Chapter 28: Chapter 27 – The Never-Ending Lies Chapter 28: Chapter 27 – The Never-Ending Lies The man in purple robes approached Shen Chengyao, saying, “Thank you, both of you, for lending a hand.”
Xiao’er hadn’t expected the man’s voice to be so pleasant – clear and slightly magnetic, gentle yet piercing.
Looking up, she saw a youthful pair of ink-black eyes that reminded her of a vast, tranquil, mystical starry night of midsumr.
His fair skin highlighted his sharply contoured and handso face depicting an assured elegance and nobility everywhere.
His prominent nose, heroic eyebrows, perfectly pursed lips, and tall figure…
He was even more handso than her three brothers from her past life.
If he were in the entertainnt industry in the modern era, he would be a phenonal success, she thought, such a pity.
Xiao’er glanced again at the youth in blue who leaned against a tree.
His face was as beautiful as jade, exuding an awe-inspiring energy.
His thick eyebrows, bronze skin, and sunny disposition radiated charisma.
He too, expressed his gratitude, “Thank you for your help, sir and miss.”
Spotting their opulent attire and their noble deanor, Shen Chengyao guessed they were people of high status.
He replied, saying, “Gentlen, you need not thank ; it was the right thing to do.” He could never ignore a life in peril.
The man in purple, slling the blood in the air, frowned.
“We need to bury the bloodstains around here quickly, so as not to attract other beasts.” This was not deep down in the forest, and villagers would co up the mountain from ti to ti.
If the scent of blood attracted savage beasts, it could cause a lot of trouble.
Everyone swiftly dug pits with the swords and knives they had, then buried the blood-stained soil, leaves, and remains of the wolves in them.
The boy in blue appeared to be a chatterbox, as he asked Xiao’er while digging the pit, “Little miss, you’re awfully skilled despite your young age, which is truly admirable.
May I ask where you learned such skills?”
“A house deep within the white clouds.
I don’t know who my master is when I asked him where he ca from, he only told this.
Do you know who lives within the deep white clouds?” Xiao’er knew she had to make up a master for herself as her recent performance definitely couldn’t be deed as sheer luck.
To avoid telling more lies, she could just vaguely present her master as a mysterious figure and let them figure out the rest.
The boy in purple deeply looked at Xiao’er, thinking about the prophecy the future-teller once ntioned about those who co from beyond the sky.
Could it be…?
Then he diverted his gaze and looked into the distance.
Xiao’er noticed the attention she was getting from the boy in purple, thinking to herself, “This can’t be happening.
There isn’t really soone like that, is there?”
Apparently, the boy in blue had so thoughts as well.
He ecstatically asked, “Miss, where is your master now?
Can you take us to et him?”
Xiao’er cried inwardly.
So there is a person like this!
She muttered a string of curses.
With her own casual remark, she had run into people who were already trying to find this person.
It’s just my rotten luck!
While she was inwardly bemoaning her ill-fate, she maintained a poker face, and put on a sad expression, “My master passed away one year ago.” If the person was dead, they could investigate as much as they like.
As long as they don’t bother her and make her fabricate more lies.
“He’s dead?
How could he be dead!” The blue-robed boy exclaid.
She looked at him as if he were an idiot.
“All people die when they get old.
That’s what my master said.
He told when the oil ran out and the lamp was about to extinguish, he was nearing the end of his life.
He left to return to his hotown and told not to be upset or miss him.
He asked to offer sacrifices in mory of him every year on the day of his death.” Xiao’er went on at full throttle, trying to put on a sad face in the process.
The two boys: …..
Shen Chengyao, too, was amazed.
Since when did Xiao’er have a master?
He wondered.
Jingrui and Jinghao finally understood that the skill of knocking out pheasants with a stone had been taught to Xiao’er.
After all was done, the man in purple handed a jade pendant to Shen Chengyao.
“One should never thank for a big favor.
If you have any difficulties, show this jade pendant to Doctor Luo and tell him that Shangguan Xuanyi gave it to you.
He will help you.”
The boy in blue, seeing this, also fished out a jade pendant: “My na is Di Zhaowei.
You can also take this to the prefecture city and show it to the Marquis Mansion, they will notify .”
After the two left, Shen Chengyao returned to the place where they had hidden the golden cherries with the other three.
He chopped down a small tree to make carrying poles, divided the three bags of golden cherries into four bags, and carried them down the mountain.
They did not encounter any other animals on the way down, probably because the earlier howl of the wolves had scared them into hiding.
Back ho, Shen Chengyao put everything away, closed the door, and called all his younger siblings to sit on the kang bed.
Mrs.
Liu saw Shen Chengyao’s serious face and thought that sothing had happened.
