Ocean Pearl

The next day.

"Disciple, come with me."

Early in the morning, Wang Shu arrived outside Flame Spirit Ji's room and knocked on the door.

Before long, the door opened, and Flame Spirit Ji appeared behind it, dressed in fiery colors that stirred the soul.

Compared to yesterday, she seemed somewhat haggard. There were faint dark circles around her eyes; clearly, she had not slept well.

"What's wrong?" Wang Shu asked.

"Master, about what happened yesterday..."

Flame Spirit Ji spoke very, very softly, like a little girl who had done something wrong, completely lacking the boldness she had shown yesterday.

"Hehe, your master isn't so rigid. Besides, you're still too young," Wang Shu said.

"??"

Flame Spirit Ji was initially bewildered, but then she realized there was hope. Yet she quickly became troubled again.

In an instant, several expressions flashed across her face. She perfectly embodied the saying that a woman's heart was as unfathomable as the depths of the sea.

Flame Spirit Ji relaxed considerably and said with a touch of charming innocence:

"Master, how am I young?"

As she spoke, she deliberately puffed out her chest. The blend of seductiveness and purity in her appearance was enough to make anyone's heart pound.

"Ahem."

Wang Shu irritably flicked Flame Spirit Ji lightly on the forehead and said:

"What are you thinking? I meant your age. Some things can wait until you're older."

That was indeed true. Although Wang Shu looked like an adult, his actual age was not that great.

If he remembered correctly, Flame Spirit Ji was only around fourteen or fifteen.

Five years ago, she had merely been a little girl who knew nothing at all!

It was simply that the girls in Xuanji Niangniang's world tended to mature early.

"Oh!"

Flame Spirit Ji immediately felt utterly embarrassed. Half her fair face flushed crimson as she lowered her eyes, not daring to look directly at Wang Shu.

"Come with me to Purple Orchid Pavilion. We probably don't have much time left in Han State," Wang Shu said.

"Yes, Master," Flame Spirit Ji readily agreed.

As for leaving Han State, she did not care. Wherever her master was, that was where she would be!

Though it was daytime, Purple Orchid Pavilion was just as lively during the day, with an endless stream of guests coming and going.

Compared to other establishments of pleasure, Purple Orchid Pavilion was clearly more refined. Thus, even more scholars and elegant gentlemen came here to indulge in cultured pursuits.

Of course, that was merely the surface of it all, a means of confusing enemies.

On the top floor of Purple Orchid Pavilion, amid carved railings and jade-like adornments, Zi Nu, Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, and Nong Yu were all present.

Compared to the clamor below, this place was much more secluded.

The classically beautiful Nong Yu played her zither. Her slender fingers danced with dazzling grace, as nimble as butterflies flitting among flowers.

The lingering notes of the zither curled through the air, flowing through the heart like mountain streams, soothing and pleasant.

Wang Shu drank wine as he listened contentedly, his expression full of enjoyment.

If his good disciple Flame Spirit Ji could dance him a world-shaking dance right now, it would be perfect!

Partway through, Wei Zhuang went out briefly. Not long after he returned, he called Han Fei away as well.

The melody drifted on. No matter how beautiful it was, it eventually had to end, leaving only the lingering echoes of the zither beneath the rafters.

Clap! Clap! Wang Shu applauded without reservation and praised:

"Excellent!"

Nong Yu pressed down the strings, then rose gently. She walked over with graceful steps and bent at the waist.

"Thank you, Young Master, for your great kindness!"

"Great kindness? How so?" Wang Shu asked with a smile.

"Because of Young Master's guidance, I found my birth parents in such a short time," Nong Yu said.

Zi Nu approached with swaying grace, like drifting willow catkins, and slowly said:

"With the clue provided by Young Master Shu that day, using the Fire Rain Agate as a medium, Purple Orchid Pavilion sent people to investigate and quickly locked onto the target.

Nong Yu's biological mother is none other than Hu Consort, the Han King's favored consort!"

