My Gentle and Pure Sect Leader Husband - Chapter 52

“Are you sure this will work?” Lu Xiaofeng held the radish seal in his hand with a doubtful expression.

The chubby little boy became unhappy and reached out to grab the radish from Lu Xiaofeng’s hand. “If you don’t believe me, I’ll take it back!”

“I trust your craftsmanship! I just don’t understand why the seal on Uncle Yu and Aunt Yan’s family rules would have anything to do with those disappearance cases.” Lu Xiaofeng nimbly stuffed the radish seal into his bosom while also taking the family rules from Zhu Ting’s hand and returning them to Hua Manlou.

Hua Manlou, holding the radish seal carved with a pear blossom mark, was also very curious upon hearing this.

Hua Manlou was essentially a child who knew nothing about the two adults’ identities. He knew Uncle Yu had high martial arts skills, but didn’t know to what extent. He knew Aunt Yan kept a low profile, but similarly didn’t know exactly how formidable she was. However, he did know that this home was the most comfortable and relaxed place he had stayed since losing his sight.

He didn’t feel that his blindness mattered. Reading, writing, practicing martial arts, and even playing music and performing tea ceremonies—Hua Manlou felt like everything had become both similar to and different from how it was before the great change.

He no longer felt unsafe without adults’ protection, nor did he remain vigilant and sleepless. Instead, after the adults left, his heart surged with an eagerness like a young hawk spreading its wings.

Ximen Chuixue knew what kind of person his uncle was, but actually didn’t fully understand what kind of person he truly was.

This gave him a strong sense of curiosity and awe toward his aunt—or rather, his master—because only the strong would bow to the strong. He could tell that the senior next door was no easy character either, yet his master could make the two live peacefully under the same roof.

But Ximen Chuixue didn’t investigate further.

Because he had already seen these “family rules” that Hua Manlou produced on the second day after he came to the house.

When he chose to integrate into and accept this family, he tacitly acknowledged the dignity of the family rules—absolutely no investigation or digging into his master or Ah Lou—and Ah Lou did the same.

“How would I know why?” The chubby boy stood with his hands in his pockets, looking disgruntled. “I only know they don’t choose children randomly. The chosen children get that pear blossom mark stamped on their arms, and then within three days, someone comes to take them away.”

“But they’re really too much! Xiao Hu and I were sleeping together, yet that person only took Xiao Hu and didn’t even look at me!” The little chubby boy became increasingly angry as he spoke, standing up and stomping his feet to relieve his numb legs while indignantly saying, “One of them even said I was fat and had no talent?! No talent?! My master said I’m the strongest disciple in our sect!!!”

“Don’t you always say ‘summer insects can’t discuss ice’? Why bother arguing with those stupid people, right?” Lu Xiaofeng stood up, one hand on Zhu Ting’s shoulder, the other giving a thumbs up. “Zhu Ting is going to become a great master of hidden weapons and mechanisms!”

(TL: Metaphorical expression. It’s derived from a classical Chinese saying, meaning that a person who lacks experience or knowledge in a certain area (like a summer insect that can’t understand ice) shouldn’t discuss topics they don’t understand.)

“The greatest master!” The chubby Zhu Ting corrected.

“Yes, yes, yes, the greatest, the greatest!” Lu Xiaofeng nodded repeatedly, then winked at Ximen Chuixue.

Ximen Chuixue took Hua Manlou’s hand and stood up, subtly retreating bit by bit to the alley entrance.

Lu Xiaofeng kept his arm around Zhu Ting’s shoulders to prevent him from looking in that direction. “What about the other seal? Have you seen the one you carved?”

“Are you joking?” Zhu Ting snorted coldly, his face full of pride. “That plaque was originally carved by my master—it was his most proud work! I saw the carving diagram in his box. If he hadn’t sworn never to replicate it in his lifetime, he would definitely have made seventeen or eighteen more copies for his own satisfaction!”

