Chapter 47: Dduo-dduo (Monthly Votes Requested)

Although the return to Luoyang had been decided, it could not be accomplished immediately.

There were too many matters to attend to first. Initially, the news of Zheng Yanqing regaining consciousness needed to be publicly announced, followed by a series of tedious tasks. For instance, paying visits to Zhang Zong and Daxi Shanyi to express gratitude for their timely rescue and care for Zheng Yanqing.

Some superficial formalities also had to be properly observed, such as pacifying the Xingyang Zheng clan and sending formal notices to Zhangsun Sheng and Fang Yanqian.

At the same time, they had to await the arrival of people from Yangxia to escort Xie Ke back home. This formal protocol could not be omitted. The Xie uncle and nephew had been inadvertently dragged into this storm, with Xie Ke even shedding blood and getting injured. If they simply left without a word to the Xie family, it would be unjustifiable by any standard of reason or etiquette, leaving them open to harsh criticism.

Though the Yangxia Xie clan was not as prominent as it once was, much like the Zheng family, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and these traditional courtesies must never be neglected.

Thus, there were truly a multitude of matters to manage from all directions. Fortunately, Zhengshi An was exceptionally resourceful and tactful, while Pei Shuying was remarkably clever and nimble.

With these two around, Zheng Yanqing did not need to trouble his mind with trivial or major affairs.

He only needed to stay in the post station and continue feigning illness. As for everything else, Zhengshi An and Pei Shuying would handle and arrange it all. Except for a lack of complete freedom, Yanqing lived a rather carefree and leisurely life. On ordinary days in the post station, he would chat with Xie Ke, converse with Mao Xiaonian, and carve out time every day to visit the three brothers of the Dang family.

Shen Guang's arm injury was gradually returning to normal under the treatment of the Shaolin Temple's secret prescription.

Though the meridians were still somewhat misaligned, his arm had regained its strength. It was merely lacking in agility and convenience, requiring a bit more treatment. However, Shen Guang did not give Zheng Yanqing any pleasant expressions, presumably still harboring resentment over the time Yanqing had knocked him unconscious.

He was a martial escort, or rather, Zheng Yanqing's bodyguard.

Yet, he had failed to fulfill a bodyguard's duty, unable to step forward when Yanqing was in the greatest danger, and therefore harbored deep regret.

Zheng Yanqing was well aware of his thoughts, so he simply put on a cheeky and mischievous face, leaving Shen Guang completely helpless against him.

"Young Master, you are, after all, a person of considerable renown. Acting so shamelessly and dissolutely will not look good if word gets out..."

Shen Guang was practicing his boxing in the courtyard, while Zheng Yanqing sat in the covered corridor, attended to by Mao Xiaonian, continually shouting words of encouragement as if watching a street performance. Grown hoarse from shouting, he simply stood up and clapped vigorously.

If it were anyone else, Shen Guang would have already rushed over and treated them to a round of heavy fists.

Yet toward Zheng Yanqing, he had zero countermeasures.

He had no choice but to halt his movements, pointing at Zheng Yanqing with a wry smile and a scold.

Zheng Yanqing remained utterly unconcerned. He took the handkerchief from Mao Xiaonian's hand, wiped his hands, and stepped out of the corridor.

"Brother Shen, I see your arm is still not very agile, which must be caused by blocked meridians.

I happen to know a set of boxing techniques that might be useful for unblocking your meridians. I just don't know if you are willing to learn it."

"What boxing technique?"

"This was taught to me back then by Mr. Sun, combining the Five-Animal Frolics with the practical essence of various martial arts, known as the Five-Animal Boxing. He traveled through famous mountains, great rivers, and deep forests for years, relying entirely on this set of boxing techniques for self-protection, and it has remarkable benefits for the body."

"Oh?"

Shen Guang certainly knew that Zheng Yanqing had once befriended Sun Simiao and learned a set of boxing forms.

In fact, when Yanqing was at the bamboo courtyard, he practiced it frequently. But out of respect for martial arts etiquette, Shen Guang had never gone to observe.

Zheng Yanqing said, "Your injury never fully heals, and when I return to Luoyang, there might be trouble waiting. Surely you don't expect me to fight people myself, do you? Hehe. If you want to learn, just nod your head... But there is a condition: smile for me."

Shen Guang was driven to exasperation by Zheng Yanqing...

After a moment, he finally could not help it and broke into a smile.

"Look, look, you look much better when you smile... Xiaonian, don't you think so?"

Mao Xiaonian covered her mouth and nodded gently.

The raven hair buns on her head swayed softly along with the movement, clearly highly amused by Zheng Yanqing's nearly rogue behavior.

Shen Guang was left between laughter and tears.

Zheng Yanqing took off his outer robe, revealing a short-sleeved inner tunic and a single layer of clothing.

