Parting

At this moment, Li Yan's carriage was passing through the long city gate tunnel. The tunnel was exceedingly lengthy, yet not damp within. Its lofty, spacious design kept it well-ventilated, dry, and brightly lit. Li Yan and the others traveled for dozens of breaths before their carriage finally emerged from the gate and entered the city.

Directly opposite the gate tunnel lay three roads, all paved with great bluestone slabs. With carts and people passing over them year after year, the road surfaces had been worn glossy and gleaming. Even the uneven cuts on the bluestone and the seams between two slabs had been ground smooth and rounded. The road in the middle was clearly broader than the two on either side and was undoubtedly the main road. The two branching roads wound away in opposite directions, their destinations unknown. Buildings stood shoulder to shoulder along both sides of the streets, most of them two- or three-story structures. Various cloth banners and signboards hung outside their doors. People flowed back and forth among them, while cries of hawking and calls to customers rose and fell one after another. Though it was afternoon, the streets were still bustling with life.

With pedestrians constantly passing by, Li Guoxin naturally slowed the carriage to a crawl. Sitting in the cart, Li Yan and the other two could scarcely take everything in; their heads kept turning from side to side, finding it all remarkably novel. Many things were sights they had never seen before, nor even heard of.

"Brother Yan, look! That doorway has iron railings and a counter. That man outside can only stand on tiptoe, stick his face out, and speak sideways through that little opening. That must be a pawnshop, right?" Li Yu asked when he spotted one.

"Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu, look at that three-story restaurant! It's so imposing—and it smells so good! I've never smelled anything like it. Even when we roasted wild boar, the fragrance of the fat on it wasn't this delicious. If you become an apprentice here someday, you'll really have a great skill," Li Shan said, pointing at the restaurant they had just passed.

Li Guoxin turned back and said with a smile, "You'll be living here for a long time in the future, so there'll be plenty for you to see. But you must study your craft properly. If you get sent back to the village, that'll be humiliating. The places you're going are still farther ahead."

Li Yan also found everything before his eyes fresh and unfamiliar. So many things he had never seen before; some he had heard his father and the villagers mention, while others he had never even heard of. He could not help sighing at the vastness of the world beyond and the shallowness of his own knowledge.

After the carriage traveled forward through the crowd for some time, it stopped before a two-story restaurant. Though it had only two floors, it had numerous storefronts stretching side by side—seven or eight street-facing entrances in all.

Inside, however, those storefronts had all been opened into one another, making the main hall exceptionally broad and bright. It was not yet the busiest hour, but several customers were already coming and going within. They were likely the sort who came whenever they pleased and ate on the spot. The restaurant's signboard stretched across several of the central storefronts, looking grand and eye-catching. It read: "Natural Wine House."

Li Guoxin drove the carriage to the rightmost street-facing entrance of Natural Wine House, stopped beneath a large tree, and tied the reins to its trunk. He had Li Yu get down, told Li Yan and Li Shan to wait beside the carriage, then led Li Yu through one of the central entrances. Li Yan and Li Shan stood beside the cart, watching the lively street scene. For a time, neither spoke. In truth, once Li Yu left, they both knew the moment of parting had arrived. From now on, they would have to live alone in this unfamiliar place. Their earlier excitement and longing had vanished like smoke in the wind, leaving only a trace of fear—a helpless fear of being alone in a foreign land. Each had thoughts of his own, and both remained silently speechless.

After a while, Li Guoxin came back toward the carriage with Li Yu. Behind them followed a plump man in his thirties, dressed in a loose, oversized long robe. The group slowly approached the cart. Li Guoxin said to Li Yu, "Take out your luggage." Then he turned to the plump middle-aged man with a smile. "Manager Li, I'll bring this contract back to the child's parents. I'll leave the child in your care. I hope that, for the sake of our shared clan, Manager Li will look after him in the future. Li thanks you here." With that, he cupped his hands and bowed.

A smile appeared on Manager Li's plump face as well. "Guoxin, there's no need to be so courteous. Our elders are of the same clan, so naturally I should look after him. Leave the boy here without worry. As long as he can endure hardship, he will surely amount to something in the future."

Li Guoxin waved to Li Yu and said, "Go with your uncle. From now on, be diligent, keep your hands and feet quick, ask more questions when things come up, and do more."

