"My sister, how are you here? Where is the clerk Hu Shuo?"
I was suprised to find Chunu wearing the uniform of Yellow Rocks Mansion and sitting behind the counter. That was Hu Shuo's place.
Little Nu tried to maintain her business-like expression but she couldn't hide her disgust. She spat, "Him? Brother, you shouldn't associate yourself with such a dirty man."
'What just happened?' I asked myself, looking at the other clerks who didn't refute Chunu's claim. Actually, everyone who knew brother Hu had an expression showing disappointment and distaste.
Clerk Kang came towards me from the storeroom and handed me the dual swords that I'd asked Hu Shuo to keep yesterday. They were untouched until now. I took them and kept thinking why these people were acting like this at the mere mention of brother Hu.
Seeing my confused expression, Kang sighed and said, "Hu Shuo was fired from the job this morning. He was found on the streets, naked and lipsticked all over... clearly, he had gone to a broth... ahem- an indecent place."
I was shocked. Hu Shuo was a rank 4 practitioner. How did it come to this?
Clerk Kang wasn't finished, though. Leading me towards the counter for reasons I couldn't think of, he spilled more details about this hot news.
"Shuo and I were like brothers, I never had imagined that he was such a man..."
"A liar!" another clerk echoed while Chunu nodded.
"He was blaming you for his shameful deeds, brother. Telling that you were the one who led him to that place, he was trying to drag you down with him!" Sunlight shone on Chunu's furious face. It made her every word seem just - as if she was judging a lustful sinner.
For the practitioners entering and exiting the Yellow Rocks Mansion, THIS was a spicy topic for gossip. Higher ranking practitioners would ignore it but the low ranking practitioners, who were greater in number, would talk about this for days.
'Now, everyone in the town would hear of it...' I shuddered thinking what the rumours would do to fuel Hu Shuo's infamy. They would make him the number one enemy of all women.
I didn't stay in the lobby that had suddenly become more lively. Entering an empty dressing room, I intercrossed my two short swords and tied them on my back. I walked outside after donning my robes.
There were three days remaining for the fair to start. The merchant groups that Gang family traded with were coming either this evening or early morning tommorow.
I was going to meet Chunu after taking my swords from here, yet she was already here. It was a good thing she had gotten a job. That meant less time for cultivation, though. She was still at rank 4.
I came to the lobby and asked for a manual to learn basic fighting positions. I refused when Clerk Kang volunteered to guide me to the archives. I specially asked for the 'new sister Nia' to help me with it.
"Since when did you learn to use an alias?" Hands clasped behind my back, I asked Chunu. She was maturing slowly but surely... I could feel my parental instincts kicking in.
"I know not to give my true name to others, brother underestimates me too much." Firm, calm and collected was her reply. I didn't catch the playful and naive tone she had just a month ago.
Indeed, 108 droplets technique was shaping her personality. I decided to test her a little.
"So dear Chunu, have you found a suitor for yourself?"
There was a sudden disturbance in her graceful movements. She stopped before a silver plastered wall and faced me.
"Y-yes... but I don't know how to scam him," she said gravely.
My my, what an occasion it was! This little one had found a guy in just one day, I really was underestimating her up until now. A smile broke on my otherwise stoic face, showing my white teeth. It was wide and jovial; just like that of a teacher when he saw his student finally studying.
I patted Chunu and asked, "What's he lik- no first tell me, what's his background like?"
In this scam, I wasn't going to be involved directly. I would give her the guidance and she'd do all the work herself. No way she was going to grow up if I helped her in everything.
We entered the small archive of scrolls and there we sat on chairs, whispering to each other for nearly an hour. The plan had to be perfect or she'd put herself at risk.
"So you have to either seduce him or act like the hidden daughter of a powerful clan leader." It was after a long bout of whispers that we came to this conclusion.
I left the choice to Chunu, telling her that she didn't have to attempt it today. She had a deadline of ten days. During the first 3-4 days, she could learn some techniques from the scroll I had given her.
"Don't disappoint me, little sister." I left after saying that, keeping her thinking about this for sometime.
...
Leaving Yellow Rocks Mansion, I went straight to Gang family compounds. Telling Fu He to keep fresh water ready, I started training my body. In this heat, sweating would make me thirsty real quick. Keeping bamboo bottles full of purified ground water would save me from having my throat dry.
Silvery snake movement and Copper Pagoda Body, these two lame sounding techniques were the best I had for body tempering stage.
I'd have to reach qi gathering stage to cultivate the fanciest and most powerful techniques.
After rank 5, I had to focus more on my flesh and bones. It was necessary for me to eat more during this period. By more, I meant what five adult men ate daily. My tissues would repeatedly be damaged and healed, making them more stronger in the process.
Practicing my different stances, I didn't shout like others. Shouting was unnecessary, I would rather use that extra energy to practice more.
Even as streams of sweat ran down my forehead, I didn't stop. I was unfortunate to have descended on a desert and that was it, I couldn't make an excuse out of it.
I was going to train in some intense forms and movements tommorow. Instead of the hot day, I planned to train at night from now on.
Two hours passed and I had alternated to practicing silvery snake movement during this time. It would have been better if I had a partner to train with, but who would agree?
'This town is so small that it doesn't even have a fighting area.' I had thought of a few options but they weren't available to me now. As a rank 6 practitioner, only people like Gang Wei could be my training partner.
I shook my head and unsheathed my swords. It was time familiarize myself with some of the intermediate sword attacks I had in my mind.
It was late in the evening when I finally stopped today's training. I had rested for an hour during the middle because I couldn't handle the hot winds.
Fu He ran to fill the bath with cold water as I moved my lethargic body away from that large tree's shade. My sword was still stuck on its truck. I could see that someone had tried to pull it out.
'Probably the disciples here,' I thought, heading towards men's bath. I saw a few children of Gang family getting up from their sitting positions and going inside. They had been there when I was training, looking at me with curious and amazed gazes.
The sun had already set when I came out of the bathroom. There was an open bath as well but I didn't feel like sharing a bath with anyone today.
After I wore a new set of robes, I made my way towards my room. Fu He would bring me the dinner in a while, I also didn't feel like going to the dining hall today.
On my way, I found the servants lighting up lamps in the houses. However, I hadn't expected one of them to approach me.
"The Clan leader calls for you, master Benfang," he informed. There was only one reason why that old fogey would trouble me at this time.
'The merchants must have arrived,' I guessed.