The 32nd year of Great World Hongrun, the 26th day of the twelfth month.

After reuniting with Xiao Ning, Li Si moved into Xiao Ning’s residence. Suishui City was as it had always been, like a long river flowing, without waves or ripples. Xiao Ning accompanied Li Si on another tour of Suishui City. At the Hour of the Goat, the two arrived at a teahouse called Shanliu Ju to drink tea.

After drinking a pot of tea, Li Si observed the various characters coming and going at Shanliu Ju.

Shanliu Ju had two floors. The first floor was a place for tea customers to drink tea and chat, while the second floor housed private rooms. On the eastern side of the first floor was a small cleared area where a group of young men and women performed magic tricks. From a black cloth with nothing before or behind it, a man continuously produced various miscellaneous items such as hairpins, fresh flowers, chicken eggs, and so on. A woman then used another red cloth to make the produced items disappear before everyone’s eyes.

In and out, it was quite interesting.

The western side of the first floor also had cleared space. A blind, elderly man in his eighties or nineties played the erhu, and a young maiden in her prime years danced gracefully to the old man’s music. The maiden’s face was delicate and lovely. Like a nimble swallow, she displayed her beautiful form.

A young man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes sat by the window, a long sword resting on the table before him. The young man had secretly glanced at Li Si several times, which puzzled Li Si somewhat.

When the song ended, the maiden held out a porcelain plate and collected the copper coins the tea customers had tipped. Just as the maiden turned around, she accidentally knocked over a teacup from the adjacent table, spilling tea all over the floor. Seated at this table were several foreign traveling merchants who glared fiercely at the maiden. The maiden was so frightened she backed away. The elderly man fumbled his way over to apologize, but was pushed to the ground by one of the foreign men.

The maiden cried out “Grandfather” and tried to help the old man up. The foreign man grabbed the maiden and said with foul-smelling breath, “You ruined my tea. Pay.”

The foreign man’s Central Plains dialect was not very clear, as if his mouth was stuffed with a large ball of cotton, making his voice muffled. The maiden struggled desperately. The old man hugged the foreign man’s leg, pleading, “Let go of Wei’er. I beg you, let go of my Wei’er…”

The foreign man impatiently kicked the old man aside and stared at the maiden lustfully, saying, “You pay for tea. Come with me!”

“Let me go! Grandfather… Grandfather!” The maiden cried helplessly. The tea customers in Shanliu Ju pointed and criticized the foreigners, but no one dared to step forward to rescue the maiden.

The big man called out to his companions in his incomprehensible language to leave Shanliu Ju, pulling the tearful maiden with him.

With a “bang,” somehow a table appeared behind the foreign man. When he turned around, he bumped into the table, and teacups and saucers shattered all over the floor.

Someone clapped lightly and said, “What a pity for my good tea, to be spilled by a beast.”

It was the handsome young man who had been stealing glances at Li Si earlier. He sat by the table. Although the foreign man’s Central Plains dialect was poor, he understood clearly. He knew the young man was indirectly calling him a beast. He flew into a rage and drew his curved blade.

“This is outrageous, daring to cause trouble in Suishui City!” Xiao Ning was about to stand up but was held down by Li Si. Li Si looked at the young man in the scene and said, “Let’s observe a bit more.”

The curved blade gleamed with blue light. The foreign man slashed his blade down toward the young man’s table. Though the foreign man was rash, he wasn’t foolish. He didn’t want to commit a crime within the Great World’s borders, so he was merely trying to frighten the young man. Looking at the young man’s calm demeanor, just as the foreign man’s blade was about to strike the table, he suddenly moved.

The young man swiftly picked up a wooden chopstick from the table and thrust it upward.

The wooden chopstick blocked the curved blade, and judging by the young man’s appearance, he did so easily and effortlessly. The foreign man looked as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes widened as he pressed down with both hands with all his strength, but he simply could not break the thin wooden chopstick.

“This young man, it’s him…” Xiao Ning stared at the young man, blinked, and suddenly said. Li Si glanced at Xiao Ning and continued to gaze intently at the scene.

