Anti-Bone Scarlet Song

Chapitre 10

"Hey, girl, time to eat."

"You eat first... I can't eat." Chu Xia buried her head in the painting. "I'll talk about it after I finish looking at these."

Helpless, Aqing had no choice but to take the food out again.

Upon reaching the door, he placed the food on the chair next to the beauty and gestured with his hand.

A dark shadow fell lightly from mid-air.

Ah Qing scolded in a low voice, "What happened at noon? If the person was taken care of, why was the body left behind?"

The guard lowered his head and said, "The lotus pond is connected to the Cangjiang River outside the mansion. Just as the Azure Dragon Envoy said, someone sneaked in this morning. That guy was pretty tough; it took the brothers half an hour to take him down, and he hadn't even surfaced from the lotus pond yet... when someone came from the garden..."

Qinglong, feeling annoyed, waved his hand and said, "Don't do it again. Be more efficient in the future."

The guard had followed Qinglong for a long time and rarely saw him so agitated. He couldn't help but ask, "My lord... you look very worried."

Qinglong sighed, "It's all that wretched girl's fault. Not only is she stupid, but she's also so timid. Now that she's seen that corpse, she can't eat for two meals! And the young master will punish me again... What bad luck!"

The guard was taken aback. Qinglong then asked, "By the way, what's Dianzi's background?"

“Those two were incredibly elusive, and they were fighting in the water…we couldn’t detect them.” The guard took a silk thread with a bell attached from his robes. “This was found on them.”

Qinglong took it, his thin lips pressed tightly together like a knife.

Hai hour (9-11 PM).

Chu Xia pushed aside a table of paintings, rubbed her sore eyes, and stood up.

"Ah Qing, how much did I watch today?"

"I didn't count. Oh, by the way, two more large carriages of paintings were delivered to the treasury today."

Chu Xia said "Oh," and then asked, "Where is the young master? Isn't he at home?"

"Young Master just returned and went to Yingyuan," Aqing said lazily.

Chu Xia remained expressionless, then said "Oh," and after a moment, asked, "Ah Qing, didn't you say that a lot of people were laid off?"

“Yingyuan is different…” Aqing grinned, “Young Master can’t bear to part with it.”

As usual, Aqing escorted Chuxia back to Linjiang Pavilion. Halfway there, a sudden rustling sound arose on both sides of the path, like wild mice scurrying about. He stopped and listened carefully; in the distance, there seemed to be a clear, melodious tinkling sound. The young man's expression immediately turned solemn.

A gust of cold wind swept by, and Chu Xia felt a chill run down her spine, unable to help but call out, "A Qing..."

Aqing raised her index finger, signaling her to be quiet.

The rustling sound grew closer, and Aqing reached out and pushed Chuxia away, whispering, "I'll go check on her, you go back to Linjiang Pavilion."

Chu Xia felt increasingly uneasy, but dared not say a word. She turned and ran quickly toward Linjiang Pavilion, which was not far away. After running a few steps, she looked back but Ah Qing was nowhere to be seen. Her heart panicked even more. She thought of Madam Wangyun's violent death and the two corpses in the lotus pond earlier that day. She was so horrified that she almost cried.

After finally reaching Linjiang Pavilion, Chu Xia found no maidservant who usually served her. She stumbled into the hall, turned around and closed the door, leaning against it and panting.

The room was dark, and as she looked at her long shadow cast by the moonlight, she suddenly felt something was amiss.

Dark clouds obscured the moon on the horizon, and even the shadows slowly darkened... Chu Xia held her breath as she heard extremely light footsteps slowly moving closer—there was someone else in the house!

Startled, Chu Xia calmed down, pulled out the silver hairpin from her hair, and stabbed towards the source of the noise.

Before her wrist could move an inch, it was firmly gripped. Memories flashed before her eyes, and Chu Xia finally couldn't hold back any longer and screamed loudly.

But the man didn't move. He gently pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Girl, what's wrong?"

Chu Xia was still screaming, but the layers of fear gradually faded. She slowly stopped trembling and asked, "Young Master?"

