Chapter 109
In the front yard of the pharmacy, the thin mist had not yet completely dissipated, and glistening dewdrops clung to the tips of the grass blades, refracting tiny rays of light in the rising sun. The air was filled with the earthy smell of the soil and the lingering bitterness of the herbs from the previous night, along with a tense, poised silence.
Su Zhelan stood in the middle and took a deep breath.
The crisp air rushed into his lungs, carrying the coolness of the morning dew, yet igniting the dormant heat deep within his body.
On the sidelines, Su Yan stood with his arms crossed, his face revealing little emotion, only his sharp eyes scrutinizing Su Zhelan's every subtle movement.
Just then, a slightly noisy sound of footsteps broke the morning's tranquility. Sheng Xuan and Xiao Qiyun walked in one after the other.
Sheng Xuan yawned, still sleepy-eyed, with half a piece of pastry dangling from his mouth, and mumbled a complaint: "I said, who's here so early in the morning... Huh? Zhe Lan? Gu Linzhao?"
He recognized the two people facing off in the arena, his eyes widened instantly, and he swallowed the pastry in his mouth. "Wow! Is this going to start a fight?"
Xiao Qiyun followed behind, his steps steady, and his gaze paused slightly when it fell on Su Zhelan.
He keenly sensed that Su Zhelan's condition today was different from usual; beneath her taut body lines surged an unprecedented sense of stability. He then quietly walked to the sidelines, stood a few steps away from Su Yan, and calmly watched her.
Gu Linzhao stretched his wrists and ankles, his face bearing his usual slightly roguish smile, but his eyes became more serious.
He gestured with his chin toward Su Zhelan: "Kid, just driving piles isn't enough. Come on, let your master take a look. Have you sharpened this 'rusty knife' yet? Don't worry, I'll hold back a bit and won't bully the patient."
Su Zhelan's eyes narrowed, and without the slightest hesitation, she clasped her hands in a salute: "Please instruct me, Master!"
Before he finished speaking, he lowered his body slightly, shifting his center of gravity, and assumed a starting stance that combined offense and defense. His movements were fluid and natural, without the slightest hesitation.
"Alright!" Gu Linzhao shouted in a low voice, his figure blurring as he moved without warning! His movements were as fast as a ghost, but it was clear that both his speed and power were controlled within a "guided" range. A hand chop, accompanied by the sound of wind, sliced straight for Su Zhelan's shoulder and neck!
Su Zhelan's pupils contracted slightly, but his reaction was as fast as lightning! He didn't take the blow head-on; instead, he twisted his waist and moved with agility, gliding half a step to the side and back as lightly as a willow catkin in the wind, just avoiding the sharp hand chop. His movements were coordinated and precise, demonstrating perfect control over his body.
"Beautiful!" Sheng Xuan couldn't help but exclaim softly, instantly snapping back to reality. "Well done, Zhe Lan!"
A hint of approval flashed in Gu Linzhao's eyes, but his offensive continued.
Fists, palms, fingers, claws—a barrage of attacks rained down on Su Zhelan like a storm, their angles unpredictable and their moves a mix of feints and real strikes. His attacks were like a woven net, designed to test Su Zhelan's reaction time, judgment, and coordination.
Su Zhelan was completely focused and highly concentrated. He was no longer as easily flustered or distorted in the face of a barrage of attacks as he used to be.
At this moment, his body seemed to possess its own memory and rhythm. Blocking, dodging, deflecting force, using the opponent's force against them... his movements were swift and rhythmic, each response perfectly timed. His body moved nimbly and gracefully within the confined space, like a butterfly flitting among flowers or a fish swimming in water, defusing Gu Linzhao's seemingly impenetrable attacks one by one.
Sweat began to seep from his forehead, but his breathing remained steady, and his eyes were bright and focused, without the slightest strain or trembling.
"Tsk, you little rascal..." Gu Linzhao thought to himself, but added a few changes to his movements. He deliberately created an opening, his right shoulder slightly lowered, as if he was about to throw a heavy punch, but in reality, his left foot silently swept towards Su Zhelan's lower body!
Su Zhelan's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and he caught the abnormality the moment Gu Linzhao's shoulder twitched slightly! He did not fall for the feint to block the punch, but instead shifted his weight backward instantly, and at the same time raised his right foot like a snake, his toes precisely pointing at Gu Linzhao's sweeping ankle!
With a soft "snap," the two separated instantly.
Gu Linzhao stopped and stood still, his smile widening, filled with undisguised admiration: "Good lad! Your eyesight, reaction, movement, and lower body are all up to par! You've got quite the agility!"
