Early the next morning.

The first light of dawn broke, and the mountain mist floating over the city.

The morning was cool and refreshing.

Li Xian stretched lazily and felt exceedingly comfortable.

After a simple wash, he tied his hair and put on a crown, looking spirited and handsome. He bought two meat buns at a street stall.

The aroma of the meat filling was enticing, with juices oozing out. Li Xian accompanied them with tea, finishing the buns, and after this simple meal, he felt invigorated.

The constables of the Martial Captain Hall practiced every day at the hour of Chen, never once slacking off. Now, more than ten people had already possessed inner Qi, with Zhang Hou's inner Qi being the most powerful.

He had already accumulated more than ten strands. Next was Wang Wu, who, although one-armed, had learned the "One-Armed Sea Sky Saber" sword technique from Li Xian. This sword technique is a basic martial art, obtained from Yihetang Manor.

To practice this skill, one needs to have a disabled arm; congenital disabilities are best, with acquired ones slightly less so. The world is full of extraordinary skills, beyond counting.

Sounds of "huff" and "hey" came from inside the hall. Li Xian's swordsmanship had made a breakthrough last night, advancing from great success to perfection, yet still far from the peak. Today, he took a rare "leisure" and temporarily put aside martial arts to instruct others in practice.

"Lift your elbow half an inch higher."

"Pull your legs back, raise your hips."

Li Xian moved among them, his words concise and straight to the point. Just minor adjustments in posture, yet it led to significant improvements in martial arts, as if they had entered a whole new world.

Li Xian said, "Continue practicing, don't slack off." After instructing everyone, he left the Martial Captain Hall.

Taking half a day off, he strolled casually through the streets.

Although Qingning County was remote, tens of thousands of people resided there. The world was vast and rich in resources. Even though people's livelihoods were difficult, the population remained large.

On Nan Feng Street, there was a [Scholar's Bookstore].

His younger brother, Li Xiaofan, often visited. The shopkeeper was an old man with white hair, with blurred vision and a hunched back. The local children all mocked him as a pedantic scholar, yet they had never seen him get annoyed.

Thanks to this old man, when the two brothers were strapped for cash, his younger brother could still borrow books to read.

Li Xian wandered there, recalling this incident, and saw that the bookstore was quiet, with the old scholar leaning on a cane, organizing books on the shelves. With a light pat, a cloud of dust rose, causing him to cough a few times.

Li Xian stepped in to help and said with a warm smile, "Old sir, have you been well lately?"

"You're Ah Xian, aren't you?" The old scholar was taken aback, squinting his eyes for a moment before finally recognizing him.

He referred to Xiaofan as Xiaofan Di (younger brother) and addressed Li Xian simply as Li Xian to differentiate.

"Yes, I am." Li Xian took down the books from a high shelf, dusted them off, reorganized them neatly, and returned them to their place. He casually asked, "Old sir, at your age, have you ever thought of taking a rest?"

"I'm not tired, why should I rest?" The old scholar waved it off: "By the way, how has your brother Xiaofan been lately? I haven't seen him come to borrow books for a while now."

"Could it be that he's stopped reading? That would be such a pity."

"He's gone to the prefecture city," Li Xian said with a smile. "He's joined the prefecture academy and will continue his studies."

"Ah!" the old scholar exclaimed with joy, clapping his hands, "That's wonderful, wonderful. A pure heart will always be rewarded. May he be safe and successful, making great strides on the civil path."

"Old sir," Li Xian said, "I also want to buy some books to read."

"Oh?" The old scholar said, "So, are you looking for the Four Books and Five Classics, poetry and prose, or theories on governing the nation?"

Li Xian had no interest whatsoever in worldly doctrines or theories on governance. Instead, he liked geography atlases, flute tunes and paintings, and tales of the extraordinary. It was in his nature.

He told the truth and asked the old man to help him pick out some books. The old scholar shook his head with a chuckle, "Xiaofan once told me that if his brother were to study, he wouldn't do worse than him."

