“Brother Wang, it’s perfectly normal for Master Shui to exchange a few words with his daughter. Why are you in such a hurry?” Nie Yun said, looking at Wang Xiaofeng pacing back and forth in the courtyard.

Wang Xiaofeng stopped and glared at Nie Yun, saying irritably, “Sect Leader Nie, my uncle was just being polite when he asked you to take care of my cousin. You didn’t take it seriously, did you?”

Nie Yun smiled slightly and nodded, saying, “Brother Wang, what you said is strange. Hero Shui’s words just now came from the bottom of her heart. How could I take them lightly? I will naturally take good care of Miss Shui in the future and not let her be bullied by others.”

As he spoke, he gave Wang Xiaofeng a mocking look.

Wang Xiaofeng was furious and about to explode when he suddenly heard Shui Sheng’s shrill cry from inside the house: “Father—”

The two exchanged a glance and immediately rushed into the house.

Shui Sheng held Shui Dai’s head in her arms, shaking it desperately, and cried out frantically, “Father, wake up, wake up! Don’t… don’t leave me alone… Father…”

No matter how hard she cried out, Shui Dai could no longer call her “Sheng’er”.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaofeng quickly stepped forward, patted Shui Sheng on the shoulder, and said, “Cousin, Uncle has passed away. Please accept my condolences…”

Before he could even utter the word “accept change,” Shui Sheng shoved him away.

He stared at Shui Sheng in astonishment and shouted, “Cousin, what are you doing?” Shui Sheng turned to look at him, her eyes filled with anger, tears glistening on her fair cheeks, making her look incredibly pitiful.

She was already beautiful, but now, with tears streaming down her face, she was even more irresistible, making one want to hold her in their arms and cherish her tenderly.

She shouted at Wang Xiaofeng, “It’s you! It’s all because of you! You killed my father!”

Wang Xiaofeng quickly said, “Cousin, I didn’t! Uncle’s injuries are too severe…”

“Slap!” Before Wang Xiaofeng could finish speaking, Shui Sheng suddenly raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Caught off guard, Wang Xiaofeng didn’t dodge. He covered his face and looked at Shui Sheng with shock and anger.

Shui Sheng gritted her teeth and said, “Wang Xiaofeng, how dare you say such a thing now? Do you have any conscience?” Being slapped in the face by his fiancée in front of everyone, Wang Xiaofeng was shocked and furious.

He stepped forward and reached for Shui Sheng, shouting, “Come out with me!” Just then, Nie Yun grabbed Wang Xiaofeng’s hand from the side and said calmly, “Brother Wang, calm down.”

Wang Xiaofeng was already annoyed by Shui Dai’s behavior before her death, and now that Shui Sheng had insulted him like this, how could he possibly remain calm?

“Let go of me!” he said, pulling hard on his hands to try and shake Nie Yun off.

Nie Yun sneered and tightened his grip. Wang Xiaofeng immediately felt as if an iron band had been put around his wrist, rendering his struggles futile.

Wang Xiaofeng was both shocked and furious. Seeing that his right hand could not escape, he raised his left arm and swept it directly towards Nie Yun’s temple.

Nie Yun’s eyes turned cold. He stretched out his right leg like lightning, kicking Wang Xiaofeng’s leg. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he turned Wang Xiaofeng halfway around and kicked him squarely in the buttocks.

Wang Xiaofeng felt a sharp pain in his buttocks, and then he was sent flying out of control. He couldn’t steady himself after landing and rolled several times.

Nie Yun clapped his hands and said, “Brother Wang, this is to teach you a lesson. If you dare to act wildly again, it won’t be as simple as just falling down.”

Wang Xiaofeng slowly stood up, leaning against the wall, and glared fiercely at Nie Yun, looking like a hungry wolf ready to devour its prey.

However, Nie Yun’s skill just now made him dare not be presumptuous again. He patted himself off in a disheveled manner and said to Shui Sheng, “Cousin, let’s go.”

Shui Sheng looked at him coldly and said, “Father is right here. Where are you going?”

Nie Yun coughed lightly and said, “Miss Shui, your father has unfortunately passed away. Do you think we should escort his coffin back to his hometown or bury him here?”

Looking at her father’s body, Shui Sheng felt completely lost, as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed. She murmured, “I…I don’t know…” She knelt beside the stretcher and buried her face in Shui Dai’s chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

Nie Yun sighed, squatted down next to Shui Sheng, and gently patted her shoulder.

“I suggest that your father’s body be cremated on the spot. Then I will escort you back to your hometown as soon as possible and choose a good burial site for him.”

