The Sick Tiger's Past

"What do you mean!"

Li Yan rarely mentioned his father Li Hu's death, simply because there was something rather dishonorable about it.

His nickname had been the Guanzhong Sick Tiger, and he had been a libertine on the romantic front.

In this life, his mother had been an ordinary peasant woman. Under his grandfather's control, his father had still been fairly settled, spending his days practicing martial arts and living a life of men tilling the fields and women weaving cloth.

That lasted until the year after Li Yan was born.

Guanzhong suffered a great drought, locusts ran rampant, and epidemics erupted everywhere.

That same year, the Maitreya Sect also began stirring up trouble.

His mother fell ill and died. With the family unable even to afford food, his father picked up his knife and went out into the world, making a living and earning money in Jianghu. Little by little, he made a name for himself.

But it was as if a fierce tiger had broken out of its cage—there was no reining him in after that.

Not only did he kill without batting an eye, he also left behind a mountain of romantic debts.

When Li Yan was little, he had seen several beautiful aunties storm to their door looking for his father, crying and blubbering, even getting into fights right outside the entrance. His grandfather would be so furious that he could not eat for several days.

The winter he died, he was in a brothel in Chang'an City.

According to the constable and the brothel's Big Teapot, he had died from Sudden Death During Sex. The coroner and his grandfather personally examined the corpse, and reached the same conclusion.

After that, his grandfather rarely mentioned his father again, and grew visibly older.

If it had been before, Li Yan would have assumed Sha LiFei was lying.

But ever since he learned about the curse, he felt that the matter was not so simple.

Seeing killing intent rise in Li Yan's eyes, the cold gleam in his dragon-like pupils shooting in every direction, Sha LiFei felt a chill in his heart and hurriedly smiled ingratiatingly. "I heard... Ah, I only heard this, mind you... A few months after the incident, something happened at that brothel."

"What happened?"

"People died! Several of the courtesans died!"

"What does that have to do with my father?"

"Am I not just fond of digging into gossip? I happened to know the ones who died. They were all old lovers of your father..."

"Go on!"

"Normally, nobody in official circles would care if a few courtesans died. But back then, they seemed extremely tense. Zhou Pan even took the initiative to cooperate, bringing a group of disciples to Chang'an City and searching everywhere."

"You know what that Old Monkey Zhou Pan is like. He grabs any advantage he can and dodges any trouble. For him to be this enthusiastic, there had to be something fishy!"

"Besides, the person who benefited most from your father's death was him."

As he spoke, Sha LiFei watched Li Yan's expression.

Then he suddenly felt his heart lighten. Looking down, he discovered that the short blade in Li Yan's hand had silently slipped back into his sleeve without him noticing at all.

The Sleeve Blade!

Sha LiFei suddenly remembered what this was.

When Li Hu was alive, there had been a legend about him in Jianghu. He not only knew the Guanzhong Quick Saber, but had also created the Sleeve Blade based on the Kasaya Skill and the Sleeve Hand.

A blade hidden in one's sleeve—originally, the phrase described someone who appeared affable but was vicious inside.

The Sleeve Blade was the same. It could claim a person's life soundlessly.

Li Hu had made his name with those two blades. He had never expected that he had passed them on to his own son as well.

This kid was practically more suited to the Sleeve Blade than his father.

Although Li Yan had withdrawn his blade, his gaze remained icy. "Uncle Sha, let's speak frankly. If there really was something suspicious about my father's death, I'll owe you a favor."

"But one matter is one matter. Why did you scheme against me?"

"If you don't explain yourself, this matter isn't over today!"

There was a reason Li Yan was known in the village as a difficult ghost.

Having lived two lives, he had seen through many things long ago. Etiquette, rules, and institutions meant nothing to him, and he was even less interested in playing coy.

What was Sha LiFei plotting?

Even if he had to knock out all the man's teeth today, he would pry the truth out of him!

