Two elders stood there, both clad in gray robes, their beards and brows entirely white. One was lean and taut, possessing an ethereal, ascetic air; the other was broad and imposing, watching with the keenness of a tiger or hawk.
The moment Li Muzhan stepped inside, four gazes, sharp as lightning, fixed upon him. He understood they intended to probe his very soul before he could guard himself.
Dong Wanyi had changed into a white gown, her face as radiant as a spring blossom. She rose gracefully, offering a sweet smile. “Young Master Li, these are Elder He and Elder Geng; they are both here to protect me… Elder He, Elder Geng, this is Young Master Li, who saved me!”
“Young Master Li, thank you, thank you!” The two elders retracted their piercing gazes, stood, and cupped their hands with smiles.
Elder He, lean and ascetic, smiled faintly. “A true hero emerges from the youth. Had Young Master Li not acted, the two of us old fools could never atone for our failure even in death. Young Master Li is our benefactor!”
Li Muzhan returned the salute with cupped hands. “Senior He overpraises me.”
Elder Geng, robust and mighty, still exuded a formidable majesty even when tempering his sharpness. He chuckled. “Young Hero Li, may I ask which school you hail from?”
Li Muzhan had already prepared his response. He smiled. “I trained in the mountains with my master. After my master passed away, I wished to venture out and see the world, and it was then I encountered Miss Dong.”
Elder Geng laughed heartily. “Young Master Li possesses such cultivation at such a tender age; your master must surely be an extraordinary master.”
Li Muzhan shook his head. “My master never spoke his name.”
Elder Geng nodded slowly, pondering. “Such masters often possess unique temperaments. It seems your master cared little for fame; truly admirable!”
Li Muzhan sighed. “My master was a deeply sorrowful man, holding no attachments to the mortal world, and thus left no name behind…”
“Alas… what a pity such a master cannot be met for guidance.” Elder Geng shook his head regretfully. “A true pity!”
“Elder Geng, let us sit and talk,” Dong Wanyi suggested.
“Yes, Miss.” Elder Geng promptly agreed, smiling as he invited Li Muzhan to sit.
A faint, delicate fragrance drifted over. Li Muzhan instantly felt the room fill with a gentler atmosphere.
The four maids, led by Chunhua, stood ready to serve. As soon as Li Muzhan sat, Chunhua asked, “Miss, shall we serve the dishes?”
“Begin,” Dong Wanyi nodded lightly.
The four maids moved swiftly in and out. Soon, the table was laden with more than a dozen dishes, exquisite in color, aroma, and flavor. The jade cups were filled with a fragrant, mellow wine that instantly made Li Muzhan’s appetite keen.
“Young Master Li, let us talk as we eat,” Dong Wanyi said, raising her jade cup to toast Li Muzhan personally. Unfamiliar with the local custom, Li Muzhan drank it down in one gulp.
The wine, as it hit his throat, felt like a drilling fire, and his body seemed ignited.
“Fine wine!” he exclaimed, exhaling a breath of hot air.
Dong Wanyi smiled, lips pursed. “Young Master Li, drink slowly. This is the fiercest wine in our residence.”
“What wine is it?” Li Muzhan asked.
Dong Wanyi replied, “Iron Blood Tenderness.”
Li Muzhan nodded slowly. “Iron Blood Tenderness… truly fine wine!”
“Young Master is indeed able to handle strong liquor,” Dong Wanyi smiled.
Li Muzhan laughed. “I brew my own wine in the mountains, and it’s far inferior to this! …Thank you, Miss!”
“Young Master Li need not be so polite,” Dong Wanyi continued. “If you enjoy it, I can send you a jar every day.”
“Miss, this wine is too potent; one jar every day would be too much to bear,” Elder He interjected with a gentle smile.
Li Muzhan agreed. “Senior He speaks truly. Such fine wine would be wasted on me if I drank it so often.”
Dong Wanyi frowned. “If you remain so courteous, Young Master, I shall truly be offended!”
Li Muzhan laughed heartily. “Then very well, I shall accept the favor…” He noted Elder Geng’s adeptness at easing the atmosphere, actively steering the conversation, subtly trying to gauge Li Muzhan’s background. Li Muzhan pretended not to notice, acting open and honest, knowing his fabricated history was simple enough.
