Chapter 654 - 647_1
Lin Yue smiled and nodded her head, yet her heart didn’t relax at all. No joke, she would never assume that a bandit leader would be easy to get along with. Otherwise, why would he lead a group of bandits to rule over the mountains? The so-called friendliness was probably only toward his own people, but unlikely toward others. Lin Yue thought it would be wise to stay alert, lest the bandit leader show his ruthless side; in this bandit’s den, she was helpless and at the mercy of others.
Chang Dabao led Lin Yue to a room exquisitely and elegantly furnished. It looked like a study, with a desk, many books, and a sleeping couch. The room’s furnishings made it seem not like those of a bandit leader, but rather like those belonging to a young master of an aristocratic family. This made her quite surprised, and she wondered just who this bandit leader was and what kind of bearing he had.
"Madam Lin, please wait a moment. Our leader might be outside practicing his swordsmanship. It should be about time for him to return," Chang Dabao said, but he merely let Lin Yue sit in the room, surprisingly not offering her a seat. Chang Dabao himself stood stiffly, as well, not touching anything in the room.
Lin Yue thought that Chang Dabao’s behavior indicated either that the owner of the room had an imposing mane, or that the owner had a cleanliness fetish—why else would they avoid even touching the room’s objects? However, Chang Dabao had already mentioned the leader was approachable, so the most probable explanation was that the room’s owner had a cleanliness fetish. Moreover, seeing the room’s spotless condition, Lin Yue felt more certain about her guess. Therefore, she refrained from touching anything in the room to avoid annoying this important person over such a trivial matter.
About fifteen minutes had passed, and Lin Yue had been waiting in the room. The so-called leader had yet to arrive, which seemed quite arrogant. Lin Yue recalled that someone had already gone to report her arrival. Even if he was practicing swordsmanship, couldn’t he pause it to meet a guest? This suggested that the man was quite prideful. Lin Yue didn’t really care about waiting, it was just that standing for so long was very tiring. She had been pressing on, having traveled throughout the night, and was already exhausted. Just this short period of waiting was becoming too much to bear.
Chang Dabao seemed to realize that it was inappropriate to make her stand for so long. After hesitating, he still didn’t invite Lin Yue to sit down. After all, it was the leader’s room, and even he had to abide by the ruler’s rules. The leader was okay in other aspects, but when it came to cleanliness, he was almost obsessive-compulsive. Normally, without his permission, no one was allowed to enter his room casually, which was always cleaned by his personal maidservants.
"Madam Lin, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Our leader is generally reasonable, but he has many rules. As for his sword practice, no interruptions are allowed. He only receives reports once he has finished, which is why you’ve had to wait for a while. Please don’t be anxious, I’m looking at the time and it should be almost over," Chang Dabao explained.