Chapter 70: Attempt

The Furious Banana

“The water’s ready…”

In the evening, city lights flickered everywhere. In the quiet, somewhat desolate small courtyard, Ning Yi placed the basin of water on the table in the inner room.

The woman in black held a small medicine packet. She had been leaning by the bed, tending to her wounds. When Ning Yi entered, she pulled her clothes closed and stopped, her face still covered by a veil, but her body was stained with blood. Ning Yi thought for a moment, searched a nearby cabinet, and took out a long robe.

“There are no spare clothes here, only this one. It’s clean. Your clothes are torn; you can change into this for the night. New clothes can only be brought tomorrow.”

The woman gave him a sharp look. “Where do you intend to go?”

Ning Yi hesitated, then raised his hands and smiled. “Alright, once you trust me, you can tend to your injuries first. I’ll sit outside and boil more water.”

“If you try to leave, no matter how fast you run, I promise you won’t get past this courtyard gate.”

“Understood. I won’t leave.”

Ning Yi smiled, then turned back and took a jar from a shelf. He opened it; it reeked of strong alcohol.

“Alcohol. But the proof is too high to drink. If you need to clean your wounds, you can use this.”

In fact, it was just pure alcohol. Ning Yi walked out and closed the door. The woman frowned slightly, listening to his footsteps. A moment later, in the lamplight, she pulled open her clothes. Layers of blood-stained cloth strips covered her chest, some already torn in places. From her shoulders down to her lower abdomen, her skin was covered in blood, some of it congealed into dark red scabs, making the wounds look horrifying. The injuries on her front were relatively light, but a wound on her back and hand had likely damaged bone or sinew. As she pulled her clothes away, the congealed scabs tore open again. She pressed her lips together, enduring the pain, but most of her wounds were not bleeding at the moment; they had stopped on their own.

The woman wrung out a cloth strip in the basin, then began to wipe away the bloodstains from her body, a slight frown on her face. The faint lamplight, the antique sword, and the woman cleaning herself in the simple room…

A moment later, on the other side of the wall, Ning Yi also sat down on a stool, his gaze fixed on the lamplight in the room. The woman probably heard his movements; she paused slightly, then continued to wipe her wounds and apply medicinal powder.

“This was originally a neglected garden, and few people usually come here. In the past, it might have been searched, but I’ve already rented it, so there shouldn’t be much of a problem. Next door is Yushan Academy, and beyond that, a small bamboo grove and a narrow river. Across the river are two taverns, expanding into a triangular residential area with a network of alleys. It would be difficult for anyone to track someone down in there. Nearby are Changxing Street and Changye Street, and further on, the road leads to the South Gate… The other side of the courtyard is…”

Leaning against the wall, Ning Yi slowly spoke, describing his surroundings. The woman quietly applied medicine on her side, listening. After a moment, she asked, “Are you a disciple of the Daoist sect?”

“Hm?”

“There are so many alchemy supplies outside.”

“Oh, not alchemy. I’m probably a Confucian scholar. These are for the study of natural principles.”

“Probably?”

“Probably.”

“…How did you know I was under the carriage?”

“A feeling… or a guess…”

“Do you have a grudge against Song Xian?”

“No, but I’ve heard some of his infamous deeds.”

“…Not entirely truthful.”

“I’ve met you before, miss.”

A slight silence. “When?”

“During the Lantern Festival this year, when you were fighting on Vermilion Bird Street, I was watching from a few dozen meters away. Later, in the tavern, you were dressed as a maid, pouring wine.”

“…I remember now.” Her voice deepened slightly. On the other side of the wall, the woman, who had been cleaning her wounds, slowly stopped. With a swift swing of her right arm, she snatched the sword hilt from the small table and thrust it violently backward. With a soft thud, dirt and stones shot out from the other side of the wall. The sword blade pierced the mud wall and stopped right next to Ning Yi’s face. Ning Yi smiled and tilted his head to look at it.

“You’re that scholar who wrote poetry that day… Why were you following me?”

“Today, you followed me,” Ning Yi said through the wall. The woman on the other side was slightly stunned. “However, you should understand that I have no ill intentions.”

A moment later, the woman pulled the sword back and placed it on the table. A faint gleam of light shone through the slit the sword had made.

“But why were you following me? What are your intentions?”

“Aside from Song Xian… I wish to learn martial arts,” Ning Yi stated honestly. There was a long silence on the other side of the wall; she seemed taken aback by the answer. A moment later, her voice softened slightly: “Nonsense.”

“It’s the truth. I’ve admired martial arts since I was young and always wanted to know what legendary profound martial arts truly looked like…”

“You are quite talented?” The voice on the other side interrupted him.

“Uh, it’s not good to speak of such things myself…”

“That day upstairs, everyone asked you to write poetry, and when you produced a poem, no one had anything to say… Scholars like you always look down on martial artists. You are a talented scholar with a reputation, and now you claim you want to practice martial arts, even profound martial arts. You don’t go to battle, you don’t fight people; it’s all just for show. What’s the point of learning it? I don’t believe you.”

The woman spoke indifferently, with no particular emotion, simply stating these facts. Ning Yi thought, hearing the faint sound of city bells from outside, and smiled. “Indeed… it’s not very useful. And I’ve heard that profound martial arts must be practiced from childhood, diligently for ten or twenty years, to achieve anything. Is that right?”

