Ink Blade

Shujing Tower (part 1)

Thinking about the past, Chu Yan couldn't help feeling a bit lost in thought.

Between him and Mo Ren, there used to be that kind of teenage years when they opened their hearts and protected each other.

Perhaps it was because his memory was really not very good, but when Bai Hua came, those good days were gradually worn out in his memory.

Xu Fangchuan, who was walking in front of him, stopped, and Chu Yan raised his head. They had already arrived at the place.

The Shuijing Tower was the tallest building in this small town, with glazed tiles, mahogany carvings, square eaves and brackets. Unlike the forces in Jianghu, it looked like an exquisite small building. The four guards below all bent down and clasped their fists to salute when they saw Xu Fangchuan.

Xu Fangchuan raised his hands to salute, and said in a gentle voice, "Please inform the Shuijing Tower Master, and say that the Palace Master Chu of the Jiuzhong Palace has arrived."

Having said that, he didn't wait for the reply, and said "Palace Master, please", led the people to go in, and the guarding disciples did not block them.

Ying Yu whispered harshly, "Palace Master, see clearly! Look, this Xu Fangchuan is in the same group as Shuijing Tower."

Chu Yan and Mo Ren tacitly understood, exchanged glances, and at the same time thought to themselves–it’s rumored that the senior brother of the Xuyang Sword Sect has an unusual relationship with the master of the Shuijing Tower, it seems that it is indeed groundless, these two are at least very close friends.

After the four of them walked a few steps in, a maidservant greeted them and led the way, "The Shuijing Tower Master is already waiting for you in the inner hall, please."

The four of them followed the maidservant into the inner hall, and saw a graceful purple clad person sitting in the upper seat, shallowly sip the tea in hand, revealing a white snow-like wrist. Although the face couldn’t be seen clearly, it could be felt that the person’s temperament was extraordinary.

When they came a few steps closer, the person also stood up leisurely and turned their face around. Chu Yan and his companions couldn't help being surprised in their hearts.

——What a beauty!

"Shuijing Tower’s Shui Miao'er, awaits respectfully Palace Master Chu for a long time."

The master of the Shuijing Tower had picturesque features, exquisite and graceful figures, and was actually a stunning beauty. She smiled at Chu Yan and the others softly, "This woman fails to welcome you from far away, this woman begs for forgiveness."

"Shuijing Tower Master, I’ve heard so much about you." Chu Yan nodded his head, regarding it as returning a salute. He did not expect that the owner of Shuijing Tower, who was mysterious and  never sees outsiders all year round, was such a charming and beautiful woman.

It's just that…...the forces of Jianghu in the Chanqing City were mixed and chaotic, and a woman who could support a force alone, no matter how delicate the appearance, could not be underestimated.

Chu Yan still had the shadow of being imprisoned here in his heart, then he said in a deep voice, "Since this Master has come here in person, it is enough to prove his sincerity. This Master also asks the Shuijing Tower Master to release this Master’s Jiuzhong Palace person."

Shui Miao'er covered her mouth and smiled, her peach blossom eyes like that of a fox's bright eyes rippled. For a moment, her beauty appeared unparalleled. "Palace Master Chu, please don't be impatient. First have a cup of tea with this woman to relieve fatigue. It isn’t too late to talk about anything else, right?”

She took a step forward, the slender and white hand poked out from her cuffs, and came to hold Chu Yan's arm, with a breath as fragrant as an orchid. "This woman has admired Palace Master Chu for many years..."

Chu Yan's face livid, and the tip of his eyebrows twitched violently, almost uncontrollably wanting to strike down with his palm.

 ——This damned thing, in his previous life, he had met that monstrous Bai Hua, and now, it made him nauseous seeing such a beautiful woman showing off her beauty!

But before Chu Yan made a move, he heard a "zeng" from behind, accompanied by an exclamation, Mo Ren had jumped a few feet away, and the long sword stopped steadily on the neck of the maidservant who had just led them in, producing a line of bloodstain.

