Shadowing

The drunken youth was none other than Lin Bei.

He had followed Xia An all the way to this secluded pavilion in the woods, intending at first to approach and question him. But upon seeing the young marquis seated inside as if waiting for someone, Lin Bei’s lips curled into a sly smile.

Relying on the mysterious sense of kinship between rogues, he could feel that the young marquis was certainly a libertine as well.

Sneaking around here, waiting for someone—could it be a secret rendezvous with a lady?

Drunk, outdoors...

Trailing, spying...

A string of words stirred something within him, and Lin Bei halted his steps, choosing not to advance immediately. He lingered, curious to see what the young marquis was up to.

Although the young marquis was also a cultivator, his abilities were mediocre and he depended on Lu Shi’s constant protection. Today, feeling there was nothing urgent, he had sent Lu Shi away, giving Lin Bei the opportunity to follow him.

Had Lu Shi been present, Lin Bei’s pursuit would never have gone so smoothly.

Later, Xue Hu arrived. But Xue Hu was a martial artist, whose senses were attuned more to energy and sound—in other words, he was better at detecting moving targets. So, despite his higher cultivation, he failed to notice Lin Bei, who had hidden himself and suppressed his aura ahead of time.

Seeing a burly man approach, Lin Bei’s mental list grew longer.

Man to man?

He became even more excited.

After eavesdropping for a while, he realized their conversation revolved around strange and shady topics. It seemed to involve matters best kept in the dark, though not of the kind he had imagined.

Lin Bei quickly lost interest. Seeing their discussion was about to end, he turned to leave.

But as he moved, his footsteps betrayed him, and Xue Hu instantly detected it, rushing over to attack.

Knowing the opponent’s cultivation far surpassed his own and that escape was futile, Lin Bei’s mind raced. In a flash of drunken inspiration born from years of practiced subterfuge, he swiftly removed his trousers.

Having drunk heavily earlier, he squinted his eyes and feigned intoxication. Thus, when Xue Hu arrived, he found a drunkard relieving himself.

Lin Bei seized the opportunity to shout loudly at him, which left Xue Hu visibly awkward.

The threatening look on Xue Hu’s face twitched, and he barked, “Who told you to relieve yourself here?!”

“Damn…” Lin Bei pulled up his pants, cursing as he turned to leave. “Looks like a gangster, yet has a sense of public decency…”

Grumbling and swearing, he walked away, wiping his hands on his trousers as he went.

Xue Hu stared after Lin Bei’s retreating figure, and only after some time did the hostility fade from his brow.

“What’s wrong?” Xia An stepped forward and asked.

“Nothing,” Xue Hu replied, shaking his head. “Just a drunk.”

Their meeting complete, the two returned separately to the banquet hall, resuming their social duties as if they were strangers.

When the banquet ended, Xia An hurried back to the Marquis Ding Shan’s residence.

Lu Shi was already waiting there.

“How did it go?” Xia An asked.

“That girl turned out to be a koi spirit. She escaped swiftly into the water. I managed to strike her from miles away with a spell, but I don’t know if she survived. The men are dredging the river overnight. If she’s dead, her corpse should turn up,” Lu Shi answered.

“You attacked her yesterday, didn’t you notice she was a demon?” The young marquis sounded displeased.

“Mortal or minor demon, their weakness is the same to me. She didn’t reveal her demonic aura—it was hard to detect. Besides, if you’d let me kill her outright, it wouldn’t matter whether she was human or monster.” Lu Shi replied calmly.

The young marquis was momentarily speechless.

Indeed, it was he who asked Lu Shi to spare Liu Xiaoyu. Who could have foreseen such trouble? Now, with all that had happened, he could hardly blame Lu Shi.

But who could he blame?

He couldn’t blame himself, could he?

He was furious.

“It’s fine. She took a hit from you—she’s probably dead. Even if she survived, could a mere demon reveal our secret?” The young marquis muttered, not sure if he was reassuring Lu Shi or himself.

Lu Shi withdrew, leaving him alone in the room.

The young marquis recalled the day’s events, his frustration mounting.

He had spent a fortune gifting the ancient sandalwood zither, only for the disciple of Shu Mountain to steal the spotlight. Then the zither broke, and the man accused him of presenting a fake! And he hadn’t even protested at the time! What possessed him to accept such a slander so meekly?

