Beauty in White (Part One)
After sending out a message using Immortals Valley’s special channels, a mysterious guest visited Marquis Gu’s Manor within five days.
At this time, only one day remained until the imperial decree had stated Gu ShuBai was to set out for the border. Everyone had been anxiously waiting for this.
The straight-laced soldiers standing in front of the marquis’ manor’s gates suddenly smelled a faint fragrance in the air. It seemed to be the smell of a woman’s makeup.
The only women in Marquis Gu’s Manor were those residing in the Western Wing, and none of them wore such heavy makeup. Where was this smell coming from?
Very shortly after this, the group saw a slender beauty dressed in a fluttery, white dress walk in their direction. The fragrance seemed to be coming from her.
When she arrived outside of Marquis Gu’s Manor, she saw the ground covered in a golden light. Looking more closely, she found that it had all been shattered.
“I thought that Marquis Gu’s Manor was so wealthy that there was a mountain of gold and silver outside of their gate. Who knew that it would all be stuff that had been shattered? Hah, it’s such a pitiful end for such nice things.”
The woman squatted next to the pile, her face hidden by a layer of white gauze, which made it hard to see her expression.
Based on her tone, it could be guessed that she had a look of regret.
She picked around the shattered bits, seeming to pick up some jade shards to use for jewelry. The guards finally reacted, shouting at her: “Miss, those things can’t be touched!”
The woman heard the voice and angrily glanced at them. Her gaze was really piercing like a dagger, “What, can I not take a piece or two of the things that you don’t even want?”
One of the soldiers stepped forward to dissuade her: “Miss, it’s not that we aren’t willing to give it to you. These are all imperial gifts. Though they have been smashed, we are worried that you would end up in trouble if you took some, so it would be best to not take them.”
The woman laughed sweetly and teasingly approached the soldier, saying with a smile: “But I don’t have any money to buy accessories. Brother, could it be that you’re willing to buy some accessories for me?”
The soldier was stunned, immediately breaking out into a blush and taking a few steps back, “Miss, please have some self-respect.”
“Hehehe.”
The woman’s charming voice broke out into a hearty laugh, as she looked at that soldier, “What is it? Could it be that I am ugly, and that’s why you don’t want to buy me some accessories?”
The young soldier wore a stubborn and serious expression, “The most beautiful girl in the world is our Princess ZhenJiang. Though miss is wearing a veil, it’s clear that you are very beautiful, but you can’t compare with our Princess ZhenJiang. Miss, if you don’t have any business here, please leave…”
The woman’s elegant eyebrows were raised, as she nearly spat out the word bullshit.
She was the most beautiful woman in the world. How could some princess be more beautiful than her?
No, Yu Fu’s title in Eastern Ling seemed to have been Princess ZhenJiang. This soldier was saying that Yu Fu was the most beautiful girl in the world?
The girl thought quickly and recalled when Yu Fu had been just a tiny toddler. Though she had been exceptionally adorable, she was still just a child.
Who knew what she looked like now.
The woman jutted out her chin and continued speaking in her charming voice, “The princess that you speak of, she is currently residing at this manor, right? I’ll go and see just how beautiful she really is!”
“Is Marquis Gu’s Manor just some place miss can trespass into?”
The soldier that had been speaking with her suddenly shouted and reached out to block her path. Who knew that the woman would gently grab his extended hand and throw him over her shoulder!
The seemingly weak woman was actually extremely strong!
The guards nearby immediately became laert, while one person quickly went inside to report. Yan Zheng exited through the gate, “Miss, why have you hurt one of the Gu family’s army’s soldiers?”
The woman proudly stepped on the soldier that she had thrown, “I came to cause trouble. Come and fight me!”
The group had been holding back on account of her being a female and had not acted directly. Seeing her act so provocatively, they could no longer concern themselves with such things, as Yan Zheng shouted, “Impudence! Guards, capture her!”
The woman pulled out a sword from somewhere and started moving quickly, “I want to see how powerful the Gu family’s army really is!”
The two sides quickly started fighting. The woman was light and elegant, and the more Yan Zheng watched, the more he felt that something was wrong.
This form looked very familiar. It looked like what Tian Shu had taught them.
Could it be that this woman was from Immortals Valley, or had she learned the martial arts taught by Immortals Valley?
