Snowfall Peak sect wasn't the liveliest sect around. It was easy for days to run into each other, and for them to go months without any noteworthy event happening. Gossip was also discouraged, but as a result of the extreme boredom most disciples felt, it was common for even the faintest rumour to make its way across the sect in the span of a day.
In two days, Qiu Yuliang had gone missing, and Xue Xiangsi was found sitting on the lap of a Golden Crane disciple in the hot spring. Most Snowfall Peak disciples didn't remember the last time something this exciting happened to them. Naturally news travelled fast.
To Xue Xiangsi's great consternation, it wasn't nearly as fun when the news where about him. As he found out when trying to have his morning meal in the dining hall, and every conversation in a 50 zheng radius was about himself.
"Did you hear? Xue Xiangsi was found in a compromising position with a male Golden Crane disciple?" asked an excited voice to his right.
"I heard they were actually doing it in the hot spring! Can you believe how shameless?"
"No, no, I've heard they got married in secret months ago, so if you think about it, other than doing it in public, it wasn't that bad."
"But I heard the Golden Crane disciple is the future sect heir? How would he get married without a big ceremony?" At this there were several murmurs of assent, and the speculation grew even more heated.
Xue Xiangsi lowered his head and tried to disappear into his millet porridge.
"Have you guys thought this could be connected to Qiu Yuliang's disappearance? What if he found out about their relationship and disapproved? They could have decided to get rid of him!"
Xue Xiangsi choked on his porridge. He was about to get up from his pillow and tell everyone to stop talking about him as if he weren't there, when someone sat down beside him.
"Stay quiet, it's better to let this die down," said Liu Zhuyu setting down her bowl and porcelain spoon on the low wood table. "Besides, we're leaving soon, they'll have forgotten everything about this by the time we're back."
"Shijie doesn't believe the awful things they're saying, right?" Xue Xiangsi said. His complexion looked wan, and the tails of his eyes were red, betraying his restless night. The lovely cinnabar beauty mark below the corner of his left eye almost disappeared in the surrounding blush.
Even if they weren't as close as blood siblings, Liu Zhuyu would still have taken pity on his sorry state.
She said, patting his head, "of course not, shidi would never let someone take liberties with him."
He remained quiet, and took a hurried spoonful of millet.
Liu Zhuyu noticed his silence, and stopped eating with the spoon halfway to her mouth. "Shidi? What exactly happened?"
Xue Xiangsi had never kept secrets from Liu Zhuyu so he whispered all the details of the previous night, and that morning, to her. Keeping his voice down to make sure his words wouldn't reach curious ears.
Liu Zhuyu remained deathly silent during the whole account, but when Xue Xiangsi described Zui Chunlai's actions in the hot spring she slammed her closed fist on the table top, almost toppling their bowls.
"That dog, he wants to die, he must want to die," she shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the dining hall.
"I'm going to get satisfaction from Ji Shuren." She uncrossed her legs, getting up from the pillow, and grabbing Xue Xiangsi by his wide sleeve.
"You're coming with me," she said. There was a murderous aura clouding her usual gentle eyes.
"Shijie, I don't think, that's necessary." Xue Xiangsi tried to pry her fingers from his robes, to no avail.
And so, Xue Xiangsi was dragged out of the dining hall by an enraged Liu Zhuyu, prompting a new wave of excited speculation as soon as the door closed behind them.
---
Liu Zhuyu insisted on dragging Xue Xiangsi by the sleeve while she tried to locate Ji Shuren. Eventually, under the threat of bodily harm, a Golden Crane disciple informed her he was talking with Liu Zhiruo in the Pavilion of Dust.
She barged into the Pavilion of Dust, with a red-faced Xue Xiangsi trailing behind her, having come to terms with his fate.
"Ah great, A-Yu is here, I was about to send for the two of you. Yunkai is about to leave," said sect leader Liu, smiling at her niece, and completely ignoring her killing intent.
Bai Yunkai, Ji Shuren, and sect leader Liu were all cordially sitting together in a low table, sipping tea as if the events of the previous day hadn't happened. To Bai Yunkai's right sat a beautiful girl with a regal bearing, and elegant sculpted features. She looked unapproachable and frosty, even wearing Flaming Pearl sect's cheerful red and blue robes. She wore a silver crown with a trail that obscured part of her left eye. Her keen gaze seemed to rest for a moment on Liu Zhuyu before returning to her cup of tea.
On her left, to Xue Xiangsi's misfortune, sat Zui Chunlai, who barely raised his eyes from his tea cup. The smirk however never left his thin lips. Xue Xiangsi wanted to slap it off of him, but he had more pressing matters. Such as the kind of mortifying things Liu Zhuyu might say.
"Sect leader Liu, I came to seek satisfaction from Ji Shuren, on my shidi's behalf," said Liu Zhuyu, cupping her fists and bowing to sect leader Liu.
"I have an inkling I know what this might be about," said Bai Yunkai, holding back his wide sleeve with an elegant gesture while raising a cup to his lips.
"I don't, please enlighten us, sect heir Liu," said Ji Shuren with a genial smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Zui Chunlai has taken liberties with my shidi. He has lied and said sect leader Liu order my shidi to share his room with him. Further, he slept on my shidi's bed as well! The next day he came upon my shidi bathing in the hot spring in the Willow Courtyard and accosted him. I beg sect leader seeks justice for my shidi." After her impassionate speech Liu Zhuyu kowtowed at Liu Zhiruo's feet.
