"Well, it's only a matter of time before we admit it," Qin Wu said, scratching his head.
"Sooner or later?" The old man gave Qin Wu a disdainful look. "You're really useless. You can't even handle a young girl. Back in my day, when your grandpa walked out, I was so dashing. Countless women fell at my feet."
"But in the end, you were still captivated by Grandma," Qin Wu blurted out. Immediately realizing his mistake, the old man, his previous arrogance gone, was replaced by a look of sadness. "Yes, in the end, I was still captivated by your grandma. It's a pity she passed away so young." Knowing that his grandfather always grieved deeply when thinking of his grandmother, Qin Wu quickly changed the subject, saying, "Since you're so experienced in dealing with girls, Grandpa, why don't you teach me a few tricks? That way, you might be able to have a bride sometime!"
Upon hearing this, the old man was indeed successfully distracted and said to Qin Wu with a smug look, "Of course, you still have a lot to learn from your grandpa. Here's what I'll tell you: when you're pursuing a girl, you can't be too proactive; you have to play hard to get."
"How can you not take the initiative? If you don't, all the girls will be snatched up by other men." Qin Wu interrupted the old man before he could finish speaking.
"You're so stupid!" The old man slapped Qin Wu on the head. "If you're too proactive, the girl will only think you have ulterior motives and bad intentions. She might even think you're a lecherous playboy and ignore you."
Qin Wu covered his head, not daring to interrupt again, lest he be beaten by his grandfather again. Seeing that Qin Wu didn't speak this time, the old man mysteriously began to impart his secrets for pursuing girls. As Qin Wu listened, he nodded repeatedly with an expression of sudden understanding. The two heads, one big and one small, got closer and closer, but both wore, well, how to describe it, calculating smiles.
Meanwhile, the protagonist being schemed against, Ren Dong, was completely unaware that she was about to be sold. She even took a warm, fragrant bath with peace of mind, and contentedly snuggled into bed for her first good night's sleep since leaving the capital.
After the old man finished explaining his secret, Qin Wu suddenly remembered a question, "Grandpa, weren't you in seclusion in the wine cellar? How did you know I was back? And how did you know I brought a wife back?"
The old man twisted his fingers, his eyes darting around but not looking at Qin Wu. Qin Wu understood immediately. "Did Uncle Chen tell you?" The old man immediately became nervous. "Of course not. He didn't tell me you brought back a pretty young girl and asked me to come out and see my granddaughter-in-law."
"So Uncle Chen didn't tell you I brought back a beautiful young girl?" Qin Wu asked, stroking his chin. "Absolutely not!" the old man nodded emphatically. Qin Wu knew he was lying, but he was too lazy to expose him. He had more important things to do this time, so he told the old man about the death of Qin Qin's master, Kongkongzi, and the matter of the "Blood Evil Manual." Finally, he explained why he had come back: he wanted to ask his father for help at Yucheng Manor.
After listening, the old man stroked his beard with a profound expression: "How could that old codger Kongkongzi be dead? There's something wrong with this."
Qin Wu nodded in agreement: "I also think this matter is not simple. By the way, Grandpa, I've been back for so long, why haven't I seen Dad?"
"Oh, your father? He went out on business." "went out?" Qin Wu had a headache. Bai Yuxiao and Wenren Qi both told him to invite his father to Yucheng Manor, saying it was of great importance. But coincidentally, his father had gone out. What should he do?
Seeing Qin Wu's distressed expression, the old man slapped Qin Wu on the head again without any mercy: "I said, Xiao Wu, what's gotten into your brain? Your father's gone, but your grandpa's still here, isn't he? Can't you ask me for help with anything?"
Qin Wu asked in surprise, "Grandpa, you've decided to go out?"
The old man nodded. However, Qin Wu's joy quickly turned to sadness. Since his grandmother's death, his grandfather had stayed at the Wine Cellar Manor, no longer concerning himself with matters of the martial world. He didn't want his grandfather to get involved in the murky waters of the martial world again because of him. After all, re-entering the martial world might disrupt his grandfather's peaceful life of so many years.
As if guessing what Qin Wu was thinking, the old man laughed heartily and said, "Alright, Xiao Wu, why are you acting like a fussy young lady? I've been in this village for so many years, it's time for me to go out and stretch my muscles. Besides, Kong Kongzi is an old acquaintance of mine. Now that I know about this, there's no reason for me to ignore it."