He steadied his posture in the courtyard and executed the Five-Animal Boxing. The movements flowed like moving clouds and running water, carrying an extraordinary momentum.

The tiger pounces, the deer runs, the ape leaps, the bear embraces, the crane dances...

This set of Five-Animal Frolics was also known as the Hundred-Step Sweat Frolic, meaning that walking a hundred steps would leave one drenched in sweat. Based on the Five-Animal Frolics, the Five-Animal Boxing incorporated the profound principles of guiding exercises, with extremely sophisticated requirements for footwork, breathing, and hand gestures.

After practicing the entire routine of Five-Animal Boxing, Zheng Yanqing was drenched in sweat.

However, after sweating profusely, he felt much more comfortable and refreshed in spirit. Having concluded the form, he strolled slowly around the courtyard to calm the qi and blood within his body.

"I've been lying down too much lately, and my skills have grown rusty."

With that, he began to impart some of the key points of the Five-Animal Boxing to Shen Guang.

When it came to the foundations of martial arts, Shen Guang possessed a much deeper mastery than Zheng Yanqing. He nodded repeatedly, quickly comprehending the profound mysteries within, and began to stretch his limbs in the courtyard. Unlike Yanqing's execution, Shen Guang's Five-Animal Boxing distinctly carried a greater intent of combat and killing.

Even though Yanqing had shot twenty-one bandits to death at White Sparrow Temple and personally slain five with his own hands, when it came to the aura of slaughter, he still could not compare to Shen Guang. Shen Guang's martial prowess had been truly forged through bloody combats and life-or-death struggles. In his hands, the Five-Animal Boxing possessed an even greater lethality. Especially the tiger-pouncing and bear-embracing postures, which carried a profound resonance. Meanwhile, the ape-leaping posture was originally meant to be light and agile, but when executed by Shen Guang, it became preternaturally eerie and unpredictable, causing Yanqing to nod inwardly in approval...

"Brother Shen seems even more suited to this set of techniques than I am."

Zheng Yanqing said to Mao Xiaonian.

Xiaonian could not discern the subtle differences and therefore disagreed, saying, "But I still think Young Master practices it the most gracefully."

Hearing this, Zheng Yanqing could not help rolling his eyes and casting a glance at Mao Xiaonian.

As early summer approached, the temperature continued to rise.

Xiaonian was dressed in a thin, turquoise-green inner tunic, which highlighted the gentle protrusion of her budding breasts beneath the fabric. Her dark, glossy hair and slender, snow-white neck... Yanqing suddenly realized that, at some unknown point in time, Xiaonian had grown increasingly womanly!

Just at that moment, Shen Guang suddenly let out a fierce shout: "Who goes there!"

He lunged toward the courtyard wall with a swift step, and while leaping, flicked his wrist to release a sleeve arrow that whistled through the air with a sharp, piercing gale and ferocious momentum.

A graceful figure sprang down from the top of the wall, cold light flashing as a blade clashed against the sleeve arrow with a crisp *clang*.

The moment she landed lightly, Shen Guang had already closed the distance. With a dragon-like hum of ringing steel, a cold, glittering sword as thin as a cicada's wing appeared in his hand—precisely the Dragon Ring Sword that Zheng Yanqing had won in a wager with Zheng Wanshou.

That bout of Chinese wrestling was a victory Shen Guang had fought for with his life.

And whatever Zheng Yanqing had desired, he had already obtained! The Dragon Ring Sword was merely an extra bonus, so he had not cared much for it.

Consequently, he had gifted the Dragon Ring Sword to Shen Guang.

Because in Zheng Yanqing's view, this Dragon Ring Sword would be far more effective in Shen Guang's hands than in his own.

Clearly, the intruder had not expected Shen Guang to wield such a sharp weapon. When Shen Guang raised the sword and thrust forward, she was startled. However, her martial arts were far from inferior, so she let out a cold snort, executed a backhanded, slanted parry, and with a crisp *clang*, deflected Shen Guang's Dragon Ring Sword. Taking advantage of the momentum, she retreated backward, holding her sword horizontally across her chest, her phoenix eyes gleaming with vigilance.

The sword in her hand was also of fine quality.

While perhaps not a divine weapon capable of cutting through iron like mud, it was exceptionally sharp.

Yet during that very clash, a tiny nick had appeared on her treasured blade.

Seeing that his strike had missed, Shen Guang wasted no words and prepared to lunge forward again with another step, when he heard Yanqing call out: "Brother Shen, stop!"

Shen Guang hastily stepped back two paces and looked at Zheng Yanqing with a puzzled expression.

He saw that Yanqing's expression was somewhat emotional as he walked quickly out of the corridor, staring fixedly at the newcomer, momentarily speechless.

