Chapter 129: The Body Feels Warm

Chapter 129: A Warm Embrace

A torrential rain fell on that afternoon, and even in July in Linxi, there was a lingering chill.

Thick clouds blanketed the sky, blocking the sun, while lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, sending gusts of wind sweeping in from all directions.

The rain scattered leaves across the grounds of Chunhe Garden—some bamboo, some willow, and clusters of freshly bloomed petals from flower bushes.

Under such weather, Chen Yi could not possibly linger in a drafty pavilion sipping tea.

Instead, in the study, he set up a Go board across from Xiao Wugou.

One taught, one learned.

The black and white stones on the board were laid out and retracted, no game ever reaching a conclusion.

Xiao Wugou had only just begun, though his progress was steady, his repertoire of patterns and formations still too sparse to sustain a full game.

Chen Yi, however, felt no urgency.

Since mastering Go, the time he had devoted to the board surpassed that spent on books, calligraphy, and fell short only of martial arts and medicine.

Though he had achieved mastery in both martial and medical arts, the true reason lay in the utility of the Go path.

Originally, Chen Yi had not believed the ancient saying—“using all living beings as the chessboard, using the heavens and earth as the board, using Go to observe people.”

Yet from his acquisition of Go’s esoteric knowledge and his countless stratagems and calculations, he knew these words held truths that could be attained.

It mattered not where the player stood or what goal they sought.

Like now, in Chen Yi’s mind, the board stretched across the land of Shu, mapping out the Xiao family’s position and the tides of their future.

Each move, in essence, came down to two words: “breaking through.”

Should the Xiao family’s circumstances improve, the board would shift, evolving into another game entirely.

As he pondered these things, Chen Yi’s face remained gentle, smiling softly, occasionally offering a few pointed remarks.

Xiao Wugou listened, then paused to reflect, before placing new stones according to his method and understanding.

Some insights were misguided, others proved apt, and a few demonstrated a thorough grasp of the principles.

Regardless of accuracy or error, Chen Yi praised him, then indicated a flaw or a brilliant point.

He understood well enough that a child’s most precious gift was the ability to think independently.

Any external input would erase that rare and valuable trait.

Thus, he needed only be the guide, a practitioner of the saying—“a master opens the door; cultivation lies within oneself.”

At that moment, Xiao Wugou had just learned a new pattern, and after his joy, he ventured another question.

“Brother, could your sister’s illness be cured?”

Chen Yi calmly closed the Go box, replying, “Perhaps.”

He did not commit to a definitive answer.

His mastery of medicine had long surpassed that of nine of the nine great physicians of Wei.

Yet even so, he could not eradicate Xiao Yan’er’s extreme cold affliction.

He would have to wait until his cultivation advanced further to attempt it.

Xiao Wugou exhaled softly, disappointment flickering in his heart.

“I’ve never seen my eldest sister so agitated. If only that divine physician’s skills were a bit stronger.”

Chen Yi smiled, “He is.”

“Like playing Go, once you immerse yourself wholly in it, your skill will naturally grow.”

“Yet each person’s talent differs, as does the pace of their progress and the limits of their potential.”

Xiao Wugou considered this, nodding.

“You’re right, brother.”

Then he asked, “How is my talent in Go?”

Chen Yi studied his earnest face and replied, “Mediocre.”

“Ah?”

“Ah, what? Show me your ‘Pine and Snow’ position.”

“Oh…”

The boy, after all, hoped for some recognition of his achievements.

But one could not simply praise him; circumstances required balance. A gentle rebuke could help him learn more steadfastly.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhao sat quietly beside them, watching.

To her, Go was a scholar’s pastime, an elegant pursuit, not part of her world.

When she saw the board fill with black and white stones, her eyes would inevitably close.

Her head would nod slightly, then grow still, her breath slowing until it was calm.

Thus, an afternoon passed in quietude.

Only as night fell did the sound of jingling bells echo outside Chunhe Garden.

Chen Yi knew Pei Wanglu and others had returned, and he patted Xiao Zhao’s head, signaling her to prepare dinner.

Xiao Zhao lifted her head, blinked in confusion, glanced at the darkening sky, then bolted outside.

“Forgive me, Master. Xiao Zhao didn’t mean to fall asleep on her own.”

Chen Yi smiled and shook his head—whether intentional or not, she had at least slept soundly.

Then he and Xiao Wugou gathered their stones.

Not long after, Pei Wanglu’s round face appeared at the study door, a smile on her lips.

“I’m back, Brother.”

“I heard your bells long ago. Come in, sit.”

Then Pei Wanglu stepped inside, her damp, pristine feet leaving two prints on the floor.

“Look, I bought so many things today.”

She settled beside him, lifting several small bags.

“There are gifts for you, Brother.”

“Guess which one it is.”

