Had He Knocked His Head Silly?

"Windrise Martial Academy!"

Chen Shi'an froze, an inexplicable envy rising in his heart.

That feeling came from the original owner's memories.

Windrise Martial Academy had been founded by the authorities of Windrise Stronghold to select promising youths with talent for the martial Dao and cultivate martial talent for Windrise Stronghold.

Being selected by the Martial Academy was like a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate. At the very least, one could secure some official post in the Stronghold in the future and never have to worry about food or clothing.

The original owner had also taken Windrise Stronghold's assessment. Unfortunately, of its six stages, he had failed to pass even the first and been eliminated.

Hearing the words "Windrise Martial Academy," Fang Ming seemed enormously encouraged. His back visibly straightened, and he cleared his throat. "Chen Shi'an, there's no need for you to file a complaint at the City Yamen.

"Your marriage to Ruyu is hereby canceled. Our Fang family is breaking off the engagement.

"Under the Stronghold's rules, we will compensate you with twelve taels of silver."

At her father's words, pride and mockery appeared on Fang Ruyu's face, and she turned her gaze toward Chen Shi'an.

To her surprise, however, Chen Shi'an did not fly into a humiliated rage as she had expected. His expression did not change in the slightest, and his eyes remained clear as water.

It was as though the Fang family's cancellation of the engagement had nothing to do with him.

At that moment, Fang Ruyu suddenly realized that Chen Shi'an seemed to have changed.

In the past, Chen Shi'an would probably have been overwhelmed by shame and anger already. Even if he did not cry and make a scene, he would certainly have thrown a tantrum.

This Chen Shi'an felt like a stranger to Fang Ruyu, and an inexplicable sense of defeat rose within her.

Could my breaking off the engagement really not affect him at all? Could it even be a relief?

Blind fool! Idiot! Even a hundred of you put together wouldn't be worthy of me!

He's pretending! Chen Shi'an's composure must be an act!

Fang Ruyu's sense of defeat quickly turned to anger. Her brows knitted, and her gaze grew cold.

"If you wanted to break off the engagement, Shopkeeper Fang, you should have said so sooner. You've made me waste so many trips.

"No problem. I agree!"

"Just hurry up and return twice the betrothal gift, Shopkeeper Fang, and we'll leave it at that."

Chen Shi'an agreed readily, a smile on his face.

He had not expected this visit to go so smoothly.

As he spoke, he casually slipped the packet of tea from the table into his sleeve.

He had bought it with his last few copper coins. Since the engagement was being canceled, naturally he had to take back his visiting gift too.

Watching Chen Shi'an's actions, Fang Ming could not help twitching his cheek. "Wait here. I'll fetch your silver!" he said coldly.

With that, he swept his sleeve and left the room.

"How shabby! How petty!"

Fang Ruyu spoke coldly.

Chen Shi'an turned a deaf ear, acting as though he had heard nothing. His eyes roamed around the room, looking everywhere except at Fang Ruyu.

His response only stoked the anger in Fang Ruyu's heart.

In the past, given such a perfect opportunity to be alone with her, Chen Shi'an would surely have turned into a groveling lapdog, his eyes all but glued to Fang Ruyu.

"Chen Shi'an, stop pretending. If you have any grievances, just say them." Fang Ruyu raised her chin slightly, looking haughty.

Chen Shi'an smiled faintly. "Miss Fang, we really aren't a good match. Breaking off the engagement is the best choice. I support it with both hands raised."

"Liar! I can feel the anger in your heart." Fang Ruyu raised her voice, her face full of mockery and contempt.

This little princess is really too much. Does she need me to get angry just to satisfy her vanity?

Chen Shi'an could guess what Fang Ruyu was thinking, so he heaved a long sigh. "Fine, Miss Fang. As you wish, I'm very angry right now. Angry enough for flames to shoot ten feet above my head.

"The composure you see is something I'm struggling to fake.

"So you'd better stop rubbing salt into my wounds. Otherwise, with a man and a woman alone in the same room, I can't guarantee I won't do something that heaven itself would condemn."

After speaking, he chuckled, his eyes darting over Fang Ruyu's body, paying particular attention to her budding bosom.

Fang Ruyu's expression changed instantly. Sure enough, she no longer dared speak. She even moved away, watching Chen Shi'an from a distance with both disgust and panic in her eyes.

Happy to have some peace, Chen Shi'an curled his lips slightly and closed his eyes to rest.

Soon, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. Fang Ming returned, holding silver in one hand and a sheet of yellow paper covered in writing in the other.

"Sign this, and I'll give you the silver. The engagement between our families will be officially dissolved, and we'll have nothing more to do with each other." Fang Ming held the yellow paper out to Chen Shi'an.

