Destined to Be a Clown!

"This girl..."

Hu Li stood at the edge of the Martial Practice Field, her gaze fixed tightly on her younger brother, Hu Tian, who was faintly surrounded by the crowd at the center.

When she saw that girl, whose face still bore faint bruises yet whose smile was radiant, flit lightly to her brother's side like a little bird returning to the woods, her crisp, undisguised flattery ringing out...

A trace of gravity flashed through her eyes.

She was no sheltered young lady who knew nothing of the world.

Their parents had died early. Struggling to survive in the village with her young brother had long since taught her the warmth and chill of human relationships, the harshness and fickleness of the world.

She knew that wherever there were people, there would be a jianghu.

Though this Martial Academy appeared to be a sacred place for imparting skills and pursuing the martial path, the entanglements between its people were likely far more complicated than she had imagined.

The senior sister before her, who had suddenly displayed excessive enthusiasm toward her brother, wore a bright smile, but her eyes held the shrewdness and scrutiny Hu Li knew all too well.

Hu Tian was simple-minded. Suddenly being raised up so high and surrounded by such enthusiasm, he would likely lose himself in it easily, perhaps even... be used by others.

She said nothing. She merely watched and listened in silence.

She took note of every seemingly innocent and lively compliment Lin Xiaohe offered, every apparently casual brush of physical closeness, and stored them in her heart.

In this unfamiliar place, her brother was her only concern and her only hope.

She had to remain especially vigilant against any person or matter that might threaten her brother or lead him astray.

Still, there were too many eyes and ears in the Martial Academy now, so it was not convenient for her to say anything.

I'll talk to him once he gets home.

After pondering for a moment, Hu Li instructed Hu Tian, "Xiaotian, train diligently at the Martial Academy. Your sister is heading back first. Remember to come home early tonight."

"Mm!"

Hu Tian nodded. Excitement and anticipation lit up his youthful face.

He looked at his sister, his eyes firm and blazing.

"Sister, don't worry! I'll train diligently and make a name for myself as soon as possible. In the future... in the future, I'll definitely let you live a good life and never suffer again!"

A young man's promise carried the blazing sincerity of one untouched by worldly affairs, like a flame without a trace of impurity.

Seeing the pure light in her brother's eyes, Hu Li's heart softened, and the heaviness born of her vigilance eased somewhat.

She reached out and straightened Hu Tian's slightly crooked collar. Her movements were gentle, and her voice became softer.

"I know."

"But martial training is not accomplished in a day. Don't be impatient, and even more so... don't easily believe others' praise and lose sight of your true heart."

"Steady progress, one footprint at a time, is better than anything."

Her words carried another meaning as her gaze swept, seemingly by chance, toward Lin Xiaohe, who was smiling at them from not far away.

Hu Tian only half understood, but he obediently nodded. "I'll remember it, Sister."

Hu Li said no more. She gave her brother one last deep look, then covertly glanced at Lin Xiaohe from the corner of her eye.

She turned around and walked toward the Martial Academy gates, passing through the gazes that openly or secretly appraised her. Her steps remained brisk, though they seemed a little heavy.

"Elder, thank you for your introduction today. I'll be leaving first."

As she passed the gatehouse, Hu Li gave Jiang Ye, who sat there, a slight nod of thanks.

Jiang Ye lifted his eyelids. His aged gaze rested on her face for a moment before he likewise gave a faint nod in return.

Hu Li's figure soon vanished at the end of the long street.

"Junior Brother, your sister treats you so well."

Seeing Hu Li leave the Martial Academy, Lin Xiaohe secretly let out a breath of relief.

For some reason, that elder sister's calm, appraising gaze had made Lin Xiaohe feel vaguely uncomfortable, as though the little calculations in her heart had silently been seen through.

The feeling displeased her greatly.

"Yeah, my sister is the person closest to me."

Hu Tian nodded. Simple-minded as he was, he did not notice Lin Xiaohe's subtle emotions.

He was just about to settle down and continue pondering the fist stances the head instructor had guided him through earlier.

Just then, a breeze carrying the faint clean scent of soapberry drifted over.

Lin Xiaohe stepped lightly closer again. The distance between them had already crossed the bounds that ordinary fellow disciples should keep.

"Junior Brother, you're sweating on your forehead. Let me wipe it for you."

She spoke with a smiling face and actually drew a spotless white handkerchief from her sleeve.

Before Hu Tian could react, the soft cloth, carrying a girl's warmth and fragrance, pressed directly against his forehead, damp with a fine sheen of sweat.

"Senior Sister, th-this..."

Other than his sister, who had depended on him since childhood, when had Hu Tian ever had such close contact with a girl?

His delicate face flushed scarlet with a whoosh, like a boiled shrimp. Even the roots of his ears and his neck were stained red. Heat rose from him as he stood frozen in place, utterly at a loss, forgetting even to dodge.

This abrupt and intimate scene left several Outer Courtyard disciples practicing nearby staring dumbly. Their fists halted in midair as they looked at one another.

What the hell!

It was broad daylight, and everyone was practicing their punches!

"Tsk, tsk, Lin Xiaohe really knows her way around."

