Our first encounter happened back then.

It was naturally Gu Qianrun who opened the door. At that time, he was not so thin yet, and his complexion was much better. Gu Qianrun likely knew Jun Xiao; seeing him standing at the threshold, he was only slightly taken aback. “The young master of the Gentleman’s Hall?”

His tone was neither warm nor cold. Rather than simply not welcoming Jun Xiao, it seemed more as if he had not expected him to appear here at all. Jun Xiao felt a bit uneasy, standing stiffly as he nodded.

“May I ask why you’re here?” Gu Qianrun inquired.

A flush crept over Jun Xiao’s ears, causing Ming Yue, who stood not far behind him, to widen her eyes, and even Gu Qianrun showed a hint of surprise. But Jun Xiao was Jun Xiao after all; he quickly regained his composure, cleared his throat softly, and said, “Sir, I wish to request a few paintings for the residence.”

Gu Qianrun nodded, stepping aside to let Jun Xiao in. Ming Yue and Qin Shi followed, and it was no surprise to find the lady in red inside. What Ming Yue hadn’t expected was that, after Jun Xiao selected a few paintings, he left without so much as glancing at her.

“Isn’t the master supposed to be smitten with her at first sight?” Ming Yue wondered aloud, trailing behind Jun Xiao.

Qin Shi shook his head, offering no answer.

That night, at the rear mountain of Gentleman’s Hall, a crescent moon hung in the dark sky, cold and luminous. Jun Xiao stood at the edge of the cliff, sword in hand, with the younger Jun Yi beside him. The two brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, clad in the same blue and white robes, fluttering loudly in the night wind.

“Brother, are you ready?” Jun Yi stretched his arms and smiled.

Jun Xiao frowned slightly and opened his mouth, but no words came. Yet Jun Yi seemed not to expect an answer; he clapped Jun Xiao’s shoulder with a grin, “Alright, don’t linger too long. ‘Listening Tide Pavilion’ updates the fastest, and in just a few days you’ll officially succeed as the master of Gentleman’s Hall. I don’t want to see a weary new leader then.”

After Jun Yi left, Jun Xiao’s left thumb pushed forward, sending a sharp streak of sword light flashing past Ming Yue’s eyes.

Ming Yue fixed her gaze ahead. Jun Xiao, all in white, executed his sword moves with steely precision. Countless sword shadows blended with the cold moonlight and restless wind. Ming Yue suddenly felt as though she were watching a flurry of snowflakes. The man’s sword halted just so, a single snowflake balanced on its tip. Only for an instant did it pause, then, as the sword followed his will, Jun Xiao’s figure dissolved, merging with the snowfall and shifting sword shadows.

At that moment, a crimson silk flowed through the air, agile as a serpent, joining the fray from nowhere. Jun Xiao was momentarily startled, and Ming Yue turned to look at the end of the red silk.

A fiery red dress blazed like a torch, burning away the chill around them. Jun Xiao’s lips curved slightly; his sword never faltered. Red and white, the two figures tangled together beneath the moon.

As Ming Yue watched, a phrase came to mind: “A beauty as jade, a sword as a rainbow.” She propped her chin and mulled it over, then turned to Qin Shi with a laugh, “Do you think Jun Xiao is beside himself with joy now? He has a beauty and a sword—what regrets could he have?”

“Does the master know this beauty isn’t without thorns? At this hour, who would come to Gentleman’s Hall, and appear here on the rear mountain?”

Ming Yue was stunned, pursing her lips unconsciously. When she looked back to the cliff, Jun Xiao had subdued the beauty. He withdrew his smile and asked in a low voice, “Who are you?”

“You don’t know?” the woman retorted.

Jun Xiao’s sword brows arched, and he chuckled quietly. “If I knew, how could I have let you go this morning?”

Surprise flickered across the woman’s face, and she struck out, aiming a palm at Jun Xiao’s chest. He stepped back to dodge, but as she turned to leave, he caught her back with her own red silk, drawing her close again.

“Tell me, who are you?”

The woman pressed her hands against Jun Xiao’s chest, smiled up at him, and said, “Who do you think would come to Shu at this hour? Anyone with sense knows Shu will sooner or later be…”

Jun Xiao’s grip at her waist tightened, and he saw, as expected, her brows knit slightly. Yet she still smiled, “Sooner or later, Shu will be swallowed by Que. With your king, I won’t call him foolish, but there’s no way Shu could ever grow strong. Even if you gave him decades more, it would still be a backwater, shattered at the touch of Que.”

