Hall of Gentlemen

“What are you doing, Mingyue?” Mingyue’s head, which had been buried deeper and deeper, was pulled out by Jun Yi. She gritted her teeth and asked, “Do you know who the Second Master of the Junzi Hall is?” Jun Yi was momentarily stunned, then his brows arched into a radiant smile as he replied, “I hadn’t realized Mingyue was so concerned about me!”

“You, you…” Mingyue pointed at Jun Yi, and two faces suddenly flashed through her mind. Her eyes rolled back, and she nearly fainted. With a sigh, she pushed Jun Yi aside, pressed her hand to her forehead, and said, “I’m not feeling well. Second Master Jun, please allow me a few days to recover.”

“Of course, of course.”

“In that case, Second Master Jun, please leave.” Mingyue rolled over and burrowed further in. The door creaked open and then closed behind her, and Mingyue clutched the brocade quilt over her face. If it were a simple business matter, she could have revealed Qin Shi’s involvement after meeting the client who needed the Lovesickness Elixir. But if there were other complications… she had no solution. Had she known things would come to this, she’d never have wasted so much idle time. But regret came too late.

Meanwhile, in the study at the rear of Junzi Hall, a man even more mature than Jun Yi stood with one hand behind his back, gazing up at a painting hanging on the wall. The woman in the painting was elegant and demure, a faint smile gracing her lips. Behind her, cherry blossoms rained down like a shower.

The next morning, Mingyue was led through the courtyard towards… truthfully, she didn’t know where. From beyond the walls, the clash of blades drifted to her ears. As one of the four great righteous powers of the martial world, Junzi Hall commanded all the orthodox sects in the southwest, and the Jun family’s influence was renowned far and wide. Yet, these matters of violence were none of Mingyue’s concern, so she rarely inquired and knew only vague outlines, not the details.

Suddenly, Mingyue bumped into the maidservant ahead of her, and the pain brought her back to her senses. Looking up, she saw that the hall was filled on both sides and even the seat of honor was occupied. Mingyue’s eyes darted around; this arrangement seemed to be for more than just a simple request for the Lovesickness Elixir. Yet she had never been involved in martial affairs.

The man in the seat of honor gently set down his porcelain cup. Mingyue, instantly wary, stepped back several paces and braced herself.

An elder on the left spoke first, “Miss, please don’t be alarmed. We have invited you here as we have a difficult favor to ask, not for any other purpose.”

“A favor?” Mingyue raised a brow. Remembering her journey here, anger flared in her heart. She said with biting sarcasm, “How very polite you all are. I was minding my own business in Yinzhou, about to meet a very important client, when I was ‘invited’ here against my will, nearly killed alongside the coachman. I must thank you for sparing me from disaster.”

“It was our mistake—Junzi Hall handled matters poorly and caused you suffering,” the man in the seat of honor replied, his voice low and tinged with coldness.

Mingyue folded her arms defensively, instinctively on guard. Though she was in the right, who could guarantee these righteous men wouldn’t stoop to despicable tactics? Especially when she was on their turf, where her fate was in their hands. She held her head high and asked, “What exactly do you want me to do?”

The man in the seat of honor looked up. His eyes were dark as night, yet utterly lifeless, which startled Mingyue. She heard him say, “I, Jun Xiao, ask for nothing else but the Lovesickness Elixir, to sever the entanglements of the past.”

Hearing this, Mingyue began to weigh her options, her gaze shifting between the man and all those present. Gathering her courage, she said, “You seem to have overlooked one thing. I alone cannot complete the Lovesickness Elixir. I require the help of my attendant, Qin Shi.”

“If you are concerned for your safety in Junzi Hall, I, Jun Xiao, pledge my life and honor as guarantee.”

Mingyue raised a hand to halt him. “That’s not it. Even if I don’t trust Junzi Hall, my reason for needing Qin Shi is unrelated. The Lovesickness Elixir is inherently risky and requires assistance. Otherwise, it could trap the soul of the client—your soul, to be exact—leaving you in an endless sleep or in a childlike stupor. If Junzi Hall does not care about such risks, I have no objection. We can begin immediately.”

