Chapter 1: 1 Ginkgo (Revised)

1 Ginkgo (Revised)

Deep autumn in the tenth month, all flowers have perished.

The myriad purples and thousands of reds have all withered; only the azure sky, the earth of yellow leaves, and the wild geese flying south in rows remain.

Below the southern slope, there is a vast Ginkgo Forest; clusters of fan-like ginkgo leaves are brilliantly golden, facing the afternoon Sunlight, as if flames were burning, glorious like torches.

Yet, as gusts of autumn wind blow past, they sweep away the gold like rain, destined to leave only desolation upon the branches.

A single ginkgo leaf drifts down.

The edge of the umbrella-like leaf brushes against the tip of a youth's nose and lands on his hand.

That hand is smooth and fair, the fingers slender, with no traces of labor, save for thin calluses on the pads of the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

This is the hand of a youth, and also the hand that holds a brush.

"Zhaozi, Zhaozi!"

Someone calls him; Tang Zhao returns to his senses and says, "Sui Dage."

At this moment, Tang Zhao is sitting on a Cart; the donkey is a thin Donkey, the cart is a Cart, and the one driving is a simple-looking youth of eighteen or nineteen.

"Why were you dazed?"

"I was thinking of... my teacher." Tang Zhao rubs his face; his complexion is pale, with a faint greenish tint, like high-quality cold-toned frozen stone, his features handsome and distinct, just like the good looks described in books and painted in pictures, wearing a thick cotton-padded coat, the cotton stuffed very full, making him look puffy like a steamed bun. "It was deep autumn when I met my teacher, the mountains full of red and yellow leaves. In the blink of an eye, he has been gone for half a year."

Sui Dage recalls, "Ah, I know your teacher; I met him twice. He was a very ancient... peculiar person. He often said things no one could understand and wrote heavenly books no one could read."

"It was Chinese characters," Tang Zhao says immediately. "I have learned them completely. I am probably the only one in the world who can write them."

His tone is proud, his demeanor arrogant; Sui Dage does not want to dampen his spirits, though in truth, his father once complained to Tang Zhao's father: "Your family finally produced a seedling for study, why not hire a proper teacher for his schooling? That lame man surnamed Chen only knows how to brag, making up stories even less reliable than storytelling, writing ghost-charms that even ghosts wouldn't recognize, ruining your family's future top scholar."

But not long after those words were spoken, a sudden change occurred in Tang Zhao's family; his parents and teacher met with misfortune one after another, leaving only this twelve-year-old child behind, struggling even to make a living, and all thoughts of study and schooling became a pipe dream, not worth mentioning.

Thinking of this, Sui Dage sighs and says, "Zhaozi, how shall we cross the river?"

At the end of the Ginkgo Forest, the ground suddenly drops away, revealing a deep trench ten or so zhang wide; the bottom of the trench receives little Sunlight and is very dim, with puddles of water vaguely visible in the uneven ground.

The two intended to cross the river, but this ravine is like a natural chasm, blocking their path.

They cannot cross the river, and they are unwilling to turn back, so they can only stand here.

Tang Zhao says helplessly, "Shall we go back first? We have walked for so long from downstream moving up and haven't seen a bridge; it seems we cannot cross. Shall we go to the county town to buy a rope and then come back?"

Sui Dage breathes a sigh of relief and says, "Going back is good. Actually, I have always felt this forest is strange, and this water too—it hasn't been dry enough to wither like this, is this normal..."

Before he finishes speaking, footsteps sound, and a burly man emerges from the forest.

"Haha, there really is a river; I was right to take this road!"

The man is about thirty years old, eight feet tall, wearing a headscarf, dressed in coarse cloth martial attire, carrying a heavy pack on his back, his face covered in the dust of travel, seemingly having walked a very long way.

Sui Dage's gaze darts to the man's waist, and he immediately becomes tense, blocking Tang Zhao behind him.

There is a saber!

He is a martial artist!

If he is a bandit or a thief, there is great danger!

The man sees the two of them at the same time, and his pupils shrink.

People!

In these wild mountains and desolate ridges, where no one lives, where did these two people pop out from?

The two sides are silent for a moment, then Sui Dage takes the lead, offering a polite smile and a bow, saying, "So it is a Knight-Errant. Greetings, Knight-Errant!"

The man has by now seen their faces clearly and relaxes, saying, "Yang is no Knight-Errant; you driver, do not mistake me."

As he speaks, he pats his belt.

Hanging from his belt is a gleaming Waist Token, with a silver base and two pitch-black characters on it.

"Righteous Warrior!"

Tang Zhao is filled with awe and bows with cupped hands, saying, "So it is a hero of a Righteous Warrior!"

The man laughs heartily and says, "I dare not accept such praise, I dare not. Does a little Scholar like you also know of Righteous Warriors?"

Tang Zhao says excitedly, "How could I not? A Righteous Warrior is a hero certified by the Imperial Court. Punishing demons and eliminating evil, protecting the borders and the people, and possessing high martial arts, famous throughout the world of martial arts..."

