Rêve de fleurs urbaines

Chapitre 4

To everyone's surprise, Dai Kejian stared blankly at Bi Feixian's departing figure, then suddenly turned his head and asked, "Did you see that?"

"Yes, young master, I saw Miss Bi pour tea on your face."

"That's not what I meant. I meant...did you see her face turn red just now?"

"ah?"

Dai Kejian revealed a strange smile, "It's good that you blush." After saying that, he jumped off the bed, stretched, and said, "Go and wake up Hewanle and the others. There's no reason for them to stay in bed while I'm up so early, right? Let them come with me to practice martial arts."

Cold sweat poured down Xiaochi's forehead. Only at this moment did he clearly realize what Bi Feixian's arrival truly meant: if his young master didn't have a good life, they would inevitably suffer as well!

After a short while, the group of five finally arrived at the training ground. It was just dawn, and the morning light shone on Bi Feiqian, who stood with her hands behind her back, giving her a rather heroic and spirited appearance, especially compared to the five people who were staggering around.

Bi Feixian glanced at everyone and said, "I have already asked around. Over the years, you have had many masters who have taught you martial arts, including some top-notch masters like Lu Haotian, but the results have been very poor. I don't think I can teach you better than him, so I don't expect anything from you. Just be able to use one or two moves to protect yourself when someone tries to assassinate you."

"That simple?" Dai Kejian was a little surprised.

Bi Feixian drew a circle on the ground with her sword sheath and said to him, "Stand inside this circle." She then drew a line three zhang away from the circle and said to Xiao He, Xiao Wan, and Xiao Le, "Come and stand behind this line."

After everyone did as instructed, she gave each of the three children ten small sandbags. "Today's task is for you to stand inside the circle, and they will throw sandbags at you. You need to find a way to dodge them, but you can't step out of the circle. Little Snack, you stay here and record all the times your young master dodges the sandbags and steps out of the circle. Do you all understand?"

The five people present looked at each other in bewilderment—what kind of martial arts training method is this?

"If you understand, let's begin." Bi Feixian took the lead, grabbing a sandbag and throwing it with a "thud." Dai Kejian didn't expect her to suddenly attack and was hit squarely. Although the sandbag was small and Bi Feixian's force wasn't great, it still hurt quite a bit. He strongly suspected that it was because he had teased her the night they first met that this woman was now taking revenge and making things difficult for him at every turn.

Although He Wanle had been very careful, throwing the sandbags in places where Dai Kejian could dodge, by 9:00 AM, the servants still carried him back to his study. As soon as they entered the room, Xiaochi dutifully reported, "Reporting to Miss Bi, today, in one hour, a total of 342 sandbags were thrown, 115 hitting the target and 180 going out of bounds. That is to say, the young master successfully dodged 47 times."

Upon hearing such a number, not only did Bi Feixian's face turn pale, but the four servants also felt an urge to laugh. Only Dai Kejian lay on the soft couch, groaning incessantly, half-dead.

Bi Feixian took a deep breath, reminding herself to proceed step by step and take it slow. You can't get fat in one bite, but in the end she couldn't help herself and angrily said, "What exactly are you doing? Even if you put a scarecrow there, its hit rate would be lower than yours!"

Dai Kejian still had the strength to retort, "Impossible! Go try putting a needle in there, and if you can beat me, I'll do whatever you want with me."

Bi Feixian glared at him for a while, then said coldly, "Apply medicine and change his clothes, then go to the council hall."

So the four servants, who were busy eating, drinking, and having fun, had to help Dai Kejian to get medicine and change clothes. When the six of them arrived at the council hall, they saw that the city lord was bruised and battered, looking extremely disheveled. They all looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Huai Su coughed and took the lead in paying homage.

Dai Kejian slumped in his chair, saying weakly, "Report if there's anything, otherwise dismissed."

The first man in the left column stepped forward and said respectfully, "Lord of the city, the bandits of Crow Mountain robbed wealthy merchants who were preparing to trade in our city yesterday. They killed two of them, kidnapped three maids, and took most of the others up the mountain. If this continues, those merchants will not dare to do business in our city. Moreover, one of the two who were killed was the famous Central Plains salt merchant, Deng Baiwan."

