The Most Shameless Husband in History

Speaking of the bizarre disappearance of that birthday ode, the mounting shop owner was full of grievances, with no idea whom he could complain to.

He had originally planned to find a renowned calligrapher to copy it, but after seeking out four or five famous yet down-and-out masters of calligraphy in Shuzhou City, none could reproduce even a tenth of that person's charm.

In the end, the mounting shop owner still refused to give up. He spent a hefty sum to invite Mr. Yue Ming, the calligraphy master of Guiyun Academy, to write it, and only then did he achieve fifty percent of the original's splendor.

Yet he truly did not dare say that aloud, afraid Mr. Yue Ming would think he was belittling him. Thus, he dawdled for several more days with the piece before handing it to Xiao Die.

What the mounting shop owner did not know was that the instant the calligraphy reached Chen Yi's hands, he saw that his birthday ode had been switched.

And they had even used an exceedingly poor imitation to fob him off, as though they were afraid he would fail to notice.

"Such writing had the nerve to bear your son-in-law's signature?"

"What? This isn't the son-in-law's writing?"

After Chen Yi explained a few things, Xiao Die understood at once, and her brows shot up.

Before Chen Yi could say more, she grabbed the calligraphy and rushed out in a blaze of urgency.

"Son-in-law, I'm going to find him!"

Chen Yi watched her retreating figure and smiled as he shook his head, not taking it seriously.

Who would have thought that when Xiao Die returned, she said dejectedly, "Son-in-law, that piece of calligraphy can't be recovered."

"Oh?"

"The mounting shop owner said it was lost that very night. The mounted piece he gave us was written by Mr. Yue Ming of Guiyun Academy."

Chen Yi gave an "oh" and did not take the matter to heart.

Perhaps some calligraphy enthusiast had taken a fancy to his work and, in a moment of muddleheadedness, stolen it.

"Where is the calligraphy?"

"It's still at the mounting shop," Xiao Die said indignantly. "That owner is utterly hateful. He lost it and didn't say anything, then even found someone to imitate it. He's too awful."

Chen Yi glanced at her and asked hesitantly, "You didn't say anything else, did you?"

Xiao Die thought for a moment. "I said a great many things. I don't know which sentence the son-in-law means."

"Something like how that imitation was no good, how it was very clumsy, and so on."

"Things like that... I think that was mostly what I said."

"..."

Chen Yi sighed and had her grind ink beside him.

Sensing something unusual about him, Xiao Die ground the ink as she asked, "Son-in-law, did Xiao Die say something wrong?"

"Not exactly. It's just that..."

That Mr. Yue Ming happened to be the teacher of Li Huaigu, the Palace Graduate.

If such words reached his ears, they would likely earn Chen Yi's dislike for nothing.

After thinking it over, Chen Yi said no more, lest Xiao Die overthink it. He picked up the wolf-hair brush and spread out a fresh sheet of Yunsong Paper.

After steadying himself, a rough composition took shape in his mind. He dipped his brush in ink, set it to the paper, turned his wrist, and rewrote Ode to Marquis Xiao.

This time, he did not use Wei Qing script. Instead, he used the Running Script brushwork that had already risen to Mastery Level.

As stroke after freer stroke flowed from his hand, seeming to match the state of his heart, wisps of Qi quietly emerged within him. They stirred the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Essence around him, gathering it at the tip of the wolf-hair brush.

With every character he set down, it naturally formed its own splendor, while a faint pearly-white sheen flickered vaguely upon the words.

Xiao Die craned her neck beside him. When she saw that white gleam, she nearly thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

After rubbing her eyes and looking again, the already-written characters indeed no longer bore that pearly-white glow, yet a layer of it surfaced over the newly written ones.

Xiao Die's mouth fell slightly open. She looked at the focused Chen Yi, then at the characters flowing from beneath his brush.

After going back and forth several times, she hurriedly covered her mouth and dared not make a sound, afraid of disturbing the artistic conception of the son-in-law's writing.

Though she could not understand it or grasp the meaning of this sign, she knew that the son-in-law seemed to be radiating light at this moment, making her afraid to move rashly.

A moment later.

