Chapter 32: Staying Away from Trouble

Chapter 32: Far From the Fray

Seven days later.

Chen Xiao, having purged the lingering toxins from Prince Fu’s body, instantly found himself on the Prince’s blacklist. Had it not been for the lack of a suitable opportunity, the Prince would have gladly broken their gentleman’s agreement and silenced him then and there; after all, Prince Fu trusted the dead far more than he trusted promises. The mere thought of such a formidable expert lurking in the shadows kept the Prince awake at night.

However, just as Prince Fu was preparing to make his move, the naturally warm-hearted Tribute Yu, ever considerate of his Prince, volunteered to oversee Chen Xiao’s departure. He promised to ensure Chen Xiao traveled far beyond Changning County, never to appear before the Prince again. Watching Yu Xian—who called him "brother-in-law" with such nauseating intimacy—Prince Fu abandoned his plan to dispatch men to intercept and kill Chen Xiao. He feared that instead of eliminating the target, he would only end up with two more enemies at the Xiantian Mid-Stage.

*Damn it, when did they get so close?*

Frowning, the Prince agreed, setting a one-month deadline and citing the Prince’s manor’s current dependence on Tribute Yu. In truth, however, his trust in Yu Xian had already begun to erode. Yu Xian was, after all, a wandering martial artist, naturally unrestrained; lack of discipline meant he could flip at any moment. Today he might be playing brothers with Chen Xiao, but tomorrow he might just as easily seek revenge on behalf of the Chen family. His request for Xu Meng’er was particularly telling—it proved he knew Chen Yi’s true identity, which meant he knew he was being watched, and likely held a grudge. Furthermore, the Princess had been mentioning Yu Xian to him constantly, suggesting that such talent shouldn’t be left idle. Driven by masculine instinct, Prince Fu felt a growing aversion toward Yu Xian, while simultaneously raising the importance of Tribute Ding. Perhaps through Tribute Ding, he could fully bring the Changle Sword Sect into his fold. Compared to the uncontrollable Yu Xian, the Changle Sword Sect had deep roots and a permanent estate that made them far more reliable. Facing the treacherous current climate, Prince Fu began to consolidate his power, even if it meant sacrificing some interests.

Having received the Prince’s permission, Yu Xian happily packed his luggage with the three young women and boarded a carriage. His "brother-in-law" Chen Xiao served as the coachman, driving them westward as they sped out of Changning City. Had Prince Fu not received prior notice from Yu Xian and verified the existence of 150,000 taels of gold stored in the Second Building, he would have easily believed that this caravan was nothing more than an escape.

...

Outside Changning City.

Fifty miles beyond the western gate, a nunnery nestled between mountain and water bore the name "Bright Moon Nunnery" on its plaque.

"Sister, are you really sure about this?" Chen Yi asked, holding Xu Meng’er’s hand and looking into the lonely, cold nunnery through the gate, her voice filled with reluctance.

"My mind is made up. For the rest of my life, I only wish to accompany the green lamps and ancient Buddhas. Little... Little Yi, take care of yourself."

Xu Meng’er turned and stepped through the gate, pressing her palms together in a Buddhist salutation to an old, gaunt nun wearing a monk’s cap. "I am Xu Meng’er. I wish to take vows here and become a nun. I hope you will accept me, Reverend Mother."

The old nun returned the salute, chanting "Amitabha," signifying that the gates of emptiness were wide open to any pious believer. She also took a moment to thank Yu Xian for the 100 taels of gold he had donated for a statue of the Buddha.

"Wait a moment, Reverend Mother." Yu Xian called out as the nun moved to close the gate.

"Is there something else, benefactor?" The nun was polite, given the 100 taels of gold she had just received.

"It is like this: my sister-in-law here has been wounded by love. Her heart is a stagnant lake, and she seeks only the nunnery to escape. But she is young and naive; she might regret this later. So, I would like to ask you to allow her to cultivate without shaving her hair, so that it may be convenient should she wish to return to the secular world later."

The nun looked troubled. "Benefactor, Bright Moon Nunnery has no such rule. Once one enters the gates of emptiness, one must sever all worldly ties. There is no precedent for cultivating with one’s hair intact."

"Everything has a first time. This can be done."

"This really cannot be done."

"How about now? Can it be done?" Yu Xian pulled out another gold bar—the 100-tael kind. Having received a storage bag from a certain "enthusiastic" fellow cultivator, carrying thousands of taels of gold was no trouble at all. Compared to flimsy paper banknotes, gold was clearly more persuasive.

The nun struggled to tear her eyes away from the gold. "Benefactor, Bright Moon Nunnery is a place of purity. If worldly troubles are not removed, there will surely be endless turmoil. If you insist on this, then please take her away with you."

She could see clearly that given Xu Meng’er’s beauty, allowing her to cultivate with her hair would inevitably attract covetous eyes, which would only disturb the peace of the nunnery.

To this, Yu Xian’s solution was to knead the gold bar in his hand like dough right in front of the nun, shaping it into an irregular golden ball with the character "Yu" carved into it with his fingertip.

"With this here, your place will surely remain calm and peaceful."

"Can it be done now?"

The nun looked on in shock, trembling as she accepted the gold ball. "Yes."

"I see that you also know a bit of martial arts, which should be enough to handle minor matters. If anything happens that you cannot resolve, just send someone to Prince Fu’s manor in Changning City to find Tribute Yu."

Knowing that in such a remote place, Xu Meng’er’s beauty would likely invite trouble, Yu Xian gave these instructions before turning back to the carriage.

"There, are you satisfied now?" Inside the carriage, Yu Xian pinched Chen Yi’s cheek with a smile. "This nunnery is small and dilapidated; they even have to grow their own vegetables. Once your sister spends a few years as a nun, she'll know how hard it is. Farming, carrying water, chopping wood, mowing grass, feeding sheep... tsk, just thinking about it is a hassle. When your sister starts crying and begging to return to secular life, we’ll keep it all in the family. I’m not one to refuse a mature woman."

With his memories from his previous life, he didn’t place too much importance on a woman’s "first time"; he simply viewed it as her having dated a previous boyfriend. On this matter, Prime Minister Cao had plenty of authority. Besides, someone once said that mature women were treasures—they already knew how to change positions.

Chen Yi wanted to retort, saying her sister wasn't that kind of person, but seeing Yu Xian’s playful expression, she rolled her eyes and turned away, ignoring him.

"You’ll die on a woman’s belly sooner or later!"

"Hahaha!" Yu Xian laughed, pulling Yulan into his arms. Seeing him laugh, Yulan cuddled into him and joined in, not at all bothered by his talk of taking another.

Only Chen Xiao, outside the carriage, couldn't take it anymore. He pulled back the curtain and said, "Yu, don’t go too far. Miss Xu is, by all accounts, Little Yi’s sister, and my sister is still here!"

Chen Yi had introduced Xu Meng’er as a widow who had cared for her as a neighbor when she was young. Chen Xiao felt a great deal of pity for this beautiful, ill-fated young woman.

"Your sister hasn't objected, so why are you sticking your nose in? Your status right now is that of a coachman; try not to do things beneath your station, will you?" Yu Xian didn't show Chen Xiao any courtesy. "It was never your business to begin with. You’re the one who insisted on tagging along, ruining my three-person world. I haven't even settled that account with you yet."

"Fine! I’m a coachman!" Chen Xiao slammed the curtain down in frustration and cracked his whip, the sound echoing sharply in the air.

The carriage suddenly accelerated.

"Giddy-up!"