Chapter 14

When Murong Fu was usually not around, they feared Li Qingluo's vicious tyranny and did not dare to easily ascend Shanzhuang, but with Murong Fu standing in front to bear the brunt, it was different.

With Murong Fu present, Li Qingluo could not kill or cripple them just because she found them disagreeable to look at.

……

Murong Fu brought his two maids along with Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e up to Shanzhuang, and as usual went to pay his respects to Li Qingluo, only to be stopped by a serving girl who said she was not seeing visitors.

Murong Fu found it strange, so he privately summoned a spy he had planted in Shanzhuang to inquire.

"She had a quarrel with her cousin yesterday, and then became absent-minded?"

Murong Fu was inwardly puzzled: "My cousin actually got into an argument with someone too, and with her own mother at that—could it be because of me?"

Thinking of what Zhu Abi had said earlier, Murong Fu felt he had guessed the truth.

So he cast a triumphant glance toward Li Qingluo's residence, turned around, and went off to find Wang Yuyan.

Wang Yuyan did not go to the Langzhong Cave today, but sat alone among the flowering trees in a daze.

Suddenly, a familiar voice she had been longing for came: "Cousin!"

"Cousin!"

Wang Yuyan instinctively brightened, turned to look, and saw Murong Fu walking toward her.

Wang Yuyan hurriedly rose to greet him, but the very first words out of Murong Fu's mouth made her freeze: "Cousin, the 'Elephant Prajna Art' I gave you—have you grasped the Sixth Layer? Quickly tell your cousin about it!"

The excited expression on Wang Yuyan's face stiffened, and her steps forward halted as well.

Seeing this, Murong Fu also realized he had been too hasty, and immediately shifted his tone, saying softly: "I'm sorry, cousin, your cousin was too impatient. Have you been doing well these past days?"

Wang Yuyan collected herself, forced a strained smile, and said: "I'm fine, I'm doing very well."

"That's good, that's good!" Murong Fu tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan, but for a moment had nothing to say, not knowing what to say.

Wang Yuyan's eyes grew ever more dim, and she forced a smile: "Cousin, I've already grasped the Sixth Layer of the 'Elephant Prajna Art'. I'll tell you about it right now."

Murong Fu was overjoyed: "Good! Then many thanks, cousin!"

So Wang Yuyan recounted her insights and understandings in full detail.

Murong Fu listened carefully, then sat cross-legged on his own and began cultivating on the spot.

Seeing this, Wang Yuyan hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked toward her room.

She first poured a bowl of water, then took out a small porcelain bottle from her bosom, which contained precisely "Truth Water."

Wang Yuyan had intended to pour the "Truth Water" in, but when the moment came, she hesitated again.

Because she was afraid!

Afraid of not getting the answer she wanted!

Wang Yuyan struggled within herself, and just as she was about to give up, she suddenly recalled Jiang Sishui's assessment of her—

A "vase" with no self in her soul!

Wang Yuyan clenched her teeth, and her gaze gradually grew firm: "No! I can no longer deceive myself, I must know the truth!"

Saying so, she opened the bottle, about to pour the "Truth Water" into the bowl.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind: "Young Lady!"

014 Murong Fu: Marry you? You're not worthy!

This shout was utterly abrupt, and Wang Yuyan was already feeling guilty and flustered, so she was startled badly.

Her hand trembled, and the small porcelain bottle slipped from her grasp.

In an instant, three girls' startled cries rang out at once.

Yet none of them managed to catch it, and could only watch helplessly as the small porcelain bottle fell to the ground…

The imagined scene of the bottle shattering and water splashing did not occur—whether by coincidence, the small porcelain bottle happened to land right on its base, and not a single drop of the "Truth Water" inside splashed out.

Wang Yuyan let out a long breath of relief, yet still feeling the after-shock, she turned to look at the two maids entering the door, a faint pique on her face: "Zhu Abi, Zhu Abi, you two…"

"Please don't be angry, Young Lady, we didn't mean to!" Zhu Abi hurriedly apologized.

But Zhu Abi's eyes rolled shrewdly, and she picked up the small porcelain bottle from the ground, feigning puzzlement: "Young Lady, what is inside this? Just now it seemed you were about to pour it into this water—who is this water meant for?"

When asked like this, Wang Yuyan realized that her attempt to dose Murong Fu with "Truth Water" had been discovered.

And the ones who had stumbled upon it were her cousin's maids!

This threw her into great disarray, and she stammered, unable to speak.

