Chapter 369: Why Must We Have Known Each Other Before Meeting (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 369: Meeting Again, No Need to Have Met Before (Seeking Monthly Votes)

"Wang Ba? You?" Lou Yu Xiao blinked, realizing the words had struck a nerve, and her face flushed with irritation.

She stared at the shadowed figure, turned slightly toward her, a flicker of joy sparking in her eyes, though her voice remained cool:

"What brings you here?"

Chen Yi leaned against the alley wall, drawing out a long, drawn-out "Oh," then methodically smoothed his disguise with deliberate slowness.

He almost forgot—he still bore the features of Chen Yu.

Fortunately, he had all his belongings at hand, and as Lou Yu Xiao hadn't turned away yet, he pulled the mask over his face.

But in his haste, the features didn’t quite align; the edges still bore some creases and unevenness.

"Just came to fetch some documents from the Execution Office."

Lou Yu Xiao noticed his movements and immediately smiled.

A smile of irritation.

Though she knew Chen Yi had been masquerading as Liu Wu, she’d always assumed that face was his true one.

Unexpectedly, unexpectedly—this Wang Ba had undergone plastic surgery right before her eyes.

Deceiving people was too much!

And his tone, that expected, businesslike manner of his—she was fuming.

What could be endured, could not be endured!

"Lord Dragon-Horse, your face is crooked. Shall I smooth it for you, Lady Yu Xiao?"

Chen Yi heard her sarcasm. He brushed his cheek and jawline, smiling:

"Doesn’t your face wear a mask too?"

The female tiger—she was dressed differently from her usual self.

A simple, crisp white robe, with a golden tiger emblem embroidered on her chest, cinched at the waist.

Most striking of all was her face—masked with a tiger-patterned disguise.

Though she no longer possessed her former seductive allure, there was an unmistakable aura of vigor and nobility about her.

It made Chen Yi glance at her a second time.

Lou Yu Xiao noticed his gaze and instinctively smoothed her sleeves, huffing:

"This is my White Tiger Guard officer’s robe. Rare to see, isn’t it?"

She turned her head slightly, pretending not to engage:

"Lord Dragon-Horse, your lord is busy. The Execution Office is just nearby—hurry along."

"Too late for that. Don’t want to keep you busy attending to the saddle and horses for the Xiao family."

Chen Yi fell silent, a hollow laugh escaping him as he gazed at her under the moonlight.

After a moment, he sighed inwardly, then smiled softly: "I hear you’re heading to the Capital Prefecture?"

Lou Yu Xiao hesitated. "You—you’re eavesdropping on my private conversations about White Tiger Guard affairs?"

Chen Yi’s smile didn’t waver. "Just passing by, happened to catch some words."

Lou Yu Xiao’s eye twitched. "I don’t believe you."

After a pause, she added, her gaze betraying unease: "Your lord has a message—see me off tomorrow."

"You have nothing else to say?"

Chen Yi hesitated. "May the road be smooth."

Lou Yu Xiao clenched her teeth, her lip curling. "Wang Ba!"

Not Wang Ba, not Wang Ba—Chen Yi, after all, wasn’t the kind to flirt with Lou Yu Xiao like before.

He wasn’t a fool; he could read her heart.

But now, trapped in this body, he couldn’t help others without drawing danger to himself.

And Lou Yu Xiao was a Golden Banner officer of the White Tiger Guard.

Though the White Tiger Guard had "turned over a new leaf" and no longer sought to destabilize Shu, who could say what the future held?

If they ever reverted to their old ways, fearing chaos across the land, they might clash swords one day.

Lou Yu Xiao understood his thoughts.

After a few sharp retorts, she straightened her robes and collar, took a deep breath:

"The Guard commands me to remain in Jiangnan Prefecture. If you ever pass through Jingling, please come visit me."

Seeing Chen Yi merely nod with a smile, Lou Yu Xiao knew the chances of him reaching Jiangnan Prefecture from his position in Shu were slim.