Just as the soldiers were about to be defeated by the woman, a man’s figure soared out from the gate, and his sword met with the woman’s.
The woman’s voice was filled with excitement, “Finally, the main attraction has come!”
The two exchanged more than a dozen blow, and as the fight was becoming more and more fierce, Gu ShuBai suddenly withdrew from the fight.
“Hold on.”
The woman laughed and said: “What, do you not dare keep fighting?”
Seeing how handsome this young man was and how sharp his features were, she truly could not bring herself to trouble him.
Marquis Gu’s Manor was truly a magnificent place. For such a handsome young man to come out so casually, it was no wonder Yu Fu did not want to return to Immortals Valley.
Gu ShuBai tossed his sword to Yan Zheng, and he cupped his hands and bowed deeply toward the woman. Yan Zheng and the others were stunned, as he said: “Senior disciple sister has traveled a great distance. Please come inside.”
Senior disciple sister?
The young sirs of Marquis Gu’s Manor had Gu HuaiJiang as their master. Where would a senior disciple sister come from?
Yan Zheng was confused and suddenly remembered something, loudly saying: “This is… young miss Yu Fu’s senior disciple sister?”
Gu ShuBai nodded. With a clang, the woman put her sword away. Only now could everyone see that the woman’s sword strapped to her waist.
If it had not been unsheathed, nobody would have known that she was carrying a sword. They would have thought that she was just some frail woman. This led to them suffering a defeat.
The woman rolled her eyes. Even when doing this sort of action, she still looked very charming, “How did you recognize me? That’s not fun at all.”
Gu ShuBai smiled and said: “When Tian Shu came last time, he taught us the techniques of Immortals Valley. We didn’t just train in the Gu family’s techniques but also trained on those techniques. After exchanging some blows with senior disciple sister, I could determine that you are even stronger than Tian Shu. You definitely could not have reached such a level from training with someone else.”
The corners of the woman’s lips faintly curled up. Only now did she remove the veil covering her face, her bright-red lips were as enticing as a flame.
If Yu Fu was an exquisitely carved mountain spring, then the woman in front of them was a red peony of unmatched brilliance.
The group was a bit shocked by this sight, as they heard the woman say: “You seem to have a bit of awareness, being able to realize that my technique is greater than that brat Tian Shu’s within a dozen exchanges. It’s no wonder you could fight me to a draw.”
Gu ShuBai humbly said: “Senior disciple sister is being modest. Within fifty exchanges, I would surely have been at a disadvantage.”
The woman smiled and said: “My name is Yue Hu. Who are you? There’s no need to keep calling me senior disciple sister. I am Yu Fu’s senior disciple sister. Do not try to benefit from Immortals Valley.”
How many people on this continent wanted to become disciples at Immortals Valley? Calling her senior disciple sister would not come so easily.
Yan Zheng hastily said: “Immortal Yue Hu, this is the eldest young sir of our Marquis Gu’s Manor. Young miss Yu Fu is his fiancee.”
“You’re Gu ShuBai?”
Yue Hu’s eyes suddenly lit up. Without any restraint, she stepped forward and started to pull Gu ShuBai back and forth, looking him over from every angle. She then felt his back and checked out his face.
After looking at him closely, she could not find the slightest fault with his appearance. Yue Hu was astonished.
She initially thought that she was the most beautiful person on the continent, but after leaving home, she found that the world was vast. This Gu ShuBai had exceptional looks, and his skill in martial arts was quite good. He was truly suited to Yu Fu.
Yan Zheng and the others watched this in a stunned shock. Yue Hu’s unrestrained actions were truly shocking to the etiquette-focused people of Eastern Ling.
How could there be a girl that would pull and tug on a man in public?
“Immortal Yue Hu, you can’t do this. He is our young miss Yu Fu’s fiance!”
Yan Zheng desperately tried to get between the two, pulling Yue Hu’s hands from Gu ShuBai’s body with a vigilant look on his face.
Gu ShuBai did not have much of a reaction, allowing Yue Hu’s hands to move freely while maintaining a smile on his face. Yan Zheng glared at him without any consideration for dignity, “Young general, don’t forget about your status!”
