The Clown

Wu Mingyuan returned to the martial arts hall after noon had already passed.

He wore a moon-white training outfit, a pale green sash tied around his waist. His steps were unhurried, and at a glance, he carried himself like someone from a wealthy household.

Zhou Wen had been waiting at the courtyard gate for some time. The moment he saw him, his eyes lit up, and he hurried forward.

"Senior Brother Wu! You're finally back!" Zhou Wen's voice carried a trace of urgency, along with excitement he could not hide.

Wu Mingyuan glanced at him without slowing down, his answer brief and indifferent. "What is it? Speak."

"It's Xu Qing! The new guy!" Zhou Wen edged closer and lowered his voice, though he could not suppress its exaggerated note. "You don't know this, but not long after you left, Xu Qing beat Xu Qing! Right in front of everyone in the courtyard! Xu Qing's mouth was bleeding!"

Wu Mingyuan's steps paused slightly. He turned to look at Zhou Wen, one brow lifting faintly.

"Xu Qing? The one who used to fish?"

"Yes, yes, him!" Zhou Wen nodded repeatedly, adding fuel to the flames. "Over some tiny matter, he went and beat Xu Qing..."

Wu Mingyuan raised a hand to cut him off. "Hasn't he only been here three days? Xu Qing has trained for two months. He could beat Xu Qing?"

What concerned him was not that "Xu Qing had been beaten," but that "Xu Qing had failed to beat Xu Qing." The order of those things mattered.

Zhou Wen gave a dry laugh and nodded despite himself. "That's right. Xu Qing must have been careless..."

Before he could finish, Wu Mingyuan cut him off coldly. "What exactly happened? Tell me the whole thing exactly as it happened. Don't add a single word."

Wu Mingyuan's voice was not loud, but Zhou Wen shuddered all over when he heard it. He no longer dared to make things up and honestly recounted the entire matter.

"You said that after he defeated Xu Qing, the courtyard added meat to his lunch and even gave him medicinal soup?" Wu Mingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"That's right!" Seeing Wu Mingyuan's expression change—or rather, seeing his face finally show some reaction—Zhou Wen became even more animated. "You should have seen the spectacle when Xu Qing drank that medicine! Zhang Mom from the kitchen personally brought it over, treating him like she was serving an ancestor..."

Wu Mingyuan suddenly turned around to face him.

The abrupt motion startled Zhou Wen. His words lodged in his throat like a fishbone—neither swallowable nor spit out—and he awkwardly fell silent.

"Junior Brother Zhou." Wu Mingyuan's voice was unhurried, yet it carried an unquestionable composure. "Are you telling me all this because you want me to stand up for Xu Qing?"

Zhou Wen opened his mouth, his expression stiffening. That had indeed been his intention.

Xu Qing was one of their people. Having his face slapped in public like that, Wu Mingyuan, their "big brother," ought to show some response, shouldn't he? Even if he did not act personally, he should at least scold Xu Qing a little.

But Zhou Wen did not dare say it outright. He could only keep forcing out an awkward smile, uglier than crying. "Senior Brother Wu, that's not what I meant. I just... I just think Xu Qing is being far too arrogant..."

"Arrogant?" Wu Mingyuan suddenly smiled. The smile was faint, with no warmth in his eyes. "He stood up for his own aunt, sparred openly and fairly, and won. That makes him arrogant?"

Zhou Wen was left completely speechless, his face turning green, then white.

Wu Mingyuan stopped looking at him and turned to walk farther inside. His tone returned to that faintly indifferent manner, as though nothing mattered. "Five Elements Fist to minor accomplishment in three days, stance training initiated in half an incense stick's time, and the courtyard raises his treatment... You want me to go make trouble for someone like that?"

Without looking back, his voice drifted over. "Junior Brother Zhou, if you can't accept it, go challenge him yourself. I won't stop you."

Zhou Wen's face flared red. His mouth opened and closed, closed and opened, yet he could not say a single word.

He stood there as his expression changed again and again. In the end, he stamped his foot hard, muttered something under his breath, and followed after him with his tail between his legs.

As evening neared and it was almost time for dinner, Wu Mingyuan unexpectedly did not go out.

He withdrew his fists, took the towel Zhou Wen handed him, and wiped away his sweat. His gaze swept over the courtyard before finally falling on Xu Qing, who was practicing in a corner.

