Chapter 5: There

The moon hung above the branches, outside the Dan Wang Fu.

The Dan Wang and the reigning Emperor were full brothers born of the same mother, their bond close and their status exalted; their food stipend of ten Battalion Commander ranked first among all princes, and he also served as Governor of Danzhou, wielding military and administrative authority over the entire province.

County offices, palace guards, Dan Yang Academy, and other government institutions were all clustered around the Wang Fu.

As night deepened, Dan Yang City became an endless sea of lanterns, with towering buildings lining both banks of the inner river.

Xie Jinhuan sat alone on the rooftop edge facing away from the bright moon; below, in a tavern, a storyteller was recounting strange tales and ancient anecdotes:

"Nangong Xianzi is the foremost beauty of the Daoist sect; a poem says: 'Jade skin, ice bones, born from a jade terrace, her national beauty and peerless talent, surely the hand of heaven's brush, how could such a flower bloom in mortal realms…'

"How could a demoness from a witch sect compare to such a mortal flower of wealth and grace? Overcome with shame and envy, she cast a 'Love Gu' upon Nangong Xianzi..."

The story concerns Nangong Ye, the current head of Mount Zihui.

Mount Zihui's sect headquarters lies just outside Dan Yang City, with a lineage spanning over six hundred years—among the top-tier famous sects even in the Great Gan, and Qixia True Person was its former head.

Nangong Ye was Qixia True Person's disciple; not only was her Dao cultivation profound, her sword art stood unrivaled in Danzhou—she was, in fact, Xie Jinhuan's childhood dream bride.

But now, Xie Jinhuan had no leisure to dwell on such thoughts.

He had just received news of his father's death in the line of duty—a devastating blow—and he refused to believe the old man was truly gone; this matter must be investigated thoroughly.

But clearly, he could not leave now.

Worse still, the imperial court had noticed the demonic aura emanating from Mount Zihui; he had been fully involved, yet lost consciousness—should he be discovered, he would have no defense, and his life might end here.

Xie Jinhuan was still legally innocent; if he vanished, he would become the prime suspect, and he would also implicate Yang Dabiao, who had bailed him out—so despite the immense risk, he had no choice but to remain in Dan Yang.

Meiqiu, having eaten and drunk her fill, had become lively again; she squatted on the rooftop gazing at distant fireworks, tugging fiercely at Xie Jinhuan's sleeve, clearly wanting him to take her out for a stroll.

But Xie Jinhuan had promised to stay near Yang Dabiao; upon discovering the inn prices around the Wang Fu were absurdly high, he'd hired a broker to rent a single room on short notice, and was now waiting for a reply.

As he quietly observed, the broker had not yet returned, when Xie Jinhuan spotted a large group of young men and women in green robes emerging from Wen Cheng Street, all carrying medicine chests and book cases, many accompanied by luxurious carriages—they were clearly students of Dan Yang Academy dispersing after class.

Dan Yang Academy was a national university, second only to the Imperial Academy in Luo Jing, housing three colleges: 'Chong Wen, Wu Bei, Dan Yi'—roughly equivalent to 'Liberal Arts, STEM, and Medicine.'

Xie Jinhuan had once studied everything and had dreamed of entering this elite academy as its top scholar, but unfortunately, he had not yet reached enrollment age when his father was transferred to Lingnan.

Now, seeing these students, Xie Jinhuan glanced curiously for a moment—but before long, he noticed Meiqiu, who had been shaking her head, suddenly tilting hers toward Zheng Lun Jian:

"Gū jī?"

Xie Jinhuan thought a tiny insect had crawled onto Zheng Lun Jian, but when he picked it up to inspect, he found nothing unusual; instead, a sudden, loud horse neigh erupted from below the street:

"Sī——"

Tí dá tí dá…

…

—

Along the riverside street, lanterns blazed as bright as day, countless students pouring out of Wen Cheng Street and scattering into surrounding alleys.

Among them, a carriage bearing a wooden plaque marked 'Lin' moved slowly along the road, its window open, revealing the face of a young girl.

The girl's face was like carved jade, her tea-green ruqun resembling spring rivers and mountain landscapes; her bright, sparkling eyes gazed at the streetside, curiously listening to urban gossip:

"Dong Cang Fang has erupted into chaos—reports say over a dozen people died…"

"The entire street has been sealed off…"

…

Inside the carriage, the space was spacious; besides the soft couch and seats, a small yellow pearwood table stood beside the window, bearing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, where a woman in a green robe was writing.

The woman was tall and slender-waisted, her full, heavy bosom wrapped in a smooth skirt that curved like a ripe peach at the small of her back.

Her face, unadorned with powder, appeared plain at first glance, but her distant-mountain eyebrows and cherry lips, upon closer inspection, carried a subtle, alluring charm—like a peony blooming quietly amid mist.

The woman's name was Lin Wanyi; she was not a student of Dan Yang Academy, but the Young Lady of a royal physician family from Jingcheng, currently serving as a guardian accompanying her young relative Lin Zisu in her studies.