“Who could make your master not replicate something with just one word?” Lu Xiaofeng and Zhu Ting had grown up together wearing open-crotch pants. Later, Lu Xiaofeng followed Wang Lianhua traveling all over, so the two hadn’t seen much of each other in the past two years.

But Lu Xiaofeng knew Zhu Ting’s family. His master’s hands could turn decay into miracles, but his personality…..in short, he had a natural rebellious streak, and neither threats nor temptations worked on him.

Zhu Ting’s face paled, and his lips trembled as he said, “There are not just living people and dead people in this world, there are also one or two people that neither the living nor the dead would dare to provoke if they had eyes… Anyway, with that thing around, no one in Luoyang City would dare to touch you. If you hadn’t shown me that paper, I wouldn’t have dared to carve it either—hey, Lu Xiaofeng, you just said that paper was written by those two children’s family, right?”

The chubby boy’s steamed bun-like face began to show signs of fear. He was only seven or eight years old, and after his defiant spirit subsided, he began to regret it.

Lu Xiaofeng patted Zhu Ting’s back reassuringly, stroking him to calm him down. “Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you. So that’s it then, thanks brother!”

In a flash, by the time Zhu Ting came to his senses, Lu Xiaofeng and the two brothers who had been standing not far away had disappeared at the entrance of the alley.

“Lu Xiaofeng, you bastard!!! You left without me again!!!”

……

“Why are we running?” Hua Manlou leaned against the wall, panting, turning to ask Lu Xiaofeng who had caught up.

Lu Xiaofeng caught his breath too, saying haltingly, “Zhu Ting is the apple of his master and mistress’s eye, and he can’t practice martial arts. For things like this, we’d better not drag him along.”

Otherwise, if anything happened to him, even his master couldn’t protect him from the Luban Sect who would want to split him alive.

Ximen Chuixue’s stamina was far better than these two radish heads. His breathing remained steady as he asked, “What’s next?”

Lu Xiaofeng asked Hua Manlou for the pear blossom seal, took out some seal ink from somewhere in his bosom, and stamped a mark on the back of each of their hands.

“If I’m not mistaken, those people are probably looking for children with martial arts potential, which is why they gave up on Zhu Ting then.”

“Now we’ve stamped ourselves with the seal, it’s getting dark, and it will be easier for them to kidnap children. We just need to walk around and attract attention!”

…….

Night fell from the edge of the sky, enveloping roof tiles, accompanying moonlight as it spilled down to the human world.

Yan Hongyin and Yu Luocha had been following behind the three radish heads the whole time. Now seeing the three little ones being taken away without resistance, Yan Hongyin remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“They’re clever, but not by much.”

The three martial arts novices dared to venture so deep into enemy territory—it truly showed the fearlessness of newborn calves not afraid of tigers.

After waiting for quite a while without hearing a response from the person beside her, Yan Hongyin turned to look at Yu Luocha and saw that he had changed from his previous dazed, bristling demeanor and was now frowning and muttering something to himself.

Yan Hongyin wore an ordinary plain dress, the kind that could be seen everywhere in the capital. Yu Luocha beside her still wore the outfit of an out-of-town wealthy businessman, but was now obviously distracted.

Yan Hongyin stopped walking and raised an eyebrow.

Yu Luocha walked forward three or four steps, habitually reaching his hand to the side. Only when he didn’t touch anyone did he realize, turning around abruptly to see Yan Hongyin standing in place with an impassive face.

Coughing embarrassedly, Yu Luocha turned and walked back to Yan Hongyin’s side, saying softly, “Did you just call me?”

“No,” Yan Hongyin glanced at him and continued walking.

Yu Luocha smiled and approached her again. “Good Ah Yin~ I was just thinking about how to steal a bride~”

“You don’t need to worry about those three children at home. None of the three is foolish—they’ve definitely guessed that we’re following them in secret and are boldly playing around, relying on us being there.”

Yan Hongyin rarely showed such small tempers. Yu Luocha had only seen this when Yan Hongyin faced that nanny in the Yan Hong Hall. This adorable little temper, rather than anger, was more like Yan Hongyin’s way of being coquettish.

