A few days passed in a flash.
Lu Zheng used up the remaining four strands of luck light, allocating one each to qi, blood qi, physique, and spirit, maintaining balanced growth.
“As the wind blows away the eggshell, wealth departs but peace remains. Alright, no need to keep obsessing over the bits of luck light in the jade seal.”
“But where else can I get money—no, more luck light?”
“Big Brother Lu!”
Liu Qingquan’s crisp voice interrupted Lu Zheng’s thoughts.
“Hm, what’s up?”
“Big Brother Lu, tomorrow we’re going to Peach Blossom Vale to visit Sister Shen. Sister wants to know if you’re coming.”
Lu Zheng calculated and realised it was already the mid-month rest day.
“Sure.”
Unknowingly, he had been in the Da Jing Dynasty for nearly two months.
“Oh, by the way, you don’t need to prepare food for tomorrow. I’ll take care of it,” Lu Zheng added.
He had thought several times about bringing a family bucket meal but hadn’t had the chance. Since they were going out tomorrow, he’d get two sets.
“But aren’t we eating at Sister Shen’s place? Though my sister and I brought gifts.”
“Uh, I’ll bring less then.”
Since he’d remembered, one set would do, as a side dish.
…
The next day, Lu Zheng got up early, went to KFC to buy a family bucket, emptied it into a food box, and grabbed two bottles of plum wine from home.
Soon, the clip-clop of a donkey cart arrived at Tongyi Lane.
“Big Brother Lu, hop on!”
Lifting the curtain, Liu Qingquan’s nose twitched involuntarily.
“Big Brother Lu, what’s that you’ve got? It smells amazing!”
“Fried chicken!”
“Chicken?” Liu Qingquan’s eyes lit up. “Fried chicken?”
“Yep, mostly drumsticks and wings, fried and grilled chicken.” Lu Zheng wasn’t sure what was in a KFC family bucket nowadays; he just bought it blindly.
“Gulp!” Liu Qingquan swallowed hard.
Even Liu Qingyan’s throat moved slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Though they’d had breakfast, the meaty aroma was irresistible.
Along the way, Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan chatted casually, while Liu Qingquan’s eyes kept darting to the food box.
“Want to try a piece?” This was Lu Zheng’s second offer.
Liu Qingquan shook her head with difficulty. “No, we’re eating with Sister Shen. I can’t eat it alone first.”
“Alright.”
Lu Zheng nodded, then, like a magician, pulled a cloth bag from his chest.
Liu Qingquan’s eyes sparkled.
This bag was Lu Zheng’s signature; whenever he brought it out, it held all sorts of novel treats.
Lu Zheng pulled out a dried beef strip and handed it to her.
“Thanks, Big Brother Lu!”
*Crunch!* Liu Qingquan bit down. “So fragrant!”
“You’re spoiling her,” Liu Qingyan said, shooting her sister a disapproving glance.
Lu Zheng popped a beef strip into his mouth and offered another to Liu Qingyan.
She hesitated briefly but accepted it.
“Why did you decide to visit Lady Shen?”
Since Shen Ying hadn’t mentioned her husband’s surname, Lu Zheng used her maiden name.
“It’s been a while since we last came. Today’s the mid-month rest, and there’s not much to do in the city, so we thought we’d visit Sister Shen.”
“I’m home all day with no close friends. It’s rare to meet someone like Sister Shen, so we should visit more.”
“Lu Lang?”
“Hm?”
Liu Qingyan seemed slightly hesitant.
“What’s wrong?”
“Lu Lang, you study and train daily but have no intention of taking the imperial exams, and you practice martial arts and spells. Are you planning to travel the world?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Honestly, I haven’t decided. I used to plan on securing some property and living peacefully.”
Liu Qingyan’s eyes brightened. “That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”
“It is,” Lu Zheng nodded. “But then I stumbled upon a corpse ghost, unexpectedly gained martial arts, and joined Baiyun Temple.”
“Could it be…”
Liu Qingyan pursed her lips. His acquisition of martial arts was somewhat tied to her. If she hadn’t invited him to Peach Blossom Vale, how would he have met Shen Ying and obtained the *Eighteen Forms of Mountain Bearing*?
Lu Zheng quickly shook his head.
“The world is vast, filled with countless masters and monsters. Compared to them, I’m probably just a drop in the ocean.”
Liu Qingyan nodded repeatedly.
“If I recklessly dive into that world without knowing anything, I’d probably have grass growing three feet high on my grave by next year.”
Liu Qingyan giggled.
Liu Qingquan mumbled, “What grave? You’d probably be eaten clean by demons.”
Liu Qingyan rapped her sister’s head sharply. “Eat your jerky!”
“So, I’m not going to wander out playing hero or catching demons without knowing what’s what. That’s just asking for trouble.”
“Compared to that, I think a small fortune suits me better. Practicing martial arts and spells is for self-protection.”
Liu Qingyan nodded, her eyes shimmering with admiration.
As they spoke, the cart reached Peach Blossom Vale.
Instead of lingering at the crowded west side of Peach Blossom Vale, Liu Qingyan directed the driver to take a side path, bypassing the peach grove, to Shen Ying’s Peach Blossom Manor.
“Sister Shen!”
As the cart arrived, the manor’s gate opened. Shen Ying, with her maid Xiaocui and two elderly servants, came out to greet them.
“Liu sisters, Young Master Lu, good to see you. Uncle An, take the driver to the side room and prepare some food and drink.”
Shen Ying took charge, welcoming Liu Qingyan, Liu Qingquan, and Lu Zheng into the manor.
“It’s rare for you to visit, little sister. Come play chess with me,” Shen Ying said, pointing to an unfinished chess game under a peach tree in the front courtyard. “Xiaocui’s chess skills are terrible.”
Xiaocui pouted silently.
“My chess isn’t great either, Sister. You’ll have to go easy on me.”
Shen Ying’s eyes flicked. “Then let Young Master Lu give you some pointers.”
Lu Zheng waved his hand. “As they say, a true gentleman watches chess in silence. You two play; I’ll just watch.”
Joking aside, he could handle Connect Five, knew the rules of Chinese chess, but Go? Heh…
Still, he couldn’t lose face now. He couldn’t let them know he didn’t know how to play.
In the Da Jing Dynasty, posing as a scholar, it was fine to play chess poorly, but not knowing how to play at all? Unacceptable.
Lu Zheng slightly regretted using up all his luck light. With no immediate danger, why boost combat skills?
If he’d improved his skills in music, chess, calligraphy, or poetry, he could be playing the flute, painting, or composing poems with Liu Qingyan. Wouldn’t that be better?
Damn, he needed to find a way to gather more luck light. He was truly broke!
