"Why?" Young Miss didn't believe it. Her place was clearly much better.
"This place is already ours. We don't welcome anyone."
Young Miss heard Xiaoyao's faint voice - faint because of the distance, but he was indeed over there.
Young Miss quickly went over. She soon understood Xiaoyao's choice and immediately made a decision - abandon the previous courtyard. She wanted to live here.
Because this place was the quietest, separated by a small stream, surrounded by artificial hills and small bamboo groves. Also, this place had a back door, completely independent from the large courtyard they'd just left.
"Kid, how did you know about such a place?"
"Nothing special. First go to the highest place and look around, then you'll know." Xiaoyao said carelessly. "Actually, it was all Boss's quick speed. She spotted this place at a glance and grabbed it."
"Seventh Sister, amazing." Young Miss praised.
Guxing replied somewhat carelessly: "Actually it's nothing. You all wanted to grab the best places possible and were afraid others would get there first, so you were a bit rushed. I just like quiet places and wasn't in a hurry."
"Susu, how did you know?" Young Miss asked again.
"I saw Xiaoyao... and Guxing go that way..." Third Miss said.
"Oh."
At this moment, Xiaoyao said: "Third Miss, you should be with Miss Han and the others. Though this place is quiet, these three all practice martial arts. When they practice, it will disturb you."
"Ah, it's fine. I won't be affected." Third Miss immediately shook her head.
"Right, Third Sister knows Ice Heart Formula. Even if the sky falls, it won't disturb her." Nangong Suxin said.
"I see. Then let's leave it like this. The rooms seem just enough - you all sleep upstairs, I'll sleep downstairs." Xiaoyao didn't mind either. Ice Heart Formula was an auxiliary cultivation method many people knew, mainly for calming the mind. For scholars using Ice Heart Formula, it indeed had very good effects.
"Nonsense, of course you sleep downstairs. Quickly go prepare food and drink for me." Young Miss said very rudely.
"They'll prepare that themselves. I'm planning to give myself a few days off. You all prepare for battle here - I want to stroll around this capital. I heard there are blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauties here." Xiaoyao said.
"..."
"Damn, who allowed you to take time off? We're preparing for battle - you need to serve on the side." Young Miss was angry. They were at a tense moment now, but Xiaoyao unexpectedly wanted to take vacation and enjoy himself. She couldn't stand it.
"I did." Guxing replied. "I'm planning to stroll around with Xiaoyao for a few days."
"..."
"Xiaoyao, how about we all go together." Young Miss suddenly changed strategy. She felt she didn't need to prepare for battle since she didn't want to win anyway.
"..." The Nangong sisters fell silent.
Are you here to play or participate in the Dragon Gate Tournament?
The most pitiful was Third Miss Nangong. Her imperial examination would be held in three days. If she wanted to prepare, she had to start now.
At this moment, Third Miss Nangong said calmly: "I'll go too. Anyway, I've been studying for a long time on the road. Now I need to relax a bit..."
Third Sister, that's a good reason. Can't let them leave us behind to have fun - that would make me psychologically unbalanced.
"Cough cough, since Third Sister is going, then I must go too. I'm afraid someone might have improper intentions toward her..." Nangong Suxin said.
"Fine, today we'll organize. Tomorrow we'll go see beauties - no, stroll around the capital." Xiaoyao could only bring these four people together. At most it would be one or two days, then it would be his free time.
He didn't believe they could really ignore everything and be as free and easy as himself.
Moreover, tomorrow's expenses would definitely be paid by these young misses. If - and this was just if - any problems arose, they would take the blame...
Now Xiaoyao discovered that being a servant was actually very happy.
...
At some time, somewhere...
"What's your name?"
"Xiaoyao."
"Full name."
"Le Xiaoyao."
"Where do you live?"
"That depends how you're asking. Are you asking about my ancestral home or where I lived before?"
"Of course ancestral home."
"I don't know that."
"Kid, you dare play tricks. Good, very good. Everyone who enters our place - let's see if your mouth is harder or my stick is harder."
In a somewhat dark small room, Xiaoyao was being interrogated by a fierce constable...
What was this situation? Shouldn't Xiaoyao be strolling with Young Miss and the others? How did he get caught by constables? Looking at this situation, they seemed ready to use torture.
Xiaoyao himself found this incomprehensible. He had only gone to buy flatbread, but unexpectedly a group of constables suddenly appeared behind him, then without a word directly arrested both him and the flatbread stall owner, also taking his flatbread, calling it "evidence."
My flatbread. I didn't even take one bite. At least let me take one bite. I'm almost starving to death now.
