Sword Arrives

As Liu Xianyang watched Chen Ping'an blow out the candle and place it on the table, he asked in a low voice, "Do you ever hear strange sounds in the early morning, like..."

Chen Ping'an sat on the bench, waiting for Liu Xianyang to continue.

After a moment's hesitation, Liu Xianyang blushed slightly, which was unusual for him, and said, "Like the sound of cats mating in spring."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Is it Song Jixin mimicking a cat, or Zhigui?"

Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes and stopped wasting his breath on someone who didn't understand. He placed his hands on the bed frame, slowly bent his elbows, then straightened his arms, lifting his hips off the bed and his feet off the ground. With his hips suspended in the air, he sneered and said, "What Zhigui? It's clearly Wang Zhu. Song Jixin has always loved to show off. He saw the word 'Zhigui' somewhere and used it carelessly, not even considering its meaning. Wang Zhu really must have committed sins in her past life to end up with such a young master by her side. Otherwise, she wouldn't have to suffer so much at Song Jixin's hands."

Chen Ping'an didn't echo the tall youth's sentiment.

Liu Xianyang, still maintaining his position, sneered again and said, "Don't you really understand? Why did Wang Zhu stop talking to you after you helped her carry a bucket of water just once? It must be that Song Jixin, that petty and jealous guy, got jealous and threatened Wang Zhu not to flirt with you. Otherwise, he would use family discipline, not only breaking her legs but also throwing her into Mud Bottle Alley..."

Chen Ping'an couldn't listen anymore and interrupted Liu Xianyang, "Song Jixin isn't bad to her."

Liu Xianyang got angry and embarrassed, "What do you know about what's good or bad?"

Chen Ping'an's eyes were clear as he whispered, "Sometimes when she's working in the yard, Song Jixin occasionally sits on a bench and reads his Local Gazetteer. When she looks at Song Jixin, she often smiles."

Liu Xianyang's eyes went blank.

Suddenly, the flimsy wooden bed could no longer support Liu Xianyang's weight and broke in half, causing the tall youth to crash to the ground with a thud.

Chen Ping'an squatted on the floor, holding his head with both hands, sighing and feeling a bit of a headache.

Liu Xianyang scratched his head, stood up, and didn't say anything about feeling guilty. Instead, he gently kicked Chen Ping'an and grinned, "Come on, it's just a little old bed. I came here today to bring you some great news. It's worth more than your old bed!"

Chen Ping'an looked up.

Liu Xianyang said proudly, "Master Ruan left the town and suddenly decided to dig a few wells by the river in the south. He didn't have enough people to help, so I casually mentioned you, saying there's a short and stocky guy with decent strength. Master Ruan agreed and asked you to go over there in the next couple of days."

Chen Ping'an suddenly stood up, about to say thank you.

Liu Xianyang raised a hand, "Stop, stop! Great favors need no words of thanks! Just keep it in mind!"

Chen Ping'an grimaced.

Liu Xianyang looked around, noticing a fishing pole leaning against the corner, a slingshot lying by the window, and a wooden bow hanging on the wall. The tall youth hesitated for a moment but then decided against commenting.

He stepped over the threshold with large strides, deliberately avoiding the ashes of the talisman with his boots.

Chen Ping'an watched the tall youth's back.

Suddenly, Liu Xianyang turned around, facing Chen Ping'an inside the threshold. He bent his waist without lifting his feet, rushed forward a few steps, and then delivered a heavy punch before straightening up and laughing loudly, "Master Ruan told me privately that with just one year of practicing these blows, I could kill someone!"

Liu Xianyang seemed unsatisfied and performed a strange kicking motion, laughing, "This is called 'Groin kicks,' capable of kicking down even the stubbornest donkey!"

Finally, Liu Xianyang stuck out his thumb, pointing at his chest, and said proudly, "When Master Ruan was teaching me these blows, I shared some of my thoughts and insights with him, like my understanding of old Yao's unique porcelain-making technique called 'Jumping Knife.' Master Ruan praised me as a martial arts prodigy once in a hundred years. Just follow me from now on, and you'll have a happy life!"

Liu Xianyang caught a glimpse of the maid from the next room entering the house and immediately lost interest in playing the hero.

He casually said to Chen Ping'an, "By the way, when I passed by the old locust tree just now, I saw an old man calling himself a 'storyteller' setting up a stall there. He said he had a belly full of stories about extraordinary people and interesting events that he wanted to share with us. You can go check it out if you have time."

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Liu Xianyang strode away from Mud Bottle Alley. 

Many rumors about this lone and unruly youth spread through the town, but the youth liked to claim that his ancestors were generals who led troops into battle, which was why his family possessed a suit of armor passed down through generations.

Though called treasured armor, Chen Ping'an had seen it once and found it ugly, resembling warts on a person's body or scars on an old tree.

However, Liu Xianyang's peers did not share this view. They insisted that Liu's ancestors were deserters who had fled to the town and became an upper-class man's son-in-law through marriage, escaping official pursuit through sheer luck. They spoke with certainty, as if they had witnessed Liu's ancestors fleeing the battlefield and enduring hardships to reach this town.

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and squatted beside the threshold, blowing away the ashes.

Song Jixin stood by the courtyard wall at some point, accompanied by his maid, Zhigui. He called out, "Do you want to come with us to the locust tree?"

Chen Ping'an looked up and said, "No, thanks."

Song Jixin tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "Boring."

He turned to his maid and smiled, "Zhigui, let's go! I'll buy you an entire jar of peach blossom powder, the size of a general's belly."

She blushed and said, "A small jar will suffice."

Song Jixin placed his hands behind his back, held his head high, and walked with long strides. "The people of the Song family are well-off, with generations of high officials. How could we be stingy? It would be a dishonor to our family traditions!"