lesson
When we reached the flat land at the foot of the mountain, the sun had already passed its zenith, and the light and shadows were slightly oblique.
Nangong Ya sat in an open-air eatery, next to a table where three burly men in coarse clothes and short jackets were talking and laughing loudly, reeking of alcohol.
The eatery was pitifully simple, with a few crooked wooden pillars barely supporting a tattered oilcloth roof that rattled in the wind.
The table was pieced together from several cracked old wooden planks, and the stools were missing legs, barely supported by stones of varying sizes.
The surroundings were desolate and lonely, with only the dilapidated eatery and the rugged, bare rocks, which made the place seem even more remote.
"How is it? Have you seen the Master?" As soon as Nangong Ya saw them, she jumped up, her face full of anticipation, and quickly went to greet them.
Xie Lanchen didn't speak. He walked straight to the table furthest from Nangong Ya and sat down. The crack in the wooden plank of that table was relatively shallow, and the chair was only missing a corner. He turned his back to the two of them, closed his eyes, and clearly did not want to talk.
Yunwei also went over and sat down, briefly recounting what happened in front of the manor gate. She omitted the details of her fight with Xie Lanchen, only saying that the guards were blocking her way and insisted that the manor lord was not there.
"Are they deliberately making things difficult for you?" Nangong Ya followed over, her gaze suddenly fixing on the bandaged right hand. Seeing that the plain cloth was soaked with blood, she exclaimed anxiously, "What happened to your hand? This blood... they hurt you, didn't they!"
Yunwei gently placed her hand on the back of the girl's hand, indicating that the girl should calm down: "It's alright."
Aya is too impatient; this matter shouldn't have bothered her so much. The most urgent thing is to find a way to revisit Biyue Manor, not to get upset over such a minor injury.
Just then, a burly man with a full beard took a swig of murky rice wine and smacked his lips: "Hey, isn't it strange? Xu E, the master of Biyue Manor, was such a generous man a year ago! He made friends all over the world. Anyone who wanted to see him would just send him an invitation and be treated to the best wine and meat! But now, he's like a completely different person!"
“That’s right!” another man with a shallow scar on his face chimed in, spitting as he spoke. “A year ago, he seemed to have gone into seclusion for a few days, and when he came out, his personality changed drastically! He never leaves the house, and I heard that even the old steward of his manor rarely gets to see him, let alone outsiders! The whole manor is like an iron barrel! Now, wanting to see Xu E? It’s harder than climbing to heaven!”
"Yes, yes, yes!" The third short, stocky man slammed his hand on the table. "I think he's probably gotten himself into some terrible trouble and is hiding away, too ashamed to show his face!"
A year ago, his temperament changed drastically. After going into seclusion, he rarely went out and even the old steward of the manor could hardly see him.
This situation perfectly corroborates the overbearing and tense atmosphere of the guards at the manor gate earlier. There must be something fishy going on.
Yun Wei raised her eyes, her gaze calmly sweeping over the burly men, her tone as casual as if in conversation: "Gentlemen, you often walk around this area, do you know if there's anything unusual about Master Xu in the past year besides his seclusion?"
The burly men turned around at the sound, and the bearded man among them grinned and said, "Young lady, you look like a fairy from a painting! What do you want to know about Master Xu? Do you want to go up the mountain to find him?"
"How dare you!" Nangong Ya was both shocked and furious.
This person's frivolous behavior has crossed the line; if left unchecked, it will only bring more trouble.
They need to be punished a little to make them give up.
"Looking for death?" Xie Lanchen suddenly spoke, his usual fierceness evident.
Yun Wei caught a glimpse of his eyelashes trembling out of the corner of her eye. The young man opened his eyes, and the Lone Goose Sword at his waist emitted a slight hum, clearly indicating that he was angry.
Her heart sank slightly.
We must not let him make a move.
Xie Lanchen's nature is such that he won't stop until blood is spilled, but they are currently at the foot of Biyue Manor. If someone dies, let alone see Xu E, they will probably be surrounded by the people of the manor as villains.
