25: Dark knots in black hair

Twilight was like ink, crushing the last sliver of daylight into the clouds.

Situ Jun walked along the winding bluestone path toward Su Yunniang's courtyard. The cicadas chirped noisily all around, their sounds piercing. As he reached a moon gate, the rustling sound of conversation coming from the corner was like a silver needle, instantly pricking his tensed nerves.

"...That Situ Jun has been gaining more power lately; even the North Courtyard is under his management." A gloomy voice, thick with jealousy, said, "Who knows what kind of seductive methods he used."

"Keep it down!" another voice lowered. "I heard Madam Su also looks upon him with favor. But... a person who has been a slave for generations and has no one to rely on will only ever be a manager, no matter how much he struggles."

Situ Jun's pupils constricted slightly, his fingertips digging into his palms. He suppressed his aura, blending into the shadows of the wall like a ghost. Only after the footsteps of the two servants vanished at the end of the corridor did he slowly exhale the turbid air trapped in his chest. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. The night wind ruffled the hem of his clothes, carrying a faint scent of Wan Xiangyu that led him forward.

"It seems a tall tree attracts the wind; I've become an object of envy," Situ Jun murmured to himself on the way.

In Su Yunniang's courtyard, gauze lanterns swayed gently in the evening breeze, casting a hazy, warm light. Situ Jun took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and knocked on the carved wooden door. The maid, Qiu Lan, opened the door with a smile that seemed to hold a mysterious meaning as she welcomed him in. The Wan Xiangyu in the courtyard was in full bloom, and its rich fragrance washed over him, intoxicatingly sweet and making him feel slightly lightheaded.

Su Yunniang was dressed in moon-white nightwear, her black hair casually pinned up with a few strands falling over her shoulders, revealing a neck as white as snow. She looked like a completely different person from her dignified and self-contained daytime self. At this moment, she resembled more a young girl hiding secrets in her inner chambers.

"You've come?" Su Yunniang leaned against a vermilion pillar of the veranda, holding a yellowed cultivation manual in her hand. The moonlight cast a hazy halo around her figure.

"Qiu Lan, I don't need your service tonight. Go to the side room and rest early."

"Yes, Madam," Qiu Lan replied, obediently closing the main door of the living room and leaving with light steps.

Watching Qiu Lan depart, Su Yunniang's face flushed slightly. She glanced at Situ Jun and said, "Follow me." She turned and walked toward the study, her jade-like feet in embroidered shoes making soft sounds on the green bricks, seemingly plucking at Situ Jun's tensed nerves. Situ Jun took a deep breath and followed.

Spiritual tea was already set out on the table inside. Amidst the swirling steam, Situ Jun noticed that the moment he stepped into the room, the Spiritual Qi was more than twice as dense as outside. A "Spirit Gathering Array" must have been set up here. Su Yunniang gently placed the manual on the sandalwood table and looked up at Situ Jun. "First, circulate your spiritual power; let me see your Foundation."

Situ Jun did as he was told. Under the operation of the Breath Concealment Technique, only the spiritual power fluctuations of the third level of Qi Refining flowed around him. Su Yunniang raised her jade-like hand, her fingertips swirling with faint spiritual power as she reached toward Situ Jun's Dantian. The moment her fingertips were about to touch his clothes, Situ Jun's heart leaped, though he didn't know if it was from nervousness or some other emotion.

"Your Meridians are actually wider than those of an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator." Su Yunniang withdrew her hand, a flash of doubt in her eyes, but she didn't dwell on it and began to explain the secrets of cultivation. Time passed quietly during the explanation. When the sound of the Night Watch Drum came, Su Yunniang suddenly said, "Circulate your Qi according to the secrets I've told you."

Situ Jun again closed his eyes and concentrated as instructed, slowly circulating his third-level Qi Refining spiritual power. Under the cover of the Breath Concealment Technique, the spiritual power within his Dantian was like being covered by a thin veil, revealing only weak fluctuations. Su Yunniang waved her hand again, and a strand of spiritual power probed into his Meridians. After a moment, she frowned slightly. "Your Meridians are quite peculiar. Not only are they wide, but they also possess an underlying toughness. It's just... why does it always feel like they are being intentionally suppressed?"

Situ Jun's heart tightened, but he maintained a respectful smile on his face. "Madam overpraises me. Perhaps Your subordinate's Aptitude is dull and my cultivation method is incorrect. I hope Madam can provide guidance."

Su Yunniang shook her head gently and stood up to walk beside him, her light purple gauze skirt swaying with her movements, her fragrance lingering. She sat cross-legged behind Situ Jun, her slender hand resting on his shoulder as spiritual power slowly poured in from her palm. "Don't be nervous. I will help you smooth out your Meridians and clear any blockages." Situ Jun could clearly feel the temperature of her fingertips, and his heart rate unconsciously quickened.

It wasn't until the sound of the Night Watch Drum came again that Su Yunniang stopped the transmission of spiritual power. Sensing that Su Yunniang had stopped, Situ Jun also opened his eyes, intending to stand up and thank her. Whether it was fatigue from the long transmission of spiritual power or numbness from sitting too long, as she stood up, the Embroidered Handkerchief in her sleeve fell to the ground.

At the moment Situ Jun leaned over to pick it up, Su Yunniang instinctively took half a step back, her embroidered shoe accidentally knocking over the Copper Brazier by her feet. As the incense scattered, the two stood facing each other in the swirling smoke. When Situ Jun returned the handkerchief, he felt the warmth of Su Yunniang's fingertips and saw the flush rising to the tips of her ears.

"Actually... the rumors in the manor are not entirely groundless," Su Yunniang suddenly spoke, her voice as light as the petals of a Wan Xiangyu. "Although I am the Madam, I have never received the respect I deserve. All these years, only you..." Her voice trailed off, and the sound of the Clepsydra outside the courtyard was clearly audible.

Situ Jun gripped the Embroidered Handkerchief and suddenly knelt on the green bricks. "If Madam trusts me, Your subordinate is willing to protect you with my life. I have already grasped the workings of the North Courtyard's affairs. When the time is ripe..." Before he could finish, Su Yunniang placed an Emerald Jade Hairpin in his palm.

"Tomorrow at the Hour of the Rabbit, by the Ancient Pine on the Back Mountain." As Su Yunniang turned, her hair brushed against the back of Situ Jun's hand with the coolness of moonlight. "This hairpin shall be the token of our master-disciple relationship."

Outside the window, a jackdaw took flight in alarm. Moonlight like shattered jade spilled onto the wet tea stains on the table, reflecting the overlapping shadows of the two. Situ Jun gripped the emerald hairpin, hearing his heart beat like a drum. This night was destined to change the fates of many.

(Forced to be redacted)