Chapter 57 Those who cause trouble are all young and impetuous.
Lou Cangyu rubbed his eyes with one hand and pinched his leg with the other, thinking, "I'm not dreaming."
"You're awake?" Ji Fang waved his white paws and came closer, chuckling, "If I weren't injured and couldn't stand the wind, I would be outside too."
Lou Cangyu looked out the window again. "What happened? The sword is broken, how can you still laugh?"
Ji Fang glanced enviously at Ajiu, who was surrounded by people, and grinned, "The Imperial Advisor took Ajiu to the palace to see the Emperor. The Emperor didn't blame us and told Xingguofang to stay in Rongdu."
Lou Cangyu seemed unconvinced and sat up straight, saying seriously, "Ajiu, have you misunderstood? Even if the Emperor is gracious enough not to expel us from Rongdu after we lost the sword fight, can he really appease us and make us stay? Ji Fang, this is no small matter. Are you talking nonsense, Ajiu?"
"Ah Jiu isn't stupid." Ji Fang was getting a little annoyed. "What, you're not exactly happy about being able to stay?"
"No way," Lou Cangyu said, a bitter feeling welling up inside. "This is a matter of great importance; one must be careful in all things. Not everyone can be as carefree as you." The cheerful noise was disturbing, and even lying down, she tossed and turned, unable to close her eyes. If she weren't in bed, she should be the one going to the palace with Grand Preceptor Cui to meet the Emperor. The more Lou Cangyu thought about it, the more upset she became. Why hadn't she gotten up…
Seeing that Lou Cangyu was sweating, Ji Fang kindly reached out to touch him with his white hand, but Lou Cangyu slapped him away, hitting Ji Fang's injured hand right in the process, making him cry out in pain.
"Ah Jiu, repeat what the Emperor said to us again!" Feng Shisan shouted. "Say it again."
"The Emperor said that victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, and there's no need to take them too seriously," Ajiu said with a smile.
Lou Cangyu found the sound grating, slammed the window shut, causing the people outside to pause in surprise for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Where's Guan Ye?" A-Jiu's gaze pierced through the wall of people. "Why can't I see her?"
Xiao Ma snapped out of his daze, looked around, and scratched his head, saying, "I've been watching her room for ages, but I haven't seen her come out today... Could it be that she slept in there all day?"
Ah Jiu squeezed through the crowd and walked toward Guan Ye's quiet room. Just as she was about to knock on the door, a commotion broke out behind her.
"Guan Ye? Guan Ye is back!" Xiao Ma exclaimed in surprise when he saw Guan Ye appear at the courtyard entrance. "When did you leave?"
“We don’t need to go back to Canglang Island.” Feng Shisan’s eyes were as bright as crescent moons with joy. Fearing that Guan Ye would still feel guilty about the broken sword, he pointed at Ajiu and said, “Ajiu went to see the Emperor today. The Emperor said it himself. From now on, Xingguofang can stay in Rongdu. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”
Guan Ye held the Kunwu pebbles tightly behind her back. Ajiu suddenly turned around and gave her a smile as bright as the morning sun.
"Disperse, everyone disperse." Xiao Ma waved his sword hilt, signaling everyone to go back to their places. "There are still two injured people inside, don't disturb them."
As the crowd dispersed from the courtyard, seeing Feng Shisan still standing there dumbfounded, Xiao Ma pulled him into the east wing. "It's your fault! You couldn't even keep an eye on one person. Did you see Guan Ye leave?"
In the quiet room, Guan Ye leaned against the windowsill, staring blankly at the motionless windmill. She puffed out her cheeks and blew on it, making the windmill spin. Her brows remained furrowed, as if she had something on her mind that she couldn't shake off.
Ajiu sat quietly beside her, knowing that she still couldn't let go of the broken sword. He opened his mouth to ask Guan Ye where she had gone during the day, but swallowed the words back. Guan Ye was too stubborn, so stubborn that she had her own ideas about everything. No matter where she went, as long as she could come back here, there was no need to ask anymore.
"Strange." Guan Ye held her breath. "That's all the Emperor told you?"
"I told you everything without missing a single word." Ah Guan guided Guan Ye to blow on the windmill, glancing at Guan Ye's expression out of the corner of her eye. "Although I don't quite understand either, but... it's all over now."
