B10C27: Zhou Xian

In Guishui City of the Ming dynasty,

Guishui City is situated by mountains and water. There is a pretty mountain range to the left of the city. The beautiful sinuous river Li runs between the mountain range and the city.

At the moment, Qin Yu and Li’er are walking on a street of Guishui City. The 2 of them are very affectionate towards each other while laughingly chatting about the buildings, the architecture, the scenery and the tourist attractions of various places.

“Li’er, would you like to taste Tanghulu?” Seeing a seller of Tanghulu in the distance, Qin Yu is struck by a thought and immediately asks Li’er smilingly.

She nods happily.

He then goes forwards with a smile to buy Tanghulu. Now there happens to be only 2 skewers of Tanghulu left. He hands over a piece of silver, saying: “Give me both skewers of Tanghulu. You can keep the change.”

The eyes of the granny who sells Tanghulu immediately brighten: silver!

Most people generally use copper coins to buy snacks such as Tanghulu but Qin Yu uses silver and does not even need change. The granny has indeed made a decent profit this time.

“Aye, here you are, sir.” The granny enthusiastically pulls out 2 skewers of Tanghulu.

Qin Yu receives the Tanghulu then turns around to leave, but he suddenly feels his leg hindered at this moment. He lowers his head to take a look -- a 4 or 5-year-old little boy is hugging his calf and looking very pitifully at the Tanghulu in his hands with even a lustrous thread of saliva flowing from the mouth.

“Haw …” How can Qin Yu possibly still not know what this little boy wants to do?

“Big brother, I want to eat Tanghulu. I’ve got money. Trade it with me, okay?” The little boy’s glistening large eyes are full of Tanghulu, his little hand holding 2 copper coins.

“Don’t be noisy, Xiao Yu.” A simply-dressed young woman hurriedly pulls the little boy over and immediately apologizes to Qin Yu: “Sir, children are ignorant, please don’t be angry.”

Just now this young woman gave the boy 2 copper coins so that he could go and buy Tanghulu so naturally she saw with her own eyes Qin Yu casually take out a piece of silver to buy Tanghulu. Moreover, judging from his manner, the young woman is certain that this young nobleman’s status is even much higher than that of the city’s governor.

“What’s the matter, big brother Qin Yu?” Li’er also walks up.

Qin Yu turns around and tells her smilingly: “Nothing, it’s just a little boy who wants to eat Tanghulu. At first I wanted a skewer apiece for you and me, but let’s forget it, you’ll eat a skewer and I’ll give this little boy the other one.”

After saying so, he lowers his head, looking smilingly the cute little boy, and offers him a Tanghulu skewer: “You’re called Xiao Yu, right? Come.” The boy’s eyes immediately brighten.

“There’s no need, sir. Children have eyes bigger than their bellies …” That young woman says hastily while even pulling the little boy, who wants to eat Tanghulu. Being pulled by his mother, the boy stops moving right away, only he puffs his mouth up and keeps staring at the Tanghulu with his large eyes. Tears are even welling up in his eyes.

Qin Yu gives a smile: “It’s all right, Xiao Yu. Come.”

The little boy turns around and takes a look at his mother. Seeing that his mother does not hold him back, he receives the Tanghulu skewer excitedly without hesitation, saying: “Thank you, big brother. These 2 copper coins are for you, big brother.”

“There’s no need. The Tanghulu is a gift for you.” Qin Yu says smilingly.

“That won’t do.” The little boy acts as if he is an adult. “My mom said that I can’t take other people’s things at will. That’s not right, big brother. Please take them. These 2 copper coins can buy a lot of things, buy you candies to eat, and buy meat buns too.”

“There’s no need.” In fact, Qin Yu likes this little boy.

“That won’t do.” The boy is very stubborn.

The young woman knows the general temperament of young noblemen, how can they possibly accept 2 copper coins?

“Xiao Yu, big brother said he gifted it to you, so you should just keep the coins.” She says hurriedly.

Hearing his mother say so, the little boy, who just now was still stubborn, cannot help looking doubtfully at his mother with wide-open shiny black eyes. After a while, he nods his head and withdraws the 2 copper coins.

……

At this moment, the white-robed young man walks into Guishui City.

“Situated by mountains and water, the scenery is indeed beautiful.” With just 2 or 3 steps, he arrives in the street where Qin Yu and Li’er are on. The other pedestrians do not notice his sudden appearance at all, as if he has always been here.

As soon as the white-robed man sees Qin Yu and Li’er together, a lightning bolt flashes through his eyes. Right afterwards, he smiles and says: “Biaomei!”

When Li’er, who is playing with the little boy, hears that, her body immediately gets a shock. She turns around at once and cannot help having an astonished expression: “Biaoge!”

