Chapter Forty-One: A Farcical Episode

Qian Hongfu could no longer bear to look at Liao Ruiting’s aggrieved expression; the more he saw, the more it pained him. He lifted his head to face Qin Yi and Jiang Yao, summoning a thread of courage from deep within, and spoke in a cold voice, “You bullied her. How shall this debt be settled?”

Hearing this, Qin Yi’s expression finally changed. He no longer feigned ignorance or played the fool. In a calm tone, he replied to Qian Hongfu, “How do you propose to settle it?”

Qian Hongfu was taken aback, for at that moment, both the look and manner of Qin Yi were unmistakably his own.

The sharp sound of hooves echoed across the dock—one troop arriving from the direction of the South Sea, the other from within North Sea City. Though the two groups approached from opposite directions, both belonged to the Qian and Liao families.

Seeing this, Liao Ruiting was secretly overjoyed.

Qin Yi, however, was unmoved. He cared little for such displays. Not to mention that Jiang Yao and Zhang Chen, his companions, were hardly weak—and even if they were to lose to the Qian and Liao family members, so what? He was, after all, the son of the He family’s young lady. The He family might look down on him, but would they really allow him to be bullied by the Qian and Liao families right on their doorstep? That was unthinkable.

For these so-called eminent families, nothing mattered more than saving face.

Yet, he didn’t mind a fight breaking out right here and now. It would show the He family that, while they might look down on him, he had not come to curry favor this New Year—he had no need for that.

As the two Qian family teams arrived, Qian Hongfu’s confidence swelled, and he was about to order an attack on Qin Yi and his companions.

Qin Yi and his friends tensed, ready to fight at any moment.

“Brother Qian, wait...”

At that moment, a refined and gentle voice rang out across the square, a striking contrast to the tense atmosphere that reigned at the dock.

As the voice faded, the crowd on the South Sea side parted, and a group from the He family emerged. At their head was a man in scholar’s garb, dressed in grey. He cupped his hands to Qian Hongfu and said, “Brother Qian, please wait.”

Qin Yi recognized the scholarly man immediately—his uncle, He Mengqing, the elder brother of He Mengwei, and one of the few in the He family who harbored no prejudice against them.

Qian Hongfu was visibly annoyed but managed to contain his anger. After all, though He Mengqing was not a cultivator, he was the acknowledged young master of the He family. In a tone tinged with impatience, he asked, “He Mengqing, what do you want?”

Liao Ruiting, standing nearby, exploded, “He Mengqing, you useless fool! Your fiancée is being bullied and you still take their side?”

Qin Yi, hearing this, was displeased and retorted, “Someone like you is hardly fit to be my aunt.”

“You... You...” Liao Ruiting, catching only the insult in Qin Yi’s words, stammered in fury, too incensed to form a coherent reply.

Qian Hongfu looked at He Mengqing and asked, “Aunt?”

He Mengqing nodded, “That’s right. He’s my aunt’s son.”

Qian Hongfu fell silent. With that, it seemed they would have to swallow their anger. The He family was no minor household in the South Sea—if anyone wished to strike at someone related to them, no matter how distant the tie, the He family's opinion had to be considered.

Liao Ruiting, too, finally understood the situation and fell silent. Though she was overbearing in North Sea City, she had her limits—her targets were always lesser households, never those of real standing.

Qian Hongfu, his eyes filled with unwillingness, insisted, “Still, an apology is in order, isn’t it?”

Before He Mengqing could reply, Qin Yi stepped forward and apologized—though it was an apology that left Liao Ruiting far from satisfied.

“What was your name again? Liao family’s female scourge—oh, no, my mistake, aunt. I’m sorry, it was all my fault. I shouldn’t have meddled when I saw you bullying the innocent in broad daylight, I...”

“That’s enough, I forgive you!” Before Qin Yi could ramble further, Liao Ruiting, driven to distraction, shouted in exasperation.

Qian Hongfu could only twitch at the spectacle.

He Mengqing nearly laughed aloud, but mindful of his gentle reputation among the people of North Sea City and the fact that Liao Ruiting was his fiancée, he managed to suppress it, merely pressing his lips together in amusement.