He clapped his hands, ending the coaching session.
Su Zhelan steadied himself, his chest rising and falling slightly. His breathing was a little rapid, but he quickly calmed down. He straightened his back, his face flushed from exercise and gleaming with excitement.
On the sidelines, Su Yan's tense expression finally relaxed. He walked to Su Zhelan's side, said nothing, and simply reached out and patted Su Zhelan's shoulder lightly twice.
"Not bad." His voice was deep and serious as always, but those two words carried more weight in Su Zhelan's ears than any praise.
"Wow! That was amazing, Zhelan!" Sheng Xuan rushed over excitedly, patting Su Zhelan's back hard. "Those moves you made were so beautiful! You were like an eel! Come on, want to spar with me? Let me test my skills!"
An indescribable sense of excitement and relief welled up inside her like a warm current. Su Zhelan took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent emotions, and met Sheng Xuan's gaze, a relaxed smile with a hint of challenge playing on her lips:
“Alright,” the voice was clear and strong, carrying an unprecedented lightness and confidence, “I’ll be ready to serve you anytime I need to catch my breath…”
"Offer what? I'll keep you company."
A cold voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Su Zhelan's words.
Xiao Qiyun had already approached without anyone noticing. His face was expressionless, and his gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing straight at the overly excited Sheng Xuan.
"Sheng Xuan, is there anything else in your head besides fighting?" Xiao Qiyun's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable coldness. "Ze Lan just finished practicing with Master Gu Linzhao, and she hasn't even caught her breath yet, and you're already rushing up to cause trouble?"
Sheng Xuan was given a severe scolding by Xiao Qiyun, which instantly extinguished most of her excitement. She retorted with a stiff neck, "How...how did I cause trouble? Zhe Lan is perfectly fine, isn't he? He himself said he's ready to play anytime!"
"You actually believed him when he said he'd keep you company?" Xiao Qiyun frowned, his tone clearly reproachful. "Don't you know what kind of person he is? Even if he's exhausted, he'll still push himself to do it if you ask! Isn't that just ridiculous?"
He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over Su Zhelan's slightly heaving chest and the drenched sweat on her forehead. His tone grew even sterner: "Master Gu Linzhao's guidance just now was restrained, a test! And you? You went too far, only thinking about winning and losing! What if you lost control and really hurt him? His body has only just recovered a few days ago. Can he withstand another round of this?!"
"I..." Sheng Xuan was speechless after being bombarded with Xiao Qiyun's questions. Her face turned bright red, and she wanted to retort but couldn't find the right words.
He looked at Su Zhelan and saw that she did look quite tired. Then he thought about how much he usually knew how to handle things... It seemed like he was a little unsure of himself.
Xiao Qiyun ignored Sheng Xuan and turned to Su Zhelan, his tone softening slightly but still carrying an unquestionable command: "Zhelan, ignore him. You just finished practicing, your blood and qi are churning, go back and rest. Mr. Su has been undergoing medicinal baths and acupuncture treatments for so long, don't let it all go to waste at the last minute."
Looking at Xiao Qiyun's expression, and then at Sheng Xuan's dejected and hesitant appearance after being scolded, Su Zhelan felt both amused and warmed.
He knew Xiao Qiyun was protecting him, afraid that his newly recovered body might be accidentally injured by Sheng Xuan, that reckless man. He nodded, readily agreeing, "Okay."
"Hmph!" A cold snort came from the side.
Su Yan had somehow appeared behind Sheng Xuan, his face even darker than when he had been scolding him. He slapped Sheng Xuan on the back of the head without any hesitation, making a sharp "smack" sound.
"Did you hear me? You brainless idiot!" Su Yan's roar made everyone's ears ring. "All you know is fighting! If you dare to mess around again, I'll throw you into the medicinal pool for three days! Get out of here!"
Sheng Xuan stumbled from the slap, clutching the back of his head, wincing in pain, completely deflated. He looked at Su Zhelan with a pitiful expression, then at the fierce-looking Su Yan and the cold-faced Xiao Qiyun, and finally could only mutter softly, "Okay, okay... I won't hit you then..."
Then he slunk away to the side, like a defeated rooster.
Gu Linzhao watched from the side, thoroughly amused, his arms crossed and shoulders swaying as he clearly suppressed a laugh. He winked at Su Zhelan: "Alright, kid, listen to His Highness, go back and get some rest. Your master is very satisfied with the results of this 'test'!"
Su Zhelan couldn't help but smile as well, and bowed to Su Yan, Gu Linzhao and Xiao Qiyun respectively: "Yes, disciple takes his leave."
