Pay Attention

The unfamiliar servant outside the main house frowned when he saw that Li Tui's clothes couldn't conceal the bloodstains.

"Companion reader Wang? The young master hasn't risen yet. If you have business, come back later."

Li Tui lowered his eyes. "The matter in the West Suburbs has been taken care of. I'm here to report."

The servant looked him up and down. A maid's voice came from inside. "Who's speaking out there?"

"It's Companion Reader Wang. He says the matter in the West Suburbs is settled."

There was a moment of silence.

Zhao Yuanchong's languid voice drifted out. "Let him in."

The incense inside was cleaner and sharper, but still thick. Zhao Yuanchong wore a moon-white brocade robe patterned with clouds. Barefoot in his slippers, he sat before a mirror while a maid combed his hair.

Li Tui's reflection appeared in the bronze mirror.

Zhao Yuanchong raised an eyebrow and turned around.

"Well, look at that. You really did come back." He looked Li Tui up and down, the corner of his mouth curling. "How badly are you hurt?"

His tone held concern, but his eyes gleamed with careless amusement.

Li Tui bowed and presented a cloth bundle with both hands. "Thanks to the young master's good fortune, the demon has been eliminated. This is proof."

The maid took it and unwrapped it. A black demon claw lay in her pale palm, its dark-red, blood-crusted tips stark in the morning light.

Zhao Yuanchong reached out, picked up the claw, and twirled it between his fingers. He let out a scoff.

"An Earth Lizard Demon..." He looked Li Tui in the face. "Its claws are poisonous. The slightest touch would rot your skin. You managed to cut one off, yet only suffered a few flesh wounds?"

He leaned forward slightly, his robe collar hanging loose and revealing his slender collarbones.

"Wang Yuan, how did you manage that?"

The maid combing his hair paused.

Li Tui lowered his eyes. "This servant wasn't struck by the claw tips. When the demon pounced, I was lucky enough to avoid the vital spots. Its claw wind only grazed me. What killed it was the wooden spike I drove into the side of its neck."

"A wooden spike?"

"Yes. I carried a piece of hardwood for protection. There was a scale turned up on the side of its neck, so I seized an opening and drove the spike in, straight through the neck bone. When the demon thrashed in pain, I took the chance to cut open its belly."

He told it all matter-of-factly. Zhao Yuanchong stared at him for a long while, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Good! Very good—'lucky enough'!" He tossed the claw back to the maid and clapped his hands. "I was worried you were nothing but a dull blockhead who trained to the point of obsession. Turns out you really do have some ability."

He seemed to be in an excellent mood. Rising, he paced a couple of steps.

"Go on, then. What reward do you want?"

Li Tui bowed. "Serving the young master is this servant's duty. I wouldn't dare ask for a reward."

"Your duty?" Zhao Yuanchong stopped and turned back, his smile deepening. "And nearly losing your life in the West Suburbs last night was your duty too?"

The question sounded casual, but every word was barbed.

Li Tui lowered his head even further. "This servant's skills were inadequate, and I caused the young master concern."

"Concern?" Zhao Yuanchong giggled. "What concern? You came back alive through your own ability. If you'd died out there..."

He paused. The amusement in his voice abruptly faded.

"...that would've been your fate."

The room was so quiet they could hear the incense crackling softly as it burned.

Li Tui held his bowed posture, silent as stone.

After a long while, Zhao Yuanchong spoke again. "Enough. Since you've completed the job, I can't be stingy. Go to the accounts office and collect three months' worth of spirit rice. Then have someone find you a side room to recover in."

He waved a hand. "Go on. Rest well. There'll be more use for you later."

"Thank you, young master."

Li Tui bowed, accepted the silver and medicine bottle from the maid, and turned to leave the room.

The door closed behind him.

Morning light brightened the corridor. He weighed what he held: ten taels of silver, a bottle of Jinchuang Powder, and three months' worth of spirit rice.

A "generous" reward bought with his life.

His mouth twitched. He tucked the items into his clothes and headed for the West Courtyard.

The side-room door's bolt slid into place.

Rather than tend to his wounds, Li Tui took out the coarse-cloth pouch. Its outer layer of mud had dried completely. He carefully peeled it away, revealing a dark-red lump of flesh inside.