The corners of Gu ShuBai’s lips twitched, wanting to explain to Yan Zheng, but he could not directly tell him the truth that Yue Hu was a man. He had no choice but to allow Yan Zheng’s mind to wander.
After a bit of thought, he finally said: “Yan Zheng, who do you serve? In the past, you would refer to Yu Fu as young madam in front of her, but you’re now treating me like an outsider?”
Yan Zheng thought about it for a bit. What was this about outsiders? Yu Fu and Gu ShuBai were both members of Marquis Gu’s Manor.
He straightened his neck, “Naturally, I serve the Gu family’s army, but I don’t care. Aside from young miss Yu Fu, nobody is allowed to try and seduce young general!”
Yue Hu burst out laughing. Gu ShuBai’s evaluation had improved by three points.
Based on his reaction, it was clear that he could tell that she was a man. That was why he allowed her to touch him freely, but he did not tell anyone else.*
Yue Hu turned around and grabbed Yan Zheng’s hand, “What are you standing around for? Why haven’t you taken me to see your young miss Yu Fu?”
…
“Senior disciple sister?”
Yu Fu saw Yue Hu appear before her and did not dare believe it, “Hasn’t master gone to study in seclusion? Why has senior disciple sister left the valley on your own?”
As the head disciple under Xun Chi, when Xun Chi secluded himself, all of Immortals Valley’s matters were handled by Yue He.
If she had left Immortals Valley, Yu Fu could not help but worry that something had happened in Immortals Valley.
Yue Hu was too preoccupied to answer her question. She just stared blankly at Yu Fu, resting her pointed chin in her palms, “Are you still our little Yu Fu? Aren’t you… a little too beautiful?”
She staggered forward and tried to hug Yu Fu, but Gu ShuBai immediately stepped forward to get between the two.
Knowing that Yue Hu was actually a man, Gu ShuBai would not allow him to hug Yu Fu. Yu Fu was no longer the little girl that she had been in the past.
Yue Hu continued to look at Yu Fu from behind Gu ShuBai, “A girl undergoing countless changes while maturing really isn’t a lie. You are now the most beautiful person from Immortals Valley. Senior disciple sister is willing to bow down in defeat!”
Yu Fu helplessly said: “Senior disciple sister, it’s a serious situation, yet you still have the heart to say this sort of thing. Why have you come from Immortals Valley?”
Yue Hu finally sat down and boldly crossed her legs without any consideration for how a beauty would sit, “Isn’t it because of you? We have caught wind of a new dynasty in Eastern Ling, and we heard that the newly appointed little Emperor Ning wants to make you the empress? Hahaha!”
Yue Hu rocked back and forth with laughter. Gu JiuGe and the others looked at her with solemn expressions. Only then did she finally calm down a little, “Don’t misunderstand, I am not taking joy in others’ misfortune. I am laughing at that worthless little Emperor Ning. He’s not even on the same level as his father, so how could he have the courage to want to marry you? Hahaha!”
Though she said that she was not delighting in others’ misfortune, everyone felt that she was doing just that.
Gu Yi pouted and said to Yu Fu: “Little Yu Fu, is your senior disciple sister reliable? It just looks like she came to laugh at us!”
“What are you saying, brat?”
Yue Hu instantly stood up from her seat and moved to Gu Yi’s side, pinching his cheeks. In that instant, Gu Yi felt that he was seeing Xun Chi.
With that sort of unfathomable technique, it was no wonder she was considered the head disciple of Immortals Valley.
Gu Yi grimaced and begged for mercy, “I was wrong, senior disciple sister. I shouldn’t have suspected your skills. You’re even stronger than Tian Shu!”
Yue Hu snorted and let go of his cheeks, “Of course, I’m stronger than Tian Shu. It’s like this. We were worried that you would be in danger in Eastern Ling, thus I left Immortals Valley’s matters to Tian Shu and personally came to protect you. When I got here, I gave the guard a beating, but that can’t be blamed on me. It was Tian Shu who told me to check if you have been training properly or not. Tian Shu, that brat, only knows how to leave offending others to me!”
Yue Hu angrily muttered, and Yu Fu hastily said: “You already have news? Is Western Kun really able to form a new army to attack Eastern Ling?”
