Chapter Twenty: Let It Be Then

The scruffy man took a drag from his dry tobacco, smacking his lips each time. “Let it be, perhaps the old man wishes it so.”

…

The next day, Xie Peiling went to open the shutter of the shop in front. For some unknown reason, the Flower Twenty Pharmacy had opened its doors. As for whether there were any customers—there used to be, but now… early in the morning, there actually were some visitors.

Xie Peiling sat on the stool that Wang Shiming had used before, holding the Yang Zufei Sword Record in his hands, pondering it carefully. He hoped to recall from memory the complete content of the first volume, but for some reason, his mind was blank. Suddenly, he looked up and noticed a man and a woman entering his line of sight.

The man was Ye Zhuying, accompanied by a young woman dressed in a pale blue robe.

Seeing Xie Peiling, Ye Zhuying showed no surprise; instead, he waved and said, “Brother Xie, after returning home yesterday, I racked my brains, and unexpectedly, my martial skills advanced a level. I want to spar with you. As for Brother Xu, forget it—even if a hundred of me fought him, it would be like a mere appetizer.”

Xie Peiling shrugged and said, “You won’t be a match for me.”

The young woman frowned and said, “Hello, my name is Ye Tiaoxing.”

Xie Peiling replied, “Xie Peiling.”

Ye Zhuying grinned, “Brother Xie, she’s my sister. Don’t judge her by appearances; she’s actually very kind.”

Xie Peiling nodded slightly and glanced at this Ye Tiaoxing, noting her rather unfriendly expression. He looked at Ye Zhuying and sneered, “I don’t want a brother like you, but what can I do? In a big family… my ‘mother’ always has a few more, and my father—you never know who he’s doting on next. I really have no control over any of it.”

Ye Zhuying just smiled upon hearing this and said to Xie Peiling, “She’s a good person; otherwise, she wouldn’t have come with me.”

After speaking, Ye Tiaoxing twitched at the corner of her mouth and signaled him with her eyes.

Ye Zhuying understood. He was being asked to go inside; some words were not meant for him to hear.

Once inside, Ye Tiaoxing said to Xie Peiling, “My brother is still young.”

Xie Peiling pondered briefly. If counting his previous life, he was not really young, but by age, this Ye Tiaoxing was of a younger generation.

“Why interfere in this matter?”

The question puzzled him. Why refuse to help?

“No one wants him to survive, not even his father. So why are you doing this?”

Xie Peiling was about to say, “I don’t know,” but then recalled the few words exchanged the night before. He simply thought this was the right thing to do. Yet if it was wrong, it was just the way of the world—everything was a mess anyway.

He showed no anger and coldly said, “So what do you want today? If it’s just this, please leave.”

Ye Tiaoxing said, “I don’t want to come either, because that scruffy man is surely going to die. The young master of the Chu family has returned, bringing his wife. That is a major sect. I know you and that Xu fellow come from a considerable sect too, but it’s not worth it. Everyone wants that man dead. What you’re doing is like an ant trying to stop a chariot—suicidal. Even if your sect learns of this, they won’t agree. There’s no way they’d risk enmity with such a powerful sect over the two of you.”

“So you mean…”

Ye Tiaoxing became emotional as she spoke, first pointing toward the shop, then at Xie Peiling’s forehead, her tone icy: “Go back where you came from. Even Ye Zhuying has been twisted by you. No matter what connection you have with that worthless man, leave, or you’ll drag us down.”

Xie Peiling retorted without yielding: “I remember passing by a brothel that day; someone said the Ye family wants to marry you off to the younger brother of the Chu family’s young master. I also know that younger brother is a disciple of the Kuozhen sect and was recently trapped in that brothel. What are you doing here? Why not go see your fiancé? If anyone finds out you came to your unwed family’s killer, your future will be bleak. Who knows how he’ll treat you? Perhaps you’ll spend your life as a concubine, never more than a maid.”

After saying this, the woman seemed on the verge of collapse, as if she had been crying for a long time.

At that moment, Xu Yuanming stood not far off, his gaze calm as he casually said, “Why are you still here? Who are you trying to impress with all this pretense? It must be exhausting to keep it up.”

Upon seeing this young man, Ye Tiaoxing trembled all over. She reluctantly lowered her finger, about to speak but was interrupted.

Unexpectedly, Xie Peiling had stood up without anyone noticing. He looked at the woman and said, “Actually, this is quite fitting. After all, your family wants to climb higher, and so do you. You want to attach yourself to someone better, so you’re unworthy, and there’s no need to pretend. How many years do you have left? Even after many years, your face will still be that of a withered beauty. You seek shelter by reaching for the upper echelons, broadcasting your hardships to gain sympathy. But in truth, you’ve been climbing the branches all along. You’re not worthy.”

Xu Yuanming glanced at Xie Peiling, silently acknowledging the accuracy of his tone.

Ye Zhuying emerged from the shop, unhurried, smiling as he said to Xie Peiling and Xu Yuanming, “My sister isn’t feeling well today; she said things she shouldn’t have. Sorry for the trouble.”

After the two departed, Xie Peiling suddenly asked, “When shall we eat breakfast?”

Xu Yuanming shrugged, tossing him a bag of money and a token. “Eat somewhere nearby. I have matters to attend to. If that Bai fellow shows up, activate this token.”

Xie Peiling acknowledged with a nod, took the items, and headed outside.

He felt this trip had been quite interesting—far better than secluded cultivation at the temple. In the past two days, he hadn’t even thought about cultivating. Thirsty, he drank; hungry, he ate; sleepy, he slept.

While searching for a restaurant to eat, he unexpectedly saw the old and young monks from the Wuguo Temple again. He hadn’t expected them to be here.

Upon seeing him, the young monk lowered his head and quietly chanted a Buddhist phrase. Just as he was about to speak, a middle-aged man in official robes strode in, followed closely by about ten soldiers surrounding him.