54. Once Again, the Mischief of Mice

The girl burst into laughter and said, “Miss, those from reputable sects would never act irresponsibly…”

“You mean…” The young lady squinted her eyes, though they were already small to begin with, so now they narrowed into a single line.

“Didn’t Master once catch a scoundrel and find some miraculous medicine on him called ‘Spring Breeze Eighteen Degrees’? There’s talk of both powder and pills—if you take the pill, you’ll desperately seek out whoever carries the scent of the powder. So, Miss, you sprinkle the powder on yourself, then I’ll make Young Master Xie swallow the pill, and he’ll come looking for you. Wouldn’t that mean we could…hehehe…” The maid schemed mischievously.

Of course, if Xie Wuyi knew the maid he had rescued planned to harm him, he’d surely lament the coldness of the world.

The young lady was delighted upon hearing this, her plump figure quivering with laughter. “Very well, I’ll leave it all to you, Xiaohong!”

“Don’t worry, Miss!” Maid Xiaohong departed.

Meanwhile, Xie Wuyi saw that night had fallen and decided to rest, intending to spend one night in the magistrate’s home, then explore Fire Dragon County at dawn.

Fat Dragon and Skinny Tiger, being close brothers, shared a room, while propriety kept Xie Wuyi and Dongmen Qianyun apart, so Xie Wuyi slept in a servant’s room. The chamber was elegantly simple—just a bed, a wardrobe, a square table, and two benches.

But Xie Wuyi couldn’t sleep, burdened with worries. He had three major concerns.

First was the Undying Longevity Sect; he’d finally found a second protector, but their cultivation method required a third-grade Golden Core to connect. It was like getting a driver’s license: only scores over ninety passed, but you could retake the test many times—whereas forming the Golden Core was a one-time opportunity. If Xie Wuyi managed only a ninth-grade core, he could forget learning the Undying True Fire or reviving the sect—it would be pure fantasy.

Second was the matter of the Grand Elder. He knew the Grand Elder aimed to bring him down, especially after the reckless Fire Tail Chickens had caused disaster. If Elder Ding learned of it, he’d almost certainly act without restraint. While Xie Wuyi could handle Shi Zhenxiang, facing Elder Ding was asking for death. Even Dongmen Yong couldn’t deal with Elder Ding, who was also the culprit behind Old Master Qin’s murder; if Xie Wuyi didn’t avenge this, he’d never forgive himself.

Lastly, the recent palace incident: he’d muddled his way into becoming the Emperor’s brother, the younger sibling of Cloud Kingdom’s Empress. Love unspoken weighs on the heart, and truth is hard to confess. He wished to reveal his identity to Bai Liuli and tell her about Song Xiaoyu’s whereabouts, but if he hadn’t brought Song Xiaoyu along and blurted out his identity, he’d only harm himself and his friends.

With all this on his mind, sleep eluded Xie Wuyi; his scalp tingled with anxiety.

“Master Xie?” A knock sounded, a woman’s voice.

“Come in,” Xie Wuyi responded, not yet undressed.

The visitor was maid Xiaohong, who bowed her head and said, “During the day, you saved my life, sir. I am deeply grateful, so I specially prepared some snow fungus and lotus seed porridge for you. If you don’t mind, please enjoy it while it’s still hot.”

The fragrant aroma of lotus seed porridge lifted Xie Wuyi’s mood. He wiped his hands and said, “I was feeling a bit hungry, thank you, Xiaohong.”

“Then I won’t disturb you while you eat.” Xiaohong smiled behind her hand, took the tray, glanced around, and hurried off to report back to her mistress.

Unbeknownst to them, everything Xiaohong did in Xie Wuyi’s room was closely watched by someone on the roof.

That person was none other than Shi Zhentian. Shi Zhentian gnawed his finger, feeling deeply disgruntled. He glanced at the steamed bun in his hand, then at the enticing bowl of lotus seed porridge on Xie Wuyi’s table, and nearly drooled a river.

Slurp!

He sucked in his saliva, but the noise was so loud that Xie Wuyi heard it. He was about to sip his porridge when he paused, sensing something amiss. “Was that a rat?”

Xie Wuyi checked the surroundings; there was nothing likely to be a rat, given the sparse furnishings. Rats usually favored granaries, and this was no granary.

He set down the bowl, wondering if a rat might be outside. He hated rats, ever since one bit his finger during a New Year’s night at home as a child—since then, he’d harbored a fierce dislike.

Xie Wuyi stepped outside, and Shi Zhentian seized the moment to slip in through the window.

Shi Zhentian, looking sly, chuckled. “This idiot actually left—is he off to the outhouse? Well, this bowl of porridge is mine now! Hehehe…”

He proceeded to devour the entire bowl of snow fungus and lotus seed porridge, licking up every last bit until it gleamed in the lamplight, cleaner than if scrubbed with a loofah.

Xie Wuyi, failing to find any rats, sighed and returned to his room, only to see the empty bowl. Furious, he shouted, “Wherever you’re hiding, you damned rat! You’ve eaten every drop of my porridge—not even a spoonful left!”

On the roof, Shi Zhentian peered through a gap between the tiles, watching and listening. He covered his mouth, laughing until tears streamed down his face, though he made no sound.

For Shi Zhentian, this was perfect. He could have simply poisoned Xie Wuyi, ending him quickly, but after seeing how his brother Shi Zhenxiang had suffered at Xie Wuyi’s hands, he couldn’t let Xie die so easily—he’d torment him mentally first.

Now, feeling he’d achieved his goal, Shi Zhentian was quite pleased.

Suddenly, Shi Zhentian felt a burning heat throughout his body. He looked around and muttered, “That’s odd, tonight should be the first frost—why’s it so hot?”

He wandered, eventually moving to another rooftop, but his body felt increasingly odd, and soon he stripped off all his clothes.

“What’s going on tonight?” he said.

Just then, Shi Zhentian caught a whiff of a scent so intoxicating he was utterly entranced. Instinctively, he followed it.

Meanwhile, in Miss Lu Xianglan’s room, she and Xiaohong were together. Xiaohong said, “I didn’t lie—Master Xie even said he was hungry, so he must have finished the porridge. He’s probably unable to resist and will come find you soon!”

“Hehehe… That’s wonderful. Marrying Master Xie would be a hundred times better than joining Fire Dragon Sect,” the young lady replied.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Lu Xianglan hurriedly said, “Hide! Blow out the lamp!”

“Yes, Miss!” the maid replied.

A man entered, walking unsteadily, and soon approached Lu Xianglan’s bedside. Lu Xianglan shifted her ample figure, giggling softly, “Master Xie…”

“So fragrant, so fragrant!” the visitor mumbled.

Lu Xianglan had already scattered plenty of powder herself, and suddenly she pulled the man into her embrace.

In less than three minutes, the lamp was relit, and Lu Xianglan saw that it wasn’t Xie Wuyi before her, but Shi Zhentian. Shi Zhentian, seeing the young lady’s face, paled in horror—and so did she.

“Ahhh!”

A piercing scream echoed through the entire magistrate’s office, waking everyone. Without a word, Shi Zhentian fled, forgetting his clothes, leaving the bedroom at lightning speed, while Lu Xianglan’s face was ghostly pale.

“Miss, what just happened?”

“I should ask you! What happened? My innocence—oh, I was still a maiden, and now… If my father finds out, won’t he…” Lu Xianglan moaned in despair.

Xiaohong bit her lip and hurriedly said, “Master and Madam must never hear of this—just say it was a rat, a big rat! Miss, hurry and dress, you shouted so loudly just now, people will be here any moment!”