Chen Shi'an glanced over its contents, immediately picked up the brush, and swiftly wrote his name.

Suddenly, Fang Ming's expression changed, and surprise appeared in Fang Ruyu's eyes.

Why?

The characters for "Chen Shi'an" stood on the paper with strokes like iron and hooks like silver, their strength seeming to pierce through the page. They even carried a hint of a master's style.

In his previous life in the military, Chen Shi'an had studied calligraphy. Whenever he had time, he would practice a few strokes, gaining some modest proficiency.

In the eyes of the Fang father and daughter, Chen Shi'an was an ignorant good-for-nothing who loved gambling more than life itself. Since when could he write so beautifully?

However, they quickly found an explanation.

Many people had ugly handwriting and could barely recognize a few characters, yet could write their own names beautifully.

They believed Chen Shi'an was one of those people, someone who had put effort into writing his own name.

"Shopkeeper Fang, I've signed. The engagement between our families is now dissolved."

Naturally, Chen Shi'an knew nothing of their thoughts. He set down the brush, snatched the silver from Fang Ming's hand, turned around, and strode toward the door without the slightest hesitation.

In fact, he never looked at Fang Ruyu again from beginning to end.

Watching Chen Shi'an swiftly leave the room, turn the corner, and disappear, Fang Ruyu's gaze grew complicated. For no reason she could explain, a sense of loss arose in her heart, as though she had missed out on something.

"Ruyu, it's good to dissolve the engagement early. Once you enter Windrise Martial Academy, you'll be surrounded by the Stronghold's finest young men. Pick any one of them, and he'll be a hundred, a thousand times better than Chen Shi'an."

Fang Ming slowly walked to his daughter's side, his face beaming.

At his words, Fang Ruyu brightened again and said proudly, "You're right, Father. Fewer than one in a hundred can enter Windrise Martial Academy. Since I've been admitted, I'm a phoenix among people. Only a dragon among men would be worthy of me!"

After leaving the Fang residence, Chen Shi'an went straight to the shop where he had bought the tea. With persistent coaxing and pleading, he returned the packet and got his three copper coins back.

Although he now had twelve taels of silver, he would soon have to spend nine of them.

Until he became a Ranked Martial Artist, survival would be a major problem. Tea could wait. Right now, he could not waste a single copper coin.

By the time he returned to the Chen residence, dusk had fallen. Bluish smoke rose above the kitchen's black tiles, and Su Qingrou was preparing dinner.

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Carrying two jin of pork, Chen Shi'an walked straight into the kitchen. "Sister-in-law, we're having something extra tonight."

He placed the meat on the chopping board, then turned to leave.

"Brother-in-law, where did the meat come from?" Su Qingrou froze, then hastily called out.

Ever since marrying into the Chen family, she had only ever seen Chen Shi'an take things out of the house. She had never seen him bring anything home.

Today, for the first time ever, he had brought home meat. Along with her surprise, Su Qingrou felt a little afraid, worried that he might have obtained it dishonestly.

"I bought it, of course." Chen Shi'an grinned.

Looking anxious, Su Qingrou added, "Brother-in-law, you mustn't steal things. If you're caught, you'll be expelled from the Stronghold."

Chen Shi'an shook his head repeatedly. "Don't worry, Sister-in-law. I bought it at the butcher's.

"They were closing up for the evening. The meat wasn't very fresh, but it was cheap."

Su Qingrou blinked. "Brother-in-law, did you win money today?"

Not wanting to explain much, Chen Shi'an gave an affirmative grunt.

Su Qingrou continued, "Brother-in-law, we're short of silver right now. We shouldn't waste it..."

Chen Shi'an waved his hand. "The meat's already bought. Hurry up and cook it. Look how thin Tiantian's gotten. She's still growing. We can't deprive her too much."

With that, he quickly left the kitchen and returned to practice his Blade-Drawing Technique.

As Su Qingrou watched Chen Shi'an leave, her gaze grew complicated.

In all the time she had known Chen Shi'an, this was the first time she had seen him show concern for someone else.

After a long while, she murmured, "Could he have knocked his head silly when he hit that tree today?"

Just then, Chen Tiantian entered the kitchen. Seeing the meat on the chopping board, she exclaimed happily, "Mother, did you buy meat?"

Ever since her father had been injured and bedridden, the family's money had been saved for doctors and medicine. For the past six months, Chen Tiantian had hardly seen any meat.

"Your uncle bought it." Su Qingrou stroked her daughter's head, guilt on her face.

Chen Tiantian's expression changed at once. "He bought it? Mother, we'd better be on guard. He could be a weasel paying New Year's respects to a chicken-up to no good."

