NOVPUB"How might I address the young master?" Steward Long asked with a smile.
"Xu Zimei," Xu Zimei replied.
"Does young master Xu have any family back home?" Steward Long continued to inquire.
"My parents are alive and well, but as a loose cultivator who wanders the jianghu, it’s been a long time since I last went home," Xu Zimei responded.
"Then, should the opportunity arise, perhaps the young master could bring your parents to the Qin Residence," Steward Long suggested as he led Xu Zimei into a courtyard.
"This will be your living quarters, already prepared for you. I reside in the neighboring courtyard, so if the young master needs anything, you can come to find me at any time."
Xu Zimei nodded slightly.
As Steward Long was about to leave, Xu Zimei turned and asked, "Uncle Long, I heard that becoming a son-in-law allows one to visit Thundercloud Cave, is that true?"
"The master did say so; you can ask him for the specifics," Steward Long answered with a smile.
"Then that’s all, thank you," Xu Zimei nodded.
He could sense that something was being kept from him here at the Qin Residence, but Xu Zimei was too lazy to fuss about it, thinking to himself, I only want to go and have a look at Thundercloud Cave.
Or rather, he intended to visit every place related to Thunderbolt during the coming days.
The courtyard was rather modest.
A sturdy and tall Northern Poplar tree was planted in the yard.
North wind shivered through the branches as a few withered leaves drifted down slowly in the light breeze.
Xu Zimei entered the room inside, which was quite clean, likely maintained by someone frequently.
He wasn’t in a hurry; as the sky slowly darkened, he decided to simply lie down on the bed and fall asleep.
Sooner or later the people of the City Lord Mansion would come looking for him.
In his consciousness that entered the True Fate World, the Seven-faced Demon General and others were cultivating; the world was developing normally, with no anomalies.
Xu Zimei also began his cultivation until the evening when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Only then did his consciousness return to the outside world.
The external world was pitch black, the entire room exceptionally quiet.
Xu Zimei glanced towards the bedside and saw a young woman standing there silently, watching him.
"What’s the matter?" Xu Zimei sat up from the bed, intending to light the lamp in the room.
He recognized the girl; it was Qin Shuang, whom he had met earlier on the stage, the young miss of the Qin Residence.
His fiancée in name.
"Don’t light the lamp," Qin Shuang said softly.
"What do you want to do?" Xu Zimei tightened his clothes nervously and asked.
"Shameless! What are you thinking?" Qin Shuang said angrily upon seeing Xu Zimei’s actions.
"If you want to live, leave the Qin Residence."
"Why should I leave?" Xu Zimei calmly lit the lamp in the room.
He laughed and said, "I’ve barely managed to cling to the big tree that is your father, ready for my fortunes to soar."
"Do you really think pies fall from the sky in this world?" Qin Shuang said calmly.
"I’m not afraid. Besides, you’re my wife now, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you take off your veil and let me see," Xu Zimei said with a laugh.
"Don’t worry, even if you are ugly, I will treat you well."
"You are unreasonable," Qin Shuang retorted and stormed out the door.
"Why don’t you just stay? Stay here with me tonight," Xu Zimei called out from behind.
Qin Shuang’s footsteps hastened even more as she left.
"I’ve told you what you need to know. Don’t blame me if you choose not to listen."
Watching Qin Shuang’s receding figure, Xu Zimei smiled to himself.
"Interesting, very interesting."
...... 𝚗𝚘v𝚙𝚞b.𝚌𝚘m
At that moment within the Qin Residence, Qin Feng sat at the head of the great hall.
Steward Long stood respectfully behind him.
"He hasn’t escaped, has he?" Qin Feng asked aloud.
"The young lady snuck into his room, but he hasn’t escaped yet," Steward Long replied, shaking his head.
"This girl, Shuang’er," Qin Feng sighed deeply.
He said, "Keep an eye on him, even if you have to tie him up with rope, he must not be allowed to leave."
"I understand," Steward Long nodded and, after a moment of hesitation, finally spoke.
"But I feel that the young lady doesn’t actually like him."
"Whether she likes him or not isn’t important, what’s important is that she chose him herself, understand?" Qin Feng fell silent for a while,
before he finally said, "No matter what, I cannot let Shuang’er die before my eyes."
"It’s a pity for the young lady, who has always been kind-hearted," Steward Long shook his head and walked out of the main hall.
A night without words.
Xu Zimei found that since arriving at the Qin Residence, no one had bothered with him, simply throwing him into this courtyard and leaving him alone.
Early in the morning, servants brought breakfast to the courtyard.
The breakfast was extremely lavish, consisting entirely of precious herbs.
Xu Zimei glanced over them briefly, "Nine Suns Flower, Scorching Sun Grass, Seven-Star Fire Flower, Fiery Sun Leaf..."
All these meals were made from herbs with fire attributes.
"Are they trying to nourish me to death?" Xu Zimei murmured to himself.
"Young master, the lord has ordered that you must eat everything," the servant who served the food said.
Xu Zimei smiled and, under the watchful gaze of the servants, slowly finished the food.
Normally, with his constitution, he wouldn’t have any reaction after consuming these fire attribute herbs.
But at this moment, Xu Zimei discovered that these different herbs had produced a certain effect after ingestion.
He felt a burning sensation inside him, as if a fierce fire was ablaze.
The flames flowed through the Extraordinary Meridians, completing a Grand Circulation within his body.
From an initial scorching heat to a warm comfort, Xu Zimei exhaled slowly.
Watching the servants leave, Xu Zimei, having nothing better to do, started wandering around the Qin Residence.
He randomly approached a servant and asked, "Where is your lord?"
"Greetings, young master," the servant hurriedly greeted and said, "The lord is over by the garden."
Following the directions the servant pointed out, Xu Zimei walked for a while when his ears caught the sound of pleasant music from a stringed instrument.
The melody was long and joyful, echoing continuously in the surroundings like a small stream flowing under a bridge, giving a very comfortable feeling to those who heard it.
But Xu Zimei could hear a faint sadness mixed in with it.
It was not the music that was sad, but the one playing it.
Further ahead, the end of the surroundings was filled with blooming flowers.
All kinds of flowers were present here, colorful and blooming in full glory.
In the midst of this sea of flowers, there was a pavilion nestled within.
A breeze blew through, and inside the pavilion sat a young woman and a middle-aged man.
The woman was wearing a white long dress, its hem spreading a meter long on the ground, blending into the white flowers around her.
In front of her was placed a harp.
This woman was Qin Shuang, deeply concentrating on playing the instrument.
And Qin Feng, with his hands clasped behind his back, stood on the edge of the pavilion, carefully appreciating the music.
When Xu Zimei approached, he saw Qin Feng’s eyes, which had been closed, suddenly open wide.
A sense of oppression burst forth.
The next moment, his figure flashed, appearing on the path by the flower sea outside.
"What are you doing here?" Qin Feng glanced at Xu Zimei and asked indifferently.
"Looking for you," Xu Zimei said.
