Clear waters and beautiful mountains

wedge

A winter night. The snow has stopped, the clouds have parted, and a bright moon shines, its clear light spreading across the snow-covered fields. The entire world is imbued with this pure and bright atmosphere, a scene of tranquility and peace.

At that moment, the torchlight shattered the darkness, and the clamor drowned out the tranquility. Dozens of riders galloped in, their hooves kicking up snow that swirled like butterflies. The riders were all burly men, dressed in dark blue robes, carrying swords and knives, their expressions solemn, yet tinged with a hint of menace.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot into the sky, illuminating the surroundings.

Upon seeing this, the group hurriedly spurred their horses forward. But when they arrived at the place where the light had risen, the scene before them horrified the dozens of burly men.

The snow-covered ground was littered with corpses. Under the moonlight, the faces of the dead were filled with terror, their deaths gruesome. The blood was still warm, faintly steaming.

"Go down and take a look," someone said, giving the order.

Upon receiving the order, everyone immediately dismounted and looked around. A moment later, someone returned and reported to the person who had spoken earlier: "Reporting to the deputy steward, most of them are from the 'Flying Tiger Gang,' along with a dozen or so brothers from our manor, all of whom are Steward Di's confidants. Judging from the wounds, they should be 'Iron Eagle Claws.'"

Upon hearing this, the deputy chief steward frowned and asked, "Could it be that after the 'Flying Tiger Gang' stole the dog-suppressing pot, they encountered the 'Black Eagle Cult' double-crossing them? Where is the 'suppressing pot'?"

"There's no trace of the 'pot-suppressing vessel.' Deputy Chief Steward, what do we do now?"

After a moment's thought, the deputy steward said, "Let's inform Steward Di and then make a decision."

Before he could finish speaking, someone shouted, "Chief Steward Di! It's Chief Steward Di!"

The deputy chief steward was terrified and hurriedly dismounted, following the sound.

The crowd, who were gathered together, hurriedly made way for him when they saw him approaching.

The deputy steward strode forward and saw a man curled up among the scattered corpses, his body covered with a thin layer of snow. The man crouched down, carefully examining him: he was no more than twenty years old, dressed in a sable fur coat, wearing a tortoiseshell crown, a white jade pendant at his waist, and gold-embroidered boots. His attire was extravagant and noble, clearly that of a spoiled brat. Yet, despite his refined features and handsome appearance, he possessed a unique elegance and charm, setting him apart from the ordinary.

"It's definitely Chief Steward Di..." The deputy chief steward frowned deeply, turned to the person behind him, and asked, "Is he dead?"

The people behind them all looked grief-stricken and silently shook their heads.

The deputy chief steward immediately showed a look of deep sorrow.

The group looked at him for a moment, and then all nodded silently.

The deputy chief steward understood and nodded solemnly in response.

He turned his head, looked at the unconscious man, took a deep breath, and slowly raised his hand. He gathered his strength in his palm, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. He opened his eyes wide, let out a low shout, and struck the man's temple with his palm.

However, in the blink of an eye, his wrist was firmly grasped.

The person had already woken up, and a pair of clear eyes were staring straight at him.

The deputy steward was shocked, but quickly composed himself and put on a smile, saying, "Oh dear, Steward Di, you're awake! Everyone was so worried. I was just about to use my internal energy to heal you. How are you feeling now?"

Upon hearing this, the group of burly men behind him all smiled and offered their concern.

The man continued to gaze at him silently, without uttering a word.

The deputy steward swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The people behind him turned pale, utterly terrified.

Suddenly, the man looked down and sneezed.

Everyone was startled and dared not even breathe.

The man released the deputy steward's wrist, stood up, and said, "It's cold. I want to go home."

"Huh?" The deputy chief steward looked at the person in front of him and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

The man ignored him and left.

The deputy steward hurriedly followed with a smile, saying, "Steward Di, please ride my horse."

The man shook his head. "No." After saying that, he continued walking forward through the snow, one step at a time.

"Don't want to?" The deputy steward was increasingly puzzled, and the group of burly men also looked bewildered. After a moment's thought, the deputy steward mustered his courage and shouted:

"Di Xiu!"

The man stopped and turned around upon hearing the sound.

The deputy steward gasped, extremely nervous. Those behind him were filled with terror. Someone stammered, "Deputy Steward, you...you must be joking! Calling Steward Di by his first name...you know the consequences..."

The deputy chief steward's voice trembled, "Don't...don't be afraid...I guess..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man asked, "Did you call me?"

The deputy general manager nodded reluctantly.

The man was slightly puzzled. He waited for a while, but no one spoke. So he turned around and continued walking forward.

A smile instantly spread across the deputy steward's face, his eyes gleaming with cunning. He raised his hand and said to the people behind him, "No need to guess. He must be..."

He frowned, paused slightly, and then uttered the second half of his sentence with unwavering certainty:

"Stupid!"

Chapter 1

The next morning, snowflakes began to fall again.

The southern garden of Yuchi Manor was planted with wintersweet, its fragrance refreshing and invigorating. Although it was still early, the garden was already a hive of activity. Servants bustled about, and maids moved about busily. A dozen or so boxes were already laid out in the open space. People were tidying, bundling, lifting,

……