The days passed one by one. In just five short days, Shuzhou City's lively bustle rose in wave after wave, unceasingly.
First came Third Place Scholar Li Huaigu's parade through the streets. Talented scholars and beautiful ladies from across the city rushed to congratulate him, a spectacle the people of Shu called one "unseen in two hundred years of the Great Wei Dynasty."
It was not that Shuzhou had never produced a Zhuangyuan or a Tanhua before, but that those students who had achieved high ranks in the Imperial Examination had previously ridden through the streets in the Capital Prefecture.
So much so that from the Shuzhou City prefect, the Provincial Administration, the Surveillance Commissioner's Office, the Commander's Office, and the Marquis of Military's residence above, down to the common people below, no one was unaware of it.
Along with it, the matter of Li Huaigu and Yunxiang was spread far and wide by people with ulterior motives.
They said Li's mother was "Breaking Up Lovers," but the Third Place Scholar, fiercely protective of the flower he cherished, had still insisted on marrying Miss Yunxiang.
This happy occasion, originally just the Third Place Scholar's street parade, gained a touch of the grandeur of Old Marquis Xiao trampling the Poshushuo Kingdom beneath his horse's hooves.
It gave the already lively people of Shuzhou yet another topic for their post-meal chatter.
However, spread alongside Li Tanhua's "Breaking Up Lovers" tale was the matter of Chen Yi, the Xiao Family son-in-law of Marquis Dingyuan, forcibly snatching Miss Yunxiang away.
Though no one knew where the story had originated, it described everything with utmost clarity—from Chen Yi arriving at the door with maidservants and servants, to his failed attempt at bride-snatching and his panicked flight.
Even the verse Chen Yi had used to console Li Huaigu—"When flowers can be plucked, pluck them without delay; do not wait until no flowers remain, then vainly snap bare branches"—was twisted into the reason behind his bride-snatching.
For a time, the entire city was swept by wind and rain.
Some students who did not know the truth even ran to Li Huaigu for confirmation while also filing complaints at the prefectural Yamen, demanding justice and insisting Chen Yi be brought to the law.
Had Li Huaigu not personally appeared with Yunxiang to explain the matter, Chen Yi, this "villain," might already have been dragged out of the Xiao Family and paraded through the streets. That spectacle would surely have been even grander than Li Huaigu riding a white horse through the city.
Even so, quite a number of Shuzhou's people believed Li Huaigu had only stepped forward because of pressure from the Xiao Family.
For some reason, Chen Yi ended up bearing the title of "the most shameless son-in-law in history."
He was even portrayed as a rough, dark-faced brute eight feet tall, built as sturdily as an ox.
As the rumors passed from mouth to mouth, even falsehood became truth.
Yet not a single word of this marketplace gossip landed in Chen Yi's heart. Instead, it made Xiao Die cry, laugh, and fume in anxious turns.
She had always believed that son-in-law had helped Li Tanhua and Yunxiang because of her.
The sky was bright and the day warm. Beside the pond in Chunhe Garden, within a cool pavilion—
As though nothing had happened, Chen Yi lay in a newly made rocking chair, swaying as he held a thick medical text and read.
Xiao Wuge sat beside him, holding a fishing rod and angling with the solemn air of a little adult. From time to time, he reeled in a Golden-haired Carp, cheered, then tossed it back into the pond.
Young Heir Apparent Zhang Heng of Duke of Gan was on the other side of the pond under Wang Lixing's watch, squatting there to watch ants move house while muttering, "The most shameless runaway groom in history."
After Chen Yi's infamous name spread throughout Shuzhou, no one was happier than he was. Looking as though he had known this would happen all along, he directly replaced "son-in-law" with "runaway groom" and coined another title for Chen Yi.
Wang Lixing, listening nearby, wanted to offer a few explanations. But seeing Zhang Heng, whose body was not even as thick as his calf, he could only choose to keep quiet.
Xiao Die looked at the calm-faced Chen Yi. Thinking of the recent rumors in Shuzhou City and Xiao Manor, tears began streaming down her face again.
"Son-in-law, it's all my fault, sob..."
Chen Yi shifted his gaze from the medical book, glanced at her, and said helplessly, "Look at you, crying again. Your son-in-law isn't dead yet."
Xiao Die sobbed, "I-I don't understand. Li Tanhua already explained everything two days ago. Why do they still refuse to believe it?"
"Clearly, you acted out of kindness. Li Tanhua and Miss Yunxiang had already won Li's mother's consent. Why is it only you..."
Chen Yi handed her a handkerchief and resumed reading. "The prejudices in people's hearts are like a great mountain. Climbing it is hard; crossing over it is even harder."
Xiao Die wiped her tears. "But we can't just let them ruin your reputation, can we?"
Chen Yi thought for a moment. "Actually, making them shut up would be easy. Another day, your son-in-law could go set fire to the prefectural Yamen. They definitely wouldn't keep harping on this matter then."
