Chapter 17 (Chapter 17) A Gentle Rain

"Oh, gentlemen... you see, how could our little shop have anything to do with what happened yesterday..."

"Whether it matters or not is up to you! Get out of the way!"

"My lord! My lord! Those...those are all guests! No, no...oh dear, and these, these great heroes, we're just a small business..."

It's so early in the morning.

Lin Chengye sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and dragged his aching body to his feet.

The argument downstairs escalated, and the waiter's apology was to no avail. Instead, it only fueled the anger of the constables, who began to shove and push amidst shouts, the clattering of porcelain plates and cups hitting the ground echoing incessantly.

Lin Chengye wondered how the Yicheng constables, who had been busy fighting the fire all night, were so energetic this morning in catching the murderer. He quickened his pace.

“Everyone who came into town yesterday, please come out! I’m giving face to all the grandmas and grandpas, so please give me some face too.”

Another loud roar.

Lin Chengye hastily threw on some clothes, pretending to still be sleepy, and lazily walked down the stairs. The lead constable glared at him fiercely, but Lin Chengye ignored him, still looking dazed as he approached.

Huang Qindong and Chai Hu Nan were already standing in the inn's lobby before her. They stood together; Huang Qindong had her hands on her hips, her hair slightly askew, and an impatient expression on her face. Chai Hu Nan had his arms crossed, obscuring his appearance beneath his black cloak.

Bian Yi stood on the other side. The person was dressed properly, with his hair tied up high behind his head as it had been the night before. His hands were tucked into his wide sleeves, holding each other as they hung down in front of him, still spotless.

Standing beside the eight constables were several young men and women dressed in thin clothes, looking somewhat disheveled. Their light gauze was scorched by fire, and their feet were covered in mud. They were probably disciples who had escaped from the Love Red Mansion last night.

So they were just waiting for her. Lin Chengye glanced around calmly and understood the gist of it.

I just don't know what they're investigating. Was it the fire at Qinghonglou last night? No, Chai Hu Nan also said that Xie Xi Yuan couldn't survive either, so there might be another murder case.

Lin Chengye glanced at Bian Yi, his eyes flickering slightly, and naturally walked over to stand beside her. The two exchanged a look, and Lin Chengye saw a hint of guilt in Bian Yi's undisguised eyes.

"You've been making a racket all morning, now everyone's here! Hurry up and tell us what you're here for!"

Huang Qindong clicked her tongue, rolled her almond-shaped eyes, glared at the constable and the Hua Rong Lou disciple, and then kicked the table leg of the inn.

The teapot on the table wobbled and spat out a mouthful of tea, while several small teacups tipped over. The waiter cried out and leaned over the table, protecting the few remaining porcelain pieces.

"The Hua Rong Lou was burned down last night."

There's no way anyone wouldn't know about something this big happened last night, yet most of those present didn't react much. Huang Qindong lowered his head and muttered, "What a terrible thing." The constable, his face grim, swept his gaze over the people standing in the hall, exhaled a breath of stale air, and slowly said...

"The owner of Hua Rong Lou, Xie Xiyuan, and his son Xie Shengmin are dead!"

"What!"

Huang Qindong's shock this time was genuine; her voice almost trembled at the end. Chai Hu Nan secretly elbowed her in the stomach, and Huang Qindong's face turned pale. She quickly realized her expression was off and immediately said...

"I came here to do business with Master Xie... But, what am I supposed to do? How am I going to explain this to the Alliance Leader when I get back!"

Bian Yi suddenly flicked his sleeve and turned his hands behind his back. Lin Chengye pinched the bridge of his nose, suppressing an inappropriate smile.

...Xie Shengmin died.

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Chengye's dark eyes, and she pursed her lips. She glanced at Bian Yi, her reprimand clear.

"Huh? How did he die?"

Lin Chengye scratched the back of his head, looking surprised.

The constable and the disciples of Hua Rong Lou suddenly looked rather grim, and the air in the large hall seemed to freeze for a moment. The head constable seemed to recall some scene, covered his mouth, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes as he slowly spoke.

"No, it was cut into several pieces with a sharp weapon."

Lin Chengye suddenly glanced at the waist.

"Who on earth is so cruel! What grudge do they hold against my Flower Beauty Pavilion!"

Suddenly, a man's choked voice came from among the disciples of the Flower Beauty Pavilion. The man had a beautiful face and upturned eyes like a fox demon. He stepped forward, his eyes red-rimmed, his sharp fingertips digging into his palms, and his back teeth grinding together.

Lin Chengye raised an eyebrow.

"This murderer possesses extremely profound internal strength, and his actions were swift and decisive, leaving clean wounds, even at the broken bones. The murder weapon is very special; it must be capable of slicing a person into several pieces simultaneously!"

The man was so enraged that he didn't even bother to use the constable's name as a cover, and he shouted angrily.

