Chapter 20

Ji Mansion, a courtyard in the west district.

Blue bricks and black tiles, flying eaves and upturned corners, rockeries and flowers, small bridges and flowing water, winding paths leading to secluded places, very quiet and elegant.

There was a small pond in the courtyard, clear to the bottom, with fish swimming happily in the water.

By the pond were rockeries, curved corridors, and small pavilions for people to rest and enjoy the scenery.

At sunset, Ji Wenyue sat sideways by the curved corridor, listlessly scattering fish food toward the small pond.

Just at this moment, a maid dressed in green clothes came to Ji Wenyue's side with a letter in her hand.

Outside the moon-shaped door connected to the courtyard, a servant was walking back and forth somewhat uneasily.

"Miss, the guard said that a man just sent a letter and insisted that Miss open it personally," the maid said in a low voice, her expression quite disapproving.

"Oh!" Ji Wenyue responded noncommittally, then lazily took the letter.

In the past two years, many young talents in Li Cheng who coveted her beauty, talent, and wealth had written to her, either expressing their love or inviting her for tea or to enjoy the mountains and water.

Ji Wenyue had long been accustomed to it.

Especially during this period, after the news of her breaking through to become a fifth-rank Great Wu Shi and her unique talent in alchemy, becoming the youngest and only female elder in the family, spread, even the young generation of some top forces in Li Cheng were alarmed, either writing letters or entrusting people to make appointments.

In Ji Wenyue's view, this time should be no exception.

Ji Wenyue opened the letter.

On the letter paper, there were no handsome words like flying dragons and dancing phoenixes, nor were there any words of love that would give Ji Wenyue goosebumps.

There was only a line of sloppily written address.

Seeing that line of perfunctory and sloppy handwriting, writing an address without explaining anything, giving people a very arrogant and domineering feeling, as if it were an order, a look of anger appeared on her face, and she was just about to tear up the letter paper when her peripheral vision caught a word at the signature—Xia.

"Brother Xia!" Ji Wenyue's heart jumped wildly, and she had already stood up.

"Xiao Yun, where is the guard? Hurry up and let him in."

Looking at the excited Miss, Xiao Yun was confused, but still hurriedly called the guard who was waiting outside the moon-shaped door in.

"Met Elder!" The guard entered, hurriedly knelt on one knee, not daring to look directly at Ji Wenyue.

"Where is the person who sent the letter now?" Ji Wenyue asked.

"Replying to Elder, he has already left," the guard replied, feeling secretly relieved in his heart, and also very curious about the origin of the man in the bamboo hat.

"Left?" Ji Wenyue was slightly stunned, then asked again: "Did he say anything?"

"He said that as long as the small one handed the letter to Elder, Elder would know who he was, and would never blame the small one, and would reward the small one," the guard replied.

"He was right; Xiao Yun, you take him to the accounting office to withdraw ten taels of silver to reward him!" Ji Wenyue said.

"Thank you, Elder!" The guard hurriedly thanked her, then happily followed Xiao Yun away.

"Qingshi Street Jingxin Teahouse; I don't know what medicine Brother Xia is selling in his gourd. Since he came to the Ji Mansion, he should have just come in; why make another appointment at a location?" By the small pond, Ji Wenyue looked at the letter in her hand, her small mouth pouting slightly.

However, soon, Ji Wenyue left the Ji Mansion by carriage.

Qingshi Street Jingxin Teahouse, second-floor private room.

Xia Daoming stood by the window, looking at a luxurious carriage driving toward this side not far away, a hint of complex gaze in his eyes.

Originally, he didn't want to contact Ji Wenyue so early, nor did he want to use his kindness to demand repayment, so as not to lower his status.

But Gu Ren's matter this morning stimulated him.

It made him see that the situation of Qianjiao Martial Arts Hall was far from as bright and calm as it appeared on the surface, with many enemies lurking around, all waiting for an opportunity to move.

As Liang Jingtang's personal disciple, even if he were low-key, he would sooner or later be unable to avoid being involved in disputes.

Therefore, he must become powerful as soon as possible.

Only by becoming powerful as soon as possible could he calmly deal with it when a crisis came.

But to become powerful as soon as possible, he needed a large amount of resources to supplement.

He couldn't think of any fast and profitable business for the time being, so he naturally had to start from the source of goods, hoping to get affordable nourishing pills through Ji Wenyue.

Pills are definitely a highly profitable industry; if he could get them directly at cost price, he could naturally save a lot of money.

The carriage stopped in front of the teahouse.

An old woman at the fifth-rank Great Wu Shi level came out of the carriage first, rolled up the curtain, and then Ji Wenyue came out from inside.

Since the last accident, the Ji family had equipped Ji Wenyue with a personal guard at the fifth-rank Great Wu Shi level—Du Yuxian.

Even within Li Cheng city, and even in the traditional territory of the Ji family, Du Yuxian followed her like a shadow, never leaving her side.

"She really came!"

Seeing Ji Wenyue get off the carriage, a look of surprise flashed in the teahouse owner's eyes, and he had already welcomed her.

"Elder Wenyue, Mother Du, your arrival is a great honor; I have failed to welcome you."

