Chapter 108: Ah Zhu and Ah Bi!

Coming was slow, but leaving was swift.

Very quickly, he arrived at the lakeshore.

Fang Han gazed into the distance and saw that the small boat, once hidden in the distance, seemed to have drifted farther away.

At once, he gathered his qi and performed Lingbo Weibu. His body floated as if transcendent, toes tapping lightly upon the lake’s surface. Like a white crane soaring upward, within just a few breaths of time, he landed back upon the boat.

This level of lightness skill, even if placed among the best in the martial world, was unquestionably top-tier.

But looking at the faint dampness that had seeped into the tips of his shoes, Fang Han still felt dissatisfied.

Miss Cheng and Mu Wanqing had long been anxiously waiting, eyes straining for his return. When they saw Fang Han back, they greeted him with delighted expressions.

Fang Han had lingered at Canhe Manor for two or three hours at least. Their waiting had been filled with unease.

Miss Cheng first looked Fang Han over. Seeing that he was unharmed, she finally set her heart at ease and asked:

“Brother Fang, how did it go?”

Mu Wanqing too kept her eyes fixed tightly on Fang Han.

Facing the concern of the two young ladies, Fang Han lightly nodded and smiled:

“Mm. Though it wasn’t quite as I had hoped, at least I did gain something.”

That was not a lie.

The Canhe Finger manual, though not the exact art he sought, was still one of the Murong clan’s prized skills.

It was in no way inferior to the Yi Yang Finger, and when trained to its deepest level, it might even compete with the Six Meridian Divine Sword.

Hearing this, the two girls both revealed faint smiles.

To them, whether he gained much or little did not matter.

What mattered was that Fang Han had not returned empty-handed, and that alone was enough to bring them joy.

The boat continued on its way, drifting for about half an hour.

Suddenly, from afar, a song floated across the waters.

In the Wunong soft dialect, the voice was tender and melodious.

Miss Cheng listened for a moment, then lightly clapped her hands in delight:

“I don’t know who’s singing, but it’s so beautiful~”

Mu Wanqing was less inclined to such leisurely thoughts, yet even she found it pleasant to the ear and gave a soft nod.

Fang Han, hearing the Wunong soft dialect, could not help but think of Li Qingluo.

Back when he had asked her about the pronunciation of the Xiao Wuxiang Gong formula, she too had spoken much in that dialect, her voice elegant and lovely.

Especially with her dignified and extraordinary bearing, those words in that dialect carried a unique allure.

While lost in thought, before long, a small boat appeared ahead.

Ripples spread outward as it drifted slowly forward.

Upon it stood two young ladies, one in red and the other in green.

The red-clad girl was charmingly pretty, her manner lively and spirited; the green-clad girl was graceful and gentle, every movement imbued with softness.

Together, the pair complemented each other perfectly, enhancing the tender beauty of the lakeside scenery.

It was the green-clad girl who had been singing in the Wunong soft dialect.

Ah Zhu and Ah Bi.

The instant Fang Han saw the two girls, he immediately recognized who they were.

That was easy enough.

Near Canhe Manor, with such striking beauty and in the pairing of red and green—who else could it be but Ah Zhu and Ah Bi?

Perhaps surprised to find another boat upon the lake—or for some other reason—the green-clad Ah Bi ceased her singing.

Glancing toward the approaching vessel, she noticed that though the boat was small, it was exquisitely made. She let out a soft “Eh?” and exchanged a glance with Ah Zhu beside her.

Both could see the surprise in the other’s eyes.

As the boats drew closer, the red-clad Ah Zhu called out crisply:

“May I ask, are you honored guests of Manduo Manor?”

It turned out that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi had previously seen Madam Wang’s boat from Manduo Manor.

Recognizing this vessel as belonging to that estate, they naturally asked.

Hearing this, Miss Cheng smiled and teased Fang Han:

“Brother Fang, she says we’re honored guests of Manduo Manor. Do you think we’re really ‘guests’?”

Mu Wanqing, hearing this, muttered sourly:

“I fear that wicked woman secretly hopes you’ll be master of Manduo Manor instead.”

