Chapter 368: Assassin reappears!
Carts traveled through the wilderness, snow covered the mountain paths.
It was rare to see a person, though there were occasionally snow hares and pheasants jumping between the bushes. It added a little bit of joy to this group of travelers.
The public path had been flooded by the blizzard last night, and they could only rely on the superficial outline of the path and the path created by the mounted scouts in front.
The road was steep and slippery, and it was extremely inconvenient to walk in.
Ning Xinhai had persuaded Cui Xiaoxin several times to summon the hummingbirds to let carry her back to Tiandu. But Cui Xiaoxin refused, hoping to enjoy this ethereal world after the snow.
Ning Xinhai, without any other choice, had to send more mounted scouts around, while he and a number of Cui family bodyguards raised their vigilance to protect the young lady….
Last night's assassin had not been caught, and probably wouldn't be found for a while. Since the assassination had failed, who knows whether they will make a reckless move and run into danger?
Cui Xiaoxin was holding a hand warmer, while Li Shinian was holding Snowball to warm her hands.
Cui Xiaoxin looked at Snowball, asking: "This is a flying rabbit?"
"Yes" Li Shinian nodded. "I heard that it was captured from the Flower language plains."
"The Lu family is very nice to you. They treat you like their own daughter." Cui Xiaoxin said with a smile. "
"Yes." Li Shinian nodded. "Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu are very kind to me. Sometimes it makes me wonder if I’m their daughter."
"Do you know the daughter of the Lu family, Miss Lu Qiji?"
"I don’t know." Li Shinian shook her head. "I heard that she went to Starry Sky Academy to study. By the time I arrived at the Lu mansion, she had left already.""
"Intelligent and icy cold, like a celestial being. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."
"More beautiful than Sister Xiaxoin?" Li Shinian asked with a smile.
"A lot better than I am."
"I don’t believe it." Li Shinian shook her head. "They say that among the three bright moons of the kingdom, Lu Qiji is cool and elegant, Song Chenxi is delicate and the most sweet tempered is of course our Sister Xixoin. However, no matter what they say, in my heart Sister Xiaoxin is the most beautiful."
"Before it is the three bright moons, but now there is a fourth bright moon. On innocence, it is Li Shinian." Cui Xiaxoin joked. "Your fame is not any weaker than ours now."
"The nosy people are babbling nonsense." Li Shinian shook her head and said: "There are people who have praised me, but there are more people that have scolded me. I know. All three of you are of noble birth and from a wealthy family. But those people put us all together, wouldn't people scold me? It makes me furious."
"People that slander have evil intentions. Everyone is aware of your beauty, you deserve to become a bright moon of Tiandu."
Li Shinian shook her head. "I do not want to be a bright moon, I want to be a little star by the Moon."
"Shinian why undervalue yourself, your personality is most lovable."
"Of course. Even the big monks want to trick me into their temple. This proves that I am also very amazing." Li Shinian nodded.
The two people looked at one another and burst into laughter.
Burning incense and sipping tea, conversing with a close friend and admiring the boundless snow. These were all elegant matters.
Li Muyang did not receive as good treatment as Li Shinian and Cui Xiaoxin. Just like when he came, he was still sitting in Cui Meng's cart.
The carriage was filled up with goods and he could not go in to avoid the wind and snow.
He had no choice but to sit in the front of the carriage with Cui Meng, facing the cold wind, and snow falling above. He was sitting on a cart that was sliding from time to time and may be overturned at any moment back to Tiandu.
Cui Meng although tall and strong, but his face had turned purple red from the freezing temperatures, teeth chattering.
Li Muyang possessed profound cultivation, and was obviously unafraid of this cold. But he had to let others see that he was afraid.
So, when Cui Meng’s face turned purple-red, he used his inner strength to make his face turn purple-red.
When Cui Meng was chattering his teeth, he also imitated him, incessantly grinding his teeth.
Fighting the wind and cold was not tiring, but acting was exhausting.
