Chapter 47
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Qian Shuhua dreamed of petals of exquisite beauty, where peach blossom flowers formed an ocean. Two youngsters sat side by side on the branch of a peach blossom tree. The cool breeze brought with it a faint delight while the migratory birds cooed. It was a poetic and picturesque scene. She didn't know when but a rain of fire began to fall from the sky above. The flames rapidly ignited all the petals, set the peach blossom tree on fire, and burned the migratory birds to death. The youngers were also separated by the fire.
Wonderland turned into purgatory. Qian Shuhua wanted to cry but no tears came. She wanted to scream for help but no voice came. All that was left in her vision was a field of red.
Out of the blue.
A pair of strong yet gentle arms embraced her. Slowly, the sea of purgatory fire extinguished. The cool breeze picked up, caressing the scorched plains. Young shoots quietly sprang from the ground, gradually replacing the blazing world with a field of green. Newborn migratory birds broke out of their shells. It was to the extent that she could faintly smell an aroma wafting in the air.
It wasn't the smell of fragrance but the smell of incense.
It was the overwhelming aroma lingering inside a Hall of Classics filled with nothing but scrolls and books.
In her dream, Qian Shuhua fell asleep while smelling this aroma.
When she woke up, the sky had completely darkened and her vision was enveloped entirely in the warm yellow candlelight. Next to her bed was a cup of warm tea and in the distance was a small medicinal stove. Ye Que sat beside the medicinal stove and every now and then, he would toss something into the pot with a concentrated expression.
"You're up."
Ye Que's voice reached Qian Shuhua the moment she woke up, sounding as placid and indifferent as he did when imparting the art of spearing to her all this while. It was as if he was forever emotionless.
"How did I get home?" Qian Shuhua asked weakly. After all, she had just experienced a fierce battle.
"I carried you home. I happened to have gone to the academy as well," Ye Que replied indifferently. After dusting off his hands, he walked to the bedside and flipped open the corner of the blanket to check her pulse. He nodded a short while later. "You're fine. You'll fully recover after medicating for a few days."
Qian Shuhua propped up her body to look at Ye Que and said softly, "Thank you."
Ye Que looked at her without saying anything.
"I won against Lin Mei'er. I used the art of spearing that you taught me and won against her with a single strike." Qian Shuhua hurriedly explained herself after seeing his expression.
"That's to be expected. You're stronger than her in the first place," Ye Que said.
"But I lost to Lin Shan. I even reported the name of our Divine Sect. I brought shame to you." Qian Shuhua was surprisingly embarrassed, as if this was more important than winning against Lin Mei'er.
Ye Que chuckled. Subconsciously, he raised his hand to caress her hair. "It's not shameful. Lin Shan is a Psychic Realm expert while you've just entered the Pre-celestial Realm recently. It's natural for you to lose. Moreover, you don't have to be dejected over it. Your attack wasn't completely useless; you made a hole in Lin Shan's left shoulder."
After pausing for a moment, Ye Que continued, "This is already very impressive of you. After all, you're not facing an ordinary cultivator. Lin Shan is now a formal disciple of Mount Shu and he was also using the sword skills of the number one sword sect in the world."
Qian Shuhua fell into deep thought after listening to Ye Que's explanation. Only then did she stopped being so tense and displayed a relieved expression on her face. From the beginning to the end, she neither asked nor complained about her injuries as if it was of little importance to her.
No voice resounded inside the room for a moment, leaving only the quiet bubbling of the concoction in the medicinal stove.
"I forgot to ask you. How was A Xiao's coming-of-age ceremony? Did it go well?"
"He got drunk last night and completely missed the timing. He only just recovered earlier. Right now, he should be at the old man's place."
"He got drunk?" Qian Shuhua's voice rose by several octaves. "Ridiculous! He dared to even miss the timing of his coming-of-age ceremony! What is he trying to do? Who did he get drunk with? Female entertainers?"
"I think he got together with the chieftains of the Divine Sect again. It happened to be the end of the month, the time when money and secret manuals are distributed. He's very upset over this. To be fair, he wasn't playing. He simply didn't have a good grasp of himself." Ye Que walked back to the medicinal stove. After observing it for a moment, he added in more medicine.
