That morning, the dining hall served steamed flatbreads. Murong Yun held her chopsticks in her mouth and skewered two pieces together, slowly nibbling at them bite by bite.
“I’ll have four more flatbreads,” Murong Yun said after finishing and returning to the serving window.
Early that morning, she had gone down the mountain to pawn some jewelry and silver accessories. Shangguan Xuan’s room was so simple and rough that she could not bear to keep her hidden valuables to herself, so with a determined heart she sold off the rest of the original owner’s belongings.
But today, the students were unusually restless. Perhaps the pressure of the imperial examination was too heavy, and they needed gossip to ease their anxiety. Murong Yun passed by and caught fragments of their conversation.
She pretended to bend down as if picking something up, while quietly leaning an ear toward them.
“Shangguan Xuan and Murong Yun didn’t return all night yesterday. They’re always sticking together these days, maybe there’s really something going on between them…”
“This kind of forbidden relationship isn’t anything new. Wealthy young masters usually have attendants, right? And those attendants are men. What do you think they do together? To preserve their so-called innocence, those young masters and their attendants stopped being innocent long ago. Maybe Murong Yun has already experienced everything by now!”
“….”
Murong Yun froze for a moment. She had not expected to be the subject of gossip herself.
“They’re always holding hands, shoulder to shoulder, standing so close together. Tsk tsk tsk.”
The group grew more and more excited, their voices overlapping as they described everything with such vivid imagination it could have become a scandalous painting.
Murong Yun turned away, only one thought in her mind.
She and Shangguan Xuan, always holding hands?
Who was spreading such nonsense?
She had never done that.
Yu Ziyang walked past carrying a bowl of plain porridge with green vegetables. While getting his food, he kept glancing sideways.
Murong Yun said, “You came too late. The porridge’s already cold.”
Yu Ziyang hesitated and stepped back a little. “I wait until it solidifies… then I cut it and eat it.”
His family was poor, and he did this every day to save money. He did not want others to see, so he always came late. When he used to follow Zheng Yuan, he had no choice but to eat normally, otherwise the group of brothers would mock him.
Murong Yun said, “Then I’ll try it too and see if it’s good.”
She lined up behind him. “I’ll get a bowl as well.”
Standing so close made Yu Ziyang uncomfortable. He felt ashamed that someone so calculating and stingy like him turned out to be a woman. Thinking about it made him even more embarrassed.
“They’re just talking nonsense, don’t take it to heart,” he said awkwardly.
Silence fell behind them. Yu Ziyang immediately regretted it. He must have said the wrong thing. She probably did not care at all, and he had just made it worse.
Unexpectedly, Murong Yun’s voice came, light and casual. “You heard it too? Then let me ask you, am I really that clingy with Shangguan?”
Yu Ziyang hesitated. “Do you want the truth or…”
“Of course the truth.”
“…Clingy.”
Murong Yun: “Are we really shoulder to shoulder?”
“Yeah.”
“We really held hands?”
“Yeah.”
Murong Yun: “……”
At that moment, Shangguan Xuan arrived from another side of the dining hall. Seeing him, Yu Ziyang quickly moved a step farther away from Murong Yun.
Shangguan Xuan casually snatched the steamed flatbreads from her hands and ate beside her. After finishing all four, he even commented leisurely, “Good. Excellent. What you bought is always good.”
“If you keep talking, I’m going to add something extra to your next flatbreads,” Murong Yun said irritably.
“Watch yourself,” she added. “Now everyone thinks we’re involved in something improper. How are we supposed to face people in the future?”
Shangguan Xuan replied lazily, “Who said that? I’ll go and clarify it. It’s not a rumor.”
Murong Yun immediately covered his mouth with her palm, alarmed. “If you say another word, I really will add something to your food.”
On the way back, Yu Ziyang suddenly stepped on something crisp. Looking down, he saw a jade pendant of excellent quality, its color a vivid, pure green.
The water content was exceptional, the jade deep and rich like ink spilled into emerald. At a glance, it was something extremely valuable.
If he pawned it, his family’s rice jar could finally breathe for a while…
Just as his hand reached for it, a shout rang out from the corridor.
“Someone! Catch the thief!” Zheng Yuan appeared with a group of followers, his expression cold and sinister.
In panic, Yu Ziyang shoved the jade into his sleeve. “Where is the thief?”
Zheng Yuan’s people surrounded him. Zheng Yuan was not in a hurry. He waited while his followers knocked on the doors of nearby students one by one.
“I recently lost a jade pendant, fine quality, stored in a hidden compartment. If no one stole it, how could it just disappear?”
The students, rudely awakened, were unhappy. “What thief would cause such chaos this early in the morning?”
Zheng Yuan pointed at Yu Ziyang. “I passed by the wood shed and saw him sneaking something into his sleeve.”
“You’re slandering me!” Yu Ziyang shouted desperately. “I didn’t steal anything!”
Xiao Heng, standing closest, raised one finger and smiled meaningfully. “If you’re innocent, then open your sleeve for everyone to see. If there’s nothing, we’ll apologize.”
