Miss Fairy, Please Hear Me Out

Under a patch of warm winter sunlight, the front gate of the Xu residence was packed with carts and horses. Peddlers, porters, and petty traders streamed past without end. Qin Mo, disguised with a secret art, blended into the crowd without drawing the slightest attention.

This was already his third day in Stillwater. Before arriving, his plan had been simple. Wait for nightfall, slip into the estate under cover of darkness, and rescue the person. But after seeing the sheer size of the Xu residence, he had given up on that idea without hesitation.

It was too big. The estate occupied an absurd amount of land. Without knowing the internal layout, even if he managed to sneak inside, finding anyone quickly would be impossible unless the heavens decided to personally bless him.

And there were powerful people inside the Xu residence. Even with his master concealing his aura, there was still a very real risk of being exposed.

The rescue had fallen into a deadlock.

Still, over the past two days, while eating at nearby stalls, he had heard people mention that a woman as beautiful as a fairy had gone out from the Xu residence twice.

Qin Mo wanted to try his luck and see whether he could run into Su Jinxuan outside the estate. If he could meet her, then he would not have to risk entering the Xu residence at all.

But after waiting, two days passed just like that.

Qin Mo let out a faint sigh. He walked over to a noodle stall beside the Xu residence, ordered a bowl of noodles with extra meat, found a table, and sat down. Without seeming to do so, he kept an eye on the gate not far away.

Before long, the owner fished a steaming bowl of noodles out of the big pot and brought it over.

Qin Mo ate while thinking through what to do next.

Suddenly, a rather simple and honest voice came from the table beside him.

“Old Liu, I heard your son got recruited into the Xu residence as a long-term hired hand. Pretty impressive, eh?”

Qin Mo’s brows twitched sharply at the words. He glanced back at them. It was a middle-aged man and a skinny old man. Both wore rough linen clothes, and beside them on the ground sat some mountain goods. They were probably villagers who had come into the city for the market.

Qin Mo withdrew his gaze and quietly listened.

After the honest-looking man spoke, the skinny old man slowly replied, unable to hide his pride.

“What’s so impressive about it? I spent several taels of silver pulling strings just to get him in.”

Hearing this, the honest-looking man lowered his voice. “Hey, hey, Old Liu, I heard even the lowest hired hands in the Xu residence get one tael of silver a month. Is that true?”

Old Liu gave the middle-aged man a slightly smug sideways glance, then stroked the few wisps of beard on his chin. “Where would they get that much? His monthly pay is just a little over one string of copper cash coins.

One tael of silver could be exchanged for two strings of copper cash coins at the end of the month.

“A little over one string? Then you’ll earn back the cost in just over a year. Tsk, tsk.”

The honest-looking man clicked his tongue, clearly tempted. He rubbed his hands together, then pushed his basket of mountain goods toward the skinny old man with a cheerful smile.

“Big Brother Liu, our two families have known each other for generations, haven’t they? Ahem. Think you could tell me which connection you used?”

The skinny old man glanced at it, and the wrinkles on his face bloomed like a flower. “Connections, eh? Heh, simple enough. As long as you...”

Qin Mo listened carefully until the two men finished talking. After eating his noodles, he set down a dozen or so copper coins and left at once, a rough plan already forming in his mind.

ᯓ➤

One day later.

Outside the Xu residence southwest side gate used by servants and laborers, the alley was quiet, but at that moment, waves of stern lecturing rang through the air.

“Remember the rules of the Xu residence, all of you. Anyone who dares cause trouble will answer to estate law. Once you enter the estate, work more, talk less, and look even less. Your monthly wages will never be delayed. The world outside is in chaos right now. Being able to work here is good fortune your ancestors must have cultivated for eight lifetimes.”

A young steward stood on the steps, lecturing the newly recruited long-term laborers in front of him. Only when his mouth had gone dry did the young steward wave a hand, signaling for the gatekeeper’s boy to open the door so they could leave.

But then, as if remembering something, he paused. Turning back, he spoke with a trace of warning in his voice. “Oh, right. Don’t blame me, Li Ping, for not warning you. In a moment, the foremen will take you around to familiarize yourselves with the place. All of you had better keep your eyes under control. The young ladies and madams of this household, even the maidservants, are not for useless trash like you to stare at.

