Chapter 932: Unleashing Willow Catkins in the Wind

The glazed lamp was, of course, the one bestowed upon him by Bi Linglong. Yet, Zu An now gave it to another woman without so much as a blush or a flicker of conscience. After all, he wouldn't be practicing calligraphy at night himself. As for Bi Linglong discovering this, it was highly unlikely. Firstly, she had no connection with Xie Daoyun, and secondly, given Bi Linglong's status, she wouldn't come to his residence to check. Even if, by some remote chance, she did enter his room one day and didn't see the lamp, he could simply claim he accidentally broke it.

"Ah, I'm so clever!" he thought.

Seeing the glazed lamp before her, Xie Daoyun was both surprised and delighted, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. "Thank you, Brother Zu!" she exclaimed. This gift was truly perfect for her. He must have put a lot of thought into preparing it specially for her. The thought made her heart pound uncontrollably, despite her usual composure.

Beside her, Xie Xiu's eyes widened. As an experienced ladies' man, how could he not see the profound effect this gift had on a woman? "That damn Zu An, he really wants to be my brother-in-law!" he grumbled to himself.

Seeing the two gazing intimately at each other, Xie Xiu deliberately stepped between them, blocking their view. Then, he grinned at Zu An. "Sis— bah, Brother Zu, where's my gift?"

Zu An calmly replied, "Freeing you from Hei Baizi's grasp—isn't that the best gift?"

Xie Xiu gasped, wanting to retort, but then he suddenly realized Zu An had a point. He could only say, "Alright, alright. Your business is done. Let's go out and have some fun." Of course, "having some fun" was just a pretext; he intended to experience the warm embraces and passion of the capital's courtesans.

Zu An naturally understood his intentions. However, he was currently unsure of the purpose behind Kong Nanwu and her group's presence here and really didn't want to get too involved with them. So, he smiled and said, "Alright, let's all go, Daoyun included. We've been in the capital for so long, and I haven't treated you to a meal. We're tired, so it's a good chance to relax."

Hearing that his sister would also come along, Xie Xiu's face immediately fell. Clearly, if she was there, he wouldn't be able to visit those pleasure quarters. "Wait, why is he calling her 'Daoyun' so intimately?" he wondered.

Xie Daoyun also seemed to realize this, her face slightly flushed as she shook her head. "My teacher told me to stay here and look after the house. I can't leave easily."

Hearing her words, Xie Xiu was instantly delighted. "Yes, yes, let's just the two of us go then!"

However, Xie Daoyun's next sentence was, "If you don't mind, we can have a small gathering here. I'll have the servants prepare some food and wine."

Zu An smiled and said, "That suits me perfectly. It's too noisy outside; Daoyun's place is much more refined. Eh, Xiu'er, what's with that expression? Why do you look like you're about to cry? Isn't it good to have a meal with your sister?"

Xie Xiu was speechless. "That damn guy! You want to be my brother-in-law with that attitude? If I don't ruin this for you, I'll never utter the word 'thanks' again in my life!"

Hearing his agreement, Xie Daoyun was overjoyed. She quickly lifted her skirt and hurried off to instruct the servants to prepare the food and wine.

Zu An took the opportunity to put an arm around Xie Xiu's shoulder. "What's wrong, Xiu'er? Are you angry?"

Xie Xiu snorted and pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me. I don't have friends who abandon loyalty for beauty like you. You can have your romantic dalliances with my sister, but what about me?"

Zu An sighed. "Xiu'er, it seems you don't understand my painstaking efforts."

Xie Xiu thought, "What painstaking efforts could you possibly have?" but hearing Zu An's tone, he hesitated. "What do you mean?"

Zu An explained, "Do you know why your teacher makes you memorize chess scores day and night?"

"Naturally, it's to temper my spirit," Xie Xiu replied subconsciously.

