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Critical, Ysabel, Abhay, Jaya, kink, you are welcome. Lao Qianbei, thanks for letting me know. But I do appreciate you guys who always show your support. DongBin, Xu Xiong, actually, that was me, not Huang Yi, and I do that precisely for the reason Kowloon mentioned: to distinguish these two boys from the others. Because as you noted, in Chinese, there is no distinction between genders, between ages. All are ‘ren' (person/people).

Lu Miaozi said, "That is probably the most elusive among the Four Masterpieces. Although subsequent generations have orally passed on the legend about this book, nobody has ever seen it for real. I am not too clear on the details myself, so don't ask me.”

Frowning, Kou Zhong said, "Supposing Zhu Yuyan and Wanwan really mastered the Tian Mo Gong, who, other than Ci Hang Jing Zhai people, could possibly match them?”

Lu Miaozi said flatly, "You, two boys.”

Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong looked at each other; they were dumbstruck.

Quite a while later Kou Zhong grabbed his head and said, "I was just accidentally training a little bit. The fact is that I don't understand one word of those undecipherable strange characters in the ‘Secret'. Hey! Can it be considered I have mastered it?”

Lu Miaozi burst out laughing, "The ‘Secret to Long Life' was passed on from generation to generation, and I don't know how many people have trained it, but no one has ever learned any martial art out of it. You did. Whether it was accidental or the right place at the right time, that is the fact. Moreover, just by looking at the fact that Wanwan tried to harm you but failed to kill you, I can tell that the eccentric martial art from the ‘Secret to Long Life' is able to contend against the Tian Mo Gong; otherwise, I would suggest that you two find a hole to hide, and never again appear in Jianghu.”

And then, he rubbed his hands excitedly and said, "All right! Enough chatting, let's go back to the topic at hand. Are you interested in learning more about Yin Gui Pai?”

※ ※ ※

It was only close to daybreak that the two boys returned to their lodging. Sleeping less than three sichen, Lan Gu already came to wake them up. But this time she came with good intention: she had arranged new residence for them.

It was in the Senior Shifu living quarters at the kitchen courtyard, located at the southern side of the Flying Horse prairie. Altogether there were four separate buildings.

The two boys' original expectation was merely that each of them would have a decent room, but beyond their expectation, Lan Gu actually took them to the doorstep of one of the buildings and said, "This house has a front hall with bedrooms at the rear. Other than public baths, everything else is available. The house has been swept clean. You may bring your stuff and move in immediately!”

It was the very first time that Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling had a house all for themselves; a peculiar feeling welled up in their hearts.

Lan Gu was unusually pleasant toward them; she said, "These past few days everybody was busy. Wait till Liang Fu Guanjia [deputy housekeeper] has a bit more time, I will ask for a maid for you to better serve your accommodation.”

And then, beaming with smile, she said, "Since you are from our kitchen courtyard, when you have a chance to see Changzhu, don't forget to say a few good words on our kitchen's behalf.”

It suddenly dawned on the two boys that since they have become Changzhu's favorites and were often called to see her, this woman was trying to curry favor from them.

Lan Gu also said, "Princess Ning's party sent someone to let me know that when you have time today, go to their place. She really enjoyed the cakes you made for her the other day!”

※ ※ ※

By dusk that day, after moving their belongings, which could not be called ‘simple' anymore, to the rooms they selected, the two boys returned to the spacious front hall and sat down.

Kou Zhong stretched out his limbs and said with a sigh, "Now this is what I call ‘power'. Even if the kitchen is like this, were it not for Shang Xiuxun treating us favorably, we would still be piling up and being squeezed into that narrow nest.”

Xu Ziling spoke indifferently, "Li Xiuning is looking for you, why don't you go to see her?”

Casting him a sidelong glance, Kou Zhong said, "One lifetime, two brothers. You can't possibly let me going alone miserably to see her, can you?”

Xu Ziling could not help laughing; he said, "You think Li Xiuning is extremely dangerous [orig. severe floods and fierce beasts]? The one she wishes to see is you, not Zaixia. You think I am that naïve? Ha! Please forgive Xiaodi for not able to help however much I'd like to!”

Kou Zhong sprang up and started to sing, "The wind came whistling over the cold water, once the warrior leaves … Ha! I am not going to say any ominous words! You want me to go, then I'll go!”

Seeing Kou Zhong left excitedly, Xu Ziling was amused; he sprawled comfortably on his chair, and turned his gaze toward the garden outside the window. His mind went back to their discussion with Lu Miaozi the previous night.

This number one craftsman under the heavens was definitely very experienced and knowledgeable, erudite and multi-talented. He had read ten-thousand scrolls of books, and he had walked ten-thousand li of road, so the benefit they derived from him was not shallow.

Because he was not an ordinary person, oftentimes his conduct came as a surprise, which was puzzling to everybody else.

Suddenly his sixth sense picked up something, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching.

