All-around protagonist mentor

Qingxuan and Tianyujun boarded the ship with the burly man who led the way and entered a rather elegantly decorated cabin on the top floor. Inside the cabin, maids who had already been informed were preparing tea and pastries.

The maidservant worked quickly and finished preparing everything. Qingxuan and Tianyujun took their seats gracefully, and then the big man and the maidservant respectfully took their leave and left the cabin. However, the guards outside the cabin were secretly watching the movements inside.

Seeing that there was still a little more cargo on the shore, and that Xuan Yu would have to supervise for a while before coming ashore, Tian Yu Jun couldn't help but complain to Qing Xuan, "Hey Xuan-ge, why didn't you speak up for me earlier? I was so worried just now, I almost ran out of words."

Qingxuan had just poured a cup of tea when she heard this and laughed, "You wouldn't understand, would you? I call this 'divination.' I need to let you talk to that Young Master Xuanyu for a while before I can figure out what kind of person he is."

"Fortune telling?" Tianyu-jun was completely bewildered and asked curiously, "Is there any particular interpretation to this?"

"Of course there's a reason for it." Qingxuan popped a small piece of pastry into her mouth, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it towards Tianyu Jun, saying, "Do you know that going on a long journey is a major event in life? As the saying goes, at home you rely on your parents, but when you're away from home you rely on your friends. Who you meet on your journey also represents your luck. In particular, the first person you meet can be a good indicator of whether your trip will be successful."

Tianyu-jun's hand trembled slightly as he took the teacup, and he exclaimed in surprise, "So amazing?"

Qingxuan said leisurely, "Of course. We've just arrived in Yazhou and we've already met such a generous young master who not only gave us money but also helped us cross the river. This shows that we're extremely lucky on this trip; we're truly blessed. From now on, we can go all out and have a blast."

Tianyu-jun was still somewhat incredulous, and chuckled awkwardly, "Xuan-ge'er, aren't you exaggerating a bit?"

Qingxuan smiled smugly: "You don't believe me? Then we'll see. The great opportunity in this massacre of the Du family might just fall into your lap."

At the mention of fortuitous encounters, Tianyu Jun became restless and excitedly asked, "Xuan-ge'er, are you telling the truth?"

Qingxuan took a sip of tea and snorted, "Otherwise, what do you think we came all the way to Yazhou for? Isn't it to steal your luck and catch up with Xiao Linyuan?"

Tianyu-jun immediately laughed sheepishly, lowered his head to drink his tea, and couldn't help but believe Qingxuan's words.

Qingxuan is a master, he certainly wouldn't lie, and he has no reason to deceive me. Since he said he could obtain this opportunity, then I can definitely obtain it too.

"Wait, something's not right."

Tianyu Jun suddenly seemed to remember something, a look of disgust crossing his face. He said dejectedly, "According to Xuan-ge'er, the first person we met here was that Madam Chu! Is she even a good person?"

Qingxuan swirled her wine glass, raised an eyebrow, and said, "How is she not a good person? She's willing to take you out and provide for you financially. Isn't that a good person? If Xuan Yu hadn't ruined things, I would have definitely squeezed that Madam Chu out of a fortune, and also let her experience the power of my cunning!"

Tianyu Jun's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared blankly at Qing Xuan.

Holy crap, is that how things are explained?

Just as Tianyu was pondering, Qingxuan suddenly gave a sly smile and winked at Tianyu: "Speaking of which, we were able to get on the ship thanks to you."

Tianyu-jun pointed to himself, puzzled: "Because of me?"

Qingxuan chuckled and said, "If it weren't for that young master Xuan taking a liking to your handsome face, do you think he would have invited us? No matter how good my limerick was, it wouldn't have mattered. Xiaoyu, you have to remember, this is a world that judges by appearance. Being good-looking is an advantage; it makes everything easier. Take good care of your face."

Tianyu-jun's face flushed red, his eyes filled with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration, unsure how to respond.

Xuan Yu was born with red lips and white teeth, bright and charming eyes, and snow-white and delicate skin, as smooth as jade. Her throat was smooth, and every move she made revealed a touch of gentle charm. Anyone with a little discernment could tell that she was not a young master at all, but a charming girl disguised as a man.

Moreover, in today's society, young masters usually travel with pageboys or servants, and it is rare for them to bring maids, especially when traveling long distances.

Both Qingxuan and Tianyujun saw through Xuanyu's true identity, but neither of them revealed it.

It's better to see through things but not say them outright; we can still be good friends. It's best if we both understand each other's feelings. Since Xuan Yu is disguised as a man, she must have her reasons. And those reasons have nothing to do with Qing Xuan and Tian Yu Jun, so they naturally won't say anything; blurting it out would only create awkwardness.

The mere thought that Xuan Yu might also have taken a liking to him gave Tian Yujun a strange feeling, as if he had just escaped one tiger's mouth only to fall into another.

