Chapter 07 - In the Guos.h.i.+ Residence

The 10-li Snow Flower Forest was destroyed under Chen Yubai's orders but it was not for the reason that it was talkative…….Lord Guos.h.i.+ did not care about that.

It was because of the old Housekeeper who fell off the horse that day.  After resting on his back for only a few days, he got up and had wandered around the Snow Flower Forest for a whole day while holding onto his old waist.  He wanted to find the tree that could speak and he wanted to listen to it.

Naturally, after returning, his back continued to hurt and did not improve.  On the second day, Chen Yubai ordered that all the trees in the Snow Flower Forest be removed.

The old Housekeeper had looked after Chen Yubai since he was a child, so how could he not understand what the child was thinking?  He had kept his old life just to take care of this Little Master and now that he knew the predestined calamity in his Little Master's life had arrived, how could he ignore it and rest on it?

When he thought of the little white tender girl with strange mysterious powers, the old Housekeeper had a headache and sighed.

"Xiao Tian, help me up.  I want to make a trip to Guan Xing Pavilion."

In Guan Xing Pavilion, Lord Guos.h.i.+ was not studying the star constellation nor was he painting by the window.  Instead, he was standing in the high pavilion with a cold smile on his lips looking down at the girl wandering around in the garden below.

Of course, that girl is Ji Xiaoli.

Two days later will be her rest day and her family will be coming to pick her up.  She had made up her mind not to return to this ghostly place again after leaving.  So she deliberately came to bid farewell to the wartime pigeon that had died in vain for her.

As she walked through the garden, she noticed that the vines that had wrapped themselves around her ankles no longer appeared again.  The ground that was originally covered with green gra.s.s had turned barren with only a few large stones sitting on it.

Of course, she did not think much of it.

However, when she came to the garden there was a clear path in front of her but why is it that now she is unable to find her way out?   She had already walked more than a sichen (2 hours) and in front of her were still the same few big stones.  In the end, she found herself back beside the green hibiscus plant that the grilled pigeon was buried under.

Ji Xiaoli was tired and afraid.  She squatted on the ground, hunched her shoulders and rubbed her eyes.

The person standing in the high pavilion in the distance looked at this scene and at this moment, felt that the blowing breeze is really refres.h.i.+ng!

Did she not have the ability to break through the trap formation in just a short time?  Why is it that when the plants are changed to stones, she is unable to do it?

Aren't her thunderbolt pellets very powerful?  Just take them out and dye the stones all red!

Ha, ha, ha ! !

He did not hold back his laughter.  The garden was very quiet and as Ji Xiaoli was on high alert, she could hear his voice very clearly.  She quickly raised her head and looked around.  Then with a glance, she caught sight of the person whose robe was swaying in the wind.

She jumped up and waved.  "Lord Guos.h.i.+!  Lord Guos.h.i.+!"

"Lord Guos.h.i.+, save me!  I can't come out…….wu, wu, wu !"

The black ice silk robe swayed gently in the wind but the person did not move.

Ji Xiaoli called until she was hoa.r.s.e, then suddenly she understood……..he wanted to her to be caught in this death trap formation!

He is jealous of her intelligence!  He wants to kill her!

Extreme anger rose in her heart and Xiaoli gulped before she bravely shouted loudly at him.  "My Father is a great General!  I have four brothers!  They will kill you!  There is also Princess Niang Niang!  She will come…….to scold you!  My Mother will come to p.r.i.c.k needles into your body!  p.r.i.c.k needles into your whole body!"

Do you feel scared?

You should be scared by now!

But there is no reaction at all!

Ji Xiaoli felt afraid.  "Wu, wu, wu*…….  Let me out!  After I have successfully cultivated into a fairy, I will bless you so that you will become a fairy too!"  She pleaded and tempted.

The young man in black ice silk robe stood there with a sneer and harbored the thought of playing with her.

The old Housekeeper was panting breathlessly as he climbed up to the high pavilion supported by Xiao Tian. Following Lord Guos.h.i.+'s line of sight, he saw the girl from Zhennan w.a.n.g Residence looking up from the Three-Life Stone Formation with a terrified expression.

The old man sighed but he did not dare to plead for her.

One old and one young…….two servants stood quietly at the side with their hands hanging down.

Below, Ji Xiaoli was already crying.  "Let me out…….I……I want to relieve myself !"

Lord Guos.h.i.+ who has always been particular about cleanliness lifted his eyebrows.

"……you dare ? ! !"

The cold and indifferent male voice floated over with the wind.  Ji Xiaoli finally got the response she wanted and immediately grabbed it.  "When I relieve myself, it stinks!  This is where the wind begins so it will certainly blow your way!"

The little girl's voice sounded like the yellow oriole, clear and crisp.  The words she spoke sounded particularly true and a stinky smell seemed to have risen.  Actually, Chen Yubai did not have the intention to kill her today.  So with a black face, he waved his hand and Xiao Tian immediately rushed downstairs to save her.

