Chapter 120: The Flowing Water Is Heartless

Page (1/3)

Several months had passed since He Chang’an last visited “The Tavern by the Wine-Scented Stream.”

Lady Sky Fox was lazily sprawled across the counter, her eyes hazy with drink. The moment she looked up and saw him, she straightened her back, drew her legs together, and smoothly assumed the demure bearing of a respectable young lady—a performance she had long since mastered.

Then she saw He Chang’an enter. He smiled at her, seemingly a little reserved.

But the young man of seventeen or eighteen truly had beautiful eyes: clear, gentle, and warm, giving anyone who looked at him a sense of comfort.

He Chang’an inclined his head slightly to Lady Sky Fox, then went to sit at the table by the window. When the limping boy came scampering over, he smiled at him as well and gently ordered a pot of wine and two kinds of seasonal fruit.

Then he took a scroll from his robes and began reading quietly.

Lady Sky Fox’s eyes narrowed with delight. Pressing her lips together, she muttered, “Look at the way that one reads. He’s simply lovely. But when Qingyu reads, it’s an assault on the eyes.”

The limping boy, who was drawing the wine, grinned and silently nodded.

That Qingyu might be poor and shabby, but that could be overlooked. The main problem was that every time he came, he stared at Lady Sky Fox and spouted all manner of drunken nonsense. Truly, a toad dreaming of eating swan meat.

Well, if he dared come again, the boy would have Little Black bite him in the balls…

“Little rascal, letting your thoughts run wild! You’re young, but your mind is already so filthy!” Lady Sky Fox reached out and rapped the limping boy twice on the forehead. With a sigh, she said, “Alas, the flowers bloom with longing, while the heartless stream simply flows on… Don’t dilute that man’s wine.”

The boy was in the middle of adding water to He Chang’an’s pot. He angrily tossed aside the water gourd and thought, “That bastard is the one with real skill. Without making a sound, he’s already stolen the girl’s heart.”

Lady Sky Fox rewarded him with two more raps on the head. “Keep imagining nonsense and I’ll have the old tortoise bite you in the balls!”

The boy carried the wine over to He Chang’an, his face drawn into a bitter grimace.

“Thank you, little brother. Here is the payment; keep the change.” He Chang’an took out a piece of broken silver, weighing roughly one mace and two candareens.

The limping boy’s face stiffened, though he forced a grin. “The wine and fruit together cost one mace and one candareen. How generous of you!”

He spoke through clenched teeth, but He Chang’an merely smiled brightly and cupped his hands. “Thank you for the compliment. Unfortunately, my purse is rather light… Perhaps next time. Next time, I’ll certainly give you one mace and two candareens.”

The limping boy cursed him inwardly. Without saying a word, he went to the counter, tossed the silver to Lady Sky Fox, and muttered his way to the doorway to bask in the sun.

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

Lady Sky Fox rested her chin in one hand and kneaded the piece of broken silver with the other. Her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed slightly drunk.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in evenly, illuminating He Chang’an’s face and body and lending him a healthy, exceptionally pleasing appearance.

“Hmm… I could look at him forever,” Lady Sky Fox murmured softly, pressing her legs together.

“Master He…” The woman had just begun to make conversation when a burst of barking came from outside, mixed with Mr. Qingyu’s furious curses and startled cries.

“Oh my, we’re all family here—no need to stand on ceremony. But look at this. Why does Little Black like biting you so much?” the limping boy crowed, doubling over with laughter.

“A gentleman uses words, not fists. You dead dog! You bare your teeth the instant you see me. You’re clearly no gentleman’s dog!” Mr. Qingyu came rolling and scrambling through the door in a miserable state, still indignant.

Then he turned and saw Lady Sky Fox. His mood immediately brightened. He straightened his somewhat disheveled robes, cleared his throat, and said, “My lady, several days apart feel like three autumns.”

Lady Sky Fox twisted her slender waist and snorted irritably. “Have you paid all your pupil’s tuition?”

