Chapter Eighteen: The Headstrong Woman

Li Sanjian had a rough start to his journey. Muddy water splashed all over him, soaking his clothes through—not only was he drenched, but what truly worried him was the fate of his precious few books. If they got wet, they might be ruined. So, after the rain stopped, Li Sanjian went in search of dry firewood. Finding a secluded spot, he lit a small fire, spread the books out on the ground, and removed his wet clothes, intending to dry everything before moving on.

His family was poor—he owned only one set of clothes, which his mother, Fu Erniang, had sewn for him after selling what little they had for some cotton cloth. She had spent several nights in a row stitching it together.

Now, stripped of all but the barest covering, Li Sanjian lay prone on the ground, rear in the air in a most unseemly posture, his heart aching for his sodden books as he gently turned their damp pages.

“The prophecy says: ‘The mysteries of yin and yang, the turning of the seasons, are beyond fathoming; when solstices return home, the world lies in the palm of one’s hand. If one understands the principles of the cosmos, all under heaven is revealed. The Yellow Emperor fought Chiyou at Zhuolu, their bitter struggle lasting years. In a dream, a celestial being bestowed a secret talisman; ascending the altar, he offered a most devout sacrifice...’”

As he dried the book Chen Yide had gifted him, reading as he turned the pages, Li Sanjian found himself drawn in. The opening discussed the mysteries of yin-yang, the five elements, and the ways of spirits and ghosts—subjects that surprised him greatly.

Though he had never truly believed in such matters, his recent experiences left him half skeptical, half convinced. The world was full of mysteries and countless things that defied explanation—no one could say for certain what was real and what was not.

Yet the text was so abstruse that Li Sanjian soon found himself lost and dizzy, and there were many characters he simply could not recognize.

Absorbed in the book, he failed to notice the world around him, nor did he see the two riders—a young man and a woman—approaching on horseback.

“Brother, where did that man go? Are you sure he’s the one Father wants us to find?” The girl in red muttered as she rode.

“Little sister, he should be. Judging by his clothes and age, I don’t think I’m mistaken,” replied the young man, roughly in his twenties.

“But... Brother, even if he is the one we’re looking for, he’s awfully rude. He just cursed at me! It was horrible,” the girl said indignantly.

“You galloped past and splashed him with mud—who else should he curse? Besides, do you really know what he said? Are you sure he was cursing you?” the young man shook his head.

“Oh, Brother, I wasn’t the one who made the horse run wild! It got spooked—I didn’t do it on purpose. How can you blame me?” she protested. “Look at the way he carried on—hands on hips, yelling and jumping. If that’s not cursing, what is?”

The young man chuckled. “Who told you to sneak out before your riding skills were ready? If Father finds out you ran off, I’ll be the one in trouble. Why don’t you head back?”

“No!” the girl pouted. “Brother, are you really going to make me go alone?”

“Fine, fine,” he said, resigned. “But you mustn’t run off again. We’ll look for him together.”

As she was still young, the young man was unwilling to let her return alone.

“I know, I know! You say that every time—so annoying,” the girl huffed.

“All right, I won’t say it again,” he relented with a smile, seeing her irritation.

Their parents had three sons, but after fifty, they were blessed with a daughter. She was utterly spoiled—her brothers never dared cross her, and all three doted on her endlessly, letting her have her way in everything.

Besides, the girl in red was charming and lovely, and her brothers indulged her every whim.

“Brother, why does Father want us to find him? What’s so special about him? I don’t think he looks like a good person at all,” she asked.

“Ah, little sister, you’re speaking nonsense again,” the young man smiled. “First, how do you know what kind of person he is? Second, he’s the student of Father’s dearest friend. Father is simply doing a favor for an old friend.”

“Oh, I see. But where are we supposed to find him now?” she asked.

The young man glanced around. “We parted not long ago, and with the rain, he can’t have gone far. He must be nearby.”

“Oh! Brother, there’s a grove over there. I’ll go look,” she said, urging her horse toward the trees.

“Slow down, little sister!” he called, chasing after her. “If you see him, don’t—”

But before he could finish, she had already galloped ahead. Shaking his head, he hurried after her.

