Chapter 48: Flying Kites

The grass-shoe-clad youth had been frequenting Fortune Blessing Street's Peach Leaf Lane these past few days, delivering letters. Almost every doorman knew this messenger, so he didn't seem out of place. Moreover, the youth appeared composed, jogging along the bluestone streets as usual, so even passersby wouldn't pay him much mind. Chen Pingan, nearing a residence with a stone dare to ward off evil, half a man high and resembling a martial general, knew this was the Li family mansion. In Fortune Blessing Street, known for its wealth and prosperity, each household employed different methods of warding off evil. Even the door gods pasted on the gates varied in style, making it easy to distinguish the families.

He swiftly scanned his surroundings and continued forward. Next was the Song family, followed by the Kiln Supervision Office. At the boundary between the Li and Song families' adjacent mansions, a Sophora tree grew, its old trunk gnarled, its branches and leaves lush and verdant. Although not as weathered as the old Sophora in town, it was still striking at first glance.

In the older generation's tales, this Sophora tree was said to be of the same lineage as the towering old Sophora in the town center, the latter called the ancestral Sophora, and the one before the youth's eyes, the descendant Sophora.

Chen Pingan's reason for coming to the Li family, instead of the Lu family where Lu Zhengchun resided, was that the aged steward who saw him off when he left the office had inadvertently chatted about everyday matters. He spoke of how the Zhao family's bookworm, Zhao Yao, had left town and was destined to become a top scholar and high-ranking official. He also mentioned that the Song family had a young lady of marriageable age who couldn't even do needlework and only liked to wield knives and spears, unlike a proper young lady. The old man, amidst a pile of trivial anecdotes, included a seemingly insignificant piece of news: a distinguished guest had just arrived at the Li family mansion. A little girl with a face like carved jade, like a piece of imperial porcelain. As long as she didn't undergo the transformations of youth, she would surely be a beautiful woman. Who knew which family would be blessed enough to marry such a daughter-in-law?

Earlier, on the way out of the office's inner hall, the youth, who initially only listened and didn't speak, had intentionally walked slowly and carefully observed the office's architectural layout. Eventually, he would occasionally ask a question or two, like a pauper curious about the wealthy and extravagant lives of the great clans. The aged steward was forthcoming with information, using the neighboring Song family and the more distant Li family as examples, describing the courtyard layout and various rules of the wealthy families.

The steward's true intentions were clear to the youth.

However, Chen Pingan never intended to act according to their wishes.

At this moment, jogging slowly along the street, Chen Pingan, seeing that no one was around, suddenly exerted his strength, quickened his pace, and ran straight towards the old Sophora tree. With a leap, he stepped upwards on the trunk four times before showing signs of falling. But by then, the agile youth had reached out and grabbed a branch of the Sophora tree. In an instant, the youth, as nimble as a mountain ape, was sitting on a horizontal branch, then steadily stood up and continued to climb. In the blink of an eye, Chen Pingan was perched on a sloping branch, just above the two-zhang-high courtyard wall. The youth hid his body behind the dense Sophora leaves, held his breath, squinted his eyes, and didn't rush to sneak inside.

On the way back to town with Ning Yao from the corridor bridge, Chen Pingan asked many questions.

For example, how fast and how high could the Old Ape of the Radiant Sun Mountain run and jump within the town's borders under normal circumstances? How tough was its body, how was it like copper skin and iron bones? If he were to throw a punch, wouldn't it just be like tickling the Old Ape? What about a slingshot or wooden bow, how much damage would they inflict at distances of twenty paces and forty paces respectively? Did the so-called "immortals" like the Old Ape of the Radiant Sun Mountain have any fatal weaknesses, such as the eyes, crotch, or throat? If the opponent was willing to get hurt to kill him, would he be guaranteed to die?

At that time, Ning Yao was almost driven to the point of wishing she were deaf and mute by the youth's questions.

According to the black-clothed girl, whether it was a Qi refiner or a pure martial artist, the higher the realm of cultivation, the greater the pressure they faced in this place. It was like iron cavalry knocking on the gate, only able to defend to the death, relying entirely on a continuous flow of breath for support. Once opened, one would suffer damage like seawater rushing in. Imagine facing a swift flood and opening a small hole in the dam to test it out?

