Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Wen Yu stepped out from the crowd of onlookers. At that moment, it wasn't just Luo Qianyu; everyone present likely had the same thought—he was the very essence of grace and spirit, as if painted by a master's brush.

A peerless, radiant beauty, with no equal in all the world.

It was nothing more than… he was just too beautiful.

Seeing the extraordinary bearing of the newcomer, the shopkeeper knew better than to be discourteous, yet he remained skeptical. He had just displayed the Snow Lotus, barely having a chance to drum up business, and already a buyer had appeared. Would the price be right?

If it didn't meet expectations, it would be better to offer it to the palace.

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, pulling the Snow Lotus closer to his chest, and asked suspiciously, "How much in gold or silver ingots does the esteemed guest intend to offer? Or perhaps banknotes? Land deeds or shop titles? Let me be clear upfront, this Thousand-Year Snow Lotus is…!"

Before he could finish, a jade pendant was placed on the counter.

"With this," the man said.

The shopkeeper's voice, which had risen halfway, abruptly stopped, leaving him somewhat embarrassed. He could only take the pendant skeptically, thinking to himself that he really should have sent it to the palace. He took a cloth and polished the outer edge, then held it up to the oil lamp for a closer look. Instantly, he drew a sharp, quiet breath.

This color, this texture… a rarity you'd be hard-pressed to find even in the palace!

Luo Qianyu watched this scene, silently recalling the novel's plot.

The Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was indeed a top-grade medicinal ingredient. As its name suggested, it was a medicinal lotus grown at the highest peaks of snowy mountains, a once-in-a-thousand-years occurrence, extremely precious. It was indeed the correct remedy for Wen Yu's mother's illness. It made sense that Wen Yu would trade his family heirloom jade pendant for it. Little did he know, this act would pull him into an even darker hell.

Although the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was extremely precious, it could not be decocted together with Sichuan aconite. Their medicinal properties were incompatible; if taken together, the resulting poison would be extremely potent.

And Wen Yu's mother's original prescription contained 'Sichuan aconite.'

What was originally the most beneficial supplement became a lethal poison.

Of course, this was something only Luo Qianyu, with his god's-eye view, knew. Later, Wen Yu not only lost his beloved mother the moment his hopes were reignited, but his most treasured family heirloom jade pendant also vanished without a trace. From then on, he was left alone. He should have left the capital, but unfortunately, he was swept into the turbulent, abyssal current of the buy-stock gongs' forcible seizure and physical/emotional abuse, finding no peace for the rest of his life.

And all this plot was merely to highlight the tragic background of the beauty, to establish the 'beautiful, strong, and tragic' persona, making the later romantic scenes more impactful.

Luo Qianyu's fist clenched.

What kind of bullshit was this?

Over at the medicine shop, the shopkeeper, having confirmed the quality of the jade pendant, was grinning from ear to ear, his attitude becoming respectful. "Quick, quick, bring the Snow Lotus and pack it up for our esteemed guest!" He hurriedly called for his assistant to help pack it into a gilded box, carefully wrapping it with fine cloth from the outside, rolling it into a bundle.

Although Luo Qianyu had disguised himself this time, looking less conspicuous, he didn't plan to reveal himself in front of Wen Yu. He intended to quietly tell the shopkeeper, after handing over the Snow Lotus, to warn this customer not to take it with Sichuan aconite.

Who knew, just as Luo Qianyu took a step forward, and the assistant took the bundle, reaching over the counter to hand it to the shopkeeper, a swift *something* suddenly brushed past his ear.

The next second, a sharp, dark, stone-like hidden weapon struck the back of the shopkeeper's hand.

The shopkeeper cried out in pain, drawing blood instantly, and the bundle slipped from his grasp.

A person who had been standing hidden in the shadows, wearing a black face mask, snatched it away in an instant. By the time people reacted, that person had already vanished into the inn.

"Thief! A thief!! Something's been stolen!!"

The shopkeeper clutched his hand, frantically pointing at the thief's retreating figure, hopping with anxiety, and shouted, "Catch the thief! That Snow Lotus is a once-in-a-thousand-years treasure!"