This kind of stubbornness and pride would be called difficult on Wang Lianhua, but on Ah Yin, it was just an endearing show of closeness.

It was extremely cute.

Yan Hongyin said nothing, not understanding Yu Luocha’s bizarre train of thought. “I haven’t said the prince consort has been decided.”

So how had this person spent over an hour thinking about stealing a bride?

“I know, I know, I’m just planning an alternative backup plan,” Yu Luocha said sincerely. “If I can’t move your foster father, I may have to steal the bride.”

“It’s uncle,” Yan Hongyin corrected. “Then you indeed need to think carefully, but there is a more efficient method.”

When Yu Luocha heard Yan Hongyin say he was her uncle, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. He somewhat understood why Wang Lianhua had known about his daughter’s existence but hadn’t taken her away from the royal family.

So the royal family had not only provided shelter and care for Yan Hongyin during his absence from her childhood but also had this layer of maternal blood relation.

“What method?” Yu Luocha asked curiously.

“There are two types of princess marriages. One is marrying a prince consort, after which neither the prince consort nor the princess may take anyone new,” Yan Hongyin answered. “The second is taking a husband, where the prince consort is the primary spouse, but the princess can still take…”

“One! One! One!” Yu Luocha didn’t need to hear more to know what he should choose, then worriedly said, “I just don’t know what to use to move your uncle.”

“Hmm, no rush, we still have a month,” Yan Hongyin very cruelly added another straw to Yu Luocha’s anxiety. “And also my… hmm, my father’s side, don’t forget about that.”

When she said it, Yan Hongyin felt it was a bit strange, but also somewhat acceptable, and decided to try it out the next time she saw Wang Lianhua.

Yu Luocha, however, froze on the spot, tugging at Yan Hongyin’s sleeve with an incredulous look. “Ah Yin… do I look like I have two lives?”

To let Wang Lianhua hear from his mouth that his daughter was getting married, and that it was arranged by that person in the palace… Yu Luocha had to admit that his voice had indeed been a bit loud when speaking to his father-in-law the other day.

“You need three,” Yan Hongyin held out three fingers, lowered two, and finally showed a smile in her eyes. “Save one to marry me.”

Yu Luocha couldn’t hold back a laugh either, hooking onto Yan Hongyin’s last standing finger, which eventually turned into interlaced fingers. “If I succeed, will Wife accompany me back to the Western Regions?”

“It depends on your performance,” Yan Hongyin turned her face slightly noncommittally. “But for an alliance marriage beyond the border, mere beauty won’t be enough to move me.”

“Is that so…” Yu Luocha moved closer to Yan Hongyin, smiling gently. “Then, how about the position of Queen of the Western Regions?”

Yan Hongyin was in a good mood, with curved lips meeting Yu Luocha’s gaze, looking deep into those pools of amber. “Are you sure?”

“As long as I’m the only king consort,” Yu Luocha’s brow carried a bewitching intensity, his gorgeous appearance overwhelming.

As Yu Luocha lowered his eyes to smile, Yan Hongyin withdrew her hand from Yu Luocha’s fingers, grabbed his collar forcing him to lower his head, and whispered in his ear, “But, I would find the chaotic Western Regions distasteful.”

“A month’s time, This Princess awaits with anticipation.”

Yan Hongyin gently patted the chest of this uncrowned king of the Western Regions, then meaningfully slowed her voice, calling with a smile—

“Husband.”

Yu Luocha’s eyes suddenly darkened, and the muscles in his chest instantly tensed. Yan Hongyin withdrew her hand casually, raising it to let a bird circling in mid-air land on her finger.

“Let’s go, we should keep an eye on the children at home.”

Yu Luocha took a deep breath, suppressing the romantic notions in his heart. After some thought, he deliberately placed Yan Hongyin’s hand on his arm, linking them together, before contentedly following the bird as it spread its wings and flew.