Yu Ziyang’s face went pale. “And if I am innocent?”
“Then Zheng will compensate you fifty taels,” Zheng Yuan said.
The crowd instantly became alert, eager to watch the drama unfold.
“If you stole it, you stole it. Stop pretending!” someone sneered.
Yu Ziyang still did not move. Xiao Heng grew impatient and reached for his sleeve. Yu Ziyang tried to resist, but others pinned him down.
“What is this?” Xiao Heng feigned shock, turning so everyone could see.
Zheng Yuan laughed coldly. “Witness this. I caught the thief today. He will be handed over to the authorities.”
“Wait!” Yu Ziyang panicked. “Don’t report this… we can talk!”
If he was accused of theft and sent to the authorities, his qualifications for the imperial examination would be ruined.
Yu Ziyang said hurriedly, “We are all students of Qingshan Academy. With the examination approaching, I do have the jade. I’ll owe you fifty taels, is that fine?”
Xiao Heng sneered and raised his middle finger. “Fine! Then bark like a dog, and I’ll let you go.”
Yu Ziyang flushed red, trembling as everyone watched him humiliate himself.
“What’s going on?”
Murong Yun had just woken up and stepped out after hearing the commotion.
In front of everyone, Yu Ziyang looked completely humiliated. Even more so in front of Murong Yun. She had already helped him once before. To her eyes, he must seem like someone hopelessly incorrigible.
“It’s him who stole my jade pendant,” Zheng Yuan said with a smile. “Young Master Murong, are you going to help him? Fifty taels is enough, don’t hesitate.”
Murong Yun replied calmly, “Not exactly. I side with reason, not people.”
“Is this how you’re catching him?”
Xiao Heng said, “Yes, Brother Zheng has been very anxious about it.”
Murong Yun scanned the crowd. So many witnesses were gathered, clearly trying to pressure Yu Ziyang into confessing. With the jade already in his sleeve, denial would be useless.
“This matter should be properly investigated. It cannot be settled with fifty taels. Brother Zheng’s father is an official, yet someone dares steal from him. If this is ignored, next time it could be the teacher’s residence.”
Yu Ziyang lowered his head even further.
Zheng Yuan said, “With the imperial examination coming, it’s better not to make this too big.”
Murong Yun shook her head. “Brother Zheng, you are still too soft on thieves.”
“When did you lose the jade? Be precise.”
“Three days ago,” Zheng Yuan answered without hesitation.
Murong Yun: “Why didn’t you report it to the teachers?”
Xiao Heng leaned in. “Brother Zheng didn’t want to trouble them. He chose to handle it himself.”
Murong Yun nodded. “I see, a jade was lost three days ago, and the thief was caught at the entrance of the dormitory today?”
“By logic, wouldn’t the thief have hidden it long ago?”
Xiao Heng snapped, “What logic? He has it on him, so he’s the thief!”
Murong Yun smiled. “Oh, so it was simply lost while walking? That happens too. Just to be sure, did anyone actually see Yu Ziyang enter Brother Zheng’s room?”
Zheng Yuan frowned, already angry. “Even if he really stole it?”
Murong Yun’s smile paused for a moment, then brightened. “Brother Zheng, what if, just what if, one in ten thousand possibilities exist? How can you be so certain?”
She turned to Yu Ziyang seriously. “What are you waiting for? Return to Brother Zheng’s jade. Luckily you only just found it. If you had kept it for two or three days, people could have invented any crime for you.”
The implication was clear: even now, the accusation was nothing but fabrication.
Zheng Yuan: “You!”
He picked up the jade pendant and smashed it onto the ground. “Yu Ziyang, consider yourself lucky this time. Murong Yun has sharp words and defends you. Don’t think this means I’ve forgiven you.”
The jade shattered into pieces. The crowd gasped.
Murong Yun tilted her head in confusion. “I never said that. Why is Brother Zheng so angry?”
Zheng Yuan had already left, leaving everyone murmuring.
Yu Ziyang walked over weakly. “I’m sorry… I’ve caused you trouble again.”
Murong Yun said lightly, “It’s not trouble. Just a bit of talking.”
“But remember this. Do not let greed take root over money. Today it wasn’t Zheng Yuan, tomorrow it could be someone else framing you.”
Yu Ziyang trembled.
“Why do you always believe me?” he whispered. “This time I truly was innocent, but…”
Last time, when he stole pastries, it was undeniable.
After everyone left, Murong Yun stepped closer. They were about the same height, but he kept his head lowered. She bent slightly and met his gaze.
“If Confucius knew his pastries could help you, he would probably be very pleased,” she said calmly.
The dead are gone, the living remain. Theft was wrong, but it did not deserve such cruelty.
After she left, Yu Ziyang slowly raised his head. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, his eyes red.
“With you trusting me like this, I will not let you down, Murong.”
During the rest days, Murong Yun trained with Xie Yuan every day without fail.
