The Enigmatic Companion

The three words, “Wangjiang Tower,” spoken by Elder Liu, only served to confirm the suspicions already brewing in Ye Di’s mind.

This group, he realized, must be the disciples of Zhaixing Pavilion, forced into disguise for reasons unknown.

Ye Di had initially harbored no intention of joining forces with anyone.

It wasn’t just the inconvenience; he also had to remain wary of potential betrayals.

Yet, his journey was specifically to meet Xiao Wushang’s daughter, and her whereabouts were, precisely, Wangjiang Tower.

Although Ye Di found this too coincidental and had some doubts, he felt a strange pull.

However, acting overly cautious and timid was simply not his style.

Thus, he chose to go with the flow.

“In that case, it seems we are indeed destined to meet,” he said. “I also have urgent business at Wangjiang Tower.”

The masked woman immediately chimed in with a playful smile.

“I wonder, young hero, which sweetheart are you off to meet there?”

Ye Di knew that the more he engaged with her, the more animated she would become.

He merely offered a faint smile, feigning ignorance of her provocative words.

“You must think I’m afraid to reveal my true face,” the masked woman chuckled. “Perhaps you imagine I’m a hideous monster who would scare you away if I removed my mask. Is that why you won’t speak to me?”

Elder Liu sighed helplessly.

“Miss Liu, you should restrain yourself. We have important matters to attend to.”

She then turned to Ye Di, bowing slightly as she spoke.

“Since the young hero shares our destination, that is excellent news. Without further ado, we should depart immediately. May I ask if the young hero has any unfinished business here?”

“Madam, you are right; I almost forgot to mention,” Ye Di replied. “I have a younger sister resting in a private room upstairs. She is somewhat frail, and I fear she might struggle to keep up with your pace.”

The burly man in the coarse cloth chuckled heartily.

“Young man, though we haven’t crossed paths in combat, I can tell your abilities are far from weak. Like brother, like sister—your esteemed sister must also be an extraordinary woman.”

Ye Di smiled.

“I am flattered by your praise, sir; she would be laughing in her dreams to hear it. Regardless, I must care for her throughout the journey, which would undoubtedly hinder your progress. I can only accept your kind intentions with gratitude.”

Elder Liu discerned the polite refusal in Ye Di’s words.

She did not press the matter, responding with a decisive tone. “In that case, we shall have to part ways with the young hero for now. However, there is a large town ahead where we plan to stay for a few days. Should the young hero catch up, please do come to meet us, and we can then proceed to Wangjiang Tower together.”

Ye Di agreed with a nod.

He watched as the group rose, leaving the inn in a slight disarray, and strode away.

Halfway out, the masked woman suddenly turned back, retracing her steps.

Ye Di assumed she had another jest to share with him.

Instead, he saw her crouch before Ji Yuchang, who was still slumped on the ground, and say with a smile, “Little sister, based on your words just now, can I assume you won’t be trying to snatch this big brother away from me?”

Ji Yuchang’s eyes widened, brimming with moisture.

“What did you say?”

The masked woman raised an eyebrow.

“But even if you go back on your word, I’m not worried. You should hurry and attend to your Senior Brother, who’s been unconscious on the ground for quite some time.”

“What do you mean, you’re not worried?” Ji Yuchang retorted, enraged.

The masked woman’s smile deepened as she winked her left eye. “Exactly what I said, little girl. Heh.”

Ji Yuchang seemed finally stung by the address “little girl.”

Filled with extreme fury, she erupted in a furious roar. “You ugly monster who dares not show your face, what right do you have to be so smug in front of me?!”

Ye Di could no longer bear to listen and began walking towards the staircase.

He only hoped the soundproofing in the upstairs private rooms was effective.

The masked woman, despite Ji Yuchang’s outburst, showed no anger.

She merely let out a mocking snicker, her tone laced with sarcasm. “It seems you don’t care much for your Senior Brother, do you? My words just now mentioned both you and him, yet you only heard the first half. It’s always about yourself; you never truly consider others.”

Ji Yuchang had never expected this. Hearing those words, she was momentarily stunned.

“I haven’t been as fortunate as you pampered young ladies,” the masked woman said wistfully. “Sometimes, envy and jealousy almost drive me mad. But then I see you like this, and I realize everyone has their own fate, so there’s no need to complain to the heavens.”

Ye Di detected a poignant sorrow in her words, and his heart stirred involuntarily.

Earlier, the Zhaixing Pavilion members had referred to each other as “Elder” and “Protector” during their conversation.

Only this masked woman was addressed as “Miss Liu” by others.

Clearly, she was not from Zhaixing Pavilion.

So why was she traveling with the disguised Zhaixing Pavilion members?

As Ye Di pondered this, the masked woman suddenly lifted a corner of her veil slightly.

However, her back was to Ye Di, so he could not glimpse her true face.

Only Ji Yuchang, seeing her up close, witnessed her appearance.

Ji Yuchang’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling slightly, and her mouth hung agape.