The man gently brushed his chin against her hair and said softly, "It's me. Don't be afraid."

His chest was warm and firm, with a faint scent of camphor... How could it be so familiar to her?

Startled, Chu Xia didn't even have time to wipe away her tears. She stared blankly at the young master and asked, "It's...you?"

Young Master Ye An reached out and gently wiped away her tears that were sliding down her cheeks, asking softly, "What am I?"

The moonlight was enchanting, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden. He was only inches away from her. Chu Xia looked at his slightly upturned eyes and his radiant, clear features, and said in a daze, "When I had nightmares at night... was it you?"

The young master was taken aback, slowly released her, but did not answer, only saying, "Why did you come back alone?"

Chu Xia then remembered and asked anxiously, "A Qing... has something happened to A Qing?"

The young master frowned slightly, took the silver hairpin from her hand, and casually tossed it away.

With a whoosh, someone reached out and caught it, then somersaulted in through the window, stood there grinning, and bowed to the young master, saying, "Young master."

"Are you alright?" Chu Xia hastily wiped away her tears, ran to A Qing, and looked him up and down. "I thought you were like that person in the pond—"

Ah Qing looked her over carefully and chuckled, "Little girl, so timid! I was just trying to scare you!"

Chu Xia was taken aback, her eyes reddening slightly again: "Did you scare me?"

“Who told you not to eat? I wanted to scare you. You ran back to this pavilion and you’ll be hungry soon. Besides… you’re all brave because you’re scared…” Aqing said smugly. “Aren’t you ashamed? You even cried so ugly.”

Chu Xia bit her lip, almost speechless with anger. After a moment, she turned to look at the young master, stamped her foot, and said, "Young master, look at him..."

The young master stood quietly, looking at A Qing with an expressionless face. He didn't have a stern face, not even a hint of anger. As always, the corners of his lips were slightly pursed, as if he were always smiling.

But Ah Qing quickly suppressed her smile, realizing something was wrong... she feared that the young master was truly angry this time.

"Ah Qing, you must know your limits in everything you do. Have I taught you this before?" the young master said calmly.

"Yes." He lowered his head even further, wishing he could jump out the window and escape immediately.

The young master's tone remained calm and indifferent: "Then tell me, how should we handle today's matter?"

Chu Xia sniffled and moved closer to the young master, only to hear A Qing say, "I... I'll go and accept my punishment—"

She glanced at the young master, and seeing that he still showed no reaction, she assumed that this time he would definitely expel the servant from the manor, and couldn't help but speak up: "Young master..."

The young master hummed in agreement, his expression softening slightly.

"Aqing was just joking with me, I'm not afraid anymore..." Chu Xia said cautiously. "Please don't kick him out of the manor, okay?"

Ah Qing glanced at her, then at the young master's expression, and obediently shut her mouth.

Chu Xia continued, "Aside from being a bit lazy and gluttonous, he's great... Why don't you cancel his monthly allowance for this month?"

Aqing gave her a strange look, pursed her lips, and seemed to be trying hard to hide her smile.

The young master couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head slightly: "Alright. Let's leave it at that."

“There’s one more thing—” Chu Xia raised her head, her clear black and white eyes darting around, and said to A Qing, “You have to apologize to me and call me sister.”

Aqing's face froze instantly, and she stammered as she looked at the young master.

Young master... it seems to mean tacit approval.

I have deployed so many secret guards around Linjiang Pavilion... If I were to call her "sister" out loud, my subordinates would all hear it, and I would lose face.

Ah Qing looked at the young master with a pained expression and pitiful look, and cried out sadly, "Young master, I am willing to accept the punishment."

But when the young master glanced at the bright and cheerful face of the little maid beside him, he nodded and sided with her, saying, "Do as she says."

"Sister Chuxia, I'm sorry about what happened today."

After hesitating for a long time, the Azure Dragon Envoy finished speaking at top speed, turned around and left through the window. He was faster than lightning. Only one thought flashed through his mind—he wanted to silence all the subordinates of Linjiang Pavilion who were on duty tonight!

