Meeting

Nothing happened that night.

Dawn filtered through the window lattice, turning into several mottled beams that fell across half the flawless face of the sleeping girl. Her dense, slender lashes trembled faintly. Ruan Su instinctively reached toward the other side of the bed, and the emptiness beneath her hand made her snap her eyes open.

Memories of yesterday surged into her mind. She stared at the familiar little house for a long while before rising and rubbing her disheveled hair. Blinking groggily twice, she discovered that the cuts on her fair forearm, sliced open by fragments of the Killing Ape's skull, had already scabbed over into hard knots. With a scrape of her fingers, the blood scabs fell away, leaving only tender red marks.

Nodding in satisfaction, Ruan Su was about to get out of bed when she seemed to recall something. She hurriedly smoothed down her tangled hair, using it to cover half her cheek that had been burned by fire.

Her gaze swept around the room, and Ruan Su tilted her little head.

Little Yi had gone out?

The door stood open. That cone-shaped wooden stake still swung from the doorframe like a pendulum. The house was empty, yet she did not feel much panic.

Qin Yi's descent into muddleheadedness was separated by sleep. Under normal circumstances, after waking up, he would force himself to stay awake for another day or two before sleeping again.

Stretching like a mongoose, Ruan Su threw back the blanket and got out of bed. Before she could head outside, however, she heard the sound of sharp blades slicing through flesh, along with low rustling conversation from the courtyard beyond the door.

"...You want to modify this hand crossbow?"

"Mm."

"The Killing Ape's tibial sheath would make a pretty suitable bowstring. Its draw weight should increase quite a bit, but the main body of this hand crossbow's mechanism seems to be Red Ironwood. Its strength probably cannot support that sheath."

"There should be suitable timber in the mountains."

"The higher the draw weight, the more troublesome it is to calibrate the mechanism."

"Mm."

"Want me to find someone... Wait, you understand this?"

"A little."

"..."

When she reached the open wooden door, a flash of surprise crossed Ruan Su's face.

The morning mountain mist had yet to disperse, carrying the damp chill of late autumn. The female ape's corpse had already been dragged beside the well. A burly man wielded a short knife, skillfully working over its body. Blood wound across the flagstones and seeped into the soil. Quite a few useful materials had already been laid out on the bluish stone bricks nearby.

On the other side of the stone well stood two figures who did not match at all.

One large, one small.

The old proprietor and Qin Yi.

Cloth shoes crossed the earth without a sound as Ruan Su walked toward Qin Yi and the old proprietor. None of the three noticed her arrival until a woman's voice, carrying a touch of arrogance, suddenly sounded behind her:

"The filthy little girl from back then has certainly grown up quite a bit."

Ruan Su paused and looked back.

Beneath the old locust tree on the other side of the courtyard stood a woman leaning against its trunk. The slightly cool mountain breeze swept past her fitted dark-purple martial outfit, outlining her graceful, curvaceous figure. Before she spoke, Ruan Su had not noticed her presence in the slightest.

Luo Liuyi.

Three years ago, after Qin Yi arranged for her to enter the old proprietor's notice and win his favor, Ruan Su had met Luo Liuyi a few times. However, Luo Liuyi handled intelligence while Ruan Su had joined the Iron Guards, so they had little contact. Later, Luo Liuyi vanished without a trace, and Ruan Su had assumed the woman had died during a mission.

Ruan Su had intended to nod in greeting according to etiquette,

but Luo Liuyi's next words interrupted her movement.

Her voice carried gentle teasing:

"You really are something, little girl. If you had obediently stayed at Fragrant Osmanthus House, then with that face and figure of yours, our Immortal Guest House would definitely have gained another star courtesan. You could have comfortably spread your legs instead of risking life and limb fighting outside, couldn't you?"

"..."

A cold wind swept through the courtyard. Hearing the voice behind him, Qin Yi turned around as well and looked at Luo Liuyi in some surprise.

He had not realized this woman was so aggressive just now.

But why?

Did she have some grudge against Ruan Su?

As he pondered it, Qin Yi noticed something was wrong.

Ruan Su had already turned and begun walking toward the woman.

As she passed the bloodstained weapons thrown into the courtyard last night, she casually hooked up a blade and gripped it in her hand. With a turn of her wrist, she flicked out a sharp flourish. The blade reflected a sheet of cold light beneath the morning sun.

The relaxed smile on Luo Liuyi's face instantly froze.

Not because she was afraid, but because she had not expected this brat to bare her fangs at her.

Look at this girl...

Three years apart, and her wings had already grown this hard.

Beneath the locust tree's shadow, Luo Liuyi slowly straightened. Casually, she rested her fingertips on the sword at her waist.

The relaxed atmosphere in the courtyard instantly drew taut.

"Liuyi."

A voice from beside them severed the sword-drawn tension between the two women. Nie Junyue had turned around at some point, a trace of displeasure between his brows as he stared at Luo Liuyi.

