hurt. She had always been indecisive and couldn’t bear to hurt Dai Fengchi’s feelings.
Li Yuanmin and Dai Fengchi were no match for You Guanyue and his ilk in verbal sparring. They just shouted angrily while You Guanyue and the others responded with sarcasm and contempt, quickly reducing them to red-faced, spluttering messes. Just as they were about to flip tables and draw swords in their fury, a middle-aged Taoist in purple robes slowly ascended the stairs, leading several disciples.
“Ho ho ho, how lively. What’s everyone discussing? You didn’t even notice this poor Taoist entering the inn,” Wang Yuanjing said, his crane-feather cloak fluttering, his smile warm.
Mu Qingyan’s eyes flickered as he looked around. You Guanyue and Shangguan Haonan understood, one gripping the hidden weapons in his sleeve, the other resting his hand on his quiver. They both took a half-step back, silently signaling the others to be on guard.
Mu Qingyan wasn’t afraid of Wang Yuanjing, but the power balance between the two sides had shifted from “crushing a snail” to a potential scuffle. Even in this situation, he was confident he could punch Li Yuanmin, slap Dai Fengchi, kick Ding Zhuo, knock out Fan Xingjia, and then gracefully float away past Song Yuzhi and Wang Yuanjing.
But if he did that, wouldn’t it make him a laughingstock in a certain young lady’s eyes?
So he remained seated, calm and composed.
“I hear Sect Leader Mu has quelled Nie’s rebellion in just a few months and reclaimed the position of Sect Leader. This poor Taoist offers his congratulations,” Wang Yuanjing said with a smile. “I overheard Sect Leader Mu criticizing my junior brother and nephews for being unreasonable earlier. I’m afraid I can’t agree.”
“If we’re talking about being unreasonable, who under heaven could compare to the Nie Hengcheng uncle and nephew? The Six Sects’ disciples are merely wary of your sect’s reputation and fear falling into a trap unawares, hence their somewhat impulsive behavior. The Nie uncle and nephew were truly extraordinary, not only brutal and murderous towards outsiders but equally harsh towards their people.”
Mu Qingyan already knew what Wang Yuanjing was going to say next, and the smile vanished from his face.
Wang Yuanjing continued unhurriedly, “Sect Leader Mu’s ancestors showed great kindness to Nie Hengcheng, both adopting and nurturing him. But how did Nie Hengcheng repay the Mu family? Alas, if it weren’t for Sect Leader Mu stepping up at such a young age to save the situation, how many people today would remember the Mu family’s glorious reputation built over more than a century?”
His tone was gentle, but every word struck at Mu Qingyan’s sore spots, overtly criticizing the Nie uncle and nephew while covertly mocking the Mu ancestors for their poor judgment in raising a tiger that would bring calamity upon themselves.
Mu Qingyan’s jaw tightened slightly, his handsome face frosting over.
He clenched his fist inside his sleeve, “You should know that I’m still confident I can take anyone’s life—including yours, Sect Leader Wang.”
At these words, Li Yuanmin, Dai Fengchi, and the others immediately gripped their sword hilts.
“This poor Taoist knows,” Wang Yuanjing remained unmoved, still smiling. “Sect Leader Mu’s abilities are unpredictable. Despite our Six Sects’ various investigations, we still don’t know the extent of Sect Leader Mu’s power. This poor Taoist has lived long but falls far short. How embarrassing, how embarrassing.”
“However, Sect Leader Mu should also know how difficult it is to maintain the current non-interference between our Six Sects and your esteemed sect. Does Sect Leader Mu wish to return to the bloody days of the past? Sect Leader Mu is steady and persevering; why bother with these hot-blooded, straightforward juniors of mine?”
This speech was reasonable and neither servile nor overbearing. It both touched on the Mu family’s hidden pain and clarified the current situation between the two sides, effectively putting Mu Qingyan in check. Cai Zhao couldn’t help but secretly admire his skill.
She leaned close to Fan Xingjia’s ear and whispered, “Uncle Wang is quite skillful. How come I’ve never heard of his reputation before?” This Uncle Wang had a quiet and gentle demeanor that didn’t stand out at first glance, but he possessed a force like water that can wear away stone.
