The house Li Ping'an rented stood at the eastern end of Willow Tree Alley.
It was right beside a stone mill.
It was nearly noon, and the sun blazed fiercely.
Not a soul could be seen in Willow Tree Alley. It was unusually quiet.
Only Lao Hou, the noodle seller, was setting up his noodle cart, preparing to head out.
Then, all of a sudden, dark figures appeared one after another.
They surrounded the little courtyard so tightly that not even a drop of water could have slipped through.
Pushing his noodle cart, Lao Hou was frightened stiff by the sight.
"Shopkeeper, a bowl of noodles!"
Lao Hou jumped at the voice.
A customer casually grabbed a stool and plopped down.
He wore a light robe, with a longsword at his waist.
Lao Hou swallowed, not daring to refuse.
Before long, a pot of wine was set before the swordsman.
There was also a plate of side dishes and a bowl of Yangchun Noodles.
Lao Hou trembled, having no idea what was happening.
Just then, someone approached from the distance.
It was none other than Liu Manzi, who had come to see Li Ping'an.
Liu Manzi carried a pot of wine.
He also had two roast chickens and some side dishes, and a smile on his face.
One look was enough to tell that something good had happened.
He had been out studying with Jiaze these past days.
It had let him glimpse hope of breaking through the bottleneck he had been unable even to touch for years.
On top of that, he had earned some money today.
So he had bought some things and come to visit his fellow Daoist, Li Ping'an.
After all, when he had been about to lose his hand, Li Ping'an had stepped in to