Chapter 54: A Morning’s Reckoning and a Reluctant Invitation

Lu Hongzhuang’s body visibly stiffened. Her grip on Su Qinghan’s arm tightened, and her pace quickened.

Soon, they arrived at the new guest room.

This room was considerably larger than the previous one, with two beds positioned on opposite sides, separated by a square Eight Immortals table. It was as distinct as the Chu River and Han Border, clearly delineating their spaces.

Lu Hongzhuang carefully placed Su Qinghan on the left bed, thoughtfully pulling the covers over her. Having done all this, she retreated swiftly as if fleeing, silently walking to her own bed on the right side and lying down fully clothed.

Watching her retreating back, a small figure in Su Qinghan’s mind put its hands on its hips and chuckled triumphantly.

‘Little one, you dare to contend with me? This Daoist has eaten more salt than you have rice! Let’s see if you’ll dare to act recklessly again!’

A profound silence descended upon the room. Only the occasional chirping of insects drifted in from outside the window.

Having been through such a tumultuous night, Su Qinghan was genuinely exhausted and soon felt the pull of sleep.

On the other bed, however, Lu Hongzhuang lay wide-eyed, utterly devoid of sleep. She lay on her side, facing the wall, her mind a chaotic jumble. The soft, astonishingly elastic sensation replayed itself again and again, both in her palm and in her mind. It was utterly persistent.

Her cheeks burned alarmingly in the darkness.

‘How could I have… how could I have done something like that…’

Stealthily, she turned her head, using the faint moonlight filtering through the window crack to gaze at the quiet silhouette on the opposite bed. Su Qinghan’s breathing was steady; she appeared to be fast asleep.

A daring thought, unbidden, sprang from the depths of Lu Hongzhuang’s heart.

‘Perhaps…’

‘Just go over and brush against her, gently rub…’

‘She’s asleep, so she wouldn’t notice, right?’

‘No!’

Lu Hongzhuang vehemently shook her head, casting that dreadful thought from her mind.

‘Little Hongzhuang! How can you harbor such shameless thoughts! You are a righteous heroine! A genius maiden of the Demon Exorcism Division! How could you… how could you harbor such sordid notions towards another woman, and a delicate young girl at that!’

She abruptly rolled over and tightly pulled the covers over her head.

‘Ahhh, stop thinking!’

‘Ugh~ Sleep!’

The next day, as dawn was just breaking, a polite knocking at the door broke the morning’s tranquility.

“Thump, thump-thump.”

“Excuse me, is the heroine Lu of the Demon Exorcism Division present?”

From outside the door came a respectful, slightly fawning male voice.

Lu Hongzhuang jolted awake and sat up in bed. She sported prominent dark circles under her eyes, clearly having slept poorly the entire night.

“Who is it?”

“Heroine Lu, I am the secretary from the Magistrate’s Manor. I have come specifically to pay my respects, by order of Magistrate Jia.”

The secretary’s voice drifted in from outside the door.

“Last night, thanks to the heroic intervention of you, Heroine, and the esteemed sirs of the Demon Exorcism Division, the villages near Moonfall Town were spared the calamity of slaughter. Magistrate Jia has prepared a humble banquet at ‘Moonfall Pavilion,’ the finest restaurant in town, and wishes to personally express his gratitude for your assistance this noon!”

‘A banquet?’

Lu Hongzhuang rubbed her throbbing temples. The weariness and guilt from last night had not yet dissipated, leaving her in no mood for any banquet. However, the other party was a local official, representing the imperial court, and she could not simply refuse to show face.

“Understood. I will be there on time,” she replied, raising her voice.

“Yes, yes, yes! Then I shall not disturb your rest, Heroine! At noon, I will respectfully await your arrival at Moonfall Pavilion!”

The footsteps outside the door faded away.

Lu Hongzhuang got out of bed, quickly washed up, and changed into a clean set of martial attire. She walked to the Eight Immortals table, poured herself a cup of cold tea, and drained it in one gulp, attempting to clear her head.

Turning her head, she saw that Su Qinghan was also awake, leaning against the headboard, quietly watching her with a hand propping her chin. The morning light filtered through the window lattice, casting a soft glow on her beautiful face. Her eyes, cool and clear, revealed no discernible emotion.

Their eyes met.

