Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter 23: Shuni Is Very Cautious

It was a quarter past nine in the evening. Miss Shu dragged Ning Shisi into the Marquis of Xunyang’s estate.

Zhao Si pushed the door open and said, "Go past the long corridor, the fifth courtyard to the right is where Jiang Wang is. I am going to sleep; make yourselves at home."

Watching Zhao Si walk away without a backward glance, Miss Shu and Ning Shisi exchanged a look, both thinking that the rules of the Marquis’s estate were truly strange.

Walking through the corridor, Miss Shu said nervously, "Do you think this Jiang Wang has some ulterior motive?"

Ning Shisi reassured her, "Do not fear, Junior Sister. If Master Jiang intended to make things difficult for us, we would not have been able to leave the estate earlier. Why invite us back now? Perhaps there really is something he needs our help with."

Miss Shu slanted a look at him and remarked, "You certainly have a high opinion of this 'Master Jiang'."

Ning Shisi offered an awkward smile.

As they passed a certain spot, a sigh suddenly drifted toward them.

Miss Shu exclaimed in alarm, "Could there be a demon!"

Ning Shisi paused to observe and said, "If there were a demon, Junior Sister, you would surely be able to sense it."

Miss Shu shook her head immediately. Since arriving in Hun City, she felt her courage waning; she truly loathed this place.

Driven by curiosity, Ning Shisi followed the sound.

"A woodshed?" Ning Shisi felt even more astonished when he saw the pile of firewood at the entrance.

To lure out the old man in coarse linen clothes, Jiang Wang had removed the Black Flame Army guards from Su Lingyi, effectively giving the old man every opportunity to act. Furthermore, with only one steamed bun provided daily and no physician called to treat Su Lingyi’s wounds—only a simple bandage—there was no need to worry about him escaping.

Miss Shu plucked up her courage and peeked through a crack in the door.

"Who is it..." lying on the pile of firewood, a despairing Su Lingyi heard the commotion outside and asked in a hoarse voice. He was unkempt, pale, and extremely weak. Had he not already completed his Foundation Establishment and been able to draw upon the ambient energy of heaven and earth to cling to life, he would have perished long ago under Jiang Wang’s treatment.

This, of course, was exactly what Jiang Wang had calculated.

"Who are you, and why are you in this woodshed?"

Su Lingyi frowned slightly and asked, "Are you not from the Marquis’s estate?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued hoarsely, "No matter who you are, please save me! That scoundrel Jiang Wang is hateful; he has locked me here and ignored me..."

He struggled to crawl toward the door, adding, "I am a disciple of the Yuyuan Academy. If you save me, I will surely reward you handsomely."

Ning Shisi had originally intended to pull Miss Shu away, as he viewed Jiang Wang as a peak Dongming-stage cultivator and had little interest in meddling. But upon hearing the man’s affiliation, he stiffened.

"Yuyuan Academy?"

In truth, Ning Shisi did not particularly like people from the Yuyuan Academy in the Divine Capital, but a disciple of the academy being held captive in the Marquis of Xunyang’s estate in Hun City was a grave matter.

"Why has he locked you up?" Ning Shisi asked, not acting rashly.

Su Lingyi said bitterly, "Jiang Wang wants to use me to coerce the Yuyuan Academy. His intentions are obvious. The Grand Libationer of the Divine Capital is revered as a Confucian Saint and is the Emperor's tutor. Jiang Wang’s actions are tantamount to treason. Once I am out, I shall report this to the Emperor and have that scoundrel Jiang Wang hacked into ten thousand pieces!"

Ning Shisi’s expression grew grave. If what the man said was true, Jiang Wang was indeed guilty of a heinous crime. Just as he reached for the door...

A light cough came from behind them.

Jiang Wang looked at them with a smile and said, "You two, I invited you into my estate, making you my guests. But guests must observe the rules; how can you run about my home as you please?"

Miss Shu immediately retorted, "That one-armed man told us we could go anywhere!"

Ning Shisi grabbed Miss Shu and said in a deep voice, "Master Jiang, is the person locked in this woodshed truly a disciple of the Yuyuan Academy?" Despite his fear of Jiang Wang’s peak Dongming-stage strength, he had a sense of justice when it came to critical matters.

"Indeed," Jiang Wang nodded, smiling. "Miss Shu should know that I once defeated Cai Tanggu on Qixia Street. You can easily find out the cause of that conflict. Cai Tanggu intended to retaliate, so it is not unreasonable for me to take precautions to protect myself, is it?"

Miss Shu seemed to recall this; the details were quite clear to those at the Governor’s office, and she immediately whispered a summary to Ning Shisi.

"Even so..." Ning Shisi hesitated, "Detaining a disciple of the Yuyuan Academy is truly inappropriate. Moreover, it seems there is a misunderstanding involved. If Cai Tanggu really comes for revenge, I can help mediate for you, Master Jiang. I believe the Yuyuan Academy will show some respect. Why not just release this man..."

Jiang Wang looked deeply at Ning Shisi. To have the Yuyuan Academy "show respect"—this fellow’s background was not simple. But his heart was incredibly wicked. He actually wanted to plead for the enemy? I have spent tens of thousands of words cursing and put in great effort waiting for Cai Tanggu to return for revenge; wouldn't this move ruin everything I’ve worked for? Is this something a human being would do?

Jiang Wang’s expression turned icy. "I invited Miss Shu into my estate; where did you pop out from? Be careful, or I shall report you for trespassing!"

