Chapter 231 - 230: A Letter from Home
Inside the apothecary.
Just as Chen Shouye was focused on checking the accounts, a small head with two topknots peeked in from the side of the door, its large, dark eyes curiously sizing up the shop.
Chen Shouye seemed to sense something and looked up. He was stunned for a moment, then his face showed surprise. "Shouyue? What are you doing here?"
"Second Brother!"
Seeing that she’d been discovered, Shouyue skipped inside with a grin. "Father sent me. He wants you to deliver this to Big Brother at the He Niu Martial Arts Academy."
As she spoke, she took a Black Wooden Box from her bundle and handed it over.
Chen Shouye took it, his expression turning serious.
’Father had specifically sent Shouyue, and he’d instructed me to personally deliver it to Big Brother at the Martial Arts Academy. This item must be extraordinary.’
He immediately led Shouyue into the back hall. "Jinru, Shouyue is here."
Li Jinru’s belly was slightly swollen, and her movements were already quite encumbered.
Seeing Shouyue, her face lit up with joy. "Sister Shouyue, you’re here?"
"Second Sister-in-law!"
Shouyue called out obediently and stepped forward to support her.
Shouye said to his wife, "Jinru, Father has an urgent matter for me. I need to go on a long trip to find Big Brother. Shouyue will stay here with you for a few days."
Although Li Jinru was a little surprised, she still nodded obediently. "Go without worry, Husband."
Chen Shouye then instructed Shouyue, "Third Sister, you stay here and keep your second sister-in-law company. Don’t go running off."
"I know, Second Brother."
Shouyue nodded.
With the arrangements made, Chen Shouye delayed no longer.
He returned to his room to pack a simple bundle, said goodbye to his wife and sister, and then rode off on his horse.
...
「Seven days later, at the foot of Purple Green Mountain.」
Chen Shouye reined in his horse and looked up at the cloud-shrouded mountain peak.
The location of the He Niu Martial Arts Academy was no secret. When Chen Shouheng had come home in the past, he had told Chen Shouye the general direction.
By asking for directions along the way, Chen Shouye arrived smoothly at the mountain gate of the He Niu Martial Arts Academy.
Beside the gate stood an octagonal pavilion with upturned eaves.
Inside the pavilion, two elderly men were sitting opposite each other.
Both had the white hair of cranes yet the complexions of youths. They were dressed in wide, simple robes—one gray, one brown—and were focused intently on the chessboard on the stone table, as if the outside world had nothing to do with them.
They were none other than Zhao Anshi and Duan Mengjing.
Chen Shouye didn’t know them, but he guessed, ’They must be seniors from the Martial Arts Academy.’ Not daring to disturb them, he stood quietly to the side of the pavilion, waiting patiently.
The game inside the pavilion seemed to have reached a critical point. The sound of the stones being placed was crisp, sometimes drawn-out, sometimes rapid.
After about an hour, the game finally ended.
Zhao Anshi clapped his hands and chuckled, seemingly quite pleased. Only then did he raise his head, his gaze falling upon Chen Shouye, who stood waiting silently outside the pavilion.
Seeing that the young man’s aura was deep and steady despite his youth, a flash of surprise crossed Zhao Anshi’s eyes. "You’re a promising youngster. Your innate talent is quite good. To have stepped into the Spirit Realm before the age of twenty, with abundant vitality and a solid foundation, is impressive.
Unfortunately, the academy’s recruitment period for this year ended some time ago, and you’ve arrived late. Rules are rules. The Martial Arts Academy cannot break them for one person. Go back."
His tone carried a hint of regret.
Chen Shouye quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Senior, you’ve misunderstood. This junior has not come to seek instruction, but to deliver a letter from home to my elder brother.
I am new here and unfamiliar with the academy’s rules. Please forgive my presumption. I wonder if you could advise me on how I might get this letter to my brother?"
"Delivering a letter?"
Hearing this, the surprise on Zhao Anshi’s face deepened. He looked Chen Shouye up and down a few times, as if finding it unbelievable. "At your age, with your level of Cultivation, not coming to our He Niu Martial Arts Academy to cultivate diligently and seek further advancement... isn’t that a waste? You’re just here to deliver a letter?"
