Chapter 122: Returning to Baoding Prefecture
Chapter 122: Returning to Baoding Prefecture
"So nostalgic!" Yu Longsheng gazed at the familiar yet foreign city before him and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's been two years, yet it feels like nothing has changed!"
At this moment, the two of them had ridden their horses to the gates of Baoding City, the very same gate through which he had departed with Master Xinmei and Li Xunhuan in a carriage two years prior.
"What do you miss?" Ding Baiyun shot Yu Longsheng a sideways glance. "Do you miss Lin Xian'er?"
"I do miss her indeed." Yu Longsheng chuckled. "If she shows up again, I'll introduce you to her."
Ding Baiyun snorted coldly. "She's nothing but a slut. If you dare to sleep with her again, I'll... I'll cut that thing off you!"
Yu Longsheng teased, "What if she's the one who wants to sleep with me?"
Ding Baiyun replied coldly, "It's the same. The hilt of my sword can be used for that too."
Yu Longsheng fell silent.
Ever since they had become engaged, Ding Baiyun rarely spoke harshly to Yu Longsheng. Today's exception was due to the fact that Lin Xian'er posed too great a threat to her.
After all, Yu Longsheng often mentioned Lin Xian'er, and when they first met, he had unhesitatingly said that Lin Xian'er was far more beautiful than her.
Yes, Lin Xian'er was a slut, but her man was also a lecher! Just from the way Yu Longsheng had left her and Lan Yueyi together, letting them do as they pleased, she knew that Yu Longsheng was not a good man.
The only reason he hadn't bedded many women was that his standards were too high; he wouldn't give anyone the time of day if they didn't have a certain status or aura about them.
Lin Xian'er, on the other hand, was the number one beauty in the martial arts world, and her status was more than enough to catch his eye.
The fact that she had enchanted both Bai Xiaosheng and Xinjian only made Yu Longsheng more enamored, to the point where he had sent her the Fish Intestine Sword. Her beauty was a rarity in the world.
No wonder Ding Baiyun felt the need to guard against her.
On regular days, it was fine, but now that she had gone missing, out of sight and out of mind. Today, as they returned to this familiar place, Yu Longsheng couldn't help but have wandering thoughts.
Lin Xian'er had disappeared along with Ah Fei and Li Xunhuan. Now that someone was plotting against Li Xunhuan, Ding Baiyun had a bad feeling that Lin Xian'er would also make an appearance.
Hence, she was giving Yu Longsheng a warning in advance.
However, Yu Longsheng just wouldn't give Ding Baiyun a straight answer. He laughed heartily, pulled on the reins, and urged his horse forward. "Let's go pay our respects to the master of Xingyun Manor first!"
"You asshole!" Ding Baiyun couldn't help but curse, following closely behind.
...
While Baoding Prefecture hadn't changed much in the past two years, Xingyun Manor had undergone significant changes.
Once bustling with people, the manor now stood quiet and deserted, with few visitors.
"Who's in charge of Xingyun Manor now?" Ding Baiyun asked.
"Lin Shi Yin." Yu Longsheng replied, "I heard she dismissed quite a few of the manor's guests and rarely receives visitors these days. You could say that Xingyun Manor has effectively withdrawn from the martial arts world."
Ding Baiyun said indifferently, "Withdrawing from the martial arts world isn't as simple as they think."
After all, they had just drawn attention to themselves by doing so.
As the two spoke, they arrived at the entrance of Xingyun Manor.
"There are people nearby." Ding Baiyun scanned the area and spotted several figures lurking in the shadows nearby.
Yu Longsheng nodded. "They must have received the letter and rushed over."
"Tomorrow is the 15th of September. Anyone who's going to come should be here by now." Ding Baiyun said.
Yu Longsheng stroked his chin. "Actually, I'm quite curious about one thing."
"What?" Ding Baiyun asked.