She cannot reveal her identity here, nor can she get into unnecessary trouble.
The thought flashed through her mind in an instant, and Yun Wei gently raised her wrist. Her fingertip tapped the air with lightning speed, not by channeling her inner force, but by using the subtle connection between herself and the Lone Goose Sword to slightly guide its direction.
"bass--"
The Lone Goose Sword burst from its sheath, but instead of striking the bearded man's throat as Xie Lanchen had anticipated, it did not.
A cold glint flashed in an arc, and with a "thud," the sword plunged into the mud at the feet of the three burly men, the blade sinking nearly half a foot deep.
The ground shook, and the flying pebbles hit their trouser legs.
The bearded man was sobered up by the sword strike, and his arrogance instantly turned into fear.
His two companions behind him shrank back even more, not even noticing the wine spilling from their glasses onto their clothes.
"Take another half step closer, and you'll lose your limbs," Yun Wei said coldly.
These words, though seemingly without a hint of anger, instantly turned the faces of the three burly men pale.
They'd lived their lives on the edge of a knife, seen all sorts of vicious and ruthless people, yet they'd never seen a woman like this.
Although there was no trace of anger in his eyes, his gaze was even more chilling than a boy's angry stare.
"They deserve to be taught a lesson." Xie Lanchen propped his head up with one hand, his eyes half-closed, a hint of nonchalant malice in them. "If that sword had been just half an inch off course..."
Yunwei didn't look at him, but lightly patted the back of his hand that was supporting his head with her left hand.
The boy paused, and the fierceness in his eyes dissipated almost entirely.
He glanced down at the lingering coolness on the back of his hand, and his heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
Is she annoyed by his talkativeness?
Indeed, she never liked him going to extremes, but these people were disrespectful to her and deserved to be taught a lesson.
The boy pursed his lips, several thoughts swirling in his mind, before finally swallowing the rest of his sentence and shutting his mouth in a huff, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards Yun Wei.
Yunwei knew what he wanted to say, but it was easy to get blood on the blade, but difficult to escape cleanly.
The most urgent task is to find Xu E. These brutes are not worth our effort, much less worth causing trouble here.
"Gentlemen, your drinks are ready." A clear voice interjected at the opportune moment. "The mountain wind is strong, and your tempers are fiery. Would you like a bowl of wine to cool down?"
Yunwei looked in the direction of the sound and saw a masked man walking out of the restaurant unhurriedly.
The mask was entirely silver-white, covering only the eyebrows and eyes up to the bridge of the nose, revealing the man's clearly defined lower face and a thin, smiling mouth.
The hair on his forehead was not neatly combed, with a few strands drifting loosely. The long hair on both sides of his face was carefully styled, divided into several sections, and braided into tight plaits that swayed gently with his movements.
The man was dressed in a finely crafted, light blue outfit that stood out conspicuously in the dilapidated eatery. A simple, ancient-looking crescent-shaped jade pendant hung from his waist, its edges worn smooth and warm from repeated use.
He walked steadily to the table where the three burly men were still in shock, put down several bowls of freshly added rice wine, and moved slowly, as if he had not seen the tense and life-or-death situation just now.
"This wine is on the shop's behalf. When you're out and about, harmony brings wealth." His voice was low but meaningful. "Disturbing guests who shouldn't be disturbed is bad for everyone, isn't it?" He gave the burly man a way out while subtly indicating that Yun Wei and his companions were no pushovers.
The three burly men looked at each other, their faces still showing fear, along with the lingering dread of escaping death and the frustration of not daring to retaliate.
The bearded man glanced at Yun Wei, noticing her still aloof expression, as if she hadn't taken the earlier conflict to heart. He then looked at Xie Lanchen, only to see the young man lightly flick his finger in the air, and the Lone Goose Sword "whooshed" back into its sheath, the movement so fast that only a cold glint remained.
His throat bobbed, but he swallowed the harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue. He could only turn his face away sullenly and mutter softly, "Forget it...forget it! Bad luck!" The three of them picked up their bowls and gulped down several mouthfuls of calming wine. They dared not look in their direction again, and the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
The crisis has been temporarily resolved.
