Schatzkammer von Jianghu

Kapitel 93

Despite An Jie's painstaking efforts in arranging various meals, he still couldn't satisfy the young master.

Facing the icy, piercing gaze, An Jie broke out in a cold sweat, his mind racing with indignation. The hall was brightly lit, and the young master's face, like the mica screen behind him, was as white as jade, radiating a cold light. Gone was the warm, cool feeling of a porcelain doll; instead, he exuded an aura of indifference, like snow-covered mountains shrouded in mist.

"This doesn't taste right," the young master insisted, insisting that the dish had been prepared differently.

An Jie said with slight displeasure, "It really is the same old recipe!"

“Animal ribs are rough to the touch and extremely difficult to swallow,” he said confidently.

An Jie turned to Wu Suan for help. Wu Suan pondered for a moment, then bowed and asked, "What would you like to eat, young master?"

The young boy's face was bathed in sunlight, his features exquisite and perfect, yet his expression remained unchanged: "I want to eat the tongue of a bird; that's the softest part."

Wu Suan nodded, and An Jie left in accordance with the order. He ordered his men to hunt down all the birds on the island, pluck out their tongues, and stir-fry them with the hearts of green bamboo shoots to make a dish for the young master.

They ate this dish until birds became extinct. Only then did the young master toss the eagle into the air, turn around and stare at An Jie, saying, "Now not a single bird dares to take my territory."

An Jie shuddered and from then on dared not complain in front of the young master again.

The young master was taken in by Ye Cheng'an and lived in the Ye residence for several months. After returning, on his eighth birthday, Ye Cheng'an sent two handsome young boys.

Leng Qi, dressed in a white-collar black shirt, possessed a face as beautiful as a fairy child. The servants often forgot their tasks when they saw him, but his eyes were bloodshot, staring at everyone with the ferocity of a wolf. Yin Guang, in a well-tailored white robe, stood in the courtyard like a bamboo swaying in the wind, but his eyes were filled with fear.

The young master walked to the steps with his hands at his sides, carefully examined the two men, and after a while said, "The one in the black clothes."

The subordinate, following orders, pushed Leng Qi into the hall. The young master looked at him coldly and said, "You must kneel before your master."

Leng Qi didn't respond, but the young master suddenly raised his right hand and delivered a solid slap across Leng Qi's face. Leng Qi was furious and rushed over to tear at the young master's shirt, trying her best to get a single piece of his clothes on him.

After a short while, Leng Qi's face was flushed, and she was panting heavily. The young master, dressed in flowing white robes, moved around Leng Qi, not attacking when he got close, but when he was far away, he would suddenly flick his sleeve and slap her across the face, the crisp sound of slaps echoing continuously.

Half an hour later, Leng Qi's cheeks were swollen and red, and her limbs felt weak. The young master stood calmly in the distance and said indifferently, "Do you still have any strength?"

An hour later, Leng Qi lay on his back, coldly saying, "You little brat, if you have the guts, kill me." The white-robed youth slowly approached, then suddenly kicked Leng Qi, sending him flying and crashing into the wall. He said with his hands behind his back, "You're not even worthy of my hands anymore." He then approached again, making a move as if to kick him once more.

Leng Qi gritted his teeth and remained silent. The young master kicked him again, knocking him unconscious against a pillar. He ordered, "Make sure he's well-fed every day, give him the best wound medicine, and keep a close eye on him. Don't let him die, and don't let him escape."

Leng Qi was covered in bruises and his face was disheveled and unrecognizable. He was carried away directly in front of Yin Guang. The young master turned to look at Yin Guang, who looked into his eyes and burst into tears.

The young master frowned: "So delicate." He waited for an unusually long time, and seeing that Yin Guang was still sobbing, he suddenly said coldly: "If you cry again, I'll peck your eyes out."

Silverlight moved her fingers away and stole a glance at him. The young master whistled, and a falcon swooped down, perching majestically on his shoulder, its gleaming beak pointing directly at Silverlight's face.