"Before this, didn't they try to sneak into Xingyun Manor at night to search for the treasure in advance?" Yu Longsheng asked.
Ding Baiyun scoffed. "They only have the guts to follow in others' footsteps and reap the benefits. They don't have the courage to take the lead and be the ones to blaze the trail."
Yu Longsheng laughed. "So, they're quite smart in your opinion?"
Ding Baiyun snorted coldly. "They're just greedy and cowardly."
Ding Baiyun's voice wasn't particularly soft, but not a single person in the surroundings voiced any disagreement. In fact, after she spoke, the lurking figures quietly disappeared one by one.
The door slowly opened, revealing a middle-aged man with a pockmarked face, who cautiously poked his head out. "Who is it?"
"Manager Lin, it's me!" Yu Longsheng said with a smile, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the man's shifting gaze, deep in thought.
In the original novel, this pockmarked man was Lin Xian'er's father. He started off arrogant and domineering but later remained with the declining Xingyun Manor, even earning praise and admiration from Li Xunhuan.
One could only wonder what Li Xunhuan was thinking!
Yu Longsheng studied the man's face. Obviously, he couldn't be Lin Xian'er's father in this lifetime.
The question was, was he a random thug Lin Xian'er had found to play a part in her act, who eventually stayed for real after being moved by Lin Shi Yin, or had he always been one of Lin Xian'er's undercover agents, left here to keep an eye on Lin Shi Yin and watch out for Li Xunhuan?
Yu Longsheng didn't bother to probe further, as it didn't really matter to him who the man was.
Soon, a range of emotions flitted across the pockmarked man's face—confusion, realization, and shock. "It's Young Master Yu! What brings you here?"
"I mentioned when I left two years ago that I would come back for a visit, but various matters kept me occupied, and I only made it now," Yu Longsheng sighed. "It's a pity that Fourth Master Long is no longer around..."
The pockmarked man fell silent.
Yu Longsheng continued with a smile, "But Lady Long and Young Master Long are still here, right?"
"Yes, yes, please come in!" The pockmarked man quickly ushered Yu Longsheng and Ding Baiyun into the manor.
Lin Shi Yin did not make an appearance; instead, Long Xiaoyun came to greet them.
"Young Master Long! You've grown taller!" Yu Longsheng patted Long Xiaoyun's shoulder, his face exuding familiarity.
"Yu... Brother Yu..."
Long Xiaoyun's eyes darted about, then he invited Yu Longsheng and Ding Baiyun to take a seat. "Brother Yu and Fairy Ding, a match made in heaven, wandering the martial world—what brings you to our Xingyun Manor?"
"Because someone has their eyes on Xingyun Manor!"
Yu Longsheng directly produced the letter and handed it to Long Xiaoyun.
Long Xiaoyun's expression changed as he looked at the letter. Even with his composure, he felt a momentary panic seeing this letter.
Because...
He knew that there really was a treasure in Xingyun Manor!
However, he quickly collected himself and looked up with a bitter smile, gesturing to their surroundings. "Brother Yu, if there really was a treasure in Xingyun Manor, we wouldn't be living like this."
The former splendor of Xingyun Manor had become a thing of the past, and the once luxurious hall was now plain and simple.
Yu Longsheng pointed at Long Xiaoyun and teased, "You can deceive others, but don't try to pull the wool over my eyes."
Long Xiaoyun blinked and smiled awkwardly, but still explained, "Mother says that one shouldn't flaunt one's wealth. Besides, we have indeed sold off some of our properties in the past two years."
"I understand that Fourth Master Long is no longer around," Yu Longsheng nodded.
Xingyun Manor had inherited all of Li Yuan's wealth, including this manor, shops in the city, and fields outside the city. These assets wouldn't just vanish, so how did they disappear after Long Xiaoyun left?
It was probably because the expert who guarded this place was no longer here, and Lin Shi Yin was being cautious and frugal.
(End of Chapter)
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