The bustle of the Regent's Palace was unknown to Jiu Yue, but the lively atmosphere of Nan Xun's storytelling was something she had now witnessed firsthand.
"Just then, the burly man froze in shock, unable to believe that the brother he had shared a bed with for months was actually a woman in disguise!"
"Fifth Brother... I didn’t mean to deceive you..." The exposed woman lowered her head in tears, seemingly too ashamed to face him, and turned to flee.
"Will Fifth Young Master chase after her or hunt her down? Stay tuned for the next chapter!"
With the clap of the storyteller's block, the tavern erupted in a chorus of disappointed sighs.
"Why stop there? I’ll have to come earlier tomorrow—I only caught the second half. Tell me what happened before..."
"It was when Fifth Young Master tended to his wounds..."
As the lingering crowd passed by Jiu Yue, she found it all quite novel. It was only mid-afternoon, yet Nan Xun was already done for the day.
She turned to watch Nan Xun step down from the stage, and their eyes met. His face lit up with surprise.
"Haven’t seen you in ages," Nan Xun said, taking a seat across from her, his expression animated. "So? Pretty impressive storytelling now, huh?"
Jiu Yue propped her chin on her hand and smiled. "Did you write a new script? This story’s different from the last one."
"Of course!" Nan Xun smirked proudly. "Honestly, I didn’t expect anyone to like this one, but it’s a hit! So, what brings you here?"
Jiu Yue blinked, then slapped a gold leaf onto the table with a flourish.
"Whoa..." Nan Xun’s eyes widened. "You’ve really struck it rich!"
Jiu Yue waved it off modestly. "No big deal. Come on, let’s get you that gold tooth!"
Nan Xun paused. "...You’re serious?"
"Absolutely!" Jiu Yue tilted her head, eyeing his crooked teeth with disdain. "A gold tooth is classy! And it’s on me. So, in or out?"
Nan Xun imagined the look on his father’s face when he flashed a gleaming gold smile and eagerly agreed. "Let’s go! I already booked the craftsman—just needed your gold."
Jiu Yue: "..."
She laughed. "You’re such a show-off."
Nan Xun said nothing, just nudged her along.
By the time the gold was fitted, dusk had fallen as they made their way back to the courtyard.
The process was simpler than Jiu Yue had expected—just a gold overlay, not a full tooth replacement. She inspected it critically before nodding in approval.
"Passable. At least you can still eat." She tossed him a bundle from her shoulder. "I went to Yunjiang and brought you something back."
Nan Xun, still running his tongue over his new tooth, froze. "What were you doing in Yunjiang?"
Jiu Yue shot him a look. "Why the curiosity?"
Nan Xun smacked her shoulder playfully. "I’ve got to report to my cave-dwelling father, you know. What, got something to hide?"
"Not at all." Jiu Yue gave a vague summary before concluding, "Just tell your dad: the crooked merchants got what they deserved."
Nan Xun: "...Succinct."
Once seated, Jiu Yue turned serious.
"I ran into Prince Ping on my way back and stabbed him," she said, sounding almost regretful. "But he probably survived—seemed like he was wearing armor."
Nan Xun, who had been about to bite into a pastry she’d brought, nearly choked. "Are you insane? What if they track you?"
He set the pastry down, his expression grave.
Jiu Yue pushed another treat toward him reassuringly. "Relax. I took a long detour, sold the horse in another town, and kept watch the whole way. Plus, I don’t think Prince Ping recognized me."
"...This is actually pretty good," Nan Xun mumbled around a mouthful before frowning again. "You sure?"
Jiu Yue nodded. "He’ll just have to swallow the loss."
Nan Xun exhaled in relief. Jiu Yue’s skills were beyond doubt, but he still warned, "Don’t be so reckless next time. Once he’s back in the capital, I’ll help you deal with him."
Jiu Yue shook her head. "Stick to your storytelling. Stay out of this."
Nan Xun glanced at her but didn’t argue.
"By the way, Qiu Dongfang mentioned I could team up with Sima Qing against Prince Ping," Jiu Yue said. "What do you think?"
She hadn’t brought this up before, given the uncertainties, but Nan Xun was one of the few she trusted.
After a moment’s thought, Nan Xun replied bluntly, "Use him, but don’t pledge your life. Though honestly, it might be unnecessary."
He continued, "On the surface, the Regent seems to oppose all the princes equally. But Prince Ping, the most low-key one, is actually the most ambitious. The Regent will handle him without your help."
Jiu Yue’s eyes widened in realization. "I see."
Nan Xun repeated his earlier advice. "Just don’t act impulsively. Wait it out—you’ll get what you want."
The restless agitation she’d felt since encountering Prince Ping finally settled.
Jiu Yue exhaled slowly and nodded. "I’ll try... It’s getting late. I should go see my dog."
Nan Xun gave a slight nod, watching her leave.
Long after she’d gone, he lowered his gaze to the pastry in his hand, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.
Prince Ping, huh...
Jiu Yue arrived at the training camp, where Feng Qi, standing guard, perked up at the sight of her.
"Sis!" He leapt down eagerly, falling into step beside her. "What brings you here at this hour?"
The young man was brimming with enthusiasm. "You’re here for the dog, right? Don’t worry—we’ve all been taking turns looking after it. It’s plump and healthy now, super cute!"
At the word "cute," Jiu Yue hesitated, debating whether to remind Feng Qi and the others of her original request.
She wanted a fierce, intimidating guard dog—not a cuddly pet!
But the moment she saw the puppy, she couldn’t help but coo.
After two weeks apart, the dog had grown a bit, its round body and stubby legs waddling adorably as it scampered toward her.
Old Tao had been lying on the ground, demonstrating something to the dog, when it suddenly started barking excitedly. He turned to find Jiu Yue crouched at the entrance, her face softening into a doting smile.
The puppy bounded into her arms, yapping nonstop as if airing its grievances.
Jiu Yue stroked its head, her resolve wavering.
Did she really need a ferocious beast? How could such a tiny thing endure harsh training?
She scooped up the dog and stood, meeting Old Tao’s accusatory stare.
"You’re not taking it away, are you?" he demanded.
Jiu Yue paused, her gaze drifting to the makeshift training grounds behind him—clearly built just for the dog.
"Hah, of course not," she said, suddenly certain that refusing to train the dog would result in Old Tao training her instead.
"I just came to check on it." She handed him a pouch of silver, smiling sweetly. "Thanks for looking after it... Oh, is my sword ready?"
Old Tao gave the dog a complicated look before turning away. "Follow me."
