Chapter 79 He Who Came to the Door Was Ah Jiu

The billowing smoke from the rekindled furnace swirled upwards, gathering into clouds above Rongdu, drawing crowds to the streets who pointed at the spectacular sight and marveled at it.

Upon learning that the Emperor would be visiting Xingguo Ward that day, the swordsmen got up before dawn. Lou Cangyu, in particular, couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning, which made everyone in the room get up. Ji Fang yawned and said, "Cangyu, have you ever tested your sword in front of the Emperor? It's not like it'll be the first time tomorrow. Why can't you sleep?"

Feng Shi refuted, saying that everyone had seen the emperor in the inner palace that day, but they were too far away and dared not stare closely, so they didn't really see what the emperor looked like.

Xiao Ma laughed, thinking that you, Thirteenth Young Master, with your courage and ambition, must have seen the Holy Face clearly.

Feng Shisan asked Ajiu, "How many times have you been to the palace? Tell us, what does the emperor look like? What is his temperament like?"

Ajiu rolled over and said, "The Emperor and the Crown Prince went to the sword-testing session in the inner workshop. Didn't you see them?"

Xiao Ma clicked his tongue and said, "Looking up at the emperor is like assassinating the king. Who would dare?"

Lou Cangyu stole a glance at Ajiu's calm face, curious about Feng Shisan's question, yet also feeling frustrated as she lay curled up on the couch, wanting to hear but unwilling to.

“His Majesty…” Ajiu pictured Mu You’s imperial majesty before her eyes, yet he was gentle when he was with her. Ajiu didn’t know how to tell others, so she put her hands behind her head and thought for a moment before saying, “He’s not frightening to look at.”

Ji Fang chuckled, "The Emperor is a human, not a demon, so of course he's not scary. Thirteenth Young Master is asking you, is he imposing? Is he kind or tyrannical? Tell me, if he stood in Xingguo Ward, wouldn't the ward master and manager be so scared that their legs would go weak?"

Feng Shisan laughed and said, "You still have the nerve to joke around with the shop owner and Manager Pei? If the Emperor raises his eyebrows, you'll be the one who's scared to death." As he spoke, he deliberately glared at Ji Fang, making him jump. The group burst into laughter, and even Lou Cangyu chuckled a few times.

They barely slept last night, but being strong and robust young men, they were still full of energy at dawn. Dressed in black robes, with ribbons and headbands, and long swords at their waists, they stood tall and imposing, each one a dragon among men. Pei Bi looked them over one by one, feeling satisfied. He had also changed into a new satin outfit today. After years of lying low in Canglang, he never imagined he would have the chance to meet the Emperor today. Pei Bi was somewhat annoyed that he hadn't persuaded Aunt Lou to come to Rongdu. She loved excitement and wanted to change into bright clothes to see Little Stone looking so dashing. How happy she would be! And if she could even catch a glimpse of the Emperor, even just from afar, it would be enough for her to boast about for half her life.

Pei Bi thought that if he persuaded her a few more times and talked to her a little longer, maybe she would come with him.

Today, Guan Ye was dressed in a fiery red outfit, making her stand out in the crowd. She saw Pei Yuan talking to A Jiu. Everyone looked either nervous or expectant, their faces filled with barely concealed fear. A Jiu had met the emperor many times, and her brows were full of confidence.

Ajiu also saw Guan Ye. The girl stood quietly in the corner, gazing at the furnace made of red bricks, smelling the aroma of burning silver charcoal. She seemed to be on a deserted island in the sea, single-minded and standing tall between heaven and earth.

Ajiu wanted to go up and say something to her, but Pei Yuan had just left when Pei Bi rushed over to ask him about the Emperor's preferences. Ajiu gave him a few instructions, and when she looked up again, Guan Ye had already disappeared from sight, and she didn't know where she had gone.

The gilded bells jingled softly in the wind, stirring Mu Chenbi's heart. He had been itching to bring the Heavenly Furnace from Xingguo Ward to the capital for many days, and now that the furnace was right there on the street, the closer he got, the faster his heart beat. Mu Chenbi knew that Guan Ye was waiting for him in Xingguo Ward.

Mu Chenbi touched his face. He had no intention of hiding his identity from Guan Ye, but he was so attached to being with her that he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth several times. What would Guan Ye's reaction be if she knew he was the Crown Prince? Gentlemen should be open and honest with each other. Mu Chenbi, you are a man who hides your identity. It's no wonder Guan Ye is angry with you.

"—Your Highness?" Luo Yichen, standing by the carriage, called out several times without getting a response. He lifted the curtain and peeked inside. Seeing Mu Chenbi's troubled expression, even the taciturn Luo Yichen could guess what was going on. "Your Highness is worried... that if Miss Guan finds out your identity... she'll blame you for not being honest enough?"

"What if you were her?" Mu Chenbi asked in a low voice.

"Your subordinate?" Luo Yichen blinked. "If I were her, I would be overjoyed to be able to get to know the Crown Prince."

