Rumors 4

The meal lasted a little longer than normal, due to the many amusing tales that Qin Feng was entertaining Elder Ming's daughter with. She had spent a good part of the evening laughing uproariously at the jokes that he shared, especially those that were at his own expense. Qingsong had even teased him immediately after he shared some of his more embarrassing punchlines.

But as lively as the evening was, it was clear that she was tiring. And Ming Guanhe didn't waste any time patting her on her back as the night wore on, circulating a thread of his zhenqi through her, to keep her from exhausting herself.

That had won him a grateful look from the young woman, before she turned back to Qin Feng across from where she was seated. "It seems I am ... out of energy already, big brother Qin. And my father clearly wishes me to go to bed. So I think I shall bid you goodnight, and head back to my own room now."

Qin Feng rose to his feet, to bid her goodnight at once, when she made to leave the table. Then he gave out a soft cry of surprise, as the girl seemed to keel over mere moments after she took a step away. Then he calmed down, as he saw how Ming Guanhe had caught her adroitly, as if he had expected her to collapse.

The old man with the scars on his face sighed, as he picked his exhausted daughter up into his arms, and gently carried her away from the dining table. And he nodded at Qin Feng, then at the archway that led to the inner rooms. As though signalling the youth to help him with the beaded curtain, that separated the former from the dining area that they were in.

It took him a bit of thinking to figure that out. But thankfully, he did so in time that Elder Ming did not get upset with him. In fact, the old man had even given him a thankful look, for helping him prevent that same curtain from touching his daughter, and perhaps, disturbing her sleep.

He returned to the dining area once that was done, and remained there, when it seemed clear that there weren't any other hurdles that Elder Ming required help with, deeper in the house. Qin Feng didn't just sit down and wait for the Elder to return, of course. That would have been certainly impolite, given the difference in their positions with the School, even if one took into account the fact that he was supposed to be a guest.

So he did not waste his time, and started to clear up the dishes and bowls on the dining table, while he waited for the old man.

"Leave that. I shall deal with that later, after you go."

Qin Feng almost dropped the dishes that he was stacking, but somehow managed to keep himself from whirling about. Instead, he managed what he hoped was a respectable turn, and bowed in his head in the Elder's direction.

How had he managed to get past the beaded screen without making any noise?

But the older man was speaking again. And his left hand gestured at Qin Feng, as though inviting him into the back of the hose where he had just brought his daughter. "Come quietly. We have other matters to discuss. And touch nothing."

The old man waited for him to get closer, before he started walking towards the back of the house once more. Qin Feng found himself scowling the moment Ming Guanhe's back was turned. Just where was the Elder leading him? Wasn't that where the bedrooms were located?

Moments later, he had the answer to his question:

Qin Feng almost froze with his foot on the threshold, as soon as he saw that he was in a bedchamber. And there was even a figure lying on bed within! A figure that was now familiar to his eyes!

This was Qingsong's bedchamber!

But what was Elder Ming bringing him in there for? Was the rumour true then? That he was looking for a son-in-law?

Then he caught a whiff of the strangely aromatic scent within the room. Wasn't that ...

He recognized the incense at once. It was made with several common herbs, some of which he had cultivated himself, so it was not anything harmful at all. Indeed, it was something that was rather commonplace, and was frequently used to help calm its user, and helped to ease him into sleep. In this particular case, he was not too surprised to see Ming Qingsong using it.

"She should be sound asleep now. So she will not be able to remember that we have intruded into her bedchamber. And I have already placed a formation in here, to prevent noises from passing through its walls.

"Which makes this the one place in my home where it is impossible for anyone to eavesdrop on our conversation. So you can understand why I have chosen to speak to you in here, of all places."

Elder Ming paused for a moment, as he turned to look at his sleeping daughter again. Then he shot Qin Feng a wry smile. And gestured at the young girl.

"You must have realized by now that Qingsong isn't well. It is a ... condition that has plagued her since her birth, and I have had to take steps to keep it under control.

"The other Elders know about her condition, and why I have chosen to join the Heaven Sword School. After all, it does control the extraction of medicinal herbs and other cultivation resources from the Southern Woods. And I am in need of those, to help my daughter here."

Qin Feng nodded quietly as soon as the Elder explained. That made sense. And also told him why the old man was trying so hard to get his hands on those medicines in such a way that the other Elders wouldn't know about it. But he doubted that these subtle methods would be able to yield the sort of herbs that Ming Guanhe needed.

A fact that was not lost on the Elder either, judging from his next words:

"Unfortunately, I cannot go about, seizing the herbs and such from the Southern Woods as often as I like. So the chances of my finding sufficient amounts of this Purple Blood Ginger is rather low," sighed the old man, as he patted the blanket that he had laid over his daughter's shoulders.

Qin Feng nodded, as he watched the Elder go about checking on his daughter and making sure that she was comfortable. And wondered where Ming Guanhe was going with all this. He wasn't about to hazard a guess, although he believed that it had something to do with the medicine that the old man required. But just what role he intended for Qin Feng?

Luckily, he didn't have to wait very long, for the old man looked up at him a brief moment later:

"So I would like you to take over the hunt for those medicines. And to bring the same to me when you find them."

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