Chapter 968: Under Another's Roof

At the Maolu Annex, Wen Mo'er stepped out of her room and saw Ju An of Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion standing in the courtyard. She froze slightly, then slowly lowered her head and remained on the steps without coming down.

By now, the matter of Niu Youdao arranging a marriage between her and Ju An was no longer a secret. Disciples of her own generation had already come to congratulate her. Only then had she learned exactly what Niu Youdao and Sect Leader Gong Lince had settled outside Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion that day. She had already guessed something beforehand, but she had not been present. Niu Youdao had sent her away.

Ju An looked rather awkward. He carried a basket in one hand, fruit piled inside, and seemed unsure what to say.

The two remained silent for a while. In the end, Ju An gathered his courage and walked forward. Stopping below the steps, he held out the basket and forced a smile. "I saw a wild fruit tree behind the mountain just now. The fruit looked quite good. Junior Sister Wen, it's only a small token. Please don't disdain it."

Wen Mo'er said softly, "Senior Brother Ju, there's no need."

She did not want to accept it. More precisely, Ju An was not the kind of man she wanted.

She did not expect her future husband to hold power beneath Heaven or become some hero whose name shook the world, but neither did she hope to marry a gatekeeper. And Ju An truly was nothing more than an honest man who stood guard at Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion.

Even if he was guarding the residence of Zijin Cave's most senior old master, some outcomes were obvious. Zhong Guzi's lifespan was nearing its end, and there was no capable successor behind him. A man like Ju An was plainly never going to have much of a future.

It was not that Wen Mo'er demanded a man with a brilliant future. Rather, Ju An was so obviously unlikely ever to amount to much, and his looks were ordinary as well. Nothing about him resembled the kind of man she had imagined marrying.

She had never consciously treated her own beauty as capital in choosing a husband, but her beauty was still there. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she understood that she possessed a certain amount of choice. No matter which part of Ju An she looked at, he was not the man she wanted to marry.

Honest and steady? A woman with no experience of men and women had little chance of seeing a man's honesty and steadiness as advantages in themselves.

Her refusal left Ju An awkward both inside and out. He had no idea what else to say. Bending down, he set the basket on the steps. "If Junior Sister doesn't like them, you can let the others try them. I'll head back first and won't disturb you."

Wen Mo'er gave a quiet "Mm."

Ju An cupped his hands and turned to leave.

The moment he stepped out of the small courtyard, a fragrant breeze came toward him and someone blocked his path. It was Guan Fangyi, smiling brightly.

Guan Fangyi teased him. "I heard you came to give a present to the beauty in your heart. What did you bring?"

Ju An was speechless. The reason things had become this awkward was entirely this woman's doing. Guan Fangyi had urged him to take the initiative, so he had forced himself to come.

In truth, Guan Fangyi was acting under pressure from circumstances as well. Once Niu Youdao left, she sensed something had changed in the atmosphere. The range within which the people of the Maolu Annex could move seemed to be gradually tightening. If Wen Mo'er refused to help, they would not even know what was happening on the surface inside Zijin Cave. The people of the Maolu Annex were like pigs and sheep penned inside another pen, unable to detect the slightest sign of change even if the day of slaughter was approaching. That made her extremely uneasy.

Ju An might be a disciple of Zijin Cave, but his connections inside the sect were limited. The people of Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion had their own duties and could not conveniently wander everywhere gathering information. At the same time, it was not easy for the people here to go to Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion and contact Ju An. Apart from Niu Youdao himself, none of Niu Youdao's people were Zijin Cave disciples. The sect could restrict them from roaming around Zijin Cave with any casual excuse it pleased.

That was why she hoped to carry out Niu Youdao's instructions and bring about a change in Wen Mo'er as quickly as possible.

Ju An said, "Nothing much. Just some wild fruit I picked behind the mountain."

"Wild fruit again? Why do you give fruit to everyone?" Guan Fangyi rubbed her forehead, somewhat helpless. "When you give something to a woman, can't you choose something women actually like? Food disappears once it's eaten, and anything left sitting around will rot. Once it's gone, there's nothing left to remember you by. Can't you give her something she can see often, something that makes her think of you whenever she looks at it? Pretty jewelry, for example..." She rattled on at length, teaching Ju An what sort of gifts he ought to give.