Fortunately Cui Xiaoxin was kind-hearted and rewarded everyone with a bottle of bamboo leaf liquor. As the strong alcoholic drink entered the throat, their frozen and stiff body felt a little warmer.
"Our Miss——" Cui Meng belched, his eyes red as he continued, "is very kind. Whoever gets to marry our Miss is extremely fortunate."
Li Muyang took a sip of the wine, nodding: "You’re right."
"Hey, your family’s Miss is too." "
"You really have good taste."
"Li Mu, you really have guts, you even dare to provoke Butler Ning. Do you know that Butler Ning is a powerful figure in the Cui household. He can hit and scold the bodyguards of the Cui family as he likes, whoever sees him will hide away ——— He is extremely fond of Miss Xiaoxin, he has followed Miss to Jiangnan for many years. Miss Xiaoxin also trusts him very much. Now that you have angered him, would you have any good fruit to eat?"
"That doesn’t allow him to take away my stuff." Li Muyang said loudly.
"Hey, if he wants it, can you hold onto it?"
"I can hold onto it." Li Muyang stated.
"Hey——" Cui Meng lifted the wine by the neck. "You are different from others after all. We are all cart drivers, we will be scolded or punished for a slight transgression. While you, Li Mu, is leisurely and carefree all day long, you do not have do care about anything, and the two Miss speaks to you in a soft and polite voice. How do you look like a cart driver? You're more like a master."
Li Muyang smiled and said, "It because I take care of the rabbit, and I saved the life of Miss Xiaoxin? A person needs to have good fortune to have a good life. You don’t have a good life."
"You're right." Cui Meng flung his wrist, whipping the horseback, and the steed pulled the carriage madly forward.
The carriage wheels rumbled, pressing on the soft snow and producing crunching sounds.
As the carriage went away into the distance, the silhouette blurred, and a white figure appeared on the edge of the roadside.
He looked to the direction of Tiandu, a bloodthirsty light flashing in his red eyes.
As the snow was getting heavier, the motorcade had to slow down. Sometimes seeing the beautiful scenery, Cui Xiaoxin and Li Shinian got off to see and play.
Walking and stopping, it was dark when they arrived at the Tiandu’s city gate.
Cui Xiaoxin let the carraige return first, while she personally took Li Shinian back home.
Ning Xinhai hesitated for a moment, and then ordered everyone else to leave. He personally served as a cart driver to send the two Miss home.
As Li Muyang said goodbye to Cui Meng, Cui Meng asked when Li Muyang would buy him a drink. He still remembered the thing that Li Muyang had promised. Li Muyang thought for a moment and remembered that Lu Xingkong’s birthday was soon, and he probably wouldn't be going back to school in these few days. He answered in these two day, saying that he could not act as he pleased.
Cui Meng nodded. "Indeed. We have to go with our master's time. The master wants to use the carriage and we have to hurry and come over."
Li Muyang patted him on the shoulder, and then followed the carriage back to the Lu mansion.
At the entrance to the Lu mansion, Li Shinian and Cui Xiaoxin were reluctant to part, and finally agreed to see each other again in a few days.
After the carriage left, Li Muyang and Li Shinian returned to the courtyard where their family resides in.
Li Shinian closed the courtyard door, and immediately seemed to be brought back to life, holding Li Muyang by the arm. "Brother, tell me quickly, what happened between you and Sister Xiaoxin?"
"Can't hold yourself back any longer?" Li Muyang asked with a smile.
"Tell me quickly, how did you save Sister Xiaoxin? What did you see under the hot spring?"
"I forgot." Li Muyang said, raising his head.
"I’ll bite you." Li Shinian pounced over at Li Muyang.
Li Muyang hurriedly ran away, Li Shinian madly chased after behind. They resumed the life that they had at Jiangnan.
Luo Qi heard her children’s voices and at once came out to greet them.