"This can't do. I must look for him. He can't go on like this. If he's not even serious in cultivating, what can he hope to achieve?" Qian Shuhua was about to get off the bed.
"That's enough. Everyone has their own aspiration. It's best for you to focus on yourself. Lie still." Ye Que gave Qian Shuhua his most piercing glare. "I'll have a chat with him later."
The ancestral hall of Qian Manor.
Old Mr. Qian reclined quietly on the rattan chair with his eyes partially closed, looking as if he was dozing off. Qian Shuxiao stood in front of him, looking indignant. Beside him was a plump man. It was Qian Shuxiao's father, Qian Fulin.
Qian Shuxiao placed both hands on his hips and yelled, "Grandpa, I think we must remove all the weapons from the Extinctive Sword Manor House from the shelves of our shops immediately. How dare they bully my sister! I must make them pay and teach them that our Qian family isn't an easy target!"
Old Mr. Qian said nothing. Qian Fulin, who stood nearby, said unhurriedly, "Amiability brings riches, amiability bring riches. What's the point of fighting and killing? What benefit will we get by removing the weapons from the Extinctive Sword Manor House from our shops? You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment!"
"Didn't you see how they had injured my sister? That's your biological daughter! Can you take this disgrace lying down?" Qian Shuxiao looked at his father in disbelief.
"I can." Qian Fulin abruptly widened his eyes and said solemnly, "I've examined your sister's injuries. They're nothing, just superficial wounds. She won't die from it."
"Grandpa!" Qian Shuxiao directly sought help from Old Mr. Qian.
"No matter who you beg, it's no use." Qian Fulin lowered his voice and continued, "Second Prince had openly expressed his support for Mount Shu yesterday. The Extinctive Sword Manor House is now the Luoyang subsidiary of Mount Shu. If you remove their weapons from our shops now, wouldn't you be openly going against Second Prince? They already dislike our family because of your aunt's status. Do you think that we don't have enough trouble on our hands?"
"Since Aunt is the Crown Princess, why do you even fear Second Prince?" Qian Shuxiao asked.
"We're merchants. We can't put all of our bargaining chips in one basket."
"So we're going to ask my sister to suffer?"
"That's her obligation. There's no such thing as being exempted from suffering. Even your mother must sacrifice for the sake of our family," Qian Fulin said righteously.
"Well."
"Very well."
"You're a good father indeed. Consider me impressed." Qian Shuxiao snorted. "Since you won't interfere in this matter, I'll do it in your place. Since my sister has suffered grievances, I as her younger brother must avenge her."
Qian Shuxiao raised his hand to stop Qian Fulin from persuading him. "Rest assured. I won't use our men or use our family's name. I'll be responsible for anything that happens."
With that, he turned around and ran out of the hall. He gave the doors of the ancestral hall a fierce push before slamming it loudly and forcefully.
Inside the ancestral hall, Old Mr. Qian slowly opened his eyes and stared at Qian Shuxiao's back. He then directed his gaze at the nearby Qian Fulin. "Do you know why I refuse you the title of the family's head and only allow you to manage the shops?"
Qian Fulin glanced at his father and felt a stab of anger and dread. Finally, he said in a low voice, "Since I'm the one managing the shops, it's my word that counts. I can't command you, but don't tell me that I can't command my own son."
In a small park filled with bluish-green bamboos.
The night wind was cool and refreshing.
Qian Shuxiao didn't enter the house, not wanting to see his sister's current state. His heart ached for her. He sent a maid to call Ye Que out.
"I must teach that Extinctive Sword Manor House a lesson. It's fine if they bully me but they can't bully my sister."
"Go and gather the chieftains of the Divine Sect then. We'll finally see our extensive preparation pay off."
"They're no longer chieftains. I call them Branch Masters. I divided Luoyang City into 36 branches, with each helming one branch. They're all selected from a martial arts competition."
"This is a new medicine that I refined today. Find a way to put it on the black market but the one who supplies this kind of medicine must pretend to be a disciple of the Extinctive Sword Manor House. He must make it look like this medicine belongs to the Extinctive Sword Manor House."
