Chapter 6 Part II

    "Uh... Master Huang Tan."

    "Master Huang Tan, Young Master Xianfeng is kindly providing fortune readings and removing misfortune for everyone today," a bold villager eagerly spoke up, noticing Master Huang Tan’s unusual silence.

    "Young Master Xianfeng?" Huang Tan asked, his voice trembling. It was not for any other reason but because he was so angry that his face was flushed with blood. Young Master Xianfeng had left his manor and trouble arose shortly after. He had no idea where Young Master Xianfeng was hiding now. The thought of it sent a shiver down his spine.

    This won't do. I must deal with this decisively, or the friendly ties I’ve established could be utterly destroyed because of one swindler.

    "Are you all out of your minds! How could this stinking face be Young Master Xianfeng!"

    "What... what did you say?" said one villager.

    "I said he is not Young Master Xianfeng!" Huang Tan shouted.

    "Aiya! Why not?!"

    "Why not? Because he's a swindler. How could Young Master Xianfeng lack such dignity? Seize him!" Huang was shaking with fury. Why would Huang Tan, a great master like him, be associated with a swindler?

    Immediately upon his command, the guards behind him sprang into action.

    "Please... let me go! Mas… Master Huang, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just wanted some money to pay for my mother's treatment at home." The young swindler burst into tears, his body trembling with fear. He had been a con artist since childhood, caught by the authorities and released because he was just a kid. As he grew older, his skills in deceiving people improved, and he had never been caught by the authorities again. But now, this Master Huang Tan was far more intimidating than any government soldier.

    Xuyao, standing amidst the crowd, could only shake her head slowly. This man claimed to have a sick mother at home, but he was an orphan, with neither father nor mother. Such behavior must have been learned from gangsters controlling gambling dens.

    "Scoundrel! You dare deceive us?" A villager who had been duped began to curse.

    "Give me back my money, one tael is not a small amount."

    "Exactly, I was foolishly delighted thinking he was the real Young Master Xianfeng."

    "I thought so. A high-born like Young Master Xianfeng wouldn’t be seen sitting around reading fortunes. Lucky I didn’t manage to get an appointment card."

    "This is bad, it’s my one tael. My wife will beat me to death when I get home."

    Several villagers began to protest loudly, trying to reclaim their lost money. Some sighed with relief for not having managed to get an appointment, while others began to crowd around, intent on physically punishing the swindle. However, they were still wary of Master Huang Tan's presence and his well-trained guards, who were martial arts experts, making them unable to reach the swindler.

    Xuyao watched to see how Huang Tan would act to preserve her own reputation.

    "Stop!" Suddenly, Huang Tan shouted, his voice imbued with a force that made several villagers stagger, their legs weakening. All eyes turned to him in a mix of shock and curiosity.

    Huang Tan reached into his sleeve and carefully pulled out an old piece of cloth. It was a talisman with Xiaoxin's face that Xuyao had drawn, also bearing the name Xianfeng at one corner.

    "This is a talisman written by Young Master Xianfeng. If you want to verify whether he is the real Young Master Xianfeng, ask him to draw this talisman. The unique strokes cannot be imitated. If he cannot replicate it, he is certainly not the real Young Master Xianfeng!" Huang Tan displayed the cloth piece to everyone meticulously, his expression radiating immense pride. He was determined to protect Young Master Xianfeng’s honor from being destroyed.

    The yard fell silent again as everyone intently examined the talisman.

    “Cough, cough,” Xuyao choked on her saliva and quickly pulled Xiaoxin away from the crowd.

    "Big Sister, that talisman looks odd," Xiaoxin, unaware that his sister had used his face as the model for the talisman, expressed his doubts, his bright eyes turning back to glance at the talisman restlessly.

    "Xiaoxin, good boy, don't worry about that talisman," she decided not to comment on it. If the little boy knew it was actually his own round face on that talisman, would he be angry? She had to keep it, keep it as a secret only she knew!

    Xuyao then took Xiaoxin to a restaurant and ordered a lavish spread of food, snacks, sweets, fruit juices, and soft drinks, filling a large table generously.

    "Big Sister, why did you order so much food?"

