Honestly, everyone is so impatient.
...
In April, Jiangdu is filled with the beauty of magnolia blossoms and the green willows are shrouded in mist. It is usually a good time for literati to write and create, but now it is a time when the city is occupied by a group of warriors.
Full house.
Not only Guangling Road, which is full of inns and taverns, but also Xiao Qinhuai, which is known as a gentle land, Guangchumenwai, which is full of poetry and literature academies, and even the bathhouses by Kaiming Bridge have hung up banners saying "Full".
Nowadays, even a room in Jiangdu city is hard to find—no, a bed is extremely scarce.
"How arrogant! They won't even let us stay if we have money." Watching another burly man being forcibly ushered out by the innkeeper, Eleven straightened his chest. "There are probably very few people in the martial world who can stay at Jade Sword Manor like us. Don't you think so, Junior Brother?"
He was arrogant and didn't respond for a long time. Looking down again, the man had already walked about ten feet away.
"Hey! Junior brother!"
The shrill cry successfully drew the attention of passersby to the person. Though dressed in a Taoist robe, it couldn't conceal her graceful figure. Her thick, black hair was tied up high with a wooden hairpin, a few loose strands swirling like light clouds in the wind. She tilted her head slightly, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes that curved like the moon, the corners slightly upturned, rising to her eyebrows. If her smile were any deeper, she could be described as having alluring, seductive eyes. Unfortunately, the person controlled it perfectly; the two pools of her eyes lost their vibrant color, leaving only clear, calm water.
While she may not be considered a stunning beauty, she is still a pretty girl. Why is she being called "junior brother"?
The scholar selling paintings looked at the man with a puzzled expression, only to find him increasingly pleasing to the eye. His cheeks flushed slightly as he began to paint those eyes. Before the ink was even dry, the paper was suddenly snatched away.
"Oh no, my painting!"
"My owner bought it."
A gold ingot was smashed down.
This is truly using wealth to intimidate others, a disgrace to scholarship. The scholar glared resentfully at the passing rosewood carriage, making sure to slip the silver into his pocket.
"Young master."
A sliver of light filtered through the bamboo curtain, softly illuminating the eyes in the painting, as if their gaze were shifting.
His handsome face was surprisingly gentle. Shangguan Yi lifted the curtain and stared intently at that slender figure for a moment.
The mulberry branches are lush and green, and her waist is slender and graceful. A gentle breeze stirs, and a beautiful woman appears.
Just as he was admiring the man's beauty, he saw a hand grab the corner of the man's sleeve, and his handsome eyes suddenly darkened.
"Wow, look!"
Her sleeve was excitedly tugged at by Eleven, and she stopped to look at the street performers, only to find a luxury car had appeared beside her.
"Zigui," came a soft call from inside the car.
"Ziyu."
She smiled, but saw that his handsome eyes had lost their usual smile and were now looking at the person beside her with a slightly gloomy expression.
“This is my eleventh senior brother,” she introduced.
At this moment, Eleven also saw the person in the car. Although he really wanted to meet the legendary figure, he was only fifteen and still had the mind of a young boy. While exchanging pleasantries, his mind was not on the acrobatic performance over there, glancing at it every now and then, truly itching to see it.
Upon seeing this, a strange light flashed in Shangguan Yijun's eyes. "Compared to the 'Immortal Class' of Jiufeng Garden, this is nothing but a trivial skill."
"A trivial skill?" Eleven asked in surprise.
"Ten coins can be made to appear in five colors; or perhaps a cloth can be used to cover them up, like grafting flowers onto trees." Shangguan Yi said with great interest, and Eleven listened with fascination. "Hearing is believing, it's better to see it with your own eyes. If you'd like, my servant can take you to see for yourself."
Really?
"Of course." Shangguan Yi smiled very kindly. "Brother, please enjoy your visit and don't worry about the expenses."
"Thank you so much! Young Master Shangguan, you are such a kind person!" Eleven said excitedly, her face flushed. "Junior Brother, please tell Master that I will be going back later."
Looking at the sleeve that no one was holding anymore, Shangguan Yi found it much more pleasing to the eye. He ordered someone to lift the curtain and leaned lazily against the carriage, in an inviting gesture.
"Zigui, Zigui, may I return with you?" Shangguan Yi smiled deeply, her smile captivating.
She accepted it readily, and just as she was about to take a step, she saw a person leap out from a mansion on the street. A primrose-colored long shirt was askew, her unbound curly hair was disheveled, and her belt was barely tied.
"Adulterer! Catch the adulterer!" A shout came from inside the mansion.
The man made a shushing gesture to her, then got into the car behind him.
“Young master, it’s the eldest young master,” the loyal servant Pingping said.
"Lock the car doors."
"yes."
Click, click, click—three exquisite locks instantly secured the door of the car behind.
A short while later—
"uncle!"
The piercing screams stirred a pang of pity in her heart. However, upon seeing the man smiling radiantly, she decided to ignore that meager sympathy and climb into the car without paying any attention.
The clamor of voices outside the window almost drowned out the wails of the car behind. Although she had good hearing, she didn't want to pay attention. She stared absently at the bamboo curtain letting in light, remaining silent.
"Has Zigui always been like this?"
Suddenly, a sound broke the silence, and she looked over in confusion. Perhaps because her leg hadn't healed, Shangguan Yi stretched out her limbs, her languid demeanor tinged with a touch of wildness.
"Even when curious, he can remain silent and indifferent; he's a very cold person."