Whoosh whoosh——
The ferry quietly sailed out of the port in the thunderstorm and headed upstream along the Qingjiang River.
The lights on the ship were dim. More than thirty incense masters and hall masters were patrolling back and forth in the night rain, keeping an eye on any signs of trouble on the river.
Inside the ship building, the door of the tea pavilion was tightly closed.
The dim yellow candlelight illuminated every corner of the tea pavilion. Four people sat inside, in complete silence.
"Goo..."
The little bird squatted obediently on the tea table. Looking at the fruit plate beside it, because the situation didn't seem right, it poked its head out several times but didn't dare to eat.
Ye Jingtang changed into a clean robe and took a seat on the right side of the tea table. His expression was solemn and his gaze was steady as he thought about the current situation.
Song Chi, also known as the White Buddha, had bandages wrapped around his arms and shoulders. He sat upright on the armchair with his back straight, his eyes shining brightly and not moving a muscle.
Chen Yuanqing, the Third Master, paced silently with his hands behind his back in the tea pavilion, occasionally letting out a soft sigh:
"Sigh..."
Pei Xiangjun, as the leader, sat upright in the main seat. Perhaps for the first time in her life, she wore such a serious expression and coldly stared at the two talented people sitting on the left and right of the tea table.
Great! The young leader has stolen the beloved wife of the leader of the Pingtian Sect...
The Second Master dragged the young leader and went to kill the elder brother of the contemporary Sword Saint in the middle of the night...
An elder brother is like a father. The hatred of killing a father and the resentment of stealing a wife are all here!
With such capable assistants by my side, why should I worry about not being able to hide my identity and flee to Beiliang?
The more Pei Xiangjun thought about it, the angrier she became. She looked at Song Chi, who was serious and never smiled:
"Master Song, explain to me what happened today!"
Song Chi knew that he had caused trouble and couldn't put on the airs of an elder anymore. He said softly:
"Today, I saw that Jian Yuhua had good talent and originally wanted to accept him as an apprentice, so I went with the young leader to take a look. Who would have thought that Zhou Huaili would also come..."
"Then you decided to kill him on your own initiative?"
"It's not entirely on my own initiative. I exchanged a look with the young leader and discussed it..."
?
Pei Xiangjun took a deep breath: "You're the elder! Jingtang is young and impulsive. You discussed it with him? If you hesitated for even half a second, he would think that you, the elder, were signaling for a quick battle!"
Ye Jingtang sat upright and said softly:
"I really had the intention to kill today. It has nothing to do with Uncle Song..."
Song Chi slightly raised his hand: "We both had the intention to kill. Otherwise, we wouldn't have attacked together without saying a word."
"You two... Sigh..."
Pei Xiangjun was at a loss for words. She supported her forehead with her hand and closed her eyes.
Chen Yuanqing was also speechless. He guessed that this was how the two of them had discussed it:
"Should we get rid of him?"
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
As for the consequences, they would kill first and worry about them later. Once the opportunity was missed, it would be gone.
Chen Yuanqing stopped walking. After thinking about it, he tried to smooth things over and said:
"The person is already dead. It's meaningless to talk about this. What we should think about now is how to deal with the aftermath. If this matter leaks out, Honghua Tower and the Zhou family will definitely go to war head-on. With Zhou Chiyang around, the Zhou family will be in an invincible position..."
Ye Jingtang said calmly: "The body was burned, and the marks of punches and kicks couldn't be seen clearly. Only the saber marks were visible. I also left the token of Jingwang. If nothing unexpected happens, the Zhou family should suspect the imperial court and go to the capital to investigate the identity of the saber user. They won't suspect Honghua Tower."
Song Chi nodded: "There is no master proficient in saber techniques in our Honghua Tower. Moreover, we just had a conflict in the afternoon. If we went to take revenge like street ruffians at night, it wouldn't be the behavior of a renowned martial arts family in the martial arts world..."
"So you still know that?!"
"Um... This is called taking the opponent by surprise and using devious strategies. They think that a prestigious Honghua Tower wouldn't act so crudely. So we do the opposite..."
Bah!