"Xiaofan is being modest," Li Xian laughed. "Xiaofan has an eidetic memory; I can't compare."

"You're wrong." The old scholar shook his head, "Integrating knowledge is far more important than having an eidetic memory. But I see that you're restless by nature, and your aspirations won't lie in this field."

"I guess you have vast ambitions and a lofty perspective, but due to time, people, and place, and various factors, you're stuck in one place, unable to break free. You can only alleviate your boredom through books and atlases and preemptively understand worldly truths."

"In that case, I'll recommend you a miscellaneous book called...'Zhang Han Bing'."

The old scholar was very familiar with the layout of the shop. Leaning on his cane, he went to a corner and drew out an old yellow-covered book from the shelf.

Li Xian said, "Zhang Han Bing?"

"This person is the author of the book, naming it after himself," the old scholar explained engagingly. "He grew up in the former dynasty of Great Yu. He suffered from a cold illness since childhood, with weak hands and legs. But he loved lakes and mountains by nature."

"At over ten years old, he left home to visit lakes and climb mountains. Along the way, he saw landscapes, observed human relationships, and various life situations. All his adventures and tales are recorded in this book, which you can enjoy as mere stories."

"The book also includes the customs and culture of Great Yu. If you're interested, you might as well buy it and take a look."

Hearing this, Li Xian was delighted.

The Great Wu dynasty had lasted over a thousand years, and the events of the previous dynasty were buried in the dust. Ordinary people knew little to nothing about it. Li Xian knew even less about the Great Wu, let alone the former Great Yu.

He was very eager to learn and was aware that martial artists should read more, observe more, and comprehend more. He was especially fond of such intriguing matters.

He immediately bought "Zhang Han Bing" and, to support the old scholar, he also purchased a few books of poetry and classics for the nurses of Yihetang Manor and the constables of the Martial Captain Hall to study.

After leaving the bookstore, as if driven by some unknown force, he returned to the old house of the past.

The house was unexpectedly tidy, with a water jar filled and the damaged thatched roof repaired.

Li Xian looked around and thought, "Could it be that someone is living here? Well, neither my brother nor I live here anymore. Letting someone else live here, keeping the place lively, is also a good thing."

As he entered the room, he smelled a faint fragrance. This scent seemed familiar.

"Who's here?"

A voice suddenly shouted, and a woman returned from outside. The woman was dressed plainly, with half of her face burned, tall in stature, exuding an air of valor.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, staring intently. If Li Xian made any strange move, she would immediately take action.

Li Xian cupped his hands and smiled, "Young lady, I am the former owner of this house."

He had already recognized the woman and thought to himself:

"So it's her? Back then at the black market, I bought the Fish Scale Armor from her, and now I'm still wearing it. Meeting her here today is truly a twist of fate."

"At that time, I intentionally covered my face, using wall dust to disguise myself. Now with my Perfect Appearance showing, a mole on my brow, my appearance has changed dramatically. She probably won't recognize me."

The woman, with a murderous look in her eyes, closed the courtyard gate and approached slowly.

"Ridiculous."

The woman said coldly, "Do you think I'm that easily deceived? I notice your demeanor and appearance aren't ordinary, and you're well-dressed. You must be from a prominent family, perhaps even from the Prefecture City. How could you be living in this rundown alley?"

"If you don't speak the truth, I won't let you go today."

Just then, the couple Liu and Wang returned together. Hearing the commotion, they came over to check it out. Aunt Liu exclaimed joyfully, "Little Immortal, why have you returned?"

"Aunt Liu, this person is suspicious, don't come any closer," the woman warned cautiously.

"What's so suspicious?" Aunt Liu walked over boldly, "This is Li Xian, he used to live here."

"To tell you the truth, you're renting his house."

"This..." The woman was taken aback, still doubtful. Aunt Liu noticed the misunderstanding between the two and quickly explained. After much persuasion, the misunderstanding was finally resolved.

