Chapter 39

Understanding each other clearly and being straightforward.

Finally managing to send off the two groups of people, Shi Mei sat in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Red Ye and Zan Yue didn’t disturb her, busying themselves with managing the fragrance powder shop. Fortunately, the constable Wang was considerate enough to come early, avoiding any crowd. After all, most of their clientele, being young ladies and nobles, preferred to shop in the afternoon.

In the courtyard, Xiang Er brought breakfast for Shi Mei, who ate absently, her mind elsewhere.

As Xiang Er sat beside her, grooming Xiao Fu Zi, she asked Shi Mei, "Mei Zi, who do you think is framing Bai She for the murder?"

Shi Mei shook her head. She had been too preoccupied with responding earlier to pay much attention to Qin Xianglian's demeanor. However, she doubted that it was Qin Xianglian’s doing. Knowing he held some leverage over Bai She, Qin Xianglian wouldn't use such a blunt method to frame him.

Moreover, Shi Mei found something peculiar about this incident. If someone truly wanted to frame another, there would be more subtle ways to do it. This attempt was full of flaws, almost too obvious, as if done deliberately to be noticed. What was the true intention behind it, and who was the real target?

"Mei Zi sister?"

"Hmm?"

Roused by Xiang Er's call, Shi Mei looked up.

"Stop nibbling, or you’ll end up swallowing the spoon."

Xiang Er teased her, and Shi Mei realized she had been absentmindedly biting on her spoon, slightly embarrassed, she put it down. Just as she thought to stretch her limbs a bit, she saw Zan Yue rushing in, "Mei Zi, Young Master Fu Si is here."

Shi Mei frowned upon hearing this, wondering why he had come. Not even half the day had passed, and already two troublesome visits. It seemed like it wouldn’t be an easy day!

"Are you going to see him?" Zan Yue asked, "Weren’t you planning to tell him about that poisonous mushroom?"

Shi Mei thought for a moment and asked, "Has Bai She returned yet?"

Zan Yue shook her head, "Not sure, I was about to go to the Bai residence to check."

"Then, I'll go handle Fu Si. Could you find out if Baisha is about to return?"

"Sure thing." Zan Yue turned and ran off.

Shi Mei braced herself and headed to the front hall, ready to face Fu Si, whose reasons for visiting were unknown.

……

"Miss Chen." Fu Si was waiting in the front hall, this time by himself, as Fu Ying had not accompanied him.

"Young Master Fu," Shi Mei greeted Fu Si with a slight bow, "Are you here to purchase some fragrance powder?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Fu Si waved his hand dismissively, "I've come with a presumptuous request for Miss Chen's assistance."

"What help can I, a mere woman, offer you?"

Fu Si smiled, "I was hoping Miss Chen could help me concoct a special fragrance powder."

Shi Mei, always mindful of Bai She's earlier warnings about being cautious around Fu Si, didn't inquire about the purpose of the powder. She simply, and somewhat wearily, declined, "I apologize, Young Master Fu, but I've been quite occupied recently and really don’t have the mindset to create fragrance powders. If it's not urgent, perhaps another time?"

"Of course, I’m not in a hurry. If you could do it within three months, that would be great."

"Three months?" Shi Mei calculated the time, which seemed ample, and then asked, "What kind of fragrance powder does Young Master Fu require?"

"One that can temporarily cause blindness..."

As soon as Fu Si spoke, Shi Mei’s expression darkened, interrupting him, "Young Master Fu, what you're asking for isn't fragrance powder; it’s poison."

Fu Si raised an eyebrow, "Poison and medicine are inherently indistinct. Using poison to counteract poison, poison can be medicine, and medicine not suited for the ailment becomes poison."

Shi Mei frowned. Fu Si was quite adept with words, but she remained firm, "The fragrance powder shop will not set such a precedent. I don’t have such powders here, nor will I make them."

Fu Si sighed, "Actually, in the martial world, there are plenty of poisons that can blind people. Why do you think I came to Miss Chen for fragrance powder? Do you know?"

Shi Mei shook her head, thinking to herself, I don’t meddle in martial world affairs, but just for having the intent to blind someone, I already disapprove.

Fu Si earnestly said, "I need something mild, just a brief moment that goes unnoticed."

Shi Mei frowned; Fu Si didn’t seem to hide his cunning at all. If it weren’t for Bai She’s warning about his deep scheming, she might have underestimated him. "What do you mean by ‘a brief moment’?"

"It just seemed like a moment of distraction," Fu Si candidly revealed to Shimei, "I won't lie, I'm going to catch a thief whose martial arts are so strong I might not beat him. But losing would be embarrassing, so I'm thinking of resorting to trickery."

Shi Mei wasn’t sure whether to call Fu Si despicable or just bluntly straightforward, unbothered by formalities, and seemingly righteous about his dubious tactic.

