Chapter 6: Formal Adoption
Su Yuyao tore up the summons, which greatly displeased everyone. However, since she was just a beggar, they didn't bother with her and left after hurling a few curses.
She could only sit cross-legged on the summons, tears streaming down her face, quietly waiting for those two scoundrels to show up...
That's... that treacherous old man!
Su Yuyao checked several times until Qi Men walked up to her, and only then did she finally confirm that she had finally found these two people who were not good people!
Looking at Su Yuyao, who was dirty, smelly, tear-streaked, and dressed in rags, Qimen asked with a touch of sadness, "Miss Yao'er, would you like to sit with us this time?"
Su Yuyao stared at Qi Men, slowly stood up, and nodded heavily with tears in her eyes.
The second floor of the teahouse was all private rooms, but that couldn't stop Su Yuyao's stench from driving away several customers.
"Lord Xuanfeng, Miss Yao'er has arrived." Qi Men led Su Yuyao into the private room and said softly.
"You brat!" Xuanfeng asked, covering his nose, "You..."
Before Xuanfeng could speak, Su Yuyao knelt down in front of him with a thud.
Startled, Xuanfeng quickly stood up and asked in confusion, "Girl, you...?"
Su Yuyao finally broke down, crying out, "My lord! My parents and Green Luo have been murdered! I know you need people, and although I don't know anything, I'm willing to risk my life for you! I only beg you, my lord, after this is done, help me find the murderer who wiped out my family! I want to avenge my parents and Green Luo!"
Xuanfeng stood there, stunned. He looked at the disheveled, weeping little girl kneeling before him, and a ripple of emotion stirred within him. "Girl, stand up!"
Su Yuyao's eyes were blurred with tears. She bent down and kept banging her head on the ground, crying and pleading, "Sir! Please... please take me in... please take me in, for the sake of my father who showed you the way and my mother who cooked for you!"
Looking at Su Yuyao's resolute determination and listening to her words, Xuanfeng felt a knife-like pain in his heart.
Qi Men glanced at Xuan Feng, bent down to help Su Yuyao up, and asked softly, "Miss Yao'er, you said that Mr. Su and Mrs. Su were murdered, then... do you know who did it?"
Su Yuyao shook her head, sobbing, and answered, "I don't know..."
Upon hearing this, Qi Men looked up at Xuan Feng and then asked in a low voice, "Then... have any outsiders ever visited your home?"
“Yes…” Su Yuyao said, wiping away her tears, “After you left… someone came to ask Father… to come out of seclusion, but Father refused…”
"Who is it?" Qi Men asked nervously.
"I don't know, Father didn't ask... and that person didn't say either..."
Qi Men then looked at Xuan Feng, "My lord, what do you think... we should do?"
Xuanfeng stared blankly at Su Yuyao, whose parents he had killed. Was it really a misunderstanding? Even if it was a misunderstanding, the people from Youlong Palace had already come looking for them. Even if I didn't take action, the Su family might not escape being wiped out...
But... the murderer this brat is looking for is me! How could I possibly keep her by my side?!
Xuanfeng glanced at Qimen. "Qimen Immortal Master, what should I do? This girl wants revenge on me!"
Qi Men's eyes trembled slightly. "My lord, this is fate. Because of my mistake, she was spared. If it had been the Youlong Palace that made the move, the Su family wouldn't have survived even a fly! Perhaps we should keep her as atonement..."
Xuanfeng sighed deeply. Was this a joke that Heaven was playing on me?
“Girl…” Xuanfeng finally made up his mind and said, “I can take you in, but you must listen to me. Can you do that?”
Su Yuyao nodded repeatedly and said, "My lord! I will risk my life for you! Please help me avenge myself!"
Xuanfeng's eyes widened in panic, and he said awkwardly, "Get up, find a place and wash up properly, you stink!"
"Don't lie to me!" Su Yuyao kowtowed to the ground again...
Little did she know that after kowtowing, her fate would be completely changed...
Qi Men helped Su Yuyao up and said with a smile, "Yao'er, you still don't know who he is, do you?"
Su Yuyao wiped away her tears and shook her head.
"He is the eldest son of the Mother of Limitless, Lord Xuanfeng."
Su Yuyao was shocked inside, but she concealed it well on the surface, slightly curtsied, and said, "Lord Xuanfeng!"
"I am Lord Xuanfeng's teacher, Qimen, so you can... call me Uncle Qimen."
"Yes, Uncle Qimen!"
Xuanfeng and Qimen took Su Yuyao to the inn, asked someone to heat up the bath water, and asked the landlady to buy some clothes for the girl.
Although not as dedicated as Madam Su, after some effort, Su Yuyao finally regained some of the air of a young lady.
The proprietress smacked her lips and said to Xuanfeng, "Sir, this child has such delicate skin, but his body is covered in bruises, and his feet are blistered! And..." she added mysteriously, "there's blood on his clothes! I don't know what happened to him, but I was too embarrassed to ask!"
