Xia Zhaoyun immediately stepped forward, removing the rag from his mouth and untying the ropes that bound him. The man gasped for breath, glanced at Xia Zhaoyun, and cupped his hands in gratitude, "Many thanks, young master, for saving my life. I, Hua, have nothing to repay such a kindness."
These words revealed the fact that he was the master of the Wuhua Pavilion. At that moment, Xia Zhaoyun's heart filled with joy, and he confirmed, "You are Master Hua?"
The man dusted off his clothes. Dressed in white, a jade ornament hung at his waist, his hair straight, his manners refined. At first glance, he appeared more like a scholar than a businessman. With a gentle voice, he replied, "My name is Hua Junshi, the master of Wuhua Pavilion. May I know how to address you, young master?"
After confirming his identity, Xia Zhaoyun finally breathed a sigh of relief. The man before him was indeed the Hua Junshi he had imagined. He bowed and responded, "My name is Xia Zhaoyun."
Hua Junshi asked curiously, "What became of those thieves earlier? Did they manage to escape?"
Xia Zhaoyun quickly answered, "No, they didn't. I saw them sneaking around the back door, carrying stolen goods, so I knocked them all unconscious."
Hua Junshi chuckled softly, his voice as gentle as ever, "Take me to see them."
Though Hua Junshi was a man, his fair complexion, phoenix eyes, and willow-like brows, coupled with his graceful demeanor, made him resemble a woman in both appearance and manner. Xia Zhaoyun was somewhat stunned. He had never seen a man of such bearing and found it hard to believe that this person was merely a businessman.
The two of them arrived in the courtyard, where the thieves lay unconscious on the ground. Hua Junshi sighed and said, "Alas, these thieves are forced into such a life by circumstances. Who would willingly leave their homes to become outlaws if they had a choice?"
Xia Zhaoyun was surprised by Hua Junshi's words and asked in disbelief, "You do not blame them?"
Hua Junshi calmly replied, "No." Then, with a faint smile, he continued, "I do, however, have another favor to ask of you, Young Master Xia."
Moments later, all the thieves were tied up next to a large tree in the courtyard. Xia Zhaoyun brought over a bucket of water and said to Hua Junshi, "Master Hua, the water you asked for is ready." Hua Junshi gave him a gentle smile in return and carefully began to ladle water onto the thieves' faces, ensuring that not a drop splashed onto his clothes. His movements were deliberate, and he treated the thieves with kindness, clearly intending only to wake them and not to punish them.
As the thieves awoke, their first reaction was to beg for mercy. Hua Junshi gestured for them to be quiet and spoke softly, "Rest assured, I will not harm you."
Xia Zhaoyun, standing nearby, could not fathom what Hua Junshi had planned and thought to himself, "If you don't intend to harm them, why tie them up in the first place?"
Still in a calm and gentle tone, Hua Junshi said, "I understand that desperation drove you to this path, but being a thief is not a long-term solution. I urge you to turn back before it's too late."
At this, Xia Zhaoyun almost laughed out loud, thinking, "Is this Master Hua offering them a way out?"
Hua Junshi continued, "I will not harm you today, but you must promise me that from this day forward, you will leave this life of crime behind and never return to banditry."
The thieves, still tightly bound, stared at Hua Junshi in a daze. After a long pause, one of them finally spoke, "Please, young master, spare us! We won't dare do it again!"
Hua Junshi, satisfied with the response, smiled kindly and said, "Very well, I'll trust you this once." He then brought out a large bundle and added, "Here are a thousand taels of silver, enough to cover your travel expenses out of Taiyuan."
Xia Zhaoyun was once again astonished, thinking, "Not only does he forgive them, but he's also giving them a thousand taels of silver! This master's way of thinking is truly unconventional."
Just as Xia Zhaoyun was lost in thought, Hua Junshi flashed his signature soft smile and said, "Would you be so kind as to untie them, Young Master Xia?"
Xia Zhaoyun asked in disbelief, "Aren't you afraid that once freed, they might turn on you?"
Hua Junshi replied, "They have promised me they will reform, and I choose to believe them. If I doubt their sincerity, I would betray their trust."
After considering this, Xia Zhaoyun found that Hua Junshi's words made some sense. However, he still couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more to it—was Hua Junshi truly so pure-hearted, or was there another motive behind his actions? Still, knowing he would soon need to ask a favor himself, Xia Zhaoyun complied and untied the thieves, prepared for the worst. But to his surprise, the thieves, having taken the silver, simply left.
Xia Zhaoyun was amazed, wondering if Hua Junshi really had such a powerful charm that he could reform bandits with mere words.
After the group of bandits descended the mountain, Hua Junshi suddenly cupped his hands and said, "Young Master Xia, you saved my life today. From now on, you are my benefactor. Please, allow me to offer you my deepest gratitude." With that, Hua Junshi made as if to kneel, but Xia Zhaoyun, feeling the gesture far too grand, quickly stopped him and said, "Master Hua, you're being too kind. It was merely a small effort on my part."
"You defeated ten bandits—how can that be called a mere small effort?" Hua Junshi replied.
Xia Zhaoyun chuckled, "To be honest, Master Hua, I'm trained in martial arts. Handling a few thieves is nothing too difficult for me."
