On the way back to Shenwu Mountain, Su Jiuniang walked with a light, springy step. Liu Xiaolou followed behind her. She didn’t say anything, but the faint smile tugging at her lips now and then revealed just how pleased she was inside.

Watching her mood, Liu Xiaolou felt relieved and turned his thoughts back to what had just happened.

Yin Centipede’s guards at his outer residence weren’t much of a defense at all. Hardly worthy of being called guards. Just a few house men, and from the way they hauled water and put out the fire, it was clear they were all trained fighters, but not a single one had even passed the second layer of Qi Refinement.

Why was that? Was it because that concubine who couldn’t be formally taken in was actually a cultivator herself? Or was it simply that Yin Centipede never thought his outer estate would be attacked?

Should he go back to Wulong Mountain and rally the brothers for a job? Su Jiuniang had said the Yin family was skilled at refining spirit incense, an essential material for Qingyu Sect’s spirit-summoning arts. If they could get their hands on a batch, how many spirit stones could that be worth?

But if they planned this, Yin Centipede’s own cultivation level had to be considered. Stirring up trouble with someone already at Foundation Establishment was no easy task. How should they go about it?

“What are you brooding over?” Su Jiuniang suddenly asked.

“Huh? Nothing,” Liu Xiaolou was startled by the question. Looking into her eyes, he saw the excitement shining there and realized she hadn’t seen through his thoughts at all, nor was she really asking what he was thinking. She was just in a great mood and simply wanted to talk.

Just showing off his martial arts, though truthfully, you could hardly call that martial arts at all.

So Liu Xiaolou answered at random, “We should’ve just burned that outer estate down.”

“That won’t do. We’re not here to make enemies, only to draw him out. As long as that’s done, it’s enough. No need to cause extra trouble.” She was indeed in a good mood. Instead of scolding him, she explained patiently. Then she couldn’t help but add, “Didn’t you see how suspicious and jumpy he was? It was ridiculous.”

“So will that centipede stop pestering you because I showed up?” Liu Xiaolou asked. “Will he supply Shenwu Mountain again? Is Jingzhao really that intimidating?”

“You don’t know the standing Young Lord Jingzhao has in the Qingyu Sect. He’s their hope for the next hundred years. Yin Centipede would never dare offend him.”

Liu Xiaolou touched his own face. “Do I really look that much like him?”

She turned back and studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Very much. Especially from the side.”

He let out a sigh. “I suppose that’s an honor for me?”

She didn’t respond. Her eyes suddenly went distant, her thoughts elsewhere.

Then Liu Xiaolou said, “Jiuniang, if you like Jingzhao, why don’t we plan carefully and make some sort of deal? If I could help you marry him, how much would you pay me—”

“Enough! Don’t talk nonsense!” she snapped, her mood turning in an instant.

“As you wish,” Liu Xiaolou said helplessly.

By the time they got back to Shenwu Mountain, it was nearly noon. Su Jiuniang simply said, “You can head back,” and returned to Yunhai Pavilion on her own.

Liu Xiaolou felt even more helpless and speechless. Sure, he’d promised to risk life and limb, but shouldn’t there at least be some acknowledgment of that? Granted, it wasn’t as if he had actually risked life and limb this time, but he had run around for nearly two days and covered hundreds of li, yet came away with not a shred of reward. That was completely against the code. On Wulong Mountain, which band of brothers would dare pull something like this? No one would ever trust them again.

Back at Yiling Hall, he ran into Susu and asked, “No one came looking for me these past two days, right?”

“No,” Susu replied.

“And the Madam?” he asked.

“She’s still cultivating on the back mountain and hasn’t returned,” Susu said. Noticing that Liu Xiaolou seemed a bit disgruntled, she added, “Young master, you didn’t suffer any mistreatment at Yunhai Pavilion, did you?”

Liu Xiaolou waved his hand. “No. She wouldn’t dare.”

Susu pulled out a small pouch. “Young master, it’s time for the monthly stipend. One spirit stone and ten taels of silver.”

That was truly good news, and it immediately washed away his complaints about running errands for nothing. He opened the pouch and, delighted, took out the spirit stone, examining it carefully as though he had never seen one before.