Dai Kejian said casually, "These days, with war and chaos, it's normal for a few people to die. Next time, tell those wealthy businessmen to bring more bodyguards; don't be stingy with the money."

The man said urgently, "City Lord, this is no longer a matter of whether or not we are willing to spend money; it's a provocation from the Crow Mountain bandits against our Hantian City! When the old city lord was alive, they feared his reputation and dared not act rashly. Now that the old city lord is gone, they have begun to stir! If we don't give them a good beating, I'm afraid things will get out of control..."

"Alright, alright," Dai Kejian waved his hand and said, "I'll leave this matter to you, Elder Feng. You decide who to send and how many people to send."

Old Feng's lips twitched a few times, and he sighed before bowing and retreating.

The first person in the right column stepped forward and said, "City Lord, Luo Su, the City Lord of Anluo City, has sent a letter saying that he is deeply saddened by the unfortunate passing of the old City Lord, and has therefore specially sent his eldest daughter, Luo Yi, to our city to pay her respects..."

Bi Feixian's eyelashes trembled slightly.

When Dai Kejian heard the name Luo Yi, his pain subsided, he became more energetic, and his eyes began to sparkle. "Really? Luo Yi... the undisputed number one beauty of the Twelve Cities of Yinwei..."

Huai Su frowned slightly and said, "Luo Yi is famous throughout the world for her beauty and extravagance. Whenever she goes on a trip, it always involves a lot of trouble. Therefore, I think it would be better for the city lord to write a letter to the city lord of Anluo and politely decline this matter."

"Sigh, it's a rare treat for the most beautiful woman in Hantian City to come. How can we turn her away? That would be so heartless!" Dai Kejian, abandoning his previous lazy demeanor, said with great enthusiasm, "Elder Lu, you should send a reply right away, saying that our city, from top to bottom, warmly welcomes Miss Luo's arrival. Ah, I wonder what she likes. Elder Lu, you should immediately send someone to inquire about Miss Luo's lifestyle and hobbies, and then make careful arrangements to ensure she feels completely at home!"

"Yes!" Old Lu glanced at Old Feng smugly, accepted the order, and withdrew.

Although Huai Su's suggestion was rejected, she showed no displeasure whatsoever, still smiling slightly, her demeanor impeccable.

Bi Feiqian watched this scene without showing any emotion, thinking to herself: Master's wife was right after all. Dai Kejian is a good-for-nothing, and the two elders on the left and right seem to have deep-seated prejudices. The hidden dangers in Hantian City are indeed quite significant.

Afterwards, they discussed some trivial matters in the city. In reality, most of these discussions were already decided and reported, requiring only Dai Kejian's approval. For the city lord to be so comfortable meant only two possibilities: either the city was in perfect order, everything was going smoothly, and all was peaceful; or it was the eve of a storm, with impending disaster. In Bi Feixian's view, the latter was clearly more likely than the former.

The hour of Si (9-11 AM) passed just like that. We won't go into details about lunch and a nap. We arrived at the horse farm at Wei (1-3 PM). Dai Kejian walked over while groaning, claiming that he was sore all over from being hit with sandbags that he had trouble even walking, let alone riding a horse.

Bi Feixian remained unmoved and coldly said, "Mount up."

Helpless, Dai Kejian had no choice but to climb onto the horse with the help of his servant. At first, he rode well, but then, for some reason, his mount suddenly went berserk and galloped off.

Bi Feixian immediately snatched a horse and gave chase, but after only a few steps, she heard a child's scream behind her. She turned around and saw that the stables had opened, and hundreds of horses surged out like a tide.

She was trapped in the galloping horses and had no time to save Dai Kejian. After all the horses were caught up by the trainers and the racecourse returned to calm, she looked around but there was no trace of Dai Kejian.

The horsemen searched everywhere. Bi Feixian wanted to go with them, but Xiaochi said from the side, "Miss Bi, you should go back to your study and wait for news. This place is very big, and you don't know anyone here. Don't get lost too."

Bi Feixian looked at him quietly for a while, then raised the corners of her lips and said, "Okay. Then I'll trouble you. Let me know if you have any news."

On her way back to her study, she ran into Huai Su. Huai Su had obviously already received the news, and as soon as he saw her, he asked, "What exactly happened? What's the situation at the horse farm now?"

