That night, the Wulin Alliance held a banquet.
There were two themes: to celebrate the ancestor leaving seclusion, and to thank Silver Gong Xu for his righteous assistance.
At this moment inside the hall, Xu Qi’an, Chu Yuanzhen, the Heaven Sect’s young talents, Master Hengyuan, Mu Nanzhi, and Miao Youfang sat in a row.
Cao Qingyang and other Wulin Alliance officials, as well as the leaders of the nine affiliated sects and gangs, sat in another row.
The seat of honour in the middle was occupied by the white-haired, frost-browed old man, Kou Yangzhou.
Since the main peak had collapsed and everything needed rebuilding, the banquet was not held grandly, nor were any singers or dancers invited for entertainment. The food and drink were quite simple.
However, this did not make the banquet dull; on the contrary, the atmosphere was extremely lively.
The Wulin Alliance was never lacking in people from all walks of life. Everyone who mixed in the jianghu had their own talents.
There was storytelling, acting, singing, joking, and then the girls from Wanhua Tower showcased their talents, singing and dancing, making sure the entertainment never stopped.
Even Xiao Yuenu, the leader of a distinguished sect, personally played the zither and sang a part of Xu Qi’an’s half-finished song, “A Promise is worth a thousand tons of gold”.
Her voice was like the sounds of heaven.
Thunderous applause echoed all around.
Impressive, her zither skills are no worse than Fuxiang’s… Xu Qi’an clapped with a smile, not sparing praise, and joined the cheering.
Fu Jingmen had drank alcohol without eating and was now somewhat tipsy. He slapped the table and said,
“These are Silver Gong Xu’s lyrics. Since Tower Master Xiao admires Silver Gong Xu so much, why not have the ancestor act as a matchmaker and betroth you to him?”
The room fell silent in an instant.
As the pearl of Jianzhou, Xiao Yuenu had countless admirers, yet no one stood up to refute Fu Jingmen.
If it were any other man, people would not accept it.
But Xu Qi’an was the sole exception, people only felt Xiao Yuenu would be marrying up.
Kou Yangzhou, sitting in the seat of honour, glanced at the naturally beautiful Xiao Yuenu and nodded,
“The little girl’s looks are not bad.”
If Xu Qi’an was interested in Xiao Yuenu, he would gladly make the match.
At once, everyone’s attention focused on Xu Qi’an.
Xiao Yuenu gave a reserved smile, glancing at him softly.
If I refuse, it would massively hit her pride, but if I didn’t, then Mu Nanzhi would definitely fall out with me… Xu Qi’an hesitated, when he heard Mu Nanzhi beside him say lightly,
“Tower Master Xiao is naturally lovely, easy to pity, and is indeed worthy of Xu Ningyan.
“If she does not mind, she could serve as a concubine.”
Her tone and manner were just like the senior wife of a great household, intending to take a concubine for her man.
Xiao Yuenu’s brows raised as she smiled and said,
“This auntie is…?”
Auntie?!
Mu Nanzhi’s delicate brows arched upwards as she subconsciously squeezed the bodhi bracelet on her right wrist with her left hand.
She was about to assert her position and put this jianghu woman in her place, but from the corner of her eye, she saw Li Miaozhen staring at her.
She immediately remembered earlier that day, when she had sworn to distance herself from Xu Qi’an.
This little Heaven Sect bitch is just waiting to see me make a fool of myself… Taking a deep breath, Mu Nanzhi said sweetly,
“I am Ningyan’s mother.”
She looked affectionately at Xu Qi’an and said, “Good boy, it would be most suitable for Tower Master Xiao to join our Xu family as a concubine. Isn’t mum right?”
Everyone present was stunned.
They had not expected Silver Gong Xu, when travelling, to bring his mother along?
No one immediately doubted her, because the woman before them was indeed of the right age.
…Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched violently.
Chu Yuanzhen and Li Lingsu struggled to hold back their laughter.
Xiao Yuenu kept a straight face and said coolly,
“Silver Gong Xu was raised by his uncle and aunt.”
Everyone suddenly remembered the information about Xu Qi’an, his parents had died young and he was raised by his uncle and aunt!
So this woman claiming to be his “mum”…
Fu Jingmen and the others looked back and forth between Mu Nanzhi and Xu Qi’an, a little confused.
“Wet nurse!”