Chen Yi glanced over, then pointed to a bag.

“This one.”

He couldn’t see through anything, let alone divine insight.

Yet Pei Wanglu’s smile faltered, and she pulled out that bag, pouting:

“Brother, you didn’t open your eye God, did you? I hid it especially well.”

“Lucky me.”

Chen Yi let out a hearty laugh, took the bag from her hand and opened it to inspect, his face darkening immediately.

“Pei Manlu, is this the gift you prepared for me?”

“A bib?!!”

“Ah? No, no, that’s mine, brother-in-law, I mixed them up.”

Pei Manlu snatched the bag back, her cheeks flushing as she turned it over and over, finally pulling out a box and handing it to Chen Yi.

“This one is the gift for brother-in-law.”

Chen Yi glared at her, opened the box to find a hand fan, gave a slight nod, “Not bad.”

Pei Manlu stuck out her tongue, then thought of something else, pointing at him.

“Brother-in-law, you were mistaken after all.”

“……”

Indeed, this girl’s mind worked rather differently from ordinary folks.

After some casual chatter, they finished their dinner.

Chen Yi asked Xiao Wenguo to take Xiao Wuguo and went to rest, then inquired with Pei Manlu about her day, and sent her off to bed.

Now that Xiao Jinghong was away, the household had Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang staying.

He could no longer take Pei Manlu to the bamboo grove as before, and could only remain in the chamber to practice the “Four Symbols Technique.”

Soon, three hours passed.

Chen Yi slowly concluded his cultivation, letting the internal qi return to the two great energy seas, his body and mind restored, he then stood up to stretch his limbs.

A seven-tiered martial artist didn’t need to endure hardships or unblock meridians like nine-tiered or eight-tiered ones; it was merely a state of accumulating internal qi.

He only needed diligent practice and hard work, gradually filling the two great energy seas with qi.

When the qi condensed into mercury, he could then aim to break through to the next realm.

Chen Yi pondered these things, his gaze drifting toward the rain outside the window.

The rain had lightened a bit, though the wind still howled fiercely.

In the garden, the plants and trees swayed wildly, their branches bending in the wind.

But since the windows and doors were tightly shut, the only sound he could hear was the steady drip of rain.

Before he knew it, his thoughts drifted to the recent events. The first image in his mind was Xiao Wenguo’s words: “I was indeed waiting for you.”

Starting from that straightforward statement, combined with what he’d heard and discovered during the day, he deduced Xiao’s family’s handling of Liu Jingzhi’s death.

“The patriarch and the Xiao family must have already made the worst preparations.”

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have deliberately cautioned Xiao Wenguo to stay near the mansion these days.”

Of course, this was also the safest approach at present.

After all, the incident had just occurred, and more information was needed to formulate a precise response.

However, if Chen Yi were in the patriarch’s position,

The first thing he’d do would be to self-investigate, checking whether Xiao’s execution office or others connected had killed Liu Jingzhi.

Once confirmed it wasn’t the Xiao family’s doing, he’d proceed to the next step.

There were two possible stances.

One was to openly cooperate with the Liu family or have the execution office apprehend the culprit, allowing both sides to ease tensions.

The other was to be more forceful, pressuring the Liu family to retreat.

Generally, the thought was, “Even if it wasn’t me, the Xiao family, you’d still have to bow.”

Clearly, given the patriarch’s current caution, it was likely the first approach.

“I’ll catch the culprit, but I don’t intend to rot in jail.”

Chen Yi muttered to himself, pondering internally: “I need to see how the Liu family responds.”

If the Liu family remained restrained, there’d be room for maneuver.

Otherwise, the patriarch couldn’t possibly resolve the matter by suppressing it.

Just then, the midnight hour arrived—

【Daily Intel·Grade X Below: At the waning of the ousi hour, a covert meeting is taking place in Fengchun Tower among the hidden Wei members. A small amount of opportunity can be obtained.】

Tonight, Fengchun Tower, a covert Wei meeting?

Chen Yi glanced at the light-curtain display, his brow slightly furrowed.

“Xiao Dongren, Ge Lao Three, Liu Si’er, your esteered uncle, the currently known hidden Wei members in Shuzhou are these four.”

First, Liu Si’er could be ruled out.

He was still recovering from his injuries, lying in bed recuperating.

Then, your esteered uncle, given his position as a Xiao family subordinate, would be too obvious at Fengchun Tower.

Ge Lao Three…

His identity seemed off, but the Xiao family’s personal guards occasionally visiting Fengchun Tower wasn’t impossible.

Most likely, it would be Xiao Dongren.

Thinking this, Chen Yi glanced toward the Qifangjie direction, his expression slightly shifting.

“If it truly were him at this time… this wouldn’t be a good thing.”