The intruder was a young maiden of about fourteen or fifteen years of age, dressed in white with a jade belt, her dark hair loosely pinned, possessing bright eyes and white teeth.

She bit her red lip gently, looking at Zheng Yanqing with a complex expression before speaking softly in a moment: "Little Scholar, are you well?"

"Duoduo, is it really you?"

Hearing that familiar form of address reach his ears, Zheng Yanqing shouted excitedly.

He opened his arms and ran toward the maiden, but after taking two steps, he halted, "Duoduo, it really is you!"

Seeing that Zheng Yanqing and the intruder were acquainted, Shen Guang put away the Dragon Ring Sword.

However, he still watched the other party vigilantly until the maiden also sheathed her sword, whereupon he slowly retreated back into the corridor.

"Xiaonian, the Young Master seems to know her?"

Xiaonian twirled her skirt ribbon with slender fingers and said with an unhappy expression, "How would I know? I've never seen this woman before."

"Her martial arts are quite good!"

Shen Guang praised softly. But catching sight of Xiaonian's gloomy expression, he immediately fell silent.

At a time like this, it was best not to speak... It seemed the Young Master knew this young lady, but it had displeased another young lady. Then again, for the Young Master to possess such capabilities at his age—first having the Pei family young lady, keeping Xiaonian at home, and now suddenly having a highly skilled romantic confidante emerge—heaven knows how many other secrets he kept hidden from others.

The newcomer was none other than Duoduo.

In the blink of an eye, five years had passed, and Duoduo had blossomed into a poised, graceful young woman.

Zheng Yanqing never expected to be reunited with Duoduo in Yanshi. Her eyes still retained a deep wariness, yet they were tinged with a trace of lingering care and an inexpressible, mysterious radiance. Both of them stood rooted to the spot, neither moving. Yet their locked gazes seemed to convey all the yearnings accumulated during their separation.

Are you well?

Mm, I am very well... You look like you're doing quite well, too.

"Duoduo..."

"Little Scholar..."

Both spoke almost in unison, only to fall silent at the same time. Duoduo suddenly burst into a soft giggle, and Zheng Yanqing could not help laughing either.

"Little Scholar, I never expected that after five years apart, you would have become the renowned Half-Biannual Master and Master Goose!"

Duoduo said softly, her beautiful eyes filled with a trace of tender concern, "I heard you were injured, but seeing you looking like this now, I can finally set my mind at ease."

In the corridor, Shen Guang muttered quietly, "Xiaonian, the two of them seem very familiar with each other."

"Brother Shen, shut your mouth!"

Mao Xiaonian glared fiercely at Shen Guang. After thinking for a moment, she picked up the tray beside her, took dainty steps, and walked gracefully over.

"Young Master, is this your friend?"

The moment Duoduo caught sight of Mao Xiaonian, her gaze suddenly narrowed.

Xiaonian felt her heart beat fiercely and uncooperatively at that instant. Yet she gritted her teeth and stepped forward.

"Xiaonian, let me introduce you. This is my childhood friend and also my martial arts teacher, Xu Duoduo."

"Duoduo, this is Mao Xiaonian."

Zheng Yanqing failed to notice the silent, lightning-fast clash between Xiaonian and Duoduo. He ran over and took Duoduo's delicate hand. Duoduo's face flushed slightly, and though she seemed inclined to pull away, after a moment of hesitation, she let Yanqing hold it.

Her palms were somewhat calloused, and her finger joints appeared slightly broader than those of ordinary girls.

This was undoubtedly the result of her long years of practicing martial arts. Holding her hand, Zheng Yanqing led her along with Xiaonian back into the corridor.

"Duoduo, why did you climb over the wall to get in?"

"Hmph, you're someone important now... There's a big fellow guarding the front gate for you, and I saw many people coming only to be turned away. A weak maiden like me with no fame to speak of—how could anyone possibly let me in? I thought you were severely injured, so I rushed here to visit you... But I never imagined you would be so leisurely, looking nothing like someone who was hurt."

Zheng Yanqing scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.

Hearing this nearby, Xiaonian felt rather displeased.

"Who says my Young Master wasn't injured? He was hurt in the heart meridian by those scoundrels. If not for encountering a grandmaster from the Shaolin Temple along the way who used a Great Returning Pill to sustain his life, followed by inviting Mr. Chao Yuanfang overnight to treat him with Nine-Nine Pills and acupuncture, it might have been perilous!"

"Ah, injured in the heart meridian?"

Duoduo's face instantly showed a look of nervous concern, which only made Xiaonian's complexion grow even gloomier.

At this point, Zheng Yanqing realized something was amiss. These two young lasses seemed to be competing with each other; if he stayed here any longer, heaven knows what kind of trouble might erupt.

"Xiaonian, go check on Sanyuan and Xiyao.