Then, he shot a meaningful glance at his assistant, who caught on immediately and quickly put away the jade pendant.

Also disappearing from the inn at the same time was Wen Yu, who gave chase.

Luo Qianyu sighed.

This thief was an interlude. Although it wasn't revealed who it was later, Wen Yu did successfully retrieve the Snow Lotus. The retrieval seemed to happen at… the Mingyan Pavilion.

That would be to the southeast.

Luo Qianyu left the medicine shop. The little thief was already long gone, likely skilled in lightness skill, having already escaped onto the rooftops and hidden himself.

Luo Qianyu headed straight for a shortcut. Taking advantage of the time Wen Yu and the thief were chasing and circling on the rooftops, he made a beeline for Mingyan Pavilion.

The thief was familiar with the terrain and had good lightness skill. After winding around for a good while, he actually managed to shake off Wen Yu. But just as he let his guard down, he met his end at Mingyan Pavilion.

So Luo Qianyu wasn't in a hurry. Arriving at Mingyan Pavilion, he walked straight into the shop. When the assistant came up to greet him, he casually asked, "Do you have fire strikers?"

"Yes, of course!" the assistant smiled. "What else does the guest need?"

Luo Qianyu pondered for a few seconds and blurted out, "Mugwort."

"Right away! Please wait a moment, guest."

Just as Luo Qianyu got the items and was about to leave, the assistant quickly reminded him, "Guest, please be careful when using this. If the mugwort is ignited by the fire striker, it produces extremely thick smoke. The smoke can blind people, making it impossible to keep your eyes open. It's quite unpleasant."

"Mm," Luo Qianyu responded. "I'll be careful."

Luo Qianyu didn't know lightness skill, let alone how to scale walls and leap across rooftops. He could only use the most primitive method, climbing up the wooden ladder of the adjacent building to reach the roof.

But as soon as he got up, he regretted it. The ancient rooftops were layered with blue tiles, steep and uneven, making walking quite strenuous. The angles were slanted, and with one careless step, he could easily tumble down, ending up with a cracked skull.

Luo Qianyu had to focus, quietly listening for footsteps carried by the wind. Suddenly, he caught a faint sound of movement, not far behind him, heading this way!

Luo Qianyu leaned his back against the main ridge, close to another beam, hiding himself conveniently. He used the fire striker to ignite the mugwort. Just as the footsteps reached his ears, he flung the mugwort out.

The mugwort burned extremely fast, and smoke billowed out in an instant, immediately clouding the newcomer's vision.

The thief grunted but didn't rub his eyes. Instead, he directly drew a small knife from his waist and slashed based on instinct.

But this slash missed its mark, while a long, shadowy object came flying toward his face.

He instinctively tried to dodge but was struck hard on the forehead.

The sound was deep and heavy, making even Luo Qianyu pause for a moment. The folding fan in his hand felt a bit heavier; the fan ribs seemed to be made of metal. When closed, it was as hard as a short club. With just one strike, it made the person see stars.

This folding fan was an imperial gift from years ago. Who knew it had such an effect?

The person was dazed by the blow. In his panic, he instinctively swung his arm. This time, Luo Qianyu couldn't dodge in time, and the small knife cut through his hair ribbon, causing his hair to tumble down.

But seizing the moment the knife was swung, Luo Qianyu didn't dare retreat. He switched the folding fan to his other hand, pressing his fingertip tightly against the fan handle.

This strike went straight for the throat.

This time, he mustered all his force, and the sound was even more muffled than before.

The thief's pupils contracted, bloodshot veins spreading. He nearly retched but didn't vomit anything. Not only was his vision going dark in waves, but his limbs also grew weak. The small knife almost slipped from his hand. Gasping for breath with difficulty, he took a step back, choking out, "You… who exactly are you, master? What use do you have for this Snow Lotus?!"

Luo Qianyu felt a pang of awkwardness in his heart, inexplicably feeling a bit guilty. What master? He had just taken advantage of the thief's blinded eyes to strike his carotid sinus.