Xuanfeng frowned, nodded slightly, and said in a low voice, "Thank you."
Inside the room, Su Yuyao was sitting on the bed, her feet covered in blisters, and she was gasping for breath in pain. When she saw Xuanfeng come in, she quickly pulled her feet back into her skirt.
Xuanfeng sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Su Yuyao who had finished washing and was noticeably thinner, and asked softly, "Girl, are you hungry?"
"Mmm," Su Yuyao nodded, and said shyly, "I haven't eaten for several days, but I managed to get two steamed buns outside the city just now..."
Xuanfeng sighed softly and said, "The food is already set downstairs, let's go eat."
Su Yuyao didn't stand on ceremony. After Xuanfeng spoke, she quickly stretched out her feet, put on her shoes and socks, lifted her skirt, and ran downstairs.
Without waiting for Qi Men to offer any courtesy, he sat down at the table and began to eat heartily.
Xuanfeng slowly walked downstairs, the image of her little feet covered in blisters flashing through her mind.
Looking at the girl who used to be fed spoonful by spoonful by Madam Su, now eating with her hands and wolfing down her food, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken and annoyed. What have I done?
No, even if I don't lay a hand on them, they won't survive... But... if I don't provoke them... But... this brat provoked me first...
Qimen looked at Xuanfeng, who was conflicted, and said softly, "My lord, let's eat. We... still need to move forward..."
Xuanfeng looked at Qimen, sighed, and nodded slightly.
As Su Yuyao was eating, she suddenly remembered the scene of having a meal with her parents at home, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
She couldn't see the food on the table clearly, nor could she taste it. She just mechanically stuffed the food into her mouth, instinctively trying to fill her stomach.
Mother... Father... Green Ivy... Wait for me, I will definitely avenge you! After I've avenged you, I'll come find you and reunite with you!
Xuanfeng and Qimen looked at the little girl in front of them and their hearts trembled.
After we finished eating, it got dark.
The landlady booked a guest room for Su Yuyao, but Su Yuyao hesitated as she looked at Xuanfeng and Qimen. What if they secretly left her here while she was asleep?
Xuanfeng smiled and said, "Don't worry, we won't leave you here."
"Really?" Su Yuyao asked, tilting her head.
"real."
Only then did Su Yuyao feel relieved enough to go into her room and fall asleep peacefully...
A raging fire burned in the cold night sky, and everyone was busy fetching water to put it out. Su Yuyao was also frantically looking for a bucket of water.
Suddenly, he saw his mother, arm in arm with his father, leading Green Ivy towards the fire.
"Mother! Father! Green Ivy! Wait for me!" Su Yuyao cried as she chased after him, "Don't leave me!"
Father turned to look at Su Yuyao and smiled slightly. Before Mother could turn around, the raging fire suddenly scattered the three of them!
"Ah!" Su Yuyao suddenly woke up, covered in cold sweat. She sat up and looked at the dark room as her memories of reality gradually returned.
Reality is always cruel, and she couldn't help but cry again as she thought of her loved ones who had left her.
After crying herself to sleep, she realized that the two people next to her might have abandoned her too.
She dressed and put on her shoes and socks, then quietly walked to Xuanfeng's room. The candle was still lit, thankfully...
She didn't dare to go inside rashly, so she sat by the door and dozed off against the door frame, feeling more at ease sleeping there.
"Oh! What's this child doing here?!" The landlady exclaimed in surprise as she looked at Su Yuyao lying down by the door.
"Sir! Sir! Look at your child, why is he lying at the door?!" The proprietress pounded on the door and shouted.
Xuanfeng and Qimen were quite surprised to hear the noise and quickly opened the door. They saw the landlady pointing at Su Yuyao, who was lying sprawled out at the door, and said anxiously, "Sir, please take a look. I can't wake her up no matter how I call her. Is something wrong with her?"
Xuanfeng quickly bent down to check, feeling Su Yuyao's breathing; it was even and steady. He then felt her pulse; she was clearly frightened and exhausted...
"It's nothing, she just fell asleep..." Xuanfeng was relieved.
"Huh? Asleep...asleep?" the landlady said somewhat awkwardly. "Oh, this child is a heavy sleeper. It's good that he's alright."
Xuanfeng gently picked up Su Yuyao and said to Qimen, "Immortal Master, rest early tonight and make plans tomorrow morning."
"Okay." Qi Men nodded in response, looking at the sleeping Su Yuyao.
Xuanfeng carried Su Yuyao slowly towards the bed. Suddenly, he felt something unusual on his chest. He looked down and saw Su Yuyao placing her hand on his chest and burying her face in it, murmuring, "Mother..."
Xuanfeng looked at Su Yuyao in his arms and laughed, scolding, "You brat, you haven't grown up yet!"
Su Yuyao slept soundly and peacefully on Xuanfeng's bed. This was the first time in many days that she had slept so peacefully. She didn't open her eyes until almost noon.
