The sound of clattering tiles filled the air.
At Peach Blossom Ridge, it was the sound of mahjong.
…
After a lavish lunch at home, featuring various seasonings and cooking techniques, Zhu Yushan and Li Hanyu nearly swallowed their tongues in delight.
In the afternoon, Lu Zheng arranged for his new carriage to take the couple to Peach Blossom Ridge. Only then did Zhu Yushan learn that Lu Zheng had a Peach Blossom Fairy as a mistress.
No wonder he had no time for official duties…
Zhu Yushan shook his head, feeling he had uncovered the truth.
Li Hanyu, however, was unbothered and quickly became engrossed in mahjong, playing joyfully with Shen Ying, Liu Qingyan, and Xiao Cui.
Lu Zheng did not play the zither to entertain today, as he could not neglect his guests. Instead, he invited Zhu Yushan to play chess, setting up a board with black and white pieces for two games.
After two matches, Zhu Yushan felt their skills were evenly matched. The mid-game was intense, but he lost by a mere two pieces each time due to careless moves.
Tired of chess, they sipped tea and stood behind their wives, watching the mahjong game.
“This mahjong game you invented, Brother Lu… it’s quite intriguing!” Zhu Yushan remarked. “I rarely see my wife so engrossed in a game.”
“Fa Cai!”
“Pong!”
“Nine Wan!”
“Haha, I win!” Li Hanyu happily revealed her remaining seven tiles, a winning hand of six and nine wan.
Collecting three copper coins, Li Hanyu gleefully pushed the tiles. “Keep going!”
“Sister Li, if you’re free, come play anytime,” Shen Ying said with a smile.
Li Hanyu glanced back at Zhu Yushan, her eyes twinkling, making him uneasy. “Since Brother Lu and I are friends, it’s only natural for you ladies to visit often.”
“Hee hee!” Li Hanyu turned back, stacking the tiles into a wall.
Zhu Yushan blinked, sensing an ominous feeling.
“Don’t worry,” Lu Zheng said as they stepped into the courtyard to admire the peach blossoms. “Your wife is a cultivator with far greater self-control than mortals. It’s just her first time playing, so she’s excited. She’ll settle down.”
Zhu Yushan nodded. “True. No one is perfect; we must reflect daily.”
A hum sounded as three strands of luck energy were absorbed.
Lu Zheng, satisfied, silently commanded, “Jade Seal, enhance!”
Feeling a significant boost in his internal energy, Lu Zheng asked, “Brother Zhu, have you started cultivating?”
Zhu Yushan nodded. “My father-in-law guided me to practice the *Water Moon Cycle Internal Refinement Method*, cultivating the three treasures for longevity. I spend most of my time studying, so I’ve practiced little, but recently I’ve developed a slight sense of qi.”
As he spoke, Zhu Yushan raised his hand, a cool aura cycling around it, shimmering with soft light.
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. It had only been two or three months since Zhu’s marriage, hadn’t it?
Good thing I’m a cheat too!
“Hm,” Lu Zheng nodded. “You should work harder, Brother Zhu. With successful cultivation, your spirit will thrive, giving you the energy to serve the people and help them.”
Zhu Yushan pondered, then nodded. “You’re right, Brother Lu. I was mistaken before. I should focus more on cultivation.”
A hum sounded as two strands of luck energy were absorbed.
Lu Zheng smacked his lips, glancing at Zhu Yushan with a strange look.
“Brother Lu?” Zhu Yushan checked his clothes, which were neat, then touched his face. “Is something on my face?”
“No,” Lu Zheng shook his head. “I just admire your integrity and openness to advice.”
“It’s only natural,” Zhu Yushan said. “As the saying goes, among three people, there’s always a teacher. We should follow what’s good. Isn’t that what we scholars should do?”
“Indeed,” Lu Zheng nodded, forming a theory.
Zhu Yushan’s opportunity had arrived, likely through his marriage to the Lushui River God Mansion. His natural talent in cultivation meant his luck was abundant, with a strong foundation.
Lu Zheng’s few words had siphoned off some of that luck, as Zhu’s current fortune stemmed from this opportunity, not yet fully integrated with his own growing knowledge and insights.
By guiding him to grow faster, Lu Zheng triggered new luck bestowed by the heavens, which his Jade Seal then absorbed.
Though each gain was small, every bit counted. A few more times would add up.
How much more could Zhu grow?
Lu Zheng glanced back at the house, thinking, *You’re a cultivated daughter of the River God Mansion, yet you’re obsessed with mahjong and don’t shift any luck?*
…
In the mid-afternoon, the women stopped playing and strolled out of Peach Blossom Villa to admire the peach blossom forest in the sunset’s glow.
“It’s like a red sea in the mountains, with fiery clouds on the ground. So beautiful,” Li Hanyu said.
“In a few months, the peach trees will bear fruit. Come back then, Sister Li,” Shen Ying said with a smile.
“I’ll definitely visit again,” Li Hanyu laughed.
After a simple meal at Peach Blossom Villa, they bid farewell to Shen Ying and took the carriage back to Tonglin County. However, Zhu Yushan and his wife did not enter the city. They said goodbye to Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan, disappearing into the night along the official road.
“I’d never have guessed that Master Zhu has taken exams for twelve years and never once entered the exam hall!” Liu Qingyan said.
“He should be fine this year. With the provincial exam in May and the autumn exam in October, he might be a Juren by next year,” Lu Zheng said. “What path he takes after that depends on him.”
“From the River God Mansion’s push for him to study and take exams, it seems his marriage is just a formality,” Liu Qingyan noted.
“True. I wonder what the Lushui River God is thinking,” Lu Zheng said, shaking his head, deciding not to dwell on it.
…
The next day, Liu Qingyan helped Lu Zheng get ready, then went straight from the Lu household to Renxin Hall.
Lu Zheng tidied up, left the city, and headed into the forest toward the stalactite spring in the northeast.
Since discovering the spring, he visited almost monthly, sometimes more often during rain.
This time, he’d been delayed by other matters and hadn’t gone in a while. If he didn’t fetch some soon, the spirit horse would run out.
As usual, Lu Zheng moved through the forest, arriving quietly at the small valley by the stream. He approached the cliff wall, took out a few mineral water bottles, and began collecting the water.
It had been a while since his last visit, and with no recent rain, the trickling flow from the cliff was intermittent. Lu Zheng climbed two zhang up the wall to a crevice and filled another bottle.
“Hm, maybe this is enough?” Lu Zheng looked at the two bottles. “It should do for now. I’ll come back when it rains.”
As he prepared to slide down the cliff, a voice reached his ears. “Young friend, the cave’s spring is plentiful. Come inside and fill up before you go.”