Yin Guang was so frightened that he started crying again. The young master tossed him away lightly, and the falcon flew over and pecked at Yin Guang's face. Yin Guang screamed and scattered around the hall. Wu Suan was worried that Minister Xie was grieving the loss of his beloved son, so he quickly stopped the commotion and reported to the young master: "Young master, this young master is Minister Xie's only son from Youzhou. Please don't go too far."

The young master observed coldly for a moment, then suddenly spoke up again: "It is said that the Xie family's golden and silver arrows are unparalleled in the world. This child has a solid lower body, but his eyesight is not good, and he often cannot distinguish between vines and bamboo."

Wu Suan was shocked. For the first time, he looked directly into the young master's eyes and exclaimed, "Young master has grown up."

A few days later, the young master gave Leng Qi a good beating and said coldly to him, "The day you were sent here, you had countless old wounds on your body, which shows that you were often beaten. Your body should be as strong as bronze. It's a pity that your eyes betray too much hatred... So when you learn to behave, I will stop beating you."

A month later, Leng Qi bowed his head.

That day, the young master ordered someone to release a colorful carp into a deep pool and commanded Leng Qi to fish every day to cultivate his mind; he also dragged out Yin Guang, who was hiding in the bamboo forest, and asked him to tie up his black hair that was flying in the wind.

43. Childhood (Part 2)

Qiu Yeyijian lived a life of quiet cultivation and ascetic practice at Bixie Manor, listening to the ebb and flow of the tides, watching the sunrise and sunset, and letting the years flow by slowly along the boundless island.

Every day at the hour of Dingmao, he would rise to wash his face, then descend into the sea amidst the morning mist to practice swordsmanship for four hours. After lunch, he would practice swordsmanship for another three hours. Wu Suan would then stand respectfully on the seashore waiting for the young master to return. In the evening, he would receive lessons from Master Dongge until the hour of Guihai, when he would rest.

But Mr. Dongge soon discovered that the young master often lingered in the Qingyi Camp, reading the books in the Dongge Pavilion all night long. The dim candlelight flickered, casting a motionless shadow. He often stared at the handsome profile in the windowpane, feeling only bitterness in his heart: the twelve-year-old young master was already capable of handling things on his own, having lost the joy of being human far too early.

As everyone watched the young master grow more and more handsome and aloof, they tacitly changed their address to "Young Master." Having witnessed his actions firsthand, who would dare to be disrespectful or unreasonable to him?

Ancient cypress trees stood tall in the Qingyi Camp, their branches gnarled and twisted, their green canopies like jewels, layer upon layer obscuring the courtyard. Finally, one day, the young man in white calmly stepped out of the pavilion. For four whole years, starting at the age of eight, he had read all the classics in the East Pavilion. Astronomy, geography, astrology, divination, the works of various philosophers—except for medicine and herbal remedies, the rest of the knowledge was etched firmly into his mind like a brand.

Unlike Wu Suan, Zhuge Dongge noticed the young master's cunning one midnight when he was twelve years old, when the candles were lit.

The flickering candlelight shone brighter than the stars. Outside, a cold wind shook the evergreen trees, while inside, the flame in the niche burned low, and the incense burner was still burning. Qiu Yeyi's face, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, revealed a cold, gleaming reflection of his red lips and fair skin. Though handsome as jade, he possessed an icy, heartless air.

Facing the upright young master in the East Pavilion, Xiang Bo lifted his blue robe, bent down, and read history to him in a measured tone: "Then Xiang Bo went again that night, and when he arrived at the army camp, he reported to King Xiang everything that Liu Bang had said. He said, 'If Liu Bang had not broken through Guanzhong first, how would you have dared to enter? Now that he has made a great contribution, it would be unjust to attack him. It would be better to treat him kindly.' King Xiang agreed."

Qiu Ye Yijian remained seated quietly behind the desk, like a shadow. His long, dark eyelashes drooped down his face, and he flicked the candlelight like a small brush: "Wait, sir." Upon hearing this, he slowly raised his eyes, his gaze as still as a deep pool: "No need to read it."

Dongge asked in surprise, "Young Master, why?"

