L'amour se trouve ici pour trois cents taels

Chapitre 7

Ye Changsheng asked, word by word, "What is the secret order this time?"

The man turned his head and said, "Once you get Ye Changsheng, kill the rest without mercy."

The next morning, Huang Qiuyi, who had slept until dawn, washed up and dressed before knocking on Ye Changsheng's door. After a while without any response, he went downstairs in confusion and found Ye Changsheng already downstairs drinking soy milk. To his bewilderment, there was a very handsome and cute young man in fine clothes next to him, who was currently poking holes in a large meat bun in front of him with chopsticks.

Huang Qiuyi walked straight over, sat down to Changsheng's right, and greeted her with a fist and palm salute, "Good morning, Sister Ye."

Both of them looked up, and Ye Changsheng smiled slightly and said, "Ah, good morning."

Jia Ling's eyes widened, she pointed at Huang Qiuyi across from her who was earnestly eating steamed buns one after another, and looked at Ye Changsheng with a smirk: "What... did he call you?"

Ye Changsheng was drinking soy milk, making gulps as he patted his chest to catch his breath. He then smiled and said to Jia Ling, "This is Huang Qiuyi, son of Huang Ting, the master of Renyi Manor. Um... he's also my... sworn brother..."

Jia Ling narrowed her eyes, grabbed Ye Changsheng, and scrutinized him closely. Five years had passed, and she'd never heard of her having a godfather… let alone one of such a formidable background.

Ye Changsheng coughed and pushed Jia Ling away: "Cough cough... This is Jia Ling, my friend."

Huang Qiuyi wiped his mouth, not at all surprised by the friend who suddenly appeared that night, and said with a smile, "Since he is Sister Ye's friend, and it is my father's birthday, why don't you come along, Young Master Jia?"

Jia Ling pulled out her fan and tapped it absently on the table. With a "smack," she snapped it open. "Good!"

On a summer morning, the east wind caresses the plum blossoms and dyes the willows; a patch of summer lotus in the spring pond, its surface rippling with melancholy, swaying gently in the breeze.

Drunk, with flowers in her hair and her crown upside down

Red walls and green tiles, tall buildings separated by water, butterflies flitting about and orioles flying. The courtyard is lush with flowers and trees, and the birdsong is exceptionally clear and melodious.

With a "bang," a valuable Chenghua imperial kiln green-patterned teacup was gone.

Then, Huang Ting, the master of Renyi Manor, suddenly realized what was happening and let out a long sigh of relief. He excitedly grasped Ye Changsheng's hand and exclaimed, "Good, good, she really is my daughter!"

Ye Changsheng felt a sharp pain from being pinched, and seeing how hospitable Master Huang was, he felt even more guilty and embarrassed to pull his hand away. He just kept smiling and saying yes.

Huang Ting stroked his beard, his gaze gradually shifting to a young man in a pale yellow brocade robe behind Changsheng: "And this is..."

"Father, this is Jia Ling, the young master I mentioned in my letter, who is also a good friend of Sister Ye." Huang Qiuyi said with a smile as he pulled Jia Ling forward.

Huang Ting nodded and looked at Jia Ling with great kindness: "Young Master Jia is a good friend of Sheng'er and a distinguished guest of Renyi Manor. Don't be shy, haha, don't be shy."

After carefully examining him from all angles, Old Master Huang nodded in satisfaction and asked, "May I ask how old you are, Young Master Jia?"

Jia Ling felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She slightly turned her body away, thinking to herself that the old man's eyes were gleaming at her and he was definitely not a good person. She coughed lightly and said, "I am twenty-one this year."

Old Master Huang relaxed his brows and stroked his beard again: "You're twenty-one...it's time to settle down and start a family. Is Young Master Jia married?"

“This…” Jia Ling frowned, not understanding what the old man wanted to do. After a pause, she replied, “Uh… no.”

Huang Ting nodded repeatedly, then pulled his wife aside, and the two exchanged a few words. "Hahahaha..." After a moment, Huang Ting suddenly stood up laughing and asked, "Is Young Master Jia a member of the martial arts world?"

"no."

“It’s not good, it’s not good at all…” Huang Ting leaned closer, patted Jia Ling’s shoulder with a smile, “We don’t need to live a life of fighting and killing all the time.”

