140: Goddess?! [Bonus chapter for Helm Master Lao Wang]

Although Ming Tian's return was not met with great fanfare, riding such a magnificent horse still drew side-glances from quite a few people along the way.

As a fairly well-known figure in town, Ming Tian's return set off a flurry of activity in the streets and alleys as people rushed to spread the news.

Naturally, there were also those typical filler segments—stretching across three to five short paragraphs with a flurry of discussion praising how handsome Ming Tian was, how handsome the horse was, and wondering who the people beside him were. Ming Tian didn't mind this anymore.

With Pan Yunu in power, the Southern Qi Dynasty was bound to fall into chaos, but this chaos would not spread as rapidly as in modern times. It would take a while to reach Sumen Town, so there was no urgent need to leave just yet.

Riding on horseback and catching the envious gazes of the onlookers, Wang Yue finally swept away the last traces of self-doubt on his face.

After all, deep down in everyone's heart, there is always a deep-seated desire to rise above the common herd.

"Old man! I'm back... Whoa, my leg!!!"

Thud.

Being in a good mood, Ming Tian kicked the door open, wanting to make a dramatic, "behold the hero's brilliant entrance" style return just like in the television shows.

Little did he expect the front gate of his family estate to be so sturdy, and to make matters worse, it was double-bolted from the inside. With that one kick, his freshly dismounted leg almost broke.

He squatted down in pain. Yin Chan stood nearby, holding back her laughter in silence. An Luo looked awkward, unsure whether he should step forward to help him up, while Xin Zhu seemed accustomed to Ming Tian's antics and didn't react at all.

The high-spirited and imposing entrance of the entire group was instantly reduced to utter humiliation because Ming Tian sprained his foot.

Damn it all... Can't you just let me look cool for once? Why does every single one of my attempts to show off end in failure?

Rubbing his leg, Ming Tian's face twisted into the shape of a bitter melon from the pain.

Creak.

Perhaps the sound of the kick was too loud and alerted the people inside, as the heavy gate quickly opened with a grating, harsh sound.

Yet, upon seeing the unfamiliar face that opened the door, Ming Tian could not help but freeze in place.

Good grief!! A beauty!!! Does Sumen Town have beauties like this? And we are talking about a traditional yet off-the-charts kind of beauty here!

Her black hair fell like a veil sprinkled with translucent black gauze, her face was as white as snow, with bright eyes and white teeth. She wore a simple beige dress, moving with the lightness of a lotus blossom.

At just a single glance, the gentle and refined aura of the woman before him rushed over him like the fragrance of fresh bamboo.

If Pan Yunu was bewitching and seductive, Wei Jingjing was haughty and proud, Yun Yufei was the adorable girl next door, and his own wife possessed exotic gentleness, then the woman before him was like a spring of pure, clear water!

She left people yearning for more and feeling utterly refreshed. Without the slightest exaggeration, this woman's beauty could utterly crush Pan Yunu, yet her gentle, refined, and crystal-clear aura made one completely reluctant to harbor even the slightest impure thought.

Huh? Did I go to the wrong door? That can't be right; mine is the only family surnamed Zhuge in town, isn't it?

He looked up at the plaque carved with the characters "Zhuge Estate" above the door, confirming that it was indeed his home... Where on earth did my family get a beauty like this?

Could she be my old man's concubine? No, that's not right, my old man has never taken a concubine! A mistress? Heh... With my dad looking like a fat pig? Even if he had the appetite for it, he wouldn't have the guts to bring her home!

A household retainer? Even less likely, for the Zhuge family's house rules strictly forbade hiring female retainers.

"Pardon me, but who might you be?" The woman's voice was light and melodious, as pleasing to the ear as silver bells.

The foot that had hurt so badly from the kick suddenly stopped hurting.

It wasn't that he was charmed out of it; rather, the woman's ethereal and untainted aura simply made Ming Tian forget the pain entirely.

Just hearing her voice made him feel as though both his body and soul had been healed.

This is my home, and you're the one asking me?! I want to know who you are!

Under normal circumstances, Ming Tian would definitely have replied like that, but... well, as the saying goes, that only applies under normal circumstances.

A fan, a fan! Where is there a fan? No fan? Making do with this will have to do!

Wanting to find a folding fan so he could put on a scholarly appearance and failing to find one, Ming Tian fished a spatula used for stir-frying out of his pocket to use as a substitute fan, and awkwardly cupped his hands in a salute toward the beauty.

"Old man... uh, no, I mean, yours truly is Zhuge Buliang, styled Ming Tian. This is my humble home, and I have returned home. Yours truly... ugh, this is too troublesome. Look, this is my house, beauty. Who are you? And why are you in my home?"

Utterly incapable of speaking in an eloquent and scholarly manner, Ming Tian ultimately ruined the moment and stated his intentions using a cringeworthy flirting tone.

The beauty was slightly startled, and a moment later, a trace of delight bloomed on her face as if she had just heard some joyous news.

