You Are the Mute [Comprehensive Martial Arts] - Chapter 8

Only after Old Master Li had arrived and taken his seat did Chief Escort Wang speak up about inviting Miss Qiao downstairs.

So, in truth, Qiao Yiying wasn’t busy at all—she was simply putting on airs and unwilling to come down early. When Yuan Suiyun heard Chief Escort Wang’s words, he sneered inwardly. Just another woman full of herself—he’d met plenty of those.

He had thought a woman who had earned the title of Divine Calculator in the martial world would be smarter, but she seemed no different. Filled with contempt, Yuan Suiyun lost interest in the upcoming divination. If not for his father’s insistence that they come, he would have left long ago.

The young master of the Wang family, who had been sitting rather casually earlier, straightened his posture when he saw Chief Escort Wang go to invite her, as if preparing to meet someone important.

As for Old Master Li, he was still glaring at his sons.

Li Eldest and Li Xunhuan exchanged helpless glances, having no choice but to stand obediently behind their father, playing the role of perfectly dutiful sons.

Truth be told, Li Xunhuan felt somewhat wronged. He wasn’t the eldest brother, nor had he expressed disbelief in the mute Divine Calculator—that had been his elder brother. Why was he being lumped in and scolded too? Ah, his elder brother, having read all the classics, believed such matters should be avoided with reverence.

But he was different. He was fascinated by anything interesting and didn’t mind accompanying his father to see for himself. Unfortunately, his father had gotten angry over his elder brother’s words, and before Li Xunhuan could even speak, he’d been scolded along with him.

Li Xunhuan sighed inwardly. This truly was an undeserved misfortune—his elder brother would have to compensate him by letting him read that ancient text. Thinking this, he winked at his elder brother.

Li Eldest, well-acquainted with his younger brother’s nature, knew exactly what he wanted at a glance. Hmph. Pretend not to see it.

Old Master Li, holding his teacup, found a moment to shoot both brothers a stern look. They were in public—they ought to behave.

Li Eldest and Li Xunhuan immediately schooled their expressions and stood properly, the very picture of refined young gentlemen only a scholarly family could produce.

Back when his father and elder brother were still alive, Li Xunhuan hadn’t been so burdened by sorrow and had been rather mischievous. Qiao Yiying, descending the staircase from the second-floor landing, caught sight of this scene and felt a flicker of surprise.

“Miss Qiao.” Seeing her arrival, everyone rose to greet her.

Qiao Yiying merely nodded at them and took her seat with her usual composure.

In contrast, Chief Escort Wang, who followed behind her, was nearly trembling with excitement. The world truly respected capability. Even though Miss Qiao was the youngest present, even though Manor Lord Yuan carried great prestige, and even though Old Master Li held official rank, they all rose to greet her upon her arrival.

Chief Escort Wang stood silently behind Qiao Yiying, thinking that if Miss Qiao needed anything, she could call on him.

Qiao Yiying surveyed the seated guests, then lifted her hand and gestured between the three parties before pointing first to Old Master Li’s family. She couldn’t help glancing at Li Xunhuan, hoping that after she finished his divination, he wouldn’t be beaten half to death by his father and brother upon returning home.

Those present only knew that Qiao Yiying never spoke outside of divinations, but they couldn’t decipher what she meant by this either.

Chief Escort Wang coughed lightly twice. Seeing everyone’s attention turn to him, he suppressed his inner excitement with effort. “Miss Qiao means that since all three of you are guests, it wouldn’t be proper for her to choose who gets their divination first. So, she just made a random selection, and it’ll start with Master Li.”

Qiao Yiying gave him an approving glance. In truth, she simply found it troublesome and had used a childish “eeny meeny miny moe” method, not nearly as elegant as Chief Escort Wang made it sound. But if someone could phrase it nicely, that wasn’t bad either.

“I see,” Master Li said with a smile as he looked at Qiao Yiying. “In that case, I’ll trouble Miss Qiao to perform a divination for me.” He knew of Qiao Yiying’s reputation and was naturally aware of certain things about her—for instance, that she disliked being addressed as the Divine Calculator.

Qiao Yiying tapped her jade flute lightly on the table.

Chief Escort Wang interpreted, “Miss Qiao wishes to know what Master Li would like to have divined?”

Master Li glanced at Li Xunhuan and said, “This old man wishes to know whether my youngest son here can achieve the Top Scholar position?” This was his lifelong regret, and the shared regret of all three Li men.

Since ancient times, scholars have been proud, and someone as exceptionally talented as Master Li was no exception. Thus, when he took the imperial examinations in his youth, he considered the Top Scholar title already his—with his abilities, failing to achieve it would have been strange.

Yet, he ended up as the Third Scholar instead.