Su Qingrou shook her head. "Tiantian, you mustn't talk about your uncle like that. Haven't you noticed? He's clearly a little different today."

Chen Tiantian glanced toward Chen Shi'an's room and snorted softly. "You know what he's like better than I do, Mother. I bet his fox's tail will show itself at dinner."

Su Qingrou did not argue further. Perhaps her daughter was right.

When the number of blade draws on the stone tablet reached four hundred, Chen Tiantian called through the window that dinner was ready.

Hungry and exhausted, Chen Shi'an hurriedly put away the Horizontal Saber and headed for the main room.

The meal was simple. Had he not brought home two jin of meat, there might have been nothing on the table but a plate of pickled radish and a soup made with mature pumpkin.

The rice had been cooked so thin that it was almost porridge.

It was not that Su Qingrou was a poor cook. She was trying to save grain.

Chen Shi'an was ravenous. As soon as he sat down, he shoveled down a bowl of rice in just a few mouthfuls, keeping to his military habits.

But when he went to serve himself more, he found the pot completely empty, without even half a grain left.

"I'm terribly sorry, Brother-in-law. I didn't cook enough rice. Please have some more of the dishes instead." Looking apologetic, Su Qingrou quickly placed the stir-fried pork in front of Chen Shi'an.

At the same time, she was somewhat puzzled. Chen Shi'an had never been in the habit of taking seconds. Sometimes he could not even finish one bowl.

That was also why the original owner, a grown man, had been unable to drag the seemingly delicate Su Qingrou.

"It's fine. I'll just have more soup." Chen Shi'an smiled faintly and served himself a full bowl of pumpkin soup.

"He loafs around all day. Feeding him more is just a waste," Chen Tiantian muttered with a snort.

Su Qingrou's expression changed immediately. "Brother-in-law, please don't be angry. Tiantian is still young. She doesn't know how to mind her words."

Then she glared at Chen Tiantian angrily. "Girl, apologize to your uncle right now!"

Seeing that her mother was genuinely angry, Chen Tiantian realized she had gone too far. After a moment's hesitation, she prepared to apologize.

But just then, Chen Shi'an chuckled softly. "Your uncle's already fully grown. No matter how much I eat, I won't get any taller.

"You're different. You're still growing. Eat more meat and grow taller soon."

As he spoke, he placed the stir-fried pork in front of Chen Tiantian.

Then he lifted the pumpkin soup and gulped it all down.

He wiped his mouth and stood. "Sister-in-law, I'm full. Take your time eating."

With that, he quickly left the main room, returned to his own room, and continued his great undertaking of drawing his blade.

In the main room, Su Qingrou and Chen Tiantian looked at each other, their expressions complicated.

Chen Tiantian had mocked and sneered at Chen Shi'an several times that day.

With his former temperament, he would have snapped back long ago and might even have struck her.

Yet just now, faced with Chen Tiantian's mockery, Chen Shi'an had actually kept smiling, without the slightest anger.

"Mother, what's wrong with Uncle? Has he really changed?"

Chen Tiantian looked at the stir-fried pork before her, her eyes full of surprise and confusion. Then an utterly certain expression appeared on her face. "We absolutely mustn't let his tricks fool us. He's definitely up to no good.

"He has money to buy meat, but he won't return my New Year's money. He's still a shameless scoundrel.

"I think he wants to drive us out. Since force didn't work, he's planning to use schemes and tricks.

"Yes! That must be it!

"Mother, we mustn't trust him so easily. We can't fall for his trap."

Looking at her daughter's thin, sallow face, Su Qingrou felt both heartache and relief.

When struggling to survive in the Desolate Ruins, a little more caution and an extra measure of vigilance could mean another path to survival.

"Tiantian, whether Chen Shi'an has truly reformed or is only putting on an act, you must be more careful with your words from now on. Don't really anger him.

"If he truly drives us out of the Chen household and we lose our status as Stronghold residents, the two of us will immediately have no way to survive," Su Qingrou reminded her quietly.

Chen Tiantian knitted her little brows. "What right does he have to drive us out of the Chen household? Father took him in. He wasn't even part of our Chen family to begin with. If anyone should be driven out, we should be driving him out!"

Su Qingrou paled in alarm and hurriedly covered her daughter's mouth. "Girl, you must never say that again. If anyone hears it, our entire family will be expelled from the Stronghold.

"A household without a male cannot be registered in the Stronghold. Without your uncle, our Chen household's registration would be canceled."

Realizing how serious this was, Chen Tiantian hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Mother. I'll never say anything like that outside again."

Su Qingrou looked stern. "Not only must you never say it outside, you mustn't let Chen Shi'an find out either!"

Chen Tiantian murmured her agreement and nodded firmly.

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