Old Yao came to Fire Kiln Lu Manor. After announcing his arrival, a single glance from the many Swordsmen there was enough to make him shrink back in fear. Hong Jiang happened upon him and led him all the way to Ji Xiu's residence.
As he stood there timidly, he heard an incredibly familiar young voice.
His spirits immediately lifted.
"Ji the kid..."
He hadn't even finished speaking.
When he looked up.
But before him, where was the scrawny, miserable boy from the stables, the one who used to scurry about, clutching hay to feed the horses?
He rubbed his eyes and swallowed the familiar words he was about to say.
He looked at the Ji Xiu before him—strong and well-built, dressed in black, with a more heroic air than even the Entering Force Martial Artists of the Lin Residence.
The back he had just started to straighten suddenly bent again.
It was as if a thick, sorrowful barrier now stood between them.
It made him stammer, unsure if his old way of speaking would offend this successful Lu Manor Guest...
Just as he was lost in thought, Ji Xiu sized up Old Yao, then suddenly broke into a smile and clapped him on the arm.
"Been a few days. Get a promotion?"
"From Groom to Steward?"
"Not bad, Older Brother Yao."
He nodded slightly to Hong Jiang, who understood, said his farewells, and left.
Seeing no outsiders remained in the courtyard and that Ji Xiu's attitude was still gentle, Old Yao sighed in relief. 'Now that we're alone,' he thought, 'even if we talk about the embarrassing old days of being a servant and a Groom, the successful Ji the kid probably won't mind too much, right?'
So he cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute, tucked them into the sleeves of his cotton-padded jacket, and bowed with an obsequious grin.
"Thanks to Master Ji's good fortune, after Steward Lin was gone, the residence promoted this old man to be the steward of the outer residence."
"I've been a Groom feeding horses for most of my life. Never thought I'd get a chance to turn things around with one foot already in the grave..."
His words were full of sorrowful sighs, mixed with a bit of joy. Seeing that Ji Xiu was still smiling silently, he relaxed a little more.
Then, as if remembering something, he hastily pulled a brocade box from his robes and opened it in front of Ji Xiu.
"Right, I came here this time on the orders of the Patriarch and the Third Young Master to apologize to Master Ji."
"This is thirty taels of fine silver, a dose of Ninth Grade Tiger Blood Powder, and a Muscle Strengthening Pill."
"Also, the Third Young Master has specially arranged a banquet at Feiyan Tower tonight. It's a show of utmost sincerity. He wishes to invite Master Ji to attend and resolve your past disagreements. He specifically sent this old man to extend the invitation."
"I wonder... does Master Ji have the time?"
Old Yao kept his head down as he opened the brocade box, revealing a gleaming white ingot of fine silver, a packet of Medicinal Powder, and a single Pill.
These items alone were already worth over a hundred taels.
Not to mention, Feiyan Tower was a rare high-class brothel in the five-hundred-li Anning County.
The top courtesans there were rumored to have been bought by the Boss from Jiangyin Prefecture. They were said to be well-bred young ladies, trained from childhood, who were forced into the Official Kilns after their families were purged and their homes seized.
Whenever those girls sang or performed a dance, it was said that even a sixty-year-old man like him would instantly feel like an eighteen-year-old lad, his body becoming hard as a rock!
Though they couldn't compare to the "Imperial Music Bureau's daughters of officials" from storybooks, in a rural place like this, they were all top-tier beauties.
A single night with one of them would cost several taels, even over ten. That's not even counting a full banquet of food and wine—truly a grand gesture!
Looking at 'Ji the kid', who in just one month had climbed from a mere Groom to a position where even the Third Young Master of the Lin Residence had to humble himself to build a connection... Old Yao clicked his tongue. He recalled how he had repeatedly lectured Ji Xiu, telling him not to pursue the absurd dream of getting rich through Martial Arts.
Thinking back on it now, he was the clown, the laughingstock who had tried to block someone else's future.
"Steward Lin is dead?"
Ji Xiu paused.
"Yes. I heard... he had a few drinks last night and died suddenly in his sleep."
"Then this morning, the Boss told me I was promoted and... and told me to bring Master Ji a gift and arrange a banquet."
Old Yao shuddered. He knew there was something fishy going on, so he didn't dare say more.
But after hearing this, Ji Xiu seemed lost in thought.
'So this was Boss Lin's idea.'
"Well then, for Older Brother Yao's sake, I'll go."
"Consider it my congratulations on your promotion, since we were colleagues."
...
