Unsheathed

Not long after Liu Xianyang arrived, another rare guest arrived in the alley. This was Zhao Yao, an elegant student in azure. Some aspects of his demeanor were quite similar to Qi Jingchun.

Zhao Yao was the eldest grandson of one of the four major clans, and compared to the profligate youths of similar backgrounds such as Lu Zhengchun and the others, his reputation was by far better. Many old and lonely people had received his help before. If one were to accuse him of purposefully cultivating his reputation for ulterior motives, this would seemingly be an overestimation of Zhao Yao’s ambitions. It would also be an act of degrading his character.

After all, he had already been a kind-hearted and amiable person since he was 10 years old. He had maintained this kindness year after year, not changing in the least. Even the elderly citizens of Fortune Street who had watched him grow up would stick their thumbs up in praise. Every time they scolded their children and the younger generation, they would use Zhao Yao as an example of what they should be like. This caused Zhao Yao to have few close friends the same age as him.

Lu Zhengchun and the others were much more unrestrained, so they naturally didn’t like to hang out with a righteous bookworm like Zhao Yao either. After all, one could just imagine a scenario where they were all excitedly climbing on a wall to perve on beautiful women. Yet, someone would suddenly walk up beside them and say that one should not look at that which is improper. Just how much of a turn-off would that be?

In any case, Zhao Yao also liked to interact with people outside Fortune Street. During the past few years, he had visited almost all of the alleys, big or small. The only exception was Clay Vase Alley. This was because Song Jixin lived in this valley — this was someone at the same age as him who caused him to feel a sense of shame and inferiority.

However, in terms of genuine friends, Zhao Yao was most likely only familiar with Song Jixin, someone whom he played Go with. Even though he had always lost to Song Jixin for all these years, wanting to win was nothing more than just that. In reality, he deeply admired the supremely talented Song Jixin from the bottom of his heart. However, Zhao Yao also felt slightly dejected. Even though Song Jixin was always carefree and laughing merrily with him, with their relationship seemingly as tight-knit as could be, his intuition told him that Song Jixin had never treated him as a genuine and intimate friend.

Zhao Yao had never visited Song Jixin’s house before, but once he saw that residence, he immediately knew that it was definitely Song Jixin’s house. This was because the couplets on the front door were filled with Chinese characters. It was also clear that this was Song Jixin’s writing. Zhao Yao could recognize this easily because Song Jixin’s writing style changed far too much, with almost every single character looking different. For example, the characters “wind soar” were written in a single stroke, appearing carefree and elegant. Meanwhile, the water radical of the character “pool” was especially long and winding. The character “remarkable” appeared uplifting and mighty, and as powerful as a thunderbolt. As for the character “nation”, it appeared proper and gentle, much like a gracefully seated Sage — there was not a single flaw to be found.

Standing before the door, Zhao Yao almost forgot that he needed to knock. His body was slightly leaned forward as he stared at the characters in a daze, and he felt like he was almost about to lose the courage to even knock. It was exactly because he was earnestly practicing calligraphy by copying the characters of others that he knew just how extraordinarily powerful and lively these characters were.

Zhao Yao was silent and dejected as he retrieved a pouch of money and bent down to put it next to the door. He was about to leave without even knocking.

The door suddenly swung open at this moment. Zhao Yao looked up, only to see Song Jixin and Zhi Gui about to head out. The two of them were chattering and laughing.

Song Jixin purposefully put on an astonished expression, teasing, “Zhao Yao, why the need for such a grand greeting? What might you want from me?”

Zhao Yao awkwardly picked the pouch of money back up. He was just about to explain himself, yet Song Jixin had already snatched the embroidered pouch away, saying with a chuckle, “Haha, Zhao Yao has come over to bring me a gift! Thank you, thank you. However, let me say this first. I come from a poor family, so I naturally don’t have anything that Brother Zhao will be satisfied with. That being the case, I’ll be impolite and not reciprocate your kindness this time.”

Zhao Yao smiled bitterly and replied, “Just treat this bag of Good Fortune Coins as a farewell gift. There’s no need to reciprocate.”

Song Jixin turned around and smiled at his maidservant as he handed the bag of coins to her. “See, I told you that Zhao Yao was the most courteous student in this small town. What do you say?”

