Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

Daiyu's courtyard, main hall.

Wearing a palace-style white silk skirt, a brocade robe with cloud-patterned flowers and peonies on top, and a beige shawl with scattered flowers on the outside, Lin Daiyu was lying on a soft couch with her bare, plump little feet, looking at the book in her hands. Her brows and eyes were focused, and her cool face looked particularly serene.

On one side, Qingwen, Zijuan, and Xueyan chatted quietly, occasionally letting out a soft giggle.

"Oh, Master, you're done with work so early today?"

It wasn't until Chunxian, carrying fabric from the side room, uttered a questioning voice that the women inside noticed Jia Tang leaning against the doorframe, smiling as he looked at Lin Daiyu.

"Ah~"

Upon seeing this, Lin Daiyu gasped in surprise. Feeling Jia Tang's gaze fixed on her delicate little feet, her toes curled up, her jade-like feet arched, and her face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Her little head seemed to be steaming, and she hurriedly covered her face with the book in her hand, as if this could block the other person's gaze.

Zijuan quickly put down her hairpin and had Qingwen and Xueyan stop Jia Tang. She then stepped forward and picked up the brocade stockings for Lin Daiyu to put on.

"You brat, you didn't even know he was here."

Upon hearing this, Zijuan protested, "Master's cultivation is so high, he deliberately concealed his footsteps, how could this servant possibly hear them?"

A short while later, Zijuan, who had dressed Lin Daiyu, glared angrily at Jia Tang, and then, along with Qingwen and Xueyan, the three maids went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Jia Tang entered the room with a smile and sat down in the empty seat next to Lin Daiyu. Looking at her fair and delicate face flushed with a delicate blush, he teased, "So, my little sister doesn't like to wear socks when she reads. I only found out today."

"Pooh."

Lin Daiyu spat and glared at him, saying in embarrassment and annoyance, "Who walks without making a sound? You shameless bastard, you dared to look!"

"Hey, I'm not an outsider, what's wrong with me seeing this..."

"Who isn't an outsider?"

Lin Daiyu was furious and immediately slapped at him with her fair and slender hand, but Jia Tang grabbed it and said coquettishly, "Why are you hitting me again?"

"Brother, please spare your sister this time..."

No matter what Lin Daiyu said, Jia Tang remained unmoved. He gently squeezed her delicate hand for a while before suggesting, "Sister, why don't you teach me how to paint?"

Lin Daiyu's bright eyes widened as she looked at Jia Tang in surprise, teasingly saying, "Oh my, the sun must have risen in the west today! Our Lord is starting to act like a refined scholar."

Jia Tang blushed and said irritably, "You're the best at being sarcastic, so why can't I learn to paint?"

Lin Daiyu chuckled and nodded repeatedly, "Alright, alright, I can learn, I can learn. Sister will teach brother."

Then Lin Daiyu brought out the Four Treasures of the Study, Jia Tang ground the ink and laid out the scroll, and then picked up the brush and began to paint, the two of them teaching each other.

Jia Tang stood beside Lin Daiyu, his body slightly turned to the side. He looked at the beautiful woman before him with gentle eyes. Her fair and rosy oval face was adorned with a gentle smile, and her beautiful eyes beneath her arched eyebrows sparkled. Her entire demeanor changed from aloofness to a touch of girlish joy.

A moment later, Lin Daiyu wielded her brush in quick succession, creating three paintings: spring bamboo shoots, summer lotus, and winter plum blossoms. Looking at Jia Tang, who was still grinding ink, she frowned slightly, a hint of contemplation flashing in her eyes.

Setting aside her jade-handled wolf-hair brush, Lin Daiyu gazed intently at Jia Tang and asked softly, "Brother, what's gotten into you today? Why are you so eager to paint with me?"

"Why is my sister overthinking this?"

"It's not that I'm overthinking things, but I know my brother's ways. Now, please speak, and I'll listen attentively."

Jia Tang's expression remained unchanged as he chuckled and said, "Sister, I will be going into seclusion for a while to comprehend my supernatural powers, which will take about a month. During that time, the great array within the manor will also be partially activated. If you need anything, just have the guards left behind go out to purchase it."

Lin Daiyu was stunned. The grand formation was activated? This was a major operation that had never been carried out before, even when they went out to suppress bandits and hunt beasts.

"What's going on now? The defensive formation is only half open, the personal guards are left behind, where are the family retainers and tiger guards? Why are you making such a fuss?"

Jia Tang met Lin Daiyu's concerned eyes, pondered for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "It's a good thing. This seclusion is unusual, as it requires deep enlightenment. The household guards and tiger guards need to protect me, so they may not be able to keep an eye on the manor in time. Therefore, we've opened the defenses halfway to prevent any unforeseen circumstances."

Lin Daiyu's eyes reddened, and two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. She choked out, "When Mother was still alive, she comforted me in the same way after Father's accident, telling me that loyalty to the Emperor was a good thing. Now that Brother has brought me another good thing, how can I not worry?"

Jia Tang stared blankly, slowly reaching out to wipe away the tears on Lin Daiyu's pretty face. He gazed into her eyes and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I haven't waited until you're out of mourning. Nothing will happen. Besides, with my abilities, I can roam the world freely."

"The brother spoke with great confidence, but the sister believed him."

Lin Daiyu nodded; in her heart, Jia Tang had always been a man of integrity and upright character.

"Get out of quarantine soon, then little sister can teach big brother to draw. Don't complain, okay?"

"Sister Duyi."

Jia Tang smiled and agreed, adding, "I will have people protect the manor. If anything happens, my sister, you can use the small flag I give you to take charge of the direct descendants within the manor."

"Remember, I only recognize those who possess the bloodline of the Jia family as legitimate descendants. Do you understand?"

Lin Daiyu's eyes narrowed, and a storm raged in her heart, filled with helpless fear. This was no longer a word of advice, but a trust.

The tears she had been holding back suddenly fell again.

"elder brother..."

"Don't cry, this is just a backup plan. I've made all the necessary arrangements, and it's only been a month or so."

There's no need to explicitly tell the old lady; if anything happens, given her decades of experience managing such a large mansion, she's more than capable of calming most of the people in the inner quarters.

What Jia Tang feared most was that if something really went wrong, some clueless person would cause trouble.

Grandmother Jia's soft heart is her fate, while Lin Daiyu's soft heart allows her to escape a calamity. However, if she were to share the same thoughts as Grandmother Jia, the other party would surely die.

In this way, with Grandmother Jia in front and Daiyu behind, they can be safe and secure.

Just as Jia Tang was about to continue coaxing her, he noticed that Qingwen, Zijuan, and Xueyan were returning with food boxes.

As soon as Zijuan entered the room, she saw Lin Daiyu's red eyes and said angrily, "Master, why did you make the young lady cry again? If you keep doing this, I will definitely report you to the matriarch."

Jia Tang shook his head and chuckled as he looked at the angry Zijuan, then teased Lin Daiyu, "Look at this girl, she dares to tattle on me now that she's with my sister."

Lin Daiyu rolled her eyes at him: "Look at what you're saying, Lord. We weak women can't even file a complaint with the emperor when we're bullied. What a show of power you have."

Jia Tang: ...

"You brat, hurry up and set the table, or you'll get a beating."

After everyone had finished their meal and chatted for a while, Jia Tang got up and left. Lin Daiyu watched Jia Tang's figure disappear into the dark night, her eyes filled with worry, and she stared silently at the courtyard gate.

The night was deep and dark, gradually swallowing Jia Tang's figure, causing a strange tightness in her heart.