Early the next morning, several servant boys led horses over to the entrance of Wu Manor. The youths were about to embark on a long journey, so the mother remaining at home pulled her son and daughter aside, showering them with endless instructions.
"Yan'er, Nian'er, stay safe along the way. Don't act impulsively, and put on more clothes at night when it gets cold..."
"We know, Mother."
A middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes walked over to the Wu siblings. Wu Yang offered a few words of advice before letting the two depart.
"Do not cause trouble while you are away."
The brother and sister nodded in response.
Lin Yue swung herself onto her horse, cupped her hands toward the two standing below, and pulled the reins to ride away. The Fang siblings followed behind as the horses gradually drifted further into the crowd.
Not far behind, several guards dispatched by Wu Manor followed on horseback at a moderate distance.
Lin Yue led the way while the Fang and Wu siblings chattered behind her. Having been thoroughly outmatched by her for days on end, the four were now united in solidarity, discussing how to defeat her in their next spar.
They traveled like this for over half a month until they caught sight of majestic city walls in the distance. The figures of the soldiers standing atop the ramparts looked tiny; by comparison, the city walls appeared roughly fifteen zhang high.
Before even approaching, they saw the line of people waiting to enter the city. Looking ahead, the queue stretched for a full hundred zhang, featuring people on horseback, in silk-curtained carriages, accompanied by servants, or traveling alone. Perhaps because they had waited so long, some had even set up pots beside the line to cook meals.
Lin Yue glanced over several times but saw no sign of Hong Mei and her companion. Looking behind, another long section of the queue had formed in just a brief moment, so they had no choice but to wait in line to enter the city before searching for them.
The Martial Arts Convention was scheduled for late autumn in the ninth month, and it was currently late summer. Though the weather was not terribly hot, prolonged sun exposure could still easily cause heatstroke. Lin Yue dismounted and took shelter with the child in the shadow of her horse.
After queuing for two shichen, it was finally their turn to enter the city. The soldiers checked their household registries. Because the Martial Arts Convention drew a mixed bag of people, the authorities had imposed restrictions on out-of-towners entering the city, and Lin Yue had to pay one tael of silver before being allowed inside.
Having to pay a tael of silver every time one entered the city was not something just anyone could afford.
Once through the city gate, the view opened up to a broad street lined with rows of vendors constantly shouting their wares. Street performers put on acrobatics and tricks, drawing waves of cheers. Looking upward, pavilions and towers boasted hanging lanterns where scholars and beauties matched verses, wanderers of the jianghu leaned against railings to drink together, and actors sang amidst a blur of stringed and wind instruments.
Beneath the city gate, a green-robed youth led a horse, holding a little girl with twin hair knots in her arms. The horse's hooves went clop-clop-clop along the street as she led several youths of similar age into this vibrant portrait of a prosperous age.
Lin Yue walked forward, taking in the lively scene on both sides. The child in her arms blinked curious eyes, looking all around, while the two pairs of siblings led their horses into the crowd to watch the acrobatics.
The performer took a mouthful of liquor and sprayed it forcefully toward a torch, instantly raising a fiery dragon. The dragon was so huge it startled nearby onlookers into leaning back instinctively, before they paused for a breath and then clapped and cheered with excitement, tossing down copper coins.
Besides that, there were acts like crushing boulders on chests, piercing throats with silver spears, dipping bare hands into hot oil, and more. Among the onlookers were many martial artists of the jianghu; though everyone knew the tricks of the trade, they still shouted with excitement and marvel. There was no need to look too deeply into it—so long as it brought joy and atmosphere, it was worth it.
Lin Yue placed three copper coins into Chen Zhiyi's hand. The performer held up a bowl in front of the child with a grin, patiently waiting for the little one to drop the coins inside. After three clinking sounds echoed, the street performer grinned broadly.
"Many thanks, little customer! You'll surely grow up to be a pretty young lady!"
The performer gave a hearty laugh and resumed his acrobatic show.