"Dealing with a villain doesn’t always require direct confrontation," Fu Si seemed to understand Shi Mei’s thoughts and chuckled nonchalantly, "I can’t beat him but want to eliminate a menace to the people, so I have to resort to stratagems."

"Who is this person you're up against?"

"His name is Guan Luori," Fu Si replied with a smile. "A notorious bandit, known across the lands. Miss, you could ask any official friend about him; he’s considered one of the top ten most wicked thieves."

After listening, Shimei thought for a moment, "Give me a few days, I'll get back to you soon."

Fu Si smiled warmly, "I appreciate that Miss Chen is considering it." He bowed, "I take my leave."

Shimei asked Xiaoxiang to see the guest out. As Fu Si reached the door, he suddenly turned back, "Oh, one more thing."

Shimei, about to leave, stopped in her tracks to hear what else he had to say.

Fu Si paused thoughtfully, then said, "I think I know who tried to frame Baisha for the murder of Ming Jie yesterday."

"Who?" Shimei quickly asked.

Fu Si smiled cryptically, "Let me ponder over it for a few days, then I'll inform Miss Chen."

"You..."

Annoyed, Shimei wondered if Fu Si was trying to blackmail her. However, he had already walked away with a smile.

"Meizi Sister, what should we do?" Xiaoxiang returned and asked.

"Ignore him," Shimei said, turning to walk away. "I won't make such a thing. Who knows whom he’ll use it against? If it's used on a good person, I'd be aiding a tyrant."

Walking briskly away, Shimei wanted no part in these martial world affairs, intent on returning to the Fragrance House alone. Just as she stepped down the stairs, she heard Xiaofuzi's affectionate "meow."

Startled, Shimei noted that whenever Xiaofuzi meowed so affectionately, something...

Following Xiaofuzi’s call, a figure in white appeared before Shimei.

Caught off guard by the sudden appearance and being so close, Shimei nearly collided with the figure, but was steadied by a hand reaching out to her. Looking up, she saw it was indeed Baisha.

Suddenly facing Bai She, Shi Mei found herself at a loss for words.

Without much ado, Baisha handed a bundle to Xiaoxiang behind her and reached out to pet Xiaofuzi in Shimei's arms. Xiaofuzi, having not seen Baisha for a while, affectionately nuzzled his hand.

Xiang Er opened the bundle to find several spices, none of which she had seen before.

"They're all top-quality spices. I came across some old farmers who specialize in gathering them in the mountains, so I bought some," Bai She explained, then looking at Shi Mei, "I heard about Ming Jie's incident."

"Oh..." Shi Mei nodded.

Bai She gave a slight smile, "Thank you."

Bai She's straightforwardness left Shi Mei feeling awkward. He was so direct in his gratitude...

Seeing Shi Mei not responding, Bai She tilted his head and leaned in to look at her.

"Oh, it's nothing," Shi Mei shifted to the side a bit, "It’s only right. Anyone with clear eyes could see it was a setup."

Bai She nodded, "I'm going to change clothes and then how about we go out to eat?"

"Um..." Before Shi Mei could respond, Bai She disappeared in a flash.

Shi Mei pondered, tilting her head, "These martial artists are really convenient, swooshing in and out without using the door, just climbing over walls."

"Mei Zi, I've never seen these before," Xiang Er showed Shi Mei the spices Bai She had brought.

Shi Mei handed Xiao Fu Zi to Xiang Er and took the bundle, flipping through it and exclaimed with delight, "These are indeed hard-to-find items."

Xiang Er nudged her with an elbow, smiling, "Mei Zi, Bai She really thinks of you, bringing back so many spices."

"Cough, cough." Shi Mei coughed to hide her embarrassment, instructing Xiang Er to store the spices away. Then she changed her clothes and left the house.

At the door, Bai She was already waiting, dressed in white and holding a white horse.

Shi Mei ran over to him, and instead of mounting the horse, Bai She walked beside her.

"Where are we going to eat?" Shi Mei asked.

"A nice place," Bai She kept it a secret, walking alongside Shi Mei and asking, "Anything happened recently?"

Shi Mei summarized the important details for Bai She, who stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Fu Si wants to deal with Guan Luori?"

"Yes," Shi Mei nodded. "He asked for a fragrance powder that could daze someone, planning to use it to trick and defeat him."

"Guan Luori is a notorious bandit from the northwest, and his recent activities in the Central Plains have indeed been audacious," Bai She acknowledged. "You could make it for him."

"Really?" Shi Mei was surprised, "Should we resort to such underhanded methods?"

After a moment of thought, Bai She said, "So far, Guan Luori and his gang have raided about a dozen villages, and the death toll of men, women, and children at their hands is at least in the hundreds."

