Chapter 73

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The red lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, their flickering light casting shifting shadows as Lu Liangsheng and the Daoist stepped out of Zhang Manor’s courtyard and walked side by side along the quiet streets.

Bang bang…

Woof woof woof…

The distant sounds of the watchman’s clapper and barking dogs echoed through the silent alleys. Lu Liangsheng glanced at the night sky, where stars and the moon had been swallowed by clouds. Remembering the events at Zhang Manor, he sighed.

“Even though that fox demon gave up half her lifespan to restore Zhang Liancheng’s body, he doesn’t have the constitution for cultivation. When her cultivation dissipates in the future… he might only live a few more years.”

Sun Yingxian let out a dry chuckle and replied, “Well, that’s his own fault.” Then he fell silent.

The Daoist stared straight ahead at the street before them. After a while, he spoke again.

“If that fox demon, Yan Zhi, hadn’t stepped forward just now, would you really have sacrificed your own cultivation?”

“I knew you’d ask that.”

Lu Liangsheng smiled faintly and looked ahead as well, walking lightly with his hands clasped behind his back. “…To be honest, I’m not sure if I would have. At first, I was trying to provoke the fox demon into acting. Since she dared to take the risk of seeking help at the Zhou Manor, she must be someone who values loyalty and affection…”

The wind swept through the street, gently lifting the long hair draped over his shoulders.

The scholar’s voice was calm as he shook his head slightly.

“…But if she hadn’t stepped forward, perhaps I still would have saved Zhang Liancheng. If I hadn’t known about all this, it wouldn’t matter. But with the person lying there in front of me, doing nothing. Well, my conscience wouldn’t sit well with it.”

Beside him, Sun Yingxian rubbed his face vigorously, then turned to look at him.

“Your master was right—you’re just a soft-hearted fool. But…”

The Daoist reached out and hooked an arm around the scholar’s shoulder, chuckling mischievously. “But you’re the kind of person worth befriending.”

The two walked arm in arm, chatting and laughing loudly as they passed through the long street outside Zhang Manor. The sound of barking dogs continued unabated, echoing through the distant corners of the city.

Step…

Clop, clop, clop…

Lu Liangsheng furrowed his brows, pausing mid-conversation. His gaze shifted to the street ahead, where the sound of horse hooves echoed. A rider emerged from the thin mist, galloping swiftly toward them.

“Judging by the looks of it, Head Constable Zuo has returned from chasing those two fox demons. I wonder if he had any success.”

“No demonic aura around him—it seems he didn’t kill those foxes.”

Sun Yingxian remarked, pulling out a talisman and tossing it into the air. With a crackling sound, it ignited into a flame, illuminating the approaching figure.

Sure enough, it was Zuo Zhengyang. Reining in his horse, he dismounted and cupped his hands toward the pair. “It seems this Zuo missed out on the excitement of exorcising the fox demons.”

The four long blades at his back swayed as he hopped down, leading his horse to walk alongside Lu Liangsheng and Sun Yingxian. With a slight shake, he displayed a fox’s severed tail in his hand.

“I only managed to cut off one tail. Those two foxes were fast—ordinary horses can’t hope to catch them.”

The Daoist, walking near the edge of the street, spat on the ground.

“No surprise there. You think chasing foxes on horseback is as easy as pursuing this Daoist over mountains?”

Still holding onto that, huh… Lu Liangsheng chuckled as they approached an intersection. In the distance, faint voices carried through the night. On another street, late-night food stalls were still open, their steam wafting through the air, rich with enticing aromas.

“Head Constable Zuo, why not join us for a midnight snack?”

Zuo Zhengyang patted his stomach with a grin. “I could use some food.” He made a polite gesture, inviting them to lead the way.

The three of them headed to one of the stalls, where the late-night crowd was in full swing. The small tables and low stools were nearly all occupied. They managed to find a spot in the corner and sat down.

The stall owner, an elderly man busy fishing noodles out of a steaming pot, turned his head slightly to glance at the newcomers.

“Three gentlemen, I only have noodles here… Oh my, isn’t this Head Constable? The usual, I presume?”

Zuo Zhengyang nodded in response. “That’ll do!”

Turning back, he noticed the curious glances from the scholar and the Daoist. With a smile, he explained: “Sometimes, working late into the night, I come here for a bite. Otherwise, it’s hard to sleep. I’ve been here a few times, so the owner knows me. By the way, the noodles here with scallion pancakes are quite good—I’d recommend you try them.”

“Sure, same as you then!” Sun Yingxian replied without hesitation, gesturing for the old man to take their order.

Lu Liangsheng wasn’t particular and ordered a bowl of plain noodles, though he had the owner prepare two extra bowls to take away when they left.

In the bustling stall, the three refrained from discussing the fox demons openly. However, the conversation veered toward the topic of Lu Liangsheng nearly sacrificing his cultivation to save Zhang Liancheng. Zuo Zhengyang, like the Daoist, disapproved.

“Life and death are ruled by fate, especially when it’s of one’s own making. Why burden yourself with it? Besides, there are countless people in this world—can you save them all?”

At that moment, the old stall owner brought their bowls over and set them on the table.

“Enjoy your meal, gentlemen.”

After the owner walked away, Lu Liangsheng picked up his chopsticks, twirled some noodles, and blew on them to cool them down.