“How about it?” Miss Liu chuckled. “One ugly monster, one little girl—we’re quite evenly matched, wouldn’t you say?”

Ji Yuchang swallowed hard, stammering. “You, you’re so beautiful… how, how could you…”

“But sometimes, I wish I weren’t so beautiful,” Miss Liu interjected. “Just like you, foolish and naïve, arrogant and spoiled, yet still cherished by so many, constantly doted upon. That’s quite wonderful too.”

She replaced her mask, revealing only her pair of exquisite peach blossom eyes.

As she turned, her gaze met Ye Di’s on the second floor.

She playfully curved her slender eyebrows. “Indeed, all men under heaven are the same. Young hero, do you also wish to see what I look like?”

Ye Di perceived a hint of melancholy beneath the laughter in her eyes.

He shook his head. “Since the lady chooses to wear a mask, she surely hopes the world will not judge her by her appearance. Though I am somewhat curious, I have no desire to spoil the mood.”

“You are polite, but a little dull,” Miss Liu said. “Who knows? If you had said you wanted to see my face, perhaps I would have softened my heart and agreed, seeing how handsome you are?”

Ye Di chuckled. “The lady wishes for the world not to judge by appearance, yet she herself judges by appearance. That is rather illogical.”

Miss Liu paused, then couldn’t help but smile. “I retract my previous statement; you are quite interesting after all. It’s a pity that among all the romantic figures under heaven, the Sword Immortal Ye Di surely ranks first. My heart has already been given to him, making it difficult for me to be moved by any other man.”

“Falling for a dead man,” Ye Di said helplessly. “Your luck and taste are rather unique, wouldn’t you say?”

Miss Liu playfully chided, “Mind your own business!”

She turned to leave.

Before departing, she gently tapped Ji Yuchang’s nose and leaned down to say, “Little girl, perhaps you’ll regret it someday, or perhaps not. But this ugly monster must tell you, rein in your temper, look more at others and the world, and don’t let many good people keep their distance just by observing you.”

With that, she left the words hanging, not caring if Ji Yuchang heard or understood.

She cast a backward glance at Ye Di, flashed a smile, and gracefully departed.

****

After bidding farewell to Ye Di and leaving the large town, the Zhaixing Pavilion members continued their journey westward.

After a long while, Miss Liu slowly caught up.

The burly man in the coarse cloth, Protector Peng, spoke up. “Hey, Miss Liu, you’ve been lagging behind for quite some time. What were you dawdling for?”

“I fancy that young hero,” Miss Liu replied. “I deliberately dawdled to chat with him a bit longer. Is that not allowed?”

Protector Peng spat. “Haven’t you seen enough men in the pavilion? Even if that young man is unfathomable, is he really enough to steal your soul?”

Elder Liu’s brow furrowed slightly as she interjected, stopping the two. “Enough with the quick retorts. Don’t forget we need to return and report as soon as possible. Our unexpected encounter with this young hero, whose destination is also Wangjiang Tower, is likely no mere coincidence. All these details must be reported truthfully.”

Elder Zhai chimed in repeatedly. “Indeed, indeed! This young hero knows so much about the `Fengxi Wutong` zither piece, no less than the Pavilion Master—no, far superior! I must quickly inform the Pavilion Master of this marvel and ask her to deliberate on who this divine figure could be.”

In truth, Elder Liu harbored another concern, which she kept to herself.

The Pavilion Master excelled at painting and had created numerous portraits of men.

Though their appearances varied, and some were merely sketched with a few strokes, their demeanor and bearing were remarkably similar.

Elder Liu had long suspected that all these portraits by the Pavilion Master depicted the same man.

Initially, she believed the Pavilion Master was simply a young woman in love, her secret affections pouring onto paper as she painted her imagined lover for solace.

Later, she often observed the Pavilion Master intently studying the portraits, then mimicking the men’s movements and expressions.

Elder Liu grew increasingly puzzled by this behavior.

The Pavilion Master was not the type to lament being born a woman, aspiring to be counted among men.

While she could understand the Pavilion Master acting coyly and foolishly towards the paintings, her constant imitation, contemplation, and even muttering and gesturing at them truly baffled her.

Then, today, Elder Liu saw Ye Di, who bore an astonishing resemblance to the man in the Pavilion Master’s portraits.

She frowned, wondering if the man the Pavilion Master had been painting all this time was not an imagined lover, but a real person.

If so, why did she not seek him out, instead spending her days imitating those portraits?

Conflicting thoughts entangled in Elder Liu’s mind.

Her head ached from trying to make sense of it, but she found no answers.

She could only temporarily abandon her musings and address the Zhaixing Pavilion members present. “Regardless, though we failed to capture Lin Qingyi this time, our journey was not in vain. The most urgent task now is to ascend Wangjiang Tower and report everything that has happened here to Mister Xiao.”

The others responded with a resounding “Yes!”

They then hastened their pace, disappearing down the road’s end in no time.