“None of us were born on the island, so your answer to the Emperor… is tantamount to deceiving the Emperor. It’s fine if nothing happens now, but if it’s discovered in the future…” Guan Ye took a deep breath, “that would be a serious crime.”
“We’ve all sworn a blood oath; we all share one life.” Ajiu gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. “Once we get through this, everything will surely go smoothly in the future.”
“Cui Jin is cunning. He asked me if I knew a blacksmith named Guan Xiaotian, and even took you to meet the Emperor…” Guan Ye looked worried. “His eyes… they make my heart race. I always feel… like he knows something…”
“He is the Imperial Preceptor and a Taoist practitioner, so he is naturally a bit mystical.” Ajiu flicked Guan Ye’s nose. “I am also wary of this person, but Xingguofang was introduced back to Rongdu by him, so he shouldn’t be a threat to us.”
"A-Jiu," Guan Ye softly called out his name.
Ah Jiu turned Guan Ye's head and gazed at her slightly pale face, feeling a surge of pity in his heart.
"Pei Chong's sword, and the sword from Xingguo Ward this time, were both broken before the Emperor." Guan Ye hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, her dry lips pale and bloodless. "A-Jiu, do you believe in fate?"
"Do I look like someone who has resigned himself to his fate?" Ajiu raised his face and slowly moved closer to Guan Ye. Their skin touched, and the girl's fragrance was alluring. Ajiu took a deep breath and found Guan Ye's hand, his fingers tightly intertwined with hers.
"I want to forge another one." Guan Ye pressed her forehead against A Jiu's, her smooth cheek gently brushing against his fine stubble.
This unexpected reward pleased Ajiu greatly. He narrowed his deep black eyes. "The workshop master is ill. Do whatever you want." As he spoke, he swallowed hard. "You think that the broken sword's unusual behavior isn't because Xingguo Workshop is inferior? Is there... a trap?"
“I’ve seen Pei Chong’s broken sword. It’s a rare treasure and shouldn’t be nailed to the pillar of shame.” Guan Ye bit her lip. “Father said that the swordsmith shouldn’t die either. Our sword has a break that’s almost identical to Pei Chong’s. If we know why our sword is like this, perhaps… we can still avenge Xingguo Workshop.”
Ajiu helped Guan Ye up by the shoulder, tilting her head to scrutinize her serious expression. "Such a big tone. What? What did you see?"
“Let me forge another one…” Guan Ye rubbed the Kunwu stone in her palm, “Let me see if it really is… right.”
In the east wing, Feng Shisan peered out the window toward the quiet room, muttering to himself, "Last time I teased Guan Ye a bit, and everyone criticized me. Ajiu went into someone else's room, and you all acted like nothing happened? There's a difference between men and women, is that alright?"
Xiao Ma peeked inside and laughed, "They weren't doing anything else, just coming in for a chat. Martial arts heroes don't stand on ceremony. I didn't expect you to be as pedantic as this old scholar."
"How do you know he didn't do anything else?" Feng Shisan stubbornly insisted. "A man and a woman alone together, and both young and full of vigor... If they really cause trouble, will you take the blame for him?"
Ji Fangbai rested his chin on his hand and glanced at the quiet room. "There's not a breath of wind today, but the windmill keeps spinning. They must be playing with the windmill."
"What?" Feng Shisan didn't believe it, but when he saw the windmill suddenly stop turning, he became excited. "Look, look! The windmill isn't turning!"
The windmill had stopped, the door opened, and Guan Ye and A Jiu went out one after the other, heading straight for the foundry. They looked calm and their steps were steady. What else? Their minds were preoccupied with important matters of the neighborhood; it made him seem narrow-minded. Feng Shisan's rough face flushed red, and he slammed the window shut, startling Lou Cangyu. Lou Cangyu felt a buzzing in his ears, opened his mouth to retort, but swallowed his words. Everyone else was full of confidence and arrogance; only he himself was left out. Even if he could stay in Rongdu, what good would it do? He had failed miserably; the path to success was probably not his.
Lou Cangyu, feeling dejected, quietly pulled the blanket up to cover her sore eyes.
