Chapter 27: An Adulterous Pair, a Perfect Match; Being a Dog is Surprisingly Sweet
Chapter 27: Chapter 27: An Adulterous Pair, a Perfect Match; Being a Dog is Surprisingly Sweet
The sun was already high in the sky when Pei Shaoqing finally woke.
He turned his head to look. Xie Qingwu was reclining on a low couch across from the bed, a cooling mat spread beneath her. She was reading a book, one hand holding it while the other propped up her chin, her elbow resting on a small table. Her figure was exquisite, her curves alluring; beneath her dress, she was curvy in all the right places. Her two small, fair, bare feet were crossed over each other.
"You’re awake." Xie Qingwu seemed to sense him stirring and turned to look at him, then added, "Zheng Xuancheng is dead?"
"Who told you?" Pei Shaoqing raised an eyebrow.
Xie Qingwu put down her book and adjusted the light gauze of her dress, which had slipped to reveal the straps of her bodice. She answered nonchalantly, "Does someone need to tell me? I guessed it the moment you dismissed all the servants."
In just a few short days, Xu Zhiyong, the bandits of Phoenix Mountain, and Zheng Xuancheng had all died at this man’s hands.
’His ruthlessness made her wary, but she couldn’t help but admire him. He dared to dream and dared to act, and he planned everything meticulously. He has all the makings of a great man, so why must he be a scoundrel?’
"I told you that damn dead husband of yours was never good enough for someone as sharp as you." Pei Shaoqing laughed heartily as he got out of bed. Dressed only in his undergarments, he walked barefoot over to Xie Qingwu and plopped down beside her, pinching her chin. "You and I, we’re a match made in heaven."
"A pair of adulterous lovers, you mean?" Xie Qingwu gave a self-mocking smile and subtly dodged his lecherous hand. "But this is such a large estate. You’ve sent all the servants away, so who’s going to wait on us?"
"We’ll move in a couple of days. As for these next two days, you, my wife, will of course be the one to serve me." Pei Shaoqing picked up the teapot from the low table and guzzled straight from the spout.
Xie Qingwu choked with anger and rolled her eyes in irritation. "Then who is going to wait on me for the next two days?"
"I think people need to learn to be independent," Pei Shaoqing said, putting down the teapot and wiping his mouth with a serious expression.
Xie Qingwu’s ample chest began to rise and fall more rapidly. "Then why do you still need me to serve you? Why don’t *you* learn to be independent?"
"Because I’m already a master of my domain." Pei Shaoqing’s large hand landed on her ankle, stroking up her smooth, delicate calf beneath her dress. "My lady, you’ve been served by others since you were a child. These next two days are a rare opportunity for you to train. You should cherish it. Now, go to the kitchen, boil some water, and help your husband wash up."
It’s true that when you’re utterly speechless, you can be so angry you laugh. Xie Qingwu kicked his filthy hand away, pulled her skirt down to cover her feet, and took a deep breath. "I’ll go boil water for you now," she said through gritted teeth.
"Excellent. It seems my lady is already getting into character," Pei Shaoqing said with a smile, pinching her cheek.
Xie Qingwu dodged with a look of disgust. "Could you be more careful? That hand was just touching my feet."
"It’s fine. I don’t mind," Pei Shaoqing said magnanimously, glancing down at his own hand.
Xie Qingwu shot his hand a glare, then got off the couch. She pulled on a pair of white silk socks, slipped on her embroidered shoes, and walked out.
"By the way, where’s the cat?" Pei Shaoqing suddenly realized General Li was gone and called after her retreating figure.
Xie Qingwu paused and looked back over her shoulder. "He left at dawn. Maybe he figured he didn’t need to stand guard with you around. I don’t know where he went."
With that, she opened the door and left.
"Traitorous vassal," Pei Shaoqing muttered.
’How dare he abandon his sleeping lord to a woman who bears the grudge of a murdered husband? And he calls himself loyal? It seems this cat harbors a rebellious heart.’
Pei Shaoqing waited and waited, but Xie Qingwu didn’t return with the water. He decided to go check on the kitchen, but the moment he stepped outside, he saw a plume of black smoke rising in the distance.
He knew at a glance that something was on fire.
"Heh. Some unlucky household, I guess."
Pei Shaoqing shook his head, but then a sudden realization struck him. His heart leaped into his throat, and he quickened his pace, rushing toward the smoke. As he got closer and saw the kitchen engulfed in flames, the sliver of hope he’d been holding onto died.
Hearing footsteps, Xie Qingwu, who was standing dazedly in front of the kitchen, turned around. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were disheveled, and her face was smudged with soot. She looked at him guiltily and stammered, "I... I just wanted to boil some water."
"Stay away from the kitchen from now on," Pei Shaoqing said, the corner of his mouth twitching as he stared at the blazing structure.
"Mhm, mhm, mhm." Xie Qingwu nodded repeatedly, a docile look on her face, but deep in her eyes, a cunning glint flashed.
’Hmph. Today he dares to make me boil water.’
’Tomorrow he’ll dare to order me to cook.’
’Let’s see if you dare ask me to do this kind of work again.’
She had set the fire deliberately.
Her thinking was very clear: if she proved herself to be utterly incompetent at such things, no one would dare order her to do manual labor.
"Sir! Madam! Are you alright?!"
"Big Brother!"
Having also seen the flames, Gongsun Yi and his wife ran over with their two beloved disciples. Ye Hanshuang was right behind them.
