Zhao Jun rattled on, “This young master has been best friends with Crown Prince Duanhui since childhood.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of envious voices burst from the crowd below. Zhao Jun’s attire was extraordinary; the capital was crawling with nobility everywhere, and the listeners below had not the slightest shred of doubt regarding Zhao Jun’s words.
Chu Yue was nearly left gaping. This punk was no longer a child either; to think he could not only become close friends with Mei Lingze, who was ten years his junior, but also form a generational friendship across age gaps with a seven-year-old toddler? Was his brain filled entirely with mush!
“Back when we were studying at the Imperial Academy, Crown Prince Duanhui was a student whom even the Libationer himself did not stint on praising. That year, during the Emperor’s lecture, an impromptu Ode to Mountains and Rivers he composed on the spot is now featured not only in the Imperial Academy’s textbooks, but even further in classrooms and village schools everywhere.” Zhao Jun’s chin practically hooked up to the heavens as he said with coy pride, “And furthermore! This young master’s household even preserves the authentic calligraphy scroll Ah Yue gave me.”
Chu Yue suspected that either his ears had malfunctioned or his brain had truly gone wrong. Wasn’t this Zhao Jun talking about him? How on earth did it have anything to do with the Crown Prince?
Rolled up by Zhao Jun’s hype, the crowd below boiled over completely. They were actively discussing how much that authentic scroll must be worth now, while quite a few people who recognized Zhao Jun’s identity whispered among themselves in private.
Standing on the outer edge of the crowd, Chu Yue sidled up to a young man nearby. “My good man, who is he talking about? Is it the Crown Prince?”
The young man turned his head to see Chu Yue dressed in snow-white robes, looking extraordinary in attire and noble in appearance. His gaze instantly turned respectful as he smiled, “Naturally, it’s His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
Chu Yue was puzzled. “The Crown Prince wrote the Ode to Mountains and Rivers?”
“Indeed!”
Chu Yue suspected he had remembered incorrectly. Could it be that the Ode to Mountains and Rivers wasn’t written by him? Was there some other Ode to Mountains and Rivers?
“The Crown Prince really is a prodigy!” Chu Yue couldn’t help marveling.
The young man let out a mournful sigh. “Alas! It’s a pity the Crown Prince passed away young, never allowing us to behold his true countenance.”
“…Passed away young?” Chu Yue was shocked. “Why did he pass away young?”
“I heard he was killed by the Prince of Jingchuan five years ago. Afterward, to honor the memory of the Heir of Prince Cheng’an, His Majesty posthumously conferred the title of Crown Prince Duanhui upon the Heir and had him entombed in the imperial mausoleum.”
Chu Yue froze right where he stood. A pair of sword-like brows knitted slightly together, his face revealing a complex expression.
For a long, long while, Chu Yue finally managed to recover his composure.
Zhao Jun was excitedly describing the amusing anecdotes of himself and Chu Yue back in the day. Hearing it again, Chu Yue couldn’t help feeling somewhat embarrassed, wishing he could march right up and drag the fellow away. These weren’t amusing anecdotes at all; they were clearly utter embarrassments!
Were things like fighting cocks, walking dogs, scaling courtyard walls, and visiting brothels something you could just go around telling people!
With those exaggerated gestures and words, he was simply losing face. When had he ever been this flamboyant! And when had he ever possessed such out-of-this-world deeds!
The person upstairs might still be listening!
Unable to hold back, Chu Yue joined the discussing army around him and said with sheepish embarrassment, “Actually, the Heir of Prince Cheng’an was just an ordinary mortal after all. His essays weren’t all that divine, and his martial arts weren’t all that out-of-this-world either.”
The auntie opposite him was having none of it. “Everyone has their little quirks. I think the Crown Prince scaling courtyard walls and visiting brothels is much more alluring.”
Chu Yue’s face flushed red. Facing such an uninhibited and direct auntie, he truly had no defense, so he could only obediently return to his seat and wait for Zhao Jun to finish blowing his bull-sized brags so they could scram in a hurry.
Just as he sat down and Chu Yue prepared to use his right hand to lift the teacup and pour tea, a string snapped within his heart in an instant. A flying dagger burst out through the window of the second-floor private room, piercing straight toward him! With blinding speed, Chu Yue’s left hand reacted instantly, catching the incoming flying dagger between his index and middle fingers.