While traveling, he had indeed stumbled upon a dilapidated small wooden hut on a mountain peak—a sign of previous habitation now gone—which aligned perfectly with his story, prompting him to weave this narrative.
Unbeknownst to them, Li Muzhan consumed a full jar of Iron Blood Tenderness. His face flushed red, his eyes grew hazy, and his tongue thickened, making his speech increasingly bold.
He secretly maintained control. Though his body was genuinely intoxicated, his spirit was formidable, keeping his consciousness clear, as if detached from his physical shell.
Elder Geng and Elder He seized the opportunity to press for more information. Li Muzhan answered everything, while Dong Wanyi watched with an increasingly furrowed brow and visible displeasure.
After their questioning, Elder Geng spoke gently. “Miss, for a young man with such profound cultivation to appear as if sprung from a stone crevice, caution is certainly warranted.”
“Elder Geng, I can feel it; Young Master Li has a kind heart and is certainly no villain,” Dong Wanyi chided him.
Elder Geng shook his head. “Miss, the hearts of men are treacherous; one knows their face but not their heart.”
Elder He nodded in agreement. “Old Geng speaks the truth, Miss. You are young and do not know the extent of human malice. You must be careful.”
“This is too hurtful!” Dong Wanyi shook her head, clearly disapproving.
Elder Geng countered, “Once his innocence is proven, we can compensate him tenfold!”
Dong Wanyi retorted with a petulant tone. “Elder Geng, not everyone is so mercenary. I believe Young Master Li values sentiment highly.”
Elder Geng chuckled. “Miss, which man in this world is immune to power and renown? You still do not understand men well enough.”
Dong Wanyi shot him a sidelong glance. “There are always exceptions. I feel Young Master Li is not that kind of person; he is different from other men!”
“Miss, all men in this world are the same,” Elder Geng laughed.
Elder He waved a hand. “Miss, gratitude and caution are two separate matters. I believe Young Master Li can understand that! …However, Miss agreeing so readily to him being a gardener was somewhat rash.”
“Elder He, that decision is made; I do not wish to change it,” Dong Wanyi pressed her red lips tightly together.
“Very well, very well,” Elder He conceded with a helpless nod. “We shall obey the young lady!”
Dong Wanyi commanded, “Do not make things difficult for Young Master Li anymore!”
“Alas… very well,” Elder Geng sighed. “It seems he is an honest man.”
“Hahahaha…” Li Muzhan suddenly threw his head back and roared with laughter, startling everyone.
All three looked over in shock. Li Muzhan’s eyes suddenly shot out brilliant, soul-piercing light, displaying a haughty manner that surveyed the world, as if he were a completely different person.
He threw his head back and roared: “My master said there is always someone better beyond the heavens, and someone mightier beyond man—I see nothing of the sort!”
He turned and glared at Elder Geng. “You, fellow Geng, at your age, to have such meager skill! If I were you, I would have gone home to farm long ago!”
Elder Geng’s expression instantly shifted. Just as he was about to speak, Li Muzhan turned his head and glared at Elder He. “You, fellow He, you are a decent person. Your cultivation is not bad, and you are honest.”
Elder He stroked his snow-white beard, shaking his head with a smile.
Dong Wanyi quickly intervened. “Young Master Li, are you drunk?”
Li Muzhan glared back. “Who’s drunk? I am not drunk!”
Dong Wanyi shot an angry glance at the two elders, secretly annoyed at their terrible suggestion—it had only led to their own humiliation!
Li Muzhan pointed at Elder Geng and Elder He, sneering contemptuously. “Miss Dong, with just these two old men, what protection can they truly offer you with this little skill?”
As he spoke, he flicked his left index finger. With a sharp ‘chi’ sound, a streak of white light shot out, piercing the landscape painting on the north wall, leaving a small hole through which light shone.
All three were startled. Elder Geng and Elder He exchanged glances; they could not gauge the depth of Li Muzhan’s power, but this single gesture was enough to show them he was far beyond their league.
