Chapter 158
The wind was fierce and the rain was heavy, and Jinhuai City was shrouded in a desolate chill.
As the year draws to a close, the city is decorated in vibrant red, creating a festive atmosphere. However, the sudden rain today has deterred many pedestrians, and vendors have quickly packed up and gone home. A few passersby hurried by with umbrellas, their steps hurried. Only the caravan that had just entered the city gate walked leisurely and unhurriedly, as if they were enjoying themselves.
"Miss, is this Jinhuai City? It doesn't look very impressive. It's not as lively as our Yaoding City." A maid leaned out of the carriage window, but was quickly forced back by the heavy rain.
Duan Ning leaned back in the car, legs crossed, and replied, "Didn't you see how heavy the rain was? How lively do you expect it to be in this kind of weather?"
The maid wiped the water from her face with a handkerchief and said, "I heard that the second largest sect in the martial arts world, Mingyue Tower, is located here. Miss, hasn't Master been reluctant to let you enter Yunhua Palace? Are you interested in Mingyue Tower?"
Duan Ning held a small booklet in one hand and a pen in the other, scribbling and drawing in it. She scoffed, "When it comes to eating, drinking, and having fun, I want the best of everything. If I'm already number one, why bother with second place?" As she spoke, she tossed the booklet up and caught it again. "After delivering one last shipment, I'll have accomplished my mission. If Father goes back on his word again, I won't stand for it. I'll make a huge scene. In any case, I'm definitely going to Yunhua Palace!"
The maid covered her mouth and chuckled, then asked, "So, who are we going to do business with this time in Jinhuai City?"
Duan Ning looked at her: "Didn't I mention it to you? Mingyue Tower!"
The maid was taken aback, and the carriage immediately stopped. The driver lifted the curtain, and Duan Ning, without even taking her umbrella, jumped out in the rain. The maid quickly caught up with her, holding an umbrella over her. The two of them rushed into a magnificent and imposing building, and instead of being stopped, they were greeted with smiles and were welcomed into the waiting hall like stars around the moon.
"Steward Zhao," Duan Ning said after drinking half a cup of tea. Seeing a middle-aged man walking in from outside, he stood up and greeted him, "How have you been? You look quite well."
Butler Zhao, who was usually stern and unsmiling, surprisingly smiled when he saw Duan Ning. He cupped his hands and said, "Miss Duan, you've arrived quickly without even sending a message. Otherwise, I would have sent someone to meet you at the city gate. I'm truly sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please don't take offense, Miss Duan."
Duan Ning waved his hand and said, "What's there to be offended about? Our two families are related by marriage, so let's not be so polite. My father asked me to deliver a batch of goods by water. He's worried that I don't travel around the martial world often and might not be able to control the bandits. He's afraid I'll be robbed, so he asked your Mingyue Tower to protect me for a while. My father must have already written about this, right?"
"Don't worry, everything is ready," Butler Zhao said kindly. "Whether it's by land or water, with Mingyue Tower here, Miss Duan can travel with peace of mind and won't have any mishaps."
Duan Ning laughed and said, "No problem, no problem! With this connection, it saves me the trouble of finding a security escort agency. I should give the money to my own family, right? It's just that I need to trouble you to stamp this booklet for me, otherwise my father won't recognize it, otherwise my trip will have been in vain."
Butler Zhao took the booklet, glanced at it, and asked, "Oh, these are all Miss Duan's sales records for the past two months. Why would a young lady like you, living a life of luxury at the manor, come out and suffer like this?"
The itinerary listed in the booklet was written by Master Duan himself. Duan Ning kept insisting on going to Yunhua Palace, and the father and daughter were at an impasse. It took them many days to come up with this solution: as long as Duan Ning could do everything in the booklet in detail, Master Duan would let her go to Yunhua Palace to become an apprentice.
She did long for a comfortable life, but what could she do? However, she couldn't honestly tell Steward Zhao the truth; how could she say she wanted to go to Yunhua Palace in front of Mingyue Tower? Duan Ning smiled slightly, feigning seriousness, and said, "I'm the only son in my family, and I'll have to take over sooner or later. I'm not young anymore, and it's time for me to share my father's burdens with these business matters. Uncle Zhao, this seal must be Master Fu's private seal; don't just stamp it randomly, or I'll have come for nothing."
“My master is celebrating a happy occasion and is too busy to come here,” said Butler Zhao. “Miss Duan, please wait a moment while I go and get the stamp for you.”
Duan Ning's eyes darted around: "Good news?" she guessed, "Could it be that my cousin is pregnant?"
Butler Zhao replied, "That's right. We just invited a doctor over, and the happy event was just finalized. Miss Duan, your timing is perfect. Your shipment won't depart until tomorrow, so we can have a family dinner tonight to share in the joy."
Duan Ning said, "That would be great. I'll stay in your building for the night and then I'll go and pay my respects to Master Fu later."