The masked man then walked up to Yun Wei and bowed slightly: "Gentlemen, I apologize for the fright. I am a rough man from the mountains, and I have been drunk and behaved inappropriately. Please forgive my rudeness."
Yun Wei remained calm, as if the conflict had never happened. Her cool gaze fell on the man, scrutinizing him.
This person's appearance was too opportune; his attire and demeanor were completely out of place in this dilapidated eatery, clearly indicating he was no ordinary waiter. He had just defused a bloody conflict with a few casual words; his insight, timing, and ability to control the situation were truly remarkable.
"I just overheard you all talking about Master Xu?" the man said to himself, his tone tinged with a touch of melancholy. "He is indeed living a very secluded life these days, refusing to see any guests. The manor is heavily guarded, as if facing a formidable enemy. It will probably be difficult for you to see him."
Nangong Ya had just recovered her senses when she heard this and became anxious again: "What can we do? Brother, since you know so much, is there any way to see Master Xu? Or... or do you know where he went?" She was straightforward and threw out all the questions at once.
Xie Lanchen observed coldly, not letting his guard down despite the other party's intervention; on the contrary, he found the person even more suspicious.
“You seem to know very well.” He tapped his fingertips on the cold hilt of the sword, making a soft “tap-tap” sound. “Since you know it’s hard to see him, why bother with all this nonsense?”
Wearing a mask and hiding one's true intentions, one is definitely up to no good.
The man seemed unconcerned by Xie Lanchen's hostile scrutiny. He turned to Nangong Ya, shook his head slightly, and said helplessly, "How could we commoners possibly know the whereabouts of the Master of the Manor? As for a solution... forgive my bluntness, but given the current security at Biyue Manor, it's virtually impossible to see Master Xu through normal channels. Forcing our way in would be the worst possible option, only increasing casualties and doing nothing to help."
He paused, then changed the subject, lowering his voice slightly, with a hint of guidance, "However, nothing is absolute. Although Master Xu's temperament has changed, he has been in charge of Biyue Manor for many years and has deep roots. There are always some old friends and acquaintances that he finds hard to sever."
Yun Wei's heart stirred slightly. Every word this person uttered was a test, especially the phrase "old friendship," which was almost a blatant invitation for her to reveal her identity.
Who exactly is he? Is he one of Xu E's men? Or... does he have ulterior motives? Her expression remained unchanged as her fingertips gently caressed the rough rim of the cup.
Xie Lanchen scoffed, his tone dripping with undisguised sarcasm: "Old friendship?" He crossed his arms, his face darkening as he stared at the masked man. "You're wearing a mask, hiding your true self, playing coy here. What exactly are you trying to achieve?"
Faced with Xie Lanchen's relentless questioning, the masked man remained unperturbed, instead chuckling softly, "Young brother, why be so aggressive? I am but a nobody, wearing this mask only because of a flaw in my face, lest I disturb the guest, not intentionally concealing myself." He explained casually, then turned his attention back to Yun Wei, his gaze intense, as if trying to see into her heart, "The key is, is this young lady... truly the 'old friend' that Master Xu wishes to see? I am merely offering a possible lead."
His words, though seemingly watertight, were full of hidden meaning, leaving Nangong Ya completely bewildered. She felt that his words were roundabout and frustrating.
She couldn't help but blurt out, "Yunwei, what exactly did he mean? Xu E, he..."
"Yunwei?"
A very soft, short laugh came from beneath the mask.
The man raised his hand and slowly removed his mask.
It was an extremely young and strikingly handsome face.
He looked to be no more than twenty years old, with arched eyebrows that reached his temples, a high nose bridge, and a faint scar on his left brow bone.
His eyes were extremely complex at that moment, a mixture of ecstasy, inquiry, and amusement.
Yun Wei's gaze sharpened slightly, her thin lips moved slightly, and she uttered two words:
"Xu E".
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