Chapter 22: First Meeting

Qin Li sat in the luxurious carriage expressionlessly. The driver cracked the whip, and the carriage took off swiftly, comfortable and steady, without a hint of bumpiness. His heart, like the spacious, smooth-moving carriage, was surprisingly calm. He hadn’t worried about the meeting at all.

The carriage seemed to belong to a man. Inside, it was simple yet elegant. Surprisingly, there was a small bookcase fitted into the wall, clearly meant for long journeys.

Qin Li casually pulled out a book and froze. It was actually an Advanced Combat Technique! He pulled out another one. An Advanced Yuanli Heart Method!

Finding it hard to believe, he yanked out six or seven books in one breath. Their titles varied, but all were Heart Methods and Combat Techniques! And not one was low quality – they were all Advanced!

On the Tianyuan Continent, most Yuanli Heart Methods and Combat Techniques have been passed down since the Era of Antiquity. They are categorized as Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Most martial schools or academies possess Intermediate at best. Only great families typically own Advanced Cultivation Methods! At auction houses, Advanced methods occasionally appear. Any single one could easily fetch over a hundred thousand silver taels!

Yet, the courtyard Qin Li bought cost only ten silver taels! For an ordinary family, five silver taels, if spent frugally, could last a whole year.

The immense value of these Heart Methods and Techniques was obvious. Frowning slightly, Qin Li carefully placed them back. He didn’t know what Head of the Shangguan Family intended by this. Perhaps there was no malice, but Qin Li wouldn’t accept such gifts! Besides, the books were just placed there; no one said they were meant for him. Maybe… that crazy old master of the Shangguan Family just had too much money to burn and liked showing off Cultivation Methods worth millions of taels stashed in his carriage!

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the carriage stopped. A voice came from outside, “Young Master Qin, we have arrived.”

Stepping out, Qin Li saw a three-story teahouse before him. Its delicately carved wooden eaves looked antique and classical. Standing outside already gave a sense of peace.

“Young Master Qin, please come inside. Miss is waiting within,” the knight bowed slightly and gestured Qin Li into the teahouse before taking his post outside.

Some passersby who noticed this scene couldn’t help wondering. Who was this important figure arriving in the Shangguan Family Head’s personal carriage and guarded by his Protectors? They must hold significant status!

When they saw young Qin Li’s somewhat lean figure step down wearing clothes still marked with faint dust and stroll into the teahouse, their jaws dropped wider. Their eyes widened in utter astonishment. Was this youth perhaps a disguised scion of the Royal Family?

It was a natural assumption. The Shangguan Family was related to the royal house. Besides the royal family members, who else could possibly compel Shangguan Tie – Huangsha City’s most powerful figure – to lend his personal carriage?

Inside the teahouse, peaceful quiet reigned. A subtle, refreshingly fragrant scent filled the air. A beautiful young girl stood waiting. She bowed slightly to Qin Li, gestured towards the upper floors, and said softly, “Young Master Qin, please ascend!”

Qin Li secretly smiled. A true lady of a noble house indeed commanded such grandeur! But since Qin Li desired nothing, his confidence remained absolute. He strode firmly up the stairs – thump thump thump. On the second floor, another lovely girl guided him to the third.

Reaching the third floor in one breath, he saw open windows directly ahead. Beyond them lay an enormous lake! Nestled in its center was a small island adorned with shaded pavilions amidst trees. The view alone brought a feeling of sudden openness. Someone feeling troubled would find great calm sitting here.

Such luxury! Qin Li had never imagined such a hidden place could exist right in the heart of Huangsha City. It reflected incredibly well the deep influence of the Shangguan Family!

He hadn’t realized the entire third floor was completely open, without partitions. About twenty meters from him, near a window in the corner, stood a slender girl with her back to him, gazing out.

The entire floor was empty except for the two of them!

Hearing his footsteps, the girl turned. Thick white gauze veiled her face. Only two exceptionally bright eyes were visible. They swept over Qin Li. When they noticed the clearly visible dust on his clothes, a distinct furrow appeared between her delicate brows. A trace of displeasure flickered in her gaze.

