They say the martial world is vast, but the paths of enemies often cross narrowly. This saying doesn’t apply in every situation, but regardless, no matter how luxurious an inn might be, the dining hall isn’t endless. Thus, when Bai Jinshu went downstairs for breakfast the next morning, he immediately spotted Ye Li Hen sitting by the window.
At that moment, the young master of the Ye family, dressed in luxurious clothes and flaunting his wealth, was merely eating breakfast, yet the table was laid out like an imperial feast. As Bai Jinshu approached, he couldn’t help but curiously eye the cup in Ye Li Hen’s hand. “Are you drinking wine?”
“This is a Night-Glow Cup” Ye Li Hen said, raising the cup to show Bai Jinshu as it reflected the morning light. Then, he recited a poem aloud, “In the Night-Glow Cup, grape wine sparkles bright; with the sky and clouds lingering in the light. When I look back at the desolation of the world, I urge you to drink, and drink until you’re free.1葡萄美酒夜光杯，天光云影共徘徊。回首满目凄凉事，别酒劝君君一醉。”
Bai Jinshu was stunned for a moment, unable to detect anything wrong with the “poem.”
“Sit” Ye Li Hen commanded imperiously, pointing at the chair across from him. Then he called out, “Waiter, bring another set of dishes and chopsticks.”
Only then did Bai Jinshu notice that although the table in front of Ye Li Hen was filled with food, most of it consisted of delicate pastries. Based on the portions, it could barely match the appetite of two people, and Ye Li Hen had barely touched the food. It seemed he had been waiting for someone. The realization made Bai Jinshu chuckle. “Why didn’t you just set out two sets of dishes from the start?”
Ye Li Hen looked at him disapprovingly, “Then wouldn’t you be even more smug?”
At that moment, Bai Jinshu was sure that Ye Li Hen was drunk. “At your age, you really shouldn’t be learning to drink.”
“At your age, you really shouldn’t be acting like an old man.” Ye Li Hen retorted, his gaze slightly unfocused due to the alcohol, but it didn’t stop him from returning the remark bluntly.
Faced with someone at least five or six years younger than him, Bai Jinshu didn’t get angry. “You must be so drunk you’ve forgotten your manners.”
Ye Li Hen replied with certainty, “I’m just as impolite when I’m sober.”
Bai Jinshu was almost amused by Ye Li Hen. Indeed, the young master wasn’t exactly polite when sober either, but he wasn’t usually this cute. “A little wine isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but don’t let it ruin our plans for later. For now, stop drinking.”
“Where are we going later?” Ye Li Hen asked, still in his usual cold tone, but Bai Jinshu felt as though he could see the eager anticipation of his nephew reflected in Ye Li Hen’s face.
“I guarantee it’s somewhere you’ve never been, something fresh and interesting.”
Immediately, Ye Li Hen frowned in disgust, “I have no interest in brothels.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Bai Jinshu burst out laughing. “At your age, what are you thinking about all the time?”
Ye Li Hen remained expressionless as he continued his questioning, “Then where are you taking me?”
—-
Bai Jinshu took Ye Li Hen to the most ordinary of marketplaces, but just as he had predicted, this delicate young master, who had grown up sheltered, had never seen such a sight before. Now that he had walked for a while and sobered up, his gaze was no longer hazy, and his attention was quickly captivated by the bustling scene before him. A faint sense of wonder appeared on his face, finally showing some semblance of his true age.
Fengcheng’s market was unique in that there were an unusually high number of stalls selling flutes. Bai Jinshu wasn’t particularly interested in legends about playing the flute to summon phoenixes, but since he had some experience with the instrument besides martial arts, he couldn’t help but casually admire the variety of flutes on display. The quality of the sound depends somewhat on the material, and most of these flutes, seemingly designed to attract tourists, were made of mediocre purple bamboo. There were hardly any top-quality purple bamboo flutes, but one plain-looking jade-screen flute caught Bai Jinshu’s attention. Just as he was about to examine it more closely, Ye Li Hen reached out and picked up the flute.
“Shopkeeper, I’ll take this flute.”
With no understanding of the concept of hiding one’s wealth, the wealthy young master casually handed over a silver ingot worth far more than the flute’s value. Born with a poor man’s fate, Bai Jinshu had little concept of money, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit of pity for Ye Li Hen. The flute had been bought, and as they left the stall, Bai Jinshu couldn’t resist pointing out, “That flute isn’t worth that much silver.”
Ye Li Hen didn’t care, casually responding, “A thousand gold coins can’t buy what’s dear to the heart.” He struck a pose, as if lamenting the rarity of finding a true kindred spirit that mere mortals couldn’t understand. After that, he wiped the mouthpiece of the flute and prepared to play it.
