Chapter 24: Kneeling for Her

"No, it's not reversed. Your foot can't endure much walking. You go back to the woodshed and wait. I'll fetch the water myself," Phoenix said with a smile.

Hearing this, the girl didn't know how to respond. With his support, she slowly walked towards the woodshed. When they reached the door, the girl suddenly said, "My name is Jiulin Wan."

Phoenix, his eyes forming crescent moons, replied, "Li Huangyu."

Jiulin Wan nodded and then pushed open the door to go inside.

Meanwhile, Jifeng was busy chopping wood and hadn't noticed the commotion at the door until Jiulin Wan reached his side.

He turned to look back, ensuring no one else was there, and asked, "Where's Huangyu? Aren't you two together?"

"He went to fetch water. I... have difficulty moving," Jiulin Wan answered.

Jifeng, realizing Jiulin Wan's hands now held two branches, quickly grabbed a small stool from the side, saying, "Sit down then. Leave the task to us."

Jiulin Wan nodded and watched as Jifeng resumed swinging the axe. After a while, she curiously asked, "Why are you chopping wood?"

Jifeng, somewhat embarrassed, chuckled, "We got punished."

Even someone as lowly ranked within the sect as Jiulin Wan knew that the Sect Master favored these two disciples. How could they be punished with such labor?

She continued, "You're still getting punished? That's quite unusual."

"Someone was talking nonsense over there," Jifeng said with a disdainful look.

Jiulin Wan smiled and stopped asking, only occasionally glancing at the door.

Li Huangyu returned multiple times, but in the end, it was Jifeng who finished chopping the wood. They hurriedly carried several loads together, barely managing to fill all ten large buckets.

With everything done, both of them were nearly exhausted. However, Jiulin Wan was still there, and they needed to escort her back.

"Where do you live? We'll walk you back," Li Huangyu asked.

"No need. I can manage. Filling these buckets is already a great help," Jiulin Wan politely declined.

"Don't be so polite. This is our compensation to you," Jifeng immediately responded.

Li Huangyu, seeing Jifeng's determination, added, "Exactly, no need to worry about it. Take it easy."

Jiulin Wan understood their intentions but continued to politely refuse, "I live in the lower-tier lodgings. Besides, it's late now. I'm afraid it might disturb others. You really don't need to bother."

Li Huangyu insisted, "Then, we'll at least accompany you to the entrance. Your leg isn't convenient, and it's dangerous to walk alone at this hour."

"Fine, just to the entrance then," Jiulin Wan reluctantly agreed. She had her own selfish motives; if others saw the Sect Master's disciples escorting her, perhaps her future days might be a bit more comfortable.

The three of them walked towards the direction of the lower-tier lodgings. Jiulin Wan, due to her slow pace, didn't arrive until midnight.

"Alright, you can go inside. Get some rest early," Li Huangyu instructed. Jifeng nodded in agreement.

"Same to you both," Jiulin Wan replied, heading towards the courtyard.

Li Huangyu and Jifeng stared at Jiulin Wan's back until she entered the house. They were about to turn and leave when they heard a loud crash, followed by laughter.

Feeling that something was amiss, they didn't care about being polite and rushed into the house.

In the room, there was only a single bed where some people sat wrapped in thin blankets, while others lay sideways, glancing towards the door. Jiulin Wan had fallen to the ground, her clothes soaked and emitting a faint sour smell.

Suddenly, two figures appeared. Without a word, one of them lifted Jiulin Wan and walked out, while the other picked up the fallen branches and followed. The onlookers were puzzled, unsure of their identities. They hesitated to report to the supervisor, fearing Jiulin Wan had somehow offended them.

"Let's sleep. Pretend we don't know anything about Jiulin Wan missing. If the supervisor asks tomorrow, it's solely her fault," a girl in the middle suggested.

The others agreed, roughly tidying up the room before going to sleep. Meanwhile, Li Huangyu carried Jiulin Wan out, heading straight to their room with Jifeng. Li Huangyu couldn't risk leaving Jiulin Wan alone; she might face further mistreatment.

"Huangyu, if Master finds out..." Jifeng began.

"I was planning to report to Master tomorrow," Li Huangyu replied.

"Then I'm with you," Jifeng decided after a brief pause.

"Good, I'll be counting on you," Li Huangyu said with a smile.

