You Are the Mute [Comprehensive Martial Arts] - Chapter 8
After Master Li arrived and took his seat, Chief Escort Wang finally instructed someone to fetch Miss Qiao.
In truth, Qiao Yiying wasn’t busy at all; she was simply maintaining her dignity by refusing to appear too early. Yuan Suiyun scoffed inwardly at Chief Escort Wang’s words. Just another woman obsessed with her status, he thought. He’d encountered countless such types.
He had expected a woman renowned as a Divine Calculator in Jianghu to be more intelligent, but she turned out to be no different from the rest. Disappointed, Yuan Suiyun lost interest in the upcoming divination. If his father hadn’t insisted on attending, he would have left long ago.
The young master of the Wang Family, who had been lounging casually, straightened up as Chief Escort Wang went to fetch Miss Qiao, as if preparing to meet someone of great importance.
Meanwhile, Master Li continued to glare at his sons.
Li Laoda and Li Xunhuan exchanged glances and obediently stood behind their father, acting the part of perfect, well-behaved sons.
Li Xunhuan felt a twinge of injustice. He wasn’t the eldest brother, and he hadn’t been the one to doubt the Dumb Divine Calculator. That was his brother’s doing. Why was he being punished too? Sigh. His eldest brother, having devoured all the classics, believed such matters should be treated with reverence and kept at arm’s length.
But Li Xunhuan was different. He found any intriguing matter fascinating and had no qualms about accompanying their father to investigate. Unfortunately, their father had grown angry at the eldest brother’s words and, before Li Xunhuan could even speak, had scolded him along with his brother.
Li Xunhuan sighed inwardly. This was truly an undeserved misfortune. His eldest brother absolutely owed him a look at that ancient text as compensation. With this thought, Li Xunhuan winked at his brother.
Li Laoda, well-acquainted with his younger brother’s nature, immediately understood what he wanted. Heh, I’ll just pretend I didn’t see that.
Master Li, holding his teacup, shot a sidelong glance at his sons. We’re in public now. Behave yourselves.
Li Laoda and Li Xunhuan instantly composed themselves, standing obediently with all traces of emotion erased. They looked every bit the refined young gentlemen cultivated by a scholarly family.
When his father and elder brother were still alive, Li Xunhuan hadn’t been so bitter and vengeful; he had even seemed rather playful. Qiao Yiying, descending the spiral staircase from the second floor, witnessed this scene and was mildly surprised.
“Miss Qiao,” the group rose to greet her as she approached.
Qiao Yiying merely nodded in acknowledgment, maintaining her usual composure as she walked to her seat.
In contrast, Chief Escort Wang, who followed closely behind her, was visibly excited. This world truly valued ability, he thought. Despite Miss Qiao being the youngest person present, despite the Former Manor Lord’s prestige, and despite Master Li’s official rank, all had risen to greet her.
Chief Escort Wang stood silently behind Qiao Yiying, resolving to offer his services should she require them.
Qiao Yiying glanced at the seated men, her lips curving into a slight smile. She extended her hand, gesturing between the three parties before pointing first at Master Li’s side. She couldn’t help but glance at Li Xunhuan, hoping that after his fortune was told, he wouldn’t be beaten half to death by his father and brother upon returning home.
The assembled guests knew Qiao Yiying never spoke outside the context of fortune-telling, but they couldn’t decipher the meaning behind her gesture.
Chief Escort Wang cleared his throat twice, drawing everyone’s attention. He struggled to suppress his inner excitement as he explained, “Miss Qiao means that since all three of you are guests, it wouldn’t be fair to prioritize one over the others. So she just randomly selected Master Li to go first.”
Qiao Yiying glanced at him with an approving look. In truth, she had simply found it troublesome and had randomly tapped her Jade Flute on the table, like a child picking a number. It wasn’t nearly as noble as Chief Escort Wang made it sound. Still, if someone wanted to embellish the truth, she wouldn’t object.
“I see,” Master Li said with a smile, turning to Qiao Yiying. “In that case, I entrust my fortune to you, Miss Qiao.” He knew of her reputation and some of her quirks, such as her dislike of being called “Divine Calculator Qiao.”
Qiao Yiying tapped the Jade Flute lightly on the table.
Chief Escort Wang translated, “Miss Qiao wishes to know what Master Li would like to inquire about.”
Master Li glanced at Li Xunhuan before replying, “I wish to know if my youngest son will attain the Zhuangyuan title.” This was his lifelong obsession, a shared anxiety among the three generations of Li men.
Since ancient times, scholars have been proud, and Master Li, with his extraordinary talent, was no exception. During his early imperial examinations, he considered the Zhuangyuan title a foregone conclusion. With his exceptional abilities, it would have been strange if he hadn’t achieved it.
Yet, he ended up as the Tanhua.
