Chapter 151 Golden Hair, I’m Here to Take Two People
At noon, a light rain began to fall, adding a damp heat to the already sweltering air.
Inside the main hall of Chi Long Mansion, Xiao Yunluo was seated at a desk beside Li Longling. The table was piled with fifty to sixty memorial reports from the mansion guards and various departments of Chi Long Mansion.
She had been learning from Mr. Qi of Xuan Xing Sect how to manage sect affairs, accounting, and staff allocation since she was six years old. She was quite adept at these matters, but the sheer volume was overwhelming.
Currently, Chi Long Mansion was understaffed, and many of these memorials involved requests for funds for the repair of Chi Long Mansion’s formations and buildings.
It was truly a case of what you fear most often happens.
In just these four days, Xiao Yunluo had found at least fifty memorials reporting inflated budgets and expenses maliciously.
If she weren’t helping Li Longling now, Chi Long Mansion’s treasury might have been completely emptied by those scoundrels by her alone.
Although Li Feng’s trusted subordinates were loyal to Li Longling, Xiao Yunluo calculated that they accounted for less than one-tenth of the entire Chi Long Mansion guard force.
The remaining nine-tenths consisted of nine-tenths honest people who diligently did their jobs.
But the remaining two-tenths were all those who wanted to take advantage of the situation and profit from disaster.
If Li Feng were here, he would have surely ordered the exiling of all those two-tenths. However, Li Longling could not do that.
Her authority was not comparable to her father’s, a Nascent Soul cultivator. Moreover, Chi Long Mansion was already short-staffed. Clearing out such elements might again stir up trouble.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yunluo felt a surge of helplessness.
Li Longling was the orphaned daughter of her mother’s old friend, and she wanted to help Li Longling. But she truly felt powerless in this situation.
Xiao Yunluo put down her ink brush and sighed, lowering her head.
“Hoo—”
Hearing her sigh, Li Longling, who was diligently working on the documents beside her, also stopped. She turned to Xiao Yunluo and asked, “Senior Sister Xiao, are you tired? Go and rest for a while. All these matters should have been handled by me alone. I am already very grateful that you are helping me.”
Xiao Yunluo pursed her lips, inexplicably reminded of Feng Yu Die. Although Feng Yu Die had offered to help before, Xiao Yunluo felt she might cause trouble for both her and Li Longling, so she forbade her from entering the main hall.
She was probably still in her room, basking in the sun.
“If that foolish girl could do these things, it would be great.”
“Senior Sister Feng?” Li Longling chuckled upon hearing this and said, “I don’t think Senior Sister Feng is foolish at all. I don’t know why Senior Sister Xiao always calls her that…”
“Hmm…”
At the mention of Li Longling, Xiao Yunluo paused.
Indeed, although Feng Yu Die was usually unreliable and did strange things, she was quite dependable at critical moments.
Not only did she help her guard against a ghost cultivator’s assassination attempt previously, but she also possessed the bloodline of the Saint Emperor. She cooperated with Ye Anping to intercept demonic cultivators, and her swordsmanship was also superb. At that time, she ranked second in Xuan Xing Sect’s entrance examination…
Considering these matters, the “foolish girl” should not be foolish.
But…
When did the term “foolish girl” become so natural to say?
Xiao Yunluo furrowed her brows and pondered for a moment, but soon gave up.
In any case, “foolish girl” was more natural to say than “Junior Sister Feng,” and “foolish girl” was already accustomed to being called “foolish girl” by her and Pei Lianxue.
She looked at Li Longling and slightly pursed her lips, finally gathering the courage to speak, “Junior Sister Li, what I’m about to say may not be pleasant…”
“Senior Sister Xiao, please speak.”
“Leave Chi Long Mansion and follow me to Xuan Xing Sect. I can arrange for people to take care of you. You cannot support Chi Long Mansion alone. You cannot see, your cultivation is not high, and after Immortal Master Li’s ascension…”
Li Longling listened silently, her expression unchanged. She shook her head, “Senior Sister Xiao, thank you for your kind intentions, but Chi Long Mansion is the family business my father managed for nearly a thousand years. There are also many people within the mansion who trust me. I cannot abandon them. I have agonized over whether to give up Chi Long Mansion these past few days, but I still couldn’t make up my mind…”
“Then what will you do afterward?”