"I have a friend who said he was waiting for me here; where is he now?" Ji Wenyue didn't stand on ceremony with the owner and asked directly.

"In the second-floor private room, Elder Wenyue, please follow me," the owner said hurriedly.

Ji Wenyue nodded, then turned to Du Yuxian, who was about to follow: "You wait downstairs, don't follow up."

"Elder, this is not quite appropriate; what if..." Du Yuxian's expression was hesitant.

"What's inappropriate about it? This is the territory of my Ji family; could it be that there is anyone who dares to assassinate me here? And I am now a fifth-rank Great Wu Shi; even if a sixth-rank Great Wu Shi makes a move, I can resist for a while, so what is there to worry about?" Ji Wenyue said.

"Alright then, this old woman will wait for Elder downstairs," Du Yuxian had no choice but to bow and accept the order.

Ji Wenyue followed the owner upstairs and arrived outside the private room where Xia Daoming was.

"It's here," the owner said.

"Alright, you go down," Ji Wenyue waved her hand.

"Yes, if there is anything, Elder just call me," the owner responded respectfully, then turned and left.

After the owner left, Ji Wenyue took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

What came into view was a familiar back.

Seeing this familiar back, the bits and pieces in the desert emerged and flashed from her mind uncontrollably like floating light and passing shadows.

"Brother Xia!" Ji Wenyue couldn't help but call out emotionally, her eyes slightly moist.

That experience was too different and too unforgettable for Ji Wenyue, who had always been protected by her family and had not experienced any danger or hardship!

Xia Daoming turned around slowly.

A young face that was not handsome but carried a hint of vicissitudes appeared before Ji Wenyue's eyes.

Ji Wenyue was suddenly stunned, her gaze fixed on Xia Daoming.

"What? Did you find that Brother has become handsome?" Xia Daoming said with a smile.

"You have become handsome!" Ji Wenyue finally came back to her senses and nodded seriously.

In the desert, Xia Daoming had a stubbly beard, hair like messy grass, and rough, cracked skin; Ji Wenyue had initially mistaken him for a weird uncle.

Therefore, Ji Wenyue hadn't had high expectations for Xia Daoming's appearance from the beginning.

Now, although this face couldn't be called handsome, it was much cleaner and younger than in the desert, and it carried a hint of a scholar's gentle temperament, exceeding Ji Wenyue's expectations by quite a bit.

"Five months have passed, and you have grown taller and bigger!" Xia Daoming smiled, his gaze scanning Ji Wenyue's chest very skillfully and seasonedly.

In an instant, the gentleness was swept away!

"Brother, you... if you do this again, I won't talk to you!" Seeing Xia Daoming using his seasoned gaze to examine her chest again, and his words having hidden meanings, Ji Wenyue felt both familiar and intimate, yet inevitably shy and angry, and even had a hint of inexplicable pride and triumph.

After all, that could be considered a compliment to her!

"Five months have passed, and your temper has grown; in the desert, you were very obedient," Xia Daoming said.

Seeing Xia Daoming mention the desert, Ji Wenyue's gaze softened instantly.

That time, not only did Xia Daoming save her, but those days of wandering in the desert as a lone man and woman, apart from some flowery words and a seasoned gaze, he had not offended her in the slightest in his actual actions, and could even be said to have cared for her everywhere.

The former was the grace of saving her life, and the weight of the grace went without saying.

And the latter was the most testing of human nature and the most revealing of human nature.

Xia Daoming's lack of offense and his care for her everywhere showed precious human nature.

It was also that short experience that made Ji Wenyue grow up and mature all of a sudden.

Even because of the stimulation and tempering of that experience, less than three months after returning, with the help of some precious family medicines, she broke through the fifth meridian barrier in one go and became a fifth-rank Great Wu Shi.

A seventeen-year-old fifth-rank Great Wu Shi was definitely a genius figure among the younger generation of many forces in Li Cheng.

"Alright, alright, Brother Xia, I will talk to you, okay? Can you stop looking at people so lewdly? I am still a virgin waiting to be married! If you really want a beauty, Little Sister will arrange one for you," soon Ji Wenyue walked to Xia Daoming's side, looking like a little woman acting coquettishly.

"Damn!" Xia Daoming didn't expect Ji Wenyue to say such words, and looking at her, he was speechless for a while.

Seeing this, a hint of cunning and pride flashed in Ji Wenyue's eyes.

"Wait, you are already a fifth-rank Great Wu Shi!" Xia Daoming stared at Ji Wenyue, noticing a change in her blood and internal force, and said with a face full of surprise and joy.

"Hee hee, am I powerful?" Ji Wenyue smiled at Xia Daoming, proudly puffing out her chest.

"Hmm, indeed powerful!" Xia Daoming's gaze was involuntarily attracted, and he nodded in deep agreement.

"Brother, you..." Ji Wenyue stomped her feet shyly.

"Did I say something wrong?" Xia Daoming pretended to be confused.

"Wait, that's not right; I am not circulating blood and internal force now, Brother, how did you see at a glance that I am a fifth-rank Great Wu Shi? Could it be that you have also..." Ji Wenyue suddenly realized something was wrong, her eyes widening.