Volume Two: A Sword Sharpened for Ten Years - A Bold March Bearing Grievance Was No Mere Reckless Impulse

The sky stretched high, the clouds were pale; he gazed after the southbound geese until they vanished.

Like that line of homeward geese on the horizon, the carriage carrying Ju Ying gradually disappeared into the distance beneath the boy's unwavering gaze.

For Xing Yan, bidding Ju Ying farewell was like bidding farewell to a way of life. They had spent only two or three short days together, but that had been enough to etch her into his bones and heart.

Yet for this streetwise boy from a mountain village, "etched into his bones and heart" seemed far too extravagant a phrase. Beside his daily struggle to make a living, those two or three days of sharing joy and hardship with Ju Ying were merely an unexpected turn in life. Once she departed, it all dispersed like smoke and clouds.

He had barely allowed himself a moment of melancholy when he suddenly remembered something important: he had missed two days of work at the Rice Fragrance House!

I can't keep standing here in a daze!

Xing Yan silently reproached himself:

I'd better hurry back and see! Who knows what Manager Liu will have to say? Perhaps he'll take a hefty bite out of my wages...

Leaving his apprehension aside, his father, Old Zhang, had happened to catch several wild rabbits over the past two days and wanted his son to take them into town to sell on his way, as usual. This time, however, the boy felt that after missing two days of work, arriving with wild game from home would only make Manager Liu look upon him less kindly. He explained the circumstances to his father, and the two of them set off together for Raozhou City.

Only when he reached the Rice Fragrance Tavern did Xing Yan discover that things were far worse than he had imagined. Because he had failed to come for two days, Manager Liu would not pay him a single copper of this month's wages. Worse still, the manager had dismissed him.

He tried a few more polite pleas, only to discover that the tide had already turned against him. Another young fellow, a stranger, had plainly taken his place.

In truth, the boy's two-day absence had suited Manager Liu, the owner of the Rice Fragrance House, perfectly! Previously, this young employee had often been held up by lessons running late and had never been able to arrive early for work. The manager had long disliked him. Had it not been for the little respect he still owed Master Ji, he would have kicked Xing Yan out the door long ago. Now that the brat had actually missed two days of work, heaven had handed him an opportunity: he could not only dismiss him with every justification, but also save himself the expense of paying the boy's wages for the month!

Thus, the moment Xing Yan mentioned his withheld wages, Manager Liu jumped three feet into the air as though a hornet had stung him. He dragged over an abacus and sent its beads clattering, patiently calculating for his former employee the grave consequences his two-day absence had inflicted upon the Rice Fragrance House. And the proprietor truly had some ability: by the time he finished, even Xing Yan felt ashamed of his own penny-pinching. According to the owner's explanation, not only did the Rice Fragrance House owe Xing Yan nothing, but Xing Yan actually owed the tavern compensation-though he would not have to pay it. The manager, with a heart as merciful as a bodhisattva's, told him:

"Ah, let's say no more about it. I was born softhearted..."

By the time the dazed boy came to his senses, he discovered that he had somehow left the tavern of his own accord and was now standing in the street.

As the saying went, when a man was unlucky, even cold water would catch between his teeth. As he wandered aimlessly along the street, searching for notices advertising work, he suddenly saw several boys bouncing past him, laughing and shouting:

"Ooh, ooh! That rogue Six-Finger's lying on the ground to swindle someone again!"

Hearing this, the distracted boy glanced casually in the direction they were running. That single glance gave Xing Yan a fright! The noisy street corner in the distance was precisely where his father had set up his stall to sell wild game.

Surely both of us aren't going to have such rotten luck today?

Worried, Xing Yan hurried over at a jog. When he pushed through the crowd and looked, fury surged through him:

The man whose trouser leg was clutched tightly by the scoundrel Sun Six-Finger, who lay on the ground playing dead, was none other than his father, Old Zhang!

Honest, kindly Old Zhang had been so overwhelmed by the rogue's unreasonable pestering that he no longer knew what to do. When he suddenly saw Xing Yan, who often mixed with people in the city, hurry over, it was as though his pillar of support had arrived. He quickly pulled his son close and poured out the grievances he had held in for so long. He was so upset that even his voice trembled.

After listening to his father's disjointed account, Xing Yan finally understood something of what had happened. The down-and-out Sun Six-Finger had shuffled over to buy a rabbit from Old Zhang, but instead of discussing the price, he had simply held the rabbit and kept stroking it...

