Enemies on a narrow road

He An and Fan Dazhi wandered along Dingding Avenue with the crowd, then turned into an alley. Fan Dazhi insisted they had to celebrate with a proper feast, and He An could only go along with him.

Fan Dazhi led He An into Xu's Tavern with practiced ease. The establishment was small, but its decor was elegant and refreshingly tasteful, and business was exceptionally brisk.

They waited quite a while before two tables finally settled their bills and left. Fan Dazhi hurried to claim a seat.

After the waiter recited the dishes, Fan Dazhi ordered several and two measures of clear wine. Before long, the waiter brought out a plate of Spring Lake Mandarin Fish, a plate of Sesame Oil Crispy Chicken, and a plate of spring rolls. Fan Dazhi eagerly picked up a piece of chicken and clicked his tongue in admiration as he ate. Then he tasted the fish, letting out a delighted moan, his face filled with indescribable pleasure and satisfaction.

Amused, He An picked up a morsel of fish himself. It was tender and refreshing on his tongue, its savory fragrance rushing into his nose. He could not help praising it sincerely. "Excellent! I never imagined the food here would be this delicious!"

"Little An, how long has it been since we ate anything this good?" Fan Dazhi asked indistinctly through a mouthful of food.

"Actually, the wontons we eat every day are pretty good too!" He An picked up a spring roll. Crisp outside and tender within, it filled his mouth with fragrance.

"It's not the same. However good wontons taste, they only fill your belly. They don't belong in grand halls. Do you remember what I once told you... about my dream? At first, I only wanted to become someone like Landowner Shen. That would have satisfied me. Later, we came to the capital together and had wontons every day, and that satisfied me too. Now, I just want delicacies from the mountains and seas every day."

His cheeks bulging, Fan Dazhi took a showy sip of clear wine and recited, "In those youthful days, my spring robe was thin; astride my horse, I leaned by a slanting bridge, while red sleeves beckoned from the tower!... Just imagining it makes you yearn for it!"

He An poured himself a cup as well. He rarely drank. In the past, when Fan Dazhi secretly brought him wine from home, he usually saved it for his uncle, He Kui. Today, with the written examination over and the burden lifted from his shoulders, he would share a cup with his good friend.

He had just raised his cup when he suddenly froze. A woman wearing a purple headscarf entered the tavern. Dressed in a long skirt, she had delicate features and carried herself with calm dignity. Beside her stood a lovely young girl in a white gauze robe patterned with plum blossoms, beneath a misty gauze jacket scattered with flowers. Today, her hair was arranged in a drooping horse-fall bun, emphasizing her slender neck and spirited bearing. Two red garment ties at her shoulders were tied into pipa knots and hung loosely over her chest, making her look all the more radiant, as though carved from rosy jade.

The instant the two appeared, many diners were captivated by their grace, and the noisy tavern suddenly grew much quieter.

Never in his wildest dreams had He An expected the girl who had attacked him over the butterfly hairpin that day to appear before him again.

She soon spotted him too. Her fine brows rose and her beautiful eyes narrowed. Even from a distance, He An sensed danger and cried inwardly, Oh no.

Sure enough, a white blur flashed as the girl darted toward him like a wildcat.

"You lecher! Take this!" A delicate fist shot straight at He An's face.

He An hastily blocked, then stood and twisted aside to dodge another palm strike. Wine splashed everywhere, drenching Fan Dazhi.

The girl's fists and palms flew like the wind, her movements astonishingly swift as she attacked the vital points all over He An's body. He An only defended himself, never striking back.

The diners watched the beautiful girl enter and immediately start fighting a handsome young man without a word. Great Chen had founded its realm on martial strength, and the people of the imperial capital had always been fierce. Even white-haired ministers at court would trade blows over a disagreement, so why should ordinary folk be any different? Watching this handsome pair exchange punches and kicks in a lively fight, they craned their necks, and some even cheered loudly.

The woman in the purple headscarf frowned deeply. She knew the boy's offense last time had been unintentional, and Chanjuan had been in the wrong first. Raised in silks and fed on delicacies, the child had developed a spoiled young lady's temper, and her parents doted on her. Yet her lineage was vast and complicated, and there might well be many upheavals ahead. This child, who had never suffered hardship, would have much to face alone in the future. Perhaps this could temper her disposition a little. Seeing that the boy only dodged and blocked without retaliating, clearly yielding to her, the woman felt no urgency to intervene.

