The man sighed and said, "I understand, I was just venting!"
As he spoke, he looked up towards the tent’s entrance.
At that moment, the wind outside showed no sign of stopping; instead, it was growing fiercer.
"This damned weather, I wonder if we can depart tomorrow. Old Ding, how many days until we reach the Capital City?"
"After passing through Phoenix Tail County, we’ll enter Yingtai County. Once we cross Yingtai County, it won’t be far until we reach the Capital City," Old Ding said.
"Oh, I really wonder if we can pass through Yingtai County smoothly. If my second brother really intends to stop me, he’d definitely choose to do so in Yingtai County," the man sighed.
"I will do my utmost to protect you, young master," Old Ding shouted.
The bodyguards exchanged glances and then bowed their heads in agreement.
The man sincerely cupped his hands in thanks, "Then I leave it to all of you. Once we return to the Capital City, I will certainly reward you handsomely."
"Thank you, young master!"
Old Ding and the bodyguards left.
The man was left alone in the tent, sitting in front of a candle with a worried expression on his face.
Just as Shang Luoluo guessed, he was a scion of one of the noble families in the Capital City, and not an ordinary one at that.
His name was Yun Yuan.
His family was the Yun Family, renowned for having produced three prime ministers and two imperial tutors, not to mention countless assistant ministers in various departments, earning its reputation as a family of nobility and influence.
The Yun Family was once of illustrious renown, though now its power had waned with the decline of Great Yan’s imperial power, it remained one of the top noble families in the Capital City.
Yun Yuan was a direct lineage member of the Yun Family. His father was the fifth son of the elder Patriarch of the Yun Family, and he himself was the eldest, with a younger brother and sister below him.
His mother was from the Lu Family in Linhai County, and although she had passed away, his maternal grandfather’s influence was immense.
With such powerful backing, his lineage was naturally of illustrious standing.
This time, he left the Capital City to visit his maternal grandfather’s family in Linhai County, but soon after arriving, he received word that his father was gravely ill and on the brink of death, urging him to return immediately.
Upon receiving the news, Yun Yuan was naturally shocked, not daring to delay even for a moment, and set off immediately for the Capital City.
The urgency was partly due to his father’s critical condition, but more importantly, he worried about the uncertainties that might arise if his father passed away while he was absent from the Capital City.
Although his grandfather, Elder Yun, the Patriarch of the Yun Family, was still in charge, Elder Yun had always taken a laissez-faire approach to the power struggles within the family, as long as it didn’t involve any lives, he wouldn’t intervene.
From his perspective, those fighting were all his descendants, and favoritism towards any side would appear biased, so it was better to remain detached and uninvolved.
His younger brother, Yun Hao, although born to a second wife, was a legitimate member of the Yun Family and also had his mother’s influence within the Capital City, giving him a substantial advantage.
If Yun Yuan couldn’t return before his father passed away, Yun Hao was likely to seize control of their branch, leaving Yun Yuan with nothing.
Therefore, he traveled day and night to hurry back to the Capital City.
The journey had been relatively peaceful, but Yun Yuan was acutely aware that if Yun Hao’s camp intended to seize power, they’d surely try to delay his return.
While they might not harm him physically, simply delaying his journey would suffice. If his father passed and things became irreversible, then Yun Yuan would be thoroughly defeated.
He could only place his hopes on the bodyguards his maternal grandfather had sent with him.
Apart from Old Ding and a few ordinary servants who were from the Yun Family, the Fourth Realm martial artists were gifted to him by his grandfather upon departure.
This became Yun Yuan’s greatest reliance at the moment; otherwise, he wouldn’t even entertain the idea of rushing back to claim power.
This highlighted the importance of having a strong maternal family.
As for claiming he would ensure Zhao Ya would pay once they returned to the Capital City, it was mere bravado to save face in front of his grandfather’s bodyguards.
The Yun Family indeed had its own experts, some even in the Fifth Realm, but they were beyond his command,
unless he succeeded in seizing power and became the master of the fifth branch. Otherwise, he would end up like many idle scions of noble families, reduced to a life of debauchery and waste.
Yun Yuan naturally didn’t want to live such a life.
He stared at the flickering candlelight, contemplating matters to address once back in the Capital City.
Meanwhile, over at the relay station, much of the pot of wine had already ended up in Shang Luoluo’s belly.
Due to its high alcohol content, even just one pot made Shang Luoluo’s cheeks flush.
"It’s time to go back!" Zhao Ya said upon seeing this.
"Let’s chat a bit longer. I’m not even a little sleepy now," Shang Luoluo insisted, refusing to leave, then yawned after speaking.
Zhao Ya couldn’t help but smile wryly, "What else is there to talk about? And aren’t you worried your father will discover you’re not sleeping at home but out here drinking with me?"
"Not worried. Whatever I do, he at most grumbles a few words. I’ve grown used to it over the years; I don’t care anymore," Shang Luoluo said nonchalantly.
Zhao Ya fell silent.
In his interactions with Shang Luoluo, he never heard her mention her mother.
Zhao Ya also tactfully never brought it up.
From Shang Luoluo’s words, he could sense a lingering resentment.
"Alright, enough about this. Let’s hear about you," Shang Luoluo said, taking a deep breath and smiling.
"About me? What’s there to tell?" Zhao Ya asked with surprise.
"There’s plenty to tell, like what you experienced in Wuxiang City back then, and how you met Zui’Er and grew close. I’m curious about all of it," Shang Luoluo asked, her eyes bright.