Qin Yu also turns around.

Biaomei? Biaoge?

He looks at the white-robed young man before him. This man is Li’er’s biaoge? He knows Li’er is a member of a certain special clan. If this white-robed man is really Li’er’s biaoge then he should belong to that clan as well.

“Biaomei, how long have you and Uncle Lan been roaming around without returning? Even yifu is about to get angry.” The white-robed man says while looking tenderly at Li’er.

“Father gets angry?” She is startled.

“This is the order written by yifu personally. You should take a look.” The white-robed man makes a wave of his hand. A golden shaft of light then shoots towards her. Li’er reaches out her hand. An item looking like a golden scroll appears in her hand.

As soon as she opens it and takes a look, her face goes slightly pale.

“Biaoge, do I have to return immediately?” She finds this somewhat hard to accept.

The white-robed young man says with a frown: “Biaomei, yifu personally wrote this order. It’s not a simple verbal message. When he already wrote this order, you should be able to know that he’s really very angry. Could there be anyone who dares to disobey his orders?”

Li’er stands restlessly, her forehead full of worry.

“I’ll go to find Uncle Lan.” She clenches her teeth then says.

The white-robed young man slightly frowns and says with a sigh at once: “All right, don’t be stubborn, biaomei. Uncle Lan doesn’t particularly listen to yifu’s words, but do you want to make them fight each other head-on because of this small matter? Besides, not only is yifu incomparably powerful, he’s also the king of your clan. Who would dare to disobey an order given by him?”

“What’s the matter, Li’er? What’s actually happened?” Listening to the talk between the 2 of them on one side, Qin Yu also feels that there seems to be something wrong with this situation.

The white-robed young man slightly frowns: “Li’er? Who are you? How dare you call her Li’er?!”

“Biaomei, why are you staying with a mortal? Could it be Uncle Lan allowed this?” The white-robed young man’s eyes flash with anger.

Qin Yu is startled inside. If his observation is not wrong, just now a lightning bolt flashed through this young man’s eyes.

A lightning bolt in the eyes, how is this possible?

“If yifu knows that you’re staying with a mortal, you also know what consequences this will bring about. At that time, don’t blame me for not advising you.” The white-robed young man glances coldly at Qin Yu.

That kind of look makes him seem to be a dynasty’s emperor looking down at a beggar on the side of a street.

“No, I only got acquainted with him just now and find him rather funny.” Li’er says hurriedly with a smile.

Funny?

Qin Yu immediately feels his entire heart freeze.

“There’s something wrong.” He is not a fool. It is just that he is someone involved in the matter so he was affected by those words, but he quickly reacts. He and Li’er have known each other for such a long time, how could she call it ‘just now’?

“Let me give an introduction. This is my biaoge Zhou Xian. He is very formidable, at least much more formidable than you.” Li’er says smilingly to Qin Yu.

“Biaoge, this is Qin Yu, a friend I made here. Though he isn’t powerful, he’s a very nice person.” She suddenly huffs: “Biaoge, you must not bully him, or else I’ll be very angry.”

“Okay, I certainly won’t bully him.” Zhou Xian says with a faint smile then casts an indifferent glance at Qin Yu with his cold eyes. Obviously he is totally contemptuous of someone with so little power like Qin Yu.

“Biaomei, don’t waste time. Yifu has already become very angry. The moment you opened the written order, he knew that you had read it. You’d better return immediately, otherwise he’ll get angrier and you’ll be grounded. At that time, perhaps it’ll be useless even for me to intercede with him on your behalf.” Zhou Xian says in a caring manner.

Li’er nibbles her lips then walks up to Qin Yu without delay.

“Qin Yu, I must go home now. Goodbye.”

She only says aloud a few words.

But at this moment, her voice rises in Qin Yu’s mind.

“Don’t be angry, big brother Qin Yu. Now I can’t let the others know about the relationship between us. If I did, you would definitely die!” Li’er’s tone seems very anxious.

Qin Yu is not a boor so he knows at once that she has her own difficulties.

“Big brother Qin Yu, my father is a king, the king of my clan. I can’t disobey his orders. Besides … not only my father, if some others knew that I like you, even they would probably kill you too.”

Qin Yu is startled inside.

What is actually going on?

He remembers that when Uncle Lan talked with him for the first time, he told him sternly in the beginning not to develop a love for Li’er because loving her would result in his death. Only later did he allow him and Li’er to stay with each other.

Qin Yu has never understood why Uncle Lan said in the beginning that loving Li’er would cause his death. However, now he seems to have gained some understanding of the problem.

