Chapter 8: Acting like a hooligan?
The commotion caused by Madam Zhou's visit has temporarily subsided, and the Tang residence has returned to tranquility.
However, Tang Xiaoning's heart, which had been suppressed for a long time and yearned for the vast world, began to stir restlessly again, like a vine sprouting in spring.
Confined to her own exquisite garden all day, wielding her so-called "tender-hearted sword" against that heavy bamboo broom, it was truly hard to match her dream of "wandering" the world with its magnificent waves and swift justice.
On this day, the sun shone brightly and the spring breeze was gentle.
Tang Xiaoning lay listlessly by the carved window frame, looking at the sky outside the courtyard that was divided by high walls, and the faint sounds of the bustling city from afar.
The bright spring sunshine shone on her slightly gloomy face, and suddenly, an idea flashed into her mind.
She suddenly straightened up, lifted her skirt, and like a light butterfly, ran towards the old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard.
Li Minghua sat cross-legged, focused, meticulously wiping her ancient sword with a soft cloth. The blade occasionally reflected a cold glint in the sunlight.
"Miss Li!" Tang Xiaoning stopped breathlessly in front of Li Minghua, blocking the light in her eyes, her eyes shining brightly. "Let's go for a walk!"
Li Minghua continued wiping, but slightly raised her head, her clear and calm eyes looking at her with a silent question.
"We're not just strolling around our own little garden!" Tang Xiaoning quickly waved her hand, afraid that she would misunderstand.
He then gestured excitedly with both hands, as if he wanted to embrace the whole world:
“It means truly ‘going out,’ stepping out of the gates of the Tang Mansion.”
Go to the street, into the bustling crowd.
Go to teahouses and taverns, listen to the gossip of the common people, and see the real everyday life of ordinary folks!
She tried to make her reasons sound both compelling and "street smart":
“This is the real, living world of martial arts! As my chief martial arts advisor and personal bodyguard,” she emphasized her title with a hint of slyness, “you have a responsibility and an obligation to show me the most authentic and genuine martial arts world, don’t you?”
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of expectation, even with a hint of coquetry.
Li Minghua finally stopped wiping the sword.
The real martial arts world... is indeed not just about the clouds and mist in front of the Qingfeng Sect's mountain gate, nor is it just about swords and shadows and high-flying adventures.
The livelihoods of the most impoverished, the street vendors' cries, and the secrets circulated in teahouses are all indispensable threads in the vast web of the martial arts world.
She gently sheathed the sword with a soft clang, stood up, brushed the grass clippings off her clothes, looked into Tang Xiaoning's bright, dazzling eyes, and nodded: "Alright."
Just as Tang Xiaoning's smile was about to bloom, Li Minghua added, his tone carrying the sternness characteristic of a guard: "But we need to agree on three rules."
"Go ahead, go ahead! Don't just say three chapters, thirty chapters are fine too!" Tang Xiaoning immediately agreed, as long as she could go out, anything was negotiable.
Li Minghua extended his first finger, looking directly at Tang Xiaoning with an unquestionable air: "First, stay close to me, don't wander off, and don't look around or run around aimlessly. Things can easily go wrong in crowded places."
"No problem! I promise to stick to you like a shadow!" Tang Xiaoning patted her chest and assured him.
The second finger extends: "Secondly, do not flaunt your wealth. Keep your money and valuables safe and secure, and do not display them in the street, lest you attract covetousness."
This is the most basic survival rule for navigating the world.
"I understand! Wealth shouldn't be flaunted, that's what they say in storybooks!" Tang Xiaoning nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
Li Minghua's gaze fell on Tang Xiaoning, on that pale yellow "butterfly amidst flowers" modified short dress, which, even after being changed, was still too gorgeous, embroidered with intricate flowers and birds, and shimmered in the sunlight.
She paused for a moment, her sharp brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, as if considering her words, before finally speaking directly:
"Third," she paused, trying to make her tone sound less disdainful, "could you... change into something more ordinary?"
This outfit is practically screaming, "I'm rich, come and steal me!"
