Courage, Soulmate

To continue, after Jiang Ziya and Song Yiren cupped their hands to bid farewell to the guests at the main gate, the two turned and returned to the courtyard.

However, the moment they stepped inside, the smile on Song Yiren's face slowly faded, turning rather unsightly.

The courtyard, still littered with the remnants of the banquet, was completely deserted, with not a single servant in sight to clean up.

Song Yiren called out, "Someone, come here!"

Soon, a manservant hurried over from a side moon gate, lantern in hand, and bowed his head. "Master."

Song Yiren said with displeasure, "Where are the others? Why aren't they here cleaning the courtyard? Are you all waiting for me to do it myself?"

Jiang Ziya also looked toward the servant.

"This..."

The servant glanced up at Song Yiren, then lowered his head again and whispered, "Master, the dog that Young Master Wang brought today has gone missing, and the Third Master ordered all of us to go find it..."

"Find a dog? That is absolutely preposterous!" Song Yiren was so angry he laughed. "A bunch of good-for-nothing, dissolute brats."

Jiang Ziya asked, "Brother, what is going on?"

Song Yiren looked at the wedding robes Jiang Ziya was wearing and beamed. "This matter has nothing to do with you, virtuous brother. You should hurry back to your quarters; don't miss the auspicious hour and cause your bride to blame me."

As he spoke, he began pushing Jiang Ziya toward the direction of his own courtyard.

"Brother, you... what are you saying..."

Jiang Ziya's aged face flushed at these words, and he said sternly, "Since there is trouble at your estate, and it happened during my wedding banquet, how can I turn a blind eye? I have some small knowledge of divination; it is only right that I contribute some effort."

With that, he walked up to the servant and asked, "Tell me, what kind of dog was it that went missing?"

The servant replied respectfully, "Mr. Jiang, it was a large black wolfhound."

"A large black dog..."

Jiang Ziya nodded and extended his left hand to begin calculating.

Seeing that he could not dissuade Jiang Ziya, Song Yiren could only say, "If that is the case, then I shall trouble you, virtuous brother."

Jiang Ziya calculated for a moment, and soon, his expression shifted slightly. He frowned at his left hand and let out a soft sound of surprise.

Song Yiren asked, "How is it, virtuous brother? Is there a result?"

Jiang Ziya shook his head and said, "Brother, it cannot be found. That dog is already dead."

Song Yiren pondered for a moment, then suddenly said to the servant, "Why aren't you hurrying to escort Mr. Jiang to the bridal chamber? What are you standing there for?"

The servant understood, immediately walked over to take Jiang Ziya by the arm, and pulled him firmly toward the direction of his courtyard.

"Brother, I..."

"You what?"

Song Yiren interrupted with a laugh, "Virtuous brother, since you have already done your part, go and keep your bride company now. Don't let the beautiful night go to waste."

Hearing this, Jiang Ziya gave a wry smile. No longer insisting, he obediently headed toward his courtyard.

After Jiang Ziya left, Song Yiren's smile vanished. He looked down at the messy, chaotic courtyard and flicked his sleeves. "This rebellious son is becoming more and more outrageous."

With a cold snort, he walked toward the backyard with a dark expression.

Meanwhile, the servant led Jiang Ziya until they reached the gate of his small courtyard, which was decorated with red streamers and silk.

"Mr. Jiang, I shall leave you here," the servant said.

Jiang Ziya cupped his hands and smiled. "Thank you for your trouble."

The servant smiled and turned to leave.

Jiang Ziya looked up at the slightly ajar gate, let out a smile, stepped into the courtyard, and closed the gate behind him.

Bang!

Just as he closed the door, a dull thud sounded behind him, as if something heavy had hit the ground.

By now, the sky was pitch black. Although there was a lantern hanging in the courtyard, its light was very limited.

Jiang Ziya scanned the yard, his gaze lingering on the darkness beneath the corner wall. "Come out!"

As soon as he spoke, a figure indeed stood up from the darkness and walked out.

"It's you?"

Jiang Ziya had been on guard, but upon seeing who it was, his expression immediately relaxed. He smiled bitterly, "Xiao Chuan, what are you doing climbing over my wall in the middle of the night?"