If Master Li’s talent had been inferior to others, he might have accepted it. But that wasn’t the case. The emperor, impressed by his handsome appearance among the three First Class candidates, had arbitrarily awarded him the Tanhua title. Later, after reviewing the essays of the Zhuangyuan and Bangyan, Master Li found them far inferior to his own. Even the Zhuangyuan and Bangyan themselves acknowledged this. How could he possibly find peace with such an injustice?
When his eldest son grew up and took the imperial examinations, Master Li thought, “Surely the Zhuangyuan will finally belong to our family this time!” But the result was the same: another Tanhua, for the exact same reason as before. This made it impossible for Master Li to let go of his resentment.
Not only Master Li, but both of his sons shared this unresolved bitterness. If they had been outmatched in skill, they would have accepted it. But that wasn’t the case. How could they possibly reconcile themselves to such unfairness? Thus, despite knowing the unreliability of fortune-telling, Master Li still sought a divination.
Qiao Yiying sighed inwardly, thinking this must be the arrogance of academic prodigies. The Tanhua was still the third-highest scorer in the entire nation, but for the Li Family, a lineage of academic gods, it remained a source of deep-seated resentment. Perhaps only they could truly understand this, while others might dismiss it as mere vanity. No wonder Master Li couldn’t let go of the past.
Unfortunately, things wouldn’t go as he wished.
“Seven Jinshi scholars from one family, three generations of Tanhua,” Qiao Yiying declared.
Master Li’s face immediately paled. “Another… another Tanhua?”
Li Xunhuan grasped his father’s hand, channeling his Inner Strength to regulate Master Li’s heart rhythm. “Father, don’t worry. Your son will strive even harder.”
“It’s futile,” Qiao Yiying said, her gaze fixed on Li Xunhuan. “Unless you were born with more ordinary looks, no matter how brilliant your literary talent, you’ll always be the Tanhua. Conversely, if your talent were lacking, you wouldn’t even qualify for the First Class, let alone the Tanhua.”
Li Xunhuan froze momentarily, then instinctively touched his face with the hand he used to control his emotions. So, his looks were to blame?
Li Laoda sighed deeply. His melancholy in recent years stemmed precisely from this. What use was his Tanhua title if it wasn’t earned through merit?
“But don’t worry,” Qiao Yiying said, “your family’s reputation as ‘seven Jinshi scholars from one family, three Tanhua among father and sons’ will soon fade.” Thinking of Lin Shiyin, she decided to strike hard now to prevent Li Xunhuan from dragging her into an endless abyss after Master Li and Li Laoda were gone.
“What do you mean?” Master Li snapped his head up to glare at Qiao Yiying. “Could my grandson become the Zhuangyuan?” If so, that wouldn’t be so bad.
“Grandson?” Qiao Yiying raised an eyebrow. “No. You and your eldest son will die prematurely, leaving only your youngest son. This Young Li, the Tanhua, will give away Li Garden to repay a debt of gratitude. Once it’s gone, Li Garden will no longer be Li Garden, and your family’s scholarly reputation will gradually vanish. Oh, and he generously gave his cousin to that person as well.”
As she spoke the last sentence, Qiao Yiying rolled her eyes at Li Xunhuan. To be honest, Li Xunhuan was undeniably charismatic, but for Lin Shiyin, meeting him was nothing short of disastrous.
If he wanted to repay his debt with his own body, he should go himself. Why push Lin Shiyin into it? She was a sheltered noblewoman, without family or the means to protect herself. If she left the Li Family, she would have nowhere to go. Even Li Xunhuan, the man she could rely on, was unreliable. What choice did she have but to marry Long Xiaoyun?
Long Xiaoyun was no saint—lustful, narrow-minded, and the ruin of Lin Shiyin’s life. But Li Xunhuan was no better. Just thinking about them made Qiao Yiying want to roll her eyes.
“What?” Master Li shot to his feet, shaking off Li Xunhuan’s hand. “Miss Qiao, is this true?”
Li Laoda was equally incredulous. How could his younger brother be so reckless? Losing Li Garden was one thing, but to involve Shiyin… she was their cousin!
Qiao Yiying continued, “You know Li Xunhuan well. If his savior, driven by lust, claimed love at first sight and threatened to die for it, wouldn’t he feel guilty? Wouldn’t he yield again?”
Master Li and Li Laoda fell silent.
Would he? Yes, he would. Li Xunhuan was just that kind of person. They had always thought him considerate, but now…
“If your cousin had no one but Li Xunhuan to rely on, and he openly and subtly hinted that he wasn’t a suitable match while praising her savior to the skies, wouldn’t she give up and marry someone else?” Qiao Yiying pressed.
Would she? Yes, she would. If Shiyin lost all hope and had no one to turn to, she might very well do that. Master Li and Li Laoda glared at Li Xunhuan with a hint of malice.
Li Xunhuan stumbled back two steps, his eyes wide with disbelief. That beast… was that him?
Qiao Yiying delivered the final blow. “But don’t worry. Your cousin didn’t suffer for long. She died young.”