The boat they left the other day was still there, and they used it again to continue their journey to the nearby Wuling City. It was easy to find the residence of Banye Xiake Lin Tongtian, the former leader of Wuyuan Dian whose name was quite famous.
Entering the south part of city, Xu Qiao asked Jinshui to wait on the boat, didn't tell him where she was going. She returned about two hours later, carrying a wheelchair. Jinshui couldn't walk properly yet, and Xu Qiao knew he needed the chair to go see Huang Yu and Lin Jixuan.
"I won't be sitting there," Jinshui said, "I can walk." He was too proud of himself and certainly didn't want to be seen as a disabled man.
"I asked a carpenter to make this chair, although it's not pretty it's not bad either," Xu Qiao said, pulling Jinshui off the boat. "If you don't want Lin Tongtian to find out you were injured by Liangshan Mojun, then you can disguise yourself as my father."
"Why would I disguise myself as Xu Louzhu?" asked Jinshui.
"Not my father like that," Xu Qiao replied, continuing to pull him into the wheelchair. On top of the chair was a bundle and Xu Qiao took it before forcing Jinshui to sit down. The bundle apparently contains fake hair and a beard. "We are going to see Huang Erge and Lin Jixuan, but there is no need to see Lin Tongtian, right?"
"Why don't you find a wide hat for me?" Jinshui asked. "I will not disguise myself as an old man."
"It didn't occur to me," Xu Qiao answered his question. "Okay, you sit down first, I'll find a hat for you later."
Jinshui was forcefully sat in the wheelchair, and he had to let Xu Qiao push the wheelchair down the main road. At that time the sky was getting dark, but the road was still quite crowded. Some women saw them, and two of them seemed to whisper and ask questions, it was obvious that a young girl pushing a young man who was sitting in a wheelchair was not an ordinary sight.
They entered the city, and just as Xu Qiao bought a wide straw hat for Jinshui and herself to wear, they saw a number of people striding wide in the middle of the street, heading towards the outskirts of the city. The people at the forefront were eight bodyguards, all carrying sticks in their hands, their faces fierce and forcing anyone who got in their way to step aside.
Behind those eight bodyguards, four servants were seen carrying a palanquin that looked luxurious, apparently containing an important figure. Behind them, there were two middle-aged maidservants leading an old man who appeared to be a healer, both of whom also looked unfriendly. The group ended with eight other bodyguards, all carrying shiny-looking blades. This troupe naturally attracted the attention of the people on the street.
"The bodyguards of Lin Family," Jinshui and Xu Qiao heard several men by the side of the streets whisper.
"Those bodyguards were former members of Wuyuan Dian."
"Where are they going so hastily out of their mansion during this time of the day?"
"There is a rumor that a young man brought Lin Guniang in front of the Lin Family's residence two days ago, but did not immediately meet Lin Daren, instead he took her away again," an old woman whispered to her friend, "to an inn." She added the last sentence more silently.
"Did someone kidnap Lin Guniang?" her friend asked. "Poor girl."
"The Lin Family's maid said, Lin Guniang hasn't been home for a few months," the first woman said, "no one knows where she was."
Jinshui asked Xu Qiao to follow the people of Lin Family and Xu Qiao immediately pushed a wheelchair to go after them. The group walked quickly, it wasn't that Xu Qiao didn't want to catch up, but she knew that she and Jinshui couldn't be seen by the people of the Lin Family, so she tried to keep a distance.
The people of Lin Family disappeared around an alley, and Xu Qiao almost lost them. She brought Jinshui along, and they arrived at a quiet little street, not even any light around. The Lin Family people were nowhere to be seen, and there was no one to ask.
"Lin Gongzi, I thought you forget where your home was," suddenly an old female voice was heard, "you returned your father to Lin Family residence, seriously injured. You explained nothing to me and left without a word."
Xu Qiao quickly led Jinshui to turn into another alley. There apparently was an inconspicuous old inn, the signboard had faded and only the word inn was still visible. The people of Lin Family were there, the palanquin had been lowered and an old woman got off the palanquin. She was now standing in front of the wide-open door of the inn, holding a walking cane in her hand.
The old woman was wearing black clothes made of embroidered silk, the jewelry on her body was not much but all of them were luxurious. Her face was wrinkled, and her hair was all gray, but she still had the remnants of the youthful beauty and charisma of the madam of a reputable family.
A young man appeared from inside the inn, took a step back when he saw the old madam, but didn't dare to move again when the old madam tapped the carved cane in her hand. That young man was none other than Lin Jixuan.
"Nainai..." he called out.
Another young man appeared beside Lin Jixuan, and Jinshui and Xu Qiao immediately recognized him as Huang Yu. Huang Yu looked surprised to see the arrival of the person Lin Jixuan had called Nainai, but he didn't say a word.
