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*Tiger bench is a torture method in which the victim sits with legs extended horizontally along a bench, upper legs held down with straps while bricks are inserted under the feet, forcing the knee joint to bend in reverse.
A clear mist surrounded the peak, and birds chirped melodiously.
In the carved window under the eaves, a small golden figure stood on a raised wooden box in front of the desk, holding a pen and writing ink.
Beside her, a tall maid sighed silently. "Ah--- Sister Jiujiu, I suggest you don't write this love letter. You have never touched pen and ink since childhood. Your posture while holding the pen is wrong, and you have already ruined more than twenty letters..."
Yun Jiujiu bristled with dissatisfaction as she looked at the crumpled paper balls that she had thrown all over the floor. "What do you know! Don't you understand anything? This is my heartfelt intention! When my brother Yu receives it, he will definitely be happy."
The maid took another look at Yun Jiujiu's red love note that looked as if it was dripping blood and whispered, "But this looks like a murderous intent... as if you want to dismember Master Feng and eat him..."
"..."
Yun Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, then turned around and re-read the love note again, which she felt quite satisfied with.
---"I like your heart, I like your guts, I like your liver, I like your face, I like all of you. I want to marry you and make a lifelong vow with you. Let's be together forever, okay ❤~❤~❤~"
"I think it's pretty good."
"Well... Sister Jiujiu, as long as you are happy." The maid seemed to have given up persuading her, shook her head, and sighed. "Well written."
"Then, that's it. Help me find a beautiful envelope to put it in, and then get the chicken-killing knife made of jade from the warehouse, tie it with a red ribbon, and I'll give it to him later."
?
"Huh? A chicken-killing knife?"
"Yes, Brother Yu likes to eat roasted chicken. Wouldn't it be nice to give him a chicken-killing knife? I remember there was one..."
"Sister Jiujiu, as long as you're happy. Alright -- I will go fetch it for you."
... ...
At the same time, on top of a pavilion in the Cloud Wine Mansion.
Dressed in a scholar's robe, Feng Yu Die was lying on the tile roof with her feet up and a blade of grass she picked from the nearby haystack hanging from her mouth.
Her silver hair shone brightly in the morning sun.
Being at the Moon Shadow Sword Sect for so long, it was always either snowing or drizzling. This rare good weather should make her feel comfortable, but Feng Yu Die was frowning at the moment.
Not being able to see Sister Pei was one reason for her furrowed brows, and another reason was that she was now recalling the scene from a few days ago when Ye Anping carried her princess-style while sneaking into enemy territory.
In her memory, in her seventeen years of life, this was the first time that she had been held like that by a man.
If she were to evaluate that feeling...
---It was nice.
At least, it was not as bad as her master used to tell her.
Feng Yu Die clearly remembered that her master told her when she was a child that a man's chest was as hard as a steel plate, and being held was very uncomfortable as if sitting on a tiger bench*.
She couldn't picture the description of her master at all, and because she was very curious as a child, she wanted to find a man to hug her and see what it was like.
So, Master Taixu bought a tiger bench and let her sit on it all afternoon, which left a very deep impression on her.
Since then, hugging a man had become almost synonymous with sitting on the tiger bench in her mind.
However...
When Ye Anping hugged her the other day, she didn't feel the same way as sitting on the tiger bench.
Compared with what she felt when she was held by her master before, Ye Anping's arms were more stable, and there were no two mounds of flesh pushing against her sides.
---Did Master lie to her back then?
Master Taixu was the most important person in Feng Yu Die's life. She raised her since she was a child, and was both father and mother to her.
She would never doubt her master, no matter what.
But now, she had some doubts...
"Xiao Tian, Xiao Tian~"
"What now?" Holding a small hammer and chisel, Xiao Tian poked out half of her body from inside her head and asked. Subconsciously, she thought that she had encountered some bandits again. She looked around and said, "There's no one nearby? What do you want? I told you before that I'm busy during this period. Don't call me unless it's urgent."
"..."
Feng Yu Die was silent for a moment. Xiao Tian had indeed been coming out very seldom lately. In the past, even when it was time to sleep, she would come out and sleep on Yu Die's belly.
"I never asked, what on earth have you been doing these days?"
"I'm helping you arrange your meridians, don't worry about it... it's good for you anyway."
Feng Yu Die frowned slightly as she looked at the small stone chisel in her hand. "With this?"
"Yep." Xiao Tian smiled. "Actually, you can ask Young Master Ye to help you. It's similar to his physiotherapy technique, and he is probably more proficient. How about you ask him one day?"
"Some other time." Feng Yu Die pursed her mouth, then asked, "Say, Xiao Tian, could Young Master Ye be a girl disguised as a man?"
?
Xiao Tian tilted her head, not understanding Feng Yu Die's brain circuit. "Huh?"
"Well... He doesn't smell like a man at all. He actually smells pretty good. Although Sister Pei smells even better."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tian suddenly smiled like a cat who ate the canary and squinted her eyes.
