Chapter 151: Golden hair, I want the two of you
At noon, a light rain began to fall, adding a touch of warmth to the previously hot and dry air.
In the main hall of the Chilong Mansion, Xiao Yunluo was currently seated at the desk next to Li Longling. On the table laid a thick stack of memorials sent by fifty or sixty guards and various departments of the Chilong Mansion.
Since the age of six, she has been learning how to handle the internal affairs of the sect, manage accounts, and allocate resources under the guidance of Mr. Qi from Xuanxing Sect. While she was adept at these tasks, the sheer volume of work was overwhelming.
The Chilong Mansion was short-staffed, and many memorials dealt with requests for funds related to the mansion’s formations and building repairs.
In just four days, Xiao Yunluo had discovered at least fifty memorials intentionally reporting inaccurate budgets and expenditures.
If she weren’t assisting Li Longling now, the mansion’s treasury might have been entirely emptied by those unscrupulous individuals.
While Li Feng’s trusted aides were loyal, Xiao Yunluo calculated that they only comprised less than a tenth of the entire mansion guard.
Of the remaining nine-tenths, seven-tenths were honest and diligent in their duties. However, the remaining two-tenths were looking to exploit opportunities for personal gain.
If Li Feng were present, he would have ordered the exile of the troublesome two-tenths. However, Li Longling couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her words didn’t carry the same weight as her father’s, and with the mansion already short on manpower, cleaning the house might lead to further chaos.
Thinking about it, Xiao Yunluo couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness. Li Longling, being the orphan of her mother’s old friend, was someone she wanted to assist. However, the current situation left her feeling powerless.
Putting down her ink pen, Xiao Yunluo sighed, “Hoo…”
Hearing her sigh, Li Longling, diligently working on paperwork, paused and turned to her, asking, “Senior Sister Xiao, are you tired? Take a break. I should have handled these matters alone, and I’m already grateful for your assistance.”
Xiao Yunluo pursed her lips, recalling Feng Yudie. While she had initially offered to help, Xiao Yunluo felt she might only add to the chaos, so she had forbidden her from entering the main hall. Feng Yudie was likely still sunbathing inside the house.
“If that second fool could handle these matters,” Xiao Yunluo mumbled.
“Senior Sister Feng!” Li Longling chuckled. “I don’t think Senior Sister Feng is foolish at all. I don’t understand why you keep calling her a second fool…”
“Um…” Xiao Yunluo hesitated momentarily as she pondered when the term “second fool” had become familiar.
In any case, “second fool” rolled off the tongue better than “Junior Sister Feng,” and Feng Yudie had become accustomed to being called “second fool” by both Xiao Yunluo and Pei Lianxue.
Xiao Yunluo looked at Li Longling, slightly pursed her lips, and finally mustered the courage to speak, “Junior Sister Li, what I’m about to say may not sound good…”
“Sister Xiao, please go ahead.”
“Put aside Chilong Mansion and come with me to Xuanxing Sect. I can arrange for someone to take care of you. With just yourself, you can’t sustain Chilong Mansion. Your vision is impaired, and your cultivation level needs to be lowered. After Master Li’s ascension…”
Li Longling listened silently, her expression unchanged. She shook her head, “Senior Sister Xiao, thank you for your kindness, but Chilong Mansion has been my family’s legacy for nearly a thousand years. Many people within the mansion trust me; I can’t simply abandon them. I’ve been conflicted these past few days about letting go of Chilong Mansion, but in the end, I couldn’t decide…”
“What will you do after that?”
Li Longling lowered her head slightly, “I’m thinking of getting married.”
“Married! Who are you planning to marry?”
Li Longling remained silent momentarily, clenched her fists, bit her lips gently, and then raised her head to face Xiao Yunluo.
“Senior Sister Xiao, do you know… is Senior Ye married?”
“Ye…Ye” Xiao Yunluo’s eyes suddenly widened, and she stuttered for a long time, “Ye Anping! You want to marry Ye Anping!”
Hearing Xiao Yunluo’s strong reaction, Li Longling was a bit puzzled. She wondered if Senior Sister Xiao had feelings for Senior Ye or if they were already engaged.
After hesitating for a moment, she nodded slightly, “Um.”
“You, you… Do you like Ye Anping?! Haven’t you only met twice?”
“Yes, Senior Ye and I have only met twice, but…” Li Longling was even more convinced now that Senior Sister Xiao probably had some clandestine relationship with Senior Ye. However, she still expressed her feelings, “Maybe not exactly ‘like,’ but Senior Ye does give me the feeling that he is a very good person.”
“…”
“He returned my father’s sword to me and allowed my father to have a dignified departure. Besides, I currently only know Senior Ye as a suitable opposite-sex acquaintance. I can’t marry those confidants my father left for me, right?”
Xiao Yunluo was silent for a while and then quickly shook her head, “But if you don’t like Ye Anping, won’t you regret marrying him?”
“Feelings can be cultivated slowly, and I think I will like him.” Li Longling lowered her head, squeezing her hands, and continued, “I wish I could be like you, Senior Sister Xiao, free to choose a husband. However, I can’t do that now. If Senior Ye doesn’t want to marry me, I must marry someone else.”
“Then, what if I say Senior Ye is already married?”
“Then I will try to become his concubine. If that doesn’t work, I will give up and marry someone else.”
“And if you could cure your eyes?”
“Well, if my eyes can be cured, I won’t be in such a hurry to get married, but…”
“In that case, I can ask Dr. Zhou from Xuanxing Sect to treat you.”
“My father has taken me to see Dr. Zhou before, but Dr. Zhou can’t do anything.”
“…”
As the conversation reached this point, suddenly, the palace door was knocked by a maid.
Bang bang—
“Young lady, Young Master Xiao, Yun Xi, the Young Master of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, and his junior brother are asking for an audience.”
“Moon Shadow Sword Sect?”
Xiao Yunluo frowned slightly. Why would the young master of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect come to Chilong Mansion? Li Longling also felt something was amiss. After hesitating, she said, “Please come in, both of you.”
“Yes…”
The maid at the door nodded in agreement and led two people covered in bandages into the main hall.
The leader was a blond girl about the same height as Xiao Yunluo and Li Longling. However, she was already twenty-two years old and only had a mid-stage foundation-building cultivation due to mediocre aptitude.
Yun Xi entered the main hall with a frown, looking around. When she saw Xiao Yunluo, she raised her eyebrows, “Ouch! Xiao Yunluo is here too! This is the foundation. Long time no see…”
Xiao Yunluo looked disgusted, stepped back, raised her hands, and saluted, “Sister Yun, you are fine. I wonder why you are here today?”
“Oh, right!” Yun Xi was stunned for a moment before coming back to her senses. She looked at Li Longling and said, “Li Longling, I’m here to ask you for two of us.”
“You want someone?” Li Longling was confused and asked, “I wonder who Senior Yun is looking for from me?”
“I want my little brother and little sister.”
Xiao Yunluo shrank her neck: ???
Li Longling tilted her head: ???
???
…
