Second Master Qi said anxiously, "It's all my fault that I didn't take good care of you, causing you to suffer so much. I'll go to the Zhao Mansion for an explanation after I'm done with my business!"
Wei Dongling wiped the hot tears on her cheeks with her sleeve, shook her head and said, "You can't go." Sniffing, she added, "Uncle, I'm fine. I just miss my father a bit."
"Be a good girl, Dongling," Second Master Qi took her hand as if she were still the eight - year - old girl. "Uncle will take you to eat something delicious."
Wei Dongling shook her head and withdrew her hand, saying, "You're busy. I won't bother you."
Without waiting for Second Master Qi's reaction, she bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Second Master Qi." Then she turned and left.
Second Master Qi watched Wei Dongling's departing back and felt very strange. This girl had always called him Uncle. Why did she call him Second Master Qi today?
In the end, Wei Dongling didn't say anything.
She lay in her room for a long time. It was not until the night wind turned cool that it made her forehead throb.
Just as Wei Dongling got up and was about to close the wooden window, she saw a black - clothed figure outside the window, lowering his head and climbing in through the window.
"Who?" Wei Dongling shouted.
The man looked up. His bruised face scared Wei Dongling so much that she let out a terrified scream, "There's a monster!"
"It's me!" Yu Zixi pushed aside the black hair in front of his eyes and rolled his eyes. In the past few days, his face, which had been swollen like a pig's head, had recovered a lot. Only some bruises remained.
Wei Dongling: ...
"What are you doing again, Yu Zixi?" Wei Dongling kicked her foot against Yu Zixi's chest, preventing the man from climbing in.
Blocked by her kick, Yu Zixi couldn't get in. He whispered, "Let me in. I have something to tell you!"
Wei Dongling scolded in a deep voice, "Say it here. What's it like for you to climb into a girl's room in the middle of the night!"
Yu Zixi dodged left and right, insisting on getting in. Seeing that Wei Dongling blocked him tightly, he had no choice but to sit on the windowsill helplessly and complain to her, "I risked my life to save you, and this is how you treat me? Is this your way of being a host?"
Wei Dongling snorted, "If you came in through the main door openly, I would at least offer you a cup of tea. Please go back. I'm not in the mood to banter with you today."
Yu Zixi didn't care about her rudeness. With a gloomy face, he said, "Can you be more careful? You know the people from the Zhao Mansion are eyeing you covetously. You're not even fully recovered, and you want to run out in the middle of the night?"
Hearing that he was actually concerned about her, Wei Dongling felt a warm current in her heart, and her voice softened unconsciously, "Thank you for your concern. Please go back. I'll visit you to thank you when I'm better."
Yu Zixi ignored her order to leave and directly asked, "That night, what were you going to do when you went to find the Crown Prince's people?"
Wei Dongling glanced at his bruised eye sockets and sighed, "You know what I'm investigating."
Yu Zixi became even more displeased, "I've already said I'll help you investigate. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you." Wei Dongling withdrew her foot and said in a deep voice, "Young Master Yu, I'm very grateful that you're willing to help. But there are some things I have to do myself."
Hearing Wei Dongling say that she trusted him, Yu Zixi's face immediately looked much better, and he didn't care anymore.
He was easily flattered. He continued to climb into Wei Dongling's room from the windowsill, smiling happily and saying to Wei Dongling, "You're still injured. Just call me if you need someone to run errands for you." Then he took out a bottle of ointment from his bosom and was about to reach out to hold Wei Dongling's delicate little hand.
But they were startled by a cough from the tree outside the window. They both looked up at the tree in unison.
It was the old beggar with a dirty face, ragged clothes, and a filthy body!
"Senior!" Wei Dongling's eyes sparkled. She excitedly flipped over the wooden window, rushed to the tree in one step, and bowed her head, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, Senior. I'm extremely grateful."
Yu Zixi: Your discriminatory treatment is just outrageous!
