The street ahead was jammed with people, and the noise drew a crowd of onlookers.
The streets on the west side of Fengxian County were like those in an old town, nowhere near as wide as East Street. With the road blocked, the entire street was soon at a standstill.
"Move aside, move aside! What are you blocking the road for?"
Old Liu pushed through the crowd and strode in, casually grabbing a handful of roasted chestnuts and stuffing them into his sleeve. Dressed in official garb, he faced no resistance from the crowd and soon reached the center of the commotion.
Xiang Yuan followed close behind and saw two burly men brawling in the middle of the street.
One wore blue cloth, the other black. Both looked like household servants. The first used Tiger-Leopard Fist, while the second used Mantis Fist. They traded blows, putting on quite a show.
A few days ago, Xiang Yuan wouldn't have been able to beat either one. Now, though, he saw nothing but openings all over them. He could have followed Liu Bei's example and stepped in to break up the fight with a move called "One Dragon Divides Two Tigers."
The idea was too ridiculous. He wouldn't have come up with it while keeping his head, so he was happy to play the supporting role and let Old Liu take the lead.
"What a lively scene. I wondered who it was—turns out it's you two."
Old Liu shoved past an onlooker, snatched a bench, and sat down. Then he said to Xiang Yuan, "These two are local thugs from the Martial Arts School. One calls himself 'Big Tiger,' the other 'Flying Mantis.' They claim to be men of the martial world, but they're just local hoodlums. They've got a little martial skill, so they're always picking fights. They're regulars at the yamen."
Xiang Yuan listened and nodded. "What's with their clothes? Have they gone straight?"
"They couldn't spend their whole lives fighting. They finally got some sense and learned how to make a living. Someone hired them as household servants to guard a home and earn their keep. Who'd have thought they'd never change? The moment they get a little free time, they make trouble for the yamen."
Old Liu's voice was loud enough for all the onlookers to hear, but the two brawling thugs were so engrossed in wrestling that they paid no attention. They had eyes only for each other, leaving Old Liu looking rather foolish.
A few snickers drifted over. Old Liu's face grew hard, and he sprang to his feet. He strode over and kicked them both.
The two "heroes of the martial world" each took a kick and turned to glare. The moment they saw constable Old Liu, they said nothing and ran.
"Hmph. Good. I'll take you two in today and have something to show for it."
Old Liu wasn't about to let them get away. He chased down Big Tiger and took him to the ground in just a few moves.
"Master Liu, go easy! That hurts."
"If you know it hurts, why run? Come with me to the yamen!"
On the other side, Flying Mantis dodged through the crowd. There were too many people watching, and he couldn't squeeze his way out. His eyes lit up when he spotted Xiang Yuan, whose face was still smooth and unweathered, and he sprang toward him.
He didn't have the nerve to attack a constable, but he could still scare a young one.
He was an old hand and knew that newcomers like Xiang Yuan were easy to bully. He'd just puff himself up and glare; the latter would instinctively move aside.
Once he escaped the crowd, he could hide at his employer's place. The constable naturally wouldn't dare come there to arrest him.
With that thought, Flying Mantis charged even faster. He was tall and burly, and as he barreled forward, he looked like a powerful bull. The onlookers cried out in alarm.
Xiang Yuan stood motionless, expression blank. He didn't reach for his saber. It seemed the other man's imposing charge had cowed him; he stood stiff as a plank, completely at a loss.
Move aside, you!
Flying Mantis gloated inwardly. Then, in an instant, the scene before him changed. There was no street, no crowd—only a pair of soul-piercing tiger eyes.
A fierce tiger roared and came charging down the mountain. Everything in its path snapped and bent, and all the beasts trembled in terror.
Flying Mantis went deathly pale. His knees buckled, and he tumbled to the ground, crumpling at Xiang Yuan's feet.
In that moment, Flying Mantis became a dung beetle rolling on its back.
The onlookers didn't understand what had happened. They just thought Flying Mantis was a coward. The whole spectacle ended in a damp squib, leaving them thoroughly unsatisfied.
Why not fight a little longer? xN
"Why are you all standing around? Go home! You're blocking the road. I'll haul you all to the yamen and make you answer for it!" Old Liu shouted, driving the entire crowd away.
As everyone dispersed, a voice complained:
"Damn it! Whoever stole my roasted chestnuts, may your son be born without a damn asshole!"
Old Liu had no son, so the curse did nothing to him. He grabbed Big Tiger by the collar and brought him over to Xiang Yuan, exclaiming, "Not bad, kid. Where'd you learn that? Does the Martial Arts School teach this too?"
Captain Liu taught me.
Xiang Yuan answered inwardly. Following Old Liu's example, he grabbed Flying Mantis by the collar, and together they escorted the two to the yamen.
