Chapter 15: Wanting to Inherit the Legacy, Uninvited Guests (Seeking Monthly Votes)

By the time Pei Shaoqing arrived home, Xie Qingwu was already asleep.

Sleeping quite sensibly on the floor, one small, fair, and flawless foot was exposed outside the quilt; it looked plump yet delicate enough to be held in one hand, the lines of the instep were smooth, pale blue veins were faintly visible, the ankle was slender with distinct bones, the skin on the sole was soft and delicate with a faint pink hue, and the ten toes were slender and well-proportioned.

Pei Shaoqing couldn't help but take a few extra looks; he wasn't a foot fetishist, he simply enjoyed appreciating beautiful things, and it would be the same if it were legs, buttocks, breasts, or a face.

In short, he was not narrow-minded; he was into everything.

The hour was late, and he was too lazy to call for someone to fetch water for washing, so he walked over, picked up Li Jiangjun who was fast asleep on the bed, tossed the cat aside, kicked off his boots, and collapsed onto the bed.

After being tossed to the floor, Li Jiangjun didn't even make a sound; the cat climbed up, yawned, shook its fur, and with a light leap, jumped onto the vanity to find a comfortable position to continue sleeping.

It was a level of proficiency that made one's heart ache.

Pei Shaoqing slept very soundly.

But there were those who could not sleep.

In the main hall of Mo Fu within Tongzhou City, Gongsun Yi was pacing back and forth in anxiety, while his wife, Liu Yuheng, sat to the side, filled with worry, her delicate brows tightly furrowed.

This was because their eldest and youngest disciples, whom they regarded as their own children, had gone out together at dusk and had yet to return.

"Brother Gongsun and sister-in-law, there is no need to worry. I have already sent people to look for them. Young people are playful; perhaps they got carried away and lost track of time, or perhaps they got drunk somewhere. As long as they are still in the city, I believe there will be news soon," comforted the head of the Mo family, Mo Wengui.

He and Gongsun Yi were friends of many years; in their youth, they had traveled the world together, but later, weary of strife, they returned to their hometown of Tongzhou to marry, have children, and settle down, and now they held quite a reputation locally.

This time, Gongsun Yi had come to Tongzhou to visit him.

Gongsun Yi sighed and said apologetically, "These two rebellious disciples have caused you trouble, Brother Mo."

"Brother Gongsun, you are being too formal..."

"Master! Master!" Just then, the Butler hurried in, panting as he said, "There is news, Master. It is a disaster. Young Master Jiang and Miss Zhao got into a conflict with the newly arrived Small Flag Pei of the Jing'an Guard at Hongbin Lou, and they even drew their blades. They have already been arrested. According to the shopkeeper, it seems Miss Zhao was the one who was rude first."

"What!" Liu Yuheng's face turned pale, and she stood up abruptly, her ample bosom heaving. Looking at her husband in extreme anxiety, she said, "Senior Brother, that Jing'an Guard prison is like a living hell; it is no place for a human to be. Who knows how much suffering Yebai and Lan'er will endure once they are inside? We must find a way to save them as soon as possible!"

"How could these two rebellious disciples dare to do such a thing! It is all because you spoiled them!" Gongsun Yi said through gritted teeth. He took a deep breath to calm his mood and looked at Mo Wengui, "Brother Mo, we are strangers in Tongzhou; I fear we can only ask you to step in."

"This is a difficult matter!" Mo Wengui shook his head helplessly and sighed, "I have some friendship with Centurion Zheng. If it were anyone else, even a Banner Chief, I could prepare a generous gift and have them released. But this newly arrived Small Flag Pei is someone with connections that reach the heavens.

According to Centurion Chen Zhongyi, he is the young master of the Weiyuan Marquis family, banished to Tongzhou for committing a fault. But regardless, he is of noble blood, and I hear he is arrogant and overbearing, unable to suffer the slightest grievance, so even Centurion Zheng humors him. Since Young Nephew Jiang and the others have drawn weapons on him, I fear my intervention will have little effect."

To dare to draw blades against a person of power and status—even the Immortals could not save them.

"Ah! This... what is to be done?" Liu Yuheng, usually dignified and composed, lost her composure and was on the verge of tears. Biting her lip, she looked at her husband with shimmering eyes, "Senior Brother, please say something!"

Gongsun Yi said nothing. After a while, he looked at Mo Wengui and said in a dry voice, "Thank you, Brother Mo. I will not make things difficult for you. Please allow my wife and me to discuss whether there is any way out."

