The Capital's Misty Rain Tower.
Two narrow alleys away, a tavern was packed with people of the Jianghu, all holding their breath in rapt attention. Even Scholar, dressed in plain clothes, stared intently at the youth carrying the Sword Case on his back.
"Little Butcher, thirty-ninth!"
The sword-bearing youth left after making his announcement.
The entire tavern fell utterly silent.
No one questioned the Misty Rain Tower's rankings. The Dragon-Tiger Ranking was not decided by one or two people, but jointly compiled by nearly thirty highly respected elders of the Jianghu, all from leading sects such as Wudang, Shaolin, and Emei.
Not even eighteen, yet already ranked thirty-ninth!
There was not the slightest inflation in that placement. He had defeated the White-Haired Killing Demon with just two palm strikes.
In fact, a single palm strike had left the White-Haired Killing Demon powerless to resist!
What a terrifying talent for martial arts was that?
Most enviable of all, he was actually a Hundred-Household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In a few more years, this imperial hawk and hound would trample the Jianghu beneath his horse's hooves and cow every major sect.
"Fuck, I'm so damned jealous. Power and talent-where's the justice in that?"
A swordsman could not help swearing.
A burly man carrying a saber chimed in:
"I hear this imperial lapdog actually hates evil with a vengeance. Those Demon Sect scoundrels who follow crooked paths will be trembling in their boots."
Scholar took a sip of wine.
The Demon Sect?
Boss loved nothing better than crushing tyrants and protecting the innocent!
The swordsman asked again:
"At next year's Awakening of Insects, will the Embroidered Uniform Guard attend the Martial Arts Tournament? Including Little Butcher, they hold eight places in the Dragon-Tiger Ranking's top fifty!"
The burly man declared confidently:
"With the court's prestige and the maintenance of order at stake, the Embroidered Uniform Guard won't miss it. Besides, the Flower Devotee of Jiangnan is bound to represent them in the fight for the top spot. Now, if the Jianghu made the court lose face, that would be interesting."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Scholar listened a little longer, then left money for his wine and departed.
He returned to the Celestial Pivot Office.
He immediately reported:
"Boss, thirty-ninth on the Dragon-Tiger Ranking! You've jumped forty places in one go!"
Jia Huan continued leafing through the Case Files, utterly unconcerned.
He had only one thing on his mind now: making arrests and solving cases to earn merit, so he could gain another gold thread on his shoulder and sleeve. Where would he find the leisure to care about empty fame? Had the White-Haired Killing Demon not provoked him into acting, he would gladly have welded himself into seventy-ninth place.
His face full of admiration, Scholar said respectfully:
"Boss, the top thirty-six places on the Dragon-Tiger Ranking are known as the Dragon Ranking, and all the rest belong to the Tiger Ranking. You're only three places away from the Dragon Ranking!"
"If you took a trip around the country, who knows how many Jianghu women you'd bewitch? One glimpse of you, and they'd pine away for the rest of their lives..."
"Shut up." Jia Huan cut off his flattery. "Get out and work on a case!"
Scholar added:
"Oh, right, boss. There's a Martial Arts Tournament at next year's Awakening of Insects. I hear everyone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard who's on the Dragon-Tiger Ranking will attend, both to weed out villains and maintain order, and to cheer on the Flower Devotee. That Hundred-Household Commander ranks third and has a chance of taking the top spot."
Jia Huan did not even look up:
"Not interested. We'll discuss next year's business next year."
If there happened to be plenty of people burdened with heinous crimes, then he would certainly have to crush them ruthlessly.
In Jia Huan's courtyard.
"Sister Qingwen."
A lively maid walked into the warm chamber.
"Ying'er?" Qingwen put down her needlework, looking slightly surprised. Wasn't she Miss Baochai's maid?
Ying'er smiled, showing shallow dimples, and came straight to the point:
"My mistress is outside."
Qingwen pointed at herself. "Looking for me?"
"Yes." Ying'er nodded.
Curious, Qingwen followed Ying'er out of the courtyard. Beside the Ceremonial Gate stood a woman with a rounded, lustrous beauty and a poised, dignified bearing, truly as lovely as a blossom of worldly wealth and splendor.
Xue Baochai was also carrying some pastries and boxes of rouge.
"Miss Baochai." Qingwen walked over.
"Here, these are for you." Her smile blooming like a flower, Xue Baochai held out the gifts.