"Huh? This is..." Su Yuyao opened her eyes and found herself in Xuanfeng's room, but no one was there. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly pushed open the door and ran out, "Xuanfeng! Xuanfeng! Don't leave me!"
"You brat! What are you yelling about?!" Xuanfeng came out from the next room and said, "I was discussing something with Immortal Master Qimen in his room when I heard you shouting here."
Su Yuyao hurriedly ran to Xuanfeng's side, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "I thought you guys had left!"
"You're sleeping so soundly, we can't wake you up. How are we supposed to get there?" Xuanfeng said helplessly, glancing at Su Yuyao.
Su Yuyao chuckled and said shyly, "I haven't slept for too long, I'm probably too tired..."
"Also, you absolutely must not shout my name, do you hear me?" Xuanfeng said sternly again.
"Yes, sir!" Su Yuyao replied with her head bowed.
"Yao'er, go wash your face and come down for dinner!" Qi Men said with a smile. "Today is market day. After dinner, let's go to the market and take a stroll around. We'll leave here together tomorrow and head to Lüshuang Peak!"
"Okay!" Su Yuyao finally smiled from the bottom of her heart.
The market here is indeed more lively! Not only are there more stalls selling trinkets, but there are also many kinds of food that I've never seen before. There are also magic tricks and acrobatics performances in the open space!
Su Yuyao followed behind Xuanfeng and Qimen, looking left and right in amazement at the dazzling market.
She looked around and wandered off on her own...
This hairpin is so pretty! The rouge box smells so good! The round fan is so exquisite! And the oil-paper umbrella even has a painting on it? The rice cake is so big! Is that red date cake? It must be very sweet!
"Little sister, how about a sugar figurine?" The sugar figurine maker held up a finished one in front of Su Yuyao and said, "It's delicious and beautiful, would you like one?"
Su Yuyao licked her lips and asked, "Is this edible?"
"Of course you can eat it! Little sister, haven't you ever seen this before? It's made of syrup, it's delicious! It's crispy and sweet!" the uncle said with a smile.
Seeing the children around her happily sucking on their candy figurines, Su Yuyao also started to feel a pang of envy. She wondered if Xuanfeng could buy her one. She turned around, looking for Xuanfeng, but found that he and Qimen were no longer in the crowd.
"Huh? Lord Xuan...?!" Su Yuyao pushed through the crowd and stood on the bustling street. "Where is he?"
Her heart began to pound. Where should she look for them? Back to the inn! Yes! Back to the inn to wait for them!
But which direction is the inn? I was so busy walking that I didn't even remember the direction!
Going to a teahouse?! Would they even go to a teahouse?
Su Yuyao cast a divination at will. Xuanfeng, the eldest son in the family, takes the Zhen hexagram. Qimen, the elder, takes the Qian hexagram. The main hexagram is Thunder over Heaven (Dazhuang). The time is Wei (1-3 PM). The second line moves, changing to Thunder over Fire (Feng). She grasps the image, and fire above a cup, seemingly indicating tea brewing. They should be in a teahouse, but this hexagram depletes the main element. Could it be that they are in a teahouse, but I can't find them? Why?
"It really is you! You brat!"
Just as Su Yuyao was deep in thought, a lewd voice interrupted her train of thought.
She looked closely and realized it was that stinky old man.
The old man had half his head wrapped in a white cloth, his eyes slightly bloodshot, and his other good eye was glaring at Su Yuyao with malevolent rage.
Oh no! Just as Su Yuyao turned around to run away, the old man grabbed her arm.
"You bad guy! Let me go!" Su Yuyao resisted, kicking and hitting him.
"Let you go?! Dream on!" The old man twisted Su Yuyao's arm and sneered, "I'm taking you to the Immortal Court right now. You injured me, so you have to pay me back! If you don't have money, you'll have to pay me back with yourself!"
"Let go! Help—!" Su Yuyao shouted loudly.
Su Yuyao's cries for help attracted many people to come forward, but when they heard that the old man was going to take her to the Immortal Palace, they all put on a show of watching a good show.
The Celestial Court? What if I'm imprisoned? Won't they be even less able to find me?!
"Help! This old man is a bad person! Please help me!"
"Hey! Isn't that the beggar child?"
Wiping away her tears, Su Yuyao looked up and saw the old woman who had thrown the eggs. She quickly called out, "Auntie, auntie! Please help me! I've found my father at the teahouse! Please tell him that Yao'er has been taken to the celestial office by bad people!"
"You brat!" The old man slapped her across the face. "Where did you get a father from! You're dressed in mourning!"
"Hey! Why are you hitting me!" the woman who threw the egg shouted.
"Get out of my way!"
"That guy is a wicked man in the mountains, unreasonable and unruly. Even flies would get skinned if they passed by him. What did this child do to offend him?!" the old woman who threw the eggs muttered.
"Auntie!" Su Yuyao cried and pleaded as she struggled, "Help me find my father..."
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