"But Grandpa..." Before Qin Wu could finish speaking, the old man shooed him out the door. "Alright, alright, your grandpa wasn't a simple man back then either. Don't worry, I'll be fine. You have so much free time to think about these things. You might as well hurry back and use what I just taught you to trick your granddaughter-in-law into marriage. I want to hold Chongzi as soon as possible to make those old bastards furious."
Qin Wu knew that his grandfather was a man of his word, so he didn't try to persuade him any further and turned to walk towards the courtyard where Ren Dong lived.
Chapter 53, Qin Zhongli
Now, let's talk about Qin Zhongli, the current owner of Cangjiu Manor, who is also Qin Wu's father. He has not been involved in the affairs of the martial world for many years. There are very few people who can persuade him to come out of seclusion and get him to do things.
"Alas, Brother Bai sent a letter personally, how could I not go?" a middle-aged man said as the beautiful woman beside him tied his belt.
“I didn’t say you couldn’t go, but I want to go with you!” The beautiful woman, who looked to be in her thirties, had crescent-shaped eyes and two dimples at the corners of her mouth. She spoke with a slight smile.
"Mei'er, you're being silly again. If you leave, who will take care of this manor?" The middle-aged man grabbed the beautiful woman's hand and said with a slightly serious tone.
“But we still have Dad.” The beautiful woman wasn’t buying his act.
"Sigh, Mei'er, I promise you, I'll come back as soon as Brother Bai finishes this matter, okay? During this time, you stay home and help me manage the affairs of the estate. This wine estate can't be without a mistress!"
The beautiful woman chuckled and pointed her slender index finger at the middle-aged man's forehead: "You're good at talking to make me happy. Fine, I'll stay, okay? But I'll only give you one month. No matter what you do, you must come back after one month. Otherwise, I will definitely come looking for you."
“My wife commands, how could I dare disobey?” The middle-aged man picked up his bundle, gave the beautiful woman a reassuring look, and then turned and strode away. But he didn’t know that a few hours later, a petite man also quietly left the manor and followed him at a leisurely pace.
The middle-aged man who went out on business was none other than Qin Wu's father, Qin Zhongli. He had been entrusted by an old friend to find something. However, he had only heard of this item before, never seen it, and had no idea where to find it. But Qin Zhongli didn't seem to be in a hurry at all. After leaving the manor, he first found a luxuriously decorated inn, took a comfortable bath, put on a set of fine clothes, and, fanning himself with a folding fan, headed towards the largest brothel in the city.
Su Mei, who had been following them, saw this and was so angry that she stomped her feet. She originally wanted to rush in and catch them in the act, but then she had a sudden idea. She quietly slipped into the backyard of the brothel, silently circled behind a servant, patted him on the shoulder, and slipped some drug into the wine pot that was about to be taken to the room while he turned around. Then she leaped onto the roof beam and, after the suspicious servant left, quietly followed behind to watch the commotion.
But for some reason, Su Mei waited outside the door for a long time without hearing any strange noises coming from inside. Unable to contain herself any longer, she finally pushed the door open and went in. But once inside, Su Mei was dumbfounded. The room, which had been filled with laughter and chatter just moments before, was suddenly empty. Su Mei searched the room thoroughly, circling it twice, but still couldn't find anyone. Just as she was wondering what was going on, a voice suddenly came from behind her, startling her. "Mei'er, what are you looking for?"
The one who asked the question was naturally Qin Zhongli. In fact, he had noticed Su Mei following him not long after he came down the mountain, but he was in a playful mood and wanted to tease her, so he pretended not to know.
The moment Su Mei saw Qin Zhongli, she knew he had discovered she was following him all along. She stuck out her tongue and said, "I'm looking for you."
Qin Zhongli smiled helplessly, but didn't ask Su Mei to go back. He knew her personality too well; once she made up her mind, not even ten oxen could pull her back. Thinking that he had already accomplished his business here tonight, there was no need to stay any longer, so he took Su Mei's hand and said, "Let's go."
Su Mei didn't move: "Where to?"
Qin Zhongli said, "Of course I will take care of the matter that Brother Bai asked me to do."
Su Mei didn't believe her. "You know where to look for it?"
Qin Zhongli replied, "Of course."
Su Mei became interested: "How did you know? I also read that letter, and it didn't say where to find it."
Before Su Mei could finish her rambling, Qin Zhongli pulled her onto the roof and led her into a dark alley where a carriage was already waiting. Once the two were settled in the carriage, and the driver cracked his whip to start driving, Qin Zhongli slowly explained, "Tonight I went to the Hibiscus Pavilion to find out where I can find what I'm looking for."