Xiao Die stared blankly at him, not even noticing her tears had run into her mouth.
"Burn-burn the Yamen?"
Thinking of the consequences, Xiao Die immediately found herself caught between tears and laughter. Unable to help herself, she clenched her little fist and gave him a light punch, reproaching him coquettishly.
"Son-in-law, you're talking madness again."
Chen Yi smiled. Knowing she was fine now, he instructed, "Go see whether dinner is ready. I'm hungry."
Xiao Die hurriedly wiped away her tears with the handkerchief, answered softly, then headed out of Chunhe Garden.
Xiao Wuge glanced back and quietly memorized another sentence Chen Yi had said.
He planned to tell eldest sister Xiao Wan'er everything he had gained during this period once she returned.
The thing about prejudices in people's hearts and all that, though it was plain talk, sounded very reasonable.
Fortunately, Chen Yi did not know what he was thinking. Otherwise, he would definitely have given his backside several heavy smacks.
At that moment, he was combining the minor accomplishment Medical Dao in his mind with a frantic effort to learn medical knowledge beyond the Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders.
Ever since his Cultivation Base had broken through to Ninth Rank, Upper Stage that day, his various techniques had been steadily improving, but each still fell a little short of a breakthrough.
And if he wanted to break through, beyond training, he needed a great deal of Fortune to raise the realms of his Martial Dao Body, fists, and steps.
The gap was too great now, so he spent eleven points of Fortune. With the help of the newly learned Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders, he first raised his Medical Dao to the Minor Accomplishment Realm.
Immediately afterward, Chen Yi discovered that the profundities of the Medical Dao far exceeded his imagination.
The entry stage alone included yin and yang, the five elements, the organs and meridians, the Four Diagnostic Methods and Eight Principles, among other fields.
It also required him to identify common ailments, prescribe formulas, use Silver Needles to pass through acupoints and ease pain, and brew medicinal herbs to expel evil and strengthen righteousness.
Upon reaching the Minor Accomplishment Realm, it became even more all-encompassing.
Beyond the basics, there was not only Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment, allowing flexible use of methods such as Six Meridian Syndrome Differentiation and Defense-Qi-Nutrient-Blood Syndrome Differentiation, but he also had to master Using Qi to Control Needles and clearing the meridians.
By comparison, though Fist Dao had distinctions between fist techniques, Palm Techniques, and leg techniques, there were still many areas in which they shared common ground.
Thus, after entering the Medical Dao, Chen Yi suddenly found that he no longer had enough time.
To put it vividly—though the Medical Dao broadened, he never regretted it; for medicine, he had worn himself haggard.
Why was your son-in-law putting himself through this?
Chen Yi secretly shook his head. Speaking of the cause, Li Huaigu was to blame. Why did he have to come from a family of physicians of all things?
The day soon passed.
After nightfall, Chen Yi continued as usual to practice Stake Training and techniques with Pei Guanli.
However, beginning yesterday, he had taken the initiative to add one more item—sparring with Pei Guanli once every day to build his combat experience.
Naturally, Pei Guanli did not refuse. She also wanted to prove that she had merely been careless before.
Yet ideals were full and plump, while reality struck her squarely over the head with a club.
In two consecutive sparring matches, Chen Yi had emerged victorious, something she found truly difficult to bear.
Pei Guanli could not understand it. In terms of Cultivation Base, she was somewhat stronger than Chen Yi. Her Body Movement Technique and techniques were of no low grade, and she had cultivated them all to the point of effortless mastery.
So why did her Body Movement Technique and Palm Technique achieve so little effect whenever she used them in a match?
Chen Yi found it difficult to explain clearly. If he had to put it into words—his Minor Accomplishment Dao Realm allowed him to see every change in Pei Guanli's moves, even the circulation of her Qi, with absolute clarity.
On top of that, Chen Yi had also learned the Meteor Butterfly Steps and Hundred Flower Palm. With the two layered together, he naturally knew how to break them.
They continued training until late at night—
[Daily Intelligence · Yellow Grade High Rank: At Noon Quarter, Duchess Xiao Qiuyun teaches her son. A small amount of Fortune can be obtained.]
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow inwardly. His luck was not bad—he could not only obtain Fortune, but also watch Young Heir Apparent Zhang Heng get scolded and beaten.
He just did not know whether the current Duchess of Gan truly intended to "teach her son," or whether there was more acting involved.
With that thought, Chen Yi ended his night's cultivation, parted ways with Pei Guanli, and headed toward the Wooden Tower.
Just then, a voice abruptly sounded by his ear.
"Second son-in-law, it's so late. You still haven't gone to sleep?"
Chen Yi turned his head to look over, frowning inwardly. The figure at Chunhe Garden's entrance—who else could it be but Liu Si'er?
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