Chapter 38 Reputation: I Didn't Mean to Take Advantage of You

After three days of repairs at the post station, the Pei family was finally able to step into the former site of Tianhufang. Guan Ye looked up and saw that the cobweb-covered plaque had been removed, and the mottled vermilion gate had been painted brightly. The Imperial Advisor had thoughtfully instructed that strings of lanterns be hung on the soaring eaves to illuminate the Pei family's way back to the capital.

"I heard..." Ji Fang huddled behind the group, whispering to Xiao Ma, "that a lot of people have died here..."

"Wrong." Little Ma clutched his bundle tightly. "It wasn't just a few who died, it was all of them."

"Huh?" Ji Fang's hair stood on end. "No wonder the yin energy is so heavy. Why did the Imperial Preceptor order us to move here?"

"What do you know?" Lou Cangyu listened, and from the moment he stepped through the door, he felt refreshed and more at ease than ever before. "Tianhufang is guilty of treason and deserves to die. We are innocent and will serve the court in the future. We will be able to suppress these evil spirits."

Lou Cangyu's words were truly grating. If this were on the island, she would have silenced him completely. But now she was in the capital city, standing on the land her parents longed for. The entire Lu family had been executed, and her father was the chief blacksmith of Tianhu Workshop. If she hadn't escaped the city, she certainly wouldn't have survived to be born. A serious criminal had walked right into the trap, and every step from now on would be fraught with danger. Guan Ye took out her water pouch and gulped down some water to calm herself down. She couldn't stoop to Lou Cangyu's level; she had to keep her composure for now.

Pei Bi had come to see the place the day before yesterday and assigned everyone their places according to the blueprints of the mansion. The swordsmen were assigned to the east wing, the masters to the west wing, the sword slaves to the backyard, and Pei Bi himself to live in a side room next to the main house, which would be convenient for Pei Yuan to order around on a daily basis.

Pei Bi called out to Guan Ye, who was heading towards the backyard, "There's a small quiet room by the east wing. Pack it up and stay there." Seeing Guan Ye standing there motionless, Pei Bi urged her sharply, "Not staying? Then go to the backyard and squeeze into the large dormitory-style bed?"

Why does this sound so familiar? Guan Ye was afraid that Pei Bi would change his mind, so she ran to the quiet room. Ji Fang leaned closer to Lou Cangyu and said, "It must be your mother who instructed Steward Pei to take care of us. Even Guan Ye is benefiting from your family's influence."

The weapons workshop has always revered its blacksmiths, with the east wing being more valuable than the west wing. The fact that the swordsman was placed in the east wing shows how much the workshop owner values ​​him. However, the blacksmiths are the foundation of the weapons workshop, and the swordsman, where is his sword? He can't just be gesturing with a tree branch without a sword to hold.

Passing by the east wing, Guan Ye suddenly stopped. Her father had said that he had lived in the east wing of the neighborhood in his early years. Before marrying her mother, he had used the money he had saved for a long time to buy his own house. At that time, he was still short of money. Without saying a word, the neighborhood owner, Mr. Lu, gave him an advance of a year's wages. Her father counted on his fingers as he spoke. Her mother, who was sewing clothes, interrupted: "Don't count anymore, we haven't paid it back yet."

—Father sighed, "I'm afraid I'll never be able to repay this debt in this lifetime."

She wondered if her father's things were still left in the east wing. Guan Ye walked uncontrollably toward the east wing, pushed open the door and glanced inside. Apart from the newly placed furniture and utensils, there was nothing else in the room. Guan Ye's hand dropped the bundle, and she took a deep breath, hoping that even a trace of her father's scent would remain.

"What, don't want to stay in the quiet room? Want to squeeze into the dormitory with us?" Feng Shisanjian slung his hand over his shoulder, finally seizing the opportunity to tease the girl a bit. Guan Ye's mouth was not to be trifled with, so why hadn't she made a sound all day? Feng Shisanjian peeked at her expression and saw that her eyes were slightly red. He assumed that he had lost his temper and said something wrong, so he quickly slapped his own mouth. "Guan Ye, I didn't mean to take advantage of you. I was just talking nonsense."

