Chapter Eight: Tai, What Manner of Fiend Are You?

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Lichen was deeply moved. He was an orphan—his parents had died in the chaos of war, and he had been rescued and adopted by a wandering hero. Since childhood, his master had only taught him martial arts, seldom imparting any wisdom about life itself. Thus, Jiang Lichen rose solemnly and bowed to Li Yi. “Thank you for your guidance, Brother Wenyong. I shall never forget your words!”

Li Yi hurriedly stood up to stop him, feeling most uncomfortable with such displays. “Come now, I told you—be a man, be open-minded. If what I said is useless, just take it as a joke; if it’s useful, there’s no need for such grand gestures. Among those who roam the martial world, a cupped fist in greeting is more than enough!”

“You truly are magnanimous, Brother Wenyong!”

Li Yi waved his hand, cutting off further formalities. “So, do you know what to do now?”

Jiang Lichen thought for a moment, then looked utterly defeated. “No, I don’t.”

Li Yi slapped his forehead in exasperation. “Damn! What a waste of emotion! After all I said, you still don’t get it. Listen, there are two things you must do: first, win the girl; second, make money.”

“Win the girl? Make money?”

“To put it plainly, start a family and build a career. As for starting a family, there’s no rush—these things take time. For now, just follow my lead. We’ll go repay the debt and thank her properly. If you leave a good impression, she’ll surely speak to you herself, and then you can interact more. If it works out, then you’ll need to earn enough to propose. If she remains distant, well, that’s up to you.”

Jiang Lichen pondered, then looked at Li Yi with sudden, earnest intensity. “Brother Wenyong, can I follow you?”

Li Yi was taken aback, then replied calmly, “Tell me your reason.”

“Brother Wenyong, though we’ve only just met, I can tell you are a man of great ability. Ever since my master left, I’ve wandered the world aimlessly, with no purpose or means to live, often not knowing where my next meal would come from. Until today, I thought such a life was not so bad—after all, I’m not a wealthy scion or nobleman. The poor should live as the poor do. But after hearing your words, I suddenly realized that power and position can be fought for. I don’t want to live out my days like this. I want to make money—lots of it—so I can marry her! I don’t know how, but I believe if I follow you, I’ll succeed.”

“Hmm, you’ve understood well. Though my words may sound grand, I’m only fifteen. Do you really trust me?”

“I’m almost twenty, yet I’ve accomplished nothing. Ability isn’t determined by age. Calling you ‘big brother,’ I do so willingly! I believe in you!”

“And if I fail?”

“No regrets, no complaints!”

“Good! Determination, courage, a future ahead—very good!”

Jiang Lichen, overwhelmed with emotion, grabbed Li Yi’s hand. “Brother, you’ve agreed!”

But Li Yi pulled his hand back with distaste. “I never said that.”

Jiang Lichen was stunned. “But you nodded—and asked me all these questions!”

Li Yi rolled his eyes. “Nonsense! You were so emotional, how could I not play along? You were singing my praises—why wouldn’t I listen?”

Jiang Lichen was left bewildered. “Brother, do you think little of me too?”

“Rubbish! If I looked down on you, would I have said all that?”

“Then why won’t you take me in?”

“Don’t talk nonsense about taking you in or not; it’s easily misunderstood. I’m not letting you follow me because... ah, forget it! The reason is, tomorrow I set out for Chang’an to fulfill my master’s command, while you need to win over that beauty here in Luoyang. I can’t help you with that. Of course, if you can convince her to go to Chang’an with you, then there’s no problem!”

“But...”

“No buts! If you keep ‘but’-ing, even the flowers will wilt. As the saying goes, when the old man pushes his cart to the mountain, a path will appear. Let’s go make ourselves known first. Tomorrow’s matters can wait till the day after. If we don’t hurry, someone will have me torn to pieces!” Li Yi suddenly remembered Li Xueyan; if he didn’t go soon, it would be the end of the world. Without further ado, he dragged Jiang Lichen downstairs.

At the entrance to Yibin Pavilion, Li Yi handed ten taels of silver to Jiang Lichen. “Take this. Watch me for cues later—I’ll help you find the right moment. Then you just step forward, repay the money, and thank her—don’t say a word more. If she asks you something, then talk to her; remember, not too close, not too distant. The rest, leave to me!”

“Brother, this is too much! And how can I take your money?”

“For all you know, you might belong to me in the future! Uh, no, damn, why do I keep saying the wrong thing? I’m off my game today. Didn’t you want to follow me? So just take the money—no need to fuss over what’s yours or mine! And as for whether it’s too much, let me tell you—you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing your child, and you can’t get a woman without spending some silver. Trust me!”

“But—”

“No buts! Remember, if you follow me, rule number one: only say ‘yes,’ never ‘but’! Now, chest out, stomach in, head high! That’s it—follow me! Heaven help me, if we don’t get in now, there really will be trouble!” Li Yi wiped his brow, then led Jiang Lichen into Yibin Pavilion, heading straight for the third floor.

