Chapter 73#

The Cross-dressing Wife#

“Good!” “A fine sword!”

At the entrance of the blacksmith shop, a youth excitedly held his newly acquired longsword, dancing with it so vigorously that it created a whistling wind. In his excitement, he even sought out a piece of firewood from a nearby resident’s home and split it in half mid-air on the spot, earning applause and cheers from the surrounding crowd.

“Uncle, this sword of yours is too powerful!”

Though it was early spring, Xiao Liu was drenched in sweat. He fondly stroked the longsword engraved with inscriptions, calculating in his mind when to ask his Eldest Senior Brother to place a protective spell on the blade.

The uncle of the blacksmith shop, amidst the waves of praise, brought a bundle of cloth strips to help him wrap the hilt bit by bit. As he wrapped, he said: “Back then, your Eldest Senior Brother’s dagger and your Master’s iron staff were both forged by me. I don’t take orders easily; both your Master and Senior Brother dote on you, so you must repay them well.”

Thinking of his deceased Master, Xiao Liu’s expression darkened for a moment: “I know.”

But the Third Brother beside him appeared somewhat uneasy. He looked around and spoke up: “Uncle, we’ve already paid the deposit. How much more in total? we have to leave soon.”

“So soon?” The blacksmith uncle was stunned, but remembering their recent situation, he felt some sympathy. “It’s good to leave early, to get away from this den of trouble that is the capital… Here, for you, a total of one hundred and fifty coins.”

Xiao Liu pulled a money bag from his robe. Just as he was about to count the coins and hand them over, he suddenly heard an arrogant voice from beside him: “I’ll give two hundred!”

He snapped his head around, staring furiously at the person: “Who are you? This sword was clearly pre-ordered by me long ago!”

“What ‘pre-ordered long ago’? It’s just that you didn’t give enough money.” That dandy sneered, looking disdainful as if he couldn’t be bothered with him. He turned to the blacksmith uncle: “Hey, old man, will you sell for two hundred?”

The uncle glanced at him calmly and lowered his eyes: “I’m sorry, young master. I run a small business, and this bit of craftsmanship isn’t worth two hundred coins.”

Saying this, he took the money from Xiao Liu’s hand and was about to hand over the cloth-wrapped sword when his hand was grabbed by one of the bodyguards behind the dandy, making him cry out in pain.

“You dare hit someone?”

Xiao Liu had a quick temper; fury instantly rushed to his head. He charged over and grabbed the dandy by the collar.

But the dandy hadn’t brought just one bodyguard. Third Brother supported the uncle who almost fell to the ground and kicked away a man who wanted to ambush Xiao Liu; Fourth and Fifth Brothers, who were crouching nearby playing with crickets, stopped their game and immediately came over to support their family.

The onlookers gasped from time to time in fear, collectively clearing a space for them, yet they were reluctant to leave because they enjoyed the spectacle. So they hid at the entrance of the alley, peeking out to watch the “clash of immortals.”

“Xiao Liu, don’t forget what Senior Brother Gu said last night!” Although Third Brother was also very angry, he was the oldest present and barely maintained a shred of reason, knowing that if things escalated, it would be bad for them. “Don’t bother with this kind of person, let’s go!”

“Go? Who said you could go!” The dandy had been pushed onto his backside. He wasn’t really injured, but he felt he had suffered a great humiliation. He pointed at them, shouting in rage, “Do you know who my adoptive father is? You bunch of ungrateful dogs! My adoptive father is the famous Chief Manager Xie! Dare to lay a hand on me, and I’ll have him throw every one of you into the dungeon to be beheaded after autumn. I’ll smash this blind and deaf old man’s shop and break his dog legs!”

“You!”

Xiao Liu was so angry he wanted to rush up and beat him black and blue, but he was stopped by Third Brother behind him. “Don’t be impulsive!”

Xiao Liu glanced at the dandy, who had been helped up and was jumping with rage. He endured it, then couldn’t help himself and intentionally raised his voice: “So you’re Chief Manager Xie’s son. Truly blind and unable to recognize Mt. Tai. However, I wonder how that Chief Manager came to have a son? This Young Master Xie—will he also take over his father’s post in the future to serve the court?”

These words were biting and didn’t leave the dandy a shred of face. The surrounding onlookers couldn’t help but chuckle secretly. The person in question flew into a towering rage, recklessly calling for his thugs to beat them to death in the street.

And with the arrival of the city’s peace officers, the situation suddenly became even more complicated.

Third Brother and the others didn’t wish to stay longer. They originally intended to use a small spell to escape, but unexpectedly, among the peace officers was not only a blue-clad man with superb martial arts but also an old acquaintance whose sight made their eyes nearly split with rage—

The current State Preceptor, Mu Kongxuan, who three years ago had devised schemes for the court that ultimately led to three years of turmoil and the decline of the profound sects.

“Young Master Lin, where are you going?”

