After a hot pot meal, Lin Zhao had consumed a full eight pots of wine. He drank two himself, Liu Liying drank one, and Chi Zhongyu, the owner, drank a remarkable five pots of Qingzhu wine. With the meal and drinks settled, there was no need for a bill. Zui Tianxia was now a property of the Chi family, so Lin Zhao’s meal was on the house.
"Time to find lodgings," Lin Zhao took a deep breath, descended the stairs, and led his donkey. Liu Liying, holding her folding fan, followed closely.
"I'll accompany Young Master Lin," Chi Zhongyu shook off the effects of the wine, waved his retainers and Golden Core elders away, and then walked side-by-side with Lin Zhao down the main street of the town at night. Liu Liying led the white horse, keeping a moderate distance behind them.
"Lin Zhao," Chi Zhongyu frowned, "Will you take her as a Dao companion?"
"No," Lin Zhao shook his head decisively, and conveyed in his mind with deep meaning, "I'm not as foolish as you are."
"Ah?" Chi Zhongyu was momentarily stunned, not grasping the full implication of his words, but he didn't feel comfortable pursuing the matter. It seemed Lin Zhao also preferred not to reveal everything, that it wasn't the right time.
"Lin Zhao," Chi Zhongyu said, his voice laced with difficulty, "Can you... command her, as a 'Young Master,' to change her mind about me, to return to my side and become my Dao companion on the mountain?"
"No," Lin Zhao refused outright.
"Why?" Chi Zhongyu gritted his teeth.
"It's very simple," Lin Zhao turned to face the young master of the Lingnan Sword Sect, a grand Sword Immortal of the current era, and said with a smile, "If my command makes her be with you, then she is with you unwillingly. If a man deeply loves a woman, but uses means to keep her by his side against her will, it is actually a deeply shameful and failed endeavor."
"..." Chi Zhongyu felt struck by lightning. Compared to Lin Zhao's perspective, he indeed felt somewhat lacking.
"Lin Zhao," he spoke again, "Can you ask me for a sword duel?"
"What?!" Lin Zhao was startled, "Why?"
Chi Zhongyu sighed, "Because I cannot overcome my inner demons, and I still see you as a romantic rival. But if I were to challenge you out of jealousy, then I would be at a disadvantage. If you were to challenge me, and I defeated you in a duel and also gave you a good beating to vent my frustration, then it would be a different path. It would not put me at a disadvantage, and it would also make me feel better."
Lin Zhao gave him a thumbs-up, "Impressive. You are a truly courteous person. However, I refuse. If I lose a duel, who will be responsible for the damage to my Dao heart? Do you, Chi Zhongyu, only care about your own little plot of land and disregard the cultivation of others?"
"Then you..." Chi Zhongyu looked at him and asked in his mind, "Tonight, will you let her serve you in your chambers?"
"..." Lin Zhao stopped, looking into Chi Zhongyu's eyes. His hands clasped behind his back, he adopted an arrogant posture, gazing at the ninth-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with a shattered sword heart – his sword heart even more fragmented than Lu Xun's had been. He smiled, "What answer do you wish for? If I say I won't touch her, it would give you hope, wouldn't it? Wouldn't that be harming you again? And if I say I will touch her, perhaps your heart will finally break, and you will experience a breakthrough after despair? Chi Zhongyu, Chi Zhongyu, matters of heartbreak are not something an outsider like me can resolve."
"..." Chi Zhongyu gritted his teeth, remaining silent.
At this moment, Lin Zhao, still leading the donkey, stopped in front of an inn called Qiuchi Xiaozhu. He observed the decor of the entrance and the rock garden within, then smiled, "This place looks good. We'll stay here tonight."
"Yes, Young Master," Liu Liying glided forward, entering the inn first, and said with a smile, "Innkeeper, we wish to stay here. Do you have any vacant rooms?"
The innkeeper rubbed his eyes, looking at the woman in the hall with disbelief. She was as beautiful as an immortal descended to the mortal realm. Was this not the Fan Goddess from the Hundred Beauties Scroll? Had she stepped out of the mural?
"Yes, yes," the innkeeper smiled, "However, the two 'Heavenly' rooms have already been reserved by distinguished guests. If you wish to stay, we only have 'Earthly' rooms and some regular rooms available."
"Oh?" Chi Zhongyu frowned. With a gentle wave of his hand, a Golden Core cultivator from the Lingnan Sword Sect went upstairs and spoke a few words to the inn owner. Shortly after, he returned with a pleased expression and whispered a few words to Chi Zhongyu. Chi Zhongyu then turned to Lin Zhao and Liu Liying with a smile, "This Qiuchi Xiaozhu is now under the ownership of our Chi family. We will double the deposit for the two distinguished guests who reserved the 'Heavenly' rooms. These two rooms are now vacant. Please, Young Master Lin and Miss Liying, take them."
"No need," Liu Liying smiled softly, "We only need one room. As the Young Master's maid, Liying naturally needs to stay by the Young Master's side and attend to his daily needs."
"Ah?!" Chi Zhongyu felt as if he was about to shatter.
Lin Zhao also heard the sound of a broken heart and chuckled, "Oh dear, Young Master Chi, I'm truly sorry. After enjoying your hot pot for free, I'm now also staying in your 'Heavenly' room for free. How can I ever repay such a great favor? If there's a chance, I'll treat you to drinks in the future!"
Chi Zhongyu's face turned ashen. He spoke to Lin Zhao in his mind, "Give me a little more time, and I will persuade her to change her mind. Tonight... please don't touch her, can you?"
Lin Zhao laughed, "So pathetic!"
