Chapter 175

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Seeing Zhang Xiaohua looking upset, Zhang Xiaohu turned to the guard and asked: “I can go in, right?”

The guard replied: “Of course, you can go in.”

Zhang Xiaohu then said to Zhang Xiaohua: “Xiaohua, wait here for a moment. I’ll go inside and find Captain He.”

But Zhang Xiaohua responded: “Forget it, Second Brother. If they won’t let me in, then I won’t go. The martial arts competition ends tomorrow anyway, and I’ll see them again when we return to Huanxi Villa. I just wanted to take a look at the Medicine Hall and see what their living conditions are like. Since they won’t let us in, we might as well head back.”

Zhang Xiaohu knew that his younger brother wanted to go inside, and he could see the disappointment in his eyes. After all, Zhang Xiaohua still had the heart of a young boy. The Medicine Hall wasn’t a particularly interesting place, but having come all this way only to be turned away made his curiosity even stronger.

Whether or not to go inside wasn’t the real issue. Zhang Xiaohu didn’t want to disappoint his brother. After all, he was a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect now, and on his own turf, he wanted to grant Zhang Xiaohua’s wish.

Smiling, Zhang Xiaohu patted Zhang Xiaohua’s shoulder and said: “Let me go in and find Captain He. You wait here by the door for a bit.”

Zhang Xiaohua opened his mouth, wanting to stop his brother, but Zhang Xiaohu didn’t say anything more. He turned and asked the guard where He Tianshu’s quarters were located, so Zhang Xiaohua could only scratch his head and obediently wait at the side.

The guard briefly explained the general location, and Zhang Xiaohu nodded back at Zhang Xiaohua before heading through the gate.

After Zhang Xiaohu had been inside for quite some time without returning, Zhang Xiaohua grew bored and began wandering aimlessly around the entrance of the Medicine Hall. By now, the sky had long since darkened, and even fewer people were entering or leaving the Medicine Hall.

As Zhang Xiaohua was pacing around, he noticed a middle-aged man approaching from a distance, heading toward the Medicine Hall. In the light of the lanterns, Zhang Xiaohua felt that the man looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place him. He didn’t think much of it, figuring he might just be mistaken—after all, he only knew a few people in the Piaomiao Sect.

The man also noticed Zhang Xiaohua. After all, with the gate area so empty, it was hard not to notice a lone youth wandering around aimlessly.

At first, the man glanced at Zhang Xiaohua and didn’t pay him much mind, continuing forward. But after a few steps, it seemed as though something had come to him, and he took another, longer look at Zhang Xiaohua. He muttered, “Hmm?” while furrowing his brows slightly. However, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t notice any of this, as he had already turned and wandered off in another direction. Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua didn’t approach to greet him, the man felt slightly irritated. By the time he reached the entrance, his expression had turned stern, and he scolded the guard: “What are you doing here? How could you allow idle people to loiter around the gate?”

“Idle people?” The guard was somewhat surprised and quickly craned his neck to look outside, seeing only a solitary figure wandering around.

The guard smiled apologetically and said: “Deacon Chang, that young man isn’t one of our Piaomiao Sect disciples, but he’s not an outsider either—he’s from Huanxi Villa. He’s not just some idle person.”

[TL_Note: It seems that Chang is a very popular name XD]

But hearing this only made Deacon Chang even more furious. He loudly scolded: “What? Who told you that people from Huanxi Villa aren’t outsiders? Are you saying that people from Huanxi Villa are Piaomiao Sect disciples?”

The guard was perplexed, not understanding what was wrong with what he said. From the instructions he had received, people with a Huanxi Villa identification token could enter Piaomiao Manor, though they couldn’t access the Medicine Hall. Moreover, what harm was there if the young man was just wandering outside the Medicine Hall? Could that mean he had malicious intent?

Even if there was malicious intent, the boy hadn’t done anything yet. What right did he have to drive him away?

Nevertheless, the guard carefully responded: “Deacon Chang, I don’t concern myself with whether people from Huanxi Villa are Piaomiao Sect members or not. My duty is to guard this gate and prevent unauthorized people from entering. As for who’s wandering or fighting outside the gate, that’s none of my concern.”

At that moment, Zhang Xiaohua happened to wander back to the gate and, seeing the middle-aged man arguing with the guard, became curious and approached them.

Deacon Chang, frustrated after being rebuffed, grew even angrier and shouted: “What? How dare you speak to me like this! You—you…”

The guard, now equally fired up, stepped forward and said: “What about me, Deacon Chang?”