The foreign man was already at the end of his strength. His foreign companions beside him cried out strangely and rushed toward the young man, swinging their fists. The young man sneered coldly, “Insignificant rabble, come at me all at once.”

The several foreigners had only run two steps when their vision went black. One after another, they were struck between the eyes by flying wooden chopsticks. Instantly feeling their entire bodies fall apart, they thumped to the ground.

The foreign man finally understood—he was no match at all for this seemingly frail young man before him. He released his curved blade, gasping heavily, “What… do you want?”

“Very simple. Since you said that ruining tea requires compensation, then according to what you said, compensate me for my tea.”

“I’ll compensate you for one pot of tea.” The foreign man yielded.

“Just now when the girl ruined your pot of tea, you wanted to abduct her. Now you’ll just compensate with one pot of tea and be done with it?” The young man reached out and touched the long sword on the table. The sword’s sheath was simple and elegant, inlaid with precious gems. The young man said coldly, “Either let me chop off one of your hands as compensation, or admit you’re a dog and crawl out from Shanliu Ju’s entrance. I won’t stoop to the level of a dog.”

“You, you…” The foreign man’s face turned red with frustration. The young man’s long sword slightly left its sheath, emanating a fierce killing intent. The foreign man fell to his knees with a thump and crawled out of Shanliu Ju like a dog. The other foreigners also followed his example and fled in a pathetic, dejected manner.

“Thank you, young hero, for your life-saving grace. Thank you…” The old man wept gratefully. The young man helped the old man up, and the maiden called Wei’er bowed deeply to the young man.

“Do you know this young man?” Li Si took a sip of tea. Xiao Ning nodded. “The current Suishui County Magistrate Meng Xiu’s son, Meng Fanchuan, entered the Yan Chi Sect under Fang Zhenshan two years ago to learn martial arts. Yan Chi Sect is a new sword school that commands respect throughout the martial world. The sect master, Ang Tianyan, possesses a set of sword techniques called ‘Stars Across Nine Provinces’ that shocks the great rivers north and south, rarely meeting a worthy opponent. This young man also belongs to Yan Chi Sect. He is Meng Fanchuan’s senior martial brother. I remember his name is Gao Ling.” Li Si nodded.

After parting with the old man, the young man walked over. Xiao Ning stood up politely and said, “So it’s Young Hero Gao. The scene of you striking down those foreign thieves just now truly impressed Xiao Ning.”

Gao Ling made a sound of acknowledgment through his nose in response to Xiao Ning. His almond-shaped eyes swept over Li Si several times. “Are you Li Si?”

Li Si was taken aback. “Young Hero Gao, pleased to meet you.”

“Young Hero Gao, you know Big Brother Li… Lord Li?” Xiao Ning asked softly. Gao Ling said meaningfully, “Who doesn’t know of the Great World God-Catcher? Naturally, Lord Li still doesn’t know me, Gao Ling, but I believe it won’t be long before Lord Li gradually comes to understand me.”

“I take my leave.” Gao Ling clasped his fists together and turned to leave Shanliu Ju.

Despite the foreign thieves causing trouble, Shanliu Ju did not become deserted as a result. Soon it was a lively scene again. The young men and women performing magic tricks began their performance, and the blind old man and the maiden also started a new performance. This time, the old man did not play the erhu but instead told a story segment called “草莽Heroes,” which narrated the tale of a young man who angrily slayed a corrupt official and local tyrant.

The maiden sat quietly beside the old man, using a small drum hammer to beat the drum rhythm to accompany the old man’s storytelling.

Li Si returned to Xiao Ning’s residence and pushed open the chamber door. On the table lay an object quietly, possessing a reddish-brown body.

It was another micro-carved walnut!

Li Si picked up the walnut in surprise. The scene within the walnut was clearly presented.

A messy room, an open broken window, a wardrobe that had been moved aside and the recessed wall behind the wardrobe, as well as a man standing upright inside the wall.

The man stared forward in terror, his chest soaked with fresh blood.

Li Si’s hand holding the walnut trembled slightly. This scene—why was it so familiar…