Chapter 26: Old Master Song Wants to See Me?

The next day, the rain continued to fall... Liu Shen had made progress in his training of the Child's Skill, successfully opening the Ren and Du meridians. He had originally planned to go to the dock to lift some sacks and see how much his strength had increased. However, he was surprised to find that there was no work at the dock due to the dreary weather.

Noticing that the laborers were all resting, he thought for a moment and put on his bamboo hat and raincoat before heading out. As he arrived outside the Tongda Hall, he saw a beautiful woman walking towards him, holding an oiled paper umbrella against the drizzling rain. Her graceful figure appeared even more enchanting against the misty backdrop.

The two locked eyes from a distance, both recognizing one another. Liu Shen smiled as he entered the Tongda Hall, taking off his hat and coat, while Pei Xueyan, with a smile on her lips, stepped inside and folded her umbrella.

Yuan Xiaofei, seeing the two of them, cheerfully took the umbrella from the young mistress and wiped the rain off the hat and coat. "What a coincidence!" Liu Shen remarked, "I haven't been to the Tongda Hall in a few days, and here I run into the young mistress right away."

"Who has a coincidence with you?" Pei Xueyan haughtily retorted, recalling the advantage she had lost a few days prior. She lifted her delicate neck and added, "The Tongda Hall belongs to my Song family; is there a problem with me coming here?"

"Exactly," Yuan Xiaofei solemnly chimed in, "Although you haven't been here recently, the young mistress comes to the Tongda Hall every day..."

"Oh?" Liu Shen said, surprised. After glancing at Pei Xueyan, whose expression had stiffened, he inquired, "Does the young mistress look a bit displeased every time she leaves?"

"How do you know that, Shen Ge?" Yuan Xiaofei replied with wide eyes, seemingly incredulous that Liu Shen could discern the young mistress's feelings despite his absence.

"..." Noticing Pei Xueyan's frustrated expression, Liu Shen struggled to suppress his laughter and said, "If I can read fortunes, it’s easy to guess."

Pei Xueyan felt her cheeks heat up as he looked at her with a smile, and she let out a huff before sweeping into the inner hall.

"..." Yuan Xiaofei blinked in confusion, still not understanding what had happened, and said, "Shen Ge, it seems the young mistress isn't in a good mood."

"That's none of your business." Liu Shen waved him off, signaling him to get back to his tasks, then went to check on the little girl Yu Hong. Seeing her in good spirits, he chatted with her before heading to the accounts room.

Meanwhile, Pei Xueyan sat there, seemingly brooding. When Liu Shen entered, she turned her head away with a huffy noise, refusing to look at him.

Liu Shen, grinning, approached her from behind, gently kneading her shoulders, and feigned ignorance by asking, "Who has annoyed our young mistress?"

"A rude, smelly laborer!" Pei Xueyan replied, feeling a bit less angry at his shoulder rub but still maintaining a haughty demeanor. "That stinky laborer wants to practice martial arts, and after learning the techniques, he forgot about his junior sister and friends. Isn't that infuriating?"

"Infuriating! Truly infuriating!" Liu Shen, knowing she was venting her frustrations at him, explained, "Perhaps that laborer hasn't forgotten his junior sister or friends; he may just have become absorbed in martial arts for the first time and lost track of time."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Look, that stinky laborer, after catching a glimpse of the way of martial arts, hurried here to share his joy with his junior sister and friends."

"Hmm?" Pei Xueyan turned to face him in surprise, looking him up and down. "You've only been practicing for four days; did you really make progress?"

"Thanks to the young mistress's blessings..." Liu Shen smiled and explained, "The Child's Skill is indeed extraordinary. I focused on the foundational stances for a few days and found the energy around the third watch of the night, successfully opening the Ren and Du meridians, so I can barely be considered to have made progress."

"At the third watch..." Pei Xueyan, hearing that he had found the energy in the dead of night and made progress, instantly felt her small grievances evaporate.

Though she was curious, she pretended to be aloof and asked, "So... what remarkable changes have you noticed since making progress in your martial arts?"

