However, there was still some time before the Li Family’s grand competition, so there was no rush to refuse. After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Yuan took his leave.
The next day, he began his new duties at the hidden outpost. The small building in the woods was quite peaceful, with elegant interior decor and fully furnished with all kinds of furniture. It made sense; those assigned as hidden sentries here were all highly capable individuals. Maintaining a decent environment didn’t cost much, so it couldn’t be too shabby. In front of the small building was a neatly leveled courtyard, which served as a perfect place to practice martial arts.
He also met his partner—a slightly older man, around twenty-four or twenty-five, with a black mole on his left cheek. Seeing Chen Yuan, he immediately walked up and smiled. "You must be Chen Yuan. I’ve heard a lot about you. My name is Xue Baoshan. I hope we can look out for each other from now on."
Xue Baoshan knew that Chen Yuan had a boundless future and definitely wouldn’t stay here for long; this was merely a temporary transition for him. Because of this, he was very polite.
Chen Yuan cupped his fists in return. "You’re too kind, Brother Xue. Since I’m new here and not yet familiar with the duties, I hope you can give me plenty of guidance." Now that his reputation had spread, this man likely wouldn’t try to scheme against him like Zhang Hong had.
Xue Baoshan waved his hands repeatedly. "Ah, it’s only right. The duties are nothing more than heading out to support whenever we hear a distress signal. It’s very simple. With your intelligence, Brother Chen, you’ll get the hang of it after a time or two. By the way, I am currently at the Peak of Bone Refining and the Minor Achievement stage of Hidden Force. That should be about the same as you, Brother Chen. We could spar and exchange pointers in our free time. What do you think?"
As the saying goes, out of blows friendship grows; practicing together would naturally help them get acquainted.
Chen Yuan smiled. "It would naturally be great to have someone to spar with and relieve boredom when we aren’t practicing our martial arts." Moreover, Xue Baoshan’s technique was exactly one minor stage higher than his, making him a perfect sparring partner.
Actions spoke louder than words. After Chen Yuan briefly familiarized himself with the surroundings, he and Xue Baoshan began to spar. Fierce winds howled as their figures flipped and danced.
...
The Li Mansion covered a vast area; nearly an entire street belonged to the Li Family’s territory.
The West Courtyard of the mansion was the residence of the Li Family’s female members. Pavilions and terraces were scattered about, surrounded by small bridges and flowing water. With birds singing and flowers blooming, it was a place of clear and elegant beauty.
Inside a pavilion with upturned eaves next to an arched bridge, two young women dressed in fine silk sat across from each other. They admired the early spring flowers while casually chatting about recent amusing events. The early spring breeze still carried a hint of chill, so beside their red and green embroidered shoes sat two small red stoves, their charcoal fires burning vigorously.
One of the young women was quite stunning, with a slender figure, a beautiful face, and fair, delicate skin. Her name was Li Lingshu. Because of her charming and adorable nature, she was deeply adored by the young men in the area. She was proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and also dabbled in poetry. Moved by the scenery, she felt a sudden surge of poetic inspiration and chanted:
"A little red flower, a big green flower. Each flower is different..."
Reaching this point, she suddenly fell silent. A look of distress appeared on her face. It seemed the next line—one spectacular enough to make her a legend—was rippling through her mind, yet she simply couldn’t put it into words.
Seeing this, Li Mowan, who was sitting beside her, burst into laughter. "Ling Shu, how is that a poem? That’s clearly a nursery rhyme, hahaha."
Her silvery laughter made Li Lingshu blush with embarrassment. She scolded playfully, "You’re still laughing? Hurry up and help me finish this last line, or I’ll ignore you."
Li Mowan knew she had a proud temper; if she said she’d ignore her, she might actually sulk for half the day. So, she randomly thought up the line, "With colors as beautiful as a painting," and tacked it onto the end. Even though it made no sense at all, Li Lingshu knew nothing about poetry and happily accepted it.
After the poetry interlude passed, Li Mowan started gossiping about Ling Shu’s love life. "Ling Shu, with so many young men fancying you, do you really not have a sweetheart yet? Didn’t Brother Changfu introduce a young man named Chen Yuan to you over the past couple of days? I heard he has handsome features, a gentle personality, and quite good talent in the Martial Dao. Before even reaching eighteen years of age, he’s already made a considerable name for himself. What do you think of him?"
