Chapter 10: Exchanging Gifts, A Swordsmanship Challenge
“This won’t do.”
Mao Ruoyu sighed, her face pale and drawn, pressing her hand to her forehead.
“That scholar must be overflowing with Yang energy. If I continue like this, I’ll be the one who collapses from exhaustion. I need a new approach.”
Knock, knock.
Someone was knocking at the courtyard gate.
Mao Ruoyu quickly patted her cheeks to wake herself up and hurried to the door, smoothing her skirt.
“Who is it—”
As she opened the gate, the gentle smile on her face froze.
“Good morning, Madam Mao.”
Lin Tianlu, still in his clean white robe, greeted her with a cheerful smile and a bow. “I enjoyed the pastries you gifted me yesterday, Madam. They were cool, refreshing, soft, and delicious, truly the work of a master.
So I went to the market this morning and bought some household items as a return gift. It’s just a small gesture of neighborly goodwill.”
“Ah… Th-thank you!” Mao Ruoyu’s expression stiffened as she accepted the bags he handed her.
But the weight of the bags surprised her. “Sir, why are these so heavy? What’s inside…”
“I’m just a humble scholar, and I’m not very good at cooking.”
Lin Tianlu smiled. “I heard you have a child to care for, Madam. So I bought some food supplies and silk. You can make some new clothes for your child.
There are also a few books on the imperial examinations. They can start studying early. As the saying goes, ‘Five years of exams, three years of preparation.’ If I have time, I’ll even create some practice exams tailored specifically for your child, guaranteed to be top-notch quality, so challenging that your child will be begging for more!”
P-practice exams?!
Mao Ruoyu’s expression flickered, and she suppressed her surprise, shaking her head quickly. “This gift is too generous, Sir. You shouldn’t have…”
“Don’t worry about it!” Lin Tianlu waved his hand dismissively. “These are just material possessions. Please accept them, Madam.”
Seeing his insistence, Mao Ruoyu could only agree.
But after hesitating for a moment, she gritted her teeth. “Please wait here for a moment, Sir. I’ll prepare some pastries for you as a return gift. Otherwise, I’ll feel terrible!”
“Well… alright.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled and bowed. “Thank you for your trouble, Madam. But your pastries were truly delicious, worth a thousand gold to me.”
“You flatter me, Sir.”
Mao Ruoyu turned and headed towards the kitchen, carrying the silk.
A few minutes later, she returned with a delicate wooden box.
“Please accept this, Sir.”
“You’re quite fast at making pastries, Madam…”
“I just happened to make some extra this morning.” Mao Ruoyu smiled faintly. “I hope you like them.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and nodded. “Thank you for your effort, Madam. Then I’ll take my leave and go greet the other neighbors.”
“Of course, Sir. Please take care.”
…
As Lin Tianlu walked away, Mao Ruoyu’s smile faded, her face becoming expressionless as she closed the door.
“That guy…”
She took a deep breath and stomped her foot, her face flushed with frustration. “He actually thinks my Bewitching Pastries are just delicious desserts! He even said they were cool and refreshing… He ate them all last night. Why didn’t he just go to sleep?!”
“That damn scholar, talking about ‘five years of exams, three years of preparation.’ What kind of nonsense is that?!”
“Damn it, I doubled the dosage in those Bewitching Pastries this time. I refuse to believe he can stay awake!”
…
Lin Tianlu was in a good mood today.
After greeting all the neighbors, he returned home, feeling satisfied.
“It’s nice to talk to other people. It seems my mouth hasn’t gotten rusty after half a month of silence.”
There weren’t any strange people among his neighbors. Most of them were quite friendly.
The market was bustling with activity, the prices reasonable, and there was a wide variety of goods. Life here seemed quite convenient.
Wonderful.
Creak—
As he pushed open the courtyard gate, Lin Tianlu’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
A beautiful young woman was practicing swordsmanship, her movements graceful and fluid, her azure blade flashing like ripples of light in the sunlight.
It was Hua Shuya.