"Xiang Yu will surely be defeated." Qiu Yeyi didn't say much, only calmly saying, "If you want to teach me, I only want to learn one skill."

"Please speak, sir."

"I want to learn a method, a method that can kill all enemies in one go." His dark eyes remained unmoved, as cold and indifferent as the pebbles in a stream. "I have no interest in anything else."

Dongge thought for a moment. It seemed that the young master only knew how to practice swordsmanship. He had never seen him pay much attention to anything else. So he couldn't help but ask, "Young master, you are still a child after all. Is there nothing that can arouse your curiosity?"

Clad in white, his figure composed, Qiu Ye Yi Jian's expression remained cold and unchanged as he replied, "What do all things have to do with me?"

Dongge was deeply saddened and sighed, "What has caused the young master to be so indifferent today?"

The candlelight flickered like clouds, casting a shadow on the white jade face, dim and indistinct. Qiu Ye pondered silently for a moment before answering in a low voice: "When I was little, I practiced swordsmanship in the Crystal Pavilion at the bottom of the sea. I was very curious about the colorful ribbonfish outside the pavilion. After my grandfather found out, he sprinkled poison outside the pavilion, and I never saw a fish again after I was four years old. When I was six, I caught a patterned leopard that a ship had left behind and hid it under the artificial hill. When I went to check the next day, the leopard was already dead in the pond. On my eighth birthday, I received an eagle. If I hadn't discovered it early, it would probably have died at my grandfather's hands... Sir, tell me, since everything must die, why should I cherish it?"

Qiu Ye's face was elegant and ethereal, his elaborate white palace robes fluttering and spreading out, making the exquisitely handsome young man shine like the bright moon. Dong Ge met his clear, cold eyes and instantly forgot to speak.

“If you go to that crystal pavilion at the bottom of the sea, you will understand everything.” Qiu Yeyijian stretched out two long fingers and slowly turned a page of paper, her body remaining perfectly still. “Since you cannot answer my question, please leave.”

Dongge was quite shocked by his order to leave. The usually aloof and polite young master spoke frankly, no longer satisfied with the knowledge taught by his teacher. This was something that Zhuge Dongge, who was full of talent, could not accept coming from the mouth of a twelve-year-old child.

"I have another question... Why did you say earlier that Xiang Yu would definitely be defeated?" Before leaving, Dongge recalled what was said in the Records of the Grand Historian and asked with some unease.

Qiu Yeyi did not answer directly, but only said something like, "If I were Xiang Yu, when Liu Bang used Xiang Bo to persuade him and thought he had succeeded and could rest easy, I would have led my army to launch a night attack on Ba Shang, completely eliminating him and catching him off guard."

Dongge was extremely surprised, his face unable to contain his shock: "Young Master, are you emulating Zhou Yu of the Three Kingdoms? Using a double agent?" Qiu Yeyi remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement. Dongge withdrew his right leg and sighed: "I remember when Junior Brother (Nie Wuyou, who was on the island at the time) first read this history, he casually replied, 'If I were Liu Bang, I should also endure and wait for the right moment to act.' Now it seems that the two young masters have different personalities, but they are both outstanding individuals."

Qiu Ye sat upright, her right hand slightly raised, and said, "I'm not interested in that sickly fellow. I'll escort you back to your residence, sir."

After that night, Zhuge Dongge pondered deeply and finally decided to inform Ye Cheng'an that his son should be sent to Kaifeng to receive more education. Ye Cheng'an was very generous; long before Qiu Ye Yijian's twelfth birthday, he had spent ten thousand taels of gold to build a mansion for his grandson on East Street.

Ye Cheng'an noticed the chilling change in Qiu Ye Yijian's demeanor. After much deliberation, he sent a grand gift on the night of his grandson's twelfth birthday celebration: Bai Li, the most beautiful woman in Miao territory.

Although Bai Li was only ten years old, her supple waist and rosy lips already hinted at the future beauty of an ethereal woman. She glanced at the young master's face and was astonished to find him to be like a celestial being. But when she met his cold gaze, she quickly buried her head in shame.

