42. Skills and Tao

Early in the morning, Old Man Yao got up from his bed and walked slowly into the yard.

The water tank was full and the yard was swept clean, but the old traces were gone.

Old man Yao looked up at the crow on the apricot tree, and the crow pointed outside the door with its wings.

He looked across the corridor to the outside of the clinic and saw Chen Ji holding a long bamboo broom and sweeping the stone road in front of the clinic.

Yesterday was the Double Ninth Festival. Anxi Street was littered with dogwood and garbage, except for the area in front of Taiping Medical Clinic, which was spotless.

He asked doubtfully, "When did this kid get up?"

The crow caaked.

"Three quarters past three in the morning? He's up earlier than the chickens." Old Man Yao looked around. "He works so efficiently, it's hard to find a reason to beat him up."

The crow caaked.

Old Man Yao nodded: "He is indeed sensible... You don't have to go out of your way to praise him, I know what he is doing."

He walked to the door, squinted at Chen Ji and said, "You're so diligent, I'm a little nervous. It's not your job to work today, so why did you do all the work?"

Chen Ji leaned on a large bamboo broom and said with a smile, "I'm free anyway. After all, this is my home. It will be more refreshing if I clean it up."

Old Man Yao looked at Chen Ji in confusion: "You were so polite to me yesterday, why are you being so friendly today?"

Chen Ji responded: "There must always be some new changes."

Old Man Yao was silent for a long time: "What are your plans for She Dengke's matter?"

Chen Ji responded while sweeping the floor, "We can't really just kill him... Master, do you think Senior Brother She is a bad person?"

"no."

"Yes, you also think he is not a bad person," Chen Ji sighed, "Of course I will keep this matter in mind, but if I really want to kill him, I may not be able to do it."

Old Man Yao said calmly, "You are neither a good person nor a bad person. People like you may not survive long in this martial arts world. The inheritance of the Shanjun family may be cut off in your hands."

As he was speaking, the sound of horse hooves came from the end of Anxi Street.

Old Man Yao and Chen Ji turned around and saw a carriage approaching quickly.

The carriage arrived at the door of the clinic, and Princess Baili, the little monk, and the prince jumped out of the carriage one after another. There were still a few rouge marks on the prince's face, and he reeked of alcohol.

The three of them lowered their heads and ran towards the Taiping Medical Clinic. As they ran, they didn't forget to greet Old Man Yao: "Good morning, Doctor Yao!"

"Good morning, Doctor Yao!"

Princess Baili was halfway through her run when she turned back and stuffed an oil-paper bag into Chen Ji's hand: "Here, I promised you. Now I'm leaving!"

But then they saw three people stumbling and rushing to the backyard in a panic. The prince shouted, "Little monk, this time it's your turn to step on me... Hey, no need for that!"

The prince looked at the wall and saw a wooden ladder that had been set up there without him noticing.

He muttered quietly, "The toll was not in vain. This kid is quite a decent person. It seems he is also a child of the underworld!"

Princess Baili glanced back at the traces of the street, then turned and climbed the ladder into the palace: "Hurry, hurry, Mr. Wang's morning class is about to begin."

Imperial Physician Yao stared in amazement as the three men climbed into the palace. He turned to look at Chen Ji and asked, "Did you put that ladder there?"

Chen Ji nodded: "I accepted their money and provided some convenience."

Doctor Yao said expressionlessly, "With you here at Taiping Clinic, things are becoming increasingly unsettled."

At that moment, a drunken curse came from the end of Anxi Street: "Red Clothes Alley is full of ungrateful people. When they have money, they call me Dog Master, and when they don't, they call me Liang Dog. They kicked me out just because I didn't pay three times! Now I'm bringing the prince there, and they're still fawning over me."

Another voice said dully, "Brother, your name is Liang Gou'er, and they're not wrong."

"Your Highness is such a fool! They came back in a carriage but didn't even bother to take us with them. Furthermore, they didn't even bother to arrange a place for me to stay."

