Translated by pucari @ dreamwidth
Edited by elliot

[Chapter 36 - The siren songs of Chao Ya] Met a familiar person

"Now you don"t know him, but after interacting for some time in the future, you will then know that teacher is really a busybody." Duan Bai Yue continued, "He"s highly skilled, and was so idle that he became restless; just take it that he"s going to Jade Coffin mountain to see a show."

Chu Yuan: "......."

"Then that"s settled?" Duan Bai Yue held both of his hands, "We shall go find elder Mu Chi in the afternoon, and send teacher off earlier, then I can also rest for a few days."

Chu Yuan"s eyes showed a hint of reluctance.

"Yes?" Duan Bao Yue got closer to him, "if you agree, then I will give you one more present."

"Xi Nan manor sure has quite a few treasures." Chu Yuan felt ridiculous upon hearing it.

"Of course." Duan Bai Yu nodded, and said with a grave face, "With just a word from you, don"t talk about the treasures of Xi Nan manor, even if you want Xi Nan King, he can too come on a horse by himself, and also bring a Huo Yun Shi steed." It simply sounded like a great earning opportunity without loss.

"Greedy." Chu Yuan hit him away with a hand, and asked: "Want to find some men to protect elder Nan secretly?"

"Protect?" Duan Bai Yue laughed silently, "It"s not easy being the imperial bodyguards here, so don"t bully them anymore, in this whole world, other than Yao-er, there really isn"t any one who can stay by teacher"s side for more than three days."

.......

Duan Yao, in high spirits, was currently walking around the streets randomly. Nan Mo Ye was following him in the beginning, but couldn"t stand that his young disciple wanted to go into every store and take a look, and so yawned and returned to the inn, intending to sleep for a while, before coming out to look for him to eat a meal together.

The sugar cakes by the roadside was just freshly made and piping hot, just as Duan Yao fished out a copper coin intending to buy some, he raised his head and saw that not far away ahead was....Shen manor.

Shen Manor ah.

"This young mister, that"s official residence of General Shen Qian Fan." Seeing that he kept looking at it, the waiter enthusiastically introduced, "He"s the war G.o.d of our Great Chu, formidable and tall, and very handsome."

It"s correct that he"s formidable and tall, if he wasn"t formidable my brother wouldn"t end up liking him either. Thinking of the stack of banknotes that teacher just gave him, Duan Yao felt he maybe can go to the shops he went previously, and get his future.......sister-in-law, some presents.

Although a general shouldn"t be lacking in anything, but one"s greetings must be fulfilled, so that they get along well in the future.

Thinking until here, the young master Duan turned around happily, and continued to visit shops.

In the palace, Duan Bai Yue and Chu Yuan went to the wood workshop together; Si Xi had dismissed all guards earlier, thus the whole way was quiet and peaceful. The wooden door of the main hall was closed tighter, with only the sounds of tinkering and clattering coming from inside.

"According to Commander Yan, Mu Chi Lao Ren had already shut himself inside for ten-plus days, not even coming out for meals." Eunuch Si Xi said to one side, "Should this old servant go in and relay a message?"

"No need." Chu Yuan shook his head, and pushed the doors of the main hall open.

Hundreds of daggers broke through the still air.

Luckily Chu Yuan and Duan Bai Yue are both highly skilled, and dodged quick enough -- as for eunuch Si XI, he was hauled by the both of them to one side.

"Aiyo!" Mu Chi Lao Ren got a shock, quickly throwing down the handicraft in his hands and jogged over, saying over and over, "Is everything fine?"

Chu Yuan didn"t know whether to laugh or cry: "Why didn"t this elder inform beforehand that it"s this dangerous inside here?"

I have said it already, I said no one is allowed to come in, and didn"t say it just once! Mu Chi Lao Ren was in distress inside, and yet didn"t dare to rebut, because the other party was the emperor.

Eunuch Si Xi was still in a state of panic.

Duan Bai Yue helped him to sit down under a tree in the courtyard, before going into the hall with Chu Yuan.

"Those daggers is the Ba Huang spell?" Chu Yuan asked.

"No, no." Mu Chi Lao Ren shook his head over and over, "It"s just some small, normal trap, I was bored so I simply built it, and haven"t had the time to take it down."

"Only a small, normal trap?" Duan Bai Yue said from the bottom of his heart, "Now I"m curious, what is the Ba Huang spell which even this elder praises as exquisite."

"To see the Ba Huang spell, I"m afraid you will have to wait a while more." Mu Chi Lao Ren shook his head, "The design in my head is wholly incomplete, I can only try them one by one, I can"t be sure when."

