Chapter 113

Though her face had already been altered once by Yun Shen—to which she’d added a gauze veil obtained from an attendant—Little Shu felt entirely untroubled to stride brazenly out into the world.

True, she had told He Yu her intent was to replace Yun Shen’s clothes. Yet Ping Chao Kou was far grander, far livelier than expected! Barely past the fifth step, tempting, meaty and pasty scents already reached her—there’s meatloaf, fried cakes galore; even steaming bowls of mutton soup stood ready near. Under that winter sunshine every shopfront clamored alluringly.

Farther beyond came stranger sights she’d never encountered: exquisitely molded blown-glass figures… courtly trinkets long ago lost… Truly, how could mere mortals like He Yu or Yun Shen grasp even half the marvels before her? After all, each arrived upon cartloads of merchant ships sailing into this Yongzhou Province port; how many must have shattered, leaving mere few to land here intact? She’d been perusing intriguedly—until an innocent inquiry about prices turned her swiftly away. Seeking refuge then in another street bustling with snacks.

To step abroad herself—free of duties with neither Yun Shen nor Li Chou nattering nearby! Little Shu moved from stall to stall buying several warm things burning warm against the palm—stepping onwards steadily while steadily munching down delights. As an adept practitioner, spiritual power swiftly dissolved all the snacks mere breaths from her lips; how could she eat her fill? She indulged her appetite regardless, happily splurging coin in process.

The stallholders soon recognized her readily: that free-spending, insatiably hungry little “sir”. They gestured excitedly each time; only then did Little Shu suddenly snap alert. Evasively waving a hand, she spun aside at a crowded branch in the street… vanishing among the throng.

After ten steps stood the tailor shop. The place occupied slightly higher ground than the hawkers; flooding it with brilliant daylight. Within, row after perfect row of completed garments draped obediently over rack upon rack! Little Shu admired more greedily—her eyes lighting brighter still… Spotting one particular robe, even a soft “Wah!” escaped her.

Impulsively, Little Shu raised her hand only to glance sheepishly down at trace stains coating her palm. Thus, lifting her voice instead, she beckoned loudly for the shopkeeper.

“Young master wants this one? It might be a little large for you,” the shopkeeper said, sizing her up with a glance before even walking over. With a smile, she gestured Chen Shu toward the shop, adding, “Perhaps see these few over here—”

“I like this robe!” Chen Shu declared, then waved her hand broadly toward several others as her gaze followed the shopkeeper’s, saying, “And these too! Wrap them all up!”

Having set up shop in the bustling heart of Ping Chao Kou, the shopkeeper was nothing if not shrewd. Seeing this, she swallowed her next words and eagerly complied, not wasting a moment on further chatter as she scurried behind the counter to find wrapping material. Indeed, likely fearing Chen Shu might leave if inconvenienced, she chatted away while searching for oilcloth to bundle the clothes. Changing the subject, she praised Chen Shu’s excellent taste and generosity, remarking that these robes must be bought as filial gifts for elders, truly demonstrating a devoted heart.

Having spent so many days down the mountain without really sparing a thought for her master, Chen Shu felt a pang of guilt and hastily rubbed her hands, correcting: “Well, not for elders, but for… for the servants at home.” Halfway through, she suddenly recalled the fabricated background Yun Shen had crafted for their trio and smoothly finished her sentence.

The shopkeeper was momentarily speechless but swallowed the explanation wholeheartedly, widening her eyes to spout random praise: “…Then this young master is truly full of compassion!”

This praise struck exactly where it pleased Chen Shu most. Elated, she tossed in some extra silver coins, practically overjoying the shopkeeper. Glancing back as she left, Chen Shu saw the shopkeeper still hunched over, counting the coins.

By the time she returned to the inn, the high winter sun had lost its warmth and was already beginning its descent. He Yu and Yun Shen couldn’t have been unaware she’d dawdled along the way, but seeing her beaming face, He Yu’s soft heart couldn’t bear to expose her.

As for Yun Shen, he had put on the new robes she’d brought back. Ill-fitting as they were, he surreptitiously adjusted his posture to match the cut, then let Chen Shu stand before him, pointing and murmuring her satisfaction. He listened to her chatter about how much she’d spent, offering no comment, only a smile. Then, when her torrent of words finally ceased, he reached out.

Gently, he wiped away a small smudge of soup broth lingering at the corner of her mouth.

Chen Shu’s eyes snapped wide open. Whether from embarrassment or awkwardness, her cheeks, already flushed from her animated speech, grew positively crimson.

In an unnoticed corner, He Yu coughed uneasily and looked away.

—

Thus adorned and primped, and after spending the night practicing with Chen Shu on how to smile with less unguarded sincerity, the trio were ready. The next morning, when Chen Shu woke early and knocked on He Yu’s door, even he barely recognized her.

He stared at her for a full half-moment before suddenly recalling the previous day’s events. He slapped his forehead, hesitated another moment longer, and only then dared to acknowledge her.

From this point, Yun Shen’s plan was set in motion.

Only one detail hadn’t been anticipated.

They had intended to stay in the town’s streets a few more days, giving Chen Shu time to memorize the background story Yun Shen had concocted so she could answer questions fluently. However, having lodged at the inn for barely a day, they heard the very subject of their scheme being discussed over breakfast at the neighboring table.

