Chapter 9: Each one has his own destiny
"Ouch, it hurts so much! Mom, please be gentler!"

"Alright, alright, stop yelling! How can a scholar like you go and fight with others in the street? You even got beaten up so badly that your clothes were torn. How disgraceful!"

Under the cover of night, bursts of painful wails were heard from the Bai Mansion in the west of Lin'an City, causing the surrounding neighbors to talk and speculate.

In the wing room, a servant stood by the bed holding a bright candlestick. The young man in white who was nearly killed by someone in the West Lake Teahouse at dusk was now lying on the bed crying and groaning. A middle-aged woman in gorgeous clothes carefully applied ointment to the scars on the young man's back by candlelight. Behind the woman stood a sturdy man in his forties. It was this man who had just scolded the young man in white.

The man's name was Bai Jin, and the injured young man in white and the woman applying medicine were his wife and children.

Bai Jin was the Minister of the Privy Council. Although he was far from being a high-ranking official, he still had some style after serving in the government for many years. Looking at his skinny son, Bai Jin hated and regretted. He had always hoped that his son could practice martial arts like himself, and pass the military examination in the future, which would be considered as the son inheriting his father's career. But his son did not like to wield swords, but liked to recite poems and write couplets. Bai Jin could not bear to force him, so he hoped that he could study and achieve fame, but in the end he did not achieve anything. In the end, he was neither good at literature nor martial arts. Therefore, whenever he saw his disappointing son, Bai Jin could not help but feel angry.

"Mother, I've suffered a lot this time. It's really hateful that I've suffered an unexpected disaster in my own territory!" Mr. Bai muttered indignantly, "Those two are obviously not from Lin'an. How dare they act wildly here and even hit me..."

"Shut up!" Bai Jin glared and shouted, "What do you mean by your territory? When did Lin'an City become your territory? You are so shameless and arrogant!"

"Mom!" After being scolded by Bai Jin, Master Bai had to act coquettishly to Mrs. Bai and said aggrievedly, "Today, that ruffian hung me upside down outside the teahouse. Not only did I lose face, but I was almost thrown to death. Not only did my father not seek justice for me, but he also scolded me. I am really wronged..." As he spoke, tears actually fell from the corners of Master Bai's eyes.

"A grown man who cries and wails after being frightened a few times, he's such a waste!" Bai Jin became angrier and angrier as he watched, and he wished he could rush up and slap Master Bai a few more times.

Mrs. Bai felt sorry for her son and quickly interrupted, "Your son was bullied outside, but you didn't know how to take it out on that evil person, but instead blamed him? No matter what, he is the one who is at a disadvantage now, why do you have to say such heartbreaking words?"

Bai Jin shook his head helplessly and said, "A loving mother spoils her son. You, as a mother, have played a big role in his becoming the lazy person he is today!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Bai's face darkened and she said unhappily, "You are blaming me now? If you have the guts, go find those two evil guys. You only know how to vent your anger on us mother and son. What kind of ability is that!"

Bai Jin was angry, but after all, he had a wife and children with whom he had been with for many years in front of him. What else could he say? After he calmed down a little, he asked, "Who are the two villains you mentioned?"

Hearing Bai Jin's words, Mr. Bai immediately became interested and hurriedly described the two people's actions in great detail, especially the appearance of the man and woman, as if he was afraid that Bai Jin would not be able to find the two people. But from beginning to end, Mr. Bai did not mention a word about Liu Xunyi saving his life.

"A man and a woman? They both look very young. I've never seen them in Lin'an before..." Bai Jin pondered over and over again, muttering to himself, "And they both know martial arts, and they are quite skilled... Could it be..." Bai Jin's eyes suddenly widened, and then he rushed to the bedside, grabbed Master Bai's hand, and asked urgently, "Tell Dad about the woman's appearance again. The more detailed the better."

……

As the night deepened, a horse galloped through the streets of Lin'an City at lightning speed. A moment later, the man on the horse rushed into a large courtyard deep in the north of the city like a gust of wind. A plaque was hung on the gate of the mansion, with three large and ancient Chinese characters "Privy Council" inscribed in a flamboyant style.

"Sir, although my son is not talented, he would never lie about such a thing!"

In the study, Bai Jin stared at a portrait on the table, exclaiming in amazement. Behind the desk, a fat man in his sixties was listening to Bai Jin's report with a gloomy look.

"Are you sure that the woman your son saw in Langyuan, West Lake this evening was the one in this portrait?" The old man's voice was low and hoarse. He spoke slowly but his tone contained a strong sense of majesty.

Bai Jin nodded slowly with a nervous look on his face and said, "Although I have never seen it with my own eyes, according to my son's description, she looks exactly like the woman in the portrait from head to toe."

After receiving Bai Jin's affirmation, a frightening gleam suddenly flashed across the old man's cloudy eyes. He slowly sat up straight, stretched out his old fingers and tapped lightly on the table, and said faintly: "If this is really the person, you and your son have done a great deed, and I will never treat you unfairly!"

"Thank you, sir!" Bai Jin was delighted when he heard this, and quickly knelt on the ground, saying repeatedly, "If sir is still worried, I can bring my son here so that he can recognize him again..."

"No need!" Before Bai Jin could finish his words, the old man retorted firmly, "This portrait is a secret of the West Palace. I got it with great difficulty. How can I show it to outsiders so easily? Regardless of whether it is true or false, I want to see her!"

"I heard that this woman is accompanied by an expert." Bai Jin told Mr. Bai the news about Lin Fangda as well.

"Hmph!" The old man snorted with a smile, "It's normal for her to be accompanied by a master. It would be strange if she was alone!" The old man tapped the portrait lightly with his fingers and said in a deep voice, "This task is left to you. Take my handwritten letter to the Third Yamen to mobilize people. If this matter is handled well, I guarantee that you will be promoted three levels!"