Su Mei curled her lip, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? What kind of information could you possibly find out about a brothel?"
Qin Zhongli smiled and said, "You, although you are a person of the martial arts world, your experience in the martial arts world is not as good as Yue'er's."
Su Mei slapped Qin Zhongli's hand indignantly, "Isn't that because Xiao Wu often sneaks off to play in the martial world without even saying goodbye? If I were always traveling around the martial world, humph, would I have been so stupid as to be tricked back to Cangjiu Manor by you?"
"If you're always on the move, you might get sold out without even knowing why." However, Qin Zhongli only muttered this to himself. A wife needs to be coaxed. He'd been married to Su Mei for over twenty years and had long understood one thing: regardless of right or wrong, whatever his wife said, he should never contradict her. Otherwise, even if he was right, he'd suffer the consequences. So Qin Zhongli smiled and said, "Of course. My Mei'er is so clever; only those in the martial world are meant to be tormented by you. But you know how chaotic the martial world is; I really don't want you to wade into those murky waters."
“Of course I understand what you mean, otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed with you at the wine estate for so many years.” Su Mei looked at Qin Zhongli with tender eyes, the man who occupied her entire life and love.
"Yes, the happiest thing in my life, Qin Zhongli, is marrying a wife like you and having a smart and adorable son. This life is enough." Qin Zhongli pulled Su Mei into his arms and sighed.
Outside the car, the moonlight was like water, and inside, affection was tender. The amorous moon shone on the lovers, giving them a momentary illusion that life was inherently so beautiful.
Chapter 54, Family Members Fighting Each Other
The journey was supposed to take only seven days, but Qin Zhongli, mindful of Su Mei's frail health and fearing she wouldn't be able to withstand the long and bumpy ride, specifically instructed the driver not to go too fast. So, this not-so-distant place took them a total of thirteen days to reach. However, because of this delay, when the two of them finally reached Lonely Goose Peak, they discovered that the Resurrection Grass growing on the cliff edge had already been picked by someone else.
The one who picked the resurrection herb was a handsome young man. Qin Zhongli stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I wonder if this young brother would be so kind as to part with this herb and give it to me? Of course, it won't be given away for nothing. No matter how much silver you want, I will do my best to satisfy you."
But the young man seemed not to hear Qin Zhongli's words at all. Holding the grass in his hand, he walked on his way with a blank expression, looking ahead.
Although Qin Zhongli was not a renowned hero, he believed he had never done anything immoral or illicit. So, he simply stepped forward and blocked the young man's path: "I urgently need this herb to save a life. I hope you will grant my request, young brother."
"Get out of the way!" The two cold, emotionless words came from the young man's mouth. Qin Zhongli was stunned, and Su Mei was also stunned. They really didn't expect this young man to be so cold-hearted. Su Mei had always had a fiery temper, and she was not as easy to talk to as Qin Zhongli. She immediately swung her long whip, "Whether you like it or not, I'm taking this grass today."
The young man glanced at Su Mei's long whip, a mocking smile appearing on his lips: "You think you can do that?"
Provoked by his words, Su Mei was about to step forward and teach this arrogant brat a lesson about the consequences of his arrogance. However, before she could swing her whip, Qin Zhongli grabbed the handle. "Mei'er, have you forgotten what you promised me on the way?" Upon hearing this, Su Mei, though still unhappy, put away the whip and took two steps back.
Qin Zhongli drew his long sword, his face showing reluctance. "Young brother, I didn't mean to hurt you, but I absolutely must get this Resurrection Grass, so please forgive me."
"If you want to fight, then fight. Why all this nonsense?" The young man carefully tucked the resurrection grass into his pocket, casually picked up a twig from the ground, and prepared to spar with Qin Zhongli.
Qin Zhongli glanced at the tree branch in the young man's hand, thought for a moment, then sheathed his broadsword and handed it to Su Mei beside him. "I am older than you, and if I were to try to gain an advantage over you with weapons, I would be utterly despicable. Since you have no weapon, I will not use one either. How about we fight bare-handed, and the winner gets the Resurrection Grass?"
The young man readily agreed, "Okay!"
Seeing how straightforward the young man was, Qin Zhongli couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for his talent. He thought that once this matter was settled, if they met again in the future, he would definitely drink several large jars of wine with the young man. Putting aside his skills, just this temperament alone meant that this young man would surely become a remarkable figure among the younger generation of martial arts practitioners in the future.