When I came out just now, they seemed a bit listless... Oh, Brother Shen, you go along too and help Xiaonian out."

The atmosphere here was far too tense; Shen Guang was more than happy to slip away early.

Although Xiaonian was somewhat reluctant, she cared deeply about Sanyuan and Xiyao. After a moment of hesitation, she left alongside Shen Guang.

"That little girl seems quite concerned about you."

Hearing this, Zheng Yanqing could not help smiling, "Duoduo, you're still the same as ever."

"Hmph!"

Duoduo wore a displeased expression, yet she drew a white jade box from her bosom and placed it into Zheng Yanqing's hand.

"What is this?"

"I heard you were injured, so when I came, I managed to secure a Jade Pill.

It is made from supreme medicinal ingredients, and its efficacy is by no means inferior to that Great Returning Pill. I originally intended to... but looking at you now, full of vigor and life, you probably don't need it anymore."

Zheng Yanqing snatched the Jade Pill away, "Who says I don't need it? I was coughing this morning."

Duoduo burst out laughing, "This Jade Pill is brewed according to an imperial palace secret recipe. If Eunuch He were to know you used it to treat a cough, he would be furious. But seeing that you are safe and sound, I can finally set my heart at rest."

Warmth flooded Zheng Yanqing's heart, and the hand holding Duoduo's delicate fingers tightened a fraction.

"Duoduo, where did you go... on that day?"

Duoduo said softly, "Actually, my mother and I were planning to leave around that time anyway. My father's former subordinates had tracked us down, but Mother felt it would be improper to leave without saying goodbye, so she kept looking for an opportunity. After that incident occurred, Mother was afraid of implicating you, so she resolved to depart under the cover of night... Little Scholar, over the past few years, I've often heard people mention your name. At first, I didn't believe that Master Goose could be the Little Scholar, but later I realized it truly was you.

Mother was very happy, and even lectured my younger brother, telling him he should learn from you..."

"Your younger brother?"

"Yes, didn't I tell you before? I have a younger brother about your age, perhaps even a bit older than you."

"Is Mother Xu... doing well?"

Zheng Yanqing held deep affection for Mother Xu.

After all, when he was an infant, he had been nourished by Mother Xu's breast milk.

To a certain extent, Mother Xu was like another mother to him. Furthermore, back then, Mother Xu had treated him exceptionally well.

"Mother... has passed away!"

"Ah?"

"At the start of spring last year, Mother fell gravely ill and remained bedridden thereafter until autumn..."

Duoduo's eyes reddened, and her voice choked slightly.

Zheng Yanqing's heart ached at these words, and instinctively, he reached out his arm and gently pulled Duoduo into his embrace.

He and Duoduo were of similar height. As she was held in his arms, separated only by their clothing, he could feel the delicate and smooth texture of her skin. Five years had passed, and little Duoduo had grown up, possessing a touch of youthful, plump maturity. Yanqing noticed that when he pulled her into his embrace, her body trembled slightly, and a subtle shiver ran down her arms.

In truth, Duoduo rather disliked being held like this.

The memory of that scene five years ago had left a profound shadow on her.

Yet for some reason, she could not bring herself to refuse Yanqing's embrace. On that night five years ago, Yanqing had held her in precisely this manner, whispering words of comfort. At the time, she had felt so warm and safe. And now, it seemed she was once again reliving that wondrous sensation.

"Then where have you been all these years?"

"Hannan."

"Hannan?" Zheng Yanqing was startled, "You've been in Xiangyang Commandery all these years?"

"Mm, at first Mother and I were in Xiangzhou. Later, Eunuch He introduced a master to me, so we relocated to Hannan."

Hannan referred to the later-generation Yicheng in Hubei.

Yanqing could sense that Duoduo's emotions were somewhat low. Eager to change the subject, he asked, "Your martial arts must be very formidable now, right?"

Duoduo struggled out of Zheng Yanqing's embrace, her cheeks flushed red like peach blossoms in March.

Wiping away the traces of tears from her face, she said softly, "At least much stronger than some little fool who got his heart meridian injured."

As soon as these words left her lips, they seemed a bit too intimate.

Duoduo's face grew even redder. Lowering her head, she no longer dared to meet Yanqing's gaze directly.

Yanqing held her delicate hand, "Duoduo, are you going to leave again after coming back this time?"

"Oh, I am leaving."

Saying this, Duoduo withdrew her hand from Yanqing's grip and spoke softly, "I came this time for two reasons: first, to deliver the medicine to you, and second, to apologize..."

"Apologize?"

Zheng Yanqing was stunned, "What are you apologizing to me for?"

Duoduo's expression was conflicted.

She seemed troubled, unsure of how to begin.

After a long while, she lowered her voice and said, "Actually... the White-Robed Maitreya is my subordinate."