Flying Kites

For the past few days, the straw-sandaled youth had been frequently delivering family letters to Fulu Street and Taoye Lane. Almost every household's doorkeeper recognized the messenger, so his presence wasn't unusual. Coupled with his calm demeanor as he jogged along the bluestone street as usual, passersby wouldn't pay him much mind. Chen Ping'an approached the entrance of a residence, where a stone statue, half a person's height and resembling a military general, stood to ward off evil. Chen Ping'an knew this was the Li Family's mansion, located on the affluent Fulu Street. On this street, almost every household had its own unique methods for repelling evil, and even the Door Gods pasted on their gates varied between civil and military figures, making them easy to distinguish.

He quickly scanned his surroundings and continued forward. Next was the Song Family, and after that, the government office overseeing kiln operations. On the outer wall where the adjacent mansions of the Li and Song families met, grew a pagoda tree. Its trunk was gnarled, and its branches were lush with leaves. Although it couldn't compare to the ancient, weathered aura of the old pagoda tree in the small town, it was still striking at first glance.

According to the older generation, this Sophora tree and the towering ancient Sophora tree in the center of the small town were said to be from the same lineage. The latter was called the Ancestor Sophora, while the one before the youth was known as the Descendant Sophora.

Chen Ping'an's reason for coming to the Li Family, rather than the Lu Family in the small town where Lu Zhengchun resided, was that the elderly steward who saw him off from the yamen had, intentionally or unintentionally, chatted about local gossip. He mentioned how the scholarly prodigy of the Zhao Family on this street, Zhao Yao, had already left the small town and was destined to become a high-ranking official as a top scholar. He also spoke of a young lady from the neighboring Song Family, who was of marriageable age but couldn't even do needlework, preferring to practice martial arts instead – how amusing for a young lady of her status. Amidst a heap of trivial anecdotes, the old man interjected a seemingly insignificant piece of news: a distinguished guest had just arrived at the Li Family residence. The young girl was described as exquisitely beautiful, like a piece of Imperial Porcelain, and if she didn't change drastically as she grew older, she would undoubtedly be a stunning beauty. He wondered which family would be fortunate enough to take such a daughter-in-law into their home.

On the way out of the yamen's back hall earlier, the youth, who had been silent at first, deliberately walked slowly and paid close attention to the layout of the yamen's buildings. He occasionally asked a few off-topic questions, as if a pauper were curious about the wealth and extravagance of the prominent families. The elderly steward answered everything he knew, using the neighboring Song Family and the farther Li Family as examples to explain the courtyard layouts and various rules of wealthy households to the youth.

The youth understood the steward's true intentions perfectly.

However, Chen Ping'an had no intention of acting according to their wishes from the very beginning.

At this moment, jogging slowly along the street, Chen Ping'an saw that no one was around. He suddenly exerted himself, quickening his pace and running directly towards the old Sophora tree. With a leap, he actually stepped on the trunk upwards four times before showing signs of falling. By then, the agile youth had already reached out and grabbed a branch. In an instant, the youth, as nimble as a mountain ape, sat on the protruding branch, then steadily stood up and continued to climb. In a few blinks of an eye, Chen Ping'an was squatting on a sloping branch, just high enough to peer over the two-zhang-high courtyard wall. Concealed by the lush Sophora leaves, the youth held his breath, narrowed his eyes, and watched, not in any hurry to sneak inside.

On the way back to the small town with Ning Yao from the Covered Bridge, Chen Ping'an had asked many questions.

For instance, how fast and how high could that Old Ape from Zhengyang Mountain normally jump and run within the small town's territory? How resilient was its body, and what made it so tough? If a punch from me would be no more than a tickle to the Old Ape, then what kind of damage would a slingshot or a wooden bow inflict from twenty paces and forty paces respectively? Did Zhengyang Mountain's Old Ape, this so-called "Immortal," have any fatal flaws, such as its eyes, groin, or throat? If the opponent were to fight to the death, would I be absolutely doomed?

At that time, Ning Yao almost wished she were deaf and mute from the youth's questions.

According to the black-clothed girl, the higher the realm of a cultivator, whether a Qi refiner or a pure martial artist, the greater the pressure they would face here. It was like an iron cavalry at the pass, forced to defend with all their might, sustained only by a thread of breath. Once they opened their mouths, they would suffer damage like the sea rushing in. Imagine facing a swift flood and then trying to open a small gap in the dike.