Just as his father grew impatient and asked whether he had made up his mind, Sun Six-Finger unexpectedly began crying that he had been wronged. He claimed the rabbit was one his family had raised, which had escaped only yesterday. He had been searching everywhere and happened to find it here at Old Zhang's stall. The rogue therefore insisted that Old Zhang had stolen his rabbit. Not only must the rabbit he was handling be returned to him, but Old Zhang must also give him all the others as compensation.

How could Old Zhang endure such shameless behavior? He was immediately so furious that smoke might have poured from all seven openings of his head! Heaven knew he had painstakingly caught these rabbits on Horseshoe Mountain with bait and traps. That mountain hollow lay fifteen or twenty li from Raozhou City. How could he possibly have caught Sun Six-Finger's rabbit by mistake?!

Too angry to speak, Old Zhang reached out to snatch the rabbit from Six-Finger's hands, little knowing that this was exactly what the rogue wanted. Taking advantage of the movement, the fellow promptly lay down to play dead, clutched Old Zhang's hemp trouser leg, and kept shouting, "Murder! He's killed me!" This performance turned the tables on Old Zhang, who had been entirely in the right, leaving him choking with indignation and too frightened to know what to do!

After hearing his father's account and looking at the scene before him, Xing Yan understood the whole affair as clearly as if he had swallowed a snowman full of fireflies: everything shone bright within him.

He could hardly have been more familiar with Sun Six-Finger, who now lay on the ground howling and playing dead. The fellow was one of Raozhou City's notorious down-and-out rogues. Born with an extra finger, he was called Sun Six-Finger by everyone, and over time nobody remembered his real name. His best-practiced trick was to target honest, good-natured country folk, seize an opportunity, and find some pretext to make a scene. The instant anyone so much as brushed against him, he would lie down and play dead. Most of the country folk he preyed upon were timid and dreaded trouble. Faced with his threats of death and desperate theatrics, how could they dare argue? They could only meekly hand over their mountain produce and local goods, hoping to leave as quickly as possible. Thus, this foul trick of Sun Six-Finger's had proved unfailingly successful, sweeping all before it. Today, however, he had provoked a boy who was no easy prey himself, and things might become rather awkward!

Xing Yan had just been dismissed and was already seething. Seeing his honest, kindly father being swindled by a rogue, he flew into a rage. Watching Sun Six-Finger still rolling on the ground and playing dead, anger rose in his heart and a vicious resolve swelled within him. He glanced around for something handy and spotted a worldly-looking traveler in the crowd with a ring-pommel saber at his waist. He sprang over and shouted:

"You shameless, worthless rogue! Since you're courting death today, I'll grant your wish!"

With that, the boy's right hand shot straight toward the saber's hilt!

Just as Xing Yan was about to seize the saber and cut Sun Six-Finger down, its owner stopped him. The man saw that the boy had fine, clear-cut features and had never expected such recklessness: at the slightest disagreement, he would kill over a trifling matter. It simply was not worth it. Unable to bear the thought, he quickly pressed down on the boy's hand, which had already grasped the hilt, and earnestly urged:

"Hold on, young fellow! Hear me out! That man on the ground has nothing but a worthless life. Why should you throw away your own life and youth for him?"

Upon hearing the middle-aged man's heartfelt words, the impulsive boy seemed suddenly overcome by grief. In an anguished voice, he said:

"Uncle, you don't understand. I have nothing left to live for. Just this morning, the girl I've long admired left me, and I don't know where she's gone. Then I went to work at the Rice Fragrance House, only to learn that the manager had dismissed me. If my life is worth so little, why should I keep it..."

Everyone who heard that desolate voice was moved.

Then the boy's tone changed, and he glared furiously as he said:

"Sir, I appreciate your kindness, but you needn't stop me. That filthy Sun Six-Finger dared bully my old father. Even if it costs me my life today, I'll cut off his dog's head! At least that will preserve my name, Zhang Xingyan, as a brave and dutiful son! Rest assured, good sir: once I've killed him, I'll wash your saber clean before turning myself in to the authorities!"

By now, the boy was beside himself. He gave a great shout:

"Come meet your death, you filthy Six-Finger!"

Before his roar had faded, the boy brushed lightly aside and swept away the traveler's hand. Everyone heard a ringing clang, and the gleaming ring-pommel saber was already drawn! In an instant, those nearby felt a chilling gust sweep past its blade and hurriedly backed away.

As for Xing Yan's father, Old Zhang, when had he ever witnessed such a scene? He had never imagined that his always-cheerful boy could have such a violent temper! For a moment, this honest man, who had always treated others kindly, stood rooted like a wooden chicken, too stunned to utter a sound!

