Chapter Forty-Two: News of Grandfather

Yesterday, after drinking, Qin Sheng woke up later than usual. By the time she got up, Song Qing'an and the others had already finished breakfast.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Qin Sheng opened the door and greeted Lu Shenchen, "Good morning."

"Hmph!" Lu Shenchen shot Qin Sheng a glare as she emerged, his face sullen. "The food's in the kitchen—heat it up yourself."

Qin Sheng straightened her hair, noticing that Lu Shenchen's dark circles nearly drooped to the corners of his mouth. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you stay up late last night?"

Lu Shenchen clenched his teeth, his face creased with grievance, and roared, "Do you know which brat drank all my treasured wine?"

Wine?

She vaguely recalled something—could it be the earthen jar she took from the kitchen cabinet last night?

"Where did you keep that wine?" Qin Sheng's voice betrayed her guilty conscience, as she wrinkled her nose.

Lu Shenchen balled his fists, speaking through clenched teeth, "Back cabinet in the kitchen! I hid it there specifically so Song Qing'an wouldn’t drink it all! Last night, when I went for a drink, not a single bottle was left."

"Ah? Is that so? Not even a drop?" Qin Sheng, hearing this, was even more certain that she had finished off his wine. If her memory served, there should still be one bottle left—perhaps?

Qin Sheng swallowed uncertainly, "Well..."

She was about to confess when Lu Shenchen shouted again, "Not only did someone finish the wine, they refilled all the bottles with water!"

Qin Sheng had intended to admit her guilt, but hearing about the bottles filled with water nearly made her burst into laughter. Meeting Lu Shenchen’s aggrieved gaze, she quickly suppressed it, not allowing even a sound to escape.

"This must be the work of Song Qing'an, that little rascal. Just wait till he gets back," Lu Shenchen growled, the fury in his eyes burning as though, if Song Qing'an were present, he would devour him.

Qin Sheng rubbed her nose in embarrassment, decisively letting Song Qing'an take the blame for this.

"Where did Song Qing'an go?" Qin Sheng, hearing that Song Qing'an had left early, asked out of curiosity.

"No idea. Probably drank my wine and ran off at dawn, feeling guilty!" The more Lu Shenchen thought about it, the angrier he became, casting a glance at the ceiling beam.

The master may have fled, but his servant had not.

Coincidentally, the vegetable patch in the backyard needed turning. Xunfeng, with his broad shoulders and sturdy waist, was perfect for farm work.

"I’ll go have breakfast," Qin Sheng pointed to the kitchen, quickly escaping this place of trouble.

"Xunfeng." A sly smile appeared in Lu Shenchen's eyes. Atop the roof, Xunfeng noticeably shivered.

Lu Shenchen’s summons could hardly mean anything good.

"Your master drank my wine. You’ll have to compensate me somehow," Lu Shenchen called out.

On the roof, Xunfeng recalled the scene of Qin Sheng drinking last night, then remembered his master followed suit. He sighed, leapt gracefully from the roof, and landed steadily.

"Good, get to work," Lu Shenchen tossed a soil-turning tool to Xunfeng and pointed at the backyard, "The vegetable patch needs turning—help me out."

Without a word, Xunfeng took the tool and strode directly to the vegetable garden.

Seeing Xunfeng labor diligently, Lu Shenchen chuckled and shook his head, turning to pour himself a cup of tea.

The refreshing aroma wafted into Lu Shenchen’s nose, brightening his mood. Having someone else do the work while he enjoyed his tea was indeed pleasant.

Qin Sheng finished breakfast simply, intending to stroll in the backyard to aid digestion.

She soon spotted Xunfeng working earnestly, turning the soil. Having lived here for nearly a week, she knew Lu Shenchen often called on Xunfeng for chores, but Xunfeng usually acted deaf atop the roof unless Song Qing'an gave the order.

Today, with Song Qing'an absent, Xunfeng was undoubtedly working at Lu Shenchen's behest.

Qin Sheng moved quietly behind Xunfeng, but before she could reach him, his soil-turning tool suddenly blocked her path. She dodged sideways, instinctively clenched her fist, and aimed for Xunfeng's vital point.

Xunfeng realized he was sparring with Qin Sheng and intended to withdraw his attack, but she seemed to have no intention of stopping.

He stepped back to evade, tossing the tool aside. At once, the two were locked in combat, every move sharp and swift, neither willing to yield, their fight expanding across the garden.

Perhaps it had been too long since either had faced a worthy opponent, for their interest only grew, their attacks fiercer than before.

After days of guidance from Song Qing'an and Xunfeng, Qin Sheng's skills had improved greatly. Coupled with her own increasing strength, she was now evenly matched with Xunfeng.