Lu Hongzhuang’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. Recalling the events of the previous night, her cheeks began to flush again, and she awkwardly averted her gaze.

“Um… the Magistrate wants to invite me to a meal,” she explained, grasping for something to say.

Su Qinghan merely uttered an ‘Oh,’ showing little reaction.

Observing her indifferent demeanor, Lu Hongzhuang felt a peculiar discomfort stir within her. Driven by an inexplicable impulse, she blurted out.

“Su Qinghan, you should come along too.”

The words had barely left her lips when she herself was taken aback.

‘Why did I want to invite her?’

‘Her legs are inconvenient; it would be troublesome for her to go out.’

Su Qinghan lifted her eyelids, yawned, and looked at her.

“I’m not going.”

The reply was swift and decisive.

“Why?” Lu Hongzhuang instinctively pressed.

“Oh dear~ For some reason, my head is throbbing terribly.” Su Qinghan extended a slender finger, gently pressing her temple. On her beautiful face, her brows were slightly furrowed, presenting a delicate, sickly appearance that would stir pity in anyone who saw her.

Lu Hongzhuang’s heart was once again sharply seized with concern.

‘Her head hurts?’

‘Oh, right! Last night! The door panel! It was the door panel I kicked flying, which landed squarely on her head!’

“Does it hurt badly? Let me see!”

Lu Hongzhuang darted over in a flash, completely disregarding any notions of intimate actions. Her hands directly cradled Su Qinghan’s head, and she leaned in to inspect it closely.

“Where? Is it here?”

Her fingers were somewhat cold, bearing the faint calluses from years of sword practice, as she gently pressed Su Qinghan’s temple.

Su Qinghan stiffened at her sudden closeness.

‘Whoa, whoa, whoa! I just said it casually; must you be so serious!’

“Hiss…” Before she could even speak, Lu Hongzhuang’s fingers had already begun to knead her temple.

‘That force…’

‘How to describe it? It felt as though she was trying to pry open my skull.’

“Feeling better now?” Lu Hongzhuang asked with a serious expression, her hands still moving, even adding a bit more force.

Su Qinghan’s face was practically turning green.

‘I feel like I’m seeing my great-grandmother waving at me!’

“Stop, stop, stop!” She quickly grabbed Lu Hongzhuang’s hand, which was still vigorously “massaging.” “If you rub any harder, my poor little head truly won’t be able to bear it!”

“Ah? Oh…” Only then did Lu Hongzhuang come to her senses. She promptly released her grip, standing awkwardly to the side, looking exactly like a child who had made a mistake.

Su Qinghan leaned against the headboard, taking a good while to recover and suppress the dizzying sensation from the aggressive rubbing. She cast a sidelong glance at Lu Hongzhuang and spoke languidly.

“Dealing with evil spirits is, after all, the Demon Exorcism Division’s duty. It’s perfectly reasonable for the villagers of Niujia Village to thank you and invite you to a banquet. But this Magistrate, who didn’t invite you earlier or later, chooses to suddenly host a banquet only after the dust has settled…”

She deliberately drew out her words, leaving a suspenseful pause.

Lu Hongzhuang stood rooted to the spot, watching Su Qinghan’s knowing expression, and a flash of insight struck her. She suddenly interrupted Su Qinghan, mimicking her demeanor by straightening her face, her voice also turning cool and detached.

“You mean to say, if the other party suddenly extends an invitation, they must have an ulterior motive, and one must be wary, right?”

Su Qinghan: “…”

The elaborate explanation she had prepared was abruptly stuck in her throat.

‘This idiot…’

Watching Lu Hongzhuang so earnestly mimic her, Su Qinghan suddenly found herself amused. She spread her hands. “I don’t have a good impression of you local officials. Each and every one of you is shrewd, calculating schemes louder than anyone else. This is likely a ‘Hongmen Banquet,’ where accepting favors leaves one indebted. I’m not going.”

“Please come, please come!”

Lu Hongzhuang’s attitude performed a complete U-turn. The aloof “heroine” from moments ago instantly reverted to that slightly naive simpleton. She took a few quick steps to the bedside, placed her hands on Su Qinghan’s shoulders, and gently shook her.

“Just come with me, as my companion, won’t you? You know I’m not good at handling these kinds of situations.”

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