Meanwhile, inside a Tailor Shop in West Market, Shuzhou City.
Outside, carriages and horses flowed like a river; inside, it was no less bustling.
The servants and masters of three households of differing means had poured in together, keeping the shop's apprentices frantically busy.
Some attendants arranged for the female apprentices to take their measurements, while others brought out finished sample garments and introduced the various styles.
Singing girls chirped and chattered, making the place exceedingly lively.
Yet the shopkeeper behind the counter, dressed in a gray long robe and bearing an utterly ordinary face, was frowning at a slip of paper beneath the desk.
"Jia Three, Ding Fifteen... Get the fuck out of the Marquis's mansion. If I catch you stirring up trouble behind our backs again, I'll show no mercy!"
The shopkeeper read it word by word, a flash of killing intent passing through his eyes.
Who on earth was bold enough to humiliate our 'Hidden Guard'?
Could those Iron Banner Officers have been discovered by the Xiao Family's Shadow Guards, or by Old Marquis Xiao and the others?
Probably not.
Even if those aristocratic clans and military nobles discovered something, they should not act so rashly.
Especially a military household like the Xiao Family.
Given their usual methods, if they had uncovered the Hidden Guard's location, they would surely use thunderous measures to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
"Looks like Lord Silver Banner Officer's earlier guess was right. Others have set their sights on the Xiao Family."
Barbarian Tribe spies?
The unorthodox path from the demon lands in the north, or perhaps Shuzhou's local aristocratic clans and the Mountain Tribe?
All were possible.
"But when did these people start working so crudely?"
The shopkeeper slowly folded the Secret Letter. After pondering it again and again, he gestured for the apprentices to attend to the customers, then strode quickly into the shop's inner room.
He took out a widely circulated Huangmei Opera script, Dongwan Travels, opened it, and compared its contents against the note line by line.
"The fledgling rests safely in Xiao Manor, fishing and writing every day. Yet rumors say his poems reveal unwillingness; he should be lying low. Also, a thief infiltrated Xiao Manor last night. Identity unknown."
Once the shopkeeper had deciphered it, he read through the translated contents once before burning them.
Then he took out another opera script and used it to compose a new Secret Letter containing both the translation and his own thoughts.
Next, he looked around, then slowly entered the warehouse deeper inside. Lifting a hidden compartment, he took out the carrier pigeon within and inserted the two Secret Letters into the bamboo tube tied to its leg.
Only after the carrier pigeon fluttered away did the shopkeeper rub his face, put on a mercenary smile, and head toward the front hall.
This was a matter of great importance. Lord Silver Banner Officer would have to decide it.
Within Chunhe Garden of the Xiao Family.
Chen Yi looked at the displeased Zhang Heng, then at Xiao Wuge, and asked:
"His Highness the heir apparent is so precious. Why would he condescend to come here?"
Thinking Chen Yi was praising him, Zhang Heng raised his chin at him. "Runaway groom, it's good that you know."
"This heir apparent did not wish to come either. It was Mother who insisted... instructed this heir apparent to come here and play for a few days."
Xiao Wuge gave Chen Yi an embarrassed grin, then glared at Zhang Heng. "Call him brother-in-law. How rude!"
"I won't. I'll call him runaway groom. Runaway groom..."
Seeing Xiao Wuge about to speak again, Chen Yi waved a hand. "Forget it. So long as His Highness the heir apparent is happy."
"See? Runaway groom understands the bigger picture. Learn from him, little brother Wu Ge."
Well, if it had been a Young Marquis who understood propriety, Chen Yi could still have handled him.
But Zhang Heng was obviously a child who had been pampered by the elders since he was young. He acted arrogant toward everyone, making him quite a headache.
"His mother instructed him to? Xiao Qiuyun?"
Thinking of that phoenix who had flown up to perch upon a branch, Chen Yi had Xiao Die take Zhang Heng to the pavilion to fish first.
He then pulled Xiao Wuge aside to ask about Old Marquis Xiao's and the others' reactions.
Xiao Wuge smilingly explained the whole affair.
For someone so young to remember everyone's words and recount them so vividly was truly no easy feat.
"Brother-in-law, Grandfather said he forgave you."
Chen Yi paused after hearing that. "That's all?"
"That's all. Grandfather only said that much, but I could tell they all liked the Birthday Ode brother-in-law wrote."
I could tell that too.
Chen Yi thought this and secretly shook his head, saying nothing further.
