Chapter Eight: The Little Ancestor

Before anyone arrived, laughter like the song of a yellow warbler already filled the hall.

A lively seventeen-year-old maiden burst in joyfully, her presence infusing the cold hall with a touch of warmth and vitality.

She wore a yellow cotton jacket, the fabric soft and delicate, embroidered on the chest with several white peach blossoms, harmonizing with the snowflakes swirling outside.

Her lower garment was a black pleated skirt, its hem fluttering lightly as she ran.

Entering the hall, she failed to see the person she had longed for and pouted slightly, her lips rounded like a little duck’s; her plump face showed a trace of disappointment that stirred one’s affection.

“Father, I heard from Uncle Li, the county magistrate, that Brother Yiheng has returned. Where is he? Why isn’t he here?” she asked anxiously.

Yiheng, hiding behind a pillar, blinked vigorously at Magistrate Li, waving his hands frantically, signaling him not to reveal his presence.

Had he known earlier that this little rascal was home, he wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to enter the city.

But no matter how much Yiheng gestured and blinked, Magistrate Li pretended not to see and said, “That brat is right behind that pillar!”

Yiheng closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, wearing a smile more awkward than crying. He slowly stepped out from behind the pillar and said to the girl, “Long time no see, Shuyao. You’re even cuter than before.”

“Ah! Brother Yiheng, it really is you! I thought Uncle Li was just teasing me!” Li Shuyao exclaimed excitedly, opening her arms and rushing toward Yiheng.

“Ah! Don’t come closer!” Yiheng panicked, leaping up in a single bound. The jump was at least ten meters high, and he landed firmly on the rooftop beam.

Li Shuyao looked up at him on the beam, her eyes full of grievance, her voice trembling with tears, “Brother Yiheng, why are you hiding from me?”

“I tell you, little ancestor, haven’t you forgotten? If you come within a step of me, I’m doomed to misfortune. Don’t get too close,” Yiheng said, crouching on the beam while waving his hand forward.

Li Shuyao grumbled but reluctantly took a few steps back. “Three years have passed. Maybe if I get closer, nothing bad will happen to you anymore.”

“No! For now, let’s keep our distance. I don’t want any more bad luck.”

Yiheng recalled when, as a child, Magistrate Li had brought the girl to the valley to visit their master. They had played together, but that day had ended with their master’s cabin burning down.

Since then, whenever the girl came near him, misfortune followed. For example, once he left tea leaves out, and that night a heavy rainstorm washed away the tea and the winnowing basket. Or a mountain path she walked was safe, but when he took the same path, landslides or mudflows would occur.

Even at meals, her bowl was always full of meat and vegetables, while his often contained hair or small insects.

At first, Yiheng didn’t believe these coincidences, but after many trials, he had to admit the girl’s fate seemed to clash with his.

Whenever she came within a step, nothing good happened—even rare mishaps like choking on water occurred.

From then on, he treated Li Shuyao as if she were a demon to be avoided.

Yiheng asked, “I heard you were sent to Qingcheng Academy by your father three years ago. Why are you back?”

“Brother, you’re so silly! It’s after the winter solstice now; the academy lets students go home for the New Year. Of course, I’ve come back.”

The so-called New Year leave meant the academy sent all students home before the festival, resuming studies in early spring.

“Oh, I see,” Yiheng said, suddenly enlightened. He had never attended private schools or academies; everything he knew was personally taught by their master—how to behave, read, write, and even solve cases.

“Brother Yiheng, come down quickly! I won’t get within a step of you,” Li Shuyao smiled gently. “We haven’t seen each other for three years. You can’t expect me to always look up at you like this.”

Magistrate Li watched Yiheng struggle with his daughter, a rare smile blooming on his aged face, every wrinkle telling of pride and amusement.

After much hesitation, Yiheng finally made up his mind. “Alright! I’ll come down if you step back a few more paces.”

“All right, you come down,” Li Shuyao said, stepping back and waving at him.

Yiheng leapt down and landed steadily. The girl suddenly rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him. “Brother, I really missed you.”

Yiheng sighed deeply, feeling chilled from head to toe.

In his heart, he thought: This is it... I’m doomed again.

Li Shuyao released him and stepped back with a bright expression, but before she could say anything, a loud crash startled them. Yiheng looked up sharply to see the eaves above him collapsing.

With a thunderous rumble, a pile of broken tiles tumbled down. Yiheng brushed snow off his head and looked up helplessly—misfortune had struck too swiftly.

