White Dragon Incognito

Chen Ping'an saw the green-clothed girl again. She was quietly following a middle-aged man, her head down as she nibbled on a scallion oil egg pancake.

The man had a look of utter despair on his face.

Upon seeing Chen Ping'an, the man stopped and asked, "Are you the guy I chased away last time?"

The green-clothed girl, who had bumped into the "wall" behind the man's back, looked up in a daze. Seeing Chen Ping'an, she was about to smile when she suddenly turned her back to him, fumbling to wipe her mouth.

Chen Ping'an suppressed a smile and nodded at the man, "Hello, Master Ruan."

It seemed likely that the girl was Master Ruan's daughter.

However, father and daughter didn't look alike at all, which was probably for the best.

The man Chen Ping'an called Master Ruan was the blacksmith who had moved to the stream south of the small town not long after arriving. He continued, "Why hasn't Liu Xianyang been here to do blacksmithing these past two days?"

Just as Chen Ping'an was about to explain for Liu Xianyang, the man coldly interrupted, "Go tell that kid, if I don't see his esteemed self today, he doesn't need to show up at my shop tomorrow."

Chen Ping'an said hurriedly, "Master Ruan, something urgent came up at his home..."

The man cut him off rudely, "That's his problem, what's it to me?!"

Chen Ping'an, who wasn't good with words to begin with, stood there stunned, his face flushing red with anxiety, unsure how to proceed. He was afraid of making things worse. He had personally experienced Master Ruan's straightforward temper before.

The green-clothed girl tried to put in a good word for Chen Ping'an, but the man, who knew his daughter well, admonished her first, "Eat your pancake!"

The girl, full of indignation, suddenly quickened her pace, stomped hard on the man's instep, and then, with wind beneath her feet, vanished in a flash.

The man sighed and left Chen Ping'an standing there, continuing on his way.

Chen Ping'an also sighed and went to the breakfast shop to buy a cage of six steamed buns before heading to Mud Bottle Alley.

When he arrived at his own house, he found Liu Xianyang squatting on the wall, half his body leaning towards Song Jixin's courtyard, eavesdropping with intense concentration.

Sometimes Chen Ping'an felt that Liu Xianyang was truly asking for a beating.

He had to remind him, "I just saw Master Ruan. He told you to go help at the blacksmith shop today and said if he doesn't see you, he'll fire you."

Liu Xianyang replied distractedly, "What's the rush? An apprentice like me, who's both nimble and hardworking, is hard to find even with a lantern. Master Ruan is just blowing off steam; it'll be fine if I go tomorrow."

Chen Ping'an shook his head, "I'm sure Master Ruan was absolutely serious."

Liu Xianyang said irritably, "I'll go later. Don't interrupt my important business."

Chen Ping'an delivered breakfast to the black-clothed girl, handing three of the buns to Liu Xianyang while only biting into one himself.

Liu Xianyang devoured all the meat buns in a few bites. Wiping his mouth, he whispered, "A distinguished guest just arrived at Song Jixin's place. A truly important figure. If I'm not mistaken, it's the current Supervising Official of the Imperial Kiln. The time he visited our Dragon Kiln in his official robes, Old Man Yao found you apprentices to be an eyesore and didn't let you show your faces to gain experience. But it was different for me; Old Man Yao even had me demonstrate what 'jump-knife' means to that official."

Chen Ping'an chuckled, "The new Supervising Official favors Song Jixin; everyone in town knows that. Why are you being so suspicious here?"

Liu Xianyang said worriedly, "Song Jixin, that pretty boy, can't possibly compete with me. But what if Zhi Gui falls for this distinguished official? My chances would be slim! What would I do if your future sister-in-law ran off with someone else? And what about you?"

Chen Ping'an walked back into the house.

He left Liu Xianyang squatting on the wall, lamenting his fate.

The black-clothed girl sat at the table, her back straight, one hand on the hilt of her sword, as if facing a great enemy.

Sweat beaded on her forehead.

This was the first time Chen Ping'an had seen the girl with such an expression. Though her body was tense and on guard, her eyes shone with eagerness.

Chen Ping'an retreated to the doorway. She asked, "Do you know the identity of the guest next door?"

Chen Ping'an replied, "Liu Xianyang said he's the current Kiln Affairs Supervisor of our small town. He seems quite amiable. He even made way for me at the alley entrance just now."

The girl sneered, "That kind of person is the most terrifying."

Chen Ping'an looked puzzled.

She asked, "If a person is walking on the road and sees ants, will they step on them?"

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and replied, "Gu Can definitely would. He often waters ant nests or blocks their exits with stones. Liu Xianyang probably would too when he's in a bad mood."

The black-clothed girl was speechless.

Chen Ping'an grinned, "Miss Ning, I understand what you mean."

She asked in surprise, "Really?"

Chen Ping'an nodded, "I think you meant two things. One, that we common folk in our small town are like ants crawling under your feet, from your perspective as outsiders. Second, that among outsiders, there are distinctions. Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian are like Gu Can, mere children who might find it amusing or annoying to control the fate of ants. But the official who came to our Mud Bottle Alley is different. His words and actions will be in line with his status, which is why he seems so polite. Isn't that right, Miss Ning?"

The girl asked, "How did you figure that out?"

The young man replied jokingly, "After picking up my life, my brain seems to have become a bit sharper."

The black-clothed girl asked solemnly, "Before you died, what did you see?"