Jun Xiao’s brows knit, and several others below looked grave. The elder who spoke earlier said, “In that case, we must trouble you to be our guest for a few days. Once Qin Shi is here, we will request your help.”

Mingyue nodded and turned to leave. What she didn’t say was that, if Qin Shi wasn’t by her side, she would certainly be left in a stupor herself. Without Qin Shi’s soul lamp to construct an illusion and guide the soul, she would be forced to devour the fragment of soul suffused with longing, so they could forget their lovesickness.

She took her lunch alone in her room, not wishing to see anyone from the Jun family. One Jun Yi was trouble enough; today she’d encountered even more. Presumably, Jun Xiao was the elder brother Jun Yi had mentioned. Sitting in the seat of honor implied a high position, and since Jun Yi was already the Second Master, Jun Xiao could only be the current leader of Junzi Hall…

Mingyue sighed deeply and reclined on her couch. Junzi Hall was far from Yinzhou. Judging by their attitude, if they found Qin Shi, they would probably bring him here overnight. But she’d been missing for days, and she didn’t know what Qin Shi would do. Whether the Jun family could even find him was uncertain. If they couldn’t, how would she escape from here?

“Master.”

Mingyue froze. Was she missing Qin Shi so much that she was hallucinating? The next moment, a warm touch landed on her shoulder. She turned stiffly, and as soon as she saw Qin Shi in his blue robe, she sprang up.

“How did you get in here?”

“They let me in.”

Mingyue jumped from the couch, strode over, and grabbed him by the lapel. “Why would they let you in?”

“I gave my name and they stood aside.” Qin Shi’s face was calm, unshaken.

“No, I mean, you were supposed to be in Yinzhou. How did you end up in the ancient kingdom of Shu?”

“When I left the Yi residence, I found your fire striker on the ground. The one who took you left marks along the way, so I followed them here to Junzi Hall.”

Hearing this, Mingyue released him and instead wrapped her arms around his neck, bouncing with joy. “That person was quite foresighted! I’m so glad you’re here—I wouldn’t know what to do alone!”

In her delight, she forgot that the Jun family hadn’t known that the Lovesickness Elixir required Qin Shi’s help. Why would they deliberately leave a trail?

“Do you intend to stay or return?” Qin Shi’s question caught Mingyue off guard. She never wanted to get involved in the martial world or the court—both were easy to enter, hard to leave. She just wanted a simple life. But as things stood, Junzi Hall wouldn’t release her easily, and she truly needed the Lovesickness Elixir now. In her days recuperating in Junzi Hall, she’d noticed her body weakening. No one had told her outright, but she sensed that without the Elixir, she would grow weaker and weaker, the end unknown. Somehow, it was all connected to that “thing” in her left eye. Until she uncovered the truth, she had to survive.

Before Mingyue could answer, another voice replied, “Naturally, she’ll stay.”

Mingyue and Qin Shi turned to see Jun Yi, dressed in blue and white, leaning against the doorframe. He quirked a brow at Qin Shi and asked, “And this is?”

“Qin Shi,” he replied with a slight nod.

A sly smile tugged at Jun Yi’s lips as his gaze shifted between Mingyue and Qin Shi. Only now did Mingyue realize she was still holding onto Qin Shi. She discreetly stepped back, fanning herself with her hand. “Does Second Master Jun have business with me?”

“It was nothing, but now that Qin Shi is here, when do you plan to prepare the Lovesickness Elixir for my brother?”

Mingyue seated herself and poured a cup of tea, squinting with a smile. “Are you in a hurry, Second Master Jun?”

Jun Yi was taken aback, then came closer, bracing a hand on the table and leaning in. He spoke in a low voice, “Of course. My elder brother is not only my kin, but the pillar of Junzi Hall. The entire Jun family hopes he can recover from his pain soon.”

“What happened to him?” Mingyue inquired.

Jun Yi’s smile vanished. He let go, turned, and walked toward the door. Pausing at the threshold, he glanced back and said, “He died.”

Those two cold words both shocked and oddly failed to surprise Mingyue, but what truly unsettled her was Jun Yi’s sudden change in demeanor.