“The water is ready…”

In the darkness of the night, lights flickered throughout the city. In a quiet, somewhat desolate little courtyard, Ning Yi placed a basin of water on the table inside the room. Browsing: \(¨Complete¨Book¨Net¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

The woman in black held a small medicine packet in her hand. She had been leaning against the bedside, tending to her wounds. When Ning Yi entered, she quickly adjusted her clothes and stopped. Her face was still covered by a veil, but her clothes were stained with blood. Ning Yi thought for a moment, searched through a cabinet, and took out a long robe.

“There are no spare clothes here, only this robe. It’s clean. Your clothes are torn, so you can change into this for the night. I can bring new clothes tomorrow.”

The woman glared at him sharply, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Ning Yi hesitated, then raised his hands and smiled, “Alright, I’ll wait until you trust me. You take care of your wounds first. I’ll sit outside and boil more water.”

“If you try to leave, no matter how fast you run, I guarantee you won’t make it out of this courtyard.”

“I know, I won’t leave.”

Ning Yi smiled, then turned back to grab a jar from the shelf, opening it to reveal a strong alcoholic aroma.

“Liquor, but it’s too strong to drink. You can use it to clean your wounds.”

Actually, it was mostly alcohol. Ning Yi went outside and closed the door. The woman frowned slightly, listening to his footsteps. After a moment, she pulled open her collar in the lamplight. Blood-stained strips of cloth were wrapped around her chest, layer upon layer, some of the strips already broken. From her upper shoulders to her lower abdomen, her skin was covered in blood. Some of it had congealed into scabs, a deep red, making the wounds look horrific. The injuries on her front were relatively light, but on her back and arms, there was a wound that had likely damaged the bone. As she pulled down her clothing, the congealed scabs were torn open again. She bit her lip, enduring the pain. However, most of the wounds on her body had stopped bleeding on their own.

The woman wrung out a cloth in the basin of water, frowning slightly as she began to wipe away the blood. The dim light of the lamp, the ancient sword, the woman in the simple room wiping her body… A moment later, on the other side of the wall, Ning Yi sat down on a stool, his gaze fixed on the lamplight in the room. The woman could probably hear his movements, paused slightly, and then continued wiping her wounds, applying the medicinal powder to them.

“This used to be an abandoned garden, so usually no one comes here. If it were before, they might have searched in here during an investigation, but I’ve already rented it, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Next door is the Yu Shan Academy, and further past is a small bamboo grove, with a small river flowing through it. It’s not wide. On the opposite bank of the river are two restaurants, extending into a triangular residential area. The alleys inside are intricate and winding, so it shouldn’t be easy for anyone to be pursued there. Next to it are Changxing Street and Changye Street, and further past, the road leads to the South Gate… On the other side of the courtyard is…”

Leaning against the wall, Ning Yi slowly spoke, describing the surroundings. The woman quietly applied the medicine, listening. After a moment, she asked, “Are you a Daoist disciple?”

“Hmm?”

“There are so many things for refining pills outside.”

“Oh, I’m not refining pills. I should be a Confucian disciple. These are for investigating things.”

“Should?”

“Should.”

“…Why did you know I was under the carriage?”

“A feeling… or a guess…”

“Do you have a grudge against Song Xian?”

“No, I’ve heard some of his infamous deeds.”

“…Not entirely truthful.”

“I’ve seen you before, Miss.”

There was a slight silence on the other side. “When?”

“This year, during the Lantern Festival, when you were fighting on Vermilion Bird Street, I was watching from a few dozen meters away. Later, in the restaurant, you were dressed as a maid, pouring wine.”

“…I remember.” Her voice became slightly deeper. On the other side of the wall, the woman, who was wiping her wounds, slowly stopped. She waved her right arm and grabbed the hilt of the sword on the small table with a crash, and stabbed it fiercely towards the back. With a *poof*, dirt and rocks spurted out from the other end of the wall. The sword pierced through the earthen wall, stopping next to Ning Yi’s face. Ning Yi smiled and tilted his head to look at it.

“You’re the scholar who wrote the poem that day… Why are you following me!”

“Today, you followed me.” The woman on the other side of the wall paused slightly upon hearing Ning Yi’s words. “But you should understand that I have no ill intentions.”

After a moment, the woman pulled the sword back and placed it on the table. Light shone slightly through the gap left by the sword.

“But why follow me? What are your intentions?”

“Besides because of Song Xian… I want to learn martial arts.” Ning Yi said frankly. The other side of the wall was silent for a long time, seemingly stunned by the answer. After a moment, her voice softened slightly. “Nonsense.”

“It’s the truth. I’ve admired martial arts since I was a child. I’ve always wanted to know what the legendary profound martial arts are like…”

“You have some talent in writing?” The voice interrupted him.

“Uh, it’s hard to say that myself…”

“That day, upstairs, everyone asked you to write a poem, and you wrote one that left everyone speechless… You scholars have always looked down on martial artists. You are a talented scholar, and also famous. Now you say you want to learn martial arts, and profound martial arts at that. You don’t go to the battlefield, you don’t fight people, it’s just for show. What’s the point of learning it? I don’t believe you.”

The woman spoke calmly, without much emotion, merely stating the facts. Ning Yi thought for a moment, hearing the faint sound of the city gate bells. He smiled and said, “That’s true… It’s useless. And I heard that profound martial arts must be practiced from childhood, for more than ten or twenty years, practicing every day to achieve success, is that right?”