The old woman at the door turned out to be Lin Tongtian's mother and Lin Jixuan's grandmother. People referred her as Lin Laotai. In the Lin Family, even Lin Tongtian had to obey her, Lin Jixuan as a grandson naturally didn't dare act out in front of her. Huang Yu felt his heart beat faster. He was never afraid of facing enemies, but facing this old madam made him feel uneasy.
"Laotaitai, taifu (healer) said xiaojie...." the two maidservants from the group came closer to their madam, and one of them whispered something in Lin Laotai's ear, Huang Yu and Lin Jixuan did not hear anything. Jinshui and Xu Qiao at the end of the street also did not know what was said.
"What?" the old woman tapped her cane again. Her face turned deathly pale, taking turns looking at Huang Yu and Lin Jixuan. "Two days ago you came to our house, knocked on the door, and spoke to our guanjia (house taker)," she pointed at Huang Yu. "You said you were coming to see him." She moved her cane and pointed at Lin Jixuan.
Huang Yu didn't move a muscle. He did come to Lin Family residence to find Lin Jixuan two days ago, but the guanjia said that Lin Jixuan wasn't home, so he decided to leave before he was seen by any other members of Lin Family.
"Guanjia later told me, you brought Xiaoyan that day, but you asked her to hide," Lin Laotai continued, her cane pointed at Huang Yu again. "You didn't return her to her family, instead you took her to an inn, and rented a room."
"Nainai, how did you know Huang Yu was here with Xiaoyan?" Lin Jixuan asked hesitantly.
"I know everything happens in this city," said the old madam. "I was very uneasy, then asked guanjia to investigate. It's easy to find out that he hid Xiaoyan in this inn. What I didn't expect, you are also here."
Lin Jixuan had returned to Wuling a few days earlier, bringing his father back to their Lin Family residence. Lin Tongtian was still seriously injured after what happened in Jianyin Bang base.
Lin Jixuan didn't want to explain anything to his grandmother. He secretly snuck out of the house. Originally, he planned to return home after his father gave Lin Laotai his own explanation, but then he met Huang Yu, and then they were found by his grandmother in this place.
"You two come with me," the old madam gave an order, then preceded into the inn followed by her maidservants and also two bodyguards. The others waited outside and were ready to charge in at command.
Jinshui grabbed Xu Qiao's hand, took her leaping to the wall, and landed on a roof. He couldn't use his qinggong very well yet, so by lending Xu Qiao some of his energy, they were able to land silently, spying on what was going on in the inn without anyone down there knowing.
Even though the inn looked dark and shabby from the outside and it was also hidden in a quiet alley, the inside was different. It was in the form of several separate buildings connected by a rock garden and a set of corridors, all of which looked clean and unique. Jinshui and Xu Qiao saw Lin Laotai heading towards one of the buildings followed by the maidservants who had just reported earlier.
Another Lin Family servant accompanied the old healer who was also in the group, also whispered to Lin Laotai before ushering her into the room. Huang Yu and Lin Jixuan waited in front of the room, and the grandmother came out a moment later.
"You!" Lin Laotai pointed at Huang Yu again using her cane, and she looked angry this time. "What did you do to my granddaughter?"
Huang Yu didn't answer immediately, he glanced at Lin Jixuan briefly. Just now outside the inn, the Lin Family's maidservants already whispered the situation to Lin Laotai, and then they met Lin Xiaoyan here. Huang Yu had expected to receive sharp accusations.
Lin Laotai only knew Lin Xiaoyan went to Yiling District with her father a few months ago, but she didn't know what happened on their way. She didn't know that Lin Xiaoyan was abducted by Huang Zhe when Lin Tongtian isolated himself during the annual practice of beifeng qi. She didn't see Xie Tianhu torn Lin Xiaoyan clothes in Jianyin Bang base. She also didn't know that someone injured Lin Xiaoyan's head to mess with her memory.
"Lin Laotaitai already asked a healer to examine her, I don't think I need to explain her current condition," Huang Yu finally spoke. "I, Huang Yu, came to Wuling to meet Lin-xiongdi, and handed Lin Guniang to him."
"What do you mean you don't need to explain?" Lin Laotai obviously couldn't accept his words easily. "I think it was you who harmed Xiaoyan. The Lin family's maid saw you take her to this inn. If you really had good intentions why don't you directly escort her to meet me at the Lin family's house? If you feel responsible, why don't you try to explain everything to me, instead you take her here, rent a room and claim her to be your wife?"
Huang Yu didn't give an answer. He didn't like being accused like this at all, but he still held back remembering that Lin Laotai was Lin Jixuan's grandmother and remembering that it was his brother Huang Zhe who harmed Lin Xiaoyan in the first place. Lin Jixuan took a step closer to him.
