Lu Lingqi: This Deal Was Worth It

Gao Shun had been reprimanded by Lu Bu in person for returning late yesterday, so today he stayed cooped up at the training ground drilling the troops.

When Chen Gong arrived, he found Lu Lingqi there as well. It seemed the lord had merely been sulking by himself; in truth, he was still deeply fond of this daughter.

At that moment, Lu Lingqi was wielding a wooden staff as she exchanged moves with the barehanded Gao Shun. The battle was completely one-sided.

Words such as "Strike the Dog's Head," "Vicious Dog Blocks the Road," and "Strike the Dog's Back from an Angle" kept bursting from Lu Lingqi's mouth. Chen Gong wondered, Could the Dog Beating Staff Technique really be a set of martial arts moves?

"Young Lady, your martial skills are already exceptional. Now you're using a wooden staff against me while forbidding me from using a weapon. That's just unreasonable." After taking several hits, Gao Shun repeatedly called for a stop.

Lu Lingqi put her hands on her hips. "You're Iron Palm Water Strider now. Since when are iron palms afraid of pain?"

"Young Lady, I've played the villain all morning. Can I play Yang Tiexin now? At least he has a weapon." Gao Shun was speechless.

"You want to play a good man? Then play Hong Qigong. Hurry and use the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Let's go again," Lu Lingqi said.

The moment Gao Shun heard that he could play Hong Qigong, he immediately fetched a wooden staff from the weapons rack. With two flourishes of his hand, it cut through the air with great force.

"Didn't I tell you to play Seventh Master? Why did you take a staff?" Lu Lingqi asked in confusion.

"To use the Dog Beating Staff Technique, of course. Didn't Huang Rong learn her martial arts from him? The one who only knew the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms was Guo Jing," Gao Shun said.

Lu Lingqi nodded. "That's right. Whoever you play, you can't play Guo Jing. Then let's see whose Dog Beating Staff Technique is better."

With that, their staffs clashed, whipping up sand and stones all around them.

Clap, clap, clap. Chen Gong walked over from the edge of the training ground, applauding.

"Young Lady's martial skills truly carry the style of the Marquis of Wen. It's just that the moves you called out earlier seemed somewhat crude. What was that about beating dogs?"

"It's the Dog Beating Staff Technique. It's a very powerful martial art," Lu Lingqi rushed to say.

Chen Gong scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Forgive my limited knowledge, but how have I never heard of this martial art?"

"Sir Gongtai, this is a martial art from a story fabricated by Lan Ziyu. It does not exist in this world, so how could you have heard of it?" Gao Shun explained.

"The lord has summoned you for something. Tell me about that story on the way?" Chen Gong said.

"All right, but I don't remember it as clearly as the Young Lady does. I can only give you the general outline."

"The outline will do. Let's go, then. Don't keep the lord waiting too long," Chen Gong urged.

Gao Shun returned the wooden staff to the weapons rack, then instructed Lu Lingqi, "The lord has forbidden you from leaving the city. Make sure you remember that."

"Then I won't leave. There's nothing interesting here anyway. I'm going back to find Mother." Lu Lingqi kicked at the sand on the ground, then mounted her horse and rode off with a crack of her whip.

"The Young Lady has quite the fiery temperament. She truly has some of the lord's bearing. What a pity she was born a daughter," Chen Gong sighed as he watched her retreating figure.

After returning to the Xiaopei government office, Chen Gong explained the origins of the Dog Beating Staff Technique. Only then did Lu Bu's expression brighten, and he had Gao Shun recount Legend of the Condor Heroes once more.

Lady Yan had explained things vaguely yesterday, and Lu Bu had not caught any of the story's twists and turns. But Gao Shun's telling today was especially engrossing, and in the end Chen Gong sighed, "For Lan Ziyu to fabricate such a story, he truly is a heaven-sent genius."

"Boping, Lan Ziyu may be unwilling to enter official service, but as Gongtai says, he does possess some talent. I will no longer confine Lingqi. If she wishes to go to Gan Family Village to hear stories, set aside your military duties and accompany her." Lu Bu said.

Gao Shun did not know why Lu Bu had changed his mind, but he was secretly delighted at the thought of continuing to hear the story. He clasped his hands and said, "Yes. I will truthfully report everything I see and hear at Gan Family Village upon my return."