Li Yu had already taken down his luggage. Choking back tears, he said to Li Yan and Li Shan, "Brother Yan, Brother Shan, come see me when you have time." As he spoke, he looked on the verge of tears.

Li Yan and Li Shan also forced out smiles uglier than crying as they answered separately.

"Alright. We'll come see you when we have time."

"Xiao Yu, work hard. When the time comes, Brother Shan will come eat the dishes you make."

Manager Li smiled at the sight. "Let's go." After saying this, he cupped his hands toward Li Guoxin, then turned and headed for the restaurant. Li Yu followed behind him with his luggage, looking back every few steps, reluctant to part. In the end, he still disappeared through the doorway.

Li Guoxin called the two of them onto the carriage, untied the reins from the tree, and sat on the driver's bench. He told them, "A real man must not be so sentimental. You came out here to learn skills. Once you've learned them and can bring your parents over, then you'll be men." Without looking at them again, he drove onward.

The carriage continued ahead and, after turning several more corners, stopped before a place called Ironworks Pavilion. Just as before, Li Guoxin had Li Shan get down and go in with him, leaving Li Yan alone beside the carriage. After some time, Li Guoxin and Li Shan returned. This time, however, two people followed behind them. One was over ten feet tall, bare-chested, with muscles even more robust than Li Guoxin's. They gleamed darkly under the sunlight. Whenever he raised a hand or moved his body, each knot of muscle bounced and jumped as though mice were leaping beneath his skin. He had thick brows, round eyes, and appeared to be in his forties. Beside him stood a half-grown boy about Li Shan's age. Yet this boy was also thickset, with large hands and feet, a full size broader than Li Shan.

Only later did Li Yan learn that this man was the owner of the establishment, Lu Kui. He was a master craftsman with weapons; whether forging military arms or making farming tools, no one in the city could surpass him. He also often repaired military equipment for the garrison troops. The youth beside him was his eldest apprentice, Liang Shi. What followed was much the same as with Li Yu earlier. After a few instructions, Li Shan bid Li Guoxin and Li Yan farewell with reddened eyes, then left with the two of them.

Having gone through several partings in one day, the boy's mood sank to the depths.

Li Guoxin looked up at the sky and said to Li Yan, "We need to hurry to the martial training grounds too. It should still be the Hour of the Monkey. If we're any later, we may have to wait until tomorrow." Li Yan hastily gathered himself and nodded in agreement. Li Yu and Li Shan's earlier appearances had left his thoughts twisting and turning, and he found himself missing his parents, elder brother, and elder sister.

But he also knew that for now, he could only take one step at a time. What lay ahead was hazy and unknown.

Li Guoxin drove Li Yan swiftly toward another location. Before long, they arrived before a gate encircled by towering walls. Li Yan saw the walls curve away in both directions. Even as far as his eyes could see, he could not make out their full extent. The grounds within must have been enormous. Li Guoxin stopped the carriage some distance away and tied it to a hitching post, where many horses and carriages had already been tethered. Then he led Li Yan toward the gate.

At this time, more than a dozen soldiers armed with weapons stood guard at the entrance. At the same time, more than a dozen youths and over a dozen people who appeared to be accompanying them were lined up outside. When they saw the two arrive, they showed no great surprise. They merely glanced over before turning their attention back to the soldiers at the gate.

When the two reached the entrance, one soldier came over and asked, "Are you here to take part in the Imperial Guard recruitment?"

Li Guoxin pointed at Li Yan and bowed as he replied, "Yes, sir. He is here for the recruitment examination."

The soldier pointed at Li Yan. "Good timing. Come over here and go in with this group."

Li Yan hurried forward and followed the soldier to stand at the very back of the dozen or so youths.

After seeing them line up, the soldier turned to Li Guoxin and the others, pointing to one side. "Go wait over there. There should be results around the Hour of the Rooster."

Only then did Li Guoxin notice that some distance away on the other side of the gate, a dense crowd of people either sat on the ground or stood watching in this direction. They were likely the escorts of those who had arrived earlier.

By the look of it, quite a few people had come for this recruitment.

After all, the duties of the Imperial Guard this time were enough to set many village households' hearts aflame.

Li Guoxin looked at Li Yan, who looked back at him. Li Guoxin pointed toward that area, then pointed to himself, indicating that he would wait there. Li Yan nodded to show he understood. Li Guoxin then walked with the earlier group of people toward the waiting area.