Chapter 9: Carrying a Noob
Dong— Dong—
The morning bell resonated through Chang’an, and the familiar sound of students reciting lessons echoed from the study halls of the Imperial Academy.
Song Yufu, with slightly red-rimmed eyes, paced back and forth in the Wenqu Courtyard, clutching a book and reciting passages she had already memorized. The study hall was still sparsely populated, with most of the princes and noblemen dozing off. Only a handful of students were genuinely engaged in their studies.
Her father, Grand Tutor Song Baiqing, had long since given up on teaching these unmotivated youths. Even her gentle nature was wearing thin. She hadn’t slept well for the past few days, and whenever she felt a wave of drowsiness, she had to pinch herself to stay awake.
Recalling the events of the past few days, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.
That night at the Bell and Drum Tower, she had intended to teach Prince Xu about scholarly decorum. Instead, he had dangled her from the tower, leaving her traumatized for days.
Being forced to copy the “Xue Ji” was one thing, but after she had diligently transcribed the entire text in the freezing cold tower, Prince Xu, who had been sitting beside her drinking, had simply said:
“The handwriting is wrong. Copy my style and rewrite it.”
Wasn’t this bullying?
She had thrown down the brush in frustration, only to be dangled from the tower again…
Song Yufu’s face flushed with shame.
Later, as the hour of the rat approached and her wrist ached, Prince Xu had finally allowed her to leave. She had planned to stay far away from him, leaving him to finish the copying himself. But then he had said:
“Be here on time tomorrow night, or the whole Imperial Academy will know that you’re copying for me.”
Sigh…
As the legitimate son of a prince, he could disregard his reputation. But she came from a scholarly family, her father and brothers renowned Confucian scholars. She couldn’t let such a scandal spread. So she had no choice but to arrive at the Bell and Drum Tower promptly at dusk, copying until late at night.
After seven days, she was exhausted, while Prince Xu had spent the entire time drinking. The thought of it filled her with resentment…
Lost in her thoughts, Song Yufu suddenly overheard the whispers of a few princes:
“Xiao Ting, why aren’t you staring at Miss Song’s back anymore? You were so engrossed last time…”
Song Yufu snapped back to reality and frowned slightly. As they were all sons of princes and nobles, she couldn’t reprimand them directly. She decided to leave discreetly. But as she took a step, she heard Xiao Ting’s voice:
“Don’t be ridiculous. A gentleman doesn’t deceive in secret.”
“Tsk~ You know about ‘a gentleman doesn’t deceive in secret’? You were practically drooling last time. If Xu Buling hadn’t beaten you up, who knows what you would have done…”
“I, Xiao Ting, am not that kind of vulgar person…”
“Come on, none of us here are saints. Who are you trying to fool? Xu Buling isn’t here today. If you want to stare, just do it openly…”
“What if that lunatic suddenly returns…”
“Oh~ So Young Master Xiao is afraid of that…”
“Pfft— Get lost…”
“Hahaha…”
Hearing their conversation, Song Yufu froze, clutching her book.
Prince Xu… had beaten up Xiao Ting because of his disrespectful gaze?
Suddenly, it all made sense! Prince Xu wasn’t arrogant and unruly. He was a true gentleman who didn’t care for fame or recognition!
She remembered how she had scolded him that night for assaulting Xiao Ting without provocation…
Song Yufu paced back and forth, a wave of shame washing over her…
…
The warm winter sun shone on Zhuque Avenue, the street bustling with activity. Temples and Taoist shrines lined the road, incense smoke filling the air. Noblewomen in carriages and palanquins passed by, along with merchants and travelers from afar, enjoying the sights of the prosperous city.
Xu Buling rode his horse through Zhuque Avenue and arrived outside Yongning District just as the bell and drum tower signaled the time.
The third quarter of the hour of the dragon(7:00 AM to 9:00 AM), precisely on time.
“Xu Gongzi!”
As he reined in his horse, Zhu Manzhi rushed over with a cheerful greeting. She held a small pouch in her hand and said with a smile:
“Those three scoundrels from yesterday were repeat offenders who had injured many of our comrades. The authorities rewarded us with thirty taels of silver. This merit belongs to you, Xu Gongzi. Take it all.”
Xu Buling dismounted, but he didn’t reach for the pouch. He led his horse towards the street and glanced at her:
“What cases have you taken on?”
Zhu Manzhi’s eyes lit up. She quickly retrieved a small notebook from her clothes, flipped through a few pages, and pointed at a few lines of text:
“Thanks to your help, Xu Gongzi, I specifically chose a few difficult cases that no one else in the Earth Dog Battalion was willing to take. The rewards are quite substantial…”
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Have you had breakfast, Xu Gongzi?”
“…”
A short while later, they sat at a table outside a food stall, two bowls of steaming mutton soup placed before them.
Zhu Manzhi held her chopsticks and said generously:
“It’s my treat. Double portions of mutton. We can order more if it’s not enough.”
Xu Buling chuckled, placed his sword on the table, and began eating with gusto.
Zhu Manzhi sipped her soup, her eyes constantly glancing at Xu Buling. She seemed nervous and fidgeted slightly, her gaze eventually settling on his sword. She tried to make conversation:
“Xu Gongzi, what’s the name of your sword?”
“Zhaodan.”
“Zhaodan… I feel like I’ve heard that name before… My father also used a sword and even taught me a little, but he wasn’t very skilled. I only know one technique…”
“Really…”
They chatted idly.
As the sun rose higher, the street became crowded.
Two empty bowls sat on the table. Zhu Manzhi stood up, patted her stomach, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Seeing Xu Buling take a swig from his wine gourd, she chuckled:
“Xu Gongzi, drinking in the morning is bad for your health.”
“Not drinking will kill me.”