If it weren’t for rumors that this Illegitimate Son of the Qin Family dared to personally kill servants who insulted his mother, Shangguan Shiyu wouldn’t have agreed to this meeting. In her heart, her grandfather was the only person in the world who truly cared for her. Facing others, she couldn’t even be bothered to speak.

She remained silent. So did Qin Li. They stood quietly facing each other for over ten seconds. Shangguan Shiyu, being a young woman after all, finally found Qin Li’s steady gaze too much. She saw nothing unusual in his eyes other than slight dishevelment. He was actually quite handsome, with exceptionally clear eyes. But… who knew if he was inwardly mocking her? she thought to herself.

“How could you behave this way? Don’t you know staring at a girl is rude?” Her voice was crisp, like an oriole’s song, sweet and very pleasing.

Qin Li smiled faintly, walked to the window overlooking the distance, and said calmly, “How do you know I was looking? Unless you were looking at me?”

Shangguan Shiyu was stunned. She hadn’t expected this response. It felt… surprisingly fresh.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” she asked. Her voice was level, her eyes revealing neither joy nor displeasure as she gazed steadily at Qin Li. “People say I am an evil enchantress, an ill omen – bad luck follows those close to me!”

Even Shangguan Shiyu herself didn’t understand why she’d spoken such words so directly to a stranger.

“That’s just damn nonsense on their part!” Qin Li smiled again without turning to face her, adding leisurely.

“What coarse language!” Shangguan Shiyu wrinkled her delicate brow slightly in disapproval. Yet, an odd feeling stirred within her. She realized she wasn’t as repulsed by this roughness as she’d expected.

“My grandfather… he reached some agreement with your Qin Family?” Shangguan Shiyu remained about ten meters from Qin Li, also looking out the window as she murmured, “Honestly… I never wanted to marry. I know – even though you might say outwardly you don’t care – deep down you must feel terrified!”

“Personally, I never wanted to marry either. I was just pressured into it. Of course, you don’t have to feel obliged to help me. Don’t worry. You can keep living as you like. You are absolutely free to refuse this proposal!”

Qin Li turned to look straight into Shangguan Shiyu’s bright eyes, saying earnestly, “But today, I only came here to tell you: you are not some evil enchantress, not a monster, and definitely not an ill omen! This world isn’t just filled with people of yellow skin. There are people with black skin, white skin – even many shades you’ve never seen! And they live perfectly normal lives. Whether you decide to agree to this engagement? Doesn’t matter much to me. Honestly, I feel just like you – indifferent. Of course, I won’t deny it would vastly improve my and my mother’s lives if we were engaged. Not materially, but safety-wise. You understand what I mean, I trust?”

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, anticipating her immediate rejection. That would allow him to leave Huangsha City for good – confident the Qin Family wouldn’t dare harm Qin Hanyue anymore.

To Qin Li, the exchange between Shangguan Tie and Qin Hongyuan mattered far less than this young girl’s attitude. If she refused, he knew the Qin Family would retaliate against him within three days. But he simply couldn’t justify pressing a thirteen-year-old girl to agree to become engaged to him.

Her danger had nothing to do with anyone else. Qin Li never relied on anyone willingly.

“Is that true? There are black people? People with dark skin?” Shangguan Shiyu stared at Qin Li, her eyes wide with incredulous wonder. Then she added skeptically, “You must be lying… I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

Qin Li just laughed. “Why would I lie to a little kid like you? This world is vast! What little can you truly know?”

As if you are so much wiser! Shangguan Shiyu decided his smile was rather irritating – him calling her a kid! But she was genuinely intrigued by his words. Could he be telling the truth? she pondered. Are there truly people with black skin? People… somehow like me? Her gaze lingered on Qin Li intently. Suddenly, an idea struck her. Could this fellow just be sweet-talking while hiding ulterior motives? Shangguan Shiyu decided to test him.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin slightly. “Hey, Qin Li! Do you want to see my face?”