The meal was enjoyed thoroughly by all, and with their bellies full and thirst quenched, Wufu glanced at the sky and suggested it was time to leave.
"It’s getting late, and you want to go back to the village?" Ah Jiu gently persuaded, "The journey home is not short, and you are but a young lady with only a lad by your side. It’s not safe. Better to head back early tomorrow morning."
Wufu gave him a peculiar look, "Ninth Master, how old are you this year?"
Ah Jiu was taken aback, blinked twice, and replied, "I have just reached the age of adulthood."
Wufu laughed, "The age of adulthood, huh? If you hadn’t said, I would have thought you were of a venerable old age!"
What did she mean by that?
Her eyes gleaming with mischief, Ah Jiu couldn’t help but laugh, feeling the tips of his ears heat up. Was she implying he was being long-winded?
Hoo Die, standing on the side, glared at Wufu, Little Fox, even daring to tease his master.
"Ninth Master, if you hire a horse-drawn carriage, it’s not so far, a few dozen miles. We should arrive home before dark. As for safety concerns, do you think I lack the ability to protect myself?" Wufu said confidently, eyebrows raised.
Ah Jiu thought back to when they first met and how she had single-handedly caught the Flower-Picking Thief. Even Hoo Die had said her martial arts skills were unique, certainly not like the average delicate woman.
"If that’s the case, I won’t hinder the lady’s departure," Ah Jiu said with a bow, "Until we meet again."
"Until we meet again," Wufu returned the gesture with a curtsy, waved over Liu Jin who carried the packed food, and the master and servant departed one after the other.
Their conversation faintly carried back.
"Miss, why did you even take leftovers? I felt so embarrassed when Yuan Ye looked at me."
"You impertinent boy, what do you know? Every grain is hard-earned." Wufu tapped his head, "Move on, or it’ll be dark if we dawdle."
"Master?" Yuan Ye stepped forward.
"Let’s go," watching the two walk away into the distance, Ah Jiu turned and boarded the waiting carriage.
Their paths diverged in opposite directions.
Upon returning to the temporary residence, Ah Jiu sipped some green tea and looked at Hoo Die, who had been waiting silently, and harrumphed.
Hoo Die’s neck shrunk as he braced himself and approached, "Master."
Ah Jiu directly threw him the papers Wufu had given, "Take a look for yourself and see if it was a just defeat."
As Hoo Die unfolded the papers, he exclaimed, "What kind of gibberish is this? It’s even worse than my handwriting..."
His voice trailed off as he examined the letters under Ah Jiu’s intense gaze, and the more he looked, the more distressed his expression became.
After drinking half a cup of tea, Ah Jiu glanced at the attendants in the room and asked, "Do you know how she cracked the case?"
He didn’t hide anything, repeating Wufu’s explanation.
"Details, deduced from details. I have said before, never overlook anyone, no matter how trivial they seem. Have you taken that to heart?" Ah Jiu looked at them, dissatisfaction in his tone, "And the recent affairs you’ve managed, is there one that satisfied me? I blame myself for being too indulgent."
Hoo Die and the others promptly knelt down in unison.
"Perhaps you need to learn from a few more losses. As the saying goes, ’A loss is a blessing.’ Go reflect on this. If you’re of no use, return for retraining. Come back to serve only when you’ve proved useful," Ah Jiu’s final words carried an icy chill.
As Hoo Die reached the door, he heard his master saying, "Dock half a year’s monthly salary." He knew it was all that Little Fox’s fault.
Grinding his teeth, Hoo Die glanced at the paper in his hand and his anger deflated, muttering a reluctant consent.
Once outside, he exchanged a look with Su Luo, both wearing bitter smiles.
"The master is right, we truly need to reflect on ourselves," Su Luo sighed.
Looking at the Ghostly Talisman-like scribbles on the paper, Hoo Die pursed his lips.