Mu Chenbi found it both amusing and exasperating. He pulled down the carriage curtain and ignored him. Luo Yichen continued, "Your Highness got up so early today, wasn't it so that you could see Miss Guan before the Emperor and explain everything to her? Your intentions are truly admirable. If I were her, I would be moved to tears."

Mu Chenbi couldn't hear what Luo Yichen was muttering. He thought of Ajiu, who looked just like him. His father had known for a long time that there was a swordsman in Xingguo Ward who looked exactly like him, but he had never mentioned it to him. Today, his father was going to visit the Pei family with him. With both sides appearing in surprise, did his father want to see his reaction in front of everyone...?

Mu Chenbi leaned against the carriage frame, lost in thought. He had lived to the age of twenty, enjoying joy and carefree years without ever drinking a drop of wine to drown his sorrows. Now, his mind was in a daze, and he really wanted to go to the lakeside pavilion and drink Cui Jin's wine clean.

It was only Chen Shi (7-9 AM), and the people of Xingguo Ward were still busy at the foundry. There was no one outside the gate, and no welcoming party was in sight. The carriage was parked at the gate, but there wasn't even a servant to greet it. Luo Yichen waited for a moment and then said to the carriage, "Your Highness, should I go in and announce your arrival?"

There was no response from inside the car. The curtain was lifted, and Mu Chenbi leaned out, looking up at the bright red lacquered plaque of "Xingguofang". His steps were heavy as he started to walk.

"How about this," Luo Yichen suggested, "I have another idea. Should I go and call Miss Guan out?"

"Nonsense." Mu Chenbi stepped down from the carriage and glanced at him with displeasure. "I kept it from her first, and I'm too busy apologizing to expect her to come out and see me?"

Luo Yichen scratched his head blankly. Why did His Highness the Crown Prince have to apologize to someone? Seeing Mu Chenbi's displeased expression, he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and dare not say anything more.

"No need to make a fuss, let's go inside first and talk."

Stepping into the former Tianhu Workshop, the smell of charcoal fire wafted over. Luo Yichen sniffed hard, vaguely sensing that something was amiss. He opened his mouth to ask, but was afraid of asking himself another question. He couldn't speak with his mouth half open, but swallowing it back felt suffocating. Mu Chenbi glanced coldly at his comical appearance, "Are you trying to ask why the charcoal fire from the stoves in Xingguo Workshop smells so different from that in the inner workshop?"

"You're amazing!" Luo Yichen's eyes widened, and he was completely in awe of Mu Chenbi. "The smell of the inner workshop is pungent, but the smell of Xingguo workshop is a light, slightly burnt aroma. Even when you smell it deeply, you don't feel short of breath. If you savor it carefully, there is a faint aftertaste that lingers. It's a bit like..." Luo Yichen clapped his hands, "It's a bit like the smell of sandalwood from the Mei family's money shop."

Mu Chenbi found it amusing, but his face remained cold. "Mei Family Money House, you remember their taste. It seems you go there quite often."

"Once you go, I guarantee you'll never forget it." After saying that, Luo Yichen wanted to slap himself. He had said too much and made a mistake. Look at his loose tongue.

"Mu Chenbi?"

Jade pillars were linked together in the courtyard, and red-clad figures fluttered in the breeze. Hearing the familiar voice he had longed for for many days, Mu Chenbi stood there stunned. When he saw the face of the jade pillar, Mu Chenbi felt a sense of relief.

"I thought you'd forgotten my name again." Mu Chenbi walked towards Guan Ye.

Guan Ye smiled nonchalantly, "Your name isn't hard to remember. Once you've got it in your heart, you won't forget it." Seeing Mu Chenbi's elegant white robes, Guan Ye circled around him and clicked her tongue, "Looks like you've come to Xingguo Ward to discuss a big deal. Tell me, how many weapons do you want?"

Luo Yichen suppressed a laugh, but couldn't help but interject, "What, is the business in Xingguo Warehouse being discussed with Miss Guan?"

Guan Ye still remembered that this person had almost tied her up, and she frowned and said, "Why can't we talk? Whether the weapon can be made depends on whether I am willing to agree."

Luo Yichen clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My apologies, my apologies."

"However," Guan Ye hesitated, remembering the important event in the neighborhood today, "you've come at the wrong time. The Heavenly Furnace of Xingguo Ward is completed today, and a distinguished guest is coming to the neighborhood."

"Oh?" Luo Yichen found it increasingly intriguing. "Distinguished guests discussing big business deals? I wonder, are they as honorable as my master?"

Guan Ye looked at Mu Chenbi with shame and said in a low voice, "I promised you, and I, Guan Ye, will definitely keep my word. However... don't ask me for the sword today."

The girl's cheeks were flushed, and her voice was soft and timid. Mu Chenbi had never seen her like this before, and he found Guan Ye even more adorable. He wanted to tease her a little more. "Today, we can skip the sword question. I've long heard of the reputation of the Heavenly Furnace in Xingguo Ward. Since we're already at the door, why don't you..." Mu Chenbi pointed to the place filled with smoke, "take us to see the Heavenly Furnace, how about it?"