Thump, thump, thump—

Xu Qing was striking the wooden dummy with one punch after another, neither fast nor slow, his rhythm steady.

Wu Mingyuan watched with narrowed eyes for a while. Unconsciously, he recalled what Xu Qing had looked like on the day he arrived—wearing those old clothes washed so many times they had turned white, the collar frayed, dark-skinned and skinny, the very picture of a country bumpkin freshly dragged off a fishing boat.

And it had only been three days.

This country yokel looked like an entirely different person now.

That brand-new blue training outfit made him look especially spirited. He had never been ugly to begin with; his features were upright, his brows clear and bright. Now he seemed positively radiant. Apart from his still-dark skin and thin frame, not a trace of rustic earthiness remained about him.

Wu Mingyuan watched for a moment, then suddenly started walking over.

Tao Qing and the others froze briefly, exchanged glances, and followed him.

"Junior Brother Xu." Wu Mingyuan stopped behind Xu Qing, his voice neither loud nor soft, carrying the characteristic composure of a scion from a great family.

Xu Qing withdrew his fist and turned around. He saw Wu Mingyuan standing before him, with Tao Qing and two other senior brothers behind him.

He was slightly taken aback.

These past few days, Wu Mingyuan had never spoken a single word to him.

Whenever they met, this illegitimate son of the Wu Clan would walk by with his head held high, not even lifting his eyelids.

"Senior Brother Wu." Xu Qing cupped his hands, neither servile nor overbearing.

Wu Mingyuan looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on his face. "I heard Junior Brother Xu defeated Xu Qing? And reached minor accomplishment in Five Elements Fist?"

Xu Qing replied calmly, "I got lucky."

"Lucky?" Wu Mingyuan smiled. "Entering stance training in half an incense stick's time was luck too?"

Xu Qing said nothing. He merely watched him, waiting for what came next.

Wu Mingyuan seemed unconcerned by his coolness and continued on his own. "We train in the same courtyard. We should naturally be closer. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can ask me. I know the path of Five Elements Fist better than you do."

His words were neither warm nor cold, as though he were bestowing charity, yet also extending an olive branch.

Xu Qing glanced at him and did not respond. He only cupped his hands in thanks. Then he turned around, took a few steps away, and resumed his practice.

Thump, thump, thump—

The sound of his fists rose again, neither fast nor slow, its rhythm as steady as if nothing had happened.

Standing behind Wu Mingyuan, Tao Qing watched Xu Qing's back and frowned slightly.

She leaned toward Wu Mingyuan, lowering her voice with a hint of dissatisfaction. "Senior Brother Wu, he doesn't seem very grateful."

Wu Mingyuan said nothing. He only watched Xu Qing's back as he practiced, his gaze shifting slightly.

After a while, he suddenly smiled, his laugh soft. "It's better if he isn't grateful. If he were, it would be no fun."

With that, he turned and left, his steps calm, as though nothing had happened.

Tao Qing paused, then followed him. After taking a few steps, she turned back for another look—the handsome youth was still practicing, one punch after another, utterly focused and free of distractions.

Over the following days, Wu Mingyuan would occasionally exchange a few lukewarm words with Xu Qing.

Sometimes Tao Qing would add a sentence or two, and the other two senior brothers would occasionally nod as well.

Xu Qing could not say he thought well of them, nor could he say he thought poorly of them.

They had never truly looked him in the eye, and he had never truly looked them in the eye either.

Now that Wu Mingyuan had taken the initiative to show goodwill, Xu Qing neither refused nor catered to him. He trained when it was time to train and ate when it was time to eat. When they met, he would cup his hands and call him "Senior Brother Wu." Neither close nor distant.

The most awkward ones were Xu Qing and Zhou Wen.

Xu Qing returned to the martial arts hall the very next day. The first thing that happened after he returned was that Wu Mingyuan ordered him to apologize to Xu Qing.

Though unwilling in his heart, he gritted his teeth and apologized. The words "I was wrong" were squeezed out through his teeth, thin as a mosquito's buzz, but everyone heard them.

They had once constantly mocked Xu Qing as a "country bumpkin," "fisherman," and "rustic fool." Now, that very "country bumpkin" had become someone even their "big brother" wanted to court.

Behind their backs, the two of them were mocked often enough by the other martial brothers in the courtyard.

The two had become complete clowns.

Thanks to fellow reader 20220920094603920, godfather, for the monthly ticket! Many thanks~