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Ye Xiao raised his head from the ground in grief and indignation, looking at Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun quickly distanced himself: "I didn't do it. Boss, you know me. I said it was just a temporary measure. I didn't even have a chance to do it. Haven't I been by your side the whole time?"

"But it was your bad idea!" Ye Xiao finally couldn't help but yell, kicking him angrily.

Mingzhi Peak. The water's hue shifts constantly, its beauty ever-changing, and orchids bloom across the mountain, their fragrance filling the air. Xiao Xun greedily inhaled the orchid's delicate scent, gazing at the vibrant water and the surrounding mountains, and sighed, "Second Brother really knows how to pick a spot. How did he find such a beautiful place?"

Ye Xiao remained silent. Things were going even more smoothly than expected. Her friend not only knew Luo Qingcheng's whereabouts but had also secretly sent the two of them here. She suddenly realized that she had never truly understood Luo Qingcheng—his identity, his actions. She knew nothing at all.

A vast estate lies nestled in the valley, its blue bricks and gray tiles against the mountainside and beside the water, faintly resembling the architecture of Jiangnan, yet also bearing traces of Langjing Manor. However, adorned by the richly colored landscape, it possesses a profound and vibrant feel.

The guard at the gate, having heard the two men's purpose, silently went back to report. After a while, an unexpected person appeared.

“Oh my, Miss Ye of Guyun Fortress, and Young Hero Xiao… Miss Ye, I’ve met your father a few times before. You really do resemble him; I thought of him when I was at Langjing Manor. Hehe, you’ve come to see the young master? The young master is unwell and cannot receive guests, so he asked me to take you both to your lodgings to rest first.”

Xiao Xun was stunned for a long time before he found his voice: "Master Yuan? Rumors in the martial arts world say that you and your daughter have gone missing. So you moved your manor here?"

Yuan Ruxuan smiled faintly: "There's no other way. Having offended the Martial Alliance, I have no choice but to go into hiding. Besides, my wealth wasn't originally mine; I was holding it for the young master. Now that I've found him, it's only natural that it should be returned to its rightful owner. This place was found by the young master, and I just finished building this estate. What do you all think?"

Xiao Xun remained stunned: "Young Master...who is the Young Master?"

Yuan Ruxuan seemed somewhat taken aback: "Isn't this the person you've come looking for?"

"Is it the second son?" Xiao Xun exclaimed. "Just what kind of young master is he?"

Yuan Ruxuan chuckled and said, "You two are friends of the young master, so there's no need to stand on ceremony. Let's go inside and talk first." He then led the two inside and found their lodgings to settle in.

However, despite being treated to fine food and wine for several days, Luo Qingcheng never showed up, which worried Ye Xiao. She did, however, see the elegant Yuan Peixin and Shen Wan freely coming and going from the estate.

Even the slow-witted Xiao Xun finally realized something was amiss. He asked Ye Xiao, "Is Second Brother being held captive? Why isn't he coming out to see us? Given his past behavior, he would never do that!"

Ye Xingxu remained silent. If the two beauties could come and go freely, could it be that the second brother was really trapped? Xiao Xun noticed that the eldest brother had also been acting strangely lately, so he cautiously asked, "Eldest brother, I'll try to distract the guards from the garden. Could you go and take a look at the garden that's supposedly where the second brother lives?"

Ye Xiao bit her lip, hesitated, and then nodded.

Ye Xiao leaped swiftly over the wall onto the massive tree, climbed a thick horizontal branch, and followed its trail. It was late spring, a time of vibrant red blossoms, but the mountain air was cool, and the garden was still a tapestry of flowers. A pool of clear water flowed in from outside the garden, forming a deep, jewel-like green pond.

Not far away, in a pavilion with upturned eaves, sat a man dressed in black, his back to the large tree where Ye Xiao had stood, motionless. Ye Xiao peeked around for a moment, then quietly flew up to another large tree and crept towards the man.

The change happened in an instant. Suddenly, a familiar little head popped out of the pavilion, holding a slingshot. With a snap, Ye Xiao fell from the branch like a fruit.

Before she could scream, the man in black made his move. He grabbed Ye Xiao in mid-air, turned his head coldly, and suddenly froze, letting go of her hand. Ye Xiao fell flat on her back without any grace.

"Ah!" Upon seeing the man in black, Ye Xiao cried out even louder. The man didn't move, but a small figure rushed over and helped Ye Xiao up, saying embarrassedly, "Ah? It's Sister Xiao Xiao... I thought it was some petty thief!"

