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Based on Qi Shan's understanding of Shen Tang, he knew that Young Master Shen wouldn't stay put, worried that something might go wrong. He rushed through his errands and returned as soon as possible. The result—
Where was she? Where was the great Young Master Shen?
Qi Shan stood still, his face slightly green. He was wondering if Shen Tang had been taken by a human trafficker or if she had taken the human trafficker when a strange, steady male voice echoed in his ear.
"Is this Qi Shan, Young Master Qi?"
"Greetings, elder. I am indeed Qi Shan."
Qi Shan reined in his anxiety and bowed in respect to the newcomer. After the bow, he straightened up and secretly observed the man's appearance—graying hair, an aged face weathered by time, estimated to be forty to fifty years old, dressed in a faded, old rough tunic, and wearing straw sandals. These alone wouldn't have piqued Qi Shan's curiosity. What surprised him was the man's refined and elegant demeanor, his peaceful and upright features, and a pair of unusually clear dark eyes, uncharacteristic for his age.
He lowered his eyelids, his gaze falling upon the man's hands. They were rough, old hands with chilblain scars, holding several bundles of meat wrapped in lotus leaves. Their owner must have been doing manual labor for a long time and came from a poor family. A multitude of analyses swiftly flashed through his mind, gradually settling into clarity.
He calmly asked: "Elder, how do you know my name?"
The man smiled kindly: "That young master named Shen told me."
Qi Shan knew immediately who "that young master named Shen" was. The worry that had been bottled in his chest dissipated with this news. He then asked the man: "Did that young master leave any message?"
"Yes, he said, 'Gone out of the city for business, will return shortly.'"
Qi Shan didn't know what to say. Young Master Shen didn't know the way and had never been to Xiaocheng before. What business could she have out of the city?
Qi Shan asked again: "Did he say what kind of business?"
The man replied: "To act on behalf of Heaven, to punish evil and promote good."
Qi Shan: "...???"
He looked suspicious. No, why did those words sound wrong? They sounded like the mystical cult doctrines from the mouths of those rebellious commoners?
The man: "Young Master Shen was worried you wouldn't find anyone when you returned, so he specifically asked me to wait here to spare Young Master Qi any worry."
Qi Shan sighed exasperatedly: "Why would I worry about him? If I were to worry, it would be about the petty individuals who provoke him..."
The man subtly pursed his lips, suppressing a knowing smile. He had to admit, the judgment was quite accurate.
When Qi Shan heard about Shen Tang's "exciting" experiences of the past hour from the man, his facial expression lost control for a moment—he had only been gone for a little over an hour, and Young Master Shen was already so troublesome? But what was done was done, there was no point in saying anything more.
Qi Shan chatted idly while waiting for Shen Tang to return. He showed no emotion on his face, but his heart was filled with doubts. This elder appeared to be a poor commoner, yet his speech, demeanor, and overall bearing suggested someone who had been steeped in scholarly fragrance for years, raised in a noble and wealthy family. Even dressed in a faded, old rough tunic with hands showing signs of hard labor, his elegant aura remained unchanged.
As they spoke, Qi Shan brought up the topic of Word Spirit. He had recently been studying army formation Word Spirits—"Self-Imposed Trap" and "Cornered Beast's Struggle." The former was used for troop deployment and luring enemy forces, while the latter was mostly used to boost morale when one's side was at a disadvantage, serving as a last-ditch effort. If an opportunity arose, it could even turn the tide.
The elder seemed momentarily lost in thought as he listened to Qi Shan's eloquent discourse, then, as if something had occurred to him, he said: "'Self-Imposed Trap,' self-destruction... Is the Word Spirit Young Master Qi uses 'Seeing no sparrow in the hedge, yet the hawk throws itself into the net'? That's not very good."
Qi Shan was slightly surprised and asked: "Why not good?"