Jia Ling nodded slightly, but deep doubts lingered in her heart. Although Huang Ting was verbose, his attitude towards Ye Changsheng was astounding—even his own daughter treated him this way. Why had she never heard of him before? Since meeting Ye Changsheng, she had never heard her mention him. With such a father, had she never considered returning?

"Good! Haha, I'm in a good mood today. Yi'er, tell the kitchen to prepare dinner and two more jars of fine wine. I want to drink three hundred cups with Young Master Jia!" Huang Ting tilted his head back and laughed heartily.

Jia Ling was startled; it seemed this old man had gotten on her good side.

While Huang Ting was stroking his beard, Ye Changsheng darted to the side, hiding his hand in his sleeve, and waited with a sorrowful expression for the blood to flow back into his palm.

"Yes, Father." Huang Qiuyi responded and stepped back. He looked up and saw Ye Changsheng rubbing her wrist with a relieved expression. Their eyes met, and Huang Qiuyi winked at her. Ye Changsheng nodded and smiled slightly at him.

After the Huang couple left and the crowd dispersed, as the two of them returned to their room, Jia Ling suddenly jumped up in front of Ye Changsheng, made a face, and then with a "whoosh," opened her fan and said with a smile, "It seems that I am indeed loved by everyone. Even the master of Renyi Manor, the number one manor in the world, wants to get close to me and drink and chat with me under the moon."

Seeing Jia Ling's smug expression, Ye Changsheng finally couldn't help but stammer out, "In my opinion... Master Huang is going to arrange a marriage for you..."—Before Jia Ling could react, she had already run away.

East Wing Study.

"Wu Ren, these are the invitations to the banquet. Tomorrow, you should personally deliver them to the leaders of each sect." Huang Ting put down his pen, turned around, and took out a thick stack of gold-embossed invitations from his desk, handing them to the purple-robed man beside him.

"Yes, Master." The man in purple accepted the gift with both hands, bowed, and left.

The man in purple was Wu Ren, the chief disciple of the manor lord Huang Ting. Not only was he humble and kind, but he was also highly skilled in martial arts and handsome. He had been in the manor for ten years and was highly regarded by the manor lord. At a young age, he was already one of the Seven Talents of Tongling.

Although Huang Ting was a military man, he also loved to dabble in literature and calligraphy and to cultivate an elegant taste. His study was filled with seven shelves of books, and the walls were covered with genuine and fake works of famous calligraphers from various dynasties.

Huang Ting was passionate about cursive script. He would write quickly and spontaneously whenever he felt inspired. With his profound internal strength, his brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful. From a distance, his work looked quite good. However, after a while, Huang Ting could no longer recognize his own paintings.

Huang Ting was in high spirits today and was about to write a few poems when he noticed there was still someone beside him. He turned around, cleared his throat, and said in a deep voice, "Ma Dan, there's nothing else here. You may leave now."

The gray-clad man named Ma Dan was tall but emaciated, with prominent cheekbones and sunken cheeks, looking like a starving corpse. At this moment, he suddenly clasped his hands and knelt down, remaining silent.

"What are you doing?" Huang Ting shouted.

Ma Dan swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He squinted his small eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Disciple is not convinced."

"What is it that you disagree with?" Huang Ting asked slowly.

Ma Dan looked up and quickly glanced at the person seated: "Master, this is unfair! You always give Wu Ren all the good things to do. Wu Ren is already one of the top masters in the martial arts world. You... I heard that you even passed on the Tai'a Sword to him yesterday... This is a treasured sword passed down through generations of the manor. If it had been passed on to Qiu Yi, we wouldn't have said anything, after all, he is the future master of the manor. But you just gave it to Wu Ren without a word. What kind of nonsense is this?"

The study was completely silent.

Huang Ting put down his wolf-hair brush and looked with great satisfaction at his newly completed "new poem"—"A Girl Returns Home." After a moment, he slowly got up, walked to his desk, and began rustling through something.

Ma Dan felt a little flustered. Cold sweat was seeping from his forehead and almost dripped into his eyes, but he didn't dare to reach out and wipe it away.

Huang Ting cleared his throat and suddenly spoke: "The Tai'a sword is only temporarily entrusted to Ren'er... Of course, we do not rule out the possibility of passing it on to him, but if someone wants to obtain the sword, they must first have the skill to wield it."

