Chapter 59: The Moment to Witness a Miracle

At this moment, Fang Xu was unspeakably embarrassed—why, you ask? Naturally, it was because Old Wu and the others were watching him with meaningful glances, their lips curled in barely concealed amusement. The way they looked at him sent a chill down Fang Xu’s spine; he felt as though he were a delicate maiden suddenly exposed before a group of burly men—this was awkwardness of a most excruciating kind.

“Ahem! What are you all staring at? Old Wu! You speak!” Fang Xu coughed twice, trying to appear composed as he fixed his gaze on Old Wu.

“Eh? Young Master, you’re asking me? I know nothing at all, isn’t that right?” Old Wu feigned ignorance, glancing back at the others with a smile.

Hearing Old Wu’s words, everyone behind him nodded knowingly, their expressions complicit.

“If there’s nothing going on, then what are you standing around for?” Fang Xu shot Old Wu a glare. He didn’t believe for a second that Old Wu and the others were really clueless. Still, there was little he could do—things were already awkward enough. If he confronted them directly, he’d only make it worse for himself, so he could only pretend not to notice.

With that in mind, Fang Xu decided to leave the courtyard. Yet he had barely taken two steps when he heard Old Wu lower his voice behind him, his tone carrying a hint of mischief.

“Our young master is truly impressive—he won’t even spare a little Daoist acolyte!” Old Wu’s eyes darted to Fang Xu’s retreating back, his gaze full of admiration.

“Indeed! As soon as we heard the news this morning, we went straight to you, Old Wu—pretty loyal of us, wouldn’t you say?” chimed in one of the guards Old Wu had dispatched earlier to protect Fang Xu. In fact, it was these very guards who had gathered everyone here.

“Still, who would have thought our young master’s tastes would be so… unique?” Old Wu mused aloud. At these words, Fang Xu twisted his ankle, nearly tumbling to the ground.

“Goodness, young master! Please be careful!” Old Wu rushed forward to help Fang Xu up, brushing the dust from his clothes. Fang Xu glared at him as though he might devour him whole.

“Young master… young master… what are you planning to do?” Old Wu, noticing Fang Xu’s look, clutched his flying fish robes closer around himself and eyed Fang Xu warily. By now, Old Wu was half convinced Fang Xu truly had some peculiar predilection, and if the young master really intended to force him… Well, as the saying goes, ‘When the ruler commands his subject to die, the subject can only obey.’ Fang Xu was his lord; he was the subject. If the young master truly set his mind to something, there was nothing Old Wu could do to resist.

“Heh! What am I planning? That’s none of your concern! Just follow me!” Fang Xu said through clenched teeth, fully aware of Old Wu’s hesitance. Given Old Wu’s earlier remarks, Fang Xu guessed Old Wu was starting to doubt his preferences, which made him all the more eager to teach Old Wu a lesson.

In the end, Old Wu was dragged off by Fang Xu, protesting loudly. The remaining guards hung their heads, silently mourning for Old Wu, though the corners of their mouths twitched upward in barely suppressed mirth.

“Do you think Old Wu will find himself in a blossoming romance?” one guard asked, half in concern for Old Wu’s well-being.

“Who knows? Care to place a bet? Odds are two to one he ends up in a romantic entanglement, even odds he emerges unscathed!” Another guard pulled out a portable gaming table, looking around with a sly grin.

“How do we bet? If Old Wu finds out, you’ll be in for it!” some of the more experienced guards laughed, recognizing the instigator.

“Heh, so will you bet or not?” the guard with the gaming table challenged, glancing dismissively at the others.

“Why not? I’ll put down a tael of silver on Old Wu finding romance!” Those who had just been scolding the instigator now hurried to place their bets. If Old Wu found out, who knows if he’d be comforted or simply left with a tangled mess of emotions?

The sound of betting outside the room made Qiu Chuji, sitting within, pause in surprise. He’d never expected such a commotion. In the end, Qiu Chuji couldn’t help but clear his throat. At the sound, the guards outside immediately grew alert and slipped away quietly, not daring to linger. After all, none of them could be sure what exactly was going on between Qiu Chuji and Fang Xu. If their suspicions were correct, Qiu Chuji was not someone they could afford to offend.

With the guards gone, the courtyard returned to its former tranquility.

Inside, Qiu Chuji sat on the bed clutching the quilt, a faint blush creeping across his face, unable to suppress his embarrassment. Now, he finally understood what Fang Xu’s earlier actions had meant. Thinking of this, Qiu Chuji couldn’t help but reach out with a slender finger to lightly touch the curve of his own hip.

“That scoundrel! Am I really so lacking in femininity?” Qiu Chuji’s feelings were in tumult. On the one hand, he did not wish for Fang Xu to discover his true gender, yet on the other, he found himself harboring a vague sense of anticipation. These conflicting emotions left Qiu Chuji deeply conflicted.

Of course, Fang Xu was oblivious to all this. At that moment, he was leading Old Wu toward the main hall of the Quanzhen Temple, the place responsible for incense offerings.

“Is everything ready?” Fang Xu asked, all traces of his earlier levity and embarrassment gone, replaced by an air of gravity.

“Yes, young master! All is prepared!” Old Wu replied, his own demeanor becoming solemn. For reasons he couldn’t explain, Old Wu felt even more cautious before Fang Xu than he ever had with General Meng Tian.

Fang Xu’s presence unsettled him in ways he couldn’t understand—perhaps this was the aura of true authority.

“Good. If all is ready, then it’s time to witness a miracle.” Fang Xu’s lips curled into a faint smile. Old Wu, however, was left bewildered, unable to comprehend why Fang Xu had set his men to such mysterious tasks.