At times, her moves even caught him off guard.

The commotion outside drew Lu Shenchen over. Seeing the intensity of their bout, his heart clenched—thankfully, he arrived before they damaged his vegetables.

"Stop it, Qin Sheng, your back injury isn't fully healed..."

"Xunfeng, sparring without permission—if your master finds out, you'll be punished..."

Clearly, the two were so engrossed in their contest that Lu Shenchen's words had no effect; their blows grew even more ferocious.

Xunfeng was a true martial fanatic, and Qin Sheng was equally stubborn—when these two clashed, only a fight to the finish would suffice.

"If you keep fighting, neither of you will get dinner!" Lu Shenchen roared. Instantly, the pair broke apart, standing obediently before him.

For a moment, Lu Shenchen wondered if they had even been fighting, but their irregular breathing betrayed the exertion.

"If you ruin my vegetables, neither of you will have dinner tonight," Lu Shenchen warned, lips pursed.

Qin Sheng flexed her aching wrist and swallowed, saying nothing.

After all, even if she went without dinner, she still had plenty of food stored in her space.

But that would be rather unfair.

"Xunfeng, get back to turning the soil. Qin Sheng, come with me," Lu Shenchen sipped his tea and headed inside.

Qin Sheng glanced at Xunfeng, puffed her cheeks, and followed Lu Shenchen.

He led her upstairs to the second floor of the Carefree Shop—a place Qin Sheng had yet to visit. Upon entering, she felt a strong aura of mystery; the room was shrouded in darkness, prompting her to inhale unconsciously.

The next moment, Lu Shenchen turned on the light.

Qin Sheng: "..."

"No need to be nervous. This floor holds all my private treasures."

Lu Shenchen almost mentioned that her Tang blade had come from here, but recalling the white jade bracelet Song Qing'an gave him, he decided to keep silent.

"I didn't bring you here for anything in particular—just need some of my porcelain cleaned and protected," Lu Shenchen said, a bit sheepishly, though he was already hauling out the porcelain without a hint of embarrassment.

Qin Sheng, with nothing else to do, agreed to help him.

"I’ll leave it to you, then. I’m going to check on my vegetables."

With that, Lu Shenchen departed, leaving Qin Sheng alone.

She took a cloth and began wiping the dust from the porcelain. Before long, her attention was drawn to the objects in the room.

This truly was Lu Shenchen’s trove; even though Qin Sheng didn’t recognize the porcelain, she could tell they were extraordinary. Wandering about, she came to the bookshelf.

Unable to resist, she picked up a book and flipped through a couple pages—it turned out to be a medical text. These she had read since childhood, so her interest quickly waned. As she put it back, she caught sight of the author’s name.

Qin Zhongming.

Her hands trembled as she picked the book up again.

The signature was indeed her grandfather’s, and it bore his handwritten inscription—one she had known intimately since childhood. This was her grandfather’s book!

Qin Sheng flipped through it again, and the more she read, the more unsettled she became. She was certain she had never seen this book before; she knew all her grandfather’s works by heart, and this one was not among them.

Could Lu Shenchen know her grandfather’s whereabouts?

With this suspicion, Qin Sheng grabbed the book and ran outside to find Lu Shenchen.

"Xunfeng, turn the soil over there..." Lu Shenchen was directing Xunfeng when Qin Sheng arrived in a gust of wind.

Lu Shenchen glanced at the book in her hand, puzzled. "What’s wrong? Weren’t you cleaning the porcelain?"

Qin Sheng steadied herself and handed him the book. Lu Shenchen looked at it, unsure of her intention.

"This book’s author is my grandfather," Qin Sheng explained. "He’s been missing for a long time, and I know all his books by heart."

Lu Shenchen raised an eyebrow, looking at Qin Zhongming’s signature. A shadow flickered in his eyes, quickly vanishing as he smiled and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Qin Sheng exhaled, "Sorry for looking through your books. This one was written by my grandfather, but I’ve never seen it, which means he’s not missing after all."

She paused for a long time, almost pleading as she continued, "If you know anything about my grandfather, please tell me, won’t you? I’ve been searching for so long."

From her previous life to now, she had finally found a clue about her grandfather.

Qin Sheng hung her head, unable to pull herself out of her sorrow, her radiance gone and the atmosphere heavy.

Lu Shenchen sighed softly, "I only acquired it—I’m sorry, I don’t have the information you need."

Qin Sheng nodded, turning back inside, her figure desolate, leaving Lu Shenchen with an unexpected pang of compassion.

Grandfather, I’ve found your trail at last, but it seems I am too late.