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Qian Shuhua dreamed of petals of exquisite beauty, where peach blossom flowers formed an ocean. Two youngsters sat side by side on the branch of a peach blossom tree. The cool breeze brought with it a faint delight while the migratory birds cooed. It was a poetic and picturesque scene. She didn't know when but a rain of fire began to fall from the sky above. The flames rapidly ignited all the petals, set the peach blossom tree on fire, and burned the migratory birds to death. The youngers were also separated by the fire.
Wonderland turned into purgatory. Qian Shuhua wanted to cry but no tears came. She wanted to scream for help but no voice came. All that was left in her vision was a field of red.
Out of the blue.
A pair of strong yet gentle arms embraced her. Slowly, the sea of purgatory fire extinguished. The cool breeze picked up, caressing the scorched plains. Young shoots quietly sprang from the ground, gradually replacing the blazing world with a field of green. Newborn migratory birds broke out of their shells. It was to the extent that she could faintly smell an aroma wafting in the air.
It wasn't the smell of fragrance but the smell of incense.
It was the overwhelming aroma lingering inside a Hall of Classics filled with nothing but scrolls and books.
In her dream, Qian Shuhua fell asleep while smelling this aroma.
When she woke up, the sky had completely darkened and her vision was enveloped entirely in the warm yellow candlelight. Next to her bed was a cup of warm tea and in the distance was a small medicinal stove. Ye Que sat beside the medicinal stove and every now and then, he would toss something into the pot with a concentrated expression.
"You're up."
Ye Que's voice reached Qian Shuhua the moment she woke up, sounding as placid and indifferent as he did when imparting the art of spearing to her all this while. It was as if he was forever emotionless.
"How did I get home?" Qian Shuhua asked weakly. After all, she had just experienced a fierce battle.
"I carried you home. I happened to have gone to the academy as well," Ye Que replied indifferently. After dusting off his hands, he walked to the bedside and flipped open the corner of the blanket to check her pulse. He nodded a short while later. "You're fine. You'll fully recover after medicating for a few days."
Qian Shuhua propped up her body to look at Ye Que and said softly, "Thank you."
Ye Que looked at her without saying anything.
"I won against Lin Mei'er. I used the art of spearing that you taught me and won against her with a single strike." Qian Shuhua hurriedly explained herself after seeing his expression.
"That's to be expected. You're stronger than her in the first place," Ye Que said.
"But I lost to Lin Shan. I even reported the name of our Divine Sect. I brought shame to you." Qian Shuhua was surprisingly embarrassed, as if this was more important than winning against Lin Mei'er.
Ye Que chuckled. Subconsciously, he raised his hand to caress her hair. "It's not shameful. Lin Shan is a Psychic Realm expert while you've just entered the Pre-celestial Realm recently. It's natural for you to lose. Moreover, you don't have to be dejected over it. Your attack wasn't completely useless; you made a hole in Lin Shan's left shoulder."
After pausing for a moment, Ye Que continued, "This is already very impressive of you. After all, you're not facing an ordinary cultivator. Lin Shan is now a formal disciple of Mount Shu and he was also using the sword skills of the number one sword sect in the world."
Qian Shuhua fell into deep thought after listening to Ye Que's explanation. Only then did she stopped being so tense and displayed a relieved expression on her face. From the beginning to the end, she neither asked nor complained about her injuries as if it was of little importance to her.
No voice resounded inside the room for a moment, leaving only the quiet bubbling of the concoction in the medicinal stove.
"I forgot to ask you. How was A Xiao's coming-of-age ceremony? Did it go well?"
"He got drunk last night and completely missed the timing. He only just recovered earlier. Right now, he should be at the old man's place."
"He got drunk?" Qian Shuhua's voice rose by several octaves. "Ridiculous! He dared to even miss the timing of his coming-of-age ceremony! What is he trying to do? Who did he get drunk with? Female entertainers?"
"I think he got together with the chieftains of the Divine Sect again. It happened to be the end of the month, the time when money and secret manuals are distributed. He's very upset over this. To be fair, he wasn't playing. He simply didn't have a good grasp of himself." Ye Que walked back to the medicinal stove. After observing it for a moment, he added in more medicine.
