Legacy of the Blade

Liu Jianyang scratched his head, stood up, and didn't apologize, just gently kicked Chen Bing'an with his foot, smiling as he said, "Alright, it's just a broken bed board. I came today to bring you some great news, something much more valuable than this old bed board!"

Chen Bing'an looked up.

Liu Jianyang smugly continued, "My master, Master Nguyen, after coming to the small town and staying by the southern stream, suddenly decided he wanted to dig a few wells. At first, there weren't enough people, so he needed extra hands. I casually mentioned you, said that you were strong enough. Master Nguyen agreed and said you should come over in the next two days."

Chen Bing'an stood up, about to say thanks.

Liu Jianyang raised a hand, "Stop, stop! There's no need for a big thank you! Just remember it in your heart!"

Chen Bing'an bared his teeth in response.

Liu Jianyang looked around the room, noticing a fishing pole in the corner, a bow hanging by the window, and a wooden bow on the wall. The tall young man seemed like he wanted to say something but finally held back.

He quickly walked out the door, deliberately stepping around the ash from the talisman.

Chen Bing'an watched his tall figure.

Suddenly, Liu Jianyang turned around, facing Chen Bing'an at the door. The tall young man bent slightly at the waist, keeping his feet on the ground, took a few steps back, then threw a powerful punch, straightened his back after pulling his fist back, and laughed loudly: "Master Nguyen told me that if I practice this punching technique for a year, I could kill someone!"

Liu Jianyang seemed to be unsatisfied and made a strange leg-kicking motion, laughing, "This is called thui ci ru zhang, like hitting a late-turning cartwheel!"

Finally, Liu Jianyang pointed at his own chest, his spirit high, saying, "When Master Nguyen was teaching me the punches, I shared some of my insights with him, like my understanding of the unique 'Xiao-dao' technique of Old Master Yao. Master Nguyen praised me as a rare martial arts genius. From now on, just follow me, you'll definitely benefit!"

Liu Jianyang glanced quickly to the side, seeing the maid about to enter the room, immediately losing his heroic enthusiasm.

He casually added to Chen Bing'an, "Oh, by the way, when I passed by the old holly tree earlier, there was an old man who calls himself Shuoshuren (Storyteller), setting up a stall. He said he has a bunch of strange stories to tell us. If you have time, you can check it out."

Chen Bing'an nodded.

Liu Jianyang strode out of the Nê Ping Alley.

As for the proud and independent young man, there were many rumors circulating in the small town. People often said that Liu Jianyang's ancestors were generals who led armies into battle, which was why his family had a treasured suit of armor passed down through generations.

Chen Bing'an had once seen the armor, and it was actually quite ugly, resembling a wart on a person's body or a growth on an old tree.

However, those of Liu Jianyang's age didn't see it that way. They said Liu Jianyang's ancestors were deserters, who had fled to the small town and married into a local family. They were lucky enough to escape the authorities' pursuit. It was as if they had personally witnessed Liu Jianyang's ancestors fleeing the battlefield and wandering to the small town.

Chen Bing'an squatted by the door, thinking for a moment, then bent down to blow the ash away.

Tong Zaptan had been standing on the other side of the wall for who knows how long, accompanied by his maid, Zhi Kui. He called out, "Do you want to come with us to the holly tree?"

Chen Bing'an looked up, "I'm not going."

Tong Zaptan smirked, "There's no fun in it anyway."

He turned and said to his maid, "Zhi Kui, let's go! Let's buy you a set of Tao Hua Fen Tzu (Peach Blossom Powder General's Armor)."

She blushed and replied, "A small restaurant is enough."

Tong Zaptan clasped his hands behind his back, puffed out his chest, and walked ahead briskly, "I'm from the Tong family, living in luxury for generations. How could we be stingy? Don't you see the noble family style?"

Chen Bing'an sat by the door, rubbing his forehead. Actually, Tong Zaptan wasn't so bad when he wasn't spouting nonsense. But if Liu Jianyang were here, he would definitely say that he wanted to hit Tong Zaptan on the head with one good blow.

Chen Bing'an leaned against the door, thinking about what tomorrow would be like. It would probably be just like today. The day after would be the same as tomorrow. It would keep repeating like this, and so Chen Bing'an would live this life, until one day, he was no different from Old Master Yao.

People spend their whole lives eating dirt, and dirt eats people back.

Finally, when he closed his eyes, then opened them again, perhaps that was the story of the next life.

The young man looked down at the straw shoes on his feet and suddenly smiled.

Stepping on the cobblestones was different from stepping on the muddy ground.

Liu Jianyang left the alley, and as he passed the fortune teller's stall, the young Taoist called out, "Come, come, come! I see your aura is burning like fire; it's not a good sign. But don't worry, I have a method to help you avoid disaster…"

Liu Jianyang was a bit surprised. He remembered this Taoist had always been someone who read fortunes for others but never actively sought customers. People usually came to him willingly. Was it possible that today, due to some misfortune, this Taoist had turned desperate and was trying to scam him? Liu Jianyang laughed and cursed, "Your method is to break fortune and avert disaster, right? Go away! You're trying to scam me, huh? Next life, then!"

The young Taoist wasn't angry and shouted back, "If you want peace, you must light incense…"

Liu Jianyang suddenly turned around, running quickly toward the fortune teller's stall, rubbing his hands, and shouting, "You want me to light incense, huh? I'll burn your stall first!"

The Taoist, clearly frightened, stood up, ignoring his stall, and fled.

Liu Jianyang stood by the stall, laughing heartily, glancing at the bamboo fortune sticks on the table. He casually pushed them over, and the sticks clattered onto the table, forming a fan-like pattern.

Liu Jianyang pointed at the Taoist from a distance and said, "Every time I see you, I'll beat you!"

The young Taoist cupped his hands together, pleading for mercy.

Liu Jianyang finally let it go.

The Taoist waited for Liu Jianyang to leave before sitting down again, sighing, "The world is tough, and people's hearts are cruel. It's not easy for me to survive."