It was almost 9 PM when Chen Yi, Xiaodie, and Liu Si’er finally returned to the estate.

The carriage stopped in the front courtyard. Liu Si’er asked, seemingly offhandedly, "Sir, are you going to the Medicine Hall tomorrow? I can have Old Third prepare the horses in advance."

Without turning his head, Chen Yi waved his hand and leisurely led Xiaodie through the front courtyard’s portico toward Spring Lotus Garden.

Liu Si’er stared thoughtfully at his back, muttering to himself.

’What’s this fledgling thinking?’

’Yesterday, he returned in less than half a day, which could be explained as preparing a gift for the Third Place Scholar.’

’It was the Third Place Scholar’s wedding today, so it made sense for him to go offer his congratulations.’

’But he should have nothing to do tomorrow. Why isn’t he going to Jishi Medicine Hall?’

’Still, I’m sure he couldn’t have known about the Hawk plan ahead of time.’

Liu Si’er suppressed his unease, glanced toward the servants’ quarters, and said to himself in a louder voice:

"The Third Place Scholar’s wedding was so lively. I suppose the young master will be staying in and refusing visitors tomorrow."

He didn’t care whether Uncle Gui heard him or not as he led the carriage toward the stables on the other side.

Just then, the door to the servants’ quarters opened a crack. A single, cold and vicious-looking eye peered out.

There was a long silence.

CREAK.

The door closed.

...

After returning to Spring Lotus Garden with Xiaodie, Chen Yi took a hot bath, feeling completely refreshed.

Xiaodie, of course, could also bathe, but she didn’t have such a large wooden tub; she used a small wooden basin.

Don’t ask how Chen Yi knew.

After his Martial Arts Cultivation broke through to the Eighth Grade Realm, thanks to the marvelous uses of True Essence, his hearing was several times stronger than before.

If he wanted, he could hear a pin drop in Spring Lotus Garden.

It was just that he usually used the Black Tortoise Concealment Technique to mask his cultivation, keeping his hearing only about three or four times sharper than an ordinary person’s.

However, having such good hearing made it unbearable when people spoke loudly near him.

It was a deafening rumble.

This was also the reason he had bickered with Chen Yunfan during the day.

After his bath, Chen Yi changed into casual clothes and went out to the pavilion. He listened to the chirping cicadas and croaking frogs while enjoying the summer night’s breeze.

Every now and then, a few Golden Carp would leap up and spit some water at him.

Chen Yi paid them no mind, instead grabbing some nearby bait and tossing it into the pond.

This immediately attracted dozens of carp, which churned and splashed in the water.

"You’re all having fun now. How come you never pay me any mind otherwise?"

Chen Yi chuckled and cursed, then sat to the side, watching the surface of the water gradually calm.

Unconsciously, his thoughts drifted to the events at that day’s banquet.

Mr. Yue Ming had invited him to become an instructor at Guiyun Academy. It went without saying that he wouldn’t accept.

What he was concerned about was Chen Yunfan’s warning.

He was also thinking about the Xiao Family’s current situation, the reason for Chen Yunfan and Li Huai’gu’s visit to Shu State, and what they were likely to do.

The scattered pieces were beginning to form a clearer picture.

He sat quietly for a moment.

Chen Yi let out a long breath and stood, preparing to return to his cultivation and rest.

As he approached the wooden building, he paused and looked toward Jiaxing Garden.

He could faintly hear sounds.

The sound of CLACKING.

"Young Mistress, the estate has one thousand three hundred taels of silver. We’re still short two thousand four hundred."

"Have you calculated next month’s allowances for the various branches of the household?"

There was another burst of CLACKING.

"Young Mistress, we’ll need at least three thousand taels of silver..."

There was a moment of silence.

Then, he heard Xiao Wan’er’s soft, laughing voice say, "Cui’er, take my jewelry and pawn it tomorrow. That should be enough to cover the rest."

"Young Mistress, but then you..."

"I spend most of my time in the estate. I have no use for such finery."

"Alright, it’s late. Let’s all go get some rest."

