She’s jealous
A fairy-like woman? Ye Youqing was startled upon hearing this.
It shouldn’t be such a coincidence, Ye Youqing reassured herself, exhaling a breath.
“Since it’s the Second King’s order, then go,” the man in black said, waving his hand, stepping back to let them leave.
After several days of moving in the dark, Ye Youqing finally saw daylight and felt a stabbing pain in her eyes, quickly bringing tears. She hurriedly closed her eyes, leaving just a slit.
After a while, she was able to open them slowly.
In front of her was a small cluster of houses, makeshift wooden shacks, hidden in the mountain valley, connected by long bridge-like stairways leading to the largest wooden house halfway up the mountain.
On the way, they occasionally passed a few people, who, as the scar-faced guard had said, all looked fierce, curiously eyeing Ye Youqing and Shi Li, before greeting the scar-faced guard.
The guard did not take them directly into the wooden house but instead turned into a small house midway, where there were two bathing tubs.
“Clean yourselves up before coming out,” the guard said expressionlessly, then closed the door.
There was a skylight overhead letting in daylight. Ye Youqing and Shi Li exchanged glances, neither speaking, each taking a basin to wipe their faces a bit. Because of their disguises, they didn’t dare to wash thoroughly, only rinsing off some surface dust.
On a couch nearby were two sets of clothes, different from the black outfits of the guards, still gray coarse cloth. They silently changed and then opened the door.
The scar-faced guard, holding a knife, looked at them, making satisfied clicking sounds, then nodded his head, striding towards the halfway point of the mountain.
“Once inside, don’t look around or speak unnecessarily. Just keep your head down and obey. The Second King kills without blinking and is not as easygoing as we are,” the scar-faced guard said nonchalantly, then stood straight, knocking on the door.
The door opened, a head peeked out, and after recognizing the scar-faced guard, opened the door halfway, signaling for Ye Youqing and Shi Li to enter.
Ye Youqing stepped in, and the door closed behind them.
“Come here!” someone scolded lowly, leading them through two doors, pointing to a wide square table in the center of the room, “Stand by the side and serve. If you don’t want to die, don’t make any mistakes.”
With that, the person left, leaving only Ye Youqing and Shi Li. They exhaled slightly, raising their eyes to observe their surroundings.
It was a genuine wooden house, with thick wooden walls painted with anti-insect paint, somewhat reddish. The beams overhead were exposed, making the ceiling appear very high.
Compared to other houses, this place was clearly more elegant, with some unknown animal heads hanging on the walls and yellowish-brown fur covering the floor. Two smooth wooden chairs were placed by the table, which had sliced fruits on it.
The air was filled with the smell of mountain plants and the scent of animal fur.
Before the people arrived, their voices were heard first. A hoarse and unpleasant man’s voice came from outside the door. Though he seemed to be speaking with a smile, it still made one’s skin crawl.
“Come, come, last night you didn’t eat anything. Today, I specifically had people go down the mountain to buy food that should suit your taste!”
The voice grew clearer, and Ye Youqing lowered her head reluctantly.
A pair of large feet appeared before her eyes, the hem of rough cloth garments flipping with the steps. The burly man from the first day walked in, his hulking frame seemingly making the room feel smaller.
“Don’t be afraid, come here,” the man beckoned.
After a while, the person he called slowly stepped over the threshold. A pair of small, exquisite embroidered shoes appeared before Ye Youqing, making her heart leap into her throat. She looked up sharply.
Snow-white dresses were piled like clouds, with sleeves and hems intertwined, revealing egg-white, delicate arms.
Ye Youqing clenched her fists, feeling a sudden dizziness.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Without seeing the face, she knew it was Ci Ke.
Ye Youqing didn’t know whether to be worried or angry, almost wanting to rush forward to ask for an explanation, but reason suppressed her body, leaving her standing still.
She felt Shi Li tightly grasping her sleeve, so she took a few deep breaths to calm her emotions.
A gaze fell on her. Ye Youqing looked up, through the gap in the man’s arm, and saw Ci Ke’s eyes. Perhaps Ye Youqing’s gaze was too stern, for Ci Ke seemed to shrink back and averted her eyes.
“You see, you said those guards looked scary, so I replaced them with some normal ones. Now you can eat, right?” The Second King smiled, turning and striding to Ye Youqing, his tone turning fierce, “Raise your head!”
Ye Youqing suppressed her anger and slowly lifted her face.