“Cremation on the spot… this…” Shui Sheng looked up at Nie Yun, her heart filled with hesitation.

The ancients placed great importance on the integrity of the body. The first chapter of the Classic of Filial Piety states: “Our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents. We dare not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety.”

This idea also influences funeral rites, requiring that after a person dies, the body must be buried in a complete manner.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a vicious oath as “I will die a horrible death.”

Wang Xiaofeng immediately said, “This is absolutely unacceptable! Do you want my uncle to be unable to rest in peace even after his death?” Nie Yun ignored him and continued to say to Shui Sheng, “Miss Shui, this place is far from Jiangnan, and the weather is hot now. Your father died of poisoning. If you escort his coffin back home, not only will his remains be damaged, but the poison may also spread, which would be even worse.”

Shui Sheng pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, “Brother Nie is right. It is indeed inconvenient to escort the coffin back to its hometown. Let’s do it your way.”

Wang Xiaofeng quickly said, “Cousin, no, that won’t do…”

Shui Sheng said coldly, “Cousin, this is my family matter. My mind is made up, please don’t say anything more.”

Wang Xiaofeng was stunned upon hearing this, then stared fiercely at Nie Yun, his eyes filled with resentment.

Just now, Nie Yun’s suggestion was accepted by Shui Sheng, but he didn’t even have a chance to express his opinion. In particular, he was rejected by Shui Sheng with the excuse that it was a family matter. This filled Wang Xiaofeng with a sense of crisis and jealousy towards Nie Yun. He felt as if he had been cuckolded.

He looked at Shui Sheng and said, word by word, “Cousin, I am your cousin, and your uncle is also my closest relative. Besides, you and I are already engaged, and this is my family matter.”

Shui Sheng bit her lip, her chest heaving violently, tears welling in her eyes, which she stubbornly held back.

She took a deep breath and slowly said to Wang Xiaofeng, “I will never forget what my cousin did the other day.”

Wang Xiaofeng paused, then stammered, “Cousin, I… I did it for you too…”

Shui Sheng turned away, tears streaming down her face, no longer wanting to say another word to Wang Xiaofeng.

“Cousin…” Wang Xiaofeng looked at Shui Sheng, feeling both angry and regretful.

******

With Nie Yun’s assistance, Shui Dai’s body was quickly cremated. Seeing this great hero placed into a small urn, Nie Yun couldn’t help but sigh.

Meanwhile, with Nie Yun’s help, Ling Shuanghua sold off all her family property. Although Ling Tuisi was the prefect, he had been paying tribute to his superiors for many years so that he could stay in Jingzhou. He didn’t have much property left behind, so he quickly finished dealing with it.

Ling Shuanghua did not mistreat the servants of the Ling family, giving them all a generous severance pay. However, Zhang Ma, Uncle Liu, Juyou, and Lanrui refused to leave Ling Shuanghua no matter what. Seeing their loyalty, Nie Yun agreed to their request.

After everything was settled, Nie Yun prepared to set off.

However, he did not go directly back to Mount Hua, but planned to escort Shui Sheng home first.

Wang Xiaofeng naturally objected in every way, but Shui Sheng simply wouldn’t listen to him.

That morning, the two had another argument. In the end, Shui Sheng got so emotional that she blurted out something like, “Having Nie Yun by my side is a hundred times better than having Wang Xiaofeng.”

This infuriated Wang Xiaofeng. Looking at the innocent-looking Nie Yun beside him, he really wanted to slap him across the face.

He really couldn’t understand what kind of medicine Nie Yun had given Shui Dai and Shui Sheng, that made them both speak up for him.

“Fine! Since you like having Nie Yun with you, then keep him company as long as you want!” After saying that, Wang Xiaofeng left without looking back.

Seeing Wang Xiaofeng’s exasperated appearance, Shui Sheng felt a pang of sadness, and tears streamed down her face.

In fact, she had slowly come to accept the fact that her father had died.

Although Wang Xiaofeng’s actions that day were too reckless, he himself did not expect it to cause such serious consequences.

After calming down for the past few days, Shui Sheng no longer hates Wang Xiaofeng as much.

If either of them could put aside their pride and take a step back at this point, they could completely ease the tension.

It’s not that we’ve reconciled, but it’s certainly much better than being at each other’s throats every time we meet.

Unfortunately, Shui Sheng couldn’t bring herself to say anything softer because she had made such harsh statements a few days ago.

Because of his personality, Wang Xiaofeng would never stoop to a subservient position.

