Chapter 28 Cheating

Hao Chunhe looked at her strangely: "You are young too."

I'm different.

Wen Yao thought to himself.

Dawn was approaching, and the vibrant sunlight pierced the gray-blue sky, merging into a flowing golden red across the city of Bianliang ahead. She twirled the dagger in her hand a few times, her eyes gradually illuminated by the pale sky, their color vivid.

Neither of them spoke again. Wen Yao was lost in thought, while Hao Chunhe sat drowsily on the side, bathed in the morning glow.

"Let's go!" Suddenly, Wen Yao slapped Hao Chunhe on the back, almost knocking him off the cliff: "Let's go back."

Hao Chunhe watched Wen Yao stand up and flex his wrists, looking very energetic, probably preparing to run back to Prince Yan's Mansion. "Have you figured out how to refuse Prince Yan?"

Wen Yao looked at him: "Why do you say that? You don't think I will agree at all?"

"I don't think so." Hao Chunhe sighed, propping himself up on his knees and standing up. "Old man, I'm a good judge of character. I know you're a strange person. You're generous, ethereal, and like a god, floating around everywhere with just a smile and a glance. Tell me yourself, what in the world can tie you down? A debt of gratitude? You said that close friends don't need to be together all the time, and you can move to a different place every few months. Once the contact points of those chambers of commerce are closed, no one can contact you. And that Xingyi sword technique—they say it doesn't resemble a sword used in the human world. I don't think that's a good thing. It's too decisive and detached. Untouched by the mud of the world, once your sword heart is unstable, you will feel cold everywhere and lonely."

Looking back, how many sword prodigies and geniuses throughout history have died of natural causes? All of them died while striving to attain enlightenment. The feeling of uncertainty and emptiness surrounding one's surroundings is terrifying and can easily drive one mad.

Hao Chunhe spoke in a serious tone, without a smile on his face. The weathered old man, a man of many years, looked at Wen Yao with genuine worry in his eyes.

Seemingly familiar.

In the air filled with yellow sand in the northern desert, someone raised a heavy anvil high up and smashed it on the red-hot meteorite with a "bang", splashing sparks again and again.

"You are too independent, too smart and too clever. Learning swordsmanship can easily lead you astray."

The cold water instantly steamed up into clouds of mist. The man took the meteorite out of the water again, frowned, and paused for a moment before saying, "The material can still be made into a dagger... Forget the dagger. The sword will be named 'Xingyi'. From now on, you will have the Milky Way and the Jianghe River to accompany you on your journey, so you won't be surrounded by emptiness and darkness."

Wen Yao blinked, abruptly withdrawing from her memories. Her heart tightened, then she was speechless. She touched her nose, a look of dejection on her face. "Yes, yes, yes, you're a good judge of character. I really don't intend to accept Zhao Xuanxu... But he's in poor health, and while he's good-natured, he can be a bit surly. I don't know how to refuse him outright."

"What should we do then?"

Wen Yao raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "It's not that bad. I'll just pretend it never happened and be more careful in the future. How's the saying... If he doesn't ask me, I won't tell you. If he asks me, I'll be surprised. Can he still chase me and tell me he likes me every day?"

"You——" Hao Chunhe glared: "Are you playing tricks?"

Wen Yao waved his hand, clenched his fist to his lips, raised a finger, and said seriously: "When we get home from the competition, whoever is slow will treat us to a meal next time. No cheating allowed!"

She was in high spirits, as light as a swallow, and once again outperformed Hao Chunhe. Hao Chunhe hadn't slept for half the night, ran two laps around Bianliang City with her, paid for a meal, and then angrily returned to his room, closed the door, and went to rest.

It was already dawn, but Wen Yao had no intention of sleeping. She calmly sat down across from Zhao Xuanxu and spooned some porridge.

Zhao Xuanxu seemed to be in a good mood as well. He reached out and picked up a side dish with chopsticks to put in Wen Yao's bowl.