Yes, he really had never seen a spirit stone like this before. One that came without toil or wandering, a reward he could simply enjoy. Even back when his teacher gave him spirit stones, he had to endure grueling tests to earn them, each one costing him countless beatings before it was his.

All at once his eyes burned red, and he almost wanted to cry.

He weighed the spirit stone in his hand, then tucked it carefully into his robe. Taking out the two silver ingots from the pouch, he handed them to Susu. “This is your pay.”

Flustered, Susu pushed them back. “Young master, what are you doing? I don’t need that. It’s yours.”

“What’s your monthly stipend?” Liu Xiaolou asked.

“Six taels,” she replied. “It’s more than enough. All my food and drink are provided here on the manor, and I get new clothes every year. I’ve managed to save most of it. I don’t need more.”

“No spirit stones?”

“Not in the stipend, but the young lady...er, Madam, often rewards me. She… she likes me a lot, and she often takes me into the Grotto-Heaven to cultivate. You don’t need spirit stones there.”

“The cave-heaven… Danxia Grotto-Heaven?”

“Yes. Young master, you’ll definitely have a chance to enter the cave-heaven too, sooner or later.”

“I wouldn’t dare hope for too much… heh… I don’t have spirit stones to give you, only silver. Whether you use it or not is your business, but whether I give it to you is mine. If you won’t take it, I won’t be able to sleep easy, and my cultivation will be plagued by heart demons!”

“Young master…”

“Take it! If you don’t need it yourself, send it to your family.”

“I’ve never had family since I was little…”

“…That’s fine. From now on, I’ll be your family. And besides, I heard that in wealthy households, a wife’s personal maid is part of her dowry. That should make you mine too, shouldn’t it? Doesn’t that make us family? Though I don’t know if that rule applies when the husband marries into the wife’s family.”

“Young master…”

“Susu, come here…”

“Young master?”

“Come… family doesn’t keep things from each other. Didn’t I tell you before? Let’s try my Sanxuan Sect cultivation method. It’s a secret technique, not something I’d normally pass on to just anyone!”

“Didn’t we already try it before? Young master, you couldn’t…”

“Let’s try again. First look for that sense of insight. If we can’t find it, then we’ll try dual cultivation… What’s with these clothes of yours, they’re such a hassle!”

“Young master… I’ll do it myself… no, no, not like that… ah, young master, this isn’t right. You haven’t even told your wife yet… If Madam doesn’t agree, then I can’t possibly…”

“Don’t be in such a hurry to tell her. First, find the insight. Once you have it, then it won’t be too late to say something… or maybe there’s no need to say anything at all. You’re not going to run off and confess to her yourself, are you?”

Knock, knock, knock… A burst of rapping came from the door. From outside, Xiaohuan called, “Susu, has the young master come back yet?”

In a flurry they scrambled to put their clothes in order. Depressed, Liu Xiaolou answered, “I’m back! What is it?”

Xiaohuan said, “Young master, Young Master Jiao of Lion Ridge asks to see you. He’s waiting just outside the garden.”

Susu gave a soft laugh, straightened her clothes and hair a little, and opened the door. “Young master just returned less than a quarter of an hour ago, he hasn’t even had a chance to rest.”

Xiaohuan gave a wry smile. “Young Master Jiao said he’s an old acquaintance of you, and came especially to call. He won’t leave, he’s waiting outside the garden…”

Liu Xiaolou had no choice but to get out of bed. “He really is an acquaintance. All right, let’s go see him. Xiaohuan, bring him in.”

In front of the hall, as Xiaohuan led the guest into the courtyard, Liu Xiaolou and Young Master Jiao locked eyes for a moment. Then Jiao burst into loud laughter. “Brother, it’s been years since we parted, and now we meet again!”

Liu Xiaolou stepped forward and seized him by the arms, exclaiming with feeling, “Brother Tigerhead, you kept me in the dark so badly!”

This Young Master Jiao was none other than Tigerhead Dragon; the very same man who, back when three sects besieged Qingyu Sect, had been conscripted by the Zang family as cannon fodder alongside him!