Chapter 49 - Monsters in the Mountains
After Chi Nanwei ditched the banquet hall, Young Master Zhou came back to his senses. With growing displeasure realized that he had been completely disregarded.
His expression was downright ugly.
Li Muxian also had an unpleasant expression on his face. Fuming, he shouted, "This is outrageous! Old Wu must have spoiled her rotten!"
Madam Yu smiled and said to Young Master Zhou placatingly, "My husband is right. Don't be angry, Young Master Zhou. What could a girl like her know about Tang blades or anything else for that matter?"
Li Muxian tapped on the table and turned to look at Zhou Yi, "Nephew Zhou, don't worry. Nanwei can be temperamental and she hasn't gotten to know you yet. That is why she acted the way she did. Please don't take it to heart."
Young Master Zhou waved his hand and said, "Oh, of course not. I actually quite like Nanwei's personality."
"You are very magnanimous, Young Master Zhou." Li Muxian stroked his beard and continued, "Nephew Zhou, don't worry. I will take charge of this marriage for Nanwei. By the end of the day, I will choose a suitable date and finalize the arrangements!"
"Uncle Li, there is no need to rush. I have a humble suggestion." Zhou Yi bowed to Li Muxian and said, "Since Nanwei is interested in martial arts… Why not stick to the plan of holding a martial arts competition for her hand in marriage?"
Li Muxian laughed heartily and said, "It's rare to see someone so willing to fight for love. Since that's the case, let's go with your suggestion."
Zhou Yi laughed eagerly and said, "I am in your debt, Senior Li."
***
At this moment, Ye Beizhi sat on a large stone at the entrance of the Ma Family Village, brooding. He had his worries, but was utterly unaware that Li Muxian had betrothed Chi Nanwei to another.
Ma Xiuxiu paced back and forth beside the large stone, occasionally tiptoeing to look outside the village.
"Uncle Ye, how come Daddy hasn't come back yet?" Ma Xiuxiu asked Ye Beizhi for the umpteenth time.
Ye Beizhi turned to look at Ma Xiuxiu. He felt indescribably awkward every time she called him 'Uncle Ye.'
Ye Beizhi shook his head and replied, "I don't know."
After looking at Ma Xiuxiu's anxious face, he added, "He should be returning soon."
"Daddy really knows how to make me worry," Ma Xiuxiu muttered, "Lately, many people have been saying that there's a huge monster in the mountains, but he's still going hunting anyway… Uncle Biaozi and the others must be egging him on!"
Ye Beizhi nodded in agreement. Last night, when Ma Hong and Biaozi's group came over for a late-night snack, he heard them discussing this matter.
"It's almost noon." Ma Xiuxiu ceaselessly paced back and forth.
Ye Beizhi saw a figure slowly appearing in the distance and said, "Mm… He's back."
Ma Xiuxiu squinted intently and was relieved to see that it was Ma Hong indeed.
As Ma Hong approached, Ma Xiuxiu ran over, kicked him on the shin, and admonished, "You're not allowed to go up the mountain this afternoon!"
"Ow!" Ma Hong pretended to be in pain, covering his shin. "Where will we get meat if we don't go up the mountain? My good girl, look at what I brought home this time!"
Saying that Ma Hong revealed what he was holding—a pair of large and plump rabbits. "Let's go back home! We have wild rabbits for lunch!"
Ma Xiuxiu glared at him, snatched the rabbits, and headed home first.
Ye Beizhi jumped off the stone and approached Ma Hong. In a low voice that only the two of them could hear, he said, "I'm leaving."
"Uh…?" Ma Hong was taken aback. "Your injury—"
"It's healed," Ye Beizhi said as he looked at Ma Xiuxiu's retreating figure.
"If you say so… When are you leaving?" Ma Hong sighed.
Ye Beizhi hesitated before he said, "By tomorrow."
They returned to the house in silence.
At lunch, an unyielding Ma Xiuxiu put her foot down on hunting in the mountains.
"You are not allowed to go this afternoon!" Ma Xiuxiu slammed her bowl on the table and declared, "No! Until that monster in the mountains is caught, you are not allowed to go!"
"Hai… how could there really be a huge monster?" Ma Hong waved his hand dismissively and said, "Even if there is, it wouldn't want to come out in such cold weather." Saying that he picked up a piece of rabbit meat and brought it to his mouth.
Smack—
Ma Xiuxiu extended her chopsticks and knocked the piece of rabbit meat out of Ma Hong's hand. Her big, teary eyes glaring at him as she repeated, "Not! Allowed! To! Go! As our teacher says, it's better to believe there is a monster than to believe… believe… believe whatever it is!"
"It's better to believe there is a monster than to believe there isn't," Ye Beizhi, who was quietly eating, suddenly interjected.
"Exactly! That's it!" Ma Xiuxiu raised her head proudly and proclaimed, "You’re not allowed to go this afternoon!"
"That's nonsense." Ma Hong pursed his lips. "That's why I said you shouldn’t go to that school. What are they teaching you?"
Ma Hong picked up another piece of rabbit meat and said, "If I don’t go hunting in the mountains, where will we get meat? It's the middle of winter, it's impossible to make it through with nothing but vegetables, right?"
Ma Xiuxiu was about to retort, but Ma Hong stuffed a bite of rabbit meat into her mouth and continued, "Besides, you should also consider your Uncle Ye. His injury has just healed, and he needs meat to fully recover."
Ma Xiuxiu lowered her head and said nothing.
No one spoke and the rowdy table fell silent.
Ye Beizhi looked at Ma Xiuxiu and then turned to Ma Hong. He rubbed his nose and said, "I'll go up the mountain with you this afternoon."
"Mm?" Ma Hong looked at Ye Beizhi in confusion.
"You can't!" Ma Xiuxiu protested emphatically.
Ma Hong looked at Ye Beizhi in a new light. "Young Master Ye, you can hunt?"
Ye Beizhi nodded and said, "A bit."
Then he patted Xiuxiu’s hand and added, "I know martial arts, so I can look out for your father."
"Oh I didn't expect Young Master Ye to also know martial arts," Ma Hong said with interest, "How come you never mentioned it before?"
Ma Xiuxiu was also curious, "How are your martial skills? How strong are you?"
Ye Beizhi thought for a moment and said, "Very strong."
"Pfft… You are definitely boasting!" Ma Xiuxiu scrunched her little nose cutely at Ye Beizhi, "I've never heard of anyone saying it like that!"
Ye Beizhi felt a sense of déjà vu. Another girl had once asked him the same thing.
He realized that he needed to leave.
"Alright, it’s settled then. Young Master Ye, you’ll go with me this afternoon!" Ma Hong said with a smile, "By the way, Young Master Ye, do you know how to use a bow and arrow?"
Ye Beizhi shook his head and said, "A blade is enough."
"A blade?" Ma Hong scratched his head and admitted, "I only have a machete. Will that do?"
Ye Beizhi nodded. He had seen that machete, the blade was just a bit longer than his forearm, not as long as his Tang blade, but it was very sharp due to years of careful sharpening.
Ma Xiuxiu looked like she wanted to object, but Ye Beizhi patted her hand to reassure her.
Although Ma Xiuxiu reluctantly agreed to let them go, her eyes couldn’t conceal her worry. She urged, "Then you two… be careful."
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