"The lotus emerges from the water, untainted by dust..."
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Hua Qingcheng and his group were preparing to go to the city, but Feng Qiyan saw Shan Zuo standing there in a daze, muttering to himself.
"Zuo, will you come with us?"
Although still in a mess, Feng Qiyan had revealed a pretty face after washing her face. She opened her pair of bright and clear eyes and looked at Shan Zuo with curiosity and anticipation.
"A Zuo, could it be that the Queen Mother has allowed you to leave the Dark Guard Camp?" Hua Qingcheng asked the question in her heart as she looked at the boy who seemed to have been reborn after not seeing him for three months.
"My Lord, Miss Feng, today is the day Shan Zuo will be tested by Master An San. This is also the critical moment that will determine whether Shan Zuo can leave the Dark Guard Camp and return to the Lord. Shan Zuo must find the five items she designated representing 'gold, wood, water, fire, and earth' before nightfall. Shan Zuo has already found 'gold, wood, fire, and earth', but the only thing left is 'water'."
Although the boy in front of him was young, he had a tall and straight figure, as handsome as the green pines and bamboos in the forest. His eyes were as sharp and alert as an eagle's, and he exuded a heroic and awe-inspiring aura.
Shan Zuo whistled with his fingers, and then a beautiful white horse came out from the nearby woods with a clattering sound. After the horse reached them, Shan Zuo took a package from its back and opened it to present it to Hua Qingcheng and Feng Qiyan.
"Purple jade is silent, golden sands are audible. The vast North Sea, a thousand years of vanity. The lotus emerges from the water, untainted by dust. The red phantom, enchanting the world. Conquering dragons and tigers, slaying demons and monsters."
"'Purple jade is silent, golden sand is audible', this refers to the 'Liusha pot' of Master Ci'en, the abbot of Baiyun Temple in the west of the city, which belongs to the earth element." Shan Zuo picked up a purple clay pot with exquisite shape and perfect color from the bag.
"'Red phantom, enchanting the world' refers to the red ghost bracelet that Qian Duoduo, the richest man in Beijing, got a few days ago. It is of the fire element." Shan Zuo raised the bracelet made of the finest red ghost in his bag.
"'Subdue dragons and tigers, slay demons and eliminate monsters' refers to the 'Angry Dragon Slash', the treasure of Xiangyang Temple on Qifeng Mountain in the north of the city, which belongs to the wood element." Shan Zuo gestured a few more times with the peach wood sword in his bag.
"As for gold..."
Shan Zuo looked at Feng Qiyan meaningfully, and then tightened the black iron dagger in his hand.
"'The vast North Sea, a thousand years of splendor' refers to Miss Feng's short sword, forged from the Black Iron of the North Sea, capable of slicing through iron like mud. Miss Feng, could you please lend your sword to Shan Zuo? After Shan Zuo has it reviewed by Master An San, he will return it to the General's Mansion."
Seeing Feng Qiyan, Shan Zuo froze in shock. He thought she was still haunted by the memory of having borrowed the sword from her to assassinate Emperor Nalan Yunzhi. Shan Zuo grasped the dagger, his bright eyes dimming slightly. A self-deprecating smile played at the corner of his lips, and he immediately presented the dagger to Feng Qiyan.
"Sorry, it was Shan Zuo who overstepped his bounds."
"A Zuo, if you complete the mission, can you leave the Dark Guard Camp and return to Sister Qingcheng?" Feng Qiyan asked seriously and earnestly.
"This is Dan Zuo's chance. Dan Zuo knows he must go all out to return to his master and see Ah You as soon as possible. I don't know if Ah You is in better health now, or if he has grown taller or gained weight..."
Shan Zuo glanced leisurely in the direction of the palace, and Shan You's pretty little face and the gentle smile Shan You gave him appeared in his mind.
"Okay, Zuo. You can take the black iron dagger. But... I have the final say on when to return it. It could be ten days, half a month, or three to five years, seven to eight years. But you absolutely cannot lose it, understand?" Feng Qiyan tilted her head to the side, her chin slightly raised, with a look of arrogance on her face.
In the past, Feng Qiyan liked handsome and elegant young men like Si Chengfeng who could recite poems and compose couplets. But ever since the rebellious boy who followed Hua Qingcheng to the General's Mansion came into her sight, Feng Qiyan inexplicably had such a figure in her heart.
"Thank you, Miss Feng. Shan Zuo will remember this." Shan Zuo solemnly saluted Feng Qiyan with his fists clasped. His eyes were very gentle and full of gratitude when he looked at her.
"Miss Feng, it's Miss Feng again! I've already called you A Zuo, why are you so shy? This young lady allows you to call me by my name, Feng Qi Yan or... Qi Yan." Feng Qi Yan's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of anticipation flashed through her heart.
Sister Qingcheng and her brother-in-law were cuddling, and her brother-in-law was already pregnant. Shan Zuo had already been given the baby, so her innocence was definitely gone. Feng Qiyan wasn't irresponsible. She'd wait a few years, until she and Shan Zuo were both grown up, and then she'd marry this guy...
Of course, if she couldn't wait for them to grow up and the baby in Dan Zuo's belly was born, then she would have to marry Dan Zuo even if it meant being punished by the family law. She, Feng Qiyan, couldn't be a heartless woman and an irresponsible mother. She just didn't know if her mother and father would be able to accept her becoming a grandmother and grandfather now...
(Shan You: According to your logic, what should I do...)
Feng Qiyan didn't know at the time that her assumptions would eventually break the Feng Mansion's rule of not accepting husbands and maids. However, there weren't many, just one husband and one maid...
"Okay, thank you, Feng Qiyan."
The usually serious Shan held the black iron dagger in his left hand and clasped his fists towards Feng Qiyan. But when he smiled slightly with his lips curled up, it was as bright and charming as the rippling autumn eyes. Feng Qiyan couldn't help but stare at him in a daze.
“Cough cough cough…”
"Zuo, do you have any idea about 'water' in the Five Elements?"
Hua Qingcheng, who had been a light bulb for a while, made her presence known at the right time. The two little guys looked like childhood sweethearts. However, if they continued chatting, Dan Zuo might not be able to complete the task before dark.
"'Hibiscus emerges from the water, unstained by dust', Hibiscus refers to the lotus. But, it's winter now, where are the lotus flowers?" Shan Zuo shook his head, looking distressed.
"Maybe... it doesn't necessarily refer to real lotus flowers?" Wu Chen, who had been listening to their conversation silently, suddenly spoke up.
"Monk Hua, have you thought of something?" Hua Qingcheng took off Wu Chen's blue scarf, touched his shiny bald head and smiled slightly.
"Hibiscus is both a lotus and a water lily. There are no lotus flowers that bloom in the water, but... dear sister, have you forgotten that in the Fanyin Pavilion of the East Palace lives a Holy Son with a three-petal red lotus mark on his forehead!"
Wu Chen touched the twelve scars from his ordination on his shiny bald head, grinning in a cheeky way, as if begging for praise. (Even though he'd been wearing a turban for a long time, the feel of his bald head was still as good as ever...)
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