Chapter 7: The Yu Mansion

The white-robed youth was quite talkative, sharing some interesting anecdotes and stories from the city with Liu Le'er along the way, but the girl seemed distracted and only responded perfunctorily.

They crossed several streets and soon arrived at the central area of Mingyuan City.

It was somewhat quiet here, with clean roads and few shops on either side; rows of spacious mansions lined up in close succession, clearly the residential area of the city's noble families.

After walking a bit further, they came to a vermilion mansion.

Unlike other buildings in the city, this mansion occupied a vast area. The vermilion gate, about two zhang high, looked imposing, flanked by two stone lions about one zhang tall. The gate was studded with shiny copper nails that glittered brilliantly in the sunlight.

On either side of the gate stood a guard in bright armor, dressed similarly to the previous guards but holding spears, standing solemnly.

Everything here showcased the power and status of its owner.

Above the gate hung a huge gilded plaque with two gilded characters: "Yu Mansion."

Liu Shi glanced at the Yu Mansion but quickly averted his gaze.

Liu Le'er looked at the mansion in astonishment, feeling a bit uneasy.

She had never seen such a large mansion. From the appearance of the gate, the Yu family must hold a very high position in Mingyuan City, likely closely connected to the Feng Kingdom's court.

"Sister Liu, what's wrong?" the white-robed youth seemed to notice something and asked gently.

"The Yu Mansion is really big, and with so many guards, it's not an ordinary household, is it?" Liu Le'er forced a smile and said.

"Sister Liu is truly perceptive. My father is the prime minister of the Feng Kingdom, so naturally there are some guards and retainers in the mansion. Otherwise, how could we afford to retain a true immortal master?" Yu Qi replied nonchalantly.

Liu Le'er's eyes widened upon hearing this.

The Confucian-robed youth looked on with a proud expression.

"Seventh Young Master! Second Young Master!" Seeing them approach, the two guards at the gate hurriedly came forward and bowed.

Yu Qi nodded slightly to them and led Liu Le'er and the others through the gate.

"Seventh Brother, you insist on bringing two outsiders into the mansion. Be careful Father doesn't find out and fly into a rage. Don't say I didn't warn you," the Confucian-robed youth snorted coldly after entering the Yu Mansion, then flicked his sleeves and left.

"Ignore him. Please follow me," Yu Qi said with a charming smile, leading Liu Le'er and Liu Shi in another direction within the mansion.

The Yu residence was vast in area, with pavilions, towers, gardens, and winding corridors everywhere.

The ground was paved with top-grade jade stones such as white jade and green jade, smooth as a mirror and hard as iron, fully displaying the luxury of a wealthy family.

Yu Qi seemed very authoritative in the Yu residence; the servants and maids they encountered along the way all bowed, and some even knelt on one knee.

Seeing this, Liu Le'er glanced at Yu Qi's back, her bright eyes twinkling as they darted around, no one knew what she was thinking.

She and Liu Shi followed behind Yu Qi, naturally attracting the attention of many, especially Liu Shi's peculiarity, which was particularly eye-catching. However, these people seemed intimidated by Yu Qi's authority and dared not stare too long.

Before long, the three arrived at a long corridor, where a tall maidservant in a green dress came walking toward them.

"Young master, you're back." The green-dressed maidservant, upon seeing Yu Qi, immediately broke into a joyful smile and trotted over.

"Xiao Wu, we have honored guests. Don't be disrespectful." Yu Qi scolded in a deep voice.

The green-dressed maidservant Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue, showing no fear, completely different from the previous servants.

Yu Qi helplessly glared at the green-dressed maidservant, then said, "Xiao Wu, you came just in time. These two are my honored guests, Sister Liu Le'er and Brother Liu Shi. Prepare a courtyard in the west wing for them to rest."

Only then did Xiao Wu notice the two behind Yu Qi. Liu Shi's strange woodenness surprised her, but when her eyes fell on Liu Le'er, her beautiful eyes lit up, and she said with a grin, "Ah, what a beautiful little sister!"

"Sister Liu is my honored guest; you must not be rude! You two, Xiao Wu is my personal maid. Please forgive her impertinence." Yu Qi scolded, then turned to Liu Le'er and Liu Shi with an apologetic smile.

"I understand." Xiao Wu said this, but while Yu Qi turned away, she made a face at Le'er.

Liu Le'er was amused and couldn't help but laugh, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Still, her earlier tension eased a little.

"By the way, I've been out these past few days. The mansion..." Yu Qi glanced around, leaned close to Xiao Wu, and whispered.

The two stood close together, their demeanor intimate, and Xiao Wu seemed unashamed.

Seeing this, Liu Le'er pursed her lips, and the favorable impression she had just formed of the white-robed youth greatly diminished.