But in the end, Ning Yao's conclusive assessment was that if the youth were to fight the Old Ape of the Radiant Sun Mountain, Chen Pingan wouldn't have the slightest chance of winning.

Amidst the Sophora shade, the youth's eyes were firm, his face cold, and he muttered, "Don't let the Old Ape get within ten paces. Ten paces, keep at least that distance."

Ning Yao had said that as long as the Old Ape didn't resort to desperate measures, there would be a chance of survival.

But Chen Pingan replied that he had to force the Old Ape to attack him with killing intent, otherwise, it would be meaningless.

He had to provoke the Old Ape of the Radiant Sun Mountain into anger, so that the Old Ape would not hesitate to use the true Qi in its body, to truly diminish and consume the cultivation it had painstakingly accumulated over a thousand years. Perhaps the Old Ape felt that the lives of small-town commoners like him and Liu Xianyang were worthless. But Chen Pingan wanted to know if the Old Ape would feel heartache when it saw those disappearing cultivation levels and whether it would still feel they were worthless.

Of course, all of this was predicated on him not being killed with a single punch.

The youth, looking down at the people coming and going in the mansion, murmured, "Even if I can't escape, I must take a few more punches."

Chen Pingan never thought he could kill the Old Ape, let alone survive.

In the Li family mansion, the little girl from the Radiant Sun Mountain, as the direct granddaughter of the Tao family's old ancestor, was treated by the Li family as if she were a bodhisattva. The Li family not only arranged for several first and second-class maids in the separate courtyard, but these girls, born into the household, were clean and quick-witted. Most importantly, they were well-known and of clear lineage, perhaps having been loyal to the Li family for generations.

This separate courtyard was centrally located, not close to the street on Fortune Blessing Street.

The little girl's name was Tao Zi, nicknamed Peach, and she was the joy of the Radiant Sun Mountain's sword immortal ancestors, not because of her innocent and adorable appearance, but because her future sword path had the potential to make the Radiant Sun Mountain invest vast amounts of resources without hesitation.For five centuries hence, Tao Zi's innate gifts, talent, temperament, and fortune have been unmatched among the elders of all the peaks of the Righteous Sun Mountain. Simply put, the little girl Tao Zi was a miraculous existence with exceptional strengths and no weaknesses.

This was a true once-in-a-century prodigy, not just some commonplace, polite praise.

The little girl, now without the Mountain-Moving Ape by her side, found herself alone in a completely unfamiliar place. She wasn't exactly afraid or shy, just a bit bored and somewhat disappointed. From Grandpa Ape's tone, it seemed impossible to move an entire mountain peak from here. This disheartened her. Su-jie of Righteous Sun Mountain had been gifted a mountain peak as a reward when she reached the mid-fifth realm, making it her personal domain. That mountain peak had been carried back to Righteous Sun Mountain from a great distance by Grandpa Ape himself and placed in the northeast. Though not large, the little girl had always envied it.

Feeling stuffy inside the study, she walked into the main hall, put her hands behind her back, and gazed up at the plaque for a long time with an old-fashioned air.

Two delicate maids always closely followed behind the little girl. One of them had been discovered by the Li family to possess exceptional talent and had been cultivated into a martial artist with some achievements. However, for the Li family's direct line, this was no different from raising pet birds and insects. They didn't actually expect the girl to become a grandmaster of martial arts. Within the high walls of a wealthy family, the phenomenon of servants bullying their masters wasn't unheard of. Moreover, giving too much too soon and fostering resentment was not ideal, and if the servants' horizons were too broad and their potential too great, it might not be good for the family's future generations.

The little girl walked towards the gate, hopping and skipping around the courtyard. She didn't leave the courtyard without permission, sparing the servants any trouble. Grandpa Ape had reminded her that people from the Wind and Thunder Garden had also arrived in the town, and before he dealt with them, she shouldn't leave the courtyard. Although young, the little girl had been exposed to the treacherous and dangerous nature of cultivation since childhood and had been strictly disciplined, so she wasn't the kind of unruly child who caused her elders worry.