Fan Dazhi watched them exchange blows. He An's breathing remained deep and steady, while the girl was panting lightly and her movements were becoming disordered. He laughed heedlessly, leaned against a pillar, and leisurely popped a piece of fish into his mouth, secretly delighted. Fine wine and fine food, but no singing or dancing to liven things up. Little An and this... little lass... dance a tune to accompany your sovereign's wine! Hahaha!

After several exchanges, the girl had gained no advantage at all. Fan Dazhi's laughter grated especially harshly on her ears, and her attacks grew fiercer.

As he blocked, He An said, "Miss, last time... I was wrong, but I truly didn't mean it... If you're still angry, go ahead and hit me once to vent your anger!" With that, he lowered his hands.

To the girl, those words sounded like nothing but mockery. She had been pampered since childhood, with her grandfather and parents showering her with affection. Who did not yield to her in the lineage's sparring matches? This hateful fellow had actually... last time. Now he just keeps dodging without fighting back. He's clearly looking down on me, and even mocking me!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Gritting her teeth, she unleashed her hereditary ultimate technique. Her palms crossed, abruptly closed, then spread apart like a blossoming snow lotus, or a bright moon rising over a glacier. Amid a biting rush of force, one delicate hand struck toward his chest. He An did not dodge at all, taking the blow head-on.

Only after staggering back several steps did He An regain his footing, then spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

In her fury, the girl had unleashed the full power of her hereditary Frost Ice Heart Method without thinking. Seeing He An's pale face and the blood soaking the front of his clothes, she blanched in fright. A moment later, mist gathered in her lovely eyes. She stamped her foot and cried, "I didn't mean it! Why didn't you dodge? You... how are you?"

Fan Dazhi hurried forward and caught He An. His chest hurt terribly, but He An forced himself to endure it, waved a hand to say he was fine, and signaled for Fan Dazhi to hurry and help him back.

The woman in the purple headscarf came over as well, her face frosty. She rebuked the girl quietly. "Chanjuan, you've gone too far! How could you be so reckless?"

The girl called Chanjuan was on the verge of tears. "I didn't think he really wouldn't dodge... Aunt Xue, I didn't mean it... I... I..." Tears spilled from her eyes as she finished.

Seeing the sudden turn of events and the injured boy leaving, the spectators in the tavern began murmuring among themselves...

Fan Dazhi helped He An back to the inn. Sitting on the bed, He An slowly circulated the cultivation method his uncle He Kui had taught him to heal his injuries. The pain in his chest eased a little, but cold filled his body and hindered the flow of his energy. Gritting his teeth, he silently circulated the method again and sat cross-legged in meditation.

Outside the window, the same man from before secretly observed everything, then slipped quietly into the Knowledge and Practice Institute and faithfully reported it all to Wei Zhilin once more.

On the second-floor pavilion of the Knowledge and Practice Institute, Li Xingzhi stood in blue robes with his hands behind his back. Beside the railing, he gazed silently toward the Imperial Palace. There was no telling how long he had stood there.

The morning mist hung thick. Wei Zhilin climbed the stairs, delighted to see that his teacher had emerged from seclusion. Yet the lonely figure in the mist dimmed his spirits again, and he slowed his steps, ascending softly.

"In stillness, banish human desires with every thought and preserve heavenly principle. In motion, banish human desires with every thought and preserve heavenly principle, regardless of whether you feel at peace. Zhilin, what has disturbed your peace?" Li Xingzhi asked calmly without turning.

"Nothing escapes your insight, Master. Your disciple has been occupied with many worldly matters lately. Knowing you would emerge from seclusion today, I came especially to see you..." Wei Zhilin said respectfully. He then described the Knowledge and Practice Institute's recent recruitment of disciples, along with the various measures taken by the Dragon Gate Academy and the court.

"The great affliction of learning is a love of fame!" Li Xingzhi stroked his beard and smiled, then waved a hand with airy composure. "The heart is principle itself. Outside the heart there is no principle, no thing, and no affair! Zhilin, proceed freely with scholarly matters. Justice resides in people's hearts. There is no need to fret!"