Yue Hu shook her head, “You’re being misled. Western Kun has indeed issued an edict conscripting more soldiers, but anyone with any knowledge of military matters understands. How can newly conscripted soldiers have any chance of winning a battle? I think that there must be someone from Eastern Ling’s court colluding with Western Kun and deliberately spreading misinformation.”
Gu ShuBai said: “It’s no wonder the spies that we sent to Western Kun can’t tell whether or not Western Kun truly intends to send out troops. At first, I felt that it was strange that Western Kun would suddenly decide to launch an attack shortly after the matter of appointing an empress became heated. Thinking about it now, someone is hoping to use this to divide our Marquis Gu’s Manor.”
As for who this person was, everyone tacitly understood.
Yu Fu recalled the assassination attempt that had taken place in Changzhou, “If Yin Shuo is colluding with Western Kun, there are only two possibilities. One, they plan to act when eldest brother is on his way to the border.”
Gu Xiang said: “And the second?”
Yue Hu rebuffed him, “The second is to lure the tiger away from the mountain cave. Over these years, most of Marquis Gu’s Manor’s external affairs have been given to the eldest young sir to handle. Once the eldest young sir has left the capital, it will be easier to deal with Marquis Gu’s Manor.”
Yu Fu nodded, agreeing with Yue Hu’s explanation.
Everyone looked at Yue Hu in shock, and the latter smiled, “I did my research before coming. Did you really think that I would dare to come and claim to help without knowing anything?”
Here was another person who looked flippant but was actually very careful.
Gu HanMo stared blankly at Yue Hu.
This was the senior disciple brother whom Tian Shu had mentioned. She was… his gaze went from Yue Hu’s face down to her chest where there were some slight curves.
Yue Hu stared at him suspiciously and found that his gaze continued down her arm and to her fingertips.
Her fingers were pale and slender, full of feminine tenderness and affection…
He had looked her over and could not see any sign of her being a man, aside from the slightly unrestrained way in which she sat.
Yue Hu coughed a couple of times, and Gu HanMo immediately retracted his gaze, a little flustered, “This one was rude.”
“It’s fine. You’re the Gu HanMo that Tian Shu spoke of? He said that you are a good friend of his.”
Gu HanMo nodded slightly, “Un.”
He was still not too accustomed to dealing with men who dressed like women. He did not know if he should treat the other side as a woman and maintain a proper distance or if he should treat the other side as a man and be more informal.
Yue Hu turned to look at Gu ShuBai once more, “What are your current plans? Will eldest young sir be setting out for battle?”
Gu ShuBai said: “Setting out for battle is something that must be done. His Majesty is currently waiting for a chance to cut down Marquis Gu’s Manor. If I refuse to set out, it will give him that chance. Fortunately, with senior disciple sister here to help, even if they want to plot against Marquis Gu’s Manor, someone will be here to protect Yu Fu.”
Yu Fu stood up and said: “You shouldn’t be worried about them plotting against Marquis Gu’s Manor. At the very least, we will all be together. Regardless of what happens, we can look after each other. You will be going to the border on your own, and they will have countless opportunities. This is what I’m truly worried about!”
Seeing the two thinking about each other, Yue Hu let out an aunt-like smile.
“There’s no need for you to worry about that.”
A voice suddenly came from the door. Everyone turned to look, as Gu HuaiJiang walked into the room.
Taking note of his dignified bearing and calm demeanor, Yue Hu immediately stood up to greet him.
Gu HuaiJiang kindly motioned for her to sit back down to continue speaking, “The late emperor’s decree is still in effect. ShuBai will set out for battle tomorrow and will be bringing one thousand soldiers. That should be enough protection.”
One thousand soldiers?
Everyone was exceedingly shocked. Gu HuaiJiang had fought in battles all over for many decades, yet he had never brought so many troops along with him. Mobilizing one thousand troops from around the capital, one could clearly imagine the sort of effect it would have on the capital.
Even at the peak of his influence, Gu HuaiJiang had never done something that would stand out so much. Now, for the sake of Gu ShuBai’s safety, he was not going to consider anything else.
Everyone understood his feelings as a father, and Gu ShuBai said: “Father, Marquis Gu’s Manor is currently on the cusp of a storm. This absolutely must not be done!”
*TN: The author switches between male and female pronouns for Yue Hu. I don’t know if there will be any rules for this.
