FID – Chapter 1013

Chapter 1013 – Qinglian and Honglian, a Pair

Hmph. Xue Honglian revealed a cold smile, identical to Xue Qinglian’s, and leisurely walked to the bed, lying down.

“Go make dinner. I’m hungry.”

Fight? With her tiny frame, she couldn’t even push open his door. How could she possibly fight him?

Those who talk tough usually have no real ability.

“…” Qian Yi took a deep breath for a full half-quarter of an hour, then stepped forward toward the kitchen to make dinner.

It was already dusk. After all the commotion, the villagers who had gathered near the Black Witch Forest gradually returned.

At this time, smoke rose from every bamboo courtyard in the village—dinner time.

The crowd dispersed and returned to their homes, yet the excitement over Xue Honglian and Qian Liu’s duel did not subside.

Everyone in the village began to feel curious about Xue Honglian.

Who was this person, that as an outsider, he could win the final contest against the village’s strongest warrior?

Even though the Black Witch Forest was not forbidden, it was the most dangerous place in the entire village. Even the villagers themselves dared not enter without significant skill.

Yet Xue Honglian, an outsider, went in and came out completely unscathed. His survival skills in the forest even surpassed Qian Liu.

Naturally, this drew everyone’s curiosity and speculation.

The results of the duel naturally reached the ears of the elders.

The atmosphere in the Elder Hall remained strange for a long time.

“He won? Really, that boy called Xue Honglian won?” The Elder repeated the question at least three times, disbelief still lingering in his eyes.

“Elder, it really was Xue Honglian who won, and he won all three rounds,” Qian Yu said softly.

She was also very shocked.

Everyone in the village knew Qian Liu’s abilities.

Such skills, if brought into the outside world, could surpass many who considered themselves masters. Not to mention, the villagers themselves were no ordinary people: they had secret techniques in reserve.

And yet, in the end, he lost all three rounds.

No doubt the one most affected was Qian Liu himself.

The final round had actually been unfair, heavily favoring the villagers. That Xue Honglian still won showed that he truly had remarkable ability.

“What exactly is his background?” the Elder asked, frowning.

“That can only be answered by Qian Yi, or directly by Xue Honglian himself,” Qian Yu explained softly.

She continued, “Xue Honglian is Qian Yi’s guardian. If what Qian Yi says is true, and the two have feelings for each other, then Xue Honglian would not hide anything about his identity from the elders. That would demonstrate his sincerity.”

When you intend to marry someone’s daughter, you must first reassure her elders.

“If he were to conceal it, that would mean he does not care for Qian Yi deeply enough,” the Elder nodded, agreeing with Qian Yu’s reasoning.

She wanted to call him over to ask directly what she needed to know, and also use it as a test to see how genuine the man’s feelings for Qian Yi truly were.

It would also prevent Qian Yi, still young and naive, from being easily deceived.

“Qian Yi has lived in the village since childhood, cherished and protected by the elders. Although she seems clever, she is actually very pure-hearted. If someone tries to deceive her deliberately, she might not notice, so she still needs the elders to keep a careful eye on things.”

Marriage is a lifelong matter. If the first step is wrong, it could lead to a lifetime of suffering, and by then it would be too late to regret it.

The Elder sighed silently. “Yes, we must keep a careful watch and not misjudge people. Otherwise, Shan Lai is a cautionary example.”

At the mention of that name, Qian Yu fell silent, her eyes reflecting no small measure of sympathy.

Trust the wrong person, and one’s life can be ruined.

Shan Lai now was a cautionary figure, no longer the same as before.

“After dinner, you go and call that boy over. I’ll ask him myself.”

“All right, I’ll go a little later.”

“The envoy is supposed to arrive within these two days. The messenger who came before has already reached the border town, but so far there’s still no sign of him. I can’t help feeling something is off. Tomorrow, when you have time, go and find out what’s going on.”

Qian Yu lowered her head. “I actually hope he doesn’t come.”

If he comes, some girl in the village will be taken away, and once gone, she may never be seen again.

Being summoned to the palace to serve the emperor in bed is a great honor for many, but for the women of the Saintess Tribe, it feels more like a disaster.

Some had seen it clearly, while others remained stubbornly blind.

“What is meant to come will come: this is the fate of our tribe.” There was a bitter tone in the Elder’s words. 

Qian Yu said nothing in reply, and the courtyard fell silent. After dinner, she went to Qian Yi’s small courtyard and summoned the well-fed young man over.

On their way to the Elder’s courtyard, a figure trailed behind them, skulking and hiding, thinking herself clever, not realizing she had long been noticed.

The two walking ahead didn’t bother to expose her.

Qian Yi hid her small frame behind walls and tree trunks along the way; her eyes were fixed eagerly on the two ahead, her neck craned and ears perked to catch whatever conversation they were having.

Unconsciously, she followed them all the way to the elder’s courtyard.

Watching the man and Qian Yu enter the courtyard, Qian Yi’s eyes darted around. She crouched low, quietly made her way to the back of the courtyard, climbed over a broken section of the wall, and slipped inside. She crept up to the rear window, straining to hear what was happening inside.

Part of it was curiosity. What would the Elder ask the man? Part of it was readiness. If he couldn’t handle it, she would rush in to save the day.

In any case, the pretense of an engagement had to remain intact at all costs.

Who knew when the envoy might arrive? Her future looked grim.

This is the trouble of exceptional people and ordinary folks just wouldn’t understand.

“You are called Xue Honglian?” Inside the room, the Elder studied the young man before him, not immediately asking questions.

The man was indeed good-looking. His slightly upturned peach-blossom eyes didn’t give off a frivolous impression. On the contrary, the calm and indifferent gaze emanated a quiet, composed aura.

Sharp, yet somehow reassuring.

Tall, with a commanding presence.

A man like this would stand out anywhere.

She had to admit, Qian Yi had a bit of luck.

Of course, this had nothing to do with her taste; Qian Yi had little discernment. Meeting him was purely a stroke of absurd luck.

“You are called Xue Honglian?”

Xue Honglian paused for a moment, then parted his lips, “No, my name is Xue Qinglian.”

Below the rear windowsill, Qian Yi’s body slumped, and she landed on the ground, utterly speechless.

She had gone to such lengths to help him hide his real name, all so he wouldn’t get into trouble later. And now he went and said his name anyway. Was all her effort wasted?

Twisting herself in frustration, she pressed her ear back to the window, holding her breath, consoling herself that perhaps the other name he just gave was also false.

After all, who had a name differing by only one character from the person they loved? It sounded almost like a sibling.

So she had reason to believe that he loved his beloved so much that he had to use the false name, Xue Qinglian, for the outside world.

Qinglian, Honglian—a pair, after all.

Understood.