Upon hearing the name “Deacon Chang”, a light went lit on in Zhang Xiaohua’s mind. He suddenly remembered—wasn’t this middle-aged man one of the inspectors who visited Huanxi Villa to check on the medicine fields last year?

Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. Smiling, he stepped forward, bowed, and said: “Uncle Master Chang, how are you? Do you remember me?”

Deacon Chang, full of pent-up anger with no outlet, was further enraged. Although the guard was just a gatekeeper, he wasn’t under the control of the Medicine Hall, and despite Deacon Chang’s higher position, he didn’t have the authority to order him around. Now, having lost face in front of the guard, Deacon Chang could only swallow his frustration. Zhang Xiaohua, however, had walked right into the line of fire. Deacon Chang shot Zhang Xiaohua a fierce glare and spat on the ground: “Who’s your Uncle Master? Why don’t you take a good look in the mirror, do you think you’ve earned the right to call me that? Go back to your dirt mounds at Huanxi Villa and tend to your fields. What are you doing here in Piaomiao Sect? Don’t you know this is no place for someone like you?”

After saying this, Deacon Chang flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

The guard, seeing this, shouted loudly: “Deacon Chang, how can you be so inconsiderate? Hasn’t Sect Master Ou always promoted the motto of cleanliness and hygiene? How can you spit on the ground like that? Be careful, or I’ll fine you some silver!”

Deacon Chang’s steps paused slightly but didn’t stop, and he continued walking away.

At the gate, only Zhang Xiaohua was left standing there, feeling utterly abandoned. Tears welled up in his eyes, almost spilling out. He truly didn’t understand how he had offended this so-called Uncle Master. He had only met him once at Huanxi Villa, and this was only the second time, where he simply came to greet him. How could he be treated like this? Could this be what people mean by the saying: pressing a warm face against a cold butt?

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s expression, the guard didn’t know how to comfort him. Deacon Chang was acting unusually today—he normally wasn’t like this. Why did he treat this boy so coldly? The argument between the guard and Deacon Chang had started because of Zhang Xiaohua, and there must have been something going on that the guard wasn’t aware of.

Leaving aside Zhang Xiaohua’s grievance for the moment, let’s talk about Zhang Xiaohu, who had entered the Medicine Hall. Inside, the layout was different from Young Eagle Hall. Instead of a large square upon entering, there was a screen wall adorned with carvings of birds, flowers, insects, and fish. After passing the screen wall, Zhang Xiaohu found himself in a spacious area filled with ancient trees, each one too large for a single person to wrap their arms around. In the night, the wind blew through the leaves, creating a rustling sound. The gaps between the trees were wide, and there were paved paths that allowed passage through them. Following the directions given by the guard, Zhang Xiaohu walked deeper into the hall.

After walking for a while, the surroundings became even quieter. In the darkness, he could vaguely make out the silhouette of mountain peaks. Suddenly, it dawned on him—no wonder the journey had been so long; the Medicine Hall was built against the mountain at the back of the manor. Just then, someone approached from ahead, and Zhang Xiaohu took the opportunity to confirm He Tianshu’s location again.

The person smiled upon hearing that he was looking for He Tianshu and said: “It’s not the best time to go to his room right now. He passed the martial arts competition today and is currently in the training room.”

Zhang Xiaohu, hearing this, quickly asked for directions to the training room. The person thought for a moment and said: “The training room is still a bit of a distance from here. Our Medicine Hall is built into the mountainside, and the path can be tricky to navigate. I’d better take you there myself.”

Zhang Xiaohu gratefully thanked him repeatedly.

The training room was indeed not close by, with many twists and turns along the way. They walked quite a distance, and the key was that the Medicine Hall, built into the mountainside, didn’t have straightforward or flat roads. If Zhang Xiaohu had tried to find it on his own, it would have been quite difficult.

As they walked, the two engaged in casual conversation, and Zhang Xiaohu, curious, asked: “Why is He Tianshu still in the training room this late?”

The man smiled and said: “It’s all because of the martial arts competition. He Tianshu hasn’t advanced in years and hasn’t fared well in the Medicine Hall. That’s why he was sent to Huanxi Villa to guard the medicine fields. But somehow, he picked up the Piaomiao Steps, and this time, he advanced two levels in a row. This morning, he even knocked Chang Biao off the platform! Chang Biao joined Piaomiao Sect at the same time as He Tianshu, and the two have always been rivals, competing openly and secretly. He Tianshu has never had the upper hand. Chang Biao is now a Deacon, while He Tianshu is still just a Captain. So, after He Tianshu won today’s match, some of the dissatisfied senior brothers dragged him to the training room, wanting to spar with him properly.”

