Reply
The deep, dark clouds seemed like an impenetrable ink barrier. Xie Linyang, dressed in a black night-clothes, revealed only a sliver of her tightly pursed lips. Her toes touched the moss along the edge of the flagstone path as she silently darted through the bamboo grove, her clothes brushing against the bamboo leaves without disturbing a single one. This was the "Shadowless Step" she had learned from her master in the mountains—a technique that required no spiritual power, relying entirely on the strength of her waist and abdomen, perfectly suited for stealthy movements at this moment.
She stopped at a residence and used her "sound-peeping" technique to hear three voices coming from inside. She thought to herself, "This is it."
"...Hiccup! That old fogey Lan Qiren, whoever wants to listen to tomorrow's class can listen!" It was Jin Zixun's voice, reeking of alcohol. "Let's sneak down the mountain. I know a restaurant with roast chicken that's a hundred times better than the bland broth at Cloud Recesses!"
"Brother Jin is right!" another voice chimed in. "It's just that this wine isn't strong enough. I should have brought a few more jars of Lanling's 'Drunken Flowing Clouds'..."
"What's there to be afraid of? Let's go to the cold spring later and sober up before drinking!"
Xie Linyang's lips curled into a cold smile. Cold Spring? That's one of the forbidden areas of Cloud Recesses; approaching at night is strictly prohibited, and making noise is forbidden even more so. These three drunkards have given her leverage.
She first went around to the other side of the courtyard wall and casually made a "rustling" sound with bamboo leaves, just like the sound of a rabbit scratching at grass.
The commotion in the courtyard paused briefly. "What was that sound?" a lackey muttered. "Could it be a rabbit that ran in?"
The spirit rabbits of Cloud Recesses were notoriously fearless of humans, and Jin Zixun and his friends had teased them quite a bit during the day. "Catch one and play with it!" Jin Zixun shouted drunkenly, "Catch it and roast it for a snack with our drinks!"
Then came the sound of shuffling footsteps, the clatter of tables and chairs being knocked over, and the creaking sound of a wooden door being pushed open. Xie Linyang quickly retreated to the shadows in the corner and saw that Jin Zixun and the other two had indeed staggered out, their clothes half-open, their hair disheveled, and carrying an empty wine jar in their hands.
She immediately tied the mud-covered cloth to the crooked pear tree outside the courtyard, then stepped back ten paces and put the bamboo whistle to her lips—a whistle she had whittled from bamboo that could produce a "pop" sound similar to the sound of a wine jar being opened.
"Whoosh—Pop!"
The whistle wasn't loud, but it reached Jin Zixun's ears precisely. His eyes lit up, and he drunkenly pointed towards the pear tree: "The wine...the wine jar is over there!"
The three stumbled after him, and just as they reached the pear tree, Jin Zixun stepped on the moss that Xie Linyang had spread beforehand—the moss had been splashed with cold water and was as slippery as if it had been oiled. "Ouch!" He fell forward, crashing into the tree trunk. The jade pendant at his waist clattered against the stone, and the mud-stained cloth landed squarely on his face.
"What is this? It's all sticky!" Jin Zixun ripped off his cloth, smearing mud all over his face, looking like he'd just come out of a cesspool. His two henchmen behind him laughed so hard they were doubled over, but they didn't notice Xie Linyang walking around behind them and gently hooking one of their belts with a twig—the belt was already loose, and with the twig, it fell to the ground with a "thud," and his trousers instantly slid down to his ankles.
"Hahaha! Fatty Li, you've shown your ass!" Another man pointed at his companion and laughed, the laughter carrying far into the quiet night.
A mischievous glint flashed in Xie Linyang's eyes. He turned and rushed towards the Cold Spring, blowing a second "pop" with his bamboo whistle. This time, the sound clearly came from the path to the Cold Spring.
"The wine... the wine jar went that way!" Jin Zixun pointed in the direction of Lengquan, and his follower, who was pulling up his pants, didn't even bother to pull them up anymore, and chased after them in the direction of the forbidden area.
