"It seemed your injuries had recovered well." You Shiliang stared at Liu Yuanzhou with a smile.
Liu Yuanzhou entered the room, dropped to his knees, and knocked his head heavily against the floor three times.
Then he straightened up, looked at You Shiliang, and said excitedly, "Thank you, Steward, for saving my life. Liu Yuanzhou will never forget this kindness." He had knelt willingly, for the other man had not only saved his life, but the lives of his two brothers as well.
You Shiliang accepted this grand salute and helped Liu Yuanzhou up, saying, "There is no need for such a ceremony." Still, he was quite pleased inside. He felt that he had not saved the wrong person. The boy before him knew gratitude and was clever besides.
Liu Yuanzhou rose and said, "Steward, did you come to see whether I can truly enter samadhi?"
You Shiliang nodded. "That is right."
He then explained, "That day in the prison, you said that you could already enter samadhi while practicing the Yin Yang Stance. Time was pressing then, so I did not have you demonstrate it on the spot. I hurried back to the academy and found the Academy Master, reporting both your injustice and your ability to enter samadhi. It was only after the Academy Master spoke that the County Yamen finally handled the case fairly and released you."
"Although the Academy Master did not inquire into what happened afterward, you still need to give me an explanation."
As he spoke, his bright eyes fixed on Liu Yuanzhou. When he had saved Liu Yuanzhou, the overwhelming reason had been his desire to right an injustice. Liu Yuanzhou's ability to enter samadhi had merely been a plausible reason for him to make a request to the academy.
Even if Liu