“This effeminate white-faced kid can be of use too,” the Second King sneered, pressing Ye Youqing’s shoulder, pushing her to stagger before Ci Ke, “Look, he’ll serve us while we dine. You’re not scared now, are you?”
Ci Ke’s eyes swept over Ye Youqing, then lowered, showing only shadows under her eyes.
She nodded.
“That’s good!” The Second King laughed, showing his smoke-stained yellow teeth, releasing Ye Youqing and walking to the table to pull out a chair for Ci Ke, “Please, my lady.”
Ci Ke gave Ye Youqing one last look, then lifted her skirt and sat down.
“Serve the dishes!” The Second King shouted, then quickly softened his tone seeing Ci Ke, “You two, go and bring the dishes!”
Ye Youqing gritted her teeth and nodded, then walked out. Several people were already waiting outside, holding fine porcelain bowls and dishes.
Ye Youqing silently took the bowls and dishes back inside, placing them on the table. They made several trips, finally bringing all the food inside. The freshly heated dishes emitted steaming heat and enticing aromas, making one’s mouth water.
Ye Youqing remembered she hadn’t eaten anything today.
“Here, my lady.” The Second King attentively ladled a bowl of porridge and placed it before Ci Ke, “Since you’re here, you might as well settle in. Don’t worry, though my mountain stronghold isn’t as luxurious as the city, it has everything you need.”
Ci Ke said nothing, staring at the bowl of porridge for a long time without moving.
Seeing her not eating, the Second King glared and shouted angrily, “What are you standing there for? Serve the dishes!”
Ye Youqing’s mouth twitched, stepping forward to take the clean chopsticks, and picked some vegetables into Ci Ke’s bowl.
Ci Ke’s hand seemed to tremble slightly, finally picking up the delicate spoon and obediently putting the vegetable leaf into her mouth.
The Second King glanced at Ye Youqing and then at Ci Ke, grinning broadly, “Good, since the lady is eating, you serve her well.”
Ye Youqing snorted quietly, continuing to pick food for Ci Ke, one after another, until the bowl was empty.
The man reached out and grabbed a chicken leg, tearing off a piece with his mouth. Chewing heartily, he smiled at Ci Ke, the scars on his face looking rather frightening.
“Yesterday, the little lady wouldn’t speak to me. Today, she can finally talk. Are you from Weizhou?” The Second King said, leaning in to examine Ci Ke’s face. He shook his head, “Weizhou is such a barren place, how could it produce someone as beautiful as a fairy like you? Let me guess, you came from the south?”
Ci Ke remained silent, but he didn’t feel awkward and continued to babble, “They say the south nurtures people well. I’ve never been there, but if the little lady is willing, we can travel and enjoy the scenery together?”
Ye Youqing felt a surge of anger rising. The man’s head before her suddenly looked like a watermelon, and she just wanted to chop it open and let the juice spill out.
She discreetly pinched herself to stay calm.
“As long as the little lady doesn’t despise me for being an illiterate rough man.” The Second King said, pointing to Ye Youqing, “I know you girls like those pale-faced scholars, but look at him, what good is a man who can’t even truss a chicken? No matter how fair his face, in the end, he has to serve me like a horse or ox!”
“You, pour the tea!” The Second King ordered loudly, slamming the table.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Fearing that Ye Youqing might lose her temper, Shi Li hurriedly stepped forward, lowered her head, and picked up the teapot to fill his cup.
The Second King snorted and turned to look at Ci Ke’s profile. Ci Ke was indeed beautiful, even though she looked weary, it did not diminish her elegance. Instead, it added a touch of fragile beauty, like a flower in the wind.
The Second King suddenly reached out, seemingly to wipe off the porridge grain on Ci Ke’s face. A wave of hostility surged in Ye Youqing, and she reached out with the hand holding the chopsticks, ostensibly to pick up the white-cut chicken on the other side of the table, and firmly blocked the Second King’s arm.
The Second King’s hand was suddenly knocked aside, and he looked at Ye Youqing in surprise. This surprise quickly turned into anger, and he was about to throw the bowl and scold her, but forcibly suppressed his temper.
“Brat with no eyes.” He cursed under his breath.
Ci Ke, meanwhile, was taken aback, watching Ye Youqing’s actions. She reached up and wiped the stuff off her face.
She suddenly spoke, timidly, “Where is this place?”
The Second King, seeing that she finally spoke, breathed a sigh of relief, “This is the territory of Liupan Mountain, a hundred miles around is a desolate area.”
Ci Ke’s eyes moved slightly, lowering her gaze to hide her expression, continuing in a fearful tone, “Are you bandits?”
