"It's a goldseeker herb…" Su Ye murmured to herself in awe. It was a medicinal ingredient with an outstanding capacity for healing, but it was hard to find since it only grew in dark and damp locations such as swamps. She did not expect to find a tuft of it growing there.
Meanwhile, the boat slowly floated past the shore, and that was when Xue Liang noticed the white-robed lady standing beneath the willow tree. Her looks were stunning, and the air of serenity about her made her stand out. Xue Liang stared at her a few extra times for good measure, finding her oddly unfamiliar.
His friends soon noticed him staring, and followed his gaze.
One of them tapped his folding fan on his palm and gasped in surprise, "Which house could that lady be from? Why haven't we encountered her before?" He then called out charmingly, "Lady! Do you want a ride with us?"
Su Ye finally turned away from the goldseeker herb to glance at the passengers in the boat, making sure that they were really calling out to her. Her gaze first fell on Xue Liang, then she observed the others. The boat reached the shore before she could say a word.
Xue Liang stood at the bow in his embroidered clothing as he locked gazes with her, but Su Ye's attention soon returned to the goldseeker herb again.
The boat had arrived with such perfect timing!
"Sure," Su Ye said with a nod. She was fine as long as they were, and carefully boarded the boat.
There were five people on it—three ladies and two men—aside from the boatman. A woman sat within the boat's canopy. Clothed in purple robes, her eyes were tightly shut as she sat meditatively while cultivating.
The man with the folding fan asked with a smile, "My name is Yang Xuan. May I have the pleasure of your name, my lady?"
Perhaps due to Yang Xuan's keenness, the two other ladies seated in the canopy began to study Su Ye as soon as she boarded the boat.
Su Ye smiled and replied, "I'm Su Ye." Right after she spoke, everyone on the boat stared at her.
Yang Xuan fanned himself a little, looking just like a rich playboy as he asked teasingly, "You must be from out of town, Miss Su?"
"Huh?"
Su Ye stared at him, and he chuckled as he explained, "You might not be aware, but our junior governor here at Mystic Moon City has the same name as you. That being said, she loves to force herself on men, and is as arrogant as she is bossy. Indeed, you might have long since changed your name if you were from our city."
Yang Xuan had made a joke to break the ice, but all he managed to get from Su Ye was a neutral response: "Oh, is that so?"
Nonetheless, Yang Xuan continued fanning himself, and turned towards Xue Liang when he remembered something. "Did you hear? Winter Jasmine was burned down to the ground two days ago, and they say that the madam and her goons were all killed in the fire. Even the people in its hidden basement were killed, their corpses left in a towering pile. Do you think it has anything to do with the junior governor?"
Xue Liang scoffed disdainfully, "She's not that capable."
Meanwhile, Su Ye stared at Xue Liang, dazed.
The Winter Jasmine had been burned down, and the madam killed? Who was behind all that? Did that mean she wouldn't have to pay the hundred thousand golden leaves? She had been so busy gathering funds over the last few days that she never heard such important news!
Amidst the silence, the lady seated in the boat's canopy giggled. "Why are you being so clingy, Yang Xuan? Can't you see that our new lady friend here only has eyes for Xue Liang?"
With those words, every pair of eyes locked on Xue Liang and Su Ye.
Yang Xuan, however, appeared to be accustomed to such situations and smiled. "Don't you think my friend here is especially easy on the eyes, my lady?"