Chapter 17: A Flurry of Visitors, A Fearsome Aura
After seeing the old man off, peace returned to the courtyard.
Lin Tianlu was about to return to his study when he heard a knock on the door.
“Who is it?”
He quickly walked over and opened the gate, seeing a young man in white robes standing outside, his demeanor refined and scholarly.
“May I ask who you are?”
“My name is Hu Sheng. I’m just a humble scholar from East Street.”
Hu Sheng smiled gently and bowed. “I heard that you are a man of great talent, Mr. Lin, so I came to pay you a visit. Seeing you now, you are truly impressive. I’m humbled by your presence.”
“You flatter me, Mr. Hu. You are also a man of great talent.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and returned the bow.
They exchanged pleasantries at the gate for a while. Soon, the scholar bade farewell and left.
Lin Tianlu returned to the courtyard, carrying two scrolls of poetry.
Hua Shuya, who was practicing her swordsmanship, looked up in surprise. “Senior, that man at the gate…”
“He just came to visit and brought some gifts.” Lin Tianlu smiled, holding up the scrolls. “Perhaps scholars have a natural affinity for each other.”
Hua Shuya nodded slightly and closed her eyes, focusing on her practice again.
Knock, knock.
Another knock on the door.
Lin Tianlu let out a soft exclamation, quickly put down the scrolls, and hurried to the gate.
“Mr. Lin, I’ve heard so much about you!” A burly man with a thick beard boomed with laughter. “I’m Liu the Butcher from Wuyuan Village. I came here specifically to pay you a visit!”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you—”
…
A while later…
Lin Tianlu returned to the courtyard, carrying half a chicken.
Hua Shuya opened her eyes again, looking surprised. “Senior, that man was…”
“A butcher.”
Well… that sounded a bit ambiguous.
Lin Tianlu thought for a moment, then rephrased, “He’s a butcher who slaughters chickens and pigs. He said he wanted to share some good fortune and brought this chicken as a gift.”
“You’ve become quite famous in Changling County, Senior.” Hua Shuya chuckled softly.
She had learned about the ghostly incident last night, but unfortunately, she hadn’t witnessed Senior’s heroic actions firsthand.
“I wonder what kind of strange rumors are circulating about me.”
Lin Tianlu shook his head with a smile.
That butcher, Liu, had claimed that he had charged into the fire and torn the evil ghost apart with his bare hands, his righteous aura shaking the heavens…
As if the ghost was a roasted chicken.
Ready to be torn apart at a moment’s notice.
Knock, knock.
Another knock on the door.
Lin Tianlu sighed, put down the chicken, and went to greet the visitor.
“Mr. Lin, I’m a teacher from Zhou’an Village.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you…”
“Mr. Lin, I’m Wang Anqing from the next street.”
“Nice to meet you…”
…
A steady stream of visitors arrived, the courtyard bustling with activity.
Lin Tianlu’s face was starting to ache from smiling.
He hadn’t expected saving a few people would cause such a commotion in the town. It seemed the number of visitors wasn’t decreasing, but instead, a line was starting to form outside his gate.
“Mr. Lin, I’m from the county… uh?”
But as the middle-aged man approached and bowed, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, his forehead breaking out in a cold sweat.
Glancing to the side, he saw a beautiful woman practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard. Her azure blade flashed, the wind whistling around her. Just a glimpse of her sharp gaze sent a shiver down his spine, his face turning pale. He quickly abandoned his greeting and excused himself.
“Mr. Lin, it’s me, Dongbao!”
“Mr. Lin, I came here specifically… cough, cough, cough!”
“Mr. Lin, I… uh!”
“Mr… rua! Ugh!”
The number of visitors dwindled rapidly, and soon, the courtyard was quiet again. Only the last guest remained, covering his mouth as he stumbled away.
Lin Tianlu watched in bewilderment.
What was going on…
Was there a mass outbreak of some illness?
