Jiangning Xie Clan

Xie Xuanyi's willingness to nod in agreement was naturally a cause for universal joy.

Deng Chicheng hastily grabbed a cloak and draped it over Shen Yan's shoulders, intending to take the opportunity to escort her to his carriage.

But Xie Xuanyi cast him a glance.

The Deng family head could only reluctantly release his hold, abandoning this unrealistic notion.

The convoy set off again.

However, this time Xie Xuanyi's carriage was a little cramped, with Jiang Huang, Deng Baiyi, and Shen Yan squeezed together.

"Miss Shen... welcome."

Deng Baiyi practically gritted her teeth as she forced out these words.

Shen Yan lowered her head and softly hummed in response, not saying much to Deng Baiyi. Instead, she sat beside Xie Xuanyi and asked in a gentle voice, "Thank you, benefactor, for your helping hand. Shen Yan is being presumptuous, but I haven't yet asked for your name?"

"My surname is Xie."

Xie Xuanyi paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "...My given name is Zhen."

Ten years had passed, did anyone in the world still remember Xie Xuanyi?

There should still be many.

Even if he was in Northern Prefecture, he still had to be careful and cautious. His real name naturally couldn't be used.

"Xie Zhen?"

Deng Baiyi softly repeated the name, committing it to memory.

Shen Yan raised her face and replied with a smile, "Xie Zhen, that's a good name."

Xie Xuanyi said "Oh?" and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's good about it?"

"...?"

Shen Yan didn't expect such a question and was visibly stunned.

Who would have such a conversation normally?

"It's good because... Xie is a common surname."

Shen Yan almost didn't react in time, quickly saying with a smile, "Benefactor should also know that in recent years, the Great Chu Dynasty has produced many prominent figures with the surname Xie, like Xie Zhisui, Prince of Jiangning, and Xie Sheng, Heir of Jiangning. In short... names are linked to fortune, so I believe benefactor must also be a blessed person with good fortune by your side, right?"

Xie Xuanyi had no intention of continuing the conversation.

The atmosphere was very awkward.

Shen Yan didn't know what she had said wrong.

She now felt a pang of regret, feeling that she shouldn't have boarded this carriage.

This time, it was Deng Baiyi who unintentionally saved the day.

Perhaps out of hostility towards Shen Yan, Deng Baiyi said in an unpleasant tone, "Those prominent figures with the surname Xie that you just mentioned, I don't think they're anything special. Did you forget the most important one?"

Shen Yan was stunned again.

She looked blankly at the woman opposite her.

"Of course, it's Xie Xuanyi!"

Deng Baiyi held a thick stack of talismans in her arms, her expression extremely serious, as she pronounced that name, word by word.

Deng Baiyi asked fiercely, "If not for Xie Xuanyi back then, where would the current Prince of Jiangning and the Jiangning Xie Clan be?!"

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the carriage became even more silent.

Xie Xuanyi! Jiangning!

These words fell into his heart like a weight of a thousand pounds.

Xie Xuanyi was momentarily dazed.

Many years ago.

The Xie Clan in Jiangning was just a declining noble family, with some minor prestige and reputation. Without any exceptions, it would have gradually faded away, eventually being forgotten by everyone...

But then Xie Xuanyi appeared.

After Xie Xuanyi became famous, the Jiangning Xie Clan ushered in a second spring!

After the Northern Hunt, the Great Chu Emperor bestowed generous rewards, and the Xie Clan took advantage of this momentum to soar into the sky!

Ironically, the "Jiangning Xie Clan," which vigorously promoted its close relationship with Xie Xuanyi, actually had no relatives of Xie Xuanyi among its entire clan, nor had they put in any actual effort to cultivate him—

Although Xie Xuanyi was born in Jiangning, he was just an unimportant illegitimate child of a collateral branch. His parents died early, and relying on the Jiangning Xie Clan's remaining prestige, he was sent to the Great Grain Sword Palace to begin his cultivation at the age of six. After that, he had no further contact with the Xie Clan... If there was any relationship between Xie Xuanyi and the Jiangning Xie Clan, it was only the blood relationship left by the surname Xie.

This was also why, in his previous life, Xie Xuanyi didn't expose the Jiangning Xie Clan's claims of borrowing his influence after he became famous.

If not for the Jiangning Xie Clan, he wouldn't have been able to join the Sword Palace.

Back then, he borrowed the Xie Clan's name to cultivate, and now that he had achieved fame, he would return the name if the Xie Clan wanted it.

Karma, karma.

This was karma.

Shen Yan's words in the carriage pulled Xie Xuanyi's thoughts back to reality.

"Xie Xuanyi is already dead... what's the point of talking about a dead man?"