Ma Dan clenched her fists tightly, her small eyes filled with resentment and humiliation.

"You, step back." Huang Ting waved his hand at the person behind him.

"Yes." Ma Dan stood up and rushed out the door.

In the martial world, there are three swords, all crafted four hundred years ago by the immortal Daoist Ou Yezi and Zi Qing of Cishan, who devoted their lives to their craft. One of them is the King's Wind Slayer, wielded by Ye Sheng, the former leader of the Yinshan Changmen sect. Legend has it that the two carved open Cishan Mountain, releasing the mountain streams and guiding them to the forge, forming the Big Dipper constellation. After the sword was completed, a powerful sword aura shot out, existing between heaven and earth. The sword itself was as white as jade, moving with the wind, and stopping as soon as the sword was drawn. It was a sword of the kingly way. Eight years ago, after Ye Sheng died, the sword disappeared without a trace.

The Seven Abyss Sword now belongs to Li Huangyin, the master of Luoyang Tower. This sword is as thin as a cicada's wing. When drawn from its sheath, only the hilt is visible, not the blade. The blade is sharp and cold, like a towering, majestic cliff, thousands of feet high. It kills without a trace, without the victim's knowledge or awareness. It is a sword of might and power.

The last one is Tai'a, its blade jet black, exuding an aura of dominance. It is the essence of metals and the spirit of the sun, possessing divine power and commanding respect. It is a sword of benevolence.

The simultaneous unleashing of the three swords would inevitably unleash a bloodbath upon the martial world. Especially the Seven Abyss Sword—legend has it that ten years ago, Liang Ning, in his quest to seize the Seven Abyss, slaughtered over three thousand people in Guandong Village, then burned everything to the ground. Martial arts alliance leader Ye Junshan arrived later, and faced with such a horrific scene, swore a solemn oath to eradicate Luoyang Tower. Two years later, his son Ye Sheng led ten factions of the martial world to Luoyang Tower, only to perish alongside Liang Ning on Luoyang Cliff. Afterwards, the Seven Abyss became Li Huangyin's Seven Abyss, and Luoyang Tower also became Li Huangyin's Luoyang Tower.

Early the next morning.

"Look at this peony embroidery! Let me see Chenli's skillful hands." Inside the west wing, Madam Huang was gently stroking the hands of a delicate woman in a light green dress. The woman blushed and repeatedly said, "Madam, please don't praise me. Miss Ye's hands are much more skillful..."

Upon hearing this, Madam Huang turned around and excitedly pulled Ye Changsheng over, saying, "Changsheng, come here, let your mother take a look at you."

Ye Changsheng was woken up early in the morning, his head still groggy. He was barely keeping his eyelids open when someone suddenly tugged at him, jolting him awake. His bloodshot eyes darted around as he asked, "Huh? What? What?"

Madam Huang smiled and gently massaged Changsheng's nape, her eyes full of affection: "This child must not have slept well last night."

Ye Changsheng smiled broadly, but inwardly he was groaning. Madam Huang had summoned him to embroider at the crack of dawn. Her eyesight was poor, and it would take her a long time to thread a single thread. Most importantly, he knew absolutely nothing about needlework.

Madam Huang took Ye Changsheng's handkerchief, paused for a moment, and stammered, "What...what is this?"

Ye Changsheng pointed to a large clump of messy threads on the handkerchief and explained that these were weeds that had not been completely removed next to the peony.

Madam Huang looked at the handkerchief from left to right: "Then, this, why is the thread yellow?"

Ye Changsheng thought for a moment: "Autumn has arrived..."

The sun was high in the sky, and it was already noon. After leaving Madam Huang's house, Ye Changsheng wandered around the garden looking for a place to eat. As she strolled leisurely, a tall, purple figure suddenly appeared around a corner. "Ouch!" Ye Changsheng was knocked to the ground by a bump on her backside. The person realized that he had bumped into her and hurriedly helped Changsheng up, asking anxiously, "Is this young lady alright?"

Ye Changsheng dusted himself off, straightened his clothes, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Ah, it's nothing."

The man looked apologetic, saying that he had urgent business and apologized for his rudeness.

Ye Changsheng nodded repeatedly, her gaze shifting to the man's waist. She pointed to his sword and said, "Hehe, what a fine sword."