The Cold Spring is located behind the Cloud Recesses, surrounded by three stone tablets: "No Nighttime Visits," "No Loud Talking," and "No Swimming." Moonlight spills onto the spring's surface, giving it a ghostly blue glow. Xie Linyang, hiding behind a large rock, watched as Jin Zixun and his two companions stumbled and rushed into the area marked by the stone tablets, shouting, "My wine... don't run away!"
She pulled one last thing from her sleeve—a small handful of dried Sichuan peppercorn powder. There was no other way; as a doctor, she always carried some strange things with her.
While the three were peering around the cold spring, he flicked his finger, and the powder was precisely sprinkled into the spring eye closest to them.
"Gurgle—"
Suddenly, a string of bubbles rose from the cold spring, instantly filling the air with the pungent aroma of Sichuan peppercorns. Jin Zixun, who was closest to the spring, was choked by the fumes and sneezed, tears and snot streaming down his face. He slipped and fell into the spring with a "plop!"
"Brother Jin!" The two henchmen rushed to pull him up, but lost their footing and tumbled into the spring as well. The three of them floundered in waist-deep water, their clothes soaked and clinging to their bodies, their hair disheveled like a bird's nest, and mud mixed with spring water dripping from Jin Zixun's face, making them look like three drowned rats.
"Who...who's up to this?!" Jin Zixun roared, his voice carrying far through the silent forbidden area, startling the night birds in the treetops.
Meanwhile, Xie Linyang had already circled around to the stone path on the other side of the cold spring and blew a bamboo whistle in the direction of the night patrol disciples.
A moment later, hurried footsteps could be heard in the distance. "Who is making such a racket here?" A Lan Clan night patrol disciple ran over with a lantern in hand. When he saw three wet, disheveled figures in the spring, reeking of alcohol and Sichuan peppercorns, the lantern clattered to the ground.
"Young Master Jin... Jin Zixun?!" The night patrol disciple was both shocked and furious. "You were drinking, making noise, and splashing around in the forbidden area? And... and you were even improperly dressed!"
Jin Zixun then came to his senses and realized that his clothes were wide open and his follower's trousers were still hanging at his ankles. The sight of the three of them splashing around in the spring water had been clearly seen. He wanted to curse, but he was choked by the spring water and could not speak. He could only watch helplessly as the night patrol disciple used his spiritual power to send out a warning.
Xie Linyang, hiding behind a boulder, watched as Jin Zixun and the other two were carried ashore by Lan disciples who had rushed to the scene. They were dragged like dead dogs towards the Discipline Hall, still drunkenly shouting "My wine jar." He couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips into a smile.
Without using any spiritual power or lifting a finger, simply using their drunkenness and the rules of Cloud Recesses would be enough to make these three fools suffer. Drinking, wandering at night, making noise, trespassing on forbidden grounds, and being improperly dressed—these five violations would be enough for Lan Qiren to punish them by making them copy the family rules a hundred times.
She turned and darted out of the cold spring's reach, her almond-shaped eyes shining like stars in the moonlight. As she passed the crooked pear tree, she casually picked an unripe green pear, took a bite, and the sour juice exploded on her tongue, yet it made her feel even lighter.
The tartness of the green pear was still lingering on his tongue when Xie Linyang, having just turned off the stone path leading to the cold spring, bumped into a tall, imposing figure.
Moonlight filtered through the bamboo groves, illuminating the gold and snow wave patterns on the other person's moon-white brocade robe—the insignia of the direct line of the Lanling Jin clan, far more elegant than Jin Zixun's flamboyant attire.
This person seems to be named Jin Zixuan. Wei Wuxian mentioned him during the day, saying that he was a peacock.
The man raised his eyebrows slightly, displaying the noble air characteristic of the Jin family. His gaze swept over her night clothes and finally landed on the half-eaten green pear she was eating.
Xie Linyang's heart skipped a beat. He looked up to meet his gaze, his voice low and hoarse: "Young Master Jin, are you looking for those three 'companions who fell into the water' so late at night?"
Jin Zixuan frowned even more: "Were you in the Cold Spring just now?"
