The next morning, Li Xi prepared to start practicing her sword as usual.
When she pushed open the courtyard gate, she found that Uncle Zhao was already sitting in the yard, holding a hammer and banging on something.
A warm feeling welled up in Li Xi's heart. She hadn't expected Uncle Zhao to go to such lengths for her whim.
"Uncle Zhao, you're up really early," Li Xi said, walking over with a slightly embarrassed expression.
Uncle Zhao smiled and looked up. "I'm used to it. I wake up before dawn. Besides, I'm really curious to see the effect of your moving target."
Behind his smile, there seemed to be a faint loneliness.
Li Xi didn't say anything more. She silently walked to Uncle Zhao's side and started hammering and tinkering with him.
The tranquility of the early morning was broken by the loud knocking, injecting a unique liveliness and vitality into this peaceful morning.
After a busy morning, the yard was piled with props, so Li Xi had them all moved to the open space behind the mountain.
This place was originally intended to be a martial arts training ground, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the retired emperor and his entourage left before it could be completed.
"Uncle Zhao, do you think this place is suitable?" Li Xi asked, pointing ahead.
Looking out at the vast open space before him, Zhao Bo nodded in satisfaction and praised, "Young master, this place offers a wide view and is indeed an excellent location."
With Li Xi's generous assistance, Butler Chen quickly contacted the neighboring tenants, and the site was completely transformed in just one afternoon.
Under Zhao Bo's precise guidance, the movable targets were successfully set up.
To thank the hardworking workers, Li Xi meticulously arranged a sumptuous banquet.
"Dear brothers and sisters-in-law, we are extremely grateful for your great help today. Please don't be shy and enjoy this delicious meal."
The tenants were overjoyed, never expecting that working here would not only earn them money, but also allow them to enjoy such a delicious feast.
"Thank you for your generous hospitality, young master." Everyone greeted each other and sat down to enjoy the food, secretly glad that they had made the right choice today.
After everyone left, Li Xi took out the Broken Army and planned to try out the new shooting range.
Different types of targets were placed around the perimeter. Uncle Zhao turned on a switch, and soon the targets began to move. "Come on, give it a try."
With a slight sway of the bow and a flick of the wrist, he aimed at the target, then drew the bowstring and with a "whoosh," the arrow flew out like lightning, striking the target squarely into the wood.
"Excellent!" Zhao Bo exclaimed. "Your archery skills are improving by leaps and bounds."
"This is all thanks to Uncle Zhao," Li Xi said with a smile.
Then, Li Xi shot several more arrows, each one hitting the target accurately, with some even piercing the heart.
"Good! Good! Good!" Uncle Zhao exclaimed repeatedly, then added with some regret, "There are still some flaws."
Upon hearing this, Li Xi perked up, "You noticed it too? I did feel a bit uneasy, I don't know why. This bow isn't heavy, but it takes a lot of internal force to draw it."
She thought it might be the arrows, so she went to a blacksmith to make some arrows to see what the differences were between arrows made by different people.
"Let me see." Uncle Zhao took Po Lu and examined him carefully.
“These arrows are indeed a bit lacking,” Uncle Zhao nodded. “But even the best bow is useless without arrows. Young master, there’s a lot to know about these arrows. It’s not a simple matter. The iron needs to be smelted, and the smelting method is very particular. It’s not something that one or two blacksmiths can do well.”
Li Xi was as focused as a student listening attentively in class, and afterwards she was still thinking about how to solve the problem.
"It's such a pity. Yesterday, the blacksmith said that his senior brother knew how to make these kinds of arrows," Li Xi said regretfully.
"Oh? There are such capable people?" Zhao Bo's words revealed no emotion.
Li Xi sighed and said, "Yes, that older brother said his senior brother's name was Fang Siqi, but unfortunately he has disappeared without a trace."
“Fang Siqi…” Uncle Zhao repeated the name, then after a moment of silence, he said, “I’ve heard people talk about him before. He was indeed famous throughout the land back then, but unfortunately…”
Seeing that Zhao Bo hesitated to speak, Li Xi pressed him for an answer, asking, "What's the pity?"
A hint of melancholy flashed in Uncle Zhao's eyes as he said softly, "It's a pity he's disappeared without a trace."
After saying that, he went back by himself, leaning on his cane.
Perhaps because he was a good friend, Li Xi stopped bringing up the topic; there were always other ways to resolve it.
Over the next few days, Li Xi led Chen Quan on a journey through various villages and mountains, trying to find the legendary master.
After traversing several mountains, standing before a dilapidated courtyard, Chen Quan asked Li Xi curiously, "Shall we go in?"
"Let's go!" Li Xi pushed open the dilapidated door.
What came into view was a dilapidated scene, with weeds growing in the yard and the houses appearing to be on the verge of collapse.
"Are you sure this place is inhabited?" Chen Quan couldn't help but ask.
Li Xi did not answer, and walked straight to a room that looked somewhat intact.
As soon as I opened the door, a musty smell hit me. The room was covered in dust and cobwebs, and the food on the table was blackened.
It seems the people here left suddenly for some reason. "Let's go, looks like we've made another wasted trip." Li Xi walked out of the courtyard disappointed, gently closing the door behind her. Perhaps one day, the owner of this place will return.
She turned to leave, but found herself stepping on something slippery. Picking it up, she realized it was a jade pendant.
Li Xi examined the jade pendant closely and discovered that it was engraved with a red lotus flower.
She silently put away the jade pendant, mounted her horse, and rode away.
The sound of Li Xi's horse's hooves echoed on the quiet country road, but her doubts grew stronger.
Why is this jade pendant here? Who is its owner? What is its connection to the master she is looking for? Could it be that the Red Lotus Sect kidnapped him?
Logically, that shouldn't be the case, since his master said that his martial arts skills were almost unmatched in the martial arts world.
She decided to go back and write a letter to her master, but she didn't tell Chen Quan any of this after she made up her mind.
Back at the village, the wolf cubs excitedly rushed over, begging for a hug.
Li Xi picked one up in each arm and said, "What did you two eat? You've gained so much weight in just a few days."
"Little Black and Little White, come here quickly, I've boiled some milk for you, hurry up." Chu Ran brought over two bowls of milk.
Hearing Chu Ran's voice, the wolf cubs were frightened and hid in Li Xi's sleeves.
Seeing that the children were unmoved, Chu Ran asked in confusion, "What? Don't you like the taste? Then I'll have someone cook some goat milk."
Seeing that she was about to leave, Li Xi quickly stopped her and said with a helpless smile, "Sister Chu, they must have eaten too much. They've gained so much weight in just a few days."
She recalled some jokes she had heard in her past life: There is a kind of hunger that your grandmother thinks you are hungry.
I never expected that Sister Chu would turn out like this.
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