บท 48: The Pagoda of Sun and Moon (5)
"Jiang… Yi Fan? Why is he here?"
Wei Chang Luo murmured, turning around to glance at the source of the ruckus. There, two youths stood in a secluded region of the plaza, the crowd making way for a considerable berth.
When he noticed that even more people near the fringes were pressing on to observe this so-called rumored beauty of the Sword Marquis, the Second Young Master of Wei quickly pulled An Fei and the maidservants to the side.
"…Something wrong?"
The girl gazed up towards him, a look of confusion clearly visible even with the presence of the veil. Wei Chang Luo shook his head before gesturing towards the maddened crowd, a helpless expression on his handsome countenance.
"Staying within a crowd can be rather dangerous at times," he attempted to explain. "If you got caught up in there and were to be injured, how am I supposed to react to that?"
"Oh…"
An Fei softly murmured, lowering her head in response to Wei Chang Luo's consolation. Obediently standing at the side of the plaza with the maidservants, the girl settled for twiddling with her thumbs, blowing on them in an attempt to ward from the cold weather.
Be it here or back in the streets of China, the crowds were bound to be miserable-
"Senior Brother!"
A sudden exclamation resounded throughout the plaza, instantly drawing forth the crowd's attention. The discussions that had surged within rapidly quelled, each person gazing at the handsome Young Master of the Sword Marquis dash towards a certain are of the figure.
His countenance darkening as black lines crossed his forehead, the Second Young Master of Wei palmed his face with both hands.
"Here it goes…"
"Senior Brother! I didn't think you were the one to come!"
The energetic voice could be heard again, prompting An Fei to raise her head to gaze at the excited speaker. However, she quickly lowered her gaze back again, lines of laziness and boredom clearly etched on her face.
Young Master Jiang was indeed handsome to the extent of causing uproars amongst others with a single glance. Dressed in a red scholar's robe adorned with embroidery of tigers, luans, and a large, domineering vermillion bird etched across the back, the youth exuded a natural dominant aura, his gaze sharp and lofty.
Thin lips and eyebrows, a pair of eyes capable of seeing the unseen and crossing the three bridges as well as the quirky smile on his countenance, the Youngest Master of the Sword Marquis' manor was truly the capable man as the crowds had acclaimed.
The girl besides him seemed no older than An Fei herself, and was covered in a pure white dress, her shoulder-length hair draped over her left shoulder in an adorable curl. Though her countenance was mostly obscured by a thick veil, the girl could be instantly labeled as a world-shaking beauty regardless of where she visited.
That willow-like waist, the appearance and texture of the skin akin to a priceless artefact carved of suet jade, who wouldn't desire to possess Standing by the handsome youth, the two painted a wonderful, picturesque demeanor that charmed the crowd, only…
…It was a pity that the youth who had imposed such a domineering aura and loftiness before the crowd, was currently fawning over a similar youth dressed in white and was attempting his best to hide his face as much as possible.
Wei Chang Luo deeply desired for a veil, one just like the one Wei Xuan had given to his Fourth Sister!
"Senior Brother, when did you return, ah?" Young Master Jiang continued to happily tirade on his own, not even waiting for a reply as he fired a barrage of questions.
"If you returned, you should have told me! Ah, right, Elder Brother wanted me to tell you that the <Three Dragons Herb> really exists, and that you should join him later to search for it! Right, right, right, Senior Brother, ah, just where did you get such a proficient cultivation technique as-"
"Alright, Jiang Yi Fan, calm down already, will you?" The Second Young Master glared at the babbling youth through pried fingers.
"You're an esteemed Marquis' son, and you're still acting like that little junior at Han Lin Academy? You're putting us to shame, ah!"
"Hehe," the youth scratched his head, the cheerful smile causing many females within the crowd to redden. Turning around in a full circle to gaze at the streets covered with snow, Jiang Yi Fan sheepishly complained to Wei Chang Luo, even tugging on the latter's wrist.
"Senior Brother, ah, wasn't it because you suddenly left without even letting the elder know?" he said in an aggrieved tone.
"Your sudden departure enraged Elder Luo, and he took it all out on us! No time to cultivate, no time to recite poetry, all we were allowed to do was to repeat lines from the Texts of Orderly Behavior by that old maniac man!"
"Later on, you have to help us find good techniques, ah! Even Senior Brother Peng is in dire need right now, especially since he started at a later time than the rest of us."
Wei Chang Luo finally dropped his hands to his sides, giving the youth before him a stern glare. His handsome countenance had shed all pretense of frivolity and affection, leaving behind a cold expression displayed towards the crowd.
"Don't try to bring up such a method before me," he finally spoke in an expressionless tone. "You know the rules and punishments of the Pagoda of Sun and Moon. Do not try to create a scene, everything is mandated by your affinity towards cultivation."
"Besides, I already informed and obtained the Headmaster's approval before I left Han Lin Academy," the Second Young Master of Wei added. "Elder Luo going berserk has nothing to do with me."
Jiang Yi Fan puffed his cheeks and curled his bottom lip into a respectable pout, but immediately wiped his facial expressions the instant Wei Chang Luo's countenance began to darken. Releasing a sigh whilst shaking his head, the youth adopted a pitiful gaze.
"Yeah, we can't blame Senior Brother on Elder Luo's irritation," he spoke in a wistful tone. "After all, that old man just discovered that his daughter had been constantly abused to death by her supposedly charming husband, not to mention being cheated on and disappointed on countless occasions."
"It's just that Elder Luo is venting his rage on us students! Just because Senior Sister Bing shared the same surname as that person, he beat her senseless!" the youth cried in anger.
"But the Headmaster did nothing regarding that issue, merely brushing it off as 'accumulating experience'! What bullshit is that, I'm going to get my father to tear that place down if that old man continues to rampage around without a brain – By the way, Senior Brother, who's that besides you?"
His gaze drifting as his emotions ran astray during his explanation, Jiang Yi Fan furrowed his brows upon noticing An Fei's presence. The girl was dressed in a thick white coat of linen, and her entire body was covered to the extend that not even her forehead could be seen due to a large veil shrouding her countenance.
The youth's shock and curiosity only continued to grow after noticing that his stealthy attempt of piercing through the veil with spiritual essence was preemptively blocked and unable to even gain a single peek, that he nearly staggered backwards in his surprise.
"My sister."
Wei Chang Luo's curt reply caused Jiang Yi Fan to blink on impulse. His hand gesturing towards the girl, the youth seemed at a loss for words.
"Sister?" he finally stammered out, his doubt evident. "True, it would be her turn this time… But I've never seen Little Sister Yan Yue wear a veil before, so why now?"
Before anyone could say a second statement, the ground of the plaza lit up with a multicolored light, causing many within the crowd to duck and cover their eyes with their arms. Though her eyelids were securely shut to blot out the blinding light, An Fei could clearly see a mottled mix of colors, including red, green, blue, and even violet…
"The Pagoda of Sun and Moon has opened!"
A cry rang out within the crowd, uttered by someone who had managed to recover much faster than the rest…
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