Chapter 21: Right and Wrong Shall Be Brought to Light

Lu Yun continued to speak as they walked.

"Sister Shiwei, we must hurry a little. It might already be too late; he has likely already taken your Thousand-Sun Jade to the pawnshop. Lu Xiao is acting like a complete scoundrel now, utterly shameless. Even if we catch him, the most we can do is punish him, but he has no sense of shame at all. If your Thousand-Sun Jade is sold to traveling merchants, it will be impossible to recover. Even if the Marquis’s estate offers compensation, they wouldn't be able to find another piece of Thousand-Sun Jade like it."

Hearing these concerns, Xue Shiwei felt it was somewhat unlikely. After her previous conversation with Lu Xiao, her impression of him had been rather positive. He seemed like a perfectly normal young man. The only real difference between him and others was that he was not valued within the family—he was even somewhat shunned. However, Xue Shiwei did not feel there was anything wrong with his character. In fact, during their brief exchange, she found him to be well-mannered and polite in both speech and conduct.

"Sister Yun, I don't think it would go that far..."

Xue Shiwei wanted to stop Lu Yun, but Lu Yun’s expression was earnest.

"The Matriarch just told me to treat you well, Sister Shiwei. If Lu Xiao has taken your jade to sell it, how am I supposed to explain that? The Thousand-Sun Jade is a treasure that is highly beneficial to cultivation; even if it was slightly damaged, it remains an extremely precious object. Besides, Lu Xiao has a history of such behavior. He once stole items from the servants of the First Lady of the Marquis's estate to pawn them off. In the end, it was the estate that had to clean up his dirty laundry."

Upon hearing this, Xue Shiwei’s delicate brows furrowed involuntarily. Lu Yun spoke with such clarity, even naming whose items he had stolen, that it felt as if it were all true. Yet, Xue Shiwei still found it hard to believe; the idea of a member of the Marquis’s family stealing from servants sounded very strange indeed.

"Sister Shiwei, there is a saying that holds true: those who are pitiable often have their detestable side. Lu Xiao’s current situation is indeed difficult, but he brought it upon himself. Heaven knows he lacks integrity and is selfish, which is why it sent someone to harvest his spiritual bones. This is Heaven’s retribution for a villain, a scheme to make him pay his debts and return everything he owes to the Marquis’s estate."

Xue Shiwei did not agree with these words in her heart. She had seen instances where Heaven punished the wicked, but more often than not, it seemed to bully the honest and indulge the cruel.

Lu Yun quickened her pace, and the two soon arrived in front of Lu Xiao’s cabin. The sky was just beginning to brighten, and frost and dew clung to the surroundings. The path to the cabin was difficult to navigate; it was narrow, and the weeds brushed against their skirts, dampening the hems. Seeing her clothes soiled, Lu Yun felt a surge of disgust.

"Lu Xiao, come out at once!"

Standing before the cabin, she addressed him by his full name. "I don't care where you’ve sold Sister Shiwei’s jade pendant; go and get it back immediately. Your petty, thieving ways might work on people in the Marquis’s estate, but now you’ve set your sights on a guest? Have you no shame?"

Lu Yun stood outside, launching into a barrage of accusations. After a moment, Lu Xiao opened the door. He glanced at Lu Yun, then turned his gaze toward Xue Shiwei. Seeing the apologetic look on her face, Lu Xiao understood that she had been dragged along by Lu Yun. He turned back into the room.

"Don't think you can hide in there and escape this; it isn't over!" Lu Yun began grumbling again as she watched him retreat.

Along the way, several servants who had seen Lu Yun dragging Xue Shiwei over had followed, sensing a spectacle. Aside from Er Niu, the attendant to the Marquis’s eldest son, the other servants in the estate all treated Lu Xiao with mockery. Often, those at the very bottom are the most eager to watch others be bullied.

Only a moment later, Lu Xiao emerged holding the Thousand-Sun Jade. Contrary to Lu Yun’s predictions, Lu Xiao had not pawned the item; he had actually repaired it for her.

"Second Miss Xue, your jade pendant."

Lu Xiao ignored Lu Yun entirely and walked straight up to Xue Shiwei to hand over the jade.

The path of cultivation is nothing more than the harmony of intent and physique. Martial arts prioritize the body, while scholarly arts rely on the mind. However, this does not mean that martial artists ignore the cultivation of intent. To step from the Mortal Realm into the Spiritual Realm, the state of one’s mind and intent is key. The Thousand-Sun Jade has the auxiliary effect of soothing the mind and clearing one’s thoughts. When worn, its soothing influence constantly surrounds the wearer.

However, the jade has a limited lifespan; after a long time, its effects diminish or fade. This is externally manifested by the jade becoming dull or developing cracks. Xue Shiwei’s piece had belonged to her mother for many years before being passed to her, so it was perfectly natural for it to have developed cracks. She had never expected Lu Xiao to truly repair it; even if he could fix the cracks, she assumed he would only hide them to make it look nicer. She believed the jade’s true efficacy could never be restored.

But as she looked at the jade now, her previous thoughts were completely swept away. The piece Lu Xiao held out was bright and lustrous, even dazzling; the cracks had vanished as if the stone had been reborn.

That was not the only reason Xue Shiwei was stunned. The true reason was that the jade in Lu Xiao’s hand emitted a faint, gentle warmth. She could feel it even from a distance. Its effect seemed even better than when she had first acquired it.

"Second Miss Xue?" Lu Xiao called out softly when he saw she wasn't taking it.

Lu Yun seemed ready to chime in again, but Xue Shiwei returned to her senses, holding back Lu Yun with one hand while accepting the jade with the other.

"Fourth Young Master, your craftsmanship is miraculous. If not for the rarity of this jade, I would have thought you went and found an entirely new one for me."

After speaking, Xue Shiwei turned her head toward Lu Yun. "Sister Yun, you see? Your Fourth Brother is not the person you described. The accusation of theft is far too grave. If such a slur were to stick to him, he would find it impossible to move freely throughout the Great Xia."

Looking at the jade in Xue Shiwei’s hand, Lu Yun found her prepared retorts blocked. Even though she loathed Lu Xiao, she had to admit it had been repaired beautifully. Faced with Xue Shiwei’s words, she let out a cold snort.

"He only acted this way because he knew your identity, Sister Shiwei. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't be so respectful. Besides, his history of theft is real; why shouldn't I speak of it? If he was afraid of what others might say, he shouldn't have done those things in the first place."

With that, Lu Yun turned and headed toward her own courtyard. Many of the servants who had followed her trailed away as well.