He turned and walked briskly toward the direction of Shuyu Courtyard.
Behind them, they could still faintly hear Su Yan continuing to "instruct" Sheng Xuan and Gu Linzhao finally bursting into laughter.
Xiao Qiyun stood quietly in place, his gaze following Su Zhelan's back until he disappeared around the corner of the medicine courtyard before slowly turning his back.
Sheng Xuan caught up with her in a flash, casually draping his arm over Su Zhelan's shoulder: "Why are you walking so fast? Going back to that Shuyu Courtyard and staying there is so boring!"
Su Zhelan stumbled from his grasp, then laughed and pushed him away: "So what do you want to do?"
"Of course we're going out to celebrate!" Sheng Xuan's eyes shone brightly, and his voice rose, attracting the attention of the servants passing by the courtyard gate.
"After holding it in for so long, it's finally over! A new restaurant opened in the west of the city, and I heard their roasted lamb leg is amazing! Also, there's a storytelling venue in the south of the city; they're telling 'The Knight Errant' today! Want to go?"
Su Zhelan's interest was piqued by his description of the lively scene, and her eyes filled with anticipation, but she subconsciously looked at Xiao Qiyun, who was still standing there: "Your Highness, you..."
Xiao Qiyun's gaze swept over the eager look on Su Zhelan's face. He didn't speak, but simply strode forward, his black robes brushing the ground, and walked straight to the two of them. His voice was deep but clear: "Let's go."
"Yay!" Sheng Xuan cheered, slapping Su Zhelan hard on the back. "I knew he wanted to go too! Let's go!"
Infected by his enthusiasm, Su Zhelan felt her fatigue from the past few days dissipate as if the sunshine had driven it away, and her steps became much lighter. The three of them walked out of the General's Mansion gate side by side, leaving Su Yan's scolding and Gu Linzhao's laughter behind.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow on the bluestone path.
Shengxuan, like a bird just released from its cage, walked at the front, her bright eyes following the colorful balls that the performer was flipping up and down. She took in all the vibrant colors and nimble movements.
Xiao Qiyun remained half a step behind, following at a leisurely pace. His gaze mostly lingered on Su Zhelan, watching his bright eyes as Sheng Xuan pulled him around, and the slight upturn of his lips as he stood on tiptoe, straining to see what was inside the storytelling arena. A faint, almost imperceptible smile also played on Xiao Qiyun's lips, much gentler than usual.
As they strolled along, the three passed through a relatively quiet alley, lined with stalls selling antiques, curios, and miscellaneous items. The stall owners here were mostly quiet, simply waiting for customers to choose what they wanted.
Su Zhelan's gaze was drawn to a stall. The stall owner was an elderly man with white hair and beard, who was wiping a bronze artifact with a velvet cloth.
The stall didn't have many items, but they were all neatly arranged, mostly small wooden and stone objects, exuding a rustic charm.
Su Zhelan slowed her pace, her gaze lingering on a dark brown bracelet. The bracelet consisted of a dozen or so round beads, small in size but polished smooth and warm to the touch, displaying natural wood grain and a restrained luster in the sunlight. Its color was serene, its design simple, devoid of superfluous embellishment, yet it possessed a dignified and understated charm.
Su Zhelan immediately pictured Master Su Yan's hands, with their distinct knuckles, hands that had been working with medicinal herbs for years, thin calluses on his fingertips and between his thumb and forefinger, and neatly trimmed nails.
This bracelet is simple and unadorned, just like the master craftsman; it may look unremarkable, but it carries its own weight.
He crouched down and carefully picked up the bracelet. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, with a warm, woody feel, and when he got closer, he could smell a faint, lingering sandalwood fragrance.
"Young man, you have a good eye," the old man said with a smile, looking up. "This is old sandalwood, aged and with good oil content. It has a calming and tranquil effect, making it most suitable for people with a peaceful mind."
Su Zhelan fiddled with the loose silver in her purse, and asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Grandpa, how much is this?"
"Sixty coins." The old man held up two fingers to indicate the price. "Genuine product."
Before Su Zhelan could speak, Sheng Xuan leaned in, his chin almost resting on Su Zhelan's shoulder: "Oh? Why did you buy this?" He picked up the bracelet, weighed it in his hand, and then brought it to his nose to smell it. "Hmm? You bought it for Su Yan, right? Hey, you have good taste! This old-fashioned thing matches his medicinal smell quite well!"
Su Zhelan was jostled by his jostling, her ear tips turning slightly red. She glared at him and said, "What do you mean by being old-fashioned! This is called composure!"