Ye Xiao remained silent, pushing away Shan'er's hand, rubbing her sore buttocks, and looking at the man in front of her with a wronged expression. Luo Qingcheng, originally fair-skinned, and having worn a mask for so long, rarely seen the sun, was even more delicate and refined. Now, wrapped in a black cloak, his face appeared sickly pale. Not only his complexion, but his entire being was emaciated, devoid of any radiance, his eyes sunken, his features withered. He remained motionless and silent, simply staring blankly at Ye Xiao.

After a long while, Ye Xiao finally became frightened. She walked over and sat down next to him: "Qingcheng? Are you alright?"

Luo Qingcheng remained silent, but Shan'er immediately replied, "Brother Qingcheng was seriously ill and has just recovered. He's very weak and can barely walk..."

"Is he really sick?" Ye Xiao's heart skipped a beat, her expression darkened, she found his arm and took his pulse, "Could it be something else? Could it be... poisoning? Hmm, thankfully, no."

Shan'er looked at Ye Xiao with admiration and said, "Sister Xiaoxiao, you've learned how to take a pulse?"

Ye chuckled and said, "No. I was just guessing."

"..."

A smile slowly spread across Luo Qingcheng's eyes, quickly turning into a deep bitterness. He cleared his throat and finally called out, "Xiaoxiao."

"Where is this place? Are you... really alright? Who exactly are you, young master?" Ye Xiao asked anxiously, asking several questions in one breath before stopping to catch his breath.

Luo Qingcheng slowly turned his gaze away, carefully choosing his words: "Young Master... do you remember the Shimohe Sect I told you about? I am the young master of the Shimohe Sect, and my father was the former leader. The sect has four Heavenly Kings: Pingjing, Shancai, Fazhi, and Anzhi. Among them, the Pingjing Heavenly King and the Shancai Heavenly King are not usually at headquarters. The Pingjing Heavenly King manages most of the forces and quells various disputes and disturbances in the martial arts world that are unfavorable to the Shimohe Sect. The Shancai Heavenly King manages most of the sect's wealth and supplies the sect's various affairs. His identity is even more secretive. Back then, apart from my father, no one in the sect knew about him. The Shimohe Sect was once very prosperous, but then a sudden change occurred. My father was framed by villains and unfortunately... died. The Pingjing Heavenly King was ostracized in the sect and led some of his followers to leave the Shimohe Sect, searching for my whereabouts. As for the Shancai Heavenly King, upon hearing the news of my father's death, fearing that his identity would be exposed, he quickly took most of his wealth and left his original residence in Jinling, hiding his identity and establishing Langjing Manor."

Ye Xiao chuckled and said, "So Yuan Ruxuan is the Money-Grubbing Heavenly King of the Shmaha Sect." But he was very puzzled. According to Luo Qingcheng, the Shmaha Sect was so powerful back then, so why didn't he see any related information in the news tower of Guyun Fortress?

Luo Qingcheng nodded slightly: "That's right. I discovered this fact at Langjing Manor and recognized him. It just so happened that he had offended the Martial Alliance and had nowhere to go, so I let him liquidate all his wealth and rebuild a manor at Mingzhi Peak. This manor... is called... Fallen Leaf Manor."

Ye Xiao frowned. The name seemed to have some connection to her, but she found it unlucky and disliked it. Why was it called Fallen Leaf Manor? She suppressed her displeasure and found a small loophole: "Why would Manor Lord Yuan acknowledge you? With so much wealth, how could he be willing to give it up so easily?"

Luo Qingcheng smiled faintly: "Don't I have a mark on me? Besides, this wasn't originally his money. If he doesn't want it, I will naturally reveal his identity. He obviously doesn't want to become the target of public criticism."

A brand... Ye Xiao reached out and lifted his ear, where a small, bright red mark was hidden. Her fingertips gently traced his skin. "Was this branded on? When was it done? Does it hurt?"

Her touch remained gentle, yet carried a breathtaking effect. Luo Qingcheng felt dizzy, suddenly disoriented, but managed to regain his composure and whispered, "It was branded from birth; it's a rule of the religion..."

Ye Xiao frowned: "Born? Who did this? So inhumane, how pitiful..."

The Young Master Who Suddenly Appears (Part 2)

"I don't know... I was just a baby back then..." Luo Qingcheng felt even more dizzy and couldn't help but flinch, seemingly trying to avoid Ye Xiao's fingers, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it. Shan'er chuckled beside her, and Luo Qingcheng blushed slightly, gesturing for Shan'er to go and fetch tea.

