Chapter 19: The State of the World

Li Ying'er's eyes were bloodshot. Her originally delicate and sweet face had become distorted and hideous, looking utterly terrifying.

Having had her secrets exposed, Zhao Shan's expression changed drastically. He instinctively raised his hand to push her away, but forced himself to restrain the movement.

He was a martial artist; if he struck her with a single palm, he would likely injure her.

Helpless, Zhao Shan could only retreat repeatedly, saying, "Junior Sister, listen to my explanation. It's not like that..."

Chen Yuan stepped forward, grabbing Li Ying'er by her arms to persuade her, "Junior Sister, don't be like this. Let's talk this through..."

Li Ying'er struggled violently, but with her hands firmly held by Chen Yuan, she could only twist her body frantically, screaming, "Who is your Junior Sister! Do you really think so highly of yourselves? My father only favored you because..."

*Slap!*

Just as Li Ying'er was becoming increasingly hysterical, Madam Zhang rushed forward and delivered a heavy slap across her face.

Li Ying'er froze in place. Chen Yuan released her hands at the opportune moment.

Clutching her swollen cheek, she stared blankly at Madam Zhang before suddenly bursting into loud wails: "Mother, you hit me..."

"Silence!" Madam Zhang rebuked sharply. "You insolent thing, how dare you show such disrespect to your two Senior Brothers! Someone, take the Young Mistress back to her room. She is to be confined for three days of reflection and is not permitted to step foot outside!"

Two maidservants entered quickly with their heads bowed. They flanked Li Ying'er on both sides and escorted her out of the door.

"Let me go! What are you doing? You lowly servants, I'll kill you..."

Li Ying'er's shrill voice gradually grew faint until it vanished entirely.

In the main hall, Zhao Shan and Chen Yuan stood in place, their expressions grim.

Zhao Shan's face bore several red marks where Li Ying'er had scratched him. He looked disheveled, his expression a complex mix of anger and guilt.

Madam Zhang suddenly bowed to the two of them and said softly, "Xiaoshan, Erniu, Ying'er is young and foolish. Upon hearing the news of your Master, she lost her senses. I apologize to you on her behalf; I hope you will not take it to heart."

Zhao Shan hurriedly reached out to assist the half-kneeling Madam Zhang, but remembering the propriety between men and women, he froze his hand mid-air in an awkward gesture. "Mistress, please rise. I already feel guilty for not returning with Master; it is nothing for my Junior Sister to scold me a few times."

Only then did Madam Zhang slowly rise. She wiped the tears from her face and said softly, "It is not your fault. It was your Master's own choice. But with his departure, he has left us a widow and an orphan with a difficult life ahead. I hope that for his sake, you might offer some assistance. I ask for nothing more than to see Ying'er raised to adulthood, and that will satisfy me."

Zhao Shan replied, "Rest assured, Mistress. When Master stayed behind to cover our retreat, he specifically entrusted us to take good care of you and Junior Sister. As long as Erniu and I are around, we will never let anyone make things difficult for you!"

Hearing this, two more lines of tears flowed from Madam Zhang's eyes as she sobbed, "Your Master always thought of us, yet I could not see him one last time. Heaven is truly cruel..."

Zhao Shan sighed and said, "Good people are blessed by heaven. Perhaps Master is still alive and will return one day."

Madam Zhang shook her head gently. "Bandits are ruthless; I fear your Master is in grave danger. It was no small feat that he could send a final message back through you."

Madam Zhang was far more tactful than Li Ying'er, which made Zhao Shan feel much better.

However, after Li Ying'er's outburst, the atmosphere remained extremely awkward. After Zhao Shan and Chen Yuan offered a few more words of comfort, they took their leave.

After walking out of the Li residence, the two walked in silence. Suddenly, Zhao Shan spoke, "Junior Brother, I only realized today that in Li Ying'er's eyes, I am nothing more than a peasant."

Chen Yuan said indifferently, "What else? She is a lady of a wealthy household; did you expect her to look upon you differently?"

"Thank you for letting me see the world for what it is. I originally thought Master had taken me as a disciple with sincerity, and I felt some guilt, but now... hehe!"

Zhao Shan let out a cold laugh, glanced back at the plaque of the Li residence, and strode away.

...

After parting from Zhao Shan, Chen Yuan returned to his small courtyard, bathed, and changed into clean, fresh clothes, looking completely renewed.

It was now dusk. Chen Yuan picked up two food containers and went to the kitchen courtyard to fetch food.

Neither he nor Zhao Shan knew how to hunt; in the Chiman Mountains, they could only survive on wild fruits. Having not eaten a proper, filling meal, they were already famished.

When Chen Yuan arrived at the kitchen, he drew a crowd of laborers and apprentices, all of whom inquired about the caravan.

However, Sun Guanghe had issued a gag order, so Chen Yuan could only speak vaguely and dismissively. He returned to the courtyard with two overflowing containers and began to feast.

Once full, a wave of drowsiness washed over him.