"Remarkable changes?" Liu Shen pondered for a moment, unsure how to describe the energy within him, and could only smile wryly as he explained, "Entering one realm in martial arts is merely the beginning, focusing on the flow of energy channels; compared to ordinary people, it just means a bit more strength. To show significant differences, one must reach the second realm."

He paused again, his expression serious as he added, "Moreover, learning martial arts isn't something that happens overnight; it requires diligent practice, and only through the accumulation of time can one appreciate its wonders."

"That's true..." Pei Xueyan nodded thoughtfully, then seemed to recall something, biting her lip in worry as she tentatively asked, "If the accumulation of time deepens your inner strength, will you forget your junior sister and friends when you achieve success and gain fame in the martial world?"

"Young mistress, your words are quite hurtful." Liu Shen snorted lightly upon hearing this, his expression displeased. "Liu Shen's ability to practice martial arts is entirely due to the support of his junior sister and friends; how could such bonds be worn away by time? How could achieving fame in the martial world compare to that?"

He paused, looking deeply into Pei Xueyan's eyes as he coldly stated, "May I ask, young mistress, with such bonds, if I, Liu Shen, were to forget my junior sister and friends, how would I be different from a beast?"

"..." Pei Xueyan trembled under his gaze, realizing her words had clearly upset him.

In a fluster, she averted her gaze and pouted, muttering, "I misspoke; please don’t be angry."

Seeing the young mistress caught in her own words, Liu Shen was satisfied as he sat nearby and tapped the table. "I'm parched; young mistress, pour me a cup of tea to soothe my throat."

"You..." Pei Xueyan shot him a glare but felt it unwise to say much more. With a huff, she stood up to pour him a cup of tea, saying irritably, "If you're thirsty, drink quickly; after that, we’re going to the Song family."

"What for?"

"The old master wants to see you..."

"Ah-choo..."

Hearing this, Liu Shen nearly spit out the tea he had just taken a sip of, his face full of confusion as he pointed at himself and asked, "The old master of the Song family wants to see me?"

"Yes..." Pei Xueyan nodded, explaining with a hint of jealousy, "It seems the old master noticed I've been improving lately, so he asked someone about it and found out it was you helping me. He wanted me to bring you to meet him when I have time."

"The old master asked about me?" Liu Shen frowned, asking, "What did you say, young mistress?"

"I told the truth..." Pei Xueyan, seemingly worried, spoke timidly. "The old master knew it was you helping me. He asked me, and I couldn't lie, so I just told him everything."

"Did you tell him everything about us?"

"Not a word left out..."

"..." Liu Shen, upon hearing this, felt no anger. He understood that while he could keep his assistance to Pei Xueyan regarding the Song family's accounts a secret from others, he could never hide it from the patriarch of the Song family.

The old master of the Song family had likely already sent someone to investigate him after hearing from the servants that he was helping Pei Xueyan...

Seeing Pei Xueyan's pitiful expression of "please don't be angry," he comforted her, "Don't think too much. For someone like the old master of the Song family, most of the time, he asks questions with answers already in mind. It was wise of you not to lie to him."

"You're not angry?"

"What is there to be angry about?"

"..." Pei Xueyan pouted, muttering, "Last time you said if a third person found out about you practicing the Child's Skill, you'd sever ties with me, which caused me unnecessary worry for several days."

"Hahaha!" Liu Shen, seeing her transition from worried to relieved with a complicated expression, couldn't help but laugh.

"It couldn’t be hidden from the old master of the Song family, so it doesn't count!" He finished his tea in one gulp, stood up, and said, "To be honest, as a junior, I've long wanted to meet someone like the old master of the Song family!”

"There’s no better time than now; let’s go!" Pei Xueyan, beaming with delight, led him out the door. When she saw him put on the raincoat and bamboo hat again, she impatiently said, "It's just a little rain; my umbrella is enough."

"..." Liu Shen found it hard to refuse her kindness, so he willingly held the umbrella for her as they stepped into the persistent rain...