Fang Han looked at the two of them with some amusement, a touch of emotion rising in his heart.

Miss Cheng’s jesting was one thing, but Wanqing was no longer the naive girl she had once been.

Stepping lightly forward, Fang Han addressed Ah Zhu and Ah Bi in a clear voice:

“That is correct. And the two young ladies are…?”

Since the boat stood higher than the skiff, only when Fang Han stepped up did Ah Zhu and Ah Bi glimpse his figure.

What they saw was a young man of refined and extraordinary bearing.

At once, both flushed slightly, feeling a trace of unease.

Though shy, they were also quietly amazed.

They knew well that Madam Wang of Manduo Manor detested men above all else. Within her manor, regardless of who it was, everyone was female.

So how could there be a young man aboard her boat?

Though Ah Zhu and Ah Bi secretly puzzled over this, they did not delay in returning the courtesy. They explained that they were maids of Canhe Manor, named Ah Zhu and Ah Bi. Since the two manors were closely connected, upon seeing a boat of Manduo Manor, they called out in greeting.

The two sides exchanged a few words, but the boats did not stop.

Before long, they had passed each other by, and their conversation ceased.

Watching the departing boat fade into the distance, Ah Zhu gazed after it for a while.

Then she turned her delicate face aside, covering her mouth as she laughed softly:

“That young master truly had polite manners. Even to us mere maids, he offered a slight bow.”

Ah Bi softly agreed, secretly harboring a faint sense of fondness as well.

For indeed, in the world as it is now, someone who treated all with equal respect, like Fang Han, was extremely rare.

Though the two maids were attendants, they were also among the Murong clan’s more trusted members, with no lack of worldly experience.

The so-called heroes they had met in the past—though their disdain might not show on the surface—revealed subtle arrogance in their gestures.

But one like Fang Han, they had truly never seen before.

Still, Ah Bi soon frowned in puzzlement:

“But how is it that he was sitting on Madam Wang’s boat?”

Ah Zhu pondered:

“The boat was heading outward from the inner lake. That means he must have just come from Manduo Manor. But Madam Wang has always despised men—never mind setting foot in her manor, even merely crossing paths with her boat usually brings disaster. So how could she have lent her boat to someone? Truly, something is strange here.”

The more Ah Bi listened, the stranger it seemed. She nodded:

“We may not understand it ourselves. Once we return, let’s see if Young Master has come back. If he has, we should mention this matter to him. Young Master will surely know what to make of it.”

With that thought, the two said no more and continued rowing their skiff.

Soon, the Wunong soft dialect song rose again, faintly drifting across the waters.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

When Fang Han turned back, he found Miss Cheng and Wanqing both staring at him.

He blinked in mild surprise:

“Mm? What’s wrong with you two?”

Miss Cheng gave him a subtle glance, said nothing, and gracefully returned inside the cabin.

Her thoughts: Brother Fang is indeed wonderful in every way… except that he’s far too…

Mu Wanqing, puffing her cheeks in anger, stomped up to Fang Han and gave a sharp little huff.

At once, Fang Han understood their meaning.

He felt rather helpless.

Do they take me for that kind of man?

His way of conduct had always been to go with the flow, nothing more.

Unless he truly could not resist…

🍃🍃🍃

Footnotes

* * * * Lingbo Weibu (凌波微步): A legendary lightness skill (qīnggōng) from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, allowing the practitioner to glide across water and evade pursuit with unpredictable steps.

* * * * Wunong soft dialect (吴侬软语): Refers to the soft, melodic dialect of the Wu region (Suzhou, Jiangnan), often considered gentle and musical.

* * * * Yi Yang Finger (一阳指): A famed martial art of the Dali Duan family, using pure yang internal energy focused through the finger.

* * * * Six Meridian Divine Sword (六脉神剑): A supreme martial skill of the Duan family, projecting sword-like energy beams from the fingers.

* * * * Xiao Wuxiang Gong (小无相功): A subtle internal skill from Tibetan origins, allowing the practitioner to imitate many martial techniques.