"Just passing by." Xie Linyang said casually, tossing the pear core he had bitten into precisely into the bushes next to him. "I heard a lot of noise inside and thought it was mountain spirits playing in the water. Turns out it's the Jin family members 'experiencing' the forbidden rules."
Jin Zixuan's expression darkened. He had come looking for Jin Zixun and the others after discovering they had sneaked out to drink, but he heard a commotion outside the cold spring. When he went around to them, he saw this person walking out of the stone path with a green pear in his mouth. His movements were light and agile, and his eyes were clear. He was definitely not an ordinary cultivator.
"Miss Xie, isn't your appearance a bit too coincidental?"
Xie Linyang didn't even turn her head and said, "Instead of worrying about me, Young Master Jin, you should think about how Mr. Lan will hold your Jin family members accountable tomorrow." Her voice drifted through the bamboo forest on the night breeze, carrying a hint of mockery. "Oh, by the way, remember to make sure they drink a few bowls of ginger soup to relieve the spiciness of the peppercorns in the spring."
As soon as the words were spoken, the figure disappeared into the depths of the bamboo shadows, leaving only a faint scent of pear blossoms. Jin Zixuan stood there, his fingertips tracing the shape of his fingers, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Sichuan pepper powder? Mountain spirits playing in the water?
He looked down at the commotion coming from the direction of the cold spring, then at the swaying moonlight deep in the bamboo forest, snorted coldly, and headed towards the cold spring.
She did something good last night, which made her sleepy in class the next day. After class, Nie Huaisang chuckled and said, "Lin Yang, what did you do last night? You're nodding like a dog. You almost got caught by Old Man Lan just now."
Xie Linyang looked up at the podium blankly, then quickly straightened her back, a blush rising on her cheeks, and muttered softly, "Nothing... I was reading late."
Upon hearing this, and learning that those annoying members of the Jin clan had been punished, Wei Wuxian nonchalantly declared, "Acting on behalf of Heaven, a noble cause!"
The news that Jin Zixun and his two companions had been playing naked in the cold spring last night had already spread. The three of them were directly expelled from the Gusu Lan Clan and were not allowed to attend classes again. This result was beyond Xie Linyang's expectations. He did not expect that the Lan Clan's rules were truly absolute.
Upon hearing that Jin Zixun had been sent back to Lanling in the morning, Jiang Cheng recalled what he had seen yesterday and looked at Xie Linyang.
She was pretending to organize her books, but her ears were secretly turning red, and her fingers were trembling as she held the pen—not out of fear, but because she was trying not to laugh. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the gold hairpin on her head, revealing a section of her neck that was exposed outside her collar, as white and delicate as jade. Who would have thought that beneath this quiet demeanor lay a cunning and ruthless dagger?
Jiang Cheng's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but his heart was in turmoil.
It turns out that she didn't need spiritual power, yet she managed to completely outmaneuver the three young masters from the aristocratic families, and even tricked them into falling into the trap of the "rules" that the Lan Clan valued most—she both avenged herself and didn't expose herself. Even the clever Wei Wuxian only dared to guess but not admit it. Her methods were much cleaner and more efficient than he had imagined.
This girl is no pushover at all. She's clearly a ruthless character who pretends to be oblivious when she's actually in the know. She seems quiet and reserved most of the time, but deep down she's incredibly vengeful. And she does it in the most subtle way possible—without getting blood on her hands or breaking the law, she uses the rules of Cloud Recesses as her weapon to leave people speechless.
“…Jiang Cheng?” Wei Wuxian suddenly leaned over and nudged him with his elbow. “What are you thinking about? Your face is like a color palette, turning green one minute and white the next.”
Jiang Cheng snapped back to reality, glared at him, and said, "Nothing." He turned his head away, no longer looking at Xie Linyang, his gaze falling on Lan Qiren's ruler, but his mind was in turmoil.
Perhaps Xie Linyang is much more interesting than he thought.
At least, they are much more pleasing to the eye than those Jin family scions who only know how to bully others because of their family background.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com