In the end, the bored little girl lay on a stone table. On the table was a birdcage containing a bird that seemed to be called a snake-catching eagle, which drooped its head, looking listless and ill. Its feathers were dull gray and not at all attractive. No matter how the little girl had teased it before, the snake-catching eagle had ignored her, so she found it dull and uninteresting. Now, with nothing better to do, she played around by whistling at the feathered beast.

Inside the cage were two porcelain bird feeders privately made by the Li family's dragon kilns, small and exquisite, one plain for water, the other brightly colored for food.

However, since being captured, the snake-catching eagle hadn't touched a drop of water or a grain of rice for almost two days.

In the town, snake-catching eagles were rarely captured. On the rare occasions they were, whether young fledglings or adult eagles, they invariably starved themselves to death.

It was impossible to keep them alive, let alone train them into usable hunting eagles.

The little girl, seeing that the snake-catching eagle still didn't react to her whistling, finally lost her patience completely, stood up, and turned to leave.

A loud crash.

One of the bird feeders inside the cage shattered violently.

The little girl was momentarily stunned, then almost instinctively grabbed one of the tall maids, using her as a shield.

The tall, buxom maid felt as if her wrist was being clamped by a steel wire, the pain almost making her scream.

The shorter maid, however, had sharp eyes and immediately stood in front of the little girl, quickly scanning her surroundings.

The second bird feeder inside the cage exploded with a bang, like firecrackers on the table.

"Assassin! On the roof of the Tranquil Fragrance Courtyard!" The maid who had trained in martial arts finally caught sight of a figure, a crouching silhouette on the roof of the neighboring courtyard.

The maid began to run. The courtyard wall wasn't high, and she used it as leverage to quickly climb on top, grabbing the edge of the wall with both hands and using her exceptional strength to pull herself over.

For a moment, she was in a dilemma. This courtyard wasn't far from the Tranquil Fragrance Courtyard, but the assassin was on the roof of the main house of the Tranquil Fragrance Courtyard, which was close to Fortune Street, making it easy for the person to escape over the wall. So, in a split second, she made a decision. Instead of jumping down the wall and running towards the Tranquil Fragrance Courtyard, she crouched down and ran along the top of the wall, leaping onto the roof of her own courtyard. During this time, the maid always kept an eye out for the assassin's sneak attacks.

Strangely, the assassin neither hindered her movements nor seemed to retreat immediately.

The eaves of the two courtyards were about thirty feet apart.

The maid kept an eye on the assassin's movements while quietly retreating along the eaves, finally taking a deep breath and preparing to run.

The maid was shocked. The assassin facing her was actually a skinny young boy dressed in shabby clothes!

The boy had two small bags tied around his waist, and no weapons were visible in his hands. They must be hidden. The maid thought a slingshot was the most likely.

She was also puzzled. If he had wanted to hit her head, it wouldn't necessarily be fatal, but she would definitely be seriously injured. With the boy's almost terrifying accuracy, having deliberately shattered the bird feeders twice, could he really not hit her or the little girl from Righteous Sun Mountain?

In the courtyard, the little girl said angrily, "Idiot! Be careful, it's a diversion! Come back quickly!"

Catching the assassin and torturing him for information was of course important, but preserving life was even more important, just in case.

After releasing the tall maid's arm, the little girl raised her palm and slapped the frightened girl awake, "And you, hurry and raise the alarm! Do you know that if I die, everyone in this house will die!"

The maid on the roof didn't jump into the courtyard immediately, but shouted loudly, "Assassin!"

Then she began to run, jumping off the edge of the eave and flying towards the roof of the Tranquil Fragrance Courtyard.

Based on the maid's series of climbing and running movements, the assassin boy roughly judged her arm strength, leg strength, and stamina. He squatted down, picked up two roof tiles, and threw them with his right hand, aiming them directly at the girl's forehead. The girl, still in the air, instinctively crossed her arms in front of her head to block. With two bangs, the tiles not only caused the maid excruciating pain, but the force was far beyond her imagination, and her forward momentum was greatly hindered. Just as she was regretting her recklessness.