Beauty in White (Part One)
After sending out a message using Immortals Valley’s special channels, a mysterious guest visited Marquis Gu’s Manor within five days.
At this time, only one day remained until the imperial decree had stated Gu ShuBai was to set out for the border. Everyone had been anxiously waiting for this.
The straight-laced soldiers standing in front of the marquis’ manor’s gates suddenly smelled a faint fragrance in the air. It seemed to be the smell of a woman’s makeup.
The only women in Marquis Gu’s Manor were those residing in the Western Wing, and none of them wore such heavy makeup. Where was this smell coming from?
Very shortly after this, the group saw a slender beauty dressed in a fluttery, white dress walk in their direction. The fragrance seemed to be coming from her.
When she arrived outside of Marquis Gu’s Manor, she saw the ground covered in a golden light. Looking more closely, she found that it had all been shattered.
“I thought that Marquis Gu’s Manor was so wealthy that there was a mountain of gold and silver outside of their gate. Who knew that it would all be stuff that had been shattered? Hah, it’s such a pitiful end for such nice things.”
The woman squatted next to the pile, her face hidden by a layer of white gauze, which made it hard to see her expression.
Based on her tone, it could be guessed that she had a look of regret.
She picked around the shattered bits, seeming to pick up some jade shards to use for jewelry. The guards finally reacted, shouting at her: “Miss, those things can’t be touched!”
The woman heard the voice and angrily glanced at them. Her gaze was really piercing like a dagger, “What, can I not take a piece or two of the things that you don’t even want?”
One of the soldiers stepped forward to dissuade her: “Miss, it’s not that we aren’t willing to give it to you. These are all imperial gifts. Though they have been smashed, we are worried that you would end up in trouble if you took some, so it would be best to not take them.”
The woman laughed sweetly and teasingly approached the soldier, saying with a smile: “But I don’t have any money to buy accessories. Brother, could it be that you’re willing to buy some accessories for me?”
The soldier was stunned, immediately breaking out into a blush and taking a few steps back, “Miss, please have some self-respect.”
“Hehehe.”
The woman’s charming voice broke out into a hearty laugh, as she looked at that soldier, “What is it? Could it be that I am ugly, and that’s why you don’t want to buy me some accessories?”
The young soldier wore a stubborn and serious expression, “The most beautiful girl in the world is our Princess ZhenJiang. Though miss is wearing a veil, it’s clear that you are very beautiful, but you can’t compare with our Princess ZhenJiang. Miss, if you don’t have any business here, please leave…”
The woman’s elegant eyebrows were raised, as she nearly spat out the word bullshit.
She was the most beautiful woman in the world. How could some princess be more beautiful than her?
No, Yu Fu’s title in Eastern Ling seemed to have been Princess ZhenJiang. This soldier was saying that Yu Fu was the most beautiful girl in the world?
The girl thought quickly and recalled when Yu Fu had been just a tiny toddler. Though she had been exceptionally adorable, she was still just a child.
Who knew what she looked like now.
The woman jutted out her chin and continued speaking in her charming voice, “The princess that you speak of, she is currently residing at this manor, right? I’ll go and see just how beautiful she really is!”
“Is Marquis Gu’s Manor just some place miss can trespass into?”
The soldier that had been speaking with her suddenly shouted and reached out to block her path. Who knew that the woman would gently grab his extended hand and throw him over her shoulder!
The seemingly weak woman was actually extremely strong!
The guards nearby immediately became laert, while one person quickly went inside to report. Yan Zheng exited through the gate, “Miss, why have you hurt one of the Gu family’s army’s soldiers?”
The woman proudly stepped on the soldier that she had thrown, “I came to cause trouble. Come and fight me!”
The group had been holding back on account of her being a female and had not acted directly. Seeing her act so provocatively, they could no longer concern themselves with such things, as Yan Zheng shouted, “Impudence! Guards, capture her!”
The woman pulled out a sword from somewhere and started moving quickly, “I want to see how powerful the Gu family’s army really is!”
The two sides quickly started fighting. The woman was light and elegant, and the more Yan Zheng watched, the more he felt that something was wrong.
This form looked very familiar. It looked like what Tian Shu had taught them.
Could it be that this woman was from Immortals Valley, or had she learned the martial arts taught by Immortals Valley?