Steward Zhao readily agreed and immediately summoned a maid to prepare a guest room for Duan Ning. He also set out a small meal to welcome her. After Duan Ning ate her fill, she strolled around Mingyue Tower with her maid to pass the time. The maid asked curiously, "Our Duan family and Mingyue Tower are related by marriage, aren't we? Why haven't you mentioned it before, Miss?"
The garden was filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms, and bright yellow winter plum blossoms were planted everywhere. The scenery was especially beautiful in the rain. Duan Ning broke off a branch and said, "Actually, I don't come here often. My cousin and Master Fu have been married for several years, but she hasn't gotten pregnant yet, so we don't have many opportunities to come. If it weren't for this delivery, I wouldn't even have come to Jinhuai City, let alone Mingyue Tower."
The maid said, "I wonder which young lady she is? To be able to marry the owner of Mingyue Tower is quite an achievement."
“Who else could it be? The Luo family in Jinhuai City,” Duan Ning said. “My mother has many sisters, all over the country, and we have relatives everywhere. But I don’t have much contact with this cousin. I’ve only met her a few times when I was a child. To be honest, our relationship is just so-so.”
The master and servant, without any extra attendants, strolled around the garden to digest their meal. As they enjoyed the scenery and chatted, they suddenly heard the maid exclaim, "Oh, Miss, look! There's a beauty over there!"
Upon hearing that there was a beautiful woman, Duan Ning's eyes immediately lit up. He quickly looked in the direction the maid was pointing and saw a tall, slender, and graceful figure walking briskly through the rain amidst the fragrant clusters of winter plum blossoms. The woman wore a flowing lilac-colored gauze dress with a cross-collar and a cinched waist. The cuffs were narrow, and the hem of the dress was embroidered with elegant moon patterns. She had a dignified posture and a striking appearance. It was clear at a glance that she had practiced martial arts, as she walked with a very steady gait, exuding the air of a chivalrous knight-errant.
“It’s her,” Duan Ning looked closely and found the scene before him quite pleasing to the eye, and couldn’t help but smile, “Unforgettable, she is indeed a beauty.”
The maid peeked around cautiously and asked, "Who is it?"
Duan Ning chuckled and didn't answer. She twirled the plum blossom branch in her hand and strode towards the woman as she ascended the steps, saying loudly, "Oh, young master, how have you been lately?"
Fu Xiang, holding an umbrella in her left hand and a sword in her right, ascended the steps, glanced at Duan Ning, and politely said, "Miss is..."
"You've already forgotten me?" Duan Ning grinned. "The day my cousin got married, we even drank together at the same table. I even spilled some wine on you back then. It's only been a few years, and you don't remember at all?"
Fu Xiang looked enlightened, then smiled and said, "So it's Miss Duan."
"You seemed to be in a hurry," Duan Ning said. "Where are you going?"
Fu Xiang didn't really remember her; she only knew who she was when she heard her mention the concubine. But she still politely replied, "Someone just came to report that there was a happy event in the building, and my father asked me to come out and see."
Duan Ning paused in his hand, which was twirling a flower branch, and looked at Fu Xiang, saying, "This happy occasion... is probably not what you want to hear. I think you should not go. Go back and practice your sword."
Fu Xiang looked slightly puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Duan Ning leaned against a pillar and said casually, "My cousin is pregnant, and your father is overjoyed. You either don't go, or if you do go, you have to pretend to be even happier than him. But I suggest you don't go, so you don't make yourself unhappy."
Fu Xiang was slightly taken aback, and secretly tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword, but she did not show her emotions. She said calmly, "Miss Duan is very kind, but since my mother is pregnant, how can I, as her daughter, not be there to congratulate her? For Mingyue Tower, this is indeed a great joyous occasion."
"You don't even have a smile on your face, what are you pretending for?" Duan Ning said, "In this Mingyue Tower, you're probably the last person who wants to see my cousin pregnant, aren't you?"
Fu Xiang's expression turned slightly cold as she said in a deep voice, "Miss Duan, watch your words."
Duan Ning chuckled, "Don't be nervous. By seniority, you're still my cousin's niece. The fact that I'm telling you this means I don't treat you like an outsider. My cousin has written home countless times, worrying about getting pregnant all these years. Your situation has spread among my mother's sisters. Everyone knows that you, the young master, are diligent, studious, and have a strong momentum." As she spoke, she nudged Fu Xiang with her elbow, "Then you'd better hurry up. If my cousin has a son, all your efforts over the years will be in vain."
Fu Xiang turned her head to look at her, her expression unchanged, and said, "Then, according to Miss Duan, what should I do?"
Duan Ning said, "What do you mean, how to do it? I'm just giving you a hint. I can't expect you to go after my cousin, can I? You can only try to make a good impression and get your father to step down as soon as possible."
Fu Xiang thought to herself, "What a load of nonsense! Do you even need to tell me this?" Impatient, she had no desire to continue this rambling with Duan Ning. After taking a few steps, she suddenly had a thought and turned back, saying, "We haven't met that many times, Miss Duan, why are you telling me all this?"
