Shangguan Tou took out some silver, handed it to the shopkeeper, and then pointed with the handle of his fan: "Let's go take another look ahead."
Xuezhi fiddled with the whistle while looking up at Shangguan Tou and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The two then strolled through flower markets, taverns, general stores, and calligraphy shops together. Xuezhi increasingly felt that Shangguan Tou was not as promiscuous as others said. He treated her like a younger sister, and with his good looks and humble personality, it was impossible not to like him.
The sky gradually darkened.
Boss Zhuo steadied himself on the rickety chair, his voice deep and resonant: "He'll take her home before dark. His excuse is—"
"Although Luoyang is quite safe, it's not safe after dark. Let me take you back early."
"What would a woman be thinking at this moment? The legendary, incredibly charming 'Flower-Catching Master' not only doesn't torment her, but is also so considerate, hoping she'll go home soon!" Boss Zhuo squatted down, burying his face in his hands, "Actually, actually, actually—"
At the entrance of the Luoyang Inn.
"I was really happy to go for a walk with Miss Lin today, but I forgot about Miss Lin wanting to buy some fabric. I wonder if Miss Lin will be free tomorrow?"
Boss Zhuo's voice grew softer and softer: "This woman has developed a very, very, very good impression of him and has let her guard down..."
"Hmm..." Xuezhi originally planned to set off the next day, but uncontrollably, the next words came out, "Yes."
Boss Zhuo stood up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot: "This womanizing philanderer's trump card is all in tomorrow!!!"
"See you tomorrow then." Shangguan Tou smiled and left.
"Boss Zhuo, why are you stacking those chairs?"
"Shut up!" Boss Zhuo roared fiercely, looking around at the extremely tense atmosphere.
Suddenly, he started packing up the shop again: "Closed for today's storytelling."
twenty three
Xuezhi went to bed very early, so she woke up very early on the third day as well. However, when she opened the door, she did not see Shangguan Tou's servants and was slightly disappointed. So she took some silver and went downstairs for breakfast.
At the same time, the weapons shop opened early, a small flag bearing the large character "Zhuo" rising with the sun. Crowds of people poured in, only to find it empty except for four tall chairs. Slightly disappointed, the customers were about to turn away when suddenly a deep voice boomed from above: "Good morning, everyone."
Xuezhi finished eating, but still didn't see any servants. Just as she was about to get up and go back to her room, someone gently patted her shoulder: "Good morning, Miss Lin."
At this moment, everyone looked up and saw Boss Zhuo holding a golden shield in his left hand, a golden bow in his right hand, a golden sword at his waist, wearing a towering golden armor, with a hemp rope hanging from his back. He slowly descended from the roof beam and finally stood high on four chairs. After stabilizing himself, he looked down at the customers and said, "Today, I will expose the evil deeds of Miss Zhaojun."
Xuezhi immediately turned around. Shangguan Tou was right behind her, smiling at her: "I didn't sleep well yesterday, so I came by myself today. I hope you won't mind."
"What's wrong?"
Because he was carrying too many things, Boss Zhuo was not as agile as the day before. He could only raise his hands vertically and shout loudly, "From this moment on, Miss Zhaojun's aloof and gentle exterior will be peeled away layer by layer, and sweet words will fly out! What will he say? What will he say?!"
An older woman looked up at Boss Zhuo and pointed at him, asking, "Boss Zhuo, why are you standing so high?"
Boss Zhuo's voice boomed and echoed within the armor, making it even deeper: "He says whatever women want to hear!!"
"Knowing that you will be leaving Luoyang tomorrow, I really can't bear to part with you. As soon as I woke up today, I came here to wait, hoping to see Miss Lin soon."
Xuezhi paused for a moment, then looked a little embarrassed: "Haha."
"Let's go, let's go to the cloth shop first."
"Why did Lady Zhaojun go to the cloth shop?" Boss Zhuo drew an arrow from the golden quiver on his back, nocked it, and pulled it out sharply. The golden arrow shot out, piercing the floors of the second, third, and fourth floors, and flew straight into the sky. "Because no matter how simply Chong Xuezhi dresses, she is, after all, a woman." After saying that, he stretched out his hand, which was covered with a gold glove, and pointed to the Fu family's cloth shop.
Business was booming; no one was haggling, no shrewish women were around, and the fabric was selling quickly. The people in the fabric shop were living quite comfortably these past few days. Unfortunately, as soon as Shangguan Tou entered, almost all the women stopped buying fabric and crowded around him. Only a few particularly beautiful women stood in a corner, silently selecting their fabric. Xuezhi was slightly taken aback, thinking that Shangguan Tou was indeed a womanizer, having attracted so many women.