“You have already passed the age for learning martial arts.”

“What a pity.” Ning Yi smiled. “Actually… I like investigating things.”

“…Investigating things?”

“Yes, delving into the principles of everything, then deducing and utilizing them. For example, the alcohol you use to clean your wounds, after several coolings and distillations, we only have a small amount of extract so far, but if it were used for brewing wine…”

It was getting late. Ning Yi spoke casually, waiting for time to pass. In the room inside, the woman was treating her injuries, occasionally saying a word absentmindedly. Her clothes were all covered in blood, so she had taken them off and left them on the side. White bandages were wrapped around her chest, circling around her shoulders, and even around her thighs and right foot. After hesitating for a while, she finally put on the long robe. She had removed her veil, and her pale face looked weak, but she remained vigilant.

After a while, Ning Yi said, “It’s too late, if I don’t go back, my family might start looking for me. I’ll come again tomorrow morning. You’re injured, so rest early.”

Ning Yi waited for a moment, but there was no reply. He extinguished the lamp and prepared to leave, then added, “Oh, if you want to extinguish the alcohol lamp, just take a cover from the side and cover the flame. If you blow on it, it might explode.” After speaking, he pushed the door open and went out, then gently closed it again.

The door to the inner room was gently opened. Holding the robe, the woman walked out barefoot and silently. She frowned as she looked at the door, then went to the entrance and opened a crack, looking out at the courtyard. Ning Yi had already left the courtyard. Soon, the sound of a carriage driving away could be heard, gradually fading into the distance.

The sound of insects chirping came from the grass in the courtyard. The stars twinkled in the night sky. The woman frowned and thought for a while as she watched the carriage leave. She turned back and looked at the room outside, at the various things on the shelves, bottles and jars. She had only glanced at it when she woke up, and thought it was a Daoist’s place for refining pills. Only now did she see more things in the room. Several tables were arranged in a long row in a slightly open space, strange iron racks, strange iron buckets, pipes, instruments that were completely incomprehensible, and a black wooden board hanging on the wall at the end, with strange white symbols. Starlight shone through the window lattices, spilling onto the pages of books and open Xuan paper notebooks on the table. The writing brush clanged against the brush rack…

The night wind blew in from the opening in the wooden door behind her, blowing her already messy hair and the slightly oversized robe. Under the robe, the outline of her body, wrapped only in bandages, was faintly visible. The woman closed the door behind her, walked back to the inner room, and curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her sword and knees, falling asleep…

********************

She probably won't suddenly run away tonight…

On the way back to the Su family’s side gate in the carriage, Ning Yi took a few deep breaths, thinking to himself, then smiled.

Because she has no clothes to wear…

Of course, the main reason is her injuries. With the death of an official like Song Xian, it won’t be long before the soldiers set up checkpoints all over Jiangning. With such serious injuries, she won’t be able to leave for the time being.

Judging from the way this woman arranged to dismiss Song Xian’s personal guards, she’s not an idiot, and understands how to weigh things, so she won’t suddenly do something foolish.

It was a bit difficult to gauge the right way to directly express interest in martial arts. The main thing is that if I say it later, it will inevitably give the impression that the whole plan was for this. Although this era values literature over martial arts, personal skills are mostly cherished and kept secret in society, especially such divine skills. He’s past the age for learning, but he’s not seeking to become a first-rate master, and he hasn’t even considered running around in the *jianghu* or going to the battlefield.

The key is to bring it up first, and then dilute it with other elements as much as possible, so that it seems straightforward. As long as this hurdle can be overcome, it will be smooth sailing to bring it up later. If it's brought up later, and it makes the other party uncomfortable, they might actually feel like they owe you a favor and just perfunctorily teach you a little bit.

I need to leave a good impression tomorrow, and make her want to stay…

Having been in the Wu Dynasty for so long, this was the first time he had so actively planned things. It felt similar to negotiating deals, securing orders, or pitching ideas in the past. First, you need to make people feel that you are sincere, and then slowly discuss the conditions: what you need, and what I need. In his case, from beginning to end, it was still about getting value for money and equivalent exchange. But before that, he would do everything he could to secure a position where he could have an equal dialogue.

On the way home, he passed through the side gate and walked along the small path. Looking from a distance, the small courtyard where he lived was dark, meaning that Tan’er and her servants probably hadn’t returned yet. He wondered if Xiao Chan had gone to sleep. As he approached the courtyard gate, he saw the girl sitting in the central pavilion.

With neat bangs and a floral white dress, the girl sat there, lost in thought, with her hands clenched into fists on her knees, giving the impression that she was gritting her teeth. The starlight shone down from the sky, illuminating the girl’s focused profile. Ning Yi watched for a few seconds. The girl’s eyes moved, and then she looked over here and stood up.

The night wind fluttered her skirt. The girl stood there, staring blankly, unlike the bouncy Xiao Chan with her hair in buns from usual. She seemed more mature, the Xiao Chan who was usually hidden in the background. This feeling lasted for two seconds.

“Young M…”

The first syllable came out with a choked sound. Tears streamed down the girl’s face as she raised her hand to wipe them away, suddenly bursting into tears.

“Young Master…”

Amidst her sobs, Xiao Chan ran over and threw herself into his arms, almost pushing him back a step. Ning Yi hugged her back and sighed softly.

“I’m back…”

“Young Master… Where have you been…”

In the darkness of the night, the weeping girl seemed shorter, and then transformed back into the Xiao Chan from before…

*********

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