Qingyu rubbed his hands sheepishly and gave a forced laugh. “I still have a shop at home. It’s in an excellent location, and my family’s secret osmanthus-wine recipe is quite good as well. All I lack is a young lady to sit behind the counter and sell the wine…”

He was about to continue, but Lady Sky Fox smiled sweetly and walked over to sit gracefully opposite He Chang’an, her eyes brimming with charm as she gazed at the young human.

Qingyu seemed accustomed to this. He gave an awkward laugh, then came over to He Chang’an’s table as well. Cupping his hands, he said with a grin, “Well, what a coincidence! Having a drink?”

Yet his eyes never once looked at the wine pot. They remained fixed on Lady Sky Fox.

He Chang’an found it rather amusing. This Mr. Qingyu possessed half a bellyful of learning, guarded a family tavern, and owned dozens of acres of fertile land south of the town, yet he had somehow turned himself into a destitute scholar.

So the saying was true: a scholar was useless in every respect. And apparently, this was not limited to humans. Even scholars among the demons were just as pedantic and miserly.

“What shamelessness,” Lady Sky Fox sneered. “You sell your family’s osmanthus wine for such a fortune, yet you come here to mooch drinks from my tavern!”

Qingyu gave a dry laugh, dropped heavily into a seat, and shouted toward the limping boy basking in the sun by the door, “Waiter! Bring me a bowl!”

“None.”

The thing the limping boy hated most in life was scholars—especially scholars who had designs on Lady Sky Fox. After tossing out that one sentence, he ignored Qingyu completely.

“The world is declining, and human hearts are no longer what they were,” Mr. Qingyu lamented, shaking his head. “You were once even my student. How can you speak to your teacher that way?”

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

Then, without the slightest change in expression, he took a large celadon bowl from inside his robes. Extending one slender finger, he flicked it lightly, producing a clear, ringing note, and recited:

“Why does my host say that money is scarce?
Bring out the wine and let us drink together.”

Lady Sky Fox burst into laughter and nearly threw out her plump waist. She glared at Mr. Qingyu. “And where is your own money?”

Qingyu laughed heartily. “I would scatter a thousand pieces of gold just to win a smile from you, my lady.”

Outside, the limping boy rushed in from his sunbathing, pointing at him and cursing. “You poor, shabby scholar, you still have the nerve to say that? You’ve made plenty of money, yet you’ve spent less than seven mace in our tavern!”

As he spoke, the boy rolled up his sleeves, clearly intending to drag his own teacher outside.

He Chang’an smiled and stopped him. “Bring another pot.”

Mr. Qingyu chuckled and gave He Chang’an a thumbs-up. “Now look at that. He Chang’an reads books and actually takes their lessons to heart. You, on the other hand, have read everything straight into a dog’s belly.”

The limping boy was unconvinced. He snorted and argued, “Everything written in human books is filth anyway. I’m better off. When it goes in and makes me uncomfortable, I just drop my trousers and let it all out.

“But poor He Chang’an has it worse. His whole head is stuffed with filth, and even if he wanted to relieve himself, he couldn’t get rid of it. Ha!”

Pleased with his own comparison, the limping boy threw back his head and laughed as he hobbled off to draw the wine.

The boy’s metaphor was so crude that all three of them wore awkward expressions. Lady Sky Fox looked especially disgusted, which left Mr. Qingyu utterly captivated and eager to steal a few more glances.

“You lecherous old fool! Keep staring and I’ll gouge out those bird’s eyes of yours!”

Qingyu paid no attention to her scolding or disdain. He merely grinned. “If you are the one doing it, my lady, even my bird’s eggs are yours whenever you wish.”

“Both of them. I’m prepared to sacrifice everything for you.”

“Get lost, you shameless, penniless scholar!”

With a muffled thud, Lady Sky Fox struck Mr. Qingyu with one palm and sent him sprawling. He rolled away for seven or eight paces, overturning several tables along the way.

Page (3/3)