The voices faded, and a faint sigh seemed to drift over on the summer wind.

Chen Yi listened for a moment before calmly continuing on his way back to his room.

"An eventful... summer, indeed."

...

「The next day, the weather was beautiful.」

As expected, Chen Yi did not go to Jishi Medicine Hall.

After finishing his cultivation early in the morning, he set up a Go board in the pavilion.

He played as black, then as white.

Following the Thousand Hands Chess Manual he had obtained the day before, he began placing pieces on the board.

The initial formations were very simple, mostly along the sides and in the corners, creating "extensions," "stands," and "points."

After about an hour, he finally began to understand some of the rules, such as the board’s star points, liberties, and so on.

[Chess Dao Cultivation Successful, Level: Initial Insight]

[Chess Dao: Pre-Entry-Level 0/1 (Upgradable)]

Chen Yi unhesitatingly upgraded his Chess Dao to Minor Success. A flood of the profound mysteries of the Chess Dao poured into his mind.

He looked at the board before him, and many aspects that had been unclear moments ago suddenly became perfectly lucid.

There were rules and formations, spread out as intricately as the stars in the heavens.

A contest between black and white, crisscrossing a finite board—that was the essence of it all.

Chen Yi closed his eyes to compose himself for a moment, then began placing stones on the board with great interest, creating a rapid CLACKING sound.

As he grew more familiar with the Chess Dao, even the simple acts of capturing and placing stones took on a certain fluid rhythm.

To a bystander’s eye, however, there was no noticeable difference.

To Xiaodie, especially, whether her young master was playing chess, practicing Calligraphy, or fishing, his every move always seemed so effortless.

Even his temperament was always calm and composed.

As for Xiao Wuge, he was begging Xiaodie to tell him amusing stories from Li Huai’gu’s wedding banquet the day before, paying no attention to Chen Yi at all.

Xiaodie, of course, didn’t refuse and recounted the events with great animation.

When she got to the part about Mr. Yue Ming inviting Chen Yi to join Guiyun Academy, her tone filled with pride, as if she shared in the honor.

When she mentioned people speaking ill of Chen Yi behind his back, she would pout and huff that those people were exactly what her young master called "talented but without virtue."

And when she described his poem and Calligraphy, her smile returned as she vividly recounted the reactions of the scholars, officials, and elders.

Some of her descriptions were exaggerated, but Xiao Wuge could only listen with envy, clamoring that he wanted to go with them to the next feast.

Chen Yi naturally nodded and agreed, as it was no big deal.

Xiao Wuge’s mood brightened, but he still felt like something was missing. He looked around, a smile spreading across his face, then stood up and ran toward Jiaxing Garden.

"Brother-in-law, I’m going to find my sister!"

Chen Yi casually told him to run carefully, then asked Xiaodie to boil water for tea before sitting back down at the stone table to continue studying the chess manual.

For him, learning chess wasn’t just a pastime; it was a way of stealing a moment of leisure from his busy schedule.

After all, he trained diligently every day, never neglecting his Martial Arts cultivation.

As a result, he had very little free time each day.

「Nearing noon.」

Chen Yi had assumed Xiao Wuge would have lunch at Jiaxing Garden before returning. But just as he and Xiaodie were about to eat, the boy ran over, looking upset.

"Brother-in-law, those people are such scoundrels!"

The word "scoundrel" was one Xiao Wuge rarely used.

Chen Yi was surprised. "Sit down and tell me what happened."

Xiao Wuge said indignantly, "I was just at my sister’s and I overheard her talking with the old steward."

"She said our usual medicine supplier refused us, claiming someone else offered a higher price to buy up their stock."

"But the old steward said that supplier’s warehouses are piled to the ceiling with herbs."

"Brother-in-law, isn’t that infuriating? It’s not like we won’t pay him. Why won’t he sell to us?"

After listening, Chen Yi thought for a moment, then had Xiaodie set a place for the boy. He smiled comfortingly and said:

"It’s just a small matter. Don’t worry about it."

"Besides, your sister is managing things. I’m sure she’ll figure it out."