"What is this?" Bai Li was so upset that she almost cried when she heard the white-robed young man, who looked like a sculpture of ice and jade, utter a few words.

The elegantly dressed Steward Wu replied calmly, "Young Master, Miss Bai was personally selected by Lord Ye to serve you. She will also be the future steward of Bixie's food and clothing."

Before descending the steps, Qiu Yeyijian slowly surveyed Bai Li, asking, "Did Ye Cheng'an send this?" Bai Li nodded slightly upon receiving confirmation. Qiu Yeyijian gracefully turned and strode away, his cold voice echoing in the air: "How long can this little fledgling last? Won't Ye Cheng'an kill her?"

Bai Li was filled with fear and unease, while Wu Suan sighed softly, understanding the young master's malice.

Lord Ye stifled everything that interested the young master when he was young. The young master knew the meaning behind the concubine that Lord Ye gave him, but he viciously called her a little bird because in his eyes, this flower-like beauty was no different from a pet.

Under the peach blossom tree, she watched the sun and moon pass by; outside the winding bridge, she watched the clouds drift across the blue sky. In the blink of an eye, four years had passed. Bai Li's face was as beautiful as the peach blossoms in the courtyard, her cheeks flushed with a delicate blush. Her figure was as graceful as a willow swaying in the breeze, so delicate that it seemed impossible to hold her in one hand. In the days she spent with Qiu Ye Yi Jian, she had figured out the young master's temperament and dared not overstep the bounds in the slightest.

But Lord Ye found her, gave her a bottle of medicine, and asked her to pour it into the young master's bath water.

Bai Li was truly uneasy. The young master's nose had been trained by Master An Jie to be exceptionally sensitive. If the young master discovered that he had been drugged, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, Lord Ye is like a second parent to me, and I cannot disobey his command.

Left with no other choice, Bai Li poured the medicine into the pool, but she couldn't remember anything that happened afterward...

The next day, Qiu Yeyi summoned someone to drag Bai Li out, and made him kneel at his feet: "Bai Li." He lowered his head, and his cold, star-like eyes made Bai Li feel like he was suffocating. "I am never controlled by anyone, do you understand?"

Bai Li looked down at her disheveled clothes, and thinking of the red marks on her body, she began to sob, her tears falling like raindrops on autumn branches: "Young Master, what happened..."

"Bai Li." Qiu Yeyi coldly shouted, her low, sharp voice sending a shiver down everyone's spine. "Grandpa tried to control me with you. Has he gotten his wish?"

Bai Li lost her virginity in a daze, and then encountered the young master's cold and sharp gaze. She couldn't understand the cause and effect, and could only lie on the ground and cry incessantly.

Qiu Yeyi did not kill Bai Li, but secretly sent a message to Ye Cheng'an: Bai Li had lost her virginity to another man, was not a virgin, and was not a good choice for the Crown Prince's consort.

Dongge had privately asked the young master about the whole reason. Seeing his earnest words, the young master finally relented: Bai Li could not be sent away because his grandfather was still unwilling to give up and would continue to send all sorts of different women; the medicine was sent by his grandfather, but whether there was a mistake or not, and who she was having an affair with, his grandfather did not know.

This became an unsolved mystery, leaving some of them wondering about it from afar, their hearts itching with curiosity. But Dongge knew that the young master kept Bai Li behind, definitely to use her as a shield in the future.

What's real and what's fake, who can really know?

But the demon grew bigger day by day.

Volume Four: The Last Unpredictable

1. Prologue

The sky was dark and gloomy, the clouds were turbulent and unpredictable, and waves surged in from afar, roaring with a deafening sound.

Under the heavy clouds, the Wangjiang Tower at Qinglong Town Port stood alone, like the Xiunu Stone on the shore, silently watching over its unfulfilled husband. The sea breeze, carrying foam, swept over the foot of the tower. The lonely triumphant one, startled by the chill, leaned on the railing, coughing softly.

