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Chapitre 25

With his gaze fixed on the stunned Rongyue, Chu Xuyao's doubts deepened: "Do I really know you?"

Subconsciously touching her cheek, the icy texture made Rongyue belatedly realize that she was disguised! In his early years, when he roamed the martial world, Old Master Murong had learned a skill: disguise. Although Rongyue was carefree and acted much like a man, she was ultimately a woman. To avoid the possibility of being discovered and causing unnecessary trouble, Old Master Murong passed on the art of disguise to Rongyue. Fortunately, Rongyue was very curious about this art and intelligent, and soon she had mastered it quite well. Because so many people had seen Rongyue's face on the day of the martial arts competition, she couldn't change her appearance too drastically. She only made her features slightly more rugged, giving her a more masculine air. Combined with the miraculous medicine that altered her voice, the valiant Rongyue paired with the hoarse male voice truly resembled a heroic and dashing man!

Knowing that Chu Xuyao hadn't recognized her, Rongyue straightened up immediately, and spoke with more confidence: "In Bucheng, I, Murong Luo, dare to say that nine out of ten households know me! It's not surprising that you know me!"

Arrogant! Chu Xuyao snorted coldly: "You've only achieved a little, yet you're so boastful and arrogant, not knowing how to restrain your brilliance or be humble and modest. You're truly arrogant and conceited! It's a miracle you've survived this long!"

"I'm young and arrogant? Ha, yes, I am arrogant, but even if I'm arrogant, I can't be as arrogant as you! Not only did you have the guts to flirt with my wife, Murong Luo, in the street, but you, this flower thief, also had the audacity to lecture me with such self-righteousness! Hehe, tell me, who is more arrogant?" He deliberately emphasized the words "flower thief," and the sarcasm in his tone was obvious.

"Flower thief? Hahaha—" Chu Xuyao laughed instead of getting angry, his deafening laughter sending a chill down Rong Yue's spine. Had she angered him? His terrifying laughter suggested he was planning some way to torture her. She swiftly reached back into her sleeve; if Chu Xuyao ever made any improper advances, she would mercilessly poke him into a pincushion!

Stopping his maniacal laughter, Chu Xuyao stretched out his well-muscled hand and pointed at Yu Yan behind Rong Yue, his arrogant and domineering demeanor unmistakable: "Who am I, Chu Xuyao? What kind of beauty haven't I touched! If she weren't just my type, I wouldn't even bother to look at her! For her to catch my eye is a blessing she's accumulated over several lifetimes, so how can you call her a flower thief!"

These words made Yu Yan behind her turn pale with anger, and her delicate body began to tremble uncontrollably. This scoundrel dared to insult her like this in public! How could she bear it? What would become of Miss Murong's reputation? The thought of becoming the laughingstock of everyone filled her with immense shame, and two lines of clear tears slowly seeped from her shallow, clear eyes.

This greatly alarmed Rongyue. She couldn't bear to see a beautiful woman cry, especially someone like Yuyan, whose tears, like pear blossoms in the rain, or cicadas plucking leaves on autumn branches, were so pitiful and silent. Rongyue felt it was a sin to make a beautiful woman weep. Not knowing how to comfort the beauty, she could only direct her anger at the culprit: "Do you even know how to speak?! If you can't speak, then don't speak! No one will think you're mute if you don't speak! Look what you've done! Why did you have to provoke a perfectly good young lady? I'm the one who offended you, and I'm the one who hit you. If you want to vent your anger, come at me! Why make things difficult for a young lady? You only know how to pick on the weak! Aren't you ashamed to bully a woman?! You even dared to boast that you are the master of Qilin Manor, the number one martial arts master Chu Xuyao? I really doubt that Master Chu would do such a despicable thing?"

Rong Yue's righteous accusations cast a shadow of suspicion and distrust over Chu Xuyao in the eyes of the onlookers. Disheveled and bruised, with a messy head and flippant speech, though still handsome, he now appeared nothing like a villain—a beautiful exterior masking a rotten core. He was a far cry from the arrogant and domineering Chu Xuyao, a far cry from the man who once surveyed the martial world with such confidence. The suspicion deepened, and people began pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

"Is he really the owner of the number one manor in the world?"

"I don't think that's possible! Could Master Chu really be like that?"

"That's true. Who is Chu Xuyao? How could he do something so despicable?"

"In my opinion, he must be an imposter! Master Chu's martial arts are unparalleled, how could he be so easily defeated and beaten so badly?"

"My God, this person is incredibly bold, daring to impersonate even Master Chu!"

"They've really got a death wish..."

...

The scornful and contemptuous gazes and comments from the crowd caused Chu Xuyao's face to turn a mixture of red, green, and black. His fists clenched tightly, the white knuckles cracking, causing Rong Yue opposite him to shudder.

Everything should be done in moderation; going too far will only bring trouble! Chu Xuyao is extremely arrogant and haughty, and if this isn't stopped after she humiliated him in front of everyone, she might just walk back to the Murong Manor in a huff!