"If you dare to relieve yourself before he arrives…….if you can't hold it……I will throw you into the latrine bucket*!"  The last sentence was spat out while gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth.

(In ancient times, buckets were used to collect human waste since flush toilets did not exist.)

"No, no…….I won't!"  Ji Xiaoli only wanted to save her life and pacified him.  "Even if……I can't hold it in, I will personally bury it!  I will make sure you won't step on it!"

Lord Guos.h.i.+ took a deep breath and felt that the air inhaled into his lungs was stinky and also felt a pain in his chest due to the stink!

Biting his teeth tightly, he turned around and left.

The old Housekeeper quickly followed him.

**8**8**8**8**

Beside one of the windows of Guan Xing Pavilion is a table where Lord Guos.h.i.+ often sits to paint.  The window faces the garden and the view is pleasing to the eye.

But today, how is Lord Guos.h.i.+ able to enjoy the garden view?

As soon as he entered the pavilion like a gust of wind, he knocked down the bamboo pole that supported the windowpane with a swing of his sleeve and the window closed with a bang, shutting away the garden view from his sight.

He calmly walked to the table and began to paint.  His brushstrokes were heavy and every time, the brush strokes would seep through to the back of the paper.

The old Housekeeper personally helped to put down all the other remaining windows.

As the injury to his waist had not completely healed, inevitably his movements were slow.

"Didn't you use the medicinal ointment I sent over to you?"  The person who was painting by the window suddenly asked coldly.

The old Housekeeper quickly turned around and bending his waist, he bowed with his hands clasped together.

"This old servant had used it…….but at my age with one leg already in the coffin…….it's not easy to be completely healed."

"I haven't instructed anyone to prepare your coffin yet.  If you die now, then it will not be possible for you to be buried alongside my s.h.i.+fu."  The young Guos.h.i.+ put down the brush, walked to the front of the table and sat down.  He looked up at the Housekeeper and feeling slightly impatient, he said.  "Alright, get up.  If you have something to say, then speak."

The old Housekeeper did not immediately straighten up instead he knelt on the floor and respectfully gave him a kowtow.

"Little Young Master!"  He greeted the Guos.h.i.+ using this t.i.tle of the past and said in a trembling voice.  "That time, the old Lord Guos.h.i.+ had not reached the end of his lifespan yet, but he still left early.  Do you know the reason why?  Leaking the secrets of Heaven cut short his lifespan.  You can't take the life of another!  This Young Miss of Zhennan w.a.n.g Residence…….you can't kill her!"

Although the sound of the old man's voice was very earnest, Chen Yubai's voice was still light.  "Then will you kill her for me?"

The old Housekeeper who was about to burst into tears instantly choked.

After a long while, he came back to his senses and persuaded the Guos.h.i.+.  "Why does my Lord want her dead?  Just let her stay peacefully in the Residence for a few years and when it is time for the girl to marry, Zhennan w.a.n.g Residence will certainly make arrangements for her."

"Who will marry her?"  The sneer was very disdainful.

"This……there will always be someone who will marry her……right?  The old man hesitated and encouraged himself to be firm.

"There are so many young men in the army of Zhennan w.a.n.g Residence, even if there is none…….at least there is bound to be someone who will be willing to marry into the Ji Family…….My Lord can rest a.s.sured!"

Chen Yubai curved his lips into a smile but it did not reach his eyes.  The old Housekeeper knew the Guos.h.i.+ did not believe his words.  He sighed and tried to persuade him again but was stopped when the Guos.h.i.+ raised his hand.  "I will not kill her for the time being."

The old Housekeeper felt skeptical.

The cold eyes of Lord Guos.h.i.+ rested on the pile of dead green radish on the ground and said slowly.  "The Emperor sent down an imperial decree for me to accept her as a disciple, so how can I reject?"

The old Housekeeper felt these words were more unbelievable when compared to the belief that someone would be willing to marry that strange crazy girl.

When has Lord Guos.h.i.+ ever been afraid of the Emperor?

Chen Yubai stared at the dead green radish that did not show any abnormality and he was still unable to find out the reason for its death.  His eyes were unfathomable.

"I want to see……except for G.o.d…….who else dares to scheme against me!"

**8**8**8**8**

When the old Housekeeper obtained the promise that Ji Xiaoli would not be killed for the time being……..temporarily he felt relieved.  Then he went to Zhu Xing Courtyard to keep an eye on the little girl who would be killed at any time.

Don't take the initiative to provoke the Lord Guos.h.i.+……

Don't pa.s.sively provoke the Lord Guos.h.i.+…….

Don't frequently provoke the Lord Guos.h.i.+……

Obediently, the little girl promised but in her heart, she was screaming that she did not provoke him and it is the Lord Guos.h.i.+ who is jealous of her!  Anyway, there are still two more days before she is due to return home for a rest and when she returns home, she will never come back again!