Duan Ning immediately smiled brightly, revealing a set of white teeth, and said, "I just remembered that you once studied at Yunhua Palace and were the sect leader's last disciple, right?"
Fu Xiang hummed in response: "What?"
"Then can you do me a favor?" Duan Ning took two steps closer to her. "I also want to go to Yunhua Palace to become an apprentice and learn martial arts. I'm just worried about not having anyone to introduce me. You're my cousin's niece, so can you help me arrange it?"
Fu Xiang scrutinized her for a moment, then said frankly, "I'm afraid I can't help you with this."
Duan Ning was surprised: "How can you be powerless? Aren't you the sect leader's disciple?"
“I am indeed the sect leader’s disciple, but I only stayed in Yunhua Palace for a short year. There is no master-disciple relationship between us,” Fu Xiang said. “I just send letters to greet you during festivals. If you want to enter Yunhua Palace, you don’t need to come to me. With the connections of your Duan family, this should be a small matter.”
"Unfortunately, my father isn't willing; he won't help me," Duan Ning sighed. "Fine, if you can't help me, I won't force you. How about I ask you about someone else?"
Fu Xiang asked, "Who?"
Duan Ning dismissed the maid beside him and whispered, "Do you know Meng Jing?"
Fu Xiang raised an eyebrow: "Meng Jing? Why are you asking about him?"
"It seems you two know each other," Duan Ning said excitedly, his eyes shining. "Then tell me quickly, I want to know everything about her, especially her family background, whether she is married or not, tell me everything!"
Fu Xiang looked at her and said, "He has no family background, just the son of a farmer in the mountains. His parents were killed by the Ziwei Sect when he was young. As for marriage... he probably hasn't gotten married yet." After saying this, she asked, "Do you two have some kind of connection?"
“There is a connection between us; I saved her life,” Duan Ning said. “She’s an interesting person, and I’m quite interested in her.”
Surprised that anyone could be interested in Meng Jing, Fu Xiang was somewhat speechless. She had spent the past few years at Mingyue Tower and hadn't returned to Yunhua Palace once. Her impression of Meng Jing was still stuck in the past, so she was unaware of his current changes. However, seeing Duan Ning's blushing face, Fu Xiang guessed that she probably had developed some feelings for Meng Jing, and asked again, "Are you going to Yunhua Palace because of him?"
Duan Ning shook his head: "No, I just met Yin Qiu and the others in Yao Dingcheng for a while, and even saw Man Jiangxue! When I was a child, I looked down on martial arts sects, but I don't think so now. It's not bad to travel the martial arts world like them! That's why I want to go to Yunhua Palace. It's supposed to be the number one sect in the martial arts world!"
Upon hearing that she mentioned Yin Qiu, Fu Xiang's expression immediately improved, and all traces of coldness and aloofness disappeared. Her gaze shifted, and she suddenly noticed the flower branch in Duan Ning's hand, causing her heart to sink.
So the plum blossoms are all in bloom? Then it's Xiao Qiu's birthday...
Startled to realize she had forgotten about it, Fu Xiang fell silent again. She sighed softly and looked at Duan Ning, asking, "What brings you to Mingyue Tower this time?"
Duan Ning said, "It's my own business. I need to send a batch of goods north. The land route is time-consuming and laborious, so I plan to take the waterway. It just so happens that the goods are supplied by merchants in Jinhuai City, so I asked my father to contact your Mingyue Tower and ask him to send some people to escort me."
"Heading north..." Fu Xiang hesitated for a moment, then asked again, "Which river?"
Duan Ning was taken aback: "Which river?" She turned around and asked the maid, "Which river is it?"
The maid replied, "Fengkou River."
Fu Xiang said, "Is it the Fengkou River, which is sandwiched between Yunhua Mountain and Xifeng Mountain?"
The maid nodded in agreement.
“So you will definitely pass through Yunhua Mountain on your journey north,” Fu Xiang said. “Then I’ll trouble you to do me a favor.”
Duan Ning's lips twitched, and he rolled his eyes: "What kind of person are you? You won't help me, and you expect me to help you instead? I think you should just give up being a young master and go into business. With your brains, I guarantee you'll make a fortune and be rolling in money every day!"
Fu Xiang ignored her words and didn't care about her mockery. She simply stated, "I am very close to Yin Qiu, whom you just mentioned. It was her birthday not long ago. I used to send her a letter and gifts every year, but I was too busy this year and forgot. Please pass by Yunhua Mountain and give them to her for me."
Duan Ning said, "I have to set off tomorrow, so you'd better get ready quickly. Why don't you just come with me? With you, the young master, protecting me, I can sleep soundly on the boat."
“No, I can’t leave,” Fu Xiang said. “My father won’t agree to me leaving Mingyue Tower. If you’re willing to help me, I’ll try to help you in return.”
Upon hearing this, Duan Ning's face immediately brightened, and he exclaimed with delight, "Alright, alright! Deal!"
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