Faced with Deng Baiyi's offensive, Shen Yan casually defused it with a single sentence.

"What's more," Shen Yan mused, smiling sweetly, "wasn't Xie Xuanyi a 'traitorous demon sympathizer'? The Great Chu Dynasty listed all his crimes, offered a reward of 100,000 miles, and I heard the wanted posters have even been posted in the Southern Li Kingdom. The reputation of this short-lived Sword Immortal is now utterly ruined!"

"You..." Deng Baiyi's phoenix eyes flashed with anger, and she was about to retort.

"Alright."

At this moment, Xie Xuanyi himself stepped in to stop the farce.

He lowered his eyes, picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and said calmly, "Since I'm already dead, there's really nothing to say."

"Hmph!" Deng Baiyi glared at Xie Xuanyi. Although she swallowed the words she wanted to say, she couldn't swallow her anger, so she flung her sleeves and left the carriage.

Everyone in the Deng family's convoy saw this scene.

Their young mistress left Xie Xuanyi's carriage with a face full of grievance, entered the family head's carriage, and was then subjected to a tirade of scolding for her lack of ambition, without any attempt at concealment.

The scolding could be heard from a long distance.

The crowd exchanged subtle glances, looking at each other.

Xie Xuanyi, who had initially lifted the curtain hoping to salvage the situation, sighed softly in his heart and helplessly closed the curtain.

Turning around, Xie Xuanyi discovered that the carriage now offered a different kind of scenery.

"Brother Xie, could you do me a favor?"

Shen Yan, soaked to the bone, gently shook off the cloak that Deng Chicheng had placed on her shoulders, and removed half of her clothing, revealing half of her snow-white, jade-like shoulder.

She turned around and continued to remove her clothes, revealing most of her back.

"I was chased by villains earlier and suffered some minor injuries. I wonder if Brother Xie could help me take a look?"

Since Shen Yan wasn't being shy, then he didn't need to be either.

Holding the teacup, Xie Xuanyi took a small sip of tea and chuckled, "There are some injuries, likely caused by stray arrows."

Hearing this answer, Shen Yan conjured a bottle of ointment as if by magic and said softly, "This is the Shen family's ancestral ointment. Please, Brother Xie, help me apply it."

Xie Xuanyi raised an eyebrow.

Has this kind of thing still been popular in the jianghu for the past ten years?

He said meaningfully, "Oh? Isn't that a bit inappropriate? Your injuries look..."

Shen Yan's cheeks flushed red, and she interrupted softly, "Young Master Xie, please feel free to proceed. Don't worry about hurting Shen Yan."

Even the form of address has changed.

From Brother Xie to Young Master Xie.

"No, Miss Shen misunderstands."

Xie Xuanyi smiled, "I meant to say that your injuries seem to be healing quickly. There's no need to apply ointment at all."

"???"

Shen Yan's body visibly stiffened.

Xie Xuanyi continued, "Although the arrow wounds are not a cause for concern, there is one thing that is of utmost importance right now... The Northern Prefecture is freezing cold, and Miss Shen is soaked to the bone. It's best to take the time to change into some dry clothes."

"Young Master Xie is so thoughtful."

Shen Yan's voice became soft and watery again. She moved closer to Xie Xuanyi, "If Young Master doesn't mind, Shen Yan will change clothes here."

"Of course, I don't mind."

Xie Xuanyi paused for a moment and said, "It's just that right now... isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Shen Yan asked softly, "Does Young Master think that men and women shouldn't touch? Or does Young Master think that a lone man and woman, sharing a carriage, is indecent?"

The carriage was narrow, and the two were almost touching, able to hear each other's breathing.

There was also a faint fragrance in the air.

"Miss Shen, you misunderstand again."

Xie Xuanyi raised his teacup.

"What I mean is... the place is too small. This isn't ideal."

"Since Miss Deng has left, why don't you go sit in her seat?"

Xie Xuanyi smiled, "Then you can change your clothes, and I can enjoy my tea."

Shen Yan's smile froze on her face once again.

This time, she was utterly speechless, gazing at Xie Xuanyi with a resentful look that bordered on incomprehension. The latter, however, completely ignored her gaze.

"This tea... it's not great."

Xie Xuanyi looked at the emerald green reflection in his teacup, shaking his head slightly.

When Deng Chicheng had presented the tea, he'd said it was a top-quality Longjing tea produced in the Jiangning area, quite expensive, and treasured for many years... Xie Xuanyi figured the guy had probably been swindled.

Or perhaps tea from Jiangning, when stored in Northern Prefecture for too long, would change its flavor?

In any case, this tea was of very poor quality.

He didn't like it at all.

"Squeak."