A barely perceptible flicker of disappointment crossed Mu Yuanying’s eyes. She shot him a look before striding into the Chen Family courtyard.
In a side room, Song Ying, who was looking after Shoujing, heard the commotion. She handed the child to Gingko and walked out.
"Shouheng, this is..."
Her eyes lit up when she saw her son leading in a beautiful young woman with an extraordinary air, and she hurried forward to greet them.
"Mother, this is the daughter of Mu Tisi from the Jiangzhou Riverway Office, Miss Mu Yuanying."
Chen Shouheng made the introductions. "Miss Mu, this is my mother."
"So it’s Miss Mu! Please, have a seat!"
Song Ying greeted her warmly. She had heard Chen Li mention this young woman several times, but this was the first time they had met. The last time Mu Yuanying visited, she had come and gone in a hurry, and they hadn’t had the chance to see each other.
She had a servant bring tea, then couldn’t help but discreetly glance back and forth between Mu Yuanying and her son.
The more she looked, the more she found the girl handsome and spirited, carrying herself with a grandness uncommon in ordinary women. She recalled what her husband, Chen Li, had said and sighed internally. The trifles of managing a household and raising children truly couldn’t contain a woman like this.
After asking a few questions about the local customs of Jiangzhou, Song Ying changed the subject, her tone turning a bit probing. "A beautiful girl such as yourself, Miss Mu... I wonder, are you perhaps betrothed?"
Hearing this, Mu Yuanying’s pretty face flushed imperceptibly. Her eyes flickered with a mix of feigned anger and resentment as she glanced at Chen Shouheng, who was sitting beside her on pins and needles. She then sighed and said, "Auntie, you may not know this, but among the people I know, there is one I quite fancy. It’s just that a certain someone has likely grown to resent me, leaving Yuanying to be the falling flower that pines for the heartless stream."
The melancholic and pointed words left Song Ying stunned for a moment. Then, thoughtfully, she looked at her son.
Chen Shouheng was mortified. His face flushed, and he quickly cleared his throat, forcefully changing the subject. "Mother! I have an important matter to discuss with Miss Mu..."
He then concisely explained how his aunt Chen Yao’s family had been kidnapped in Shangxi Village by unknown bandits, who were demanding a ransom of ten thousand taels of silver and had taken his aunt and uncle captive.
After finishing, he looked at Mu Yuanying with a sincere expression. "Miss Mu, your Martial Arts are superb. I would like to implore you to stay at my humble home for a while to help watch over things. I will return as soon as I’ve dealt with my aunt’s situation. I wonder... would Miss Mu be willing to help?"
Since the Bai Family paid the ransom, word had come back that Chen Yao and Bai Shixuan had returned home safely.
But Shu Qi, who had been tracking the three culprits, had vanished without a trace.
This worried Chen Shouheng greatly.
Now that Mu Yuanying had arrived, the thought of going to investigate himself took root.
Mu Yuanying listened and pondered for a moment.
Though she had a frank personality, she also knew what was important.
Chen Shouheng was entrusting his family’s safety to her. This show of trust dispelled much of the petty annoyance she had been feeling.
She nodded. "Since your family is in trouble and I happen to be here, I certainly can’t stand by and do nothing. I accept."
Chen Shouheng was overjoyed and quickly rose to his feet to thank her. "In that case, thank you, Miss Mu!"
Mu Yuanying waved her hand, her expression turning more serious. "Don’t thank me just yet. There’s something I must remind you of. The current chaos in the four counties of Mirror Mountain runs deep. The interests involved in the ’rice for mulberry’ affair are enormous.
"As far as I know, the great Noble Families, such as the Jiangzhou Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, have likely all gotten involved behind the scenes. Behind those Roving Bandits who seem to have appeared out of nowhere, you will most likely find the shadows of the Noble Families. They have many Spirit Realm masters among their Honored Guests. You must be extremely careful on your trip. Do not act rashly!"
’Noble Families?’
Chen Shouheng’s expression grew taut. He nodded solemnly. "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Mu! I will certainly keep it in mind!"