As he speaks, the man laughs, scratching the back of his head, saying, "You flatter me, you flatter me. I just killed a few Fierce Beasts, protected a few villages, and saved a few hundred people; it's not that impressive... A great hero, hahaha... Besides, I have to go to the Heyang Daxia Mansion to make it official."

Tang Zhao is even happier and says, "Then we are going the same way. I am also going to Xue Fu..."

The man's laughter stops abruptly, and his pupils shrink again: "What, you are going too?"

His heart chills, and he thinks to himself: Wait, besides exchanging for the Nine Provinces Loyalty Ranking, why else would one go to the Heyang Daxia Mansion? Could it be that he is also a person of the martial arts world?

He looks at Tang Zhao again, only to see that the other party is thin and weak, his bones slender, and there is not the slightest trace of martial arts training in his joints, definitely not looking like a martial artist.

Could it be...

That this is a true master who does not show his skills?

That's it!

Legend has it that the people you must never provoke in the martial arts world are those who look harmless.

The elderly, children, the disabled, scholars...

This little scholar occupies two of those categories, is he not terrifying?

Thinking of this, sweat gradually beads on his temples.

Yang Dong, oh Yang Dong, you have judged a book by its cover!

Don't look at how thin and weak he is; perhaps in the next moment, he will pull a sword from the donkey cart and slice your head off.

After all, you know your own martial arts level in your heart!

Did you think you were very powerful just because you picked up a bargain, killed two Fierce Beasts, drank their blood, and gained a few years of internal energy?

You were too flashy on this journey, hanging a Righteous Warrior token worth a thousand gold pieces on your waist; didn't this just attract bandits to rob you?

Could it be that I will die halfway here before I can even exchange for the ranking, without having seen a Mysterious Technique, and without even knowing which way the Demon Cave opens?

As his thoughts whirled, filled with both regret and urgency, Tang Zhao already said, "Yes, this student is going to visit relatives."

……

"Wha... what? Visit relatives?"

Yang Dong reacted, "You are a relative of Xue Daxia?"

Tang Zhao felt strange inside; it was said that righteous warriors had unfathomable martial arts, so why was this righteous warrior's expression so unfathomable too? He said, "I dare not claim to be a relative; my late teacher was an old friend of Xue Daxia, and this student was entrusted to pay a visit."

Yang Dong relaxed again, his pupils returning to their original state, and asked, "Since your teacher had a friendship with the Great Hero of Heiyang, he must be a master. May I ask which senior Great Hero he was?"

Tang Zhao said, "My late teacher did not practice martial arts; he was the teacher who taught me to read and write."

"So that means you don't know martial arts either?"

"I am ashamed; this student is useless in every way."

"Hah."

Yang Dong patted his bristly beard with his hand, was silent for a moment, and said, "Relatives or friends, it's all the same. Very good, I think you look just like a friend of a Great Hero."

Having steadied his mind, Yang Dong looked at Tang Zhao again; his upright and clear features were written all over with the words "frail and weak." In what way did he look like a master hiding his true strength?

He waved his hand and said, "Let's go, we'll talk after we cross the river. Eh, I remember the map marked a bridge. Where is the bridge?"

Tang Zhao pointed to a half-cut wooden stake by the ditch and said, "The bridge is here."

That wooden stake was old and broken, but the top was extremely smooth, as if it had just been shaved by a sharp blade.

Yang Dong looked at the wooden stake left and right and said, "This... is this an old bridge pier? Was the bridge dismantled by someone?"

Tang Zhao said, "There was only the bridge pier when we arrived."

Yang Dong slapped his thigh and said, "What is to be done? To go to Xue Fu, one must cross this river; there is no second path. Scholar, what do you suggest?" He saw this young Scholar looking cheerful; could it be that this bookish person had a brilliant plan in his chest?

Tang Zhao was indeed feeling very cheerful, even full of anticipation, and said, "What is difficult about this? This is only a ten-zhang wide river ditch..."

"Right, right."

"With your skills as a master, wouldn't you just jump across?"

"……"

Yang Dong's nose was crooked with anger, thinking: Is this little pedant making fun of me? Ten zhang? Is this bullying me because I can't fly?

But then, he saw the youth's sincere and admiring gaze.

He was actually waiting for him to fly through the air and burrow into the ground like the Great Heroes in stories.

Forget it, this little brat is not only frail and weak, but he is also a complete blockhead; he doesn't know a damn thing about martial arts.

Anyone with the slightest bit of common sense would know that, let alone ten zhang, even someone who can leap four or five zhang on flat ground is considered a strong hand in the pugilistic world. Even those "Knight-Errants" who have achieved success in both Internal and External Arts and stand at the pinnacle of the pugilistic world cannot all leap that far.

Yang Dong is still only a "Righteous Warrior," not a "Knight-Errant."

Yang Dong could certainly explain it to him, but that would ruin his style. He shook his bundle and drew a saber.

Tang Zhao was startled. Sui Dage had been watching from the side with clenched fists, and at this moment, he suddenly rushed up and apologized with a smile, "Master, please calm your anger..."

With a *shua* sound, Yang Dong drew his saber from its sheath, revealing a blade forged of fine steel. The blade's light met the Sunlight, the glare stinging and white, causing Tang Zhao to squint his eyes. Sui Dage's face turned even more ashen.