Liang Mao'er was sulking: "Brother, can't you just work hard in the Liu family? They pay a lot."

"That won't do... I have three things I won't help: those who drink and cheat, those who are part of the eunuch party, and those who oppose the eunuch party... Those old guys are evil-minded and even more evil-minded. I can't deal with them."

Chen Ji turned around and saw that it was the fat Liang Maoer carrying Liang Gouer on his back.

"Master, do you know Liang Gou'er?" Chen Ji asked curiously.

"I know him," Old Man Yao sneered, "People in Jianghu call him the Autumn Wind Swordsman, Liang Gou'er."

"Autumn Wind Swordsman? Because he practices the Autumn Wind Sword Technique?"

"No, it's because he likes to go around getting money."

Chen Ji: Ah?

"Master, is Liang Gou'er an official?" Chen Ji asked curiously, "Why does he rely on the Liu family?"

"Practicing cultivation requires money, companions, methods, and places. Just like you need ginseng for cultivation, warriors also need medicine to strengthen themselves," said Old Man Yao calmly.

Most of the cultivation methods below are the same, spending money like water, without any support, you can't cultivate yourself into a powerful force."

"Liang Gou'er is so powerful, why doesn't he rob the Liu family?" asked Chen Ji.

Old Man Yao sneered, "All the world's resources are in the hands of the government, aristocratic families, Taoists, and Buddhists, with a few scattered in the hands of sects like the Luotian Sect. No matter how powerful Liang Gou'er is, he can't withstand a single charge of 3,000 elite cavalry. The Liu family maintains over 40,000 elite troops in Yuzhou, and they only answer to the orders of Elder Liu... How dare Liang Gou'er dare to rob the Liu family?"

Liang Maoer was already approaching with Liang Gouer on his back.

Liang Gou'er drunkenly opened his eyes and pointed at the Taiping Clinic, saying, "We'll live here. It's close to the prince, and he'll definitely have to take me with him when he goes out to play!"

Liang Maoer looked at Old Man Yao awkwardly: "I'm sorry, my brother is talking nonsense."

"I'm not talking nonsense!" The disheveled Liang Gou'er jumped off Liang Mao'er's back and rushed into the clinic carelessly.

Old Man Yao raised his hand to stop him: "Wait."

Liang Gou'er opened his eyes, staggered, and looked at Old Man Yao. After a long moment, he said in surprise, "Doctor Yao... we're old acquaintances. That's even better. We can stay at Doctor Yao's house!"

Old man Yao remained silent.

Chen Ji was a little nervous. He had seen Liang Gou'er use his knife. That knife cut through Lin Chaoqing's hat with perfect precision, not a bit more or less.

He was a little worried that such an official would act recklessly after being rejected by his master, which would be bad if he hurt his master.

However, before he could figure out what to do, he saw Old Man Yao glance at Chen Ji, then slowly said to Liang Gou'er, "It's not impossible for you to live in the clinic, but you have to teach my apprentice swordsmanship. If you teach well, Taiping Clinic will not only let you stay, but also provide you with food."

Chen Ji was stunned.

Is this still my stingy master?

Liang Gou'er jokingly said, "Doctor Yao, you run a clinic, why would your apprentice learn swordsmanship? Is it because business has been bad recently and you want to cause some injuries?"

Old Man Yao said slowly, "Just discipline her, don't worry about the rest."

But Liang Gou'er suddenly became serious: "Old man, I just drank too much, not drunk. My Liang family's swordsmanship is not to be passed on to outsiders."

Doctor Yao said calmly, "I asked you to teach me sword skills, not your family's sword art."

Liang Gou'er seemed to be lost in thought, then burst into laughter. "Deal! Let's go, Liang Mao'er, we have a place to stay now. Let's go in and find something to eat first! It's just a matter of teaching me some knife skills. There's nothing in this world that I, Liang Gou'er, can't teach you!"