Refining the Mountains and Rivers

After the court was dismissed, Qin Yu sat in the carriage bestowed to him by the Imperial Palace. He could not help but look at the closed door. The door wouldn’t be cut down so brutally again like before right?

That sword was filled with darkness. It did not seem amazing, but it was extremely horrifying.

When it came to inflicting damage, it was much stronger than when it was used against the middle-aged man.

Yet, that sword was not able to hurt Qin Yu in the slightest. He looked down at the white jade that was now cool in his hands. He looked amazed.

A treasure. A precious treasure!

No wonder Rourou had reminded him to return it to her when he returned.

He did not want to!

If it were anyone else, they would have the same feeling after surviving that blade just by holding this white jade.

But thinking about it, Qin Yu knew that there was no way he could keep this.

Moreover, even if Rourou gave it to him…he might not dare to take it.

Rubbing his chin, Qin Yu chuckled as he suppressed his thoughts.

He then looked at the thing in his other hand.

It was a ball that was as clear as water. Yet, it was gelatinous and felt soft and spongy in his hand. However, Qin Yu did not think that it was something he could squish easily.

Because this ball was created after the short Long River Sword broke and fused with his Marquis Chongwu Seal.

This thing had no aura and Qin Yu did not know what it was for. But instinct told him that he should keep it; perhaps it had some special use.

Thankfully, the Imperial Palace did not ask what happened to the short Long River Sword. Perhaps they thought that it had vanished after breaking.

In reality, that was what should have happened. But it just happened to give rise to something with a part of the Marquis Chongwu Seal. Moreover, incense power had been released and was surrounding Qin Yu at that point. A Divine Nation was barely present.

The auras interacted and formed this transparent ball of water.

A curious coincidence or a mysterious heavenly phenomenon.

The journey was smooth and he reached his mansion. It was not that the Later Ye Family gave up on killing him but it was that Ye Bohu had an unspoken agreement with His Majesty.

In the capital, there was only one attempt if you wanted to conduct an assassination. If you failed, you would have to try another method. Otherwise, do you really think the Imperial Palace would take this calmly without flipping? The entire Later Ye Family may just be thrown into chaos and be beheaded.

The driver bowed respectfully when Qin Yu got off the carriage. Qin Yu coughed lightly but his expression was off and this made the driver nervous. He did not know what he did to be frowned upon by the marquis.

The porter informed him that a strange guest had come to the mansion. More importantly, the lady had personally come to greet the guest and invite him in.

After he said ‘please go ahead’, the porter’s expression turned even stranger.

Qin Yu frowned but ignored the porter. When Yun Qing and Yun Die arrived, they were escorted by a servant lady. However, Rourou personally came to greet the guest today. This was definitely strange for her personality and identity.

Who was this person?

He stepped into the mansion and immediately headed for the rear courtyard. He quickly spotted the guest.

He was not familiar to Qin Yu and Qin Yu was sure that they had never met before.

However, Qin Yu’s eyes lowered and he felt that the man’s aura was weird.

Furthermore, he also realized why the porter said that the guest was strange.

The man was kneeled down on the ground, curled up into a ball with his head tucked in. Rourou sat on his back and casually sipped tea. It felt like this was a scene of a criminal being captured by his master.

“What is going on?”

Qin Yu coughed lightly and sat on the seat beside Rourou.

Rourou smirked coldly, “He is here for you.”

The man worked daily to resolve matters. His good days were trampled over.

As he thought about this, he felt strangled and his mood worsened.

Kneeling on the ground, he glanced at Qin Yu and he was immediately startled as his face turned pale.

He thought to himself, ‘I, Wang Xuanfeng, lived for so many years and I have seen so many battles. Am I going to die here today?’

He wasn’t timid, but Rourou gave him a terrifying feeling.

Not to mention attacking her, it felt like he would be killed if he glanced at her. As such, Wang Xuanfeng had a dark look. It felt like thunder was rumbling in the sky above him and he did not know when a bolt of lightning would strike down and incinerate him.

Qin Yu glanced at him. After he thought carefully, he asked, “Who are you? Why are you looking for me?”

Trembling, Wang Xuanfeng spoke in a timid voice, “I come from the west and I am here for Master Prajna.”

