Uncle Huang was surprised, “Have you heard of Master Tufeng?” The young master casually mentioned, “I’ve heard of him.” After a long moment of changing expressions, Uncle Huang said, “Yes, when the master fell ill, he instructed me to deliver a letter to Mount Song. After that, Master Tufeng disappeared without a trace.”
The young master nodded and casually added, “Uncle Huang, since you’re here in Cangzhou, why not stay a few more days? You served my father well, and you deserve some rest.” Uncle Huang waved his hands, “The old master was like a mountain of kindness to me; for the young master to say this is too much.”
Someone came to escort Uncle Huang out, and the young master sat down, appearing calm, but Qinglong, watching from the side, felt uneasy. “Young Master…” he softly called, “Was there something suspicious about the old master’s death?”
The young master merely sipped his tea, lost in thought. After a moment, he said, “Qinglong, when you saved Su Fenghua from that mysterious woman, did you ever wonder why, despite her skill, she didn’t kill him outright?”
Qinglong, though naive, was not stupid. At the young master’s suggestion, he frowned, “Are you saying it might have been a ruse?”
“If it was a ruse, it was rather clumsy,” the young master smiled faintly, “But there must be something unusual about it.” He stood up, his expression lightening, “Let’s go see him.”
“Are you planning to keep him, Young Master?” Qinglong asked hesitantly. The young master didn’t reply, which seemed like an affirmation. Qinglong, feeling a bit sour, quietly rolled his eyes, “Then what was the point of all the commotion last night?” But as the young master’s gaze swept over, he lowered his head and kept quiet.
The young master smiled slightly, as if remembering something, “By the way, pack your things and go with Zhuque to find her master.”
“Ah?” Qinglong looked troubled, “Can I not go, Young Master?” He… would rather stay here, watching the young master and Chuxia together, than go on a journey with Bai Xue.
The young master, however, seemed not to hear, heading straight to where Su Fenghua was. Before entering, they heard someone reading aloud, though not with much enthusiasm, it was the “Analects of Confucius.”
“Learn much, but doubt what you do not understand; be cautious in your speech, then you will have few faults. Observe much, but be cautious in your actions, then you will have few regrets. With few faults in speech and few regrets in action, fortune will be yours…”
“Slow down, slow down, there’s an issue with your reading…”
“Then you read it!”
“Ouch, ouch! My chest wound seems to have reopened!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll read it!”
The young master pushed open the door to see Chuxia sitting on a stool by the bed, reading aloud from a book. Upon hearing the noise, she turned to look at the doorway. Seeing the young master, her face lit up, and she stood to greet him, “Young Master.”
Su Fenghua also tried to get up but was stopped by the young master, who said, “Stay lying down, mind your wound.”
At this moment, Su Fenghua did not display the demeanor of a pedantic scholar but carefully assessed the young master and said, “Last night was too rushed, Young Master Jun, I was remiss.”
The young master nodded slightly, “No harm done.” However, Su Fenghua continued seriously, “I have long heard of Young Master Jun’s acts of justice, and I admire them greatly. I should bow in respect for the common people, but due to my injuries, I cannot rise. Please forgive me.”
Jun Ye’an paused, then smiled, “Among martial artists, we do not adhere to such formalities, Mr. Su, you are too polite.”
Seeing that the young master did not mind Su Fenghua’s lengthy discourse, Chuxia felt relieved. However, Su Fenghua continued, shaking his head, “A scholar should stand for the heart of heaven and earth, for the fate of the people, to continue the lost teachings of the past, and to bring peace to future generations. Alas, now justice relies on the support of wandering knights; how can one bear such a thought?”
After a long speech, Su Fenghua finally paused, concluding with a lament, “…Young Master Jun, remember the saying, ‘Chivalry often defies law,’ using violence to counter violence, is it not wrong?”
Chuxia burst into laughter, but the young master remained expressionless, only saying, “I am enlightened.”
“Good, good,” Su Fenghua nodded.
“There is one more thing I’d like to ask Mr. Su,” the young master pondered for a moment, “Who was it that was chasing you? Why were they so ruthless?”
“I initially thought they were debt collectors,” Su Fenghua recalled the previous day’s events, his face turning pale, “Then the lady asked me… why Miss Chuxia and her companion were looking for me. I told her the truth, but she didn’t believe me and struck with her sword.”
Up until this moment, Su Xiu Cai was still dazedly calling her “Miss.” Chuxia listened in silence, only turning her face away. The young master listened quietly and did not say much, only stating, “You can rest here with peace of mind.”
“Young Master, aren’t you angry?” Chuxia was pleased that the young master had called her out, sparing her from the tedious task of studying.
“What?” The young master lifted his gaze to look at her, seeing that the flower ornaments on her forehead were still intact. Unable to resist, he reached out to gently touch them.
“Su Xiu Cai said that violence should be met with violence, and martial arts should be used to defy the law. Aren’t you angry?” Chuxia felt a bit ticklish but did not dodge, smiling cheekily.
“He’s not wrong.” The young master sighed softly, slightly averting his gaze, “In the past, Huang Yaoshi, the master of Peach Blossom Island, had an extremely eccentric personality but uniquely respected loyal subjects and filial children. Although Su Xiu Cai does not know martial arts, he cares for the world. Such people are too rare in this world.”
Chuxia looked at him in a daze, as if for the first time, she saw a hint of melancholy on the young master’s face.
“Young Master, you actually hope that the martial world could be peaceful, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about anything, right?” The young master just smiled, and after a long while, he said, “If that day comes, I will take you to see the misty rain of Jiangnan, the eagles flying over the vast desert.”
Chuxia, still somewhat childlike, had eyes full of longing: “You better not lie to me.” She extended her hand, “Pinky promise.”
He smiled, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, and seriously made the pinky promise with her. Until the thumb pressed down gently, he did not immediately release her hand but instead held it, softly saying, “Chuxia, would you accompany me on a trip in the next few days?”
Chapter 27 (Part One)
“Where to?” Chuxia was taken aback. The young master did not answer, only gripping her hand tighter. Chuxia slightly furrowed her brows, “You’re not asking me to go with you to Jun—?” She was very cautious not to mention the place, but seeing that the young master did not refute, her heart cooled.
“Indeed, I want to take you with me,” the young master said lightly.
Chuxia fell silent for a moment, then withdrew her hand, “I don’t want to go.” Indeed, she didn’t want to go. She feared that once she went, as Qinglong had said, “She would be sold and still help count the money.” When it came to scheming, Chuxia sneered to herself, knowing she could never match the young master—even now, even if the young master liked her, she… dared not fully trust him.
The young master looked deeply at her, rubbing his brow, his voice tinged with fatigue: “Girl, I’m taking you, not to use you.”
Chuxia turned her face away. He then reached out, gently holding her chin to turn her face back, patiently saying, “I can’t leave you here with peace of mind.”
