Chang Jingyun was poring over ancient texts within the Morning Breeze Garden. The collection was vast, comprising not only martial arts manuals but also many books on cultivating the mind and spirit, all left behind by Zhuge Wu. Zhuge Wu, one of the six disciples of Song Qianfeng, was also his most beloved. The remaining five were Lin Zhongyi, Qi Zeng, Song Li, Qin Yin, and Nie Wan.
Zhuge Wu, known for his independence and brilliance, was a prodigy in martial arts, disliking conformity and refusing to practice the ancestral "Mu Cang Sword Technique" passed down through the generations of Mu Sword Manor. Instead, he created his own martial art, named "Windwalking Eight Forms." This art started with "Eastern Wind in Rhythm" and ended with "Western Wind Veiling the Moon." Its unpredictability made it difficult for most to comprehend, and even Song Qianfeng himself had praised it. Unfortunately, after Song Qianfeng's death, Mu Sword Manor splintered, dividing into what are now six separate manors. Song Li, Song Qianfeng's son, was the most loyal of the six disciples, staying true to Mu Sword Manor's legacy. He vowed to restore its former glory, but his limited talents prevented him from achieving much. In his twilight years, he passed the manor's leadership to his only son, Song Yuanmo, hoping he would fulfill his unfinished ambitions.
A series of hesitant knocks came from the door. Chang Jingyun responded, "Come in!"
A disciple entered, bowing respectfully. "Master, Manor Lord Duan of Xuanjian Manor has important matters to attend to and will not be accompanying you to Taiyuan."
"I understand. You may go now."
After organizing the books on the shelf, Chang Jingyun packed a few essentials, selected a swift horse, and set off. Wind Manor was located in Wind Valley within Misty Mountain, right on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. He calculated that a fast ride from Wind Valley to Taiyuan would take about fifteen days, and since there were still twenty days until Xiao Qing's wedding, time was on his side.
Five days later, Chang Jingyun arrived in the Xuzhou region, choosing to lodge at the Baofu Inn that evening. Though called an inn, Baofu was a well-known hub of information, established by Huang Xiaojun, the seventh-generation leader of the Hundred Questions Sect. All the intelligence gathered by the sect flowed through Baofu Inn. It was this reliable source of information that had allowed the sect to grow and secure a position in the martial world. Chang Jingyun chose to stay here both to rest and to gather news about recent developments in the jianghu.
As he dismounted in front of Baofu Inn, he noticed a group of beggars fighting over something nearby. He had little interest in their squabbles until one small beggar caught his eye. The boy, around seven years old, sat by a wall, clad in tattered clothes and gaunt from hunger. While the other beggars fought fiercely, the boy remained indifferent, lost in his own thoughts.
Intrigued, Chang Jingyun approached and placed a silver ingot in the boy's bowl. As he was about to turn away, the beggar boy grabbed his sleeve.
"Kind sir, you've dropped your silver."
Chang Jingyun smiled gently. "The silver is for you. I didn't drop it."
"I can't accept this silver."
"Why not?"
The boy pointed to the fighting beggars. "They're fighting over silver. Earlier, another kind person gave me a silver ingot, but they saw it and stole it from me. Now they're fighting over it."
Chang Jingyun sighed as he watched the beggars brawl, then turned to the boy. "Why are you begging here? Where are your family?"
The boy shook his head in silence.
"Never mind," Chang Jingyun said softly. "Since you won't take the silver, let me at least buy you a meal. Would that be alright?"
The boy nodded. Chang Jingyun led him into Baofu Inn. The waiter greeted them warmly, "What would you like to eat, sir?"
"Bring us some of Xuzhou's finest dishes."
"Right away, sir. Please, wait a moment."
True to its reputation, Baofu Inn served food quickly. Once the dishes arrived, Chang Jingyun said to the boy, "Go ahead, eat."
The boy immediately began devouring the food, causing a pang of sorrow in Chang Jingyun's heart. At such a tender age, the boy had neither parents nor siblings, forced to wander the world alone, enduring untold hardships. With that thought, Chang Jingyun placed more meat in the boy's bowl, gently reminding him to eat slowly. He poured the boy a cup of water and, after a pause, began eating himself.
The boy looked up at Chang Jingyun. "Big brother, why are you still wearing your hat inside the room?"
Chang Jingyun replied quietly, "So that no one will recognize me."
The boy nodded and, with a smile, pressed a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence.
At that moment, a woman dressed in red descended from the second floor. The little beggar tugged at Chang Jingyun's sleeve and whispered, "Big brother, it was that lady who gave me the silver earlier."
Chang Jingyun turned around, surprised. He quickly averted his gaze—realizing it was Meng Huan Tan who had given the silver to the beggar. He thought to himself, "Why is she here? Could she be gathering information?" Still in shock, he adjusted his hat slightly lower.
