“A crisp sound, like the snap of awakening, pierced through the night.
‘In the adventurous journey of Chang’an, tales of righteous deeds and revenge unfold.’
At the corner of Dongjiaolou Street, in the central part of a bookshop, a carved mahogany table was set. People crowded around it, and behind the table sat a storyteller. Clad in a blue broad-sleeved gown, he held a wake-up block in one hand and a folding fan in the other, leisurely beginning his narration.
‘Last time, we talked about Jiang, the hero with the ‘Silver Petal Spear,’ who took the gold and silver treasures from the Northern Beggar’s disciples to aid orphans and provide for the elderly and injured.’ The storyteller paced his words, creating a rhythm. ‘This time, let’s delve into Jiang’s daring solo venture, crashing the 80th birthday celebration of the Cold Gang leader of the Northern Beggar…’
In the bustling crowd, a girl with a bamboo hat and a light cyan dress silently squeezed her way in. The dim candlelight concealed her slender figure as she carried a white linen-wrapped bundle, inconspicuously climbing the wooden staircase at the side, reaching a cozy room on the second floor.
The room was simple, with a bamboo screen dividing the space, a black wooden small table on each side, a grass-colored cushion, and clear tea placed in the middle.
The girl, with the white bundle in her arms, entered and approached the table on the right. Closing the carved wooden door behind her, the storyteller’s voice from below faded like a receding tide, and the fragrance of tea wafted through the wooden walls.
Someone was already seated behind the screen.
He uncovered the tea, took a sip, and the clear sound of porcelain rubbing against porcelain echoed in the elegant room.
Separated by the screen, both sat facing each other, unable to see one another.
Yet, the person’s shadow, elongated by the light of a small enamel lamp above, extended over, casting a quiet and graceful silhouette on the side of the cushion.
“Jiang Xiaoman, do you enjoy listening to storytellers?” The person with a smile spoke from the other side of the screen.
‘Jiang Xiaoman’ was the alias Jiang Kui used in the martial world. Few knew this name; most only knew her as the wielder of the ‘Silver Petal Spear.’
“If they praise me, of course, I like it.” Jiang Kui placed her bamboo hat and the bundle beside her, boldly sitting on the cushion. She picked up the tea cup and took a sip. “This is Sun-dried Yangxian tea, you really have a taste, Mr. Puli.”
The person sitting across from her was the one who stopped his carriage at the end of the street on Qi Xi.
“‘Silver Petal Spear’ and ‘Mr. Puli’ often meet in this bookstore. Although called a bookstore, it’s essentially a storyteller’s shop. Every night, a bustling crowd gathers on the ground floor to listen to stories. The noisy ambiance perfectly conceals their conversations on the second floor.
“All the praises are false; do you like them too?” The person shook his head. “The so-called hero Jiang is just a young girl who recently reached womanhood. The ’80th birthday’ celebration was, in fact, a birthday party for the Northern Beggar’s leader, Cold Baizhou, a child who just turned twelve this year.”
“But I’m curious, did you disrupt his celebration again tonight?”
In the flickering candlelight, the person on the opposite side lifted his chin, resembling a cat proud as snow.
Jiang Kui hesitated for a moment. “It’s just that Cold Baizhou’s spoiled girl was too arrogant and bullied others at the birthday party. I couldn’t stand it and ended up making her cry.”
The person on the cushion raised a finger and pressed it against his temple. “I see. Today, the Second Master Yuan of the Northern Beggar approached me, offering ten taels of gold to exchange for your location.”
“You didn’t tell him, did you?” Despite knowing he couldn’t see her, Jiang Kui glared at him. “By the way, why are you looking for me tonight?”
“I helped you escape last night, and you owe me ten taels of gold.”
He raised a pointed index finger and waggled it near the screen. “When will you pay back?”
“Ten taels of gold? Are you trying to swindle me? Just because you extended one finger, you think it’s worth that much?” Jiang Kui, annoyed, slapped the screen, causing the carved panels to quiver.
“Well, I am quite valuable.” He chuckled.
Helpless, she ruffled her hair. “Fine, fine. In the future, whenever there’s a high-reward bounty in the martial world, come to me first, and I’ll slowly repay you. Now, return the gourd I bought you yesterday. I was counting on it for some wine tonight.”
After a moment of silence, an aged gourd flew from the other side and landed accurately in her arms.
“Where’s the red string on my gourd?” Jiang Kui was about to tie it to her waist when she noticed the red string was missing.
“Interest payment,” the person across from her said leisurely. “The Northern Beggar is offering ten taels of gold to find you. Instead of avoiding it, why not take the bounty yourself? I’ll take half of the reward as my fee. You make money to pay off your debts, and I save the trouble of searching for you.”
Ignoring him, Jiang Kui untied a red string from her long hair and secured the gourd to her waist. Her normally tied-up hair cascaded down, spreading a faint fragrance of tea throughout the room.
“Mr. Puli,” she changed the subject, sounding serious. “Tonight, I was supposed to visit the palace, but someone tried to push me into the water. Someone wants to kill me. I’d like to ask you to investigate who’s behind this.”
“I don’t involve myself in court matters, as you know.”
“Please.”
Placing her left hand on the screen, she rapidly tapped the intricately carved plum blossom pattern, adding a touch of coquettishness to her tone.