Just as the soldiers were about to be defeated by the woman, a man’s figure soared out from the gate, and his sword met with the woman’s.
The woman’s voice was filled with excitement, “Finally, the main attraction has come!”
The two exchanged more than a dozen blow, and as the fight was becoming more and more fierce, Gu ShuBai suddenly withdrew from the fight.
“Hold on.”
The woman laughed and said: “What, do you not dare keep fighting?”
Seeing how handsome this young man was and how sharp his features were, she truly could not bring herself to trouble him.
Marquis Gu’s Manor was truly a magnificent place. For such a handsome young man to come out so casually, it was no wonder Yu Fu did not want to return to Immortals Valley.
Gu ShuBai tossed his sword to Yan Zheng, and he cupped his hands and bowed deeply toward the woman. Yan Zheng and the others were stunned, as he said: “Senior disciple sister has traveled a great distance. Please come inside.”
Senior disciple sister?
The young sirs of Marquis Gu’s Manor had Gu HuaiJiang as their master. Where would a senior disciple sister come from?
Yan Zheng was confused and suddenly remembered something, loudly saying: “This is… young miss Yu Fu’s senior disciple sister?”
Gu ShuBai nodded. With a clang, the woman put her sword away. Only now could everyone see that the woman’s sword strapped to her waist.
If it had not been unsheathed, nobody would have known that she was carrying a sword. They would have thought that she was just some frail woman. This led to them suffering a defeat.
The woman rolled her eyes. Even when doing this sort of action, she still looked very charming, “How did you recognize me? That’s not fun at all.”
Gu ShuBai smiled and said: “When Tian Shu came last time, he taught us the techniques of Immortals Valley. We didn’t just train in the Gu family’s techniques but also trained on those techniques. After exchanging some blows with senior disciple sister, I could determine that you are even stronger than Tian Shu. You definitely could not have reached such a level from training with someone else.”
The corners of the woman’s lips faintly curled up. Only now did she remove the veil covering her face, her bright-red lips were as enticing as a flame.
If Yu Fu was an exquisitely carved mountain spring, then the woman in front of them was a red peony of unmatched brilliance.
The group was a bit shocked by this sight, as they heard the woman say: “You seem to have a bit of awareness, being able to realize that my technique is greater than that brat Tian Shu’s within a dozen exchanges. It’s no wonder you could fight me to a draw.”
Gu ShuBai humbly said: “Senior disciple sister is being modest. Within fifty exchanges, I would surely have been at a disadvantage.”
The woman smiled and said: “My name is Yue Hu. Who are you? There’s no need to keep calling me senior disciple sister. I am Yu Fu’s senior disciple sister. Do not try to benefit from Immortals Valley.”
How many people on this continent wanted to become disciples at Immortals Valley? Calling her senior disciple sister would not come so easily.
Yan Zheng hastily said: “Immortal Yue Hu, this is the eldest young sir of our Marquis Gu’s Manor. Young miss Yu Fu is his fiancee.”
“You’re Gu ShuBai?”
Yue Hu’s eyes suddenly lit up. Without any restraint, she stepped forward and started to pull Gu ShuBai back and forth, looking him over from every angle. She then felt his back and checked out his face.
After looking at him closely, she could not find the slightest fault with his appearance. Yue Hu was astonished.
She initially thought that she was the most beautiful person on the continent, but after leaving home, she found that the world was vast. This Gu ShuBai had exceptional looks, and his skill in martial arts was quite good. He was truly suited to Yu Fu.
Yan Zheng and the others watched this in a stunned shock. Yue Hu’s unrestrained actions were truly shocking to the etiquette-focused people of Eastern Ling.
How could there be a girl that would pull and tug on a man in public?
“Immortal Yue Hu, you can’t do this. He is our young miss Yu Fu’s fiance!”
Yan Zheng desperately tried to get between the two, pulling Yue Hu’s hands from Gu ShuBai’s body with a vigilant look on his face.
Gu ShuBai did not have much of a reaction, allowing Yue Hu’s hands to move freely while maintaining a smile on his face. Yan Zheng glared at him without any consideration for dignity, “Young general, don’t forget about your status!”