"Yu, can you tell me what happened to my sister?" he asked. "Last time I saw my sister was in Wuzhang City, and I know she fell into the hands of bad people. But she was still fine that day, who messed with her mind after?"
"Lin Xiaoyan became like this, let's just say that it was me who did the harm, it doesn't make any difference anyway." Huang Yu said in annoyance. "I was going to deliver her to the Lin Family via Lin Gongzi, also intending to explain carefully to Lin Gongzi first to avoid trouble. Lin Gongzi is my friend, I think he will listen first and not point fingers at me. Lin Laotaitai, please forgive me if I speak frankly."
He didn't want to explain that his brother, the one who was responsible for Lin Xiaoyan's condition, was an unfilial son who praised the murderer of his parents as his master. It would only complicate the situation with the old madam of Lin Family.
"You...." Lin Laotai's temper immediately rose, and the cane in her hand attacked at Huang Yu. The maidservants didn't dare to get in the way, but guests in other rooms came out and watched the commotion curiously. Lin Jixuan didn't want any fights to break and drew attention, he moved in front of Huang Yu.
"Nainai!"
The old woman's wooden cane struck Lin Jixuan in the chest, almost causing him an injury if Lin Laotai didn't stop her hit. She loved both her granddaughter and grandson equally, and she didn't want any of them to get hurt.
"Great," she spoke angrily. "Then... then you should marry her." she pointed at Huang Yu again, her voice muffled, not wanting to be heard by outsiders.
"What?" Huang Yu gasped in shock. Lin Laotai asked him to marry Lin Xiaoyan. He didn't expect this possibility, just didn't expect the old madam to make such a decision so quickly.
Jinshui and Xu Qiao on the roof also did not expect to hear Lin Laotai's decision, moreover did not know how Huang Yu would deal with it. Huang Yu had never liked to deal with arranged marriages. His only goal in life was to avenge his family and revive Yumen Sect. This time, he was asked to marry a mindless girl, and that mindless girl would be a burden for him for life.
"You have already admitted yourself just now, Xiaoyan became like this because you were the one who harmed her, what else do you have to say?" Lin Laotai asked Huang Yu. "You said that you intend to explain to Lin Jixuan first, then it means that you still have the intention of being responsible. Marry her or receive punishment from the Lin Family, you may decide now."
"Nainai..." Lin Jixuan thought quickly. The Lin Family's punishment was not bearable to anyone, and he certainly didn't want his friend to take it. And the situation would be more chaotic once Lin Tongtian heard that Huang Yu secretly brought Lin Xiaoyan to this inn. "Just marry my sister, and then we can think about the rest later," he whispered to Huang Yu. "It's just a ceremony, it won't hurt you."
Huang Yu had never experienced this kind of situation, nor had he ever thought of getting married before, let alone marrying a half-crazed girl, and even more so with this kind of choiceless arranged marriage. His brother Huang Zhe had really brought him trouble.
"You're the son of Jingong Yinjian Huang Weiqun from Hailang Biaoju, am I right?" Lin Laotai asked Huang Yu again, her tone softened. "I don't care if you are the first son or the second son, you are worthy enough to be the son-in-law of our Lin Family. Xiaoyan's father will also not say much. You said that it was you who harmed Xiaoyan, the Lin Family's punishment alone would not be enough to make amends for you."
However, Huang Yu's heart was already by witnessing Lin Xiaoyan's condition since he managed to snatch her from Huang Zhe's hand. He once again glanced at the door of the room where Lin Xiaoyan was, then nodded his head. Marriage matters were no joke, but he really wanted to do something for the poor girl.
"All right, I will take her as my wife."
His words were quite clear, startling Lin Jixuan as well as Jinshui. Only Xu Qiao had seen Huang Yu's attitude towards Lin Xiaoyan from Chunjie Kezhan to Wansui Gu, realizing that this answer wasn't just a momentary decision without any consideration at all.
Lin Laotai quickly gave orders to her two maidservants to take Lin Xiaoyan out of the inn. The bodyguards escorted Lin Jixuan and Huang Yu, and all of them returned to the Lin Family residence.
Jinshui lent Xu Qiao his inner energy once more, descending from the rooftops after they had all left. They didn't need to rush to Huang Yu and just let everyone go.
"Jinshui Gege, I think that Lin Laotai will prepare the wedding as soon as possible," Xu Qiao said to Jinshui, "we can enter the Lin Family residence as their guests that day, and meet Lin Jixuan without any trouble."
Jinshui nodded once. "Lin Laotai would keep an eye on Huang Yu and Lin Jixuan closely until the wedding day, it wouldn't be easy for us to sneak into Lin Family residence without drawing attention. Fine, my legs need to gain more strength anyway. We can have some rest while waiting for the happy day."