A strange ache swelled in her chest, her thoughts growing tangled.

Regret, longing, not enough to fill the void.

"Jiangnan Prefecture is too far—he probably won’t get the chance. Just consider it... a madwoman’s dream, then."

Lou Yu Xiao compared herself to a madwoman, her heart unspoken, yet her feelings were no less tender.

Chen Yi heard it, his smile softening slightly.

Silence stretched.

Then, in a low voice: "Perhaps... I will go."

So many things in this world rarely turn out as one hopes.

Like Li Bai, talented but unrecognized.

Like Yuan Zhen, who rose to greatness after seven years of toil, only to be forever barred from his wife’s embrace.

Like Su Dongpo, laboring his whole life...

Like Chen Yi, who, upon meeting those autumn-river eyes, could only say "perhaps."

Meanwhile, Lou Yu Xiao smiled.

Her bell-like laugh rang through the deep alley.

She laughed brightly, then removed her mask, revealing her thousand-and-one charms:

"Then I’ll wait for you in Jiangnan Prefecture."

For however long it takes.

Lou Yu Xiao knew the weight of "perhaps."

She simply understood her own heart—loving one person, vowing to love them forever.

A single word of emotion.

Cannot articulate it clearly, cannot make it understood.

Yet she came, and she could not evade it.

Chen Yi gazed upon her face, memories of their past encounters surfacing in his mind.

In the Spring Rain Tower, their eyes met with mutual displeasure, yet bound by each other’s leverage, they had to covertly cooperate.

The grudges beyond the Iron Wall Town.

And those silver notes he had seized…

They were nothing extraordinary, yet each time they crossed his mind, he felt a bittersweet ache.

As Chen Yi recalled these things, he merely hummed a soft affirmation.

They regarded each other in silence.

Then, the autumn wind sighed, scattering leaves into the alley, painting the gloom with shades of withered yellow.

Were it Xiao Wan’er or Xiao Jinghong,

Chen Yi would surely have spoken: “Bright moon, clear breeze, you.”

But for Lou Yu Xue,

The only words he could conjure were: “A lone figure on the frozen river, an old acquaintance in thejianghu—must we have met before?”

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Lou Yu Xue pulled her mask back over her face, nodded to him, and vanished into the alley’s depths.

Unseen, she disappeared.

Chen Yi stood silent, watching her fade into the distance.

After a long stillness, he smiled faintly and walked out of the alley, seeking water and Shui Hesong.

What a peculiar “must we have met before” it was.

Not to mention that in his lifetime, he could hardly ever hope to journey to Nanling Prefecture; even if he did, the chance of finding Lou Yu Xue would be slim.

Further words would be futile.

Further thoughts would be in vain.

Chen Yi glanced at the Execution Bureau within arm’s reach, exhaled a quiet breath, and was about to slip inside when Shui Hesong emerged from the shadows.

“Settled?”

Chen Yi offered no reply, instead asking, “‘The Wayfarer’—any discoveries?”

Shui Hesong smiled, shaking his head. “Indeed, the victim died smiling, with no other wounds found upon her body.”

Chen Yi furrowed his brow slightly, then signaled him to move elsewhere for their conversation.

Shui Hesong bowed, and together they slipped away.

Once outside the Execution Bureau, he glanced back once, his face as cold as ice.

In truth, the “Wayfarer” Hua Huiyang had not perished beneath that smile—she had met a different end.

Though her exterior bore no visible scars, and a routine examination would reveal nothing, Shui Hesong had discerned something.

—Hua Huiyang had died by the blade.

Had his technique reached perfection, and had he scrutinized carefully, he might have detected the faintest trace of sword energy in her heart.

An infinitesimally subtle, almost imperceptible blade energy… resembling that of a dear friend.

Chen Yi did not doubt it. After walking some distance, they spoke idly, their thoughts turning to Hua Huiyang’s death and its impact on Shu Zhou.

“Unsurprisingly, once Mount Wu learns of this, someone will surely come to Shu Zhou.”