"This can't do. I must look for him. He can't go on like this. If he's not even serious in cultivating, what can he hope to achieve?" Qian Shuhua was about to get off the bed.
"That's enough. Everyone has their own aspiration. It's best for you to focus on yourself. Lie still." Ye Que gave Qian Shuhua his most piercing glare. "I'll have a chat with him later."
The ancestral hall of Qian Manor.
Old Mr. Qian reclined quietly on the rattan chair with his eyes partially closed, looking as if he was dozing off. Qian Shuxiao stood in front of him, looking indignant. Beside him was a plump man. It was Qian Shuxiao's father, Qian Fulin.
Qian Shuxiao placed both hands on his hips and yelled, "Grandpa, I think we must remove all the weapons from the Extinctive Sword Manor House from the shelves of our shops immediately. How dare they bully my sister! I must make them pay and teach them that our Qian family isn't an easy target!"
Old Mr. Qian said nothing. Qian Fulin, who stood nearby, said unhurriedly, "Amiability brings riches, amiability bring riches. What's the point of fighting and killing? What benefit will we get by removing the weapons from the Extinctive Sword Manor House from our shops? You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment!"
"Didn't you see how they had injured my sister? That's your biological daughter! Can you take this disgrace lying down?" Qian Shuxiao looked at his father in disbelief.
"I can." Qian Fulin abruptly widened his eyes and said solemnly, "I've examined your sister's injuries. They're nothing, just superficial wounds. She won't die from it."
"Grandpa!" Qian Shuxiao directly sought help from Old Mr. Qian.
"No matter who you beg, it's no use." Qian Fulin lowered his voice and continued, "Second Prince had openly expressed his support for Mount Shu yesterday. The Extinctive Sword Manor House is now the Luoyang subsidiary of Mount Shu. If you remove their weapons from our shops now, wouldn't you be openly going against Second Prince? They already dislike our family because of your aunt's status. Do you think that we don't have enough trouble on our hands?"
"Since Aunt is the Crown Princess, why do you even fear Second Prince?" Qian Shuxiao asked.
"We're merchants. We can't put all of our bargaining chips in one basket."
"So we're going to ask my sister to suffer?"
"That's her obligation. There's no such thing as being exempted from suffering. Even your mother must sacrifice for the sake of our family," Qian Fulin said righteously.
"Well."
"Very well."
"You're a good father indeed. Consider me impressed." Qian Shuxiao snorted. "Since you won't interfere in this matter, I'll do it in your place. Since my sister has suffered grievances, I as her younger brother must avenge her."
Qian Shuxiao raised his hand to stop Qian Fulin from persuading him. "Rest assured. I won't use our men or use our family's name. I'll be responsible for anything that happens."
With that, he turned around and ran out of the hall. He gave the doors of the ancestral hall a fierce push before slamming it loudly and forcefully.
Inside the ancestral hall, Old Mr. Qian slowly opened his eyes and stared at Qian Shuxiao's back. He then directed his gaze at the nearby Qian Fulin. "Do you know why I refuse you the title of the family's head and only allow you to manage the shops?"
Qian Fulin glanced at his father and felt a stab of anger and dread. Finally, he said in a low voice, "Since I'm the one managing the shops, it's my word that counts. I can't command you, but don't tell me that I can't command my own son."
In a small park filled with bluish-green bamboos.
The night wind was cool and refreshing.
Qian Shuxiao didn't enter the house, not wanting to see his sister's current state. His heart ached for her. He sent a maid to call Ye Que out.
"I must teach that Extinctive Sword Manor House a lesson. It's fine if they bully me but they can't bully my sister."
"Go and gather the chieftains of the Divine Sect then. We'll finally see our extensive preparation pay off."
"They're no longer chieftains. I call them Branch Masters. I divided Luoyang City into 36 branches, with each helming one branch. They're all selected from a martial arts competition."