Zhao Ya paused, then smiled, "Alright, since you’re so curious, I’ll give you a brief account."
So Zhao Ya began recounting bits and pieces of the past, with Shang Luoluo listening intently, occasionally asking questions.
At the happy parts, Shang Luoluo covered her mouth and smiled. At the sad parts, she lowered her head in silence.
"So, after I fought with Zhan Feng, I brought Zui’Er to the Commandery..."
Zhao Ya’s voice gradually softened as he heard a faint snoring sound.
Turning around, he saw Shang Luoluo leaning against the wall, having unknowingly fallen into a deep sleep.
Her sleeping posture was quite unladylike, with hair scattered across her forehead, and her long eyelashes trembling slightly, evoking a sense of tenderness.
Zhao Ya’s heartbeat inexplicably quickened, and he hurriedly controlled himself, shifting his gaze away from Shang Luoluo’s face.
"See, I told you not to drink and you insisted. Now you’ve had too much, haven’t you!"
Zhao Ya muttered softly, then walked over and gently picked up Shang Luoluo.
For Zhao Ya, the less than a hundred-pound weight of Shang Luoluo was negligible.
Yet somehow, after holding her in his arms, Zhao Ya still felt his muscles stiffen, almost losing his balance as he lowered her down.
At the same time, Zhao Ya had to avoid the night guards; otherwise, if they saw him carrying Shang Luoluo back, all sorts of misunderstandings would surely arise.
After much difficulty,
Zhao Ya returned the soundly sleeping Shang Luoluo to her room, placing her next to the still deep-asleep Zui’Er, covered them both with a quilt, and finally heaved a long sigh of relief, feeling drenched in sweat.
But as he stepped through the back window to leave the room, barely landing his foot, Shang Jingchuan’s voice came from the side.
"I see she’s drunk?"
Zhao Ya almost jumped in surprise. Turning around, he saw Shang Jingchuan, who should have been asleep in the neighboring room, now leaning by the window watching him.
Although he had done nothing wrong, Zhao Ya still felt a guilty conscience as if he had committed theft.
After all, taking someone’s daughter out for a drink in the middle of the night would be intolerable for any father.
He nodded with a stiff expression, "Yes, she drank a bit too much."
"Ah." Shang Jingchuan sighed deeply, then looked at Zhao Ya with piercing eyes.
"Nothing happened, right?"
"Uh... no, no!"
Zhao Ya was momentarily stunned, and then quickly shook his head and waved his hands, indicating that nothing had happened.
"Actually, even if something had happened, it wouldn’t matter." Shang Jingchuan said calmly.
Zhao Ya was completely taken aback.
Why do this father and daughter talk the same way?
"I know this girl all too well. The fact that she’s willing to go out drinking with you alone shows that she has given you her heart."
At this point, a melancholic expression appeared on Shang Jingchuan’s face.
"This girl lost her mother at a young age. I raised her alone, always trying to make up for what she lost, but I still owe her too much, so I hope you treat her well in the future and don’t bully her."
Zhao Ya felt a bit at a loss.
What was this?
A father-in-law’s earnest advice to a future son-in-law?
"Uh... okay, I’ll remember." Zhao Ya nodded.
Now was definitely not the time to say, "Nothing happened between your daughter and me, so don’t worry about it."
"Very good. And in the future, don’t stay out so late. Even if her heart is set on you and she’s unlikely to refuse you, you must still consider her. No matter how urgent, it should wait until after marriage. Understand?"
Zhao Ya: "..."
After a few perfunctory words, Zhao Ya hurriedly made his escape.
Watching Zhao Ya’s departing figure, Shang Jingchuan sighed again.
He was actually quite satisfied with this future "son-in-law."
Good looks, strong martial arts, and most importantly, a good character.
The only downside was that he no longer had parents, but once Luoluo joined him, she wouldn’t have to endure any grievances.
It seemed he needed to think about preparing a dowry. With only one daughter, he couldn’t afford to be stingy.
Shang Jingchuan spent a sleepless night calculating how much of his salary and savings he could set aside for his daughter’s dowry. By morning, dark circles had formed around his eyes.
Shang Luoluo, however, remained completely unaware of these matters.
When she woke up in the morning, she found herself lying in bed, her clothes neatly in place, covered by a quilt, with no discomfort in her body, and she let out a long breath.
If Zhao Ya had indeed done something last night, wouldn’t she die of embarrassment now?
Reflecting on the things she blurted out while drunk, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
So when she met Zhao Ya again, her expression was still somewhat awkward.
Zui’Er was blissfully unaware of any of this. She slept soundly through the night, so oblivious that not even thunder would have woken her.
She only felt that today’s Luoluo seemed a bit off, but didn’t think much of it.
At this moment, after raging all night, the winds finally began to die down.
The sky was a clear, washed-out blue, without a cloud in sight, and the sunshine bathed everything.
Such fine weather was, of course, perfect for traveling.
So Zhao Ya immediately instructed everyone to pack up and set out.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Yun Yuan was also busy packing up the camp.
Though there was a distance between them, Yun Yuan could still see what was happening at the station.
Upon catching a glimpse of the naive Zui’Er and the breathtakingly beautiful Shang Luoluo, even he, who considered himself worldly, was momentarily stunned.
But he quickly forced himself to look away.
When away from home, staring at other people’s female companions was a grave error. Should that boy from the Fifth Realm notice, it would spell trouble.
Moreover, with so many matters on his mind, he had no leisure for such thoughts.
"Set out at once, and try to stay as far away from this caravan as possible," Yun Yuan ordered.