Zhu Changwang sat at the entrance with his eyes closed, resting. He had always been a light sleeper, and a sleepless night had no effect on him whatsoever.
The courtyard gate was gently pushed open. Just from the cautious movement, he knew it wasn't Changle - even when she moved quietly, her actions were always open and straightforward, not furtive like this.
The visitor was, of course, Ban Lian. She had listened carefully for any sound before pushing the door, but she hadn't expected that while there was no noise, someone would be sitting right at the entrance as if waiting for her to walk into their trap.
The two faced each other in silence for a moment. Ban Lian couldn't afford to waste time. She didn't know how capable this man was or if he could help her, but she had to try. She wanted to see Que Long one last time. This was the opportunity her sister had risked her life to give her.
Lowering her head and taking a deep breath, she walked up to Zhu Changwang and knelt down without hesitation. In a low voice, she introduced herself, "I am Ban Lian, the manager from Falling Flower Valley. I seek protection from Lady Zhu."
In an instant, Zhu Changwang had thought of three possibilities. First, this could be bait, fishing for the Zhu family with Changle as the target. Second, it could be a trap set for the Zhu family. Third, there might be internal problems in Falling Flower Valley.
Any of these was possible. Zhu Changwang didn't make an immediate decision but quietly watched the woman called Ban Lian, waiting for her to reveal more information.
"I know the Young Master certainly doesn't trust me. Please wait, I'll first deal with the servants here." As she spoke, Ban Lian stood up and went purposefully to the servants' quarters. She soon returned and knelt again before Zhu Changwang. From her sleeve, she took out a letter, lowered her gaze, opened it, and turned it over for Zhu Changwang to see.
Zhu Changwang interlaced his fingers and rested them on his lap, his thumbs circling each other a few times.
Ban Lian bit her index finger and, in front of him, wrote the characters for "Ban Lian" on the letter paper and pressed her fingerprint onto it.
"What I seek is not to save my life, but only to see someone one last time. If that's not possible, I hope Lady Zhu can help me deliver this letter to him." Ban Lian gently blew on the fingerprint and placed the letter on Zhu Changwang's lap.
Zhu Changwang glanced over the contents of the letter. It was a love letter written in tender words, and also a gesture of loyalty to him. With this letter, the Zhu family could clear their name if anything went wrong.
"Please rise," he said.
Ban Lian felt a sense of relief and stood up, supporting herself on the ground.
Zuo Qing, who had appeared silently, came over at the Young Master's signal and lifted him, wheelchair and all. Following further instructions, he pushed him towards the northern room.
Ban Lian hesitated briefly before following.
The wheelchair stopped. Before he could knock, Granny Liang opened the door from inside. "Good morning, Young Master."
"Good morning, Granny Liang. Is Grandmother awake?" Zhu Changwang asked gently.
"Yes." Granny Liang stepped aside to let them in, glancing around the courtyard before closing the door.
The old lady was sitting fully dressed at the octagonal table, her eyes falling on the unfamiliar face of Ban Lian.
"Grandmother, I'm sorry to disturb you," Zhu Changwang said softly. "It would be better if you were present for this matter."
Noble families valued their reputation highly. Although Zhu Changwang's action was to prevent gossip, he had indeed considered her feelings. Even though the martial arts world had fewer rules and regulations, Ban Lian still felt she was being treated kindly.
"Carry on with your business," the old lady said, picking up a cup of hot tea and holding it in her palms. There was still a chill in the early morning, and she wondered how long it would be before her granddaughter, who had been out all night, would return.
Zhu Changwang took the tea handed to him by Granny Liang and gestured for Ban Lian to sit down. "It's still chilly in early spring. Please, young lady, have some hot tea to warm yourself."
'Young lady,' Ban Lian thought, gently stroking the lid of her cup and smiling slightly. Ever since the Immortal Lady had been promoted to Immortal Lady, they had never been called 'young lady' again. The people below them all called them 'auntie'. In fact... she didn't want to be an 'auntie' at all.
"What would you like me to do, young lady?" Zhu Changwang asked.
"I want to wait here for Lady Zhu to return. All I ask is that the Young Master allows me to stay here."
"I've heard Changle mention that Immortal Lady Wen is very formidable."
"Yes, the Immortal Lady is very powerful," Ban Lian looked up. "But Zhong Ningmei is even more so."
So, in the end, Ban Lian was relying on Master Zhong's deterrent power. Realizing this, Zhu Changwang smiled. His own family member relied on it even more thoroughly, directly placing their entire family here with Immortal Lady Wen, calculating that she wouldn't dare let anything happen to them in Falling Flower Valley.
"Immortal Lady Wen not harming us doesn't mean she won't harm you. You're overestimating me, Miss Ban Lian. I can't even walk without a wheelchair, I'm afraid I can't protect you."
"Yes, I have no resistance against her. But she'll be wary of collateral damage with you by my side." Ban Lian smiled. "Don't worry, Young Master. I won't do anything to you. I just need to buy some time until Lady Zhu returns."
"To make Immortal Lady Wen think we're in your hands?"
"Yes."
Zhu Changwang nodded slightly. He was immobile, and his grandmother was elderly. For the sake of her own reputation and to account to Changle, Immortal Lady Wen indeed couldn't act freely to kill for fear of accidentally harming them. If it was just to buy some time, it might not be impossible.
However, what intrigued him was, "You seem to have a lot of faith in Changle."
"Lady Zhu is Zhong Ningmei's only disciple. Since we learned of her, we've paid a lot of attention to her. Although she has the nickname 'Little Demon' because of her master, and her actions are as unrestrained as her master's, there's one big difference between her and Zhong Ningmei."
Ban Lian looked at the grandmother and grandson who were listening intently. "She gets bloodied, but she doesn't take lives. Many people can write the character for 'chivalry', and many are called 'great heroes' in conversation, but few can truly live up to that character. Lady Zhu is one of them. It's not strange to trust her."
Zhu Changwang felt a sense of warmth and contentment, like soaking in warm water after being drenched in a storm - he felt warm from the inside out.
Keeping his upturned corners of his mouth in check, Zhu Changwang asked, "Why does the young lady know her so well?"
"The Immortal Lady has been watching Zhong Ningmei for half her life." Ban Lian raised her teacup and took a sip, thinking about Zhu Changle.
When a master is too outstanding, it's rare for a disciple to step out of their master's glory. This situation was all too common in the martial arts world. Zhu Changle had already made a name for herself a few years ago. One reason was, of course, her mischievousness. They had even suspected that she might actually be a boy in disguise, for how else could a girl be so adventurous, getting into trouble in new and different ways? Some of her antics were beyond their imagination.
Another reason was her high aptitude. By the age of twelve, her skills were already unmatched among the younger generation, and everyone believed that given time, she might surpass her master. Moreover, despite appearing playful and carefree, she had done many deeds to fight evil and help the weak. Some people do good to cover up their bad deeds, while others do good because they are inherently good people. Zhu Changle was the latter.
For instance, she and her playmates once saved a village from a flash flood. To help them find a new place to settle, she not only contributed money and effort but also used her fists to make the government allocate a piece of land for them. She even helped build houses and cultivate the land, and built a house for herself in the process. She was only eleven at the time.
She didn't care about differences in status or position. She would visit several times a year, staying in her own unevenly built house, apparently considering herself a member of the new settlement. Such a generous spirit was rare indeed.
When the Immortal Lady learned of this, she had sighed that Zhong Ningmei was so lucky to have such a brilliant disciple. Ban Lian knew the Immortal Lady - at that moment, she had truly been envious.