"I didn't see anything," Chen Ping'an replied somewhat confusedly, but honestly. "Actually, in that alley, I didn't overthink anything from beginning to end. You'd be better off asking Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian about this question; they might have seen something."

She snorted, "Oh, such a big mouth!"

After saying this, she inexplicably stared intently at the straw-sandaled youth.

Chen Ping'an felt flustered under her gaze. "What's wrong?"

The girl frowned, looking somewhat annoyed, and muttered to herself in her hometown dialect, "My family's sword techniques, whether it's the sword art or the methods for tempering the body and soul, are unique, secret, and never-before-taught arts. I haven't even learned them all myself, so how could I dare teach others? And I haven't studied those superficial things from other parts of the world, otherwise, I could have pointed him in the right direction, even if it was just to strengthen his body and prolong his life. Where am I supposed to find the most basic introductory manual of my sect now?"

The girl's eyes lit up. "Robbery? No, no, not robbery. It's borrowing a manual. It'll be returned, after all."

It was a pity that her expression soon turned gloomy, and she said hatefully, "Damn that old eunuch! Just you wait, I'll turn your entire palace upside down."

She said with a mournful face, "Do I really have no choice but to find that swordsmith surnamed Ruan? I'm decent at fighting people, with about forty to fifty percent of my mother's true skill, but asking for favors? I'm really not good at that."

The straw-sandaled youth sat on the doorstep, watching the girl named Ning Yao. She mumbled to herself, her expression shifting like the clouds in the sky.

A handsome man in a white robe and jade belt stood in Song Jixin's room. He looked around and frowned slightly, "Did that guy surnamed Song only arrange such a shabby place for you?"

Song Jixin pursed his lips and said nothing.

The maidservant Zhi Gui had already wisely retreated to her own small room.

According to the most widespread story in the small town, the former Supervising Official, Lord Song, was not skilled in his work. He failed to produce imperial porcelain that satisfied the court. Relying on his hard work, he left behind a covered bridge and returned to the capital for his official post. Of course, he also left behind Song Jixin, his illegitimate son, for whom he only bought a personal maid to take care of his daily life. He also entrusted him to a friend, the new Supervising Official who replaced him, who was also reportedly surnamed Song.

But the truth of the matter was that those involved were often blind, while observers might not be clear.

Song Jixin himself didn't know what kind of relationship the man in front of him had with the man surnamed Song. Were they close colleagues in the bureaucracy? Old friends from their school days? Or rivals from other factions in the imperial court? Before the man surnamed Song left, he had briefly mentioned that the new Supervising Official would soon take the master and servant away from the small town to the capital after arriving. He had instructed Song Jixin to treat that official with extreme respect and not to show the slightest disrespect.

Song Jixin harbored no good feelings towards the imposing man from the capital, likely due to a transfer of resentment.

The confidence he had shown to the maidservant Zhi Gui, his composure about leaving his hometown, was merely the result of youthful pride.

The man chuckled, "Forget it. That scholar surnamed Song has always been cautious and timid, more like a woman than a man. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent here to look after you."

Song Jixin's brows were knitted in gloom.

The man casually glanced at the large chest where the youth stored his belongings, curled his lips in disdain, and said slowly, "Before coming here, I already met Fu Nanhua in Old Dragon City. What an unlucky fellow, almost shattering his Dao Heart here. Your deal with him can proceed as usual. You're on your own for any profits or losses; I won't get involved in such trivial matters. However, before we leave, you must come with me to the covered bridge and kowtow a few times. After that, you'll be done here. Come home with me, do what you should do, sit where you should sit, fulfill your duties. It's that simple. Understand?"

"Of course, I understand. Lord Song's words are not obscure."

The youth sneered, "But why should I?"

The man smiled and turned to face the youth for the first time, retorting, "That sissy surnamed Song said you have exceptional talent. He really didn't mince words, did he? Why don't you guess why I think I have the right?"

If one looked closely, they would find a surprising resemblance between the two, both in appearance and spirit.

Song Jixin's anger grew, but he suppressed it.

The man stopped playing games and said playfully, "Why? Of course, it's because I'm a top-tier unlucky fellow, and I happen to be your uncle."

Song Jixin's heart trembled violently, and his face turned slightly pale.

The man in the white robe ignored this, placed his hands on his jade belt, looked up at the sky outside the window, and smiled, "And because I am the foremost martial artist of the Great Li Dynasty."

Actually, this statement could be phrased in another way that would be even more awe-inspiring. However, the man preferred to be the head of a chicken rather than the tail of a phoenix. He felt that being second to anyone, even by just one or two people, was not worth publicizing.

The man thought of the Confucian Sage who resided here, a sneer playing on his lips.

He thought to himself.

If I weren't in this world, I could crush immortals of the Three Teachings like Qi Jingchun with just one hand.

In the thatched hut of the schoolhouse, Mr. Qi was listening to the clear recitations of the young children in the preparatory education class.

He sat upright.

Truly upright, a level of posture that even scholarly prodigies like Song Jixin and Zhao Yao could not fully grasp.

Confucianism had a classic text for establishing its teachings, titled "Great Rites." Within it, the "Chapter on Self-Cultivation" specifically discussed how a gentleman should "sit like a corpse." The posture of a corpse was a divine image, and sitting like one demonstrated solemnity and reverence.

At this moment, Qi Jingchun seemed to hear the white-robed man's inner monologue verbatim. He said calmly with a smile, "A martial man ruling the country, truly remarkable. However, appearing incognito as a white dragon is not a good omen."