"Just a couple days ago, she was still clinging to Shi Lei..."

"And today she's latched onto the new junior brother."

Quite a few people exchanged looks and secretly shook their heads, their hearts filled with both contempt and rueful reflection.

Who could have imagined that this girl with twin buns in her hair, cheeks still carrying a little baby fat, looking so cute and innocent, would have so many schemes in her heart?

No wonder they said women matured earlier than men.

The coldness of the world, pursuing profit and avoiding harm, was displayed so bluntly and swiftly in this tiny Outer Courtyard.

Yet Lin Xiaohe seemed entirely unaware of the varied gazes cast her way. Her smile remained bright as she gently wiped his forehead, her fingertips seemingly brushing across the young man's burning skin by accident.

Her voice was soft enough to have honey mixed into it.

"Junior Brother, there's no need to be shy. Fellow disciples should look after one another. You've only just arrived, so if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me anytime."

Hu Tian felt dizzy. An unfamiliar fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, his heart pounded like a drum, and his mind was completely blank. Even the key points of the fist techniques he had just memorized were nearly scattered by this sudden "care."

It was nearly time for the academy to close.

As usual, Jiang Ye stood silently beneath the eaves of the gate, his aged gaze seeing off one departing figure after another.

"Junior Brother, my family specializes in making sesame flatbreads—they smell amazing! Are you really not coming home with me to try some?"

Lin Xiaohe closely followed behind Hu Tian as they walked out through the gates together. Her voice was sweet and crisp, carrying a barely perceptible urgency.

Though Hu Tian was tempted, he still shook his head. "Sorry, Senior Sister. I promised my sister I'd go home early."

"Alright..."

Lin Xiaohe pouted unwillingly, looking adorably disappointed. "Then next time—next time, you have to come! I'll make them for you myself!"

"Mm! Definitely!"

Hu Tian nodded heavily and smiled, about to turn away.

Just then.

"Junior Brother Hu, wait a moment."

A clear voice rang out behind him, though it carried a hint of condescension.

Hu Tian turned and saw a handsome young man approaching at an unhurried pace. He wore a brocade martial uniform, and an air of nobility naturally clung to his brows.

Three or four Inner Courtyard disciples of clearly extraordinary bearing followed behind him, their steps calm and composed.

"Junior Brother, that's Senior Brother Zhang Xu from the Inner Courtyard. I didn't expect him to come looking for you..."

Lin Xiaohe's pupils shrank slightly. She hurriedly lowered her voice to whisper in Hu Tian's ear, her tone carrying reverence and a thread of excitement she could not quite conceal.

"I heard he's the second young master of the Zhang Family in the county seat..."

At those words, Hu Tian's heart tightened.

He did not know what the Zhang Family meant in Anxi County, but the man's bearing, along with the way the surrounding disciples faintly treated him as their leader, instinctively made Hu Tian feel restrained and pressured.

He hurriedly cupped his fists and stammered, "Z-Zhang Xu, Senior Brother, you were looking for me?"

He had no idea what the other man wanted.

"Hahaha!"

Zhang Xu laughed heartily, his attitude seeming open and warm.

Yet he did not stop walking. He came directly to Hu Tian's side and, with complete naturalness, draped an arm over the youth's thin shoulders. An intimacy and sense of control that brooked no refusal settled down with it.

"Junior Brother Hu made a splash on his first day at the martial academy. As your senior brother, how could I not celebrate for you?"

He tilted his head slightly to look at Hu Tian, his tone carrying the magnanimity of someone bestowing a favor. "Junior Brother came from outside the city, right? You probably aren't very familiar with the county seat. Come, Senior Brother will take you... to broaden your horizons today."

Hu Tian looked troubled. "Senior Brother Zhang, I promised my sister I'd go back early..."

"Ah! It's just a small matter. I'm only taking you for a meal. How much time could that possibly delay? Later, Senior Brother will arrange a carriage to send you home."

Zhang Xu put his arm around Hu Tian's shoulders and started walking forward.

"That's right, Junior Brother Hu. Senior Brother Zhang has high standards. Ordinary people rarely get a personal invitation from him."

"Today is your opportunity. Follow Senior Brother Zhang, and you'll definitely get to see plenty of new things."

"Don't worry. Senior Brother Zhang has always been thorough."

The several Inner Courtyard disciples behind Zhang Xu joined in, urging him on.

"Th-this..."

Hu Tian spoke as though he were troubled, but his body honestly followed Zhang Xu and the others forward.

From beginning to end, neither Zhang Xu nor his followers spared even a moment's glance for Lin Xiaohe, who was struggling to maintain her smile.

Though only a wall separated the Inner Courtyard from the Outer Courtyard, it was like a heavenly chasm.

Outer Courtyard disciples like Lin Xiaohe did not yet deserve to enter their eyes.

Watching the group's retreating figures, Lin Xiaohe could not help clenching her delicate little fists.

The fervor in her eyes did not cool. Instead, it burned even more fiercely.

Jiang Ye, who had taken in all of this, merely shook his head faintly.

In his seemingly aged eyes, the mockery was so thick it could not dissolve, as though he were watching a clumsy shadow play whose ending had long since been written.