Li Lingsu could not restrain himself any longer and laughed,
“This lady is Silver Gong Xu’s wet nurse. Since childhood, Silver Gong Xu could not bear to be apart from her, so during this journey to travel the jianghu, he brought her along.”
Chu Yuanzhen hastily lowered his head and drank.
Li Miaozhen snorted with laughter.
Mu Nanzhi’s cheeks flushed red, and she glared fiercely at Li Lingsu.
After this series of diversions, no one brought up the marriage proposal again.
However, the rough martial martists like Fu Jingmen and Qiao Weng, occasionally casted glances at Mu Nanzhi and Xu Qi’an, always feeling there was some ineffable meaning.
Especially since they found that although this wet nurse was plain in looks, her gestures held a certain charm, she was a very elegant woman.
Silver Gong Xu had lost his mother from a young age and lacked motherly love…
Fu Jingmen shook off the wild thoughts in his head and raised his cup,
“It’s been said in the Alliance lately that Silver Gong Xu is the reincarnation of Emperor Gaozu. Let’s drink to the reincarnation of the Emperor Gaozu.”
No one asked about private morality in heroes, even if Silver Gong Xu travelled with his wet nurse, he was still everyone’s Silver Gong.
…
After eating and drinking their fill, Xu Qi’an and the others said their goodbyes.
On the way back to their temporary lodgings, Li Lingsu brought up,
“I have something to take care of, you all go on ahead.”
Li Miaozhen frowned, “Where are you off to?!”
As his junior sister, it was only right to intervene and care about her senior brother’s affairs.
“I’ll tell you later.”
Li Lingsu brushed it off casually, as a flying sword shot out from his sleeve. He stepped onto the sword and shot off with a whoosh.
Watching his silhouette disappear, Li Miaozhen huffed,
“So secretive. He’s acting odd, being quiet at the banquet, he didn’t even flirt with Xiao Yuenu and the girls from Wanhua Tower.”
Xu Qi’an stroked his chin and said,
“Come to think of it, we still don’t know who Li Lingsu’s old flame in the Wulin Alliance is. Miaozhen, do you know?”
“I remember Li Lingsu once said that Quanrong Mountain is not far from the Heaven Sect’s sacred mountains, and after you descended from the mountain, the first place you wandered was Jianzhou.”
Lady Flying Swallow first nodded, then said,
“I don’t think Li Lingsu has a confidante in Jianzhou, at least not one I know of. Besides, whenever I travelled with him, I always knew the female acquaintances he made along the way. He wouldn’t hide it from me.”
Xu Qi’an and Li Miaozhen looked at each other, and spoke in unison: “Something’s going on!”
Chu Yuanzhen asked,
“Maybe—he really doesn’t have one?”
Xu Qi’an and Li Miaozhen snorted in tacit agreement. The former turned to his nominal attendant and asked,
“Miao Youfang, do you remember, before we came to Jianzhou, when you pressed him about having an old flame in Wanhua Tower, how did Li Lingsu reply?”
Miao Youfang imitated Xu Qi’an by stroking his chin, and said,
“He was evasive at the time, as if he had something he could not speak about.”
At this, Chu Yuanzhen became interested as well, analysing,
“With the other two confidantes of Daoist Li, if their beloved appeared in the Wulin Alliance, they would surely have already stepped forward. It’s impossible they’d have stayed hidden until now.”
Hengyuan interjected, “Unless she has some scruples?”
Everyone silently looked at Master Hengyuan.
“Amitabha!”
Hengyuan placed his palms together, repenting for his gossiping.
At this moment, Mu Nanzhi, holding Baiji, suddenly said,
“Li Lingsu must have gone to meet a lover. Don’t you have that mirror that can monitor people over thousands of miles? Why not use it to check?”
She was getting back at Li Lingsu for mocking her at the banquet.
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
Xu Qi’an whispered, “Let’s go back first…”
The group returned to their inn, tacitly entered a room, lit candles, sat at the table, and all turned to Xu Qi’an expectantly.
He poured out the Earth Book fragment and retrieved the Huntian Divine Mirror. Xu Qi’an lowered his voice, a note of mystery in his tone,
“Magic mirror, magic mirror, can you locate Li Lingsu?”
The Huntian Divine Mirror protested,
“I am a divine mirror. Furthermore, why do you always like to spy on men? I have marked several beauties for you, and yet you have never peeked at any of them bathing.”
Are you subtly implying I’m actually a gentleman… Xu Qi’an urged,
“Stop talking rubbish, just say it.”