    "For you to eat, Xiaoxin. Come on, eat up, you need to grow big and strong," she thought, hoping his round, chubby cheeks might finally slim down as he grew.

    "Okay," Xiaoxin looked at his sister in surprise but resignedly began to devour the feast in front of him, internally grumbling about his sister's extravagance. How could the two of them possibly finish all this food?

    The siblings ate heartily, oblivious to an uninvited guest hovering over them.

    Once they had eaten their fill and their stomachs were slightly bulging, the two of them finally looked up to find Master Huang Tan standing calmly waiting. Although he didn’t show the same respect in front of Young Master Xianfeng, he still gave Xuyao three parts respect, not displaying the arrogance he showed to the common people.

    Xuyao also noticed the unusual silence in the restaurant. Looking around at the tables, she saw only emptiness, no customers in the restaurant at all. When she first entered the restaurant, there were a few customers here and there. Clearly, this Master Huang Tan had used his influence to reserve the entire restaurant.

    Xuyao raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

    When Huang Tan saw her demeanor, he furrowed his brows. This village woman had a fair complexion, somewhat different from the average villager, though her clothes were still the coarse fabric. Her mannerisms, including how she ate and drank, were like those of any other villager, nothing out of the ordinary. However, the way she had raised her eyebrows in curiosity a moment ago seemed somewhat familiar. Moreover, she didn’t show the fear or deference he was accustomed to from the common folk.

    This woman intrigued him; if not because she was pretending to be something she's not, then because she must have encountered many influential people before.

    And if he had to guess, that person would be none other than Young Master Xianfeng.

    "Excuse me, miss, may I inquire if my Master would have a moment to speak with you?" A guard behind him asked respectfully.

    "Ah, please have a seat," Xuyao nodded. How could she not know the reason why Huang Tan had come to see her?

    “Miss, my name is Huang Tan. You may know of me.”

    “I do know of you.”

    “Um, may I ask how this young boy is related to you?” Huang Tan glanced at Xiaoxin, who sat next to Xuyao with a blank expression.

    "He is my younger brother."

    "I see, a younger brother. Not long ago, this brother of yours brought a letter from Young Master Xianfeng to my manor. I was hoping to inquire if you know Young Master Xianfeng." It must be said that he himself did not know much about that young master, only knowing Young Master Xianfeng by name. Despite a desire to form a friendship, it was still superficial, not even knowing how to contact him. Since Young Master Xianfeng left his manor, he seemed to have disappeared into thin air as if he never existed. The only proof he had of Young Master Xianfeng's existence was this boy sitting before him, meaning these siblings must know Young Master Xianfeng.

    "Why do you ask such a thing?" Xuyao frowned.

    "Please don’t misunderstand, Miss. I ask because I wish to find a way to contact Young Master Xianfeng." In any case, he still greatly respected Young Master Xianfeng and simply wished to be able to get in touch with him.

    "Ah, I do know him somewhat."

    "That is good to hear," Huang Tan's face brightened by eight parts, finally finding someone who knew Young Master Xianfeng.

    "I live in Shuishan Village, but after this, I may not be at home since my brother and I have to travel to another city." She believed that if this master truly wished to find her, he could simply send out a few guards, and it wouldn’t be difficult to find her. Well, he wasn't a bad person after all, so it wouldn't hurt to make friends with him.

    "But Young Master Xianfeng is unpredictable and might be contacted only occasionally."

    "Ah, then I must rely on you, Young Miss. Here is a small token of my appreciation." He handed her a high-status plaque from the Huang family, joyfully.

    "Thank you," Xuyao accepted nonchalantly. In truth, she already had one, but she accepted another to avoid his suspicion.

    "My brother and I must be going now, farewell."

    As Xuyao left the restaurant in a good mood. This Huang Tan was not one to easily let go. Was he going to worship Master Xianfeng as a deity or something similar?

    "Big Sister, was that man someone you treated?" Xiaoxin whispered, asking as they walked away.

    "No, it was his furen and son. He's quite a gullible man."

    "Oh," Xiaoxin nodded in understanding.

    However, they hadn’t gone far when Xuyao suddenly stopped, struck by a terrifying vision through her eyes. Her hair stood on end from head to toe, and a gradual shiver ran through her as her face flushed with pulsing veins, heart pounding like a drum. Yet, she felt her energy being drained, leaving her legs too weak to stand, and she collapsed to the ground.