Zhi Gui accepted the bag of coins and held it before her chest, with her eyes twinkling in happiness. She curtseyed and said, “Thank you, Young Master Zhao Yao. Young Master has said before that those who do good will be rewarded with fortune. Let this servant offer her best wishes to Young Master Zhao who will surely ascend to the skies and soar boundless distances in the future.”

Zhao Yao hurriedly clasped his hands and bowed in return, saying, “Thank you for your blessings, Zhi Gui.”

Song Jixin stroked the back of his head and yawned, saying, “Are you two not tired of this?”

Zhi Gui smiled and said, “If we can get a bag of coins each time, I won’t become tired even if I have to curtsy 10,000 times.”

Zhao Yao blushed with shame. “I’m sorry that I’ll have to disappoint you, Zhi Gui.”

Song Jixin waved his hand and said, “Let’s go, let’s have a drink!”

Zhao Yao wore a difficult expression. However, Song Jixin kept goading him, saying, “What a blockhead! All you’ve learned are some stubborn and inflexible rules. How can I not help you learn some spirit and taste?”

“A few sips to lighten the mood?” Zhao Yao asked tentatively.

Song Jixin rolled his eyes. “Until we’re dead drunk!”

Zhao Yao was just about to speak, yet Song Jixin had already wrapped his arm around his shoulders and started dragging him along.

As Zhi Gui was locking the door, the four-legged snake tried to sneak out, only for her to immediately kick it back into the courtyard.

When she walked past the neighboring house, she also secretly got up on tippy-toes and shot a few glances over. She saw Liu Xianyang’s tall and broad figure, and Liu Xianyang also noticed her looking over. A bright smile immediately spread across his face. Just as he was about to greet her, however, she had already retracted her gaze and started to quickly walk away.

There was a restaurant in the small town, and it truly wasn’t very big. Even so, it was no cheap place to go. However, Zhao Yao was a member of the Zhao Clan, after all, and he also had a very good reputation. Thus, for some unknown reason, the restaurant manager renowned for his stinginess patted his chest and declared that he wouldn’t take a single copper coin from them. Moreover, he said that it was the restaurant’s honor for these two students to visit and have a drink. Instead of him accepting payment, it was him who should have been paying them.

Song Jixin immediately chuckled and held out his hand, asking for a few silver coins. The manager had no option but to huff and back down, saying that he would give it to them some other time. He would send someone over to give Song Jixin a few jars of good wine tomorrow. Throughout this exchange, Zhao Yao wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into. However, the restaurant manager knew about Song Jixin’s strange temperament, so he didn’t get angry about it either. Instead, he personally led the three of them upstairs to a quiet and elegant table near the window.

Song Jixin and Zhao Yao didn’t talk much, nor did Song Jixin try to persuade Zhao Yao to drink too much. This caused Zhao Yao, who was already resigned to a miserable fate, to find this extremely strange.

Looking out from the window on the second floor, they could see one of the plaques, “doing my part”.

“Mr. Qi really isn’t going to leave with you?” Song Jixin asked.

Zhao Yao nodded and replied, “Mr. Qi changed his plans at the last moment, and he said that he’s going to stay at school to finish teaching the second last chapter, “Understanding Etiquette”.

Song Jixin sighed with emotion, saying, “Then Mr. Qi is going to teach us about a grand principle. He’s going to expound on the virtues of the Confucian Sages and tell us about how no law or rules existed during the fetal stages of the world. The Sages then appeared and taught the masses about morals and etiquette. Even the rulers during that time held such morals and etiquette in the highest regard, believing that those who went against them needed to be punished. It was because of this that rules of etiquette were created. The etiquette came first, and the laws came later…”

Zhao Yao was already slightly drunk, and he said in a slurring voice, “Do you agree with Mr. Qi’s decision? Why didn’t he choose to teach the last chapter as well, “Obeying Etiquette”?”

Song Jixin gave an irrelevant answer, saying, “If we stay in this small town, mountain spirits, river ghosts, immortals, and monsters will only exist if we believe them, and they’ll cease to exist if we don’t believe them. As for how Mr. Qi teaches, and as for how his students learn, that’s up to each person’s individual fate.”

