Meanwhile, in a tailor shop in the West Market of Shuzhou City.
Carriages and horses bustled outside the doors, and it was equally lively inside.
The arrival of several masters and servants from three households of varying wealth in a single surge kept the few apprentices in the shop overwhelmingly busy.
On one side they bustled to have female apprentices take measurements, while on the other they brought out finished sample garments to introduce the styles.
Orioles and swallows chirped and chattered-what a bustling scene.
Yet the shopkeeper behind the counter, dressed in a gray long gown with an ordinary, plain face, frowned as he looked at a slip of paper beneath the table.
"Grade A-Three, Ding Fifteen... I fucking tell you to get out of the Marquis's mansion, and if the boss ever lets you stir up trouble behind the scenes again, you'll be executed without mercy!"
The shopkeeper finished reading it word by word, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes.
Just who was so bold as to dare insult the Hidden Guard?
Could those Iron Banner Officers all have been discovered by the Xiao Family's Shadow Guards or the Old Marquis and his company?
It should not be.
Even if these aristocratic clans, martial marquises, and nobility had made some discoveries, they surely would not act so rashly.
Especially a military marquis household like the Xiao family.
Given their style of action, if they discovered the whereabouts of the Hidden Guard, they would inevitably use thunderous methods to wipe them out in one net.
"It seems the Silver Banner Officer guessed right earlier: someone else has set their sights on the Xiao family."
Barbarian Tribe scouts?
Unorthodox Path heretics from the Yao Land to the north, or local aristocratic clans and the Mountain Tribe of Shuzhou?
All were possible.
"It's just that when did the style of these people become so crude?"
The shopkeeper slowly folded the secret letter, thought it over repeatedly, signaled the apprentices in the shop to attend to the guests properly, and strode back to the inner rooms of the shop.
He took out a widely circulated Huangmei Opera script, Dongwan Travels, opened it, and cross-referenced it line by line with the contents of the slip of paper.
"The fledgling rests at the Xiao manor, fishing and writing poetry every day. Yet rumors reveal his poetry shows unwillingness; he must be biding his time. Furthermore, last night thieves sneaked into the Xiao manor, identity unknown."
When he finished cross-referencing, the shopkeeper read it once and burned the translated contents.
Then he took out another opera script, cross-referenced the translation with his own thoughts, and wrote a new secret letter.
Following that, he swept his gaze around, walked slowly into the deep warehouse, lifted a secret compartment, hauled out the carrier pigeon inside, and slid the two secret letters into the bamboo tubes on its legs.
After the carrier pigeon fluttered its wings and flew away, the shopkeeper rubbed his face, put on a mercenary smile, and walked toward the front hall.
This matter was of great importance; it still required the Silver Banner Officer to make the final decision.
In the Xiao family's Chunhe Garden.
Chen Yi looked at the displeased-looking Zhang Heng, then glanced at Xiao Wuge, and asked:
"How is it that Your Highness the heir apparent is so noble, yet condescends to come here?"
Zhang Heng thought he was praising him, and raised his head to look at him: "Runaway groom, since you know, good."
"This heir apparent doesn't want to come either; Mother forced... ordered this heir apparent to come here to play for a few days."
Xiao Wuge gave Chen Yi an apologetic smile, then glared at Zhang Heng: "Call him brother-in-law, where are your manners!"
"I won't, I'm going to call him runaway groom, runaway groom..."
Seeing that Xiao Wuge was about to speak again, Chen Yi waved his hand: "Forget it, as long as Your Highness the heir apparent is happy."
"Look, the runaway groom still knows the broader picture; younger brother Wu Ge should learn a thing or two."
Fine, if a Young Marquis who understood propriety had come, it would have been better; Chen Yi could still have handled it.
But Zhang Heng was clearly a child spoiled rotten by his elders since youth at home, holding an arrogant attitude toward everyone. It really was a headache.
"His mother ordered it? Xiao Qiuyun?"
Thinking of that phoenix who had flown up to a branch, Chen Yi asked Xiao Die to take Zhang Heng to the pavilion to fish first.
As for himself, he pulled Xiao Wuge aside to ask about the reactions of the Old Marquis and the others.
Xiao Wuge smiled as he recounted the whole story.
For one so young, to be able to remember everyone's words and tell it with such vivid emotion was truly not easy.
"Brother-in-law, Grandfather said he forgives you."
Hearing this, Chen Yi paused. "And?"
"And nothing, Grandfather just said that much. But I can tell they all really like the birthday ode you wrote, brother-in-law."
I can tell that much myself.
Thinking this, Chen Yi silently shook his head and said no more.