It turned out that the woman's name was Luo Xia, her background was a mystery, and she had wandered into Qingning County some time ago. She possessed a certain pride and preferred to sleep in the wild rather than resort to robbery.

Thus, she lived in poverty, in a difficult situation.

Later, Aunt Liu encountered her. Considering that the Li Mansion was unoccupied and gradually dilapidating, she thought it would be better to rent it to this woman for five Wen Coins a month.

Someone to maintain the house would be ideal.

So, Luo Xia settled at the Li Mansion, with Aunt Liu's help, her life gradually improved. Until today, she almost had a misunderstanding upon seeing Li Xian.

"Sigh, to think of it, Little Immortal, really, you've come back without giving any notice."

"Since you're here, come over to our place for lunch."

Aunt Liu had been working at a clothing shop lately, making money and having some extra cash. She bought fish, shrimp, and pork at the market, ready to showcase her culinary skills.

Li Xian smiled, "Alright."

"Old Wang, help me out," Aunt Liu glanced at Uncle Wang and then smiled, "Xia, you come too. It looks like you haven't eaten for days."

"Who says that?" Luo Xia replied coldly, "I'm not hungry, you all go ahead," but she swallowed involuntarily.

"Come on, come on," Aunt Liu urged, coaxing her a little more. Finally, Luo Xia agreed.

Because the hut was small and couldn't accommodate too many people, they moved the table to the courtyard for the meal.

Aunt Liu was busy cooking by the stove while Uncle Wang nibbled on melon seeds, chatting with Li Xian. When Aunt Liu called, he eagerly carried the dishes inside.

Li Xian felt completely at ease, nostalgic for the past. Back then, when Li Xian's father would return from hunting in the mountains with meat in hand, they would gather some dishes and soups together, and maybe even buy some small drinks and snacks if possible.

Both families would sit around the table in the courtyard and enjoy a hearty meal. Life was hard and difficult at that time, but no matter the hardship, there was always joy.

Soon, the table was filled with dishes. Stir-fried peppers with meat, bamboo shoots with liver, egg drop soup with wild vegetables, braised pig's trotters... all the homey dishes with a touch of smoke and fire.

On regular days, such a feast was only possible during the New Year.

"These bamboo shoots were dug up from the mountain, the eggs are from our own chickens, please, eat up," Aunt Liu warmly invited them.

Li Xian tasted a bite and smiled, "Aunt Liu, your culinary skills have improved."

"Eat as much as you like," Aunt Liu said. "Xia, you too, eat to your heart's content."

Luo Xia observed Li Xian, still wary. Soon, the food was gone, and the Liu Wang couple washed the dishes and utensils. At the table, Luo Xia and Li Xian faced each other. Li Xian smiled, "You don't need to be on guard."

"I believe you aren't a bad person. Since you've rented my house, you can continue to rent it. I won't delve into your past."

Luo Xia was startled, but truly relaxed a lot, saying, "Alright, thank you."

"I'll pay the rent on time every month."

"No problem," Li Xian chuckled, "I won't mind if it's a couple of days late."

"By the way," Luo Xia's eyes glimmered, "are you doing well in this county?"

"Pretty well," Li Xian replied casually.

"Can you meet the Martial Captain?" Luo Xia asked softly.

Li Xian asked, "Why do you want to meet him?"

Luo Xia responded, "The Military Officer... handles Jianghu disputes. Some of the vicious fugitives from Jianghu are also captured by him."

"I want to take on some bounty missions, to support my living expenses and buy some rice and grain."

"I see." Li Xian, newly appointed as a Martial Captain, was unfamiliar with his duties. The bounty notices for capturing vicious criminals from Jianghu hadn't reached him yet.

Talking about this reminded him that there was an unused wooden house at the Martial Captain Hall, which seemed to be a document storage room. Busy with martial arts practice, he had never checked it out.

Li Xian made a few evasive remarks, saying he'd introduce her later, and then hurriedly returned to the hall.

...

...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.