“I fear… it will be that one.”

Shui Hesong’s expression remained calm. “That person, though slightly weaker than the Patriarch, is no idle presence to be trifled with.”

“If he arrives, Shu Zhou may face…”

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. “Without discrimination, without hesitation?”

Shui Hesong shook his head. “That elder is no rash or impulsive man. He merely… fiercely protects his loved ones.”

“A typical disciple would not provoke him, but Hua Huiyang was a peer of her generation at Mount Wu.”

“It cannot be ruled out that he might act.”

Speaking of this, Shui Hesong recalled the Fifth Patriarch, a faint smile touching his lips. “What if the Patriarch and Ye Qian are already sparring? It cannot be ruled out that he might come to observe.”

Chen Yi mused, “In that case, this matter must be investigated swiftly.”

Shui Hesong nodded. “With our strength, we need not fear for safety, but those who killed the ‘Wayfarer’ are no ordinary folk.”

“Perhaps we should wait until our allies from the Spring Rain Tower arrive in Shu Zhou, then follow up the investigation?”

Shui Hesong listened, and his tone shifted.

Chen Yi furrowed his brow inwardly. “Brother Shui, are you fearing someone might act recklessly?”

He understood Shui Hesong’s meaning.

They, of course, were safe, but others like Liu Rong and Wang Ji might face some threats.

A cultivation level of the Yin Brand?

Chen Yi suddenly recalled Song Jinji—could it truly be him?

Thinking this, Chen Yi bowed. “I understand. We shall proceed as you say.”

Shui Hesong also bowed, smiling. “I have already written to the Elder Brother. In a few days, perhaps five to ten, someone will arrive.”

Chen Yi hummed agreement, then bowed and vanished into the shadows.

Shui Hesong glanced around, then dissolved into mist, disappearing without a trace.

He searched briefly, but finding no trace of Song Jinji, he frowned deeply.

“Song Jinji, what are you truly planning?”

Meanwhile, Chen Yi remained unaware of these developments.

He had not returned to the Xiao family immediately, but instead went back to the Execution Bureau.

After gathering information and confirming the whereabouts of Fang Hongxiu, he slipped inside.

Moving silently, he reached a chamber deep within.

At this hour, Fang Hongxiu had not rested, wielding his long blade in a fluid dance.

His movements were steady, his techniques sharp and precise.

At first glance, quite impressive.

But upon closer inspection…

Upon closer inspection, Chen Yi noticed at least seven or eight mistakes.

Fang Hongxiu had been practicing the Embroidery Spring Blade Technique, yet the blade’s path had not even reached the threshold of mastery—indeed, there was little to show for it.

Chen Yi gazed at the shadow cast upon the windowpane. After a moment, as that shadow’s movements slowed, he pushed the door open and smiled.

“The first form, ‘Fish Soaring Through Waves,’ requires the blade to rise three cun; the second, ‘Moon Merging,’ demands that the upper and lower movements align in flight…”

Hearing his voice, Fang Hongxiu raised her blade to strike, but upon recognizing Chen Yi’s face, her body froze mid-motion. “It is you?”

She then regained her composure. “You are instructing me in blade technique?”

Chen Yi spread his hands and laughed. “Your blade work is too crude; I simply cannot bear to watch.”

Fang Hongxiu glared, sheathed her blade, and showed no inclination to yield.

“Speak. What brings you here?”

The last time Fang Hongxiu had seen Chen Yi was before Liu Hong’s death.

Back then, she had overheard in passing that Liu Tao’ao, Liu Hong’s son, had been involved in indiscreet dealings with certain individuals from the Sang family. Concerned, she had relayed those threads of information to Chen Yi.

It had been nearly a month since then.

Seeing Fang Hongxiu’s directness, Chen Yi abandoned further instruction in blade technique and asked plainly:

“I wish to know why your Justice Enforcement Office sought out Li Sanyuan from the Xiao family.”

