Conversation

Based on what Qi Shan knew of Shen Tang, he knew Young Master Shen wasn't the sort to stay put. Worried she might stir up trouble, he hurried through his errands and returned at the first opportunity. But—

Where was she?

Where had Young Master Shen gone?

Qi Shan stood rooted to the spot, his face turning faintly green.

He was wondering whether Shen Tang had been snatched by a kidnapper or had snatched the kidnapper herself when an unfamiliar, steady male voice sounded beside him.

"Would you be Qi Shan, Young Master Qi?"

"Greetings, Elder. I am Qi Shan."

Qi Shan tamped down his anxiety and clasped his hands in greeting.

Afterward, he straightened and discreetly studied the man. His hair was gray-white, his face aged and weathered, and he looked to be in his forties or fifties. He wore a yellowed, threadbare roughspun jacket and straw sandals. Those details alone wouldn't have caught Qi Shan's attention. What surprised him was the man's refined, scholarly bearing and calm, upright features. His black eyes were far too clear for someone of his age.

He lowered his eyelids, letting his gaze fall to the man's hands.

They were rough old hands marked by chilblains, holding several parcels of meat wrapped in lotus leaves. Their owner was likely poor and used to hard manual labor. Countless observations flashed through Qi Shan's mind, swiftly settling into a clear picture.

He asked without letting anything show, "Elder, how did you know my name?"

The man smiled kindly. "That young gentleman surnamed Shen told me."

Qi Shan knew at once who "the young gentleman surnamed Shen" was.

His worry drained away with that answer. He asked the man, "Did he leave any message?"

"He did. He said, 'I've gone out of the city on an errand. I'll be back shortly.'"

Qi Shan didn't know what to say. Young Master Shen didn't even know her way around, and she'd never been to Xiaocheng before. What errand could she possibly have outside the city?

Qi Shan asked again, "Did he say what the errand was?"

The man replied, "To uphold justice, punish evil, and champion the good."

Qi Shan: "...???"

He looked suspicious. No, something about that sounded off. It was just like the muddled, superstitious teachings spouted by those rioters.

The man said, "Young Master Shen was worried you'd return and find no one here, so he asked me to wait and keep you from worrying."

Qi Shan sighed in exasperation. "Why would I worry about him? If anything, I'd worry about the petty criminals who cross his path..."

The man pressed his lips together, hiding an amused smile.

He had to admit, that was a pretty accurate assessment.

When Qi Shan heard about Shen Tang's "eventful" hour from the man, his composure slipped for a moment. He'd only been gone for a little over an hour, and Young Master Shen had already attracted this much trouble? But what was done was done; there was no point saying anything now.

Qi Shan chatted as he waited for Shen Tang to return.

Though his expression gave nothing away, doubts swirled in his mind.

The man was dressed like a poor commoner, but his manners and bearing suggested someone raised in a wealthy, high-ranking household steeped in books and incense. Even in a yellowed, threadbare jacket, with hands bearing the marks of hard labor, his refinement remained unchanged.

As they talked, Qi Shan brought up Word Spirits.

He'd recently been studying two military formation Word Spirits: "Self-Entrapment" and "Cornered Beast Fights Back." The former was used to arrange troops and lure in enemy forces; the latter was mostly used to rouse his side's morale when the tide of battle turned against them. It was a last-ditch effort, but seizing the right opportunity could still turn the tables.

As the man listened to Qi Shan speak at length, his expression briefly turned distant, as though something had come to mind. He said, "Self-Entrapment, bringing ruin upon oneself... Is the Word Spirit you use 'No sparrow is seen among the hedges; the hawk appears, and the sparrow flies right into the net'? That's not very good."

Qi Shan was mildly surprised. "Why not?"

"It's easy to counter. If the enemy strategist's Literary Heart is stronger than yours, all he needs is 'A sword sweeps through the net, and the yellow sparrow flies free,' and your formation is broken."

If a sharp sword sliced through the net, could it still ensnare the yellow sparrow?

The bird would soar high into the sky, beyond anyone's reach, and become a danger to all.

"Then, in your opinion, Elder, what would be better?"