But it was not yet time to sleep. Resisting the urge, Chen Yuan took out the ring he had obtained from Manager Li and examined it closely.

The ring contained a small mechanism; when triggered, it could shoot out a white thread approximately ten feet long.

The thread was as thin as a strand of hair, translucent and white, appearing almost invisible and extremely fragile to the eye.

Yet, even when Chen Yuan exerted his full strength, he could not stretch it even a fraction; its texture was incredibly tough.

He took a ring-pommel saber from the weapon rack in the courtyard and first tried sawing at the white thread, then attempted to hack it down with force. Both attempts were futile; the blade even suffered a small nick from the impact.

He tried burning it with fire, but it remained as white as ever, without even a trace of soot or scorch marks.

He then tied it to a stone lock weighing sixty pounds and swung it around; it moved as naturally as an extension of his own arm, and the white thread remained completely unharmed.

After a series of tests, Chen Yuan retracted it into the ring and stored it carefully.

A thread so fine yet so resilient was certainly no ordinary object; he could not afford to reveal it easily.

Furthermore, this ring was a personal possession of Manager Li, and many in the Hall of a Hundred Weapons would recognize it. He would need to disguise it before use.

By the time Chen Yuan finished testing the strength and properties of the thread, an hour had passed. The sky was as black as ink, the moon was high, and the Milky Way spanned the heavens.

Chen Yuan took the jade pendant from his bosom and channeled the starlight into his body.

He had not performed starlight infusion for seven days. No matter how tired he was today, he could not delay it any longer.

Ten breaths later, the green light on the jade faded, and the white light on Chen Yuan's skin dissipated. The hunger that had briefly vanished surged back once more.

Chen Yuan put away the jade, opened the second food container, and began to eat ravenously.

Before long, ten white flour pancakes and three large bowls of stewed meat were gone. Although he was only a third full, the heavy drowsiness forced him back into his room, where he fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next day at noon, when the sun was high, Chen Yuan woke from his slumber.

He had slept for nearly seven hours. He felt refreshed, though his stomach was still empty.

He hurriedly took the two food containers to the kitchen, ate a hearty meal, and felt the hunger subside.

In the afternoon, many family members of the guards sought out Chen Yuan to ask about the caravan. He brushed them all off with vague answers, only subtly hinting that the guards might never return, which left the families in a state of mourning.

It wasn't until evening that the number of visitors dwindled, finally allowing Chen Yuan some peace.

After dinner, instead of practicing martial arts in the courtyard, he took the two taels of silver he had accumulated and walked out of Xingye Ward.

Along the way, Chen Yuan walked with frequent stops, using his extraordinary senses to secretly observe his surroundings.

Soon, he discovered two people following him, acting suspiciously.

Unfazed, Chen Yuan entered a small tavern, ordered two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, four small appetizers, and a pot of yellow wine, and began to eat and drink slowly.

The two followers did not enter the tavern but waited by the roadside.

An hour later, Chen Yuan paid for the wine and continued strolling until he reached a bustling street.

This area was a hub of entertainment, featuring various theaters and pleasure houses, including three or four brothels; it was the largest place for revelry in Leping County.

Chen Yuan casually walked into a theater performing songs and plays and sat down.

This time, the two followers did not stay outside but followed him in, sitting in a corner and keeping a close eye on him.

Chen Yuan saw them, but his expression remained unchanged.

Once the performance began, Chen Yuan cheered loudly, tossed a few copper coins to the performers, and asked a waiter for a large pot of murky, low-quality yellow wine, drinking it greedily as if he were lost in a drunken stupor.

Two hours later, the night grew deep and the air turned biting.

Only when the theater closed did Chen Yuan leave reluctantly. Carrying half a pot of low-quality wine, he stumbled along the way, drinking deeply and occasionally muttering nonsense like, "To survive a great disaster is to invite future blessings," or "One cannot die only to find the money is gone."

Seeing Chen Yuan in such a drunken state, the two watchers deliberately moved closer. Hearing him repeat the same nonsense over and over, they couldn't help but smirk.

Finally, Chen Yuan returned to the courtyard. He stumbled toward the door but tripped over the threshold.

He lowered his head, kicked the threshold heavily twice, cursed, "You dog!" and then staggered inside, slamming the courtyard gate shut with a loud *bang*.

In the next instant, Chen Yuan's eyes became piercingly clear. He took a few quick steps, placed the wine on the stone table, and then activated his lightness technique. He climbed halfway up a locust tree, hiding his form behind the branches and leaves, and peered out of the courtyard.

It happened to be the beginning of the lunar month; the crescent moon was like a hook, the moonlight was dim, and the night was pitch black.

The two followers were standing at the corner of the alley, staring at the courtyard gate, unaware of Chen Yuan perched in the tree.

A quarter of an hour later, the two exchanged a few low words and turned to leave.

After waiting silently in the tree for half an hour, Chen Yuan activated his lightness technique, vaulted over the wall, and quietly followed them.