Ze Que said that all the items brought back had been handed over, so I wasn't sure if my little booklet was with the Eldest Young Master or the Second. It seemed I wouldn't be getting it back anytime soon, and I let out a dejected sigh.
After speaking, Ze Que struggled to return to the manor to continue his punishment, appearing quite incensed that I had interrupted his atonement. I truly could not comprehend the logic of the people in Zhongli Manor, so I simply found someone to deliver a letter into the estate on his behalf.
Returning to Changluo, I sat in a teahouse for the duration of a cup of tea to look into the matter of Ye Sha. The information I gathered didn't differ much from what Ze Que had said; he had indeed brutally murdered his first master. However, the part about "causing three years of chaos in Zhongli Manor" was missing. According to these patrons, Ye Sha had vanished from the public eye ever since he submitted to the Second Young Master.
My worldview was being refreshed every single day.
As the Creation God, I felt more and more that this world was incredibly complex.
Full of doubts, I returned to the Ren family’s clinic.
There, I saw Ye Tan holding a needle and thread, embroidering flowers.
The bloody scenes of a homicidal demon cruelly murdering his master were still churning in my mind, so seeing this sight left me utterly stunned.
Seeing me return, Ye Tan hurried to stand and salute.
I trembled as I spoke. "You... you are..."
"Though the master of the clinic is willing to provide for us, your subordinate felt guilty eating for free every day. I asked the mistress if there was anything I could help with... and she gave me this."
On the table sat a stack of clothes for mending, with half still waiting to be finished.
"You... you even know how to do this?"
"It has been a long time since I touched a needle; I am indeed a bit out of practice." Ye Tan set down his work and began rummaging through the neatly folded clothes. "Because my previous masters were wealthy, there was never a need for repairs... Ah, found it." He pulled out a simple piece of cotton-linen. "Master’s previous garment was slightly damaged; your subordinate has mended it. Would you like to bathe and change now?"
I looked at the clothes I was wearing; they were indeed stained with quite a bit of filth, so it was a good time to change. Seeing this, Ye Tan came over to assist.
Just as my belt was undone, a "clatter" sounded as an object fell from my inner robes.
Once I saw what it was, my mind became even more clouded with suspicion.
It was a black and gold pouch embroidered with cloud patterns.
It was unmistakably the one belonging to that wealthy young master I had pickpocketed yesterday.
What was his name... Ye Wuyou? Something like that.
I picked it up and examined it repeatedly, unable to solve the mystery. I had clearly tucked it back onto his person with my own hands... Moreover, compared to yesterday, there was an additional small piece of white jade attached to the pouch, tied with a small strip of cloth.
That cloth looked familiar, giving me another shock: a strip was missing from the corner of my own clothes, torn away at some unknown time.
Opening it for a cursory look, I discovered there was even more money inside than yesterday.
Suddenly, my skin crawled.
Seeing my expression was off, Ye Tan asked in a low voice if something had happened.
"A-Tan, you don't need to do this needlework anymore." I weighed the pouch in my hand. "Someone has sent me money."
"...But your subordinate has already promised Mistress Ren..." Ye Tan was still hesitating.
"A-Tan, aren't you angry?" I asked suddenly. "You once had peerless martial arts and lived a life of luxury. Now you lack even the strength to truss a chicken, suffer from hunger and cold, and have to do these trivial chores that martial artists despise..."
Ye Tan thought seriously for a moment before saying, "As a guard, such words and deeds may be inappropriate, but... since my martial arts were crippled, my luck has suddenly become very good instead."
"Huh?"
Ye Tan’s star-like eyes looked at me brightly, but he said no more.
I thought about it and felt I shouldn't keep things from him. "I've heard many rumors about 'Ye Sha' these past two days. Regardless of whether they are true or false... I feel that if I were you, I would be filled with resentment right now."
"You... heard those words." Ye Tan’s voice suddenly dropped.
I nodded. "I heard several different versions. I don't know which one is true."
Ye Tan struggled painfully before saying, "I... your subordinate cannot say. If I speak of it, I would truly be failing in loyalty and righteousness. But since Master has asked, if your subordinate deceives or avoids the question, that would also be a failure of loyalty... I..."
Ye Tan was tied up in knots again.
I hurriedly soothed him. "It’s fine, it’s fine. If you won't say it, then don't."
"How can that be..." Ye Tan, conversely, wouldn't let it go.
"Then you can tell me something else I don't know." I was truly going to great lengths for him.
Ye Tan went quiet for a while, then said somewhat cryptically, "The precept of the Night Walk is that the winner is king. My master said the strong can protect everyone they wish to protect, so I practiced martial arts with all my life. When people came to snatch the title of Ye Sha, I used every ounce of my strength to beat them down. As the Blood Demon, I was still ignored by everyone; I didn't dare imagine that if I lost the title, surely no one would want me at all... But later... when I finally reached the peak where no one in the entire martial world could match me, I felt more and more that... everything in this world, no matter how good my skills were, could... save no one."
He lowered his head, his hand weakly forming a hollow fist. He said softly, "I feel now that being a useless person... is actually quite relaxing..."
I didn't know what to feel in my heart.
I felt that even if someone stabbed me right now, I wouldn't feel the pain.
"A-Tan, what do you fear most?"
Ye Tan said blankly, "Everything I feared most has... already happened. Anything else is of no consequence."
"What I fear most is seeing beauty fade with age and heroes reaching the end of their road; I fear even more that lovers will eventually part, that those with obsessions will meet calamity, that kind hearts will suffer through cycles of misery, and that unyielding bones will turn to dust." I knelt halfway by his side and gripped his hand tightly, saying each word with emphasis, "A-Tan, there was nothing wrong with your Way of the Sword. You shouldn't be the one bearing this outcome. Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to heal you."
Ye Tan was stunned. "Master, since you've heard those rumors, why do you still..."
"The Eldest Young Master of Zhongli Manor is debauched and unrestrained, yet you lightly dismissed it as a 'prodigal nature.' Ze Que keeps saying the Second Young Master is kind and benevolent, yet he punishes his retainers until their skin is flayed for a minor mistake. Comparing the two, I'd be a fool to believe him." I snorted and pulled Ye Tan to his feet. "Come, follow me to meet a friend."
In a short while, I had inquired about the Ye family outside the city. Surprisingly, it was a rather quiet and elegant little courtyard.
The wealthy young master, draped in gold and jade, was swinging on a swing set in front of the gate with absolutely no decorum. Upon seeing me, he jumped up happily. "This young master estimated it would be around this time. My beautiful little brother has finally arrived."
"Since someone invited me for tea, it is only right and proper to come and offer my thanks." I tugged at the dumbfounded Ye Tan, signaling him to look a bit more relaxed and natural.
"What nonsense is my beauty saying? You stole it with your own skill, so naturally, it is yours. Why would you return it?" Ye Wuyou rubbed his hands together like a fly, repeatedly trying to curry favor.
I sighed. "I don't know what you're trying to do. Is this a lesson, or are you showing off your skills?"
"Is it not obvious? 'How to bind our affections? With fine jade adorning the silken cord.'*" The wealthy young master said with a beaming smile, "When this young master likes someone, I want to spend money on them. What is improper about that?"
I pressed a hand to my forehead. "So blunt. You truly live up to your reputation as the Eldest Young Master of the entire city, Zhongli Zixu."
Zixu and Wuyou—I had truly never seen such half-hearted pseudonyms.
***
*Translator's Note: The line "How to bind our affections? With fine jade adorning the silken cord" (何以结恩情，美玉缀罗缨) is a classical reference to giving a gift as a token of love or commitment.*