"This is a new medicine that I refined today. Find a way to put it on the black market but the one who supplies this kind of medicine must pretend to be a disciple of the Extinctive Sword Manor House. He must make it look like this medicine belongs to the Extinctive Sword Manor House."
Qian Shuhua dreamed of petals of exquisite beauty, where peach blossom flowers formed an ocean. Two youngsters sat side by side on the branch of a peach blossom tree. The cool breeze brought with it a faint delight while the migratory birds cooed. It was a poetic and picturesque scene. She didn't know when but a rain of fire began to fall from the sky above. The flames rapidly ignited all the petals, set the peach blossom tree on fire, and burned the migratory birds to death. The youngers were also separated by the fire.Wonderland turned into purgatory. Qian Shuhua wanted to cry but no tears came. She wanted to scream for help but no voice came. All that was left in her vision was a field of red.Out of the blue.A pair of strong yet gentle arms embraced her. Slowly, the sea of purgatory fire extinguished. The cool breeze picked up, caressing the scorched plains. Young shoots quietly sprang from the ground, gradually replacing the blazing world with a field of green. Newborn migratory birds broke out of their shells. It was to the extent that she could faintly smell an aroma wafting in the air.It wasn't the smell of fragrance but the smell of incense.It was the overwhelming aroma lingering inside a Hall of Classics filled with nothing but scrolls and books.In her dream, Qian Shuhua fell asleep while smelling this aroma.When she woke up, the sky had completely darkened and her vision was enveloped entirely in the warm yellow candlelight. Next to her bed was a cup of warm tea and in the distance was a small medicinal stove. Ye Que sat beside the medicinal stove and every now and then, he would toss something into the pot with a concentrated expression."You're up."Ye Que's voice reached Qian Shuhua the moment she woke up, sounding as placid and indifferent as he did when imparting the art of spearing to her all this while. It was as if he was forever emotionless."How did I get home?" Qian Shuhua asked weakly. After all, she had just experienced a fierce battle."I carried you home. I happened to have gone to the academy as well," Ye Que replied indifferently. After dusting off his hands, he walked to the bedside and flipped open the corner of the blanket to check her pulse. He nodded a short while later. "You're fine. You'll fully recover after medicating for a few days."Qian Shuhua propped up her body to look at Ye Que and said softly, "Thank you."Ye Que looked at her without saying anything."I won against Lin Mei'er. I used the art of spearing that you taught me and won against her with a single strike." Qian Shuhua hurriedly explained herself after seeing his expression."That's to be expected. You're stronger than her in the first place," Ye Que said."But I lost to Lin Shan. I even reported the name of our Divine Sect. I brought shame to you." Qian Shuhua was surprisingly embarrassed, as if this was more important than winning against Lin Mei'er.Ye Que chuckled. Subconsciously, he raised his hand to caress her hair. "It's not shameful. Lin Shan is a Psychic Realm expert while you've just entered the Pre-celestial Realm recently. It's natural for you to lose. Moreover, you don't have to be dejected over it. Your attack wasn't completely useless; you made a hole in Lin Shan's left shoulder."After pausing for a moment, Ye Que continued, "This is already very impressive of you. After all, you're not facing an ordinary cultivator. Lin Shan is now a formal disciple of Mount Shu and he was also using the sword skills of the number one sword sect in the world."Qian Shuhua fell into deep thought after listening to Ye Que's explanation. Only then did she stopped being so tense and displayed a relieved expression on her face. From the beginning to the end, she neither asked nor complained about her injuries as if it was of little importance to her.No voice resounded inside the room for a moment, leaving only the quiet bubbling of the concoction in the medicinal stove."I forgot to ask you. How was A Xiao's coming-of-age ceremony? Did it go well?""He got drunk last night and completely missed the timing. He only just recovered earlier. Right now, he should be at the old man's place.""He got drunk?" Qian Shuhua's voice rose by several octaves. "Ridiculous! He dared to even miss the timing of his coming-of-age ceremony! What is he trying to do? Who did he get drunk with? Female entertainers?""I think he got together with the chieftains of the Divine Sect again. It happened to be the end of the