Legacy of the Blade

Liu Tianyang was indeed the last disciple of the renowned old man Yao. As for Chen Ping'an, with his dull aptitude, the old man never truly acknowledged him as a disciple. In these parts, if a disciple hasn't formally offered the master tea, or the master hasn't accepted it, their teacher-student relationship doesn't officially exist. Chen Ping'an and Liu Tianyang weren't even neighbors—their ancestral homes were far apart. Liu Tianyang introduced Chen Ping'an to old man Yao out of a strange twist of fate.

Back in the day, Liu Tianyang was a well-known troublemaker in the small town. When his grandfather passed away, leaving no elders to discipline him, the twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy, already tall and sturdy, became a notorious neighborhood tyrant. One day, he offended a son of the Luo family and ended up being ambushed and beaten in Clay Bottle Alley. His attackers, all hot-headed teenagers, didn't hold back, leaving Liu Tianyang coughing up blood and barely alive.

The neighbors, mostly poor laborers trying to scrape by, dared not intervene. Song Jixin, perched atop a wall, watched the chaos with delight, seeming to relish the disorder.

Only one scrawny boy, thin as a twig, snuck out from his backyard, ran to the alley entrance, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Someone's dying! Someone's dying!"

The mention of death snapped the Luo family boys back to their senses. Seeing Liu Tianyang lying in a pool of blood, they panicked and fled the alley.

However, instead of being grateful to the boy who saved his life, Liu Tianyang took every opportunity to bully him. The orphaned Chen Ping'an, no matter how much Liu Tianyang teased or provoked him, never shed a tear, which only fueled Liu Tianyang's frustration.

A year later, when Liu Tianyang saw the orphan boy struggling to survive the winter, his conscience finally kicked in. By then, Liu Tianyang had become a disciple at a ceramics kiln outside the town. He led Chen Ping'an through miles of snowy mountain trails to the kiln. Even now, Liu Tianyang couldn't fathom how the stick-thin boy had managed the trek.

Though old man Yao reluctantly allowed Chen Ping'an to stay, his treatment of the two boys couldn't have been more different. While he scolded and even hit Liu Tianyang, it was clear that his sternness was laced with care. Once, after striking Liu Tianyang hard enough to draw blood, the old man spent half the night pacing in regret before finally sending Chen Ping'an to deliver ointment to his injured disciple.

Through the years, Chen Ping'an had always admired Liu Tianyang—not for his talent, strength, or popularity, but for his fearless, carefree nature. Wherever Liu Tianyang went, he was quick to make friends, share drinks, and exchange punches like a true local hero.

Even after old man Yao passed away and the kiln was shut down, Liu Tianyang found new work at a blacksmith's forge in the southern part of town, building stoves and thatched cottages. His life seemed busy and fulfilling.

Now, in the dimly lit room, Liu Tianyang glanced at Chen Ping'an, who blew out a stub of candle and placed it on the table. In a low voice, Liu Tianyang asked, "Have you ever heard strange noises early in the morning, like..."

Chen Ping'an sat on the bench, waiting for him to continue.

Liu Tianyang hesitated, his face turning slightly red. "...like a cat in heat?"

Chen Ping'an asked calmly, "Was it Song Jixin mimicking a cat, or was it Zhi Kui?"

Rolling his eyes, Liu Tianyang grumbled, propping himself up on the wooden bedframe. "Zhi Kui, my foot! That's Wang Zhou. Song Jixin has always been a show-off. Who knows where he picked up those words? Poor Wang Zhou has to endure his nonsense, always at his beck and call. Truly unlucky to have a master like that."

Chen Ping'an didn't comment on Liu Tianyang's take.

Leaning on his elbows, Liu Tianyang smirked. "Don't you find it strange? Why do you think Wang Zhou stopped talking to you after you helped her carry a water bucket that one time? It's obviously because Song Jixin got jealous and threatened her! He probably said he'd break her legs and kick her out of Clay Bottle Alley if she so much as looked at you again."

Chen Ping'an, unable to take it anymore, interrupted, "Song Jixin isn't bad to her."

Liu Tianyang retorted angrily, "What do you know about good or bad?"

Chen Ping'an, his gaze clear, replied softly, "Sometimes, when she's working in the yard, Song Jixin sits on the bench reading his books. When she looks at him, she often smiles."

Liu Tianyang froze, momentarily at a loss.

Just then, the flimsy wooden bedframe gave way beneath Liu Tianyang, sending him crashing to the floor.

Chen Ping'an, sitting nearby with his head in his hands, sighed deeply, feeling a dull ache in his temples.