After a few whispered words, Xiao Wu nodded and turned to walk away quickly.

"Please, this way." Yu Qi said and continued forward.

After a moment, the three arrived at a small courtyard, where Xiao Wu was waiting to greet them.

Though called a small courtyard, it was not small in size. A path paved with cobblestones led through it, with a green pine on the left and a cluster of emerald bamboo on the right.

A breeze passed by, rustling the pine and bamboo leaves, creating an atmosphere of profound tranquility.

The furnishings inside the room were simple, but the tables, chairs, and stools were all exquisitely crafted.

The tables and chairs were spotlessly clean, obviously just tidied up.

"You two look a bit tired. Rest here for a while; later I will prepare a separate feast for you and your sister." The white-robed youth turned to look at Liu Le'er and smiled.

"There's no need for a feast. I just want to know when we can ask the immortal master to see my brother." Liu Le'er looked around the room.

"Since you two don't like socializing, I'll have Xiaowu bring dinner later. As for the immortal master, I'm afraid we'll have to wait until tomorrow to invite him." Yu Qi thought for a moment, then said.

"Alright." Liu Le'er looked a bit disappointed.

"By the way, if you need anything else, just tell Xiaowu. Rest well; I'll take my leave now." Yu Qi said, glancing at Liu Shi again.

Liu Le'er nodded, looking distracted.

...

"Young master, who are they? Judging by their clothes, they're just commoners. Why are you so polite to them?" Outside the small courtyard, Xiaowu asked curiously.

"What do you know, little girl? Today, when my second brother and I were in the carriage, it was Liu Shi who stopped the startled Qingfeng horse with one hand." Yu Qi pinched Xiaowu's fair chin playfully and chuckled.

"Qingfeng horse! One hand! That Liu Shi... he's incredibly strong!" Xiaowu was startled.

"See? If I can recruit such a man with divine strength, he'll be very useful to me in the future. Besides, when Le'er grows up a bit, she'll definitely be a stunning beauty. How could I bear to let her suffer outside? Naturally, I'll bring her into the mansion as well. Pass the word: treat them well, don't be negligent." The white-robed youth said with a smile as he walked out, giving orders.

"Yes." Xiaowu, thinking of something, blushed deeply and quickly agreed.

...

Inside the small courtyard, in the room.

Liu Le'er had walked all day and just experienced a commotion, so she was tired. She took Liu Shi's hand and went into the bedroom to rest.

Although they were of different genders, they had been eating and sleeping together in the wild for years, so Liu Le'er didn't find it inappropriate.

At nightfall, Xiaowu brought a sumptuous dinner.

Seeing the table full of fragrant dishes, Liu Le'er couldn't help swallowing.

She had never eaten such fine food. Though being in the prime minister's mansion made her uneasy, she couldn't resist indulging.

Liu Shi, on the other hand, showed no reaction to the food.

As night deepened, a full moon slowly rose from the horizon.

Liu Le'er lay in bed, tossing and turning for a long time without falling asleep, her mind full of the next day's medical consultation.

"Brother Stone, do you think the immortal master can cure you?" Liu Le'er moved closer to the edge of the bed and whispered.

Liu Shi did not lie down; he sat cross-legged by the bed with his eyes closed.

He had done this every night for years, never lying down to sleep.

Liu Shi remained expressionless, eyes closed, as if he hadn't heard the girl's words.

"Brother Stone, don't worry. If the immortal master here can't cure you, we'll go somewhere else. There must be someone who can." Liu Le'er, accustomed to this, whispered a few more words, then smiled reassuringly, slowly closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

Liu Shi did not move, like a statue in the darkness.

After an unknown time, the tall youth suddenly opened his eyes, glanced in a certain direction in the Yu mansion, and instinctively raised his hand to touch a dark green ornament below his neck.

...

At the same time, in an underground chamber in the Yu mansion in that direction.

The four walls of the chamber were carved with dark red runes, converging from all sides to the center.

In the center of the chamber stood a black furnace, with a fire pit at its base burning fiercely.

The furnace emitted a black glow, its lid trembling slightly, as if about to fly off at any moment.

An old man stood beside the furnace, watching it nervously.

He wore a lotus crown and a gray-white Daoist robe, with deep-set eyes, gaunt cheeks, and a wispy white goatee. His hair and beard were snow-white, making him look over seventy, with an air of immortality.

Just then, a muffled explosion came from the furnace, followed by a burnt smell.

The old Daoist's face changed drastically. He waved his hand to cast a spell, extinguishing the fire, then beckoned, and the furnace lid flew up.

Ignoring the scorching heat, he reached in directly, his face turning grim as he pulled out a handful of black powder.

A strong medicinal fragrance mixed with a burnt odor emanated from the powder.

Seeing this, the old man's face turned livid, and he stomped and cursed in a rage.