After Meng Huan Tan left the inn, Chang Jingyun asked, "Little brother, do you know when that lady arrived here?"
The beggar replied, "During the afternoon."
"Are you certain it was then?"
The boy nodded and continued, "Big brother, you and I entered at dusk. While we were eating, thirty-nine people came and went—seventeen left, and twenty-two entered. Of those who came in, nine went upstairs to rest, while the rest stayed downstairs to dine."
Chang Jingyun was astonished by the boy's extraordinary observational skills. He thought, "This child, at such a young age, has an astonishing ability to observe and recall. If he were taught martial arts, he would surely make an exceptional disciple." Yet, he reconsidered, "I am on my way to attend my junior sister Xiao Qing's wedding. Bringing a child along would be inconvenient. Perhaps now is not the time."
The little beggar said, "Big brother, I'm full. Thank you for the meal. My grandfather always said that even a drop of kindness must be repaid with a torrent of gratitude. I will remember your kindness. If you ever need anything, you can find me at Gourd Temple on the outskirts of the city."
Curious, Chang Jingyun asked, "What is Gourd Temple?"
"That's where the beggars live. I used to stay there with my grandfather, but he fell ill and passed away. Now, I'm there alone."
Hearing the boy's words, Chang Jingyun felt even more pity for him and said, "Why don't you stay at the inn tonight? How about big brother treats you to a night's rest here?"
The little beggar shook his head. "Thank you, big brother, for your kindness. But I can't accept. You've already bought me a meal, and I haven't repaid that kindness yet. I can't take more from you."
Chang Jingyun replied, "It's alright. I didn't help you expecting anything in return."
The boy's bright eyes twinkled as he said, "Then let me do something for you in return!"
Chang Jingyun laughed. "Little brother, there's nothing I need help with. Just rest well tonight at the inn."
The beggar said, "Big brother, you seemed quite concerned about the lady in red. I'll keep watch across the street. If she returns, I'll come tell you."
Chang Jingyun thought, "Even my slightest movements didn't escape this seven-year-old child's notice. At such a tender age, he's already so keen and perceptive—whether that's a blessing or a curse, I do not know." He then said, "But what if that lady doesn't come back tonight? Would you stand outside the inn all night?"
The boy replied confidently, "She will return. She came by horse, and her horse hasn't been taken away yet. She's only out for a short while; she'll be back soon."
Chang Jingyun smiled. "Alright, but promise me, if it's past midnight and she hasn't returned, you won't wait any longer. Agreed?"
The boy nodded.
Around 9 p.m., there was a faint knock at the door. Guessing it was the little beggar, Chang Jingyun opened the door, and indeed, a small, thin figure stood before him.
Chang Jingyun let him in, closed the door, and asked, "Well?"
The boy whispered, "Big brother, the lady in red has returned. She's staying in the room directly across from yours. But I also saw something strange."
"What was it?"
"Around dusk, I saw the innkeeper and several staff members carrying large sacks onto a cart. They were acting very secretive and headed toward the outskirts of the city."
"What were they transporting?"
"I couldn't see clearly, but I did notice that something inside one of the sacks was moving."
"Could they be smuggling people in those sacks? How strange… What kind of person would the innkeeper be sneaking out in the dead of night?" Troubled by the mystery, Chang Jingyun decided to investigate the innkeeper's quarters.
By this time, the inn had closed for the night, and the main hall lights were extinguished. Yet, the innkeeper's room was still lit. Chang Jingyun stepped out of his room and instructed the little beggar to stay inside. Then, with a graceful leap, he landed silently on the roof. Lifting a tile, he peered into the innkeeper's room, where a group of people were gathered, discussing something in hushed tones.
The leader of the group was none other than the innkeeper Chang Jingyun had seen earlier in the evening. The man said, "We strike at the Hour of the Tiger. Meng Huan Tan is staying in Room 3 of the East Wing. Archers will be positioned on the rooftop, ready at a moment's notice. A squad will be waiting at the door for my signal. Once the time comes, we storm in and take her out."
A man with a red scarf on his head interjected, "But Meng Huan Tan's martial skills are unmatched. Even if we ambush her, we won't stand a chance!"
The innkeeper knocked him on the head, scolding, "Fool! Who said we'd fight her head-on? With your pitiful skills, you'd need ten lives to match hers! I'll release knockout gas into her room beforehand. Once it takes effect, we rush in and kill her. The seventeen swords will then be ours."
Upon hearing this, Chang Jingyun realized that this group planned to kill for the swords. But the Baofu Inn was known for dealing in information, not for harboring enmities with the Han Zhen Sect. Why had they turned their sights on the swords? The situation was puzzling indeed.