Neifang
At the other end of the long street, the jingling of carriage bells grew louder as a horse galloped towards them. Luo Yichen, the driver, squinted and looked into the distance. Not far away, at the entrance of the inner quarter, stood a black-roofed carriage, its sides draped in brocade. The exquisite windows were covered by light gauze. Passersby would have mistaken it for an ordinary carriage belonging to a wealthy family, and it wouldn't have attracted much attention. However, the faint gold trim on the black roof betrayed the noble status of the carriage's owner. Only then did Luo Yichen realize what was going on and inwardly cried out in alarm. The Crown Prince and the Second Prince had always been at odds, yet they had managed to bump into each other in the inner quarter. He had followed the Crown Prince for so long, and this was the first time he had ever encountered such a strange occurrence.
"Your Highness," Luo Yichen gently knocked on the carriage window, "The Second Prince's carriage is parked outside the ward. Shall we... reschedule for another day?"
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a section of a dark blue and gold-embroidered robe. Mu Chenbi gazed at it for a moment, then the curtain slowly fell back down. "I haven't seen Le Xiu for a while. It's rare for him to come to the inner palace. Father will be very pleased to know."
The carriage stopped outside the ward. Upon seeing the newcomers, the guards exchanged glances, none daring to announce their arrival. Luo Yichen frowned, "Is the Second Prince inside?"
"We arrived half an hour earlier," the guard said respectfully. "We're practicing swordsmanship with Miss Wushuang inside."
Sword appraisal? Not to mention Mu Chenbi, even Luo Yichen thought he had misheard. Everyone knew that the Second Prince hated ironware the most and wanted to stay as far away from it as possible. Why would he be out of his mind to come to the inner workshop to appraise swords with someone? Unless he saw it with his own eyes, Luo Yichen would not believe a word of it.
"This is getting more and more interesting." Mu Chenbi already had a general idea in mind. Mu Lexiu was a mischievous boy. After hearing about the fun of Shiya Pavilion in the city, he sneaked out of the palace once and couldn't extricate himself from it. Shiya Pavilion gathered all the latest trends in Rongdu. Not only were the singers and dancers all top-notch, but the actors with superb skills also considered it an honor to perform in the pavilion. If they could be noticed by high-ranking officials and nobles, it was not impossible to rise to the top in one step. Mu Chenbi had long advised his younger brother to stay away from this place. Unexpectedly, not only did he not listen, but he actually... met a swordsman from the actors and even... compared swords with him?
Mu Chenbi remembered the female swordsman who broke the Xingguofang sword. She was dressed in a spotless blue robe and her sword was unlike those pretentious actors. But how could she appear on the sword-testing stage in Rongdu's inner workshop at this time, and even break the Xingguofang sword forged by the inner workshop? His father had taught him that there are no coincidences in the world, but rather deliberate intentions. Mu Chenbi never believed in coincidences.
In the main hall, Mu Lexiu never imagined that he could play with an object for so long. He had loved literature and art since childhood and had seen countless masterpieces by painters throughout history. But the painting he was so fond of today was the work of an unknown painter, who couldn't even be called a painter.
Wushuang said that she painted the picture herself. Mu Lexiu glanced at Wushuang. He had already heard that this person had defeated the swordsman of Xingguo Ward. When Shen Ao told him about this, he was so excited that he lost his composure as the manager. This victory greatly boosted the morale of the inner ward, and for a while, no one mentioned "Blade Control" anymore. The existence of Xingguo Ward had become a burden. Shen Ao said that Xingguo Ward would eventually return to where it came from. Everything depended on the gift that God had given to the inner ward - Miss Wushuang.
Mu Lexiu thought that Wushuang had invited him to appraise swords. He originally did not want to come, but he couldn't explain why he had a carriage prepared. All the way, he kept thinking about why he should accept the invitation of a lowly swordsman, and go to a place he despised. But he was obsessed with seeing Wushuang, thinking that he could forget his likes and dislikes.
Mu Lexiu had never seen such a peculiar painting before—it depicted the back of a woman standing on stone steps, her clothes fluttering and her long hair flowing. Though her face was not visible, her ethereal beauty emanated from the paper, inspiring the imagination. Most remarkably, the figure was bathed in a blue light, radiating a chilling aura and possessing a metallic quality, unlike anything painted with ordinary pigments. It resembled a crystal sculpture, its light shimmering and dancing in the sunlight, its luster coalescing into a rosy glow.
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