"Huh?" Guan Ye clutched at her clothes. Looking at the furnace wasn't difficult, but right now... it really wasn't an option. "Another day... can we do it another day?"

“Miss Guan just said that she is a woman of her word, why is she asking for another day?” Luo Yichen didn’t miss the chance to stir things up. “My master has already said that he doesn’t want the sword anymore. Is it so hard to take a look at the Heavenly Furnace? I don’t think Xingguo Fang will have any distinguished guests for a while. My master will just take a look and leave without lingering.”

Seeing that Guan Ye seemed hesitant, Mu Chenbi couldn't bear to make things difficult for her. Just as he was about to speak, Guan Ye stamped her foot and said, "Then let's take a look. But I really can't keep you two here today. After you've seen the Heavenly Furnace, come back another day. I, Guan Ye, will definitely forge a sword for you."

Luo Yichen secretly admired Guan Ye's straightforwardness, and his respect for her grew even more. "Then I'll trouble Miss Guan to lead the way."

Beneath the furnace in the foundry, several swordsmen stood idly for a long time. Ji Fang rubbed his healed hand and practiced his swordplay with clumsy movements. Seeing that no one paid any attention to him, he pulled Lou Cangyu over to look at him. "Cangyu, look at me. Have I forgotten how to wield a sword?"

"Fool." Lou Cangyu shook his wrist a few times, then released him, saying, "Do you remember now?"

Ji Fang followed suit and began to swing his sword, but he always felt that he couldn't hold the sword steadily. He looked for Feng Shisan's figure and said, "Young Master Shisan, can you help me take a look? I haven't practiced swordsmanship in a long time. If the shop master asks us to test our swords in front of the emperor today, won't I embarrass myself?"

“It’s not your turn to test your sword.” Feng Shisan turned his back and drew his sword with a powerful gust of wind. “It’s my turn.”

"—A-Jiu, A-Jiu?" Ji Fang went looking for A-Jiu again. After taking a few steps, he saw Guan Ye leading people into the foundry. Wasn't that A-Jiu beside her? "A-Jiu, when did you go out?" Ji Fang happily went over, sword in hand. "Come and give me some pointers on my sword..."

Seeing a man wielding a sword heading straight for Mu Chenbi, Luo Yichen stepped forward. Before he could even unsheathe his sword, he had already jabbed it at Ji Fang's wrist. Ji Fang never expected that someone from A Jiu's side would draw their sword against him. He didn't even try to dodge and was struck hard by the scabbard. He cried out in pain and his sword fell to the ground.

"How dare you!" Luo Yichen pointed his sword at the young man in front of him.

Ji Fang clutched his wrist, staring blankly at the familiar face before him. "A-Jiu? What happened? Who is this person...?"

Guan Ye hurriedly went to help Ji Fang, annoyed by Luo Yichen's sudden outburst of rage. "He is Ji Fang, the swordsman from the neighborhood. It's just that your master looks like A Jiu. He's only mistaken for someone else."

"—He...he's not A-Jiu?" Ji Fang blinked hard, confirming he wasn't seeing things, but this person was clearly...no, wait! Ji Fang shuddered, pointing at the man's brow bone and taking a few steps back. "He's not A-Jiu, A-Jiu, where are you?" Ji Fang stumbled around, momentarily thinking he'd encountered something supernatural in broad daylight. "A-Jiu, A-Jiu!"

"Looks like my master?" Luo Yichen had never heard such an absurd statement. "What a joke! My master is..."

Before he could finish speaking, several sword-wielding youths surrounded him. Luo Yichen knew he was in trouble. He held his sword horizontally in front of Mu Chenbi, his eyes warily fixed on the group, not daring to be careless. Luo Yichen scanned the youths' young, arrogant faces, when suddenly, as if struck by lightning, he stammered in one of their faces—"You…you are…"

Luo Yichen flicked his wrist, causing the blade to fly from its sheath, its sharp edge pointing directly at the face. "Who are you!?"

"And who are you?" The swordsmen were all stunned when they saw the newcomer's face. Ji Fang wasn't possessed, so the newcomer was clearly A-Jiu, wasn't he? But A-Jiu, A-Jiu... The men subconsciously turned to look at A-Jiu beside them. A-Jiu was standing shoulder to shoulder with them, a long sword at her waist, her figure proud. A-Jiu was A-Jiu, but who was that person, who was that person...?

"It really is Ajiu?" Feng Shisan shouted, startling Luo Yichen. "Ajiu, this person looks just like you."

Lou Cangyu gasped when he saw the newcomer's face. The desolate island was lonely, with the sun rising and setting day after day. It was much more exciting outside the island, with its unparalleled female swordsman and a stranger who seemed to be A-Jiu's twin. Lou Cangyu approached incredulously and looked again. Apart from the missing scar on his eyebrow, he was indeed A-Jiu, the man who had walked through Rongdu.