Had Master Li’s talents been inferior, he might have accepted it. But that wasn’t the case. The emperor, seeing that he was the most handsome among the top three candidates, insisted on giving him the Third Scholar title. Later, when Master Li read the essays of the actual Top Scholar and Second Scholar, he found them inferior to his own—a view even the Top Scholar and Second Scholar shared. How could he possibly be at peace with this?

Years later, when his eldest son grew up and took the examinations, Master Li thought surely the Top Scholar title would come to their family this time. Yet again, it was another Third Scholar, for exactly the same reason. Thus, Master Li could never let go of this grievance.

Nor could his two sons. Had they been less capable, they might have accepted it. But this not being the case, how could they possibly be content? Thus, even knowing divination might be unreliable, Master Li still wished to seek answers through the divinatory symbols.

Qiao Yiying sighed inwardly, thinking this must be the pride of academic prodigies. The Third Scholar was still the nation’s third highest honor, yet for the Li family of prodigies, it had become a complex. Probably only themselves could understand this—others might even consider them unreasonable. No wonder Master Li couldn’t forget this matter.

Unfortunately, things would not go as he hoped.

“Seven generations of scholars, three father-son Third Scholars,” Qiao Yiying said.

Master Li immediately turned pale. “Again… another Third Scholar?”

Li Xunhuan immediately grasped his father’s hand, using his internal energy to steady the older man’s pulse. “Father, don’t worry. Your son will surely work harder.”

“It won’t help,” Qiao Yiying looked at Li Xunhuan. “Unless you were less handsome, no matter how brilliant your essays, you’ll remain the Third Scholar. Though if Young Master Li’s literary talents were poorer and you didn’t make the top three, then you wouldn’t be the Third Scholar either.”

Li Xunhuan froze momentarily, then unconsciously touched his face with the hand he’d been controlling. So… it was all his face’s fault?

Old Master Li sighed deeply. Over the years, he had been somewhat melancholic, and this was precisely the reason. If it wasn’t based on talent, what use was his title of Third Scholar?

“But don’t worry, your family’s reputation of ‘seven scholars in one family, three Third Scholars among father and sons’ will soon disappear.” Qiao Yiying thought of Lin Shiyin and decided to strike hard while the iron was hot, lest after Old Master Li and his eldest son passed away, Li Xunhuan would drag Lin Shiyin into an endless abyss.

“What do you mean?” Old Master Li abruptly raised his head to look at Qiao Yiying. “Could it be that my grandson will become the Top Scholar?” If so, that wouldn’t be so bad.

“Grandson?” Qiao Yiying raised an eyebrow. “No, it’s that you and your eldest son will pass away early, leaving only your youngest son in the family. And this young Li, the Third Scholar, will give away your Li Estate to that man out of gratitude. Once it’s given away, the Li Estate will no longer be the Li Estate, and your scholarly family’s reputation will naturally fade over time. Oh, and by the way, he generously gave his cousin away to that man as well.”

When she said the last sentence, Qiao Yiying shot Li Xunhuan a glare. To be honest, Li Xunhuan was indeed a man of great personal charm, but for Lin Shiyin, meeting him was nothing short of a calamity.

If he wanted to repay a debt of gratitude with his own body, he should do it himself. Why push Lin Shiyin into it? She was a sheltered young lady from a noble family, with no family or means to protect herself. If she left the Li family, she would have no place to go. The one she could rely on, Li Xunhuan, was unreliable—what else could she do but marry Long Xiaoyun?

Long Xiaoyun was no good either, a lecherous and narrow-minded man who ruined Lin Shiyin’s life, but Li Xunhuan wasn’t much better. Thinking of them, Qiao Yiying couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“What?” Old Master Li stood up abruptly, shaking off Li Xunhuan’s hand. “Miss Qiao, are you serious?”

The eldest son of the Li family couldn’t believe it either. How could his younger brother be so despicable? The Li Estate was one thing, but how could he do that to Shiyin… She was their cousin!

Qiao Yiying continued, “You should know Li Xunhuan well. If his savior, driven by lust, claimed love at first sight and made a scene over it, wouldn’t he feel guilty? Wouldn’t he step aside?”

Old Master Li and his eldest son were rendered speechless on the spot.

Would he? Yes, he would. That was just Li Xunhuan’s nature. They had always thought him considerate, but now it seemed…

“If your cousin had no one to rely on but Li Xunhuan, and he openly or subtly implied he wasn’t the right match for her while praising his savior, wouldn’t she marry out of despair?” Qiao Yiying added.

Would she? Yes, she would. If Shiyin had no one to turn to and felt hopeless, she might indeed do so. Old Master Li and his eldest son glared at Li Xunhuan with a hint of fury.

Li Xunhuan took two steps back, his eyes filled with disbelief. That scoundrel… was himself?

Qiao Yiying delivered the final blow. “But don’t worry, your cousin didn’t suffer long—she died young.”