After watching for a while, Lin Yue called the others to leave. They needed to rent a courtyard to stay in before nightfall.
Arriving at the southern city brokerage, they were shown several small courtyards by the broker, but ultimately found none to their satisfaction. They were either too small or too expensive; a small side room in the southern city cost at least ten taels a month without a courtyard, while one with a courtyard cost fifteen taels, and the courtyard was tiny.
After much searching, they pooled together thirty taels to rent a residence with a large courtyard. It happened to have five rooms; Lin Yue took the main room with Chen Zhiyi, setting up a small couch for him to sleep on as a bed.
The next day, they went out first to purchase household supplies. Eating out was too expensive, so they bought rice, flour, salt, and oil to cook for themselves.
Chen Zhiyi's uncle-in-law was named Gu He and lived in He'an Quarter. Lin Yue disguised herself and went out to gather information, as this matter was best handled sooner rather than later.
"The Gu He you speak of is the second concubine-born son of Marquis Kangjing, Vice Minister Gu of the Ministry of Works, isn't he?" asked a steamed bun vendor.
Lin Yue nodded, handing over one mace of silver. "Yes. A friend of mine mentioned she works in the marquis's manor, and now that I've come to the capital, I wanted to invite her for a gathering. Seeing that you're well-informed, brother, I came specifically to ask you about it."
The vendor tucked away the silver, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. He pointed in a direction. "Miss, it's right over there. Go past this street, and it's on the left. But there are many noble figures in the capital, so be careful not to offend any of them."
Lin Yue hurriedly thanked him. "Brother, do you happen to know what kind of person Vice Minister Gu is?"
The vendor chuckled and said, "That Vice Minister Gu is an upright and honest man who is held in high esteem at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."
"Is he married?" Seeing the vendor freeze for a moment, Lin Yue added, "My sister and I came to the capital to seek refuge with relatives, but something happened to them. We don't have much money left, so we're hoping to find work for ourselves."
"Oh." Realization dawned on the vendor. He had thought she was looking to become a concubine; with so many affairs concerning high officials and noble families in the capital, how could anyone keep track of them all? "That Vice Minister Gu is already married, reportedly to the daughter of a prefect. I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of Second Young Mistress Gu once. Virtuous, dignified, and elegant in manner, she has never been heard to mistreat servants."
"Look, that's her right there!"
The vendor gestured with his chin toward a direction. Lin Yue followed his gaze and saw a lady in luxurious garments step out of a sedan chair, walking toward a silk shop accompanied by servants and maidservants.
Lin Yue found a corner to keep watch. After waiting for nearly a shichen, the second young mistress finally stepped out, whereupon Lin Yue approached holding the jade pendant.
Noble ladies were not someone one could see at just any time, so she didn't care about secrecy anymore.
"May I ask, ma'am, are you the Second Young Mistress of the Marquis Kangjing Manor?"
The lady raised her delicate eyebrows slightly without speaking, while the maidservant beside her showed vigilance in her eyes. "Why are you looking for our young mistress?"
"A young lady asked me to give this jade pendant to you." Lin Yue took out a handkerchief wrapping the jade pendant and handed it to the maidservant.
Hearing this, the lady could not help but speak, her voice delicate and soft as melted butter. "Which family's young lady?"
Lin Yue merely chuckled softly. "That young lady said that you will know the moment you see it, ma'am."
Second Young Mistress Gu's gaze fell upon the handkerchief. She mentally went through all the young ladies she knew, but could not recall giving any of them a special gift.
Observing her mistress's expression, the maidservant accepted the jade pendant and opened the cloth. Second Young Mistress Gu looked down, her pupils instantly shrinking.
It was her elder brother's jade pendant...
Second Young Mistress Gu picked it up to inspect. There was no mistake; her elder brother had given it to her sister-in-law. According to their schedule, her sister-in-law should have reached the capital by now, yet no letter had arrived. An ill omen rose in her heart.