“That’s why I want to take the imperial examinations. Saving one person is saving a life, but saving thousands? That’s saving the world.”

He slurped the noodles, the sound mingling with the steam rising from the bowls. Zuo Zhengyang exhaled a breath of warm air and shook his head at the scholar.

“I’m afraid you’re aiming to be a saint… Don’t read too many moral classics, or your brain might just be damaged!”

Sun Yingxian raised his face and nodded in agreement.

“This time, I’m siding with Head Constable Zuo. Your esteemed mentor may be knowledgeable and full of grand philosophies, but if everyone were like him—no villains, no common folk—wouldn’t this world just become a blank sheet of paper?”

“My mentor merely teaches principles for living, nothing as exaggerated as you say.”

Lu Liangsheng didn’t take offense, knowing his own temperament well. Years of reading and studying had indeed softened him, but he saw it as a virtue rather than a flaw. He was content with who he was.

As for taking the imperial examinations and becoming an official, his hope was to govern a region someday where the impoverished could live better lives. He envisioned places like Lu Family Village growing more prosperous each year, sparing its people the hardship of living meal to meal.

Before long, they finished their midnight snack. When it came time to settle the bill, the old stall owner adamantly refused to take their money. Zuo Zhengyang also didn’t allow Lu Liangsheng to pay.

“What are you fussing about? I’ll settle the bill in a moment. Just grab your packed noodles and head back quickly, or they’ll go cold on the way.”

“Alright.”

Lu Liangsheng didn’t argue further. Picking up the two bowls of noodles wrapped in oilcloth, he clasped his hands in thanks and departed with the Daoist, heading toward the Zhou residence’s street.

As soon as the two had left, Zuo Zhengyang pulled out his coin pouch. It contained only a few scattered pieces of silver.

“Old Chen, five bowls of noodles—how much?”

“Forget it, forget it. Last time, Head Constable helped this old man out. This one’s on the house…”

The old man trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly letting out a surprised “Huh?” He quickly grabbed a small piece of silver from the edge of the soup pot and rubbed it between his fingers before looking up at the inspector.

“A whole tael! Head Constable, could it be one of your two friends…?”

The old man glanced toward the direction where the two had just departed. Hurriedly, he ran out of his stall, only to find the street ahead empty—there wasn’t even a shadow of the two figures.

“…Th-this… this…”

Clutching the piece of silver, his hands trembled as he turned back, struggling to form coherent words. He pointed toward the vacant street, his gray-streaked beard quivering violently.

“Head Constable… those two friends of yours… were they humans or ghosts?”

“Of course, they’re human.”

Zuo Zhengyang mounted his horse, tilting his chin toward the old man. “They’ve paid you, so keep it. And perhaps don’t spend it. Who knows, it might ward off evil spirits.”

Before the old man could respond, Zuo Zhengyang nudged his horse forward and rode off, leaving the stall owner standing there, dumbfounded.

Ward off evil?

Oh dear… those two must be extraordinary individuals.

Old Chen quickly turned toward the empty street, clasped the silver with both hands, and bowed deeply in the direction they had gone.

At the Zhou residence, the lanterns still burned brightly.

By the time Lu Liangsheng returned using the Shrinking Earth into Inches technique, the estate was tranquil, with hardly a sound to be heard. Occasional chirping from the grass hinted at the presence of insects.

The light in the side courtyard remained lit, where Nie Honglian sat at the doorway, waiting for his return.

“Young Master, why have you returned alone?”

“Sun Yingxian said he’s faster at climbing walls. Why, is he slower than me?” The scholar placed the packed food on the desk and unfolded the oiled paper wrapping.

“Here, have a taste—it’s quite good.”

Nie Honglian, pressing a hand to her abdomen, leaned closer. Inhaling the rising steam from the bowl of soup noodles, she took a gentle sip, her red lips parting slightly to reveal her white teeth.

With a playful smile, she looked at the scholar.

“It smells much better than incense.”

“From now on, whatever I eat, I’ll save you a portion.” Lu Liangsheng said with a laugh, tearing open the oiled paper covering the second bowl of noodles. His gaze swept the room.

“Where’s my master?”

At that moment, the Toad Daoist poked his head out from under the bed, his expression solemn. “What do you seek your master for?”

“I brought you a bowl of noodles…”

Before Lu Liangsheng could finish, the Toad Daoist’s stomach growled loudly. With an awkward scramble, he rolled out from under the bed and darted outside. After a while, he returned, looking somewhat flustered.

Meanwhile, outside the house, someone climbed down the courtyard wall… Then came Sun Yingxian’s exasperated curse:

“Who the hell left their crap here…”

The Toad Daoist, calmly chewing his noodles by the bowl, remained entirely unfazed.

Beside him, Nie Honglian covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Leaning closer to Lu Liangsheng, she whispered,

“Master Toad must’ve eaten something bad. He’s had stomach trouble all day.”

The Daoist, hopping and cursing, came stomping back under the eaves, angrily wiping his shoes before barging inside. He immediately began arguing loudly with the Toad Daoist, who leaped up and down in rebuttal. Lu Liangsheng hurried to step in, smiling as he tried to mediate.

The warm yellow glow of the lanterns cast short, shifting shadows on the latticed windows, spilling faintly into the courtyard.

The small side courtyard was lively and filled with a sense of warmth and camaraderie.