Chapter Ten
The family head spoke, "Choose a weapon that catches your eye."
Upon hearing this, An Jiu withdrew her gaze and stepped forward.
Mei Ru Yan had barely taken a step when she kicked the corner of a wooden rack, causing several weapons to clatter to the ground. Startled, she immediately knelt to apologize.
"No matter, continue," the family head said.
Mei Ru Yan exhaled slightly in relief and proceeded with greater caution. After a while, her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, and her movements became slightly more relaxed.
Mo Sigui, who usually moved with slow elegance, suddenly released the restraint of his Internal Energy on his seven orifices—a change only perceptible to a few masters. They glanced at Elder Qi and exchanged knowing smiles.
Mo Sigui was the first to pick a weapon—a folding fan. On its surface was painted an apricot blossom, accompanied by the inscription: "A single red apricot branch leans over the wall." The signature read: Yan Wu Dao.
He couldn’t discern any difference between this fan and an ordinary one, but he thought the poem was excellent. "A red apricot leaning over the wall"—what a fine metaphor!
Elder Qi’s cheek twitched, while Xian Zhang Lao chuckled lightly. "This lad suits my temperament. If not for his incompatible talents, I’d have taken him under my wing."
Mei Ru Yan paused before a few musical instruments after looking around for a while. "A pipa, a zither… Can these even be considered weapons?"
Then again, in places like the Pleasure House, what man didn’t drown in decadent melodies? Mei Ru Yan was intrigued by the Burnt Tail Zither, but having just escaped the brothel, she felt an aversion to such arts.
Just as she was about to look away, the family head spoke again. "Choose based on your intuition. Do not overthink it."
Mei Ru Yan froze, standing before the zither for a long time before finally reaching out to lift it.
The two had already made their choices, but An Jiu, who had moved first, still hadn’t found anything to her liking. In her mind, no weapon could compare to a sniper rifle. Failing that, a bundle of explosives would do!
Compared to cold weapons, An Jiu clearly preferred firearms.
The hunched elder, who had been watching her, suddenly appeared before her and thrust a longbow into her hands. His murky eyes gleamed faintly. "What do you think of this?"
"A bow?" An Jiu flicked the bowstring with her finger and remarked, "Too weak."
The elder shoved the bow into her hands dismissively. "With those skinny arms and legs, you’re lucky if you can even draw it! Take it and stop being so picky!"
An Jiu silently gripped the bow, which was taller than her, and followed the elder out.
It seemed she wouldn’t find her ideal weapon here. Moreover, doubts swirled in her mind: From Mei Jiu’s memories, she knew this was the seventh year of Qingyuan in the Song Dynasty. But wasn’t this the Southern Song era? Shouldn’t women of this time be virtuous and submissive, adhering to the "three obediences and four virtues"? It made sense for noble families to teach women zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—but why weapons too?
An Jiu recalled the story of "Mu Guiying Takes Command," but she couldn’t remember whether it happened in the Northern or Southern Song. Could it be that the Song Dynasty wasn’t as feudal as she’d imagined?
Once outside the armory, the family head and elders took their seats.
"Xian Zhang Lao, what do you think of Shishi Niang?" the family head asked, tilting his head slightly.
Xian Zhang Lao gave a slight nod.
"As for… Fourteen Lady?" The family head’s gaze swept the room before settling on the elder who had interacted most with An Jiu. "Elder Zhi, are you interested?"
Elder Zhi grinned. "Indeed. I’ll take her.""Sorry, may I ask why?" An Jiu said.
Elder Zhi pointed a withered finger to his chest. "A heart still as water."
From the moment they entered the room, Elder Zhi had been observing Mei Ru Yan and An Jiu's demeanor. Mei Ru Yan's lively eyes betrayed the many calculations running through her mind, while An Jiu carried herself with an air of complete confidence—yet in reality, she lacked the strength to back it up. There were three possibilities: first, she was foolish; second, she truly didn’t care; third, her heart was as tranquil as a secluded valley.
An Jiu’s behavior clearly wasn’t due to foolishness, and Elder Zhi didn’t believe a young girl could be so indifferent to worldly matters. Thus, he concluded it must be the last.
Since Elder Zhi insisted, the family head refrained from further questioning. "In that case, you three may go to Pine Spring to bathe. The formal apprenticeship ceremony will take place tomorrow morning."
"Yes." The three bowed solemnly before withdrawing.
The family head dismissed the servants, leaving only himself and the five elders in the room.
Elder Xian was the first to speak. "Third Uncle, you haven’t taken a disciple in seven years. Why today…?"
Elder Ming added, "Indeed. Fourteen Lady is not only illiterate but also weak in constitution—hardly suited for martial training. Her only notable trait is her striking beauty. Someone like her would normally meet the criteria for an external marriage alliance. Forcing her to stay might..."
Elder Zhi pulled a sheet of paper from his sleeve and unfolded it—it was the very one An Jiu had written earlier!
Though everyone present was highly skilled, none had noticed when he took it!
"The handwriting is crude, but the strokes are decisive, soft yet concealing sharp strength." Elder Zhi squinted as he held the paper up to the light, his earlier playfulness gone. "Did you notice? From the main hall to the weapon vault, even Mo Sigui hesitated for a moment, yet she adapted without pause. Heaven has gifted her with remarkable eyes."
Elder Zhi lived up to his name, "Zhi" (Wisdom). He was no ordinary man. At fourteen, he achieved the highest imperial examination rank, and due to his literary and martial prowess, as well as his striking appearance, he earned the emperor’s favor and remained in the capital as an official. At seventeen, when the Mei family faced crisis, he abandoned his promising career to return home, single-handedly reviving the Mei clan as its head. At forty, he passed the leadership to another and spent a decade traveling before returning to Plum Blossom Village as an elder.
His life had some regrets, but overall, it had been smooth.
"Alas! Due to my state of mind, my Archery has grown too placid, lacking killing intent. I fear I’ll never achieve true mastery in this lifetime. But I hope to witness genuine Archery before I die!" Shockingly, Elder Zhi placed his lifelong hopes on Fourteen Lady, whom no one else favored.
Outside, sunlight filtered through the maple trees along the shaded path.
Mo Sigui blocked An Jiu’s way. "Shouldn’t you explain what happened earlier?"
Not wanting to be caught in the middle, Mei Ru Yan said, "Cousin and elder sister, you two talk first. I’ll go ahead to bathe."
"Very well," Mo Sigui replied politely.
Mei Ru Yan smiled, hugging the Burnt Tail Zither as she cheerfully followed Wen Bi away. Wen Cui tactfully retreated a few paces.
"Explain what?" An Jiu asked.
Mo Sigui gazed at her with a smile, still not angry. "You pinched my flesh."
"Oh, you don’t want to pinch me back, do you?" An Jiu said.
Mo Sigui smirked, flicking open a folding fan painted with a scene of "red apricots blooming over the wall." "Cousin, the place you pinched is quite embarrassing... but this elder brother doesn’t mind."An Jiu curled her lips and glanced down at his crotch. "Heh, as long as you like it, as long as you like it. I was actually aiming for that little thing, but it was so small my hand slipped and grabbed somewhere else."
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