"This is a letter from that young lady, inviting you to a brief gathering, ma'am." Lin Yue handed her the pre-written note.
After reading the brief note, Second Young Mistress Gu pondered for a moment before saying solemnly, "Please tell that young lady that I will definitely attend."
Lin Yue nodded and left. She did not go far, instead hiding in the shadows, and only left after seeing the lady indeed enter the marquis's manor.
Finding no obvious issues for the time being, Lin Yue departed.
Upon returning to the rented courtyard, everyone was busy practicing martial arts.
After all, Chen Zhiyi was a small child who needed help from adults most of the time, and Lin Yue could not stay with him every single moment. As everyone living in the same courtyard grew familiar with one another, his true gender was eventually discovered when Fang Yu took him to relieve himself.
Fang Yu doubled over laughing as she pointed at Chen Zhiyi. Pouting his lips, Chen Zhiyi hid behind Lin Yue, his eyes red.
Lin Yue warned, "Stop laughing, he's about to cry."
"Hahaha, he's actually a boy! He looks just like a girl and is so shy too! If I hadn't seen it myself, I really wouldn't have known he was a boy..."
Hearing the commotion, the other three came out one after another to check things out, and upon learning the reason, they burst out laughing as well.
Fang Heng scooped up Chen Zhiyi from behind Lin Yue to verify, laughing, "He really is!"
"Waaah~"
Chen Zhiyi burst into tears, and even his crying was mercilessly mocked.
Lin Yue pulled him over, her face showing a touch of sternness. "You're going too far."
The four restrained their smiles. "Brother Lin, you couldn't be one too, right?"
The moment Fang Heng spoke, the others began scrutinizing Lin Yue.
After observing for a while, Fang Yu muttered softly, "The build is similar, but Southerners generally have smaller frames. Lin Ze looks around fifteen or sixteen, and judging by the voice, hasn't fully grown up yet."
Wu Yan said, "My father is a Southerner. When I accompanied him back to his hometown, I indeed saw men with builds similar to Brother Lin."
Fang Heng scratched his chin and said, "You can't tell from the demeanor, but Brother Lin usually never lets me touch him. If I try putting an arm around his shoulder, he slaps my hand away. Still, I've touched his hand before—if you say it's soft, it's not as soft as my sister's, but if you say it's firm, it's not as firm as mine..."
Lin Yue didn't bother paying attention to them, pulling Chen Zhiyi along as she turned to walk toward the main room.
"Hey! Hey! Brother Lin! Brother Lin!"
The Fang siblings dragged the other two over to block Lin Yue's path. Fang Heng wore an extraordinarily cheeky grin. "Brother Lin, can you give your big brother a hug?"
Lin Yue blinked, curling her lips into a smile. "Sure."
"Brother Lin, here comes your big brother!"
Fang Heng opened his arms and lunged forward, only to fly backward unexpectedly the very next second, landing with a heavy thud.
"Ouch~ My back, I hurt my back! Sister, quickly come help me up, I can't get up..."
Lin Yue withdrew her foot and stepped forward. The three timidly stepped aside to clear a path, watching dumbfounded as Lin Yue entered her room. Only then did Fang Yu snap out of it and dash toward Fang Heng.
"Brother! How are you, Brother? Can you get up on your own? Or should I help you go see a doctor..."
"Just help me up already!" Fang Heng snapped, exasperated.
The group fumbled around for a while before finally helping Fang Heng up. He supported his waist with his hand, gasped for breath for a moment, and said, "It's fine, it's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore. Feels like I just scraped some skin off, no big deal."
"Really?" Fang Yu didn't believe him, reaching out to pat his back.
"Hss~" Fang Heng sucked in a cold breath and dodged. "I told you I scraped skin off, and you still patted it? Are you doing this on purpose?"
"I'm not doing it on purpose," Fang Yu shook her head with a beaming smile, winking. "I'm doing it intentionally."
