Chapter 87: Bewilderment

When Zhan Wenjun came to see Xu You, he was busy practicing calligraphy, while Lüshuang attended to him by grinding ink. Previously, Autumn Equinox used to grind the ink, but the little girl was naturally lively and poured all her energy into mastering the White Tiger Might. The moment she entered the study, she immediately became clumsy and all thumbs. Truth be told, it was hardly her fault; in the past, Xu You had probably stepped into his study only a handful of times in over a decade. Autumn Equinox had grown too accustomed to a wild and unrestrained lifestyle, and hands that were used to holding sabers and swords simply could not grasp a writing brush.

Ever since Lüshuang recovered her health completely, the task of grinding ink had been reassigned. She excelled at such meticulous duties, and as she blossomed into womanhood, her brows and eyes became as picturesque as a painting. From head to toe, she exuded a breathtaking and mesmerizing charm. Compared to the raw and green Autumn Equinox, grinding ink under the lamplight carried quite a distinct flavor of the classic literary romance of a fair-sleeved beauty adding fragrance to the desk.

However, Lüshuang had grown much more restrained now. All the tricks and wiles she had once learned at the Qingle Pavilion were entirely discarded. Her deportment was dignified, and her speech was measured, making her indistinguishable from any noble clan's daughter.

"Please wait a moment, Madam. I need to wash my hands..."

"No need to hurry. Keep writing, I'll just watch!"

Zhan Wenjun stood gracefully to the side. Her slender figure was almost as tall as Xu You's. Whether intentionally or not, she shifted her posture slightly and lowered her delicate head, as if doing so would make her appear a little shorter.

"Looking at Your Lordship's calligraphy, I always feel it is full of infinite variations. Sometimes the sharp angles and ridges are fully revealed, while at other times the spirit is leisurely and the style is rich. Amidst the relaxed and open fluency, there is also a light and ethereal charm. It is truly a feast for the eyes."

"You mustn't shower me with such praise. If you praise me any more, my hand will drift, and the characters will become crooked..."

Zhan Wenjun's gaze flowed with light, her face wreathed in smiles as she leaned in closer to see what Xu You was writing. Their shoulders brushed lightly for a fraction of a second before parting, and a faint blush bloomed across her delicate, fair cheeks.

"A Supplementary Biography of the Yuanyang Jinglu... What is this?"

While brandishing the brush, Xu You replied, "Daoism has thirty-six Jinglu, of which very few people in the world are aware. I am just enlightening the vast fan base of The Legend of the White Snake..."

Zhan Wenjun was already accustomed to the strange expressions that frequently slipped from Xu You's mouth. Words like "fan base," for instance, could be guessed by context alone; she only found his vocabulary exceedingly peculiar yet unusually easy to understand—a quality even Master Yu Fahu lacked.

"In Yangzhou, there is Mount Yu, its peaks sloping downward like a canopy of an umbrella. Suddenly one day, immortal clouds blanketed the sky, and brilliant light connected the heavens and the earth. Mists and exotic fragrances lingered without dispersing, gradually clearing by the hour of the dragon, hence it was later named Mount Tianyun. Because a true image of Hunyuan was seen standing before the mountain, with divine light illuminating the heavens, pointing to a place on the western bank of West Lake, a Jinglu manifested there and remained hidden for a long time. After the Imperial Censor reported this, it was decreed to be the Yuanyang Lodge. Over a hundred years later, the Yuanyang Lodge was repeatedly encroached upon by those within the sect who did not revere Hunyuan, turning it into separate courtyards or hidden mansions with luxurious living quarters, corrupting our Daoist hearts. Truly, they are beasts..."

Hunyuan referred to Laozi. Zhan Wenjun understood clearly that this was laying the groundwork for the Yuanyang Jinglu, which was meant to suppress Bai Suzhen. However, she could not fathom why Xu You insisted on placing this Yuanyang Jinglu on the shores of West Lake, where, to her knowledge, the Celestial Master's Dao held no properties.

"Is there any residence on the western bank of the lake?"

"There is one... But that is the estate of the late Grand Steward Wei. It has stood vacant for years since his passing..."

"That estate has already been gifted by Wei Du to the Celestial Master's Dao and turned into the Qiantang Branch Courtyard by Du Jingzhi. Many unspeakable dealings are carried out right there. It is one of his old dens."

Wei Du was the direct grandson of Grand Steward Wei. Lacking any real learning yet blindly devoted to the Celestial Master's Dao, he had completely renovated the old residence and offered it to Du Jingzhi.