"Quiet down, everyone, please listen to me!" Rongyue shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth as she addressed the dense crowd. A moment later, silence replaced the noise, and people turned their suspicious gazes to Rongyue, awaiting her next words.

Seeing that everyone had stopped talking, she said, "Please listen to me, everyone. I just calmed down and thought about it carefully. The fault of this matter today is not entirely on this gentleman's side." As she spoke, she walked closer to Chu Xuyao, whose face was dark, and patted him on the shoulder. She found it amusing that his body stiffened for a moment. After gathering her thoughts, she composed herself, her expression serious and earnest: "As the saying goes, 'Guan Guan cry the ospreys on the river's islet; a fair maiden is sought after by a gentleman!' My wife didn't wear her hair in the style of a married woman when she went out, which was my oversight, leading this gentleman to mistake her for an unmarried girl and pursue her. Everyone has a love for beauty, and pursuing beauty is a man's nature, so in general, this gentleman hasn't done anything too wrong. It was I, Murong Luo, who was rash and acted without thinking things through, causing you to be in this situation! You said I was young and impetuous, and you're absolutely right! Gentleman, to express my apology for my previous disrespect, please accept a bow from Murong Luo!" After saying this, Rong Yue sincerely and with a guilty expression bowed deeply to the astonished Chu Xuyao.

Seeing that Rong Yue's expression was genuine and filled with sincere regret, Chu Xuyao was truly astonished and bewildered. This Murong Luo was truly beyond his comprehension! He was the one who had humiliated him, and he was also the one who apologized to him in public—what was his intention? However, the fact that he had humbled himself and apologized to him in public did slightly calm the murderous aura that had almost shattered the heavens within him. What Rong Yue didn't know was that just moments before, Chu Xuyao's hand had already reached for the soft sword at his waist, and everyone present had almost become victims of his blade…

"However, sir, please forgive my impertinence, but I would like to confirm whether you are indeed the master of the Number One Manor in the World, the great hero Chu?"

"What? You don't believe me?" The title "Hero Chu" clearly pleased Chu Xuyao. His expression softened considerably. He glanced sideways, his hand still resting on the soft sword, coldly eyeing Rongyue's gleaming eyes. Those eyes… why do they seem so familiar?

"Ah, the Snow Willow Sword! So you really are the Great Hero Chu!" Upon seeing the soft sword at his waist, Rongyue exclaimed in surprise, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration and awe for Chu Xuyao. She had heard that Chu Xuyao's weapon was the renowned Snow Willow Sword, and now that he was Chu Xuyao, his sword must be the Snow Willow Sword! There was no doubt about that! The Snow Willow Sword draws its mark, and blood stops only upon contact! This damned man, was he just about to massacre the entire town?

Chu Xuyao, unaware of the reason, saw that Rongyue recognized the sword at his waist at a glance, and immediately looked at Rongyue with new respect: "Good eye! You really do have some skill!"

"Great Hero Chu, you are the hero I have admired since childhood! To not know Great Hero Chu is to be a hero in vain! With the Snow Willow Sword drawn, who in the world can rival you? Great Hero Chu knows that I, Murong Luo, am arrogant by nature, have never submitted to anyone, nor have I bowed my head to anyone. Yet, Great Hero Chu is the first person I truly admire from the bottom of my heart! At sixteen, you descended the mountain; at seventeen, you defeated the world's number one master; at twenty-two, you built the number one manor in the world from scratch! Such ability, such courage, is beyond the reach of ordinary people! In my heart, you are a truly upright hero! Today, I, Murong Luo, have been blind to your greatness and have offended Great Hero Chu. This is truly my fault! Please, Great Hero Chu, consider my youth and do not hold it against a junior like myself. I, Murong Luo, will be eternally grateful! Great Hero Chu, please accept another bow from me!"

Rongyue's second bow calmed Chu Xuyao's anger considerably. In truth, even he himself was baffled. Because of his power and status, he was used to receiving flattery and fawning from others. He'd heard so much flattery that he'd become immune, and even the best compliments wouldn't stir his emotions. But now, he was smugly pleased by this young man's admiration and flattery, his anger vanishing without a trace. It was truly strange!

Glancing furtively, Rongyue saw that Chu Xuyao's sky had cleared and was showing signs of further brightening, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But the act had to be played out completely! Taking a large step forward, Rongyue clasped her hands in a gesture of righteous indignation: "Fellow villagers, today's events are entirely my fault, Murong Luo's fault! If you have any gossip, come at me! However, Master Chu is the hero I, Murong Luo, admire most, and I don't want to hear any rumors detrimental to him! You all know the Murong family's power in the city; if you offend me, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Does Chu Xuyao really need Murong Luo's protection? Judging from that kid's tone, it's as if he doesn't need to worry, that he'll take care of everything! Heh, this kid is really arrogant to the extreme, but he's also adorably arrogant!

Just as Rongyue had predicted, the clouds cleared up! Although the smile in his eyes wasn't very obvious, she still caught it with her sharp eyes.

