Chapter 66: Obsession
Fu Tingyun returned to her room with light steps.
She called for Zheng Sanniang to help pack her belongings.
The drinking party had just ended not long ago, and everyone had just gone to sleep. Rubbing her bleary eyes, Zheng Sanniang asked groggily, "Where is the young lady going?"
Fu Tingyun smiled. "We're going to Zhangye."
Zheng Sanniang jolted awake, all drowsiness gone. "To Zhangye? What are we going to Zhangye for?"
"Ninth Master is going to Zhangye, so naturally, we're going too," Fu Tingyun said calmly, instructing Zheng Sanniang, "Just help me pack the teacups and utensils. I'll handle the clothes myself." As she spoke, she sat by the bed, sorting clothes into categories while muttering under her breath, "We can buy everyday necessities in Zhangye if they're lacking—or even use Ninth Master's if needed. But clothes are trickier... I don’t have a single winter outfit prepared! If I’d known, I should’ve bought a few when we went out today." Pausing, she added, "With the poor harvest, cotton, hemp, silk, and gauze have all gone up in price. The Great Xing Temple cost a hundred and twenty taels, plus miscellaneous daily expenses—now I only have about seventy taels left. That might not even be enough for a fur coat."
She reached under her pillow and pulled out a small red-lacquered peony-patterned box with a brass lock. Inside were three twenty-five-tael silver ingots and a small piece of broken silver.
"Let’s call it seventy-five taels," Fu Tingyun murmured as she stood up. To Zheng Sanniang, who was still staring blankly at the array of teacups and fruit plates, she said, "I’m going to Ninth Master’s place and will be back soon. You should also tell Zheng San to pack whatever he needs early." With that, she left.
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The room was unlit, and Zhao Ling lay on the bed fully clothed.
Moonlight shone through the Korean paper-covered window lattice, casting a pale glow.
He thought of their first meeting.
She had large, bright eyes—pitch-black pupils so clear they seemed to reflect his own image.
If she hadn’t let out a startled cry, he might not have snapped out of his daze.
She fell from the tree but didn’t make a sound or even glance back, immediately sprinting away.
At the time, he thought, This girl is clever and quick-witted. But he never killed women or children—this one might be troublesome.
Yet when he gripped her neck to intimidate her, she yielded at once, leading him to the kitchen.
Just as he was inwardly relieved, she suddenly screamed for help.
Fearing she’d keep shouting and attract the nuns after waking, he coldly choked her again.
She fainted from terror.
He carried her to the backyard.
Along the way, the summer sunlight illuminated her face—translucent as jade, pale as snow.
An unexpected pang of pity struck him, and he set her down in the shade of a tree.
Recalling this, Zhao Ling’s lips curled into a faint smile.
He never dreamed that one day, this girl would leave him restless and unsettled, torn between hope and fear.
Back then, he’d only thought her a nuisance.It was just a momentary softness of heart that led him to decide to take her along the way to her uncle's place in Weinan. But then they encountered the tragedy of Master Xie's entire family being killed, leaving her with no one to turn to, so he had no choice but to take her to Xi'an Prefecture. Next, they ran into Feng Laosi, who had been hunting him down unsuccessfully. A fierce battle ensued—though Feng Laosi was killed, it also meant an irreconcilable blood feud with the Feng family. Then came the encounter with the Sixteenth Master. He had been trying to avoid him, but she got involved and stirred things up, forcing him onto the Sixteenth Master's pirate ship.
Zhao Ling sighed softly, gazing at the moonlit window lattice as he murmured to himself, "I wonder if I'll be able to disembark from that pirate ship safely and smoothly when the time comes..."
He then gave a bitter smile.
As for Mo Yi, it wasn’t as if he had no options at all.
When she was at Azure Cloud Temple, she was constantly thinking of ways to seize opportunities without letting go, even daring to scheme against him, a "bandit." When he was injured and unconscious, she refused to give up despite being exhausted, struggling alongside A Sen, a child of eight or nine, to drag him to the City God Temple. Faced with bandits, she would rather take her own life than live in disgrace... Her unyielding nature left such a deep impression on him that he couldn’t help but relent, always giving her an inch of leeway.
He had thought it was merely pity for her misfortunes and his own magnanimity.
Even on that Mid-Autumn Festival night, as he walked down the bustling streets of Guangren Temple with Yang Yucheng and the others, surrounded by the dazzling lights and lively crowds, amid the laughter and camaraderie of his sworn brothers, the thought of her alone in Willow Lane made him restless, as if covered in thorns. He found an excuse and returned to Willow Lane.
Under the moonlight, she confided her worries to him, and he listened quietly, even racking his brains to comfort her with lines like, "Shu brocade is selling for fifteen taels a bolt now, and blue-and-white porcelain is no longer fashionable in the capital," praising her mooncakes. The warmth and intimacy of that moment, like "whispered words in the dead of night," unsettled him somewhat, but more than that, it filled him with a secret joy he couldn’t share.
It wasn’t until she expressed concern over his potential collaboration with Tang Daishan that a sudden thought struck him: "Then are you worried about me?" Only then did he realize with a start how much he had changed.
Was it her kindness when she pleaded for A Sen? Her compassion in helping Zheng Sanniang and her son despite her own hardships? Or the goodwill behind her lie that they were "betrothed"? He couldn’t recall. All he knew was that when he caught her stealing glances at him with those bright, flickering eyes, his heart could no longer stay calm—swinging like a pendulum, restless and unsettled.