The reason Bai Jinshu had learned to play the flute was that, as a child, he had seen his shiniang2Master’s Wife play it and had been mesmerized, feeling as though he were witnessing a goddess descend from the heavens. After learning the flute, he no longer obsessed over appearances and focused instead on proper technique. Ye Li Hen’s posture wasn’t exactly correct, but somehow, it gave Bai Jinshu the same ethereal feeling of watching an immortal. He expected Ye Li Hen, an obvious flute lover, to play an extraordinary tune.
…However, in the end, he heard nothing.
Ye Li Hen tried several times, but no sound came out.
After a long pause, Bai Jinshu had to swallow his laughter. “It’s normal for someone who’s never learned to play the flute to struggle at first” he tried to console the person before him.
Yet Ye Li Hen showed no embarrassment and nonchalantly handed the flute to Bai Jinshu. “If I can’t make it sound, what use do I have for it? You can have it.”
Bai Jinshu couldn’t help but feel moved. Did someone who didn’t know how to play the flute really buy one just to try it for fun? Or was it possible that Ye Li Hen had noticed Bai Jinshu’s interest in the flute and bought it to give to him? The whole scenario seemed so roundabout and awkward that Bai Jinshu couldn’t tell whether the young master was shameless or simply too shy. In the end, he chose to believe that Ye Li Hen simply didn’t want the jade-screen flute to go to waste and casually gifted it.
“In any case, let me play you a song as thanks for this gift.”
Not wanting to perform in public, Bai Jinshu led Ye Li Hen to a quiet spot by the river. Although he hadn’t diligently practiced his flute skills, playing a tune on a well-made flute with good sound quality wasn’t too difficult. The flute’s sound was naturally low and melancholic, but Bai Jinshu’s playing added a gentle, flowing touch.
He chose a popular tune called “Nian Nu Jiao,” a melody named after a famous courtesan from the Tang Dynasty known for her clear voice and her legendary connections with Emperor Xuanzong. Unlike the usual sorrowful tunes, this piece was one of the few upbeat melodies favored in music houses.
Although Bai Jinshu usually enjoyed softer, melancholic music, when facing Ye Li Hen, he couldn’t help but want to bring more joy and less solitude to the boy.
Unfortunately, before the song could end, Bai Jinshu sensed an incoming killing intent. Unsure whether the attackers were targeting him or the mysterious young master beside him, Bai Jinshu abruptly stopped playing and swiftly unsheathed his sword, precisely deflecting the incoming blade.
Soon, three masked assassins appeared. Although their martial skills were inferior to Bai Jinshu’s, the three of them working together put him at a temporary disadvantage. The only thing that comforted Bai Jinshu was that the assassins were clearly focused on him, leaving Ye Li Hen, who stood watching with an air of detachment, unscathed.
Lucky to be on the sidelines, Ye Li Hen calmly observed the fight with an air of confidence. Finally, he asked with a light tone of ‘concern’ “Do you need my help to ‘uphold justice’?”
Ye Li Hen’s question prompted one of the assassins to consider dealing with him first. Bai Jinshu, forced to take risks, shifted from defense to offense to suppress the attackers, preventing them from diverting their attention to the onlooker. However, this put Bai Jinshu at a disadvantage.
Without waiting for an answer, Ye Li Hen leisurely picked up a willow branch from the ground. Remembering how the last branch Ye Li Hen had held was quickly cut in half by bandits, Bai Jinshu couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and concern. Worried that Ye Li Hen’s martial skills were indeed lacking, he quickly said, “If you can’t help, it’s better not to try.”
Ye Li Hen’s response was to join the fight without hesitation. The fresh green willow branch seemed to sway weakly in the air, but in the next moment, it moved like lightning, wrapping around one of the assassins’ swords and quickly disarming him.
Although this move was certainly aided by surprise and the assassin’s carelessness, it would have been impossible to execute so smoothly without sufficient skill. Despite having suspected that Ye Li Hen might be hiding his abilities, Bai Jinshu was still surprised by the young master’s display of power.
If even Bai Jinshu had underestimated Ye Li Hen’s abilities, the assassins certainly had no idea what they were up against. Originally, the three assassins had been able to put up a decent fight by working together. But with Ye Li Hen’s sudden and deadly precise attacks, using the willow branch like a lethal weapon, they quickly found themselves on the defensive.
To be honest, Bai Jinshu would have preferred for someone Ye Li Hen’s age to only know flashy but harmless techniques rather than such practiced and ruthless moves. However, he could understand Ye Li Hen’s relentless aggression. Clearly, the young master wanted to leave one of the assassins alive for questioning but couldn’t allow any of them to escape, so he pressed them harder with each strike.
With Bai Jinshu and Ye Li Hen working together, the assassins were soon overwhelmed. Ye Li Hen’s willow branch, as agile as a venomous snake, seemed to target fatal points with each strike. However, when given the chance, Ye Li Hen only unmasked one of the assassins, pulling away his black cloth mask.
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