Qin Yu suddenly recalled that Great Shaman Mengshan had used his disciple to ask him for help before he left the Barbarian Clan.

Could it be for this man?

Wang Xuanfeng immediately waved his hand dismissively and gulped, “It is not me, not for me…” He hesitantly glanced at his surroundings.

Qin Yu knew that this was an important matter and he stared at Rourou. She did not give him any signals and he immediately felt more at ease. Smiling, he said, “Don’t worry, this place is safe.”

Hmph!

Rourou scoffed.

He owed her once for saving his life and now he was going to trouble her again. He was truly shameless.

Qin Yu coughed again and he pretended not to notice her glare.

Wang Xuanfeng took out a jade box that had a yellow talisman pasted on it from his waistband. Perhaps the jade box had been hidden for a long time but there were burnt marks on the yellow talisman. The black marks made it look like the box had been burnt before.

He carried the jade box carefully and offered it to Qin Yu, “My lord, this is a tuft of hair from that one. Could you please look at it?”

Rourou glanced at the jade box and suddenly laughed coldly. She stood up and left.

Qin Yu’s expression became awkward and he looked at Wang Xuanfeng and instructed, “Wait here and don’t move around.” He took the jade box and hurried to catch up to Rourou.

Rourou walked briskly and Qin Yu chased after her. His expression was still strange and he smiled bitterly, not knowing how to speak.

The servant ladies and other slaves they encountered along the way quickly made for them. The lady seemed angry and the marquis was timidly hurrying after her.

Who didn’t know about the assassination attempt against their marquis? Although they did not know the implications about the assassination, they could sense the gazes coming from every mansion surrounding them. These gazes were filled with respect and fear.

This only came recently. Even when the marquis was granted his title, the gazes were only filled with jealousy. Evidently, after the assassination attempt, the marquis was more powerful in the capital than before.

However, when this powerful marquis return to his manor, he would have to bear the brunt of his lady’s anger. Who could have imagined this?

The servant ladies gave up their fantasies completely!

When she returned to her living quarters, Rourou’s anger had not been resolved yet. She pushed aside the people in her way, quickly poured herself a cup of tea, and gulped it down.

Qin Yu gave a long sigh, “With Great Shaman Mengshan’s status, he would not ask for a favor so casually. But since he did, this must be a grave matter. As such, I really hope that you will be able to help him again this time. After all, I cannot fake my identity now.”

He looked at Rourou. Before she replied, his expression darkened and his voice deepened, “If you are really not willing to, then…”

His words came out slower and he did not finish his sentence before he stopped.

Rourou smirked, “Continue. Why did you stop speaking? I want to hear more.”

Qin Yu turned and sat down, “I know that this is not reasonable of me. But what can I do so that you will help me?”

Rourou scoffed, “Little Qin Yu, you are really starting to disrespect me. Do you think that I will not do anything to you?”

Qin Yu replied, “I would not dare to. I am being sincere. As long as you ask me, I will definitely agree to your request if I can do it and make you satisfied. After all, we are considered close right?”

Rourou shot him a glance and then slowly turned back. She stretched an arm forward and said, “Give it to me.”

Qin Yu coughed, “What?”

“Stop acting dumb. Return that white jade I gave you.”

“This…oh, I believe that the Later Ye Family will not give up. Maybe they will try to pull something again…”

Rourou stared at him blankly but her lips were curled into a smirk. It looked like she was saying, ‘If I believe a single word, I am a loser.’

Qin Yu laughed bitterly, “Is there no room for negotiation?”

“Give it back!”

Things ought to be returned to their original owners and Qin Yu had to know when to push and pull in his requests. Since Rourou was so relentless with this, he would be stupid to disobey her.

Qin Yu took the item out and gave it back to her with two hands. He did not forget to say his thanks.

Rourou put the white jade away. Her expression was dark and she said, “I am glad that you know how much you owe me. Let me tell you, there isn’t anyone in this world who has not repaid their debt to me.”

Qin Yu frowned, “You really can’t help?”

The white jade was a side issue. This was the real matter.

Rourou glanced at the box in Qin Yu’s hands. Her face fell again and she waved her hand dismissively, “Go go go, you keep finding me things to do everyday. I do have a condition though. If you don’t agree to it, I will never help you even if the world flips upside down.”