After dispersing the crowd, Rongyue greeted Chu Xuyao with a hearty fist salute: "As the saying goes, no fight, no friendship! The fact that we can meet here today proves that it is fate. Those who are destined to meet will meet even if they are a thousand miles apart, while those who are not destined will not meet even if they are face to face. Since Heaven has arranged for us to meet today, we should not disappoint Heaven's good intentions, should we? Come, Hero Chu, today I, Murong Luo, will host a banquet to apologize to you!"

"What a wonderful coincidence that we meet from afar! I never expected you to be so eloquent! Very well! Then I, Chu, will respectfully accept your offer! Don't keep calling me 'Hero Chu,' just call me Brother Chu!"

"Huh?" Rongyue was dumbfounded. What was going on? She had only said she would host a banquet to apologize, that was just a polite formality. This damned man, taking advantage of the situation, was now taking it personally! Did he really think that it was perfectly acceptable for him to harass an innocent woman, that he was right, and that the one in the wrong was the 'unreserved' husband who had interrupted his fun? She admitted her mistake, she apologized—that was her way of giving him a way out, wasn't it? This brat, he immediately got cocky when she called him fat!

"What, you don't want to?"

The frozen tone jolted Rong Yue, who was secretly gritting her teeth, back to her senses: "How could I not be willing! I'm just too shocked and too surprised! I never thought that I, Murong Luo, would have a day when I could be sworn brothers with Hero Chu! I'm so excited..."

Chu Xuyao understood, and put his large hand on Rongyue's shoulder: "Then I'll call you Brother Luo from now on..."

*Smack!* Reflexively, Rongyue slapped the large hand resting on her shoulder without hesitation. Only after the slap did Rongyue realize the enormity of her mistake!

Before Chu Xuyao could suspect anything, she quickly changed the hand that had been slapping him down into a grasp, gently turning his palm over: "Ah, Brother Chu, I'm so sorry, I made your palm bleed..." She seemed to be apologetically stroking Chu Xuyao's previously scraped palm, but in her heart, Rongyue was cursing him viciously: What a pity, it's just a little scratch, it would be even better if it were ruined!

Rongyue's soft, cotton-like fingertips brushed against his rough palm, causing Chu Xuyao to tremble. Under Rongyue's touch, he suddenly felt something strange; his heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat, itchy and unbearable…

Volume One, Pear Blossom Courtyard, Melting Moon, Chapter Thirty-Two: The Drinking Incident (Part One)

The stars twinkled in the sky, like the mischievous eyes of children, peeking at the two people inside the house, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

"...It's been so long since I've had a conversation like this with someone... *burp* It feels so good! Come on, Brother Luo! A thousand cups are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend, bottoms up, bottoms up!" Chu Xuyao, his face flushed, shoved the freshly filled wine cup into Rongyue's hand without a word. The overflowing wine made Rongyue inwardly groan.

Just then, the waiter slowly lifted the curtain and walked over, cautiously glancing at Chu Xuyao, who was enjoying his drink, and whispered a reminder, "Esteemed guests, our shop is about to close..."

Before the waiter could finish speaking, a twenty-tael silver ingot sent him flying: "What a spoilsport! Come on, Brother Luo, ignore him, let's keep drinking!"

As he spoke, Chu Xuyao clinked his cup with Rongyue's, then picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp with great gusto. Seeing Rongyue staring blankly at the wine in her hand, Chu Xuyao urged impatiently, "Brother Luo, what are you waiting for? I've already finished it all!" As if afraid Rongyue wouldn't believe him, he deliberately turned the cup upside down. Rongyue looked up and saw that it was empty, not a single drop of wine was left.

The appointed man brought the rim of the glass close to his red lips, resisting the urge to splash the wine on his head. Rongyue tilted her delicate pink neck back and drank the wine down to the last drop.

Didn't people say that Chu Xuyao was aloof, cold, and indifferent, sparing with his words, and always had an expression that kept people at arm's length? But why, why was the Chu Xuyao she saw completely the opposite of what people said about him!

After entering the room and a few drinks, and a few pleasantries, Chu Xuyao began to launch into a long, rambling account of his past. Good heavens! She was just casually mentioning it; she was simply curious about his past. Did he really have to start recounting his apprenticeship at age five and continue all the way to their meeting at the Guest House? That wouldn't have been so bad; she could have simply hypnotized herself and treated him like a storyteller entertaining her. But why? Why did he become increasingly erotic and obscene, even shamelessly recounting his techniques for controlling women?! It was impossible for Rongyue to hypnotize herself like that! His vivid and detailed descriptions subjected Rongyue's ears, mind, and body to prolonged and profound torment. Later, he revealed even more unhealthy details that ravaged Rongyue's young mind: his romantic escapades with that damned emperor! Rongyue had been drinking at Kelaiju for almost two hours after being brought here by Chu Xuyao, and had been listening to his life story and romantic escapades for about two hours. Rongyue felt that if this continued, she might do something shocking!

Looking hesitantly at Chu Xuyao, who was still pouring wine, Rongyue cautiously probed, "Brother Chu, it's getting late, shouldn't we...?"