Zhan Wenjun asked in astonishment, "How did you come to know of such a closely guarded secret?"

"Actually, it can hardly be considered a secret!" Xu You wrote the final character, handed the brush over to Lüshuang for cleaning, and then smiled at Zhan Wenjun. "In Kuaiji, Wei Du frequently boasted about his deep ties with Libationer Du. On one occasion, he let slip some words and leaked information regarding the Qiantang Branch Courtyard, for which he was severely punished in private by Du Jingzhi. The news spread from that incident, and it just happened to be intercepted by Qi'yi."

Just as Zhan Wenjun had remarked, reckless as Wei Du might be, he would not easily leak such a profound secret. He Ru had laid out his network in the State of Chu for many years and naturally had his own channels for gathering intelligence, but he might not have had the capacity to uncover this deep secret in a short span of time. Therefore, Xu You was lying. Regarding the inner workings of the Celestial Master's Dao, the ghost-capturing spirit official Li Yifeng was a much better choice than He Ru, though Zhan Wenjun did not need to know this.

Having absolute trust in Xu You by now, Zhan Wenjun said happily, "Heaven truly is helping us, letting Du Jingzhi taste the bitter fruit of his own actions."

Xu You turned around to wash his hands, but unexpectedly, his robe sleeves were too long and swept across the paper, instantly smudging a patch of ink. Zhan Wenjun, standing right beside him, hurriedly reached out to catch his sleeve. Her waist collided with the corner of the desk, and with a slip of her foot, she tumbled directly into Xu You's embrace.

Xu You was poorly balanced at that moment, and pushed by Zhan Wenjun's momentum, he inevitably fell backward, his hands instinctively wrapping around her slender waist.

Through her thin silk robe, the warmth and smoothness of her skin seemed palpable. Before Xu You could even fully process the sensation, the back of his head struck the floor with a heavy thud.

Time seemed to freeze at that very moment. The two of them were pressed tightly against each other. Zhan Wenjun's head was buried in the crook of Xu You's neck, and her waterfall-like dark hair had broken free from its hairpin, cascading down like flowing water. It contrasted against her exposed skin, which was three shades fairer than snow. Her jade-smooth face was mere inches away, and her slightly rapid breathing—like a restless snake yearning for the mortal world—slithered softly into his ear. A faint, elusive fragrance filled the air, rendering the entire room ambiguous and warm, intoxicating and bewilderment-inducing.

As Xu You recovered from the pain, his primary sensation was the pair of soft mounds pressed against his chest. Being a man of experience, he usually avoided staring at Zhan Wenjun's sensitive areas out of courtesy. Coupled with the loose garments of this era, even the most seasoned rake would have been unable to gauge her size and shape visually. Now, with their bodies sealed together seamlessly, he instantly perceived the towering fullness and rounded curves in every detail, even the subtle shifts under the compression being deeply etched into his mind.

His hands were still resting on Zhan Wenjun's waist, and his body reacted uncontrollably. A prominent bulge swelled abruptly between his thighs, pressing right against the most sensitive part of Zhan Wenjun's lower body.

"Mm..."

A soft, mournful moan escaped her lips. Although Zhan Wenjun was a widow, her husband had died before their marriage was consummated, leaving her utterly untouched by worldly affairs. How could she possibly endure such intimate contact? Her entire body instantly caught fire, her cheeks burning so red it seemed blood might drip from them. Limp and boneless, she collapsed softly onto Xu You, her eyes swimming with a seductive mist, completely incapable of uttering another word.

As the old saying goes, satiety breeds the desire for carnal pleasures. Having escaped the dangerous situation in Yixing and arriving in Qiantang without having to bow for five bushels of rice, Xu You had spent these past days recuperating meticulously, and the primordial yang within his body had mostly recovered. Moreover, he held a strong fondness for Zhan Wenjun. While it might not be profound love, with such beauty before him and such extreme intimacy, any normal man would inevitably feel his mind swimming and his resolve wavering.

"Qilang, don't..."

Xu You's hands slid slowly downward, climbing up to cup her full, upturned buttocks. With a gentle squeeze, he thrusted his lower body upward. The friction through their clothing became intensely real and stimulating, and he was nearly on the verge of turning over to claim her. Finally regaining a tiny shred of sobriety from the haze of infatuation, Zhan Wenjun fought through the melting weakness and shyness, pressing her red lips against Xu You's ear to murmur in a voice no louder than a mosquito's: "Not here..."