Seeing Li Muyang's rosy face, she thought that he was freezing, and hurriedly brought a cotton-padded coat out to give to Li Muyang, "Muyang, hurry put this on. Such cold weather, you should have stayed in Thousand Buddha temple for another few days, why hurry back here?"
"Mother, I’m not cold." Li Muyang received the coat and said with a smile. Although his body had long improved and could endure the cold more than ordinary people, his mother still treated him as a patient.
Li Shinian's little face was red, saying irritably, "He is not cold, I am cold. Mother, why didn’t you think of giving me clothes?"
"You’ve been sturdy since you were a kid, and I couldn't even stop you from playing in a heavy snow. Now that you've grown up, you become aware of the cold?"
"You value the male child only."
"Do you want me to rip your mouth off." Luo Qi smiled and was about to pull Li Shinian's face, when she hurriedly fled away.
"It’s good to see you two back. I have made a pot of ginseng soup, you both go have a bowl to warm yourself up——"
"Mum, haven't we finished the ginseng already ?"
"Your Aunt Gongsun sent over a big box, its enough for a year's use."
"Aunt Gongsun just wants to thank Brother for saving uncle Lu."
"What are you saying?" Luo Qi looked at Li Muyang with a complex gaze. "Has Aunt Gongsun ever treated us bad before? When has she ever treated us as outsiders?"
"Yes yes yes. I’m just saying, why are you angry? Mother, I realised that ever since brother has returned, you don’t like anything I do——"
"What nonsense is this child talking about now?" Luo Qi took off her coat to drape over Li Shinian's shoulder. "Hurry come in the house or you'll catch a cold."
——————————
The Lu mansion's plum garden.
Lu Xingkong was reading a document, when the old housekeeper came in with a pot of tea.
He poured away the cup of cold tea on Lu Xingkong's desk and brewed a cup of hot tea, placing it right beside the old man.
"Say what you want to say, you don’t need to do this." Lu Xingkong swept a glance at the old housekeeper.
The old housekeeper's mouth widened into a grim. "I can’t hide anything from you. Young master Muyang is back, you don’t want to see him? Can you really bear not to see him?"
Lu Xingkong set down the document in his hands, took the cup of tea and did not say a word.
After a long while he then responded, "Then, let’s see him.""
Chapter 369: The head of the Lu family!
After drinking the chicken soup and finishing the meat pastry, Li Muyang did not even have the time to burp, when Luo Qi had already deftly packed the leftovers and placed the washed fruit and the warm plum wine on the windowsill edge.
She seated Li Muyang, who wanted to help clean up, on a chair and said, "Come and have a few drinks with your father. Your father had always said that his son had grown up but before he had the time to have a drink with you, you had already gone away to study. We didn't know when we could see you again. I was hoping you’d come back to celebrate the new year, and all of a sudden such news came——"
Luo Qi’s eyes were teary and red when she continued, "If you didn't come back, he would not even have the chance to have a drink with you."
Li Yan frowned and said in a low voice, "Today is a good day, what are you saying? Son is back now isn’t he?"
"Yes, isn't my brother right there? Those that say my brother cannot return has ulterior motives, my brother is alive and healthy——" Li Shinian chimed in.
Luo Qi shot a glare at the father and daughter, "I'm just sighing. I am just glad that your brother came back after much difficulty."
"Glad yet you're still crying?"
"You little girl, can I not say anything?"
Li Muyang was very enjoying this warm scene, Li Shinian and mother Luo Qi were quarrelling just like when they were in Jiangnan City.
Having been living away from him, he missed every tree and every bush very much. Even in the past, his nagging mother, at this time also sounded similar to the sounds of nature.
Picking up the bottle of wine in the warm water, he poured a cup of plum wine for Father Li Yan and also one for himself, "Father, I offer you a toast. I made you worry."
"What are you saying?" Li Yan was not very talkative, usually only serve others silently without expecting anything in return and never said any caring words. However, in the years of Li Muyang’s illness, countless times when he opened his eyes in a daze, he saw the tall figure extremely busy. He would not cry, would not complain, and even rarely said a word, but in his own practical actions expressed his love for Li Muyang.
