Head Bowed, Thinking of a Girl

In the courtyard.

After seeing Lin Yan off, Duke Lu picked up the air-dried cured meat and called out, "We're having stir-fried pork with chilies tonight. Cook more rice. Old Man's got quite the appetite today—I'll eat at least three bowls!"

"Did Duke Lu reach an agreement with him?" Only then did the honest-looking middle-aged man emerge, cleaver in hand. "I thought you'd invite him to stay for dinner."

"Ordinarily, I should have invited him to eat—at the very least, exchanged a few polite words. But this was our first real contact, and neither side could be wholly candid. Keeping him for dinner would only have made things awkward."

Duke Lu waved a hand and added, "Besides, he must be terribly busy today."

The honest-looking middle-aged man nodded and was about to return to the kitchen when he suddenly froze.

"Wait!"

"You mean that kid was actually still holding something back?"

"You're a man of such lofty virtue and prestige, and you've shown him such favor—what the hell does he still have to be on guard about?"

The honest-looking middle-aged man immediately looked displeased. "Next time he comes, even if you invite him to dinner, I'm not cooking. I'll make him do it himself!"

Duke Lu stroked his beard and smiled. Not only was he not angered, he seemed rather delighted.

"This world is a chaotic mess. Even in Gao Liu City, where order appears stable on the surface, undercurrents still surge, with demons and evil things lurking in the shadows."

"For one so young to remain vigilant shows that his mind is already mature. He is no reckless hothead, nor some fool who trusts others too easily."

"In that regard, Old Man is quite satisfied."

Duke Lu spoke slowly. "Besides, now that Old Man knows his true cultivation realm, it is much like stripping away one layer of his clothing and seeing the shape of his body clearly..."

He said with a smile, "One must leave people some secrets. If Old Man made the kid explain everything, wouldn't that be the same as making him strip off all his remaining underclothes as well?"

The honest-looking middle-aged man scratched his head. "So what? Don't I often strip completely naked and bathe in the courtyard, letting you see everything plain as day?"

"Today was only the second time he and Old Man had met."

Duke Lu said slowly, "You have met me only twice, yet you have already been stripped bare and thoroughly seen through. If it were you, would you still be willing to associate with me?"

"I would! I would! Duke Lu... where are you going?"

"Old Man does not wish to associate with you. I intend to find a new Dao Protector!"

"Are we still eating dinner?"

"No appetite."

"But..."

"Get lost!"

Lin Yan walked out of the alley.

He looked at the talisman paper in his hand.

This was an Evil-Suppressing Talisman!

According to Duke Lu, it had once been enshrined for a year at Wutong Temple in Phoenix Perch Prefecture City.

The talisman contained the aura of the Phoenix Tree Mother Goddess. It could drive away evil entities and intimidate monsters.

His gift in return for today's visit was this talisman paper. Within Gao Liu City, it was immensely valuable—its worth impossible to measure.

If Lin Yan were willing to sell it, those waiting outside the alley would surely pay a high price.

"These Inner City powers really are relentless. Since they can't establish a connection with Duke Lu, they want me to build them a bridge?"

With that thought, Lin Yan tucked the Evil-Suppressing Talisman back into his robes and vaulted straight over the wall.

At the end of the street, several factions were waiting for the youth who had been received by Duke Lu.

"Have you sent someone to investigate that youth's identity?"

"They've already gone."

"Duke Lu will not even receive us, yet he received a mere youth like this. There must be a reason."

"His clothes are plain, and his background likely isn't much. We can make a little contact with him."

"If Duke Lu truly favors him, this youth's future prospects may be limitless."

"Even if not, we can use this youth to learn more about Duke Lu's preferences."

"Eh? Why hasn't the youth come out yet? Could Duke Lu have kept him for dinner?"

The steward craned his neck out curiously, then instructed a servant beside him, "Zhou An, go take a look."

Lin Yan glanced back from afar and figured those people would likely be waiting until dark.

His expression remained cold and indifferent. He ignored them and, carrying the bag of refined salt, headed straight for Second Brother's home.

Second Brother's newly built house had three tiled rooms. Even within Gao Liu City, it counted as spacious and impressive.

The moment he entered the rear courtyard, he heard someone calling out.

"Little Piggy... Little Piggy..."

It was a toddling little baby, her face brimming with delight as she scampered over, her little bottom wiggling.

With a thud, she fell flat on the ground.

Her mouth immediately puckered, her face full of grievance.

In an instant, her eyes reddened.

"Uncle bought two pieces of candy."

"..."

Little Girl's eyes lit up, and her crying stopped at once.

A smile spread across her fair, rosy cheeks.

Her tear-brimmed eyes blinked and fluttered.

"Call me Uncle, and I'll give you candy."

"Little Piggy."

"Uncle!"

"Little Piggy!"

"..."

Lin Yan sighed, handed her one piece of candy, then picked Little Girl up and pinched her cheek. Helplessly, he asked, "Where's your father?"

"Dunno."

"..."

Lin Yan carried her into the house and set her down, then asked, "Did you learn what I taught you last time? If you can recite it, this other piece of candy will be yours too, all right?"

"I did, I did."

The little baby was immediately full of confidence. In her sweet, childish voice, she loudly recited, "Moonlight before my bed, I wonder if it's frost upon the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the moon..."

A pleased look gradually appeared in Lin Yan's eyes.

Then Little Girl's voice grew softer and softer, tinged with timidity.

"I lower my head and think... think... think..."

She had clearly forgotten the latter half. After getting stuck for a long while, she secretly raised her head and glanced at Lin Yan.

Lin Yan immediately gave her an encouraging look and pointed at the other piece of candy.

Her confidence surged. Tilting her head, she thought hard for a moment.

Then her eyes lit up, and she proudly declared, "I lower my head and think of ladies!"

What was a little girl like you thinking of ladies for?

Lin Yan rubbed his brow. Ever since this little one had first begun learning to speak, he had gradually started teaching her poetry and prose.

She had been learning this poem for an entire year already!

"Forget it..."

Lin Yan thought to himself, This niece of mine probably isn't cut out for it. Once my little nephew grows a bit older, perhaps... there'll be hope of him becoming a scholar...

In this world, from ancient times to the present, the strong devoured the weak.

Those who succeeded in cultivation possessed formidable strength, and thus occupied lofty positions—they were the strong!

The weak were like ants, relying on the strong to survive amid chaotic times.

But ever since Gao Liu City had been established, order had gradually returned, and civilization had gradually reemerged.

Even the laws, from their earliest formulation onward, had been amended day by day in pursuit of greater perfection.

At least in present-day Gao Liu City, the meaning of a "great figure" no longer lay solely in martial strength!

Take Duke Lu, for example. He did not possess powerful Martial Arts cultivation, yet in Gao Liu City, he remained a great figure whom every faction had to respect.

If Duke Lu was lofty and unattainable, beyond comparison, then Yang Wang, the Clerk of the Lin Jiang Department, was another example.

Though a scholar without the strength even to truss a chicken, Clerk Yang's status still surpassed that of ordinary martial men.

"The Gao Liu City Governor's Office is now attempting to establish an academy within the Inner City, with Duke Lu at its head."

Lin Yan thought to himself, Though they intend to cultivate goodwill with Duke Lu, this also shows that Gao Liu City intends to foster more 'scholars.'

He thought to himself, I heard that among the twelve temple priests at the Temple of Lord Liu today, six of them are not practitioners of Martial Arts!