She was already engaged to a young master from the Song Family, so she could only gossip about Ling Shu’s romantic affairs to alleviate her boredom.
Li Lingshu raised her delicate eyebrows and said in a sweet voice, "I have seen Chen Yuan’s portrait. He is handsome enough, but he can’t be considered strikingly elegant. As for his talent in the Martial Dao, he merely defeated a couple of Martial Artists from minor families. It’s nothing special. There are plenty of people stronger than him, so there’s no rush to consider him." Although his qualifications were alright, they hadn’t reached the point of making her heart flutter.
Li Mowan smiled faintly and added, "Ling Shu, your standards are just too high. I actually think this Chen Yuan is pretty good. Think about it—what’s so great about being strikingly elegant? Most guys like that will just attract trouble and fool around with other women. Finding someone pleasing to the eye is enough. Moreover, Chen Yuan comes from a poor background and doesn’t have the arrogance of young masters from prominent families. He will definitely cherish you. If you marry him, you’ll surely be the one calling the shots in the household, and your word will be law."
Li Lingshu shook her head. "You’re thinking too simply. Other than being honest and obedient, what’s good about coming from a poor background? Look at your marriage alliance with the Song Family. Once you marry over, you’ll be able to navigate matters smoothly and enjoy a lifetime of wealth and glory. What’s wrong with that?"
Li Mowan, however, pursed her lips. "I’m just afraid I’ll suffer grievances after marrying into their household. Mothers-in-law from those prominent families are hard to get along with, and they have so many annoying rules. I’d rather be a bit more free. I don’t ask for immense wealth and rank; just being comfortably well-off and living happily is enough. As for navigating matters smoothly, I’m afraid I might just end up displeasing both sides. Without real ability, who would respect you? Once friction arises between the two families, you’re caught in the middle, pleasing no one. With someone like Chen Yuan, you wouldn’t have to worry about such problems. If he steps into the ranks of top-tier Martial Artists, won’t your status rise along with his? Furthermore, it’s commonplace for disciples of prominent families to take second or third wives as they grow older."
One could only say that each path had its own advantages.
Li Mowan’s round of persuasion actually made Li Lingshu feel slightly irritated. "Then why don’t you tell me to marry Tang Chuan? He comes from a minor family, and his talent is no worse than Chen Yuan’s. He’s been practicing martial arts for less than two years and has already reached the Hidden Force stage of Muscle Refining. He’s even eligible to participate in this year’s martial exam. Plus, he’s adored me for a long time. Ever since we met at a banquet half a year ago, he writes me a letter every couple of weeks, inviting me out on excursions to express his feelings and all that." However, she felt nothing for this Tang Chuan, either. She couldn’t feel that heart-pounding passion.
Li Mowan sighed and replied helplessly, "Please, my lady, I’ve already told you about him before; it’s just that you weren’t willing. Besides, don’t you think Chen Yuan’s face looks more pleasing?"
Li Lingshu thought back carefully. It seemed Mowan really had mentioned it. She then recalled the appearances of the two men, and it seemed Chen Yuan was indeed more pleasing to the eye. But having no feelings meant having no feelings. The only time she had ever felt a surge of excitement was when she heard about the deeds of the family’s genius, Li Changqing. It was just that in recent years, there hadn’t been another Martial Dao genius like her older cousin.
Biting her red lip, she said, "Fine. It’s almost time for the family’s grand competition anyway. They should both be qualified to participate, so let’s see how they perform." If Chen Yuan’s performance was outstanding, she could perhaps give him some consideration.
Li Mowan broke into a smile. "That’s more like it. If you don’t find an ideal husband during your most beautiful and charming years, when will you?"
...
A dozen days later, with three days left until the Li Family’s grand competition, registration was well underway.
Far away on Funiu Mountain, Xue Baoshan had naturally heard the news. He looked at Chen Yuan and sighed emotionally. "It’s so good to be young. Brother Chen, I hope you shine brilliantly at the grand competition."
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow and said casually, "Brother Xue, it seems your hope will be dashed. I have no intention of participating."