"This elder just has to study it as slowly as you want, it"s not needed right now." Chu Yuan said, "We have come this time to ask this elder to create another Qian Hui Huan."

"Qian Hui Huan?" Mu Chi Lao Ren froze upon hearing it, "There"s someone who Your Majesty wants to imprison?"

Chu Yuan glanced to his side for no reason.

Duan Bai Yue smiled slightly, "If you really wish to imprison me, why is the Qian Hui Huan needed." He didn"t say the other half, the cold palace was enough.

Chu Yuan: "........"

"It"s my teacher who wishes to go to Jade Coffin Mountain to take a look." Duan Bai Yue said, "According to rumors, that Lan Yi Zhan may have already came back from the dead, and broke out of the trap?"

"He really can come back from the dead." Mu Chi Lao Ren was first shocked, then said doubtfully, "But traps are everywhere in Qian Hui Huan, and that day Qiu Ji was present at the scene, and I personally saw the opening of the maze be destroyed, there"s no reason for the person inside to be able to escape outside."

"All the more, we must go and check it out once and for all." Duan Bai Yue said, "That Lan Yi Zhan had killed countless people, if he"s allowed to escape, I"m afraid chaos will appear again."

"That"s right." Mu Chi Lao Ren said, "Although the spell of Qian Hui Huan is delicate and fine, if the opening can be rebuilt, it"s not difficult to break it. Your Majesty and Xi Nan King just have to wait for a day at most, then I can recreate the opening."

"Many thanks to this elder." Chu Yuan nodded, "Then we shall not disturb you any further, and if we should come next time, we will remember to knock on the door." Or else if today were flying daggers, who knew what tomorrow would be.

After the two of them left, Duan Bai Yu closed the doors, and asked: "Want to go outside for a look?"

"Go out?" Chu Yuan frowned.

"Today"s weather isn"t bad." Duan Bai Yue said, "Go out, drink a cup of tea, and even have a meal later."

Chu Yuan shook his head: "There are still matters to be settled."

"In that imperial study, have you ever rested before?" Duan Bai Yue patted his chest, "As long as there are reports, then you won"t go out anymore?"

Chu Yuan: "........"

"You don"t like meat, then I will simply bring you to eat vegetarian food." Duan Bai Yue said, "If that"s not good enough then eating a few steamed buns with pickled vegetables, treating it as a breath of fresh air is also good."

"Going out after much difficulty, and I"m only brought to eat pickled vegetables with steamed buns?" Chu Yuan felt it was funny, "Xi Nan King is already said to have wild ambitions, but to think that he"s so stingy to have no time for civilities."

"Can"t do anything about it, Xi Nan Manor can"t be compared to Gao Li, with Emperor Chu bestowing rewards every once in a while." Duan Bai Yu said seriously, "Without careful accounting, it"s afraid that the King would have to enter the palace to sc.r.a.pe a living using labor."

Chu Yuan kicked him, turned around and walked towards his sleeping quarters.

"What do you want to eat?" Duan Bai Yue quickly caught up to his side.

"Anything."

"Roast duck?"

"No."

"Boiled meat?"

"No."

"Vegetarian?"

"No."

"Then what do you want to eat?"

"Anything."

"......."

The streets were very lively; the scorching sun had already disappeared, the cold winds are very refreshing. Chu Yuan walked around and looked, his mood rather good.

Duan Bai Yue by side was wearing a bamboo hat, asking: "Why can"t I disguise myself?"

Chu Yuan didn"t even need to think and said: "Afraid that someone will end up liking you again." It"s more reliable to cover up.

He said it very confidently; Duan Bai Yue instead didn"t know how to retort.

"Let"s drink some tea at this place?" Chu Yuan stopped.

"Xian Zui Lou, it doesn"t sound like a teahouse, but more like a wine house." Duan Bai Yue said.

"Then this customer doesn"t know, our place here is really a teahouse." The waiter at the entrance heard their conversation, and said with a smile, "Who said only wine can cause one to be drunk, after finishing good tea, one can also get drunk the same."

"Let"s go." Chu Yuan said, "Who cares if their tea is good or not, at least their view is decent."

"The view is decent." Duan Bai Yue followed him up the stairs, sat by the window and looked down, "The streets are noisy, and there"s a crowd opposite for who knows what, where is the view to be seen?"

Chu Yuan said: "That"s the army recruiting strong and healthy youngsters."

"Expanding the forces again?" Duan Bai Yue asked.