As soon as they reached the third floor, a figure hurled herself at them. Li Yi squinted, then shouted, “Whoa! What sort of demon are you?”

“Brother Wenyong, what demon? It’s me! Really! I’ve been waiting ages for you, and the moment you arrive, I come to greet you, and you say something like that! Hmph!” The newcomer was none other than Li Xueyan, though the heavy Tang-style makeup had turned her beautiful face into something ghostly, so Li Yi hadn’t recognized her at first.

“Xueyan? What happened to you? I nearly didn’t recognize you! Tell me, who ruined your face? Tell your brother, and I’ll get even with them!” Seeing that Li Xueyan was truly angry, Li Yi quickly put on an act, pretending he was about to go fight for her. He was so convincing that Jiang Lichen actually drew his precious sword, ready to follow.

Li Xueyan’s anger vanished at once, and she hurriedly grabbed Li Yi. “Brother Wenyong, I’m fine—it’s just makeup, see?” She quickly wiped the makeup from her face with a handkerchief.

Seeing his plan had worked, Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief and shot Jiang Lichen a look, signaling him to put away his sword. He wiped away his sweat discreetly. “Ah, so that’s it. You know, your brother doesn’t meet many ladies, so I wouldn’t know. But that makeup is really awful—I much prefer you without it. You’re far prettier that way!”

Li Xueyan’s eyes lit up instantly. “Brother, do you really like me without makeup?”

“Ahem... Er, Xueyan, what happened to your hand?” Li Yi, wishing to change the subject, happened to notice her bandaged hand and asked immediately.

Li Xueyan was slightly displeased at the shift but cheered up upon seeing his concern. “Hmph! You’ve got a nerve asking. It’s your sword’s fault. I wanted to practice a bit this morning and thought I’d use the Ancient Ink Sword. But the moment I drew it, there was a flash of white light, and my hand ended up like this!”

“You mean the moment you drew the Ancient Ink Sword, your hand was injured? Was anyone else nearby?”

“No.”

“And the sword?”

“I left it in my room.”

“Hmm. Don’t touch it again—let me take care of it. My master always said, that sword brings disaster to anyone but me. Seems it’s true. Thank heavens you weren’t seriously hurt!”

“Brother Wenyong, have I caused trouble?” Seeing Li Yi’s grave expression, Li Xueyan grew anxious. She was sometimes willful, hoping for attention. Although life in the prince’s manor was filled with luxury, it was also lonely in ways others couldn’t see. That’s why Li Xueyan cared so much for those who showed her concern. From the first day she met Li Yi, she’d dared to be so familiar and at times a little willful, because she could see he was easy-going and indulgent. Lonely people often see into others’ hearts more clearly than most. But if she caused harm to Li Yi, that was never what she wanted.

Noticing her anxiety, Li Yi smiled gently and patted her head. “Of course not! Blame the sword. I’ll find you a better one in the future!”

“Hey! Don’t pat my head—I’m not a child anymore!”

Just then, another heavily made-up young woman approached with a laugh. “I knew it! Turn your back for a second and people vanish. So Brother Li is here!”

At the sound of her voice, Jiang Lichen grew tense. Li Yi turned to look and saw that the newcomer was none other than the beauty Jiang Lichen admired. Li Yi took a closer look—wasn’t that Li Zixuan? No wonder the figure seemed familiar. “Well, what do you know! He’s taken a fancy to Zixuan. She’s pretty enough, but her quiet personality isn’t my type. Still, she and Lichen really are well matched—there’s hope yet!”

Li Yi shot Jiang Lichen a look, telling him to stay calm. Remembering Li Yi’s advice, Jiang Lichen gradually composed himself.

Seeing this, Li Yi turned to greet Li Zixuan. “Zixuan, you’re here too. Where are your brothers?”

“My eldest and third brothers are back. They’re with the others now.” When she mentioned her third brother, Li Zixuan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Li Yi noticed but said nothing. “Come, Xueyan, Zixuan, let me introduce someone. This is my new sworn brother, Jiang Lichen. Lichen, this is Li Xueyan, and this is Li Zixuan.” Li Yi introduced them all with practiced ease.

Li Xueyan, hearing Jiang Lichen was Li Yi’s brother, immediately offered a smile. Li Yi noticed and nodded to himself. For someone of Li Xueyan’s status to smile at a commoner like Jiang Lichen was due both to her gentle nature and her regard for Li Yi.

Li Zixuan, however, was taken aback. “It’s you?”

“Yes, it’s me. Thank you, miss, for saving my life the other day. I am deeply grateful. Here are ten taels of silver—just a small token of my thanks. Please accept it,” Jiang Lichen replied, steady and dignified.

“Weren’t you broke? How do you have so much silver now?” Li Zixuan frowned, recalling that only a month ago, Jiang Lichen had been too poor to afford treatment for his injuries.