The girl in red rode toward the grove, drawn by the flicker of firelight. Entering among the trees, she caught sight of something pale and white moving rhythmically on a clearing ahead.

Startled, she squeezed her legs to her horse, moving closer—only to discover that the white object was a naked man, lying prone and reading a book aloud, his head swaying as he recited.

“Ah!” she shrieked, mortified, her piercing cry startling both Li Sanjian and the young man who was not far behind.

Startled from his trance, Li Sanjian scrambled up and turned to see a beautiful young woman staring at him in a mixture of shame and fury.

“You—” he began, seeing her gallop toward him, and despite being clad only in a loincloth, he spread his arms to block her path. “Careful, my books—!”

He was terrified she’d trample his precious books, still drying on the ground.

The girl’s humiliation turned to rage. In broad daylight, this man dared expose himself so brazenly—and in front of her, no less? The more she thought about how he’d shouted at her earlier, the angrier she became. Leaping from her horse, she spun gracefully in midair and kicked with both feet, her movements as elegant as they were swift.

“Marvelous skill!” Li Sanjian couldn’t help but exclaim. But he was caught off guard—the girl wasn’t just graceful, she was quick as lightning, and her attack was aimed straight at him.

“Ow!” Before he could react, her dainty feet struck him squarely, sending him flying headfirst into a nearby stream. Only his two pale legs stuck out above the water, waving like two thick, white lotus roots.

Though she was young and not very strong, the ground by the stream was slippery, and Li Sanjian was easily sent tumbling into the water.

He flailed desperately, but the stream was shallow, barely waist-deep. After swallowing a few mouthfuls, he managed to stand, wiping water from his face. Dazed, he recognized the girl as the one who had splattered him with mud earlier.

Now he was truly angry. It was bad enough to be drenched with mud; now she’d attacked him without so much as an explanation, simply because she was skilled in martial arts? Did she think she could bully him as she pleased? He might not be able to defeat her in a fight, but surely he could out-argue her! In his youth, he’d been an expert at scolding others...

“How outrageous!” Soaked and bedraggled, Li Sanjian stood in the stream, pointing at her and shouting, “Utterly ill-mannered! A true gentleman uses words, not fists—don’t you know that? ‘Do not gaze at what is improper’—did your parents never teach you that? Clearly you were poorly raised... Today, I am a tiger fallen from grace, I admit my misfortune, but one day I will repay this insult and make you wish you were dead. Madam, why don’t we lay down our arms for today and—ah!”

The girl, who had felt her anger subside a little after kicking him into the water, was now fuming again at his shouting and insults. Drawing a supple sword from her waist with a flourish, she advanced on Li Sanjian.

She stepped lightly into the stream, sending up a spray of droplets, her sword flashing like a rainbow as she lunged for him. Li Sanjian panicked, trying to dodge, but he was frail and standing in water—how could he hope to escape?

The blade gleamed, about to pierce him, when with a metallic clang, a dark figure darted between them, intercepting her sword with his own.

Li Sanjian collapsed into the water in fright, only his wide, terrified eyes visible above the surface.

“Little sister, what are you doing? Why attack him without cause?” the young man demanded, standing protectively before Li Sanjian.

“Brother... he... he...” she stammered furiously. “Move aside, brother, I must kill him!”

“Little sister, you’re being unreasonable,” he said, shaking his head. “He is the very person Father sent us to find.”

“Bah! Such a brazen scoundrel—how could he be the one Father wants?” she retorted, sword still at the ready.

“Put away your sword. Let me speak to him first.” He turned to her.

“Hmph.” She snorted, grudgingly sheathing her sword, though she continued to glare daggers at Li Sanjian.

He too put away his sword, then turned and bowed to Li Sanjian. “May I ask—are you surnamed Li?”

Still in the water, Li Sanjian pointed at the girl.

Understanding, she turned away in embarrassment, her back to them.

Li Sanjian climbed sullenly from the stream. “My name is Li Sanjiang, courtesy name Hanren. And you are...?”

“I am Chen by surname. My father is your master’s dear friend. At his behest, we have come to invite you to our manor.”