"Oh?" Hua Junshi responded, "So, Young Master Xia is a man of the martial world."
Xia Zhaoyun nodded.
Hua Junshi continued, "I'm just a businessman, unfamiliar with martial arts, and I seldom have dealings with people from the martial world. Since fate has brought us together today, how about we become sworn brothers?"
Xia Zhaoyun was taken aback by Hua Junshi's sudden proposal for brotherhood, thinking to himself, "I'd better go along with it for now." So, he replied, "It's an honor that Master Hua doesn't mind my humble background. I shall respectfully accept."
Hua Junshi was delighted and asked, "How old are you, Young Master Xia?"
"I'm seventeen," Xia Zhaoyun answered.
"That makes me three years older than you—I'm twenty. From today onward, I'm your elder brother, and you're my younger brother," Hua Junshi declared.
After some more conversation, Hua Junshi brought out a jar of wine from the house, and the two of them sat at a pavilion table. Hua Junshi said, "This is Qiulu Bai, a fine wine from my Wuhua Pavilion's private collection. It's perfect for drinking in this season. You're in for a treat, my younger brother." He poured the wine into two small cups and added, "Once we drink this, we'll be brothers, sharing life and death together."
The two raised their cups and drained them in one gulp. Hua Junshi delicately wiped the corner of his mouth, his movements elegant and refined. For a fleeting moment, Xia Zhaoyun doubted whether the person before him was a man or a woman. Hua Junshi said with a smile, "It's been so long since I've felt this happy."
Xia Zhaoyun replied, "Judging by your Wuhua Pavilion, elder brother, it seems you lack for nothing. What could possibly trouble you?"
Hua Junshi sighed, "You wouldn't know, younger brother, but I left home at the age of fifteen and wandered the world on my own. It took me five years of hard work to achieve what I have today."
Xia Zhaoyun suddenly understood the saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover," and agreed, "Elder brother's kindness towards others is likely why you've reached such heights. But I have a suggestion, if you'd care to hear it."
"Go ahead, younger brother," Hua Junshi said.
"As a businessman, elder brother, you surely travel frequently. It's inevitable that you'll encounter bandits like today's. I suggest that you learn some martial arts—not only to protect yourself, but also to improve your health."
Hua Junshi laughed, "I appreciate your concern, younger brother. When I was five, my father forced me to learn martial arts, but I had no interest in it whatsoever. Business, on the other hand, fascinated me, so my father eventually stopped pushing me."
"I see. But since elder brother often travels, even if you don't learn martial arts, you should at least hire some bodyguards for your safety."
"Don't worry, younger brother, I do have bodyguards. And I'm not the only one living at Wuhua Pavilion. It just so happens that everyone's away today."
Xia Zhaoyun asked curiously, "Where did they go?"
"I sent my servants down the mountain to buy some wine for me. They should be back soon," Hua Junshi explained.
"And the bodyguards? Shouldn't they always be by your side, protecting you?"
Hua Junshi scratched his head sheepishly and laughed, "To be honest, younger brother, I recently acquired a huge stone in Lincheng. They say it wards off disasters and evil spirits, so I sent my bodyguards to transport it for me."
"Oh," Xia Zhaoyun replied, pretending to be calm. Once again, he found Hua Junshi's thoughts to be out of the ordinary. Fearing that further questions might lead to even stranger revelations, Xia Zhaoyun decided to remain silent.
Hua Junshi noticed Xia Zhaoyun had fallen silent and suddenly recalled something. He asked, "Younger brother, what brings you to Tianlong Mountain this time?"
This question reminded Xia Zhaoyun of his true purpose, and he quickly replied, "To be honest, elder brother, my master has fallen ill with a strange disease, and only a rare treasure can serve as the key ingredient to cure him."
"Oh? What treasure might that be? Do tell me, for Wuhua Pavilion holds quite a few rare and precious items."
"Blue amber," Xia Zhaoyun answered.
Hua Junshi's eyes lit up with excitement. "Younger brother, you've come to the right person! Just a year ago, I acquired a piece of blue amber." But before he could finish, his words trailed off, leaving an uneasy silence.
Seeing his strange expression, Xia Zhaoyun felt a sense of foreboding and cautiously asked, "Why did you stop, elder brother? Did something happen to the blue amber?"
Hua Junshi's face showed hesitation as he quickly explained, "Last year, I gave the blue amber as a birthday gift to a dear friend."
Xia Zhaoyun was instantly disheartened, and with a heavy heart, he muttered, "It seems I've come too late."
Seeing his younger brother's dejection, Hua Junshi quickly consoled him, "Don't worry, younger brother. This friend of mine and I share a deep bond. Retrieving the blue amber shouldn't be too difficult."
"While that may be true, asking for something back after gifting it still feels somewhat improper," Xia Zhaoyun replied.
"It's no trouble at all," Hua Junshi reassured him. "Leave this matter to me."
After a moment of thought, Xia Zhaoyun said, "Since this all started because of me, please allow me to accompany you."
Hua Junshi readily agreed. "Of course. My friend is quite low-profile and rarely mingles with others. She resides just three miles outside the city at Lü'e Manor. Her name is Lingxi, and she is an artist."