There was no time to lose. Chen Shouheng gave his mother, Song Ying, a few more instructions, then hastily packed his bags and left home, his figure quickly disappearing down the path at the village entrance.
Half a day after his departure, as the setting sun cast long shadows, two fast horses galloped into Lingxi amidst a cloud of dust, heading straight for the gates of the Chen Mansion.
It was none other than the travel-worn Chen Li and Chen Shouye, returning home.
Before he even stepped through the door, Chen Li sensed that the atmosphere in his home was different.
When he saw Mu Yuanying in the main hall talking with his wife, Song Ying, he was slightly taken aback.
"Miss Mu?" Chen Li was surprised. "What are you doing here?"
Seeing Chen Li return, Mu Yuanying stood and gave a slight bow. "Uncle Chen, Shouye."
Song Ying quickly stepped forward and explained what had happened.
Chen Li listened quietly and then nodded. "I see. We’ve troubled you, Miss Mu. Since you’re here, please stay at our humble home for a few more days. That way, Shouheng can thank you in person when he returns."
Mu Yuanying smiled faintly and shook her head. "Uncle Chen, you’re too kind. Yuanying’s business here is concluded. Now that you’ve returned, the household is safe and sound, so Yuanying will impose no longer. I shall take my leave."
Her words were proper and her reasoning sound, but her intention to leave was resolute.
Chen Li did not press her to stay. He simply said, "If that is the case, Chen will not insist. Be careful on your journey, Miss Mu. The Chen Family will remember this kindness."
"Uncle, you speak too gravely. It was what Yuanying ought to do."
Mu Yuanying was decisive. After speaking, she bowed to Song Ying and Chen Li, and without another word, turned and walked out of the courtyard.
Chen Li had Shouye escort their guest out.
Chen Shouye acknowledged the order and saw Mu Yuanying to the gate.
Mu Yuanying swung herself onto her horse. She gave one last, complicated look back at the Chen Mansion, then flicked the reins and galloped away.
Inside the main hall, watching Mu Yuanying’s straight-backed yet strangely lonely figure retreat into the distance, Song Ying sighed softly. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but after a glance at Chen Li, she just sighed again and remained silent.
Outside the gates, the sound of hoofbeats faded, and the fiery red figure soon blended into the twilight.
「 ... 」
After Mu Yuanying left, Chen Li did not rush to find his eldest son, Chen Shouheng. Instead, he focused his energy on his Cultivation.
He took out the medicinal ingredients he had purchased from the Black Market at Hidden Emperor Castle and began the process of refining the Sweet Wind Jade Dew Heaven-Repairing Creation Pill.
The process was intricate and precise.
First, he ground the ingredients into a fine powder, then decocted them, simmering the mixture over a low flame. Controlling the heat was crucial, as he needed to constantly sense the degree to which the medicinal properties were fusing.
The medicinal liquid bubbled in the cauldron, its color deepening from light to dark until it finally transformed into a viscous, honey-like, amber-colored paste. It emitted a peculiar fragrance that was refreshing to the soul yet tinged with a hint of bitterness.
Once the paste had cooled slightly, Chen Li circulated his Inner Qi. His hands moved like butterflies flitting through flowers as he rapidly divided and kneaded the substance.
He then used his Inner Qi to purge impurities and disperse the latent fire energy.
When the last trace of fire energy had dissipated, all that remained on the small table were ten Elixir Pills, each the size of a longan, with a warm luster and faint, cloud-like patterns on their surfaces.
Nearly two thousand taels of silver worth of medicinal ingredients had yielded only these ten pills.
By that calculation, the cost of each pill was as high as two hundred taels of silver.
With the alchemy complete, Chen Li regulated his breathing for a moment, then began his Cultivation for Ascension and Void Transformation.
He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in the center of the quiet room, his palms and feet facing upward, and slowly began to circulate the Five Grains Qi Storage Technique.
The pure Inner Qi nourished within his Dantian and the Acupoints throughout his body converged like a hundred rivers flowing to the sea, carefully guided toward the vicinity of his Divine Hall Acupoint.