The person before him was none other than Lu Chuan, who had come to intercept Jiang Ziya before he could enter the bridal chamber.

He had originally intended to hide in the courtyard to wait for Jiang Ziya's return, but then he realized that would be inappropriate.

After all, it was the man's wedding day. If he were found hiding outside the bridal chamber, it would be both improper and disrespectful, so he had waited outside the wall instead.

Coincidentally, there was a large tree by the courtyard, making it not too difficult to climb the wall.

Lu Chuan walked out and, according to his plan, stepped directly in front of Jiang Ziya, blocking his path to the bridal chamber.

The two stared at each other, and Jiang Ziya asked in surprise, "You... what are you doing?"

Lu Chuan suddenly bent his knees, knelt down, and prostrated himself on the ground. "I beg Mr. Jiang to take me as your disciple."

"You... why have you come again?"

Jiang Ziya was taken aback, then gave a bitter smile. "Didn't I already say that we cannot be master and disciple? Get up quickly."

As he spoke, he bent down and reached out to help him up.

"Old Mister Jiang, there is no need for you to test me in this way. My heart for seeking the Dao is as firm as a rock; heaven and earth can bear witness, and the sun and moon can attest to it..."

Lu Chuan dodged the hand Jiang Ziya extended and rattled off a long string of determined words. "You cannot dispel my heart for seeking the Dao with methods like this."

"A test? What test?"

Jiang Ziya was stunned, and his bitter smile deepened. "Xiao Chuan, listen to me. I am truly not testing you; it is just that I cannot be your master. Please, get up..."

"Not testing me..."

Lu Chuan's eyes flickered. Looking at Jiang Ziya's anxious and sincere expression, it did not seem like he was lying. Could it be that he really had no hope?

Suddenly, another plan formed in his mind, and he pleaded, "Old Mister Jiang, please take me as your disciple. Those common, vulgar people simply cannot see your true abilities."

"Only I know that you are a True Person hiding your skills, and I am truly here to apprentice and learn your craft. If you do not accept me, I will kneel here and refuse to rise..."

Using the tactic of kneeling indefinitely to threaten someone felt shameless and despicable even to Lu Chuan himself.

But for the sake of apprenticing and learning the Dao, what better method did he have besides resorting to this desperate measure?

Jiang Ziya sighed. "Xiao Chuan, since there is no fate between us, why must you force it?"

Lu Chuan shook his head stubbornly and remained silent.

Jiang Ziya looked at him and suddenly asked, "That black dog was killed by you, wasn't it?"

"It was."

Lu Chuan did not deny it.

"Why?"

Lu Chuan looked up at Jiang Ziya and said, "Since you know it was I who killed the dog, how could you not know the reason?"

"It is not that I do not know, but I feel your murderous nature is a bit too heavy."

Jiang Ziya shook his head. "This is not good. If you encounter a renowned master in the future, you must be careful when cultivating the Dao. I only just remembered this matter, so I am offering you a word of advice."

Some people, even after reaching adulthood, might not dare to kill a chicken.

Yet, a sixteen-year-old boy, having only awakened his spiritual wisdom for half a month, had the courage to hack to death a dog larger and more ferocious than a wolf, one that could easily maul a person to death.

Against such a vicious hound, many adults, even with weapons in hand, might not have the courage or nerve to approach within half a step, let alone run up and hack at it.

Lu Chuan's courage and resolve were indeed rare, and his temperament was sufficiently ruthless.

However, he had overlooked Lu Chuan's situation.

If the dog did not die, then he would be the one to die. Lu Chuan had seen this, which was why he acted. At least this time he could grab a kitchen knife; next time, he would likely have to fight hand-to-hand.

"Xiao Chuan, to be honest, you are a kindred spirit to me, Jiang Shang."

Jiang Ziya sighed. "Among so many people in the Song Mansion, only you can see that I, Jiang Shang, am not an incompetent person. It is just a pity..."

Lu Chuan said in disappointment, "So, you refuse to take me as your disciple no matter what?"

Jiang Ziya sighed and nodded gently.

The two remained silent.

"Haha, what is being accepted that is so lively?"

Just at that moment, a loud laugh suddenly echoed from high above.