month, the time when money and secret manuals are distributed. He's very upset over this. To be fair, he wasn't playing. He simply didn't have a good grasp of himself." Ye Que walked back to the medicinal stove. After observing it for a moment, he added in more medicine."This can't do. I must look for him. He can't go on like this. If he's not even serious in cultivating, what can he hope to achieve?" Qian Shuhua was about to get off the bed."That's enough. Everyone has their own aspiration. It's best for you to focus on yourself. Lie still." Ye Que gave Qian Shuhua his most piercing glare. "I'll have a chat with him later."The ancestral hall of Qian Manor.Old Mr. Qian reclined quietly on the rattan chair with his eyes partially closed, looking as if he was dozing off. Qian Shuxiao stood in front of him, looking indignant. Beside him was a plump man. It was Qian Shuxiao's father, Qian Fulin.Qian Shuxiao placed both hands on his hips and yelled, "Grandpa, I think we must remove all the weapons from the Extinctive Sword Manor House from the shelves of our shops immediately. How dare they bully my sister! I must make them pay and teach them that our Qian family isn't an easy target!"Old Mr. Qian said nothing. Qian Fulin, who stood nearby, said unhurriedly, "Amiability brings riches, amiability bring riches. What's the point of fighting and killing? What benefit will we get by removing the weapons from the Extinctive Sword Manor House from our shops? You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment!""Didn't you see how they had injured my sister? That's your biological daughter! Can you take this disgrace lying down?" Qian Shuxiao looked at his father in disbelief."I can." Qian Fulin abruptly widened his eyes and said solemnly, "I've examined your sister's injuries. They're nothing, just superficial wounds. She won't die from it.""Grandpa!" Qian Shuxiao directly sought help from Old Mr. Qian."No matter who you beg, it's no use." Qian Fulin lowered his voice and continued, "Second Prince had openly expressed his support for Mount Shu yesterday. The Extinctive Sword Manor House is now the Luoyang subsidiary of Mount Shu. If you remove their weapons from our shops now, wouldn't you be openly going against Second Prince? They already dislike our family because of your aunt's status. Do you think that we don't have enough trouble on our hands?""Since Aunt is the Crown Princess, why do you even fear Second Prince?" Qian Shuxiao asked."We're merchants. We can't put all of our bargaining chips in one basket.""So we're going to ask my sister to suffer?""That's her obligation. There's no such thing as being exempted from suffering. Even your mother must sacrifice for the sake of our family," Qian Fulin said righteously."Well.""Very well.""You're a good father indeed. Consider me impressed." Qian Shuxiao snorted. "Since you won't interfere in this matter, I'll do it in your place. Since my sister has suffered grievances, I as her younger brother must avenge her."Qian Shuxiao raised his hand to stop Qian Fulin from persuading him. "Rest assured. I won't use our men or use our family's name. I'll be responsible for anything that happens."With that, he turned around and ran out of the hall. He gave the doors of the ancestral hall a fierce push before slamming it loudly and forcefully.Inside the ancestral hall, Old Mr. Qian slowly opened his eyes and stared at Qian Shuxiao's back. He then directed his gaze at the nearby Qian Fulin. "Do you know why I refuse you the title of the family's head and only allow you to manage the shops?"Qian Fulin glanced at his father and felt a stab of anger and dread. Finally, he said in a low voice, "Since I'm the one managing the shops, it's my word that counts. I can't command you, but don't tell me that I can't command my own son."In a small park filled with bluish-green bamboos.The night wind was cool and refreshing.Qian Shuxiao didn't enter the house, not wanting to see his sister's current state. His heart ached for her. He sent a maid to call Ye Que out."I must teach that Extinctive Sword Manor House a lesson. It's fine if they bully me but they can't bully my sister.""Go and gather the chieftains of the Divine Sect then. We'll finally see our extensive preparation pay off.""They're no longer chieftains. I call them Branch Masters. I divided Luoyang City into 36 branches, with each helming one branch. They're all selected from a martial arts competition.""This is a new medicine that I refined today. Find a way to put it on the black market but the one who supplies this kind of medicine must pretend to be a disciple of the Extinctive Sword Manor House. He must make it look like this medicine belongs to the Extinctive Sword Manor House."
