Whispers of Fate (Shui Long Yin)

Luoyang.

Apricot Sun Bookstore.

A Shui sat outside the bookstore, basking in the sun with Feng Feng in her arms. Feng Feng’s fair cheeks were rosy, and she slept soundly under the warm sunlight. A Shui gently patted her, gazing into the distance. Life was peaceful and uneventful, yet her heart was anything but calm. The turmoil of the Martial Arts World was unending—Tang Lici, Liu Yan, Xiao Fu, Hong Guniang… all were people she cared about. Was her own safety merely an inconsequential departure, or was it an extreme form of selfishness?

"Mm… wah…" Feng Feng stirred in her arms, suddenly opening her eyes and sitting up, then leaning over A Shui’s shoulder to look behind her. A Shui softly stroked Feng Feng’s silky hair and turned her head, spotting a carriage racing down the street in the distance, heading toward the residence of the Imperial Father-in-Law.

Lately, there had been many people traveling between Bianjing and Luoyang. Though she hadn’t been paying close attention, she still noticed many unusual signs. This was already the third carriage heading in that direction—who could be inside?

"Miss, I’d like to buy a book." A voice called out from the front of the store. She turned and fetched a copy of The Book of Changes from the shelf for the customer. The man before her was handsome and refined, dressed impeccably, with a long sword hanging at his waist—clearly a man of the Martial Arts World. A Shui couldn’t help but glance at him twice, offering a faint smile. "Are you from out of town, sir?"

The swordsman smiled. "My surname is Yang—Yang Guihua, from Mount Hua. May I ask how you are addressed?"

A Shui replied, "This humble woman has no proper name. You may call me A Shui. Recently, many outsiders have come to Luoyang, so business at the bookstore has been better than usual."

Yang Guihua picked up The Book of Changes and flipped through it. "This is the finest printed edition I’ve seen. Miss A Shui is quite observant—indeed, many outsiders have been coming to Luoyang lately. Have you noticed where most of them seem to be going?"

A Shui’s gaze was clear. "It seems they’ve all been heading toward East Street."

Yang Guihua cupped his hands in thanks. "My gratitude, miss." With that, he placed a silver ingot gently on the counter and left, sword swaying at his side.

A Shui watched his retreating figure, having originally intended to ask this swordsman about what might be happening between Luoyang and Bianjing. Unexpectedly, he had come seeking information himself. A faint unease stirred in her heart as her gaze shifted to the silver ingot on the counter.

A whole ingot was not a sum an ordinary passerby would casually spend. She flipped it over—beneath it was a clear official seal. This was government silver. The man from earlier was no martial artist, but an official. Why would an official disguise himself as a traveling scholar? Was his use of government silver a subtle show of intimidation?

Something was definitely about to happen.

Holding Feng Feng, she stood up, lost in thought for a long moment before slowly making her way toward East Street.

Residence of the Imperial Father-in-Law.

A carriage sped forward, stopping before the opulent gates of the residence. A figure lifted the curtain and stepped down—snow-white embroidered shoes touched the ground, pristine and new, making the dusty road beneath seem all the more grimy.

The red-clad gatekeeper froze at the sight, then suddenly shouted, "Young Master!"

The person who descended from the carriage was clad in white, with silver hair—none other than Tang Lici.

The red-clad servant threw aside the broom in his hands and dashed inside, yelling, "Master! Master! The Young Master is back! He’s back, safe and sound! Come out and see!"The mansion erupted in an uproar as Tang Weiqian rushed out with a crowd of servants. The moment he saw Tang Lici standing in the courtyard, he began cursing loudly, "So you finally remember to come back? I heard you were dead! How are you still alive and kicking? You damned fox demon, always running around without sending a single word home!" He raised his hand to strike, "I'll beat you to death! Let's see how many times you can come back to life! Where have you been all these months? Do you even care about this family? Do you care about me? Huh?" Tang Lici stood respectfully, lowering his head and submitting to Tang Weiqian's furious blows until the older man grew exhausted. Supporting his panting foster father, Tang Lici raised his sleeve slightly toward the onlookers, "Please, everyone." The servants, seeing Tang Lici's return, dared not utter a word and hastily retreated, allowing him to escort Tang Weiqian back to the guest hall.

"Where in the world have you been?" Tang Weiqian demanded after sitting down in the hall, accepting the cup of tea Tang Lici handed him. He took a sip, his temper slightly soothed. "No word for over half a year—some even said you were dead! Utterly ridiculous! Have you ever considered your position? Have you thought about how your reckless spending and wild behavior reflect on me and Yunfei? You... You're not a child anymore! All you do is wander around aimlessly—what can you do besides make money?" Tang Lici responded with a quiet "Yes," gently patting Tang Weiqian's back as he said softly, "Father, don't worry too much. Your son has been well." Tang Weiqian flew into a rage again, "Who's worried about you? Weren't you dead? Why aren't you dead? Why don't you just die?" He jabbed a furious finger at Tang Lici's nose, then flung his sleeve down with a heavy swish. "Come see me after you're dead!" With that, he slammed the table and stormed off without a backward glance. Tang Lici picked up his own teacup from the table, took a small sip, and set it back down with delicate precision. His gaze rested calmly on the floor, utterly composed.A twelve or thirteen-year-old servant boy timidly approached Tang Lici. "Young... Young Master..." Tang Lici turned around with a gentle smile. "Yuan'er." The boy nodded. "Young Master..." Tang Lici pulled him closer, patting his head just as he often did with Feng Feng. "What is it?" Yuan'er's eyes immediately reddened. "The master... the master scolded me." Tang Lici patted his head again. "He scolds me often too. It's nothing. He scolds you because he cares about you." Yuan'er nodded, choking back sobs. "Yuan'er understands, but... but the master forbade me from bringing messages to you... The master is ill, gravely ill. The physician said he only has... only half a year left." Tang Lici stiffened slightly. "What illness?" Yuan'er pointed to his chest. "The master has a growth in his chest. It hurts terribly." Tang Lici drew him into an embrace and patted his back. "Good boy, you did right to tell me. Don't be afraid. It'll be alright." Tears welled in Yuan'er's eyes. "Young Master, will you cure the master?" Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Of course. Don't worry. Go about your duties." Yuan'er gave a small bow and ran off, but after a few steps, he turned back. "Young Master..." Tang Lici lifted his teacup, his jade-like fingers resting lightly on the blue-painted porcelain with pine motifs. "Yes?" Yuan'er hesitated. "I heard... Yunfei is also ill..." Tang Lici's brow furrowed slightly. "I see." As Yuan'er withdrew, he took a sip of tea and sighed softly.