Without further ado, the two began fighting hand-to-hand. Although Qin Zhongli wielded a sword, he had initially practiced authentic internal martial arts, while this young man, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, was able to fight Qin Zhongli to a standstill using external martial arts. Qin Zhongli's appreciation for talent only deepened. Su Xiao was also secretly amazed. He had initially assumed the old man's martial arts skills were mediocre, seeing him wielding a sword, and had planned a quick victory, but he hadn't expected him to be so formidable. His haste made him vulnerable, allowing Qin Zhongli to spot an opening. Qin Zhongli threw a punch straight at Su Xiao's chest. If this punch landed, Su Xiao would be severely injured, if not killed.
"No!" Su Lin, who had been hiding in the nearby bushes, couldn't help but shout. Su Xiao inwardly cursed; if these two used Su Lin to threaten him, then the resurrection grass would be lost.
Hearing Su Lin's voice, Su Mei turned her head and her heart skipped a beat: "Oh my, whose little kid is this? He's so cute! His little face is so pink and tender, I just want to pinch it a couple of times!" Thinking this, Su Mei turned and walked towards Su Lin. Su Xiao panicked completely at the sight. Ignoring his own martial arts match, he flipped over and rushed towards Su Lin, leaving his back wide open. Fortunately, his opponent today was Qin Zhongli, who immediately withdrew his fist and, instead of taking advantage of the situation, stood beside Su Mei.
Seeing Su Xiao's protective look, Su Mei wrinkled her nose and said, "Why are you so nervous? I just wanted to touch his face. I'm not going to do anything."
"No way!" Su Xiao refused outright. "Brother, don't be so mean to this older sister. She doesn't mean any harm," Su Lin said, blinking her big, watery eyes and tugging at Su Xiao's sleeve.
"Oh no, I can't take it anymore, I'm about to faint! What an adorable little kid! She even called me 'big sister.' Why does my little Wu always have such a stern old-man face? He's not funny at all." Su Mei glared resentfully at Qin Zhongli while biting her handkerchief. Qin Zhongli shrugged. "Yue'er is a boy, of course he should have some manly spirit." Su Mei persisted, continuing to glare.
Seeing that she had been ignored for a long time, Su Lin couldn't help but speak up: "Big sister, you just said that you wanted this resurrection herb to save people?"
"Yes, yes." Su Mei replied with a smile, her previous resentment gone.
"Whom are you trying to save?" Su Lin paused, then continued, "I am a doctor. Tell me about the illness of the person you want to save, and I might be able to help. But to save that person, we absolutely need this Resurrection Herb."
"As far as I know, this resurrection herb is not effective for injuries or terminal illnesses. It is just a special medicinal ingredient, and I'm afraid there aren't many people who can use it." Qin Zhongli stroked his chin, as if he had thought of something.
"May I ask if you were entrusted by someone to find this herb, senior?" Su Xiao suddenly asked politely.
Qin Zhongli nodded.
"May I ask again, what is your surname, senior?"
"His surname is Bai."
"So it seems we weren't entrusted by the same person. It looks like I can't give you this herb." With that, Su Xiao took Su Lin's hand and prepared to leave.
However, Qin Zhongli and Su Mei had traveled for over ten days specifically for the Resurrection Grass, so how could they let someone else take it away so easily? Su Mei stepped in front of them. Su Xiao was slightly annoyed, gripping Su Lin's hand tightly, intending to force her way through, but Qin Zhongli walked over with a faint smile and said, "Don't be nervous. Although we weren't entrusted by the same person, our purpose is the same: to save someone, specifically the person at Yucheng Manor. Therefore, I won't try to take it from you anymore."
"Hmph, why should I believe you?" Su Lin remained vigilant.
"This..." Qin Zhongli was speechless for a moment. He was not good at dealing with people. The business in the manor was usually handled by Steward Chen, so he really didn't know how to prove the truth of his words.
Just as the two sides were at a stalemate, Su Lin suddenly spoke up timidly: "Excuse me for asking, senior, what is your relationship with Qin Wu?"
"Qin Wu?" Qin Zhongli was taken aback for a moment, then realized who Su Lin was talking about. "Young brother, is the Qin Wu you're talking about Qin Yue? He is my son."