Lin Xiaodong stopped and said helplessly: “Just going out to get some fresh air. No need to watch me so closely, right?”

But the rigid Second Brother acted as if he hadn’t heard: “Senior Brother Gu instructed that if you go out, someone must follow.”

“Sigh, alright then.” Lin Xiaodong feigned helplessness, sighed, and said, “But I don’t want your company. Where is Gu Xingzhai?”

“…Senior Brother Gu went out to make purchases.”

“What time is it now? We’re about to leave the city—what is he still purchasing?” Lin Xiaodong sneered. He stared at the shifty-eyed Second Brother, pressing him step by step: “Do you take me for a fool? I saw his face change as he went out just now. And Xiao Liu and the others still haven’t returned from getting the sword. Tell me, what exactly happened?”

Second Brother shook his head, gripped the dagger at his waist, and kept his mouth tightly shut.

“You don’t have to say,” Lin Xiaodong had plenty of ways to deal with this stubborn mule. “Just as well; my room started leaking last night. If you have nothing better to do, come help me fix the roof.”

This was something he could agree to. Second Brother didn’t hesitate and immediately agreed.

But when this only honest person in the sect walked into Lin Xiaodong’s room and looked up at the roof for a long time, he didn’t find any leaks. Just as he was about to turn around and ask, his nose caught a scent of fragrance that made him dizzy and mesmerized. In just a daze, his head was struck hard by someone, and he fell onto the bed with his eyes closed.

“Try to beat me.” The youth hummed and clapped his hands triumphantly, but soon his expression broke due to the bursts of stinging pain from his fingertips. With a distorted face, he put the wound on his finger into his mouth to suck it and stop the bleeding.

Having dealt with Second Brother, he immediately put on his bamboo hat and went out to look for Gu Xingzhai and the others. But before leaving, Lin Xiaodong thought for a moment and took the dagger from Second Brother’s waist, which was almost identical in style to Gu Xingzhai’s.

People were easy to find; a simple inquiry revealed that the government was arresting people on the street where the blacksmith shop was located. However, how to escape was a major problem. Lin Xiaodong walked to the scene and with great effort squeezed into the crowd, only to see a man in official robes with a long beard and Gu Xingzhai confronting each other from opposite ends of the street.

Beside the bearded man stood a familiar face—the blue-clad man who had made things difficult for Xiao Liu at the city gate when they first arrived in the capital.

But the blue-clad man’s current state wasn’t good; his face was as pale as gold paper, there was blood at the corner of his mouth, and one hand was tightly clutching his arm. His gaze, fixed on Gu Xingzhai, almost spat sparks. Lin Xiaodong thought to himself that he probably suffered a defeat at the man’s hands.

“Young and promising; to be able to resist my top brave general single-handedly at the age of twenty-something, your Master can rest in peace in the underworld.” That bearded man looked at the flawless Gu Xingzhai and said coldly with his hands behind his back, “But at the foot of the Imperial City, no matter how great your ability, can you truly overturn the heavens? Better to surrender obediently; that way you can also keep your junior brothers safe.”

Gu Xingzhai took a deep breath and suppressed his anger: “I came here not for fighting and struggling. I am clear about the character of my junior brothers. Without asking for the reason or distinguishing right from wrong, the State Preceptor ordered people to lay hands on them. As their Eldest Senior Brother, I naturally must seek justice for them. Since I’ve done nothing wrong, why talk of surrendering?”

Only then did Lin Xiaodong notice that Third and Fourth Brothers had been gagged and pinned to the ground by soldiers, staring toward Gu Xingzhai and struggling desperately. But the ropes tied around them were clearly not ordinary; no matter how they struggled, they couldn’t break free.

Things are troublesome, he thought with a grim face.

“System, who is that man?” Although the situation was urgent, Lin Xiaodong still discovered Gu Xingzhai’s mood was off through the subtle expression on his face. By rights, with the man’s steadiness, even if his junior brothers were captured, he shouldn’t have struck the blue-clad man so ruthlessly at this time. “I mean the one with the long beard.”

System: “The current State Preceptor, Mu Kongxuan.”

“State Preceptor?” Lin Xiaodong’s eyes widened slightly. “How could a small street fight in the city draw the State Preceptor here?”

“Xiang Zhuang performs a sword dance, intending to kill the Duke of Pei.” Even at this time, the system didn’t forget to use a literary allusion. “Clearly, the person he truly wants is you.”

Lin Xiaodong frowned tightly, thinking that the government official who had pursued the succubus before couldn’t be this one, could it?

…That truly invited a massive amount of trouble.

And while they were talking, the negotiation on the field continued. The bearded man had indeed come for Lin Xiaodong this time. He waved his hand, signaling the soldiers below to bring up Third Brother and the others, and said to Gu Xingzhai: “I didn’t wish to make things difficult for you; after all, the profound sects are withered, and it’s not easy for those who survived. But someone reported that you are harboring an imperial fugitive. As long as you hand the person over, we will naturally release them.”