Tang Xiaoning glanced down at her carefully chosen "battle outfit," then at Li Minghua's faded, plain indigo coarse cloth outfit. She pouted and muttered, "This is already the most 'ordinary' thing in my wardrobe..."
But under Li Minghua's calm yet persistent gaze, she finally gave in: "Alright, alright, just wait!"
Half an incense stick later, Tang Xiaoning finally came out, albeit reluctantly.
This time, she changed into a plain light green cotton dress. The style was simple, with only a few simple intertwined floral patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs.
Although the material is still good, it no longer resembles a colorful peacock ready to display its tail feathers and attract all attention.
She casually tied her hair into a simple bun, inserted a white jade hairpin at an angle, and looked much more refreshed.
"Is this alright now, Miss Li?" Tang Xiaoning spun around, a hint of smugness in her eyes.
Li Minghua looked him up and down, then nodded: "Okay. Let's go."
Stepping out of the imposing side gate of the Tang Mansion after a long absence, I found myself in the bustling, noisy streets, the clamor of the city rushing towards me.
Li Minghua subconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, quickly scanned his surroundings, and tensed up slightly, entering a state of alert.
This level of noise was a bit too loud for her, but still within her tolerance.
On the other hand, Tang Xiaoning was like a bird that had been caged for a long time and was finally released back into the mountains. She was full of excitement and found everything interesting. She couldn't take it all in.
"Miss Li! Miss Li! Look over there!" Tang Xiaoning excitedly tugged at Li Minghua's sleeve, pointing to a dough figurine stall. "That Sun Wukong figurine is so lifelike! So realistic!"
Li Minghua glanced in the direction she pointed, shielding her from being bumped by the peddler carrying a load nearby, and objectively commented: "Hmm, Zhang's clay figurine skills are acceptable."
After walking a few steps, a sweet aroma wafted over, attracting Tang Xiaoning again: "Wow! It's sugar painting! I want the biggest phoenix! The one with its wings spread high!"
She pointed at the crystal-clear sugar paintings on the stall and exclaimed.
"Sugar paintings are too sweet and sticky, it's best to eat them sparingly." Li Minghua calmly poured cold water on this idea, but still silently took out a few copper coins.
Amidst the deafening sound of gongs and drums, a large crowd gathered, cheering.
Tang Xiaoning pulled Li Minghua through the crowd and saw a shirtless man lying on a bench with a blue stone slab pressing against his chest, while another strong man swung a sledgehammer to smash it down.
"Wow! Breaking a boulder on his chest! Is this for real, Lady Li?" Tang Xiaoning excitedly grabbed Li Minghua's arm.
Li Minghua shielded her from being pushed and shoved by the crowd, his gaze lingering on the stone slab for a moment, and whispered in her ear, "This is hard qigong external skill. The stone material is also important. It is mostly brittle shale. It is not entirely based on brute force and bones."
She always manages to offer the most practical "tip-offs" in the martial arts world.
Tang Xiaoning listened to her pragmatic analysis that exposed the "tricks," and although it was somewhat different from the mysterious world of martial arts she had imagined, she was still amazed and thought that Lady Li knew a lot.
After walking for a long time, the sun was getting higher and higher. Tang Xiaoning complained of being thirsty and insisted on experiencing the bold feeling of drinking a big bowl of tea like a "hero in the martial arts world".
The two sat down in front of a rather simple open-air tea stall with a sunshade.
The tea server deftly served two large bowls of coarse tea, the tea was cloudy and had a cheap, stalky taste.
I had barely sat down and taken a couple of sips of my drink when I heard several men at the next table, dressed in short-sleeved shirts, carrying weapons, and looking travel-worn, talking loudly and banging on the table:
"Have you heard? Zhang's Silk Shop in the east of the city lost another batch of fine Yun Brocade last night!"
"Tsk!" Another bearded man took a sip of tea, wiped his mouth, and said, "How many times has this happened? It's been about half a year now, hasn't it? I bet we've run into that 'passing spirit' again!"
"That's right!" the third person chimed in, lowering his voice with a hint of awe. "They appear and disappear like ghosts, targeting only valuable and exquisite items. They come and go without a trace, not even a single leaf can be found! The government has sent people to stake out the place several times, but they haven't even caught a glimpse of a ghost. They're completely helpless!"