Probably her thoughts were all written on her face.  On the second day, a servant came to inform her that Lord Guos.h.i.+ wanted to see her.  As soon as she entered the door, he asked.  "Tomorrow is your rest day.  Will Zhennan w.a.n.g Residence be sending anyone to pick you up?"

The aloof and proud Ji Xiaoli cautiously nodded her head.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ also nodded.  "Tomorrow, you will rest for a day.  The day after tomorrow, early in the morning someone will come in a carriage to pick you up outside the 10-li point."

Looking at her face, she seemed to think she is good at hiding her feelings which is the contrary.  Chen Yubai sneered in his heart.  "I heard that you wanted to be my disciple so you can cultivate to become a fairy, is that right?"

"Yes……originally, that was my intention."

Chen Yubai lowered his head to blow on the hot tea in the teacup and asked casually.  "What are the abilities of a fairy?"

Speaking about this, Ji Xiaoli became spirited.  "A fairy knows about all matters in the world!  He can also fly!  He can regenerate bones and flesh and give life to the dead!"  Her eyes sparkled and she said excitedly.

The unrivaled person of the Ye Kingdom gently lifted the corners of his mouth and raised his eyebrows.  He looked at her and asked.  "What do you want to know?"

Ji Xiaoli blinked her eyes.  "I want to know………when can I become a fairy?!"

Lord Guos.h.i.+ tightened his lips and became silent, then he let out a breath.  "Change to another question."

"……That……will it rain tomorrow?"  On her face it was written 'You actually can't do a prediction' and she 'gently and considerately' changed…….to another question.

Chen Yubai was overcome by an extreme headache and his temples throbbed terribly.  It needed a lot of effort to close his eyes and he reminded himself to give priority to the present situation.  Then he opened his eyes and told her calmly.  "Let's talk about the first thing.  You said that fairies can fly, right?"

As soon as those words were said, he floated out of the hall lightly like a stunning legendary dragon.  His black ice silk robe was like the gorgeous wind blowing in the night sweeping by in front of Ji Xiaoli's eyes.

She quickly chased after him.  Like a black eagle, he swept over the top of the trees and the black figure glided smoothly between the lush greenery.  The trees were taller than the roof of Wan Qian Hall and Ji Xiaoli had to tilt back her head to look up at him.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ flew one circle around the tall trees of Wan Qian Hall and landed majestically on the ground.  That beautiful man with his black ice silk robe fluttering in the wind was like an illusionary fairy descending from the clouds.

"How was it?"  The Zhe Xian asked her in a light voice with his eyebrows raised.

Ji Xiaoli nodded and said.  "You flew very high!"

The Zhe Xian snorted.

"But this is not fairy riding on clouds!  This is qinggong*!.  My Father knows this skill and all my brothers know this as well.  Ji Nan flies even higher than you!"

(Qinggong means 'lightweight skill' which is a martial art skill that defies gravity.  A person can jump, run or walk lightly with ease as if he is flying.)

The Zhe Xian had forgotten…….that this little girl is from the most powerful military family in this Great Ye Kingdom and the sons of this family are all military men.  Two members of her family even hold the t.i.tle of 'Guardian of White Tiger Gate', therefore, the martial art skills of these military men are very normal to her and it is as natural as the barking of Xiaobai, the little dog raised by Princess Niang Niang.

In the courtyard, the wind quiet down and the sun dimmed.  The eucalyptus trees s.h.i.+vered and their tree crowns trembled without wind.  Xiaoli was not sure whether the trees were trying to hold back their laughter or they were scared.

She looked awkwardly at the sullen face of Lord Guos.h.i.+.

However, Chen Yubai was not angry and tightened his lips as he stared at her.  The next moment, he started to smile.

The icy snow-sea face revealed a smile like millions of peach blossoms in bloom which caused the corners of Xiaoli's eyes jumped.  It was like a picture of tidal waves surging towards her but before she could engrave that scene in her mind, Chen Yubai said to her.  "Alright then……now open your eyes and watch carefully."

He raised his hand against his thin lips and blew out a melodious and beautiful whistle.

Very quickly from the sky behind Wan Qian Hall, a metal-grey shadow appeared and it flew very swiftly.  In an instant, it was in front of them and landed firmly on the arm of Lord Guos.h.i.+.

With a cold expression, he held up his arm in front of her.

Ji Xiaoli stared in disbelief with her round eyes!

It is a wartime pigeon!

It is the grilled wartime pigeon with a fragrant aroma that she buried with her own hands!

It is with bones and fles.h.!.+  It has resurrected!

"s.h.i.+fu!"  She rushed forward to hug his arm causing the pigeon to take fright and flew away.  She hugged tightly to his arm as if she was afraid everything would turn into a cloud of smoke in the next second.

"s.h.i.+fu is above!  Disciple……disciple is below!"  The little girl who had been cultivating to be a fairy since she was a child became so excited that she talked incoherently.

(s.h.i.+fu above, Disciple below describes the situation where the s.h.i.+fu as the Master is the authoritative figure above everyone while the Disciple is the obedient person under the s.h.i.+fu.)