Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Lord on the Beam

The full moon feast kept the Tan household lively until the afternoon. By the time the Shen hour was nearly over, the guests had finally begun to leave, one by one.

With Mr. Tan's words earlier, Bai Zhengliu and the others remained seated at the table. However, while they had composed themselves, the guests' gazes kept drifting toward them, making Qian Gui and the Jun brothers uneasy. Even Nie and Lu couldn't help but ask Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan, "Bai Lang, Mei Lang, this..."

Bai Zhengliu: "..."

Bearing the trust of others is no easy task.

He took a deep breath, and before he could speak, he heard Mei Yinghan say, "When it comes, let it be."

Bai Zhengliu was momentarily stunned.

The pressure wasn't just on his shoulders; Mei Yinghan was shouldering it alongside him.

Bai Zhengliu suddenly felt lighter. He smiled and said, "Senior Nie, Senior Lu, you’ve been waiting outside for many days. It seems that waiting outside for the night is manageable. If there are any concerns tonight, it might be better to step outside and avoid any risks."

Qian Gui's gaze flickered, and he was quite tempted by this suggestion.

But he knew he had the least say in the matter, and it depended on what the others decided.

With the three members of the Emei sect, along with a Wudang disciple, the four of them exchanged glances and ultimately decided: "Senior Sister and Brother-in-law have been outside for many days with no progress. Perhaps staying at the Tan household is the only way to find a way out!"

"Brother is right. Bai Da-ge, Mei Da-ge, there's no need to persuade us further. Even if there’s a risk, we’re willing to stay!"

Mei Yinghan nodded, saying a simple "good."

At this moment, Mr. Tan finally found time to help arrange accommodations for Bai Zhengliu and his group.

With so many people, they might have squeezed into the West Wing under normal circumstances, but today was different. The uncles and cousins who had come to help Meng Yuniang had already filled the West Wing. Mr. Tan hesitated for a while, apologizing repeatedly to his new friend and arranged for them to stay in the back courtyard’s auxiliary rooms.

Generally speaking, in a three-courtyard house, this would be the women’s quarters. But now, only Mr. Tan and his son and daughter-in-law lived there. The back auxiliary rooms, like the West Wing of the main courtyard, were typically unused. Having Bai Zhengliu and his group sleep there would not offend anyone.

Qian Gui was happy with this arrangement, and Nie and Lu let out a sigh of relief.

Once Mr. Tan left and the door was closed, Nie Qing’e explained to the new arrivals, "The mountain bandits who come to the Tan household generally stay around the main courtyard. The back auxiliary rooms were originally where we would hide if we were outnumbered. Staying here will be convenient."

Lu Qing: "But, since we're staying here, I wonder if there will be any changes tonight..."Hearing this, Qian Gui's expression became slightly bitter. Jun Tao patted him again, comforting him: "Qian Lao-ge, don't worry. Tonight, my brother and I will stand by your side."

Of course, Bai Da-ge and Mei Da-ge would be at the forefront, and Senior Sister and Brother-in-law had a lot of experience. They would certainly be able to respond flexibly to any risks. As for the two of them, being newcomers and lacking the martial skills of the seniors, it was better not to trouble the seniors.

Jun Tao's mind worked quickly, calculating how he and his older brother could be most effective. However, Qian Gui didn’t know the true thoughts of the young swordsman. Hearing Jun Tao’s words, he felt moved: "Then, I’ll have to rely on you, Jun Xia."

Jun Tao smiled with confidence: "Hehe, I'll do my best, of course."

Considering that they hadn't rested well last night, the time from now until the bandits might arrive would be used by them to rest their eyes.

During this time, Mr. Tan came again. He wanted to invite them to have dinner with his family, but at the critical moment, Qian Gui stepped in: "Tan Lao-ge, your family should have dinner together, why should we make a fuss? Today, the Meng family brothers have really worked hard, and Qian can’t compete with them. Tomorrow, we brothers will have a good drink together."

Mr. Tan looked at him for a moment, his face showing some regret, but he finally nodded in agreement: "Qian brother is right. Since that’s the case, we will meet again tomorrow."