Chen Yi finished writing, added the tune title, signed his name, and stamped it with his seal. Only then did he set down the wolf-hair brush and let out a long breath.

Yet the exhaustion on his face was plainly visible. Rubbing his brow, he leaned back in his chair.

"Bring me something to eat."

Xiao Die came back to herself and hurriedly brought over pastries and water. Then she stood behind Chen Yi, her palms gently pressing his temples.

"Son-in-law, you looked so... so impressive just now."

Chen Yi sat up a little straighter and closed his eyes, enjoying the pressure of her fingers as his body and mind relaxed considerably.

"Tell me, then. What was so impressive?"

"It was... those characters. They were all glowing. They were very beautiful."

"Really?"

Chen Yi understood. Xiao Die must have been referring to the artistic conception left in the characters after his Qi had stirred the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Essence.

He had known of this ever since he began practicing the Martial Path. Moreover, as his Cultivation Base increased, his use of it had grown more and more skillful, to the point where it was nearly as effortless as following his thoughts.

Once he achieved another breakthrough in the Way of Calligraphy, his calligraphy would advance another step as well, and the artistic conception within the calligraphy copybooks he wrote would carry even more flavor and charm.

But by then, his cultivation in the Ninth Rank Realm would clearly no longer be enough.

After resting for a while.

Chen Yi had Xiao Die take the calligraphy to the mounting shop. "Remember to bring several armored soldiers to guard it, lest it be stolen again this time."

"Understood, son-in-law. This time, Xiao Die definitely won't let it be lost!"

That had better be the case. Otherwise, by the time this birthday ode was mounted, the Old Marquis's birthday would already have passed.

The next day.

A faint light appeared in the east, casting a thread of purple qi across the clouds.

On the official road outside Shuzhou City, a Cloud-and-Dragon Carriage stood by the roadside. Shen Huatang, dressed in plain white robes and holding a longsword, stood expressionlessly beside the carriage frame.

Her looks were not beautiful, merely delicate, yet her cold and aloof bearing still drew extra glances from passing carriages.

Shen Huatang noticed none of it. Her eyes remained fixed on the far end of the official road.

After roughly an hour, she spotted a carriage bearing the Xiao Family Red Banner approaching from afar. Only then did she knock on the carriage compartment and say:

"Eldest Miss, Second Miss's carriage has arrived."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Xiao Wan'er lifted the curtain and, with Shen Huatang's support, stepped down from the carriage. She gathered her cloak more tightly around herself, letting the fur at its collar wrap around her neck.

Looking at the carriage in the distance, she raised her hand slightly above shoulder height and gave a small wave.

"Second Sister, over here."

Though her voice was soft, the person in the distant carriage had already heard it. A cool voice then drifted over:

"I have troubled Eldest Sister to wait here."

The moment the words fell, the carriage came whistling over and stopped before Xiao Wan'er.

Next, Xiao Jinghong, dressed in light wanderer's garb, leapt from the carriage. Her high ponytail streamed in the wind, and she still wore that silver half-armor over her face, revealing only her crystalline white lips and jaw.

Xiao Wan'er stepped forward and took her hand, a delicate smile appearing on her pale face. "It's no trouble. I only arrived an hour early."

Xiao Jinghong curled her lips into a smile and nodded. "Eldest Sister, the wind is cold outside. Let's talk in the carriage."

As she spoke, she pulled Xiao Wan'er aboard with her.

Once they were seated securely, Shen Huatang followed by leaping onto the carriage frame. She swung her long whip and lashed the horse's rump. "Hyah!"

Clatter, clatter...

The horse's hooves struck the official road. Rather than joining the long queue entering the city, they passed through the empty city gate at the side.

"Second Sister, you have worked hard inspecting the Three Towns this time. There is no need to hurry out again later. Rest at home for a few more days."

"Alright."

Xiao Jinghong nodded. Just as she was about to speak, her earlobes twitched, and a string of voices from all around Shuzhou City reached her ears.

Xiao Manor's Chen Yi, Chen Qingzhou, forcibly seized a woman in broad daylight, and had even visited a brothel?

The most shameless live-in son-in-law in history?

Xiao Jinghong pursed her lips slightly, and her gaze sharpened.

I think he is the most shameless... husband in history!