Zhi Gui had also had a cup to drink, making her appear drowsy and cute. From the beginning to the end, however, she had never taken a single glance at the majestic archway in the distance.

Each of the 12 stone pillars of the archway was decorated with a different type of rare beast. Nine of them were the descendants of the dragon, while the remaining three were the White Tiger, the Black Tortoise, and the Vermillion Bird.

However, the residents of this small town had resided here for generations, so they were already fully accustomed to these decorations.

Zhao Yao couldn’t help but burp, standing up shakily and saying, “After we part ways, I hope we can reunite again someday.”

Song Jixin pondered for a moment before also standing up and saying with a smile, “We’ll definitely see each other again. Zhao Yao, don’t fret that you won’t have an intimate friend.”

Zhao Yao’s vision was already blurry as he bit his tongue and said in sincerity, “Song Jixin, you should also leave as soon as possible. Who in the world won’t understand your talent? You can definitely do it!”

Song Jixin clearly didn’t take his words seriously. He waved his hand and said, “Let’s go, let’s go. You’re already slurring and not making sense, and this will only bring disgrace to our refined nature.”

Zhao Yao and Song Jixin parted ways after leaving the restaurant. Before leaving, and perhaps gaining some courage from all the drinks, Zhao Yao asked, “Song Jixin, should we visit the official residence of the kiln supervision official? I can convince the doorkeeper to…”

Song Jixin wore a cold expression as he spat, “Piss off!”

Zhao Yao left in silence.

Looking at the disappearing figure, Zhi Gui said in a low voice, “Young Master, he was only suggesting it out of good intentions.”

Song Jixin chuckled coldly, saying, “Is it rare for someone’s good intentions to lead to an evil deed and a disastrous fate?”

Zhi Gui mulled over this, and it appeared that this was genuinely the case. Thus, she didn’t try to persuade Song Jixin anymore.

Zhao Yao lived on Fortune Street, which was in the north of the small town. Meanwhile, Clay Vase Alley was located in the west, along with the rest of the poorer streets. When Song Jixin and Zhi Gui walked past the plaques together, Zhi Gui glanced up at the plaque that read “unmatched aura”. This plaque was already like an old person in their twilight years.

The young girl, whose original name was Wang Zhu, wore a discreet smile.

After returning to his home on Fortune Street, Zhao Yao was told by a servant that his ancestor was waiting for him in the study and that he needed to head over immediately. The student in azure who still reeked of alcohol immediately felt a headache forming. However, he could only muster up the courage to hurry to the study.

The Zhao Clan wasn’t an especially eye-catching clan in the small town, and they always made sure to keep quiet about their wealth. This was unlike the Lu Clan, who liked to display their power and liked to brand themself as a scholarly clan. Even their buildings were designed to look ancient and refined.

The old woman had a cane in her hand as she stood beside the study desk and stroked its surface. Her face showed the vicissitudes of age, and it was filled with a sense of sadness and reminiscence.

She didn’t become angry after smelling the alcohol on her eldest grandson, and she instead smiled and waved at him, saying, “Yao’er, come on in. Why are you just dawdling by the door? What’s wrong with a man having a few drinks? It’s not like you’re drinking horse piss or anything. It’s nothing to be ashamed of!”

Zhao Yao smiled bitterly as he entered the room and respectfully bowed in greeting. However, the old woman became impatient as she said, “This is the bad thing about reading too many books. There are so many rules and etiquettes to follow, and it causes all you scholars to become so difficult and annoying. Take your grandfather, for example. He excelled in everything, yet he couldn’t help but waffle on when he talked to me about the grand principles and etiquette. It was truly annoying! Especially his demeanor and tone. Tsk, tsk, that was an expression that was asking for a beating. Yet, I couldn’t win any argument with him no matter what. I truly wanted to smack him with my cane…”

The old woman was suddenly amused by her own words, laughing heartily and saying, “I almost forgot. I didn’t need a cane during that time!”

She smiled and asked, “What, did you have a drink with that ungrateful Song Jixin?”

