Sword Dance

"Bravo! Bravo!"

"I never imagined a man could dance like that... no, that a man could dance at all!"

"Dancing has always been women's work. Now I've really had my eyes opened!"

Applause lingered outside the Song-Listening Entertainment House on Chaoyang Street, only dying down after a while.

Yet it never carried beyond Chaoyang Street, with its ground covered in black mud. The neighboring streets remained quiet, as though Chaoyang Street were cut off from the world.

Lin Ke also noticed that people here not only shouted "bravo," but clapped as well. That was much like his previous life.

"Thank you, everyone." He bowed from the center of the wooden floor, showing no trace of pride, then simply stood there quietly while everyone savored the performance.

The girls who had mocked, scorned, and cursed him earlier exchanged looks, the emotions in their eyes long since changed.

Not far away, the simple-minded fellow was still clapping and shouting, "That was pretty! Really pretty!"

"Bravo! Bravo! Bloody marvelous!" Wang Lin sat there shouting proudly too. "You've really done your old lady... pah! You've really made this humble maiden proud. Just what I'd expect from my disciple."

The first half was coarse, the second soft and sweet. Variety was the name of the game.

Beside her, the restaurant proprietor raised his head and remarked, "His dance was as beautiful as a wild goose spreading its wings, his footfalls like cattle and horses galloping across the earth. A fine dance!"

But no sooner had he finished than Li Chungang laughed and spoke. His voice was not loud, yet everyone could hear it. "Hahahaha! Not so. My disciple has the splendor of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, unmatched in all the world!"

Everyone sucked in a cold breath at those words, then turned to look at Li Chungang.

The next moment, the spectators scattered in a flash.

The crowd that had been gathered together just moments before vanished completely. The butcher, Wang Lin, and the others all fled, no longer in any mood to watch the fun.

Even Lin Ke, who had been standing there showing off, felt his heart tremble.

A dragon!

The concept of dragons in this world was not much different from that in Lin Ke's previous life. They were powerful creatures of legend.

Like phoenixes, golden crows, black tortoises, and other mighty divine beasts, dragons were powerful divine beasts too.

Even a genius or favored child of heaven in the Noble Registry would only be called a dragon among men, though no one would object to such praise for someone of that registry.

But who was Lin Ke? How could he possibly deserve such a title?

If word got out, countless hot-blooded youths from the Imperial Capital would probably come howling for a duel with him the very next day.

On the other hand, it also showed just how highly Old Master Li Chungang regarded him.

The girls who had mocked, scorned, and cursed him earlier now exchanged looks, not daring to speak.

"No matter!" Li Chungang now displayed a touch of a Great Confucian's bearing as he declared, "The Sage Emperor oversees the realm, but does not spy on it... I'd wager His Majesty doesn't watch us every moment of every day. Even if he heard, he wouldn't care. After all..."

"My disciple truly danced well!"

As he spoke, Li Chungang glanced toward the Immortal Realm Painting Studio, placing particular emphasis on the word "disciple."

Wang Lin, who had already gone inside, leaned halfway out again and raised her eyebrows without speaking.

One by one, those who had just fled home opened their doors again to peer over.

"I'm sleepy. Time for bed."

The matchmaker had not run earlier, but now she raised a hand to pat her mouth lightly and yawned.

Lin Ke froze at her words. What was this supposed to mean?

The restaurant proprietor had been smiling, but his jaw dropped when he heard that.

Was she calling off the contest?

The girls from the Song-Listening Entertainment House also looked at the matchmaker in surprise.

"Are you trying to wriggle out of it?" Understanding dawned on the restaurant proprietor's face.

She was clearly planning to go back on her word!

Didn't the matchmaker mean that her side wasn't going to dance?

If her side didn't dance, who would lose out?

Every man present!

How could they let a chance to watch entertainment-house girls dance for free slip away?

The restaurant proprietor gave the matchmaker a complicated look, as though saying, Who would've thought! Matchmaker, so this is the sort of person you are. In the end, my trust was misplaced...

Lin Ke's smile remained unchanged as he spoke up. "Matchmaker, my dear sister, it's your side's turn."

The matchmaker stopped just short of the threshold.

After a moment's thought, Lin Ke smiled and said, "My dear sister, this isn't about winning or losing. We're simply exchanging pointers and learning from each other. Besides, I came because of the restaurant proprietor's reputation."

He shot the restaurant proprietor meaningful looks as he said, "Proprietor, you only came out this evening to watch a bit of fun, didn't you?"

"Exactly, exactly." The restaurant proprietor nodded with a smile. "Yes, yes."

Lin Ke looked at the matchmaker and continued, "Since this isn't a dance contest, we're simply studying each other's dancing and learning from one another. Isn't that right, my dear sister?"

He had given the matchmaker a step down. Now it was up to her whether she took it!

But that had genuinely been his intention. He had never meant to compete.

He only wanted to see whether this world's dancing could be incorporated into his coordination training.

Outside the Song-Listening Entertainment House, the matchmaker hesitated, then told one of the girls beside her, "Fetch the sword!"

The girl froze for a moment, then hurried off to fetch it.

Lin Ke's eyes lit up.

A sword dance?

Even the restaurant proprietor's eyes brightened.

