Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 159

Liu Xicheng came over to pay his respects, "Second Lord."

Lin Feng said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Liu Xicheng sighed, "Yes, this time it was really tough."

His pointed remark earned him a murderous glare from Kiyomi Tsuki. Liu Xicheng shrank back in fear, not daring to speak. Huang Chong, Zhang Lang, Guo Guo, and Mao Ying chuckled to themselves.

Kiyoshi asked, "Where is the lord of the fortress?"

"The Lord of the Fortress is holding a meeting in the council hall," Lin Feng said. "I'm on my way there anyway, so why don't we travel together?"

Qingjian Yue said with a heavy heart, "Locust, please take Feiyun to the stable yourself, tell Old He to give Feiyun a bath, and reward Feiyun with a bag of wheat."

"yes."

Huang Chong led Fei Yun away.

The group arrived at the council hall. Not long after, the person who had gone in to report came out quickly. "The Lord of the Fortress invites the Second Lord in. He wants to see Young Master Yue, but the Lord of the Fortress says he does not wish to see you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng immediately looked at Qing Jianyue. Qing Jianyue's heart seemed to have fallen into an icy valley; tears welled up in his eyes, but he forced them back. Everyone around him was staring at him, and no one dared to speak. Lin Feng thought for a moment and asked, "What exactly happened? Didn't you report it clearly? It's Young Master Jianyue who has returned."

The man smiled obsequiously and said, "Second Lord, who is Young Master Jian Yue? I would never dare to be careless."

"Young master, don't be sad, I'll go in and report."

After offering him a word of comfort, Lin Feng strode straight into the council hall.

Inside the council hall, all the lords, supervisors, and deacons were present. Lu Qingcheng, dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold patterns and with a precious sword at his waist, sat on the throne with a gloomy expression. In his left hand, he held a wooden figure carved by Qing Jianyue. The wooden figure had been specially crafted, painted with ink, inlaid with gold and jade, and adorned with bright red tassels.

Lin Feng entered and greeted him with clasped hands.

Lu Qingcheng didn't even lift her eyelids, and said, "Brother Lin, please take a seat."

Lin Feng said, "Fortress Master, Young Master Jianyue has returned."

All eyes in the hall turned to Lu Qingcheng's face.

Lu Qingcheng's face was icy cold, and her hand, which was caressing the wooden carving, trembled slightly. "Zhang Zhichun?"

Zhang Zhichun quickly came over, "Your subordinate is here."

"Go and tell him, ask him, why did he come back?"

The "he" Lu Qingcheng was referring to was naturally Qing Jianyue. Zhang Zhichun was stunned, staring at him speechlessly.

The people present looked at each other in bewilderment.

Lu Qingcheng suddenly flew into a rage, "What are you standing there for? Go!"

"yes."

Zhang Zhichun hurriedly retreated.

As Zhang Zhichun left, Lu Qingcheng's expression became even more terrifying, and the hand holding the wooden carving trembled violently.

Will he be sad? Will he cry? No, I have to stop Zhang Zhichun. Damn it! He's already rejected me, why should I care if he cries or not?

His grim expression cast a pall over the hall, everyone's mood was heavy, and no one dared to speak. How silent it was, a silence that was chilling.

Qing Jianyue paced back and forth anxiously, his mind a jumbled mess. Everyone stood at a distance, holding their breath, lest they provoke him and worsen his already bad mood. When Zhang Zhichun came out, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Zhang Zhichun said with a wry smile, "Young master, I don't know why you two are at odds, but this time the lord of the fortress is really angry. He asked me to ask you, why did you come back?"

Hearing this, Kiyomi Tsuki felt as if something was stuck in his chest, causing him unbearable pain. Everyone looked at him, but no one dared to speak. After a while, Kiyomi Tsuki said, "Go and report again, just say that I am his personal guard, and of course I will come back."

Zhang Zhichun nodded and went inside to report.

Upon hearing Zhang Zhichun's report, Lu Qingcheng's face darkened, her heart pounding like a raging storm. She unconsciously tightened her grip on the wooden figure. "Go and tell him that he is no longer my personal bodyguard."

Zhang Zhichun had no choice but to go out and deliver the message again.

Everyone looked at each other, wondering what kind of show this was all about.

Upon hearing Zhang Zhichun's message, Qing Jianyue remained silent. He understood that Lu Qingcheng was truly enraged this time. Zhang Zhichun advised, "Young Master, you should return to the Ice Garden to rest. The Lord is currently in a fit of anger; once he calms down, he will naturally see you."

"Understood. Since he doesn't want to see me, I'll head back to the Ice Garden."

Kiyomi Tsuki walked away dejectedly, while the intelligent white fox stayed by its master's feet, occasionally raising its head to look around.

Zhang Zhichun couldn't help but sigh, "They're practically natural enemies."

Back at the Ice Garden, the little sparrows and crows, having already received the news, immediately came out to greet them. No matter how distressed their master was, the little fox cawed loudly around the little crow.

Hurry, hurry, the fox wants a jasmine bath. We've been traveling non-stop for three days, and she's practically stinking. Honestly, she's been spoiled rotten by her master. She used to find jasmine baths a nuisance, but now she gets itchy all over if she doesn't have one every day.

The little sparrow smiled and said, "Young master, why don't you go to the water courtyard and take a hot bath? It will make you feel better."

The Water Garden, also part of the Ice Garden, features two pools, one large and one small, one open-air and the other indoors, fed by hot spring water drawn from the back mountain, maintaining a constant temperature year-round. Its design is unique, brimming with lively natural charm. A waterfall gushes from a dragon's mouth, a proud phoenix spreads its magnificent wings, just large enough for two people to lie on its back; playful bubbles bubble and gurgle from the cracks in the rocks, creating countless shapes and forms; and various stone carvings of animals add to the endless fun.

The little crow huffed, "You still have the leisure to let the young master go to the hot springs? Miss Xu is about to steal the man from the fortress."

The little sparrow said angrily, "Little crow, don't talk nonsense."

Kiyomi Tsuki asked, "What is it?"

The little crow said angrily, "Young master, during the days you were away, Miss Xu went to the Academy of Literature every day, bringing snacks and soup. One night, when I went to find Wang Jie, I saw with my own eyes the Lord of the Fortress escorting Miss Xu back to Yixin Garden. They were chatting and laughing all the way, looking very affectionate. Also, when the Lord of the Fortress went to Tianyi Ranch to pick you up, you didn't come back with him. The Lord of the Fortress seemed very sad, and Miss Xu went to comfort him every day."

"Go to the water garden."