Pei Xiangjun was really speechless. She turned to look at Ye Jingtang:
"The Zhou family and Junshan Terrace are in cahoots. Junshan Terrace has a close relationship with the imperial court and will definitely investigate whether there is a saber user who knows the 'Eight Steps Fierce Saber Technique' under Jingwang's command. You have shown your saber in the capital..."
Ye Jingtang thought for a while and said: "I will write a letter and send it to Jingwang, saying that I came out to handle some matters, got to know Honghua Tower, and went to the Zhou family to support them in order to learn the Overlord Spear Technique. Then..."
"Even if Jingwang approves of your actions and protects you, it can only prevent obvious attacks. If they take action secretly..."
Song Chi pondered for a while: "Jingtang is handsome, and the current Jingwang is a woman. If the Zhou family knows that Jingtang is the person Jingwang has feelings for, Zhou Chiyang probably wouldn't dare to assassinate him at the risk of having his entire family executed. Even if he wants to take revenge, he will most likely come to the door openly, beat Jingtang half to death, and leave him alive. He won't go too far."
"..."
The living room fell silent.
Pei Xiangjun's almond-shaped eyes widened. She wanted to say that Song Chi was coming up with crazy ideas, but after a little thought, it seemed that this was really the safest way—everyone knew the consequences of killing the husband of the Emperor of the Great Wei. Not to mention the Zhou family, even if the Pingtian Sect took action, they would have to consider whether they could withstand the iron cavalry of the Great Wei trampling through Tiannan.
Pei Xiangjun was silent for a moment and then looked at Ye Jingtang:
"Jingtang, what do you think?"
Ye Jingtang thought for a while: "This method is a bit of a joke. How could I deliberately get close to Jingwang and deceive a woman's feelings just to avoid trouble? Um... I'll write a letter to Jingwang first. If it doesn't work, I'll leave the capital and hide in Tiannan. This matter won't implicate Honghua Tower."
"..."
Pei Xiangjun understood what he meant—that if he couldn't rely on the Princess, he would rely on the wife of the leader of the Pingtian Sect. Anyway, whether it was Jingwang or the Pingtian Sect, Zhou Chiyang couldn't afford to provoke them.
What was this? More lovers, more options?
After all this time, her "thick thigh" was the thinnest, and it was "broken" as soon as he "hugged" it...
Pei Xiangjun had a lot on her mind and didn't even know what she was thinking. After pondering for a long time, she slightly raised her hand:
"Uncle Song, Uncle Chen, you go and rest first. I want to have a private chat with Jingtang."
Song Chi stood up, cupped his hands in a salute, and left the tea pavilion with Chen Yuanqing.
"You go out too."
"Jiji."
The little bird got up consciously and quickly ran out.
The tea pavilion fell silent. The dim yellow candlelight illuminated the side faces of the man and the woman.
Pei Xiangjun, wearing a goose-yellow ruqun (a traditional Chinese dress), leaned against the small table, supporting her forehead with her hand. Her face was no longer as gentle and graceful as usual. Instead, her brows were slightly furrowed, looking like someone who was worried to death about an "unfilial nephew or son".
After the sound of footsteps completely disappeared, Ye Jingtang got up and sat opposite Third Aunt. He raised his hand to pour tea:
"Third Aunt?"
Third Aunt squinted her eyes, and her lapel rose and fell slightly. She didn't respond at all.
Ye Jingtang comforted her softly: "Don't worry, Third Aunt. I killed the person, and I wanted to kill him. I will never let the disciples of Honghua Tower outside bear the revenge for me."
Pei Xiangjun took a deep breath and raised her eyes:
"Since you're helping Honghua Tower settle this matter, Honghua Tower will stand with you through thick and thin. If Zhou Chiyang dares to come and kill you, I and the two hall masters will definitely die before you. When you say such things, do you consider me an outsider?"
Ye Jingtang waved his hand: "How could I? I just want you not to worry..."
"Not to worry? You even dared to touch the woman of the leader of the Pingtian Sect, and you tell me not to worry? You used to perform so well. Why are you being muddle-headed when it comes to women? Is the woman of Xue Baijin someone you can touch?"