He gently took the bracelet back from Sheng Xuan's hand, examined it carefully to make sure there were no flaws, and then looked up at the old man and said, "Sir, is fifty coins alright?"
The old man stroked his beard, looked at Su Zhelan's serious expression, then glanced at Sheng Xuan beside him with a grin, and finally nodded: "Alright, seeing how sincere you are, fifty coins it is."
Su Zhelan breathed a sigh of relief, counted out fifty coins from her purse and handed them to the old man. Then she carefully wrapped the bracelet in a handkerchief and put it in her bosom close to her heart.
As soon as they finished paying, Sheng Xuan pulled Su Zhelan toward a nearby stall selling used weapons: "Come on, let's buy some for Su Yan, and we can't leave out Gu Linzhao! Otherwise he'll definitely cause trouble!"
This stall was much more lively. The stall owner, a lean middle-aged man, was enthusiastically telling a few customers the story of a "family heirloom sword."
The stall had a mixed bag of items: rusty swords, chipped shields, and even a few pieces of leather armor.
Su Zhelan's gaze swept across the messy pile of weapons, and was quickly drawn to an inconspicuous object in the corner. It was a very small dagger, less than half a foot long including the scabbard, lying quietly on a piece of dark blue velvet cloth.
The sheath is made of dark fish skin with a fine texture, the handle is made of some kind of dark hardwood, and the end is inlaid with a small, polished turquoise bead. Although it is covered with some dust, the exquisite workmanship can still be seen.
“This…” Su Zhelan pointed to the dagger.
The stall owner immediately greeted him warmly: "Young man, you have a good eye! This is a good item! Don't underestimate it because of its small size; it used to be..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Sheng Xuan interrupted him. "Stop with the nonsense! Just tell me how much it costs."
The stall owner choked for a moment, then his eyes darted around: "Well... since you know your stuff, young man, eighty coins!"
Sheng Xuan scoffed, "Eighty coins? That's robbery! This little thing is too small even for cutting fruit! Thirty coins, take it or leave it!"
The stall owner looked pained: "Thirty coins? No way! This is a sharkskin sheath! Turquoise..."
“Sharkskin? I think it’s more like salted fish skin!” Sheng Xuan picked up the dagger and weighed it in his hand. “It’s so small, it’s not even big enough to be a letter opener. It’s only good for its appearance. Thirty-five coins, thirty-five coins at most! If you’re not selling it, we’re leaving!” He then pretended to pull Su Zhelan away.
The stall owner quickly called out, "Hey, hey, hey! Don't go! Thirty-five coins it is! I'll take a loss and make a friend!"
Sheng Xuan winked smugly at Su Zhelan.
Just as Su Zhelan was about to take out her money, Xiao Qiyun's voice rang out again, calm and even: "Wait." He reached out and took the dagger from Sheng Xuan's hand, gently rubbing his thumb against the turquoise inlay, and then weighing it in his hand.
"The scabbard opening is worn, and the inlay at the end of the handle is a bit loose." He looked up at the stall owner, his gaze calm. "Twenty-five coins."
The stall owner's face instantly fell: "This... sir, you've gone too far! Thirty-five coins is already..."
Xiao Qiyun didn't speak, but simply put the dagger back on the velvet cloth and made a move to get up.
"Alright, alright! Twenty-five coins! Take it for twenty-five coins!" the stall owner shouted quickly, afraid that he would lose this business.
Xiao Qiyun then picked up the dagger again and handed it to Su Zhelan.
Su Zhelan took the dagger and handed it to the stall owner with twenty-five coins. Picking up the small dagger, it felt very light. Pulling it out a little, the blade was thin and narrow, and it was indeed somewhat worn; it was only good for decoration.
But he imagined that when Master Gu Linzhao received this, his eyes would light up, and he would hold it in his hand and play with it. He might even deliberately show it off in front of Master Su Yan, so he felt that the money was well spent. He wrapped it in a handkerchief and put it in his pocket.
"What about mine?" Sheng Xuan stretched out his large hand in front of Su Zhelan, looking expectant. "They all bought gifts, what about mine?"
Su Zhelan slapped his hand away and said irritably, "You? The money I saved for you by bargaining earlier is enough to buy you candied hawthorns!"
"Huh? Just candied hawthorns?" Sheng Xuan's face fell dramatically. "Su Zhelan, you're being unfair!"
Su Zhelan ignored him and walked straight ahead, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up. Xiao Qiyun followed behind, watching Su Zhelan's eyes light up slightly because she had bought a gift she liked, and Sheng Xuan's silly antics beside her, and the corners of his lips also curved into a very faint smile.
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