"Thank you, sir!" Bai Jin was excited and kowtowed repeatedly, swearing to accept the order, "Please rest assured, sir, even if I have to turn Lin'an City upside down, I will definitely bring this girl to you!" After saying that, Bai Jin paused, thought for a moment before asking again, "But I don't know... what do you want to see her for?"

"Before dawn!"

……

It was almost midnight, but the main hall of Tianji Pavilion was still brightly lit.

Zhao Yuan sat high in the hall, looking at Liu Xunyi in the hall. After a long silence, he slowly asked, "Where did you go today?" "I..." Liu Xunyi was speechless when Zhao Yuan questioned her face to face. Qin Wei, who was standing aside, kept pursing his lips and winking at Liu Xunyi, but Liu Xunyi couldn't understand what Qin Wei meant even after stealing a glance at him for a long time.

"My Lord, today Young Master Liu..."

"I didn't ask you!" Before Qin Wei could speak to smooth things over, Zhao Yuan's eyes darkened, and he immediately scared back what Qin Wei was going to say. Zhao Yuan stared at Liu Xunyi with a sharp gaze, and asked again: "I have already asked Qin Wei where you are going, but now I want to hear you tell me in person." After that, Zhao Yuan's cold eyes inadvertently swept over the trembling Qin Wei, and said with a hint of meaning, "It's better that you two are talking about the same place, otherwise I will never let you off easily!"

"I..." Liu Xunyi glanced at Qin Wei. He did tell Qin Wei before he went out in the morning that he must make an excuse for him if anyone asked, but the two of them did not agree on a statement. Therefore, Liu Xunyi was worried that if he blindly told others, it would implicate Qin Wei, so he hesitated and refused to speak.

Looking at Qin Wei again, he kept making faces with a bitter look on his face, but he kept his mouth tightly closed and dared not make any sound.

"I'll go..." Liu Xunyi looked at Qin Wei's eyes and said hesitantly, "West Lake... West Lake Langyuan..." When Liu Xunyi said this, Qin Wei's eyes were already filled with ecstasy. Liu Xunyi blurted out, "I'm going to West Lake Langyuan to drink!"

"My Lord, I dare not lie to you, right?" Qin Wei said quickly, feeling relieved. "He really went to Langyuan in West Lake to drink!"

Zhao Yuan's tense expression gradually relaxed a bit, and he shook his head in dissatisfaction, saying, "Next time I go to drink, I'll only give you two hours. Otherwise, I won't see you for a whole day. How will you explain if you delay the mission?"

"I admit my guilt!" Liu Xunyi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Zhao Yuan did not pursue the secret meeting at Wangjiang Pavilion. He quickly apologized, "Next time I go out for a drink, I will be back within two hours."

Zhao Yuan sighed softly, then changed the subject and asked, "Have you ever saved a weak scholar in West Lake Langyuan?"

Liu Xunyi was shocked when he heard this, and thought to himself, "It turns out that the Marquis knew very well that I had been to Langyuan in West Lake. If so, wouldn't it be difficult to hide the matter of Wangjiang Pavilion from the Marquis? But why didn't the Marquis say a word? Is he trying to save face for me?"

"Xunyi, I'm asking you a question." Zhao Yuan saw that Liu Xunyi was absent-minded, so he raised his voice. Liu Xunyi was startled and quickly bowed and said, "Yes."

"So you also saw the man and woman in the teahouse?" Zhao Yuan asked, "and did they fight?"

"Yes."

"Do they know your identity?" Zhao Yuan asked.

"I probably don't know!" Liu Xunyi answered truthfully, "I didn't tell you directly."

"Very good!" Zhao Yuan nodded with satisfaction and said, "This is exactly why I called you two here overnight."

Liu Xunyi was shocked when he heard that, and asked tentatively: "But is there a son of our East Palace master among the literati who were taught a lesson?" Liu Xunyi guessed that a young man who was bullied tonight went back to complain, which made the East Palace master find Tianji Pavilion to do something, but to be honest, Liu Xunyi did not want to make things difficult for the couple. Although they had never met before, Liu Xunyi felt that Lin Fangda was a generous person, and the woman in red was simple and straightforward, and not some evil person.

Qin Wei asked curiously, "What do you mean by a man and a woman? Brother Liu, what happened to you in West Lake Langyuan today?"

Zhao Yuan ignored Qin Wei and said calmly: "You don't need to ask what the reason is. I just want you two to go and protect them secretly, especially the woman, until they leave Lin'an City safely."

"Protect them?" Liu Xunyi didn't expect Zhao Yuan to give such an order. He was stunned. He just thought of a lot of words to plead for mercy, but now they were completely useless. He asked in surprise, "May I ask, Lord Marquis, who are those man and woman? Why should we protect them?"

"Xun Yi, you asked too many questions today!" Zhao Yuan stood up slowly and said in a cold tone, "You don't need to know anything. Just remember that this is a secret order from the East Palace."

Qin Wei agreed first, "Don't worry, Lord. With us here, they will definitely eat well and sleep well! But Lin'an City is so big..."

Zhao Yuan waved his hand and said, "Ever since they entered Lin'an City, Qiu Han has been leading his men to follow them. He has been awake for several days and must be extremely tired. So I order the two of you to leave immediately to replace Qiu Han and continue to protect them."

Qiu Han had already been among the young guards of the Tianji Pavilion. He was nearly ten years older than Liu Xunyi and Qin Wei. He was also the most senior of the ten young guards and one of Zhao Yuan's most trusted confidants.

Liu Xunyi nodded slowly and thoughtfully, and asked, "But I wonder where Brother Qiu and the others are now?"

"South of the city, Tianxing Tower!"

……

(End of this chapter)