"Yu Die, that kid, Ye, is not disguised as a man from what I've seen." She placed the chisel back into Feng Yu Die's mind before floating out and raising her index finger. "This situation shows that you are attracted to him. Do you understand?"
"Attracted?"
"Yes, attracted! In other words, Yu Die, although you may not realize it yet, your heart has already subtly fallen in love with him. Yu Die, this is love -- mutual attraction and trust between two people. You should face up to these feelings."
Feng Yu Die raised an eyebrow. "So, what you're saying is that Young Master Ye has subtly deceived me?"
?
"...Eh?"
"Hmm..." Feng Yu Die sat up, propping her chin, pondering for a moment before saying, "My Master used to say that men especially like to deceive people. Many girls are unknowingly deceived by men, even willingly following them. By the time the girls realize what's happening, it's already too late."
"..."
"So, Young Master Ye is really that bad? He actually deceived me. I trusted him so much, luckily I figured it out in time. Huh~ trying to trick me."
Xiao Tian's mouth opened slightly, and she instantly regretted what she had just said.
She just wanted to bring her Yu Die and Ye kid together, but why did it have the opposite effect?
---Young Master Ye, I really didn't mean it! I shouldn't have spoken, I should have let you slowly win Yu Die over!!~
"Yu Die... I didn't say that he deceived you. Young Master Ye showed you nothing but kindness."
"Well... it's true that he treated me well, but Master also said that men's methods of deceiving women are always like that. Treat her well first, gain her trust, and when they get what they want, they will pat their butt and leave."
"..."
"Thinking about it this way, it does make sense. He is so skilled. You see, he also directed me to gain Yun Jiujiu's trust. Once he gets what he wants, he'll have me leave just like that."
"But...but...but!" Xiao Tian quickly retorted, "Deception is indeed a bad thing. But although Young Master Ye did deceive the Yun family, it was for the sake of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect and the three young ladies of the Yun family! It was good! It was a white lie!"
Feng Yu Die pouted. "That's still a lie. A liar is a bad person. Master was right. He is just as bad as other men."
"Ah, no..."
Xiao Tian didn't dare to speak anymore, afraid that her words would backfire on her again.
This girl had the habit of indulging in wild thoughts when idle. It was surprising that she suddenly started thinking about this matter, and it wouldn't be easy to explain this matter to her clearly.
The main reason was that the Ye kid had not yet reached Master Taixu's status in the heart of Yu Die.
It seemed that the matter between that kid and her dear Yu Die could only progress when he replaced Master Taixu in her heart someday.
But when would that day come?
Xiao Tian gazed up at the sun in the sky with a melancholy look and sighed heavily. "Sigh--"
"Was Sister Pei also tricked by him in this way?" Feng Yu Die pouted and lay down again, resting her head on her arm. "Just like that person who cheated my master in the past."
As she said that, Feng Yu Die recalled the portrait hanging inside her master's bedroom.
Every time her master saw the portrait, she looked sad, and sometimes she would stab the person in the painting with a sword.
She had asked about it, but Master Taixu didn't say much except that the man was the one who once cheated her.
Feng Yu Die did not know the name of that person, nor did she know which sect or school of cultivation he belonged to. She only knew that there was a cherry-colored double-stem plum blossom tattooed on his forehead.
Although her master didn't ask her to do anything, she made up her mind that if she ever saw that person, she would definitely cut him down!
"Sigh---"
Feng Yu Die closed her eyes and relaxed, no longer thinking about these unpleasant matters, and instead calmed down and enjoyed basking in the sunlight.
However, as soon as she closed her eyes, an angry loli voice shattered the tranquility of the pavilion.
---"Brother Yu! Why did you run to the roof~"
"..."
Feng Yu Die pouted and rolled her eyes in annoyance, thinking that Yun Jiujiu wanted to spar with her again.
Although it was quite fun to compete with Yun Jiujiu at first, after winning so many times, she only felt that Yun Jiujiu was a wine addict who only fooled around.
It hadn't been long since she recovered from her injuries, and she already came looking for a fight again.
However, after a short hesitation, Feng Yu Die still got up and floated down from the top of the pavilion.
"Jiujiu, what's wrong? Let's forget about fighting today. Didn't you just wake up last night? You need to rest more."
Seeing Feng Yu Die approaching her, Yun Jiujiu pursed her lips and made some girly gestures, placing both hands behind her back and swaying slightly while lowering her head.
She wore a newly made color-patterned dress, her hair was wavy and draped over her shoulders, and there was a faint trace of rouge on her face.
"I'm not looking for you to fight today."
"Then, what is it?"
"I've come to thank you for saving me. Also..."
Yun Jiujiu shifted her eyes, then took out the chicken-killing knife and the love letter from her back, pointing the jade blade directly at Feng Yu Die's chest.
"Here."
"..."