“Of course I can. His primordial spirit was once collected by me, so I’ve marked him.”
After finishing, the Huntian Divine Mirror turned its bronze surface transparent like glass. The surface first rippled like water, then smoothed out.
A scene appeared.
Everyone saw Li Lingsu flying on his sword.
His direction was toward the western mountains of the Quanrong Mountain range.
So he is going to meet his old flame? But to meet a lover, does he need to fly so far?
Could it be… a married woman?
All sorts of speculations flashed through everyone’s mind, their curiosity only heightened.
Especially Mu Nanzhi and Li Miaozhen, whose eyes sparkled brilliantly.
Before long, Li Lingsu pressed down on his flying sword and landed on a mountaintop.
He looked around, saw that there was no one nearby, and hurriedly took a wooden comb from his robe. He deliberately mussed up his neat hair bun, letting two locks fall across his forehead, accentuating an unruly and debonair air.
Next, Li Lingsu fetched out an Earth Book fragment and took out a long robe, a black base embroidered with gold and silver threads.
Now, in addition to his rakish air, he carried a hint of a noble son’s elegance.
He sheathed the flying sword, cradled it in his arms, leaned against a tree trunk, and hid himself in the shadows, lowering his head slightly, motionless.
You’re so shameless, why are you wearing Pinru’s clothes… Xu Qi’an watched Li Lingsu’s antics and almost blurted out the words uncontrollably.[^1]
Li Lingsu, that disgrace of the Heaven Sect… Li Miaozhen silently covered her face.
After quite some time, a figure stepped lightly over the treetops, arriving gracefully with superb lightness skill.
It was a woman dressed in a plain white long skirt, with her hair elegantly done up and a curvy, full figure.
She sped along the branches, fluttering like a startled swan, gliding like a swimming dragon.
The woman in the plain dress alighted on the mountaintop, her skirt billowed and then stilled. Her bright eyes looked around the area.
“You’re here!”
A deep voice sounded from the shadows beneath the tree. Following the sound, she saw an unruly, untamed man slouched against the trunk, holding a sword in his arms and bowing his head slightly.
Half his face was hidden in shadow, the other half revealed.
The contours of his face were as handsome as always, his black robe was richly ornate, his grace undiminished.
“It’s her?!”
When everyone could see clearly, the whole room exclaimed in shock.
Xu Qi’an was dumbfounded, he had never expected that Li Lingsu’s confidante would actually be Rongrong’s Master.
He had once thought it would be Xiao Yuenu, the master of Wanhua Tower…
Chai Xing’er was nothing much, after all a Prime Minister had thousands of ministers, but Rongrong’s Master was old enough to be the Holy Son’s mother! It was simply… utterly… Xu Qi’an glanced at Mu Nanzhi beside him… Yes, certainly the Holy Son. His love was unrestrained and forthright.
Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen were both dumbfounded.
Even Master Hengyuan was somewhat stunned, a little at a loss.
In the scene, the two seemed to be having an argument. Li Miaozhen remarked regretfully:
“What a pity we can’t hear the sound.”
Chu Yuanzhen immediately said, “I’m proficient at lip-reading.”
…
“I told you before, ours was always a fleeting romance, destined for no conclusion, not even something that could be made public. Why have you come looking for me again?”
The woman in the simple dress was indeed Rongrong’s Master, the voluptuous and beautiful woman.
Her face was cold and she turned her head slightly, not looking at Li Lingsu.
“But I sent a little ghost to deliver my message, inviting you to meet me here, and all the same, you came,” said Li Lingsu with a sigh. “Mei’er, age shouldn’t stop us from loving each other. If you’re afraid of gossip, or what your fellow disciples and students might think, then I can take you away.”
The beautiful woman was visibly moved, but hardened her heart, saying coolly:
“Daoist Li, I’m old enough to be your mother. In ten or twenty years, I’ll be wrinkled and feeble, while you’ll still be in your prime.
“Between you and me, we’re just fleeting passers-by in each other’s lives. Let’s speak plainly today and sever ties, once and for all.”
Li Lingsu grinned, sidling up, putting one arm around her waist, and holding her soft hand with the other:
“I grew up an orphan, raised by my master. I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to be doted on by a mother. If you don’t want me as your lover, then let me be your son.”
The beautiful woman was both embarrassed and angry, her elegant brows knitted, clearly about to get cross.
