Chapter Eight: Madman! Madman!

If Li Licheng’s earlier ordeal could be blamed on Xu Yuan’s sudden assault, this group of servants and guards faced him after everyone had already realized what was happening. They witnessed it with their own eyes. The two sides were on completely different levels! The Li family had run into an immovable force!

Sweat poured from the forehead of the Li family’s guest advisor. When Xu Yuan’s gaze fell upon him, he couldn’t help but tremble all over. In the blink of an eye, three men lay dead. That figure in white, seeming almost like an immortal banished to the mortal world, was nothing short of a god of slaughter descended upon them. And now, the god of slaughter was looking at him!

“You, you, you…” The guest advisor’s voice shook as he spoke, not knowing what deity the Li family had offended. He could only force himself to ask, trembling, “Who are you?”

Today was likely to end in disaster, but if he was to die, he wanted to understand why. If he could learn the man’s origins, perhaps, through his connection to the county magistrate, there might be a chance for revenge.

To his surprise, Xu Yuan merely glanced at him, then turned and walked toward the gates of the Li residence.

The shrieks of the maids around them echoed through the sky. Hearing the commotion, all sorts of people rushed out from the Li household, but not a single one dared block his path.

Who would dare? This was a man who killed three people in a breath—blocking his way would be as foolish as an old man swallowing poison for long life!

When Xu Yuan’s figure finally disappeared from the Li family’s courtyard, a few moments passed before someone quietly approached the guest advisor and asked, “Sir, that madman has escaped. Should we send people after him?”

The guest advisor swept his gaze over the gathered crowd. Most flinched away, unwilling to meet his eyes.

No one was a fool—look at those still groaning on the ground. Was this someone they could simply follow? Did they want to die?

“Why don’t you go?” The guest advisor’s gaze fixed on the man who had asked him.

“Me?” The man froze where he stood.

“Forget it,” the guest advisor sighed deeply. There could be no good outcome from this mess, but at least a bad outcome was better than losing his life.

“Send someone to the county office and report this. Such a madman is beyond us; the authorities must handle it,” he ordered, waving his hand.

“Yes, yes!”

The man who had asked the question breathed a sigh of relief and said, “But the county magistrate isn’t at the office today…”

“It’s come to this—send word anyway. Find a painter, have him sketch that madman’s likeness. If he dares to show up in Qingshan County again, he won’t escape punishment.

He’s offended the magistrate. Does he think he can get away?”

The guest advisor lived up to his title; in a flash, he’d devised a plan.

…

Xu Yuan strode out openly from the Li residence. No one dared pursue him. Even the gatekeepers, hearing the commotion, gave him a new look—then ran off as fast as their legs could carry them, fearing he might take offense and deal with them as well.

Outside the Li residence, Ji Wu, unable to get in, was anxiously pacing. He had followed, but the Li residence wasn’t somewhere just anyone could enter. The Ji Escort Agency had some standing, but compared to the magistrate’s son-in-law, it was nothing. Their reputation was useless here; all he could do was worry outside.

So when Xu Yuan exited, he immediately saw Ji Wu not far from the gate, darting about like a restless child, occasionally hopping in place, trying to peer over the wall and catch a glimpse of the events inside.

“Still jumping?” Xu Yuan approached, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Ah? Sir!” Caught in the act, Ji Wu’s face flushed red. Even with his thick skin, he struggled to find an excuse.

Fortunately, Xu Yuan had no interest in pressing the matter. He simply said, “Let’s go.”

Ji Wu hurried after him. But he was a restless sort; after a short distance, seeing that Xu Yuan hadn’t spoken, Ji Wu couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

“Sir, sir!”

“Hmm?”

“What did you do at the Li residence?” Ji Wu asked, his curiosity piqued.

From Xu Yuan’s arrival to his departure, it had been less than fifteen minutes. Ji Wu could barely make out the sounds from inside, but had no idea what had actually happened.

At twelve or thirteen, curiosity was at its peak. Boys at this age often felt they were adults, ready to do grown-up things. Some were already engaged or even married, and some even had children of their own.

In this era, twelve or thirteen really was the age of adulthood, time for marriage and starting a family.

Yet, from Xu Yuan’s perspective, Ji Wu was still a child, his mind not fully matured.

Page (2/3)

Restricted by the times, most had to shoulder family responsibilities at this age. The more backward the place, the earlier the marriages. The transition from child to adult, in Xu Yuan’s eyes, wasn’t just about age or even responsibilities and obligations. Age was only part of it. Experience and awareness mattered more, and those could only be forged by the passage of time.

Responsibilities and obligations thrust upon someone didn’t necessarily make them mature faster. The mind needed time to grow, even if tales of sudden enlightenment often required years—sometimes decades—of accumulation.

Ji Wu’s bubbling curiosity and energy didn’t bother Xu Yuan. Quite the opposite—it was precisely what he lacked the most these days.

“I went to settle a score,” Xu Yuan replied.

“How did you settle it?” Ji Wu’s eyes lit up.

But this time, Xu Yuan merely smiled without answering, continuing on his way.

When they reached a fork in the road, Xu Yuan spoke again: “Let’s eat at Liu’s shop. Tell Old Liu that I’ve avenged Old Gao.”

“Sir, won’t you eat with us?” Ji Wu’s eyes widened.

“No. If I go, I’ll only bring him trouble. Next time.” Xu Yuan waved his hand and headed down the other path. “Go, and don’t follow me this time.”

“Sir!” Watching Xu Yuan walk farther and farther away, Ji Wu couldn’t help but call out, “Will you come back? Will we meet again?”

Xu Yuan didn’t answer. But as that white-clad figure reached the end of the street, a voice seemed to drift on the wind.

“If fate allows, perhaps.”

Xu Yuan left the city and made his way up the hillside. There, a small path led away, close to the city yet rarely trodden. Moss covered the steps, worn by the passage of years, with wild grass and branches occasionally blocking the way.

He climbed the broken steps, and halfway up the mountain, he saw a small Daoist temple.

Its signboard, battered by decades of wind and rain, was barely legible, but three characters could still be made out: “Pure Breeze Temple.”