But Ning Yao's final verdict remained that if the youth were to fight the Old Ape from Zhengyang Mountain, Chen Ping'an would have no chance of winning.

Beneath the shade of the Sophora tree, the youth's eyes were resolute, his expression cold, as he muttered, "Don't let the Old Ape get within ten paces. Ten paces, at the very least, maintain that distance."

Ning Yao had said that as long as the Old Ape didn't resort to desperate measures, there would be a chance to survive.

But Chen Ping'an replied that he wanted to force the Old Ape to attack him with killing intent; otherwise, it would be meaningless.

He had to force the Old Ape from Zhengyang Mountain to get angry and use its true qi, thereby truly depleting its cultivation accumulated over a thousand years. Perhaps the Old Ape thought that the lives of small-town folks like him and Liu Xianyang were worthless, but Chen Ping'an desperately wanted to know if the Old Ape would feel heartache and still consider their lives worthless when it watched its dissipated cultivation and Taoist practices disappear before its eyes.

Of course, the prerequisite was that he wouldn't be killed with a single punch upon first contact.

The youth looked down at the people coming and going through the corridors and rooms of the mansion, murmuring, "Even if I can't escape, I must take a few more punches."

Chen Ping'an never thought of killing the Old Ape, nor did he expect to survive.

In the Li Family mansion, the little girl from Zhengyang Mountain, as the direct granddaughter of the Old Ancestor of the Tao Family, was treated as a Bodhisattva by everyone in the Li Family. In addition to assigning several first and second-rank maidservants to the separate courtyard, these girls, born into the family, were clean and efficient. Most importantly, their backgrounds were well-known and their loyalty to the Li Family was unquestionable, possibly dating back to their ancestors.

This separate courtyard was centrally located, not adjacent to the Fulu Street.

The little girl's name was Tao Zi, nicknamed Peaches. She was the joy of the Sword Immortals, Old Ancestors of Zhengyang Mountain, not because of her innocent and cute appearance or temperament, but because of her future attainments in the Sword Dao, which qualified her to receive massive resources from Zhengyang Mountain without regard for cost.

In the past five hundred years, Tao Zi's innate talent, aptitude, temperament, and destiny were all ranked among the top by the Old Ancestors of Zhengyang Mountain's various peaks. Simply put, the little girl Tao Zi would be a miraculous existence with extremely long strengths and no weaknesses.

This was truly a once-in-a-century talent, not a common, polite compliment.

Without the Mountain-Moving Old Ape by her side, the little girl found herself in a completely unfamiliar place. She wasn't shy or timid, just a bit bored and regretful. From Grandpa Ape's tone, it seemed he couldn't move a mountain peak from here. This left the little girl very discouraged. Sister Su from Zhengyang Mountain had been gifted a mountain peak by an Old Ancestor when she entered the Middle Five Realms, becoming Sister Su's private domain. That mountain peak was personally carried back to Zhengyang Mountain by Grandpa Ape from thousands of miles away and placed to the northeast of Zhengyang Mountain. Although it wasn't large, the little girl had always envied it.

Feeling stuffy in the study, she walked to the main hall, hands behind her back, and stared at the plaque overhead with a precocious air.

Two delicate maidservants always stayed close behind the little girl. One of them, discovered to have considerable talent by the Li Family from a young age, had been specially trained in martial arts and achieved some success. In fact, for the direct descendants of the Li Family, such actions were no different from raising birds, fish, and insects; they didn't necessarily hope that the maidservant would become a martial arts grandmaster in the future. Within the high walls of a noble family, instances of servants overstepping their masters were not unheard of. Moreover, a small favor could breed resentment, and servants with overly high aspirations and potential might not be beneficial for the family's next generation's inheritance.

The little girl walked towards the main gate, skipping and twirling in the courtyard. She didn't venture outside the courtyard without permission, causing trouble for the servants. Grandpa Ape had warned her that people from Wind Thunder Garden had also arrived in the small town, and she shouldn't leave this courtyard until he had dealt with them. Although the little girl was young, she had been exposed to the complex and perilous world of mountain cultivation from a young age and had received strict upbringing. Therefore, she wasn't the kind of unruly child who would cause her elders worry.

Bored, the little girl finally slumped onto a stone table. On the table was a birdcage containing a bird that seemed to be called a Snake-Catching Eagle. It hung its head listlessly, its feathers a dull gray, not at all attractive. The little girl had tried to tease it before, but the Snake-Catching Eagle paid her no mind, so she found it uninteresting. Now, out of sheer boredom, she was whistling at the flat-feathered creature.