"Ruan Su is now, like you, a retainer of my Immortal Guest House. Show some respect. Apologize."

"..."

Luo Liuyi suddenly fell silent. She looked at the old proprietor, then at that vixen. After meeting Ruan Su's eyes for several breaths, she looked away and bit her red lip.

"...Yes, Proprietor."

As she spoke, she crossed her arms again and leaned back against the locust tree, casually waving a hand.

"Sorry, little girl."

"..."

Seeing this, Ruan Su did not continue forward.

Nie Junyue sighed softly and turned toward Ruan Su.

Ruan Su stepped forward two paces, held her sword in a reverse grip, and bowed in salute.

Nie Junyue's tone softened somewhat.

"When I came over earlier, Little Yi said you were exhausted last night and still resting, so I did not disturb you."

Though she had already seen it, Ruan Su was still somewhat surprised that Little Yi had voluntarily exposed himself today. Yet she said nothing.

Just as Qin Yi was a fool, she was still a little mute before outsiders. She had to maintain her persona.

Nie Junyue gave a soft laugh.

"Heh... Are you surprised that your brother's brain ailment was somehow cured?"

Ruan Su could naturally tell that he was speaking sarcastically, but playing dumb was convenient with her mute persona. She gave two cries of "Ah, ah."

Nie Junyue did not press the matter further, at least not outwardly for now. Raising a hand to stop her act, he said with a faint smile,

"To be honest, when I first entered your courtyard, it truly gave me quite a fright. There was a monster calamity, and a girl's corpse as well."

At this point,

Nie Junyue paused slightly. His deep, shadowed eyes shifted, and he gave Qin Yi a profound look with a smile in them.

For an instant, their gazes met.

Qin Yi moved his facial muscles and returned a brilliant smile.

Nie Junyue's eye twitched. He pulled the conversation back to the main subject.

"I came today because of the attack you encountered last night."

Ruan Su immediately grew wary, her delicate body tightening slightly.

Immortal Guest House had long infiltrated every corner of Yellow Bamboo Town. Hawkers, porters, merchants, and guards could all be the old proprietor's eyes and ears. It did not surprise her that he knew of last night's events.

But,

Nie Junyue's next words exceeded everyone's expectations and were even startling.

He suddenly withdrew all his imposing bearing, slowly bent at the waist, and solemnly bowed to Ruan Su. His words carried apology.

"I am sorry. This matter began because of me. I will take responsibility for the entire affair."

"..."

That posture of admitting fault left Ruan Su's mind briefly blank. She instinctively looked toward Qin Yi, appearing somewhat at a loss.

Qin Yi first soothed her with his gaze, then a grave reassessment surged through his eyes as he looked at the old proprietor's back.

In this age where human lives were as cheap as grass, where those in high positions could casually strip those below them of everything, even their lives, something like an apology was exceedingly precious. It was only displayed toward equals or those above oneself.

Just as an emperor, for the stability of his rule, would not easily admit his mistakes, even if his policies brought disasters flooding across the realm.

What was this for?

If things were truly as Qin Yi suspected, then perhaps he had still underestimated this old proprietor.

Amid the silence,

Nie Junyue spoke again, his voice steady as he set the tone for last night's attack.

"At its core, last night's attack was caused by certain misunderstandings. Liuyi has recently returned from the Central Plains, and there have been too many complicated matters requiring my personal attention. That caused me to overlook the lingering consequences of the earlier marriage proposal."

As he spoke, he turned his head slightly and glanced outside the courtyard.

Several Iron Guards accompanying them stood watch on the muddy path outside the siblings' small courtyard. Seeing that look, their leader immediately understood. He strode forward and respectfully presented an exquisitely decorated wooden case.

Nie Junyue accepted it, then handed it to Ruan Su. The gentleness and pity in his eyes did not seem false.

"This is Snow Condensing Frost. It is remarkably effective against burn scars. When I heard you had accidentally burned your face, I sent someone to purchase a box from the prefectural capital. If you apply it consistently for a year or so, it should erase quite a few of the burn marks."

"..."

After hearing this, Ruan Su's eyes widened slightly. Her dark pupils shone as she stared longingly at the wooden case. She wanted it, but then remembered that she probably could not afford it with her stipend, and she needed to save money to treat Little Yi's brain ailment. In the end, she shook her head.

"Accept it."

Qin Yi suddenly spoke, his childish voice abruptly cutting into the conversation.

"This is all the Proprietor's goodwill, Sister."

The moment he spoke, Nie Junyue's expression remained as mild as water without the slightest change. Yet the retainers and guards of Immortal Guest House nearby all revealed displeasure to varying degrees.

Especially the woman called Liuyi.

Insolence.

Usurping the master's authority.

In this strictly hierarchical world, in any other wealthy clan, this foolish lowborn child could have been beaten to death over that one sentence alone.

But because the old proprietor gave no indication at the moment, his subordinates naturally could not say much either.

"Ah... ah..."

Ruan Su called out softly twice, accepted the wooden case, and solemnly bowed deeply in respect.

