(Three years later)
In the fifth year of Yongji, spring came early to Shu. The snow melted in the first month, and by the second month, peaches and plums bloomed in brilliant purples and reds.
Thirty li from Pingchuan Prefecture stood a mountain. The mountain originally had no name, but because lush green bamboo grew there, people called it Cuiwei Mountain. Twenty years ago, Cuiwei Mountain had been inhabited. However, in the eleventh year of Jingyuan, during the ministerial disaster, government soldiers came to arrest people all the way up the mountain. It was said that an extraordinary person died at that time, so the court issued a prohibition and sealed off the mountain.
The people living on the mountain moved down to the foot. Life was very hard at first. Later a government road was built—a broad highway to Pingchuan Prefecture. The mountain folk who had originally lived off the mountain became farming and weaving households. They plowed fields and built houses, gradually forming a small town, and no longer thought about returning to the mountain.
The small town was called Cuiwei Town.
The townspeople planted mulberry fields. It actually became more prosperous than other towns. Over time, as households increased, so did the population.
Once the population grew, there needed to be paths and streets, markets and merchants, gold-spending dens of intoxicating extravagance, as well as schools resounding with the sound of reading.
Cuiwei Town had only one school, opened seven or eight years ago by a scholar surnamed Chao.
He had no right hand and originally made his living selling paintings. Later he started teaching. At first, hardly anyone came to the school, which was understandable—who could trust that a scholar missing one hand had much learning?
That was until the first year of Jin’an, when the Prefect of Pingchuan Prefecture personally came to Cuiwei Town to visit the scholar surnamed Chao. Only then did the townspeople learn that this man named Chao Qing actually had considerable background. Not only was he a recommended candidate from the twenty-third year of Jingyuan, but before going to the capital for the examination, he had even been the provincial graduate of Yuezhou Prefecture. If not for certain circumstances that delayed his palace examination, he should have long since passed the highest examination and entered the court.
For such a small town to produce even one xiucai scholar would be earth-shattering, let alone a recommended candidate who nearly became a jinshi!
Overnight, the townspeople broke down doors trying to send their children to Chao Qing’s school. Chao Qing accepted ten students and would take no more.
He taught for the long term. Biting off more than one can chew—if his energy was too scattered, he couldn’t teach even one well.
The school’s teaching hours had always been from the hour of mao until the hour of wei in the afternoon. However, on this day, Chao Qing dismissed class after just finishing the Ren Qia Feng Yu Lian Tian – Chapter of the Analects, saying: “Today your teacher has important matters. Tomorrow I’ll teach a bit longer.”
Most students were children who had begun their studies at age six under Chao Qing’s tutelage. Now having grown to the age of little devils, hearing they could leave early, even sitting properly couldn’t suppress their inner joy. Forcing themselves to say: “Teacher, we respectfully take our leave,” they cheered, happier than during a festival.
Chao Qing sighed with a smile and shook his head. Just as he was gathering his books, someone nearby suddenly called: “Teacher.”
Then asked: “Teacher, which Qia Feng Yu Lian Tian – Chapter of the Analects should we recite today?” Adding: “This student has already memorized the Ren Qia Feng Yu Lian Tian – Chapter well.”
Chao Qing didn’t even need to turn and look to know that the one asking this question must be Mu Yunxi.
He was an anomaly among these children—the youngest at only eight years old, yet extremely precocious and sensible.
Looking at him again, he saw a small figure standing properly, with extraordinarily handsome features and an extremely faint beauty mark under his right eye that one couldn’t discern without looking carefully.
“Today you don’t need to recite anything.” Chao Qing smiled faintly. “Self-discipline is a good thing, but you’re still young. You needn’t be so demanding of yourself. You should learn to balance tension and relaxation.”
Mu Yunxi pressed his lips together, as if wanting to say something, then swallowed it down.
He looked at Chao Qing: “Teacher is happy today.”
Chao Qing smiled again: “Yes, your teacher has an old friend I haven’t seen in seven or eight years coming to Shu. He should arrive today.”
Saying “old friend” was actually quite euphemistic. The two of them had once shared hardships together—their friendship could be called life-and-death.
Three years ago, he had heard Su Jin was being exiled and originally planned to set out for Ningzhou. Later, learning that during her exile, no visits were permitted for the first three years, he dismissed that notion.
Not until last autumn did he suddenly receive a letter.
The letter was actually written by Su Jin, saying she had departed from Nanchang and planned to come to Shu.
From that time on, Chao Qing had been anticipating, growing more anxious the longer he waited. Until today, he had finally waited long enough.
Mu Yunxi continued looking at Chao Qing. The teacher rarely spoke of his own affairs. Speaking a few extra sentences today, he must truly be extremely delighted.
He gripped the book scroll in his hand. The passages he didn’t understand—he’d better leave those questions for tomorrow.
“Alright, this student won’t delay the teacher.”