"What is this woman thinking at this moment—how did Shangguan Tou offend so many women!" With that, Boss Zhuo threw out the golden bow, which once again pierced through the roof, and everyone's eyes followed it up and down.
"That's not actually the case! Women who have truly been tormented by Lady Zhaojun will never get close to him again, because they are all heartbroken, but they still love him deeply!" Boss Zhuo's golden finger once again pointed at the cloth shop, as if pointing at the heads of the silent girls.
Shangguan Tou was busy, and Xuezhi was too lazy to pay attention to him. She focused on selecting fabrics on her own, and before she knew it, an hour had passed. After an hour, Shangguan Tou finally had a moment to spare and returned to her side: "Miss Lin has excellent taste. This embroidery is beautifully colored and exquisitely crafted. You can't find it anywhere else."
"Actually, what Guan Tou hates most is shopping with women and picking out embroidery!!" The golden sword was drawn from its sheath, and Boss Zhuo's eyes and the sword's edge emitted a dazzling golden light. "If at this moment, this woman says she wants this embroidery, buys it and leaves, Lady Zhaojun will love her forever!"
Xuezhi looked at the embroidery in her hand, then at the one next to her: "Hmm, both are very good, let's choose again."
Boss Zhuo stood on one leg, pointing his sword at the sky: "It's a pity that, to this day, there isn't a single woman that Shangguan Tou will love forever!"
twenty four
After the massacre at the Fu family's cloth shop, Xuezhi was carrying a large pile of fabrics and exquisite embroidery to pay for, but Shangguan Tou, who was exhausted but didn't show it, simply gave them to her. Xuezhi insisted on paying for them herself, but Shangguan Tou was unusually stubborn, so she had no choice but to let him have his way.
As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding," and Xuezhi felt indebted to Shangguan Tou. So, when Shangguan Tou took her hand and pulled her to his side while they were jostling through the crowd, no matter how nervous she was, she could only pretend not to know.
While packing the things, the maid from the fabric shop looked at Chong Xuezhi and said, "Young master, you've taken too much. Is it all for this young lady?"
Shangguan Tou put his arm around Xuezhi's shoulder, pulled her into his embrace, and smiled sweetly, like a lovestruck darling: "What's mine is Zhi'er's, let her do as she pleases." After saying this, he closed his eyes and gently kissed Xuezhi's hair.
This was too much for her. Xuezhi sprang out, her face flushed red to her neck, and rushed out of the cloth shop without taking anything. "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding," she thought, kicking several wine jars by the roadside—next time she'd definitely pay for herself!
Not long after, Shangguan Tou also came out. He had just walked up to Xue Zhi when she turned around and said fiercely, "I don't like it when people touch me!" Then she turned and left.
Boss Zhuo's helmet had holes for his beard to breathe. He held a golden sword high in one hand and struggled to bend the other, stroking his beard: "Women definitely don't want others to see them when they're angry, and besides, they like being chased by men! Their final destination is definitely a deserted place!"
Xuezhi stopped at the entrance of the inn, paced back and forth a few times, and then ran to the pavilion behind the inn.
"I'm sorry, I've offended you, young lady." Shangguan Tou said this, but he was still close to Xuezhi. "Actually, I've met Miss Lin before, but you probably don't remember."
"I have no idea."
Are you still angry with me?
"I know you did that to give your family an explanation, never mind." Xuezhi waved her hand. "I'll go pay the bill in a bit."
"I told you, I've seen you before." Shangguan Tou's voice was so gentle it melted the ice, and he moved closer and closer.
"Clearly, the young lady is looking for a way to back down. But, would Lady Zhaojun let this escalating ambiguity disappear?!" Boss Zhuo suddenly raised his hand, and the golden sword flew out, finally piercing through all obstacles and creating a large hole in the rooftop.
The older woman said, "Boss Zhuo, you built this building yourself..."
"Zhi'er..." Shangguan Tou suddenly walked up, grabbed Xue Zhi's hand, tilted his head slightly, and kissed her cheek.
Boss Zhuo spread his arms wide and roared, "The phrase 'You are mine' is outdated!!"
"I don't have much to give you, but if you nod, I'm yours." Shangguan Tou held Xuezhi's hand tightly with one hand, and with the other hand he wrapped his arms around her waist. With a gentle pull, she fell into his embrace.
At this moment, Boss Zhuo suddenly squatted down with a solemn expression, moved the golden shield down and placed it under the stool, then knocked it hard. The golden shield stuck to the bottom of the chair like a tortoise shell, and then a short line appeared from under the shield.