Still filled with doubt, he recalled what the little beggar had mentioned earlier—how he had seen the innkeeper transporting someone out of the city. A sudden, daring thought crossed his mind: "Could it be that the people in Baofu Inn now are not the real innkeeper and staff, but impostors? Perhaps the real innkeeper and his men were the ones taken out of the city, and these impostors have set this trap for murder and theft."
A chill ran down Chang Jingyun's spine. He quietly replaced the tile, then leaped from the roof and returned to his room. Upon entering, he saw the little beggar still awake.
"Why aren't you asleep yet, little brother?" he asked.
"I wanted to wait for big brother to come back," the boy replied.
Chang Jingyun said, "Little brother, what if I told you that the lady who gave you the silver earlier is in danger, but because of my identity, I can't help her directly? Would you be willing to help me?"
The boy nodded without hesitation. "Of course! That lady was kind to me, so helping her is the right thing to do."
"You trust me so easily? Aren't you afraid I might be a bad person trying to harm her?"
The boy shook his head. "You gave me food and let me stay in such a nice inn. I believe you're a good person."
Chang Jingyun smiled. "Silly child, just because someone treats you well doesn't mean they're inherently good."
"Why not?"
"You'll understand when you grow up."
The boy seemed lost in thought for a moment but quickly snapped back. "Big brother, what should I do to help the lady?"
Chang Jingyun responded, "It's simple! In about an hour, I will set a fire in the inn's back courtyard. When that happens, you should run into the courtyard and shout that the inn is on fire. That way, everyone will wake up, and those planning to harm the lady won't be able to carry out their plan."
The boy agreed eagerly. "Got it!"
At the Hour of the Ox, one hour before the attack, Chang Jingyun and the little beggar waited in the room for the right moment. Suddenly, feeling a whimsical urge, Chang Jingyun asked, "Little brother, how about a little test?"
The boy looked curious. "What kind of test, big brother?"
"I'll recite a martial arts chant, and if you can repeat it word for word, I'll give you a small toy." With that, Chang Jingyun pulled out a small wooden puppet from his sleeve.
The boy's eyes lit up with delight, and he nodded eagerly.
Chang Jingyun then recited the chant from the "Eight Styles of Wind Movement" technique and motioned for the boy to repeat it. To his amazement, the child repeated the entire chant flawlessly. Chang Jingyun marveled at the boy's exceptional memory but was suddenly struck with unease.
The "Eight Styles of Wind Movement" was the highest martial art of the Yufeng Manor, passed down only to its disciples. According to the late master's edict, such knowledge was never to be shared with outsiders. Yet here he was, inadvertently teaching it to this boy. Though the child was only seven, he was still an outsider. Chang Jingyun began pacing the room anxiously, feeling conflicted. Seeing his distress, the little beggar poured a cup of water and handed it to him. As Chang Jingyun gazed at the cup, a plan formed in his mind.
"Little brother," he asked, "would you like to learn martial arts?"
The boy shook his head. "No."
The response left Chang Jingyun somewhat disappointed, but he pressed on. "Learning martial arts has many benefits. It can help you protect yourself, strengthen your body, and defend those you care about. Don't you think that's useful?"
The boy replied, "The person I wanted to protect is already gone."
"Are you talking about your grandfather?"
The boy nodded again.
"You will meet others you want to protect one day. If you start learning now, you'll be able to fend off bad people in the future."
The boy remained silent, and sensing the moment was right, Chang Jingyun added, "If you want to learn, big brother can teach you. That way, no one will ever dare to bully you again."
"Would big brother really teach me martial arts?"
"Of course, but you must agree to one condition."
"What condition?"
"You must become my disciple. Once you acknowledge me as your master, I will teach you all the martial arts I have mastered throughout my life."
The little beggar pondered for a moment, swaying his head slightly, then finally nodded in agreement.
Overjoyed, Chang Jingyun took the cup from the boy's hand and said, "This cup of tea shall be your apprentice's offering. Kneel down at once!"
The little beggar hurriedly knelt, bowing three times to Chang Jingyun. Chang Jingyun patted the boy's head and said, "From today, you are my disciple, and thus, a member of Yufeng Manor. By the way, I've forgotten to ask—what is your name?"
"My name is Xu'er," the boy replied.
"Now that you are under my tutelage, it is time to leave your past behind. I will give you a new name," said Chang Jingyun. He pondered for a while, and the room fell into silence, broken only by the distant sound of cicadas. Suddenly, his brows relaxed, as if inspiration had struck him. "From now on, your name shall be Xia Zhaoyun. It is summer now, a season of vitality and flourishing life. The name 'Zhao' represents brightness, and 'Yun,' with its ever-changing nature, evokes mystery. I hope you will grow to be a vibrant, upright individual who does not conform to the masses. 'Xia Zhaoyun' will be your name from this day forward."
"Thank you, Master."
"Thud, thud, thud"—the boy bowed three more times.