Cui Wuyang sent trusted men all the way to Cangxi to arrange the aftermath, but they could not find Miss Biao’s body.
After some investigation, they concluded that she was still alive.
Several more months passed before they discovered traces of Luoyan in Hanmei Town.
The confidants secretly observed Liu Langzhong and Jia Yufang and confirmed they were not villains before revealing their identities.
But no one expected that Miss Biao had not ended up there by accident; she simply had no intention of going to the capital in the first place.
What could be done?
First, paint a portrait of Miss Biao enjoying herself in town and send it back to the capital; then slip silver notes to Jia Yufang, entrusting her to pass along a message, hoping to arrange a meeting with Miss Biao.
Luoyan hesitated for a moment. “Let’s skip the meeting.”
Anyone connected to the male lead was a death knell for her.
Jia Yufang felt the same, but with a sudden windfall, even if Luoyan didn’t want to go to the capital, she thought it would be better to move into the county or prefecture mansion and continue lessons in qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, and women’s handiwork.
Otherwise, the talented Miss Luo, famed throughout Cangxi, would be wasted without reason.
“Famed for talent? Me?”
Luoyan blinked innocently. “You know my sewing skills. I’m good with the qin, but calligraphy, painting, and chess—not so much.
Maybe that reputation is just others flattering me out of respect for my parents.”
What skills Miss Luo excelled in was a secret to ordinary servants.
But when it came to women’s handiwork, Jia Yufang truly felt troubled.
“Grandmother, please don’t worry.” Luoyan patiently comforted, “I’ve been weak since childhood; who knows how long I’ll live. Besides, I have a noble cousin to back me up. If life ever gets unbearable, I can return to the capital and seek him out.”
Though her words sounded rough, Jia Yufang had to admit she was right.
Her main concern was that Miss Luo would lose her reputation, delaying marriage prospects.
But the blood ties to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were unbreakable.
After thinking it through, it was better to focus on recovery.
Besides, there was still a promising young man in the family.
Blessed by a suddenly affectionate look, Zhuyun was left puzzled: “?”
Luoyan was equally surprised. “Grandmother, what are you looking at him for?”
“Nothing,” Jia Yufang smiled. “We’ll talk about Yun Ge’er and Sister Yan when they grow up.”
The plan to go to the capital was shelved for now, but Luoyan’s mood remained affected, leaving her listless all night.
Zhuyun poked her cheek with a finger and said unexpectedly, “I’m heading down the mountain tomorrow.”
“I want to go too.”
“No.” He needed to exchange for a better sword and fetch a few secret manuals from Henghe Town, crossing several places. Bringing Luoyan along would delay the trip indefinitely.
Before he could explain, Luoyan pouted and stormed back to her room.
Zhuyun dragged his bewildered little sister out the window, planning to get her out of Qingyuan Village tomorrow.
But then he remembered she would surely cry and gave up the idea.
Luoyan had a wonderful sleep and woke with all worries forgotten.
After breakfast, she took the meat strips her grandmother had cut and went to the shed to tempt Damao.
Damao was grooming the Youmao. Seeing Luoyan, his pupils narrowed warily, but instinct drove him closer, following the smell of meat.
“Here.”
She tossed the meat into his feeding bowl.
Damao snapped it up and ran off, forgetting even the kittens.
Luoyan took the chance to bring her third sister back to the courtyard to bask in the sun.
Today held many tasks: practicing calligraphy, grading homework, adjusting lesson plans, and reading the geography records of the Dali Kingdom.
Before she knew it, noon arrived.
After a simple bowl of noodles, Luoyan carried the little cat out to fetch the few remaining students.
First stop was Changsheng’s home.
Changyi had been practicing double-sided embroidery and greeted Luoyan weakly with “Sister.”
Liu Changsheng was leisurely, rubbing his belly as he came out holding a martial arts storybook marked with unfamiliar characters, asking her questions as he walked.
They went on to Guyu’s home.
Guyu’s mother was busy cleaning wild boar innards, chopping swiftly with the flair of a heroine.
Luoyan greeted, “Meixiang Auntie.”
Zhou Meixiang’s imposing aura instantly softened. She looked nervously at the pale, neat girl outside the yard. “Come to see Guyu?”
Hearing their voices, Guyu peeked from behind the window and waved warmly, “You’re here.”
He shared a room with his older brother Guyu Feng and younger brother Guyu Yang, which was furnished with a desk and bookshelf, giving the feel of diligent study.
Guyu stood on tiptoe to retrieve a letter from a wooden box atop the shelf. “Brother wrote me back.”
Before, illiterate and far from the Shuyuan in Hanmei Town, he could only ask fellow townsfolk to deliver messages.
Now able to read and write, Luoyan encouraged him to send his first letter.
His brother, delighted, had replied with a full four pages.
“If Brother passes this autumn exam, we’ll move to town.”
Luoyan praised, “You’ve always wanted to be an accountant. Once your parents open a shop in town, your dream will come true.”
Guyu blushed, eyes sparkling.
But Liu Changsheng was silent and, upon looking again, his eyes were red-rimmed.
He and Guyu glanced at each other, vaguely tasting the bitterness of parting, though not yet understanding it was called “farewell.”
Luoyan, having experienced it, wiped her tears with the back of her hand and comforted, “It’s just the town, not far. When Guyu succeeds, he’ll invite us all to visit.”
Guyu nodded heavily.