“This woman will definitely escape back to the inn!” Boss Zhuo slowly straightened up, snapped his fingers, and a servant immediately disappeared around the corner. Boss Zhuo looked into the distance with a solemn gaze. “I already said, within three days, this woman will definitely become a piece of meat. If she returns to her room, she will have to say goodbye to her beautiful girlhood.”
Xuezhi rushed back to her room, and as soon as she opened the door, she saw someone standing in the room.
This person is not Shangguan Tou, but Mu Yuan.
“Lady Zhaojun will definitely use her last trump card, and then, we’ll devour her tonight! Unless she’s alone—” As soon as Boss Zhuo finished speaking, the servant who had disappeared ran back out and threw a small fireball at Boss Zhuo’s golden shield.
Everyone said in unison, "Unless it's someone?"
"Shangguan Tou already spread the word that there's a woman he'll never set his sights on," Boss Zhuo said, hands on his hips, laughing wildly. "That woman is Chong Xuezhi, wahahahahaha!!"
The crowd suddenly fell silent.
Mu Yuan turned around and saw Xue Zhi, and said, "Young Palace Master".
Just then, Shangguan Tou happened to arrive. Upon hearing those three words, he stared blankly at Xuezhi and asked, "Are you really... Chong Xuezhi?"
The fireball ignited the short wire, which burned rapidly upwards. Boss Zhuo used all his lung capacity to make his deep voice echo throughout the helmet: "Therefore, the above content is purely fictional! Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden shield exploded, and a small plate carrying Boss Zhuo and his soaring hero in golden armor burst out through the giant hole that had already been dug.
Everyone looked up at the sky, watching Boss Zhuo turn into a tiny dot, and remained silent for a very long time.
Finally, someone said:
"I really don't know what his purpose was in doing this."
"Judging from this situation, Boss Zhuo may not be coming back anytime soon."
Author's note: I'm so embarrassed. How could someone as serious and careful as me write a passage like this about Boss Zhuo?
25 26 27
25
Xuezhi did not answer. Mu Yuan saw Shangguan Tou and cupped his hands in greeting: "I didn't expect Young Master Shangguan to be here as well."
Shangguan Tou returned the greeting, then kept his eyes fixed on Xuezhi. However, all the tenderness and affection they had shown downstairs at the inn had vanished, and his expression was quite complicated: "I'm sorry, I didn't believe you at first."
Xuezhi still hadn't forgotten what happened downstairs, and didn't even look him in the eye: "It's nothing."
Shangguan Tou glanced at Mu Yuan and said, "I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. You two can talk slowly." He paused and then added, "Zhi'er, I'll be going home for a while. If you need anything, you can come to the Grand Tutor's residence in Chang'an to find me."
Xuezhi nodded. Shangguan Tou left.
Next, Xuezhi looked up at Mu Yuan, then sat down at the table in a huff, fiddling with the wick of the dry candle: "What are you doing here?"
"Something has happened in the palace, so I've come specifically to inform you not to go back for the time being."
Xuezhi suddenly stopped what she was doing: "What happened?"
"That's all I wanted to say. Come back in a few months; maybe the elders' anger will have subsided." Mu Yuan took out a silver note from his pocket and handed it to Xue Zhi. "This money should be enough for you. Keep in touch with me at all times, and be sure to let me know if you encounter any difficulties, understand? When you send me messages, don't use your real name, and try to avoid mentioning anything about your identity—"
"Tell me, what exactly happened?"
"Don't ask any more questions, it's not a big deal, but it's not good for you. I'll figure something out. I'm leaving now." Mu Yuan walked to the door and then said in a low voice, "By the way, although Shangguan Tou's conditions are very good, but... never mind, you know better than me how to handle this kind of thing."
Before Xuezhi could speak, Mu Yuan had already opened the door.
The person standing at the door was none other than Elder Yuwen.
Xuezhi and Muyuan were both speechless with surprise.
"Not a big deal?" Elder Yuwen walked in step by step, his hands on his cane. "The Nine Forms of the Lotus God were stolen, and you say that's not a big deal?"
The room was silent for a long time.
The early winter evening wind made the windowpanes sway back and forth, and the withered trees bent over in the wind, almost breaking apart.
"No way." Xuezhi looked incredulous. "The Nine Forms of the Lotus God are clearly locked in the deepest part of Chonghuo Palace, with so many traps and so many people guarding it. How could it be..."
"Why not?" Elder Yuwen interrupted her. "In the few days since you left, we've sent out more than half of our people to look for you, and all the experts have gone out. Someone took advantage of the situation and broke in. All the disciples guarding the gate are gone without a trace. The Lotus God Nine Forms are still in the same place, but the side with the text used to face north, but now it faces south. It's obvious that someone has tampered with it. And it's almost certain that this person has stolen the contents."