Flatbread, flatbread...
"No sir, Constable sir, I'm an orphan. I was picked up and raised by my master's family from childhood. I really don't know." Xiaoyao secretly reached toward the flatbread on the table.
Blade flash...
Xiaoyao immediately withdrew his hands...
The constable's knife appeared on the table. That constable looked at Xiaoyao disdainfully and said: "Master's family - so you're a servant."
"Yes, a household servant." Xiaoyao answered.
The constable glanced at Xiaoyao and asked: "Which family's servant are you?"
"Mo family of Qingyun City. These days I came with my boss to participate in the Dragon Gate Tournament." Xiaoyao answered.
"Dragon Gate Tournament?" The constable's expression became uncertain. People related to the Dragon Gate Tournament were all untouchable masters now. His Majesty had just issued orders - whoever touched Dragon Gate Tournament people would be killed without question.
"You're an attendant for Dragon Gate Tournament participants. Then how did you end up trading with the flatbread seller?" The constable became serious, no longer thinking about profit, just wanting to clarify the situation.
"I was hungry and wanted to buy flatbread to eat. Can't flatbread be bought and sold in the capital?" Xiaoyao was puzzled. He was still confused about why buying flatbread got him arrested.
"That's allowed... it's just that this flatbread seller wasn't really selling flatbread. He was selling Five Stone Powder." The constable watched Xiaoyao secretly pick up that flatbread and didn't stop him, just kept talking.
"What? Five Stone Powder..." Xiaoyao immediately threw away the flatbread he had just picked up and was about to eat, getting as far from it as possible, as if that flatbread were deadly poison.
Actually, Five Stone Powder was a type of poison - a chronic mental poison that could give people brief excitement and was addictive.
"..." Seeing Xiaoyao's action, the constable already understood that this kid hadn't come to buy Five Stone Powder, though the possibility of acting couldn't be ruled out.
"Didn't you notice something wrong with that flatbread seller? His flatbread wasn't normal flatbread prices. Ordinary people wouldn't buy it."
This was why Xiaoyao was arrested. This flatbread seller hid Five Stone Powder inside flatbread, so naturally the flatbread prices weren't ordinary flatbread prices. When constables came to arrest people based on tips, Xiaoyao happened to buy a flatbread, so they arrested Xiaoyao along with him.
Originally, people using Five Stone Powder wouldn't be arrested - at most taught a lesson. The police didn't have that much manpower and resources to handle these addicts. This time was special because the Dragon Gate Tournament and imperial examinations were being held. Even petty theft would be severely cracked down on.
Xiaoyao was just this unlucky to be arrested.
Also, this couldn't be blamed on others because Xiaoyao himself was confused, actually buying this flatbread. His reason was:
"I thought prices were just high in the capital..."
"..."
"Alright, first let me verify your situation. I'll hold you for one day. I'll help notify your master. If he comes to vouch for you, we'll release you. If he doesn't come, you'll stay here one day as punishment for your confusion. Then you won't make such mistakes again." The constable said according to procedure, though with a bit more human feeling, possibly because Xiaoyao said he came for the Dragon Gate Tournament.
So Xiaoyao told the constable the address and wasn't very anxious because even staying one day wouldn't matter. The day after tomorrow was when they'd go to the royal palace. Even tomorrow would be fine - Xiaoyao wasn't participating anyway, just watching the excitement.
Therefore, even if the constable didn't manage to notify Guxing, he wouldn't mind.
Xiaoyao was actually curious to see what prison was like, whether it was really as legendary with grievances reaching the sky.
But Xiaoyao quickly regretted it. He wanted to shout four words:
Let me out.
Think about what the situation was these days - even petty thieves were being dealt with. The prison cells were overcrowded. Xiaoyao was now pitifully squeezed into a corner.
Most pitifully, Xiaoyao didn't know how to explain why he was here.
"Kid, how'd you get in?"
"Buying flatbread..."
"..."
...
Help.
After Xiaoyao adapted to this cell, he immediately wanted to call for help. He urgently wanted Guxing to come save him - immediately.
The reason was simple:
"Help, I'm so hungry. Give me flatbread. I'd rather eat poison than starve to death..."
"..."
But somehow, Xiaoyao didn't wait for Guxing to come. Not until evening did he get food and solve his hunger problem.
The food seemed quite good, not as bad as legends suggested. Maybe it was because he was too hungry - anyway, Xiaoyao thought it was pretty good.
Soon, Xiaoyao heard evaluations of this food. Turns out it wasn't because he was hungry - this stuff was really good.
(End of Chapter)