"Aren't the authorities doing anything?"

Bai She shook his head, "It's not that they aren't trying. The government has mobilized thousands of soldiers to eradicate them, but they've suffered heavy losses without success. Later, they decided it's better to let martial artists deal with them, offering a reward of ten thousand taels for his head."

"That valuable, huh?" Shi Mei nodded, "But Fu Si isn't after him for the money, is he?"

"More for the reputation," Bai She shrugged. "The Fu family isn't short of money, but eliminating Guan Luori would greatly boost their fame."

"Why should I help him gain such fame?" Shi Mei expressed her dissatisfaction. "I won't make it for him, or maybe I'll make it and give it to someone else."

Bai She laughed, "Even with a way to distract Guan Luori, there aren't many in the Central Plains martial arts world who can actually kill him. Fu Si is probably one of the few reliable ones. If he succeeds, it would be beneficial for the people."

Shi Mei looked at Bai She, "Don't you dislike him?"

Bai She paused and turned to her, "Do you dislike him because I do?"

Shi Mei looked away, "I didn't say I dislike him. I just don't like his methods... What about you? Would you use such methods?"

Bai She thought for a moment and then shook his head honestly, "Probably not."

"What about against an enemy?" Shi Mei probed, "Still not?"

"I don’t have many enemies. I haven’t come across any with deep hatred, and those who deserved death have been dealt with," Bai She said nonchalantly, "Those I dislike, I simply ignore."

"Ignoring those you don't like... So the ones you care about are the ones you like?" Shi Mei asked, turning her face to look at him.

Bai She met her gaze and nodded, "Naturally, the more I like, the more I care."

Shi Mei nodded, a slight smile appearing on her face as they continued walking side by side in silence.

After a quiet walk, Shi Mei inquired, "How was your trip to Guizhou? Any significant findings?"

"Oh, right." Bai She, reminded by Shi Mei, recalled something, "I almost forgot... Do you know anyone in the martial arts world who is adept with fragrance powder, someone as skilled as you?"

Shi Mei was taken aback by the question. Not being from the present era and only having a basic understanding of fragrance powder, she had no idea about any experts in this field.

Not knowing the answer and having no intention of deceiving Bai She, she replied honestly, "I don't know. Besides, I'm not that skilled... I only have a rudimentary understanding of fragrance powders."

Bai She nodded, not pressing further, and continued, "I'm referring to an elderly woman... I suspect the sachet on Qiao Laokuan was made by her."

"So, the woman Qiao Laokuan met that day was her?"

Bai She shook his head, "Probably someone young and beautiful, I guess. Qiao Laokuan has a temperament; he doesn't meet with those who are ugly or old."

Shi Mei frowned, "That's really poor behavior."

Bai She responded with a smile but remained silent.

"Can you defeat Guan Luori?"

Bai She raised an eyebrow, "That would only be known after a fight. I might try if there's a chance..."

"No, don't!" Shi Mei quickly shook her head, "Let Fu Si handle it. We shouldn’t get involved in this mess."

Bai She chuckled at Shi Mei's casual use of 'we.'

Shi Mei continued, "Let Fu Si do it. If he wins, it's a service to the people. Let him have the empty fame if he likes it. Getting recognition for good deeds is normal."

Bai She laughed, mounted his horse, and helped Shi Mei up. They galloped out of the city gate onto the official road, heading south.

"Where are we going?" Shi Mei asked Bai She, gathering her windblown hair to one side.

"Have you ever been to Ghost Blade Forest?" Bai She inquired.

"What place is that?" Shi Mei frowned, "The name sounds frightening."

"It's where I lived when I was young. It’s not scary, actually quite beautiful."

"What are we going there for? Is it far?"

"We should arrive by midnight," Bai She replied. "I'm taking you to meet my master."

Shi Mei was somewhat taken aback by Bai She’s sudden plan, "Meet your master? It’s so far, why didn’t you say earlier? I could have brought some things to change into."

"I just thought of it," Bai She said, holding the reins in one hand. "My master once said, if I find someone special, I should bring them to meet him immediately."

Shi Mei’s face flushed instantly. Unless she was mistaken, Bai She had just referred to her as his 'someone special.' How could he just blurt that out so casually?

"Why... didn’t you ask me first?" Shi Mei felt somewhat passive, as if ever since they met, Bai She had been deciding everything, leaving her with no say.

Bai She raised an eyebrow, "My master was referring to the person I have feelings for, not necessarily someone who reciprocates."

Shi Mei was taken aback, feeling a sudden jolt in her heart.

Bai She's lips curled into a slight smile, "Take your time to think about it. No rush."

On the official road, many passersby saw a figure in white on a white horse, swiftly riding past. The man looked handsome and the woman beautiful... But why did the lady’s face look as red as Guan Yu’s?