The man shifted slightly, his right hand subtly protecting his sword, and smiled politely: "I have offended you today, young lady. I will certainly come to apologize another day."

Only then did Ye Changsheng shift his gaze to the man's face, and he found the man to be somewhat familiar.

The man seemed to be taken aback for a moment, but quickly returned to normal, cupped his hands in greeting, and left.

Huang Ting only had one son, Huang Qiuyi, and was somewhat lonely. Now that Ye Changsheng and Jia Ling had arrived, he spent every day with them. In addition, Madam Huang would invite them to tea tasting, flower viewing, and the like every two or three days, so the days passed quickly. The number of people in the manor gradually increased, and in the blink of an eye, it was Huang Ting's fiftieth birthday.

Early that morning, people from martial arts families, various sects, prominent figures and gentry of Tongling, and even government officials came one after another to celebrate Old Master Huang's birthday. In no time, the area in front of the mansion was bustling with carriages and horses, and the courtyard was filled with the sounds of a marketplace. In the garden, a hundred tables were set up for a banquet, with toasts being made and the atmosphere lively and boisterous.

Ye Changsheng chose a seat at the very end of the table, greeted her fellow diners in a friendly manner, and then focused on eating. The sharp-eyed Huang Qiuyi grabbed her and dragged her to the main table in the hall.

Even Ye Changsheng herself didn't understand why she was seated alongside Abbot Liaowu of Shaolin, Daoist Qingxu of Wudang, Abbess Huikong of Emei, and the Four Masters of Yinshan. After noticing their friendly smiles, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Did they think she was someone from the Ye family of Jiangling?

Suddenly, a hearty laugh rang in his ears. Huang Ting, his face flushed, raised his wine cup and said loudly, "I am honored that all of you friends from the martial arts world have come to celebrate my birthday. I hope you all enjoy yourselves. Here, I would like to offer you all a toast."

A chorus of cheers erupted, and everyone downed their bottles of strong liquor.

"Alliance Leader Ye Junshan has arrived..." A somewhat childish voice rang out from the doorway. The banquet erupted in cheers, with everyone whispering and murmuring amongst themselves.

"Alliance Leader Ye has also arrived."

"To have met Alliance Leader Ye today, I have no regrets in this life..."

"The martial arts tournament will be held in a few days, and we will all be gathered together again on that day."

"Hahaha, today is Master Huang's fiftieth birthday, and I wish you boundless happiness and longevity!" A deep, resonant voice came from the other side of the door, seemingly casual, yet inspiring immediate respect. Immediately afterward, a man dressed in a gray-blue cloth robe walked in, his face striking, his nose high and prominent, quite handsome.

Huang Qiuyi's eyes suddenly shone brighter than the stars as he stared intently at Ye Junshan, the martial arts alliance leader, who was striding towards him.

"Wipe it off, your drool is about to drip into the food." Ye Changsheng kindly pulled up his sleeve and put it to his mouth.

Huang Qiuyi wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth sheepishly, but kept his eyes fixed on the front.

Ye Changsheng glanced at the dishes on the table, coughed lightly, picked up the plate, and was about to leave.

"Sheng'er, where are you going?" Huang Ting was about to introduce his adopted daughter to Alliance Leader Ye when he turned around and saw Ye Changsheng carrying a bowl, seemingly heading somewhere.

Ye Changsheng turned around, pointed to a plate of spring rolls in front of him, and smiled slightly, saying, "That's all."

"Haha..." Huang Ting stroked his beard, cupped his hands and said to Ye Junshan, "Brother Ye, this is my daughter." As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and ordered the maid to bring another plate of spring rolls.

Ye Junshan smiled gently: "Master Huang is very fortunate. Alas... it has been eight years since I called Sheng'er."

"Not at all," Huang Tingyi said with a smile, then turned around and waved to Changsheng, signaling her to come over.

As Ye Junshan watched Changsheng slowly approach, his expression suddenly changed drastically. His eyes were fixed on her, and he asked in a raised voice, "What's your name?"

Ye Changsheng cupped his hands and replied, "Reporting to the Alliance Leader, my name is Ye Changsheng."

"Ye Changsheng... Changsheng..." Ye Junshan murmured softly.

"Alliance Leader Ye?" Huang Ting noticed that Ye Junshan was quite different from usual, and with a slight sense of doubt, he called out to him a few times.