The people from the capital have arrived?
Su Jinse paused slightly, her hand still watering the dragon-scale grass.
“What people?”
“They’re the steward from the Hou residence, with several others. They claim they were sent by Madam Hou to escort you… back to the residence,” Xuan Feng said, his tone unusual.
Back to the residence?
Su Jinse sneered inwardly. Once abandoned like discarded trash, and now they play this act?
“Where are they?”
“I stopped them at the foot of the mountain. The Prince says whether you meet them is entirely up to you,” Xuan Feng replied.
“I won’t meet them,” Su Jinse answered decisively. “Tell them that Su Jinse died halfway to Wuling Mountain.”
Xuan Feng paused for a moment, then nodded: “Understood.”
He turned and left, gaining a deeper understanding of Miss Su’s temperament.
At the foot of the mountain, the Hou residence steward waited anxiously but was blocked by the soldiers of Prince Jing, unable to take a single step forward.
The path up the mountain was tightly sealed with banners fluttering, the Prince’s guards blocking any approach.
Li Dequan, steward of the Hou residence, sweat pouring from his brow, forced a smile and nearly knelt before the soldiers.
“Captain, please, make an exception—just this once. We were sent by Madam Hou to bring the third young lady home.”
The mountain guards didn’t even lift their eyelids, their voices cold as ice:
“The Prince has ordered that no outsiders are allowed to trespass Wuling Mountain.”
“We’re not outsiders—we’re from the Yong’an Hou residence!” Li Dequan stomped in frustration, his accompanying clerks pale and terrified, not daring to breathe.
This was Prince Jing’s territory; under the emperor himself, who didn’t know the Prince’s temper? They dared not act rashly.
The soldiers snorted coldly, the blades at their waists glinting menacingly in the sunlight.
“Yong’an Hou residence? Never heard of it. The Prince sees guests, not dogs.”
The words crushed the Hou residence’s dignity, and Li Dequan’s face turned the color of raw liver, yet he dared not utter a single word in reply.
Just as he was at a loss, about to cry in desperation, a figure slowly descended from the mountain.
Clad in black, with steady steps—it was Xuan Feng.
Li Dequan saw salvation and hurried forward. “You must be Lord Xuan Feng. I am Li Dequan, sent by Madam Hou…”
Xuan Feng raised a hand, cutting him off, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“No need to speak. Your purpose, we already know.”
Li Dequan’s heart leapt. “Then the third young lady—”
“Our Prince said,” Xuan Feng began slowly, his voice low yet audible to all, “on this mountain there is only a reclusive Immortal Lady, no Hou residence young lady. The one you seek…”
He paused, deliberately dragging the words.
“Tsk, the road to Wuling Mountain is not safe—wolves and tigers abound. It’s possible your third young lady has already become a mound of yellow earth, or fed the wolves. Return now, and don’t linger here, lest misfortune befall you.”
His words hit Li Dequan like a bucket of ice water.
The third young lady… dead?
Impossible!
“N… impossible!” Li Dequan cried. “Lord Xuan Feng, there must be a misunderstanding. Please—”
“Misunderstanding?” Xuan Feng sneered. “My words are the Prince’s will. Are you questioning the Prince?”
“Not dare, not dare!” Li Dequan was terrified, his legs weakening, almost collapsing.
Question Prince Jing? Not in a hundred lifetimes.
Xuan Feng ignored him and waved to the mountain guards. “Escort them out.”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers stepped forward, blades nearly touching Li Dequan’s nose.
The murderous aura forced the Hou residence party to retreat, scrambling onto their carriage and fleeing Wuling Mountain in utter humiliation.
…
At the mountain peak, a gentle breeze passed through.
Su Jinse continued tending her dragon-scale grass, calm and unhurried, as if the farce at the foot of the mountain had nothing to do with her.
She did not take the matter to heart.
Those who come without cause never enter the Three Treasures Hall. They had abandoned her once, and now rushed to find her—what they wanted was obvious without needing thought.
Most likely, the Yong’an Hou residence had hit some misfortune and thought to make use of her discarded “pawn” for marriage alliances or to fill some hole.
Alas, once a pawn leaves the board, it is no longer controlled by the player.
Su Jinse lightly brushed a leaf of the dragon-scale grass, a faint, cold smile appearing at her lips.
Want to use me?
That depends on whether you can, not on me.
It has nothing to do with her.
Yet trouble found its way anyway.
Since early summer, the sky seemed pierced by a hole; for two months straight, no rain fell.
A century-long drought swept across the northern lands.
Rivers dried, the soil cracked, crops withered by the fields.
Qingshi Town was not spared; the Longxu River, the town’s lifeline, had run dry.
Food supplies for the townspeople vanished, panic and despair spreading rapidly.
Only Qingfeng Temple on Longji Mountain remained lush and green.
Su Jinse’s ability could draw moisture from deep within the earth, sustaining the plants. Her temple became the sole oasis during this unprecedented drought.
And this oasis soon became the target of many covetous eyes.
First, grain prices soared in town; even wealth could not buy food. Soon, starving refugees attempted to breach Prince Jing’s soldiers and ascend the mountain to seize supplies.
Though all were stopped, the situation at the foot of the mountain grew increasingly tense by the day.
One day, Huamei, worried, told Su Jinse, “Miss, the refugees at the foot of the mountain are increasing. The Prince’s soldiers can hardly hold them back. I heard Magistrate Li of the town has also set his sights on us, saying… saying you are a sorceress causing disasters, and plans to send men up the mountain to burn down our temple—except for you, the ‘demon’!”