"So cruel..." Ye Xiao stroked the deep red mark with heartache. "Then, who is the Heavenly King Pingjing? Has he found you?"

Smelling the delicate fragrance emanating from her, Luo Qingcheng sighed almost imperceptibly, "Yes, I found her. You should be able to guess... it's Shan'er's grandfather... Back then, my father planted a hidden agent in the martial arts world, almost no one knew it, it was Uncle Shen Rujun. With my father's secret help, Uncle Shen accumulated a great reputation in the martial arts world, gradually infiltrating the Martial Alliance and entering their headquarters. Before my father died, he told me many secrets of the Shimohe Sect. I fled to Jinling, originally intending to find the Wealthy Heavenly King, but who knew he had already escaped. So I had no choice but to travel to Suzhou and find Uncle Shen, growing up in his family. When I was fifteen, under Uncle Shen's arrangement, I 'rescued' Guo Qiwu, infiltrated the Martial Alliance, and found out the whereabouts of the Shimohe Sect's sacred object that had fallen into the Martial Alliance back then."

Ye Xiao shifted uncomfortably. Was it that silver clasp? Luo Qingcheng continued, "Uncle Shen learned that the Heavenly King Pingjing had been looking for me, so he contacted him and asked him to join him in seizing the sacred artifact."

Ye Xiao took off the silver chain from her neck and handed it to Luo Qingcheng: "Is this it? Is it the silver clasp on the box that contained the golden dragon?"

Luo Qingcheng slowly turned his head and gave her a deep look: "You are indeed clever. This item, along with many other treasures, fell into the Martial Alliance, but no one knew what kind of sacred object it was. All the old items were locked in the Martial Alliance's treasury and guarded closely. My father told me the whole truth before he died. I found the whereabouts of the sacred object, but I couldn't steal it. Later, I got an opportunity. It was the 70th birthday of the Righteous Manor Master, and the Martial Alliance went to offer their congratulations. This was all arranged by Uncle Shen. Uncle Shen took advantage of preparing the congratulatory gifts to retrieve this small box containing the sacred object from the treasury and smuggled it out of the Martial Alliance among the gifts. He originally..." The plan was to steal the sacred object undetected, but the Martial Alliance was extremely vigilant and guarded the gift very closely. Left with no other option, Uncle Shen contacted the Heavenly King of Pingjing, who helped him steal the object. The Heavenly King of Pingjing used 'divine intervention,' alerting the Martial Alliance. Huang Chongshan ordered an investigation and discovered that Uncle Shen had taken an old item from the Shimoha Sect's treasury. Connecting this to the robbery, Huang Chongshan deduced the whole story and launched a worldwide manhunt for the item. Uncle Shen had originally arranged to deliver the item to me, but before I could contact him, he had been murdered… Fortunately, the item has finally been returned to its rightful owner…”

Luo Qingcheng chuckled softly as he spoke, then hung the silver chain around Ye Xiao's neck again: "No one but me knows this is a sacred object. Even King Pingjing and Uncle Shen don't know that the sacred object is actually the clasp on the box. It's safer for you to keep it here. I can ask you for it back if I need it someday... No one would ever imagine that I would give something so important to someone else. If anything happens to me, you should destroy this item, and this secret will be known forever..."

"Nonsense! Nothing bad will happen to you!" Ye laughed angrily, covering his mouth with her hand, and let out another sarcastic laugh. Shan'er had already brought over the tea.

Luo Qingcheng stiffened for a moment, then gently removed the hand from his mouth, pushed her away, and slowly stood up: "I'm a little tired. I need to go back to my room to rest. Let's talk again in a few days. I'll introduce you to Feng Sihai, the Heavenly King of Pingjing, sometime. He's from the same generation as my grandfather... He watched my father grow up."

Ye Xiao opened his mouth, but seeing the smiling Shan'er, he swallowed his other questions and watched helplessly as Luo Qingcheng drifted away like a ghost. Sure enough, his lower body was unstable and his steps were unsteady.

"How could he be so sick? What exactly is it?" Ye Xiao was very troubled.

Shan'er whispered from the side, "The doctor said it was a cold, caused by a cold and the fatigue of the journey. When we first arrived at the manor, Brother Qingcheng had a high fever and was already delirious, talking nonsense, which scared us quite a bit. Fortunately, we found a great doctor who pulled him back from the brink of death. However, I heard from Grandpa that it seems to be some kind of hereditary disease."

