Lanting

Kapitel 1

Kiyomizuki and His Fox

Author: Yang Jianan

Chapter One: The Little Fox's Heroic Deeds

At dawn, the castle gates slowly opened, and a swift horse galloped across the drawbridge, sweeping across the parade ground that could hold thousands of people like a whirlwind. In the billowing dust, a burly man, before even coming to a complete stop, leaped nimbly and sped away like a rabbit. Afterwards, everything returned to its usual tranquility.

Lu Qingcheng woke with a start. He was lying face down on the bed, the lake-green brocade quilt covering him up to his waist, his muscular body half-naked, his silky black hair cascading like a waterfall onto the white silk pillow. Hearing the door open and footsteps, he sat up, lazily running his hand through his hair. "What time is it now?"

Zhang Zhichun replied, "It's already Chenshi (7-9 AM). Lord, Liu Jianhua has summoned all the lords to the council hall for a meeting."

Lu Qingcheng asked calmly, "What is it?"

Zhang Zhichun said, "I heard that the Sky Eagle Sect has seized our shops and businesses in various places without cause and killed three of our flag leaders."

"Is that so? When was the message sent?" Lu Qingcheng remained as indifferent as ever.

“It was this morning. That scoundrel Liu Jianhua didn’t even ask you for permission before he beat the drum and summoned all the lords and stewards for a meeting. What kind of person is he? Does he even respect you, the lord of the fortress?” Wang Jie blurted out, her eyes filled with resentment.

Lu Qingcheng had five personal guards, the longest being Zhang Zhichun, followed by Wang Jie, Zhang Sanlin, Huang Chong, and Zhang Lang. Zhang Zhichun was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, mature and prudent, and efficient and steady in his work, which earned him Lu Qingcheng's deep trust and reliance.

“Since he’s nothing, you don’t need to bother with him.” Lu Qingcheng’s eyes, as dark as midnight, remained unwavering as she asked, “Where is Qing Jianyue?”

"He went off to Yancui Lake to have some fun again. He said he was going to catch six big, fat fish, two for his little fox's breakfast, one for himself, and the last three to sell to the main kitchen so the lord could have a taste. That's outrageous!" Wang Jie said unhappily.

"Is that so? That's exactly the kind of thing Kiyomi Tsuki would say."

Lu Qingcheng's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a sweet smile. Zhang Zhichun, who was always attentive and close to him, immediately noticed it. Although that smile quickly vanished like a pebble thrown into a lake, returning to stillness, it was still quite rare for him to smile like that. Zhang Zhichun thought with satisfaction.

"Wang Jie, send Zhang Sanlin to invite him to see me. Zhichun, help me wash and change." Lu Qingcheng leaped up like a lithe leopard, clean, efficient, and full of momentum.

"yes."

Wang Jie rushed out of the bedroom.

"Wow, you dead fox, you stinky fox, watch out or I'll kill you."

Amidst the pitiful howls, Zhang Sanlin's bear-like body thrashed about frantically. A slender white shadow swirled around him like a shooting star, and pieces of cloth fluttered in the air like withered leaves.

Xiaoqian sat frozen on the ground, desperately clutching her torn clothes—strong evidence of Zhang Sanlin's attempted assault. Yet, she neither cried nor even considered running away. Her beautiful, wet eyes were wide open, unable to make out what that white shadow that had terrified Zhang Sanlin was.

Finally, as if it had had its fill of biting, the creature suddenly leaped in front of Xiaoqian. It was a small, entirely silver-white fox, shimmering in the bright morning light. Most striking were its golden eyes. The sharp golden light contrasted beautifully with its long silver fur, creating an image that was both incomparably beautiful and full of the spirit of nature.

Xiaoqian stared into the white fox's cold, golden eyes, as if bewitched and unable to move.

Zhang Sanlin could finally catch his breath, but the golden autumn wind made his lower body feel cold. He slowly looked down and screamed again, quickly covering his private parts with his hands, desperately squeezing his legs together, his bare buttocks sticking out, "Qing Jianyue, get out here."

From the depths of the dense forest came a series of melodious whistles, clear and cheerful. The joyful whistles, mixed with the sounds of flocks of birds taking flight and fish leaping out of the water, instantly enlivened the entire grove and Misty Lake.

The little white fox's cold golden eyes shone with a light of freedom and joy. It hopped left and right, then suddenly pounced into Xiaoqian's arms, snuggling and rubbing against her, grinning with its little pointed mouth.

This change stunned Xiaoqian once again. Suddenly, she saw a young man in purple robes walking towards her along the Misty Lake. His tall and slender figure, bathed in the morning glow, resembled an eagle soaring freely in the blue sky, and he appeared before her in an instant.

