"Alright, here's a silver note for ten thousand taels of silver, to redeem Miss Yichun." The young master generously tossed the silver note to the madam.
Not only were the others stunned, but even the usually composed Yi Chun was dumbfounded. Xue Qing's eyes widened. Was this some kind of romantic, melodramatic story where a rich young master falls in love with a young woman at first sight, then spends a fortune to redeem her from prostitution, and finally the couple returns home together?
Zhi Qiu wiped away her tears again: "It's so touching. Miss Yi Chun is so lucky. I hope she and that young master will live a good life together in the future."
"Young master... I don't even know your name..." Yi Chun said somewhat at a loss. She had only seen him once, and he didn't even know his name, yet he was willing to spend ten thousand taels of silver to redeem her. Was this really a predestined marriage that only existed in plays?
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Qi Fengting, the chief steward of Qingping Le. When you come to Qingping Le, you can just call me Chief Steward Qi." The young man said with an elegant slight bow.
Qing Ping Yue! The biggest brothel, where it's said, "Once a mortal enters Qing Ping Yue, even a god would give up." This redemption is utterly meaningless! Miss Yi Chun has merely escaped one hell only to enter an even bigger one! And that young master who calls himself Steward Qi, looking so refined and scholarly, with those glasses making him look like a Nobel laureate... you, you, you are the legendary "chicken head"!
Old friends in the room
"Miss Yichun, pack your valuables. We'll return to Qingping Le early tomorrow morning. Xiao Mi and Xiao Dou, you two help the young lady." Qi Fengting's demeanor was refined, but his words were those of a beast.
"Yes, Steward." Two young maids responded. Qi Fengting had come prepared, even bringing his maids with him.
Before Yichun could even step forward, Qi Fengting turned to the crowd in the hall and said, "Miss Yichun will be a favorite of our Qingping Le from now on. You are all welcome to visit Qingping Le." He then gave an elegant bow.
Yi Chun had already climbed halfway up the stairs, so only her back could be seen, not her face. Xue Qing could see the madam's face clearly; it was so ugly, a mixture of pig liver and chicken liver. Her own prized girl had just become someone else's. Even though there was a redemption fee of up to ten thousand taels of silver, the resentment and surprise were still inevitable.
The Mid-Autumn Festival chrysanthemum competition that year turned out to be a farce. Yi Chun, the young lady, personally chose a man she thought was her soulmate, only to discover he was merely trying to steal her away. This became a much-talked-about story among the people of Changsheng Town. When Xue Qing and the others returned to the inn, the waiter even asked them, "Do you gentlemen know that Yi Chun from Lichun Courtyard is going to Qingping Le?"
"I saw it. Who is this Qing Ping Yue? She just casually pulled out ten thousand taels of silver." Zhi Qiu asked curiously.
"Qingping Le is not a place for ordinary people. No one can estimate how much silver the owner of Qingping Le earns every year. However, it is not too much for our Miss Yichun to ask for ten thousand taels of silver. Many wealthy men have wanted to redeem her, but she refuses."
Isn't this just like the Heaven on Earth that was shut down recently? A brothel where prostitutes are the ultimate targets, and where money is easily lost. Places like this are frequented by high-end patrons; going in once can cost you not only your money but also your life. Think about it, what are the two worst things in the world? Alcohol and women. Qing Ping Le deals in alcohol and women, and although it's low-key, its murder cases are anything but.
It has been almost a month since Fang Yun left the Lingyu Sect. He originally only planned to hide for two days, but he took a roundabout route to avoid Yan Ming. Not only did he fail to avoid him, but he also wasted half a month. In the days before cell phones, Fang Yun must be very worried because he couldn't contact Xue Qing. Although the outside world is very exciting, he still wants to go back to the Lingyu Sect first.
"Young Master Bai, are you really not going to come with me to visit the Lingyu Sect?" Xue Qing invited Bai Xichen to visit the Lingyu Sect for the nth time.
"No, the almanac says it's not a good time for me to travel east recently. I'll definitely visit Miss Xue when I have the chance in the future." Bai Xichen postponed for the nth time.
Xue Qing chuckled twice, no longer making things difficult for Bai Xichen. Every ancient person teased by a time-traveling woman is like a country bumpkin in a vacuum-packed braised chicken wing—they can't take it anymore.