"Sigh, my apologies, Brother Gongsun." Mo Wengui apologized with a look of shame and left with the servants.

It was not that he lacked righteousness; he now had children, a large family, and a vast estate, so there were some things he truly dared not get involved in.

"Senior Brother!" Liu Yuheng's small face was deathly pale, and she looked at her husband with tears streaming down her face, "What should we do?"

Gongsun Yi closed his eyes in helplessness.

"Rest assured, I will never abandon them."

…………………………

"My Lord, My Lord?"

Shouts came from outside the room.

Pei Shaoqing sat up from the bed, "What is it?"

The other person and the cat were also woken up. Li Jiangjun immediately jumped to light the lamp, and the room brightened. Xie Qingwu sat up in a daze; the silk quilt slid down, the undergarment was somewhat disheveled, the collar half-open, and the exquisite collarbone and a hint of moist, fair curves were faintly visible.

"Sun Youliang, the Scout, says he has an urgent matter to report."

Pei Shaoqing frowned. For Sun Youliang to come in the middle of the night and disturb his sleep, it must be a matter of great importance.

"Prepare tea and have him wait in the main hall."

"Yes, My Lord."

"You go back to sleep," Pei Shaoqing said to Xie Qingwu, then put on his clothes and shoes and went out.

In the main hall, Sun Youliang, who was waiting quietly, stood up and bowed upon seeing Pei Shaoqing, "I hope you will forgive me, My Lord, for intruding uninvited and disturbing your rest."

"Enough, there is no need for such empty formalities between us," Pei Shaoqing waved his hand and asked straight to the point, "Why do you seek me out so urgently?"

"My Lord." Sun Youliang looked left and right.

Pei Shaoqing waved a hand, "Everyone, leave."

"Yes." Several servants lowered their heads and left.

Only then did Sun Youliang take two steps forward, his expression grave as he whispered, "My Lord, Brother Song and I personally gave the scoundrels who dared to draw weapons before you tonight a proper 'reception,' and that little girl, unable to bear seeing her senior brother being tortured inhumanely, told us a secret in exchange for us stopping."

"What secret?" Pei Shaoqing raised an eyebrow slightly.

Sun Youliang lowered his voice even further, "They are disciples of the Iron Sword Sect from the neighboring Bazhou County. The reason they came to our Tongzhou is to plot for an Immortal Relic."

"Oh?" Pei Shaoqing's expression turned stern, and he urged impatiently, "Quickly, tell me the details."

According to his understanding, the so-called Immortals in this world were, of course, not true Immortals, but merely cultivators.

Although all kinds of miraculous cultivation methods had become waste paper after the exhaustion of Qi, the various magical treasures and spiritual pills left behind by the cultivators of the past were things the world craved.

Every sect, great family, and even the Emperor sent people all over the world to search for these relics.

"Yes!" Sun Youliang began to elaborate.

According to Zhao Zhilan, their trip to Tongzhou was ostensibly to visit an old friend of their master who lived here, Mo Wengui.

But she had accidentally overheard her master and mistress talking at night and learned that the true purpose of this trip was to plot for an Immortal Relic that the Mo family had recently acquired. As for how her master learned of this secret, she did not know.

"They arrived in Tongzhou today and have already checked into Mo Fu. The Mo family has relied on force to bully the common people locally for many years and has considerable wealth and reputation, while that Gongsun Yi also has a reputation in the martial arts world for being kind-hearted and righteous, and yet the two are old friends of many years.

So I speculate that he intended to move into Mo Fu first and then plan accordingly, preferably obtaining the benefit quietly and leaving, so as not to ruin his own reputation or let word leak out and attract others," Sun Youliang said in a low voice.

Pei Shaoqing pondered in silence. After a long while, he patted Sun Youliang on the shoulder and said, "You have done well."

"To be valued by you, My Lord, is already a blessing from Heaven; how would I dare to have any inappropriate desires?" Sun Youliang lowered his head and said.

When he first learned of this news, he had indeed been tempted.

But soon, reason overcame greed.

"Is there anyone watching Zhao Zhilan and the other one?"

Sun Youliang replied, "Brother Song is still over there."

Pei Shaoqing paced in place, lost in thought and silent, his expression shifting uncertainly several times as his mind raced.

Sun Youliang held his breath, not daring to disturb him.

"My lord, there is a man outside claiming to be Gongsun Yi, Sect Leader of the Iron Sword Sect, requesting to see you." Just then, the Butler Chen Youfu ran in with quick, small steps to report.

Pei Shaoqing and Sun Youliang immediately exchanged a look.

(End of this chapter)