On top of that, the demon girl had escaped...

A cascade of setbacks left Xia An’s chest aching with rage. If Chu Liang weren’t a Shu Mountain disciple, he’d have sent Lu Shi to kill him that very night to vent his anger.

But Chu Liang’s status forced him to swallow his fury. To kill a Shu Mountain disciple over such matters would be reckless in the extreme.

Muttering to himself, Xia An vowed, “No need to hurry—Xue Lingxue will surely be mine!”

...

The next day.

He returned to the Li family estate to seek an audience with Xue Lingxue. Representing the Marquis Ding Shan’s household, Xia An was granted a meeting.

“Is there something you wish to discuss, young marquis?” Lady Xue, her skin as fair as jade, sat across from him and asked gently.

Xia An first marveled inwardly at her beauty, then smiled politely. “Yesterday, I asked my father about the sandalwood zither I gifted you. Neither of us knew it was a forgery, nor that it would injure your finger—a grave mistake. He especially instructed me to come and offer you an apology.”

This was the solution he had devised.

Since the chance to clear his name had passed and everyone believed the zither was fake, he might as well admit it. Then, by retreating, he could advance—using this as an excuse to meet Xue Lingxue alone.

“It’s nothing,” Xue Lingxue replied with a gentle smile. “I am a cultivator, after all—a minor injury heals quickly.”

“You are gracious, Lady Xue. But I cannot help feeling guilty. As an apology, I have rented a pleasure boat and would like to invite you to dine, and enjoy the scenery of the Qin Nan River together,” he said confidently.

When inviting a lady, nothing is more dangerous than appearing overly eager—especially at the start of acquaintance. A hasty invitation is often seen as rude, and women will be cautious.

But Xia An was skilled at turning every situation to his advantage, closing the distance naturally and without leaving a trace.

In his plan, as long as Xue Lingxue accepted his invitation, he would find another reason to meet her again during their time together. Sooner or later, she would grow accustomed to his presence. By the time she realized her heart had surrendered, it would already be too late.

Yet despite the smoothness of his invitation, Xue Lingxue merely shook her head.

“Forgive me, young marquis,” she declined. “I already have plans today.”

“Oh?” Xia An pondered, then asked, “Is it someone from Nan Guan City? I could negotiate to free your time. If I cannot properly apologize, I will be restless, and my father will be displeased as well.”

“It’s not someone from the city—it’s Chu Liang of Shu Mountain,” Xue Lingxue replied, glancing toward the door.

As if spoken into existence, a refined and graceful figure appeared at the entrance.

“Lady Xue... Oh? The young marquis is here as well?” Chu Liang greeted them with a warm smile.

Xia An looked at that pleasant face, and a surge of anger threatened to boil over—he wanted nothing more than to punch it.

Old grudges and new.

He gritted his teeth and asked, “Chu Liang, you have an appointment with Lady Xue today?”

“Yes.” Chu Liang nodded, his gaze flickering as he quickly understood the situation.

The young marquis clearly had designs on Lady Xue. He had lavished her with gifts yesterday, so it was no surprise he was here to invite her today.

He himself had agreed to meet Xue Lingxue today, though it was merely a brief conversation. No doubt Lady Xue was using this as an excuse to decline the marquis’s invitation.

Since he had come to ask a favor, he should help her bear the brunt of the marquis’s resentment.

Yet—he had stolen the marquis’s thunder yesterday, accused him of gifting a fake zither, and now was taking his date as well... The young marquis would surely hate him even more.

Ah.

“Chu Liang...” Xia An’s gaze grew dark and ominous, preparing to ask Chu Liang to leave so Lady Xue’s schedule would be free.

If Chu Liang refused... Even as a disciple of Shu Mountain, this was Nan Guan City!

Who in this city dared cross the young marquis?!

If this fellow continued to provoke him, he would gladly settle old scores with new ones.

Sensing Xia An’s hostile look, Chu Liang guessed what he was about to say and quickly raised a finger.

The Evil Dispelling Curse!

A newly refreshed spell, instantly cast upon Xia An. Fortunately, Xia An’s cultivation was lower, so the curse worked again.

Just as Xia An, face dark and eyes fierce, called out “Chu Liang,” and the atmosphere grew tense...

He suddenly broke into a radiant smile:

“May you and Lady Xue have a wonderful time together.”