Once they reached their room, Li Huangyu carefully placed Jiulin Wan on a chair. He then took out a set of his own clothes from the wardrobe, handing it to her.

"It might be a bit big, but make do," Li Huangyu said.

Jiulin Wan nodded, though even with clean clothes, the scent had permeated her body. Jifeng, being considerate, pointed to the other side of the room.

"There's a hot spring in there. You can freshen up. I won't peek," he assured.

"Me neither," Li Huangyu added, holding up four fingers as a pledge.

Jiulin Wan chuckled at their antics, nodded, and hopped towards the hot spring with the support of her branch. The two men sat on the bed, silently contemplating their predicament.

After a while, Jifeng broke the silence, "Do you think Master will approve?"

Li Huangyu shook his head, replying, "I don't know. Whatever. We'll find out tomorrow."

As they worried about how to explain to Master, little did they know that someone had already reported their actions to Li Chenghe.

"Is the girl attractive?"

Coincidentally, when the report was made, Jing An was playing chess with Li Chenghe. He couldn't resist adding his own commentary.

The informant, sweating, could only honestly reply, "Yes, she is."

"Uh-oh, trouble, trouble. Ah He, did you secretly teach these boys everything, even this?" Jing An teased Li Chenghe.

Li Chenghe was speechless. He coughed and gestured for Jing An to be quiet, covering his mouth. Jing An pretended to turn away, laughing silently.

"What's the girl's identity?" Li Chenghe asked the informant.

"The daughter of the former Minister of Rites, Jiulin Wan," the informant replied.

Upon hearing this, Li Chenghe's eyes turned colder, and he sarcastically remarked, "So, it's her."

Jing An, realizing the girl's identity, also displayed a change in expression. However, observing Li Chenghe's reaction, he gently placed his hand on Li Chenghe's, offering a sympathetic look.

Li Chenghe smiled back at Jing An, then turned to the informant and said, "Arrange for surveillance. Keep a close eye on them."

"Yes," the informant acknowledged before leaving.

"It seems she hasn't suffered enough here," Li Chenghe commented.

Jing An nodded, saying, "Whether she approached Huangyu intentionally or not, I won't let Huangyu face any danger again!"

As Li Chenghe spoke, his gaze did not focus, as if recalling past events. Then, he looked at Jing An with a determined expression.

After a night of rest, Jiulin Wan opened her eyes precisely at dawn. This was the time she had been waking up every day since arriving at Jueqing Pavilion, the time she was supposed to start her daily chores. However, when she turned her head to the adjacent bed, she did not see Li Huangyu and Jifeng.

Surprised that the two had risen so early, Jiulin Wan didn't contemplate searching for them. Instead, she lay in bed organizing her thoughts, and then continued to feign sleep.

Li Huangyu and Jifeng had already started their morning routine of practicing basic skills. They didn't even have time for breakfast before heading to Li Chenghe's courtyard.

Standing in front of the door, they noticed it was still closed. Uncertain whether to wait or not, fearing Jiulin Wan might leave on her own after waking up, they hesitated. 

"Master usually wakes up at this hour. Why is there still no movement today?" Li Huangyu asked Jifeng.

"How should I know? Why don't you knock on the door?" Jifeng suggested.

"I won't fall for that. You're coming with me," Li Huangyu replied, grabbing Jifeng's arm and heading towards the door.

"Hey! Hey!"

Just as Jifeng was about to resist, the door opened, revealing Jing An. The two immediately stopped, and Li Huangyu whispered to Jifeng, "How did he come out of Master's room?"

Jifeng, at a loss for words, watched as Jing An spoke, "We played chess late into the night, and Ah He let me rest here. Is there a problem?"

Li Huangyu, realizing he had spoken too loudly, sheepishly smiled at Jing An and said, "Everything is fine, very fine."

At that moment, Li Chenghe also emerged from his room. Seeing the situation, he knowingly asked, "Do you have something to tell me?"

Both men nodded, but Li Huangyu ended up being pushed forward.

"Master, it's like this. Yesterday, on the mountainside, Jifeng and I witnessed a girl being mistreated. We took the liberty to keep her here, hoping Master could arrange for her to serve us," Li Huangyu explained, losing confidence towards the end.

"Jifeng, is this true?" Li Chenghe asked.

"Yes, Master, that's the case," Jifeng confirmed.