Almost immediately the image of Luo Fang appeared in Xu Ziling's mind, which surprised him to no end. How did he recognize Luo Fang's footsteps without deliberately trying to? How did he automatically know it was Luo Fang just by the sound of his footsteps?

Right this moment, Luo Fang stepped over the door in high spirits; he called out, "You must congratulate me, I am now a Fu Zhishi [deputy manager]!”

※ ※ ※

Kou Zhong walked past the stone forest, and reported the purpose of his visit to the Li Clan's guards.

Soon afterwards he was sat in the side hall where Li Xiuning was talking to Yuan'er the other night, and the guard withdrew.

Kou Zhong waited in bewilderment; leaving the chair, he looked out the window. A pair of beautiful butterflies was frolicking among the cluster of flowers, chasing each other.

From the inner hall, Li Xiuning's footsteps were coming closer. Finally she stopped behind him and said, "Thank you!”

Kou Zhong spoke indifferently, "Am I free to go now?”

Li Xiuning was silent for half a day. Finally she spoke softly, "Do you remember that night I stabbed you with a dagger over the window?”

She had provoked a beautiful memory in Kou Zhong's heart. It was the night the bright moon shone its light at an angle, he and Xu Ziling had just obtained the account book and thus performed meritorious deed for Li Shimin. When they were climbing the hold of the ship, he heard Li Xiuning's charming voice, and could not stop himself from looking in to take a peek. As soon as Li Xiuning found out, she pressed her dagger against his throat.

It was love at first sight, as well as the instant his extreme failure of the first love began; naturally it was ingrained in his memory and he would never forget it.

Smiling wryly, Kou Zhong said, "How could I not remember it? I can't forget, even if I wanted to for just half a moment. Therefore, I must leave now; otherwise, even if I turned into smoke fish, I would be unwilling to leave.”

"Pfft!” Li Xiuning giggled tenderly. She said, "If you were smoked fish, I would have eaten you, so that you won't be able to go anywhere else. Please tell Xiuning, was it because of this that you decline Shimin Er'ge's invitation?”

With his back against her, Kou Zhong said, "Don't tell me that it is only now that you guessed the reason.” The bitter pain in his laughter was getting deeper.

Li Xiuning heaved a deep sigh. She said, "Oh, Kou Zhong! How can Xiuning deserve your misplaced kindness? On this earth, I don't know how many women, who are a hundred times better than Xiuning, are waiting for your love. Oh, Kou Zhong! Can you look up to the sky?”

She gracefully walked over to Kou Zhong's side and pointed to the star-filled night sky; she said, "Each star represents one opportunity; therefore, there are countless opportunities, just like there are infinite stars. The chance encounter between Xiuning and you was just one opportunity. But out there, there are still countless opportunities, some are painful, some are happy, so much so that sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the pain and the happiness that it is sad and discouraging. You are not an ordinary person at all, naturally you will have extraordinary encounters. You should not be concerned with accidentally missing one opportunity.”

Kou Zhong did the one thing he longed for the most, but also the most unwise: he turned his eyes on her.

He saw an absolutely elegant beauty looking up to the sky, her eyes gleaming with thirst, as if it was a dream or a fantasy; chilling and moving to the extreme.

Severely shaken, Kou Zhong said, "The problem is that you, Xiuning, are the bright moon in the dark sky of my heart. Under this bright moon, other stars have become dim.”

Li Xiuning shot a glance toward him, but as soon as the two sets of eyes met, they both averted their gaze, as if it was a bit unbearable. It was an extremely delicate situation.

Grabbing his head, Kou Zhong spoke with pained expression on his face, "This kind of matter, the more we talk about it, the more it becomes impossible to unravel. It would be best if I leave as soon as I can!”

Li Xiuning was startled, "Can you at least stay to hear what Xiuning has to say?” she asked.

Kou Zhong already made a somersault out of the window. Returning to his mischievous, free and easy style, he revealed a brilliant smile and spoke nonchalantly, "If Princess Ning wanted to invite us, two brothers, on your esteemed brother Shimin's behalf, please forgive us.”

After staring hatefully at him for half a day, Li Xiuning stomped her feet and said, "Very soon you are going to make Xiuning very angry with you.”

Kou Zhong had his hands pressed on the window sill, as if he was about to lean over and support his weight on it. He said dejectedly, "I am doomed! I should not have come today. Every single expression of yours had made every single illness in my heart more serious; and now I am afraid I am already beyond cure.”

Li Xiuning hung her petite head down and said, "Just consider me begging you. Oh, Kou Zhong! Forget me!”

Kou Zhong turned around and left. Dispirited and downcast, without looking back he raised his hand to say goodbye.

And then, entering the woods, sometimes he was visible, sometimes he disappeared behind the trees, but it was a long time until he finally disappeared completely from Li Xiuning's blurry vision due to the tears in her eyes.

She finally shed her first passionate tear for Kou Zhong.

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