After some thought, Chen Yi turned back to his bed, kneeling again to practice the Four Symbols Technique.

Regardless of whether there was someone from Fengchun Tower, this trip was necessary.

……

No words were exchanged through the night.

The next morning, before dawn, Chen Yi rose early under Xiao Wenguo’s care, washed up, and dressed meticulously.

He needed to visit Professor Yue at Baiyun Academy, so he specially wore a more formal robe.

Looking in the mirror, he confirmed everything was in order, then descended the stairs.

At that moment, Pei Manlu was already seated at the dining table, and upon seeing him, her eyes glimmered slightly.

“Brother-in-law, are you going out today as well?”

Chen Yi nodded, “I’m going to Baiyun Academy.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Manlu’s mind drifted to the things she’d done at Baiyun Academy earlier, and an involuntary smile tugged at her lips.

Chen Yi noticed her expression, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “You’ve been to Baiyun Academy before, and even attended a poetry gathering there.”

“What’s it like?”

Pei Wanli hurriedly lowered her head, cupping her mouth as if to stifle a laugh, "Phew, there are quite a few people."

She dared not mention the incident of Chen Yunfan’s fainting, lest she’d get a beating from her brother.

Chen Yi knew it was a non sequitur and didn’t press further.

She had eaten breakfast.

Pei Wanli, as usual, ran off to Jiaxing Yuan, pulling along Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang to stroll through the city.

She claimed they’d already wandered the western and northern outskirts of the city in the past few days, and today they’d explore the eastern market district.

Chen Yi, for his part, paid it no mind, for he had to keep Xiao Hong under control.

After delivering Xiao Huang to Jiaxing Yuan, he and Xiao Wan er communicated their plan to visit Guiyun Academy.

Xiao Wan reminded him carefully, "Make sure the imperial guards follow us, in case we get lost down the alleys."

Chen Yi nodded, "I’ll check who’s free later."

Yet in his heart, he harbored doubts.

Xiao family’s guards were all mere third-grade disciples; even with them, they’d be helpless in danger.

Xiao Wan, noticing his hesitation, nagged again, insisting he not be careless.

Chen Yi smiled at her, ears receiving and eyes spitting out her words, yet he did notice the changes in her appearance.

"Not wearing a overcoat today, sister, don’t you feel cold?"

At that moment, Xiao Wan was dressed in a light yellow gown, a short-sleeved top beneath, resembling a young lady of winter’s arrival.

Compared to her usual draped overcoat style, her figure had grown less bloated.

Her demeanor was calm and gentle, enhancing her natural beauty.

Xiao Wan smiled and shook her head, her pale face tinged with a hint of color, "I drank a medicinal soup this morning; I feel warm inside."

It was the first time she’d been in such a state, her mood naturally quite good.

But because of it, she hadn’t worn her overcoat, and felt a lingering unease.

Like, like…

Like a winter day venturing out in just a thin undergarment, feeling something missing.

Especially under Chen Yi’s gaze, Xiao Wan felt somewhat uncomfortable, hastily signaling that the time was late, so they should return early.

Chen Yi, knowing her complexion was delicate, smiled and bid her farewell, departing from Jiaxing Yuan.

Upon reaching the courtyard, he happened to encounter the departing Ge Langsan and others.

In the distance, he heard a mandarin call out,

"Brother Ge, the Duke of Dongcheng said there’d be a banquet tonight at Fengchun Tower; after you leave, head straight there."

"Understood."

As the carriage drove away,

Chen Yi scanned the area, letting no other mandarins follow, and alone walked toward Guiyun Academy under his umbrella.

Xiao Dongron and Ge Langsan?

It seemed my keeping Pei Wanli in check for several days had irritated Xiao Dongron to this extent.

Otherwise, following the covert methods of the covert guard, he wouldn’t have resorted to such a scheme to meet Ge Langsan.

Yet what troubled Chen Yi was this: their meeting now, discussing matters beyond merely "supplies for the distant army," was likely about the affairs of the Xiao and Liu families.

The probability was immense.

"Xiao Dongron intends to meddle, to be a spoiler?"

If the covert guard intervened, perhaps…

Chen Yi pondered these thoughts, his eyes slightly cold.

He most loathed such people who sowed discord behind the scenes.

Suddenly, he moved a piece on the chessboard in his mind—the black stone representing Xiao Dongron.

After all, Xiao Dongron would likely end up in the same camp as Liu Hongguang.

"Brother Xiao, old friend?"

At that moment, a voice came from the side behind him. Chen Yi turned, surprised:

"Brother Fang, what a coincidence."

Thanks to Gzc, Jia Yi, Mo Yuan, Fugui Renlife, Xiaoyao Shanshui, Sanggeng, Shu 10096, Wenzhongnian, Shuping 30290, and others for their donations.

Many thanks!

(End of Chapter)