“Do you all have time to fool around here?”

A voice echoed across the dock. Moments later, a group descended from the sky, riding on flying instruments. At the head was a woman in a jade-green robe, her complexion fair and her features beautiful.

Upon her arrival, He Mengqing smiled, “Miss Yulin, forgive us for letting you witness such a scene.”

Qin Yi instantly felt a sense of foreboding. This was Miss Chen Yulin of the Chen family—a familiar face, and, indeed, a rival in love to Jiang Yao. In his previous life, she had pursued Qin Yi relentlessly, a pursuit that had never ceased.

Qin Yi moved to Jiang Yao’s side, flashing her a smile.

Jiang Yao, catching his gesture, shot him a look as if to say, “At least you know your place,” then turned to face Chen Yulin, who returned her gaze in kind.

“Jiang Yao?” Chen Yulin inquired, then glanced at Qin Yi standing beside her, falling silent.

He Mengqing, thinking Chen Yulin did not recognize Qin Yi, promptly introduced him, “Miss Yulin, this is Qin Yi.”

“Oh,” Chen Yulin replied simply.

He Mengqing continued, “He’s my aunt’s son.”

“Oh,” Chen Yulin repeated, then tossed off, “I hope you won’t waste your time on such trivialities,” before turning and leaving.

He Mengqing chuckled, then turned to Qian Hongfu with a smile, “Brother Qian, I think there’s no need for this to escalate any further, is there?”

Qian Hongfu, dragging a furious Liao Ruiting with him, departed in a huff, leaving behind a threat, “Just you wait, this isn’t over.”

Watching Qian Hongfu’s retreat, He Mengqing approached Qin Yi, Jiang Yao, and Zhang Chen, smiling at Jiang Yao and Zhang Chen, “Qin Yi, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Qin Yi pointed to Zhang Chen and grinned, “This is my neighbor, Zhang Chen—you know the Zhang family.”

At the mention of the Zhang family, He Mengqing’s eyes brightened with fond remembrance. “The Zhang family—I know them. Last time at Fish-Dragon Fort, I couldn’t bring myself to accept those jars of purple rice stew wine from Uncle Zhang. When I returned to the South Sea, I regretted it for ages. Even drinking wine after that, it never tasted as good.”

Glancing at the horses behind Qin Yi and his companions, He Mengqing noticed several ceramic jars hanging from the saddles. He didn’t even need to guess what they were. With a playful poke, he asked, “Are all these for me?”

Qin Yi laughed, “Naturally, they’re all for you. Uncle Zhang remembers you well. He said that of everyone in the He family, you’re the most genuine.”

He Mengqing turned to Zhang Chen, beaming, “Brother Zhang Chen, thank your uncle for me. Tell him that if I get the chance, I’ll definitely come and have another drinking contest with him. Last time, I was thoroughly disgraced.”

Zhang Chen grinned, “My father said he’s waiting for your rematch!” He hadn’t expected the He family’s young master to be so personable, so unlike the aloof Wang Yuncheng—whose haughty demeanor Zhang Chen despised.

Qin Yi then gestured to Jiang Yao, “Senior Sister Jiang Yao—you must have heard of her. She escorted us here to the South Sea.”

He Mengqing’s heart cleared. He had already suspected as much, thinking she might be one of the famed Twin Jewels of Taiyi. But he hadn’t dared connect her to Qin Yi; aside from their names, nothing about them seemed to match. As for the story of her escorting them, a fiction Qin Yi had invented to mislead, He Mengqing didn’t believe it for a moment. With Jiang Yao’s status on Mount Taiyi, escorting two new disciples would be laughable to suggest.

He Mengqing cupped his fists to Jiang Yao, “So you are Fairy Jiang Yao—a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Jiang Yao returned the gesture, “You flatter me, Young Master He.”

He Mengqing dispensed with further pleasantries and said to the three, “Come, let’s return to the He family.”

Thus, he led the three onto the He family’s carriage. Along the way, they chatted of trivialities: how was aunt lately, how was uncle, how was grandfather...

After some time, the carriage gradually slowed and finally came to a halt.

They had arrived at the He family estate.