The flying dagger had flown out from Xing Li’s private room. Judging by its speed, it was undoubtedly Xing Li without a doubt! Chu Yue couldn’t think of anyone else who possessed such an overbearing offensive force.
Although it hadn’t been aimed at a vital spot, if it had truly hit him, it would have punched right through him leaving a hole anyway.
The piercing sound of the flying dagger tearing through the air instantly plunged the surroundings into dead silence. In the blink of an eye, the terrified guests snapped to their senses and scattered in a rush!
Chu Yue was utterly bewildered by Xing Li’s action, staring blankly and straight at that window with a blank mind.
Zhao Jun turned pale as a sheet, frozen in place and not daring to move a muscle.
The teahouse owner bolted over, bringing along several attendants. His face flushed red with fury, he cursed, “Who has such a big gallbladder, daring to come and cause trouble in my teahouse!”
That window was slammed open violently by internal energy, and a dark figure flashed past. Xing Li was already standing steadily before Chu Yue, the two of them separated by a mere hair’s breadth.
Seeing that it was Xing Li, the owner immediately dropped to his knees to beg for mercy. “This humble person lacked eyes and failed to recognize My Lord. I beg My Lord to spare my life!”
Ignoring him entirely, Xing Li stared menacingly and gloomily at Chu Yue, his thin lips appearing exceptionally cold and indifferent.
Xing Li stood too close; Chu Yue could practically hear the sound of his own heart about to burst through his chest. He tried to suppress it, but the harder he suppressed it, the more violent it became.
“You are afraid?” Xing Li’s voice came without a shred of temperature, exuding waves of alcoholic aroma, all the more intense as he spoke.
I would be afraid of you? Chu Yue refused to submit, inwardly complaining, Can you step back a little further?
As if hearing his aversion, Xing Li unsteadily took a few steps back, let out a cold huff, and said, “Your reaction just now was so agile, your internal energy shouldn’t be low, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to catch my blade.”
Xing Li looked back casually, sizing Chu Yue up from top to bottom. “This doesn’t look like you at the martial arts arena that day. On that day, had you displayed this kind of performance, you wouldn’t have ended up beaten half to death.”
Chu Yue’s gaze remained fixed on Xing Li. Five years had indeed changed him; although his appearance hadn’t shifted much, that arrogance of his had vanished. Between his brows lingered a hint of gloom. A person who was already detached enough before had now become not only as cold as an ice cellar, but even more like a venomous snake, making people too terrified to approach.
“It seems you aren’t afraid of me.”
Xing Li met Chu Yue’s gaze eye-to-eye. With a swoosh, Xing Li’s sword slipped halfway out of its scabbard. The sword hilt faced Chu Yue, and the unsheathed blade pressed against Chu Yue’s neck. Xing Li playfully tapped around with the sword in his hand.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Xing Li felt somewhat irritated by this look.
Chu Yue immediately withdrew his gaze and said, “This humble person felt My Lord resembles an old acquaintance, and because of this connection took a few extra glances. Please forgive the offense.”
“What old acquaintance?”
“That person has already passed away; I am unwilling to speak of it further.”
“How did he die?”
Chu Yue was left speechless.
Xing Li had no intention of killing this young master of the Mei residence; standing in the imperial court, he wasn’t yet someone bloodthirsty by nature. After giving a small warning and finding it uninteresting, he withdrew his sword, swaggered out of the teahouse, and found his flunky had already led his horse to the entrance. Xing Li vaulted onto the horse, gave a shout, and that fine steed galloped away at full speed.
Only after Xing Li left did the teahouse owner finally dare to pull himself up, trembling all over. Zhao Jun ran to Chu Yue’s side with a pale face. “Lingze, are you unhurt?! If you were to suffer any kind of accident, Teacher would definitely beat me to death.”
Chu Yue comforted him, “I’m fine. He was just trying to scare me. I’m just wondering why he had to pick a bone with me. Did I ever have some sort of grievance with him?”
For some reason, seeing Xing Li’s retreating back, Chu Yue always felt that Xing Li carried an air of heavy burdens and profound loneliness.
Zhao Jun shook his head. “What kind of grievance could we possibly have with him? Whenever we see him normally, we give him a wide berth. You only admired his martial arts and never disturbed him anyway. Who knows what wind he caught today.”
“It’s reverence! Not admiration!” Chu Yue corrected solemnly, “You really ought to read more books.”