Unlike her sword dance on the mountain, she was now dressed in a light and comfortable outfit, her movements more agile and elegant. Her black hair and skirt billowed as she thrust and parried, the sound of her blade slicing through the air creating a captivating scene.
“Hoo—”
She finished her practice and exhaled, lowering her sword. A round of applause rang out.
“You’re practicing so early in the morning, Miss Hua. You’re truly diligent.”
“Senior!”
Hua Shuya turned around, a bright smile on her face. “You’re back!”
Lin Tianlu smiled. “Are you done with your work?”
“I’ve captured the thief and delivered him to the authorities.” Hua Shuya sheathed her sword and walked towards him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Senior, where did you go? The gate was only slightly ajar…”
“I went to visit a few neighbors.”
Lin Tianlu lifted the box of pastries in his hand. “One of the women is quite a skilled baker. You should try these pastries later.”
“Mm! If they’re worthy of your praise, Senior, they must be extraordinary!”
Hua Shuya smiled, her beauty radiant.
But she quickly noticed Lin Tianlu’s gaze lingering on her sword and asked in surprise, “Senior, are you interested in my sword?”
“Not particularly interested, just curious.” Lin Tianlu walked into the main hall and set the pastries down, turning to her. “After all, I’ve never touched a real sword before.”
“You’re too modest, Senior.”
Hua Shuya smiled sweetly and handed him her sword.
“Thank you.”
Lin Tianlu grasped the hilt and slowly drew the blade, examining its sharp edge, his eyes flickering.
It was a good sword, even he, a layman, could tell.
But holding it in his hand, he didn’t feel anything unusual.
Perhaps his spiritual energy wasn’t compatible with swords?
Hua Shuya’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Senior, could you give me some pointers on my swordsmanship?”
“Hmm?”
Lin Tianlu was stunned. “You want me to teach you?”
“Yes.” Hua Shuya nodded repeatedly, her expression serious. “You possess extraordinary power, Senior. Even if you’re not familiar with swordsmanship, your martial arts realm must be far above mine. Any guidance from you would be a great benefit to me!”
“I wouldn’t mind giving it a try. But—”
Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly, putting the sword down. He quickly walked out to the courtyard and picked up two branches from a flowerbed, breaking off the excess twigs and handing one to her.
“Let’s not use real swords. Since it’s just a friendly spar… branches will do. We wouldn’t want to accidentally injure each other.”
“You’re right, Senior.”
Hua Shuya took the branch and smiled faintly, her lips pursed.
She thought it was considerate of him to be so concerned about her safety.
But after taking a deep breath, her expression changed, becoming sharp and focused, her aura radiating power. Even though she was just holding a twig, she exuded an impressive presence.
Seeing her aura, Lin Tianlu’s heart sank. He had a feeling this wouldn’t end well.
Although he had defeated a wandering ghost on the mountain, he had relied on his spiritual energy. It might be effective against those sinister beings, but against ordinary humans… it was probably no different from ordinary internal energy?
Moreover, his current cultivation was weak, and he wasn’t sure how much spiritual energy he could control.
If he really fought Hua Shuya, a skilled swordswoman, he would be easily defeated.
Lin Tianlu awkwardly swung the branch a few times, trying to assume a defensive stance.
“…Let’s begin. Ahem… Miss Hua, please go easy on me.”
“Yes, Senior!”
Since Senior was going to hold back and show her mercy, she couldn’t appear timid!
She had to show him her true skills!
With a shout, she charged towards him, her aura surging, her body filled with power.
Lin Tianlu’s lips twitched, and he hurriedly tried to block her attack.
Snap!
Their branches clashed.
“Eh?”
Lin Tianlu’s expression froze.
Looking at the branch that had fallen to the ground, he was stunned.
It was Hua Shuya’s branch.
He quickly understood what had happened.
Then, he chuckled and bent down to pick up the branch.
“Your acting needs work, Miss Hua. If you want to amuse me, you should at least exchange a few more blows before dropping your branch.”
“I-I…”
Hua Shuya stammered, her body stiff, her expression complex.
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