When this man was around, Li Muyang can really feel at ease. He knew that his father would not let anything bad happen to him.
Li Yan held up the wine cup, and the father and son heavily brought the cups of wine together.
Li Yan raised his head and drank the wine in one gulp, and so did Li Muyang.
They exchanged a smile, passing on their feelings.
The bottle of plum wine was only drank half, and the father and son had not enjoyed themselves to the full, when there was a knock on the door.
Luo Qi nudged Li Shinian, Li Shinian rolled her eyes, put down the orange in her hands and run to open the door.
"People say girls are spoiled, but its windy and snowy outside and you're not afraid of me catching a cold?" Li Shinian while running to the door, turned to complain to her mother.
"Would you freeze with a few steps?" Luo Qi wanted to rush over to pull this girl’s mouth. "Hurry open the door, don’t let others wait that long.""
"Hmph, Brother should be doing this sort of thing."
"Can’t you see he’s drinking?"
"Can’t you see I’m eating oranges?"
Li Shinian was complaining, while walking towards the outside.
Soon, a voice sounded from outside the courtyard.
Luo Qi listened carefully, and stood up at once, urging Li Yan, "Li Yan, come out to greet——Uncle Lu is here."
Uncle Lu also has the surname Lu, and had been following Lu Xingkong around for many years. He was the housekeeper of the Lu family, and the all the matters of the Lu household was managed by him. Later, as he got older, he chose the younger and more able people to deal with these matters, while he retreated to the second line and only served Lu Xingkong.
But all the people of the front and back courtyard of the Lu household had great respect for this old man. Including Lu Qingming and Gongsun Yu. The Master and the lady of the household also address him as Uncle.
The old man usually only served the Grandfather of the Lu household, so for him to directly come to his door was not ordinary at all.
Li Yan Big looked very surprised, having been in the Lu household for so long he knew well that Uncle Lu actually many times represent the Grandfather of the Lu household. The arrival of the Uncle Lu was like the arrival of the Head of the Lu family.
Although their family was well cared for by Lu Qingming and Gongsun Yu, the Grandfather had never had any contact with them. This legendary person was not accessible to ordinary people.
As a result, the couple walked swiftly towards the door to greet him.
Uncle Lu was talking to Li Shinian, and the elderly seemed to really like Li Shinian, he said with a smile: "Miss Shinian is more and more beautiful, and also taller, they say that the water and soil in Jiangnan is good, but it seems that the water in Tiandu is also pretty good——"
"Grandfather Lu, the water and soil of Tiandu are certainly good. Otherwise, how would there be a great beauty like Sister Qiji?" Li Shinian said with an innocent looking face. Ever since coming to Tiandu, she had become accustomed to meeting and sending off guest, even more comfortable than it was to Father Li Yan mother Luo Qi.
Uncle Lu laughed, "You call me Lu Grandpa, and also call the Master of the household Grandfather Lu——How do you distinguish between the two?"
"Then I will call you little Grandfather Lu, and call the head of the Lu household Big Grandfather Lu?"
"How do you know the head of the household is older than me?"
Li Shinian leaned her head closer to uncle Lu, lowering her voice to a whisper: "I can tell from the facial features."
Uncle Lu laughed heartily once again, fully satisfied with the answer.
Lu Qingming possessed profound cultivation, and had long reached the Withering Glory realm. He had recovered his youthful appearance, and did not look old at all. Based on appearance, Lu Xingkong and Lu Qingming looked roughly the same age.
However, Li Shinian deliberately distorted the fact and it made Uncle Lu as delighted as he had drank honey.
"Good child. Such a good child." Uncle Lu reached to stroke Li Shinian’s head, and said with a doting face.