"We’re fine. Put out the fire." Pei Shaoqing waved his hand with a helpless expression. ’Looks like I’ll have to move out sooner rather than later.’
"Yes, sir!"
The fire was extinguished quickly, but so was the kitchen.
Her little scheme having succeeded, a dirt-streaked Xie Qingwu returned to her room to change. The moment she was out of sight, however, her posture straightened, her steps became light, and she even began to hum a jaunty tune.
’Finally, I’ve won a round against that scoundrel.’
.........
Looking at the still-smoldering ruins, Pei Shaoqing took a deep breath, turned to Gongsun Yi’s group with an embarrassed expression, and said, "I just asked her to boil some water, and she managed to burn down the kitchen. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you all."
"Madam is a delicate lady who has likely never had to lift a finger in her life. It’s only natural that she wouldn’t know how to do such coarse work," Gongsun Yi replied with a smile, then changed the subject. "My young disciple Zilan was also raised in comfort, but we people of the Jianghu know how to wash clothes and cook. From now on, let her handle these chores."
"I am at the Young Master’s command from now on." Zhao Zilan forced a smile and stepped forward to give a slight bow.
Jiang Yebai’s heart twisted as he watched. The woman he treasured above all else would now be reduced to a servant.
It felt like watching a prized bicycle, one he had cherished too much to even ride, being thrashed around by someone else who was standing on the pedals.
And yet, he didn’t even dare to whisper a word about proper maintenance.
The charming and voluptuous Liu Yuheng smiled sweetly. "I can do these things as well. You can leave them to me. I can’t just freeload in the Young Master’s home."
"Lady Gongsun and Ms. Zhao are too kind." Pei Shaoqing laughed and shook his head. "There will be servants to handle such things. How could I be so heartless as to ask two peerless beauties to perform such coarse and tiring labor?"
He then turned to Gongsun Yi. "I sense Sect Leader Gongsun has something else to say?"
"Thanks to you, Young Master, Yebai’s injuries are almost fully healed. Therefore, I was thinking of taking our leave today," Gongsun Yi said with the utmost respect.
"A sect’s affairs are numerous, so I won’t keep you, Sect Leader Gongsun." Pei Shaoqing nodded, then added, "However, I can’t let you return empty-handed. Come with me."
The group arrived at the bedroom door. Pei Shaoqing knocked. "My lady, is it convenient for us to enter?"
The door opened quickly. Xie Qingwu, who had already changed her clothes, called out sweetly, "Husband," then nodded to Gongsun Yi and the others before stepping aside.
"Sect Leader Gongsun, please wait a moment. Hanshuang, come with me," Pei Shaoqing said, striding into the room.
A moment later, they returned. Ye Hanshuang, who was following him, dropped a large, vermilion wooden chest on the ground with a heavy THUD.
As Gongsun Yi and the others wondered what was inside, Ye Hanshuang opened the lid. A chest overflowing with gold, silver, and jewels of all kinds glittered brilliantly in the bright sunlight, nearly blinding them.
Gongsun Yi was stunned into silence. Even as the leader of a sect, he had never seen so much wealth.
After all, the laws of the Great Zhou were harsh, with even more restrictions placed on Martial Artists than on common people. As such, most Martial Artists could only make a living through legitimate means.
The Iron Sword Sect had numerous businesses in Bazhou, but its expenses were also high. In particular, he provided excellent benefits to his disciples in order to grow the Sect, so they were far from wealthy.
"I told you I would have a generous gift for you on the day you left. Take this and use it to develop the Iron Sword Sect." Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly and handed over an oval Jade Pendant. "This is a Token from the Marquis’s Mansion. From now on, the Iron Sword Sect can act in the name of Marquis Wei Yuan’s Mansion."
’After wiping out the Phoenix Mountain bandits, he had moved his own hard-stolen loot back home. He’d also gotten a fair bit of money from the Mo Mansion, and adding in Hundred Households Commander Zheng’s estate, he wasn’t short on cash now. Money was just worthless scrap if you held onto it; only by spending it could its true value be realized.’
"Thank you, Young Master!" Flushed with excitement, Gongsun Yi fell to his knees and accepted the Token with both hands.
’With ample funding and the backing of the Marquis’s Mansion, he was confident he could make the Iron Sword Sect the number one sect in Bazhou and restore its fame throughout the entire Shu Region.’
’Being a dog for the rich and powerful wasn’t so bad after all.’
’Five days of being a dog was worth five years of his own hard work!’
When he knelt, Liu Yuheng, Zhao Zilan, and Jiang Yebai had no choice but to kneel as well and thank Pei Shaoqing.
"Please, get up." Pei Shaoqing personally helped Gongsun Yi to his feet. "I told you, as long as you serve me well, I won’t treat you poorly. In the future, as I go further, the Iron Sword Sect will surely fly higher."
"Yes!" Gongsun Yi nodded emphatically.
Pei Shaoqing clapped him on the shoulder. "I won’t see you off. Have a safe journey, and we’ll meet again."
"I wouldn’t dare trouble you to see us off, Young Master." Gongsun Yi left with Jiang Yebai, and Liu Yuheng and Zhao Zilan went to see them off.
Pei Shaoqing stood where he was, his hands clasped behind his back, quietly watching the rather heartwarming sight of the ’family of four’s’ retreating backs.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a pang of loneliness. Throughout the hundreds of millions of people in Jiuzhou, some had families of four, some had families of more than ten, but he didn’t have a single soul to call his own.