The black-clothed guard said coldly, "If the Shuijing Tower Master has such a refined interest, sitting together for tea while one's own family is under control, naturally the Jiuzhong Palace can only accompany."

The maidservant was forced by his murderous aura, her face turned pale and her body trembled like a chaff. All the members of the Shujing Tower present were shocked and turned pale. Shui Miao’er exclaimed “Aiya” raising her willow eyebrows and fingers pausing in mid-air.

Chu Yan clapped his palms and laughed out loud, without concealing his prideful expression, "Hahaha, Shujing Tower Master, what to do now?"

"Young Master Mo, calm down, calm down." Xu Fangchuan hastily stepped forward to persuade, "Miao'er is naughty, she made such a joke out of curiosity after seeing the Palace Master of the Jiuzhong Palace for the first time, but she is not a frivolous woman, I hope you will forgive her."

Shui Miao'er also put away her coquettish attitude, pursed her lips and smiled, but this time she did an upright palm and fist salute, "This woman was impolite just now, pardon me Palace Master Chu."

After a pause, she blinked again and said, "Miao'er just heard people say that the Palace Master Chu kept a mistress in a love nest and has raised a peerless beauty, she thinks that the Palace Master Chu Palace is intoxicated in matters concerning romance, a romantic person with deep emotions and no confusion, thus she can't help but give it a try. I didn’t expect that the information in my Shuijing Tower might not always be the case.”

After speaking, she laughed so hard that flower branches trembled. (TL: describe the movement of a woman when she laughs)

Shuijing Tower was engaged in information trading, as long as there were people, there would be Shuijing's intelligence network. This was well known in Jianghu.

Seeing the hostess giggling and playing around, rather than being somewhat full of emotions and acting rashly, Chu Yan only shook his head and smiled, calmed down, and said, "Ah Ren."

Mo Ren coldly withdrew his sword, let go of the trembling little maidservant, and turned behind Chu Yan.

Chu Yan secretly felt better.

Shui Miao'er's brows relaxed slightly, and said, "Don't worry, Palace Master Chu. In the past few days, Shuijing Tower has not damaged even a single hair of the wind guardian under your seat. To be honest, this woman has already sent someone to invite the wind guardian out, it should be here in just a moment." (TL: Wind=Feng (Yi Feng))

As she spoke, she flicked her sleeves and shouted to the maids, "Come on, why don't you show the seats and serve tea to the distinguished guests?"

Chu Yan and Xu Fangchuan took their seats first, but Ying Yu and Mo Ren did not move.

Ying Yu dared to move only after the palace master sat down, and as for Mo Ren, no matter how much Chu Yan placed him in an important position, having the identity of a guard, he could not sit down at such a time.

According to the rules, he could only stand behind the master.

But that was the standard of the previous life. Now that Chu Yan had unconsciously placed Mo Ren in his heart, how could he be willing to ask him to rigidly follow those superior and subordinate rules and regulations?

The person Chu Yan wanted to protect, he would never be wronged.

Chu Yan stretched out his hand steadily, and with an extremely natural expression, he pressed the person who wanted to retreat behind him always on the seat beside him.

"Master...!" Now, not only Mo Ren was shocked, but even the other three were surprised.

Xu Fangchuan and Shui Miao’er just exchanged an unexpected look, but Ying Yu was so startled that his eyes almost popped out——

When did the Palace Master, who was always so harsh on his only bodyguard, change his temper and take such good care of his elder brother like this?

Mo Ren was even more frightened. He would never dare sit with Chu Yan, but he would also not dare disobey his master’s will in front of others, thus he just hesitantly whispered and asked, "Master, this?"

Chu Yan patted the back of his hand reassuringly, and leaned his head closer, "Don't think too much, just sit where you are told to sit, and just sit comfortably."

Mo Ren looked at Chu Yan's hand covering his own, with a complicated expression on his face, and finally chose to remain silent.