Though it differed from what he had expected, easing his relationship with Old Marquis Xiao was still a decent result.
At the very least, his earlier elopement should have been put behind them in the Xiao Family.
And so, three to five days passed.
With an additional "heir apparent," Chunhe Garden became far more lively than before.
From time to time, Zhang Heng and Xiao Wuge could be heard clashing verbally, trading barbs without yielding an inch.
They fought either over a fishing rod or a piece of pastry or meat, showing none of the brotherly respect one would expect from children of great clans.
The change left Chen Yi somewhat helpless, but he clearly could not go around educating two half-grown children. He only privately taught Xiao Wuge one line:
"To deal with a villain, use a greater villain. Whatever you eat, never eat a loss."
When dealing with someone like the Young Heir Apparent, the more one yielded, the more he would push his luck.
Thus, Zhang Heng had not managed to make too many waves in Chunhe Garden these past few days.
And Chen Yi continued as usual.
Before dawn each morning, he rose to practice Stake Training for two hours. After breakfast, he practiced Running Script brushwork.
Then he napped for two hours. In the afternoon, he fished and drank tea; at night, he secretly went to Purple Bamboo Grove to practice his fist techniques and Body Movement Technique.
Only the Mystic Grade Playful Dragon Teases Phoenix Body Movement Technique had achieved a breakthrough these past few days.
Of course, his other Cultivation Techniques and martial skills were steadily improving as well.
That night.
Chen Yi practiced the Collapsing Mountain Fist. His thin long robe was faintly stained with sweat, and the surging Qi in his flesh and blood made his face slightly flush.
After completing an entire set of punches, wisps of pale white mist rose from above his head, caused by the roiling Qi within his body.
Pei Guanli, crouching nearby, eagerly handed him a towel. "Brother-in-law, your fist technique is getting more and more powerful. Teach me, teach me..."
Chen Yi wiped away the sweat on his body. "This fist technique is too fierce and forceful. It isn't suitable for you."
"Then what martial art does brother-in-law think suits me?"
"I remember you said you cultivate a Cultivation Technique passed down by your Tribe. Just keep practicing that."
Pei Guanli pouted and muttered, "If I could master it, I'd have long since Broken Through to the Eighth Rank Realm."
"What?"
"N-Nothing, brother-in-law. I meant that my aptitude is dull."
"Then you should practice even more." Chen Yi flicked her forehead and pointed to the open ground beside them. "Come on. Demonstrate your Stake Training and martial skills. Let me have a look."
Pei Guanli brightened. "Brother-in-law, you're willing to guide me?"
"For Sister Jinghong's sake, I'll reluctantly take a look. But let's be clear first—I can't guarantee it will help."
"It will, it will..."
As she spoke, Pei Guanli's expression turned solemn. She brought her legs together, raised both hands to support the sky, and lightly drew in a breath.
Very soon, her chest and abdomen rose and fell like rolling waves. The bell at her neck rang continuously as she performed her Stake Training.
Chen Yi watched for a few moments before steadying his mind and carefully observing the Qi surging around her, comparing it one by one against the mysteries of the Great Spear Stance Cultivation and the "Martial Path · Body" he had learned.
"The Stake Training Pei Guanli cultivates should be of no low grade—at least Mystic Grade, perhaps even higher."
"Her foundation simply isn't solid enough. Her breath is clearly unstable, with obvious stutters between inhalations and exhalations."
With that in mind, Chen Yi had Pei Guanli stop and continue by demonstrating her martial skills and Body Movement Technique.
After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Pei Guanli finished her demonstration. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she looked at him expectantly.
"Brother-in-law, did you see anything?"
"I did." Chen Yi rolled his eyes. "You weren't beaten enough when you were little."
"Huh?"
"Huh what? Get back into your Stake Training first."
Pei Guanli gave an oh and obediently resumed that wave-like Stake Training stance of hers.
Just as Chen Yi was about to correct her himself, he hesitated, found a long thin bamboo stick, and pointed one by one at the errors in her stance.
"You're too eager for quick success. Your Dantian and Qi Sea have not been fully opened, and the Qi within your body is insufficient to support you in fully opening the Four Main Meridians."
"Also, you haven't trained this part thoroughly. Your sinews, bones, and skin should be as one throughout your entire body."
Pei Guanli looked at the bamboo stick fixed beneath the bell. Her round face reddened slightly as she could not help arguing, "When I was little, I was still little..."
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