“Oh… So you’re a heavy drinker, Xu Gongzi. I also enjoy drinking. My favorite is the Jade Breaker from the Sun family’s shop in Daye District. It’s incredibly potent…”
Xu Buling led his horse through the crowded street and turned into an alley, a hint of exasperation in his voice:
“Miss Zhu, you talk a lot.”
“Really? I… I’ll be quiet then…”
“Let’s talk business.”
“Oh… There’s a man named Zheng Sandao in the West Market. He’s a local boss, and I heard he owns two gambling dens. But we don’t have any leads. He’s very cautious and always disappears whenever we send someone to investigate…”
…
“Candied hawthorns—”
“Coal for sale—”
“You bastard—”
The West Market of Chang’an was a bustling hub of activity, with shops, stalls, gambling dens, and theaters lining the streets.
Inside a courtyard, a clerk counted the money collected from the previous night’s gambling operations. Zheng Sandao sat at a table, wiping a worn blade with a white cloth. The blade bore the marks of time, having accompanied him throughout his years in the martial world.
The sounds of shouting and commotion came from the gambling den next door. Occasionally, a man who had lost everything, even his pants, would be thrown out, cursing and spitting as he left.
“You bunch of gambling addicts! If you could win, I’d be out of business!”
Zheng Sandao cursed, then paused in his cleaning. A servant rushed into the courtyard:
“Boss, there’s a Wolf Guard in the West Market, heading this way.”
“Just one?”
“There’s also a wealthy young man leading a very expensive horse. He doesn’t look like the type to cause trouble. Should we avoid them, Boss?”
“No need.”
As he spoke, a cold voice came from the courtyard entrance.
Zheng Sandao’s expression changed abruptly. He stood up, gripping the hilt of his blade, and looked towards the gate. A tall young man in white, carrying a long sword, strode into the courtyard.
A breathless female Wolf Guard followed behind him.
The thugs in the courtyard grabbed their clubs and surrounded them.
Zheng Sandao descended the steps, his eyes sharp as he assessed the situation. He reversed his grip on his blade and bowed:
“What brings you here, Young Master?”
Xu Buling continued walking, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
“Be careful!”
The courtyard erupted in chaos as the thugs raised their clubs.
Zheng Sandao assumed a fighting stance, his robes billowing, his aura turning menacing:
“Brother, don’t force our hand…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a metallic shing rang out as a blade flashed through the air.
Clang!
Zheng Sandao hastily raised his blade to block, but it was sliced clean in two.
Terror filled his eyes as he stumbled backward, but he couldn’t avoid the sword thrust towards his throat.
In that moment of life or death, Zhu Manzhi leaped forward and grabbed Xu Buling’s arm:
“Spare him!”
Xu Buling froze, the tip of his sword inches from Zheng Sandao’s throat. He frowned slightly:
“Miss Zhu, what are you doing?”
Zhu Manzhi, panting heavily, clung to Xu Buling’s arm, her face filled with distress:
“Xu Gongzi, his crime doesn’t warrant death. Why would you kill him?”
“Exactly!”
Zheng Sandao, pale with fear, collapsed onto the ground and stammered:
“I only stole Merchant Wang’s concubine. Killing is against the law…”
“…?”
Xu Buling was speechless. He took a deep breath, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave.
Zhu Manzhi panicked. She dragged Zheng Sandao to his feet and chased after Xu Buling, pleading:
“Xu Gongzi, please don’t be angry. Merchant Wang offered a reward of two hundred taels of silver for his capture. It’s a lot of money…”
Xu Buling glanced at her:
“I asked you to take on some major cases, and you wasted my entire morning leading me on a wild goose chase to arrest a petty adulterer? Seriously?”
Zhu Manzhi’s face fell, filled with remorse:
“I… I’m new here. I couldn’t get any major cases…”
Xu Buling thought for a moment, then said sternly:
“If you want to join the Heavenly Stem units, arresting these small-time crooks won’t be enough. You need to capture dangerous martial artists.”
Zhu Manzhi’s expression turned sullen, her voice tinged with grievance:
“Dangerous martial artists… We can’t find them in Chang’an City. The easy targets have already been apprehended by others. Unless we investigate ourselves, where will we find any major cases…”
Zheng Sandao, trembling with fear, interjected:
“Officers, I know a secret. It’s definitely a major case. Just please spare me and don’t take me to the authorities…”
Xu Buling’s eyes turned cold:
“Speak.”
Zheng Sandao hesitated, realizing he had no bargaining power. He confessed:
“There have been many gamblers disappearing in the city recently. The authorities haven’t done anything about it. I heard it might be related to the White Horse Manor outside the city…”
Xu Buling frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then glanced at Zheng Sandao:
“Get lost.”
“Thank you, Young Master!” Zheng Sandao’s face lit up with joy as he fled.
“Hey— Stop!”
Zhu Manzhi, who had finally caught a valuable target, panicked. She chased after him for a few steps, then glanced at Xu Buling, her voice weakening:
“That’s two hundred taels of silver… My salary for three years…”
Xu Buling whistled for his horse, mounted, and said:
“Investigate the White Horse Manor. And ask around at the Investigation Bureau if any notorious martial artists have entered the city recently… You have seven days. If you bring me another petty case next time, I’ll sell you to a brothel. I guarantee you’ll earn more money than you can imagine.”
Zhu Manzhi shuddered and replied weakly:
“Don’t be so mean. I’m a Wolf Guard. It’s against the law to sell me…”
“Killing isn’t against the law for me. What’s wrong with selling a person?”
“The Emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people…”
“I’m not the Emperor, and I’m not a commoner.”
“Oh… I understand.”
Zhu Manzhi lowered her head, watching as Xu Buling galloped away. She stuck out her tongue:
“He’s so arrogant…”
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