He turned to look at Hua Shuya, who was sitting calmly in the main hall, her hair neatly arranged. She tilted her head slightly. “Senior?”
“Miss Hua, do I smell bad?”
Hua Shuya shook her head quickly.
Lin Tianlu rubbed his chin, puzzled. “That’s strange. Why did that last visitor look like he was about to vomit?”
“…”
…
The moon shone brightly in the night sky, peeking through the clouds.
Lin Tianlu sat in the pavilion, sipping his tea leisurely.
It was a rare moment of peace and quiet, and he wanted to enjoy it.
But Hua Shuya, sitting opposite him, frowned, a worried look on her face as she pondered silently.
The source of her concern was the Go board on the stone table.
She held a black stone in her hand, contemplating her next move, but she couldn’t seem to place it.
Although they had only played a few moves, the stone felt incredibly heavy, as if it weighed a thousand pounds.
After a long silence, Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but ask,
“Miss Hua, you’ve been holding that stone for a while now. Are you going to make a move?”
“P-please wait a moment, Senior!” Hua Shuya’s face flushed red, her voice trembling with a mixture of embarrassment and urgency.
“I… I’ll find the right spot soon!”
Lin Tianlu was speechless.
There were only six stones on the board, three black and three white. Did she really need to think for so long?
Was she trying to invent some new, world-altering Go technique?
Seeing her struggling, Lin Tianlu sighed softly and pointed to the center of the board. “When in doubt, play the Tengen*.”
Hua Shuya’s eyes lit up, and she placed the black stone in the center, as if guided by an invisible force.
Lin Tianlu chuckled. “Finally, my turn.”
He picked up a white stone, about to place it.
But a soft gasp reached his ears. He looked up and was stunned to see the girl drenched in sweat, her clothes soaked as if she had just been pulled out of a well!
“Miss Hua, what’s wrong?”
“Your guidance has been incredibly enlightening, Senior!” Hua Shuya sighed deeply, as if expelling all the impurities from her body. She felt refreshed and invigorated, her mind clear and sharp.
The moment she had started playing this game, she had stopped seeing the courtyard.
Instead, she saw the galaxy Go board from Mount Taiyi, where the stones were living beings, and the board was the universe. Each move felt like a battle against the laws of heaven and earth, a test of her will and a refinement of her soul.
That was why just three black stones had completely exhausted her.
And that last move… she had racked her brains, exhausted all her effort, but couldn’t find a single opportunity. It was like an insurmountable mountain, blocked by countless obstacles.
But this Tengen move…
It was perfect.
Hua Shuya felt a sense of completion, a surge of energy that made her want to shout with joy.
But as she opened her mouth, she realized she was still sitting in front of Senior. She quickly closed her lips, suppressing her excitement.
“Miss Hua, why don’t you go and freshen up?”
Lin Tianlu averted his gaze and coughed lightly. “The night wind is cold. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Hua Shuya blinked, then looked down, as if realizing something. Her clothes were damp and translucent, her skin flushed, her slender waist accentuated by the faint outline of her undergarments.
“…”
She froze, her face turning crimson. She covered her chest with her sleeves and quickly stood up, fleeing as if embarrassed.
But as she reached the corner, she stopped and turned around, her voice soft. “Senior, I’ll go… take a bath and change my clothes.”
“Ahem! Go ahead.”
After she left, Lin Tianlu breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thankfully, this girl is gentle and well-mannered. If she had screamed, I would have been mortified.”
“Hahaha! Master, I’m back!”
A booming laugh suddenly echoed through the night.
Mo Hong leaped over the wall and landed gracefully in the courtyard, reaching the pavilion in just two steps.
“You’re a bit late, Sir.” Lin Tianlu stood up and bowed with a smile, his eyes gleaming.
His light footwork was truly impressive.
It seemed this “master”… was worthy of the title!