He stood on the veranda, gazing into the distance. He could vaguely see a corner of a giant white sail, its silhouette blurred into a tiny dot by the thick fog amidst the towering waves. The ship headed straight for Wufang behind the clouds, taking Leng Shuangcheng, who had been passing through Qinglong Town, with it.

Leng Shuangcheng sent Yuwen Xiaobai with news of the medicine man, which inevitably brought some news about herself, even though she led a large group of people to Zhan Wufang and even though she unintentionally avoided Wangjiang Tower and him.

She asked Xiaobai to pass on a letter, requesting his cooperation in the operation, to use the Azure Dragon and Seven Stars as barriers to hold back the attack of the Tantric sect, and to lure the remnants of Huangyu Shuxue into the trap she had set.

There wasn't a single word about her own situation, and the exquisitely carved seal script revealed not a trace of her sorrow.

When Lone Triumph faced the vast sea, he could imagine Leng Shuangcheng's calmness and determination.

Just now, Yuwen Xiaobai, dressed in flowing white robes, stood in the pavilion and had a detailed conversation with him.

"Shuangcheng seems to be in poor health. Her hair has turned dry and silvery-gray, her face is pale, and she even coughed up blood when she left me... Ah, why is Young Master holding my wrist... I was very worried and asked her what was wrong. She smiled and told me that she was in a lot of pain, but her life was not in danger. Young Master Gu, I've heard that you are a skilled physician. Do you think what Shuangcheng said is true?"

Yuwen Xiaobai furrowed her delicate brows, tilting her head to gaze intently at Gu Dukaixuan. Her complexion was gentle and refined, her eyes like the sky after rain, clean and clear, free of dark clouds and gloom.

The sea breeze ruffled the hem of her sky-blue robes, making them billow like sails. Lonely Triumph loosened her grip on Yuwen Xiaobai's hand, as if seeking support, and steadied herself against a pillar, saying, "I understand now. So the cold poison she spoke of was real, truly so ruthless… She's such a fool, daring to induce a virus for the sake of the medicine man's formula, daring to risk everything alone for so-called morality, enduring excruciating pain… I…"

Lonely Triumph coughed violently, his handsome face devoid of any color, as desolate as the moonlight over the eastern pond. The agonizing pain in his heart rippled with each breath, spreading like waves across the pond. He abruptly turned, leaving only his fluttering robes trailing behind a corner of the corridor pillar. After a long silence, he calmly said, "Little Bai, if someone starts scheming against others from this moment on, isn't that person despicable?"

Yuwen Xiaobai brushed aside her wind-blown hair, turned her head and said, "Forgive my ignorance, I don't understand, so I can't make any comments."

The wind and waves roared up, transforming into a black dragon hovering in the sky, thunder and lightning resounding, tearing apart the chaotic sea surface and swallowing the voice of the lonely triumphant one, sometimes soft, sometimes heavy: "This man is inherently dull-witted and utterly foolish. Due to his frail body, he always restrains himself, afraid to touch the most hidden corner of his heart. Until one day, others forced him to sign a marriage contract and a declaration of war, which completely enraged him. He began to feign weakness and submission to dispel his opponent's suspicions, and began to secretly carry out meticulous plans, only to launch a counterattack two years later."

With a distant gaze, he leaned against a pillar and laughed as he stared intently at the sea. "But he didn't expect that the person he fell in love with no longer wanted to live. If that's the case, then what plans did he have, and what constraints of etiquette did he care about?"

His buzzing sound swirled in the wind, like the faint aroma of tea drifting in the summer breeze, gradually fading away. Yuwen Xiaobai seemed to understand, but stared at his retreating figure, feeling a deep sorrow in her heart: "I don't understand what you mean, young master, but Grandpa always tells me not to overthink things I don't understand..."

Lonely Triumph turned around. Yuwen Xiaobai looked at him intently, her face still as innocent and childlike as a child's, her crystal-clear eyes revealing a hint of worry. Lonely Triumph unintentionally saw her expression, and as if influenced by a clear mind, he immediately sobered up: "I shouldn't have told you so much. You're as innocent as a child right now, you don't understand anything..."