Gu Xingzhai tightened his jaw, wanting nothing more than to tear Mu Kongxuan into two on the spot. What right did he have to say “the profound sects are withered”? Did this beast not know in his heart why they were withered?

But seeing the gaze of his junior brothers, he still swallowed his anger and said hoarsely: “An imperial fugitive? When we entered the city, we came through the checkpoint under this subordinate of yours openly and honorably. Everyone present at that time saw clearly that there were only myself, my sixth junior brother, and my wife in the carriage. No idle persons existed—where is there any imperial fugitive?”

Mu Kongxuan was silent for a moment and didn’t answer.

This was also the reason why he had been hesitating to move against Gu Xingzhai and the others.

Since coming to the capital, Lin Xiaodong had presented himself with an appearance that had never appeared on the wanted poster. Although equally outstanding, it was vastly different from the original; anyone with eyes wouldn’t recognize them as the same person—this was thanks to the miraculous makeup techniques of [One-Click Change].

But seeing that Gu Xingzhai and the others were about to leave the city, where the mountains are high and the Emperor is far away, Mu Kongxuan truly couldn’t wait. The aging Emperor, the pressure from the court, and the dying dragon vein were all forcing him to find a way to prolong the dynasty’s life.

According to ancient records, he only needed to extract a heart from the chest of a living, young demon to resolve all these matters. For this, he was willing to take risks, even if it meant being hostile to the profound sects of the world represented by Gu Xingzhai—anyway, he was already universally despised—Mu Kongxuan had to catch that demon.

Seeing Mu Kongxuan not answering his question but also unwilling to release the people, Gu Xingzhai’s heart also gradually sank.

He knew that today’s matter probably would not end peacefully.

Fortunately, the man thought to himself, he had already instructed Second Brother that if he hadn’t returned in an hour, he should quickly take Lin Xiaodong out of the city. No matter what they heard on the road, they were absolutely not to return to the capital.

“The person you want, I haven’t seen, and I cannot give them up.” He took a step forward, immediately making all the soldiers present, including the seriously injured blue-clad man, show expressions as if facing a great enemy. “Today’s matter was only caused by a small spat; it’s not worth your personal intervention, Lord Mu. Please release my junior brothers. They know nothing of this matter. After returning, I will certainly educate them properly.”

Mu Kongxuan pulled the corner of his mouth: “And if I say no?”

“Several of my junior brothers are in your hands; if you refuse to release them, I have no way.” Gu Xingzhai said very calmly. Even if he were a supreme genius, it was impossible to save so many hostages in front of Mu Kongxuan. “However, compared to these greenhorns, I am certainly of greater use. Release them, and I’ll go with you.”

“Senior Brother, no!”

The agitated Third Brother somehow spat out the cloth in his mouth and shouted excitedly at Gu Xingzhai.

“Shut up! This isn’t your place to talk!” Gu Xingzhai shouted, his eyes still fixed unblinkingly on Mu Kongxuan before him. “Lord Preceptor, what is your opinion?”

To be honest, Mu Kongxuan was truly a bit tempted.

But seeing his subordinate beside him clutching his wound and covered in cold sweat, his face couldn’t help but turn cold again: “Want to bargain with me? You can, but first you must kneel to my man and kowtow three times in apology.”

“I can,” Gu Xingzhai said flatly. Not even his eyebrows moved as he answered. “But you must release the people first.”

Mu Kongxuan snorted coldly, thinking that since things had reached this point, Gu Xingzhai wouldn’t be able to stir up any waves anyway. So he waved his large hand:

“Release them!”

The soldiers, fearing the martial arts of these youths, didn’t dare to easily untie the ropes. Upon receiving the order, they hastily tore the cloths from their mouths, dropped the people, and hurriedly hid behind Mu Kongxuan. Mu Kongxuan couldn’t help but grit his teeth secretly—a bunch of useless cowards!

“Now… cough cough, it’s your turn.” The blue-clad man coughed twice and looked at Gu Xingzhai with a distorted expression of revenge, urging repeatedly.

Gu Xingzhai glanced at him with an icy, emotionless gaze.

“Senior Brother!”

Beside him, Third and Fourth Brothers’ eyes nearly split with rage, Fifth Brother gritted his teeth, and Xiao Liu had a face of humiliation, his face already covered in tears.

Amidst the triumphant laughter of the government officials, the man expressionlessly took a half-step back, lifted his long robe, his upper body still held straight—but at the very moment his knees were about to touch the ground, a hand reached out from behind, steadily propping up his body.

“You—”

Gu Xingzhai snapped his head back.

“Why kneel to him for no reason?” Under the man’s incredulous gaze, Lin Xiaodong gave him a slight smile.

The youth took a step forward and proactively took off his bamboo hat, facing the group of soldiers in his original appearance, without a hint of fear in his expression.

He said: “Even if it’s kowtowing, that has to wait until our wedding ceremony to be done.”