Zhao Yao was slightly exasperated as he replied, “Grandma, how many times do I have to tell you? Song Jixin is extremely talented, and he’s always faster than others when learning new

The old woman sneered and said, “He is indeed very smart. However, when your grandpa was still alive, he had already seen through this person when he was only three years old. Do you want to know what your grandpa said?”

Zhao Yao immediately replied, “No!”

The old woman ignored her darling grandson’s reply and continued, “Your grandpa said that he was especially shrewd and calculating for his age, but it was a shame that the person who eventually disgraced his clan would also be him.”

She then pointed at Zhao Yao and said, “Your grandpa also said that being gentle, modest, and courteous, and being unextraordinary during one’s early years, would be a sign of someone who was raised properly. And such a person would be no one else but his grandson!”

The old woman smiled after saying this. “That old geezer was so pedantic his entire life, yet he finally said something that’s pleasing to the ear.”

Zhao Yao was slightly puzzled, and he was just about to speak. However, he heard his grandma sighing with emotion and saying, “I’m getting old now!”

The young boy had no option but to swallow his words. He smiled as he walked over to support his grandma, saying, “Grandma will live for as long as the southern mountains, so you’re still extremely young.”

The old woman reached over with her wrinkly hand and patted the back of her grandson’s hand, saying, “You’re much better than your grandpa who could only talk about manners and etiquette. You also understand how to say things that are pleasing to the ear.”

The young boy smiled and said, “Grandpa was a truly knowledgeable person. Even Mr. Qi said that Grandpa was a meticulous scholar, with his understanding of ‘justice’ being especially profound.”

The old woman immediately revealed her true feelings, unable to conceal her pride anymore. However, she purposefully humphed in a cold manner and said, “Why, of course! After all, who was that man chosen by?”

Zhao Yao pursed his lips and suppressed his smile.

The old woman led Zhao Yao to the chair behind the desk, and the young boy immediately discovered a wooden carving of a resting dragon on the desk. This was an especially lively carving, yet upon closer inspection, he realized that the azure dragon had eyes but no pupils for some reason.

The old woman picked up a calligraphy brush that was already soaked with ink. This was a new brush that was carved from a branch of the old locust tree. She held it with her two trembling hands as she passed it to her eldest grandson.

When Zhao Yao accepted the brush, he suddenly felt a heavy weight on his shoulder. As it turned out, it was his grandma pushing down on his shoulder, signaling for him to take a seat. He obeyed and sat down in the chair that was only meant for the clan leader of the Zhao Clan.

The old woman took a step back and said in an extremely solemn and dignified voice, “Zhao Yao, take your seat! Today, you’ll be responsible for adding the finishing touches for the ancestors of the Zhao Clan.”

————

An utterly broken clay statue of a god lay sideways on the ground that was filled with weeds, not attended to by anyone.

This had been the case for hundreds upon thousands of years. In fact, more and more clay statues would be resigned to this place. Not only did the residents of this small town treat many other matters with disregard, but they had in fact lost most of their respect and reverence toward these statues since long ago.

The elderly residents would occasionally say a word or two, telling their young ones not to muck around and play here. However, the young children still liked to play hide-and-seek and catch crickets here. When these children grew old and had grandchildren of their own, perhaps they would also repeat the same words and tell their young ones not to hang out and play here. Generation after generation, this was exactly what had happened. However, nothing untoward had ever happened.

Casting one’s gaze across, one could see lonely heads, fractured bodies, and severed arms. It was as if someone had forcefully pieced them together to just barely maintain their original appearance. This was perhaps their final shred of dignity.

A young boy in straw sandals hurriedly ran over from Clay Vase Alley, with three Offering Coins held tightly in his hand. When he arrived, he twisted and turned as he navigated his way around, and he was even reciting something under his breath. He showed much experience as he easily found the statue he was looking for, squatting down and looking around to see that there was no one in the surroundings. Only then did he secretly place the copper coins in a crack on the statue.

After standing back up, he went to look for the second statue and the third statue, repeating the same actions at each.

Before he left, he stood alone in the lush green grass, clasping his hands in prayer and lowering his head as he quietly recited, “May you have peace year after year, and may you protect my parents and bless them so they won’t have to suffer again in their next life. If it’s possible, please tell my parents that I’m enjoying a very good life right now and that they don’t need to worry about me…”