Fan Xingjia whispered back, “Uncle Lei said that when Sect Leader Wang was young, he almost returned to secular life to get married. It was only when Wu Yuanying had an incident, causing chaos in Taichu Temple, that he decided to stay.”
As Wang Yuanjing spoke in this half-pushing, half-pulling manner, the tense atmosphere began to ease. Li Yuanmin looked at his senior sect leader with admiration, and Dai Fengchi also sheathed his sword and sat down.
Mu Qingyan was displeased and about to leave when he suddenly heard Wang Yuanjing call out to Cai Zhao across the table, “Zhaozaho, guess who else has arrived today?”
Cai Zhao asked curiously, “Who?”
Wang Yuanjing smiled without answering and called out towards the stairs, “Why don’t you come in?”
Everyone turned to look, and their eyes lit up.
At the inn’s entrance appeared several disciples in light blue robes with wide sleeves, carrying swords. Among them was a particularly handsome young man of sixteen or seventeen. In the bright sunlight, the silver embroidery on his clothes seemed to flow like water.
“Sister Zhaozaho, it’s been a long time,” he smiled up at her, his smile gentle.
Cai Zhao rushed to the second-floor railing, both surprised and delighted, “Brother Yuqi!”
This sweet, clear call stopped Mu Qingyan in his tracks and made Song Yuzhi sit up straight. Indeed, this handsome young man was Zhou Yuqi, the son of the famous Peiqiong Manor Lord, and a disciple of the Qingque Sect.
Wang Yuanjing laughed heartily and beckoned the Taichu Temple disciples to leave, “Yuanmin, let the young ones eat, drink, and chat. I have some matters to discuss with you.”
Li Yuanmin obeyed and left.
As Zhou Yuqi came up, Fan Xingjia, being very perceptive, gave up his seat next to Cai Zhao and went to sit with Ding Zhuo.
Qi Lingbo, full of intentions, didn’t move.
Song Yuzhi, Ding Zhuo, and Fan Xingjia exchanged surprised glances and moved to the closest position to Cai Zhao’s table.
Mu Qingyan now refused to leave, sitting back down in his grand red and gold embroidered robe, his suspicious gaze sizing up the newcomer.
Zhou Yuqi was tall, his appearance six or seven parts similar to his father Zhou Zhizhen, though slightly less dashing and more delicate and elegant.
His voice was particularly pleasant as he gently asked Cai Zhao if she was tired from her journey if she was adapting well to life at Qingque Sect, and if she’d like him to send over a chef skilled in Jiangnan cuisine.
Cai Zhao was delighted but said, “That’s too kind, sending a chef just for me.”
“Then why don’t we open a restaurant in Qingque Town? We can add a few chefs skilled in other cuisines too. Whenever sister Zhaozaho wants to eat, you can go there, and you can manage the accounts as well. Sister Zhaozaho is so smart and capable, the business will surely flourish,” Zhou Yuqi said, his eyes full of the gentle Jiangnan style.
Cai Zhao beamed at his care, trying hard to appear modest, “Brother Yuqi, if you keep praising me like this, I might become arrogant and unlikeable.”
Zhou Yuqi sincerely replied, “Sister Zhaozaho has been considerate since childhood, everyone likes you. You’re so thoughtful towards others, no amount of praise is enough.”
“Oh, Brother Yuqi, you’re too much!” Cai Zhao playfully hit him.
The entire second floor of the restaurant fell silent unknowingly. Except for the Zhou Yuqin and Zhou Yukun brothers who were used to this, everyone else was stunned. Chopsticks stopped mid-air, and all eyes turned to Cai Zhao’s table.
Song Yuzhi had only met Zhou Yuqi a few times before, and his impression was of an ordinary, quiet young man, not worth worrying about. He never expected Zhou Yuqi to be so gentle, considerate, and attentive when dealing with Cai Zhao.
If this was his true nature, then all the obstacles Song Yuzhi had imagined between Zhou and Cai’s marriage might not exist, as Zhou Yuqi didn’t mind having a wife stronger than himself.
Song Yuzhi’s internal alarms went off.
Mu Qingyan’s heart was in suspense.