Chen Shouye answered truthfully, "Replying to Senior, this junior does not hold the title of Martial Scholar, so I do not meet the academy’s recruitment requirements."
"No Martial Scholar title?"
Zhao Anshi’s white eyebrows shot up in even greater surprise. "That’s not right! Judging by your aura, your Spirit Realm Cultivation is stable, and you’ve opened no fewer than thirty Acupoints. You’re certainly not a novice who has just entered the Spirit Realm.
With your ability, passing this year’s County Examination to become a Martial Scholar should have been a sure thing. Which county are you from? Could it be... some county got a wild idea and secretly raised the threshold for the examination? Those shameless fools, what’s the point of obsessing over the pass rate?"
His tone was tinged with dissatisfaction.
Chen Shouye shook his head. "Senior, this junior is from Jingshan County in Liyang County. It’s not that the rules for the County Examination have changed, but rather... this junior did not participate in this year’s Martial Examination."
"A pity, a true pity!"
Zhao Anshi shook his head repeatedly.
The silent Duan Mengjing, who had been sitting to the side, spoke up. "What is your name? And who is this letter for?"
Chen Shouye felt uneasy under the man’s gaze. Startled, he respectfully replied, "This junior is Chen Shouye. The letter is for my elder brother, Chen Shouheng."
"Chen Shouye, Chen Shouheng..."
Duan Mengjing was speechless.
Hearing this, Zhao Anshi, who was beside him, let out a sneer and glanced at Duan Mengjing. "Brother Mengjing, so this is the younger brother of that boy you’ve taken a liking to. You can handle this yourself."
After saying that, he spoke no more.
Duan Mengjing ignored Zhao Anshi, his gaze burning as he sized up Chen Shouye once more.
Suddenly, without any warning, he raised his hand, his fingers held together like a sword, and pointed from a distance at Chen Shouye’s shoulder well acupoint.
The gesture seemed casual, yet it was as fast as lightning.
The wind from his finger was sharp, slicing silently through the air. The Finger Strength struck in an instant.
Chen Shouye was greatly alarmed. ’Why would this senior suddenly attack me?’ he wondered.
But at this critical moment, there was no time for him to think.
With a low shout, the Inner Qi in his body surged. His hands instantly formed a seal, and he unleashed the Nine-Character Hand Seal.
The Wisdom Fist Seal.
He threw a punch, the fist seal solidifying, carrying an Intention of courageous advancement, fearless and undaunted, as it met the incoming Finger Strength.
However, the gap between them was simply too vast.
The moment the fist seal and Finger Strength made contact, Chen Shouye felt an irresistible force crash into him, and the Wisdom Fist Seal instantly disintegrated.
The Finger Strength didn’t pause for even a moment and continued on its path.
Chen Shouye’s expression changed. Without hesitation, he immediately activated the Immovable Vajra Bright King Technique.
VMMMM!
A pale golden Gang Qi instantly erupted around him, layering itself over and over to protect his entire body.
One layer, two layers, three layers...
The Finger Strength was like a hot knife through butter, breaking through eight layers of Gang Qi in succession.
It was not until the ninth layer of Gang Qi trembled violently and a faint Bright King Illusion appeared that the wisp of Finger Strength was finally, barely, neutralized and erased.
By then, Chen Shouye’s face was pale. In that single instant, he had consumed more than half of the Inner Qi in his body.
The vitality in his body roiled, and his eyes, as he looked at Duan Mengjing, were filled with terror and lingering fear.
’This senior’s Cultivation is simply unfathomable.’
’A casual point of his finger holds such power.’
Fortunately, after that one strike, Duan Mengjing did not attack again.
Seeing that Chen Shouye could actually withstand his attack, a trace of appreciation appeared on his face. He nodded slightly. "Your Horizontal Training Foundation is very solid. Your Cultivation Technique is also a Superior one. Not bad. Give me the letter. This old man can deliver it for you."
Hearing this, Chen Shouye’s face showed hesitation.
Although he suspected the man was a master from the Martial Arts Academy, his identity was still unconfirmed.
Moreover, the Martial Arts Academy was filled with people from various factions and powers.