The teahouse owner walked over with a bow, offering apologies to the two of them. “Please pardon me, my two young masters!”
Chu Yue helped the owner up from his bent posture and apologized, “The owner is too polite. It was our fault for disturbing your business.”
After Zhao Jun and Chu Yue left the teahouse, neither of them had any mood left to play around. Zhao Jun escorted Chu Yue back to the Mei residence before heading home.
The moment he stepped inside, Mei Huaixian called Chu Yue into the study. First came all sorts of earnest admonitions, followed by a mix of benevolence and severity. To summarize it in a single sentence: no matter what, he was going to start studying at the Imperial Academy tomorrow!
Mei Huaixian had originally expected his son to kick up a fuss with him; he had even hidden his ruler away in secret. To his surprise, Chu Yue readily agreed, which caught Mei Huaixian completely off guard.
Until Chu Yue stepped into his own private courtyard, Mei Huaixian was still staring in the direction of his departure. Was this still his son? So obedient?
Chu Yue understood Mei Huaixian’s temperament well; going head-to-head was definitely out of the question. Although he had no desire to go study at the Imperial Academy, in this lifetime he would never step foot into the imperial court under any circumstances, and his goal was to find Chu Yi and live in seclusion in the martial arts world. Chu Yue hadn’t yet figured out how to bid farewell to Master Mei. To occupy another person’s son and just up and leave so arbitrarily was truly inappropriate. After turning it over in his mind repeatedly, he decided he had better figure out how to placate Master Mei properly before leaving.
Late into the night, Chu Yue was plagued by recurring nightmares. In his dream, his father the Prince and his mother were covered in fresh, dripping blood, crying out, “Chu Yi, run quickly, don’t look back!” Immediately following that, his second and third younger brothers, along with his little sister, suddenly lay dead before his eyes.
Chu Yue’s brows furrowed tightly, and beads of sweat burst forth instantly.
Scene by scene, the imagery floated through his dream. In the blink of an eye, he found himself back in the dungeon of the Shadow Manor. Xing Li was dressed in his shadow guard uniform, wearing a terrifying mask like a life-claiming evil ghost! The long whip in his hand lashed across his body over and over again, every single whip mark tearing flesh and blood apart, the whip ropes soaked with shredded meat spattering everywhere.
Xing Li was just like an evil ghost from hell. This was Chu Yue’s very first impression of Xing Li.
It was also the first time he truly comprehended the cruelty of the Shadow Manor. Because not only that, but Xing Li had also coldly ordered his subordinates to pull out all of Chu Yue’s fingernails.
The sound of Chu Yue’s own miserable screams in the torture chamber still lingered hauntingly after all these years. Without fingernails, and without toenails, he was naturally reduced to a cripple; even if the Emperor later imprisoned him in the Heir’s residence, he no longer possessed the ability to escape.
This was the means wielded by Xing Li, the Commander of the Shadow Manor.
After escaping the Heir’s residence, Chu Yue fled to the Lost Valley under Liu Du’s arrangement. Who would have guessed that the poisonous miasma of the Lost Valley was so formidable, and the sachet given by Liu Du had also been lost. Ahead lay the poisonous miasma, and behind were the shadow guards. Chu Yue charged straight into the poisonous miasma without a moment’s hesitation.
Inside the poisonous miasma, Chu Yue continuously circulated his internal energy to force out the miasma within his body, but he still failed to walk out. In a hazy daze, a man hoisted him onto his back. When he woke up again, Chu Yue discovered that he had already gone blind.
Later, he learned from Aunt Lan that it was Liu Shisan who had saved him, though unfortunately Liu Shisan had suffered a high fever in his youth, burning him mute. Still, one blind and one mute was practically a match made in heaven.
The three of them spent a warm and wonderful period of time together in the Lost Valley. Who would have guessed that after leaving the valley, they would run into another Liu Shisan! It turned out that this “Thirteenth Master” who had accompanied Chu Yue was a fake; he was actually Xing Li of the Shadow Manor!
Unable to accept this for a time, Chu Yue struck out and severely wounded Xing Li.
All these accumulated grievances were accelerated countless times over in Chu Yue’s dream, as if he were experiencing them all over again, vivid and real.
Early the next morning, the study boy Mu Qing came to urge him off to school. Dragging a pair of dark, heavy eye bags, Chu Yue was hauled off to the Imperial Academy.