Xue Xiangsi expected Liu Zhiruo to somehow blame him for the whole thing, and while she looked angry, he was surprised to see her accusing finger immediately turned on Zui Chunlai.
"What is the meaning of this?" While her finger pointed at Zui Chunlai, her question was directed at Ji Shuren.
Before Ji Shuren could say anything, Zui Chunlai addressed Liu Zhiruo with an obsequious nod, "While I had no intention of causing offence, I believe my actions might have caused Xue-xiong some discomfort. I apologize to Xue-xiong and sect leader Liu, for not observing Snowfall Peak rules, and for behaving in the same way I would in our Golden Crane sect grounds." He cupped his hands and bowed first to Liu Zhiruo, and then to Xue Xiangsi, who refused to meet his eyes.
"Are we to assume that it's common behaviour for Golden Crane disciples to use their sect leader's name to trick fellow disciples into allowing them into their room?" asked Bai Yunkai, sipping his tea.
"Certainly not," said Ji Shuren, that eerie, vacuous smile still plastered to his face. "However, in our Golden Crane sect, they wouldn't need to, because our disciples share quarters."
"Fascinating," said Liu Zhuyu stippling her fingers over the smooth wood table. "I haven't heard how that's supposed to appease Snowfall Peak for Zui Chunlai's actions."
Xue Xiangsi had been feeling uneasy about Ji Shuren's behaviour since the previous day, but he felt a shiver crawling down his spine when a wide grin split his face at Liu Zhuyu's words. As if he had been expecting them all along.
"Seeing as disciple Xue will be joining the team rescuing my husband, if they manage to bring Qiu Yuliang back to me unharmed and in good health, I'll allow a marriage between him and Zui Chunlai."
Ji Shuren's words fell on the room like a sword through mist. Xue Xiangsi couldn't decide if he was more incredulous or angry. He hadn't been so badly offended that it required a spur of the moment marriage. What was Ji Shuren trying to accomplish? Snowfall Peak already had a longstanding marriage agreement with Flaming Pearl, announcing another marriage to one of the major sects would make it seem as if they were making moves to grow their influence in Jianghu.
Xue Xiangsi was certain Liu Zhiruo would decline the marriage. Whatever Ji Shuren was trying to sell, he would have to take elsewhere.
"Good," said Liu Zhuyu with a slow nod. "That is sufficient compensation. I'm glad we have settled this matter."
Xue Xiangsi opened his mouth to protest but no sound came out. He could only raise his hand from Zui Chunlai to Ji Shuren, trying to make Liu Zhiruo see that there was something going on there.
"Xue Xiangsi, stop gaping like a fish, it's unsightly. I know you're happy you won't die alone and destitute as we all expected, but please control your excitement."
Liu Zhiruo got up from her pillow and shared a pointed look with Liu Zhuyu, who shared Xue Xiangsi's fish out of water expression. "I believe Yunkai has made all the necessary arrangements for the upcoming trip to rescue Master Qiu. The Flaming Pearl disciple Yan Huaxiang will accompany you as a neutral observer, at my request."
The serious looking girl clasped her fists and saluted them all silently.
Ji Shuren's smile frosted over minutely. "Seeing as sect leader Liu has everything handled, I'll take my leave, and leave Zui Chunlai in your care. I trust that Bai Shifu will take good care of all young disciples."
Bai Yunkai nodded his assent with an amused smile, but made no further comments.
They all walked out of the Pavillion of Dust, leaving Bai Yunkai and Liu Zhiruo behind. Xue Xiangsi couldn't shake the feeling that there was something happening that he hadn't fully understood.
"Shijie, please go ahead there's something I need to discuss with sect leader Liu about my eventual marriage." He glared at Zui Chunlai, who just flashed him a brilliant smile.
"I'm glad to see Xiangsi is excited about his marriage to me," he said, draping an arm over Xue Xiangsi's shoulders.
"Thrilled. Please excuse me." Xue Xiangsi got out from under his arm and walked back into the Pavilion of Dust.
Inside, Liu Zhiruo and Bai Yunkai were talking with their heads together in lowered voices. The smoke of an incense burner obscuring their faces.
"I knew there was something going on," he said after closing the Pavillion's doors with a loud thud.
"Xue Xiangsi, keep your voice down and come here," said Liu Zhiruo with a frown. "Yunkai was going to tell you and Zhuyu all of this later, but as always you have allergic reactions to waiting for the right time"
"Shizun, please tell me what's going on," he asked, hanging on to Bai Yunkai's sleeve. "You can't let me marry that maniac. I'm certain he and Ji Shuren are up to something."
"If I wanted you to marry a potted plant, your shizun could plead with me day and night that it still wouldn't change my decision," said Liu Zhiruo, massaging her temples. "However, you're right that there's something odd about Ji Shuren, he's been acting weird since he got here. And for all the hell he raised about Qiu Yuliang's disappearance, no one besides Golden Crane disciples ever saw him. That Zui Chunlai is probably up to no good either, although I have no idea what his goal is. For now, we're going to play along. I shared my concerns with Flaming Pearl's sect leader Hui, and she agreed to send Yan Huaxiang with us. You and Zhuyu must not let either Ji Shuren or Zui Chunlai notice that we suspect them."
Xue Xiangsi let out a relieved sigh. "Sect leader Liu is much wise. Ji Shuren must have designs on Snowfall Peak's Whirlwind fan."
Bai Yunkai shook his head, milky eyes staring at an unseen horizon. "I'm afraid his motives might be much more sinister."