Inside the cage were two exquisitely crafted porcelain bird feeders, privately made by the Li Family's Dragon Kiln. One, simple and elegant, held water, and the other, brightly colored, held food.

However, after being captured, the Snake-Catching Eagle had refused to drink a drop of water or eat a single grain of rice for almost two days.

In the small town, Snake-Catching Eagles were rarely caught. On the few occasions they were, whether young chicks or adult birds, they invariably died of starvation.

They couldn't be kept alive, nor could they be trained into hunting eagles for human use.

The little girl, who had been whistling, saw that the Snake-Catching Eagle still showed no reaction and finally lost all patience. She stood up and turned to leave.

With a loud bang.

A bird feeder inside the cage shattered violently.

The little girl froze for a moment, then, almost instinctively, grabbed a tall maidservant and pulled her in front of her.

The tall, well-built maidservant felt as if her wrist were being gripped by iron wire, almost screaming out in pain.

The shorter maidservant, however, had sharp eyes and immediately stepped in front of the little girl, quickly scanning her surroundings.

The second bird feeder in the cage exploded with another loud bang, sounding like firecrackers on the table.

"Assassin! On the roof of the Qingxin Courtyard!" The maidservant, trained in martial arts, had finally spotted the figure. On the roof ridge of the adjacent courtyard, there was a half-crouching figure.

The maidservant began to run, the courtyard wall not being very high. She used it as a foothold, grabbed the edge with her hands, and quickly climbed over the wall with her exceptional strength.

She hesitated for a moment. This separate courtyard wasn't far from the Qingxin Courtyard opposite, but the assassin was on the main house's roof in the Qingxin Courtyard. The Qingxin Courtyard was close to Fulu Street, making it easy for the person to climb over the wall and escape. So, in a flash, she made a decision. Instead of jumping down and running towards the Qingxin Courtyard, she crouched and ran along the top of the wall, leaping onto the roof of her own courtyard. During this time, the maidservant kept a watchful eye for any sneak attacks from the assassin.

It was strange. The assassin neither hindered her movements nor showed any intention of retreating immediately.

There was a distance of about three zhang between the eaves of the two courtyards.

The maidservant, while keeping an eye on the assassin's movements, retreated stealthily along the eaves. Finally, she took a deep breath and prepared to sprint.

The maidservant's heart trembled violently. The assassin facing her from a distance was actually a thin youth dressed in shabby clothes!

The youth had two small satchels tied to his waist. No weapons were visible in his hands; he had likely hidden them. The maidservant suspected it was a slingshot.

She was also confused. If the attack had hit her head, she wouldn't dare say she would die on the spot, but she would definitely be seriously injured. Given the youth's terrifying accuracy, he had twice deliberately shattered the bird feeder. Could he really not have hit her or that young lady from Zhengyang Mountain?

In the courtyard, the little girl shouted angrily, "Idiot! Be careful of the 'luring the tiger away from its den' stratagem! Come back quickly!"

Capturing the assassin and extracting information through torture was certainly important, but preventing unforeseen accidents and preserving her life was even more crucial.

After the little girl let go of the tall maidservant's arm, she raised her palm and slapped the stunned girl awake. "And you, hurry up and go spread the word! Do you know, if I die, everyone in this mansion will die!"

The maidservant on the rooftop didn't immediately jump into the courtyard. Instead, she shouted loudly, "There's an assassin!"

Then she began to sprint, leaping from the edge of the eaves, and then flew towards the roof ridge of the Qingxin Courtyard opposite.

Based on the maidservant's series of climbing and running movements, the assassin, who had roughly judged her arm strength, leg strength, and overall power, squatted down, picked up two roof tiles, and threw them with his right hand, aiming directly at the young lady's forehead. The young lady, still in mid-air, instinctively crossed her arms in front of her head to block. Then, with two thuds, the tiles not only caused the maidservant bone-chilling pain but their force far exceeded her imagination. Her forward momentum was significantly halted. Just as she regretted her overconfidence.

The maidservant, who had barely managed to land on the opposite eaves, was punched in the abdomen and sent reeling backward.

However, the assassin inexplicably grabbed one of her ankles. After a slight pause, the youth let go.

The maidservant didn't land safely, but at least she wasn't seriously injured.

Her mind was a complete mess.

The youth's peripheral vision had been scanning the surroundings. Upon noticing black dots appearing all around, he turned and fled.