The old beggar stared at Yu Zixi with a dissatisfied face and frowned, saying, "If you're so disrespectful again, I'll beat you to death."
Wei Dongling: ...
Yu Zixi felt like he had been caught flirting with a girl by her father. He put down the ointment and climbed out awkwardly with a forced smile, "I'll leave now! You two can catch up properly."
The old beggar stared at Yu Zixi until he walked far away and climbed over the wall out of the General's Mansion. Then he turned to Wei Dongling and asked, "Girl, do you have any wine?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Wait for me!" Wei Dongling rushed to the storage room and carried back a large jar of good wine. She rushed back happily and handed it to the old beggar.
The old beggar jumped down from the tree, lifted the seal of the jar and smelled it. He shouted excitedly, "This wine is excellent!"
Wei Dongling grinned from ear to ear and quickly nodded, "There's plenty!"
The old beggar grabbed Wei Dongling's arm and flew onto the eaves. After a few light steps, they landed in front of the martial arts training hall.
As the old beggar pushed the door open and walked in, he asked, "Are you feeling better, girl?"
Wei Dongling nodded and said, "I've recovered very quickly. Even the doctor was amazed."
The old beggar nodded, sat on the ground, and raised the wine jar to take a big gulp.
Wei Dongling didn't mind. She plopped down beside him and asked, "Senior, I don't even know your surname yet."
The old beggar glanced at her and said, "You should call me Uncle Li."
Wei Dongling nodded obediently, "Okay, Uncle Li. Have you known my father since childhood?"
Uncle Li shook his head and said, "No. I've known your father for more than twenty years. I can't remember exactly!"
More than twenty years? Then he should not be my great - uncle.
Wei Dongling then asked, "Did you meet my father in the Prime Minister Su's Mansion?"
A look of melancholy flashed in Uncle Li's eyes. He sighed and said, "Yes. When Old Master Su brought your father back, he was just a half - grown boy." Then he took another big gulp of wine.
Wei Dongling said discontentedly, "People all say that Prime Minister Su and my father were traitors. The people from the Zhao Mansion secretly captured me and forced me to tell them about my relationship with my father. I refused to confess."
Uncle Li shouted angrily, "Prime Minister Su was framed. He was a noble and upright man all his life!"
Wei Dongling was shocked and murmured, "Was it the people from the Zhao Mansion who framed him?"
Uncle Li didn't answer. His eyes were full of desolation, "The incident back then involved the execution of the nine generations of the family. It was right for you not to confess."
Saying that, Uncle Li put down the wine jar, took a long wooden stick from a row of weapons, and said to Wei Dongling, "I can't protect you all the time. I'll teach you some moves today. Your mediocre martial arts skills are really not up to par."
Huh?
Wei Dongling looked at the stick in Uncle Li's hand in surprise and said, "Don't tell me you're going to teach me the Dog - Bashing Stick Technique? Uncle, are you sure your surname is Li and not Hong?"
Uncle Li said, "Are you sure it's just an external injury and not a fever that has addled your brain? Do you want to go back and lie down again?"
Wei Dongling: ...
Uncle Li waved the stick and attacked. His speed was extremely fast. Despite Wei Dongling's excellent lightness skills and various dodges, she couldn't avoid it after three tries.
Uncle Li shook his head and sighed. Wei Dongling's lower limbs were weak, and her upper limbs were powerless. She had practiced martial arts for several years? It seemed like she had practiced to no avail. Oh well, forget it. He'd teach her slowly step by step.
"Uncle Li is so amazing!" Wei Dongling cried out with admiration in her starry eyes, "Just as amazing as my father!"
Uncle Li looked quite proud after hearing the first part, but the second part almost made him spit out blood. He roared, "My lightness skills are indeed not as good as your father's. But your father couldn't last thirty moves in my hands!"
Wei Dongling twitched the corner of her mouth. This was so embarrassing.