"Go attend to your duties first." Lu Bu waved a large hand.

After Gao Shun left, Chen Gong stroked his beard and smiled. "People say Gao Boping knows nothing of worldly affairs. It seems that is not entirely true."

After leaving the government office, Gao Shun went to fetch his horse while sending a soldier to summon Lu Lingqi. It was only mid-afternoon, still far from dusk. Perhaps they could finish Legend of the Condor Heroes this afternoon.

The two rode swiftly and eagerly to Gan Family Village, only to find the door of Lan Tian's house tightly locked. After asking the neighbors, they learned that he had gone out to the fields.

Following their directions, Lu Lingqi and Gao Shun went three li beyond Gan Family Village and spotted Lan Tian amid the millet fields.

"Autumn winds are gradually growing stronger. The millet is currently in its grain-filling stage, and the ears at the top are getting heavier by the day. You need to prop up any fallen stalks promptly. Otherwise, they will press against each other and block the sunlight. By harvest, there will be plenty of shriveled grain. If the grain weight is insufficient, what yield per mu can you even talk about?"

"We've just been a little lazy lately."

"My lower back has been aching recently."

"My wife snored last night."

"You've only been eating full meals for a few days, and you've already started slacking off? If you want to live, you have to work yourselves to the bone." Seeing the farmers make excuses, Lan Tian berated them directly.

"We understand," everyone replied in unison.

Lu Lingqi and Gao Shun watched from the side in bafflement. Lan Ziyu really does know how to farm?

Lan Tian caught sight of two figures in the distance. Looking carefully, he saw that it was those two freeloaders who came for stories again. Yet he said the opposite of what he thought: "Why are you so late today? You even came all the way out to the fields."

"You think we have nothing better to do?" Lu Lingqi shot back.

"Then wait for me." Lan Tian had intended to leap onto the field ridge, but his foot slipped and he nearly toppled into the millet field. Fortunately, the old farmer beside him reacted quickly and caught him.

Lu Lingqi could barely bear to watch. Is this guy really that frail?

Gao Shun hurried over, pulled Lan Tian up, and teased, "You're so weak. You really can't spend all your time reading."

Lan Tian was frustrated as well. Who would not want a healthy body? But his current body was simply frail. He had only begun to improve gradually after finally getting enough food through farming. During the year he had depended on Gan Qian and her daughter for survival, he had consumed no small amount of medicinal soup in Xiaopei City.

"Lan Ziyu, how about I make a deal with you?" On the way home, Lu Lingqi suddenly turned her head and said.

"A deal? I'm self-sufficient. I lack nothing," Lan Tian said doubtfully.

"How can you lack nothing? Your body is so frail that if there is a famine or war, you'll be the first to starve to death. From now on, you tell me stories, and I can teach you martial arts. General Gao can teach you too," Lu Lingqi said.

Gao Shun was utterly dumbfounded. You two children were playing around—how had he gotten dragged into it?

"Sure." Lan Tian agreed without hesitation.

He knew that no matter what one did or what era one lived in, the body was the foundation of everything. Telling stories was as easy as lifting a finger for him. In any case, this deal was worth it.

Out of good faith, after they returned to his residence, Lu Lingqi did not make Lan Tian tell stories. Instead, she earnestly taught him the fundamentals.

Watching from the side as Lu Lingqi explained everything with such seriousness, just as Lu Bu had strictly taught her when she was young, Gao Shun suddenly felt that these two children made quite a good match.

Lan Tian was drenched in sweat from exhaustion. Seeing the sun already slanting westward, he kept the two of them for dinner to thank Coach Lu.

He personally cooked several small dishes and steamed up more than ten millet-flour buns to treat them.

These coarse-grain buns, utterly ordinary in later generations, nearly made Lu Bu and Gao Shun swallow their tongues. They were astonished to discover that this fellow was also skilled in the kitchen.

Lu Lingqi took a bite of a bun and thought, I'll have to come to Gan Family Village for breakfast from now on too. I must supervise Lan Ziyu and make sure he practices diligently, or this fellow will definitely slack off.

Mm, this deal was worth it.