An Unwelcome Guest

Red brick and gray tiles, green trees and red flowers, a narrow little courtyard, serene and elegant.

When Xu Yi stepped into the courtyard, Qiu Wa was helping Uncle Mu out of the main room.

After one night and two doses of restorative medicine, Uncle Mu's complexion had improved greatly. He could already walk, albeit unsteadily.

Seeing Xu Yi, the little girl called, "Bearded Uncle, where'd you run off to so early this morning? I looked everywhere for you."

Xu Yi hurried over and ruffled the little girl's hair. "You slept so long last night and still haven't had enough? Look at that pale little face of yours—your eyes are all dark. Here, I brought you some snacks. Once you've finished them, go get some more sleep. Don't worry about Grandpa. You've still got your Bearded Uncle, don't you?"

As he spoke, he lifted the exquisite paper box in his hand. It was the box of snacks he had brought back for the little girl from Linglong Pavilion.

The little one took the box and opened it. The dazzling array of delicate pastries inside made her eyes go wide. At last, a smile appeared on her face. She wrapped her arms around Xu Yi's leg. "Bearded Uncle is the best." Then she carried the box back to her room.

"You're the one who spoils her!"

Uncle Mu rasped, then sighed. "I've put you through a lot."

Xu Yi waved a hand. "Uncle Mu, there's no need to say that. Come, I'll help you sit in the courtyard and bask in the sun."

Early that morning, the sky had been heavily overcast, but by now it had cleared. The heavens were a deep blue, and the red sun shone high overhead.

It was August. Autumn's chill had yet to arrive, though the weather was on the verge of turning cold. Lying back in a reclining chair with a thick quilt over you, reading in a spot where the sunlight wasn't too glaring—there were few pleasures in the world to rival that.

Uncle Mu was sturdy by nature. Though his injuries were severe, Xu Yi had spared no expense on the finest restorative medicines. After a day's rest, he was still far from recovered, but his complexion had improved greatly.

Xu Yi brought over a low stool. Guessing at Uncle Mu's interests, he got him talking about the stories of the Nielong River, both above and below the water.

Xu Yi was widely read, while Uncle Mu had seen much of the world. The old man and the young one chatted with great ease.

Before long, Qiu Wa came out of the main room with a plate of pastries, shoulders swaying and looking very pleased with herself. "Story time! Story time! Grandpa, Bearded Uncle, you have to compete. Whoever tells the better story gets to eat a pastry!"

The little girl had always been a wild one. Her sadness came quickly and went just as fast. These past two days with Xu Yi, surrounded by delicious food, she'd filled her little mind with treats. There was no room left for sorrow.

Xu Yi reached out with one big hand and pulled her into his arms. He ruffled her hair until her neat bowl cut flew in every direction. The little girl scowled and repeatedly rammed her head hard against his chest.

After playing with her for a while, Xu Yi didn't want to spoil her fun, so he patiently told her the story of the Princess and the Pea. The little one listened with wide, blinking eyes, utterly silent.

Just then, the rhythmic clatter of steel sabers striking armor came from outside the gate. Xu Yi frowned slightly and smiled. "Uncle Mu, the actors have arrived. Would you rather listen from inside, or right here?"

"This old man's ears aren't good. I'll listen here."

Though Uncle Mu had been a bandit, he still possessed a bold spirit.

Before his words had even faded, dozens of black-armored soldiers marched in with measured steps. As soon as they entered, they split into two ranks. In no time, they had surrounded the courtyard, swords drawn and bows strung. Their armor flashed in the sunlight, and killing intent soared.

Xu Yi didn't even look at them. He patted Qiu Wa's little head and reminded her, "Sit still like a good girl. If you're scared, close your eyes."

The little girl raised her brows. "With Bearded Uncle here, I'm not scared at all!" As soon as her childish voice fell, she let out a soft whimper and fainted.

A white tiger, two zhang long and eight chi tall, flew in over the roof and landed right in front of the three of them. Its enormous, fearsome head was as big as a millstone. Three-foot whiskers nearly poked the little girl, its cavernous maw could swallow a bucket, and its foot-long fangs gleamed coldly. Hot breath poured from its jaws, blowing their hair straight back.

"Did you kill my son?"

Jiang Shaohuan sat astride the tiger, wearing a golden crown and silver armor. He held a Fangtian Huaji halberd three zhang long, its shaft angled toward the sky, and bellowed. His voice rolled like thunder.

After shouting, Jiang Shaohuan slammed his halberd onto the courtyard's white stone slabs. A muffled boom rang out. It was as if an Earth Dragon were churning beneath the ground. Centered on the halberd, every slab within a three-zhang radius shattered.

"Damn it, it's just a beast. How dare it scare me?"

Xu Yi didn't even look at him. He thrust out a hand and slapped the giant tiger hard across its fearsome face. With a muffled thump, the tiger's head jerked to one side. It let out a pained, furious roar.

No matter how fierce the tiger, once it was ridden, what kingly aura could it possibly have? Xu Yi treated it like a sickly cat and casually yanked off another handful of whiskers. The tiger leaped about in pain. Then something unexpected happened: despite being hurt, it didn't lunge at him. Instead, it sprang a zhang away.

Xu Yi burst out laughing. "Are you Jiang of Black Dragon Hall? As the saying goes, seeing you is worse than hearing of you. I thought Hall Master Jiang had quite a reputation and wouldn't be so shallow. But a bandit's a bandit after all—nothing but a roughneck. Since I dared to kill the little bastard, why would I let the old bastard scare me?"

It wasn't that Xu Yi had extraordinary courage; his eyes were simply sharp.

As soon as Jiang Shaohuan had begun showing off his forces, Xu Yi had realized his opponent was after that astonishingly valuable iron essence.

The logic was simple: if Jiang Shaohuan had nothing to gain, why make this trip? Their feud was already a matter of life and death. Wouldn't it have been easier to simply kill Xu Yi in the arena?

Instead, he had put on this earth-shaking display to intimidate Xu. If he could gain the upper hand in presence, he would naturally have the advantage in the argument that followed.

But Xu Yi was far too cunning to give Jiang Shaohuan that chance. He met force with force and attacked head-on, sweeping away all the momentum Jiang Shaohuan had built up.

With Guang'an City's ban on private fighting, Xu Yi had every reason to feel secure.

He knew that no matter how high Jiang Shaohuan's cultivation was or how hot his temper burned, he wouldn't dare fight him here.

Besides, that single strike of Jiang Shaohuan's had revealed no more than the Body Tempering Peak realm.

Since he had nothing to fear and Jiang Shaohuan had gone to the trouble of bringing his face right to Xu Yi, why shouldn't Xu Yi slap it?

Jiang Shaohuan was so enraged he was nearly mad. He swept his halberd through the air, making it howl. It seemed that in the next instant, a devastating strike would come crashing down.

Xu Yi sat calmly, holding Qiu Wa. He picked up a mung bean cake no bigger than a fingernail, intricately carved into sixteen petals, and offered it to Uncle Mu. The old man shook his head. Xu Yi smiled, popped it into his own mouth, and chewed in small bites as if savoring it.

Xu Yi's nonchalant air made Jiang Shaohuan so furious his nose nearly twisted out of shape. He almost fell right off the tiger's back.

"What the hell do you want?"

Jiang Shaohuan roared at the sky.

"First, get all those black-skinned ghosts out of my courtyard, along with that annoying sick cat."

Xu Yi spoke slowly as he said this, then picked up a seven-colored candy.