Wei Zhilin felt as though the mists at the horizon had scattered and the morning sun had risen within his heart. Bowing in shame, he said, "I shall faithfully heed your teachings, Master!" He then recounted He An and Fan Dazhi's circumstances, asking in puzzlement, "Why does Master care so much about these two youngsters? If they require special care, I can have someone..."

Li Xingzhi waved a hand. "Let everything take its natural course, and see whether these two children are worth shaping... The Han Household's Frost Ice Heart Method sends frost force into the body to obstruct the meridians. Its fierce, overbearing power is no trivial matter. Fortunately, that girl is still young and has yet to master it... Give this pill to Fang Yizhi, and have the boy take it to heal his injuries!" As he finished, a fiery-red pill appeared in his hand.

Wei Zhilin accepted it respectfully and asked with a frown, "The Frost Ice Heart Method? Could that girl belong to Han Zongwang's lineage?"

Li Xingzhi smiled. "She is indeed his own granddaughter."

Wei Zhilin was astonished. "Master, in that case, why would he send his granddaughter to the Knowledge and Practice Institute?"

Li Xingzhi said, "Although Han Zongwang is now Western Liang's Grand Commandant and commands all its forces, the Lord of Western Liang is old and sickly, and likely has little time left. Western Liang's two princes are fighting openly and scheming in secret for the throne. Han Zongwang has been ostracized and viewed with suspicion at court, and his military authority has already been weakened. Sending the younger generation far away to Great Chen keeps them out of the coming court struggle, while allowing them to seek shelter in the Knowledge and Practice Institute."

Wei Zhilin raised his brows. "That old scoundrel certainly has nerve. Isn't he afraid we'll seize his granddaughter and use her to threaten him?"

Li Xingzhi smiled faintly. "Would you do that?"

Wei Zhilin spread his hands helplessly. "I wouldn't! And you certainly wouldn't, Master. You often say that education knows no distinctions, and teach us that a human heart aligned with righteousness is the heart of the Way, while a heart of the Way that loses its righteousness becomes merely a human heart. Doing such a thing would truly hinder my heart of the Way... I suspect Han Zongwang considered the same thing. He understands you very well, Master, so... he has nothing to fear!"

With his hands behind his back, Li Xingzhi watched a red sun slowly rise at the horizon. The morning breeze lifted his blue robes. "Zhilin, it gratifies me greatly that you can think this way. Whatever the time, keep your heart humble and your capacity broad. Remember: a thousand sages are but passing shadows; innate moral knowledge is my teacher! Of you three fellow disciples, Xiang Shou has the greatest talent and aptitude, but relies on his gifts and behaves without restraint, and his fate has been troubled. Zi Ya is the youngest, and far too unbending. You are humble and cautious, yet able to consider the whole picture, so you put my mind most at ease. From this day on, you shall have full authority over all affairs of the Knowledge and Practice Institute. Whatever happens in the future, restraint and endurance must come first. I am preparing to travel far, and do not know when I will return. I leave this place in your hands!"

Startled, Wei Zhilin gazed at Li Xingzhi's lonely figure. His teacher had spent these years traveling hither and thither, never settling anywhere. Yet his head of white hair had... turned gray, and several black strands were faintly visible in his once snow-white beard.

Wei Zhilin's heart shook violently. It seemed his teacher had achieved another breakthrough during this seclusion-even his hair and beard appeared to have regained their youth. Suppressing his excitement, Wei Zhilin asked with concern, "Where are you going, Master? Please let your disciple accompany you."

Li Xingzhi shook his head. "The Knowledge and Practice Institute still needs you here to oversee it. I can go alone. I intend to make a voyage out to sea. The force on Unknown Island remains obscure and inscrutable. It has hidden in the shadows all these years, committing many murderous crimes. I faintly sense that this mysterious organization may be connected to Wang Fu, the eunuch of the Former Dynasty. This time, I shall investigate it myself. Besides... with me so often in the capital, our emperor inevitably feels constrained... Undercurrents are surging through the court now. Let us wait and see. The late emperor's dragon bone bloodline-just what does he intend to do..."

As Li Xingzhi finished, he seemed to recall something, and a look of anguish crossed his face. His frail figure in the morning light appeared even more desolate.