Ajiu picked up Guan Ye's belongings. "Come on, I'll go with you to the quiet room."

Seeing the two walk away, Feng Shisan scratched his head, "I was just joking, couldn't Guan Ye tell that it was so obvious?"

“A woman’s reputation is precious. Guan Ye does men’s work, but she’s still a girl at heart.” Ji Fang frowned. “You shouldn’t have teased her in front of A Jiu.”

"Fine, I'll apologize to Guan Ye later." Feng Shisan strode into the house and saw that it was clean and tidy with all the necessary items. His eyes suddenly lit up. "Xiao Ma, hurry up, the south-facing room is sunny. Let's sleep in that bed."

Seeing Xiao Ma staring blankly at the bundle, Feng Shisan immediately became angry. "Xiao Ma, why are you and Guan Ye so distraught? You've been holding that bundle the whole way. Is there gold, silver, or jewels inside?"

Xiao Ma reluctantly put down his bundle, forcing a smile. "Ah Jiu isn't here, so no one will be taking our bed. We'll stay in this one."

"That's more like it." Feng Shisan snorted. "The ward master has already met with the emperor. Everyone must be on their toes. We can't let Xingguo Ware down, either inside or outside the ward."

"Still calling it Xingguo Workshop?" Lou Cangyu scoffed. "From now on, call it Yuren Workshop, understand?"

"You!" Feng Shisan blushed. "Just because of what happened between Steward Pei and your mother, you think you're all that?"

Just as Ji Fang was about to say a few words to defend Lou Cangyu, Lou Cangyu's sword was already pointed at Feng Shisan. Although it was not unsheathed, a wisp of cold wind still brushed past his neck, scaring Ji Fang so much that he dared not move. "Try saying another word!"

"Let's talk this out." Xiao Ma tentatively reached out to pull Lou Cangyu.

Feng Shisan was not afraid of Lou Cangyu normally, but he never expected that this kid would be so energetic in Rongdu. When they couldn't agree on something, he actually pointed his sword at him. Feng Shisan was stunned for a moment, cursed, and went to find his sword. Ji Fang saw through his actions and put his arm around Feng Shisan's narrow waist. "Forget it, forget it!"

"How can there be internal strife right after arriving in Rongdu?" Xiao Ma said indignantly. "Do they even want to accomplish anything great?"

"Nothing serious, teaching Lou Cangyu a lesson is the most important thing!" Feng Shisan broke free, drew his sword from its sheath, and Lou Cangyu looked down to see the silver blade already pressed against his throat.

"Insolence!" Pei Bihu's shout made everyone's ears ring. Before they knew it, Pei Yuan and Pei Bihu had arrived outside the east wing. "The shopkeeper has wasted his time raising you. You're drawing your swords against each other. You're utterly useless!"

Lou Cangyu's hand slipped and the sword fell to the ground. He knelt on one knee, not daring to raise his head. Ji Fang's legs went weak and his knees thudded. He gritted his teeth to keep from crying out in pain.

“Rongdu is not Canglang Island.” Pei Yuan flicked his sleeves and looked at the four young and spirited faces before him, revealing a look of disappointment. “The other day, when I met the Emperor, I took half an incense stick’s time to climb the 108 white marble steps. Was it because I was too old and weak to take those steps? With each step, I thought about how my ancestor had climbed the Zetian Hall. When my ancestor tested his sword before the Emperor, he was not even thirty years old. I took this first step when I was already over fifty.”

When Pei Yuancang spoke of his feelings, his voice became hoarse, with a hint of sobbing. Ji Fang listened with tears welling up in his eyes, unsure whether it was from being moved or from the pain in his knees.

"You are not even twenty years old yet, and you have already entered the capital city. Your promising future has just begun. Instead of using your skills to make a good career, are you just using them for private brawls?" Pei Yuan's expression turned sorrowful. "My Chu'er has no intention of leaving the island. The future of Xingguo Ward will depend on you. I have treated you like my own sons. Is this how you repay the Pei family?"

