The Inverted Dragon's Scale

“Not here? How would she not be here? She clearly said to meet up today.” Li Shinian fumed. “You go in and notify the inside. If you can’t, then tell Xiaohong and Xiaoliu to come out to see me.”

“Miss Shinian, our young Miss really is not in, please don’t make things difficult for us.” The gatekeeper said awkwardly.

Li Shinian stared wide-eyed at the two gatekeepers. “Is there something you’re trying to hide from me?”

“No——” The two men shook their heads desperately. “How would we be hiding something from Miss Shinian?”

“You are the guards of the Cui family, and I am the Miss of the Li family. It’s only reasonable that you want to hide something from me———Why are you explaining so nervously?” Li Shinian fixed a suspicious gaze at the two. “A guilty conscience.” “

“Miss Shinian, we really have nothing to hide from you.”

“Yes. Miss Shinian please don’t make things difficult for us servants. If we let you in, someone may break out legs——”

“Huh?” Li Shinian, who was incredibly intelligent, immediately found a clue from their words. “Why would someone break your leg if I go in? Who’s going to break your leg?”

The two exchanged a glance, keeping silent. They were worried that Li Shinian may pick out flaws from their words again. 。

“Forget it.” Li Shinian waved her hand in a wide motion. “Fine then don’t let me in. I don’t want to go in.”

With that, Li Shinian turned and headed towards her carriage.

“Is she gone?” The gatekeeper had a look of disbelief across his face. They knew about Miss Shinian’s reputation, and were certain that she was not someone who would compromise at will.

“It must be a bluff.” The other gatekeeper said.

Li Shinian got into the carriage and said to Li Muyang who was waiting inside. “Brother, they won’t let us in. They say that if they let us in, then someone will break their legs. It seems the Cui family expected that you might come find Xiaoxin, so specifically ordered someone to guard the gate.”

Li Muyang, with a solemn face, nodded. “I understand.”

“Brother, if you really want to go in, there are only two gatekeepers at the entrance. I can go over and slap them until they faint, while you take the chance to just barge in.”

Li Muyang responded with a bitter smile. “What place do you think the Cui residence is? How can we barge in so easily? Besides, even if we manage to get inside, it will surely alarm the guards in the mansion. What can I say to Xiaoxin if I see her with them chasing after me?”

“Then don’t say anything, just do what you want to do.” Li Shinian suggested with a sincere look on her face, blinking her huge, innocent eyes.

Li Muyang froze for a moment. “What do I want to do?”

“How would I know?” Li Shinian snapped. “You’re demanding to see Sister Xiaoxin, but you have not even thought about what you want to do, so what are you doing here?”

“I ——I just want to see her and talk to her.” Li Muyang uttered.

“Idiot.”

“————”

Li Muyang pulled open the curtain and said aloud: “Let’s go. It’s seems I won’t see her this time, let’s come again next time.”

“We just leave like this?” Li Shinian said in an unwilling tone. “How about this, I’ll climb over the walls and help you shout to her?” “

“You must not.” Li Muyang hastily dissuaded his sister from her crazy idea. “Even if you yell until you have a broken throat, we still can’t get in. And if you did so, wouldn’t that make things more difficult for Xiaoxin?”

“I’m not making it difficult for Sister Xiaoxin. I’m making it difficult for Sister Xiaoxin’s family.” Li Shinian shot a fierce glare at the entrance. “Brother, the door of our house in the future will be higher than that of the Cui family.”

“Yes, we will build our house on a mountain, the entrance will be higher than the Cui family’s roof.” Li Muyang nodded.

“Hate it. I don’t want to live on a mountain.” Li Shinian pinched her brother.

Li Muyang knew what his sister was thinking, stretched out his hand to stroke her head. “Let’s go. We are now living in the Lu family’s residence, our every word and actions represent those of the Lu family. There are some things that can’t be done casually. Since I can’t see her today, then we’ll just come back tomorrow. There will always be a chance to see her——”

“Brother——” Li Shinian cried.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” Li Shinian shook her head.

She was thinking that she hoped that her brother did not know about the marriage between the Cui and Song family. It was said that the Song family’s ‘Jade tree’ had returned to the capital, and the reason for his return was presumably about the marriage?

However, this matter could be hidden from him forever. Once the marriage between the Cui and Song family spreads, it will certainly cause a sensation in the capital, perhaps even the entire West Wind Kingdom.