Although it differed from what he had anticipated, easing relations with Old Marquis Xiao could also be considered a pretty good outcome.
At the very least, his previous runaway-groom affair ought to be able to turn a new page in the Xiao family.
Thus, three or five days passed.
Because of the addition of a "heir apparent," the Chunhe Garden was much livelier than before.
From time to time, one could hear verbal clashes between Zhang Heng and Xiao Wuge-you say a word, I say a sentence, neither yielding to the other.
Whether it was fighting over a fishing rod or contending for a piece of pastry or meat, there was not the slightest semblance of fraternal harmony born of a great lineage.
Such changes made Chen Yi somewhat helpless, but he obviously could not go discipline two half-grown children, so he only privately taught Xiao Wuge a sentence:
"Wicked people need wicked people to grind them down; whatever you do, just don't suffer a loss."
Facing someone like the young heir apparent, the more one gave way, the further he would push his luck.
Consequently, these past few days, Zhang Heng had not kicked up any great waves in Chunhe Garden.
Meanwhile, Chen Yi went about things as usual.
He climbed up before dawn to stand in his stance for an hour, and after finishing breakfast, practiced running script brushwork.
Then he took a nap for an hour, fished and drank tea in the afternoon, and secretly slipped off to the purple bamboo grove at night to practice fist techniques and body movement techniques.
It was just that these few days, only the Mystic Grade Playful Dragon Teases Phoenix body movement technique had broken through.
Naturally, his remaining cultivation techniques and martial arts were also gradually improving.
On this night.
Chen Yi struck out with the Collapsing Mountain Fist, light sweat staining his thin long gown. The surging flesh and blood Qi caused his face to flush slightly.
As soon as he finished the entire set of fist techniques, wisps of faint white mist rose from the crown of his head; this was caused by the churning Qi within his body.
Pei Guanli, squatting to one side, eagerly handed over a towel. "Brother-in-law, your fist technique is getting more and more formidable. Teach me, teach me..."
Chen Yi wiped the sweat from his body. "This fist technique is overly fierce and unyielding; it doesn't suit you."
"Then what sort of kung fu does brother-in-law think suits me?"
"I remember you saying that you practice the cultivation technique passed down by your tribe. Just continue practicing that."
Pei Guanli puckered her lips and muttered, "If I could practice it to success, I would have broken through to the Eighth Rank Realm long ago."
"What?"
"N-nothing, brother-in-law, I mean my aptitude is dull."
"Then you should practice it all the more." Chen Yi flicked her on the forehead and pointed at the empty space beside them.
"Come on, demonstrate your stake training and martial techniques, and let me have a look."
Pei Guanli was overjoyed. "Brother-in-law, are you willing to instruct me?"
"For the sake of your Sister Jinghong, I'll reluctantly take a look. First things first, I don't guarantee results."
"I won't, I won't..."
With that, Pei Guanli's expression turned solemn, her legs pressed together and hands supporting the heavens as she lightly drew in a breath.
Soon, her chest and abdomen rippled and churned like waves, and the bell on her neck tinkled continuously with her stake training.
Chen Yi took a couple of extra glances, then steadied his mind, carefully observing the surging of Qi around her and comparing it one by one with the Great Spear Stance Cultivation and the mysteries of the "Martial Dao Body" he had learned.
"The grade of the stake training Pei Guanli practices shouldn't be low; it's at least Mystic Grade, or even stronger."
"It's just that her foundation isn't laid securely enough. Her breath is clearly unstable, and there are obvious interruptions between breaths."
Thinking this, Chen Yi had Pei Guanli stop and continue demonstrating her techniques and body movement.
It took the span of an incense stick for Pei Guanli to finish her demonstration. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at him expectantly:
"Brother-in-law, could you make out anything?"
"I could." Chen Yi rolled his eyes. "You didn't get beaten enough when you were little."
"Ah?"
"Ah what? Start with the stake training."
Pei Guanli uttered an "oh" and honestly assumed her set of wave stake training postures.
Just as Chen Yi wanted to step in and handle things, he hesitated and fetched a long, thin bamboo stick, pointing it out one by one at the flaws and omissions in her stake training.
"You are too eager for quick success. The Dantian and Qi Sea are incompletely opened, and the Qi within your body is insufficient to support you in fully clearing the four main meridians."
"Furthermore, you haven't thoroughly trained this part; your sinews, bones, and skin ought to be uniform throughout your entire body."
Pei Guanli looked at the bamboo stick hovering just below the lower edge of the bell, her plump face turning slightly red as she couldn't help arguing:
"When I was little... I was still young..."
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