Zhu Abi's eyes flickered, a smile in her gaze, and she pressed on relentlessly: "Young Lady wouldn't be planning to give this to the Young Master to drink, would you?"

Wang Yuyan, having her inner thoughts pierced, was even more startled.

But she was no fool after all—only in front of Murong Fu would she be muddled by blind love; when facing others, her IQ did not drop.

After the instinctive panic passed, Wang Yuyan suddenly calmed down and fixed a careful gaze on Zhu Abi.

Zhu Abi, stared at so intently, could not help but lose some of her momentum.

No matter how you looked at it, she was only a maid; daring to speak to Wang Yuyan like this was overstepping.

Although Wang Yuyan was usually on good terms with the two of them and did not treat them as servants, if one got serious about it, this would be their crime of a subordinate offending a superior—they deserved a beating or punishment!

This was the innate disadvantage brought by status.

"Young Lady, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Zhu Abi touched her own cheek.

But Wang Yuyan, without so much as a blink, gazed at her, then gently parted her vermilion lips and uttered four words: "Diary copy!"

Once the words left her mouth, there was no change.

Wang Yuyan understood at once: "As I expected, you also have a diary copy."

Earlier she had seen Zhu Abi and Zhu Abi's names in the diary's contents, and had guessed they might also possess a diary copy; now that she tested it, it was indeed so.

And this meant Zhu Abi and Zhu Abi knew what was inside this small porcelain bottle!

"Zhu Abi, you dare to tease me now?" Wang Yuyan's face was expressionless, but her words carried a hint of anger.

"This servant wouldn't dare!" Zhu Abi hurriedly lowered her head.

Even A Bi dared not make a sound.

Wang Yuyan took the small porcelain bottle from A Zhu and said, "Since you also have a copy of the diary, you know what's inside—now are you going to stop me?"

A Zhu and A Bi exchanged a glance and shook their heads together: "We dare not!"

Seeing this, Wang Yuyan no longer pressed the matter, turned, and poured the "Truth Water" into the bowl.

Standing there stunned for a long while, Wang Yuyan sighed softly: "If you want to hear your Young Master's true words, follow along after this."

With that, Wang Yuyan picked up the bowl of water and stepped out the door.

"A Zhu sister, what should we do?" A Bi tugged at A Zhu's sleeve.

A Zhu sighed: "What else can we do? Didn't you see the Young Lady is angry? We agreed this matter is beyond us—let's just go and see."

"Just see?"

"We'll see if there's an opportunity."

……

Not long after Wang Yuyan returned to the spot, Murong Fu ended his cultivation and rose, his face glowing with delight as he praised without restraint: "Your martial talent, Cousin, is truly peerless in the world!"

"It is said the Elephant Prajna Art's first layer is accessible to all, but each subsequent layer becomes exponentially harder."

"The Mi Sect of Zangzhou has preserved this art for generations; their greatest achiever reached only the Ninth Layer—and that man went mad shortly after mastering it. Only in this generation did the gifted Golden Wheel Dharma King break through to the Tenth Layer!"

"Now, after only half a year of acquiring this divine art, you have penetrated the Sixth Layer—clearly, even the Golden Wheel Dharma King falls far short of you."

"The Mi Sect of Zangzhou is nothing!"

Murong Fu threw back his head and laughed loudly.

Wang Yuyan sighed gently: "Young Master, do not underestimate the heroes of the world. I've heard the Mi Sect of Zangzhou has one named Eight Saba, who is extraordinarily formidable—he is…"

"Enough, enough, I already know all this—no need for you to add another word," Murong Fu felt Wang Yuyan was lecturing him, and his patience wore thin.

Seeing his attitude had changed so drastically from before, Wang Yuyan's heart ached, yet it also strengthened her resolve.

She turned, picked up the bowl of water beside her, and said: "Young Master, are you tired from cultivation? Drink some water."

"Mm." Murong Fu had no suspicion; under Wang Yuyan's tense gaze, he took the bowl and drank it all.

After finishing, he handed the empty bowl back to Wang Yuyan and said: "Cousin, I have matters to attend to—I'm leaving now."

With that, before Wang Yuyan could reply, he turned to depart.

Yet after taking only two steps, he froze in place.

"Young Master? Young Master?"

Wang Yuyan softly called twice from behind; seeing Murong Fu show no reaction, she stepped before him.

Murong Fu's eyes were hollow and lifeless, staring blankly into the distance, as if he had lost his soul and become a walking corpse.

"Is this the effect of the Truth Water?"

Wang Yuyan steadied herself, not daring to waste time, and asked: "Young Master, do you still remember who I am?"