"Hu Consort? Doesn't that mean Nong Yu is a princess?"

Wang Shu looked "astonished," as though he were truly surprised.

Zi Nu shook her head and said:

"Quite the opposite. Nong Yu is not King An of Han's daughter, but the daughter of the former Right Minister of War, Li Kai.

Hu Consort's true identity was the eldest daughter of the Fire Rain Lord of Fire Rain Villa in Baiyue.

Back then, Hu Consort and the Right Minister of War Li Kai had already shared an intimate relationship.

Who would have thought that such a calamity would later befall Baiyue? By a twist of fate, Hu Consort became the Han King's consort. Fate truly toyed with people."

Zi Nu sighed softly. She deeply pitied Nong Yu's background. Nong Yu could have been a wealthy young lady who wanted for nothing.

Yet she had endured so many hardships since childhood!

"Nong Yu is already very satisfied to have been reunited with her parents. I know they had their reasons for abandoning me back then."

Nong Yu's eyes brimmed with tears, and her emotions churned. Crystal tears slipped down her cheeks and fell to the ground.

"Wuwu, Sister Nong Yu is so pitiful!"

Flame Spirit Ji pouted, saddened and sympathetic over Nong Yu's experiences.

She, too, was someone with a story. At this moment, she felt a sense of shared sorrow.

"Miss Nong Yu, then why don't you return to your parents? Why are you still staying here?" Wang Shu asked.

"My parents both have their own lives now, and both have hardships they cannot help.

If I suddenly intruded into their lives, it would surely cause them a tremendous shock. I don't want to put them in a difficult position. It is enough for me to know that they are safe and well," Nong Yu said.

For an ordinary person, it would be impossible not to resent their parents after going through the same thing.

Yet Nong Yu understood her parents and even thought of their circumstances first.

She truly was a beautiful and understanding girl!

"Most things in life do not go as one wishes. Miss Nong Yu has fulfilled her wish and reunited with her parents. Congratulations," Wang Shu said.

"If not for Young Master, I would not have found my parents so quickly. I fear Nong Yu will never be able to repay Young Master's kindness in this lifetime."

Nong Yu spoke with sincerity in both her words and eyes, her expression resolute.

"Haha, there's no need to repay me. Just play a few more pieces for me," Wang Shu said with a laugh.

"Alright!"

Although she had just finished one piece, Nong Yu was very happy now. She sat beside the zither once more, placed her fingers upon the strings, and softly said:

"Young Master Shu, this humble girl shall offer you a piece, 'Ocean Pearl.'"

The melodious zither music rose once again, soothing the heart as though carrying one into a beautiful paradise to behold magnificent mountains and rivers.

At the same time, an honored guest arrived at Purple Orchid Pavilion.

The courtyard annex had white walls, gray bricks, upturned eaves, and artificial hills. It was secluded and elegant, rarely visited by anyone.

Within a pavilion, Han Fei stood with a young man wearing a mask trimmed in silver, speaking freely with him.

Not far away, Wei Zhuang stood with a handsome young man in white robes. From time to time, he spoke a few words, each one startling.

"Brother Han, I wish to forge a Son of Heaven Sword from the momentum of the world in all four directions, establishing rules for this realm that everyone will obey.

Would you be willing to help me build that great achievement and transform heaven and earth together?"

The silver-masked man, tall and mysterious in bearing, asked.

Han Fei fell silent. It was rare indeed to encounter someone in the world who shared such ideals.

If the two of them joined forces, they would surely accomplish something great.

Yet when he thought of this man's identity, Han Fei sighed inwardly and said:

"I am deeply honored by what Lord Shang has proposed. However, I cannot currently extricate myself from the affairs of Han State, so it will be difficult for me to become that sword-forger. My apologies!"

"Brother Han, why not consider it again?"

The silver-masked man asked. His expression was calm and his bearing extraordinary, his luxurious white robes fluttering in the wind.

Green leaves drifted slowly through the air and fell upon the lake beside the artificial hill, where the still water rippled outward in widening rings.