“Piaomiao Steps?” Zhang Xiaohu’s heart stirred. Could it be that the footwork Zhang Xiaohua used so effectively during the day was the Piaomiao Steps? It seemed likely. Since his brother spent so much time with He Tianshu, it was probably He Tianshu who taught him.

Sure enough, when they arrived at the training room, it was still bustling with noise, a stark contrast to its usual quiet. From inside came the sound of He Tianshu’s somewhat cocky, yet hearty, laughter.

It seemed He Tianshu had won quite a few matches today.

When they entered, they saw many people standing in the open area of the training room. Two people were in the middle of a match, and the outcome had already been decided. One of them was He Tianshu, while the other was a slightly younger man who was just getting up from the ground. The younger man laughed and cursed: “Old He, I told you to go easy on me. Why’d you still knock me down?”

He Tianshu laughed and said: “Come on, I’m just getting the hang of it. I couldn’t control my movements yet. Besides, you’ve thrown me to the ground plenty of times in the past. Today, I’m just getting a bit of payback.”

The other man clicked his tongue ‘tsk tsk’, and praised: “These Piaomiao Steps are really amazing. You weren’t my match before, but now it’s the other way around. As the saying goes, ‘After three days apart, you should look at a man with fresh eyes’. That definitely applies to you.”

He Tianshu cupped his hands and replied: “Just so-so. I’ve only just started learning, and I’m still far behind the direct disciples.”

As he spoke, he noticed Zhang Xiaohu entering with the man. He Tianshu was taken aback and quickly walked out from the training area, asking in surprise: “Zhang Xiaohu, are you here to find me?”

Zhang Xiaohu saluted and said: “Yes, Captain He, I brought Xiaohua to come see you.”

“Zhang Xiaohua? Where is he?” He Tianshu looked behind him.

Zhang Xiaohu replied: “No need to look for him. He couldn’t get in, so he’s still waiting at the gate for you.”

He Tianshu suddenly understood and slapped his forehead. Turning back to the others, he said: “Brothers, a friend has come to see me, so let’s call it a day. We can spar again another time.”

Hearing this, the group quickly dispersed.

Zhang Xiaohu smiled and said to He Tianshu: “Captain He, looks like you’re having your moment of glory.”

He Tianshu grinned sheepishly and said: “It’s nothing, really. They just saw me win against Senior Brother Chang this morning and got curious, so they insisted on pulling me into sparring. I had no choice.”

Zhang Xiaohu said: “We’d better head out quickly. I’m sure Xiaohua’s been waiting at the gate for a while now.”

Hearing this, He Tianshu hurried to follow him out. When they reached the bend in the path, He Tianshu suddenly stopped and said: “If I go over now, I’ll just meet Xiaohua briefly, and he still can’t come in. How about this—why don’t you come with me to see the Hall Master? We can ask for a token to let Xiaohua come in and have a look at the Medicine Hall.”

Zhang Xiaohu hesitated and said: “Won’t that take too long? Xiaohua’s been waiting outside for quite some time already.”

He Tianshu tugged on his sleeve and said: “Come on, don’t I know your brother? He’s eager to see the Medicine Hall, curious about how we grow medicinal herbs. Otherwise, why would he have gone out of his way to come see me? Besides, the martial arts competition only lasts a few days. Can’t he see me back at Huanxi Villa anyway?”

Zhang Xiaohu chuckled but didn’t reply. He simply followed He Tianshu in another direction.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a large courtyard, where disciples were stationed as guards at the entrance. He Tianshu stepped forward and asked in a low voice: “Is the Hall Master inside?”

The disciple quickly bowed and said: “Uncle Master He, the Hall Master is indeed inside, along with the elders. Oh, and Deacon Chang just went in as well.”

As he spoke, a hint of a smile appeared on his lips.

He Tianshu smacked the disciple on the head and said: “You rascal, what’s so funny? Stop spreading nonsense behind people’s backs.”

The disciple rubbed his head and said: “Uncle Master He, I didn’t say anything. But, honestly, you had such a satisfying win this morning—we’re all happy for you.”

He Tianshu said: “You bunch of troublemakers, always eager to stir things up.” Although his tone had a hint of reproach, his face showed some satisfaction.

With that, he led Zhang Xiaohu into the courtyard.