The maid, who had barely landed on the opposite eave, was struck in the abdomen with a fist and fell backward.The youth, having only been momentarily detained by the assassin who grabbed his ankle, swiftly disengaged.

The maidservant didn't exactly land gracefully, but thankfully avoided any serious injuries. Her mind was a complete blank.

The youth, constantly surveying his surroundings, noticed dark figures appearing and immediately turned to flee.

His speed, the length of his strides, the perfect rhythm, especially coupled with the precise coordination of his breathing, would have led the maidservant to believe, had she witnessed it, that he was a seasoned martial artist, not an amateur.

The youth's figure quickly disappeared from the rooftops, like a nimble bird or an eagle escaping its cage.

About an incense stick's time later, the burly old man rushed back to the Li family mansion, radiating murderous intent.

From Li Hong, the head of the Li family, to the maids in the side courtyard, everyone held their breath. The martial arts-trained maidservant, in particular, knelt on the ground, her cheeks swollen and red, offering no complaint or resentment.

The young girl, her composure regained, sighed and scolded, "Grandpa Ape, the Li family are a bunch of good-for-nothings. How could you entrust me to them?"

Mount-Moving Ape knelt on one knee, still towering over the girl, and said with remorse, "Young Miss, I was wrong."

The old man turned his head and said sternly, "Li Hong!"

The Li family head, barely proficient in the refined language of Eastern Treasure Continent, which coincidentally was the language of the Righteous Sun Mountain cultivators, could only force a smile and apologize, "This time, the fault is undeniably ours. From what we've gathered, it was a youth, likely not a cultivator. The magistrate's office hasn't provided any useful intelligence yet, only promising to deploy more personnel to guard the residence day and night."

Tao Zi pondered and said, "That assassin didn't seem to be trying to kill me."

Then she added, "At least not today."

The Li family head's heart, which had just begun to settle, immediately leaped back into his throat.

White Ape frowned and asked, "Was the youth slender, dark-skinned, and only about this tall? And wearing straw sandals?"

The maidservant kneeling on the ground nodded vigorously.

White Ape grinned, his eyes turning sinister. "Good! So it was a demonstration of power and provocation!"

He waved his hand and said, "Don't interfere with this matter. I know the assassin's background. He's just an ordinary youth from Mud Bottle Lane."

The young girl said softly, "Grandpa Ape, don't be careless."

Mount-Moving Ape hesitated, then stood up and instructed the Li family head, "Have the magistrate's office provide a household registry file at the Li family mansion. Thoroughly investigate that youth's ancestors for eighteen generations. As for the guards protecting this courtyard, prioritize quality over quantity!"

The old man subtly emphasized his tone and sneered, "Li Hong, I advise you to bring out your family's trump card stationed here. Don't underestimate this matter. If anything happens to my young miss here, even I, this old beast in your eyes, can't bear the responsibility. Can your Li family's branch afford it?"

The Li family head hurriedly bowed and apologized, terrified, "Ape Ancestor, you are flattering the Li family."

The Righteous Sun Mountain Guardian Ape fell into deep thought, muttering, "Is that Wind and Thunder Garden brat using this as an opportunity to provoke us? Or is it Magistrate Song Changjing's scheme?"

The old man finally shook his head, finding it absurd. "No matter who instigated him to come to his death, you should have found a better pawn. A little grasshopper with hardly any meat on its bones, not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth? Good, I was just worrying about not having a chance to kill. This is a good excuse. First, I'll kill that mud bumpkin from Mud Bottle Lane, then I'll take care of that Wind and Thunder Garden whelp."

The old man smiled at the young girl and said, "Young Miss, I will definitely clean up this mess for you this time. There will be no more accidents."

The young girl smiled brightly and raised her fist, cheering on the Righteous Sun Mountain Guardian Ape.

Before leaving, the old man looked at the Li family head, who said with a bitter smile, "I will go and invite the old ancestor to come out of seclusion and personally serve as Miss Tao's close guard."

The old man nodded and strode away.

The old man brazenly took the bait, heading directly to Mud Bottle Lane along the fishing line.

Making it clear that he had taken the bait, and the youth can come and kill him.