The three words "Passing Immortal" instantly piqued Tang Xiaoning's great interest.
She immediately perked up her ears and involuntarily moved closer to Li Minghua.
He was almost touching her arm, his voice low and filled with barely suppressed excitement:
"Miss Li! Did you hear that?"
'Passing Immortal'! Good heavens, this name sounds like a refined thief with unparalleled lightness skills, who moves like the wind and only takes treasures without harming anyone.
We're incredibly lucky! We stumbled upon such a huge secret of the martial arts world as soon as we stepped out the door?
Are we... about to witness something big?
Her eyes gleamed with eager anticipation, as if she were about to be swept up in a legendary adventure.
Li Minghua picked up the large, rough porcelain bowl, frowned, and took a sip of the bland, bitter tea. His thin lips were slightly pursed, clearly indicating that he was not used to the taste.
She put down her bowl, glanced at the bodyguards at the next table, and then subtly observed her surroundings before turning her head slightly to calmly analyze the situation in Tang Xiaoning's ear in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"It's not necessarily the work of a refined thief. The fact that he has repeatedly targeted the same area, clearly focused on valuable goods, and used his methods swiftly and efficiently without leaving any trace, suggests that he is a habitual offender who has been scouting the area for a long time and has a well-thought-out plan."
She paused, her voice even lower: "Moreover, the mysterious name 'Passing Immortal' is probably a smokescreen deliberately released by the other party, taking advantage of people's natural fear of the 'mysterious and unpredictable' to cover up their true identity... It may not be a very clever method of committing crimes or their true identity."
"Huh?" Tang Xiaoning was stunned, blinking her eyes. All her romantic fantasies were doused with a bucket of cold, realistic analysis. "You... how did you know? It sounds... like it makes a lot of sense?"
She scratched her head, finding Li Minghua's analysis to be logically rigorous and impeccable.
But this is quite different from the world of martial arts she longed for, a world full of extraordinary people and events, and where people could right and wrong.
Just as Tang Xiaoning was still immersed in Li Minghua's subversive "truth about the underworld" and hadn't come to her senses, a woman holding a crying toddler hurriedly squeezed past their table.
The tea stall was cramped, and the woman seemed distracted by her child's crying, accidentally bumping her elbow hard against the edge of their table!
"Ouch!" The teacup on the table shook violently, and the murky tea splashed out, spilling onto the table and even a few drops onto Tang Xiaoning's newly changed light green dress.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! The baby was crying and I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm so sorry!" The woman bowed repeatedly in apology, her face full of anxiety and regret, while the child in her arms cried even harder.
Tang Xiaoning exclaimed "Ah!" and quickly looked down to check the water stains on her skirt. She instinctively wanted to wave her hand and say, "It's okay."
However, before she could finish speaking, she caught a glimpse of Li Minghua sitting opposite her out of the corner of her eye, and her eyes suddenly sharpened!
That look in his eyes was one she had never seen in Li Minghua before—a sharp glint like a cheetah locking onto its prey.
Almost at the same moment the table was bumped and the woman apologized, Li Minghua sprang to his feet like an arrow released from a bow, his movements so fast that only a blur remained!
She caught up with the woman who was about to leave in a few steps, but her target was not the woman herself.
Her right hand shot out like lightning, precisely grabbing the wrist of a gaunt man who was following closely beside the woman, his head bowed, trying to slip away under the cover of the woman's figure and the chaos around the table.
The man was wearing a drab gray short jacket, and his appearance was so conspicuous that he would be easily lost in a crowd; his eyes were darting around nervously.
“Things.” Li Minghua’s voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling coldness and an undeniable sense of oppression.
The man shuddered violently, his face turning deathly pale.
He instinctively struggled to break free of the grip, but was horrified to find that the slender hand that was holding his wrist was as immovable as a steel clamp, and a piercing pain shot through him.
He raised his voice, trying to sound fierce but actually weak, and shouted, "What are you doing! Why are you grabbing my hand in broad daylight! Are you being a pervert! Let go!"
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