“You are certainly past the age for learning martial arts.”

“A pity.” Ning Yi smiled. “Actually… I’m quite fond of the study of natural principles.”

“…Natural principles?”

“Yes, it’s about thoroughly investigating the principles of all things, then deducing and utilizing them. For example, the alcohol you’re using to clean your wounds has undergone several rounds of cooling and distillation. Currently, only a small amount has been extracted, but if it were used for brewing wine…”

It was getting late. Ning Yi chatted idly, waiting for time to pass. Inside the room, the woman treated her injuries, occasionally offering an absent-minded remark. Her clothes and trousers were completely soaked with blood; they now lay discarded. White bandages bound her chest, wrapped around her shoulders, and even circled her thighs and right foot several times. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally draped the long robe over herself. She had removed her veil; her pale face looked weak, but she remained alert.

After a while, Ning Yi said, “It’s too late. If I don’t go back, my family will probably come looking for me. I’ll return tomorrow morning. You’re injured, so rest early.”

Ning Yi waited for a moment; there was no reply. He extinguished the lamp, preparing to leave. Then he added, “Oh, right, if you need to put out that alcohol lamp, just use a cover from nearby to extinguish the flame. If you blow on it, it might explode.” With that, he pushed the door open, stepped out, and gently closed it behind him.

The inner room door was gently pulled open. Gently holding the robe, the woman walked out barefoot and silently, frowning as she looked towards the doorframe. Then she went to the main door, pulled it open a crack, and glanced towards the courtyard. Ning Yi had already left the courtyard gate. Soon after, the sound of a carriage moving off began, gradually fading into the distance.

The chirping of insects came from the courtyard grass. Countless stars twinkled in the night sky. The woman frowned, thinking for a while as she gazed in the direction the carriage had departed. She then turned back to look at the outer room. On the shelves were all sorts of items, bottles, and jars. When she had first woken up, she had only glimpsed inside, assuming it was a Daoist’s alchemy lab. Now, she saw more of the room’s contents. In the slightly more spacious areas, several tables were arranged in a long row. There were strange iron racks, peculiar iron barrels and tubes, incomprehensible instruments, and a black wooden board hanging on the far wall with strange white symbols. Starlight streamed through the window lattice, falling onto the book pages and open rice paper notebooks on the tables. Brushes rattled on the brush stand…

The night wind blew through the opening of the wooden door at the back, ruffling her already disheveled hair and her slightly oversized robe. Beneath the robe, the outline of her body, wrapped only in bandages, was faintly visible. The woman closed the door behind her, walked back to the inner room, and, clutching her sword and her knees, curled up in a corner of the bed and fell asleep…

She shouldn’t suddenly leave tonight…

As the carriage drove towards the side gate of the Su family residence, Ning Yi took a few deep breaths, thinking this, then smiled.

Because she had no clothes to wear…

Of course, the main reason was her injuries. With an official like Song Xian dead, it wouldn’t be long before soldiers set up checkpoints all over Jiangning. With such severe wounds, she couldn’t leave for now. From the way this woman managed to dispatch Song Xian’s personal guards, she wasn’t foolish; she understood how to weigh things and wouldn’t suddenly act recklessly.

Directly stating his interest in martial arts was a tricky balance. The main concern was that if he mentioned it later, it might give the impression that his entire plan was orchestrated for this purpose. Although literature was more valued than martial arts in this era, personal skills, especially extraordinary martial arts, were mostly guarded secrets. He was past the age, but he wasn’t seeking to become a top master; he hadn’t even considered becoming a wandering pugilist or going to battle. By stating it upfront and then diluting it with other elements, it appeared more open and honest. If he could get past this hurdle now, mentioning it later would be straightforward. If he waited until later, it might displease her; she might even think he was scheming against her, despite feeling indebted to him, and simply humor him.

Tomorrow, he needed to make a good impression to make her stay…

After being in the Wu Dynasty for so long, this was the first time he had taken such an active role in planning something. It felt similar to how he used to negotiate deals or pitch ideas; the first step was always to appear sincere. On his way home, he took a shortcut through the side gate. From a distance, he saw no lights in the courtyard where he lived, guessing that Tan’er and her maid hadn’t returned yet, and he wondered if Xiaochan was asleep. It was only when he reached the courtyard entrance that he saw the young girl sitting in the central pavilion.

With neat bangs and a floral white dress, the girl sat there, seemingly lost in thought, her hands clenched into fists on her knees, giving the impression of gritting her teeth. Starlight poured down from the sky, illuminating the girl’s focused profile. Ning Yi watched for two seconds. The girl’s eyes moved, then she looked towards him and stood up.

The night wind ruffled her skirt. The girl stood there, gazing at him blankly. This wasn’t the usual bouncy Xiaochan with her hair in buns; instead, she seemed like a more mature Xiaochan, the one who usually lurked in the background. This feeling also lasted for two seconds.

“Mas…”

The first syllable came out, already tinged with a choke. Tears rolled down the girl’s cheeks. She raised a hand to wipe them away, and suddenly, she was sobbing.

“Master Ning…”

Amidst her sobs, Xiaochan ran over from the pavilion and directly threw herself into his arms, embracing him and nearly pushing him back a step. Ning Yi held her back, sighing softly.

“I’m back…”

“Master Ning… where did you go?”

In the darkness, the crying girl seemed to shrink, turning back into the Xiaochan he knew.