CHAPTER 44: 42, SKILL AND DAO

At dawn, Old Yao rose from his bed and slowly walked into the courtyard.

The water tank was already filled, and the ground of the courtyard had been swept clean, but Chen Ji was nowhere to be seen.

Old Yao looked up at the crows perched on the apricot tree, and the crow gestured with its feathery wing toward the gate.

His gaze traveled through the corridor to the outside of the medical hall, where he caught sight of Chen Ji holding a long bamboo broom, sweeping the stone pathway in front of Taiping Medical Hall.

The day before had been the Double Ninth Festival, and Anxi Street was littered with Cornelian and trash—only in front of Taiping Medical Hall was it spotless.

He asked in puzzlement, "What time did this lad get up?"

The crow cawed once.

"3:45 AM? Even earlier than the chickens," Old Yao looked around, "He’s so efficient with his work, it’s hard to find a reason to scold him."

The crow cawed again.

Old Yao nodded, "He does indeed understand responsibility...you don’t have to keep praising him in such roundabout ways, I’m well aware."

He approached the door, glancing sidelong at Chen Ji and said, "You, lad, are so diligent it’s unsettling. It wasn’t even your turn to do the chores today, so why have you done them all?"

Chen Ji leaned on the hefty bamboo broom, smiling and replied, "I was idle anyway, and it’s still our place. Feels better to have it clean."

Old Yao eyed Chen Ji with suspicion, "Just yesterday you were so courteous to me, but today you’re sucking up—what’s the reason?"

Chen Ji responded, "There should always be some changes."

Old Yao was silent for a long time, "What do you plan to do about She Dengke?"

While sweeping, Chen Ji replied, "I can’t exactly kill him... Master, do you think Senior Brother She is a bad person?"

"Not at all."

"Right, you also don’t think he’s a bad person," Chen Ji sighed, "I’ll certainly keep this incident in mind but to actually kill him, I may not have the heart for it."

Old Yao said calmly, "You’re neither a good person nor a bad person. With your nature, you might not last long in Jianghu. The legacy of the Mountain Lord might end with you."

Just as he spoke, the sound of horse hooves came from the end of Anxi Street.

Old Yao and Chen Ji turned their heads and were astonished to see a horse-drawn carriage barreling towards them.

The carriage halted in front of the medical hall, and Princess Bai Li, a little monk, and the Princely Heir hopped down in succession. The Princely Heir’s face still bore several rouge marks, and he reeked of alcohol.

The three of them bowed their heads and ran toward Taiping Medical Hall, not forgetting to greet Old Yao in the process, "Good morning, Doctor Yao!"

"Good morning, Doctor Yao!"

Princess Bai Li halted midway only to dart back, thrusting a package wrapped in oiled paper into Chen Ji’s hand, "Here, as promised. Gotta run!"

The trio rushed clumsily into the back courtyard, with the Princely Heir shouting, "Little monk, it’s your turn to step on me to get over...oh, never mind!"

The Princely Heir noticed a wooden ladder perfectly placed beneath the wall which wasn’t there before.

He muttered quietly, "The toll wasn’t paid in vain; this lad is rather decent—a true Jianghu sibling!"

Princess Bai Li glanced back at Chen Ji on the street, then climbed over the ladder into the Prince Mansion, "Hurry, hurry, Mr. Wang’s early lesson is about to begin."

Doctor Yao stared blankly as the three climbed into the mansion, then turned to look at Chen Ji, "Did you put the ladder there?"

Chen Ji nodded, "I took their silver, just providing some convenience."

Doctor Yao, expressionless, remarked, "With you here, Taiping Medical Hall is getting less and less peaceful."

At that moment, a drunken tirade could be heard coming from the end of Anxi Street, "Those ingrates in Hongyi Lane, when they have money, they call me ’Brother Dog’, but when they’re broke, they call me ’Liang Gou’. They kicked me out just because I didn’t pay three times! Now that I’m with the Princely Heir, don’t they all nod and bow?"

Another voice responded gloomily, "Brother, your name is Liang Gou’er, they’re not calling you wrong."

