I was actually looking for Ze Que.
...Heaven knows, when I said I was going to "drink tea and pick up girls," I certainly didn't mean him.
It was just that my *Complete Collection of Codes* wasn't at the inn. The proprietor said the people from Zhongli Manor had long since confiscated it. After thinking it over, Ze Que was likely the one who knew its whereabouts best. However, his life was currently hanging by a thread, and I had no idea how he was faring.
By the time I reached the city gates, my throat was parched. I truly wanted tea, but I truly had no money.
Coincidentally, I didn't know the current level of my lightness skills, so I picked a target in the crowd, intending to "borrow" some silver to spend.
My eyes fell upon a loitering playboy. Dressed in fine silks and furs, his behavior was dissolute as he flirted with some brothel girls by the roadside. I drifted past him like a breeze, easily lifting a purse from his person.
Ducking into a corner of an alley, I opened it to find it was indeed overflowing with wealth. Thinking that tea shouldn't be expensive, I took a few taels of broken silver and packed the rest back exactly as it was.
When I stepped back out, that rake was still flirting in the same spot. I sauntered back over and slipped the money pouch back onto his waist.
"High skill breeds bold courage"—the saying was not false.
With my finances settled, I held my head high and entered a tea house. This little shop was dilapidated and the tea was cheap, but business was all the more bustling for it.
Sitting for a moment, the various aspects of mundane life unfolded before my eyes. Burly men called out to their friends while playing drinking games, women whispered about the trivial scandals of their neighbors, and street vendors argued until they were red in the face. It was my first time seeing such things in person, and it was truly fascinating.
A few tables away, some sturdy fellows happened to mention the name "Zhongli Manor." Holding my teacup, I inconspicuously moved to a spot near them.
Just as I sat down, I saw a familiar face enter the shop with a beaming smile. Ah, what a small world; it was the very playboy I had just taken the liberty of borrowing money from. There weren't many seats left in the shop, and after asking at several tables where people were unwilling to share, he saw the empty space near me. He approached with a bright smile to strike up a conversation.
"Little brother, you look like a kind soul. Would you mind letting this young master rest his feet here for a while?"
I was focused on eavesdropping on the people next to us, so I simply nodded in agreement.
Neither of us spoke for a while. After listening for a bit, I began to understand more.
Ye Tan had said, "The Eldest Young Master has the temperament of a profligate." Here, however, there was a different version:
Zhongli Zixu was obsessed with beauty, regardless of gender. He was so debauched that he had essentially had his way with everyone in the entire Zhongli Manor.
I raised my tea bowl and offered a silent toast to the empty air.
*Eldest Young Master, I salute you as a true "warrior."*
*Cheers! Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp.*
After finishing my lament, I couldn't help but feel a surge of worry.
Ye Tan had once been a member of Zhongli Manor.
...My heart felt uneasy.
"Little brother, what are you doing?" Seeing my strange behavior, the wealthy young master couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"Toasting a brave man." I shook my head and stood up. "I have matters to attend to; I shall take my leave first."
"You're leaving already? I feel a sense of kinship with you, little brother. Let this young master treat you to this tea." The wealthy young master enthusiastically grabbed my wrist and reached for his waist. Just as I was about to decline, he let out a startled cry. "My money pouch is gone! When did a thief manage to get their hands on it?"
...It seems I wasn't the only little thief who had their eye on you.
The wealthy young master's eyes darted around. "I see that you have an extraordinary bearing, little brother. Surely you come from a prominent family. Could you do me the honor of treating this young master to a cup of tea?"
I was in a hurry, so I casually stuffed the silver back into his hand and turned to leave.
"May I ask your name, little brother? So I may have something to remember you by in the future." The wealthy young master pulled at my sleeve persistently. "My surname is Ye, given name Wuyou. I live just outside the city..."
What does that have to do with me? However, considering myself a man of proper etiquette, I still replied, "Jun Xuanheng." I nodded and drifted away.
Once out of the city, I gathered my internal energy and sprinted. However, I suffered from not knowing the way. After wandering in circles, I didn't find the place until the sun was setting behind the mountains.
It turned out that Zhongli Manor was not just a single mountain villa. Because of the bustling traffic, a small town had actually gathered around it. After making some inquiries, I learned that many shops in the town belonged to Zhongli Manor. They were well-managed, and every household was affluent.
However, that bold statement—"The Eldest Young Master has bedded the entire Zhongli Manor"—was seared into my mind. Looking at the young and old of the town, I felt quite uncomfortable.
The walls of Zhongli Manor were towering, submerged within a lush, dark forest. I avoided the patrols and circled the perimeter once, discovering a long stretch to the north that was unguarded. There were no lights inside either, looking quite vulnerable. Thinking it wasn't an important place, I lightened my steps and snuck in.
After wandering aimlessly for a while, I detected the scent of blood permeating the air. The moonlight was bright, revealing a courtyard filled with torture devices and cages. This area was likely used for interrogations and punishment.
Within my line of sight, there was a patch of lamplight. No one was speaking, but there was the sound of whipping. I held my breath and crept over. Sure enough, I saw a person bound to a torture rack. There was only one guard beside him, lazily counting the strokes as he struck. Seeing the person was a bloody mess and in a wretched state, my sense of justice naturally flared up. I stepped lightly behind the guard and flicked a finger against the back of his head. The guard collapsed without a sound.
I fished several keys off the guard and tried them all until I carefully helped the person down from the rack. He had fallen into a semi-conscious state; his pulse was weak, and he was completely senseless.
It really was Ze Que.
After several days of practice, my experience in caring for the sick and injured had reached its peak. I took him back to the town along a familiar route, found a clinic, borrowed some silver, and settled in.
The night passed in silence. The next day, fearing Ye Tan would worry, I went to the street to buy some food and snacks. I attached a note and entrusted a courier to deliver it to Changluo. Naturally, I didn't mention that I was already at the foot of Zhongli Manor; otherwise, that brat Ye Tan would surely come running to cause trouble.
I returned to the clinic in the afternoon. The doctor gave me a report that I didn't understand at all, other than the fact that he hadn't woken up.
I sat back down by Ze Que's bed and finally took a close look at his features. With brows like stars and eyes like swords, and a noble, striking appearance, he was good material.
*He definitely got bedded by the Eldest Young Master.*
Thinking that waiting idly was a waste of time, I transferred some internal energy to him.
Sure enough, after a short while, he drifted awake. Once he saw it was me, he immediately tried to jump up and fight for his life.
"Don't get excited, Great Hero. I just wanted to ask you where my little booklet went." I shook out the quilt and wrapped him up tightly, pinning him down under my feet. Only then did he settle down somewhat. "But your injuries are severe, and you were being tortured in your own home... Could it be that because you failed to capture me, your master called you to account? Even if you are at fault, this hand was far too heavy..."
"I accepted my punishment; what does it have to do with you?" Ze Que snorted in disdain.
"If it's not because of me, could there be any other reason?" I thought it over and felt I wasn't just being sentimental.
"Because I touched someone I shouldn't have." Ze Que's voice was extremely raspy, likely due to the severity of his injuries. "The Second Young Master said... I shouldn't have touched Ye Sha."
Fine.
It was my own wishful thinking.