Following Bai Xichen's instructions, Zhi Qiu packed a bottle of pills for Xue Qing: "Miss Xue, the young master doesn't know how effective the medicine will be, but it's just to replenish qi and strengthen the body, so just take it as a tonic."
"Well, thank you for your kindness, young master. Please take care of yourselves. I didn't bring anything nice with me while traveling, so I'll just give you this as a return gift. I hope your young master won't find it offensive." Xue Qing took out a jade pendant and placed it in Zhi Qiu's hand. Bai Xichen had given Xue Qing valuable medicine, so Xue Qing had to reciprocate in kind. She searched through her snow wolf fur bag and found that all she had inside were some illicit medicines and tools. The jade pendant belonged to Liu Ying and was a token of the Lingyu Sect. Its craftsmanship and material weren't particularly good, but she didn't have anything else to give as a gift.
Taking the official road from Changsheng Town back to Lingyu was easy and simple. Thanks to the hard-working road workers who opened up the official road (carriage road), Xue Qing was wrong. She would never again think of taking the back road.
The disciples guarding Lingyu Mountain cheered and jumped for joy when they saw Xue Qing, just like seeing their own mother. Their happy expressions also carried a hint of eeriness, and their whispering made Xue Qing feel that there was something fishy going on.
The carriage couldn't go up the mountain, so it was left at the foot of the mountain for the disciples to look after. Xue Qing liked the snow-white pony and wanted to take it up the mountain. The disciple accompanying Xue Qing up the mountain led the pony and said as they walked, "Uncle-Master, Senior Brother Liuying, you must be tired from the journey. Yesterday, the Sect Leader said you would be back soon, and sure enough, you're back today."
"How did Senior Sister know I was coming back? When did she switch careers to become a charlatan?" Xue Qing asked in confusion. She had transmigrated to a martial arts world, so there shouldn't be any fantasy elements like astrology or fortune telling.
"Isn't he a god? His disciples admire him immensely," the disciple leading the horse said with a smile, though there was something ambiguous about that smile.
Because of its spiritual energy, Lingyu Mountain is always in springtime and full of flowers. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, while other places are showing signs of cool autumn, this place is still sunny and bright, almost too bright. The higher you go, the closer you get to the sun. If you want to see the path, you have to look in the direction of the sun. The sunlight is so bright that Xue Qing can't open her eyes.
The snow-white sleeves blocked the sunlight from above Xue Qing's head. Liu Ying raised her arm slightly and used her sleeve to cover Xue Qing's side profile, which perfectly shielded her from the scorching sunlight.
Xue Qing was slightly taken aback. No one had ever treated her like this before, so tenderly caring for her as if she were a plant in a greenhouse. She was Xue Qing, who could shove anyone in her way when squeezing onto a crowded bus. She was not delicate at all. But this little bit of gentleness made her feel at a loss. She walked with her head down, completely focused, as if she were competing with someone.
Because of Xue Qing's inexplicably rapid pace, Liu Ying and the disciple leading the horse had to use their lightness skills to keep up. The three of them quickly reached the mountaintop. Xue Qing sighed, "Home is best! Look at this blue brick road and red glazed tiles, so stylish and cheerful! There's a soft bed and a well-equipped kitchen. I don't have to live in the forest anymore." The first thing she should do upon returning was to pay her respects to Fang Yun. Xue Qing handed her belongings, which couldn't be exposed to the light, to Liu Ying to take back to her room, and then went to the study to find Fang Yun.
Sun Fang was waiting at the door of the study when he saw Xue Qing and was extremely surprised: "Master said that Martial Aunt would come back, and she really did."
Xue Qing was filled with doubt. Could Fang Yun have also been transmigrated? Wasn't precognition a privilege of transmigrated women? No, one protagonist with a cheat code in a story was enough. Pushing open the door, Xue Qing froze in mid-air as soon as she stepped over the threshold. There was another guest in Fang Yun's room. The man was handsome and talented, his long robe embroidered with the mythical beast Qilin, and the broadsword and slender dagger at his waist exuded a heroic aura and righteous spirit.
"Hi, what a coincidence, Pavilion Master Xiao, you're here too." Xue Qing said, her mouth stiffening into an oval shape.
"Uncle-Master Xue Qing." Xiao Guiying gave a slight bow.