“There’s no need to worry too much, they will find him,” Bi Feixian said calmly.

Huai Su stared at her, raised her eyebrows and said, "You don't seem to care about the city lord's safety at all."

"Maybe it's just because I know he won't be in danger."

Huai Su asked with slight surprise, "Why?"

Bi Feixian smiled slightly, did not answer, and walked past him.

At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), four servants carried Dai Kejian back to the Dai residence, wailing and crying all the way. Immediately afterwards, the top physician and shaman of Hantian City was invited into the bedroom.

When Bi Feixian arrived, she happened to meet Huai Su, who was also rushing over. She asked Xiao Le anxiously, "How is the situation?"

"Reporting to the Grand Steward, the horsemen found the young master under a tree on the slope of the valley. His right leg was broken, and he had many wounds on his body. He was in a daze and not very conscious. We will have to wait for Doctor Wu's diagnosis for more details."

As soon as Xiao Le finished speaking, Doctor Wu lifted the curtain and came out. Upon seeing Huai Su, he bowed and said, "Grand Steward."

"How is the city lord's injury?"

"The city lord only suffered superficial injuries and is not seriously injured, but he needs to rest for a period of time and should avoid strenuous exercise such as horseback riding and martial arts training."

Huai Su looked at Bi Feixian, who smiled and said, "Okay, I know what to do."

Doctor Wu was finally satisfied and, carrying his medicine chest, was personally escorted out by Huai Su. Bi Feixian walked to the curtain and gently lifted it a crack, revealing Dai Kejian lying on the bed, his face ashen white under the lamplight. She went to the bedside to take his pulse, and only released her hand after a long while.

Just then, Huai Su returned after seeing off Doctor Wu, and Xiao Chi said, "Young Master has fallen asleep after taking Doctor Wu's pills. Miss Bi and the head steward, please go back and rest as well. We can take care of things here."

Bi Feixian glanced at him, then turned and left without a word, followed by Huai Su. The two walked together through the covered walkway; the night was quiet and chilly.

Huai Su suddenly spoke up, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Bi Feixian said calmly, "It's nothing. Since I came here, I already expected this to happen."

Huai Su smiled, her smile carrying a hint of helplessness. "He's too willful, always acting like this."

Are you trying to say that rotten wood cannot be carved?

“I didn’t think that way.” Huai Su looked up at the bright moon in the sky and said softly, “I just feel that if some things can be done better than they are now, why not do them?”

Bi Feixian pursed her lips, mimicked his expression, looked up at the moon, and said, "If Dai Kejian really is a piece of rotten wood, I will let go as quickly as possible and never make myself suffer. But rotten wood is not necessarily without value; perhaps it can still be burned for warmth." After saying this, she smiled playfully and went back to her room.

After returning to her room, she closed all the doors and windows and began to undress. Halfway through, she bent down and blew out the candle on the table, plunging the entire room into darkness.

She quickly put her clothes back on, flicked her left hand, and a silver thread flew up to the beam. She silently climbed up the silver thread, lifted the tile, and peered down. Sure enough, there was a dark figure in the courtyard turning and leaving.

Bi Feixian sneered inwardly and used her lightness skill to follow the shadowy figure. After walking for about half a cup of tea's time, the shadowy figure stopped in front of a door and quietly went inside.

It really was Dai Kejian's residence! She knew something was amiss!

Bi Feiqian leaped onto the roof, pulled a wire from her ivory thumb ring, and cut a half-foot square hole in the tile. Through the hole, she could see Dai Kejian's large bed.

The shadowy figure, Xiao He, was bending over and reporting to the bed, "Miss Bi has returned to her room. Young Master, do you think she's become suspicious?"

Xiao Le yawned and said dismissively, "So what if she's suspicious? Doctor Wu said we can't ride horses, can she force us?"

While trimming the lamp wick, Xiaowan said, "I always felt that she wouldn't just let it go like that. Didn't you see the look in her eyes before she left? It made me feel really uneasy."

"So, young master, we need to speed up our plans."

A plan? Bi Feiqian frowned. Besides feigning illness to avoid martial arts practice, what other plans did Dai Kejian have against her?