"Cangyu knows she was wrong." Lou Cangyu lowered her head. "Cangyu will never do it again."

Feng Shisan silently echoed, still looking rather displeased.

"I intend to adopt one of you as my godson," Pei Yuancang said, his eyes scanning the group intently. "...and change your surname to Pei..."

Lou Cangyu's eyes suddenly lit up, and she looked up at Pei Yuan in disbelief. Pei Yuan's eyes held a meaningful look, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, and he looked around the room, "Where is the other person? Where did Ajiu go?"

Seeing that Pei Yuan was concerned about Ajiu, Lou Cangyu's eyes dimmed, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "He went to help Guan Ye tidy up the quiet room."

Pei Yuan turned to look at the quiet room and saw A Jiu standing by the door talking to Guan Ye. Gazing at his face, which resembled Mu Chenbi's, Pei Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. Looking more closely at his sharply defined profile, he suddenly felt that A Jiu and Mu Chenbi were not alike. A Jiu was taciturn and unpredictable, while Mu Chenbi was of noble birth and had an aura as powerful as a torrent. They were worlds apart. Cui Jin was right. Seeing the similar appearance of these two people, others would only find it amusing.

Pei Yuan's face was grim. He raised his voice and said, "Remember this: Rongdu is the capital city. The road ahead is bright and promising. As long as you follow the right path, you will be rich and powerful. If you are short-sighted and insist on going astray, you will ruin your future. Do you all understand?"

Xiao Ma and Feng Shisan looked at each other, wondering what Pei Yuan meant by those words. Lou Cangyu, holding his sword and bowing his head, said, "Cangyu will remember the teachings of the Master of Xingguo Fang. I will go through fire and water for the Pei family and for Xingguo Fang without hesitation."

After seeing Pei Yuan off, Ji Fang stood up, supporting himself with his sword, rubbing his knees and groaning. Lou Cangyu glanced at the group, then turned away and ignored them.

"Since Ajiu is willing to help that sword slave named Guan Ye, just assign him more odd jobs in the future," Pei Yuan whispered. "If the workshop needs to stockpile some iron essence, let the two of them handle the procurement."

Pei Bi's brow twitched slightly. "A-Jiu's swordsmanship is quite impressive; she's even tried the Meteor Sword. What does the sect leader mean..."

“The Lou family’s little stone is indeed a useful one,” Pei Yuan said in a deep voice. “The road ahead is unpredictable. Apart from Lou Cangyu and Ji Fang, the other swordsmen have only been in the guild for a few years and may not be of one mind with us.”

"I understand," Pei Bi nodded emphatically.

"—Change to the surname Pei?" Outside the quiet room, Guan Ye leaned against the threshold and tilted her head to look at A Jiu. "Did you hear that?"

“The shopkeeper’s voice is booming, I’m not deaf.” Ajiu said calmly, “Aren’t you going inside to tidy up?”

“The young master has difficulty walking and is disheartened because of Jiang Muyun’s matter.” Guan Ye entered the quiet room. “The owner of the workshop wants to adopt a son surnamed Pei to inherit the family business. He shouldn’t be bluffing.”

Ajiu gazed at Guan Ye with her dark eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "What, are you regretting that you're not a man and can't be the Pei family's adopted son?"

“I have a name and a surname, a prestigious one from the State of Jin. My name is Guan Ye.” Guan Ye looked up and met her gaze. “You have no name or surname, just a lowly A Jiu. The brothel owner has paved a bright path for you, why aren’t you walking it?”

"Maybe I have bigger demands?"

They chatted casually, and the small quiet room was already taking shape, even possessing a touch of the elegant charm of the Lou family's cottage. Guan Ye took out a windmill from her bundle, looked around the room, and stuck it in the window sill. A gentle breeze blew by, and the windmill creaked and turned, like a brilliant rainbow after the rain. The two looked at each other and smiled, and Guan Ye felt a warmth in her heart.