Chapter 048: Spring Has Arrived

When Li Zaixing quietly slipped back into his own room, Airmedi was already asleep. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks still tinged with a faint blush. One arm hugged the quilt, the other slipped between her legs. The blanket was tangled messily around her, with one long leg exposed, the sheer gauze nightdress riding up to her thigh, her fair skin gleaming softly in the darkness.

A delicate fragrance lingered in the air, not from any perfume, but a natural, faintly sweet body scent.

Gazing at Airmedi’s alluring sleeping posture and breathing in her scent, Li Zaixing rubbed his nose, feeling something within himself slowly awakening. Truly, this was a rare thing. In his previous life, Li Zaixing had often heard people say that golden-haired girls looked beautiful but had two flaws: their skin was rough and freckled, and they had a strong body odor—hence, it was said, the fame of French perfumes.

Yet this Western mare not only lacked any unpleasant musk but carried a unique and exotic fragrance, making her a rare treasure indeed.

All the more so as she lay sprawled so enticingly, half-covered and half-revealed, on his own bed, right before his eyes.

Should he just break his vow, then and there?

Just as Li Zaixing’s resolve began to waver, Airmedi suddenly woke with a start, sitting up and reaching under her pillow. Li Zaixing was startled—this girl truly had no sense of security, reaching for a blade the moment she woke. Luckily, this was his room, and the knife under the pillow was on his person; otherwise, he might have met a wrongful end.

“Airmedi, it’s me,” Li Zaixing whispered quickly.

“Oh, it’s… Master.” Airmedi came to her senses, rubbing her eyes, then suddenly realizing her posture and recalling what she had just done. Her entire face flushed scarlet with embarrassment. She hurried to get up and leave, but Li Zaixing caught her gently by the arm, shook his head, and pointed outside.

Airmedi was at a loss, not understanding his meaning.

“Sleep here,” Li Zaixing murmured in her ear, slipping off his outer garment and crawling under the quilt.

“Oh.” Airmedi’s heart pounded in confusion, but she dared not refuse. She climbed back onto the bed but kept a wide distance between them. She felt she ought to move closer to serve Li Zaixing, yet her courage failed her; she could neither speak nor reach out. While she hesitated, Li Zaixing simply turned over, presenting his back to her, and prepared to sleep.

“Master, I…” Airmedi fidgeted uncertainly.

“Sleep,” Li Zaixing said. “We have to rise early to practice martial arts.”

“I…” Airmedi, too, caught the scent in the air, her face burning with shame. She stammered, “Just now… earlier…”

“You did very well just now,” Li Zaixing turned and winked at her. “I’m very pleased with you.”

“Oh.” Airmedi answered softly, almost inaudibly, and slipped under the quilt, curling up gingerly at the edge. Li Zaixing smiled and closed his eyes. He dared not look any longer—this Western mare, acting so bashfully, only made her more enticing. He feared he might lose control if he continued to look. Though he was tempted to break his vow, and believed Airmedi would not refuse, he could not bring himself to indulge in such intimacy with a woman he’d only just met two days ago. Airmedi was a slave girl, not a courtesan.

Reason and instinct clashed and merged, but Li Zaixing, with exceptional willpower, subdued his desires and drifted into a calm sleep. Yet when he woke the next morning, he was greeted by a scene that left him both amused and exasperated.

At some point, Airmedi had nestled into his arms, her face pressed against his chest, an arm wrapped around his neck. She slept soundly, lips slightly parted in a dreamy smile, as if murmuring in her sleep or caught in a pleasant dream. The quilt covered only half of her; one nearly bare leg was draped over his waist, and his own rigid arousal was nestled against a warm, soft cleft, where there seemed to be a trace of moisture.

Damn! Li Zaixing nearly lost control, his face flushed, breath quickening. He bit his tongue to pull himself from the tides of desire, blaming himself bitterly. After all these years of martial training, he’d let his guard down to this extent, allowing someone to get so close without noticing. As a martial artist, vigilance was a constant requirement—even in sleep, he ought to be alert to any movement at his side. To be caught off guard like this was inexcusable; had Airmedi been an assassin, he would already be dead.

Li Zaixing gently lifted Airmedi’s arm, then carefully disentangled her leg. Her skin, though not exactly delicate—somewhat rough, with a faint layer of golden fuzz—was nonetheless very fair, like white jade in the pale morning light.

He allowed himself the briefest touch, then got out of bed before his willpower failed. He covered Airmedi gently with the quilt and quietly opened the door.

“Master, are you awake?” Julia, cheeks flushed, propped herself up with an arm and climbed out from under her own blanket, lowering her gaze and revealing a patch of fair skin and a tantalizing hint of cleavage.

“Yes, I’m getting up to practice. What about you two?”