"A hereditary disease?" Ye Xiao was somewhat surprised. Hereditary diseases and cold syndromes seemed to be worlds apart.

"Really. It seems to be some kind of suicidal illness." Shan'er seemed to sense Ye Xiao's disbelief and quickly patted her chest to assure him, "I heard Grandpa complaining about Brother Qingcheng, 'He has the same problem as your father!'"

Ye Xiao gave a curt "Oh," a chill running down her spine. "Want to die? That's worrying..."

Luo Qingcheng lay on the bed, drenched in cold sweat with the slightest movement. A breeze blew in from the window, lifting the curtains and brushing against his forehead. He had no recollection of how he had managed to get through this ordeal. The day he heard the news of Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun's marriage, he felt as if his soul had been ripped away. He returned to the carriage in a daze, yet still had to maintain a composed facade in front of others. Later, he didn't know when he started having a fever. Shen Wan told him to see a doctor, but he refused. And so, he made his way here, now completely unconscious from the fever.

Several days later, when the man regained consciousness, the Heavenly King of Pingjing, Feng Sihai, was there. The first thing he said to him was, "You good-for-nothing! You're lovesick! Just like your father, causing such a mess over a woman!"

Luo Qingcheng didn't argue, knowing that his delirious ramblings during his fever had completely betrayed him. But the reprimand from the Heavenly King didn't bring him any relief; the pain remained unbearable, and the thought of Ye Xiao made it hard to breathe. He lay there half-dead for many days, futilely trying to convince himself that nothing was more important than the burden on his shoulders, and the hatred…

However, they actually came knocking on our door, as if they thought we weren't troubled enough already...

In a hazy dream, Luo Qingcheng drifted off to sleep. In his dream, Ye Xiao was unusually gentle, softly stroking the mark behind his ear, embracing him, letting him kiss and caress her, finally melting into a stream of spring water enveloping him… He woke up gasping for breath, his clothes soaked with cold sweat. After changing into dry clothes, he went outside and sat listlessly in the garden, listening to the cool night breeze rustling a peach tree in a corner, scattering countless petals into the dust.

"Thinking about her again?" An aged yet dignified voice sounded from behind.

Luo Qingcheng didn't turn around, but simply called out, "Grandpa Feng."

A tall, white-haired old man strode up to him, draped a cloak over his shoulders, and sighed, "Why are you like your amorous father, instead of your grandfather, ready to die for a woman? A real man should be able to take things in stride. That woman is here? Why don't you get up and go see them?"

Luo Qingcheng buried his head in anguish: "I can't let go. I can't go on living. I dream every night that she clearly loves me, but when I wake up... I don't dare see them. I'm afraid I'll lose control and do something stupid, offending my brothers! Why did they come? They're trying to drive me to my death..."

"Useless!" Feng Sihai's voice was clearly tinged with anger. "Brothers are limbs, women are clothes. You should weigh the pros and cons yourself. Besides, how can you be sure what happens in a dream? How old are you? Still so childish. How did Shen Rujun raise you?"

Luo Qingcheng lowered his head in anguish: "But I'm afraid of the cold. I only have one set of clothes. If I lose it, I'll freeze to death. My hands and feet are important too. If I lose them, I'll be crippled..."

Feng Sihai sighed: "Silly child, I understand how you feel. But I promise you, everything will pass. You're in unbearable pain now, but you'll forget everything after a while. Then you'll realize that unforgettable memories are unreliable. Go see them, force yourself to give up, and then focus all your energy on your revenge plan. Once you've unified the martial world, won't all the women in the world be lining up for you to choose from?"

Ye Xiao lit the dragon and phoenix candles on the table and said indignantly, "Third brother, your candles are prettier than mine. Second brother is biased!" A chill suddenly ran through her heart. Could Luo Qingcheng be retaliating against her?

Xiao Xun grunted, "He's so ill, he might not know about these things. It was all arranged by his subordinates. What kind of hereditary disease do you think he has?"

"Shan'er said so. But it looks quite serious." Ye Xiao's voice suddenly lowered.

With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Luo Qingcheng, pale-faced, leaned against the doorway, smiling strangely: "A moment of bliss is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Sorry, Third Brother, I've disturbed you."

Ye Xiao quickly came over and supported his swaying body: "Yes, tonight is a rare and beautiful spring night with a gentle breeze and a bright moon."