With nobody left to stop him, everyone thought the rogue's blood would soon spatter the ground. Who could have guessed that the boy had barely begun turning with the saber in hand when Sun Six-Finger, who had stubbornly refused to get up, sprang from the ground with a whoosh, shoved through the crowd, and fled as though piss and shit were streaming down his legs!

Thus, when the ferocious boy turned around with the saber in hand, he discovered that the patch of yellow earth where the rogue had been lying was now utterly empty. Only a few chicken feathers still spun forlornly on the ground...

"Hah! The fellow's quick on his feet! Otherwise, he'd have tasted my blade!"

Having failed to claim Sun Six-Finger's head, the boy remained there, fuming bitterly!

Leaving Xing Yan's frustration aside, everyone in the crowd breathed a sigh of relief! Nobody had expected the boy who usually grinned and joked around the neighborhood to prove so fierce this time, willing to stake his life in a fight because his father had been swindled. Watching the commotion had certainly been pleasant enough, but an actual killing would inevitably alarm the authorities, shake the area, and embroil the neighbors in trouble. Worse still, it would cost the boy his life. It simply was not worth it! Thus, seeing the affair end peacefully, everyone felt relieved.

Now that the matter was over, the crowd gradually dispersed. The traveler whose saber Xing Yan had drawn had seen how fierce and fearless the boy was, apparently treating human life as nothing. Although he himself had traveled far and wide and seen much, even he could not help feeling secretly alarmed. When Xing Yan returned his saber, the man did not dare linger in conversation. He exchanged a few pleasantries, excused himself, and left.

Though everyone had dispersed, Old Zhang, who had stood there for so long without reacting, was still badly shaken. It had been so dangerous: his precious son had nearly killed someone over a minor matter involving him! At the thought, Old Zhang was filled with regret:

If I'd known the boy was so rash, I should have handed over those rabbits earlier!

Recalling that flash of steel once more, Old Zhang turned ashen with fright. Once he had steadied himself a little, he began reproaching his son for his recklessness.

Seeing his father so worried and distressed, the stern-faced boy suddenly gave a little snort of laughter. That laugh gave his father quite a start!

Old Zhang was still lost in a fog of bewilderment when his son began carefully explaining:

"Please don't worry, Father. Unworthy son though I may be, how could I be some desperate outlaw who doesn't know when to advance or retreat? I was simply thinking that Sun Six-Finger is an utterly shameless rogue. If we swallowed our anger and gave him what he wanted today, he would look down on us. Unlike me, scoundrels like him truly don't know when to stop. If we satisfied him today, he would cling to us afterward like maggots to a bone, never letting go. We still have to come to Raozhou City often to sell mountain produce and wild game. We really can't afford that sort of harassment!

"So, after weighing it carefully, I decided to use a scheme that would cut off the trouble at its root. Hah! After the fright I gave him today, he certainly won't dare pester us next time. It settles everything once and for all!"

At this point, seeing that his father's expression had calmed, he continued:

"Ha! Once word of this scare spreads, any other local thugs in Raozhou City who want to trouble your business will have to feel their own necks first and ask themselves how many lives they have!"

After kidnapping an official and forcing him to release a prisoner the night before last, this sixteen-year-old boy had, without realizing it, grown both bold and meticulous. He understood very well that some evil people in this world had to be dealt with through ruthless means.

Hearing his son's explanation, Old Zhang felt it made some sense. Indeed, he had watched Xing Yan grow up, and the boy had never been the sort to act with reckless abandon. Besides, his son had studied poetry and books under Master Ji. Surely he would never be so rash.

Even so, Old Zhang could not help remembering that dangerous scene. His face, which had regained a little composure, grew pale again, and he said to Xing Yan:

"My boy! What if Sun Six-Finger had been truly shameless and just stayed on the ground without running? Or what if he'd risked taking a cut from you so he could swindle us out of even more money?"

At his father's question, Xing Yan merely smiled calmly:

"There's no need to worry about that either, Father. Before I went to seize the saber, I'd already looked. The spot that rogue chose to lie on neatly avoided the cold stone paving. He would only lie on the yellow earth. Think about it: if he was afraid even of the cold, then after hearing my fierce exchange with that traveler and seeing me draw a saber, how could he possibly not run for his life? Ha ha!"

At this point, Xing Yan seemed to see Sun Six-Finger's wretched flight again and could not help laughing aloud!

"Excellent! What a brave and dutiful son, blessed with both wit and courage!"

Just as father and son were exchanging these words, someone unexpectedly stepped out from beside them and applauded the laughing boy in admiration!