Sword Arrives

The reason he revealed the secrets of the heavens and shared with Cai Jinjian his father's secret "Heart Method" was actually quite simple.

Compared to the other two companions he had traveled with—the awkward middle-aged man and the cold, black-clad young woman—Fu Nanhua, upon stepping through the gates of the town, immediately felt a sense of murderous intent toward his ally, the woman from Rosy Cloud Mountain, Cai Jinjian.

Instinctively, Fu Nanhua's hand went to the green jade pendant at his waist.

The Old Dragon City controls the rain with masterful precision.

A gentleman, without cause, would never part with his jade.

Cai Jinjian pondered for a moment, then closed her eyes. After a brief pause, she opened them and spoke, "Song Jixin, Gu Can... I choose Gu Can."

Fu Nanhua raised an eyebrow. "Good. It's settled then."

In their line of sight, the young man, hopping from one turn to the next, reached the corner of the alley and was about to unlock the door and enter.

Fu Nanhua quickly walked up with Cai Jinjian, smiling as he said, "What a coincidence, we meet again."

The humble, poor-looking youngster, who had just come out of Gu Can's house, was Chen Ping'an. Upon hearing the voice, he turned around and nodded. "Is there something you need?"

Fu Nanhua, speaking in the fluent and familiar dialect of the town, replied, "This alley is called Mud Bottle Alley, right? I was wondering if a person named Song Jixin lives here, along with a little boy named Gu Can. I'm from the capital, and our families have been close for generations. This lady beside me, her surname is Cai. She's Gu Can's maternal relative, so we're traveling together. It's quite the coincidence, isn't it? We ended up in the same alley—seems like everything's falling into place, truly an unlikely coincidence."

Fu Nanhua's smile was composed and at ease. Even though he was speaking to a humble grass-shod youth from the streets, he bent slightly at the waist to show respect, always keeping his posture in check, neither too overbearing nor insincere. He managed to appear both kind and refined, giving the impression of a gentleman.

The youngster, with his head tilted upwards, nodded and smiled shyly. "It's quite a coincidence."

Fu Nanhua's smile grew wider, his voice soft and warm. "So, do these two families live here?"

Unexpectedly, the youngster shook his head. "I was just an apprentice at a royal kiln not too long ago. I've lived outside the town for many years and only just moved here. I'm not familiar with the neighbors. Maybe you could ask someone else?"

Fu Nanhua smiled but didn't respond immediately. It seemed he was considering his next words carefully.

The tall woman chuckled. "Little brother, it's not good to lie. Do you think we're bad people? And let's say, for argument's sake, that we are—what could we possibly do in broad daylight?"

Chen Ping'an blinked. "But I really don't know."

Cai Jinjian resumed her usual tone and turned to Fu Nanhua, asking, "Does this boy want a reward?"

Fu Nanhua's expression remained unchanged. "It doesn't seem like it."

The tall woman's eyes flashed with a slight, almost imperceptible irritation. "If it comes to that, we can ask every household one by one. We'll find someone eventually."

Fu Nanhua waved his hand dismissively, then turned back to the youngster with patience. "Help us with a small task, and I'll give you something in return. How does that sound?"

The boy scratched his head, looking slender and frail, his eyes clear.

Fu Nanhua suddenly stood up straight.

To his surprise, he saw a bookish young man, crouching on a wall not far away, observing them.

The young man, dressed simply but elegantly, stood near a girl who was only revealing the upper half of her face. She looked clean and neat, her features delicate, with eyebrows like fine ink.

At that moment, Fu Nanhua's mind settled.

The young man in front of them was undoubtedly now in their grasp.

He stood up and asked loudly, "Are you looking for someone?"

Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian had no choice but to look up. The former replied, "Yes, I'm looking for you. This lady here is looking for Gu Can. Can you help us?"

The young man furrowed his brow. "Do you know me?"

Fu Nanhua smiled. "Of course, I don't know you. But I know Supervisor Song, who now works in the Ministry of Rites."

Song Jixin got straight to the point. "You want me to help you find the little brat Gu Can? What's in it for me?"

Without hesitation, Fu Nanhua took off his green jade pendant from his waist and tossed it high in the air toward the young man standing on the low wall. "It's yours."

When Song Jixin caught it, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly masked it. He looked down at his maid, Zhigui, and said, "You go."

Zhigui nodded and left the courtyard. As the young girl quietly stood in the narrow alley, the entire Mud Bottle Alley seemed to brighten in an instant.

Fu Nanhua smiled at the youngster in straw sandals and said, "Let me give you a piece of advice, little one: the rain may be wide, but it won't nourish grass without roots."

He then turned and walked toward the young girl.

The tall woman didn't move but looked at the youngster with a playful glint in her eyes. She lowered her voice and asked, "Do you know what that means?"

Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and before the youngster could answer, she laughed heartily. "It's really just telling you that you've missed a big opportunity. This young master, even just a sliver of what he could offer, would be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life—'down in the mountain,' as they say. But the lucky part is, you probably won't even realize what you've missed today. That's the greatest fortune of all—otherwise, you'd regret it to your bones."

Fu Nanhua, hearing this, felt like she was speaking to a brick wall.

Outside the town, the gap between people, especially the difference in status, was more enormous than the gap between heaven and earth.

Cai Jinjian stepped backward toward the maid, still facing the youngster in straw sandals. "The rain may be wide, but it won't nourish grass without roots. Remember that."

The youngster showed no change in his expression but suddenly shouted, "Watch out behind you…"

Cai Jinjian froze in place.

The youngster lowered his voice, "Dog shit."