After that enchanting and ambiguous night with Bai Xuan, Bai Xuan could not help feeling somewhat unnatural whenever she faced Ye Chu. Although she tried her best to pretend that nothing had happened, Ye Chu still managed to catch the traces of panic in her behaviour!
Ye Chu merely smiled at this. Being able to frequently see Bai Xuan in such an irresistibly charming and flustered state was, in itself, a kind of enjoyment.
The woman from the palace had struck him with one palm, but she had not used her full strength. After spending a few days recuperating, Ye Chu had mostly recovered!
During these past few days, aside from spending time with Yao Yao, Ye Chu had been studying the Red Evil solitary copy he had obtained from the palace! When Bai Bao first saw the Red Evil solitary copy in Ye Chu’s hands, he was utterly astonished and puzzled over how something from the royal palace could possibly end up in Ye Chu’s possession.
Bai Bao could not resist asking out of curiosity how Ye Chu had acquired it, but Ye Chu’s answer made him burst into laughter. Ye Chu actually claimed he had stolen it. Bai Bao naturally did not believe him. How could he possibly dare to rob the royal palace?
After several days of studying the Red Evil solitary copy, Ye Chu found himself understanding it less and less.
“Baleful qi enters the body, transforms into spiritual qi, and is used for oneself. Baleful and spiritual become one, thereby forming yin and yang!”
Ye Chu recalled that line from the Red Evil solitary copy. He could understand the first three sentences perfectly. But “baleful and spiritual become one, thereby forming yin and yang” left him completely baffled. Cultivators inherently needed to harmonise yin and yang. If yin and yang were imbalanced, all sorts of problems would arise. Harmony between yin and yang was essential, so why phrase it as “thereby forming yin and yang”?
Moreover, the idea of baleful and spiritual becoming one seemed almost impossible. Once baleful qi was converted into spiritual qi, it fell entirely within the domain of spiritual qi. How could it still be called baleful and spiritual as one?
Unable to comprehend it, Ye Chu wondered whether he should return to Qingmi Mountain and ask those mentally unhinged individuals there.
…
While Ye Chu leisurely studied the Red Evil solitary copy, the outside world was in an uproar because of him. First came the palace. With the two most powerful grandmasters of the kingdom gravely injured and the jade seal stolen, the entire palace was on high alert. The king even issued a strict gag order to everyone in the palace.
Then there was the matter concerning Su Rong. Not long ago, the rumour that Ye Chu had secretly loved Su Rong had spread like wildfire. Everyone had been filled with righteous indignation, vowing to drive Ye Chu out of Yao City and prevent that scum from harbouring any designs on Su Rong.
Yet what left them utterly incredulous was that Su Rong had actually sought out Liang Shan on her own initiative. She asked Liang Shan where Ye Chu was and even left him an invitation card addressed to both Liang Shan and Ye Chu.
Liang Shan went mad with excitement. Yao City went mad with excitement! What did Su Rong mean by this? Actively seeking out Ye Chu? Could it be that she had feelings for him as well?
The mere thought sent shockwaves through their minds. It felt like the biggest piece of news Yao City had seen in over a hundred years. The younger generation of Yao City argued endlessly over this topic!
“Ye Chu… Ye Chu…” While Ye Chu was in the residence studying the Red Evil solitary copy, he suddenly heard Liang Shan’s voice calling from far away. Hearing how urgently Liang Shan was shouting, Ye Chu thought something serious had happened. He quickly pushed open the door and stepped out, only to find Liang Shan standing in front of him, panting heavily with a face full of exhilaration!
“Did you take an aphrodisiac or something? Why are you so excited? If that is the case, you should not come looking for me. Go find a woman!” Seeing that Liang Shan was fine, Ye Chu prepared to shut the door and return to studying the Red Evil solitary copy.
“Wai… wait…” Liang Shan spoke in broken gasps, breathing heavily. He thrust the invitation card into Ye Chu’s hand. “Here! Su Rong wants you to meet her!”
“Hm?” Ye Chu was surprised. What did that little minx Su Rong want with him? Could it be revenge for what happened that time? Thinking back to how she had pounced on him and pinned him to the ground, Ye Chu could not help recalling the soft sensation.