Outside of the town, the Righteous Sun Mountain Mount-Moving Ape would not have dared to be so arrogant, but in this place, all sorcery, divine powers, and magical treasures were forbidden, giving him a huge advantage. This was also why the Righteous Sun Mountain didn't send a Sword Immortal ancestor.

As the old ape walked along, nearing Mud Bottle Lane, he realized something. "Could the youth in the lane simply be seeking revenge for a friend?"

Before this, the old ape had been overthinking, imagining vast conspiracies with threads extending for thousands of miles. Now, suddenly realizing this possibility, he found it absurd.

The old ape laughed, quickly understanding the logic. "If that's the case, it makes sense. That's right, those who aren't cultivators aren't so afraid of death anyway, since their lives are cheap."

However, just to be cautious, the old ape still didn't swagger into Mud Bottle Lane from that end.

In any case, this trip would not be in vain. That Wind and Thunder Garden youngster would only live a little longer than the little mud leg from Mud Bottle Lane.

The old ape grinned.

Then his smile instantly froze.

In the dusk of Mud Bottle Lane, the narrow path was already dark and blurry.

The burly old man suddenly looked up.

A lean youth was somehow standing high above the lane, his feet braced in recently dug holes in the walls on either side, using them for leverage.

The youth carried a quiver of arrows on his back and held a drawn wooden bow, the arrow pointed directly at the old ape's eye.

The youth was completely silent, his bow drawn to its full extent, and even the slightest sound of his breathing seemed to have disappeared.

So much so that the Righteous Sun Mountain guardian ancestor only sensed the youth's presence above him through a keen sense of danger.

Without giving the old ape any more time to react.

The arrow shot out, whistling like the wind, with tremendous force and weight.After loosing the arrow, the youth wasted no time. With a swift movement, he slung the wooden bow across his shoulder, braced his feet against the walls of the alley, and propelled himself upwards to the rooftops, vanishing in a flash.

The old ape retracted the hand he'd used to shield his brow. An arrow was embedded in his palm, a shallow wound from which blood trickled.

A wave of fear washed over the old ape.

Had he been struck in the eye by that arrow at such close range in the town, it would have been a tragedy beyond words.

He casually snapped the arrow shaft, discarding the pieces in the Mud Jar Alley.

Clenching his fists, the old man gazed up at the sky above the alley, his face ashen. A low, guttural growl rumbled from his throat, the sound of an ancient beast consumed by rage.

With surprising agility, the old man scaled the walls and onto the rooftops. As soon as he emerged, a second arrow whistled towards him.

Prepared this time, the old man casually raised his arm, letting the arrow pierce his flesh slightly. He grinned, a predatory expression on his face, and charged forward.

The youth, having already retrieved his wooden bow, turned and fled.

A series of crashes echoed across the rooftops of the Mud Jar Alley.

The old man's stride was far longer than the youth's, and he rapidly closed the distance, soon to overtake the wiry figure.

With a burst of speed, the old man launched himself into the air, a massive hand, like a fan, reaching for the youth's head.

As if blessed with eyes in the back of his head, the youth twisted his torso at the last possible moment, contorting his body and leaping towards the rooftops on the opposite side of the alley.

He landed softly and continued his frantic run.

The old ape, equally nimble, changed direction and landed on the other side of the Mud Jar Alley roof.

The youth stopped abruptly.

The old ape realized something was wrong, but it was too late.

The roof beneath him, old and neglected, was uninhabited. It was in disrepair and could not withstand the weight of the old ape's two hundred plus pounds.

With a deafening crash, the old ape, along with a shower of tiles, plummeted into the house below.

He landed heavily, bracing himself with one hand. He twisted his head just in time to avoid a cleverly aimed arrow.

The arrow embedded itself in the ground.

It wasn't that the youth lacked strength, but that the old ape's hide was simply too tough.

Standing at the edge of the gaping hole in the roof, the youth expertly stowed his bow, raised his middle finger at the old ape, and cursed, "You old beast! Go screw your mother!"

The youth's expression twisted strangely. He slapped himself, muttering, "But that just means I'm the one who suffers!"

The old ape roared and surged to his feet, but the youth had already vanished.