    "Big Sister!"

    "Xiao... Xiaoxin!"

    "Big Sister, what’s wrong? Are you feeling ill?" The boy quickly helped to support his sister, panic written across his face.

    "Xiaoxin! Help me up. This is bad. We need to get home!" She needed to return before something worse happened.

    Struggling to use the last of her strength, Xuyao stood and urged herself to hurry home, legs and hands trembling all the way. Xiaoxin, seeing his sister’s state, followed anxiously.

    Yet for Xuyao, the pace was too slow; she half-ran, half-walked, desperate to reach the Shuishan Village as soon as possible, fearing she wouldn’t make it in time.

    As they hurriedly run back home, a sudden, intense pain surged and burned through her eyes. The more she walked, the more her eyes burned and throbbed relentlessly.

    "Ouch!" Eventually, she could no longer bear it and collapsed onto the dusty road.

    "Big Sister, where does it hurt? I’ll run back and get a doctor right away," Xiaoxin was deeply concerned as he watched his sister struggle. The little boy looked back at the way they had come. From here, Fufen City was closer than going to Shuishan Village. So, he should run back to the city to find a doctor.

    "Big Sister, sit here under this tree. Don’t go anywhere, I’ll go get a doctor," the boy tried to move his sister under the nearest shade, but the closer he got to the bushes, the more her eyes burned and ached. She had no strength to object or speak.

    After he managed to get her to the shade, Xiaoxin ran back towards Fufen City as fast as he could.

    All Xuyao could do was hold her eyes, unsure of what to do next. This type of pain had first occurred when she acquired her special eyes at eighteen, but she didn’t know why it was happening again now, and it wasn’t something that medicine could cure. All she could do was wait to see how her eyes would change further.

    Unknown to her, behind the thick bushes and trees, there was a person hidden completely. That person was an old woman with long, white hair that flowed down to her feet, spreading across the dull grass like a patch of snow as she sat. Her skin was wrinkled beyond the semblance of youth, but the only thing that remained beautiful on her figure was a pair of eyes, bright emerald, sparkled like gems of life, mesmerizing people each time she blinked.

    However, a slow, creeping scent of death surrounded her as a small knife was lodged in her chest, dark blood staining her white garment into a field of roses.

    Yet the old woman sensed the presence of the young woman leaning against the tree across from her, her emerald eyes shone, lighting up with joy.

    "Fengxian!" At last, she had found her. This is wonderful. Chunru had thought her mission would fail.

    "Fengxian!" A hoarse voice called from behind the bushes, startling Xuyao, who was resting. For a moment, the intense pain in her eyes subsided, allowing her consciousness to return. Suspicion crept into her mind as she heard the call.

    Fengxian? How long had it been since she'd heard that name? Since leaving the capital, that name had been left behind in her past. She was Xuyao now, not Fengxian anymore. But had she misheard? She heard her name, Fengxian, being called out.

    "Fengxian..." The hoarse voice rang out again, making Xuyao certain she wasn't hearing things.

    "Who's there!" The young woman became frightened. No one should know her as Fengxian, so why was this person calling her that? Who was this person?

    "Don't be scared, good child. Are your eyes hurting? Come here, this old lady will help you. Cough, cough." That person still continued with a tone that seemed soothing as if comforting a frightened child, yet strangely gleeful.

    "Who are you!" Why did this person know her eyes were in pain? Xuyao was becoming suspicious.

    Just then, a gentle breeze carried a faint smell of blood to Xuyao, causing her to furrow her brows.

    "Fengxian, don't you want to know about your eyes? Hurry, my time is short. They are coming."

    "Who's coming?" Xuyao was increasingly confused as she listened. This person appeared suddenly and spoke cryptically that it was unclear. Yet, somehow, the story seemed to be related to her. How could this be a coincidence?

    "Come to me. I won't harm you. You must have smelled the blood. I'm wounded and don't have much time. Don't you want to know about your origins?" That voice clearly weakened. No doubt, speaking in such long sentences was draining the energy and life force of that person.

    "What do you mean by origins?" Xuyao confused.

    "You are not from the Bai family."