Before He Tianshu and Zhang Xiaohu had even reached the main hall, they heard Deacon Chang’s voice from inside: “Hall Master, don’t you think I’m right? What’s that Xiaohua anyway? He’s just a little servant from Huanxi Villa, and yet he’s wandering around our Piaomiao Sect just by relying on his reputation in Huanxi Villa. Why is he loitering around the gate of our Medicine Hall? Of all the places he could go, why here? Isn’t it suspicious? Our Medicine Hall is an important part of the sect. If he steals something, how would we explain it to the higher-ups? I saw him sneaking around the gate and wanted to have the guards chase him off, but the guard actually spoke up for him. Isn’t this a clear case of collusion? Hall Master, you need to be cautious. You should replace that guard immediately.”

Hearing these words, Zhang Xiaohu’s anger flared up. Who is this Deacon Chang, and how dare he speak about my brother like that? Without thinking, Zhang Xiaohu quickened his pace, but He Tianshu quickly grabbed his sleeve and whispered: “Don’t rush. Follow my lead.”

Zhang Xiaohu glanced at He Tianshu, who was also visibly angry, and reluctantly nodded.

He Tianshu led Zhang Xiaohu to the entrance of the main hall, but they didn’t barge in. Instead, they stood quietly at the door.

Inside, the Medicine Hall’s Hall Master Bai was sitting leisurely in the main chair, sipping tea, while Elder He, a white-haired man, sat beside him. Deacon Chang was standing in the middle of the hall, gesticulating as he spoke.

Deacon Chang continued: “That Zhang Xiaohua has always been hanging around with He Tianshu at Huanxi Villa. Who knows what he’s been doing there? He can’t even get herb seeds to sprout. And He Tianshu, too, seems to be shielding him. He even wanted to let that boy access the Medicine Hall’s library. Does he not think? A mere servant boy dreaming of sneaking his way into the Medicine Hall. Has he even looked at his own qualifications?”

As he spoke, Hall Master Bai raised his eyes and saw He Tianshu entering. Setting down his teacup, he smiled and said: “He Tianshu, what brings you here? Weren’t you surrounded by those juniors for sparring?”

Hearing this, Deacon Chang quickly stopped talking and turned around. He saw He Tianshu and Zhang Xiaohu both glaring at him intensely, which made him a bit uneasy. Muttering to himself, he said: “He Tianshu, I wasn’t talking about you. I was just talking about that servant boy from Huanxi Villa.”

He Tianshu ignored him and stepped forward to greet Hall Master Bai and Elder He. Zhang Xiaohu quickly followed suit, saying: “Junior Zhang Xiaohu greets Hall Master Bai and Elder He.”

In truth, Zhang Xiaohu didn’t know exactly how to address the two men in the hall, so he simply referred to himself as “junior”-

Hall Master Bai had seen Zhang Xiaohu back when he joined the Piaomiao Sect at the Council Hall and knew he was Wen Wenhai’s disciple. Elder He had also been present at Zhang Xiaohu’s apprenticeship ceremony, so they were both aware of Zhang Xiaohu’s identity. Not wanting to be disrespectful, they both slightly inclined their heads in return and invited Zhang Xiaohu to sit in the chair beside them.

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaohu’s name, Deacon Chang’s heart sank: “Could this Zhang Xiaohu be related to Zhang Xiaohua?”

But then he quickly reassured himself: “The Medicine Hall is strictly off-limits to anyone who isn’t a disciple of the Medicine Hall or a core disciple. This person isn’t from the Medicine Hall, so he must be a core disciple. And if he’s a core disciple, there’s no way he could be associated with a servant boy from Huanxi Villa.”

With that thought, he relaxed.

He Tianshu stood next to Deacon Chang but paid him no attention. Instead, he addressed Hall Master Bai: “Hall Master, I have a friend who would like to visit the Medicine Hall. You’ve met him before—it’s Zhang Xiaohua from Huanxi Villa. Would it be possible to get a token so he can come in for a visit?”

As soon as Chang Biao heard this, he immediately objected: “Junior Brother He, this Xiaohua is just a servant from Huanxi Villa. Even though he’s close to you at the villa, our Medicine Hall is an important place in the sect. How can we casually let him in? If something happens, can you take responsibility for it?”

He Tianshu smiled at him and said: “Senior Brother Chang, let’s not talk about Zhang Xiaohua’s status, and let’s set aside whether or not he’s a servant at Huanxi Villa. I just want to ask one thing—on what grounds are you saying he has ill intentions and plans to sneak into the Medicine Hall to do something shady?”

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