“You’re right to blame me, Master. I lost track of time. I wanted to seek your guidance, so I had to prepare some fine food and wine. I searched the entire Changling County before finding something suitable.” Mo Hong chuckled, placing the wine flask and the carved wooden box on the stone table.
“I’ve only been gone for a day, and there are already so many interesting rumors circulating. It seems that young lady has been portrayed as a fearsome tigress with strict family rules… Hmm?”
He suddenly let out a soft exclamation, his eyes widening as he looked at the Go board. “This game…”
Lin Tianlu chuckled. “I just played a few casual games with Miss Hua to pass the time.”
“This, this…”
The old man’s expression turned strange and grave, his face flickering. His breathing grew heavy.
Lin Tianlu quickly swept the stones off the board. “Don’t worry, Sir. It’s just a game played by a young man. Don’t take it seriously.”
But as the stones clattered onto the table, the old man’s eyes widened, his face flushing red.
He stared blankly for a moment, then collapsed onto a stool, muttering to himself, “How is this possible… how is this possible?!”
Seeing his sudden, strange behavior, Lin Tianlu’s heart sank.
Was this another patient with a hidden illness?
Why couldn’t he enjoy a peaceful game of Go? Why did everyone seem to relapse upon seeing the board?
Was he destined to develop a phobia of black and white stones?
But thankfully, the old man didn’t cough up blood or faint like Hua Shuya. After taking a few deep breaths, he gradually calmed down.
But his gaze towards Lin Tianlu was now filled with reverence.
“Your realm is truly beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, Master. This game… it’s truly extraordinary! I’ve never seen anything like it. That Hua girl is truly blessed to be able to discuss the Dao with you all night. It makes me envious.”
Indeed.
There was probably no one else in the world who would spend half an hour playing Gomoku.
Lin Tianlu was startled. “You know Miss Hua, Sir?”
“Hehe~ As a wandering cultivator, I’ve met many people. I recognize the Thirteen Forms of the Breaking Army Sword that the Hua girl uses.” The old man chuckled, stroking his beard. “But I never imagined that she would have mastered her family’s swordsmanship to such a level at such a young age. She’s probably as skilled as her father now.”
“The Hua family, are they famous?”
“Have you just arrived in the Fengchen Kingdom, Master?”
“Indeed, as you said, Sir, my encounter with Miss Hua was just a coincidence. She was the one who recommended I settle down in Changling County.”
“I see.” The old man nodded in understanding. “The head of the Hua family is Zhengyang* Wang, a powerful figure renowned throughout the Fengchen Kingdom. He has six sons, each one a skilled martial artist, all dragons and phoenixes among men. That Hua girl must be his granddaughter.”
Zhengyang Wang?
Quite a prestigious title.
Lin Tianlu took a sip of his tea.
No wonder this girl was so wealthy, buying two mansions without batting an eye.
“You seem to have known all along, Master?”
“I’m just not interested in royalty and nobility.” Lin Tianlu shrugged. “And Miss Hua never boasted about her background.”
“I’m the one being superficial then.”
Mo Hong chuckled and raised his wine cup. “My apologies, Master. Let me toast you.”
He downed the wine in one gulp, a smile appearing on his lips. But then, his face turned red, and he started coughing violently, clutching his mouth.
He had choked on the wine, clearly trying to speak too soon.
Lin Tianlu: “…”
This old man… was definitely not a martial arts master.
(T/N)
Tengen* : Origin of Heaven(1), center point on a Go board(2)
Zhengyang*: 正阳 in Chinese can be broken down and interpreted as follows:
- 正 (Zhèng): This character can mean “correct,” “upright,” “straight,” “positive,” or “main.”
- 阳 (Yáng): This character typically refers to the concept of “yang” in Chinese philosophy, representing the sun, masculinity, brightness, and positive energy.
So Zhengyang Wang(King) could be also: “The Sun-Bright Sovereign” , “King of Righteous Light” , etc . I will use the term ‘Zhengyang’ since it might be used in something later on.
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