He began to feel uneasy.
He would marry someday, have children to carry on the family name—but not now.
There was still so much to do. He didn’t even know what his own fate would be, let alone provide a stable life for a wife and children. And with her temperament, how could she let things go without uncovering the truth?
Two people destined to walk opposite paths—why stir up unnecessary trouble?
He resolved to keep his distance from her.To fulfill his promise to her as soon as possible—that way, he would owe her nothing. Once she returned to her parents, he could gradually forget her.
Zhao Ling remembered clearly the piercing pain that struck him when he made this decision.
Fortunately, the chanting from Daxingshan Temple slowly pulled him out of that agony.
Just when he thought everything would get better, Jin Yuanbao returned.
He brought news that Madam Fu was heading to the capital.
Once again, things took a turn.
Then Mo Yi visited, offering to help settle her affairs: "That way, you won’t have to split your focus." His gaze was sincere.
Zhao Ling was confident this was just another one of Mo Yi’s tactics to win him over, not an attempt to use her as a hostage.
In that moment, his heart stirred uncontrollably.
He knew his own feelings for her—but what about hers?
What did she truly think of him?
Now, Madam Fu was in the capital, barely a month’s journey away, while he was bound for Zhangye, thousands of miles distant. Between her mother and him, who would she choose?
If she chose to stay in Xi’an, then he would accept it as unrequited affection. He would quietly gather his emotions and leave for Zhangye without a word.
But if she chose to go with him to Zhangye…
A touch of pride flickered in his thoughts: If she dared to entrust herself to him, how could he possibly shrink from the responsibility?
Even if they faced mountains of blades and seas of fire ahead, he would never betray her trust. He would meet it all head-on.
Like an obsession, once the thought took root, it refused to fade.
He knew she was eavesdropping outside the study. He knew Jin Yuanbao had seen through his intentions and was fanning the flames. Yet he still vaguely invoked Mo Yi’s name, letting her misunderstand, letting her speculate… But the moment he saw her despondent at the banquet, he regretted it.
Zhangye was too far.
It was a world apart from here.
Once she followed him there, there would be no turning back.
What if she couldn’t adapt to life there?
He couldn’t be so selfish, thinking only of himself and not of her.
Lost in these thoughts, Zhao Ling rested his arms behind his head and stared blankly.
He had to find a way to explain things to her.
He couldn’t let her return to her parents with unresolved feelings.
A noise came from outside.
He instinctively listened closer.
It was A Sen’s voice, bright and cheerful: "Miss Fu, what brings you here? Are you looking for Ninth Master?"
Zhao Ling’s heart tightened.
"Yes!" Fu Tingyun replied with a laugh. "Would you announce me?"
A Sen hastily straightened his clothes and pushed open Zhao Ling’s door with enthusiasm. "Ninth Master, Miss Fu is here to see you!"
For some reason, Zhao Ling deliberately paused before responding, feigning drowsiness. "Hmm… I’ll be right up."
A Sen moved to assist him.
"No need!" Zhao Ling didn’t want A Sen to see him like this. "Go keep Miss Fu company." Worried the boy might insist, he added, "Fetch her a chair and some tea."
A Sen hurried off.
Zhao Ling lingered a while longer before stepping out.
Fu Tingyun stood in the courtyard, teacup in hand, chatting with A Sen.
Her smiling eyes were as gentle as moonlight.
Hearing movement, she turned.
Her gaze shimmered like rippling water, radiant and breathtaking.
"Ninth Master!" She walked toward him with a smile.Zhao Ling had a vague sense that something was about to happen, likely related to Mo Yi's words earlier. Seeing Fu Tingyun now, he felt an almost homesick apprehension—wanting to guess yet afraid to, his heart pounding like a drum.
"Miss Fu!" He smiled gently, trying to appear composed. "It's quite late—what brings you here?"
Fu Tingyun beamed, radiant. "Do you have any silver left at home?"
"Ah!" Zhao Ling stared at her blankly, his smile freezing on his face.
His expression delighted Fu Tingyun.
Her smile widened, a hint of mischief flashing in her eyes. "I want to purchase some things tomorrow morning, but I'm a bit short on funds..."
Zhao Ling snapped out of his daze. "Yes, yes, of course. Since there are no silver houses in Zhangye, we had Yucheng exchange some silver earlier." He paused. "Will two hundred taels be enough?"
Two hundred taels could sustain Madam Lu and her husband for five years.
Fu Tingyun looked hesitant.
Zhao Ling broke into a sweat. "Then I'll have Yucheng go to Baoqing Silver House first thing tomorrow to exchange more."
Baoqing Silver House only exchanged bank notes for amounts over two thousand taels now.
Just how much money does this guy have?
Fu Tingyun wondered silently but kept her expression neutral, nodding reluctantly. "Very well. I suppose two thousand taels should suffice."
Zhao Ling was stunned.
Two thousand taels could buy all the land in Dongjiangcun—over a thousand acres.
What could she possibly need that much silver for?
Had she been swindled while out shopping today?
"Perhaps I could ask Master Lu to accompany you tomorrow?" he offered quickly. "He knows the area well and could help with any errands."
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Too busy today to add an extra update...(>_
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