After a while, Qin Yu left the room with a frown. Once he was outside, he turned back with a bitter smile on his face. He did not understand the reason for Rourou’s actions. This condition was so strange!

He shook his head and left. Wang Xuanfeng was very obedient and he stayed at his spot in the guest house, still kneeling down in a corner with his head tucked under his arms.

Qin Yu gestured with his hand, “Stand up and speak.”

Wang Xuanfeng’s face lit up, but before could celebrate, a thought jumped to his mind and he kneeled back down. He spoke timidly, “I will just speak like this.”

He must have been really frightened; who knew what Rourou did to him just now. Qin Yu could not be bothered with that. If he was willing to kneel, then he could just kneel. Qin Yu got straight to the point, “I can help you, but on one condition.”

……

Wang Xuanfeng’s expression was as white as a sheet when he walked out of the marquis’ mansion. His vision blurred and he felt like he could see himself getting beheaded from just conveying this message.

How pitiful!

Oh heavens, why do these things always fall upon me? What did I do wrong? Is it too late to make up for it?

Wang Xuanfeng was utterly devastated and felt incredibly wronged. He hurried to leave the capital and headed straight for the Teleportation Portal.

Even though he knew that he may end up in an even more pitiful state, he did not dare to delay after receiving Qin Yu’s answer.

……

Long Horn Alley was one alley among hundreds of thousand other ordinary ones in the capital. No one knew why it was called this however.

Either way, the men who lived here did not feel that they were outstanding in any way because of this name.

However, there was one point that was indisputable. Long Horn Alley was truly long, and it linked two districts in the city.

A few years ago, an odd family moved to the alley. After they moved in, they lived their lives in seclusion.

Aside from the day that they moved in, no one saw what the family looked like. The master seemed to be a sick lady. People’s impression of her was vague, but those who saw her said that she was a beauty.

Her man seemed dignified and was like a scholar. The boss lady of the wine house on the alley was attracted to him.

However, it was a pity that after that day, no one saw them. Many people felt that it was a shame that the beauty and the man no longer appeared.

In the beginning, the neighbors gossipped about them. But as time passed, no one bothered about them anymore.

After all, days passed and people had to carry on with their lives and not be hung up on the past. Also, in the world of cultivators, many strange things happened. As long as they lived peacefully and were not dragged into incidents, they did not need to be busybodies.

Of course, the reason why the people living along the alley were relaxed was because they were official residents of the Imperial Capital. No one would dare to cause havoc here.

The boss lady of the winehouse was also a cultivator. Although her cultivation realm was not high, she had a charming middle-aged lady look.

She leaned lazily against the chair. A few drunkards were staring at her but she was used to this. It was hard for women to earn money here; letting them stare at her and her chest was not that hard.

‘Squeak’ a soft sound echoed through the air. The drunkard next to her was talking about the assassination attempt from the previous day in a dramatic manner. It felt even more descriptive than if he experienced it himself.

The boss lady was not paying attention to him. However, she felt that the sound of the door opening was strange. Everyone here were regulars who lived along this street. After living here for so long, she was sharp in noticing changes in her surroundings.

She turned around and saw that the door of the family that had been closely shut for many years had been opened.

A lady wearing a veil hat walked out. Although her face was covered, her beauty could be seen.

It was unbelievable that someone with such looks existed in this world and the boss lady suddenly felt jealous. This was especially so since all the passionate looks that were on her just a second ago were diverted away.

Gulp –

Someone swallowed their saliva!

The lady who walked out raised an arm to block her eyes as though she hadn’t seen the nine suns above her for a very long time.

Right at that moment, the boss lady’s eyes brightened. She noticed the few foreign faces along the alley.

She had accumulated much knowledge after all these years but kept a low profile. Was their target this lady?

Very quickly, a disappointed look washed over the boss lady’s face. Although the lady was stopped by a few men, the lady simply said a few sentences as she pointed to the courtyard behind her. The men cupped their hands together and bowed before they backed off.

They looked like they were being respectful.

The lady turned and left. After a few steps, she suddenly whipped her head around and met the boss lady’s glance. Her smile was like a hundred flowers had instantly bloomed and it felt out of this world.

However, the boss lady felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured on her, causing her to shiver all over.

She hurriedly lowered her head and her complexion was as white as snow. It was almost as if she was gravely ill.