Just then, Xuan Yu led Mian Yu into the cabin, cupped his hands and smiled at Qing Xuan and Tian Yu Jun, saying, "I'm so sorry, I've been busy with some trivial matters and have kept you both waiting."

Qingxuan and Tianyujun quickly stood up to return the greeting, saying there was no rush. Xuanyu smiled and bowed again, then clapped his hands lightly, and several maids filed in carrying various side dishes, filling the table to the brim.

Xuan Yu washed his hands in a basin of water brought by a maid, then sat down gracefully. He smiled at Qing Xuan and Tian Yu Jun, poured himself a cup of wine, and drank it all in one gulp as punishment for being late.

Seeing Xuan Yu's generosity, which was far superior to that of the Chu family's lady, Qing Xuan and Tian Yu Jun were delighted. Their previous negative speculations vanished, and they raised their glasses in welcome.

After the three of them finished their drinks, they all smiled, and the atmosphere immediately warmed up as they began to chat.

The little maid Mianyu stood obediently behind Xuanyu, constantly adding wine and food to his plate, and directing the other maids to remove empty plates and add new dishes, keeping herself very busy.

From the very beginning of the banquet, Xuan Yu's gaze was fixed on Tian Yu Jun, and his conversation constantly steered the topic towards him. Tian Yu Jun, completely unprepared for this situation, was flustered and incoherent, his various silly antics making Xuan Yu laugh uncontrollably.

Fortunately, Qingxuan was there to smooth things over and prevent Tianyu Jun from making a big fool of himself. Qingxuan also kept telling other interesting stories, which made Xuanyu and Tianyu Jun very eager to listen.

Mianyu was initially quite annoyed with Qingxuan, but after a few sweet words from Qingxuan, the little girl was all smiles and overjoyed, and the slight jealousy in her heart instantly vanished.

Xuan Yu's large ship was a cargo ship, laden with goods and with a very deep draft, so it was much slower than a regular ferry. It took almost an hour to reach the shore, and only then did the banquet for the three of them come to an end.

Because Xuan Yu had to supervise the unloading of the goods first, and then escort them to the warehouse outside the city, and was not going the same way as Qing Xuan and Tian Yu Jun, the three parted ways on the shore, said their goodbyes to each other, and then went their separate ways.

Xuan Yu watched Tian Yu Jun and Qing Xuan's departing figures, a hint of regret in his eyes. The little girl Mian Yu even wore the word "reluctance" written all over her face.

Tianyu Jun was exceptionally handsome, yet innocent and naive, which Xuan Yu, who was used to seeing playboys, found refreshing and endearing. In particular, Tianyu Jun's shy demeanor was incredibly funny to Xuan Yu. As for Qingxuan's many strange and interesting stories, Xuan Yu listened with rapt attention, wishing Qingxuan could tell them for three days and three nights.

Despite their reluctance, Xuan Yu and his servant quickly put aside their thoughts and got busy, remembering their important matters.

At this moment, Qingxuan and Tianyujun were traveling swiftly along the smooth official road paved with large bluestones, moving as fast as the wind. The two did not hire a carriage or horses, relying entirely on their own two feet to move forward.

For the past month, from Linglu Mountain to Yazhou, Qingxuan and Tianyujun had been traveling in this manner. Over the course of the month, Tianyujun hadn't changed much in other aspects, but his physical strength had improved considerably.

In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qingxuan and Tianyujun covered twenty miles and arrived at the capital of Yazhou, outside Shangxi Prefecture.

The two saw that the city wall in front of them was magnificent and tall, several dozen feet high, and was made of hard blue-veined granite, stretching to the left and right without end.

At the very center of the city wall stood a tall city gate, its two vermilion doors wide open, studded with large brass nails, giving it an incredibly heavy appearance. Towering pavilions stood atop the gate, and every few steps a large crossbow, four or five meters long, was mounted on it.

Before the city gate, a dozen soldiers in bright armor stood in two rows on the left and right, checking those entering the city and collecting entry fees.

Although the entrance fee was not expensive, only two coins, the capital of Yazhou was so prosperous that the area in front of this one city gate was already packed with people. Two coins per person added up to a considerable sum.

When Qingxuan and Tianyujun saw the soldiers in front of the gate, their eyes narrowed and a hint of surprise flashed through their minds.

The armor worn by the gatekeepers was exactly the same as that worn by the guards on Xuan Yu's ship.

"Wow, this is getting interesting."

Qingxuan couldn't help but laugh, secretly finding it amusing. Tianyujun also looked thoughtful, speculating about Xuanyu's identity.

However, Xuan Yu's identity was not of much concern to the two of them. Although they were curious, they didn't take it too seriously.

Qingxuan led Tianyujun to the city gate, paid a few coins, and then entered Shangxi Prefecture City with Tianyujun.