"Who is so vicious as to kill my lord and young master, and burn down my Qinghong Pavilion! You who entered the city yesterday at noon are the prime suspects!"

"Heh, let's see which of you dares to lay a hand on me!"

Huang Qindong raised his chin, curled the corners of his mouth, and even with his disheveled hair, he still exuded a certain air of authority. His almond-shaped eyes were full of disdain and contempt.

"What, does your Hua Rong Lou intend to arrest my Jiang Jin Alliance elders and imprison them? Now that your leader and young leader are dead... do you really dare to do this!"

"You! How dare you!"

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes seemed to bleed, his breathing became heavy, and he suddenly revealed a silver needle in his palm by flipping his wrist. Just as he was about to strike, Chai Hu Nan acted at the same time, flicking something out from under his black robe with two fingers.

Suddenly, a woman who was also a disciple of Hua Rong Lou grabbed him from behind. The thin blade grazed the man's cheek like a butterfly's wing, and then returned to Chai Hu Nan's hand as if it had eyes. Before the man could even be surprised, blood beads were already flowing down his chin. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, no one reacted.

The woman's beauty was as striking as the rosy clouds that never faded in the sky; even in anger, she evoked pity.

The woman gritted her teeth, knowing she was far inferior to Chai Hu Nan. She took a deep breath, glared fiercely at Huang Qin Dong, shook her head at the man accompanying her, and then spoke, suppressing her anger.

"Lord Huang, there's no need for such angry words. My Hua Rong Lou is currently severely weakened and naturally cannot do anything to the two Jiang Jin Alliance elders. Moreover, the weapon that caused the wounds is extremely unusual, certainly not the secret butterfly blade that Elder Chai Hu Nan usually uses or ordinary guard swords. What we are taking away today..."

The woman's gaze suddenly shifted, and she pointed a finger in the air with her slender, fair fingers.

"It's these two. Doctor Bian and this one... I haven't seen them before, but I heard that you entered with Elder Huang yesterday. Are you also a member of the Jiangjin Alliance?"

"ah."

Bian Yi, who had been trying to minimize her presence, finally let out a soft "ah".

"This young heroine Lin is traveling with me, but she is weak, has no internal strength, and cannot practice martial arts. We met Elder Huang on the way and took pity on her, so we borrowed his carriage for a while."

"Cannot practice martial arts..."

The woman frowned and exchanged a glance with the man.

"If you don't believe me, you can try it."

Lin Chengye generously offered his wrist, and the woman stepped forward and placed two fingers on it. Suddenly, her expression became somewhat complicated, and she murmured something.

"...The tendons and veins were severed, and the inner sea was completely lost."

"Could it be that Hua Rong Lou is going to force even a cripple like me?"

Lin Chengye felt that the woman was looking at him with pity again, so he frowned and withdrew his wrist.

"No, that's not the case. We've misunderstood Miss Lin."

The woman forced a smile, and finally her gaze fell on the only person in the hall who had no support and looked gentle and peaceful.

"Then this person can come with us. It's not just targeting you; quite a few people entered the city yesterday, and they can keep you company in jail."

"Um... okay."

Bian Yi hesitated for a moment, sighed softly, and then agreed. He obediently stretched out his hand, only to have it twisted hard by the strikingly beautiful female lead and pinned behind his back.

This was like venting anger; he used all his strength. Bian Yi gasped and said helplessly.

"Gently, gently, young lady... please take care of someone as old as me."

This matter should just be left unresolved. Lin Chengye frowned.

The deaths of these two people are most likely the work of Bian Yi, but they can't find anything out. No matter how angry they are, they will return the people to their families tomorrow or the day after.

Lin Chengye gave Huang Qindong a cool glance. The man's face was also extremely ugly, but he could only watch helplessly as Bian Yi was pushed and shoved out the door, his moon-white robe stained with mud from the people around him.

"You're taking people away without even a trace? Your Hua Rong Lou Wei Mian is being a bit too domineering."

Lin Chengye suddenly ran a few steps and grabbed Bian Yi's wrist from the crowd. The person looked up in surprise, and when he saw it was her, he suddenly smiled and mouthed something.

It's okay, I was just faking it, it didn't hurt that much.

"Young Master Lin, our Hua Rong Lou doesn't operate according to the rules."

The woman finally abandoned all pretense of decorum and viciously struck Lin Chengye's wrist with her palm. Lin Chengye hissed in pain and had no choice but to let go.

The sharp nails left several half-moon shaped marks.

Lin Chengye glanced at her with disgust and turned his hands behind his back. He stood silently at the entrance of the inn, watching Bian Yi being dragged along in a disheveled manner, and suddenly a fire rose in his heart.

But there was nothing they could do.

The onlookers quickly dispersed. But the whispers in the inn continued. Some lamented, some whispered behind their wine cups about who the woman who had been taken away was, and others secretly glanced at Huang Qindong, saying that it was another Jianghu dispute that disturbed the peace of the common people.