Upon hearing “Li Sanyuan,” Fang Hongxiu’s eyes widened slightly.

She quickly opened the door and peered outside, scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

Only after confirming no threat was present did she lead Chen Yi into the inner chambers.

Chen Yi allowed her to guide him, already sensing that Li Sanyuan’s case involved deeper currents.

Indeed.

Once inside the bedroom, Fang Hongxiu lowered her voice. “You’ve deduced that the Xiao family now harbors suspicions?”

Chen Yi did not conceal the truth. “That is my guess.”

“Yet it seems my intuition was correct.”

“Tell me, who instructed you to seek this person?”

Fang Hongxiu hesitated, her expression wavering.

But upon seeing Chen Yi’s earnest gaze, she bit her lip and, pressing her palm to the damp table, scrawled a few characters:

“Qinghe Cui Family.”

Chen Yi’s expression remained unchanged. “Who sent them?”

“Song, or Cui?”

When Chen Yi uttered “Song,” Fang Hongxiu’s composure steadied. She nodded cautiously. “The former.”

Song Jinjian.

Indeed, it was him.

Chen Yi inclined his head, then inquired, “May you recount the details?”

Fang Hongxiu proceeded to narrate the entire sequence of events, from beginning to end.

“However, the Duke did not assent. He claimed the man was brought by General Huo Hong, and insisted they wait until the general’s return to decide.”

Chen Yi pondered. “Has your office received any further visits?”

Fang Hongxiu shook her head. “None.”

“Perhaps it is tied to the imperial examination. Our Justice Enforcement Office has been preoccupied with investigating Ma Xuezheng’s case. That man has not been seen since.”

Chen Yi murmured in acknowledgment, holding his tongue.

Li Sanyuan was a figure from the Jizhou Commercial Bureau, one who oversaw the merchants in the Shuzhou prefecture’s capital. Otherwise, he remained unremarkable.

Why would Song Jinjian—or the Qinghe Cui family—go to such lengths to procure Li Sanyuan?

Was Li Sanyuan hiding another identity?

A lineage of the Jizhou Bureau’s core members?

Chen Yi could not fathom it.

All he knew was that whoever the Qinghe Cui family sought, they would not yield it willingly.

After a moment’s reflection, Chen Yi restrained his thoughts and casually inquired, “Have there been any new developments in the Ma Xuezheng case?”

Fang Hongxiu shook her head again. “None.”

“Ma Xuezheng and his entire family were slain. No trace of the perpetrator remains.”

“They say it was the mountain clans?”

“They are the most likely… for now…”

“For now?”

Chen Yi regarded her, then smiled. “It seems the great landlords do not look kindly upon the mountain clans.”

Fang Hongxiu spoke earnestly. “I shall not speculate without basis.”

Chen Yi offered no reply.

After a few idle words, he took his leave and retraced his steps.

As he walked, his mind churned over Song Jinjian’s affairs.

“The Qinghe Cui family does not hold the same power as the Liu family of Jingzhou. They operate under the auspices of the imperial Celestial Master.”

“Thus, Song Jinjian acts with such boldness.”

Had it been Liu Hong, he would never have approached the Justice Enforcement Office himself, nor would he have invoked the name of the Qinghe Cui family.

Yet Song Jinjian did precisely that.

This gave Chen Yi further cause to ponder.

Adding to this, Song Jinjian’s strength surpassed that of Shu and Huo, and he had allies—those who wielded the Smiling Half-Step technique.

Until Chen Yi uncovered the connection between Song Jinjian and the mountain clans, he must remain cautious.

For if he erred, not only would the mountain clans cause trouble, but the Xiao family too would be implicated.

Thinking this through, Chen Yi quickened his pace, circling once before returning to the Xiao residence.

Unbeknownst to him, a shadowy figure stood atop the eaves of the Justice Enforcement Office, watching him disappear into the distance.

The light in that person’s eyes dimmed.

“Fang Hongxiu… was it you who arranged this?”

(End of Chapter)