It was warm to the touch, its pulse steady. In the sunlight, fine lines shimmered with a faint glow. He stared at it for a moment, then wrapped it again in a clean cloth and tucked it into the hidden compartment beneath his pillow.

Only then did he take off his shirt. Three claw marks scored his left arm, deep but clear of the tendons and bones. After he applied Jinchuang Powder, the bleeding stopped. The trouble was the purplish bruise across his shoulder blade; even the slightest movement sent pain drilling through him.

He gritted his teeth as he applied the medicine and bandaged himself. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his brow.

Outside the window, the sun climbed higher.

Li Tui sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

True qi rose from his dantian and coursed through his meridians. It still moved sluggishly past his injuries, but he felt much better than he had at dawn. Though he'd removed the coarse-cloth pouch from his chest, it seemed as if a trace of warmth still lingered, slowly nourishing the damaged flesh.

Time passed.

A knock came from outside.

Three light taps, one heavy one. It was Huang Bao.

Li Tui opened his eyes and silently pulled the door ajar.

In the dim yellow light of the corridor stood Huang Bao. He was thinner than he'd been a few months ago, his face sallow and dark circles pooled beneath his eyes. His coarse clothes hung loosely on him, the cuffs worn fuzzy. He clutched a small gray cloth bundle in one hand, his knuckles white.

When the door opened, Huang Bao's eyes brightened for an instant, then dimmed again. "...Big brother."

Li Tui stepped aside. "Come in and talk."

The door shut, darkening the room further. Huang Bao stood there, not daring to sit. His throat bobbed. "Big brother... I—I don't think I can hold on much longer."

Li Tui went to the table, poured a bowl of cold water, and pushed it toward him without a word.

Huang Bao didn't touch it. His voice trembled. "Instructor Zhao came to see me yesterday... He said if I still can't sense qi entering my body by the end of the month, there's no point in wasting the Household's spirit rice on me." He looked up, bloodshot eyes glistening. "Big brother, you know that if I'm thrown out, my family's fields..."

Li Tui looked at him calmly. "So you came to ask me to teach you again?"

"I..." Huang Bao gritted his teeth, then dropped to his knees with a thud. "Big brother, you're the only one who can help me! I'll do anything—serve tea, run errands, keep watch... If you'll just give me some guidance, my life is yours!"

Li Tui didn't help him up. He only lowered his eyes to look at him. The boy's back was thin and trembling.

Silence settled over the room for a moment.

"Get up," Li Tui finally said. "I don't take people's lives in payment."

Huang Bao froze, then hesitantly rose to his feet.

Li Tui returned to the bed and sat down. Instead of discussing terms, he asked, "How many circuits can you complete each time you practice Lianjing? Where does the qi stagnate most?"

Huang Bao hurriedly replied, "At most three circuits before I feel the qi disperse. The worst blockage is about three inches below Danzhong. It feels as if there's a stone weighing the qi down, stopping it from getting through."

Li Tui nodded.

"Sit cross-legged and circulate it once the way you usually do."

Huang Bao did as he was told, sitting down, closing his eyes, and focusing. After a moment, sweat appeared at his temples and his breathing quickened.

"Stop." Li Tui withdrew his hand. "Your meridians aren't blocked. You're simply too impatient. Before the qi even arrives, your intent is already pushing it. When your intent becomes chaotic, the qi disperses." He paused. "Starting today, practice once at the end of the you hour and once at the beginning of the hai hour. Complete only one circuit each time. Don't seek speed, only steadiness. When the qi reaches Danzhong, imagine a mountain stream seeping into stone, soaking it drop by drop. Don't force your way through."

Huang Bao stared at him. "This... this slowly? Instructor Zhao said I need to practice more..."

"Do as I say," Li Tui cut him off. "Your spiritual root is weak. If you train too hard, you'll only drain your vital essence. Dripping water wears through stone. That's your path."

Huang Bao clenched his teeth and nodded firmly. "I'll do it!"

Only then did Li Tui speak slowly. "In that case, I need you to do something for me."

Huang Bao's expression turned serious. "Just say the word, big brother."

"I want you to keep an eye on some people."

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