Liu Changsheng, having caught on, laughed through tears. “No chance of that.”
The three kids and one cat then went to Qinglian’s home.
The skinny old man sat in the courtyard.
Guyu inquired and learned that Qingcao sisters had gone to the field with Aunt Cui.
Luoyan frowned. “She said she was coming to study yesterday.”
At this, Liu Changsheng looked up from his book with hope. “So we don’t have to study today?”
“Yes.” Luoyan whispered devilishly, “Even if the sky falls, we have to study.”
As for Zhuyun, he woke at the first quarter of the Tiger hour.
Swaggering into Luoyan’s room, he saw her sleeping soundly and was tempted to tease her.
He found the weapons he planned to pawn—daggers, hidden needles, nine-section whip—and lightly piled them on her belly. She didn’t react at all.
Zhuyun chuckled quietly, packed them away, pinched her cheek, then used lightness skill to glide down the mountain.
Along the way, he saw some farmers keeping horses.
He chose the prettiest, cut its reins, and left.
At Henghe Town, he leapt up to tear off several tiles, then felt around the beams to pull down two chests. By faint light, he identified the contents. He kept the Shangguan family’s <“Shengcheng Heart Sutra”> and the Qin family’s <“Qingshan Materia Medica”>. The rest were tossed into the fire.
The secret manuals fought over in the jianghu, reduced to ashes, Zhuyun dusted off his sleeves and hurried to the next place.
…
Long County, Baiyun Temple.
In the dark, Zhuyun slipped into the Jiedian Library and tossed his bag onto the dozing old novice’s head. “Dead pawn.”
The novice woke startled, instinctively looking at the disciples guarding the gate, only to find them sprawled on the ground.
Unable to call for help, he resorted to a breathy plea, “Please spare me, Great Hero.”
Since this was about money, Zhuyun wasn’t worried about escape and sat back in the shadows.
If it could be settled with money, it was a small matter.
The novice smiled brightly, spun a painting aside to reveal a hidden cabinet of gold and silver, and asked while unlocking it, “Is this enough?”
Zhuyun said nothing, grabbed a few gold ingots casually, knocked the novice out, and slipped out the temple’s back door.
By the end of the hour, he was back in Hanmei Town.
He had switched horses twice; the one he rode now was a fine steed from Long County, much more valuable than the farmer’s horse.
He had wanted to take it along but worried Luoyan would insist on learning to ride.
The weather was getting hotter, and sweating would be bad for her health.
After weighing it, he left the horse with the farmer as compensation.
Entering Qingyuan Village, he went to Dongshan first to try combining sword techniques with his newly acquired heart method.
He practiced until dusk, then reluctantly headed back.
It was late; every household had their doors firmly shut, lanterns lit inside casting shadows on paper windows like puppet shows.
Only the Jia family hung two lanterns outside, resembling the Big Dipper, guiding wayward travelers at night.
Suddenly, he realized among the myriad lights, one belonged to him now.
His pace slowed, then quickened again.
Zhuyun pushed open the half-closed wooden door and first saw Liu Changsheng with a greasy mouth. The latter grinned and told Luoyan, “Your brother’s back.”
Luoyan was focused on weaving a flower wreath and almost replied “What nonsense?” Before realizing “brother” meant Zhuyun, she jumped up. “Why did you stay so long?”
Though complaining, her eyes were filled with joy.
Zhuyun smiled. “Follow me.”
The siblings entered the house openly, leaving the utterly ignored Liu Changsheng behind: “……”
Zhuyun unfolded his bag, revealing exchanged copper coins, small silver pieces, several silver notes, two books, and a packet of peach blossom pastries.
Luoyan picked up a piece and tasted it—sweet but not cloying—and immediately thought of sharing with her friends.
“No sharing with others.” He warned, “I waited two quarters of an hour to buy these myself.”
“Alright.”
She repackaged the pastries, wary that her third sister might steal some, and placed them on the top shelf of the antique display.
Turning back, she saw Zhuyun push the eager Liu Changsheng out the door, scolding, “No entering my room.”
No, no—how come she never noticed his territorial streak before?
Liu Changsheng’s attention was drawn to the whip coiled at Zhuyun’s waist, and he asked shyly.
Luoyan was curious too, so she reached out to feel it. “So smooth.”
Zhuyun was speechless.
More pressing was why there was an uninvited guest in the house.
His tone turned cold. “Why are you here, Liu Changsheng?”
Luoyan, still tugging at the whip to figure out the material, didn’t look up.
“Changsheng chopped the firewood today.”
“Small matter.” Liu Changsheng rubbed his hands nervously and asked, “Can I touch it too?”
Zhuyun sneered, “Go ahead and try.”
Jia Yufang brought out the food and, seeing the three children chasing each other happily, clearly reconciled, joked, “Not mad at Yun Ge’er anymore?”
Luoyan was speechless.
She’d actually forgotten.
Liu Changsheng was carefree as well.
Pressing down his rice, he took the fattest chicken leg and proposed, “How about I come help chop firewood again tomorrow?”
Zhuyun could no longer tolerate it. “Even eating won’t shut you up.”
Luoyan was about to mediate when Changsheng’s mother appeared with a lantern to fetch him.
Jia Yufang stood to greet her.
The two talked outside.
From their muffled conversation, Luoyan caught words like “carpenter” and “pitiful.”
She thought it over—carpenter was Qingcao’s father.
Could it be that something happened to Qingcao?