On the training grounds of the Hundred Flowers Palace, Liu Songhe and his son stood opposite Shen Wanxiong and his son. Nan Menghua raised her hand, and Nan Yunshuang stepped forward to plant the first stick of incense into the burner.
"Both young nephews will have the duration of one stick of incense," Nan Menghua announced. "Whoever can withstand the most moves will be declared the winner of this round. As we agreed, this is a friendly spar; should either of these two young men be injured, the match will be forfeited to them automatically."
First to take the stage were Liu Shaopeng and Shen Wanxiong. After a brief exchange of courtesies, Liu Shaopeng unsheathed his Cloud-Overturning Sword and lunged straight ahead. It was a pity; though the move was swift and fierce, he had lost his internal cultivation. Now, he relied purely on physical technique. He had only won the previous match against Shen Ruoxuan because the latter had thrown the fight. For a master of Shen Wanxiong’s caliber, evading was child’s play.
More importantly, Liu Shaopeng’s footing faltered; his center of gravity was unstable. Chu Ruo noticed that ever since the "Little Scorpion" had dealt with him, the "Great Roc" had undergone a total personality shift. The arrogance that once defined him was gone, replaced by a cowering, skittish demeanor. He looked like a street rat, eyes darting with constant vigilance and a lingering trace of terror whenever he looked at Nan Muxue.
He had once been so spirited, born with a silver spoon and destined to be a future leader of the martial world. Now, missing an ear, several fingers, and his manhood... his despondency was easy to understand. Chu Ruo shook her head; the man was utterly broken.
As she mused, Shen Wanxiong disarmed the Cloud-Overturning Sword with a flick of his wrist. Liu Shaopeng’s face paled. Without internal power, he had relied entirely on his prized blade; now that it was gone, he was finished. Sure enough, Shen Wanxiong followed up with a backhanded palm strike. It wasn't particularly forceful, but it was enough to send Liu Shaopeng tumbling off the stage. The incense in the burner hadn't even reached the halfway mark.
"The Young Fortress Master’s skills are... extraordinary," Shen Wanxiong said with a triumphant smirk, emphasizing the word 'extraordinary' with heavy sarcasm. "I am certain that when you take over your esteemed fortress, it will reach even greater heights. Hahaha!"
Liu Shaopeng hung his head and walked back to his father’s side, not daring to look up, his sword slung awkwardly behind his back. "Father..."
Liu Songhe shot his son a sharp, piercing look before turning back with a smile. "Hardly. He cannot compare to your son. My boy is of a frail constitution; he might pass away any day now. He certainly won't live as long as the Eleventh Young Master."
The barb was sharp—a blatant curse on Shen Ruoxuan’s longevity. Chu Ruo marveled at how these two old foxes had completely dropped their facades for the sake of her Little Scorpion. She wanted to steal a glance at Nan Muxue, but with Nan Menghua present, she kept her eyes forward.
Next were Shen Ruoxuan and Liu Songhe. A new stick of incense was lit. After the formalities, the fight began. Shen Ruoxuan coughed and wheezed, yet his movements remained steady. He wore a pair of specialized iron gauntlets with razor-sharp claws at the fingertips. He lunged forward; a normal person would have been shredded instantly. However, Liu Songhe was not so easily touched. With a slight tilt of his body, he evaded the claws and countered with a palm strike. Shen Ruoxuan stumbled, nearly falling to one knee, but he gritted his teeth and spun around to attack again.
The rest of the match was tedious. Shen Ruoxuan couldn't win, but he was clever and agile. He would strike at the left and immediately retreat, playing a game of cat and mouse. He was stalling. Liu Songhe’s face darkened with displeasure; had this not been a "friendly spar," the outcome would have been decided long ago.
Finally, just as the incense burned out, Liu Songhe struck Shen Ruoxuan down. He withdrew his hand. "A tiger father does not sire a dog of a son. In this round, Liu and his son concede. Congratulations to you both."
***
Back in their guest quarters, Liu Shaopeng asked in confusion, "Father, why did you make me lose on purpose? And why did you lose as well?"
A sharp glare silenced him instantly. Liu Songhe sighed heavily. "You fool. Nan Menghua was testing my martial arts. She was using you two to gauge me and that old fox Shen. Besides, Shen Ruoxuan had to win this round. He already lost once; he couldn't afford another defeat."
"If he had lost too, then that wench Nan Muxue could have married—"
"Do you think Nan Menghua would just watch us keep winning? Shen Wanxiong knew her plan but was forced to go all out. We are different. Sometimes, one must preserve their strength. Did you notice she never said how many rounds there would be? If you had won today, there would surely be a fifth or sixth match. She won't marry that wench off until she’s squeezed every bit of profit out of us. That mother and daughter are both harlots!"