Looking into those eyes, Sha LiFei felt his scalp go numb. He awkwardly rubbed his bald head and said, "Yan XiaoGe, don't get angry. You know me—I'm famous for being loyal..."

He swallowed the boast halfway through and said helplessly, "Actually, it's nothing much. A while ago, I accidentally offended one of Zhou Pan's disciples, and then I had no choice but to come to Xianyang City."

"I thought your family had also had a grudge against him, so I figured I could pull in an ally..."

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Li Yan suddenly understood and nodded slightly. "Uncle Sha, you could have just said so. Look at the mess this caused—we nearly had an incident. Don't take it to heart."

Sha LiFei hurriedly nodded. "Not at all, not at all. We're on the same side. And as for Daoist Wang's matter, we'll take care of it tomorrow. It's just that when we enter the city, we'll have to keep a low profile."

"Of course."

Li Yan agreed with a smile, as if the near-drawing of blades earlier had never happened. He turned and sauntered away.

Only then did Sha LiFei let out a breath, his back drenched in cold sweat. He could not help cursing inwardly: Damn it, this kid has a dog's face—he turns on a dime.

Now that this is over, I'd better keep my distance from him in the future...

After returning to the area near the shack, Li Yan casually found a spot where few people were around. He leaned against a large tree, held his blade in his arms, and prepared to sleep.

It was already summer, and the nights were not cold. He had therefore not brought bedding when he left. He would make do here for one night, then leave once he found Wang Dao Xuan.

Of course, he took what Sha LiFei had said to heart.

His father's death seemed to have involved more than the misfortune brought on by the Yansheng Curse. There was another hidden story behind it.

Whether Zhou Pan was involved was still uncertain.

But some instinct told him that this matter was connected to the occult practitioners of Jianghu!

Whatever he did in the future, he first needed to step into this path.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind him.

Li Yan opened his eyes and took a look, finding Hei Dan there.

The boy was holding a waterskin. He shrank back timidly, not daring to approach.

Li Yan laughed freely. "What is it? Have I grown horns?"

The boy was practically the only person in the village who had a good relationship with him. He was loyal as well, which was why he had not hesitated to lend a hand when Li Yan asked for help back then.

Hei Dan scratched his head and gave a simple-minded smile before holding out the waterskin. "Yan-ge, have some water. You were really amazing today!"

"It wasn't that I was amazing. He underestimated me."

Li Yan's expression turned serious as he carefully recounted the earlier confrontation.

His duel with Meng HaiCheng had appeared to end with a single move, but in truth, it had not been that simple.

First, he knew that his opponent specialized in Monkey Fist. Then he had used his age to make Meng HaiCheng underestimate him and provoked him with words, creating the most favorable conditions possible.

After all, Meng HaiCheng was older and had richer Jianghu experience. If he had fought cautiously and dragged things out, Li Yan would probably have needed to expend some effort before knocking him down.

The two of them were close, so Li Yan imparted every key detail without reservation. If Hei Dan encountered something similar in the future, he would at least be prepared.

Hei Dan listened with his mouth hanging open. "It's that complicated?"

Li Yan smiled. "The hearts of Jianghu people are complicated. Force is only used when you openly turn against someone. The hidden blade is even deadlier. How can you survive without growing a few extra eyes?"

Of course, there were still some things he did not mention.

Defeating Meng HaiCheng with one move had not merely been an act of showing off.

From the moment he heard Sha LiFei trying to sow discord, he had known that the man was up to no good. Only by borrowing the momentum of defeating his enemy could he force that slippery old fox to spit out the truth.

And this sigh of emotion had come from the heart as well.

Blade fights were only what happened on the surface. As for the strange and uncanny arts of the mysterious sects, if one neither understood nor guarded against them, one might not even know how one had died.

Hei Dan stood stunned for a long while before speaking with a dimmed gaze. "No wonder my father knows martial tricks too, but still makes me scratch out a living in the fields. Jianghu really isn't somewhere I can survive."