Of course, the most crucial point is that Nie Yun always appears right next to the two of them at just the right time, using seemingly persuasive but actually provocative words to make their emotions more and more agitated, making it impossible for them to communicate calmly.

“It seems we need to add fuel to the fire!”

Seeing Shui Sheng’s heartbroken expression, Nie Yun thought to himself, “Childhood sweethearts, cousins’ bond… I’ll sever this close relationship with my own hands!”

******

“Another pot of wine!” Wang Xiaofeng threw the empty wine pot on the ground and shouted loudly.

Xiao Er walked up cautiously and said, “Sir…sir, you’ve had quite a bit to drink. Why don’t you come again next time?”

Wang Xiaofeng stared at him with bloodshot eyes and shouted, “Even you look down on me? Afraid I can’t pay the bill?”

As he spoke, he pulled out a large silver ingot from his pocket and slammed it on the table.

“How is it? Is it enough?” He tilted his head to one side, his eyes red as he looked at the waiter.

The waiter inwardly groaned. Wang Xiaofeng had driven everyone away the moment he arrived, and even the few who dared to defy him were soundly defeated. The silver was considerable, but it couldn’t compensate for the entire restaurant’s losses!

“Alright, go get another jug ​​of wine!” A man in blue patted the waiter and handed him a gold bar. “Bring a few more good dishes; this gold bar is enough to buy your entire restaurant!”

The waiter, seeing the gleaming gold bars in his hand, grinned from ear to ear. He bowed and said obsequiously, “You’re right, sir. I’ll go serve you the dishes right away.” With that, he quickly ran off.

“Brother Wang, you look quite disheveled!” the man said with a smile as he sat down opposite Wang Xiaofeng.

“It’s you?” Wang Xiaofeng looked at the person who had just arrived, and his anger flared up. The person in front of him was none other than Nie Yun, who had been the one who had caused him to run into obstacles in front of Shui Sheng.

“What are you doing here? Do you want to see me make a fool of myself? Weren’t you having a great time hanging around her?” Wang Xiaofeng knew he couldn’t beat Nie Yun, so although he was seething with hatred, he could only suppress it.

Nie Yun smiled and shook his head, saying, “Brother Wang, whether you believe it or not, I really only regard Miss Shui as an ordinary friend. I have never had any improper thoughts about her. If you don’t believe me, I swear to God.”

“Oh?” Wang Xiaofeng perked up immediately upon hearing this. “Is Sect Leader Nie serious?”

“Absolutely true!” Nie Yun’s eyes were full of sincerity. “In the martial arts world, everyone praises you two as a perfect couple. You two have been childhood sweethearts since you were little, studied martial arts together under Master Shui, and are cousins. Moreover, you are both handsome and of outstanding character. Your fate is truly a match made in heaven, and everyone envies you!”

Wang Xiaofeng felt smug, but he remained vigilant. He frowned and asked, “Why has Sect Leader Nie been spending so much time with my cousin these past few days?”

“Alas! Brother Wang, you don’t know this, I’m doing all this for you!”

Nie Yun shook his head, looking at him with a disappointed expression.

“Oh? What do you mean?” Wang Xiaofeng asked, looking puzzled.

At this moment, the waiter brought over the wine and dishes. Nie Yun waved him away, then poured himself a cup of wine, raised it to Wang Xiaofeng and said, “Brother Wang, let me toast you first.”

Seeing this, Wang Xiaofeng also picked up his cup and clinked it with Nie Yun’s.

After finishing the first cup, Nie Yun poured another one. “Brother Wang, this second cup is to apologize for our argument that day. In the heat of the moment, I actually attacked you, which was really too much.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaofeng looked somewhat embarrassed, but he still raised his glass and clinked it with Nie Yun’s, nodding and saying, “I was also a bit reckless that day and shouldn’t have acted so rashly.”

After two drinks, Wang Xiaofeng’s expression softened considerably.

Nie Yun said to Wang Xiaofeng, “Brother Zhu, these past few days, Miss Shui is still angry with you because of her father. And you are a straightforward person, so the two of you will start arguing after just a few words.”

Wang Xiaofeng nodded as he recalled his conversations with Shui Sheng over the past few days.

Nie Yun continued, “Relationships tend to fade with arguments. If this continues, even the best feelings will be destroyed. I’ve been spending a lot of time with you two these past few days trying to offer some advice, but I never expected that Brother Zhu would misunderstand. This is my fault, and I’ll punish myself with another drink.”

After saying that, he downed another mouthful of wine.

Seeing that Nie Yun could down three cups in a row without changing his expression, Wang Xiaofeng admired his generosity and nodded, saying, “Sect Leader Nie has a good capacity for alcohol.”

