Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 106: Lady Xueyan

Wuyi, dressed in luxurious black robes, acted as a proper noble. Nobles seldom carried their weapons or armor themselves until they were engaged in battle.

It was a grand display when they arrived inside the fort, and Wuyi noticed many faces peering from every window and doorway around the courtyard.

A tall female elder, dressed in a slate-grey robe similar to that of the deceased elder, reached for Wuyi's horse's reins. Another female elder gestured for him to follow. Neither spoke.

Wuyi was pleased to see Jia dismount gracefully despite the rain and take Haruki's reins without physically shoving the female elder aside.

He nodded at the female elder of the Lotus Blossom Pavilion and followed her across the courtyard toward an intricately designed door adorned with ornate ironwork and elaborate wooden panels.

To the north, a building towered over a set of low sheds that likely served as workshops—his senses suggested a smithy, a dye house, and a Quilting house. To the south, a temple stood, its delicate beauty contrasting sharply with the fort surroundings. There was a long, low stable with a slate roof.

Standing between the temple's intricately carved oak doors was a monk. He wore a yellow robe cinched with a silk sash, was tall and lean to the point of exaggeration, and his hands bore the marks of numerous old scars.

The monk appeared anxious and avoided eye contact, evidently harboring resentment. When Wuyi used the statue of harmony to discern the man's thoughts, he was taken aback by his findings. However, he decided not to disrupt the natural course of events.

Shifting his gaze, Wuyi assessed the wealth of the Lotus Blossom Pavilion by checking out the fortress as if he were a loan shark evaluating a prospective borrower. The Lotus Blossom Pavilion was unique; it was comprised solely of female cultivators who practiced asceticism and cultivation, watching over the Zhuzi Forest standing between the forest and the Kingdom of Tianqin.

They had controlled Yushan Fortress since the inception of the kingdom.

The pavilion's prosperity was unmistakable, reflected in the courtyard's intricate cobblestone patterns designed according to feng shui principles. The buildings were constructed of refined jade and granite, adorned with ornamental ceramic tiles that depicted the history of Yushan.

Above, the pagoda-style towers were roofed with metallic tiles that had turned verdant green with age, channeling rainwater through lead gutters into a cistern adorned with motifs. Bamboo and plum blossom trees were strategically placed around the courtyard, which spanned about thirty paces—rivaling the grandeur of any fortress Wuyi had encountered.

The towering walls, constructed of rain-soaked, darkened stone, stood as imposing barriers. The outer wall lay behind him, while the central structure loomed ahead, each corner fortified with a tower designed in the style of traditional pagodas.

Wuyi mused, "Simple yet rich. Maybe I should rob this place when they are not looking." But he decided against it. Wuyi's unique set of principles included not doing harm to anyone unless they provided him with a reason. The nobles and traders he had robbed had given him such reasons. He was a proud hypocrite.

As he ascended the steps to the grand entrance, another silent elder from the Lotus Blossom Pavilion opened the door for him. She guided him down a vast hall illuminated by high-placed, colored windows.

At the hall's northern end, Lady Xueyan, the pavilion mistress, sat regally on an elevated platform, as if she were an empress. She wore a gown that was mostly grey but had just enough hue to appear as a faint lavender under the light. Her beauty was timeless, not just residing in her facial features but also in her demeanor.

Her attire revealed little, but her posture spoke volumes—it was not just noble or haughty but commanding. Wuyi noticed that her disciples and elders served her with a zeal that could only stem from either trepidation or genuine devotion, similar to how his followers served him.

Wuyi pondered which it could be.

Lady Xueyan seemed startled to see Wuyi for some reason even though she was accepting his arrival.

"Your arrival was rather delayed," Lady Xueyan greeted, snapping her fingers to signal a pair of disciples to bring forth a tea tray.

"We are all comrades in this spiritual journey. Would it not have been courteous to leave your weapon at the entrance of my hall?" spoke pavilion mistress, Wuyi had a dagger in his robes.

She gestured to another disciple. "Bring a cushion for our esteemed guest."

Wuyi responded, "My weapon is an extension of myself, a constant companion in my line of work."

The grand hall, sprawling as the expansive courtyard, boasted elegantly arched windows with intricately carved frames, through which streamed the soft luminescence of colored glass, illuminating the polished, darkened teak beams overhead. The walls, seamlessly plastered with a mix of fine sand and white jade dust, were punctuated by recessed alcoves.

Each alcove enshrined a statue of esteemed cultivators, their figures carved from precious stones, and rolls of ancient, ornate scrolls, their contents revered and mystical, intended to impress and inspire reverence among visitors.

Despite its grandeur, an air of austere solemnity pervaded the hall, more pronounced than the enigmatic mist outside; the central incense burner, remained unlit, adding to the silent majesty of the fortress's heart.

As Lady Xueyan sipped her tea, a low table was placed beside Wuyi, who found himself seated at a level much lower than hers.

"Do you really think your weapon is necessary within these walls, where ascetic female cultivators reside?" she queried.

Wuyi raised an eyebrow. "I see a fortress that happens to house cultivators. Female or male, in my eyes, Qi warriors are Qi warriors."

She nodded. "If I commanded my disciples to seize you, would your weapon protect you?"

The disciple who brought his cushion was strikingly beautiful, moving with the grace of a Qi warrior. He shifted his gaze to meet hers and experienced a pull from the Sacred Chamber. Wuyi was startled.

The disciple was not just pretty; she was captivating. She placed the cushion behind him. In the sacred chamber, the statue of knowledge asked Wuyi to touch the girl. Wuyi, without overthinking, took the opportunity to gently clasp her hand, making her turn toward him. At the same time, Wuyi felt something that he had not felt in years.

He felt as if a meteorite was about to fall in sacred chamber, but before it could, the disciple pulled her hand away.