His speed, the length of his strides, his rhythm, and especially the perfectly timed breaths he took – if the maidservant could have seen him, she would have thought that he, like her, had been practicing martial arts for many years and was deeply immersed in it, certainly not an amateur.

The youth on the roof ridge quickly disappeared, like a nimble bird, a snake-catching eagle released from its cage.

About the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the burly old man rushed back to the Li family mansion, radiating killing intent.

From the Li family head, Li Hong, to the maids in the separate courtyards, no one dared to breathe loudly. Especially the martial arts-practicing maidservant, who knelt on the ground with her cheeks severely swollen. The maidservant remained silent, not daring to show the slightest hint of resentment.

The little girl, her emotions now calm, saw the old man and sighed, shaking her head as she admonished him, "Grandpa Yuan, the people of the Li family seem to be a bunch of useless trash. How could you entrust me to them?"

The Mountain-Moving Ape knelt on one knee, still taller than the little girl. The white-haired old man said with guilt, "Miss, this old servant was wrong."

The old man turned his head and said sternly, "Li Hong!"

The head of the Li clan in the small town had a rudimentary understanding of the orthodox elegant language of East Treasure Bottle Continent, and coincidentally, the speech of the cultivators from Zhengyang Mountain was like this. This man, who held absolute authority within the family, could only offer a wry smile and apologize, "This was indeed our Li family's oversight, and we cannot shirk responsibility. Based on the information we have so far, it was a young man, likely not a cultivator. The yamen has not yet provided any useful intelligence, only stating that they will dispatch more capable personnel to guard the residence day and night."

Tao Zi thought for a moment and said, "That assassin didn't seem like he was here to kill me."

She then added, "At least not today."

The head of the Li clan, who had just begun to relax, immediately felt his heart leap into his throat again.

The White Ape frowned and asked, "Was the young man thin, with dark skin, and about this tall? Hmm, and wearing straw sandals?"

The maidservant kneeling on the ground nodded vigorously.

The White Ape grinned, his eyes sinister, "Good heavens! So he came to show off his strength!"

He waved his hand, "Don't interfere in this matter. I know the background of that assassin; he's just an ordinary youth from Mud Bottle Alley."

The little girl said softly, "Grandpa Yuan, don't take it lightly."

The Mountain-Moving Ape hesitated for a moment, then stood up and instructed the head of the Li clan, "Then have the yamen provide a household registration file to the Li family mansion and thoroughly investigate the background of that young man's ancestors for eighteen generations. As for the guards for this courtyard, let them be few but effective, not many but mixed!"

The old man subtly intensified his tone and sneered, "Li Hong, I advise you to bring out the pillar of strength your family has stationed here. Don't treat this lightly. If something were to happen to my young lady here, even I, this old beast in your eyes, couldn't bear the responsibility. Can your collateral branch of the Li clan bear it?"

The head of the Li clan quickly bowed and apologized, his face full of anxiety, "Old Ancestor Yuan, you flatter the Li family."

The mountain guardian ape from Zhengyang Mountain fell into thought and muttered, "Is it that brat from Wind Thunder Garden provoking trouble? Or is it the scheme of Song Changjing from the yamen?"

The old man finally shook his head, finding it absurd and laughable, "No matter who instigated him to come here to die, you don't even know how to find a decent pawn to send across the river. A tiny grasshopper with barely any meat on it, just enough to get stuck in my teeth? Fine, I was just looking for an excuse to kill someone. This is a good opportunity. I'll kill that unformed clay from Mud Bottle Alley first, and then I'll deal with you, the bastard from Wind Thunder Garden, along with him."

The old man smiled at the little girl, "Miss, this old servant will definitely clean up this mess for you this time, and there will be absolutely no more accidents."

The little girl smiled brightly and clenched her fist, boosting the morale of the mountain guardian ape from Zhengyang Mountain.

Before the old man left, he glanced at the head of the Li clan, who replied with a wry smile, "I will go invite the Old Ancestor out of seclusion right away to personally serve as Miss Tao's personal escort."

The old man nodded and strode away.

The old man brazenly bit the fishing bait and, following the fishing line, headed straight for Mud Bottle Alley.

It was a clear declaration: I've taken the bait, come and kill me if you dare.

If he were outside the small town, this Mountain-Moving Ape from Zhengyang Mountain wouldn't dare to be so arrogant. However, in this world, all sorcery, divine abilities, magic treasures, and artifacts were prohibited. He, on the other hand, possessed a significant advantage. This was also why Zhengyang Mountain hadn't dispatched any Sword Immortal Old Ancestors.