Li Yan and Luo Qi came out to greet him, the two respectfully bowing to Uncle Lu. "Uncle Lu, please come into the house to have tea. The weather is cold, why did you have to personally come yourself? If you need anything you can tell someone to come over." Li Yan said.
"I came to invite an important guests, I naturally have to do it myself to show full respect." Uncle Lu said with a smiling expression.
"The important guest that Uncle Lu wants to invite is?"
"Is Young master Muyang in?"
"Li Muyang——he’s in." Luo Qi looked at Uncle Lu nervously. "Uncle Lu, why are you looking for Muyang?"
"I’m not looking for him, I’m here to invite him over for a chat." Uncle Lu smiled.
"——" Luo Qi and Li Yan looked at each other, an extremely nervous feeling inside.
The most worrying thing had happened.
Li Muyang followed behind the old man, watching him plod across the plum garden of the front courtyard.
Snow was swirling in the air, and the leaves were already covered in pure white snow.
The whole world was an expanse of whiteness, no lantern was needed for the paths to be visible.
Li Muyang was a little uneasy, because he was about to meet one of the most influential figures of the entire Kingdom.
Lu Xingkong was one of the strongest in the Kingdom. His name, pierce one's ears like thunder, even when far away in Jiangnan Li Muyang often heard people mention him.
"Lu Xingkong had fought off the people of Dawu again, heard he killed 130,000 enemies——"
"Lu Xingkong had reached the withering glory realm, he can be said as immortal——"
"Lu Xingkong is making the Emperor a figurehead, he is an evil minister——"
In the past, he felt himself exceeding distant from this person, so he only listened to his story like it was a novel.
But he had not expected that one day he would be able to meet with him.
"He wants to see me, what does he wants to talk to me about?"
"Because I saved his only son, so he wants to thank me personally?"
"He knows I’m Li Muyang, he's not thinking of handing me over right? Surely not, if he wanted to surrender me, then there would be no need to protect me family all this time——But I heard he is currently under a lot of pressure, and even the emperor is giving him trouble, what if he can't bear it all——"
Li Muyang was pondering as he walked, until the old man stopped and smiled at him, saying: "Young master Muyang wait here for a moment, I will go in to see if Master has finished his work."
"Thank you, Grandfather Lu." Li Muyang also coped Li Shinian to call him Grandfather Lu. Since he was not as beautiful as Li Shinian he needed to imitate her to be liked.
Uncle Lu cast a ruminative glance at him and then pushed the door open into a wooden house.
Li Muyang immediately looked lifeless, could it be that he is not as lovable?
Soon, Uncle Lu came back out, saying with a smile: "Young master Muyang, please go in. Master is waiting for you."
Li Muyang pushed the door into the house and where a wave of heat struck him. The weather was cold and coal was being burn in the house.
His thin cheeks showed unswerving determination, his thick eyebrows were raised ike swords, and his eyes were sharp and contain penetrating force, as if he could see through one's organs at a glance.
This was Li Muyang’s first impression of the old man who has the power to subvert the country.
The old man was dressed in a simple grey robe, sitting at a tea table in front of the window to make tea.
As Li Muyang came into the room, his movements did not pause, and his eagle-like eyes swept a glance over at where Muyang stood.
Gazing intently and silently.
Even the drop of a needle could be heard, and the tea was gurgling like a stream.
Li Muyang began to tense up, in front of him was a Withering Glory master.
If he had any evil intent, most likely that he could capture me with the wave of his hand.
But I saved his son——why is he looking at me like that?.
For a long while. For a very long while.
Lu Xingkong made an invitation gesture, motioning Li Muyang to sit opposite him, and said with a smile: "It’s getting late, and looks like it's snowing, care to have a cup?"
"I’ve just had a drink——" said Li Muyang. Being stared at by such an old man, he felt so uneasy and uncomfortable that he was having difficulty breathing.
After saying that, he felt that his sentence was ambiguous, and tried to explain, "I just had a drink of wine, I can accompany you to drink a cup of tea."