The spectators who had been watching from their doorways came out again, walking or running back over.

Entering the Song-Listening Entertainment House cost money!

The people of Chaoyang Street didn't normally have spare cash to watch these girls dance.

As mentioned before, a free bargain like this was there for the taking!

Among the chattering flock of girls, even Bingbing, who had only taken a few steps away, stopped to wait for the sword.

Soon, the sword arrived.

The woman brought it straight to Bingbing, with a red sash in hand as well.

It was a white sword, its hilt and scabbard both snow-white.

Bingbing took the red sash first and wound it around her hand, then picked up the sword and tied the sash's trailing end to it.

The instant she gripped the hilt, her entire air changed.

Her face was cool, her expression stern, with a touch of martial spirit!

Clang...

Clad in red, she drew the sword.

One hand held the scabbard, the other the hilt.

Moonlight gleamed white along the blade, seeming to lend the night an added edge.

Bingbing slowly took hold of the sword, then began to dance before anyone could react.

The sword was like a silver dragon, dancing through the night around her red-clad figure.

To Lin Ke, it felt as though both woman and sword were dancing-not a woman dancing with a sword, much less a sword making the woman dance.

Woman and sword worked together flawlessly.

Woman and sword as one!

Watching the dancing blade, Lin Ke thought for a long time without finding the words to praise it.

The blade hummed through the air like musical accompaniment, while the red-clad figure rose and fell lightly over the wooden floor outside the Song-Listening Entertainment House, floating like an immortal.

Before long, after one final powerful sweep of the sword from the figure in red...

Clang!!

The sword dance ended.

Bingbing instantly returned to her cool demeanor.

"Wonderful!" Lin Ke raised his hands and began to clap!

Seeing Lin Ke applaud, the restaurant proprietor joined in.

It cost nothing, after all. He could clap as much as he liked.

The restaurant worker behind him was still dazed, plainly having never seen such a beautiful dance.

Everyone else began clapping too, showing their approval of Bingbing's sword dance.

This time, however, no one offered any spoken praise!

Having won their approval, Bingbing seemed to let out a soft breath. She curtsied, then turned to leave.

Remembering something, Lin Ke hurriedly called out, "Miss Bingbing, please wait."

Bingbing stopped, looking puzzled.

"Miss Bingbing, could you perform another dance without the sword?" Lin Ke asked.

"Young Master Lin, don't push your luck." Behind her, the matchmaker widened her eyes. "That costs money!"

Lin Ke smiled and said, "My dear sister, you've misunderstood. I'm rather slow, and I couldn't understand the sword dance. I'm better at dancing empty-handed, and I prefer it. It's also the only kind of dance I understand!"

The matchmaker was taken aback.

He hadn't understood it?

He could dance like that, win praise for having the splendor of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, yet not understand this?

But after thinking it over, the matchmaker could only say, "That dance exhausted Bingbing. Let someone else do it."

Lin Ke glanced at Bingbing, then smiled and nodded to the matchmaker.

It didn't matter who danced. He was here to watch the dancing, after all.

Once he had seen both kinds, he would more or less have a grasp of this world's dances.

He swore he only wanted to learn dancing, not watch beautiful women dance. Nothing of the sort.

He was an upright noble gentleman. Even his system was the Gentleman System, wasn't it?

After hearing Lin Ke's words, the matchmaker smiled too and pointed to a girl. "Ling'er, you do it."

A woman in white stepped forward at her call. "Yes, Mama."

The matchmaker looked at Lin Ke and continued, "Perform a passage of 'Fairy Lake' for Young Master Lin."

Ling'er dipped slightly, then began to dance...

Lin Ke observed closely from the side.

It was a fairly standard classical dance, seemingly with some movements resembling martial arts.

Several minutes later, with the soft sound of a foot touching down, the dance ended!

Standing beside Lin Ke, the matchmaker had watched him occasionally frown during Ling'er's dance, then smile as understanding dawned.

She was puzzled.

Was he really watching the dance?

Not here to look at Bingbing?

Not here to look at beautiful women?

The matchmaker could not help thinking a little more highly of Lin Ke.

It seemed not everyone was a beast in fine clothing. There were still upright noble gentlemen in this world!

"What did you think, Young Master Lin?" Once the dance ended, the matchmaker asked softly, her manner much warmer.

Lin Ke raised his hands in a clasped salute. "My dear sister, I've seen what I came to see. Thank you. I'll certainly visit when I have the chance."

The matchmaker withdrew her gaze and nodded. "It's late. Time to rest. Everyone, head back!"

The watching Chaoyang Crowd said little as they dispersed to their homes and closed their doors. Lin Ke headed back as well.

Once he had gone far enough, the doors of the restaurant and the Song-Listening Entertainment House opened simultaneously behind him in the distance.

Two people stepped out and stood in the middle of the street, silently watching the young man's retreating figure.

"Was what Qi Dayan said true?"

"I don't know, but now I suspect Qi Dayan is Minister Qi!"

"Oh, give it a rest. Who here isn't a wretch? Best not to pry into each other's identities..."

"Quite right, quite right... By the way, Matchmaker, are you really not coming to bed with me? This long, endless night is so..."

"Get lost!"