The man had just attacked him suddenly; it was difficult to tell if he was friend or foe.
’Father told me to deliver it personally, so the item must be important. How can I just hand it over to a stranger?’
Zhao Anshi, watching from the side, saw everything clearly. He put down his teacup and said faintly, "The Martial Arts Academy has its rules. Outsiders may not enter the mountain, and disciples may not leave as they please. If you want to hand it to your brother yourself, I’m afraid it will be difficult."
Seeing Chen Shouye’s wary hesitation, Duan Mengjing didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled. "Fine. Consider that finger strike from this old man a test, and also an apology. I will personally go up the mountain and call him down for you."
Before his words had even faded, without any visible movement, his figure flickered and vanished from the stone pavilion like a wisp of green smoke.
In the next moment, he had completely disappeared into the lush, green mountain forest.
His Body Technique was so fast it was like a phantom, leaving Chen Shouye dumbfounded.
Before long, the sound of footsteps could be heard on the mountain path.
Chen Shouheng came striding quickly down the mountain.
Seeing Shouye, his face showed clear surprise and concern. "Little brother? What are you doing here? Did something happen at home?"
He saw at a glance that his brother, standing outside the pavilion, was still a little pale.
"Big Brother!"
Seeing his brother, Chen Shouye finally relaxed completely. He quickly took the Black Wooden Box from his robes and handed it over. "Everything is fine at home. Father ordered me to come and deliver this to you personally."
Chen Shouheng took the Black Wooden Box. It was heavy in his hands. He knew that for their father to make his second brother come all this way, it must be for something important.
He studied his brother’s face carefully and asked with a frown, "You don’t look well. Did something just happen?"
Chen Shouye shook his head and said in a low voice, "It’s nothing. That senior just now tested me with a move, and I used up a bit too much Inner Strength."
Chen Shouheng looked toward Duan Mengjing and breathed a sigh of relief. He patted his younger brother’s shoulder. "Master Duan knows what he’s doing when he acts. It’s good that you’re okay."
He then asked about how things were at home.
Chen Shouye answered each question briefly.
The two brothers talked for a short while.
Seeing Duan Mengjing gesturing for him to hurry, Chen Shouye cupped his hands and said, "Big Brother, the letter is delivered. I’ll be leaving now."
Chen Shouheng nodded. "Be careful on the road. Greet Father and Mother for me when you get back."
Chen Shouye turned, bowed respectfully to Zhao Anshi and Duan Mengjing in the stone pavilion, and then led his horse over, preparing to leave.
Just as he was about to mount his horse, from within the stone pavilion, Duan Mengjing, who had resumed his chess game with Zhao Anshi, spoke without looking up, his voice calm. "Kid, next year, go take the exam for Martial Scholar and come to the Martial Arts Academy to study."
Chen Shouye paused and glanced back at the stone pavilion, only to see that the two elders’ attention seemed to be entirely on the chessboard.
He remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands in another salute. Without either accepting or refusing, he spurred his horse and departed.
After Chen Shouye’s figure had disappeared, Zhao Anshi held a chess piece and said in surprise, "Interesting. Both of these Chen Family brothers are fine prospects. Among the Gated Communities of the Noble Families in Jiangzhou, there doesn’t seem to be a major clan with the surname Chen. Could they be... branch disciples from the one in Chen County?"
Duan Mengjing slowly shook his head. "That family in Chen County is arrogant beyond measure. Why would they ever look favorably upon our Theravada path?"
Zhao Anshi placed a piece. "True. That makes it even stranger. Here in the Central Plains, since when has there been such a complete lineage of Small Vehicle Secret Techniques?
Are those old coots who specialize in the Mahayana path just turning a blind eye and ignoring it now? Or is it that... in recent years, His Majesty has become obsessed with spiritual cultivation and has some complaints about the Buddhist Sect, so they’ve just gone with the flow, gotten lazy, and can’t be bothered to meddle?"
Duan Mengjing just gave a noncommittal "hmmm," his attention completely immersed in the small world of the chessboard, and did not reply further.
Inside the stone pavilion, only the crisp sound of chess pieces being placed remained once more.