Dong Yufei chuckled, “Little sister, I’ve already dealt with Xiao Qi and the others… The audacity of these rascals, daring to ignore your peril!”
Dong Wanyi replied, “They are your trusted subordinates; you truly can bear to punish them?”
Dong Yufei laughed, “If they dare ignore you today, they’ll dare ignore me tomorrow. How could I show leniency to such men? I’ve already transferred them to a branch hall!”
Dong Wanyi ceased playing, the music of the zither cutting off abruptly.
“Little sister, you weren’t harmed, were you?” Dong Yufei asked with an ingratiating smile.
Dong Wanyi shot him a sidelong glance, still coolly distant: “I nearly lost my life!”
“It was the He family, wasn’t it?” Dong Yufei’s expression darkened. “They grow more reckless by the day, storming our territory to assassinate you. We absolutely must teach them a lesson!”
Dong Wanyi waved her delicate hand. “Forget it; they didn’t succeed anyway!”
Dong Yufei looked puzzled. “They showed mercy?”
Dong Wanyi glanced at him, and Dong Yufei quickly smoothed his expression into a smile. “They intended to kill you; surely they accounted for Elder Geng and Elder He? How could they fail? That doesn’t match the He family’s style!”
Dong Wanyi snorted, “I still have Young Master Li!”
“Young Master Li, hmm…” Dong Yufei nodded slowly. “He is skilled, but the tide is hard to turn against. I heard the He family mobilized dozens, including He Qi and He Yun. Can Young Master Li really withstand them all alone?”
“Hmph! If He Qi hadn’t been so despicable, Young Master Li would never have lost!” Dong Wanyi declared angrily.
Dong Yufei narrowed his eyes. “Young Master Li is that formidable?… Yet he ultimately lost. Why didn’t the He family kill you then?”
Dong Wanyi said, “I told them about Brother He’s treasure.”
“Hm—?!” Dong Yufei’s face drastically changed color, his eyes flashing with sharp light.
Dong Wanyi turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, and stated calmly, “You were delayed in coming, and Young Master Li was poisoned. If I hadn’t spoken, I would have caused his death.”
“Little sister, you…” Dong Yufei pointed at her, rendered speechless with rage.
Dong Wanyi snorted, “What about it! Should I just watch my savior die before my eyes!?”
“Little sister, I had men investigate this Li Wuji. There is no such person!” Dong Yufei said furiously. “What does that tell you?!”
“What does it tell me?” Dong Wanyi snorted back.
Dong Yufei continued, “This man’s identity is questionable. He’s likely hidden his real name, otherwise, why couldn’t we find a trace of him!… Why would he do this?”
“Young Master Li has always lived deep in the mountains. It’s normal that you couldn’t find anything,” Dong Wanyi replied.
Dong Yufei shook his head repeatedly. “Little sister, oh, little sister, you trust people too easily!… He might very well have been sent by the He family, waiting precisely for this moment!”
Dong Wanyi let out a soft snort, shaking her head. If Li Muzhan hadn't offered a strategy beforehand, she might have hesitated, but now she wouldn’t. If he were truly from the He family, why use such a method to harm them?
“Alas…” Dong Yufei sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. “This is a fine mess. Father will certainly be furious!”
Dong Wanyi shot him a sidelong glance. “Brother, you must be angry too! It was originally the He family’s property; you insisted on snatching it!”
Dong Yufei sighed. “The treasure was ownerless property. Whoever seized it claimed it. Why should it belong solely to the He family?… If the He family obtains the treasure, their strength will greatly increase, and we will be the ones suffering!”
“In any case, I told the He family!” Dong Wanyi asserted with a snort.
Dong Yufei shook his head helplessly. “Alright, alright. Since it’s already done and you’ve told the He family, surely you should tell us too?”
“Telling you would be useless,” Dong Wanyi shook her head.
Dong Yufei frowned, anger faintly simmering. “Little sister, you don’t want to tell us?”