Ning Shisi stood frozen. What was this? He had clearly meant well.

Miss Shu could not help but say, "Jiang Wang, are you truly ill? How can you not distinguish between kindness and malice?"

Jiang Wang’s icy expression instantly softened into a smile. "Miss Shu, some things are not for you to manage, nor should they be. You see, sometimes good intentions lead to bad outcomes. Let us pretend nothing happened. Come, let me treat you to tea."

Miss Shu said in surprise, "You change your face quite quickly."

Jiang Wang bowed. "You flatter me, you flatter me."

Miss Shu curled her lip. "I have never seen such a thick-skinned person."

Jiang Wang waved his hands repeatedly. "Stop praising me, please stop."

Miss Shu: "..."

"Vile scoundrel! Cease your honeyed words and stop deceiving others!" Su Lingyi’s voice drifted from the woodshed, full of hatred. "When the Libationer arrives in person in Hun City, you shall reap what you sow. Go ahead and enjoy your arrogance—let us see who laughs last!"

Jiang Wang sighed helplessly. "There he goes again. If you had any brain, you would keep your mouth shut. If you threaten me again, I won't be able to keep you."

Su Lingyi was obedient. Having been locked up for so long, he was nearly insane, but he knew how to read the room; he dared not gamble with his life.

Jiang Wang led Miss Shu and Ning Shisi away from the woodshed.

"The woodshed is simple and unguarded. Master Jiang speaks harsh words, yet there is no one actually watching the prisoner. That man may be injured, but he is not so incapacitated that he couldn't leave. Isn't that strange?" Ning Shisi whispered to Miss Shu as they followed.

Miss Shu also lowered her voice. "This estate is strange to begin with. That Jiang Wang looks frail, yet he has a lame steward who is actually a master, a one-armed servant, and a maid who carries a massive longsword everywhere. Which one of them is normal?"

"Talking behind my back—do you think speaking quietly means I cannot hear you?" Jiang Wang looked back at them, thinking that their wits were not very sharp.

Ning Shisi felt awkward.

Miss Shu asked directly, "Then tell us, what is your plan, keeping someone in a woodshed in a secluded spot with no one guarding him?"

Jiang Wang replied, "There were people watching, but they were pulled away for other tasks. I, too, am curious why that fellow didn't escape. Is he so badly injured that he lacks the strength to push the door, or is he so foolishly convinced that the guards are hidden in the shadows that he dares not risk an escape?"

Miss Shu froze.

Ning Shisi wondered, "Could it be that he is too cautious? That even with an opportunity for escape right in front of him, he does not dare to take the risk?"

Jiang Wang laughed, "Exactly. Caution is not always a good thing. Just as being 'too clever by half' leads to one’s own downfall, he remains trapped in the woodshed simply because he thinks too much."

He hadn't really cared whether Su Lingyi left the woodshed or not. While the woodshed was secluded, leaving the estate required passing through many areas. In Su Lingyi’s current state, he couldn't climb the walls, and the only path to the gate was guarded by Xiao Yu, who was practicing her swordplay.

When it came to martial arts, Xiao Yu was serious. Aside from eating, sleeping, or when Jiang Wang needed her, she was constantly training. In the Marquis’s estate, she was always the first to rise and the last to retire. Now that she had truly stepped onto the path of a martial artist, no movement in the estate could escape her. Whether Su Lingyi was in the woodshed mattered little, so long as he remained within the estate.

Back in his courtyard, Jiang Wang reclined on a rattan chair and gestured for Miss Shu and Ning Shisi to be seated. He got straight to the point: "There is news that a great demon may be haunting Hun City. I invited you here specifically to ask for your help in tracking its trail."

Ning Shisi looked around; there was nothing to sit on except the rattan chair, so he remained standing, puzzled. "I have seen your own feats in subduing demons, Master Jiang. If you are tracking a demon, why ask for our help?" He also thought to himself that Jiang Wang had previously claimed to have only invited the Junior Sister, but had changed his tune quite quickly.

Jiang Wang smiled, "Because I am lazy."

Ning Shisi’s eyes widened; he had not expected that reason.

Miss Shu still harbored suspicions about whether Jiang Wang himself was a demon, and she said warily, "Are you using the pretext of hunting demons to harm us?"

Jiang Wang said with amusement, "Miss Shu, your caution is truly on par with Su Lingyi’s. Walking in the human world requires caution, but do not be cautious about everything, or you will miss many opportunities. If you find the demon’s trail, just lure it here; there is no need to fight it head-on."

Ning Shisi nodded. "If a great demon is indeed haunting Hun City, it is our duty to act."

Despite the lesson of Su Lingyi, Miss Shu remained guarded. She looked at Jiang Wang with suspicion, thinking that a man who looked so handsome shouldn't be bad, but the facts proved that Jiang Wang was utterly wicked. Even if she were to be cautious, she did not want to be deceived again.

"Miss Shu... what is your name?" Jiang Wang asked suddenly.

Miss Shu was startled. "I didn't call out?"

Jiang Wang was silent, then asked again, "I meant, what is your name?"

Miss Shu scoffed, "Why should I tell you?"

Before she could finish, Ning Shisi said, "My Junior Sister’s surname is Shu, and her given name is Ni. I am Ning Shisi, from the Divine Capital."

Miss Shu immediately cried out in annoyance, "You talk too fast!"