Qin Shou's father was a great figure in the Mingyue City (which literally means the City of Moonlight), only inferior to the mayor. His father had many wives and concubines but only one son (Qin Shou) because Qin Shou's mother was a horrifying shrew.
A couple of years ago, Qin Shou's father sent a concubine out of town right after he found her pregnant. Then her whereabouts remained unknown.
Qin Shou's father wrote to Qin Shou that the girl who came for him was actually his sister, the child of that pregnant concubine.
And his father made a reference to his sister's striking identity in the letter — a disciple at the Piaomiao Pavilion of Swordsmanship — one of the top five sects in Chijing Prefecture. His father told him to be nice to his sister.
Yi Jia was tempted to visit Qin's family and propose a marriage in person the moment he learned the girl was Qin Shou's sister. But he hastened to forgo his proposal on hearing that she was a disciple at the Piaomiao Pavilion.
Qin Shou wised up to Yi Jia's obsession with his sister once he noticed Yi Jia's reaction.
Though that was his sister, Qin Shou felt no blood tie with her. Nevertheless, in order to have his life worked out well in the Taixuan Sect, he expressed his willingness to assist Yi Jia winning her heart.
Yi Jia's attitude changed all of a sudden. Now they became as intimate as blood brothers.
As Yi Jia's father was a respected domestic senior, Qin Shou's confidence grew quite a bit, and he was increasingly swollen with arrogance.
Being inquired after by Yi Jia, Qin Shou felt much relieved and supported. He aired his grievances in tears, "Brother, I was beaten at the scriptorium."
The scriptorium?
On hearing that, Yi Jia itched to slap him hard. Qin Shou was literally nuts. He even went wild at the scriptorium.
Right then Qin Shou's sister rang a bell. Yi Jia forced his anger back and said helplessly, "Brother Qin, aren't you aware of the supreme significance of the scriptorium to our sect? Without mentioning you and me, even my dad — an esteemed domestic senior — has to treat the gatekeepers respectively at the scriptorium. Hence I'm afraid I can't help you with this."
"Brother, please don't get me wrong. It was no other than Wu Gui who bullied me. I was not shamelessly audacious to act wild at the scriptorium." Qin Shou hastened to explain.
On hearing Yi Jia's words, Qin Shou broke out in cold sweats. The rules of the scriptorium almost eluded him after he met Lin Xiao there. Now it dawned on him that he was rather fortunate to have not alerted the gatekeepers. Otherwise, he would have ended up doomed.
When it came to Wu Gui, Qin Shou was filled with rage and he went on saying, "Brother, Wu Gui still rode a high horse after he was demoted as a coolie at the scriptorium. I went there to pick cultivation methods and got beaten by him. Even if I brought up my master and you, he didn't relent at all. He even dragged me outside and went on slapping me. Brother, only you can help me."
It was fair to say that Qin Shou has replaced Lin Xiao as his chief enemy because of the insult Wu Gui imposed on him.
"That is no big deal. I shall take care of it," Yi Jia promised. On hearing Wu Gui's name, his eyes were seething with hatred, and the mole under his left eye flipped accordingly.
Then he put on a satisfied grin. Without Qin Shou's issue as a pretext, he would decide to cope with Wu Gui.
The memory of Wu Gui's lethal blow to him in his heyday was still so vivid as if it had just happened. He had been preparing for his revenge for one year, and now it was time he acted on it.
Qin Shou was in the dark about the animosity between Yi Jia and Wu Gui. Having had Yi Jia's word, he asked with anxiety, "Brother, Wu Gui is a direct disciple of the patriarch after all. Despite his current demotion, if the patriarch changed his mind, you and my master would be implicated."
Yi Jia let out a cold grin and said in a vicious tone, "In fact, his days are counted. He just offended a disciple freshly taken by the patriarch. That newcomer, whose name was Lin Xiao, was of great significance to the patriarch. I learned that the patriarch even showed Lin Xiao around in the sect in person on his arrival. No one had ever been granted an honor like that."
"Lin Xiao!" Qin Shou went struck dumb. The image of Lin Xiao forthwith rose to his mind. If it were really him, Qin Shou would come to no good end.
But it soon rang a bell that Lin Xiao only had a wooden token in his hand. It couldn't be true if he was the newcomer — the one in the best graces of the patriarch as Yi Jia described. It must have been merely a namesake. Having a wooden token in hand, this Lin Xiao could be nothing but an average mortal. It was out of the question that the patriarch would attach importance to him.