"It's easily countered. If the enemy's strategist has a stronger Literary Heart than yours, they only need 'drawing a sword to slash the net, the yellow sparrow flies free' to break the formation."
If the net is torn by a sharp sword, can it still trap the yellow sparrow? Naturally, the sky is wide for birds to fly, and their troubles are endless.
"Then, in your opinion, elder, what would be better?"
"Perhaps 'Drowning in water and leaping into fire, bringing about one's own destruction' would be better."
Qi Shan: "..."
If "Self-Imposed Trap" still left a way out, an opportunity to "draw a sword to slash the net," the Word Spirit the elder mentioned was a deadly killing move, placing the enemy in a fatal situation, full of killing intent. Qi Shan looked at the elder in surprise. This seemingly kind old man, yet his words called for death.
"Then—in your opinion, elder, what about 'Cornered Beast's Struggle'?"
The elder was unenthusiastic, his expression indifferent, yet his words were astonishing: "On the battlefield, it's either kill or be killed. If one fights with the mindset of a 'cornered beast' and holds back, it will be difficult to achieve lasting victory."
Qi Shan: "..."
You can't judge a book by its cover; that's truly the case. He thought he was extreme enough, but he hadn't expected to meet someone even more extreme. But this elder... Before Qi Shan could think further, Shen Tang rode that mule over at a trot. She jumped down and said with a smile, "Yuan Liang, sorry for the wait."
Qi Shan dismissed his extra thoughts and carefully examined Shen Tang's clothes and hands, which were clean. Could it be that no one died?
"You said 'to act on behalf of Heaven, to punish evil and promote good'. Where's the 'evil'?"
Shen Tang leaned against the mule, her eyebrows dancing: "Oh, them? They're fast on their feet. By now, they're probably asking for a bowl of soup from Lady Meng."
Qi Shan: "..."
So, this "evil" was indeed plural. Young Master Shen's hostility wasn't light either.
The elder, seeing Shen Tang and Qi Shan reunite, took his leave. Qi Shan hastily asked the elder where he lived now, hoping for an opportunity to spar or play Go, but the elder politely declined.
Watching the elder leave with his lotus-leaf packages, Qi Shan's brow furrowed tightly until Shen Tang waved her hand in front of his eyes, bringing him back to his senses.
"What's wrong?"
He swatted away Shen Tang's hand impatiently.
Shen Tang said: "You can stare all you want, he won't turn back."
Qi Shan murmured: "What a pity."
Shen Tang pulled out two pieces of malt candy, chewed them, and trotted to catch up with Qi Shan's pace, curiously asking: "Pity about what?"
Qi Shan said: "This person is not simple."
Shen Tang thought he was going to say something profound. Anyone who wasn't blind could see that. She said: "Someone who stands out in a crowd is naturally not simple. Look at his demeanor; he doesn't seem like an ordinary person. I wonder if it's a decline in his family's fortunes or some other misfortune."
It wasn't that she hadn't speculated that the old man was a hermit, "greatly hidden in the city, modestly hidden in the wilderness," but hermits also had their own gravitas. Even if their life was impoverished, they wouldn't eat offal that even ordinary people disdained, dress shabbily, and do so much heavy labor.
Qi Shan didn't answer. Shen Tang asked again: "You two seemed to get along well, as if you'd met too late. What did you talk about?"
"Word Spirit."
"Does he have a Literary Heart?"
Qi Shan lowered his eyes: "Perhaps, he once did."
Shen Tang: "???"
Once had, meaning he doesn't have it now?
For Qi Shan to be impressed, the two must be "birds of a feather." Shen Tang couldn't help but wonder—why did that elder lose his Literary Heart? Was it also like the Gong family's confiscation and exile, where their cultivation base was forcibly abolished and their Literary Heart crushed?
As Qi Shan walked, he realized the footsteps behind him were gone. He turned his head, only to see Shen Tang running to a meat stall that was closing up, asking the butcher something. A moment later, she ran back.