“What do you mean by bandits!” The Second King protested, then placed his foot on the chair and leaned back, pointing to himself, “I am the king of this mountain stronghold, with hundreds of brothers under me. Rest assured, we have nothing to do with those road-blocking ruffians!”
Ci Ke placed the spoon down, making a crisp ding sound, and softly said, “But I see you guys robbing people on the road. If that’s not banditry, what is it?”
Being looked down upon by a beauty, the Second King became anxious. He pushed the chair aside and took large strides to a nearby window, forcefully opening it to reveal a corner of the green mountain, and angrily said, “See this mountain? Below it is full of treasures that can be exchanged for silver. Rest easy, I wouldn’t bother with the petty gains of banditry!”
Ci Ke stole a glance at Ye Youqing, grasped her skirt, and took a few steps forward, pretending to look out the window.
“The mountain below is full of stones, what treasures could there be?” Ci Ke’s tone was very disappointed.
“Of course stones are treasures, you women wouldn’t understand.” The Second King glared, pulling Ci Ke over and pointing to another side, “My stronghold has four caves around it, all full of things that can be exchanged for silver, enough for my brothers and me to live a lifetime!”
Four caves? A flash of insight struck Ye Youqing upon hearing this. She raised her eyes and looked out the window.
If the cave she went to was full of captives, then what about the other three?
If all four caves were being mined, the missing villagers and travelers wouldn’t be enough manpower. Could it be that the rest of the Iron Cavalry were also…
She let out a silent sigh.
“Come,” The Second King gestured for Ci Ke to sit down again, then picked up a heavy wooden chair himself, placing it next to Ci Ke and sitting down with a broad grin, “I’m a rough man and not good with words. Honestly, in my forty years, I’ve never seen a woman as beautiful as you.”
“From the moment I saw you, I knew that meeting such a beautiful woman was the greatest fortune of my life!” The Second King said, smiling as he placed a cup of tea in front of Ci Ke, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed at her.
Ye Youqing could almost hear the cracking sound of her clenched fists, snapping the chopsticks in her hand with a snap.
“Calm down,” Shi Li said softly from behind her.
If anyone looked up at that moment, they would see her eyes filled with bloodshot veins, as if about to catch fire.
Ye Youqing pondered the consequences if she were to kill this man now.
Fortunately, Ci Ke turned her head away, avoiding her gaze. The Second King, seeing this, awkwardly touched his pitted face and retreated back to his place.
“Come, let’s continue eating.” The Second King tried to smile kindly, then angrily threw the tea on the ground, splashing it all over Ye Youqing.
“What are you standing there for?” The man cursed hoarsely.
Ah Chi was right; he was indeed unpredictable. Ye Youqing, with a dark expression, stepped forward, continuing to pick food for Ci Ke with the broken chopsticks.
She felt Ci Ke gently tugging at her sleeve under the table, cautiously as if afraid of making her angry.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Ye Youqing was indeed about to explode with anger, so she didn’t respond.
The man, meanwhile, continued to smile at Ci Ke, looking bewitched, and softly said, “Since the little lady is unwilling to tell me her name, seeing as you are as beautiful as a fairy descending to earth, how about I call you Fairy Sister from now on?”
Ye Youqing’s stomach churned, anger erupting once more as she snapped another chopstick.
Her mind was filled with the image of thrusting the four chopsticks into the man’s eyes, her usually calm heart brimming with hostility.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. The Second King, fully focused on Ci Ke, noticed nothing amiss and waved his hand, “The post-meal snacks are here, go bring them in.”
Shi Li quickly pulled the stiff Ye Youqing out of the door. Once out of sight, she whispered, “He hasn’t done anything yet, don’t act rashly. If you kill him and the Iron Cavalry turns against you, what then?”
“Besides, having Ci Ke here is a good thing. She can find out a lot of information we don’t know in just a few words.” Shi Li continued to soothe her.
“Hasn’t done anything? His eyes are practically glued to Ci Ke.” Ye Youqing slowed her pace, grumbling in a low voice.
Inside, the man’s ingratiating yet hoarse voice could be heard again, “Fairy Sister, I specially had someone buy the best snacks from Weizhou and some top-quality Tieguanyin tea for you to try.”
Ye Youqing couldn’t hold back any longer. Shi Li had to hold her back firmly to stop her from rushing back inside. “This old bastard, Ci Ke is only seventeen. Isn’t he afraid of shortening his life!”
LP: What?! She’s only 17?! ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!