Neither of them gave the minor business of keeping the peace a second thought. When they got off work that afternoon—what Xiang Yuan called clocking out—Big Tiger and Flying Mantis, who should have been sitting in jail, were swaggering around outside the yamen. They said a lord had invited Old Liu and Xiang Yuan to a banquet at Fortune Garden.
When Old Liu learned the host's name, sweat poured down his face.
"County Lieutenant Qin. His household servants..."
On the way, Old Liu got the two thugs—or rather, the two household servants—to tell him roughly what had happened.
To be precise, the two servants did not work for County Lieutenant Qin himself. They worked for his second and third concubines.
The two concubines fought for his favor every day. Young and beautiful, they were at odds with County Lieutenant Qin's wife. With the three women constantly at each other's throats, County Lieutenant Qin's health had deteriorated day by day. In the end, he simply bought another property and moved the two concubines out.
The two servants had fought that day because their mistresses were competing for favor, too.
Why hadn't the two servants said so from the start?
What kind of question was that? It wasn't exactly something to be proud of. Naturally, they'd say as little as they could.
Old Liu shook his head again and again, then looked at Xiang Yuan with a bitter expression. In a low voice, he said, "We guarded against everything, but we didn't expect Lord Qin to move his two concubines out. This meal won't be easy to swallow!"
Xiang Yuan nodded. Who could argue? They'd had a rotten day.
Fengxian County's main affairs were overseen by County Magistrate Sima and County Deputy Wu. As the third-ranking official, County Lieutenant Qin could neither represent the imperial court nor rely on any Noble Families. He'd given up and let things slide, barely exercising his authority as county lieutenant anymore.
Not using his authority didn't mean he didn't have it.
In name, County Lieutenant Qin was in charge of catching thieves and maintaining public order. He was the constables' immediate superior. They could offend anyone except him, or a single transfer order would leave them with nothing but the northwest wind to drink.
Hearing Old Liu's complaint, Xiang Yuan furrowed his brow.
He'd found a famous master, obtained a divine technique, and had a promising future. He was destined for greatness, yet he'd been summoned for a talking-to by his superior because two concubines were fighting over a man. It left him deeply displeased.
Setting aside his pride, that was simply the truth. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. He couldn't settle his thoughts.
His heart told him that this lousy constable job wasn't worth doing!
Led by the two servants, Old Liu and Xiang Yuan crossed East Street, with its endless stream of traffic, and entered Fortune Garden, the finest restaurant in Fengxian County.
Fortune Garden was built around a manor, with eight grand halls and thirty-six smaller ones. Each hall was screened off from the others by greenery and artificial hills. The setting was elegant, the layout ingenious, and the design subtly followed the principles of feng shui.
Maple Splendor Hall.
Xiang Yuan followed the nervous Old Liu inside. When they saw their host, County Lieutenant Qin, dressed like a wealthy landowner, they both cupped their hands in greeting.
"Lord Qin, I didn't know those two servants had ties to you. I overstepped earlier and offended you. Please forgive me."
Old Liu gritted his teeth. "If you don't mind, I'll pay for today's meal myself. I only hope to clear up this misunderstanding."
Fortune Garden was expensive. Old Liu was offering to pay through the nose. Given how stingy he was, and the fact that Xiang Yuan had also taken one of the servants in, the two of them would have to split the bill.
How outrageous! They were maintaining public order, yet now they had to pay for a meal. Was there any law left? Had Western Chu really come to this?
But clearly, it wasn't just Western Chu. Northern Qi and Southern Jin were the same.
Xiang Yuan was utterly frustrated. Following Old Liu's advice, he kept his mouth shut and did whatever he was told.
County Lieutenant Qin smiled. "It was a misunderstanding to begin with. I asked you two here to clear things up. Since you're willing, then you can pay for the meal."
As he spoke, his gaze passed over Old Liu and settled on Xiang Yuan. "What a handsome young man. You move like the wind and strike like fire. You're just like I was back then—unable to tolerate a single grain of sand in your eyes."
The meaning was clear, and Xiang Yuan lowered his head to apologize.
"No harm done, no harm done. It's a small matter. Just drink three cups as punishment, and be more careful next time." County Lieutenant Qin nodded in satisfaction.
Just then, a loud, boisterous shout came from outside Maple Splendor Hall. "Brother Yuan, why didn't you tell me you were coming to eat?"
"Who's Brother Yuan?"
County Lieutenant Qin's brows drew together, his face full of displeasure. He glared at Xiang Yuan, then stood up. "Shouting and carrying on—no manners at all. I'll see what kind of family raised this brat, and who dares to act so..."
"Young Master Xiao, what brings you here?"
First arrogant, then obsequious. It was laughable in hindsight.
Before you continue