Li Lingsu suddenly seized her hand, pressing it against his chest, his expression and tone sincere and profound:
“Mei’er, can you feel it? My blood boils for you…”
The beautiful woman gazed at him, dazed, and tears glistened in her eyes.
Taking the chance, Li Lingsu cupped her face and lowered his head to capture her lips.
Leaning against the tree, the two kissed passionately, their actions growing ever bolder and more intimate…
Pa!
Xu Qi’an snapped the Divine Mirror shut and spread his palm:
“The next part is pay-to-view. Five hundred taels of silver each.”
“Pah!” Li Miaozhen spat at him.
Mu Nanzhi slapped little Baiji on the head. Baiji got the hint: “Pah, pah, pah…”
…
The night was cold as water.
Rongrong, a very light sleeper, twitched her ears and heard the faint rustle of clothing flapping in the air.
Someone had landed with qinggong skill in the courtyard outside.
She instinctively reached for the short sword at her bedside, but from the light footsteps, judged it was her own master.
“Master, have you finished practising?”
As she spoke, she saw her master push the door open. In the dim moonlight, she couldn’t make out her face, but judging by the outline, she seemed slightly dishevelled.
Rongrong sat up, intending to light the lamp, but the beautiful woman stopped her hurriedly:
“Don’t light the lamp!”
The beautiful woman deftly avoided the clutter in the room, brought a wooden bucket from behind the screen, and left again.
A while later, Rongrong heard the rustle of clothes and a light splash of water, realising her master was bathing.
Really, what’s there to be shy about… Rongrong muttered inwardly.
Her master had raised her since she was a child. Even as a young girl, she would sometimes share the big bath with her master.
Suddenly, she sniffed, and said softly:
“What’s that smell?”
Martial artists had keen senses of smell.
The sound of water paused. The beautiful woman replied somewhat guiltily:
“Smell? Um, perhaps I got… some filth on me while practising in the woods…”
A virgin maiden had never tasted sugar, and suspected nothing. “Oh,” she replied.
“Master, tell me, what should I do to make Silver Gong Xu fall in love with me?” Rongrong complained.
The beautiful woman huffed coldly: “Don’t bother. Focus on your cultivation and pay attention to the young men around you. Silver Gong Xu is out of your reach.”
“But I really like him,” Rongrong pouted. “Since I love him, I should try to win him. If I could see him every day, I wouldn’t mind being his concubine.”
If you like someone, you should go for it… The beautiful woman leaned against the bath tub, murmuring to herself.
…
Li Lingsu returned late at night, face glowing and smiling, perfectly embodying the saying, “joy brings vigour.”
Though she still couldn’t face this relationship directly, and feared the consequences if it became public, she no longer insisted on severing ties.
Li Lingsu understood Ji Jinmei’s worries, because he had similar fears himself.
A couple almost twenty years apart, becoming Daoist partners; below the beyond-mortal rank, such a pairing would, whether in the Heaven Sect or in the secular world, draw strange looks.
Even contempt.
He pressed down his flying sword, landed before the residence, and carefully straightened his clothes.
After making sure nothing was amiss, he returned to the courtyard.
Creak~
The gate wasn’t locked. The occupants inside didn’t care about locking doors.
Pushing it open, Li Lingsu was stunned by what he saw in the courtyard.
Around the stone table sat Xu Qi’an, Li Miaozhen, Miao Youfang, Chu Yuanzhen and Master Hengyuan.
They were all drinking, holding wine cups and looking at him with odd smiles.
“How cultured of you…”
Li Lingsu’s expression was calm and unhurried.
Li Miaozhen asked, “Where’ve you been?”
“Just wandering around.”
That was Li Lingsu’s answer.
Lady Flying Swallow wrinkled her nose: “Smell of women’s powder.”
The Holy Son showed not a flicker of panic and laughed lightly:
“This damned charm of mine… your senior brother’s greatest trouble is being too popular with women.”
Li Miaozhen slowly nodded, then suddenly put on a deep and emotional air, acting:
“Mei’er, age shouldn’t stop us from loving each other.”
Xu Qi’an quietly stood up, gazed at Li Miaozhen with feeling, and said:
“If you’re afraid of gossip, or what your fellow disciples and students might think, then I can take you away.”
…Li Lingsu’s pupils dilated. He was stunned.
Chu Yuanzhen shook his head, drank a cup of wine and said:
“Daoist Li, you may not know, but I too have been an orphan since childhood, never knowing a mother’s love.”