Seeing Zisu gazing around, clearly eager to run off and play, Lin Wanyi gave her a solemn warning:

"Zisu, when studying at the Academy, you must focus on your lessons—don't wander off constantly. The outside world is dangerous now; demons have appeared in Dan Yang City—if you encounter a villain who kidnaps you and uses you as a furnace…"

Lin Zisu, aged sixteen, dressed like a refined young lady of a noble family, but with a mischievous nature, turned her head and sized up Lin Wanyi:

"What use would a villain have kidnapping a half-grown girl? In my opinion, Xiao Yi should be worried about yourself. You're the blossom of Jingcheng—your big white butt, even I, a girl, want to pinch it…"

"Zisu!"

Lin Wanyi adopted a stern expression, trying to quell this insolent little brat.

But before she could scold her, the carriage lurched violently, throwing both women off balance, while outside came a piercing horse neigh and shouts:

"Sī~~——"

"Get out of the way…"

Tí dá tí dá…

Lin Wanyi quickly steadied herself and turned to see two powerful steeds, inexplicably panicked, had broken free from the driver's reins and charged straight toward the inner river.

Her heart leapt; she leapt from the carriage, grabbing the swinging reins—but the two horses, as if possessed, kicked wildly, instantly overturning street stalls.

Bōng—

Huā lā lā…

Seeing she could not rein them in, Lin Wanyi immediately moved to carry Zisu away from the carriage—but as she seized Zisu's wrist, she heard a voice from nearby:

Hū~

A white shadow descended from above, flashing forward.

Then her waist tightened, the world spun, and she was lifted into the air.

?!

Lin Wanyi, caught off guard, instantly gripped the stranger's arm; her vision filled with whirling lanterns and the face of a young man.

The man wore a white brocade robe, his features handsome and radiant, exuding righteous energy; his attire suggested a wealthy nobleman, but his eyes were extraordinary.

In a fleeting glance, she saw those eyes—close as breath—cold as a mountain spring, bright as moonlight; though devoid of warmth, they held the softness of water and the radiance of the moon.

Lin Wanyi could not fathom how a young man could possess such an otherworldly bearing.

She clearly hadn't anticipated that there could be such a heartless idle man who, to outcompete the local natives, had trained his posture and bearing since age three, persisting for over a decade!

So when she suddenly saw this ascetic-style godlike man, she froze for a moment.

Tap~

Soon, the three of them spiraled through the air in a circle and landed steadily beneath the eaves.

Boom—

The out-of-control carriage crashed into the river with a thunderous roar, startling the nearby townsfolk:

"My heavens…"

"What's going on?"

……

The patrol officers along the riverbanks also sprinted toward the spot where it had plunged in.

Xie Jinhuan landed beneath the tavern's eaves, gazing at the young woman in the blue dress in his arms; he had intended to offer some concern, but quickly noticed something odd.

The young woman in the blue dress, whether in face or figure, could be called a peerless beauty—yet she wore a pair of 'glasses'.

The gold-threaded glasses were exquisitely crafted, rivaling modern craftsmanship; Xie Jinhuan had seen such objects before in Jingcheng, but only worn by elderly scholars in academies.

This young woman in blue had some cultivation foundation; by all logic, she shouldn't be nearsighted, and the skin beneath her robes felt slightly chilly, as if something was off…

But unfortunately, before he could examine her further, the young woman with glasses snapped out of her daze, blushed faintly, and pulled away from his embrace, bowing gracefully:

"Thank you, Young Master, for saving me."

Lin Zisu turned her head and spotted the handsome Young Master with an aura stretching eight feet high; she quickly bowed with clasped hands:

"I am Lin Zisu, nicknamed 'Poison Hand Medic Miss'—may I ask your name, Young Master?"

Medic Miss?

Xie Jinhuan glanced at the nearby girl radiating spiritual energy; seeing she had no Adam's apple, he quietly exhaled in relief:

"Xie Jinhuan. A pleasure."

Lin Zisu was about to thank him when her peripheral vision caught a jet-black eagle descending from the rooftop, landing on Xie Jinhuan's shoulder and tugging at his collar to pull him away.

"Wow~ Such a black eagle! Is this yours, Young Master?"

"Mm, her name is Meiqiu…"

Xie Jinhuan nudged Meiqiu, trying to get his personal maid to stop causing trouble.

But soon, he realized Meiqiu was acting strangely—she looked panicked, persistently tugging him outward.

Recalling carefully, the carriage's sudden loss of control had been abrupt; he'd been focused on rescuing the woman and hadn't noticed this detail.

And that strange voice shouting "Wait!" at noon—then Meiqiu suddenly bristled and crashed into the bandit hideout…

Could there be something foul near me?!

Realizing something was wrong, Xie Jinhuan's heart turned half-cold; he dared not linger, and turned to leave:

"I have other matters to attend to. I must take my leave."

"Huh?"

Lin Wanyi, who had been watching the fallen carriage, hadn't even finished speaking when she saw him departing; she hurriedly called out:

"Young Master, you saved us, yet I haven't even thanked you—if you have time, please come to the Lin Family Clinic… to… to…"

Before she could finish, the man and the bird vanished at the alley's mouth, with no reply.

Lin Wanyi stared, utterly bewildered.

Lin Zisu hadn't expected any man would ignore her aunt; gazing at the direction Xie Jinhuan had disappeared, she asked:

"This Young Master is so cold—Auntie, who is he?"

"His bearing is extraordinary—he must be a noble youth from Jingcheng."

"Oh…"

……

(End of Chapter)