Such an uncanny coincidence it was! On their second day in Ping Chao Kou, the Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance had announced his challenge: The Bride’s Blade Challenge. Naturally, it was the hottest topic of conversation. Even this tiny, overcrowded inn buzzed with discussions about it.

Yet these ordinary folk didn’t even know the Leader’s name.

At best, they’d heard whispers of the recent minor skirmishes in Fangcheng, catching wind of some martial world involvement. Even this news arrived only through recent refugees settling in town, or townsfolk who had been stranded in Fangcheng for decades and finally returned home.

In truth, the skirmishes themselves had nothing to do with the peaceful serenity of Ping Chao Kou.

In other words, only two or three out of every ten sentences these gossips uttered could be believed.

It was true the Leader would hold the challenge. True that the champion, beyond winning the bride, would also gain possession of a treasured sword, the Sword retrieved by Xu Yuan from Fangcheng. Also true were the location and timing of the challenge. But rumors of discord between the Leader and his daughter spurring this event, or stories that his daughter had secretly dallied with a foreigner from some vile cult hence the Leader’s grand effort to secure a proper match for her—these were pure speculation.

Baseless and rather sordid rumors at that.

Regardless, fueled by this tawdry gossip, the excitement spread like wildfire.

By the eve of the challenge, when aspirants needed to register at the gates of Xu Manor, young men from across Ping Chao Kou weren’t the only ones gathered. Opportunists had streamed in overnight from distant corners of Yongzhou, all vying to become the Leader’s illustrious son-in-law.

To avoid recognition by the Martial World Alliance officials, neither He Yu nor Yun Shen accompanied Chen Shu. Only Chen Shu went, and her small stature made maneuvering through the jostling crowd nerve-wracking.

She wasn’t worried about others vying for the title of “son-in-law.” Her heart was set solely on the sword. This perceived threat heightened her urgency; clenching her teeth, she resolved to push forward.

Fortunately, her small build—even with the padding Yun Shen had placed in her shoes—granted surprising nimbleness. She easily wormed her way through the throng, dashed to the registration table, slammed her palm on it, and announced:

“I’m here to join the challenge!”

“One at a time! There’s no hurry,” the registrar snapped, waving dismissively. Then, seeming to notice something, he abruptly lifted his head, his eyes locking onto Chen Shu’s.

Chen Shu hadn’t gotten a good look before. Now, seeing the face that had lifted, she nearly gave away her panic. Her face threatening to betray her; “How is it you?” almost tumbled from her lips.

This person, none other, was the withered old man who had personally recorded her participation in the Sword Discussion Tournament!

Judging by that expression, he had clearly recognized Chen Shu as well.

Although it was unclear how this plain, ordinary old man had instantly seen through the disguise that Yun Shen had meticulously created, in the blink of an eye, Chen Shu racked her brain but could think of no solution. She almost resigned herself to the old man exposing her identity. However, after this excruciatingly long moment passed, the man seemed unawares as he lowered his head and turned to ask another person: “You go first. What’s your name? Where are you from? Unmarried, right?”

And with that fleeting moment gone, Chen Shu stood frozen by the table, jostled by some stout man behind her before finally snapping back to reality. She felt like that earlier moment had truly taken place, yet it also seemed like little more than a figment of her imagination. Until several responses drifted past her ears, and even the burly man behind her had squeezed his way to the front, it appeared it was only then that this old man noticed her again. He spoke, still with an air of impatience: “What’s the matter, do you wish to compete or not?”

“…I do!” Chen Shu hastened to reply, then carefully studied the old man’s expression. Truly finding nothing amiss, she finally felt some measure of relief and stated, “Surname… Shen, given name Shu. From the capital. Unmarried.”

“And are you of age to be capped?” The old man inquired suspiciously.

“—Certainly of capping age! It’s been quite a few years!” Chen Shu rushed to assert, immediately thrusting her hand out, only to remember abruptly that her body truly differed from mortals; when it came to bone age alone, she likely wasn’t even of age. Panicking, she hastily snatched her hand back.

Mercifully, the old man took no issue with this; it seemed it had been nothing more than an offhand inquiry. He quickly lowered his head to write, then continued his routine questioning: “Shen as in Shen? And the Shu, which Shu? Shu as in tree?”

“…Yes.” Chen Shu steeled her heart, ground her teeth, and replied, “Shu as in tree!”

She immediately heard two chuckles. Looking up, she saw the crowd surrounding them. Besides a burly man resembling He Yu, there were, of course, more splendidly dressed noble youths, finer even than Li Chou. Seeing Chen Shu look up, one of them flicked a fan open to cover his mouth.

But their chatter-like whispers still lingered in her ears, ridiculing the coarseness of her chosen name, or mocking her short stature. Where had Chen Shu ever encountered such a pecking order? Besides, she hadn’t joined this contest for the sake of marriage. She felt not discouraged, but rather that this sudden insult was neither reasonable nor borne of any cause.

Who on earth would gang up to mock someone solely for being short or common? Utterly bewildering! Just as she prepared to demand an explanation, the old man at the table cleared his throat and announced: “That’s it. Next.”

Chen Shu sensed trouble. She glanced quickly and confirmed he had indeed jotted down five large characters in his register:

Not of age. Short.