Miao Youfang quickly said:
“Don’t be sad, Great hero Chu. If you don’t want me as your brother, then let me be your son.”
As he finished speaking, a little white fox darted from the house and chimed in, its voice clear as a silver bell:
“Can you feel it? My blood boils for you…”
At that moment, Li Lingsu felt abandoned by the whole world.
“You, you all…”
The Holy Son’s face flushed crimson, as if flames were surging inside him and black smoke was fuming above his head.
The Heaven and Earth Society members, satisfied, went off to bed, leaving Li Lingsu standing dazed in the courtyard.
“Oh, by the way, orphan since childhood, was it? I’ll have a word with your parents one of these days,” Li Miaozhen added with a sly smile.
Li Lingsu did have parents, they were also Heaven Sect disciples.
What’s the point of living anymore… the Holy Son asked himself.
…
Qingzhou City, Administrator’s Office.
Inside the hall, “Ziyang Jushi” Yang Gong, with a thin face and a goatee, was reviewing the intelligence returned by spies from Yunzhou with a grave expression.
“We finally understand the reason for the influx of refugees into Yunzhou.”
Yang Gong, who served as the Administrator of Qingzhou, looked solemnly at the officials below and said,
“The intelligence says that the Yunzhou authorities issued a proclamation, opened the granaries, and recruited refugees into the army.”
Yunzhou is rebelling… The officials’ faces darkened, but there was neither surprise nor outrage, only calm and seriousness.
As early as two months ago, not long after the late emperor had been slain by Xu Qi’an in the capital, the court had issued over a dozen emergency memorials to Qingzhou, ordering the province into a state of preparation, stockpiling grain and iron, and repairing city walls.
Yunzhou bordered the sea to the south with endless waters, and most of its northern land adjoined Qingzhou.
If the remnants of the former dynasty wished to take Yunzhou as their base to march north and attack the capital, they would have to take Qingzhou to gain sufficient strategic depth.
If Qingzhou could not be taken, the rebel army would be pinned down in just a corner of Yunzhou.
The Intelligence Commissioner pondered and said,
“We must step up disaster relief to curb the southward flight of refugees.”
Compared to other regions, the south was undoubtedly warmer and had more abundant food, so the scale of refugees in Qingzhou was truly alarming.
If all these refugees flocked to Yunzhou without restraint, the consequences would be disastrous.
The Prefect of Qingzhou shook his head repeatedly,
“Though the court gave us enough grain and fodder, that was reserved for a protracted war. Now, with blizzards raging everywhere, the court itself is short of food. If we waste these supplies on refugees, once there’s not enough provisions, we’ll collapse from within, even before the enemy attacks.”
In wartime, the needs of the army always came first.
Another official remarked,
“The disasters are intense, and there are many more refugees than imagined. Yunzhou dares open the granaries, but their supplies can’t be endless. Aren’t they afraid of breaking themselves under the strain?”
Yang Gong said in a low voice,
“For the past twenty years, the Yunzhou rebels have been hoarding money, grain, and military supplies precisely for this moment. Their accumulation and foundation are far beyond our imagination.”
“Administrator Sir, what should we do then?”
All the officials looked troubled.
Right now, refugees would pledge loyalty to whomever fed them.
Yang Gong considered for a moment before saying,
“Block all roads leading to Yunzhou and prevent refugees from moving south. Send people to spread word that reports of Yunzhou opening the granaries for disaster relief are mere rumours. Also, anyone who dares spread such information about Yunzhou will be executed without mercy.”
The Prefect of Qingzhou frowned deeply,
“Administrator Sir, this may cause the refugees to revolt.”
Yang Gong smiled, “I only said to block the roads to Yunzhou. If the refugees want to trek through mountains or detour through neighbouring provinces, that’s no longer our concern.”
All present were old hands and immediately grasped the subtlety of Yang Gong’s plan.
In this bitter cold, mountain paths were hard to travel. Not everyone could make such a perilous journey.
This would drastically reduce the number of refugees fleeing south.
Detouring through neighbouring provinces would have the same effect.
And because there was still a shred of hope left, the refugees would not be driven to absolute desperation.
Qingzhou’s Military Commander sighed,
“Fortunately, Qingzhou is still relatively wealthy, and our granaries are full. If this were two years ago, we would have been plunged into chaos by now.”
After over a year of Yang Gong’s governance, Qingzhou’s officialdom was clean and households all had reserves of food, while the government granaries were also well stocked.