Fang Heng raised a hand making a gesture to strike, but Fang Yu immediately ran away giggling.
"How did I end up with a sister like you? Not caring in the slightest."
Over the next two days, the others kept scrutinizing Lin Yue intentionally or unintentionally. The Wu siblings were subtle about it, but Fang Heng, being a man of the jianghu, wasn't so refined or mannerly; his behavior carried a hint of rogueish mischief, even inviting her to go to the latrine together like brothers.
Seeing his rascal attitude, Lin Yue grabbed a staff and gave him a beating. Unable to win the fight, Fang Heng turned around and ran, fleeing from the front courtyard to the back. Executing a lightness technique, Lin Yue cut him off, blocking his path, and swung the long staff in her hand.
"I was wrong, Brother Lin! Don't hit me, Brother Lin..."
"Brother, run faster! Faster, or she'll catch up!"
The Wu siblings stood by watching the fun, while Fang Yu cheered on her getting-beaten brother. Seeing Lin Yue leap and flip through the air to land right in front of Fang Heng, Fang Yu stomped her feet and shouted in excitement.
After a game of cat-and-mouse, Fang Heng collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted and gasping for air, though his mouth remained stubborn.
"Brother Lin, are you a woman?"
Lin Yue put an end to the game. It wasn't an unspeakable secret anyway. "Traveling in women's clothing outside is inconvenient."
"What about the child?" asked Fang Yu.
"Boys get abducted easily."
Wu Nian looked at Chen Zhiyi. "He's even easier to get abducted like this." The others nodded in agreement; girls were actually easier to get abducted.
"Just address him as a girl like before..."
Lin Yue brushed it off, and the others pressed no further.
Returning to the room, Lin Yue informed Chen Zhiyi of the day's events. Knowing he would soon see his family, Chen Zhiyi felt a faint wave of excitement.
Lin Yue gave him a word of caution, telling him not to blab about them rescuing him, and Chen Zhiyi nodded repeatedly.
Time passed quickly. Lin Yue disguised herself and brought Chen Zhiyi to a private room.
She then handed him a letter, which succinctly explained the situation—that they had simply come across the child on the road and, possessing limited strength, had done their absolute utmost by saving him, so the family should not come looking for them.
Stepping out of the private room, she instructed the waiter to deliver the note to Second Young Mistress Gu, after which Lin Yue left the restaurant.
After waiting for a brief moment, she caught sight of the lady's figure. Keeping watch for nearly the time it took for an incense stick to burn, she finally saw Second Young Mistress Gu lead Chen Zhiyi, dressed in girl's clothing, onto the carriage.
Before stepping into the carriage, Chen Zhiyi looked around as if searching for someone, his eyes reddened as though he had been crying.
As the carriage drove off, Lin Yue let out a long sigh of relief. Chen Zhiyi's mother had instructed him to seek out his aunt, so this counted as a successful delivery.
The royal family and nobility of the capital provided plenty of gossip. On her way back, Lin Yue witnessed a major drama.
A princess draped in pearls and jade, looking grand and elegant, was catching her husband cheating in public, accompanied by over a dozen guards and maidservants.
The mistress looked delicate as a willow in the wind, weeping bitterly and declaring herself willing to serve as a maidservant if only she could attend to the imperial son-in-law. Heartbroken for her, the imperial son-in-law confronted the princess.
Lin Yue initially thought this was some brainless angst novel for female readers and was about to leave. However, the princess whispered something into the mistress's ear that turned her pale with fright. Trembling, the mistress walked over to the imperial son-in-law, raised her palm, and slapped him right across the face.
A sharp clack triggered a commotion among the crowd.
Held tight by the guards and unable to move, the imperial son-in-law bore dozens of slaps from the mistress. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, and his cheeks swelled beyond recognition.
Seeing this, the princess finally signaled her people to stop. Walking over, she pinched the imperial son-in-law's chin, her lips curling into an eerie, cold sneer.