"Oh? Then why did I hear that a servant girl from Luochenyuan was carried away by two unidentified people last night? Wasn't that you?" 

"Well, um, it was us too," Li Huangyu admitted, knowing they couldn't hide it.

Li Chenghe chuckled. These two boys had learned to play tricks with him. He rejected their request, saying, "Focus your thoughts elsewhere. As for serving, I won't allow it."

"Master..."

Both spoke simultaneously, wanting to say more, but seeing the cold expression on Li Chenghe's face, they held back.

"Go back," Li Chenghe said, then walked towards his room, ignoring the dejected pair.

Usually, Li Chenghe played the stern role, while Jing An played the gentle one. Seeing the two looking so crestfallen now, Jing An felt an uncomfortable pang. After a brief contemplation, he also entered the room.

"Hu Yaoshi is arriving today," Jing An suddenly spoke.

"I'm aware. Why bring this up?" Li Chenghe asked.

"I have a clever plan that can divert their attention and won't hinder the overall plan. Do you want to hear it?" Jing An said mysteriously.

Knowing Jing An's nature, Li Chenghe merely smiled and said, "Is there such a clever person in the world? I truly hope I have the fortune to receive his guidance."

Hearing this, Jing An was extremely pleased. He leaned close to Li Chenghe's ear, whispered his thoughts, and when he left, both men found themselves inexplicably blushing, making the atmosphere awkward.

Li Chenghe broke the strange mood by speaking first, "Let's give it a try."

Jing An nodded and said, "Alright, I didn't sleep well last night. I'll go back and catch up on my rest. Call me if you need me."

After saying this, Jing An left quickly. Passing by the courtyard gate, he also brought Li Huangyu and Jifeng with him, preventing them from disturbing Li Chenghe's rest.

The two men had no choice but to return to their own courtyard. However, there was still no movement in Jiulin Wan's room. Assuming she had not awakened, they went to the small kitchen, prepared some breakfast, and brought back a bit for Jiulin Wan—nutritious food to aid her recovery.

As the two of them stealthily pushed the door open, they found Jiu Linwan still fast asleep, lying perfectly still on the bed.

"Are girls all capable of sleeping this soundly?" Jifeng asked with a hint of confusion.

"I don't know, let's wait a bit more," Li Hongyu, equally puzzled, thought she might have slept too late the night before.

However, after waiting until midday, repeatedly reheating breakfast and yet still not seeing Jiu Linwan waking up, the two realized something was amiss.

Li Hongyu took bold strides towards the bed, extended his hand to give Jiu Linwan a push, only to find she had no reaction. He then reached out to feel her breath, and touched her forehead.

"It seems like she has a fever, probably caught a chill on the way back last night," Li Hongyu analyzed.

"But what should we do? Master won't allow her to stay, and certainly won't let anyone come to check on her," Jifeng anxiously remarked.

Looking at the increasingly pale Jiu Linwan with a burning temperature, Li Hongyu, inexplicably concerned for her, firmly said to Jifeng, "You stay here and watch over her. I'll go plead with Master."

"I'll come too," Jifeng insisted.

Seeing Jifeng following closely, Li Hongyu pondered for a moment and nodded. Since Master had always been soft-hearted, perhaps if both of them pleaded together, he would agree.

Without further delay, the two soared into the air, heading towards Li Chenghe's residence.

As soon as they entered, they knelt directly on the ground, saying, "Disciples request an audience with Master."

Hearing their voices, Li Chenghe walked out of the room, accompanied by another man. The man looked dignified, with a goatee and a red rope braided into his beard, a somewhat mismatched appearance.

"You master and disciple have matters to discuss, I'll take my leave first," the goatee man spoke.

"No need, Master Hu, please wait inside for a while," Li Chenghe replied.

Hu Yashi did not decline. He was not fond of walking, and if he could sit instead of standing, he wouldn't refuse. Since he and Li Chenghe hadn't finished discussing their matters, leaving now would mean he'd have to climb up the mountain again later, something he was not keen on. So, he obediently returned to the room and waited.

Seeing Hu Yashi entering, before Li Chenghe could inquire, Li Hongyu had already spoken, "Master, please grant your consent for your disciple to keep Jiu Linwan here."

Jifeng quickly added, "Master, please agree."

"Is this how I've taught you? Men stand tall in the world, yet here you are kneeling for a woman," Li Chenghe said sternly.