“Especially Miss Su. Back then, even a sixth rank immortal master was killed by the Third Young Master with a single palm strike. What chance do you lot have? If you stare at her and make the Third Young Master unhappy, even the Lord of Heaven won’t be able to save you.”

With that, the gatekeeper’s boy opened the door behind him, and the young steward turned and left.

As soon as the steward was gone, the laborers below began whispering among themselves. Qin Mo, wearing his disguise and mixed into the crowd, also joined in with a few quiet murmurs.

After hearing that bit of news at the noodle stall, he had gone through several twists and turns before spending seven taels of broken silver to buy a dark-skinned young man’s spot.

That led to the scene now playing out.

After they waited outside the estate gate for about fifteen minutes, several foremen in long robes finally arrived at a leisurely pace to choose workers.

Because Qin Mo was tall and strongly built, he was picked in the first batch. His job would be trimming and cleaning the gardens inside the estate.

When new servants and laborers entered the estate, the usual practice was for the managing foremen to lead them on a brief walk through the residence. As they walked, the foremen explained their duties and some of the taboos within the estate.

They walked the whole way in.

Even though Qin Mo had already prepared himself, at this moment he was no different from the other laborers around him. A trace of shock still inevitably appeared in his eyes.

The entire Xu residence in Stillwater was practically a palace. Pavilions, towers, bridges, flowing streams, courtyards after courtyards, and at the very end, there was even a vast lake built inside the residence.

“Kid, can you stop acting like a country bumpkin?”

The voice that rang out in his heart made Qin Mo’s thoughts stall for a moment. He froze for two seconds. On the surface, he showed nothing, but in his mind, he asked, I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. But old man, if you talk to me inside this estate, won’t you be discovered?

The middle-aged man’s voice remained calm and unhurried.“If I can help conceal your aura, then naturally I can speak to you as well.”

Then can you help me find Jinxuan?

“Kid, there’s at least one Grandmaster in this estate. If I use my soul sense to search, there’s a good chance we’ll be discovered.”

Qin Mo was somewhat disappointed. Then I’ll take it slow and do it myself. There’ll be a chance sooner or later.

“Heh.” The middle-aged voice chuckled. “About to see your little sweetheart. Excited?”

We’re only friends. Qin Mo’s inner voice sounded rather helpless.

“Heh, sure, just friends. Back when this old man was young, those holy maidens from the sects...”

Qin Mo quietly tuned out the slightly annoying muttering in his ear and committed every path they walked to memory.

They wandered for a full half hour before the group of servants and long-term laborers, led by their foreman, returned to one corner of the lake. There, the foreman began assigning some simple tasks.

Qin Mo stood mixed in among the crowd and listened silently, a faint excitement rising in his heart. He had actually been assigned to the area around this lakeside. This spot was undoubtedly one of the places where he was most likely to run into Su Jinxuan.

Next, all he needed to do was wait quietly for an opportunity.

But before that thought had even settled, Qin Mo’s gaze suddenly sharpened. On the vast lake, a long bridge extended from the shore toward the center. At the heart of the lake stood an elegant pavilion.

And at that moment, a young nobleman in embroidered robes, his long hair flowing behind him, happened to step out from the pavilion in the middle of the lake. He began walking along the wooden bridge toward the shore.

Qin Mo narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Kid, that’s probably Xu Changtian, isn’t it?”The muttering that had vanished at some point sounded again.

Qin Mo withdrew his gaze. No emotion showed on his face as he replied inwardly, I know.

The middle-aged voice carried a hint of teasing. “Heh, that brat’s skin bag isn’t bad. Much better looking than you, kid.”

Qin Mo was not annoyed. He merely smiled in his heart and replied, Old man, on our journey here, have we not seen plenty of useless trash who had nothing but a pretty face?

“Heh, that’s true.”The deep middle-aged voice chuckled. “Planning to visit that lake pavilion tonight? I feel like that place is perfect for hiding a beauty away in a gilded cage.”

Qin Mo was somewhat tempted when he heard this, but he still restrained himself.

No. You said it yourself, old man. There’s a Grandmaster in this estate. It’s best not to act rashly. Once the foreman finishes assigning rooms, I’ll first find a few old hands and fish for information. Jinxuan can’t possibly be unknown among the servants here. There’s no need to rush this moment.

And while the two were talking, the young nobleman in embroidered robes had already walked over. His gaze swept over casually, and happened to meet Qin Mo’s.