“When did you make your move!” Liang Shan was beside himself with excitement, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Ye Chu. He punched Ye Chu hard on the shoulder. “Well done! Even the pearl of Yao City has fallen for your charms. We all underestimated you!”
“Hm?” Ye Chu was puzzled. What connection did he have with Su Rong?
“Still pretending!” Liang Shan glared at him. “Su Rong is such an extraordinary person. In all of Yao City, she has never taken the initiative to invite anyone before. You are the first! Tsk tsk, if this is not special treatment for you, then what is?”
Liang Shan danced with joy, acting as though Su Rong had fallen for him instead. His face was flushed red from sheer excitement.
“That little minx had better not kill me, that is all!” Ye Chu smiled faintly. He opened the invitation card and saw the words written inside: “A meeting in the study. Do not miss it!”
Seeing those words, Ye Chu paused. He had never made any “meeting in the study” arrangement with Su Rong. Yet she had written such a phrase. The study she referred to must be the imperial study. Could she have realised that the person who sneaked into the imperial study to steal was him?
“What little minx! That is the goddess of every man in Yao City!” Liang Shan was very displeased with the way Ye Chu referred to Su Rong. He grabbed Ye Chu’s arm. “Come on! Take me with you to Su Rong’s gathering!”
Ye Chu, who was currently focused on studying the Red Evil solitary copy, had originally intended to refuse. But his eyes fell on the two words “in the study” on the invitation. After a moment’s thought, he decided it would be better to go after all!
“Back then I was wearing night clothes. She can only suspect it was me. She cannot be certain!” Ye Chu muttered to himself inwardly. He felt that probing Su Rong’s intentions would be worthwhile. After all, if she truly became convinced and reported it to the palace, that would be troublesome!
…
The Yao City Book Pavilion was located on a small island in the middle of Han Lake. Though it was not large, its position in the centre of the lake made the scenery exceptionally beautiful. Many people who fancied themselves cultured liked to gather here. When Ye Chu and Liang Shan arrived by boat, quite a few people were already present.
Yet the moment these people saw Ye Chu, every single one glared at him with fury.
This scene left Ye Chu stunned. He thought to himself that even if he was public enemy number one, they did not have to look at him as though he had killed their fathers.
“You did not go around doing something heinous again using my name, did you?” Ye Chu asked Liang Shan beside him. He had been very low-key recently. There was no reason for these people to hate him so much!
“You committed some heinous crime yourself and now you blame me!” Liang Shan was rather indignant.
“Bloody nonsense!” Ye Chu cursed loudly. How pure was he? Pure enough to only play with mud, innocent enough to make even infants feel inferior!
“Heh heh! Su Rong has taken a liking to you. To everyone else, that is the ultimate heinous crime!” Liang Shan grinned wickedly. “Just accept your fate! Plenty of people want to cause you trouble! But if Su Rong had taken a liking to me, I would be willing to die for it. What trouble could I possibly fear?”
Ye Chu was taken aback. He had not expected the rumour to have spread so widely. Seeing Liang Shan’s smug, sleazy expression, how could he not understand? This wind-stirring and fire-fanning must have involved Liang Shan heavily. The fellow had definitely put in a lot of effort.
“Are you very grateful to me?” Liang Shan stared at Ye Chu. “If I had not spread the word that you secretly loved Su Rong, how could things have progressed so quickly? How could Su Rong have taken the initiative to invite you?”
“…” Ye Chu let out a soft breath, trying hard to suppress the urge to explode.
But seeing Liang Shan’s infuriatingly smug face, he could not hold back and kicked him hard. “Get lost!”
After kicking Liang Shan, Ye Chu strode into the book pavilion.
The book pavilion had an antique charm. The moment he entered, a refreshing scent of books filled the air. But before Ye Chu could even take a proper breath, a furious shout rang out.
“Ye Chu! You actually dared to show up! Tell me! What exactly is going on between you and Su Rong?”
Zhang Su’er glared at Ye Chu with wide eyes. These past few days, Su Rong had been acting far too unusually. What shocked her even more was that Su Rong had actually lowered herself to take the initiative and invite Ye Chu. It was simply unimaginable, something that had never happened before!
Could it be that the fall and embrace from last time had somehow made Su Rong fall for this scoundrel?