He was a handsome young man, whose true age was hard to discern. He wore an exquisitely crafted, well-tailored light purple robe, and a light, antique-looking sword hung at his waist, which further accentuated his extraordinary bearing.

"Kiyomizuki, how exactly did you discipline that stinky fox? He actually tore my new pants to shreds."

Zhang Sanlin, with his bare buttocks sticking out, only looks more comical no matter how fiercely he roars.

"Oh, oh, oh, you were planning to take your pants off anyway, my little fox has done you a great favor."

The boy, known as Kiyomizuki, answered cheerfully.

Xiaoqian blushed, her cheeks as vibrant as the bright morning glow on the horizon. Her beautiful eyes involuntarily stole glances at Qing Jianyue. His face wasn't flawless, but the combination of his features gave him a three-dimensional, handsome, and distinctive appearance.

The most beautiful feature of his face was his eyes, clear and sparkling. His irises weren't the typical brown, but a deep, bluish-black, perfectly complementing his long, shimmering, dark blue hair and the azure gem between his brows—a beauty that brought comfort and joy to the soul. When he spoke, his face remained serious, but a cunning and shrewd glint flashed in his eyes.

"You bastard, who do you think you are? What business is it of yours if I harass women?" Zhang Sanlin cursed.

"It's none of my business." Kiyomi Tsuki stuck the fishing rod she was carrying on her shoulder into the ground, threw the fish basket heavily at her feet, put her hands on her hips, and looked so casual and nonchalant. "But that bastard made too much noise and scared away all the fish that were hooked. You don't know, it was a pretty big fish. If we sold it to the kitchen boss, we could have made a lot of money."

"Pah!" Zhang Sanlin shouted, spitting as he spoke. "You little bastard, are you trying to fool me? From head to toe, this outfit alone is worth tens of taels of silver, not to mention the sapphire between your eyebrows, the pearl in your braid, the jade around your neck, the golden tortoise on your waist, the Hepu pearl bracelet on your wrist, and the platinum and diamond ring on your finger. Which one of these isn't worth hundreds or thousands of taels of gold? You would care about a few copper coins?"

“Yes,” Kiyomi Tsuki admitted, “but what does that have to do with that little bastard? I sold a few fat fish, and I saved up even more copper coins in my pocket.”

"Stop talking nonsense and pay for my pants!" Zhang Sanlin was furious. Ever since this kid came, he'd been plagued by bad luck.

"Don't you know my nickname is 'Tightwad,' I'm a real tightwad? You're pathetic, even if you get angry and your head bleeds, I still won't compensate you. You might as well go home naked." Qing Jianyue looked him up and down, then laughed happily, "Actually, it's quite nice of you not to wear pants, it's cool!"

Zhang Sanlin was furious beyond words, wishing he could learn the fighting skills of a shrew in the street. Unfortunately, he had once fought Qing Jianyue, and the result was a gruesome defeat. Therefore, no matter how angry he was, he dared not lay a hand on her.

Kiyoshi caught the little white fox that was nuzzling against Xiaoqian's chest, taking full advantage and feeling incredibly comfortable. "How strange, why do you have time to come here?"

Zhang Sanlin said angrily, "I am here on the orders of the fortress lord to send you back immediately."

"Shunquan raped women. This is an unforgivable crime, punishable by castration." Qingjian Yue rarely showed any compassion. "In any case, you've at least saved your life. Let's talk. Once you become a eunuch, I'll sell you into the palace and let you enjoy all the riches and honors. I can take the opportunity to make a fortune."

Every inch of Zhang Sanlin's flesh, from head to toe, was trembling violently.

Xiaoqian covered her face, feeling so ashamed that she wanted to disappear, and began to sob.

Knowing that this kid was now a favorite of the fortress lord, if he were to report him, he would probably be in deep trouble. Helpless, Zhang Sanlin lowered his stance, "Hey, I promise I won't cause any more trouble for this woman, and you don't have to report what happened this morning to the fortress lord."

"Remove 'hello' and say 'please' instead. Also, you should apologize when you do something wrong. Didn't your mother teach you that?"

Zhang Sanlin cursed inwardly, but had to honestly say, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have flirted with her. I promise I won't be rude to her again. Brother Yue, please be magnanimous and forgiving, and don't report this to the fortress lord. Otherwise, my job will be over."

"Sure, you only scared away one fat fish, not two. Although I lost a few copper coins, I'm magnanimous and won't hold it against you. But tearing that young girl's skirt, while not worth a hundred taels of silver, is worth at least fifty taels."