Dong Wanyi stated, “What the He family received was fake.”
Dong Yufei’s slender eyebrows shot up, and he let out a surprised laugh. “Fake?”
Dong Wanyi clarified, “I actually don’t know about Brother He’s treasure. But since you insist I know and refuse to believe me, I could only offer a falsehood.”
“Truly…” Dong Yufei shook his head and laughed softly. “How can the He family let this go!”
Dong Wanyi responded, “They won’t be able to discern the truth from the falsehood.”
“You underestimate the He family!” Dong Yufei shook his head. “They might go completely mad and be determined to kill you. Little sister, you are being foolish!”
“Brother, don’t give yourself away; they won’t be able to tell!” Dong Wanyi said seriously.
Dong Yufei smiled. “Fine, I’ll cooperate. I’ll also send people to search!”
Dong Wanyi chuckled lightly. “Brother is indeed clever!”
She knew perfectly well that the He family had informants within the Dong family, just as the Dong family had agents within the He family. The two factions had warred for so long that they were deeply intertwined; it was hard to keep any secret completely hidden. If it weren’t for the intelligence passed by the He family’s mole, her brother wouldn’t have arrived so quickly.
“What about Young Master Li?” Dong Yufei asked.
Dong Wanyi replied, “Young Master Li has gone to make arrangements!”
“You said it was a martial arts manual?” Dong Yufei inquired.
Dong Wanyi smiled. “That’s how we can deceive them.”
“But Little Sister, you don’t practice martial arts; where would you get a manual?” Dong Yufei countered.
Dong Wanyi snorted proudly. “Young Master Li knows how to procure one. Brother, rest assured, he handles matters very securely and won’t leave any opening. The He family is in for bad luck this time!”
This time, she deeply resented the He family. She would no longer hold back because they were Brother He’s kin; they were too despicable for trying to kill her. No matter how magnanimous or kind she was, she would show no mercy to those who sought her life—that wasn’t kindness, but stupidity.
“Alas…, I hope so. I will send people to search,” Dong Yufei waved his hand. “Little sister, you should rest well. I’ll go make arrangements.”
“Go ahead,” Dong Wanyi huffed.
Dong Yufei smiled. “Little sister, be at ease. No one else in the manor will dare to feign compliance with you again!”
“Let’s hope so!” Dong Wanyi shook her head dismissively. She knew that at their core, the manor staff believed a married daughter was like spilled water, and since she was betrothed to Brother He, she was effectively part of the He family, hence the slack attitude.
The grudges between the He and Dong families were too deep to resolve easily. This engagement attempt was a test, and it had failed. Making peace truly proved too difficult… Every morning, Dong Wanyi would visit the Purple Bamboo Grove, but Li Muzhan was nowhere to be seen, leaving her quite disappointed. These past few days, she had grown accustomed to his smiling greetings.
On the morning of the fourth day, she came with Chunhua, stepping into the grove, and immediately broke into a smile. “Young Master Li!”
Li Muzhan stood there in flowing purple robes, cupping his hands and smiling. “Miss.”
His features weren’t handsome, but his entire being possessed a crystalline warmth, like fine white jade, complemented by a composed and tranquil bearing, making him distinctly extraordinary. This was also due to his profound cultivation; practice alters one’s temperament.
Dong Wanyi smiled radiantly. “When did Young Master Li return?”
Li Muzhan chuckled. “Late last night. I didn’t wish to disturb you, Miss. The matter is settled; it just depends on whether the He family takes the bait.”
“Young Master Li, you’ve worked hard,” Dong Wanyi said lightly. “The poison is truly no longer an issue?”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Actually, I could counteract the poison. But the opportunity was rare, so I decided to play along. My internal energy is immune to poison.”
“I see…” Dong Wanyi patted her high, soft chest, letting out a sigh of relief. “That’s good then!”
Li Muzhan asked, “Has the Eldest Young Master been informed?”
The three walked along the covered walkway by the lake and settled into a small pavilion. A cool breeze from the lake swept gently over their faces, cool and tender.