"My dear husband, I know men always like to dally with flowers and grass. I won't stop you, but every time I catch you, I will have you beaten once."
The imperial son-in-law babbled incoherently, his eyes filled with hatred.
The princess's complexion visibly brightened, and she departed nonchalantly with her dozen guards and maidservants.
She left behind the injured imperial son-in-law, the weeping mistress, and the terrified onlookers.
Being a martial artist with sharp ears and clear vision, Lin Yue had naturally heard clearly what the princess had said to the mistress:
"Slap him for me. Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to ruin you and your family. Do you think my husband can protect you?"
It was exceedingly arrogant, but with the royal family being powerful, as the Eldest Princess, she possessed the right to be arrogant.
Lin Yue stood there listening to plenty of gossip about the Eldest Princess, only leaving at sunset.
On the fifth day, Fang Yu and Wu Nian woke up early to cook breakfast. The two older brothers sparred in the courtyard, while the clashing of weapons echoed from next door as well—everyone was preparing for the Martial Arts Convention a month away.
Lin Yue practiced Tai Chi nearby, her muscles and bones chiming in unison with the demeanor of a Martial Master taking shape. Afterward, she took a staff to spar with the four of them to gain experience.
The Martial Arts Convention was held twenty li outside the capital, which was also where registration took place. It took less than half a shichen on horseback to reach it. With five days left before registration closed, the group left through the city gate after breakfast. As the saying went, "literature for the poor, martial arts for the rich"; the line of people entering the city remained long, even larger than when they had first arrived.
They rode forward on horseback. Along the way were many weapon-toting knights-errant heading in the same direction, some grinning, others looking grim, representing all walks of life.
From afar, they saw a notice posted beside the registration area detailing the rules of the Martial Arts Tournament.
The tournament was divided into two formats: one was a inter-sect competition used to determine sect rankings, and the other was an arena challenge for independent wanderers of the jianghu, which sect disciples could also enter as individuals. There were ten arena stages in total. In the first round, if a stage champion held the stage for the time it took for an incense stick to burn, it counted as a successful defense, advancing them to the next round, with each person having only three chances to challenge.
The arena challenge for independent wanderers was relatively free in format, with the ultimate goal of selecting the strongest.
The arena rankings placed the top one hundred participants, with the top spot receiving one hundred thousand taels and a thousand-year lingzhi, while even the last spot received one hundred taels.
These were merely the overt benefits. If one performed brilliantly in the matches, it was highly likely they would earn the favor of certain influential figures, making a meteoric rise to success no mere dream.
There were two ways to register at the sign-up post: the first was paying a fee, which most people chose; the second was lifting a thousand-jin boulder, which required reaching at least the Second-Rate realm.
"Registration fee is one tael of silver."
"Name, sect affiliation, native place?"
"Lin Ze, Guiwu Sect, native of Yuanshan County, Qingzhou."
Hearing this, the official in charge of registration frowned and flipped through the sect name records.
"Try flipping from the back."
The official turned to the last page and finally found this obscure sect on the very last line. Having not seen them participate in the past several events, he had thought the sect had disbanded.
Lifting his head to look at the youth before him, he handed over a token bearing the logo of the Martial Arts Convention. "Young man, you are number five hundred thirty-three. Work hard, your prospects are boundless!"
"Thank you for your kind words."
"Next."
The two pairs of siblings registered as independent wanderers of the jianghu.
"Brother Lin, how come I've never heard you mention being a sect disciple? You're really keeping secrets from us," Fang Heng remarked.
Lin Yue smiled faintly. "Just a small sect, not worth mentioning."
Having practiced the Guiwu Technique for so long, she had to do something for the sect after all.
Upon returning to the city gate, Lin Yue spent money to post a notice at the gate, mainly indicating where to meet up with others. With so many people attending the Martial Arts Convention, it was easy to get separated and hard to reassemble, so there were many such notices posted there.
A month quickly passed, and the Martial Arts Convention began.
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