The sunlight at dawn, the breeze, the whiteness of the clouds, the greenness of the tree leaves, everything was perfect, just as they were yesterday, on the fourth day of Hong Jiu’s absence. The air was more refreshing; the tree in front of my room had grown healthier; the leaves were moister thanks to the morning dew.
When I stepped over and leaned in…
“What the freak?! Show yourself. Spirit!” I bolted back into my room and raised up my solid shield before the evildoer could catch me off guard, then hurled a mist bomb at the tree!
Once the mist settled, I carefully poked my head over the top of my shield and watched for a while. Once I reached the flower garden – where it used to be – I saw a rabbit… well, technically, a grilled rabbit… slightly overdone rabbit.
Man, that scared m-, didn’t scare me! That was my understandably efficient defensive reaction against hostiles harbouring malignant emotions directed at me. I just… reacted a tad too quick.
I no longer had a bodyguard after Hong Jiu left, so my options, if a hostile was to attack me, were to await death or take a beating. That was the reason I requested time off from school and hadn’t left my room for three days straight. He was supposed to be back, but he wasn’t, and I couldn’t ditch classes any longer! Therefore, I had to be as cautious as possible once I set foot outside.
What? Scared? Me? That’s a strong contender for joke of the year. Real men fear nothing, including death! That being said, there are times when it is better to protect yourself. There’s life wisdom for you. Wisdom isn’t a synonym for fear.
Anyhow, I turned up my hearing antennas to check for nearby hostiles, took a few steps, then stopped to wait and check again. Yes, I knew there was nobody around, but better safe than sorry. No, I wasn’t scared. I was cautious.
“Big Bro.”
I slashed as I spun around. “Son of a, show yourself, you cowardly stalker!”
Neither Tang Ye nor I, both fossilised, understood what to make of the situation.
Tang Ye decided to make the first move, starting with disarming me, then placing it back into my hand so that it pointed away from him. “Why are you so on edge?”
“What suggests I’m on edge? I’m cautious.”
I stowed away my dagger. “Why do you walk without making a sound?”
“This is how I usually walk, though.”
“Don’t care. Next time, you must write me a report if you enter within three metres of my vicinity… Hang on! Stay where you are. How do I know you’re Tang Ye?”
Tang Ye tilted his head. “… What’s the matter?”
“Shut up! I’m the one asking the questions here.”
“…”
“Are you really Tang Ye?”
Tang Ye nodded.
“You think I’m that gullible?! I have three questions for you: How did we come to know each other? Am I handsome? Do you love me?”
“Through Liu Shan Men’s recruitment. No. Get lost.”
Oh, it is Tang Ye.
“Should’ve told me you were Tang Ye sooner.”
“I did. Big Bro, have you finally decided to leave your room?” Tang Ye helped me carry my shield and dagger.
“Does it look like it’s voluntary?”
Uncle Huang was nasty. The martial world treasury was badgering me to pay my debt. The situation in the capital was getting out of control. If I left things as they were for a few more days, god knows what the situation would’ve become.
“But you are worr-”
“Who says I’m worried?! I’m cautious!”
“You are carrying a shield. To be frank, a shield will not be of any use in your current state; you would have it snatched from you effortlessly.”
“Even better. I smeared poison on it.”
Tang Ye threw the shield away!
“I have an antidote! Don’t just throw my shield away!”
Tang Ye caught the antidote I tossed him and applied it. “Are you sure you want to leave your room when you are even resorting to poison?”
“I’m just being cautious! Cautious!”
“This shield and dagger alone are not enough.” Tang Ye tried swinging the dagger around, and it really was as ordinary as he thought.
“Don’t just grab the dagger.”
“Why?”
“Because it…”
Boom! The explosion sound came from Tang Ye.
“… will explode.”
Once the heat and sound settled, the charcoal man sniffled and pursed his lips. “… And this is?”
“Cautious.”
The dagger that exploded once a short time had passed in someone’s hands was a failed experiment of Ol’ Xue’s.
Don’t blame me when you grabbed it yourself!
I called someone over to escort Tang Ye to the doctor, then cautiously made my way to Daren Academy.
Reading by the academy entrance, Su Xiao spotted me and asked, “Good morning, Big Brother Ming. Why is Tang Ye not here?”
“Because of being cautious.”
I walked straight pass Su Xiao. I needed to implement safety measures before I was sure he was Su Xiao, after all. I stopped once I took a step past the flower garden and stepped back. “Wait, what if there’s a trap?”
The risk wasn’t worth it, so I went back the way I came and chose a populated route.
Not long after I left, five students popped out and stood around a spot, scratching their heads.
“What the hell? Is he clairvoyant?”
“How did he know there’s a trap here?”
***
Three days ago.
“The only way to defeat Ming Feizhen is through brute force; strategy will never work against him,” asserted Song Chi, baffling his brother. “Have you considered how many people he has at his disposal? Not including Liu Shan Men and Mount Daluo, many people in the pugilistic world take orders from him, not to mention His Majesty trusts him. Not even our clan can mobilise as many people as he can in the capital.”
“You are thinking too highly of him,” disputed Song Ou.
“To not lose any battles is to win. Besides, you are underestimating him too much,” Song Chi contended. “Ming Feizhen is astute, but he lacks powers in his hands. We must concentrate our energy on attacking his weakness. Simple brute strength is the key to defeating him.”
“So… you plan to send people after him? I… don’t think it’s such a good idea.”
Song Chi grinned. “Not at all. He, after all, is a direct disciple of Mount Daluo. Howbeit, it is a good idea to teach him a lesson for your sake. As I am active at Daren Academy, I have access to plenty of pawns. Watch me, Brother.” He picked up his teacup for a nip.