Wen Yao raised his eyes sharply, blocked with his right chopsticks, and secretly exerted force to push the chopsticks of food back.

With a "pop", the crispy cabbage heart fell into Zhao Xuanxu's bowl.

Zhao Xuanxu tilted his head, his satin-like hair sticking to his cheek as he moved. His expression was almost innocently confused. "Ayao doesn't like it?"

Wen Yao felt inexplicably discouraged under such a gaze. He put off a little his shameless effort in front of Hao Chunhe, stirred the jade porridge in his bowl and said with a wry smile, "No... just eat it yourself. Why are you being so polite?"

Zhao Xuanxu lowered his eyes, put down his chopsticks, and imitated Wen Yao in stirring the porridge. He said naturally, "Ayao left the house last night. Did you think of how to refuse me?"

…

Damn it, I miscalculated. This kid actually chased me and tried to kill me.

Wen Yao gritted his teeth, feeling a bit frustrated, like punching cotton, and squeezed out three words: "I haven't thought it through."

Zhao Xuanxu suddenly smiled and said, "Oh."

oh?

Oh what, oh, what comes after that?

Wen Yao felt a heavy grip, and the spoon in his hand had a faint crack.

"When I entered the palace yesterday, Su Yi wrote you a letter." Zhao Xuanxu lightly changed the previous topic, as if he couldn't see Wen Yao's awkward expression. He took out a letter from his sleeve and placed it next to Wen Yao's hand.

Wen Yao swallowed the porridge in his mouth, picked up the letter, opened it and took a look.

There wasn't anything special in the poem, except that Su Yi once again expressed her gratitude to Wen Yao. The words were full of genuine emotion, like "Bianliang is alone and helpless, and I owe it all to Commander Wen to help me. I'll always remember your kindness."

Wen Yao flipped through the letter and frowned, "You went to the palace to see Concubine Ling yesterday. Did she send someone to deliver this letter directly to you?"

"Um."

Zhao Xuanxu walked out of the dark palace yesterday, passing by the palace maids and eunuchs kneeling on the ground outside. Su Yi was pale, and she stood outside with her men.

Zhao Xuanxu was tall, walking at a leisurely pace, his sleeves faintly scented with blood. The sharp cries and curses of the women in the palace were like the sounds of hell. His glance sent Su Yi's knees weakening, her teeth chattering, and she nearly fell to her knees.

Wen Yao had saved Su Yi, and Su Yi had already thanked her in person for saving her life. Now that Concubine Su had come to Zhao Xuanxu in person, it certainly wasn't just to thank Wen Yao again.

She used this as an excuse to submit a petition to Prince Yan and pay her respects to him, in front of everyone in the harem.

"She's a smart girl. The emperor summoned her to the palace to contain Concubine Feng, and she figured it out." Wen Yao wanted to sigh, "There are so many people climbing up the social ladder in the palace, bullying the weak. She must have had a hard time lately."

Zhao Xuanxu was not interested in whether Su Yi was doing well or not, and he slowly put the dishes into Wen Yao's bowl.

Wen Yao had indeed shifted his focus, not caring about the extra bite of food in his bowl. "You just robbed someone from the Qin Wang's Ministry of Revenue. Will her actions cause Feng's party and the Qin Wang to retaliate against you?"

They were not on good terms to begin with, so what was there to do with revenge? They were all people who deserved to die, and Su Yi alone wouldn't stop him from skinning and tearing these people apart.

Zhao Xuanxu said lightly, "The Emperor can still use me, so there's no need to worry about me in the court; and since Ayao is protecting me in private, there's naturally no need to worry either."

"What about your mother and Concubine Li?"

Zhao Xuanxu was puzzled: "How are they?"

Wen Yao's mouth twitched: "Hasn't Concubine Feng been favored for many years and has a deep foundation? What if she gets angry and targets Concubine Ling and Concubine Li——"

"Why are you still worried about this, Ayao?" Zhao Xuanxu smiled lightly, a dimple faintly visible on the side of his pretty face. "My mother is not feeling well and should not leave the palace. Duan Wei is a fool, not a good person. She may look good on the outside, but underneath she's a pool of stinky water that's disgusting. Ayao, don't get involved with her."