As the old ape traveled, nearing Mud Bottle Alley, he suddenly realized something. "Could the youth in the alley simply be seeking revenge for a friend?"

Before this, the old ape had been thinking deeply, involving a thousand-mile-long conspiracy. Now, realizing this possibility, he found it particularly absurd.

The old ape chuckled and quickly figured it out. "If that's the case, it makes sense. Indeed, since he's not a cultivator, he wouldn't be so afraid of death. It's just a cheap life anyway."

However, out of caution, the old ape still didn't swagger into Mud Bottle Alley from this end.

Regardless, this trip would not be in vain. That bastard favored by Wind Thunder Garden would only live a little longer than the little mud-legged boy from Mud Bottle Alley.

Taking a large detour, the old ape entered Mud Bottle Alley from a corner of the alley near Gu Can's house.

In fact, the old ape highly doubted whether the assassin youth would have the courage to stay in the ancestral home and wait for death.

If he were smart and timid, he could die after the young man from Wind Thunder Garden.

The old ape grinned.

Then his smile instantly froze.

In the twilight, Mud Bottle Alley's small path had already become dark and blurry.

The burly old man suddenly looked up.

A slender youth, somehow, was standing on the high ground in front of the alley, his feet braced in newly dug holes in the walls on either side, using them for leverage.

The youth had a quiver on his back and held a drawn wooden bow, the arrowhead aimed directly at one of the old ape's eyeballs.

The youth was completely silent, his bow drawn like a full moon, and it seemed even his most subtle breath had vanished.

Because of this, the mountain guardian patriarch of Zhengyang Mountain could only sense the youth's presence above him through his keen sense of danger.

Without giving the old ape more time to react.

The arrow shot out, whistling like the wind, powerful and heavy.

After shooting the arrow, the youth made no second choice. He retracted his neck, quickly slung the wooden bow diagonally over his shoulder, and with a push of his toes, he used the walls on both sides to propel himself upwards towards the eaves, disappearing in an instant.

The old ape retracted the hand that had been shielding his forehead, only to see the arrow embedded in his palm, not deeply, but a wound was clearly visible.

But the old ape felt a surge of lingering fear.

If he had been shot in the eyeball at such close range in the small town, it would have been a tragedy where crying to heaven would be unheard and calling to earth would be in vain.

He casually pulled out the arrow and broke it, dropping it carelessly in Mud Bottle Alley.

The old man clenched his fists, looked up at the sky above the alley, his face ashen, his throat convulsing as he let out a low, suppressed sound, like an extremely enraged ancient fierce beast.

The old man scrambled up to the rooftop with hands and feet, but as soon as he poked his head out, a second arrow arrived instantly.

The old man, now on guard, merely raised his hand casually, letting the arrow embed itself slightly in his arm, and then strode forward with a grim smile.

The youth, having put away his wooden bow again, turned and fled.

A series of cracking sounds echoed across the continuous eaves on one side of Mud Bottle Alley.

The old man's steps were ultimately much faster than the youth's, gradually closing the distance. As expected, he would soon catch up to the slender youth, who was already quite agile.

The old man instantly exerted his strength, leaping forward, a giant hand the size of a fan reaching for the youth's head.

It was as if the youth had eyes in the back of his head. At the critical moment, he twisted his waist, crouched low, and then sprang towards the roof of the opposite alley.

Landing lightly, he continued to sprint.

The old ape's movements were also extremely agile and swift, and he also abruptly veered towards the other side of Mud Bottle Alley's roof.

The youth suddenly stopped.

By the time the old ape realized something was wrong, it was too late.

It turned out that the roof belonged to an uninhabited house, old and in disrepair, and could not withstand the old ape's leap of over two hundred pounds.

With a crash, he fell into the house along with the tiles.

The old ape landed with a thud, propping himself up with one hand, and twisted his head, dodging the cunning and insidious arrow.

The arrow embedded itself directly into the ground.

This showed that it wasn't that the youth lacked strength, but that the old ape was simply too thick-skinned.

The youth stood at the edge of the large hole in the roof, skillfully putting away his wooden bow, and gave the old ape the middle finger, cursing, "You old beast! F*** your mother!"

The youth's expression suddenly turned strange, and he slapped himself, muttering, "It's still my own loss!"

The old ape suddenly got up, and the youth was already far away.