Jun You Ji Fou

Chapter 5

Chu Mingyun nodded indifferently, and after a few steps, he finally saw someone already sitting in the pavilion ahead of him. His heart became somewhat complicated, and he took another glance at Song Heng by his side.

Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu were of equal status, always sitting opposite each other at various gatherings, neither obstructing the other. Now, he wasn't sure if this newly honored top scholar had heard rumors of his admiration for Su Shiyu and had deliberately chosen this pavilion to curry favor with him, indeed a perfect spot for a private meeting.

Whether Chu Mingyun felt flattered remained uncertain, but this move was almost certain to offend Su Shiyu.

Su Shi Yu changed out of his official robe, donning a white robe that lent him an air of scholarly elegance. He was slightly tilting his head, inquiring something from a maid, faintly mentioning words related to "burning incense". Hearing footsteps, he turned around and, upon seeing Chu Mingyun, his brows subtly furrowed, though his face still maintained a light smile as he greeted him. Chu Mingyun responded casually and took a seat next to him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Song Heng and the maid withdrew, leaving them alone in the pavilion, sitting in silence.

Chu Mingyun sighed silently in his heart, for Song Heng, for Su Shi Yu, and for himself. What a torturous night this was bound to be.

The soft singing in the courtyard became clearer, with nothing left for them to say. Chu Mingyun, in particular, busied himself with his fan, ensuring their occasional glances did not meet. The eerie silence made even the servants who came to serve food and wine hurry their steps.

Chu Mingyun lifted his wine glass, glancing at the hanging crescent moon, his sigh not yet complete when suddenly a hand pressed down on his, preventing him from drinking. The hand was fair and slender, with distinct knuckles. Following the hand, Chu Mingyun saw Su Shi Yu shaking his head slightly at him.

Su Shi Yu took the wine from his hand, opened the lid of the auspicious beast incense burner at the corner of the table, and poured the entire cup of wine into it. The incense burner immediately extinguished, releasing a strong, exotic fragrance that dissipated quickly.

Chu Mingyun, having closed his fan and resting his chin on one hand, watched his movements. As soon as the fragrance was released, he understood its significance and immediately held his breath, paying close attention to their surroundings.

Sitting quietly, Su Shi Yu drank the tea in his cup and, after a sweeping glance over Chu Mingyun, finally spoke, "Lord Chu, why did you not come bearing a sword this time?"

"With the strict security in the mansion, Song Heng specifically instructed that there was no need to bring weapons and mar the festive atmosphere," Chu Mingyun said, with a smile that was not quite a smile. "Besides, didn't my bearing a sword to the last palace banquet displease many?"

"It's rare for you to follow the rules for once, yet I fear it might be a wasted gesture of goodwill," Su Shiyu said with a light chuckle.

Chu Mingyun twirled a white jade wine cup in his hand. "The finest incense and the finest wine, once ingested together, become the finest drug. Mr. Su, why not guess whether this top scholar has sided with a third party beyond you and me, or does he foolishly wish to become that third party himself?" Without waiting for an answer, he threw the cup in his hand down, the white jade smashing hard on the ground with a crisp sound.

At their feet, the stone slab emitted a dull, mechanical sound and cracked open, and they fell straight down.

Both of them stood up in the instant before they would have stepped into the void, the stone slab closing overhead, and in the blink of an eye, their feet were back on the ground. The air was filled with the smell of decay, and all that met their eyes was thick darkness. Chu Mingyun tilted his head towards the source of a slight rustling sound: "Mr. Su... are you still alive?"

The answer was a flickering light that steadied into a bright glow. Su Shiyu, while surveying their surroundings, laughed emotionlessly, "I'm not so fragile as to die just yet. You worry too much."

Chu Mingyun stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and lifted the light higher. Su Shiyu frowned but ultimately did not pull away. Their surroundings were bounded on three sides by smooth stone walls, and directly ahead was a set of iron bars forged into the wall, with no door, through the gaps of which they could vaguely make out a long corridor beyond.

"No wonder the pond was built so high up; it turns out there's a dungeon hidden beneath," Su Shiyu paused, "Mr. Chu, could you let go of my hand now?"

Chu Mingyun released his grip. "Why did you bring a fire starter to the banquet?"

"I forgot to take it out after going out yesterday; it's the only one left and won't last long," Su Shiyu looked at him. "But Mr. Chu, even if you detected the mechanism, why go out of your way to trigger it?"

"The feast at Hongmen is laid out so brazenly, do you think you can just walk away as if nothing happened?" Chu Mingyun said leisurely, "Might as well see what's been prepared for us."

Su Shiyu remained noncommittal, his gaze falling on the iron bars in front of him, "I've long heard that your sword can slice through iron as if it were mud. It's truly a pity I won't get to see it today."

Chu Mingyun reached out to grasp the iron bars, then stepped back to pull out a folding fan from his sleeve and opened it, smiling indifferently, "Save your taunts. This will do just as well." As soon as the words left his mouth, his fan-wielding hand tightened, and with a swift motion, he struck the bars, sending sparks flying. After a loud ringing of metal, a man-sized hole was torn open in the wall of bars, and the broken bars clattered to the ground, echoing throughout.

"In any case, given the current situation, it's best if we join forces to get out of here," Su Shiyu said, following him out of the cell.

"Oh—?" Chu Mingyun stopped and turned around, closing his fan with a flip of his hand to point it directly under Su Shiyu's chin. He leaned in a bit closer, his smile ambiguous but his eyes ice cold, "Is that an invitation... or a request?"

The idea of "joining forces" seemed utterly ridiculous to him. This mere dungeon was nothing even if he were alone, and Su Shiyu, with his scholarly appearance, seemed nothing but a burden. Dying here would be more beneficial than harmful to him, so Chu Mingyun saw no real need to team up.

Su Shiyu chuckled softly, reaching out to hold the folding fan, slowly lifting his eyes to meet his.

This was probably the first time Chu Mingyun had looked at his adversary so closely and carefully. The hand holding the fan was slender, with dark cloud patterns embroidered on the white scholar's robe, tracing up the arm to a glimpse of a fair neck, the lips slightly curved in a smile, and the eyes, under the warm light, as exquisite as jade or a painting, bore a detached expression.

Spreading rumors of an affair with such a person wouldn't be a loss at all.

With a snap, the fan in Su Shiyu's hand broke inch by inch. He withdrew his hand, the smile on his lips deepening, "You understand my meaning."

Chu Mingyun's eyes flickered slightly, then he smiled slowly and softly, lifting the fan to light it with a firestarter before throwing it with force. The paper fan turned into a ball of fire and rushed into the dark corridor, igniting the oil lamps along the walls in its path, eventually crashing into a corner's stone wall. Accompanied by a few soft sounds, it fell to the ground as ashes, but the corridor was now brightly lit.

He raised his hand, his eyes and brows carrying a trace of a smile, "Mr. Su, after you."