As she spoke, Guan Fangyi abruptly fell silent.

Ju An turned around and followed her gaze. Wen Mo'er had come out.

Seeing the two of them together, Wen Mo'er froze as well. Then she lowered her head and silently walked past them.

"Little Sister, heading out? Where are you going?" Guan Fangyi called after her.

Wen Mo'er seemed not to hear. Head lowered, she continued away.

Ju An gave a bitter smile. "She doesn't think much of me. Martial Aunt, why force the matter? Ah, Hongniang, I'll head back first."

"Wait." Guan Fangyi tugged lightly at his sleeve and leaned closer, lowering her voice. "I heard Wen Mo'er mention something. After the Sect Leaders returned from Sacred Island, the Sect Leaders of Song's three major sects and Yucang of Xiaoyue Pavilion all came to Zijin Cave together. I don't know what they're discussing. Song lies to Yan's east, while Xiaoyue Pavilion is now on Yan's western side. People from opposite sides have gathered here while Master Dao is away. I'm a little worried. Find some way to help me learn what's going on."

After spending so long beside Niu Youdao and circling among the affairs of the various states, she had acquired some ability to sense changes in the political situation. In earlier days, she might have regarded it as nothing more than a gathering of major figures and not thought much of it.

Ju An tried to pull his sleeve free of her grip. Tugging and pulling between a man and woman in public did not look proper, and he was afraid someone might see and misunderstand.

Guan Fangyi herself thought nothing of it. After spending so long in the pleasure quarters, she was accustomed to such things. Draping an arm around Niu Youdao's shoulders and bantering or flirting with him had long been ordinary behavior to her.

"This..." Ju An looked troubled. "I'm not familiar with most people in the sect. If it were some ordinary minor matter, I could try asking around. But this involves the sect's upper ranks. How am I supposed to investigate it? Hongniang, I truly have no way. I can barely even come into contact with the relevant people, and if I suddenly start asking about something like this, I'll only make them wary. Since you learned it from Wen Mo'er, why not ask her? She's the Sect Leader's adoptive daughter. She has direct access to the Sect Leader and the sect's senior figures."

Guan Fangyi said, "You think things are still like when Master Dao was here? Master Dao could hold the whole situation down, and he was a Zijin Cave Elder. Once he spoke, Wen Mo'er had to give him an answer. Now that Master Dao is gone, Wen Mo'er is the Sect Leader's person. She won't casually reveal the Sect Leader's movements to outsiders like us. That's why I want you to win her over as quickly as possible."

Ju An stared at her. "You want me to marry Wen Mo'er just for this?"

Guan Fangyi said, "You're overthinking it. Would Elder Zhong and Master Dao ever harm you? Everything was done for your own good. Right, you can ask Elder Zhong to inquire about it. With Elder Zhong's status, if he asks about sect affairs, even the Sect Leader has to give him a full account. The moment Elder Zhong speaks, we'll know exactly what's happening."

Ju An shook his head. "Unless there is some unavoidable necessity, Grandmaster will not involve himself in matters like this."

Guan Fangyi looked increasingly anxious. "How will you know unless you try? Ju An, Master Dao has treated you well. You're not going to show the Maolu Annex a different face the moment Master Dao is gone, are you?"

Ju An was left without words. Finally, he sighed helplessly. "Fine. I can try bringing it up in front of Grandmaster. Whether Grandmaster agrees to ask, I can't promise. Farewell."

"Good. As long as you do your best. Come, I'll see you out."

"No need."

"It's fine."

The moment the two stepped out of the Maolu Annex, they stopped at the entrance. Not far away, Wen Mo'er appeared to have been stopped by someone and was speaking with a Zijin Cave disciple. It was obvious that the man was attentively currying favor with her.

Guan Fangyi's brows drew together slightly. She knew this Zijin Cave disciple. He had come to the Maolu Annex once yesterday. The gatekeeper had asked him to wait while his arrival was reported, but the man simply barged inside, leaving the people of the Maolu Annex helpless to stop him.