"So it's Brother Qin's father. I knew you looked familiar." Su Lin smiled as he stepped out from behind Su Xiao. Su Xiao tried to stop him, but it was too late. Fortunately, his fears hadn't come true; Qin Zhongli and Su Mei hadn't done anything to Su Lin. The little guy, oblivious to danger, turned back with a grin and called out, "Brother, come over here too. I believe they're good people; I'm very good at judging character." Su Xiao touched his nose, a little helplessly, and walked over. He knew that although Su Lin was often absent-minded and soft-hearted, he had an astonishingly accurate intuition for good and bad people. Since the two hadn't shown any ill will towards Su Lin for the time being, he would tentatively trust them.
After exchanging names, the four of them set off together towards Yucheng Manor. However, not long after they started walking, Su Xiao regretted agreeing to go with them, because Su Lin and Su Mei quickly became very close and were having a great time together, making poor Su Xiao's teeth ache just watching.
Chapter 55, Extremely Awkward
Leaving aside the four people who became friends after a fight but got along fairly well, let's get back to Qin Xiaoyou and Bai Yuxiao.
Since the day suspicion arose, the two had been preoccupied with their own thoughts as they traveled. Qin Xiaoyou had initially resolved to ignore Bai Yuxiao, since he had only approached her for the "Blood Evil Manual." However, she couldn't resist the urge to speak to him, though her words were rather unpleasant. Bai Yuxiao, on the other hand, remained unperturbed by Qin Xiaoyou's various antics. He secretly believed she was angry because he had rescued her, causing her separation from Wenren Qi. Therefore, no matter how unreasonable Qin Xiaoyou's behavior, he didn't flinch.
The two passed by a teahouse that day. Bai Yuxiao glanced at the sun and suggested that Qin Xiaoyou have some tea and rest before continuing. However, Qin Xiaoyou not only didn't stop, but also said with a look of disdain, "Do you think everyone is as delicate as you? You can't even stand walking a few steps. I'm not as pampered as you, Young Master Bai. If you're tired, you can rest by yourself. I'm busy on my way and don't have time!"
Bai Yuxiao glanced at the person who had suddenly lost his temper again for some reason, hurriedly bought some dry food at the teahouse, and then chased after him.
Seeing Bai Yuxiao catch up with her, his nose glistening with sweat, Qin Xiaoyou felt a surge of secret joy. However, the thought of the disastrous "Blood Evil Manual" quickly dispelled her joy. "Sigh," she thought, "if only Bai Yuxiao hadn't been so kind to me because of that manual."
Bai Yuxiao had long been accustomed to Qin Xiaoyou's fluctuating moods and wisely refrained from asking. His previous experience taught him that if he did, Qin Xiaoyou might ignore him for days. He figured their time alone together would likely be limited to this short journey; after that, with Qin Xiaoyou and Wenren Qi together, she probably wouldn't even remember him. Therefore, despite Qin Xiaoyou's unpleasant attitude throughout the trip, Bai Yuxiao wanted to cherish these precious moments together.
Bai Yuxiao's estimation was correct; Qin Xiaoyou was too tired to walk much faster after only a short while. However, because of what she had said earlier, she was too embarrassed to ask for a rest. Bai Yuxiao found a slightly shady spot and stopped Qin Xiaoyou, who was walking at a snail's pace, saying, "Xiaoyou, can we stop and rest? I really can't walk anymore."
Qin Xiaoyou's eyes lit up. She said, "Alright, you young masters are just too demanding." But she quickly pounced on a large rock, sat down without any regard for her image, took the water bag that Bai Yuxiao handed her as a matter of course, took a sip of water, wiped her sweat, and rested with a clear conscience.
Bai Yuxiao sat down beside her and couldn't help but chuckle. He really couldn't understand what Qin Xiaoyou was thinking. She had been arguing with him all this way, but she was the one who suffered, yet she seemed completely oblivious.
Qin Xiaoyou leisurely enjoyed the breeze, but her mind was in turmoil. The reason was simple: ever since she discovered Bai Yuxiao's intentions, Qin Xiaoyou had wanted to rush up and grab him by the collar to demand an explanation, but she was also afraid that Bai Yuxiao would kill her if she did. Although Bai Yuxiao acted as if he was incredibly doting and indulgent towards her, who knew if he would turn on her after she revealed his secret? But keeping it all bottled up inside was unbearable. She had never been one to keep things to herself, and these past few days, this agonizing dilemma had been driving her crazy. She was desperate to find a safe way to get the answers she wanted while also saving her life.