Xiao Xun nodded vigorously, laughing, "Not bad, not bad... Second brother, you ran away from Guyun Fortress. I originally left you a portion of the good stuff that people gave you, but unfortunately, the eldest brother threw it away when you escaped."

Luo Qingcheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a forced smile, "You took the best things, what use are the rest to me?"

"The best stuff?" Ye Xiao's eyes widened as he looked at Xiao Xun. "Third brother, you've hidden something good? Quickly take it out and give it to Qingcheng. He's so sick, why are you still eating his food!"

Xiao Xun remained silent for a long time before finally pulling a few things out of his pocket and holding them out to Luo Qingcheng: "Uh, I just had three little sugar figurines hidden away, three little doll sugar figurines, each one looks different, and they're made so lifelike. I couldn't bear to separate them, so I didn't take them out to divide... If the second brother wants them, I'll give them to him all at once..."

Ye Xiao tapped Xiao Xun on the head with great displeasure and snorted angrily.

Luo Qingcheng was both amused and exasperated. Watching the two flirting so intimately, he felt a sweet, metallic taste in his throat, his vision blurred, and he almost fainted. He managed to catch his breath and, clinging to a sliver of hope, asked in a low voice, "Have you taken care of your business?"

Xiao Xun looked at the three little sugar figurines with pity and replied, "Yes, you're so sick, you don't need to worry about us. We've taken care of everything. We were just worried about you, so we came here specifically to see if we could help."

Something like a net wrapped around Luo Qingcheng's body, pressing down on his chest with a sharp pain, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. Heartbroken, he turned his head and saw the spacious mahogany bed, exquisitely carved with acacia flower patterns, and the bright red quilt cover embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water—all of which he had specially prepared for him… but now they looked so jarring that they almost brought tears to his eyes…

"Are you satisfied with this bed... these bedding?" Luo Qingcheng almost forced out the words through clenched teeth, in pain... pain... pain.

"I'm extremely satisfied," Xiao Xun said happily. "This bed is so big that two people can roll around freely. I just don't like this bright red quilt; it's too effeminate."

The two rolled around... Luo Qingcheng couldn't sit still any longer. Afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would be splattered with blood. He collapsed in front of them, weakly stood up, and smiled, "Red is auspicious. Well then, I won't disturb you any longer. You should rest first. I'll have someone bring over some late-night snacks later." He weakly dragged his heavy legs toward the door.

Suddenly, Ye Xiao asked, "Uh, what kind of late-night snack?"

Luo Qingcheng gave a wry smile: "Red dates, peanuts, longan, lotus seed soup. Very auspicious..." He took two more steps outside, then felt dizzy and quickly grabbed the wall for support. Just then, he heard Ye laugh: "It's not good... I want red bean soup. Could you send a portion to my room? It was red bean soup for supper last night. I sent two portions to Lao San, but I don't have any..."

Luo Qingcheng finally sensed something amiss and turned his head: "What?"

The Mysterious Man in the Small House (Part 1)

After enduring days of unfair treatment, Ye Xiao finally couldn't hold back her tears and complained, "Second Brother, are you holding a grudge because you failed to get help from Lonely Cloud Fortress, and that's why you're deliberately taking revenge? You haven't sent any late-night snacks to my room these past few days! Also, why is Third Brother's quilt so brand new and beautiful, while mine is old and thin? His red candles have dragon and phoenix patterns, but mine don't! His room is clean and bright, while mine is dark, damp, and cramped..."

Luo Qingcheng seemed unable to understand what Ye Xiao was saying, and just asked blankly, "Your room? You don't live in this room?"

Ye Xiao raised her head, filled with grief and indignation: "I live in the small room next door."

"next door?"

Luo Qingcheng followed Ye Xiao to the small room next door, which was indeed dark and cramped. Luo Qingcheng stared blankly for a moment: "This room is a servant's room, and it's deserted now... What did Yuan Ruxuan do with it?"

“I found it myself… Master Yuan led us to the room where the third brother was staying and told us to make ourselves at home… I found this room next door… The other rooms were either locked or had lots of things inside.”

Luo Qingcheng slowly turned his head, his eyes flickering, not daring to look her in the eye: "Uh... why don't you live with Lao San? Did you have a fight?"

"Live together? Uh, your Fallen Leaf Manor is so big, do you really need us to squeeze into one place?"

"You...you've already taken care of everything, so why aren't you living together?" Luo Qingcheng's hope, like a blade of grass that sprouts again in the spring breeze, quietly re-emerged.