Yang Dong raised the blade and said, "What kind of skill is jumping over a ditch? Watch Yang's move." He went straight into the Ginkgo Forest, sank his waist and squatted in a horse stance, circulated his Qi and focused his Spirit. Truly, his body was as immovable as Mount Tai stone, and his Qi surged like a prairie fire!

Tang Zhao looked at where he was going and opened his mouth—

A loud shout, the sound like a golden bell!

Before the echoes faded, fallen leaves fell like rain.

A tree over ten zhang tall slowly tilted and crashed to the ground, splashing gold all over the earth.

Yang Dong swung his saber, exhausted his strength, and took two heavy breaths on the spot. He suppressed the soreness in his arm and glanced at Tang Zhao out of the corner of his eye, seeing Tang Zhao dumbfounded. He couldn't help but feel proud, thinking: This is probably the best saber strike of my life! It's a pity the little Scholar doesn't understand it; he doesn't know how exquisite this "Cloud-Touching Golden Wing Saber" is, nor does he understand how perfect my "Riding the Wind for a Thousand Miles" move was just now. Otherwise, Scholars are best at writing essays; he would have to write a poem specifically to praise me.

Tang Zhao was truly stunned. Before Yang Dong swung his saber, he had wanted to say: The yellow leaves on this tree are incomparably brilliant and a magnificent sight; could you spare it and change to another tree? But Yang Dong's strike was too fast, and it was over before he could speak.

Seeing that Yang Dong had already sheathed his saber and returned with a flourish, Tang Zhao struggled slightly, gathered his spirits, and said, "The Righteous Warrior brings benefits to the region; truly benevolent and righteous."

Yang Dong waved his hand and said, "A small matter. Since I am a Righteous Warrior, of course I must do loyal and righteous deeds. Repairing bridges and paving roads is a duty that cannot be shirked."

Tang Zhao clapped and cheered, saying, "Good!"

Sui Dage watched the two—one fully displaying his holiness, the other fully admiring—and couldn't help but smile bitterly. If he weren't familiar with Tang Zhao's sincere and frank nature, he would have thought the two were singing in harmony like a peddler boasting of his own melons. Seeing them hit it off so inexplicably, he couldn't get a word in and silently stroked the Donkey.

Tang Zhao said, "Feng Ge, now that we have this big tree as a bridge, I must trouble you to work hard once more."

Sui Dage sighed and said, "Hmm. It's just that driving the donkey cart onto a single-log bridge isn't easy."

That ginkgo wood was thick and sturdy; it was more than enough as a wooden bridge for people to walk on, but not enough for a donkey cart. Moreover, just getting the donkey onto the bridge was not easy; if the beast made a single misstep on the bridge, both the cart and the people would be in danger.

Tang Zhao pondered and said, "About this... can we unload the donkey and push the cart across?"

Sui Dage said, "You really dare to think..."

At this time, Yang Dong said, "What is difficult about crossing a bridge? You kid, come over and give me a hand to set up the bridge; I guarantee you will be able to cross the river."

Sui Dage hurriedly said, "If you have any orders, just command this lowly one; I dare not trouble your great self..."

Yang Dong said impatiently, "Since we are traveling together and I find you pleasing to the eye, what's wrong with helping out? I see calluses on your hands; although it doesn't look like you've received true instruction, you've at least practiced some kung fu and count as half a pugilist. How are you not as straightforward as that little Scholar? Come over and help me move the wood."

The two laid the tree across the ditch, and Yang Dong stepped on it to confirm it was stable. Then he directed the two to unload the cart.

Rolling up his sleeves, Yang Dong took a deep breath, reached out, and firmly grabbed the donkey's two legs.

That black, thin donkey had its fur stand on end and brayed "Ang-ang," but it was as if held by iron hoops and couldn't even kick.

Yang Dong exerted force with his arms, his muscles bulging, and with a loud shout, he lifted the six or seven hundred jin beast clean over his head!

Tang Zhao's eyes went straight, and he let out a "Wow!"

This is it—lifting a thousand jin... Donkey!

Lifting this big beast over his head, how impressive is that! Isn't that much stronger than chopping down a tree with a big saber?

Yang Dong couldn't hear his inner thoughts, so his nose wasn't crooked with anger. Amidst Tang Zhao's praise, he turned gracefully and stepped onto the single-log bridge step by step.

At first, walking on it was fine, but after a few steps to the suspended part, the ginkgo tree trunk began to sway a bit; suddenly bearing nearly a thousand jin of weight made the wooden bridge unable to bear the burden.

Tang Zhao's heart rose, and Yang Dong was also a bit nervous, but fortunately, the wooden bridge was not long, and he crossed it in a few quick steps.

He kicked off with his feet and stepped forward—

Whoosh—

Yang Dong only felt a chill by his ear as an arrow grazed past his ear and nailed itself a few feet behind him.

The precarious bridge was narrow, allowing him no room to turn back, nor was there any need to.

He looked up and clearly saw the cold glint of bows and arrows in the thicket on the opposite bank!