Nie Yun smiled and shook his head, continuing, “Brother Wang, think about it yourself. Since I met you and Miss Shui, have I ever been obsequious or fawning?”

Upon careful consideration, Wang Xiaofeng realized that Nie Yun was right. He had never shown any enthusiasm for Shui Sheng, but his cousin seemed to have a good impression of Nie Yun.

He looked at Nie Yun’s unbelievably handsome face and nodded dejectedly, saying, “Sect Leader Nie is indeed a gentleman.”

Nie Yun continued, “Although I am young, as the saying goes, ‘the one involved is confused, while the bystander sees clearly.’ So I have some humble opinions about your matter with Miss Shui, which may be able to lend you a hand and help you win Miss Shui’s heart as soon as possible.”

“Oh?” Wang Xiaofeng perked up immediately. “Sect Leader Nie, please speak.”

“Hehe…” Nie Yun’s eyes flashed with a sharp light, and a mysterious smile appeared on his lips.

******

“Cousin, this is jewelry I picked out especially for you. Do you like it?”

Shui Sheng looked at Wang Xiaofeng, her lips twitching involuntarily, and said, “It’s…it’s quite good-looking, thank you, cousin.”

Hearing Shui Sheng’s words, Wang Xiaofeng’s smile widened. He said with deep affection, “Cousin, I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have argued with you like that. Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s do it your way!”

Shui Sheng forced a somewhat stiff smile. “I was a bit willful before, cousin, please don’t take it to heart.”

“Hehe… It’s nothing, it’s nothing. I’ll go now, you go ahead and do your work.”

Seeing his cousin’s smiling face, Wang Xiaofeng secretly felt grateful for Nie Yun’s guidance.

“Okay, take care, cousin.” Looking at Wang Xiaofeng’s carefree strides, Shui Sheng sighed helplessly. She really wondered if her cousin had something wrong with his head.

“Miss Shui, this is a set of mourning ornaments that my son-in-law asked me to bring you. Please take a look and see if you like them.” Juyou walked over with a tray on which were various silver and white jade ornaments.

“I really like all of these. Thank you for making the trip, Miss Juyou. Please convey my thanks to Mr. Nie.”

Shui Sheng smiled and nodded to Ju You.

“You’re too kind, Miss Shui. We have to set off early tomorrow morning, so please get some rest.” Juyou put down her things and left.

Shui Sheng looked at the elegant yet exquisite jewelry on the tray, then turned to look at the gold necklace and ruby-encrusted headdress that Wang Xiaofeng had given her, and shook her head.

********************

Early the next morning, Nie Yun and his group arrived at the dock, boarded the passenger ship that had been prepared in advance, and headed down the river.

Ling Shuanghua stood on the deck, dressed in a white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), facing the wind, elegant and ethereal.

As she watched the city of Jiangling recede into the distance, she thought of her father and couldn’t help but shed tears.

Nie Yun embraced her from behind and said softly, “Shuanghua, don’t be sad. Your father-in-law, if he were alive, would surely want you to live a peaceful and happy life. He certainly wouldn’t want to see you looking so gloomy. If you keep crying all day, he would definitely come to me in my dreams at night and scold me, saying that I’m useless and can’t make you happy!”

Ling Shuanghua burst into laughter through her tears at Nie Yun’s words, and gently punched him, saying, “My father isn’t that fierce!”

“Yes, yes…” Nie Yun affectionately pinched her nose, “How could he be fierce if he could raise such a gentle and beautiful girl like you!”

He then gently kissed her forehead.

“Ah!” Ling Shuanghua’s heart fluttered at Nie Yun’s intimate gesture. She quickly pushed him away, her fair neck flushed with a blush, revealing her shyness. This made Juyou and Lanrui, who were standing next to her, cover their mouths and giggle.

Shui Sheng blushed and quickly ran into the cabin, thinking to herself, “How embarrassing! How could they… how could they kiss like that? It’s really… really…”

She couldn’t come to a conclusion for a long time, but secretly envied Ling Shuanghua for having such a gentle lover as Nie Yun.

Wang Xiaofeng wore a look of utter frustration. He thought to himself, “This Nie Yun is really something, he’s got this Miss Ling completely under his thumb. Although he has no feelings for my cousin, we’ve spent so much time together on this journey… though the water may be heartless, the flower may still have feelings! No, I have to think of a way to make my cousin fall for him completely as soon as possible!”

He turned to look at Shui Sheng’s slender back, and once again felt worried about the color of his hair…

With his back to the two, Nie Yun smugly hummed to himself, “Who sent you to my side?”