「Feiyan Tower.」
In a private room, after three rounds of drinks, Lin Du's eyes were hazy with drink. He looked at Ji Xiu, who sat bolt upright, every movement of his chopsticks and every sip of wine methodical and restrained. With a grand wave of his hand, Lin Du said:
"Brother Ji, sometimes... I truly envy you. With nothing but sheer guts, you dared to defy my father. Despite such a difficult start in life, you've managed to carve out a world for yourself."
"And now, as a Sword-carrying Guest of Lu Manor, you're surrounded by followers, living so freely!"
"Even though I'm the Third Young Master of the Lin Residence, I was born of a concubine. I've practiced Martial Arts and studied literature since I was a child, never daring to slack off for a moment. But even now... I feel like a caged bird, with no freedom."
At this, his drunken face became even more sincere.
"Entering the Sword Sect at sixteen, your talent is so outstanding!"
"If you're willing, let's bury the hatchet. Forget about all that ugliness with the family. How about we become sworn brothers?!"
"Just give me the nod. In the future, if you're short on cultivation resources each month, just say the word. No matter how much you need, I'll cover it!"
Lin Du stood up, his words firm and resolute, and then clapped his hands.
In an instant.
One by one, graceful dancers clad in light gauze and silk emerged. As fragrant incense wafted from the room's brazier, they sauntered with alluring steps, circling the dining table.
They cast glances with their limpid, autumn-water eyes, looking over the impassive black-robed youth who simply continued to pick up food with his chopsticks. They had come merely to do their job, but upon seeing the man himself... their eyes instantly lit up, and they unconsciously drew closer, looking quite willing to do so.
"Brother Ji, a Martial Artist's Qi and Blood is vigorous. After standing post and training, your Qi and Blood becomes agitated. In the long run, this is bad for your body."
"Tonight, take your pick! Choose anyone you like!"
"I'll pay for everything!"
Lin Du slapped his chest, his expression filled with sincerity.
But Ji Xiu, who had eaten his fill, just burped, fastened his sword, and glanced at the feast on the table with some regret.
'This spread wasn't cheap. Delicacies from the mountains, Treasure Fish... they must have spent a fortune, at least several dozen taels of Silver.'
'It's a shame I can't take it to go...'
Unfortunately, Ji Xiu was destined not to see the end of this performance.
"Third Young Master."
He stood up.
"You and I have never met before. And if we're being honest, I have no grievance with Boss Lin either."
"Over a month ago, the Lin Residence gave me food to eat. When I was removed from the Slave Registry, they didn't ask for the emancipation fee and even offered to take me in as an Adopted Son... They've already done more than enough."
"Now that this meal is over, please thank the Boss for me."
With that, Ji Xiu turned to leave without a hint of reluctance, seeing the beauties as nothing but skeletons and paying them no mind.
He was a young man in his prime, and these women were all exceedingly charming. He was a sixteen-year-old who could slay a Martial Artist with his sword; how could his heart truly remain unmoved?
But...
This was an invitation from the Third Young Master, and he couldn't afford to accept it!
The youth's eyes were as clear as a spring. The moment he was about to leave the private room, he felt a sudden tug on the hem of his robe from behind. His brow furrowed.
"Third Young Master..."
Sometime during the exchange, the drunken look had vanished from Lin Du's face. He just pressed his lips together tightly.
"Steward Lin is already dead."
"Isn't that enough?"
"We're both smart men. You know what I'm trying to say!"
Ji Xiu raised an eyebrow. He gently lifted his palm, channeled his Force, and pried Lin Du's five fingers off, one by one.
Then, with a faint smile, he said, word by word:
"Third Young Master."
"I've told you. At the Lin Residence, I was only a 'Groom'. I only knew about things related to the 'stables' and 'horses'. I never offended anyone."
"And I have no grudge or grievance with the Lin Residence."
"So, goodbye."
CRACK!
He shattered the door's threshold and strode away!
He left Lin Du behind, cold sweat trickling down his forehead, speechless for a long time.
...
「Leaving Feiyan Tower.」
A chilly autumn wind blew against him.
Ji Xiu wrapped his robes tighter, exhaled a puff of white breath, and narrowed his eyes. He was just about to step out of the brightly lit, bustling market...
Just then, a crisp, pleasant voice reached his ears.
Instantly, Ji Xiu's entire body tensed, and he spun around.
And saw.
In the 'Feiyan Tower' he had just exited, a woman in a moon-white dress with a longsword at her waist was walking gracefully toward him, bathed in the glow of the moon and the dim yellow lanterns.
"Sir, please wait."
"I wonder... what did you mean by what you just said?"