She raised a hand to Jun Xiao’s face, leaning in. “So, young master, you’d better advise your disciples not to resist pointlessly.” With that, she tapped Jun Xiao’s shoulder and retreated.

This time, Jun Xiao did not stop her, watching as the lady in red turned away, leaving only a lingering fragrance. While Jun Xiao stood stunned, Ming Yue asked Qin Shi, “What does this mean? Does Jun Xiao know why the beauty came?”

“He might have known before, or not. But after tonight, it will be hard for him not to.”

“And so?”

Qin Shi pressed his thin lips and spoke softly, “Gu Yanrong is here representing Que. Even if she’s not the official envoy, she is at least a covert agent. Though it’s inevitable that Shu will be destroyed, for the people who grew up here, it is not easy to accept.”

“You mean this is why the Jun family and the disciples of Gentleman’s Hall will dislike her in the future?” Ming Yue glanced at Jun Xiao, who had sheathed his sword but stood at the cliff’s edge, lost in thought.

Qin Shi shook his head, “This is just the beginning. How can anything be certain?”

Just as he finished speaking, the scene shifted. He and Ming Yue found themselves once more on a familiar street. Jun Xiao, just emerged from the mountain path, wore a jet-black crown and had his hair tied up, his blue and white robes billowing in the wind, and a long sword still in his left hand. He crossed the street and finally stopped before an inn.

After Jun Xiao entered, Ming Yue glanced up at the sign overhead and muttered, “Could this be the inn that person mentioned earlier?”

The two followed to the second floor, and indeed saw Jun Xiao knock on the beauty’s door. She leaned against the threshold, arching a brow with surprise. “Young master, we meet again.”

“May I ask how you are addressed?” Jun Xiao asked, clasping his hands.

The beauty hesitated, then smiled, “Qing Yi.”

A throwing knife grazed Qing Yi’s cheek, embedding itself in the door and slicing off a lock of black hair. A man in black, appearing from nowhere, landed lightly before Qing Yi and Jun Xiao, closing in silently with a curved blade. Qing Yi showed no surprise, only laughed softly. “Young master, Qing Yi has guests. I won’t keep you company.” With a sweep of her robe, she leapt out the window. Unexpectedly, Jun Xiao chased after her along with the man in black.

Ming Yue hurried to the window, but after a quick glance below, wilted, and instead dragged Qin Shi down the stairs to chase after them at the rear of the inn. Neither of them knew martial arts, and though they tried their best, the group ahead pulled farther away. Fortunately, they soon stopped in a bamboo grove. Qing Yi turned to face several men in black, smiling lightly, “Since I entered Shu’s borders, you’ve followed me all the way. How diligent.”

“Enchantress, we will not let you take anything back to harm Shu’s people.”

Qing Yi laughed again, “Oh? I don’t know what I’ve taken. I only urged the young master of Gentleman’s Hall not to send disciples to the battlefield to resist in vain. If you don’t believe me, you can ask.”

With these words, the man who had spoken before looked to Jun Xiao, who stood not far from Qing Yi, and asked with suspicion, “Are you a disciple of Gentleman’s Hall?”

Jun Xiao nodded.

The man frowned, “If you’re one of our righteous path, how could you let this enchantress harm Shu?”

Jun Xiao’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could speak, the men in black attacked Qing Yi. She changed from her earlier red silk, drew a silver hairpin from her robe, pressed its end, and it transformed into a slender sword. The blade was narrow and double-edged; in Qing Yi’s hand, it writhed like a snake, weaving swiftly between the men in black and their curved blades and throwing knives. After a while, the men in black suffered heavier injuries.

During a lull, the man spoke again, “Gentleman’s Hall is the leader of the righteous path in the southwest. How can it stand by and do nothing?”

Jun Xiao, previously frozen in shock, finally lowered his gaze. Bowing to the injured men in black, he drew his sword and joined Qing Yi in battle. Jun Xiao was superior in skill, and Qing Yi had already expended some energy, so she soon showed signs of defeat.

Yet Ming Yue, watching from the side, grew confused. Suddenly, Jun Xiao closed in on Qing Yi, seized her sword hand, spun around, and plunged the sword straight into the chest of the leading man in black.