As a potential rival in love, he had naturally sent many people to inquire about Zhou Yuqi’s character and behavior. However, there was still a gap between what was reported and what he saw with his own eyes. The reports described the Manor Lord as weak and ordinary, but here he was, chatting and laughing with Cai Zhao.
He couldn’t help but think of a popular novel where a useless scholar was deeply loved by a young lady. No matter how sincere and earnest the talented son of the city lord was in trying to win her over, the young lady remained steadfastly devoted to growing old with the scholar.
Mu Qingyan and Song Yuzhi realized they had been wrong.
They had assessed this rival from a man’s perspective, but women view men differently from how men view men. What they saw as useless and weak in Zhou Yuqi, women might see as gentle and considerate, just right for them.
Moreover, given Cai Zhao’s exceptional martial arts skills, she might find a husband like Zhou Yuqi perfect.
“Zhaozaho, you look pale and have lost weight. Haven’t you been eating well lately?” Zhou Yuqi asked with concern.
Cai Zhao sighed, “I’ve been traveling so much, how could I have an appetite?”
“I thought so,” Zhou Yuqi smiled, taking out a beautiful small white porcelain jar from his bag. “Try this, it’s newly pickled this month.”
“Amber plums!” Cai Zhao’s eyes lit up. She took one and tasted it, the sweet and sour flavor spreading slowly on her tongue, instantly refreshing her palate. She smiled happily, “Mm, it’s delicious. Your Peiqiong Manor’s craftsmanship is still the best. Luoying Valley can never make this flavor.”
“Sister Zhaozaho, when you come to Peiqiong Manor in the future, you can have these whenever you want,” Zhou Yuqi smiled.
Cai Zhao said shyly, “But I still have two years of training at Qingque Sect.”
Zhou Yuqi lowered his head and said softly, “However long it takes is fine. Since I learned of our engagement, I should have been taking good care of you.”
At these words, the Qingque Sect disciples’ gazes subtly shifted to Song Yuzhi and Qi Lingbo.
Both were engaged since childhood, but the difference was stark – one side was warm and loving, while the other was cold and barely speaking.
Qi Lingbo couldn’t contain her irritation anymore and blurted out, “Young Master Zhou, do you know who’s sitting at that table? It’s the new Devil Sect Leader, Mu Qingyan. While others might not know much about Sect Leader Mu’s character and abilities, Sister Cai certainly does. After all, they were inseparable back in the sect. Young Master Zhou, for the future safety of Peiqiong Manor, shouldn’t you ask Sister Cai about this?”
At this moment, the Qingque Sect disciples and the Devil Sect members were of one mind, all watching intently, holding their breath in anticipation of the drama.
Cai Zhao, who had been feeling so content, was about to lose her temper at this sudden splash of cold water. But before she could, Zhou Yuqi spoke up.
He looked at Qi Lingbo sincerely, “Senior Sister Qi, you are beautiful and intelligent, and the beloved daughter of Sect Leader Qi. Your character, looks, and family background are all top-notch. Why say such things?”
“We all know about Sister Zhaozaho’s situation, and my father has already told me about it. Sister Zhaozaho did nothing wrong. How can we, the Six Northern Chen Sects, hurt one of our own? Senior Sister Qi, I understand your intention in saying this, and everyone else does too. Not only is it useless, but it also reveals your targeting of Sister Zhaozaho. Senior Sister Qi, why bother?”
Looking into Zhou Yuqi’s clear and innocent eyes, Qi Lingbo knew he truly meant well. However, being exposed like this made her feel both bitter and wronged, tears welling up uncontrollably.
She too was a young woman who needed love, care, and protection. She also hoped for a fiancé who would cherish and care for her, for a sweet and innocent love. Yet all Song Yuzhi had given her was cold shoulder after cold shoulder (at this moment, she selectively forgot Song Yuzhi’s lifelong dissatisfaction with her arrogant and domineering behavior and his hope for her to change).
Qi Lingbo tried to hold back but eventually ran off crying, with Dai Fengchi hurrying after her.
The crowd let out a soft “oh,” looking at Zhou Yuqi with newfound respect.
Song Yuzhi and Mu Qingyan’s gazes met briefly in the air before quickly looking away.
They both knew each other’s thoughts, but each had their considerations.