“As a well-known intermediary in the martial world, you must have plenty of information. Surely, you can find out about court affairs. Just help me this once? I owe you, and I promise to work for you for a year without charge. How about that?”
Silence from the other side.
She decided to push a bit harder. “I’ll promise you three things. As long as it’s not something morally wrong, whatever you ask me to do, I’ll do it!”
“Anything?” he asked after a pause.
“Anything!” she said, determined.
“Alright.” He extended a hand, and they clapped palms through the screen.
The bamboo screen, made of purple bamboo, was hollow in the middle. The sound of two palms meeting on either side resonated clearly. There was a hint of laughter in the person’s voice… Jiang Kui pondered if she had been fooled once again.”
She changed the topic again, “In a little while, you’ll have to find me in a different place. I probably won’t be frequently basking in the moonlight under that ancient locust tree.”
“When?”
Jiang Kui vaguely felt that his focus was somewhat peculiar: he didn’t ask for reasons or locations but rather asked about the time.
“I don’t know, the auspicious day hasn’t been set yet,” she whispered. “I’m getting married.”
“Oh,” he replied calmly, “to whom?”
He seemed utterly disinterested. She felt a bit disappointed and decided to continue, “The Crown Prince of the East Palace, Xie Kang, also known as Xie Wuyang.”
“The East Palace is not an easy place to enter and leave,” he casually remarked.
“Forget it.”
She waved her hand in front of the screen, and a gust of wind passed through the hollow flower patterns, reaching the person’s face. The delicate shadow cast by swaying strands of hair on this side’s skirt corner gently fluttered.
“There’s no place Mr. Puli can’t go. If you want to find me, you’ll find me.”
“Do you think…” the person on the other side suddenly pondered and asked, “What do you think of Xie Kang?”
“Why are you suddenly so talkative?” Jiang Kui was momentarily surprised, thought for a moment, and then said, “Xie Wuyang seems like someone frail, as if he might die any day due to illness.”
An unusual silence fell behind the screen. She was surprised; this person, known for his sharp tongue, didn’t take this opportunity to mock her.
“I…” she started, intending to continue, but suddenly heard a series of rapid footsteps on the rooftop.
A large group of people was running above, shaking the roof, and causing the wall dust to fall like fine snow, covering her head.
“Pay attention! This time we can’t let that little thief escape!”
A very familiar old man’s voice angrily roared from the ceiling, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a whip cutting through the air.
“We will definitely bring her back to the gang!”
Jiang Kui slowly turned her head, looking towards the person behind the screen.
The silhouette on the ground remained motionless, exuding an aura of unyielding determination as if a mountain collapsing wouldn’t change his expression.
Behind the screen, she stared angrily at the person in front of her, almost running out of breath.
“Zhu Zian!”
She pointed a trembling finger at the screen, fiercely accusing him, “You dare to betray my location!”
“Zhu Zian” was the alias of the person on the other side in the martial world. Few knew this alias, and almost everyone only heard the name “Mr. Puli.”
“Ten taels of gold in exchange for a new location, a more profitable deal, wouldn’t you say?” Zhu Zian answered leisurely.
Jiang Kui remained silent, lifted the long spear from the ground, and the gleaming silver tip pressed against the screen in front of him.
“I make money, and I’ll split it with you?” he asked tentatively.
The long spear, shimmering with iron light, remained still.
“Seven for you, three for me?” After a pause, he hesitated and increased the profit-sharing ratio.
The long spear thrust forward! The bamboo screen tore with a ripping sound, and dust filled the room as the white porcelain tea set shattered on the floor, accompanied by the scent of tea.
Amidst the floating ash and mist, a young man lay flat on his back.
He wore a white mask with a clean horn pattern covering his entire face, and the eye area was painted with dye, giving it a faint red color. Half of his body was pinned under the collapsed screen, and the black long robe folded, revealing the pure white lining.
It was the first time she saw his appearance… Although this person was hidden under the robe and mask, she couldn’t see clearly.
He was younger than she imagined, and the broad black robe seemed to envelop a young man.
The eyes under the hollow bamboo screen stared at her vigilantly. “What are you doing? They’re here to catch you. Why haven’t you escaped yet?”
“Zhu Zian!” she shouted loudly in his ear, making him gently press his temple. “You won’t escape today! I’ll settle the score with you! Come with me!”
Jiang Kui put on her bamboo hat, bent down, picked up the corners of her dragging skirt, and tied a tight knot. Then she forcefully threw the screen that was pressing on Zhu Zian aside, grabbed the collar of his clothes with one swift motion, lifted him up, and carried him over her shoulder.
She paused for a moment: the legend in the martial world claimed that Mr. Puli’s name came from his martial arts prowess… According to the rumors, this renowned intermediary had almost no martial skills, weak as a willow twig.
Seemingly, the rumors were true. Jiang Kui nodded approvingly.
His body temperature was slightly lower than hers, and against the thin veil, there was a faint chill. He was tall, but much lighter than she had imagined, with a texture akin to white porcelain on his seemingly carved bones.
Then, she raised the spear, took a breath, retreated, and sprinted, leaping out of the window!
In the boundless night and moonlight, she flew through the bustling streets like a swallow, casting off her long hair like an unfolding scroll. Behind her were pursuers, and ahead was an endless distance.
The person beside her had been silent for a long time. Inadvertently, she caught a faint scent of plum blossoms on him, even though it was late summer, it carried the chilly feeling of new snowfall.
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