Chapter Five – Meeting an Old Acquaintance

A few li away from the small courtyard, atop a mountain peak, Xuan Yue—now dressed in plain clothes rather than his hunter’s garb—gazed down at his little courtyard, his eyes calm and deep.

Beside him stood a man in sturdy travel attire.

This man also looked toward the small courtyard.
“Master, it looks like there’s a light in your courtyard. Is something on fire?”

“No,” Xuan Yue replied lightly. “I ran into a woman on the mountain today. She said she was homeless and came to my courtyard. She’s probably sitting by the fire now.”

The man in travel clothes looked tense. “Master, could she have been sent by His Majesty to find you?”

Xuan Yue shook his head.

“You’re that sure? You know her?”

“No. She said she’s from Yushou Village. If she were sent by His Majesty, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to claim she was from Yushou Village. That’s easy enough to verify.”

The man still looked puzzled. “But wait, Master, if she’s from Yushou Village, then her home is right at the foot of this mountain. How could she be homeless?”

“Having a home you can’t return to is the same as being homeless,” Xuan Yue replied, clearly not wanting to continue the topic. He turned his gaze back to the man. “What did the Old Madam send with you this time?”

“Some pastries and candied nuts.” The man lifted a large bundle in his hand. “The Old Madam is worried that you don’t eat properly out here and might be missing nutrients. She specially ordered the kitchen to prepare these for you.”

“I’m living like a wild hunter in the mountains now. What am I supposed to do with these dainty treats for noble ladies?” Xuan Yue waved a hand dismissively. “Take them back and eat them yourself.”

“Oh, come on, Master! If I take them back and the Old Madam finds out, she’ll have my head!” the man chuckled sheepishly. “To be honest, I think the Old Madam’s real intention isn’t just to feed you. She’s testing the waters. She knows you’re out here living alone with no one to tend to your daily needs, and she’s worried. So her real idea is to send you a maid from the capital—someone to serve you closely.”

“You ever seen a hunter with a maidservant?”

“Of course not officially. But Master, you’re already twenty-six. Isn’t it time to start a family?”

“That suggestion is also from the Old Madam?” Xuan Yue chuckled. “Is my grandmother trying to send me a maid or a granddaughter-in-law?”

“Outwardly a granddaughter-in-law, but actually a maid,” the man whispered. “Master, you know very well that someone of your status can’t marry a servant girl, but those high-born young ladies in the capital wouldn’t know the first thing about serving anyone…”

Xuan Yue squinted at him, and the man quickly swallowed the rest of his words.

After a brief silence, the man summoned his courage to ask, “Master, you don’t really plan to stay here forever, do you?”

Xuan Yue didn’t answer.

The man pressed his lips together and muttered unhappily, “Even if you wanted to, I doubt you’ll be able to stay much longer. My father said recently that the Chong tribe has been secretly stirring again. It’s hard to say when they might invade our Southern Dynasty. When that happens, His Majesty will surely summon you back.”

Xuan Yue gave a faint smile but still said nothing.

The man continued, “His Majesty—during peaceful times, he fears your power and watches your every move, even when you’ve already left the capital. He still sends people to investigate whether you’re secretly making moves. But when there’s real trouble, he can’t do without you. Tell me, isn’t that just—”

“Qingfeng!” Xuan Yue cut him off. “I didn’t leave the capital to avoid suspicion. I just don’t enjoy the pampered lifestyle of the capital. I prefer the freedom of the mountains.”

Qingfeng pursed his lips, clearly unconvinced by his master’s explanation.

Because he knew all too well that Xuan Yue’s departure from the capital wasn’t just about longing for freedom. Part of it was because, while Xuan Yue was leading troops into battle and risking his life, His Majesty married the woman he loved.

The eldest daughter of the Shen family—Shen Xinyi.

But that was something Qingfeng could not say aloud.