112 Triumphant Return 3

Qin Feng had to admit that there was no way that he could have expected anything like that at all. And his voice quavered when he spoke again.

"You must be joking. You are, aren't you? How can something as idiotic as that happen?"

But Lingxi's expression did not change. "I am not. And there were ... sixteen different sisters who heard it. They were all in the vicinity when ... the two Elders were chatting."

"You must be joking," he said again, as his mind went blank.

Yet, if there were witnesses, and this was what the Elders had said ...

Qin Feng shook his head violently as he tried to push his confusion aside. What had he done to give them the impression that he was pursuing their daughters? How could something like this happen? And how could it happen now, of all times?

He had barely begun to make some progress in his cultivation, and had just gained access to the Southern Woods and the resources there. Why would he put all of that at risk, just to pursue two girls whom he did not care for at all? Why would he take that chance, at the risk of offending their fathers, who held the power of life and death over him?

The Elders in the Heaven Sword School were not likely to kill him for his audacity, he was certain. It was not their style. But they could make his life a lot worse than it was. And he certainly had no wish to get into further trouble. The antagonism between him and those women from the Rear Gardens was bothersome enough!

But that would be nothing when compared to the ruckus that Xuan Mei could cause!

"Little Feng. Little Feng!"

He blinked and turned to Lingxi at the sound of her voice. She was looking at him with a strange expression on her face that was half-way between amusement and worry. "I have been calling you for a while now. Are you so happy that you've started daydreaming of Xuan Mei already?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

He growled at her, wearing an obvious bothered look. Was she rejoicing now, because of his situation? How rude! Was this the way that she should be treating someone who has been taking care of her and her friends?

"You should know that there is ... nothing between the two of us. And that ... all this talk about Elder Xuan betrothing her to me is nothing but ... nonsense. Why would he pledge his only daughter, the pearl in his palm, to someone without any prospects like me? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

"Those ... eavesdroppers deserve a slap in the face for getting everything mixed up!"

Lingxi laughed, albeit unconvincingly. "None of them were able to give a proper account of the words that were passed between the two Elders, but what they could remember seemed to convey the interest that Elder Xuan has towards you. And he did mention his daughter as well.

"So, it might not be as ... imaginary as you might believe."

Qin Feng threw his hands up into the air as he stood up. A move that seemed to surprise Lingxi, as the woman edged a little backwards in the stool that she was sitting in. But not so far as to put herself off-balance.

"All of this is ridiculous! Don't you think so? First I get accused of bedding you and your friends like a randy goat. Then I am supposed to be paying court to Ming Qingsong. And now? Now I am going to be Elder Xuan's son-in-law! What is this? Is the Rear Gardens so bored that they are trying to tie me up with every young woman in the Heaven Sword School?

"Who is next? Is someone going to claim that I have been sharing Nu Yuanqing's bed?"

Lingxi shot him an amused look even as she giggled into her sleeve. "I think that would be a little too much, even by the Rear Gardens' standards. Besides, Elder Nu might take offence and start conducting an investigation of her own. And none of the girls would care very much for that!" she laughed.

"Bah! You can still laugh! Well, laugh all you want! I intend to get to the bottom of this. None of this is doing me any good, and I haven't the time to bother with all the rumors that are flying around. I need to cultivate, and get my Foundation formed! I don't have time for romancing anyone. And certainly not Elder Xuan's daughter!"

Lingxi's eyes seemed to sparkle then, as she looked at him. And there was a slight smile on her lips too. That was enough to send a warning signal to Qin Feng's brain. Was she that worried that I was going to abandon her for another girl?

Then he shook his head. That wasn't quite the impression that he had gotten from her, through all their time together. It was more likely because she was worried about their association, and the business that they had set up. If he did end up as an Elder's son-in-law, he wouldn't have the opportunity to slip her any of those herbs that she was dealing in, would he?

But her next question brought him back to the situation at hand:

"Just how do you intend to get to the bottom of this, as you said? You aren't going to rush to Elder Xuan and ask him if he was thinking of betrothing his daughter to you, are you?"

Qin Feng shook his head again. That did give him a perfect excuse to visit the Elders' Quarters. So he waved a hand at the medicinal herbs that he had just brought back from the Southern Woods.

"I suppose ... the only way to get an accurate answer to this would be to ... ask Elder Ming about it. To find out what actually went on during his exchange with Elder Xuan," he grumbled in a soft, thoughtful voice.

"And since he has already denied that he has any designs on me as a potential son-in-law, it should be a rather safe topic to bring up, when I head over later, to hand over his share of the gains."

Lingxi's eyes went wide as soon as he said that, and she even took a step back in surprise. "You are actually going to ... confront Elder Ming about this? Are you going to demand an answer then, as to why you are not considered good enough to be with his daughter?"

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