294 Xuan Mei 5

"So it was all a ploy?"

Lin Liushui was the one to laugh first, although he hid his laughter behind his opened fan. Which left Qin Feng to sniff at the Second Ducal Prince. Although he pointed at the handsome fellow as he did that.

"Of course. I had been a bit worried with my first attack, since I wasn't sure that he got my reference to bad poetry. But I supposed he must have realised that I was only heightening my projection of qi to intimidate."

Lin Liushui agreed with that immediately. "I knew something was up when I sense the Profound level Cultivation in his strike. After all, wasn't he only in the Discerning Realm less than ten days ago, just after we left Chestnut Town? How could he have advanced so quickly?

"Then I realised that it was all some sort of game that he was playing. And his odd declaration of affection for Xuan Mei caught my attention. It seemed like a very large hint. So I decided to be uncharacteristically blatant in declaring my love for her as well. Just for the shock value."

"That is why you pushed yourself even further? To project the Peak of Profound Realm Cultivation in your strikes?"

The one who asked that was Xu Qinghua, who had been the one to tell the pair that their ploy had worked, and that they had protected Xuan Mei from her unwanted suitor. And she had used her status as a Personal Disciple of a Prime Elder, to get everyone who was involved in the incident to sit down, and work out their differences.

Although, when they got to her little tea room, matters had ended up more like a briefing, rather than a settlement. Which, in turn, had given Li Changhai the chance to ask his questions of the pair. The Second Ducal Prince was still very confused about what was really happening.

"Speaking of Xuan Mei, why did you hide her away again? Shouldn't she be here?"

Xu Qinghua turned to Qin Feng, and shook her head at him. "We shall need to give her some time, I think, to let her cool her head over what she heard. Well, that is the official story.

"You two were rather ... loud in telling the world of your love for her, you understand? While I think she may not be affected by Qin Feng here, Young Master Lin's words had a rather ... interesting effect on her."

"Ah."

"Oh! Ha ha."

The latter response was from Lin Liushui, who pouted at Qin Feng then. "I had not known that Xuan Mei had made such an arrangement with Brother Qin Feng here. So when I learned about it, I had naturally gone to confront him.

"But when we heard about the situation involving Alchemist Chang ..."

Qin Feng shrugged, and waved the matter aside as if it was unimportant. "That has been dealt with, and my so-called engagement to Xuan Mei was clearly to shield from nasty little flies like that Chang fellow. With you here, I can hand over my duties now."

"We seem to have a rather robust network for the sharing of gossip, you see."

This time, it was Li Changhai who looked surprised. "Then ... Ah! That disciple sister of yours who told us about where Xuan Mei could be found ... Was she one of this ... gossip circle of yours then?"

Xu Qinghua's cheeks were pink when she nodded back at the Second Ducal Prince. "How else could I have located her so quickly. But honestly, I had not expected such a ... such a performance when we got there. I merely thought that one of your companions would tell Chang Chenzhang off, and threaten him with physical injury.

"But this little fight, I believe, shall be enough to put him in his place, and keep him from dreaming of getting his clutches on our Xuan Mei. After all, how would a mere alchemist of his stature dare to challenge a pair of young men like these, who are in the Profound Realm?"

Qin Feng sniffed at that. "And you might wish to let the old fool know that Lin Liushui here is from the Wuyang Lin Family too. Just so that there are no further mistakes with regards to this issue. Oh, and that should also clear up the small matter of your dispute over the Su Family in Chestnut Town.

"I mean, it doesn't make sense for the Wuyang Lin Family to make trouble for the Snow Swallow Palace when one of the latter is going to become a daughter-in-law, is it? Or is it granddaughter-in-law? I never got your placement in your family worked out."

Lin Liushui had the good grace to hide his face behind his fan, while Qin Feng was going on. But he could not resist answering that question at the end. Rather proudly too.

"Well, I don't think my uncle has taken over the Patriarch's position yet, so I should be in the 'grandson' tier right now. So 'granddaughter-in-law' would be more accurate."

Xu Qinghua, however, was hiding her face behind her sleeve as well. And from the strained sound of her voice as she answered, it was pretty clear that she was giggling with abandon at the nature of their discourse.

"I see. I shall remind my shifu and the rest of the Palace about that. When the discussion comes up, of course."

Qin Feng nodded back at her, since he had been the one to bring the subject up. Li Changhai was surprised that he was taking such an active role though.

Then he heard the young man's next question. And things became a little clearer:

"And Xu Yanzhi? How did she take the news that I was the one who was betrothed to Xuan Mei? Did she mention anything about that?"

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