"What is this for..." Qingwen hesitated rather than taking them. They were not close and seldom spoke.
Xue Baochai smiled. "I've noticed you like all sorts of lip rouge. I happened to buy quite a bit a few days ago. You won't turn your nose up at it, will you?"
She was observant down to the smallest detail. Each of the few times she had run into Qingwen, the maid had worn a different rouge.
At that, Qingwen's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She silently cursed that lecherous scoundrel for insisting on making a fool of her.
"If you have something to say, miss, please say it." She was clever too, and did not beat around the bush.
Xue Baochai rested a hand on Qingwen's wrist and lowered her voice:
"I heard Sister Lin and your Third Master Huan have feelings for each other. Such happy news makes me delighted for them."
"Ah..." Qingwen was taken aback.
Xue Baochai studied her expression. Seeing that it did not seem feigned, she asked again:
"They were out walking together that night, with you, Xueyan, and Zijuan following behind."
"You've misunderstood!" Qingwen hurried to explain. "Master knows proper etiquette. He was only escorting Miss Daiyu back to Xiaoxiang Hall."
Xue Baochai asked curiously, "How did Brother Huan become so close to Sister Lin? We were all kept in the dark."
Qingwen remained silent.
She knew perfectly well what she should and should not say.
Her master's gift for poetry certainly had to remain secret.
Seeing that she would not speak, Xue Baochai lightly pressed her lips together and did not pursue the question.
Qingwen frowned and scolded indignantly:
"What feelings for each other? Who's been wagging their tongue and ruining Master's and Miss Daiyu's reputations? Since I entered his service, Master has seen Miss Daiyu only three times in all, and every time, she came to visit him. They don't even exchange messages ordinarily. Which wretched little maid has nothing better to do than make things up? I'll slap her across the mouth!"
"Master's a grown man and won't fuss over it, but Miss Daiyu is already delicate and prone to sorrow. If this reaches her ears, what will she think?"
Xue Baochai kept her expression composed. From Qingwen's manner and tone, she could all but conclude that there was nothing between the two at all!
The notion that Brother Huan fancied Sister Lin was even more groundless. Perhaps Sister Lin had recalled the past during their walk that night and fallen into melancholy again. When they happened upon the pair, they had mistaken her gaze for one brimming with tender affection.
Seeing the faint smile at the corner of Xue Baochai's lips, Qingwen could not make sense of it and asked in puzzlement:
"Miss Baochai, you never bother with such idle matters. Why the sudden interest?"
"Curiosity got the better of me." Xue Baochai's voice sounded unnatural.
Qingwen stared straight at her.
It would have made sense for the maids to gossip, but this was Miss Baochai, who detested wagging tongues more than anyone...
"Miss, do you care a great deal about Master?" Qingwen asked abruptly.
In that instant, perhaps because the question had struck home, Xue Baochai's gaze flickered away. A barely perceptible nervousness appeared in her eyes, and her usual composure fell into disarray.
She did not even know why she had come to question Qingwen. She had somehow come without thinking, and after hearing the news she most wanted to hear, she actually felt a flutter of delight, along with an anticipation she could neither describe nor explain.
"I was only joking." Qingwen covered her mouth and chuckled, easing the awkward atmosphere.
Xue Baochai shot her a reproachful look, thrust the gifts into her arms, and said with a hint of pleading:
"Sister Qingwen, this was only idle conversation. Don't mention it to anyone else, or I'll be angry."
Qingwen gave a slight nod.
"And especially don't tell Brother Huan." Xue Baochai looked into her eyes.
Qingwen hesitated for a while, then answered honestly:
"I'm Master's serving maid. If he asks, how could I hide it from him?"
Xue Baochai patted her wrist and said gently:
"If you don't bring it up yourself, how would he know? Brother Huan wears himself out over official paperwork. He won't concern himself with girls' private chatter."
Qingwen agreed. "Unless Master asks, I won't say anything."
Only then did Xue Baochai breathe a sigh of relief and beckon Ying'er to leave with her, walking away gracefully.
Coming here had plainly been far too improper and thoughtless. And Qingwen was so clever-she had probably already guessed something.
Still, she had heard what she wanted to hear, so the visit had not been in vain.
Xue Baochai could not calm her thoughts. Even her steps lost their measured rhythm, growing increasingly hurried.
Qingwen lifted the rouge boxes and gazed thoughtfully at that dignified retreating figure.
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