“Brother, are you alright?” Li Shuyao called anxiously, rushing over.

“Little ancestor, stay away! If you come closer, I’m afraid the whole house will collapse,” Yiheng warned loudly.

Magistrate Li laughed heartily at the scene, his days of anxiety vanishing in that moment.

“Serves you right! You come back and don’t treat me kindly. Now someone’s finally putting you in your place.”

Yiheng shook off the snow and dust from his black robe, revealing the soft armor beneath. He squatted outside the ruins, eyeing a beam as thick as his thigh and frowned.

“Strange. How could such a thick beam just break? Could it really be because that little ancestor is unlucky for me?”

“Brother, want some sugarcane?” Li Shuyao asked, dragging a one-meter-long purple-skinned cane through the gate. She poked Yiheng’s shoulder with it.

Yiheng jumped aside quickly, relaxing only when he saw she kept her distance. He exhaled deeply, “You scared me.”

“Brother, do you want some sugarcane?” Li Shuyao lifted her chin, her big eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Her eyes were clear and bright like a pool of fresh spring water, large almond-shaped with jet-black pupils, pure without a hint of impurity—sight of them brought joy.

Looking into those eyes, Yiheng felt a pang of guilt. They had been apart for three years, and upon reunion, he had avoided her as if shunning a demon. It was truly wrong.

With this thought, a gentle smile curved his lips as he reached out to take the sugarcane. He broke off a segment and handed it back softly, “Here, this piece is for you.”

The girl’s eyes instantly lit up with delight as she accepted the sugarcane.

She parted her lips slightly, revealing a playful little fang, then bit one end of the cane. With a tug of her small hand, she peeled off a strip of the skin, chewing and mumbling, “Brother, the sugarcane is really sweet. You should eat it too.”

Seeing this, Yiheng broke off a piece, peeled the skin, and popped it into his mouth. The sweet juice spread instantly, confirming its deliciousness.

“Let’s go outside to the steps and eat,” he said.

Carrying the sugarcane on his shoulder, Yiheng swiftly removed his black robe and spread it over the steps beneath the eaves, gently inviting Li Shuyao to sit.

He took a seat a step away. Together, they leisurely chewed the sugarcane, the pile of discarded skins beneath the steps forming two small hills.

He looked up at the snow swirling in the sky, his gaze slowly sweeping over the exquisite rockery, the delicate pavilion, the white snow-covered eaves, and beyond to the rolling snow-capped mountains.

Since their master’s passing three years ago, his heart had never truly relaxed. His mind was always occupied with thoughts of embarking on the path of cultivation.

When he finally set foot on that path, he did not hesitate to rush to Lin’an, throwing himself into fierce battles with monstrous beasts.

Only in the life-or-death struggles with these beasts did he truly feel his existence—his pulse pounding strongly, blood flowing hot and fast. The thrill and the joy of combat were his sole means to numb his heart.

In his childhood, he had sat under the eaves with their master, eating sugarcane, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. Then, he was innocent and carefree, eagerly anticipating growing up, dreaming of tasting more delicacies.

“Brother... let’s build a snowman!” Li Shuyao finished her sugarcane, licking her fingers with lingering taste. She pointed excitedly at the thick snow in the distance.

“All right, let’s build a snowman,” Yiheng said, setting down his sugarcane. Together, they walked to the open courtyard and enthusiastically began shaping the snowman.

Though they maintained a step’s distance, their hearts were tightly bound, without a crack, as if nothing in the world could create a barrier between them.

At least in this moment, they were like children—innocent, pure, and carefree.

In the distance, Magistrate Li sat in his high-backed chair, holding a cup of tea, his gaze soft and warm as he watched the boy and girl building the snowman.

Hearing their joyful laughter, a sincere smile blossomed on his time-worn face.

He had not seen his daughter so happy for a long time.

Three years ago, he sent her to Qingcheng Academy to study; since then, she returned once every season.

Each time she came back, she was cheerful and mature, always saying that the senior students were kind and took good care of her. She loved Qingcheng Academy.

Yet, how could she hide from a father’s eyes seasoned by countless hardships?

He always sensed a trace of loneliness in her, an estrangement from the mundane world, and a faint sadness buried deep within.

Since her mother’s death when she was thirteen, she had grown more sensible, but a subtle distance had quietly grown between them.

He resolved silently: “To make my daughter happier, I must find a way to have Yiheng stay longer in Beigu City.”