"Exactly. However, most cultivators only begin to touch upon the threshold of the spirit after reaching the peak of the ninth grade. Your teacher's mastery of chess, however, allows for a unique path..." Zu An first showered Hei Baizi with praise, then changed his tone. "But many things still adhere to objective laws. After all, your current cultivation is too low; you don't possess a powerful physical body, and your spirit isn't as resilient as that of true masters. You haven't slept for a long time, and your vital energy is depleted. If you go to a brothel now and waste your essence on those women, it will nullify all the progress you've made in tempering your spirit recently. Moreover, your body won't be able to handle it; you could suffer severe injuries or even die."

With his increased cultivation and long-term exposure to Mi Li's teachings, Zu An spoke about cultivation matters with such eloquence and structure that Xie Xiu, though not entirely understanding, found it deeply impressive.

Xie Xiu's expression shifted several times. He quickly cupped his hands in a salute and said, "If not for Brother Zu's reminder, I would have made a grave mistake. Your life-saving kindness is something I'll never forget."

"You're overstating it, you're overstating it," Zu An said with a smile, patting his shoulder. "We're all family."

Xie Xiu looked puzzled. "How did we become family?" he wondered. He couldn't help but say, "Oh, by the way, Brother Zu, could you please stop calling me 'Xiu'er'? It sounds a bit odd."

"Alright, Xiu'er," Zu An agreed instantly.

"What are you two talking about?" Just then, Xie Daoyun finished giving instructions and emerged. Seeing them with their arms around each other, seemingly in good spirits, a touch of joy welled up in her heart.

Zu An chuckled. "I was just lamenting how miserable Xiu'er's life is. You're here, leisurely, able to freely command the servants in the courtyard, while he's stuck with Hei Baizi, living a life of endless toil. The contrast is just too stark."

Xie Xiu gave him a grateful look, choosing not to expose his earlier intention of going to a brothel in front of his sister.

Xie Daoyun, however, couldn't help but pinch his ear. "Who told this boy to waste all his time on girls in recent years, becoming so incompetent? Look how impressive Brother Zu is! At such a young age, he led a team to help the Crown Prince defeat an eighth-grade Azure Moon Dragon!" This was all public information from the court, which she had naturally kept abreast of. What she never expected, however, was that the enemies Zu An actually faced were far beyond eighth-grade.

Xie Xiu felt frustrated. He thought, "That guy Zu An goes to brothels far more than I do! Even the top courtesan of Divine Abode gave herself to him for free back then. Even setting aside brothels, he has far more female confidantes than I do. Why am I the one being held up as a bad example?" He was about to retort but suddenly realized that speaking up would only make him look worse by comparison. So, he just stood there, fawning over his sister.

Soon after, servants brought a charcoal brazier and various dishes into the waterside pavilion.

Xie Daoyun said softly, "Regular meals take some time to prepare, and it's cold today, so how about we have some mutton hotpot?"

"Great!" Xie Xiu's eyes lit up. "I've been starving these past few days."

Only then did Zu An suddenly realize it was already winter. Since he began cultivating, he had become immune to both cold and heat, so he hadn't noticed the change of seasons. As they dipped slices of mutton into the hotpot, they chatted happily. In a way, all three were living as guests in a foreign land, making their gathering feel exceptionally warm and intimate.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Xie Daoyun's eyes suddenly lit up. She excitedly looked out beyond the railing. "It's snowing!" Bright Moon City was in the south, where snow was rare even in winter, so she was particularly excited at that moment.

Seeing her serene face, made even more radiant than usual by the drifting snowflakes outside and the glow of the brazier, Zu An's heart stirred, and he blurted out, "What does the swirling white snow resemble?"

"I didn't expect you to have such a literary flair, Brother Zu," Xie Xiu chuckled, looking at the snowflakes outside. He pondered for a moment, then said, "In my opinion, 'It's like scattering salt in the air, barely comparable.'"

Xie Daoyun, beside him, glared at her brother impatiently. Her younger brother was good in every way, except for being unlearned and incompetent. In truth, he was proficient in everything related to women, but once it had nothing to do with them, he became as dull as a donkey. Fearing that Zu An might look down on the Xie family's heritage, she pondered for a moment and then interjected, "'Not as good as willow catkins rising with the wind.'"

At these words, Zu An's body trembled. He gazed at her flower-like, delicate face opposite him, momentarily lost in a trance.