Chapter 22: Sir, Could You Help Me Bring Up a Stick?

“The capital is truly far livelier than our Sichuan west!” Little Red Sugar bounded ahead like a spirited rabbit, her large, round eyes darting ceaselessly as she looked left and right, curiosity brimming in every glance. Everything in this unfamiliar city seemed to fill her with a sense of wonder and the urge to explore.

Ji Huo followed behind at a leisurely pace, his gaze drifting casually over the corners along the street.

There, crouched in the shadows, were several beggars dressed in tattered rags, pitifully extending their hands toward passing pedestrians. Yet the passersby seemed not to notice them at all, hurrying past without so much as a glance.

Ji Huo spoke calmly, “Though the capital is indeed bustling and grand, I can’t help feeling it lacks that unique, lived-in warmth of Sichuan west.”

By comparison, Sichuan west might not have matched the capital’s prosperity, but its people carried a warmth and simplicity, and beggars there were far fewer. Was this due to effective governance by the local authorities? Or were there other reasons at play?

At that moment, a sudden noise came from above—a wooden window creaking open—and was immediately followed by a sharp, alluring cry.

The voice was laced with flirtation and charm, as if a single note could ignite a burning flame in the marrow and send it rushing to one’s head.

Ji Huo paused, taking a half-step back. With a crisp “crack,” a wooden rod—meant to prop open the window—fell to the ground. Had he not stepped back, it would have struck him squarely on the forehead.

He looked up and saw a voluptuous young woman in revealing attire, leaning on the window with one hand and waving the other at him, her tone coquettish and sweet:

“Good sir, would you be so kind as to pick up the rod for Yu’er?”

Her voice was clear as an oriole’s song, delicate and enchanting, carrying an irresistible allure. She was stunningly beautiful—her skin pale as snow, her eyes brimming with seductive charm. Even a fleeting smile from her seemed to overflow with boundless allure, and merely gazing upon her face could send one’s mind wandering, conjuring images of her in a heady, sweat-dampened embrace.

Ji Huo picked up the rod. The woman’s lips curled into a smile, her eyes brimming with sultry promise.

But her expression suddenly froze as the youth hurled the rod back up at the window. With a sharp whistle, the rod flew upward and struck her squarely on the forehead.

“Ow!”

She let out a pained cry, and from the sound of it, she must have fallen hard. The window slammed shut with a dull thud.

Ji Huo walked away, a smile on his lips.

“Another good deed for the day—truly impressive.”

Little Red Sugar came scampering over, glanced at the tightly shut window, then stared down at her own toes, grumbling with indignation:

“Where did that woman come from? She reeks of cheap perfume—I could smell her from a mile away.”

“Who knows? That was clearly a honey trap. Just a common trick of the road—only fools fall for it.”

The two strolled away unhurriedly, not giving the incident a second thought. The rivers and lakes ran deep, and they had seen such schemes far too many times.

In days past, when Ji Huo roamed the martial world, his suspicion ran so high he wouldn’t dare eat a thing outside, surviving on his own biscuits. Only after mastering iron-body techniques and becoming immune to poison did he relax his guard and eat whatever took his fancy.

“Ji Huo, Ji Huo, what kind of girls do you like? Do you like them as… full-figured as that brazen fox just now?” Little Red Sugar cupped her hands before her chest, miming an exaggerated shape.

“I don’t like anyone,” Ji Huo replied evenly.

“These years, I’ve never seen you fancy any heroine or saintess. Wasn’t there a heroine who chased after you for three days and nights? You didn’t even spare her a glance.” Little Red Sugar rattled on, “Or do you prefer the type just now? Isn’t that what all you men like?”

“None of them,” Ji Huo answered. He recalled a blind date in his previous life—a girl so plain she was almost crooked, who demanded a house, a car, a dowry of 388,000 silver, and a ten-thousand deposit before they could even start courting. That encounter had woken him up; he saw the world for what it was and left without looking back.

The whole episode had left him disgusted for a long time.

“You don’t… like men, do you?” Little Red Sugar eyed him with sudden suspicion, barely hiding her excitement. “I’m counting on you to bring me a sister-in-law—though if it’s a brother-in-law, well, I suppose… Ow!”

She clapped her hands to her head, pearls of tears hanging at the corners of her eyes.

Ji Huo withdrew his hand, exasperated. “What nonsense are you thinking now?”

The pair melted into the crowd and soon vanished from sight.

Meanwhile, a young nobleman in fine clothes had been browsing a street vendor’s trinkets. Suddenly, he looked up, puzzled, in the direction where Ji Huo and Little Red Sugar had disappeared.

“Fourth Master, what’s the matter?” asked a servant beside him.

“Those two don’t look like locals. I’ve never seen them before,” the young lord mused.

The servant replied with a smile, “Fourth Master, you must have forgotten. That’s General Ji’s second son, Ji Huo, and the sworn sister he brought along. They only arrived in the capital yesterday—you sent men to fetch them yourself.”

The young lord made a sound of acknowledgment, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

“So it’s him. In fact, he helped me win the support of the martial officials at court. I ought to thank him properly.”

“Shall I summon the two of them, then?”

“No need. Bringing him out of the mountains did win me the martial faction’s support, but the means were less than dignified. This isn’t the time to make contact—there will be plenty of opportunities later.”

He turned away with a cold glint in his eye.

“To think he survived the wilds—it seems his luck holds. The assassins my royal brother sent weren’t much use after all.”

“I originally sent those imperial guards to bring him out, hoping he’d die in the wilderness. Then I could pin the blame on my royal brother and win the support of all the military men. Who would have thought he’d actually survive?”

“After all, he is the Duke Protector’s son—perhaps he’s not so ordinary,” the servant observed.

“Quite possible.”

As the young lord walked on, about to speak again, a wooden rod suddenly fell from above and struck him on the head with a resounding thwack.

A flash of anger lit his eyes as he looked up.

“Good sir, would you be so kind as to pick up the rod for Yu’er?”

High above, a beautiful woman waved down at him, though her forehead was oddly tinged with blue.

“Such a fortunate turn!”

The young lord was momentarily stunned, a rush of heat shooting from his belly to his head. He picked up the rod and hurried upstairs, calling back,

“Wait here—I’ll be right back!”

His servant was taken aback, then quickly waved to the others:

“Stay here and keep watch. You two, go find out who that woman is.”