“What’s wrong?
What happened?” she asked.
“Xiao’er, when did you have a master?” Shen Chengyao looked gravely at Xiao’er.
Who was Xiao’er?
A person who had weathered many storms in her past life, she calmly began to speak under the watchful eyes of her family.
“When I was three years old, I was playing outside and t an old man who was searching for sothing.
I helped him find it and he said that we were destined to et.
He took as his apprentice, teaching his skills, but he told not to tell anyone about this.”
“What did your master teach you?
Is he really dead?”
“He probably is dead, he wasn’t before he left, but he never ca to see again after that.
He taught how to shoot arrows, throw darts, cook, farm…
He taught a lot, and I can’t possibly recount everything.
You’ll find out gradually, mom and dad.” Xiao’er felt helpless, she had a lot to share, after all, she had the ability to learn things quickly in her previous life when she acquired three doctoral degrees before she was even thirty.
“My sister’s master is so amazing!
Today, my sister threw a hatchet from a tree, and a whole wolf got knocked into the air, its head was even chopped off!” Jinghao still eagerly recalled the scene.
Mrs.
Liu was shocked at hearing this, “A wolf?
Did you go deep into the mountains?
Were any of you injured?”
Shen Chengyao, Jingrui, and Xiao’er each shot an annoyed glance at Jinghao, it was a classic case of bringing up sothing better left unsaid.
Jinghao realized his slip of the tongue and, shrinking his neck in embarrassnt, hid behind Mrs.
Liu, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
“The two young n carried a wolf cub from deep in the mountains, and the mother wolf gave chase.
As we passed by, we couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Those two are just youngsters after all,” explained Shen Chengyao, without ntioning the number of wolves, or the circumstances in which Xiao’er struck the beast.
“As a token of their gratitude, the two young n left us two jade pendants, saying that we could seek help from Doctor Luo, or soone at the Marquis Mansion in the prefecture city,” Shen Chengyao took out both of the jade pendants and handed them to Mrs.
Liu.
“Children can be so naive, daring to carry a wolf cub.
It’s fortunate you didn’t encounter a pack of wolves.
You must promise ; do you understand that you cannot venture deep into the mountains?” The four of them exchanged looks, didn’t dare to say more, and hurriedly gave their agreent.
Mrs.
Liu held the jade pendants and inspected them.
One of the pendants was made of high-quality ruby, expertly carved with a Qilin on one side and the two characters of Shangguan inscribed in vigorous and bold strokes on the other.
The other jade pendant was a rectangular piece of top-grade black jade, adorned with carved flowers and birds.
“These two pieces of jade are of excellent quality.
The two of them must be sons of prestigious families.
It was our duty to save them, now we can’t just carry these jade pendants and bother them with trifles.” Having said this, she carefully hid the pendants in the place where they stored their silver coins.
Seeing everyone’s attention diverted, Xiao’er heaved a sigh of relief.
It seed that once you start weaving a web of lies, you have to tell thousands more in order to cover up the original.
It was quite never-ending.
Two flowers bloom, each on their path.
Shangguan Xuanyi and Di Zhaowei returned to Doctor Luo’s house.
Seeing the bloodstains on their bodies, Doctor Luo exclaid in shock, “How did the masters get injured?
Were you attacked by assassins?”
“We encountered a pack of wolves in the mountain.
It’s just a minor injury, it’s nothing serious.” Shangguan Xuanyi explained blandly, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, still contemplating Xiao’er’s words.
“How did you run into a pack of wolves?” Doctor Luo looked at Di Zhaowei.
“Sir, please get so dicine quickly.
I was bitten by a wolf, it hurts terribly.” Di Zhaowei wasn’t about to admit that it was his greed that got the better of him when he saw a wolf cub and wanted to bring it ho.
The wolves were deplorable.
Oh, it hurt so much.
“No doubt you brought this upon yourself!” Although saying so, Doctor Luo didn’t delay and quickly went to get the dicine, while also ordering soone to prepare hot water for them to clean up.
Once they were cleaned up and their wounds treated, Shangguan Xuanyi finally spoke, “Doctor Luo, we need to investigate the family we t on the mountain last ti.
That little girl was very skilled, I have a feeling she is the one that the national teacher was talking about.”
Xiao’er would never have imagined that the lies she made up on the spot would expose her.
“Alright.” Doctor Luo didn’t ask further.
He completely trusted his master’s judgnt.
“She’s just a kid, right?
It must have been her master.” Di Zhaowei doubted that a little girl could be that skilled.
Shangguan Xuanyi didn’t respond, just gazed at the horizon, where a new star was barely visible, its light dim and faint.
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