“We’ll train as well,” Julia replied, pulling on her clothes as she nudged the still-sleeping Hestia on the other bed. Hestia hadn’t quite fallen asleep, and she rolled over, displaying her gourd-shaped waist and mumbling sleepily, “Let me sleep a little longer. Airmedi was making such a racket last night, I couldn’t sleep until late.”

Julia’s face turned crimson. She tugged at Hestia, whispering, “Get up—Master is already practicing. You can’t just lie about.”

At this, Hestia instinctively sat up, eyes still bleary. “Master is up?” she said, only to catch sight of Li Zaixing’s retreating figure. She squealed in alarm, “Sister, did Master hear what I just said?”

“What do you think?” Julia chided as she dressed.

“Oh, I’m mortified!” Hestia buried her face in her hands, kicking the quilt aside.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about. Your turn will come sooner or later.” Julia gave her a stern look, feigning composure as she picked up the basin and went outside to fetch water for Li Zaixing. Hestia, not daring to dawdle, hurried to dress. By the time she emerged, Li Zaixing was already practicing his forms in the courtyard.

Inside, Airmedi peeked out from the covers, her face as radiant as the dawn.

…

In the following two days, Wang Zhun did not come seeking trouble, but the atmosphere in Chang’an grew ever more tense. The martial wardens, having accepted Li Zaixing’s gifts, finally proved their worth—when they came to search the Puhua Monastery, they saw little Mitra running about the courtyard and solemnly warned Li Zaixing that they were looking for a small child, about Mitra’s age. He should keep her inside to avoid any confusion with the Left Jinwu Guards.

Li Zaixing understood perfectly and agreed readily. He scarcely left the monastery, spending his time either drilling the warrior monks with Xie Guanglong, sparring with him, or training together with Julia and her sister. Airmedi’s leg healed day by day; she was soon able to walk and practice martial arts on her own.

After witnessing the Damascus sabers of Julia and Hestia, Xie Guanglong said nothing but could not hide his envy, which did not escape Li Zaixing’s notice.

Li Zaixing made no comment.

On the sixth day of the second month, Master Juehui came to the training ground. After watching the monks’ drills, he expressed his satisfaction to Li Zaixing. “Junior brother, you truly have a knack for training men. In just a few days, these warrior monks already show promise.”

Li Zaixing smiled. “I doubt you came just to praise me, senior brother. Is it not about the ritual the day after tomorrow?”

Juehui chuckled and nodded. “This will be your first ritual since taking charge of the warrior monks—it cannot be taken lightly. But that is only part of the matter.”

“There’s more?” Li Zaixing asked.

Juehui glanced around. Zhi Yuan understood and led the others away, giving them privacy. Lowering his voice, Juehui pointed eastward. “Junior brother, something strange has happened at Chancellor Li’s residence. They wish to invite a high monk to perform a ritual and dispel ill fortune. The abbot naturally wants to secure this opportunity, but whether he succeeds depends on his own cultivation. Nevertheless, the ritual here is also a factor. If things go awry, he’ll surely lay the blame at our feet.”

Li Zaixing smiled to himself—his plan to rattle the tiger had worked. Li Linfu was indeed unnerved, spooked by his doggerel into inviting monks to perform rites. What use were high monks? Could chanting a few sutras redeem one’s sins? Even if it could, he would sooner kill the monks than let Li Linfu atone. If Li Linfu truly were his enemy, he would never allow him to convert and seek forgiveness; blood must be repaid with blood.

“Rest assured, senior brother—I will do my utmost.”

“I trust your methods,” Juehui said, glancing at the energetic warrior monks. “With these men, no local toughs will dare cause trouble. Still, don’t let your guard down—our adversaries are not just street thugs.”

Li Zaixing laughed. “No need to worry, senior brother. I’ll head out with Brother Xie today and deal with any likely troublemakers in advance. The day after tomorrow’s ritual will proceed smoothly, giving the abbot and the master no cause for complaint—and not letting you lose face.”

Juehui was well pleased. He didn’t need to ask what means Li Zaixing might use. It was clear that the monks alone wouldn’t suffice; Xie Guanglong’s gang of knights-errant would be needed. Juehui wouldn’t have to lift a finger or even know the details. He just needed to provide the money. With sufficient funds, Li Zaixing would see to everything.

The money soon found its way to Li Zaixing’s hands. He entrusted the martial monks’ training to Wudao, then took the now-healed Airmedi and the Julia sisters to join Xie Guanglong outside the monastery. Before leaving, he stopped by the Temple of Eternal Peace to pay a visit to Wang Xun.

Wang Xun was surprised by Li Zaixing’s arrival. Li Zaixing explained that he would be away for a while, and it wasn’t convenient to leave little Mitra at the monastery. He'd heard that Wang Xun’s wife, Lady Li, was fond of foreign girls, so he brought Mitra over to keep her company. He promised it wouldn’t be long—once his business was done, he would come to fetch her.

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