"Better to use 'Sink into Fire, and Bring Ruin Upon Yourself.'"

Qi Shan: "..."

If "Self-Entrapment" at least left the enemy a way out, with a chance to "sweep through the net with a sword," the Word Spirit the man suggested was a killing blow that would leave the enemy no chance of survival. It was positively murderous. Qi Shan looked at the seemingly kindly elder with surprise. He looked so gentle, yet he was ready to kill the moment he opened his mouth.

"Then... in your opinion, Elder, what about 'Cornered Beast Fights Back'?"

The man showed little interest, his expression indifferent, but his words were startling. "On the battlefield, either the enemy dies or I do. If you go in thinking the enemy will put up a last-ditch fight, and hold back when you strike, you'll struggle to win for long."

Qi Shan: "..."

It was true: appearances could be deceiving.

He'd thought himself plenty unconventional, but he'd never expected to meet someone even more extreme. But this elder... Before Qi Shan could think further, Shen Tang came trotting over on the mule. She leaped down and smiled. "Yuan Liang, sorry to keep you waiting."

Qi Shan put aside his other thoughts and looked closely at Shen Tang's clothes and hands. They were spotless. Had no one died after all?

"You said you were going to 'uphold justice, punish evil, and champion the good.' Where's the 'evil'?"

Leaning against the Motorcycle, Shen Tang beamed. "They've got fast legs. By now, they're probably asking Granny Meng for a bowl of soup."

Qi Shan: "..."

So the "evil" really was plural.

Young Master Shen had quite a bit of bloodlust herself.

Seeing Shen Tang and Qi Shan reunited, the elder took his leave.

Qi Shan hurried to ask where the elder lived, saying they could play a couple of games of chess sometime. But the elder politely declined.

As Qi Shan watched the elder walk off with several lotus-leaf parcels in hand, his brows knitted together. He didn't come back to himself until Shen Tang waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

He slapped Shen Tang's hand away, annoyed.

She said, "Stare all you want. He's not going to turn around."

Qi Shan murmured, "What a pity."

Shen Tang pulled out two pieces of malt candy and chewed as she jogged to catch up with Qi Shan. "What's a pity?"

"He's no ordinary man."

Shen Tang had thought he was going to say something more profound. Anyone with eyes could see that. She said, "Someone who stands out at a glance in a vast sea of people obviously isn't ordinary. Just look at his bearing. I wonder if his family fell on hard times or if something else happened."

She'd considered whether the elder was a recluse who'd chosen to hide in the city, but even recluses had their standards. No matter how poor he was, he wouldn't eat offal that even ordinary commoners turned their noses up at, dress so shabbily, and do so much backbreaking work.

Qi Shan didn't answer. Shen Tang asked again, "You two looked like kindred spirits, chatting as if you'd found each other after a lifetime apart. What did you talk about?"

"Word Spirits."

"Does he have a Literary Heart?"

Qi Shan lowered his eyes. "Perhaps he once did."

Shen Tang: "???"

"Once did" meant he didn't have one anymore?

For Qi Shan to think so highly of him, they must have been kindred spirits. Shen Tang couldn't help wondering what had made the elder lose his Literary Heart. Had his Dantian been forcibly crippled and his Literary Heart crushed, like when the Gong Clan was stripped of its rank and exiled?

As Qi Shan walked, he noticed the footsteps behind him had stopped.

He turned around and saw Shen Tang darting to a butcher's stall that was closing for the day, asking the butcher something. A moment later, she ran back.

Please vote for the book!

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"Self-Entrapment": The Word Spirit in the story, "No sparrow is seen among the hedges; the hawk appears, and the sparrow flies right into the net," is shortened to "Self-Entrapment." It comes from "The Yellow Sparrows' Song."

"Cornered Beast Fights Back": "Even a cornered beast will fight back—how much more so a man?" When your side is in dire straits, you still have to fight with all your might, to raise morale when the odds are against you. The elder wasn't interested, because in his view, you either press forward and kill the enemy or get killed yourself.

"Sink into Fire, and Bring Ruin Upon Yourself" means exactly what it says.