Pei Xiangjun supported the small table with one hand. Her beautiful face was full of anger, but there were also faint tears in her eyes, as if she was looking at a heartless man who was casually flirting around.
Ye Jingtang explained softly: "Ning'er and I..."
"Call her the wife of the leader. Ning'er is what Xue Baijin calls her!"
"The wife of the leader and I have already made things clear. The leader of the Pingtian Sect will definitely not vent his anger on Honghua Tower because of the two of us..."
Pei Xiangjun didn't believe it at all. After thinking about it, she leaned forward and asked: "Jingtang, did you fall into a trap? Did the Pingtian Sect deliberately send their most beautiful woman to seduce you in order to make you rebel?"
"How could I be seduced by beauty? I didn't know her identity before. When I contacted her, she resisted fiercely. It was me who took the initiative..."
Resisted fiercely?
You took the initiative?
You're just forcing yourself on a married woman!
Pei Xiangjun was so angry that she was confused. Her lapel heaved:
"You dare to make a move on a beautiful woman without knowing her background? Haven't you heard the saying 'Three People Not to Provoke' in the martial arts world? Can any woman who is as beautiful as a flower and dares to walk alone in the martial arts world be a kind person? If you want to make a move, at least wait until you have the strength to compete with the leader of the Pingtian Sect. If you act recklessly now, even if I sell Honghua Tower, I won't be able to protect you..."
Ye Jingtang knew that Third Aunt was concerned about him and comforted her: "It's not as serious as you think. I promise that the leader of the Pingtian Sect won't care. But the reason is a secret, and I can't tell you. If I tell you, something really will go wrong..."
Slap——
Pei Xiangjun lightly slapped the small table. Her eyes were filled with resentment, as if she was looking at a heartless person she no longer recognized:
"Jingtang. We met on the first day you entered the capital. I told you everything, and I trusted you so much that I could even take off my clothes to treat my injuries in front of you. And what happened? Just because the Goddess of the Toad Palace is beautiful, you consider me an outsider and keep her secret..."
Ye Jingtang felt a shiver down his spine under her resentful gaze: "One should be trustworthy. I can't break my promise about something I promised not to say. The same goes for the things I promised Third Aunt. I know that we're not related by blood, and it's hard to guarantee these things, but I always do what I say. Third Aunt, you can just see how I act in the future. Time will tell."
Pei Xiangjun was in a mess. After a moment of silence, she finally let out a sigh:
"Sigh... I know you value loyalty and affection. I didn't say I don't believe you. But your Grand Aunt is worried and keeps saying all sorts of things. Since I'm in charge, I have to make your Grand Aunt feel at ease..."
Ye Jingtang looked at Third Aunt, who seemed to have something to say but didn't, and asked:
"What did Grand Aunt say?"
Pei Xiangjun hesitated for a moment, and her eyes looked strange:
"Your Grand Aunt meant that you should... um... consider your lifelong major life event, here referring to marriage in the Green Dragon Hall and become part of the family. Do you have someone you like?"
Ye Jingtang was not stupid. He could guess what Third Aunt was worried about and what she wanted to say. After thinking for a while, he smiled and said:
"A marriage forced by the situation always feels incomplete. Third Aunt, you don't like to just settle for anything either, right? Um... I think for a lifelong marriage, both parties should have mutual affection. Anyway, I won't abandon Third Aunt. As for whether I can find someone I like in the Green Dragon Hall, it depends on fate. What do you think, Third Aunt?"
I think so too...
But the Pingtian Sect even sent the wife of the leader to poach you...
Pei Xiangjun wanted to say something, but in the end, she gave up. She slightly raised her hand:
"Forget it. I'll go back and discuss it with your Grand Aunt again. You go and write the letter and see how Jingwang replies. In case Jingwang doesn't protect you and you want to go to the Pingtian Sect, um... we'll talk about it then."
Ye Jingtang nodded slightly and got up to leave the tea pavilion.
Creak——
The door opened and then closed.
Pei Xiangjun sat beside the tea table. The confusion in her heart gradually subsided, but the worried look on her face deepened:
"Sigh..."