At the time, someone had wanted to inform Yuan Gang, but Guan Fangyi stopped them. She knew something of Yuan Gang's temper and was afraid trouble would erupt if he learned of it.

When you're under another's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head. Master Dao was not here, and an arm could not twist a thigh. For everyone's sake, some minor grievances had to be endured.

The man had entered the Maolu Annex to look for Wen Mo'er. Through that incident, Guan Fangyi had learned some of the background from the two female Zijin Cave disciples who attended Wen Mo'er. He was a disciple of Zijin Cave Elder Yan Li. Like Guan Fangyi, his surname was Guan. His name was Guan Qingya.

Perhaps because he benefited from his master's position, Guan Qingya possessed considerable status within Zijin Cave. He served as a Deacon responsible for a branch of sect affairs. He had long liked Wen Mo'er and had been one of the Zijin Cave disciples who pursued her in earlier years.

After learning the details, Guan Fangyi had been somewhat angered. When Master Dao was here, this Guan Qingya had not dared show so much as a bubble. The moment Master Dao left, he ran over and started swaggering around like someone important. He even dared disregard the marriage Master Dao had personally settled with the Sect Leader. It was truly hateful.

But when you're under another's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head. Besides, Guan Qingya did not dare do anything improper to Wen Mo'er and had not actually crossed any serious line.

Of course, Guan Fangyi also knew why he did not dare act recklessly toward Wen Mo'er: Gong Lince.

Wen Mo'er was Gong Lince's adoptive daughter.

"Ju An, that fellow has designs on Wen Mo'er too. You'd better hurry. If someone digs away your corner and steals the woman promised to you, you'll lose all face." Guan Fangyi gave Ju An a quiet warning.

The corners of Ju An's mouth tightened.

Over there, Wen Mo'er clearly did not want to become entangled with Guan Qingya either. After exchanging a few words, she moved around him and continued on her way.

Guan Qingya politely turned sideways to see her off. Then he turned back toward the entrance of the Maolu Annex, his gaze locking onto Ju An. A flash of jealousy crossed his eyes.

He had liked Wen Mo'er for a long time. Unfortunately, the falling flower had feelings while the flowing water did not. Later, Wen Mo'er became the Sect Leader's adoptive daughter, forcing him to restrain himself. He did not have the courage to behave recklessly toward Gong Lince's adoptive daughter unless he was tired of living.

Still, he knew his chances were not small. He knew the relationship between his master Yan Li and the Sect Leader. His master belonged to the Sect Leader's own faction. If his master helped him pursue the matter, the Sect Leader would probably have no choice but to consider it. In a certain sense, once the Sect Leader became Wen Mo'er's adoptive father, the old rule that marriage followed the parents' command had actually given Guan Qingya an opportunity.

After Guan Qingya begged his master repeatedly, openly and indirectly, Yan Li finally relented and said that when a suitable opportunity arose, he would help bring the match about.

Who could have known Elder Niu would appear afterward and Wen Mo'er would be assigned to serve beside Niu Youdao?

Yan Li was plainly somewhat wary of Niu Youdao and warned Guan Qingya to put his thoughts aside for the time being, saying that Niu Youdao was not someone to provoke and that they should wait for a suitable opportunity.

Later, Yan Li and Niu Youdao fell out. Asking Niu Youdao to hand Wen Mo'er over after that was even less possible. Guan Qingya had thought the matter hopeless, only for man's schemes to prove inferior to Heaven's: Niu Youdao unexpectedly appeared on the Sacred Realm list.

Guan Qingya thought his opportunity had finally come. Then, in the blink of an eye, Niu Youdao interfered again. Fertile water should not flow into outsiders' fields. Together with the Sect Leader, Niu Youdao played matchmaker and promised Wen Mo'er to Ju An of Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion, leaving Guan Qingya sick at heart.

But an opportunity still remained in the end. Niu Youdao had left, and no one knew whether he would return alive. Yan Li was already dissatisfied with the Maolu Annex. Guan Qingya therefore conceived the idea of both fulfilling his own desire and helping his master vent some resentment, which was why he had repeatedly begun appearing around the Maolu Annex.

[End of Chapter 968]