He didn't answer. So many lessons from novels and TV dramas, written in blood and tears—villains die from talking too much. If you can take action, never waste time talking.

Luo Qianyu suddenly snapped the fan open. With a whoosh of wind, the short club instantly transformed into a sharp blade, sweeping toward the person's waist.

The thief didn't dare to hesitate; even as his mind grew hazy, he desperately threw himself backward.

However, the bundle in his arms had its carrying strap snapped off, severed into two pieces, and it fell from his embrace.

With his vision obstructed, the thief was about to retrieve it when another concealed weapon pressed in from the front. Unexpectedly, his right foot gave way as a roof tile cracked beneath it, and his weight shifted abruptly in that instant. With a startled cry, he lost his balance and tumbled down, taking two roof tiles with him.

Luo Qianyu picked up the bundle, stepped to the edge of the roof, and cautiously peered over.

The thief's dagger lay beside his hand, his brow tightly furrowed—he had been knocked out cold.

Suspecting that Wen Yu might arrive at any moment, Luo Qianyu knew there was no time to waste. He took the bundle containing the Snow Lotus, picked up a twig, dipped it in the cold ashes, and wrote a few words on it:

—"Avoid decocting with Sichuan aconite."

Although the handwriting was crooked, it was perfectly legible.

Luo Qianyu was quite satisfied. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he landed the bundle squarely onto the unconscious thief.

Sure enough, in under ten seconds, Wen Yu arrived at the scene.

However, upon seeing the already unconscious thief on the ground, the dagger that had rolled away, and the bundle securely placed on the thief's chest—complete with written characters—Little Beauty was clearly taken aback.

With the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus returned to its rightful owner, the bewildered thief apprehended, and the cautionary note promptly added, Luo Qianyu thought it was time for him to return home.

But just then, a sudden gust of wind swept across the eaves.

The breeze caused the folding fan he had placed in a gap between the roof tiles to begin to slip, right from the edge of the roof. Luo Qianyu's heart tightened, and he quickly reached out to grab it, barely catching it by the edge.

If it fell and Wen Yu saw it, he would know that the person who intervened at the theater last time was also him!

However, while he managed to hook one end of the fan, the other end gave way under the strain. The golden fan surface suddenly unfurled, accompanied by the sound of the fan spreading in the wind.

With a soft rustle, the gentle breeze whispered.

Wen Yu heard the sound and his gaze snapped upward.

Luo Qianyu thought, *This is bad.*

On the folding fan was that line of text—"Top the golden list, achieve success in one stroke."

He didn't know whether, in such dim light and from this distance, the other person could see it clearly... or recognize him as the Mysterious Guest who had suddenly appeared and disappeared a few days ago at Zhaixian Tower.

At that very moment, the thief came to.

As the thief's vision gradually cleared, he saw Wen Yu right before him, his dagger kicked far away, and the Snow Lotus well and truly lost. He jolted in shock, and he pushed himself up, turning to flee.

Luo Qianyu was momentarily stunned, then instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew this was no place to linger. Taking advantage of Wen Yu chasing the thief, he could make a break for it...

Luo Qianyu closed the folding fan, quietly turned around, and began to slip away in the opposite direction. But before he had taken more than a few steps, he suddenly heard a faint rustle behind him.

Instinctively, Luo Qianyu glanced back.

He wished he hadn't. The moment he turned, his heart seemed to leap out of his chest.

—Wen Yu had suddenly leaped up onto the very roof where he stood!

A strange premonition surged in Luo Qianyu's heart, setting off alarm bells. Without hesitation, his body moving faster than his mind, he didn't even bother to tie his hair ribbon and immediately broke into a run.

*Damn.*

*No way.*

*What's going on!?*

Why is Little Beauty chasing me? Chase *him* instead!!

Luo Qianyu's heart hammered against his ribs, and he was utterly flustered. The air was slightly cool, and all he could hear was the soft whisper of the wind brushing past his ears.

Could it be... that Wen Yu was coming for him?