After Mu Yunxi finished speaking, he stood at the school entrance and, like an official standing in ranks, watched Chao Qing’s figure depart into the distance before turning back to walk toward home.
“Mutou!”
Having walked only a few steps, he was suddenly called by a voice.
Mu Yunxi turned to look—it was actually Jiang Ci, who studied at the school with him.
He was the young master of the wealthy Jiang family in Cuiwei Town, already eleven years old, extremely mischievous—the devil among devils.
Taking advantage of early dismissal today, he could run completely wild.
“A few of us are going up Cuiwei Mountain to raid bird nests. Are you coming!”
Mu Yunxi’s brow furrowed: “I’m not going.”
Jiang Ci made a “tsk” sound, extremely dissatisfied. Seeing Mu Yunxi turn to leave, he looked left and right and ordered with considerable authority: “Chase after him.”
Following Jiang Ci were two younger followers he’d recruited at school, grandly called his left and right guardians. Actually they were two brothers—one called Da Hu, one called Er Hu.
Little children forming gangs and factions, using the jianghu legends told by street storytellers as their model, they had acknowledged Jiang Ci as their leader. They felt that besides left and right guardians, they should also have a scholarly-looking military advisor, so they had set their sights on Mu Yunxi.
Da Hu stretched out his hand to block Mu Yunxi: “Mutou, come along!”
Er Hu said: “That’s right, come along!” Then persuasively added: “Don’t worry, our boss will protect you. He’s apprenticed to Master Nan the Escort!”
Da Hu immediately chimed in: “Right, our boss’s master is Master Nan the Escort. He can defeat anyone under heaven!”
Speaking of this Master Nan the Escort, he was actually a guard the Jiang household had hired three years ago. His single given name was Ting. It was said he was from Jiangnan and had once made his living as an escort. Later, wanting to settle down, he came to Shu to make a living.
Nan Ting wasn’t originally particularly renowned. Cuiwei Town was peaceful. Hiring guards was mostly to prevent thieves. They didn’t need particularly advanced martial skills—as long as their eyes were sharp enough, upon seeing thieves they could shout a few times and the thieves would flee.
That was until a year ago when the Jiang household encountered a calamity.
At that time, seven or eight men in black took advantage of the night to break into the residence. Each wielded steel blades with murderous intent. One of them even held Jiang Ci hostage, killed several servants, and demanded the location of Master Jiang’s quarters.
But before they could find Jiang Jiutong’s quarters, from who knows where emerged a person dressed in black tight-fitting clothes. His form was like a swimming dragon yet swift as lightning. Flashing through the air, ducking low to evade, finding the opening to snatch back Jiang Ci, he threw him toward another guard while simultaneously disarming another man’s blade. Using force against force, in mere moments, he actually beat the seven or eight men in black into retreat.
This person in tight-fitting clothes was Nan Ting, the Jiang household’s guard.
His feat of fighting eight opponents alone and rescuing Jiang Ci from amid swords and blades was witnessed by many Jiang household servants. Spread by word of mouth, it became more and more fantastical—from fighting eight alone, it became fighting a hundred alone, became making enemies vanish like ashes in the blink of an eye, became being invincible under heaven.
In reality, those several men in black had mediocre martial skills and lacked coordinated tactics. Otherwise, rescuing Jiang Ci wouldn’t have been so easy.
Yet hearing Jiang Ci and the others invoke Master Nan the Escort’s great name, Mu Yunxi remained unmoved. He only said flatly: “I’m not going. Moreover, I advise you’d best not go either. Just recently someone went up Cuiwei Mountain and was injured by a wild beast. How do you know you won’t encounter one?”
Having finished speaking, he moved to leave again.
Jiang Ci said anxiously: “What’s there to fear! I’m Master Nan the Escort’s disciple after all. Even if there are wild beasts, I can fight them. Even if I can’t beat them, don’t I have legs to run with? If my master sees it’s getting late and I haven’t returned to the residence, he’ll definitely come save me!”
Mu Yunxi still paid no attention. Pushing aside Da Hu and Er Hu’s hands blocking his way, he continued walking.
Da Hu and Er Hu grew anxious. Who knows which one blurted out: “No guts, no ability! No wonder your father doesn’t want you!”
Young Yunxi’s steps halted. He immediately turned back around.
The corners of his mouth seemed to tremble. The anger in his eyes suddenly rose then faded. In an instant, it transformed into a somewhat sorrowful silence.
Jiang Ci, Da Hu, and Er Hu, seeing Mu Yunxi with this expression, were stunned. Having studied under Teacher Chao, having been enlightened and taught, they naturally weren’t fools. They knew they’d said something wrong. However, being stubborn, none of them would be first to apologize.
Instead it was Yunxi whose silent gaze cleared. He looked them up and down twice and asked: “You want to go up Cuiwei Mountain. What have you all prepared?”
Jiang Ci, Da Hu, and Er Hu looked at each other in confusion.
A blessing in disguise—there was an opening!