“Bro, what are those two girls doing at this time of the day? This old man is baffled watching them,” Xiao Huangquan commented.
Why you asking me? I’m more befuddled than you are.
Luo Mingzhu slammed her foot onto the ground: “Th-that’s not what I was trying to do.”
“Then, what were you trying to do? You stalked me all the way here from the hall. I knew all along you were behind me. You’re also the one who tripped me, aren’t you? How else could you explain you coincidentally appearing the moment I fall?”
“I did not! I just went to help you out of the kindness of my heart when I saw you fall from behind.”
Su Xiao squinted: “Can’t deny you were tailing me now, can you?!”
Nice, Xiao, throwing a long line to catch a big fish. You’re getting smarter, I see.
With rosy cheeks, Luo Mingzhu clarified, “I-I was following you, but that’s only because I have something to tell you.”
Miss Luo, now you’re just being insulting. If you followed a man from dawn until dusk, unless he owes you money, you’re basically calling us morons if that’s not evidence you have a crush on him.
“You gave me your clan’s token so that I can demand your clan’s swordsmen to aid me.”
Oh, you little foxy. You want Su Xiao to feel grateful for the help even if he doesn’t win. Unluckily for you, you played your cards wrong – terribly wrong.
“You are encouraging me to cheat. I am a man of honour…”
I quickly sealed a meridian on Xiao Huangquan as he went to reactively scream after tugging his beard stupidly hard.
“… As a man who carries himself with honour, I cannot cheat. If I lose tomorrow, so be it. If I must lose, I will lose honourably.”
While Luo Mingzhu’s heart palpitated at Su Xiao’s stubbornness that was synonymous with stupidity, it also hurt.
“Your kind offer is not helping me but insulting me. Further, it is inappropriate for you to be chasing me when you are a girl. Please have some self-respect.”
“I-I was just worried for you because you’re young and not very strong. I would help anyone, even hopeless pets, if they were in a similar situation. What’s so inappropriate about that?!”
“Who said I’m not strong?!”
As a veteran of life, I could tell the two lasses hadn’t and weren’t getting to the heart of the problem. Firstly, we only had two teams that qualified to partake in the competition: His Majesty’s Li Clan team and my Mount Daluo team. Su Xiao wasn’t in either team! It clearly never occurred to Luo Mingzhu, and Su Xiao was probably too delusional to realise it.
Bloody idiots!
“You are unappreciative. You make it sound as if I am trying to court you. Stop spreading gold on your face.”
Even though they just gave each other a tongue lashing, I was pretty certain Luo Mingzhu left a deep impression on Su Xiao thanks to it.
“A decent-looking girl chasing after a man at night, hmph! Promiscuous girl!” Su Xiao headed in the opposite direction Luo Mingzhu went off in a huff.
Su Xiao is going to be hacked to death sooner or later because of his attitude. I should teach him some women’s self-defence when I have a spare minute.
“Is that your current partner? Hoho. Hoho.”
I answered, “Yeah, and the future leader of your Liu Shan Men, Shen Yiren’s favourite subordinate.”
Xiao Huangquan recoiled, afraid for Liu Shan Men’s future. I knew he was still worried about Liu Shan Men. Consider it my little assist for Boss.
“You leaving?”
“The assassin after me has left. I’ve caught up with my friend. I’ve also watched a show, so what should I stay for? I’ll send you the help you need tomorrow. I’m busy. Laters.”
“And what can you do when you still have those eyes?”
“I have my ways.”
I still have plenty of time until eleven, but I have plenty of things to keep me busy until then. First and foremost, I need to catch Wugufengdeng!
***
I spoke to several until my throat was dry prior to dropping by Boss’ room, which I made to at the appointed time. When it was time to knock, however, my nerves suddenly felt frayed, though I wasn’t sure if it was because of the nice scent coming from her room or the fact that it was late at night. It was strange to me since it wasn’t the first time I had been alone with a woman in her room late at night.
Think of our principled ancestors. Be upright. Be upright, Ming Feizhen.
Upon hearing knocks on her door, Boss questioned, “Who is it?”
I was going to welcome myself in; I didn’t expect the question. Owing to me still focusing on our ancestors’ teachings, I replied, “Uh, Sister-in-law, it’s Wu Song.”
Boss Shen yanked open the door and whacked me across the face with her inkstone. I grabbed my cheek and squatted down.
“What nonsense was that?” Boss had on a plain white dress, putting Luo Mingzhu to shame. She tucked her arms under her mountains and questioned, “Wu what?”
“… I was just trying to lighten up the atmosphere,” I mumbled under my breath whilst rubbing my cheek.
“… Come in.” Boss spun around and ordered, “Tomorrow’s team has been decided. It’ll be you, me and als-”
“Us and Tie Hanyi, yeah? I already know.”
“No, Tie Hanyi has to join Dugu’s team, so Su Xiao is joining our team.”
“What? Why?”
“A light… dropped on His Majesty, so he can’t fight tomorrow. Do you know what happened? He was saying something about, ‘He jinxed me. Whatever he said was the incantation that dropped the light.’”
I switched from a straight face to a stoic face: “You misunderstand, Sister-in-law, Wu Song does not know anything about that!”
Whack!
Glossary
Wu Song and Sister-in-law joke – For those who recognise the name Wu Song, it, indeed, is a reference to Wu Song and Pan Jinlian (Water Margin).
For those who don’t know (this is a brief summary of the relevant arc), Pan Jinlian, originally a maid of a rich man, marries Wu Song’s elder brother, Wu Dalang, to escape her boss’ advances. She immediately falls for Wu Song upon meeting him due to his looks. Upon returning from an escort job, Wu Song discovers Pan Jinlian (his sister-in-law) was having an affair with Ximen Qing (a merchant). Wu Song’s suspicion that his brother didn’t die from a sudden illness as his sister-in-law claims is proved correct after a guy named Brother Yun tips him off that Pan Jinlian murdered Wu Dalang. Wu Song seeks out the local magistrate in hopes of seeking justice for his brother. Unfortunately, Ximen Qing had bribed the magistrate, so the couple gets off scot-free. Wu Song, therefore, takes matters into his own hands. At his brother’s wake, he holds Pan Jinlian at knife point to make her confess to her crime then beheads and disembowels her. After that, he goes off to kill Ximen Qing.
So, if Ming Feizhen is Wu Song and Shen Yiren is his sister-in-law, then she is Pan Jinlian. See why she used her Divine Inkstonesmanship now?