“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
“Li Le, get out here!”
“You bastard, you ran off after taking advantage of me!”
“If you don't come out right now, damn it, I'm gonna break down this door...”
“Thump!”
The door rumbled.
“Thump!”
The gate let out a groan.
Clang!
The main gate swung open, and a giant shadow shot inward. Lin Yue hurriedly dodged to the side.
“Ouch!”
“Damn it! Why open the door without saying a word? That almost killed me...”
The newcomer got up, rubbed her shoulder, and looked up to see several people staring at her in slack-jawed amazement. Immediately, she snapped in fury.
“What are you looking at?! Never seen a woman before? Keep staring and I'll gouge your eyes out!”
“A face that could fell a nation?” Lin Yue murmured softly under her breath, then added, “Though... more like one that's been painted over.”
“Fell a nation my foot! My name is Yu Chenghua!”
Lin Yue looked at her in utter astonishment. This person was dark-skinned and burly, with stubble lining her jaw. If she hadn't been wearing women's clothes, Lin Yue would have thought she was an African pork butcher.
Li Le was... truly a warrior of courage.
The female warrior, Yu Chenghua, swept her wide eyes across the group, her gaze landing on Lin Yue, who stood at the front dressed in fine brocade. “Who are you? Is this the Guiwu Sect?”
Lin Yue answered with a slight frown, “I am an elder of the Guiwu Sect.”
“Is Li Le your sect master?”
“He is.”
Lin Yue added, feeling somewhat unsure, “He has been missing for three years. We were just planning to report it to the authorities.”
“What is your relationship to Li Le?” Meng Yanshuang, standing nearby, knit her brows, her expression turning sour.
“I'm his woman!” Yu Chenghua threw her head back, rested her hands on her hips, and bellowed in a raspy, duck-like voice.
Upon hearing this, everyone present exchanged looks of bewildered shock, like stunned huskies, witnessing a sight rarely seen in a lifetime.
“Where is Li Le?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“You won't tell me, huh? Fine, I'll search for him myself!”
“Li Le! Get out here!”
Yu Chenghua shoved past Lin Yue and began wandering around the courtyard. Spotting a room nearby, she raised a hand, rudely kicked the door open, and stepped inside.
“Li Le! Get your ass out here!”
“Hey! Hey! Big sister! That's my room!” Jingyang rushed over to stop her, but the door had already split open just as his words left his mouth.
“Li Le!”
“Stop rummaging! Stop rummaging! There's no one hidden in there! It's just a small space, you can't even hide a person...”
Moments later, Yu Chenghua stomped back out, turning toward the next room. Lin Yue and the others quickly stepped forward to block her.
“Out of my way!” Yu Chenghua roared.
“Miss Yu.” Lin Yue's face showed clear displeasure. “This is the domain of the Guiwu Sect. Searching around so brazenly is quite improper.”
“Then hand him over!”
“We are looking for him as well,” Meng Yanshuang stepped forward and said. “Li Le is not here; I have already searched.”
Yu Chenghua sized her up from head to toe—tall with a slender waist, autumn-water eyes, and a lovely face. “Who are you to him?”
Meng Yanshuang shrugged. “Same as you.”
Yu Chenghua glared, spat, and cursed, “What an absolute piece of scum!”
Lin Yue took a deep breath and smiled politely. “A guest is a guest. Since Miss Yu has traveled from afar, why not come inside, have some tea, and rest before continuing your search?”
“Please.”
Yu Chenghua eyed the gentle-looking young woman before her, then looked at Meng Yanshuang, nodding in response. “Fine.”
The three went to the main hall and sat down. After Jingrong poured tea for them, she exited the hall.
“Miss Yu,” Lin Yue said with a smile, “may I ask what our sect master actually did?”
Yu Chenghua gulped down a mouthful of tea and grunted, “Nothing that can't be said. He groped me right here—”
Lin Yue and Meng Yanshuang's eyes instantly widened. Lin Yue mulled it over for a moment, feeling it was virtually impossible. “Was he drunk?”
“No.”
“Was he drugged?”
“No, he was completely sharp and clear-headed!”
Lin Yue's hand trembled slightly. “Could you... have mistook him for someone else?”
“Impossible! He explicitly said he was the Guiwu Sect Master, the leader of the martial world, number one under heaven, Li Le. I even asked around for confirmation, and the description matched him perfectly!”