Only two people remained in Linjiang Pavilion. Chu Xia became happier the more she thought about it, her smile as beautiful as a flower in the dim light of a lamp.

The young master glanced at her and smiled, "Are you calm now?"

Chu Xia turned her face, wiped it haphazardly, and nodded vigorously.

The lamplight flickered slightly, and her long eyelashes seemed to tremble along with it, revealing a subtle and indescribable emotion. The young master was momentarily stunned before looking away.

“Young master, there’s something… I’m really curious.” Chu Xia finished laughing to herself and looked at the young master, saying, “I look at that picture book every day, and suddenly I remembered something.”

"What?" The young master seemed to see through her thoughts. "Don't beat around the bush."

"I wonder if 'Ballad of Mountains and Rivers' is a...treasure map?"

Her eyes were clear and bright, filled with undisguised curiosity. She stared intently at the young master, as if trying to find clues in his expression.

The young master merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying, and asked, "Why do you think that?"

"Young master asked me to search for clues in picture albums from various places. Wasn't it to follow the clues? Could it be that you spent a lot of money just to find this place and visit it again? I can't think of any other possibility."

The young master pondered for a moment, then praised, "Not bad."

“Then this servant also suspects… that the person who sent this ‘Ballad of Mountains and Rivers’ must have had no good intentions.” Chu Xia continued, “What fool would give away such a generous gift for no reason? The purpose of that person’s actions with the previous two gifts is very clear: they wanted everyone to know that the treasure map is now in the young master’s hands.”

The young master's eyes showed even more admiration, and he sighed softly, "Girl, do you still remember that ballad? It's a strange thing that such an ordinary ballad could be sung so widely."

"Young master, what exactly can we find on that treasure map?" Chu Xia asked curiously. "A lot of money? Or... the martial arts manuals that you martial arts people care about most?"

The young master pinched her nose, then laughed and said, "How would I know?"

Chu Xia pouted: "What good would it do to tell me? I look at those paintings every day, and every time I close my eyes, all I see are mountains, water, and clouds swirling around me. Besides, I can't beat you in a fight, and the indenture is still in your hands. Are you going to try and take it from me?"

Young Master Zhenzhen laughed: "I really don't know."

Chu Xia stared at him for a long time before looking down dejectedly: "Even you don't know, young master?"

“I only heard my father mention the name ‘Ballad of Mountains and Rivers’ when I was very young. But since no one found the treasure at the time, the search for the treasure gradually faded away. Those were all vague and unreal stories of the past. It was only recently, when I heard you sing that ballad, that I remembered it,” the young master said slowly. “Back then, my father also said that not many people knew about the treasure hunt. Now, more than ten years have passed, and that generation has either retired or passed away, but the ballad has become more and more widely sung, which is rather strange.”

Chu Xia breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "That's good then. At most, everyone will think that the young master has acquired a famous painting, and we can make a fortune in silence!"

The young master smiled, his eyebrows relaxing, but he flicked Chu Xia's forehead with his finger: "Silly child, those who don't know about the 'Ballad of Mountains and Rivers' are fine, but those who do know are either hiding their true intentions or eyeing it covetously. How could they be dealt with so easily?"

Chu Xia exclaimed "Ah!" her little face full of worry: "Then... I have to hurry and look at it. The longer this painting is hidden in the mansion, the more dangerous it becomes for everyone, right?"

The young master smiled faintly, his expression reassuring: "Chuxia, just focus on the painting, don't worry about anything else."

Chu Xia nodded vigorously, and the young master stood up and said, "Go and rest."

Chu Xia took a few steps, then turned back and saw the young master watching her back. She couldn't help but blush: "Young master..."

"Um?"

Are you going to Yingyuan?

The young master smiled but did not answer.

“You…be careful. Since the person who gave the gift has ill intentions…then…”

The young master gazed into her eyes, speaking each word with a bright smile: "Are you afraid someone wants to harm me... or do you want me to stay?"

Chu Xia's eyes flickered slightly, her face flushed even more, but she didn't answer, turning and running away. She closed the door behind her, her heart pounding... even faster and more violently than when she'd been startled by A Qing earlier...