As he spoke, his emotions visibly grew agitated. "Yan-ge, but I'm not willing to accept that. I don't want to stay cooped up in the village either. Teach me—what should I do?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment. "Learn a trade first. If you want to go out and make your way in the world, you need a skill that can put food on the table. Otherwise, you'll have no choice but to fight with a blade like me."

"Learn a trade..."

Hei Dan thought for a moment, then nodded seriously. "Yan-ge, I'll listen to you. I have an uncle who works as a leatherworker in Chang'an City. If I say I want to follow him and learn a trade, my father probably won't stop me."

After saying that, hope rose in his eyes again, and he scampered away.

Li Yan was rendered speechless with laughter. Then he hugged his blade and closed his eyes.

In his previous life, he had only managed to scrape by because he had learned the trade of repairing cars.

In this life, however, he felt that the blade in his hand was even more useful...

Before he knew it, the night had grown deep and still.

It was the waning crescent moon, and darkness lay thick in every direction.

By the wheat fields, snores mingled with the cries of insects and rang across the area around the shacks.

The harvest workers had been hurrying along for many days in a row, and they would have to begin working before dawn tomorrow. They had therefore gone to sleep early to replenish their strength.

The Lu Family residence in the distance was equally silent.

Yet several important areas were patrolled by guards.

Zhao Jiu yawned, then rubbed his face, feeling somewhat bored.

Just as Li Yan had expected, they were all disciples of Zhao Family Fist.

Originally, they had been in Jinzhou, escorting caravans for wealthy merchants from the money houses. Though the work was risky, it had provided them with food and clothing, a livelihood passed down through generations.

However, they had once encountered a tough opponent on the road. Not only had they lost the cargo, their school had also lost several mainstays. Its strength had declined, and even its business had been snatched away.

They should have ended up scattered like monkeys when the tree fell. Yet, through someone's introduction, they had become household guards and followed Landlord Lu to Guanzhong.

Compared with their days traveling far and wide, life was much more stable now.

But it was so stable that it made people itch. They had not even seen a petty thief.

Just then, Zhao Jiu cast a casual glance over and suddenly widened his eyes.

He could make out a hazy figure in the distance.

"Who?!"

Zhao Jiu was not afraid. With a cold laugh, he shot forward.

The household guards had their own set of signals. No matter how dim the light was, they could tell whether someone was one of their own.

Besides, if it was a Flying Bandit of the Rong Family Gate from Jianghu, they all understood the Jianghu Rules. They would throw a stone to test the waters first, then conduct a round of questioning. Few would fight to the death.

That person had not dared to answer. Most likely, he was an amateur thief.

Zhao Jiu did not draw the blade at his waist. Instead, he carried a rattan staff.

Rattan staffs were exceptionally flexible and hurt terribly when they struck. If this really was some starving thief who had been sneaking through people's homes, beating him up would be enough. There was no need to take his life.

However, when he reached the corner, he found nothing.

Could my eyes have deceived me?

Zhao Jiu was still wondering when he suddenly felt a chill run down his back.

He spun around. His face instantly went deathly pale, and every hair on his body stood on end.

There, hazy and indistinct, stood a figure. It was short and hunched, its face covered in wrinkled, chicken-like skin. It was clearly an old woman.

But the old woman's face was bluish-green, and both her feet hung off the ground as she floated in midair...

"Ah—!"

A terrified scream shattered the silence of the Lu Family residence...

Under the large tree beside the wheat fields, Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

He sniffed and looked toward the distance in puzzlement.

He smelled a strange and unusual scent.

It was neither as cold and bloody as the Rampaging Soldiers, nor as peaceful with incense as the Land God Temple. Instead, it carried warmth and sweetness, like a delicious pastry.

A pastry?

Li Yan did not know why such a thought had risen in his mind.

But he soon understood the reason.

The Substitute Divine Statue inside his dantian was actually stirring restlessly, like a greedy cat that had just come across a fish...