Dong Wanyi replied, “I told my brother. I’m not sure if he believes it.”
Li Muzhan smiled. “The Eldest Young Master will believe it. I observed the deep affection between the Eldest Young Master and you, Miss; he will force himself to believe it.”
“Alas…” Dong Wanyi shook her head. “Men die for wealth, and birds starve for food. I truly believe that now.”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Miss doesn't need to be so pessimistic. Where there is Yin, there is Yang in the world, and human nature is the same. You have many good days ahead of you.”
As they chatted and laughed, time slipped by quickly. Dong Wanyi began sharing deeper topics with Li Muzhan—poetry, lyrics, historical anecdotes, and so forth. Li Muzhan’s understanding of this world deepened, and he began reading books he’d acquired, gradually developing an urge to leave and seek a path back home.
Dong Wanyi, sharp and intelligent, noticed his intent to depart.
One morning, after they had spoken for a while, Dong Wanyi suddenly said, “Young Master Li, in one month, the Tianyuan Pavilion will begin accepting new disciples. Our Dong family has two quotas.”
Li Muzhan paused. “Tianyuan Pavilion?”
Dong Wanyi explained, “Tianyuan Pavilion is one of the foremost sects in our Dongzhou. Our Dong family might be significant in Dongyang City, but in all of Dongzhou, we are quite negligible.”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Does Tianyuan Pavilion accept disciples who already possess skills?”
“Ordinary disciples cannot,” Dong Wanyi shook her head. “But one can become an outer disciple.”
“Outer disciple?” Li Muzhan’s brow twitched. It seemed every major sect had an inner and outer division; the concept of hierarchy was deeply ingrained.
Dong Wanyi elaborated, “Inner disciple recruitment is very strict: they must not be over ten years old, possess excellent aptitude, and have a clean family background before being taken in by Tianyuan Pavilion for meticulous training. Outer disciples are less stringent—no older than thirty—and may bring existing skills with them.”
“Can anyone enter the outer gates?” Li Muzhan asked with a smile.
Dong Wanyi shook her head. “One requires a recommendation from a renowned, established family to qualify. Like our Dong family, we only have two recommendation slots. If these recommended individuals cause trouble after joining the sect, the recommender bears responsibility. Therefore, it’s actually stricter, and people often prefer not to recommend anyone.”
Li Muzhan nodded slowly and smiled. “The Eldest Young Master agreed?”
“Hmph! Brother made a mistake this time, so of course, he agreed!” Dong Wanyi still carried a trace of annoyance.
Li Muzhan smiled. “Then I thank you, Miss!”
Dong Wanyi shook her head and sighed softly. “The Dong family is merely shallow water; it cannot contain a dragon like you, Young Master. Once you enter Tianyuan Pavilion, don’t forget to come back and visit often.”
Li Muzhan asked, “Is Tianyuan Pavilion far from Dongyang City?”
“It’s in a mountain range a hundred li away,” Dong Wanyi replied. “If you have the heart, you can return quickly.”
Li Muzhan nodded with a smile. “Good, I will visit often.”
Dong Wanyi smiled. “Then you will enter Tianyuan Pavilion after a month. However, the rules of Tianyuan Pavilion are extremely strict, so Young Master must be careful.”
Li Muzhan assured her, “I will behave appropriately.”
Dong Wanyi continued, “The martial arts for outer disciples must be exchanged for merit; they aren’t given freely. But the martial arts of Tianyuan Pavilion are profound, inaccessible to outsiders.”
Li Muzhan nodded slowly. “Exchanged for merit… I understand now!”
Li Muzhan immediately grasped the situation: outer disciples of Tianyuan Pavilion held low status, serving the inner disciples. The core of Tianyuan Pavilion was its inner disciples, while the outer disciples provided the labor.
Dong Wanyi added, “However, if outer disciples perform well, they can also advance to the inner sect.”
Li Muzhan smiled. “I understand. I will work hard.”