Li Longling slightly lowered her head. “I’m thinking of getting married.”
Xiao Yunluo looked slightly surprised. “Married? Who are you planning to marry?”
Li Longling remained silent for a moment, clenched her fists, bit her lip lightly, and then looked up at Xiao Yunluo. “Senior Sister Xiao, do you know… if Senior Ye is married?”
“Ye… Ye Ye Ye…” Xiao Yunluo’s eyes widened instantly, and she stammered for a long time. “Ye Anping?! You want to marry Ye Anping?!”
Hearing Xiao Yunluo’s strong reaction, Li Longling was a little surprised. She wondered if Senior Sister Xiao had feelings for Senior Ye, or if Senior Sister Xiao was engaged to Senior Ye.
After a long hesitation, she nodded slightly. “…Mm.”
“You you you… You like Ye Anping?! Haven’t you only met twice?”
“Yes, I have indeed only met Senior Ye twice, but…” Li Longling became even more certain in her heart. Senior Sister Xiao likely had some unsavory relationship with Senior Ye. However, she still confessed her inner feelings. “Perhaps I don’t like him yet, but Senior Ye truly gives me the impression of being a very good person.”
“…”
“He returned my father’s sword to me, and it was he who allowed my father to depart with dignity. Moreover, I only know Senior Ye as a suitable man I’ve met so far. I can’t possibly marry one of the subordinates my father left behind, can I?”
Xiao Yunluo was stunned for a while and quickly shook her head, refuting, “But if you don’t like Ye Anping, if you marry him, won’t you regret it?”
“Feelings can be cultivated slowly. I believe I will come to like him,” Li Longling replied, lowering her head and wringing her hands. “I naturally wish to choose a husband freely like Senior Sister Xiao, but I could before. Now I cannot. If Senior Ye is unwilling to marry me, I will have to marry someone else…”
“…”
“Compared to a man I have never interacted with, I would still prefer to marry Senior Ye.”
“Then then then then…” Xiao Yunluo hesitated for a moment and said, “What if I say Senior Ye is already married?”
“Then I will try to have her marry me as a concubine. If that doesn’t work, I can only give up and marry someone else.”
“Then what if your eyes can be cured?”
“Mm, if my eyes can be cured, then I naturally don’t need to rush to get married, but…”
“Then… I can ask Doctor Zhou from Xuan Xing Sect to treat you.”
“My father also took me to see Doctor Zhou before, but Doctor Zhou was powerless.”
“…”
Just as they were talking, the hall door was suddenly knocked upon by a maidservant.
Bang bang—
“Young Miss, Young Master Xiao, the Young Master of Moon Shadow Sword Sect Yun Xi and his junior brother request an audience.”
“Moon Shadow Sword Sect?”
Xiao Yunluo frowned slightly upon hearing this. Why was the Young Master of Moon Shadow Sword Sect coming to Chi Long Mansion?
Li Longling also frowned, sensing something was amiss. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Please invite them in.”
“Yes…”
The maidservant at the door nodded in response, turned, and descended the steps of the main hall. A short while later, she returned with two people wrapped in bandages.
The one in the lead was a golden-haired girl of similar height to Xiao Yunluo and Li Longling. However, Xiao Yunluo remembered that she was already twenty-two years old this year. Due to her less-than-stellar aptitude, her cultivation was only at Mid Foundation Establishment.
Yun Xi entered the main hall with a frown, looking around. Seeing Xiao Yunluo present, her eyebrows perked up. “Oh! Sister Xiao is here too?! You’ve reached Foundation Establishment already. It’s been a long time.”
Xiao Yunluo looked disgusted and took a step back, cupping her hands in greeting. “Sister Yun, I hope you have been well. May I ask the reason for your visit today?”
“Oh, right!” Yun Xi momentarily froze, then turned to Li Longling and said, “Sister Li, I’m here today to ask for two people.”
“Asking for people?” Li Longling was slightly confused and asked, “May I ask what kind of people Senior Yun is looking for?”
“My brother and sister.”
Xiao Yunluo flinched. ???
Li Longling tilted her head. ???
???
