Chapter 34

“What’s with all this secrecy?” Shen Yao Xing glanced at her, reaching out to take the object and directly tearing off the outer cloth. As she did so, a blinding cold light flashed across her face.

A slender-handled long knife came into view. The blade was as thin and straight as a sword, with a blue-black back and a perfectly even edge. The white blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight streaming through the window, giving the impression that even the slightest touch would draw blood.

“What… is this?” Shen Yao Xing, still not fully comprehending, asked stupidly, her eyes unable to leave the knife on the table.

It was the first time she had seen such a beautiful knife.

Meng Xin Yi bit into a pastry, her brow smooth: “This is a barrier knife. Didn’t you say before that you wanted a suitable weapon? This one is perfect, light and suitable for defense and close combat.”

“You went out today just to find this for me?” Shen Yao Xing picked up the knife and examined it closely, the cold white blade reflecting her shining starry eyes.

It truly matched her heart’s desire perfectly!

Meng Xin Yi, watching the young girl’s excited expression, couldn’t help but smile: “Not just today, I’ve been working on this for the past few days. It just wasn’t ready the previous two days.”

Shen Yao Xing couldn’t be happier. She had originally thought about wearing a weapon at her waist to look more imposing, but a sword was too long for her, and a regular knife too heavy. This one was just right, neither too long nor too short, and with hardly any weight.

“Where did you get it from?” the young girl asked casually as she carefully wiped the blade with a piece of cloth.

Meng Xin Yi raised her teacup to her lips, her gaze lingering on the girl’s face for a moment. She set the cup down, her expression gentle, but didn’t directly answer the question: “Do you like it?”

“Mm!” How could she not like something so beautiful?

“That’s good. However, this knife has no sheath. We’ll need to have one made.”

Indeed, without a sheath, it couldn’t be worn at the waist. Thinking this, Shen Yao Xing rewrapped the blade with the cloth she had used to wipe it. Unable to wait even a moment, she wanted to go out right away to find someone to make a sheath.

“Don’t rush, it’s getting late now. It won’t be too late to go tomorrow,” Meng Xin Yi called out to stop the person who was excitedly about to leave.

The young girl moved quickly. As soon as the words were spoken, she had already disappeared from the room. Meng Xin Yi shook her head, amused. But a moment later, she saw the young girl run back. Just as she was about to ask, she saw her grab some silver from the table and dash out again.

The woman paused, then laughed softly, leisurely picking up the remaining pastries and starting to eat.

—————

Shen Yao Xing knew there was a blacksmith’s shop not far from the inn. It was in a relatively secluded location with few people. From a distance, she could see a muscular woman, bare-chested, wielding a hammer amidst flying sparks.

Shen Yao Xing walked over and directly stated her purpose, handing over the knife for the woman to gauge how to proceed: “I need a sheath for this knife. About how long will it take to make?”

The woman wiped sweat with the coarse cloth hanging around her neck, curiously taking the knife in both hands to examine it.

“This is a barrier knife! What material is this forged from? It’s incredibly sharp!” the woman exclaimed. Her calloused fingers gently stroked the flat side of the blade, a sharp pain spreading across her fingertips.

She quickly withdrew her hand, looking at the blood mark on her finger, and nervously returned the knife to the young girl.

“This type of knife is rarely used. I don’t have any ready-made sheaths in my shop. It will take a few days to make one.”

Shen Yao Xing felt a bit disappointed. She would have to wait a few more days, meaning she couldn’t take the knife out like this. But there was no other option now, so she agreed with the blacksmith to come back in a few days to pick it up.

Originally, they had only rented one room at the inn for the past few days, but now that they had some savings, the two didn’t need to squeeze together anymore. Shen Yao Xing happily went to rent another room.

After all, it was more comfortable to sleep in a room by oneself.

The next morning, after a good night’s sleep, Shen Yao Xing was about to go out for a meal. Just as she opened the door, she saw someone standing outside. She squinted her still drowsy eyes, feeling that this person looked somewhat familiar.

“Miss, I’ve come on behalf of the young master to invite you over,” the youth in gray-blue clothes said respectfully, head bowed low.

Young master?

“What young master?” Shen Yao Xing covered her mouth as she yawned, her mind not yet fully awake.

The youth secretly glanced up at the young girl, coincidentally meeting her moist eyes. He quickly lowered his head, his face burning, his naturally soft voice feigning calmness: “It’s Young Master Qing Lian who sent me to invite you.”

Oh, him.

Shen Yao Xing scratched her neck, frowning slightly: “Did he say what he wanted to see me about?”

She had thought her words yesterday might have angered him.

“I don’t know. Please, miss, if you could come with me.” Seeing the young girl’s apparent reluctance, he remembered what his master had instructed him to say: “The young master has prepared tea and snacks in the building, waiting for you to arrive.”

“Is that so…” Shen Yao Xing licked her lips, remembering the taste of yesterday’s pastries, and immediately nodded in agreement.

When she entered Ru Yun Yuan and pushed open the door to the innermost Clear Residence on the second floor, Shen Yao Xing was stunned by the scene before her.

She saw the man sitting by the window in the viewing area, wearing a white patterned robe with a light green gauze outer garment. At that moment, he was looking sideways at the street below, his ink-black hair falling just enough to reveal a small patch of jade-like skin on his neck. The flower-like markings at the corners of his eyes appeared even more brilliantly red against this backdrop. Even just his profile was enough to make one’s heart flutter.

His long eyelashes trembled slightly. Hearing the sound, the man slowly turned his gaze, lowering his raised chin slightly, looking straight at the young girl.

Shen Yao Xing couldn’t help but marvel. This person’s face was indeed beautiful. If it were any other woman in this world, they might have rushed over without hesitation.

The man slowly rose and walked towards her, his bewitching face barely concealing its allure. His crimson lips slightly pursed as he spoke in a soft voice: “Yesterday, Qing Lian was confused for a moment. I didn’t mean to treat my benefactor that way…”

Shen Yao Xing’s gaze left the man’s body and was immediately drawn to the table full of delicious food. She swallowed and waved her hand dismissively: “It’s fine, it’s fine. Yesterday it was my poor choice of words that angered you. It’s good that you’re not angry now.”