Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

”Feng Wu? What’s he doing running out in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?”

Tang Huayi followed Jiang Ran’s gaze and, sure enough, saw Feng Wu sprinting through the night. In the blink of an eye, he had already leaped over the posthouse wall.

The two of them exchanged a glance, and Jiang Ran said softly,

”Let’s go see.”

”No!”

Tang Huayi grabbed Jiang Ran’s wrist.

”I’m not going! What if the headless ghost wants to have a heart-to-heart with Feng Wu? If we interrupt, what if it makes us take his place?”

”You’re scared already?”

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow. ”How can the great holy maiden of the Demon Sect be as timid as a mouse?”

”Believe it or not, when I get brave, I could hold the very heavens!”

”Then go on, let’s see you do it.”

”...When there aren’t any ghosts around.”

Tang Huayi lost some of her nerve. ”Brother-in-law, can we please not go? I’ll go to bed with you instead.”

”You should tone down the shameless talk.”

Jiang Ran rolled his eyes. ”By now, who knows where Feng Wu has run off to. What’s the point in chasing him? All right, go to bed.”

”You’re not joining me?”

Tang Huayi tilted her head and looked at Jiang Ran. ”Brother-in-law, are you really a true gentleman?”

”Hm?”

Jiang Ran shot her a glance. ”You’ve had your fun. Get to bed. Believe it or not, I’ll throw you out otherwise.”

”Alright, alright.”

Tang Huayi didn’t dare run her mouth any longer. She stuck her tongue out at Jiang Ran, scurried over to the bed, and pulled the covers over her head, leaving only her eyes peeking out.

She seemed to be smiling, her eyes curving like a pair of crescent moons.

”Brother-in-law, the bed smells just like you.”

”I haven’t bathed in a few days. If there’s a bit of a smell, you’ll just have to bear with it.”

”...So unromantic.”

Tang Huayi huffed, pulled the covers completely over her head, turned over sharply, and presented her rear to Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran chuckled, not bothering to argue with her, and went to sit down at the table.

He lifted the teapot, about to subconsciously pour a cup, but the pot was empty. Only then did he remember that this posthouse wasn’t like a proper inn.

Besides, most things here were rather dirty and messy. He wouldn’t dare drink the tea even if there was any.

He shook his head and put the pot back down.

Glancing out the window, he found he was still a little concerned about Feng Wu running out in the middle of the night.

Although they weren’t close, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to this midnight excursion.

He didn’t believe the story about the headless ghost.

But he had no trouble believing someone was up to no good... ’But what does this have to do with Feng Wu?’

As he was mulling this over, he heard footsteps approaching his door again.

Jiang Ran was surprised. ’Why is my room so busy tonight?’

Tang Huayi, who was lying on the bed, also heard the noise. Startled, she quickly sat up.

As the two looked at each other in dismay, Ruan Yuqing’s voice came from outside the door.

”Young Hero Jiang... are you, are you asleep?”

Tang Huayi shot Jiang Ran a sideways glance, her face full of disbelief.

Although she said nothing, her eyes clearly asked the question, ’Why is she looking for you in the middle of the night?’

Jiang Ran rolled his eyes, his gaze replying with four words: ’Mind your own business.’

”...”

Tang Huayi gritted her teeth, looking like she wanted to draw a sword and kill someone.

Jiang Ran simply pointed at the door and shrugged.

Tang Huayi took a deep breath, deciding to endure it for now. She then gave Jiang Ran a troubled look.

’What do we do now?’

Jiang Ran pointed at the wardrobe.

’Go hide.’

Tang Huayi shot him a fierce glare, carefully got off the bed, opened the wardrobe, and slipped inside.

Just then, Ruan Yuqing asked again,

”Young Hero Jiang?”

”I’m here.”

Jiang Ran replied softly, his eyes flicking toward the wardrobe. He saw Tang Huayi staring intently at him. She then held up two fingers, pointed them at her own eyes, and then pointed them back at him.

The meaning was clear: ’I’m watching you.’

”...”

Jiang Ran ignored her. As he unlatched the door, Tang Huayi quickly shut the wardrobe door.

’If Ruan Yuqing discovers me in Jiang Ran’s room right now, the situation will be impossible to explain.’

’First of all, the fact that I’m a woman would be a huge problem.’

’And if I immediately reverted to my ’Li Tianxin’ identity, the sight of two grown men sharing a room, wide awake in the middle of the night, would send Ruan Yuqing’s imagination running wild.’

’That woman isn’t some pure and innocent little maiden.’

’She’s armed with a mountain of theoretical knowledge from books; who knows where her thoughts might lead?’

When the door opened, Ruan Yuqing looked at Jiang Ran and breathed a sigh of relief.

”Young Hero Jiang... are you all right?”

Jiang Ran was a little surprised.

”What could be wrong with me?

”Miss Ruan, why have you come over in the middle of the night? Couldn’t you sleep?”

”...I can’t sleep.”

Ruan Yuqing let out a soft breath, glanced at Jiang Ran’s pitch-dark room, and hesitated for a moment.

”Can... can I come in?”

”Come in.”

Jiang Ran stepped aside, and Ruan Yuqing carefully walked in.

Her eyes swept around the room before she sat down at the table and let out another soft breath.

Jiang Ran gave her a curious look, left the door open, and turned to sit back down.

”Miss Ruan, you seem rather shaken. Did you discover something?”

”Not exactly...”

Ruan Yuqing’s brow furrowed slightly. ”But ever since I lay down to rest tonight, I’ve had this feeling that something is roaming around nearby. I keep hearing strange noises, and just a moment ago, there were footsteps walking away. But when I went to check, there was no trace of anything.

”And even now, I can still hear movement all around.”