Suddenly, someone gently blew a breath on the back of her neck. Without thinking, Bi Feixian immediately struck out with a back elbow, and at the same time, lightly touched the ground with her toes and twisted around in mid-air. But to her surprise, there was nothing behind her. Just then, she felt a strange sensation on the back of her head, and she spun around rapidly. Her long hair flew wildly, and she finally saw the person who had ambushed her from the shadows.

The evening breeze lifted the man's black robe, which shimmered like mercury in the moonlight. Though he stood on the rooftop, he seemed poised to be carried away at any moment. Unfortunately, a silver mask concealed his face. Yet, his innate, unparalleled elegance was enough to astound anyone.

Bi Feixian stared at him blankly, unsure of what to do next.

Seeing her looking at him, the man in black robes stretched out his right hand, and in his hand was the very wooden hairpin she used to fasten her hair.

Bi Feixian touched her loose hair, speechless with astonishment. As the chief disciple of the Divine Mechanism Pavilion Master, her martial arts had reached the first-rate level. When had this person appeared behind her? And how did he manage to pull out her hairpin? She hadn't noticed at all! Was the other person's martial arts too terrifying?

After the initial shock came anger. Consort Bi shouted angrily, "Give it back!" With that, she struck out with her palm, preparing to snatch the hairpin back.

The man dodged with ease, as if strolling in a garden. Bi Feixian used sixteen different movement techniques in succession, without even touching his sleeve. Finally, the man leaped, flying more than ten zhang away, and when he stopped, he was already several rooftops away, looking back at her.

The two looked at each other in mid-air. The man seemed to smile, and with a flick of his hand, something flew through the air. Bi Feixian subconsciously reached out and caught it. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was also a hairpin.

Looking up again, the person had vanished. Xiaochi, however, poked her head out of Dai Kejian's room and said, "Huh? It's not raining outside, so why is there a dripping sound? Ah! Um... Miss Bi, what are you doing standing on the roof so late?"

Bi Feixian glared at him, stomped her foot, and left.

Back in the room, I placed the hairpin under the lamp to examine it closely. The hairpin was carved from a single piece of jade with exquisite patterns. Both the material and the workmanship were extremely rare. Holding it in my hand, even my skin seemed to turn green.

Such an expensive women's hairpin, and that man always carried it with him. He took her wooden hairpin, but then threw this one at her. Was it a coincidence? Or was it intentional? What exactly did he want? And who was he?

A series of questions flooded her mind, and Bi Feixian suddenly felt inexplicably frustrated. From childhood to adulthood, she had always had a smooth life with very few setbacks. Who knew that after arriving in Hantian City, she would suffer repeated setbacks? First, she was tricked by Dai Kejian and drugged with the sleeping potion in the study. Now, she was being teased by a mysterious masked man. If these things were to reach her master and mistress's ears, she wondered how disappointed they would be.

Under the lights, her eyes flickered uncertainly, and her expression was extremely complicated.

The next day, Dai Ke slept soundly until noon. Surprisingly, the woman didn't come to wake him up. When he called the servants over to ask, he learned that Bi Feixian had gone out early in the morning and wasn't in the mansion.

Strange, where would she go? But it doesn't matter, as long as she doesn't bother him, she can go wherever she wants.

After enjoying a delicious lunch and a nice hot bath, Dai Kejian leaned back comfortably on the soft couch, listening casually to the two elders report on the city's affairs.

Old Feng said with a joyful expression, "Reporting to the city lord, it is truly heaven's help to our city! Last night, Shi Balong, the leader of the Crow Mountain bandits, actually died from a relapse of his old illness!"

"Old ailment? What ailment?"

"This hasn't been investigated yet. In any case, the person who has taken his place is now the strategist Bai Ya. He took the initiative to write a letter to surrender and is willing to obey the city lord."

Dai Kejian laughed heartily and said, "He's smart enough to be intimidated by my reputation as the city lord and doesn't dare to cause any more trouble. I commend him. As for how to deal with him, Elder Feng, you can handle it as you see fit."

"Yes," Old Feng replied verbally, but shook his head inwardly. No wonder people say that being born smart or brave is not as good as being born lucky. He solved the huge problem of Crow Mountain without firing a single shot. Such good fortune just happened to fall on Dai Kejian. You can't help but admire him.

Dai Kejian turned to Old Lu beside him and asked, "Um, where is Miss Luo Yi now?"