Chapter 8: The Heroine Makes Her Entrance

“Young master, your knowledge is vast and your insight profound. May I ask your name?” The shopkeeper regarded the young man in blue, growing ever more convinced of his extraordinary bearing, and a desire to befriend him rose in his heart.

“My young master is the eldest son of the Yan family of Shangyun Prefecture. If you wish to reminisce, you may call at the Yan residence another day.” The voice was that of a youth, as a black-clad servant led a magnificent luan bird.

Su Yue’s eyes widened at these words. She looked the young master up and down, and two words flashed incessantly through her mind: “Look! The tragic second male lead!”

“So it is the young master of the Yan family. I have overstepped my bounds—please forgive me.” The shopkeeper was embarrassed; he had merely wished to make a new friend and had not expected the other to be the famed eldest son of the Yan family, the undisputed power in Longsheng City. It seemed he had overreached.

“It is my servant who was rude; please do not take offense.” Yan Qitang himself waved his hand, chiding his servant.

The servant immediately bowed his head and said, “I was presumptuous.”

“Ah, the young man has only just arrived and cannot know all that has transpired. There’s no need for harsh words, Young Master Yan,” said the shopkeeper kindly.

“Shopkeeper, you are generous and understanding. This young maid is also a servant of my Yan family. Since your shop was damaged, please accept this compensation on behalf of my family.” As Yan Qitang spoke, his servant produced a silver note for a thousand taels and ten inferior-grade spirit stones, handing them to the shop assistant.

It seemed the assistant had never seen spirit stones before, as he turned them over curiously in his hands.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper hastened to say, “Young Master Yan, you are too generous. My shop deals only in mundane instruments—this silver note is more than enough. I cannot possibly accept the spirit stones.”

“It was the Yan family’s fault. There is no need for courtesy. Until we meet again.” With that, Yan Qitang vanished from sight.

“What was that…” The black-clad servant glanced at the dumbstruck shopkeeper, snorted, and then grabbed Su Yue, tossing her atop the luan bird before mounting and flying away.

Su Yue lay face down on the creature’s fluffy back, watching as the spot where Yan Qitang had stood receded into the distance. She asked, “Why did the young master disappear like that?”

“That was merely a wood-spirit puppet—a method to quickly gather intelligence from the surroundings. Don’t tell me the maids in the estate are unfamiliar with this?” The servant sounded exasperated.

So it’s a kind of doppelganger technique, Su Yue thought to herself. What’s there to be so smug about?

“Hey, little maid, my name is Shu Qin. I’m one of the young master’s attendants. What’s your name? If you ever need help, I can ask the stewards to look after you.”

—

As he guided the luan bird, Shu Qin, dressed in simple black attire, glanced back at Su Yue.

“Me? I’m one of the candidates chosen by the cleaning quarters to become an advanced maid for the young master. For now, I’m staying in the miscellaneous courtyard,” Su Yue replied.

“Really? It’s already that time? Mo Qi and the others haven’t advanced in cultivation, so since they’re getting older, they’ll have to return home. They’ll do just fine managing affairs for the Yan family in the future. You must pass the selection! Although, I can’t help you with that. Good luck!”

Su Yue inwardly complained: So you’re saying you’re no help at all…

As the luan bird glided above the Yan residence, she saw everyone in the estate come out, the whole place abuzz.

“That’s the young master’s mount!”

“The young master has returned!”

Shu Qin landed the bird directly in Yan Qitang’s courtyard, yanked Su Yue down, and said, “Come with me to see the young master. After you explain yourself, I’ll take you back to the miscellaneous courtyard.”

Su Yue followed him into Yan Qitang’s residence. The young master was not present, but instead she found a girl dressed in coarse cotton, like a village maiden. Despite her plain attire, her skin was fair and delicate—not what one would expect from someone accustomed to farm work. Hearing footsteps, the girl looked at them with curiosity.

She was about Su Yue’s age, perhaps a little thin from a growth spurt, her cheeks still rounded with the softness of youth. Her eyes were misty, as if they could well up with tears at any moment, and her lips were red as cherries, pursed in uncertainty. There was a fragile, endearing quality to her entire demeanor.

“Xue Yi, why are you standing here? Haven’t you gone to get your clothes from Mo Qi and the others?” Shu Qin was surprised to see her.

At the mention of the name Xue Yi, Su Yue’s mind nearly exploded. The protagonist of the novel she’d transmigrated into was named Wen Xueyi!

Now she understood where in the story she was: this was when Wen Xueyi had just been brought back by Yan Qitang.

In the original tale, Wen Xueyi, who possessed a spiritual spring vital for cultivating rare plants, was discovered by a covetous cultivator. A band of low-level rogue cultivators wiped out her entire village in search of her, but Yan Qitang happened to pass by and rescued her.

“I came here with the stewardess. She told me to wait here,” Wen Xueyi said quietly.

Shu Qin sighed and scratched his head. He knew the stewardess in charge of the young master’s courtyard disliked Wen Xueyi and had deliberately left her here. Unexpectedly, Shu Qin had stumbled upon her.

“I’ll take Su Yue back first, then help you get your things. Wait outside for a bit,” he told her.

—

“Mm.” Wen Xueyi glanced at Su Yue before quietly leaving.

Su Yue looked from the delicate, fragile heroine to herself—whose skin, she’d been told, couldn’t be pierced by sword or knife. Both were fair-skinned, but Wen Xueyi was clearly more pitiable and lovable. Why was the gap so vast, even among women?

Not long after, Yan Qitang emerged from his inner chambers. He sat down in the main hall, and with a slight gesture, the celadon teapot on the table floated to his hand, pouring tea into the cups by itself.

Su Yue drew a sharp breath. It might seem like a show of skill, but such manipulation of spiritual energy required immense control. To move objects without contact meant Yan Qitang was at least at the early stage of Integration.

“Young master, I’ll take Su Yue back and then help Miss Xueyi change her clothes. Do you have any other instructions?” Shu Qin asked respectfully.

“I have nothing else. You’ve just returned; see to Miss Xueyi’s needs first. I wish to speak a few words with this little maid,” Yan Qitang replied, sipping his tea.

Shu Qin accepted his orders and went to find Wen Xueyi.

“I hear you’re to perform the guqin at the Hundred Flowers Banquet?” Yan Qitang asked Su Yue with interest.

“Yes…” Su Yue felt a sense of foreboding.

“It’s rare to have a fine instrument at hand. Why not play a piece?”

Yan Qitang’s curiosity had been piqued by the legendary spiritual instrument; he wanted to hear the difference between the Thread-Pulling Zither and an ordinary spirit guqin.

Su Yue recalled that Yan Qitang was himself a master of the guqin, so this request was not surprising.

“Young master, I am but a humble maid with limited skill. I dare not display my clumsiness.”

Yan Qitang offered a reassuring smile. “It’s all right. Even if you aren’t very good, I’m only interested in the instrument’s qualities.”

Resigned, Su Yue took the Thread-Pulling Zither from her back. Yan Qitang smiled and quickly set up a barrier around them. “Just in case,” he explained, remembering how Su Yue’s mere pluck of a string had destroyed the instrument shop.

Su Yue placed her hands on the zither and began to play the only piece she knew—“High Mountains and Flowing Waters.”