"Haha, Sun Fang, what did I say? Qing'er will definitely be back in two days." Fang Yun said with a smile, as if she had just expected it.
"Just as Master predicted," Sun Fang replied with a smile.
"Senior sister, what... what's going on?" Xue Qing was completely stunned.
"Sect Master Xiao, my junior sister admires you very much. I reckon she will definitely come back to see you since you've come to the Lingyu Sect. Otherwise, with her wild and unruly nature, she might not be able to play around for a long time," Fang Yun said to Xiao Guiying with a smile.
This time, not only Xue Qing was stunned, but even Xiao Guiying was taken aback. When they first met on Mount Emei, Xue Qing's attitude wasn't good. Xiao Guiying couldn't understand where Fang Yun's so-called "appreciation" came from. If that kind of behavior was appreciation, then Xue Qing's aunt's appreciation was "quite peculiar." Xue Qing really wanted to smear her face with blood before looking at Fang Yun again. Her words were full of slander and defamation. She appreciated Xiao Guiying? What a joke! Appreciated his sharpness in beheading? Had she been out having a wild time? What a joke! It was enough to make her cry. At one fork in the road, she encountered the murderous male lead no matter which path she took. Was it just her incredible luck that she was always favored?
"Senior sister, you've misunderstood. I have feelings for Pavilion Master Xiao..." Xue Qing bit her lip, unable to find the right words. Dislike Xiao Guiying? Of course, she couldn't say that. What if he really became the leader of the martial arts alliance? Wouldn't that offend the powerful and influential?
"You silly child, usually so sharp-tongued, you can't even speak properly in front of Pavilion Master Xiao. Come and sit down first. Pavilion Master Xiao has important business to attend to this time. Sun Fang, keep an eye on the door." Fang Yun pulled Xue Qing to sit down without saying a word. Xue Qing was on the verge of tears. Senior sister, can you please stop making things worse? Xiao Guiying was the female lead's lover. She got beheaded for stealing Yan Ming. If she even steals male supporting characters, she'll probably be whipped after her death.
"Yes, disciple understands." Sun Fang responded and left the room, closing the door tightly behind him.
It was all quite mysterious, but Xue Qing had a general idea of what they were going to talk about. Xiao Guiying's recent travels had been focused on two things: the Xilin Pavilion and the Martial Alliance. She hadn't heard anything new about the Xilin Pavilion on the way back, so if it wasn't the Xilin Pavilion, then it must be the Martial Alliance. Xue Qing immediately straightened her posture and pricked up her ears. The Martial Alliance was one of the few topics that interested her; the day Xiao Guiying became the leader of the Martial Alliance would be the day her own death was approaching, so how could she not be on her toes?
"Qing'er, the idea of establishing a martial arts alliance was also mentioned to me by Daoist Siyou of the Wudang Sect. Currently, the sects in the martial arts world are each holding their own territory and frequently have disputes. Recently, there have been signs of unruly behavior from the Desert Wilderness. Pavilion Master Xiao also believes that having someone to unify command would be better for fighting against the Desert Wilderness." Fang Yun wanted to ask Xue Qing for her opinion.
"There are hundreds of sects, big and small, in the Central Plains. It would be very difficult for one person to command all of them," Xue Qing said, pouring cold water on the idea. If she didn't want Xiao Gui to be the leader of the martial arts alliance, then she would rather the martial arts alliance never be established at all.
“Small sects and factions act according to the prevailing winds. As long as a few major sects unite, the entire Central Plains will unite,” Xiao Guiying argued.
“It’s easy to establish the Martial Alliance, but difficult to manage it. Finding someone whom all the sect leaders can trust is extremely difficult. Most of the seniors who led the expedition to the desert fifteen years ago are no longer alive,” Fang Yun said with a sigh.
Speaking of the battle fifteen years ago, Xiao Guiying said, "Sect Leader Fang also made many outstanding contributions in that expedition, so why don't we let Sect Leader Fang..."
Fang Yun waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, I am also nearly fifty years old. If we really have to choose a leader of the martial arts alliance, we must choose a promising young man."
"A promising young man, isn't that Xiao Guiying?" Xue Qing snorted helplessly. In the end, they still wanted Xiao Guiying to be the leader. No, she couldn't go along with Xiao Guiying's wishes: "Senior sister, Siyou Daoist of Wudang Sect is currently the most senior sect leader in the martial arts world."