Duan Wei is the daughter of the King of Dali, the cousin of Zhao Xuanxu, and the Concubine Li who looked coldly at Wen Yao on the city wall that day.

Wen Yao felt a sense of disharmony as Zhao Xuanxu delivered such a venomous critique in such a gentle and moving voice. She ate a few mouthfuls of porridge, gulped down the remaining porridge in her bowl, and then followed Zhao Xuanxu to the study, where she sat on the beam and stared blankly.

In the afternoon, Hao Chunhe knocked on the window, climbed in, and huddled against the beam, chattering, "The cook at He Niang's place left tonight, and the new one hasn't come in yet. He's been helping me for so long, I have to go over and lend a hand this afternoon. As for your meal, here's the money, go buy it yourself, and remember to buy some bone roasting. I'll have some wine when I get back."

Chunyanzi was very clever and gave her just enough money to buy a portion of moxibustion bone, not a penny more. Wen Yao stood in front of the brine shop, holding a paper bag, and looked at the two taels of moxibustion bone in his hand and felt like laughing.

The surrounding area was bustling with people, and the shop owner's shouts carried on the wind two blocks away. Wen Yao was about to turn and leave when she suddenly noticed someone stopping directly behind her. The footsteps were almost silent, and the breathing was long and slow, indicating that his internal energy was not bad.

Wen Yao turned around and saw Lou Chengyi's striking face swaying in front of her a few inches away.

He was dressed in luxurious purple clothes, his hair was braided with gems, and he had exotic gold rings on his arms. He looked out of place in the somewhat dirty snack alley.

Wen Yao was surprised and glanced around. "Why are you here?" Wasn't he a germaphobe and picky, burning incense everywhere he went? She bought her moxibustion bones from places where boatmen and laborers were enjoying a meal. While the food was good, the hygiene wasn't great.

etc.

Wen Yao took a long sniff and asked in surprise, "You don't smell anymore?"

The rich, lingering scent of wisteria on Lou Chengyi's body was gone.

Lou Chengyi didn't explain why he was there, nor why he didn't smell like wisteria. He glanced down at the bone for moxibustion in Wen Yao's hand, his tone slightly mocking, and said bluntly, "What's so delicious about this piece of unrefined meat that you have to keep coming here to buy it every few days?"

He frowned, spoke awkwardly and stubbornly but didn't look into Wen Yao's eyes.

Wen Yao was a little speechless. He reached out and pressed the man's shoulder, pushing him away: "That's perfect. I didn't buy it for you anyway."

Lou Chengyi's face darkened, and with an angry look of "I guessed it right," he said strangely, "Of course it's not for me. I just didn't expect that the King of Yan, who is so precious, actually likes to eat this kind of meat."

...convulsions.

Wen Yao ignored Lou Chengyi and looked up at Ning'er behind him, who was wearing a white veil. Ning'er smiled and respectfully called her "Miss Wen".

Wen Yao sighed and asked with concern, "I heard someone was causing trouble in Qiongyu Tower the other day. Has everything been okay these days?"

Ning'er smiled and said, "They are just a few ignorant scum. With the master here, no one can cause any trouble in Qiongyu Tower. Please rest assured, young lady."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lou Chengyi's chilly voice interrupted from behind Wen Yao: "Everyone knows now that Xingyi Sword Wen Yao joined the King of Yan's sect and made great contributions in saving the emperor. Commander Wen has become famous since his return to the martial arts world. It's amazing that you still listen to my little story."

Does this guy really deserve a beating?

Wen Yao couldn't bear it any longer. He turned around and looked at Lou Chengyi standing aside with his arms folded and a sarcastic look on his face. He reflected deeply on why he had brought this man out of the wild mountains in the first place.