Reunion with Ji Wenyue

Ji Mansion, a courtyard in the western district.

Blue bricks and dark tiles, upturned eaves and curling corners, ornamental rocks and flowers, little bridges over flowing water, winding paths leading into seclusion—it was tranquil and elegant.

A small pool lay in the courtyard, clear to the bottom, with fish darting joyfully through the water.

Beside the pool stood ornamental rocks, a covered corridor, and a small pavilion for resting and enjoying the view.

Under the setting sun, Ji Wenyue sat sideways by the covered corridor, listlessly scattering fish food into the small pool.

Just then, a maid dressed in emerald green approached Ji Wenyue with a letter in her hand.

Outside the moon gate connecting to the courtyard, a servant paced back and forth uneasily.

"Miss, the guards said a man delivered a letter just now and insisted that you open it personally," the maid said softly, looking rather dismissive.

"Oh!" Ji Wenyue responded noncommittally, then lazily accepted the letter.

Over the past two years, quite a few outstanding young men in Li City who coveted her beauty, talent, and of course, wealth had written to her, either declaring their affection or inviting her for tea, sightseeing, and mountain excursions.

Ji Wenyue had long since grown accustomed to it.

Especially recently, after news spread that she had broken through to become a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master and, with her unparalleled talent in alchemy, had made an exception to become the Lineage's youngest elder—and its only female elder—even the finest young talents from some of Li City's top powers had been stirred. Some wrote letters, while others sent people to arrange meetings.

In Ji Wenyue's view, this time should be no exception.

Ji Wenyue opened the letter.

There were no elegant words on the page, no characters dancing like dragons and snakes, nor were there any declarations of affection that would make Ji Wenyue break out in goosebumps.

There was only a location written in sloppy handwriting.

When Ji Wenyue saw that perfunctory, careless line of writing, which explained nothing and merely gave an address, it felt arrogant and overbearing, like an order. A trace of anger appeared on her face, and she was just about to tear the letter apart when the corner of her eye caught a single character in the signature—Xia.

"Big Brother Xia!" Ji Wenyue's heart began pounding wildly, and she was already on her feet.

"Xiaoyun, where is the guard? Quickly, let him come in."

Seeing her mistress so excited, Xiaoyun was utterly confused, but she hurriedly summoned the guard waiting outside the moon gate.

"Greetings, Elder!" The guard entered and immediately dropped to one knee, not daring to raise his head and look directly at Ji Wenyue.

"Where is the person who delivered the letter now?" Ji Wenyue asked.

"Reporting to Elder, he has already left," the guard replied, secretly breathing a sigh of relief while becoming even more curious about the background of that man in the bamboo hat.

"He left?" Ji Wenyue froze slightly, then asked, "Did he say anything?"

"He said that as long as this lowly one delivered the letter to Elder, Elder would know who he was. He also said Elder would definitely not blame this lowly one and would even reward this lowly one," the guard replied.

"He was right. Xiaoyun, take him to the accounts office and give him ten taels of silver as a reward!" Ji Wenyue said.

"Many thanks, Elder!" The guard quickly thanked her, then happily followed Xiaoyun away.

"Quiet Heart Tea House on Qing Shi Street... I wonder what medicine Big Brother Xia is selling in his gourd. Since he came to Ji Mansion, he could have simply come in. Why arrange another meeting place?" By the small pool, Ji Wenyue looked at the letter in her hand, her little lips pouting slightly.

But soon, Ji Wenyue left Ji Mansion in a carriage.

Quiet Heart Tea House on Qing Shi Street, private room on the second floor.

Xia Daoming stood by the window, watching a luxurious carriage approach from not far away, a complicated look in his eyes.

Originally, he had not planned to contact Ji Wenyue this soon, nor had he wanted to demand repayment for a favor, lest it lower his standing.

But what happened with Gu Ren that morning had shaken him.

It showed him that the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School's situation was far less glamorous and peaceful than it appeared. Numerous enemies lurked all around, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

As Liang Jingtang's personal disciple, no matter how low-profile he was, sooner or later he would be unable to avoid getting dragged into conflicts.

Therefore, he had to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

Only by growing stronger quickly could he face a crisis with composure when it arrived.

But to grow stronger quickly, he needed a great deal of resources to nourish himself.

For the time being, he could not think of any hugely profitable business that made money quickly, so he could only start with suppliers and hope to obtain high-quality, affordable medicinal pills for strengthening himself through Ji Wenyue.

Medicinal pills were absolutely a highly profitable industry. If he could acquire them directly at cost price, he could naturally save a great deal of money.

The carriage stopped in front of the tea house.

An elderly woman at the level of a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master stepped out of the carriage first and lifted the curtain. Only then did Ji Wenyue emerge.

Ever since the previous incident, the Ji Family had assigned Ji Wenyue a personal guard at the level of a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master—Du Yuxian.

Even within Li City, even within the Ji Family's traditional sphere of influence, Du Yuxian followed her like a shadow, never leaving her side.

"She actually came!"

When he saw Ji Wenyue step down from the carriage, a look of surprise flashed through the tea house manager's eyes, but he had already hurried forward to greet her.

"Elder Wen Yue, Madam Du, your esteemed arrival honors this humble establishment. He has failed to welcome you from afar."

"A friend said he was waiting for me here. Where is he now?" Ji Wenyue asked directly, without exchanging pleasantries with the manager.