The corners of Gu ShuBai’s lips twitched, wanting to explain to Yan Zheng, but he could not directly tell him the truth that Yue Hu was a man. He had no choice but to allow Yan Zheng’s mind to wander.
After a bit of thought, he finally said: “Yan Zheng, who do you serve? In the past, you would refer to Yu Fu as young madam in front of her, but you’re now treating me like an outsider?”
Yan Zheng thought about it for a bit. What was this about outsiders? Yu Fu and Gu ShuBai were both members of Marquis Gu’s Manor.
He straightened his neck, “Naturally, I serve the Gu family’s army, but I don’t care. Aside from young miss Yu Fu, nobody is allowed to try and seduce young general!”
Yue Hu burst out laughing. Gu ShuBai’s evaluation had improved by three points.
Based on his reaction, it was clear that he could tell that she was a man. That was why he allowed her to touch him freely, but he did not tell anyone else.*
Yue Hu turned around and grabbed Yan Zheng’s hand, “What are you standing around for? Why haven’t you taken me to see your young miss Yu Fu?”
…
“Senior disciple sister?”
Yu Fu saw Yue Hu appear before her and did not dare believe it, “Hasn’t master gone to study in seclusion? Why has senior disciple sister left the valley on your own?”
As the head disciple under Xun Chi, when Xun Chi secluded himself, all of Immortals Valley’s matters were handled by Yue He.
If she had left Immortals Valley, Yu Fu could not help but worry that something had happened in Immortals Valley.
Yue Hu was too preoccupied to answer her question. She just stared blankly at Yu Fu, resting her pointed chin in her palms, “Are you still our little Yu Fu? Aren’t you… a little too beautiful?”
She staggered forward and tried to hug Yu Fu, but Gu ShuBai immediately stepped forward to get between the two.
Knowing that Yue Hu was actually a man, Gu ShuBai would not allow him to hug Yu Fu. Yu Fu was no longer the little girl that she had been in the past.
Yue Hu continued to look at Yu Fu from behind Gu ShuBai, “A girl undergoing countless changes while maturing really isn’t a lie. You are now the most beautiful person from Immortals Valley. Senior disciple sister is willing to bow down in defeat!”
Yu Fu helplessly said: “Senior disciple sister, it’s a serious situation, yet you still have the heart to say this sort of thing. Why have you come from Immortals Valley?”
Yue Hu finally sat down and boldly crossed her legs without any consideration for how a beauty would sit, “Isn’t it because of you? We have caught wind of a new dynasty in Eastern Ling, and we heard that the newly appointed little Emperor Ning wants to make you the empress? Hahaha!”
Yue Hu rocked back and forth with laughter. Gu JiuGe and the others looked at her with solemn expressions. Only then did she finally calm down a little, “Don’t misunderstand, I am not taking joy in others’ misfortune. I am laughing at that worthless little Emperor Ning. He’s not even on the same level as his father, so how could he have the courage to want to marry you? Hahaha!”
Though she said that she was not delighting in others’ misfortune, everyone felt that she was doing just that.
Gu Yi pouted and said to Yu Fu: “Little Yu Fu, is your senior disciple sister reliable? It just looks like she came to laugh at us!”
“What are you saying, brat?”
Yue Hu instantly stood up from her seat and moved to Gu Yi’s side, pinching his cheeks. In that instant, Gu Yi felt that he was seeing Xun Chi.
With that sort of unfathomable technique, it was no wonder she was considered the head disciple of Immortals Valley.
Gu Yi grimaced and begged for mercy, “I was wrong, senior disciple sister. I shouldn’t have suspected your skills. You’re even stronger than Tian Shu!”
Yue Hu snorted and let go of his cheeks, “Of course, I’m stronger than Tian Shu. It’s like this. We were worried that you would be in danger in Eastern Ling, thus I left Immortals Valley’s matters to Tian Shu and personally came to protect you. When I got here, I gave the guard a beating, but that can’t be blamed on me. It was Tian Shu who told me to check if you have been training properly or not. Tian Shu, that brat, only knows how to leave offending others to me!”
Yue Hu angrily muttered, and Yu Fu hastily said: “You already have news? Is Western Kun really able to form a new army to attack Eastern Ling?”
