“I don’t know. They even knew the clues about my fiancé’s family, leading us to Lvyu Alley… I’m scared,” Chuxia whispered, suddenly feeling the night’s chill intensify. The young master, however, laughed, leaning forward to pull her in front of him, his arm around her waist. “Let’s not think about what we can’t figure out for now. Just think about what led to the emergence of Tian Gang?” Chuxia’s eyes brightened, “The Ballad of Hills and Streams?”
“Exactly. The Ballad of Hills and Streams. With Tian Gang destroyed, yet I have no interest in the ballad, they might be more anxious than I am.” The young master sighed softly, “So, even if our opponents have the upper hand right now, if we want to win through danger, we might have to find that ballad.” Chuxia was silent for a moment before saying, “I was thinking, could the Ballad of Hills and Streams itself be a huge trap?”
The young master didn’t reply, only gradually urged the horse forward, letting the breeze ruffle their clothes. The heavy atmosphere seemed to be dispersed by the cool night wind. With a playful tone, the young master said, “Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. Even if there’s a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den ahead, you’ll have to go with me.” Chuxia was taken aback, her face flushing red, and she elbowed him hard.
The young master could have dodged or restrained her, but he didn’t move, letting her hit him hard. Through the thin fabric, she could feel his firm muscles; whether he felt pain, she didn’t know, but her arm went numb immediately. “Who said I’m going to marry you?” she muttered. The young master leaned down, whispering mischievously in her ear, “We’ve shared a bed; who knows, maybe tomorrow there’ll be a baby…”
“Ah!” Chuxia instinctively turned around, staring blankly at the smiling young master, suddenly realizing she had never considered this issue. She bit her lip hard, her eyes wide open, her face turning pale instantly. The young master kicked the horse gently, and Lightning, with a joyful neigh, dashed forward. The moonlight, like water, seemed to turn into clear droplets, falling on the back of her hand. The young master frowned, reined in the horse, and asked gently, “Why are you crying?”
“I… I’ve heard from my elders that pregnancy before marriage… that’s the greatest shame for a woman.” Chuxia rubbed her eyes, saying, “Jun Ye’an! You know this isn’t good for a woman, you—” She didn’t finish her sentence when she remembered it was she who told him to “get some sleep.” Her annoyance deepened, and her tears fell faster.
The young master couldn’t help but smile, though he didn’t explain, only saying gently, “Looks like you can only marry me now, following the chicken or the dog.” His heart was suddenly filled with joy. Lightning, understanding his master’s mood, galloped with all four hooves, and he held her tighter. On the official road, a horse carried two people, raising dust behind them, filled with endless delight. From Songshan to Junshan in Dongting, passing through Dengzhou, Suizhou, and finally reaching Yueyang’s Junshan, they traveled swiftly.
Upon reaching Suizhou that night, the weather was oppressively hot. After checking into an inn, Chuxia opened the window and said, “It’s been too smooth, hasn’t it?” The young master had just finished bathing, his wet hair still loose, seemingly unbothered by the dripping water, he tapped on the table and said, “If our opponents are indeed watching our every move, they would have set all their traps at the location of the Ballad of Hills and Streams.” Chuxia was startled by the word “watching” and quickly closed the window. The young master looked up, patiently saying, “It’s very stuffy.”
“But… there could be hidden weapons,” Chuxia hesitated. The young master couldn’t help but smile, “Even if there are hidden weapons, a thin window wouldn’t stop them.” Chuxia sat down facing him, analyzing seriously, “I have another doubt.” “Hmm?” “Do you think our opponents know… that the Ballad of Hills and Streams refers to Junshan?” The young master stood up, putting on his robe with a smile, “I thought you would have asked this earlier.” His demeanor was somewhat haughty, as if she were a child yet to learn anything, leaving Chuxia feeling slightly defeated, yet she had to press on, “I… I hadn’t thought of it.”
“If they know the Ballad of Hills and Streams refers to Junshan, everything becomes simple—they’ve set up this trap, waiting for us to fall into it. This also implies that the mysterious person and Tian Gang are not on the same side.”
“Otherwise… Tian Gang will see through the bait I set at Xiaojing Lake and won’t deploy the battle armor in the battle there.” The young master paused, then continued, “If they don’t know that ‘Shanshui Yao’ refers to Jun Mountain, then…” Chuxia furrowed her brows deeply, naturally picking up his words, “Then, the person behind the scenes, like Tian Gang, merely hopes to leverage the power of the Jun family to uncover the secret behind Shanshui Yao, ultimately benefiting themselves.” The young master looked at her appreciatively, then reached out to play with her long hair, chuckling softly, “What a smart child.” However, Chuxia felt little pride in her heart; the young master’s eyes were so bright and sharp, as if there was no fog he couldn’t see through, no puzzle he couldn’t solve. She pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, “Have you ever failed in your life?”
The young master paused, his smile growing more nonchalant. “For example?” “For example, someone deceived you, and you didn’t see through it; or perhaps you lost in a martial arts competition.” The young master thought seriously for a moment, then pursed his lips and said, “Yes.” “What?” A gleam of excitement flashed in Chuxia’s eyes. “Before I was sixteen, I practiced swordsmanship, and I lost to my father every time,” he said with a smirk. “As for being deceived… sometimes while wandering the Jianghu, I would encounter beggars disguised as old men or children. After giving them money, I often found they were eating at the same inn as me, sometimes even ordering better dishes than mine.” Chuxia couldn’t help but laugh at his rare childish frustration. “These don’t really count.” The young master’s eyebrows slightly furrowed. “What would count then?” Chuxia propped her cheek with her hand, looking at him without immediately responding.