“But big brother Qin Yu, I guarantee that I’ll definitely think of ways to set everything straight after returning. I’ll be with you soon no matter what. Nobody will be able to stop us. But now there are quite a few obstacles so I need to think of ways to remove them. You must wait for me. Listen to me. Don’t tell me anything using your holy sense. My biaoge can easily detect it.” Li’er says very anxiously.

Qin Yu can only refrain from using holy sense communication.

“If not for Uncle Lan using his magic powers, perhaps the other members of my clan would have already known about our relationship long ago. With Uncle Lan’s help, there is hope of being together for us. I’ll try my best. You’ll have to try your best as well. If you become more powerful, the chance of us being together will be greater!”

“Big brother Qin Yu, remember that I’ll never be together with anyone else. Even though I won’t be able to change everything after going back to my clan, I’ll still be able to not get married. I’ll wait for you forever.”

At this moment, Zhou Xian’s voice rises: “Biaomei, it’s time you went back. Yifu is still waiting for you.”

“All right, I’m going now.” Li’er turns around and says with a smile. She then makes a wave of her hand skywards. A black hole immediately appears in the sky. It seems that area of space has been shattered.

“Li’er.” Suddenly feeling pain as if someone has clutched at his heart, Qin Yu cannot help uttering.

Li’er’s body flies up, her eyes looking at him.

He is also looking at her.

“Big brother Qin Yu, I have to go now. During this period of time, I’ve been very happy to be with you -- with freedom and joy in my heart. Before leaving, I’ll tell you those words that I’ve always been keeping at the bottom of my heart without saying -- I, love, you.” Li’er says very slowly and gently, as if she is whispering in his ear.

Qin Yu opens his mouth several times but says nothing.

He wants to tell her ‘I love you’ so much too, but he cannot do that. He knows that this Zhou Xian before him can easily detect other people’s holy sense communication.

He does not dare to use holy sense communication, nor does he dare to say those words aloud.

Li’er goes straight into that black hole, her body flashing on and off with a pale green light as if she is an angel. After a while, that black hole vanishes and it is as if Li’er never existed.

“Big brother, where’s that big sister?” The little boy, who is eating Tanghulu, asks Qin Yu doubtfully.

The mortals at the scene do not know what has happened. They simply did not see Li’er fly off the ground.

“That big sister has already gone home.” Qin Yu forces a smile with effort and says while looking at the little boy.

At the moment his heart is full of pain, but there is absolute resolution at the deepest part of the bottom of his heart! This is because he knows Li’er loves him. Knowing this is already enough for him.

“You’re Qin Yu, right? How did you and my biaomei know each other?” Zhou Xian asks with an indifferent smile.

Judging from how Li’er broke the space to leave with a lift of her hand, Qin Yu knows that this mysterious clan is really very formidable, so formidable that its members can even detect holy sense communication easily.

“We just happened to become acquainted. Li’er is very good-tempered. Right, brother Zhou Xian, the clan that you and she mentioned, what is it actually?” Qin Yu appears to be doubtful.

However, he is screaming furiously in his heart at the moment. When Li’er left just like that, how can he possibly not be in pain, angry and grieved? But he must restrain himself!!! And he must put on this act too.

Who can know the pain and fury in his heart?

“Li’er, Zhou Xian?” A hint of mockery appears on Zhou Xian’s face. “Brat, you’re just a mortal. Li’er isn’t a name you can say. Similarly, you can’t say my name, Zhou Xian, either.”

Qin Yu’s heart skips a beat.

“I don’t know why biaomei was willing to stay with you to chat, but … given her status, you should be proud of being with her for the past several days. However … from now on, you’re not allowed to say ‘Li’er’ anymore, nor are you allowed to say my name, understand?” Zhou Xian says smilingly.

Qin Yu feels annoyed inside.

“So you’re angry? Oh dear, mortals are just mortals. That’s right. It’s like talking to an ant. No matter how much you talk to him, he won’t be able to understand the human world. Similarly, you … can’t understand my meaning.” The look in Zhou Xian’s eyes is still so chilly and his tone is still so gentle.

“Li’er, calling biaomei by her name, to tell the truth, I’m a little jealous of you and especially so when you’re just a mortal. But I shouldn’t bother about you. However … given your intelligence, it’s impossible for you to understand my existence. All right, then I’ll do a mortal like you a favor, allowing you to get a taste of the tip of the iceberg that is my power.”

At this moment, a lightning bolt flashes through Zhou Xian’s eyes again!

Qin Yu’s heart skips a beat: This Zhou Xian has already become murderous.

NOTE:

Biaoge: older male cousin with a different surname.

Biaomei: younger female cousin with a different surname.

Tanghulu: candied haws on a skewer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanghulu

Yifu: the husband of mother’s sister.

End of b10c27.