“You learn quickly. Your foundation is good. It is normal for your sword forms to be unstable at first. Do not rush yourself,” Xie Yuan said while sitting by the doorway, drinking water.
“If this were in the past, I would never have imagined taking in such a handsome disciple,” she added with a smile.
Since teaching Murong Yun martial arts, her expression had become much brighter, even allowing her to slowly move outside and sit by the door.
“I want to train a bit more. Master, please rest,” Murong Yun said, holding her sword for two hours straight. Her palms were already covered in thick calluses.
Granny Wei walked past carrying a bundle of firewood and stopped, worried. “Ah Yun, don’t push yourself too hard. You’ll hurt your body.”
She already treated Murong Yun and Shangguan Xuan like her own children.
“It’s fine,” Murong Yun replied.
“Granny Wei, this firewood looks so heavy. I’ll help you arrange it in the woodshed.”
Granny Wei explained, “These need to be split into four long pieces so they burn properly. It’s not urgent though.”
Murong Yun suddenly had an idea. “Let me do it.”
The wood lay neatly on the ground. Murong Yun swung her sword, channeling inner strength as she leapt into the air. Two flashes of white light passed, and the log split cleanly into four pieces of firewood.
“Murong! You’re using sword techniques to chop firewood!” Xie Yuan nearly exploded from the window as she watched. “A sword is for protecting people, not for cutting such mundane things!”
Murong Yun leaned toward the window. “I didn’t chop it. I was splitting firewood.”
Her expression was annoyingly proud.
“You—” Xie Yuan pointed at her and flung her sleeve down in frustration.
At dinner, Granny Wei prepared a full table of dishes.
“Thanks to Shangguan Xuan, he caught so many fish. I’ve been keeping them in the water jar, so we won’t have to worry for a while! And the firewood Ah Yun split, I can finally rest my old bones,” she said happily.
Murong Yun looked at the sweet and sour fish. It was a specialty from the south, personally cooked by Shangguan Xuan. The fish head was decorated with carrot carvings shaped like flowers, small and delicate.
“Why don’t we bring the table over to eat with Xie Yuan?” Murong Yun suggested. “That way it would truly feel like a family meal.”
“Good!” Granny Wei’s face glowed warmly under the candlelight.
Xie Yuan felt a warmth she could not describe. “So this is what family and reunion feel like…”
Murong Yun served her food.
“Thank you,” Xie Yuan said softly, secretly glancing at her. “These knife decorations on the fish look a bit strange.”
“Oh, that was Shangguan Xuan. He’s not used to using knives,” Granny Wei said after taking a bite. “It’s delicious! Crispy on the outside, tender inside, no fishy taste at all!”
“You two are really something. One uses a sword to chop firewood, the other uses a sword to cook fish. In the jianghu, these will all be black histories.”
In the small, worn wooden house, laughter echoed warmly through the poor village streets.
After they left, Xie Yuan suddenly asked Granny Wei, “Do those two young men have anyone they like?”
Granny Wei wiped the table. “I’ve never heard them mention it. Scholars should focus on their studies. Matters of love are still too early for them.”
Xie Yuan smiled faintly.
On the day of the imperial examination, everyone was extremely tense.
Outside Qingshan Academy, crowds of candidates gathered. Some came from rural villages teaching themselves, some from small private schools, others transferred from different academies.
Fortunately, Qingshan Academy had fewer students, so all of them would take the exam at home.
[Child, if you shake your legs inside the examination hall, you will obtain the complete Excellent Strategies on Salt and Iron.]
Murong Yun held her brush. Her fingertips turned slightly pale. She had just finished memorizing Excellent Strategies on Salt and Iron last night.
She set down her basket, let down her hair, lay on the stone pavement, and crossed her legs calmly, eyes closed.
[Host, systems are like machines. If not used for long, they may malfunction.]
‘What happens if the system breaks?’
‘Either you fail the storyline and are forced out, leaving everyone frozen in time, or you are ejected from the plot entirely and return to reality.’
“Hey, move aside!” Hong Yongwang stepped back with a disgusted expression. Seeing the book basket beside her, he sneered. “Poor people coming to the exam? You’re just humiliating yourself.”
Murong Yun did not bother to respond, continuing to enjoy the sunlight with her eyes closed.
That only made Hong Yongwang even more irritated. Before leaving, he kicked her book basket, scattering the contents across the ground.
“What are you doing!” Yu Ziyang rushed over to help pick it up.
Hong Yongwang sneered. “Oh? From Qingshan Academy? How much do you want me to pay? Even this broken basket is worse than what our academy gives for free.”
“At least you should… pay ten taels!”
Yu Ziyang hesitated. The other party looked wealthy, and he did not want his fellow student to be bullied by outsiders.
His classmates could only be bullied within the academy.
Murong Yun: …
How spineless?
“Ten taels? What a joke,” Hong Yongwang scoffed, reaching into his sleeve.
“Wait,” Murong Yun stood up. “He doesn’t get to decide. You’ll pay me twenty taels.”