"Then what do we do now that it's a tie? And... why must I marry that wench?"
Liu Songhe glared at him. "Useless! A single Nan Muxue has scared you to this point? Why do you think we’ve worked so hard? It’s for the Hundred Flowers Palace. I want to wipe them out entirely. As for that wench, once she’s in your hands, you can repay her tenfold for what she did to you. You can torture her slowly..."
Liu Shaopeng began to fantasize about the punishments he would inflict. To hide his disfigurement, he let his hair hang loose to cover the hole where his ear had been, and he wore prosthetic finger stalls. He let out a sinister laugh. *Nan Muxue, this is all thanks to you. I will be sure to repay you well!*
"Come," Liu Songhe said. "We should prepare a gift to show our 'sincerity.'"
***
Meanwhile, Chu Ruo was crouching beside Nan Muxue’s rocking chair, looking quite obedient. Nan Muxue stroked her hair tenderly. "So, do you understand now? My mother won't let either family win so easily."
"I know, she wants to balance them against each other," Chu Ruo replied. "But they've each won a round now. It's like they haven't made any progress at all." She sighed; she wondered when her mother-in-law’s games would ever end.
"She won't let them take me away that easily. Regardless of who wins or loses, since they’ve come up the mountain, she won't let them leave without coughing up some benefits."
"Wow, it's a pity she didn't become a merchant."
"Go get Ice Dark from the wall, and prepare your Ice Fiend."
"What for?"
Nan Muxue smiled faintly. "Next, my mother will 'return' these two treasures to their original owners."
"Oh, she wants to..."
Nan Muxue nodded. "The two families won't actually take them back right now. This way, these two items can be used openly in the future. Furthermore, they will certainly offer up a portion of the betrothal gifts in advance."
"I see..." Chu Ruo said, half-understanding, before adding mischievously, "So, your habit of calculating everything was learned from your mother, wasn't it?"
*Smack!* Chu Ruo clutched her head. "You hit me again!"
"Dare to speak nonsense again, and I'll slap your mouth directly."
*Hey, you're not cute at all,* Chu Ruo thought. *I do all the work while you lounge in that chair, and you still want to slap me?* She leaned in close. "I think, if you're going to 'slap' my mouth, you shouldn't use your hand."
Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow. Knowing exactly what she meant, she asked anyway, "Then what should I use?"
"Well, you have to use a mouth to fix a mouth," Chu Ruo said, pointing to her own lips. She leaned in for a kiss, but Nan Muxue turned her head away. Chu Ruo pouted, but Nan Muxue spoke first: "Go make some snacks for your Master."
"You've developed quite a sweet tooth lately," Chu Ruo said, her eyes full of doting affection. She leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Alright, since my wife asked, what do you want to eat?"
Nan Muxue rubbed Chu Ruo’s ears. "Anything. I want to sleep for a bit."
"I'll go now then. Hmm, maybe I'll make some fried chicken, and prepare some preserved fruits, fresh fruit, and peanuts. You rest, and they'll be ready when you wake up."
"Good." Nan Muxue watched as her lover draped a long robe over her to keep her warm. She couldn't help but reach out and kiss Chu Ruo’s forehead. "Ruo'er."
"Hmm? What is it?" Chu Ruo blinked, her smile bright and toothy. "Miss me already? I haven't even left yet."
"Go on. Don't disturb your Master’s rest."
As soon as Chu Ruo left, Nan Muxue opened her eyes, her expression shifting. "A-Yue."
A-Yue immediately pushed the door open. "Yes, Young Palace Master. What are your orders?"
"Go and invite Bai Zhier here."
By the time Bai Zhier arrived, Nan Muxue was sitting upright, waiting for her. Bai Zhier scoffed. "Well, this is rare. What do you want with me? Let’s get one thing straight: in this palace, I won't treat anyone except Ruo'er. Absolutely no one. Especially not the grand Young Palace Master..."
"It's about Ruo'er."
Those few words were enough to make Bai Zhier drop her disdainful act. Nan Muxue noted the change. *For her to have someone willing to do so much... is it a blessing or a curse?*
***
"Snowy, I'm ba—"
"Ruo'er!" As soon as Chu Ruo entered, she found Bai Zhier there. The doctor grabbed her arm intimately. "Perfect timing. I need your help with something. You're coming down the mountain with me for a few days."