Her brother was about to fight the old man of Still water, therefore it would be best that he was not be affected by this matter.

Li Muyang noticed the flash of sadness on Li Shinian’s face, he urged, “Let’s go, accompany me to a place.”

“Where?”

“The Song residence.”

“Song residence? Which Song residence?”

Li Muyang blushed a little as he explained. “The Song family’s Song Chenxi asked me to paint for her, and I agreed. Today I happen to have time, so let’s go over and fulfill this promise together. In the next few days I plan to shut myself away for training, if——”

Li Muyang did not finish his sentence, worried that Li Shinian would be upset about it.

For the remainder of the time, he planned to concentrate on his cultivation in order to deal with his duel against Mu Dingyi.

If Li Muyang were to win, then there was still a chance he could to keep his promise. But if he loses, he would break his promise.

Li Shinian’s eyes widened, like a puppy who saw a bone sweeping around. Li Muyang was that bone.

Li Shinian snorted: “Li Muyang, you actually know the Song family’s Song Chenxi? I have been in the capital for so long, but I have never seen the mysterious young Miss of the Song family——You have only come back for a few days, but you are already acquainted with her? And you have also been invited to the Song residence to paint?”

“Yes,” Li Muyang nodded. “I just happened to meet her on the road.” “

“Li Muyang, don’t tell me that you are going to find that person of the Song family because the Cui family refused entry to you?”

“No, Miss Song and I———are just ordinary friends. No, we can’t even be considered as ordinary friends. She invited me to paint her, how could I say no?”

“Pah.” Li Shinian spat out. “There are so many women in the capital, if every single one of then asks you to paint, are you not going to refuse them all?”

“No, Miss Song is not like the other women——”

“Of course she’s not the same. She is the daughter of the aristocratic Song family, and is one of the Three right moons of Tiandu, how would she be the same as the other women?”

“So are you going with me or not?”

“Of course I am.” Li Shinian snapped, raising her head. “If I did not go, who knows what you’re going to do?”

“————”

—————————

The Cui family’s little courtyard.

Cui Xiaoxin was sat in front of the fire reading an old scroll, when there was a knock coming from the courtyard door.

Taohong cast a glance at the young Miss to see that she was focused on the scroll, and dashed straight over to open the courtyard door.

“Madam.” Taohong bowed respectfully right away when she saw that standing at the door was the young Miss’s mother.

“What is Xiaoxin doing?” Mother Cui asked, while speaking to the handsome youngster behind him, “Tingyun, please come in. Xiaoxin is good at everything, but she is not very active, she likes to rest in the little courtyard and read. She only goes out for a walk when I urge her to.”

“Madam, Miss is reading in the room,” said Taohong. She peeped a glance at the white-robed youngster next to the Madam of the house, thinking to herself: “why is he back? Could it be that the matter is really close?” “

“I don’t know what Miss thinks, but she most likely would not like it very much. She has been thinking about Li Muyang all this time, and she also invited him to the plum garden to enjoy the plum blossoms with her. This was not normal of her, right?”

Of course, a matter like that was not something a servant girl like her could interject in.

“Xiaoxin is a model daughter, Tinyun already knows that she is extremely knowledgeable, noble and virtuous.” Song Tinyun said with a smiling expression.

“Tinyun is over praising her. It’s not easy for you to come back, and you two haven’t seen each other for years, you two must have a good chat.” Mother Cui cast a meaningful glance at Song Tinyun, a wide smile curving her lips.

It had to be said that anyone who sees Song Tinyun would be happy.

Among the prestigious families, with the exception of the Princes, there was no man who had a more noble status that him in the entire Kingdom.

Handsome and graceful, he was the best candidate and a match made in heaven with Xiaoxin.

He was also a martial arts genius, his strength was one of the best of the younger generation, and now that he was admitted into Starry Sky, he would have boundless prospect in the future.

If such a person were to become their son-in-law, Mother Cui would be the first to agree.

For some reason, Mother Cui suddenly thought of Li Muyang.

“I heard from the gatekeepers that his sister Li Shinian came today. She was certainly here to pass on her brother’s feelings. Luckily we were well prepared and turned her away. Otherwise, if she had taken Xiaoxin away, then Tinyun’s trip here would be fruitless.”

Mother Cui did not like Li Muyang, even more did not want Cui Xiaoxin to become the second Cui Xinci.

“Yes.” Song Tinyun bowed to express his thanks, his manner incredibly polite.

……