"It"s not that either, but at the start of spring every year a group of young men will be chosen from all over the country, to be sent to Sun-Moon hamlet for training, and then return to the capital to join the army." Chu Yuan said, "This year, because there were many other matters, so it was postponed."

"I see." Duan Bai Yue continued looking downwards, but his expression turned stiff suddenly.

"What"s the matter?" Chu Yuan asked.

Duan Bai Yue said: "Saw...someone I know."

"Oh?" Chu Yuan followed his line of sight, "Since it"s someone you know, why did they not go to Xi Nan Manor, and came to the capital instead?"

Duan Bai Yue looked at Tu Bu Jie within the troops with complicated feelings, he also doesn"t know how to explain.

Very quickly, the waiter had already served the tea, but Chu Yuan was in no mood to try it, and continued asking him: "Just which one is he?"

"A head full of yellow hair, a tall and st.u.r.dy figure, and the one who is currently shouting and howling." Duan Bai Yue was really reluctant to admit that he knows this person.

Chu Yuan expectedly made an expression of "Your friend doesn"t seem like his head is in the right place."

"Around twenty years ago, he was infatuated with Yu-er"s mother, and came to raise a challenger over and over again, and was imprisoned in the back of the mountains by our father for around ten years, and was released just recently." Duan Bai Yue said, "I thought he returned to his home, and yet didn"t expect he would have come to the capital."

"Are you going to call out to him?" Chu Yuan asked.

Duan Bai Yue shook his head firmly.

Chu Yuan looked at him with a hint of laughter.

"Although he"s impulsive, but his martial arts skills aren"t bad." Duan Bai Yue said, "It"s good for him to join the troops too, during battles he can go against at least thirty people, it"s not a loss."

Chu Yuan handed him a cup of tea.

Duan Bai Yue drank it in one go.

Chu Yuan said: "Uncouth."

"I don"t know tea." Duan Bai Yue smiled, "But as long as it"s with you, doing anything puts me in a good mood."

Chu Yuan picked up a pastry, and sampled it along with the bitter tea -- he felt that it was really not bad.

Opposite him, Duan Bai Yue kept looking at him, also feeling very carefree and relaxed.

After the third cup of tea, the sky outside had also darken somewhat. Chu Yuan said: "Let"s go for a meal?"

"Alright." Duan Bai Yue said, "Let us go to eat at He Yu restaurant."

Before Chu Yuan could nod his head, a shout of surprise came from the stairs.

"Nephew!"

.........

"Ke." Chu Yuan turned his head and looked out the window.

Duan Bai Yue"s smile was stiff: "En?"

"Nephew, it"s really you!" Tu Bu Jie came forward with big steps, and sat down opposite Duan Bai Yue, almost forcing Chu Yuan off the wooden bench.

"This elder." Considering that the other party has been tricked by Xi Nan manor for some ten years, Duan Bai Yue"s att.i.tude was still respectful.

"I never would have thought that I would met nephew here." Tu Bu Jie looked around, and said in a low voice, "Wearing a bamboo hat and covering yourself up, are you here to seize the throne?"

The teacup in Chu Yuan"s hand turned over, almost spilling hot tea onto his thighs.

Duan Bai Yue: "......."

"Say it earlier ah." Tu Bu Jie deeply felt that what he said must be the truth, and slapped his thigh harshly, "If I had known that nephew is here to do great things, then I wouldn"t have to come all the way to this capital to earn a living, when should we start moving?"

Duan Bai Yue laughed dryly: "This elder is joking."

"How can I be joking." Tu Bu Jie warned, "But I heard that the skills of that little emperor isn"t bad, nephew must be more cautious. Don"t be like me, not only was I unable to kill someone, I was also robbed of all my belongings."

"Who does this elder want to kill?" Duan Bai Yue said perfunctorily, only wanting to quickly send him away.

Tu Bu Jie said: "A group of black robed people, they are reportedly wizards, the authorities of Cang Nan province are offering a bounty of a hundred gold taels, it"s a high price."

Chu Yuan frowned upon hearing it: "A bounty of a hundred gold taels for a black robed person?"

"That"s right, this little brother, you also want to go?" Tu Bu Jie shook his head, "You can"t go, I don"t know whether those black robe people are humans or demons; when they opened their mouths and sung, my head was extremely painful, and fainted by the roadside and only woke up three days later."

Chu Yuan exchanged gazes with Duan Bai Yue, a few words flashing past in their heads.

Black robed people, Chao Ya....the siren songs of Chao Ya?

Let me know if there"s any mistakes!