Yue Hu shook her head, “You’re being misled. Western Kun has indeed issued an edict conscripting more soldiers, but anyone with any knowledge of military matters understands. How can newly conscripted soldiers have any chance of winning a battle? I think that there must be someone from Eastern Ling’s court colluding with Western Kun and deliberately spreading misinformation.”
Gu ShuBai said: “It’s no wonder the spies that we sent to Western Kun can’t tell whether or not Western Kun truly intends to send out troops. At first, I felt that it was strange that Western Kun would suddenly decide to launch an attack shortly after the matter of appointing an empress became heated. Thinking about it now, someone is hoping to use this to divide our Marquis Gu’s Manor.”
As for who this person was, everyone tacitly understood.
Yu Fu recalled the assassination attempt that had taken place in Changzhou, “If Yin Shuo is colluding with Western Kun, there are only two possibilities. One, they plan to act when eldest brother is on his way to the border.”
Gu Xiang said: “And the second?”
Yue Hu rebuffed him, “The second is to lure the tiger away from the mountain cave. Over these years, most of Marquis Gu’s Manor’s external affairs have been given to the eldest young sir to handle. Once the eldest young sir has left the capital, it will be easier to deal with Marquis Gu’s Manor.”
Yu Fu nodded, agreeing with Yue Hu’s explanation.
Everyone looked at Yue Hu in shock, and the latter smiled, “I did my research before coming. Did you really think that I would dare to come and claim to help without knowing anything?”
Here was another person who looked flippant but was actually very careful.
Gu HanMo stared blankly at Yue Hu.
This was the senior disciple brother whom Tian Shu had mentioned. She was… his gaze went from Yue Hu’s face down to her chest where there were some slight curves.
Yue Hu stared at him suspiciously and found that his gaze continued down her arm and to her fingertips.
Her fingers were pale and slender, full of feminine tenderness and affection…
He had looked her over and could not see any sign of her being a man, aside from the slightly unrestrained way in which she sat.
Yue Hu coughed a couple of times, and Gu HanMo immediately retracted his gaze, a little flustered, “This one was rude.”
“It’s fine. You’re the Gu HanMo that Tian Shu spoke of? He said that you are a good friend of his.”
Gu HanMo nodded slightly, “Un.”
He was still not too accustomed to dealing with men who dressed like women. He did not know if he should treat the other side as a woman and maintain a proper distance or if he should treat the other side as a man and be more informal.
Yue Hu turned to look at Gu ShuBai once more, “What are your current plans? Will eldest young sir be setting out for battle?”
Gu ShuBai said: “Setting out for battle is something that must be done. His Majesty is currently waiting for a chance to cut down Marquis Gu’s Manor. If I refuse to set out, it will give him that chance. Fortunately, with senior disciple sister here to help, even if they want to plot against Marquis Gu’s Manor, someone will be here to protect Yu Fu.”
Yu Fu stood up and said: “You shouldn’t be worried about them plotting against Marquis Gu’s Manor. At the very least, we will all be together. Regardless of what happens, we can look after each other. You will be going to the border on your own, and they will have countless opportunities. This is what I’m truly worried about!”
Seeing the two thinking about each other, Yue Hu let out an aunt-like smile.
“There’s no need for you to worry about that.”
A voice suddenly came from the door. Everyone turned to look, as Gu HuaiJiang walked into the room.
Taking note of his dignified bearing and calm demeanor, Yue Hu immediately stood up to greet him.
Gu HuaiJiang kindly motioned for her to sit back down to continue speaking, “The late emperor’s decree is still in effect. ShuBai will set out for battle tomorrow and will be bringing one thousand soldiers. That should be enough protection.”
One thousand soldiers?
Everyone was exceedingly shocked. Gu HuaiJiang had fought in battles all over for many decades, yet he had never brought so many troops along with him. Mobilizing one thousand troops from around the capital, one could clearly imagine the sort of effect it would have on the capital.
Even at the peak of his influence, Gu HuaiJiang had never done something that would stand out so much. Now, for the sake of Gu ShuBai’s safety, he was not going to consider anything else.
Everyone understood his feelings as a father, and Gu ShuBai said: “Father, Marquis Gu’s Manor is currently on the cusp of a storm. This absolutely must not be done!”
*TN: The author switches between male and female pronouns for Yue Hu. I don’t know if there will be any rules for this.