Chi Zhongyu scratched his head, truly embarrassed.
...
In a 'Heavenly' room, complete with a small courtyard and even two maids in attendance, all sorts of food, fruits, and preserved sweets had already been laid out. Lin Zhao accepted it all without much concern. Chi Zhongyu, despite his dissolute demeanor, was not a bad person at heart. After all, Chi Zhongyu was a ninth-stage sword cultivator; no matter how flawed his state of mind, he was still a ninth-stage sword cultivator. With the backing of the Lingnan Sword Sect, he could have forcibly taken Liu Liying without any issue.
Furthermore, Chi Zhongyu surely knew that Lin Zhao had summoned the Fan Goddess Liu Liying with a Qinfu coin. Yet, Chi Zhongyu hadn't tried to buy Liu Liying from Lin Zhao with wealth or used his power to pressure him. He had merely begged for a little more time. From these small details, it was clear that Chi Zhongyu's courtesy was not a pretense. His character was close to that of a gentleman. For this alone, Lin Zhao felt Chi Zhongyu was someone worth befriending. It was just that his state of mind was too poor, and he couldn't overcome the emotional turmoil, making him seem a bit pathetic in that regard.
"Young Master," as Lin Zhao admired the moonlight by the railing, Liu Liying held a plate of fruits and said with a smile, "Would you like to try some sweet fruits from Lingze Mountain?"
"Yes, thank you." Lin Zhao casually picked up a spiritual fruit and took a bite. It was indeed exceptionally sweet. He then glanced at another dish in the plate Liu Liying was holding. It appeared to be a bowl of rice wine, emitting a rich aroma. The rice grains were distinct, sparkling with a translucent luster under the moonlight. He became curious, "What is this?"
"It's rice wine made with top-grade spiritual rice," Liu Liying smiled, "After eating a bowl, cultivators can be filled with spiritual energy for a day."
"Spiritual rice..." Lin Zhao frowned. This was a new term.
"Yes," Liu Liying explained, "Young Master may not know, but there's a saying that the Xu Dynasty in the Hundred Flowers Realm has many spiritual cultivators. The reason for this is precisely the Xu Dynasty's unique method of cultivating spiritual rice. Spiritual rice is different from ordinary rice; it contains an extremely rich amount of spiritual energy and is highly prized by cultivators on the mountains. This bowl of rice wine, made from such superior spiritual rice, costs about ten Feiyu coins."
"So expensive?" Lin Zhao was astonished, "Chi Zhongyu truly spends money without hesitation!"
"..." Liu Liying said nothing. She seemed unwilling to mention Chi Zhongyu.
"Liu Liying," Lin Zhao clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the moonlight outside, and said with a smile, "Put that down and talk to me?"
"Yes, Young Master," the Fan Goddess placed the plate down and walked to Lin Zhao's side, "What does Young Master wish to ask?"
"What was your past with Chi Zhongyu?" Lin Zhao asked.
"..." Liu Liying's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "I never became a Dao companion with Chi Zhongyu, nor were there any emotional entanglements. His heart held Liying, but Liying's heart never held Chi Zhongyu. Now, Liying's heart is filled only with the Young Master. I hope the Young Master... will not make things difficult for Liying. I only wish to faithfully follow and serve the Young Master wholeheartedly."
"I understand," Lin Zhao smiled. Liu Liying did not wish to speak of it!
Thus, he stepped onto the railing and soared into the air, levitating on his sword. "Stay in the room. Do not wander around casually. I'm going to find Chi Zhongyu for a drink."
"Still drinking?" Liu Liying's delicate mouth opened slightly, then she immediately felt she shouldn't interfere with the Young Master's affairs. She quickly said softly, "Liying will wait for the Young Master's return."
"Alright."
...
In an 'Earthly' room.
Chi Zhongyu sat in the small courtyard, restless.
"Swish!" Lin Zhao descended from the sky. He saw the chessboard not far away and asked, "Do you play chess?"
"A little," Chi Zhongyu replied, "I never liked playing chess. My father forced me when I was young. I'm a terrible player. How about you?"
"I took a Go class when I was very young, but I didn't learn well. I'm also a terrible player."
"Hahaha~~~" Chi Zhongyu laughed, "Since we are rivals in chess and talents meeting, why not use chess to accompany wine and have a battle?"
"That's exactly what I intend!" Thus, the two of them, each with a pot of wine, began to play chess, naturally with their own agendas.
Chi Zhongyu's intention was simple: as long as Lin Zhao stayed here playing chess, he wouldn't have time to return to his room to "touch" the Fan Goddess Liu Liying. Therefore, he was willing to play chess with him all night. As for Lin Zhao, he had repeatedly deduced Liu Liying's intentions and Wu Yuanzi's schemes, but could not find a solution. Therefore, he thought it best to find someone to break the stalemate, and Chi Zhongyu happened to be the best person to do so.
As they fought into the endgame, both sweating profusely, Lin Zhao picked up a white stone but hesitated to place it. He looked up at the other man and smiled, "Chi Zhongyu, can we make a deal?"
"Hmm?" Chi Zhongyu smiled, "What deal?"
"I won't return to the 'Heavenly' room tonight and won't touch Liu Liying. You let me glimpse your state of mind. Don't worry, just a single glimpse."
"..." Chi Zhongyu agreed without hesitation, resolutely, "It's a deal!"
It didn't matter anymore. As long as Lin Zhao didn't touch Liu Liying, he could let anyone look at his broken state of mind. In any case, he had already lost all face. However, he was very curious about what method Lin Zhao possessed to be able to perceive one's state of mind.