“Could you... have misheard?”
“What do you mean?”
“My apologies... then why would he... do such a thing to you?”
“I was playing around with a little girl, and he came right up and groped me here.”
Lin Yue fell silent and sighed softly. “Li Le is indeed not here. Why doesn't Miss Yu stay here for a few days? If that is truly what happened, once we find him, we will make sure he gives you a proper explanation.”
Yu Chenghua settled in, devouring an entire basin of rice in a single meal.
The two women stayed for half a month. Lin Yue searched all around Mount Guiwu without finding a trace of Li Le, and the children went out to search as well, but no one found anything.
Then, the main gate of the compound banged once more.
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
Three knocks rang out, followed by silence. Then came another three knocks, after which a voice as soft and gentle as water echoed from outside.
“Is anyone inside?”
She called out again, and the door swung open. Seeing a crowd standing behind the gate, the young woman was startled. Among them stood a fierce, burly female warrior, who turned and glared at a young woman in a green gown.
“Is this how you lot listen to me shouting outside the door?”
Feeling embarrassed, Lin Yue used the children as a shield. “I just arrived. The children are a bit rowdy; please forgive us.”
Turning back to face the dignified young lady standing at the door, Lin Yue glanced at the maidservant beside her and asked, “Miss, how may we help you?”
“May I ask if Young Master Li is here?”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yue and the others wore complex, unreadable expressions. Seeing this, the young lady asked in confusion, “What happened to Young Master Li?”
“Miss, since you are here, why not come in for a cup of tea?”
Lin Yue spoke up first, welcoming her into the main hall.
The five of them sat down in the main hall. After some conversation, Lin Yue learned of her identity—she was Miss Qi Ruoruo of the Qi family in town.
“May I ask why Miss Qi is looking for our Guiwu Sect master?”
Qi Ruoruo lowered her head, smiled shyly, and explained what had happened.
Ten days ago, on her way to offer incense at a temple outside town, she had been harassed by hooligans, and Li Le had stepped in to rescue her.
Qi Ruoruo looked at the maidservant standing beside her, who stepped forward to present the food box she was holding. Qi Ruoruo smiled and said, “I came to express my gratitude. These are pastries I made with my own hands for Young Master Li to sample.”
Realizing this wasn't another romantic scandal or groping incident, Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Li Le is currently away, so I shall accept Miss Qi's gift of gratitude on his behalf.”
“Thank you, Miss Lin.”
The two chatted a bit longer before Qi Ruoruo rose to bid farewell.
“It is getting late, so I shall not disturb you any longer.”
“Take care, Miss Qi.”
Lin Yue stood up to see her off. Before they even reached the doorway, a loud rumble of thunder shook the sky, and heavy rain began to pour.
Remembering certain classic tropes, Lin Yue said helplessly, “This rain won't stop anytime soon. Miss Qi, there are guest rooms in the courtyard. Why not rest here for a while and leave once the rain stops?”
However, Qi Ruoruo and her maidservant looked anxious and uneasy. They gazed at the sky with worry in their eyes, and the maidservant even reached her hand out into the rain, looking as if she were ready to dash out at any moment.
“Miss Qi, what is wrong? Is there an urgent matter?”
Qi Ruoruo shook her head, saying it was nothing, and went to a guest room with Jingrong and Jingtong.
By afternoon, the heavy rain was still falling. Qi Ruoruo came over anxiously, “Miss Lin, could you please help me send a message to my family?”
It turned out the two had snuck out of their house. They had intended to return by noon, but now it was raining heavily; if their family realized they were missing, they might fear something terrible had happened to them.
“Do not worry, Miss Qi. I will have someone deliver the message right away.”
Lin Yue immediately summoned Jingcheng. He had been practicing lightness techniques for four years, so making a quick trip was no trouble at all.
The next day, before Qi Ruoruo could step out of the compound gate, her parents arrived.
The couple scolded their daughter, expressed their gratitude to Lin Yue, presented some gifts, and asked about Li Le's situation. Lin Yue truthfully explained that she didn't know when he would return, but promised to send them word as soon as he did. After exchanging pleasantries, the Qi parents departed with their daughter.
Having not seen him in a long time and facing high living expenses, Lin Yue went to town to purchase supplies. Just as she was about to leave, a voice called out to her from behind.
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