Qian Gui smiled and said, "That's how it should be."

Seeing Mr. Tan leave and his figure disappear into the corridor, Qian Gui let out a long breath, about to close the door.

At this moment, Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan both stood up and said, "Wait."

Qian Gui looked at them in confusion. He saw the swordsman and the swordsman facing each other. One called out, "Bai brother."

The other called out, "Mei brother."

The two exchanged some unspoken communication with their eyes. Then, in Qian Gui’s bewildered gaze, they nodded and stepped out of the auxiliary room together, leaving only a simple line: "You all rest first. We’ll go take a look."

Jun Tao looked at the two of them and felt even more admiration: "So this is the aura of a great hero!"

Jun Yang didn't say anything, but from his expression, it was clear that he was quietly and modestly agreeing with his younger brother.

Nie and Lu didn't say much either, but their worry was apparent in their eyes.

Qian Gui: "…Huh?"

So what exactly did Bai Da-xia and Mei Da-xia go to do?White Zhengliu was rarely perplexed and looked at Mei Yinghan in confusion. Unexpectedly, Mei Yinghan returned the exact same look, saying at the same time, "I feel the same."

White Zhengliu: "..."

White Zhengliu: "But?" Mei Brother must have something more to say.

Mei Yinghan's expression slightly cooled, and he said: "The reactions of the other villagers, however, seem as if that person had said something extraordinary."

White Zhengliu lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then suddenly understood.

At this point, it wasn't just his brows that furrowed, but also half of the swordsman's face.

He was incredulous: "How could this be?"

Mei Yinghan said: "I also find it hard to imagine."

White Zhengliu confirmed with him: "Mei Brother, are we thinking about the same thing? That child—"

Mei Yinghan said: "Let's watch a little longer."

White Zhengliu's mind was unsettled, but he forced a nod.

Though they said "let's watch a little longer," the events between the Tan family members after that were rather uneventful.

The swordsman kept his focus on Tan Yuanwai and Meng Yuniang, but there were several people between them. Not only was there no interaction, but even eye contact was absent. On the other hand, White Zhengliu noticed the Meng family uncles and cousins looking towards Meng Yuniang multiple times.

Sometimes, Meng Yuniang noticed, but most of the time, she did not. Later on, she excused herself early to put the child to sleep and left the main room.

When she left, Tan Yuanwai once again said, "The Meng family really raised a good daughter!"

The Meng family uncles only smiled without responding.

The meal lasted a little over half an hour. When White Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan came out of the side room, there was still a bit of twilight in the sky, but by the time they returned, the stars filled the night sky.

They waited until everyone had returned to their respective rooms, watching for a while to ensure no one had left before coming back. When the door closed, all eyes filled with anticipation. White Zhengliu thought for a moment and decided to ask the only three married individuals present, "What do you think of the relationship between Tan Qiu Lang and Meng Yuniang?"

Nie Qing'e hesitated for a moment, then replied, "From what I've observed over the past few days, Meng Yuniang seems to care deeply for Tan Qiu Lang. But compared to caring for her husband, she seems more concerned about the child."Qian Gui, experienced in such matters, said, "That's how it is with women who have children; my wife is the same."

Nie Qing'e asked, "White Lang, Mei Lang, did you discover something?"

White Zhengliu didn't hide anything and directly shared his and Mei Yinghan's earlier speculations. After just a few sentences, the others present were left speechless, completely shocked.

White Zhengliu had to add, "Mei Brother and I are just guessing. Also, even if there are rumors in the village, it doesn't necessarily mean anything between the two. The tragedy at the Tan family is unrelated." To put it plainly, people are always quick to jump to conclusions.

The others were still in a daze, unable to respond.

White Zhengliu glanced around and finally said, "To verify these things, we can just ask the guests who came to the banquet tomorrow. For tonight, let's first get through the mountain bandit crisis... Senior Nie," he turned to Nie Qing'e, "Since we still have some time, why don't you tell us about the situation with the mountain bandits?"

Author's note:

Key point of this chapter:

Little Bai: With Mei Brother and I sharing the pressure, I’m happy =v="