Chapter 437

Yang Tiejiang took on a great deal and successfully resolved the two major problems weighing on Chen Wuji's mind.

At the same time, it also showed, from another angle, that Chen Wuji's knowledge was superficial.

Although he has recently read quite a few military books, he remains only superficially formidable.

The road is long and obstructed; he still has much to learn.

Fueled by this enthusiasm for learning, Chen Wuji began studying by lamplight after seeing Yang Tiejiang off.

If we ignore the three charming maidens on the bed, his zeal for study is rather like the eve of the college entrance exam back then.

Alas, beauty waits for no one; the alluring, fair-skinned figure swayed back and forth a few times, and Chen Wuji's resolve, rooted in breaking through the rock, was worn down by more than half. He, somewhat annoyed, shouted: 'All of you, lie down obediently on the bed—can't you see I'm studying?'

His shout not only failed to quiet the women's clamor, but instead provoked a ripple of giggles, making the flower branches tremble.

The last trace of Chen Wuji's dedication to study instantly shattered.

He flew into a rage, slammed the bamboo slip shut, then lunged onto the big bed; besides striking left and right, he further demonstrated to the ecstatically leaping Qin Zhanhong what 'a commoner's fury' means.

……

A brief indulgence, and the sun is already high.

Chen Wuji, rubbing his sore waist, had just stepped out of the room when Yuan Jinshi crept over, peeking, and said, 'Old Master, a great hero came outside earlier, claiming his master has returned and wants you to go see him.'

'A great hero?' Chen Wuji blinked, then suddenly realized whom Yuan Jinshi meant.

It's also strange that some people's Rivers and Lakes dreams haven't been thwarted by the Old Master's arrival.

'Understood.' Chen Wuji took out a tael of silver from his bosom and handed it to Yuan Jinshi, saying, 'Go buy some snacks on the street—though it's neither early nor late, it's time to eat something.'

'Understood, Old Master.'

Yuan Jinshi took the silver and hurried away.

Not long after, he prepared a fine spread for Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji, who had intended to eat simply, ended up indulging in extravagance because his instructions weren't clear enough; what should have been a modest breakfast of six dishes and a soup turned lavish, and he reluctantly gave Yuan Jinshi another tael of silver.

This spread cannot be put together for a tael of silver at Yunan City's current prices.

This lavish breakfast inevitably brought a scolding from Huo Sanniang; Chen Wuji merely smiled and accepted it—who asked him to be unclear? Who else could be blamed?

After the meal, Chen Wuji tucked his hands into his sleeves like an ordinary scholar, casually inquiring about street prices as he leisurely made his way to the Ciji Studio.

Entering the hall, Zhang Lao was dispensing medicine to a patient; Chen Wuji did not disturb him, but waited aside, meanwhile reviewing the medical formulas he had been gradually forgetting.

Xiaoyu, the Rivers and Lakes hero, was not in the shop; no one knew where he had gone off to practice chivalry again.

After the patient left, Zhang Lao beckoned to Chen Wuji.

'Let's go to the rear courtyard to talk.'

Chen Wuji hurried after him, asking, 'Old Master, was your trip to Guangyuan Prefecture still smooth?'

'It wasn't exactly smooth, but I did manage to settle one matter on my mind.' Zhang Lao gave a faint smile.

'I couldn't use medicine to pull that old comrade back from the gates of death, but at least I saw him one last time and saw him off—so I have no regrets. Otherwise, with the two prefectures between us, we might never have seen each other again.'

Chen Wuji fell silent, then said, 'Birth, aging, sickness, death—this is the natural order; everyone must pass through this stage. Old Master, please accept my condolences.'

'At an age when one knows the Mandate of Heaven, what sorrow is there? It's merely a touch of remembrance.' Zhang Lao waved his hand with a smile, saying, 'My old comrades and brothers, as the sun rises and sets day by day, now there is one fewer than the next.'

As Zhang Lao spoke, his gaze kept flicking to Chen Wuji's hands, until he confirmed that someone truly had empty hands, whereupon he let out a faint sigh.

Chen Wuji smiled helplessly, 'Old Master, I am your disciple—what disciple brings gifts every time he visits? That would seem unfamiliar; between master and disciple we shouldn't have that.'

Zhang Lao rolled his eyes, 'First, I, your master, have just returned from a journey of a hundred li; see if bringing something is appropriate.'

'Yes.'

'Second, now that your family is great and your career thriving, is it not your duty as a disciple to bring me a jug of wine each day to ease my craving? That's not excessive, is it?'

'Not excessive; I'll make up for it next time. Old Master, you're right, and I'm not wrong—I just haven't managed to get it together.' Chen Wuji smiled, 'But Old Master, you're getting on in years—you should drink less of this wine.'

Zhang Lao gave a soft snort, 'I am a master of the medical grove, everyone calls me a divine doctor—do I need you to teach me this? Pinching and scraping, you're no good disciple!'

Chen Wuji: ……

While they were speaking, the two entered the rear courtyard.

Chen Wuji also got to see Xiaoyu, the martial-arts hero, as he wished.

This hero, excellently disguised, was currently hanging upside down from a tree, demonstrating to Chen Wuji whether a person could be strangled by hanging upside down, as well as testing the buttocks' compressive strength.

The helper whom Xiaoyu often calls Lao Kong held a ruler in his hand, and from time to time gave Xiaoyu a whack; his strikes were ingeniously forceful, with a crisp sound that hurt at once.

'This brat, taking advantage of my absence, dresses himself up all day as some sort of neither-human-nor-ghost hero—if he could actually become a hero, then everyone in the world would be those who leap high and go far.' Zhang Lao cursed angrily, then ordered Kong Jianshi to apply a bit more force and lash him to death.

Xiaoyu wailed, heaven and earth weeping, and hastily cast a pleading glance at Chen Wuji for help.

Chen Wuji acted as if he hadn't seen the person hanging there, calmly sat down with Zhang Lao, poured him a cup of tea, and said, 'I've heard that the ancient sages taught their disciples in this way—emphasizing to strain the sinews and bones, to starve the flesh and skin; for Xiaoyu, Old Master, you have indeed exhausted all effort.'

The Xiaoyu being beaten:???

'Senior brother, do you want to hear what you're saying?'

Zhang Lao, greatly comforted, stroked his beard and burst into laughter: 'Jianshi, did you hear that? One should strain the sinews and bones, not always aim for the buttocks—aim elsewhere too.'

Xiaoyu let out a mournful howl: 'Senior brother, you've wronged me!'

Chen Wuji simply pretended not to have heard.

During the days when Zhang Lao was away, he sometimes felt like picking up a rod to get close to this little junior disciple, lest Zhang Lao return and blame him.

'Xiaoyu says you have an urgent matter to discuss with me—let's hear it first.' Zhang Lao said.

Chen Wuji straightened his expression and said seriously, 'I want to know your identity, Old Master!'

'What identity could this old bone of mine have? Just a doctoring old man, or put another way, the inheritor of the century-old Ciji Clinic, a doctoring old man.' Zhang Lao said.

Chen Wuji fixed his gaze on Zhang Lao and said, 'Old Master, you know I'm not talking about that.'

'In Hezhou I have an enemy whose name I don't know, only known by the nickname Snake Staff Elder; according to him, in Yunan City, only you are feared.'