“Eh?” A rich fragrance wafted around, and white vapor steamed from the top of Li Muzhan’s head, vanishing in an instant. The flush on his face receded, and his eyes regained their clarity.
“What was that…?” Li Muzhan asked curiously, looking around as if just awakening. Noticing their strange gazes, he asked the question.
“Young Master Li, you are awake?” Dong Wanyi breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Muzhan asked, “Miss Dong, what happened to me?”
Dong Wanyi smiled lightly. “This Iron Blood Tenderness is too potent; Young Master became intoxicated.”
“I was drunk?” Li Muzhan paused, then gave a wry smile. “I have only been drunk once in my life, and my master lectured me soundly for it; I never dared get drunk again. I didn’t expect to get drunk the moment I left the mountains!”
He looked at the hole in the wall, noting that it perfectly framed a mountain valley, resembling a spring eye in the deep ravine—strange, yet conspicuous.
He pointed at it. “Did I do this?”
Dong Wanyi chuckled. “Young Master’s martial arts are formidable.”
Li Muzhan scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. “My apologies for any offense. Did I do anything outrageous?… I have a habit: when I’m drunk, I tend to act wild and do things out of line!”
“No, no,” Dong Wanyi waved her jade hand, smiling. “The Young Master snapped out of it after just that one finger strike.”
“That’s a relief, that’s a relief…” Li Muzhan looked genuinely shaken, shaking his head. “Miss, please do not send me any more wine. This liquor is too strong; I cannot handle it. Getting drunk and making a fool of myself would just invite ridicule!”
“Drinking a little is not an issue,” Dong Wanyi suggested.
Li Muzhan firmly shook his head and refused. He looked at the two elders, whose expressions were strange. “Senior He, Senior Geng, I hope I did not behave rudely?”
Elder Geng forced a bitter smile. “We are humbled, frankly. All these years, lived in vain!”
Li Muzhan looked apologetic. “I must have been rude. I am a man of the wilds; my words are blunt. Senior Geng, please do not take offense.”
Elder Geng waved his hand. “Forget it. We can’t blame you; if I were you, I’d have done the same.”
Li Muzhan scratched his head sheepishly. “What rude things did I say?”
Dong Wanyi smiled gently. “Drunken words should not be taken seriously, Elder Geng, Elder He, please do not bicker with Young Master Li!”
Li Muzhan raised his jade cup and drained it, offering an apology to the two elders.
He had used his drunken state to assert his authority—it was both a counterattack and carried a deeper meaning. He did not wish to become too close to these two elders, preferring to display his purity and pride.
The subsequent banquet settled into a peaceable rhythm; the two elders ceased their probing.
As they drank deeply, Elder Geng set down his jade cup and mused, “Miss, we have a new guest at the manor today, Young Master Mo, Mo Zichen, the Third Young Master of the Mo family from Xiling.”
Dong Wanyi’s bright eyes flickered. “Young Master Mo?”
“Perhaps the Master invited him,” Elder Geng suggested.
Dong Wanyi remained silent in thought, while Elder He snorted. “The Master is determined to marry the Madam off to someone else!”
Elder Geng stated, “Once the Master has made up his mind, no one can persuade him.”
Elder He frowned. “Doesn’t he consider the He family?”
Elder Geng shook his head and sighed. “Old He, listen to me: once the Master decides, even the He family can do nothing!”
Li Muzhan displayed an expression of confusion, his thoughts racing rapidly.
The two elders showed no intention of clarifying things for him, continuing their own conversation. Elder He snorted again. “Old Master Dong grows more overbearing with the years!”
“Your He family has shown signs of decline these past few years; it is not surprising the Master is acting this way,” Elder Geng chuckled.
Elder He coldly retorted, “No matter how much we decline, we are not so far behind that we cannot stand shoulder to shoulder with the Dong family!”
“In a few more years, that might not be true…” Elder Geng stroked his beard and smiled.
Elder He sneered. “Then we shall wait and see!”
Dong Wanyi hurriedly pressed her hands down. “Elder He, Elder Geng, there you go again! Aren’t you afraid Young Master Li will find it amusing?”
Li Muzhan smiled helplessly. “I don’t quite understand.”