Around noon, the sky suddenly darkened, and soon a light rain began to fall. Although spring had returned, there was still a chill in the air. As the guests returned to their rooms one after another, Lin Chengye's sleeves were dampened by the rain that had blown in through the door, as he was afraid of getting damp.

Chai Hu Nan brought over a bowl of warm medicine, stood with her, and said.

"Don't worry, the Alliance Leader isn't completely without sense of propriety."

"Is she taking advantage of her profound inner strength to do whatever she wants, taking this and that as her own responsibility?"

Lin Chengye sighed, drank the medicine in Chai Hu Nan's hand in one gulp, and even forgot to complain about the bitterness.

"Yes, the Alliance Leader used to be like that too."

In this world, there are very few people whose martial arts skills surpass hers, and the leader's internal energy is even more profound, gentle and mild, like licorice that can harmonize various medicines. Her internal energy can also blend and harmonize with any other internal energy, even ordinary people can withstand it. Combined with her medical skills, it is twice as effective with half the effort; the saying that even the King of Hell kowtows to her is no exaggeration. I wonder which school, sect, and technique it belongs to.

Chai Hu Nan paused for a moment, then continued.

"Therefore, she never really cares about herself and is too lazy to use her brain to excuse herself, because the worst outcome is nothing more than taking action, and that's the last thing she's afraid of."

The monk Shichen said that Qingluan Medicine Valley had been destroyed twenty-one years ago, so it was normal for Chaihu Nan not to know its unique skill, Spring Breeze and Rain. Lin Chengye nodded slightly.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier, and worrying about that person was useless now. Lin Chengye's body couldn't withstand the cold and dampness, so he went back to his room with Chai Hu Nan and sat on the couch to drink a pot of hot tea.

Once he had warmed up, Lin Chengye spoke again.

"...From what you just said, her martial arts skills are superior to yours?"

"Among the four elders, I am the youngest, in my early twenties. From the age of fifteen when I sparred with the Alliance Leader until today, I can't last more than ninety-nine moves against her."

Chai Hu Nan clicked his tongue and slammed the water glass onto the table with a bang.

"I was never this badly beaten when I sparred with Ji Teng, who was ranked number one in the Yunya Yitian Spectrum."

"...I see."

Lin Chengye raised an eyebrow, then suddenly placed two fingers on the pulse on the inside of his wrist and sighed.

"Is there any chance that my meridians and internal energy can be restored?"

"I thought you didn't care about this."

Chai Hu Nan used her internal energy to reheat the teapot. The alliance leader had specifically instructed her that Lin Chengye couldn't drink cold tea now and should drink warm tea instead.

"I used to think... it didn't matter, but today I think it's good to have a martial arts ranking. Otherwise, I'll be too passive in the martial arts world."

Lin Chengye sighed, clenched his hands on his knees, and stared blankly at the drizzle outside the window. Back in Litao Prefecture, he had been lazy and uneducated, refusing to do anything even when his mother and brother urged him to.

But now, unable to even lift a sword, he longs for the days when he galloped across the northern frontier. Red silk ribbons wrapped around the sword blade, springtime mountains ablaze with color, clear skies stretching for miles, colorful clouds chasing the sun—none of these could compare to the youthful exuberance of the day, a single sword piercing through the clouds.

Bian Yi was taken away right before her eyes. Although it was part of the plan, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

"Soon."

Chai Hu Nan's voice suddenly turned into a laugh, which made Lin Cheng Ye glance at her in surprise.

"Okay, I'll pretend I don't know. But could she teach me martial arts while she's at it?"

Lin Chengye smiled.

"Then you'll have to ask him yourself, Little Alliance Leader."

"...Little Alliance Leader? What kind of title is that?"

"Otherwise what? I've already given you the Alliance Leader's token."

"Don't talk nonsense. Instead of wasting your time, go brew a pot of rice wine and have a couple of drinks with me..."

Perhaps it had been a long time since they had enjoyed such a day, for the two sat facing each other until nightfall, the wine remaining warm, and later they ordered a plate of pastries from the shop.

The rain never stopped, falling persistently and making people drowsy. However, Lin Chengye and Chai Hu Nan were still half-asleep, neither of them feeling sleepy. Chai Hu Nan, who was quite tipsy, stood up and knocked over the wine cup in front of him.

"You...you...you can go drink with the leader later. She...can't hold her liquor, and if she drinks too much, she'll tell you stories...There are always young people in the martial world, and the martial world was a completely different place when she was young. I...I'm going back to my room..."

"I won't see you off, don't fall asleep on the way."

Lin Chengye raised his glass to Chai Hu Nan's retreating figure and drank the last small cup. Even Lin Chengtong couldn't outdrink her when she was in the northern frontier; today he hadn't drunk much, far from being drunk.

She held up her empty wine glass thoughtfully, gazing out the window as if catching the drizzle in it, her fingertips twirling as she murmured something.

"The Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Gate..."