Chapter 4: Wind and Snow Bring an Old Friend
She had been thinking about these things earlier, and now that she recalled them again, she could no longer suppress the urge.
Of course, it wasn’t to think of him, nor to go see him.
She told herself that.
She was merely a bit curious, wanting to see what he was doing, wanting to know how he was getting by in the capital.
Back at Zhouling, when she had spoken to that fellow about Senior Brother Qiushan and the engagement, she had said that what mattered most to her was following her heart.
Now that her mind was made up, there was no reason to hesitate. She returned to her room, changed her clothes, picked up an umbrella, and walked out into the snowy night courtyard.
Shuang’er came back carrying a plate of veal, startled, and asked, “Miss, you’re going out this late?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to see Miss Mo?”
“…Yes.”
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The National Academy was quiet at night, but the Hundred Flowers Lane outside its walls was bustling. The light from the taverns shone on the falling snowflakes, and combined with the steam rising from the warmth inside, the scene looked somewhat dreamlike. Xu Yourong stood silently at the end of the lane, holding a yellow paper umbrella. Her white ceremonial robe and red cloak made her the most beautiful sight in this surreal tableau.
Because of the yellow paper umbrella, no one could sense her presence. The people in the taverns had no such fortune to witness this scene, nor did they have any reason to hold back. They talked loudly as usual, drank heartily, called out to friends, teased the girls. The sound of strings and flutes was occasionally interrupted, but the laughter and songs never ceased.
Hearing the lewd songs and vulgar lyrics coming from the tavern, Xu Yourong frowned slightly.
She had been curious about the newly established National Academy and had imagined many things, but she never expected that just beyond a wall lay a place of filth and depravity.
“Being the dean now, how can he not manage this?”
For some inexplicable reason, she began to feel quite dissatisfied with that fellow.
The night wind brushed gently, and the snowflakes suddenly swirled wildly. She silently glided over the courtyard wall, unnoticed by the National Academy cavalry patrolling in the snow. Landing inside the wall, she faced a lake. By the lakeside stood a row of buildings, and she could faintly smell the scent of firewood. Guessing it was the kitchen, she strolled over, confirmed it was empty, pushed the door open, and casually glanced around.
“The food really isn’t bad.”
Looking at the provisions in the National Academy’s kitchen, she nodded with some satisfaction, though she didn’t realize her role had shifted slightly. (Note)
When she saw the pile of blue lobster shells in the food processing area, she finally believed what Shuang’er had said.
She shook her head, thinking that he really had moved the Cheng Lake Tower over here. That young master of the Wenshui Tang family was indeed an odd fellow.
Following the lakeshore to the opposite bank, she saw the large banyan tree, and then the light and the building beyond the low wall.
She recalled the scenes he had mentioned in the snow temple on the Never-Setting Sun Grasslands, the things he had talked about, and the rumors about him. She guessed that must be the library, where he had found his destiny star.
Not far behind the banyan tree stood a small building. Compared to the bright lights and lively atmosphere elsewhere in the National Academy, this building was much quieter.
She pushed open the door of the small building directly, holding the yellow paper umbrella, and walked inside.
Then she stopped.
This was the first floor. She paused in front of a room, where a faint medicinal smell seeped through the crack in the door.
Behind the door, in the room, there was a bed.
Zhe Xiu lay on the bed.
Although his injuries were gradually healing, the wounds in his meridians had not fully closed, so he still needed to lie still most of the time.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
He slowly turned his head, looking toward the direction of the door, his expression grave and serious, as if facing a great enemy.
His demeanor at this moment was even more cautious than when he had faced the demon general couple in the Zhou Garden.
His gaze fixed on the door, and his pupils contracted slightly.
His right hand moved slowly beneath the covers, gripping the Demon Marshal’s Banner Sword.
The moment he grasped the hilt, many black hairs sprouted on the back of his hand, and his contracted pupils quickly turned blood-red.
He was ready for battle, even prepared to transform into a berserk state without hesitation, because he could sense that the person outside the door was very strong.
If it came to cultivation level, that person outside was probably about the same as him, yet they gave him a very dangerous feeling.
That was the problem.
Due to his unique bloodline talent and harsh upbringing, he had been accompanied by slaughter since childhood, making a living by hunting demons. It could be said that the wolf-tribe youth Zhe Xiu was the most skilled young warrior in the world when it came to combat or killing. In his understanding, and even in everyone’s understanding, no one of the same cultivation level could defeat him. When he hadn’t yet reached the Tongyou realm, he had once thought about trying to kill Gou Hanshi, who was at the Tongyou realm—this was clear proof.
Yet now, he felt that even if he weren’t injured and had fully recovered to his peak strength, he still wouldn’t be a match for the person outside the door.
This feeling was strange. He was certain he had never fought that person before, yet it felt as if they had clashed countless times, and… he had never won.
It was this dangerous sensation and peculiar state of mind that made him sensitive, alert, and even uneasy.
Who was that person outside the door?
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Xu Yourong stood quietly, holding the yellow paper umbrella, gazing at the door without speaking.
She had already guessed who was in the room.
She had never met that person face to face, but in truth, they had met many times.
The place they met was on the stone walls at the gates of the Green Vine Six Academies and all other schools.
That place was the Azure Cloud Ranking.
The place they met was at the very top of the Azure Cloud Ranking.
For the past three years, she had been the top of the Azure Cloud Ranking, and that person had always been second.
If it had been before, she would never have missed the chance to fight that person, but now she knew they were severely injured and not yet healed, so naturally, she wouldn’t issue a challenge.
After a moment, she turned and walked upstairs, not bothering to muffle her footsteps.
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From the sound of the footsteps, Zhe Xiu could tell that the person meant no harm.
But who was this person? Why would they enter the National Academy at night?
Suddenly, he recalled the most sensational news in the capital today, and the white crane that had lingered by the lakeside for half the day. Shock immediately spread across his face.
In an instant, he thought of what Chen Changsheng was doing right now, and his shock turned into sympathy and pity.
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Xu Yourong went directly to Chen Changsheng’s room.
For her, this wasn’t a difficult task. She didn’t need to understand any dean’s privileges; she just needed to understand him.
She remembered clearly that in the Zhou Garden, no matter how exhausted or busy he was, fleeing day and night without time to bathe, he would still try his best to wash his face and hands clean.
This floor was very clean, extremely clean, so clean it was almost appalling.
There were no cobwebs, no scraps of paper, no trash, and not even a speck of dust in the gaps between the wooden planks in the corners.
The corridor floor looked as if it had been washed with water ten times a day, so clean it could reflect a person’s shadow.
Xu Yourong glanced at the skirt she was wearing, feeling a bit uneasy, wondering if people with cleanliness obsessions were all a little twisted.
She walked toward that room. Her soles landed on the corridor without making a sound, leaving only many traces of snow and mud brought in from outside.
Arriving at the door, she turned back to look at the clear footprints on the spotless corridor, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
Confirming that no one was in the room, she pushed the door open directly and walked inside.
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(Note: The dean’s wife inspects. Another chapter tonight. But this doesn’t mean a return to two chapters per day, as I can’t keep up with the energy.)