"In a private room on the second floor. Elder Wen Yue, please follow me," Manager He said hurriedly.

Ji Wenyue nodded, then turned to Du Yuxian, who was about to follow her inside. "Wait downstairs. There's no need to come up."

"Elder, that may not be appropriate. What if..." Du Yuxian hesitated.

"What is inappropriate about it? This is Ji Family territory. Could anyone truly dare to assassinate me here? Besides, I am now a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master. Even if a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master attacked, I could hold out for a while. What is there to worry about?" Ji Wenyue said.

"Very well. This old woman will wait downstairs for Elder," Du Yuxian said, bowing as she accepted the order.

Ji Wenyue followed Manager He upstairs and arrived outside the private room where Xia Daoming was waiting.

"It is here," Manager He said.

"Good. You may go down now." Ji Wenyue waved her hand.

"Yes. If you need anything, Elder, please call for me," Manager He replied respectfully before turning and leaving.

After Manager He left, Ji Wenyue took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

What entered her sight was a familiar back.

The instant she saw that familiar back, every moment in the desert surfaced and flashed through her mind like fleeting light and shadow.

"Big Brother Xia!" Ji Wenyue cried out emotionally, her eyes growing slightly moist.

That experience had been so different, so unforgettable, for Ji Wenyue, who had always been sheltered by her Lineage and had never endured much danger or hardship.

Xia Daoming slowly turned around.

A young face appeared before Ji Wenyue—not particularly handsome, with a faint air of weathered hardship.

Ji Wenyue suddenly froze, staring straight at Xia Daoming.

"What? Did you discover that your big brother has become more handsome?" Xia Daoming asked with a smile.

"You have become more handsome!" Ji Wenyue finally came back to herself and nodded with a serious expression.

In the desert, Xia Daoming had been covered in stubble, his hair like tangled weeds, and his skin rough and cracked. At first, Ji Wenyue had even mistaken him for a strange uncle.

Thus, Ji Wenyue had never held much hope for Xia Daoming's appearance from the very beginning.

Though this face could not be called handsome, it was incomparably cleaner and younger than he had been in the desert. He even carried a touch of a scholar's refined air, far exceeding Ji Wenyue's expectations.

"Five months apart, and you've grown taller and bigger too!" Xia Daoming said with a smile, his experienced, sharp gaze sweeping over Ji Wenyue's lethal weapons.

In an instant, all refinement was swept into the gutter!

"Big Brother, you... If you keep this up, I won't talk to you anymore!" Seeing Xia Daoming once again appraise her lethal weapons with that seasoned gaze, his words carrying hidden meaning, Ji Wenyue felt both familiar warmth and embarrassed annoyance, along with the faintest inexplicable flicker of secret delight and pride.

After all, that counted as praising her too!

"Five months apart, and your temper has grown as well. Back in the desert, you were quite obedient," Xia Daoming said.

When Xia Daoming mentioned the desert, Ji Wenyue's gaze immediately softened.

That time, Xia Daoming had not only saved her. During those days when a lone man and woman wandered the desert together, aside from his somewhat flirtatious words and overly sharp gaze, he had never crossed the line in his actions. If anything, he had protected and cared for her at every turn.

The first was a life-saving debt, and the weight of that kindness needed no explanation.

The latter, however, tested one's nature most and revealed it most clearly.

Xia Daoming's restraint and his care for her showed a humanity that was all the more precious for its rarity.

Those brief days had also made Ji Wenyue grow up and mature all at once.

It was even because of the stimulation and tempering from that experience that, less than three months after returning, with the aid of some medicinal treasures preserved by her Lineage, she broke through the barrier of her fifth meridian in one stroke and became a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master.

A seventeen-year-old Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master was absolutely one of the foremost geniuses among the younger generation of Li City's many powers.

"Fine, fine, Big Brother Xia, I'll talk to you, all right? Could you stop staring at me so lustfully? I'm still an unmarried young maiden! If you truly want beautiful women, your little sister can arrange some for you," Ji Wenyue said as she quickly walked to Xia Daoming's side, looking like an alluring young woman acting coquettishly.

"Damn!" Xia Daoming had not expected Ji Wenyue to say something like that. For a moment, he could only stare at her speechlessly.

A sly, satisfied glint flashed through Ji Wenyue's eyes.

"Huh? You're already a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master!" As Xia Daoming stared at Ji Wenyue, he caught a faint fluctuation in her qi, blood, and inner strength. His face filled with surprise and delight.

"Hehe, impressive, aren't I?" Ji Wenyue beamed at Xia Daoming and proudly thrust out her chest.

"Yes, truly impressive!" Xia Daoming's gaze was involuntarily drawn there, and he nodded in wholehearted agreement.

"Big Brother, you..." Ji Wenyue stamped her foot shyly.

"Did I say something wrong?" Xia Daoming pretended to be confused.

"Huh, no, that's not right. I'm not circulating my qi, blood, or inner strength right now. How could you tell at a glance that I'm a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master? Could it be that you've also already..." Ji Wenyue suddenly realized something was wrong, her eyes widening round.

Thanks to Bianli Weishi for the ten-thousand-point reward, and thanks to RPG Defense, Cang Gui, A Thousand Years of Sleep 2020, Autumn Divine Light, 20210209203238689057596, and other readers for their rewards.