She quickly stepped back three paces and, just like in television dramas, performed a standard-setting, flawless greeting bow to Ming Tian.

This courtesy bow was poised, serene, and completely unhurried, easily outclassing the bows of third-rate actresses in TV dramas by several hundred astronomical units.

Even having spent time in the imperial palace, Ming Tian had never witnessed such a standard greeting.

Yet, compared to the perfection of this bow, the woman's reply left Ming Tian utterly stunned.

"This humble maiden met with misfortune yesterday and collapsed before Young Master Zhuge's threshold. Fortunately, I received the assistance of Master Zhuge. It is only natural that Young Master Zhuge does not recognize me. My name is Su Xiaoxiao, formerly a poet-courtesan of Qiantang. I have long heard of Young Master Zhuge's untamed and unrestrained nature, and upon seeing you today, it is indeed as rumored. This humble maiden pays her respects to you."

I... I... Wh... What?! With her speaking in such literary prose, my internal translation system has directly crashed and can no longer translate!

And you... who did you say you were? Su Xiaoxiao?! What kind of international joke is this? How on earth is Su Xiaoxiao inside my house?

Although Ming Tian was practically illiterate when it came to history, having spent his past life unable to find a girlfriend, he had spent a period of time reading through romance novels and historical tales.

Among them, the tragic story of Su Xiaoxiao had left a deep impression on him.

Su Xiaoxiao, the premier poet-courtesan of Qiantang, whose beauty was said to be peerless and unmatched! She was well-versed in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and it was truly incomprehensible why she had not been ranked among the Four Great Beauties of ancient history.

Her bittersweet romance with Ruan Yu was sung through the ages, and finally, in the third year of Yongyuan, she fell gravely ill from sorrow and pined away, passing away at the tender age of twenty-one.

Countless poets subsequently wrote verses in her honor, and Ming Tian could still clearly remember one of the poems dedicated to Su Xiaoxiao's tomb by Zhu Yizun:

The stream flows clear, the small bridge spans across,
Pine and cypress whisper by Xiaoxiao's lonely mound.
Azure clouds linger still, azure clouds linger still,
In reverie of days gone by, when light carriages rode with oiled wheels.
Stream waters dance with red-feathered birds,
While red-hearted grass carpets the bridgehead.

The rain has just cleared, the rain has just cleared,
On the Hanshi festival amid falling blossoms, the dark-maned steed cannot bear to walk.

No wonder this beauty possessed such an elegant and ethereal aura; to think she actually turned out to be Su Xiaoxiao?

It was no exaggeration to say that Ming Tian had spent his previous life feeling depressed and desolate, and up until his dying breath, he had always longed to have a devoted and deeply affectionate woman like Su Xiaoxiao by his side.

To think that his dream lover had actually appeared right before his very eyes.

Besides, wasn't the historical record far too outrageously inaccurate? Her beauty was hardly just peerless; it was epoch-making and unprecedented! Not even a beauty capable of toppling states and kingdoms like Pan Yunu could possibly compare to her!

What kind of trick is this? Is this a perk of transmigrating?

"Uh... Uh... I... You... Uh..."

Any pretense of looking cool was completely gone. Ming Tian couldn't even keep a steady grip on his stir-fry spatula, which slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a loud clatter.

Not only that, but Ming Tian now noticed that ever since they entered, An Luo, Yin Chan, and even Wang Yue had been completely captivated by Su Xiaoxiao's beauty, remaining frozen in the exact postures they had held during the final second before the door was opened.

Gentle, crystal-clear, well-read, and humble... With just a single meeting, Su Xiaoxiao embodied virtually all the virtues and qualities that an ideal woman should possess.

Beauty... a word that every woman longed to hear others use to describe her, seemed practically like a derogatory term when applied to Su Xiaoxiao.

English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese—Ming Tian could not think of a single vocabulary word in any language that could aptly describe Su Xiaoxiao.

Putting aside how his father had managed to save Su Xiaoxiao, even if he had, why on earth would Su Xiaoxiao be willing to stay at his home?

Perhaps she was already used to such astonished reactions, as she merely maintained a smile as serene as a bamboo grove, patiently waiting for Ming Tian to recover his senses.

"Ahem."

Pulling himself together, Ming Tian gave a cough. "Lady Su, if I may ask, where is my father right now? Why is he not here?"

This was the most scholarly and refined phrasing Ming Tian could muster after racking his brain.

Su Xiaoxiao smiled with serene detachment and turned slightly to the side, gesturing for Ming Tian to enter the house. "Master Zhuge is currently in the study discussing matters with Magistrate Yue. Young Master Zhuge and your friends may enter the house first. If you find yourselves weary or bored, this humble maiden is somewhat versed in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and can surely help entertain you all."

This temperament, this personality, this poise... Absolutely marvelous!

Goddess!!!!!!

Ming Tian felt as though he was about to burst into tears of joy.

……………………

Extra chapter dedicated to Guild Master Old Wang...