*Sister, my Little Scorpion is right there! You're going to get me killed!* Chu Ruo tried to pull away. "Uh, I..."
Nan Muxue seemed entirely unbothered, flipping through a book in her rocking chair. "Miss Bai has come all this way to help the Holy Envoy. Now that she has a request, the Holy Envoy should naturally..."
Chu Ruo rushed to Nan Muxue’s side. "Snowy, I didn't—"
"She helped you; it is your duty to help her in return."
"But your mother..."
"I will speak to her. There is no need to worry."
Bai Zhier pulled at her again. "See? She gave the word. Are you still refusing to come?"
"But..."
"No 'buts'!" Bai Zhier rolled her eyes. "And here I thought we were friends. Now that I'm in trouble, you won't help? Besides, this trip is to find the person trying to kill me. If I hadn't come to the Hundred Flowers Palace, this might not have happened."
"You found a lead?"
"You could say that. It seems to be someone from a few years ago who asked me to treat his heavily injured son. I heard the man was a villain who committed all sorts of atrocities, so I refused. He told me then that he would have his revenge. I didn't think he'd actually show up after all this time. Anyway, are you coming or not? If not, just let me fend for myself. Clearly, I'm not an important friend."
"I'll go with you," Chu Ruo said, rubbing her forehead. This woman was starting to feel as manipulative as the Little Scorpion, only with a veneer of gentleness. It was a total sugar-coated bullet. She knelt and tugged on Nan Muxue’s sleeve. "Snowy, about me and Zhier..."
"Enough," Nan Muxue said dismissively. "If she dies, your only other option is Lin Jianghong. She still has some use. Go, and return quickly."
"Are you... really not angry?"
Bai Zhier dragged Chu Ruo toward the door. "Don't worry, why would she be angry? If I die, you'll just end up in someone else's bridal chamber. Go on, pack your things. We leave tomorrow morning sharp."
Once they were gone, Nan Muxue threw the book onto the floor. She walked to the door, watching her lover’s retreating back. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Ruo'er."
That night, Nan Muxue did not sleep. She knew someone would come.
"Snowy... Oh, you knew I was coming. You're just sitting there waiting for me."
"If you don't want to be here, you can go back."
Chu Ruo hurried to the bed and sat beside her, taking her hand. "How could I not want to be here?"
Nan Muxue pinched her chin. "Aren't you afraid my mother will catch you?"
"For you, I'm not even afraid of death..."
"Don't say that word so lightly." Nan Muxue traced Chu Ruo’s lips with her finger. "Be careful when you go down the mountain tomorrow. Remember what I told you: never put yourself in danger."
Chu Ruo felt her nose tingle with emotion. She hugged her tight. "Snowy..."
"Silly girl." Nan Muxue patted the back of her head, smiling. "Crying already? It’s not like you’re never coming back."
"You told me not to say the word, but you just did." Chu Ruo tugged on her ear. "Fine, the sooner I go, the sooner I return. And?"
"And?"
"You're not allowed to look at that woman surnamed Bai. Aside from necessary communication, you are not to speak to her, and you are certainly not allowed to be alone in a room with her. If I find out you've broken even one of these rules..." She threateningly pressed a finger against a vital point on Chu Ruo’s back. "You know the consequences."
*I don't believe you'd actually poke me to death.* "You're a vinegar-pickled Little Scorpion... Ow!"
Nan Muxue let go. "There are banknotes and silver on the table, along with a bottle of the Hundred Flowers Gǔ antidote. Each pill lasts a year. There are also some general detoxifying pills, and..."
"What is all this? I'm only going for four or five days. Why give me so much?"
"I recall a certain coward who was always worried I'd forget to give her the antidote. I'm giving you extra now so I don't have to waste time looking for you if you get into trouble again. Just take it. And don't use anything belonging to that Bai woman. Not even her money."
Chu Ruo laughed. After all that, it was just jealousy. "Understood. I'll only use yours, okay? I'm your kept woman for life anyway."
"Shameless."
"It's late. Let's sleep."
As they lay down, Chu Ruo went to embrace her, but Nan Muxue pulled her into her own arms first. Chu Ruo snuggled in. "Is Master worried her disciple will be cold?"
"Master is cold herself. It seems your only use is as a bed-warmer, so I'm holding on tight."
They both laughed, Chu Ruo feeling blissful and content. "Mmm... Snowy, I want to sleep in your room forever."
Nan Muxue kissed her. "Fine. When you return, we will be together every day."
*But... I cannot let you return.*
***
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Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 95 | A Tender Departure | Novela.app | Novela.app