Nie Junyue smiled and waved his hand.

Just as the matter seemed ready to pass,

Qin Yi's childish voice sounded again.

"Sister, shouldn't you say thank you?"

"..."

Ruan Su abruptly raised her eyes in surprise. But after meeting her younger brother's gaze for an instant, she pressed her lips together, slowly opened her mouth, and in that hoarse voice, spoke her first words before outsiders in four years.

"Th... thank... you... Pro... prietor."

"..."

Silence.

Astonishment.

Peng Jun, who had been intently dissecting the Killing Ape, widened his eyes into round balls.

Luo Liuyi's brows twisted directly into knots, and the hand folded across her chest tightened around her arm.

No one had imagined that someone who drank Muteheart Soup could speak again, including the old proprietor, Nie Junyue.

The corner of his eye twitched beyond his control. His heart suddenly raced. Some suspicions had been confirmed, yet the joy in his heart was immediately doused by a basin of cold water.

That little brat's words just now had been a declaration of sovereignty to him.

Morning mist drifted through the courtyard. Nie Junyue turned back meaningfully, his gaze settling on the boy whose expression was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper.

Some things could not be mentioned to outsiders.

The unexpected variable of Qin Yi being alive had completely destroyed Nie Junyue's control over the entire assassination.

For that reason, he had considered many possibilities last night. He had even calculated the possibility of Ruan Su fleeing outright. Yet when he pushed open this courtyard gate this morning, the scene before him still lay completely beyond his expectations.

In the dim blue-gray dawn, the slender boy sat alone on the steps before the little house.

He had been waiting for him.

There was no estrangement, no reserve, and not the slightest fear. After calling him "Uncle Nie," the boy requested that he have his men help dissect the female ape's corpse.

He had a hand crossbow hanging at his waist, and he told them to watch out for the traps in the courtyard.

There was no intention to conceal anything whatsoever.

The boy was telling him in the calmest possible manner,

that he had escaped on his own,

that he had killed the female ape.

He knew someone had been watching this courtyard last night.

He also knew that he himself had been the target of the planned assassination.

Every explanation Nie Junyue had prepared last night, along with every plan he had spent months preparing to win Ruan Su's loyalty, had crumbled in that instant like dry branches smashed apart.

"...Proprietor."

He had to admit that, in that moment, this boy not yet thirteen years old had made him feel a long-forgotten shiver of dread.

Because of certain experiences in the past.

And because of the boy's future.

When Qin Yi first arrived in Yellow Bamboo Town, he had only been six or seven years old. Yet right beneath Nie Junyue's eyes, he had pretended to be a fool for four years without revealing the slightest flaw.

"Proprietor."

The slightly louder voice brought Nie Junyue back to himself. It was the armored Iron Guard captain, who said softly,

"We should return to town."

Nie Junyue exhaled a breath of turbid air, nodded, and looked at Ruan Su.

"Ruan Su, last night's matter was not your fault, but after all, more than a dozen lives were lost. At the very least, we must give the Town Suppression Envoy an account. Come back to Yellow Bamboo Town with me and describe the details, so the people below can put them into an official report and send it over."

At this point, Nie Junyue paused and glanced at the cheerful little boy who seemed unaware of everything.

"Little Yi should come too. It is a troubled time lately, and it would not be safe for him to remain alone in this courtyard. As for you, Peng Jun... stay here for now and dissect this Killing Ape as Little Yi instructed."

"Yes."

Peng Jun immediately acknowledged the order.

After a simple round of packing, the morning mist in the mountains had completely dispersed. The Iron Guards and retainers of Immortal Guest House gathered on the official road, while the neatly dressed Ruan Su led Qin Yi over to them.

On the official road, two squads of Iron Guards—twenty skilled internal martial artists with deep, steady breaths—formed an escort around the lavishly furnished carriage. Luo Liuyi, clad in a fitted dark-purple martial outfit, rode a fine horse at the head of the procession, the longsword at her waist swaying slightly. When she saw the siblings emerge, her narrow eyes narrowed faintly, but she did not speak to provoke them again.

No longer needing to maintain her mute persona, Ruan Su reached out and rubbed Qin Yi's head. Then she bent down into a squat, turned her head halfway, and quietly ordered:

"Town... far. Me... carry you."

Qin Yi was frail to begin with, and after going without sleep, he did not refuse. He wrapped his arms around the girl's neck and pressed himself against her slender body.

But just as she had steadied him on her back, a voice drifted out from inside the carriage through the swaying curtains:

"Ruan Su, Little Yi is weak, and his brain illness has only just been cured. The mountain wind in late autumn cuts to the bone. Let him ride in the carriage with me."

"..."

Ruan Su stiffened slightly and instinctively glanced back at Qin Yi. Her pert jade nose nearly bumped into his handsome, pale little face.

Qin Yi's breath brushed against her ear, making it itch. There was not the slightest surprise in his voice as he whispered into her ear, "Sis, put me down. The old master wants to see me."