"The Princely Heir too, really. They return by carriage, and don’t even bother to take us with them. Also, they don’t arrange a place for me to stay."

Liang Mao’er, holding back his frustration, "Brother, can’t you just honestly work at the Liu Family’s place? They’ve already given you a lot."

"That won’t do... I have a Three No Help Policy: I don’t help the boozy, the cheaters, the slippery crafty ones, the Eunuch Party, and those who oppose the Eunuch Party... That bunch of old buggers are too heartless and craftier than I can handle."

Chen Ji turned to look and, sure enough, it was the plump Liang Mao’er carrying Liang Gou’er.

"Master, do you know Liang Gou’er?" asked Chen Ji, out of curiosity.

"I do," chuckled Old Yao: "In the Jianghu, he is known as the Autumn Wind Swordsman, that’s Liang Gou’er."

"Autumn Wind Swordsman? Because he practices the Autumn Wind Saber Technique?"

"No, it’s because he likes scavenging everywhere."

Chen Ji: Huh?

"Master, is Liang Gou’er an Executive Officer?" Chen Ji asked curiously, "Why does he rely on the Liu Family?"

"Cultivation is all about wealth, companions, methods, and location. Just like your practice needs ginseng, a martial artist needs medicines to temper themselves," stated Old Yao calmly, "Most of the cultivation paths in the world are the same, burning through money like water; without support, one can’t make much headway."

"If Liang Gou’er is already so formidable, why doesn’t he just seize the Liu Family?" asked Chen Ji.

Old Yao scoffed, "The world’s resources are in the hands of officials, families, the Daoist community, and the Buddhist community, with a few scattered amongst sects like the Luotian Sect. No matter how tough Liang Gou’er is, he can’t withstand a charge of three thousand elite cavalrymen. The Liu Family nurtures over forty thousand elites in the Henan Province camp, all obeying only Official Liu’s commands... How many heads would Liang Gou have to dare to take on the Liu Family?"

Liang Mao’er was already nearing with Liang Gou’er on his back.

The drunk Liang Gou’er opened his eyes and pointed to Taiping Medical Hall, "We’ll stay here, this place is close to the Princely Heir, he’ll definitely take me with him when he goes out!"

Liang Mao’er looked at Old Yao sheepishly, "Sorry, my brother is talking nonsense."

"I’m not talking nonsense!" Liang Gou’er, disheveled, leapt off Liang Mao’er’s back and brazenly began to barge into the Medical Hall.

Old Yao raised his hand to stop him: "Wait a minute."

Liang Gou’er blinked, swaying as he sized up Old Yao, and after a long while, he exclaimed in surprise, "Doctor Yao... an old acquaintance, even better, we’ll stay at Doctor Yao’s place!"

Old Yao remained silent.

Chen Ji was a bit anxious; he had seen Liang Gou’er draw his sword, the blade exquisitely slicing Lin Chaoqing’s hat precisely in half, not a bit more or less.

He was concerned that such an Executive Officer, once rejected by his master, might make a scene and potentially injure his master.

However, before he could figure out what to do, he saw Old Yao glance at him and then slowly say to Liang Gou’er, "Staying at the Medical Hall is not out of the question, but you have to teach my disciple sword skills. If you teach well, Taiping Medical Hall will not only provide you with lodging but will also cover your meals."

Chen Ji was stunned.

Was this really his penny-pinching master?

Liang Gou’er laughed playfully, "Doctor Yao, you run a medical hall, what does your disciple need to learn the sword for? Is it because business has been bad recently and you want to create some patients?"

Old Yao spoke unhurriedly, "You just need to teach, leave the rest aside."

But then Liang Gou’er suddenly became solemn, "Old man, I may have drunk a lot, but I’m not drunk enough to be foolish. The swordsmanship of the Liang family is not to be passed on to outsiders."

Doctor Yao calmly stated, "I’m asking you to teach Sword Skill, not your family’s swordsmanship."

Liang Gou’er pondered for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter, "Deal! Let’s go, Liang Mao’er, we have a place to stay, let’s find something to eat first! It’s just teaching some sword techniques, there isn’t a sword technique in the world I, Liang Gou, can’t teach!"