Looking back now, it seemed the court was farsighted, preparing responses well in advance.
…
After two days and nights on the road, Ji Xuan piloted the Wind-riding Boat, arriving first at Qingzhou.
To avoid encountering the Jianzheng outside Yunzhou, they switched to land routes, travelling arduously and sprinting madly before finally entering Yunzhou’s borders.
Then, they resumed using the Wind-riding Boat and arrived at Qianlong City.
Above the sea of clouds, Ji Xuan stood by the rail, gazing at the grand city built along the mountains, his eyes slightly dazed.
He had been away from home for two months, yet it felt as if two years had passed. When he left Qianlong City, six experts had accompanied him. Now on his return, only Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai remained by his side.
Li Hongmian and the other two had vanished without a trace, Daoist Jiaoye had died in Yongzhou City.
This journey through the jianghu had left an indelible, resplendent mark on his life.
“We’ve finally come back.”
The Wind-riding Boat hovered above Qianlong City, Xu Yuanhuai carried his sister on his back and leapt down from a low altitude.
Ji Xuan followed suit, flying down, taking out a small cauldron and storing both the scattered Dragon Qi and the Wind-riding Boat inside the bronze vessel.
Climbing the cobbled slope, the three walked to the mountaintop. Along the way, commoners and soldiers they met all stopped enthusiastically to greet Ji Xuan.
Ji Xuan smiled gently in response and, as they climbed, saw fewer and fewer ordinary people, until none remained at all.
Passing through low walls, they entered the area where the royal family resided.
Ji Xuan headed south, toward the city lord’s residence.
The Xu siblings headed west, towards Tianji Tower.
Passing several checkpoints, Ji Xuan entered the city lord’s manor and found his father in the study.
A dignified middle-aged man in luxurious purple robes, with handsome features and an imposing air, stood before a large desk, both hands braced on the table, bowed over the map of the Central Plains.
“I have discussed with the National Teacher and the generals. If we want to march north, we must take Qingzhou.”
The man in the purple robe did not look up, studying the map as he spoke,
“But Qingzhou is now an impenetrable fortress, being managed impeccably by Yang Gong. There’s no denying it, these Confucian scholars truly know how to rule a state and an army.
“To take Qingzhou would not be difficult. But to seize it quickly, with minimal losses, that is hard!
“What do you think?”
Ji Xuan walked to the desk, glanced down, and said,
“Qingzhou must be taken, but there’s no need for a frontal assault. We could detour through the Southern Marches via Yuuzhou, entering deep into Qingzhou’s heartland. Or travel by sea, passing through the Church of the Warlock God’s territory.”
The middle-aged man in purple nodded approvingly, then finally asked,
“And how did you find this journey through the jianghu?”
Ji Xuan’s face darkened, “Your son confesses his shame. Xu Qi’an is far too formidable and terrifying. So far, I have only managed to gather a few scattered fragments of Dragon Qi.”
“The Dragon Qi scattering has left the Central Plains in a worse plight, which in fact is to our advantage. As for the Dragon Qi, it’s good if you can collect more, but if not, don’t force it.”
The middle-aged man smiled.
Ji Xuan looked slightly relieved, “On the way back, I saw many refugees arriving in Yunzhou. Father, do you plan to raise the standard?”
“Three days from now, I will proclaim myself emperor in Yunzhou. Make your preparations…”
The man in purple said, words laden with meaning.
Ji Xuan’s hands trembled slightly. He strove to calm his excitement and bowed deeply,
“Yes, Father Emperor!”
…
To the west, after entering the large mansion attached to Tianji Tower, Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai hurried straight to their mother’s courtyard without changing clothes.
It was quiet and secluded, except for a few servants, hardly anyone ever came.
In a tranquil parlour scented with sandalwood, a calmly elegant woman, dressed in dark azure jacket and pleated skirt, her hair in a dignified matron’s bun, was seated cross-legged on a cushion.
She meditated with her eyes closed.
Xu Yuanshuang pushed the door gently open and said quietly,
“Mum, we’re back.”
Xu Yuanhuai did not speak, but wore a smile on his face.
The dignified and beautiful woman opened her eyes, seemingly relieved, and said with a laugh,
“You’re back, that’s all that matters. You’ve both lost a lot of weight, and there’s something different in your eyes, you must have gone through a lot.”
She hesitated, then asked,
“Did you see him?”
[^1] Reference to some TV show
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