Chapter 16: Great, Grounded Again

Chapter 16: Well, Grounded Again

Emerging from the Lihong Courtyard, Chen Yi had Liu Sier drive the carriage around the southern district a few more times, only to find it was all much of a muchness.

It was nothing more than elegant facades, grander storefronts, the faint drifting of musical chords, and the coming and going of high officials and noble lords; otherwise, there was no difference at all.

It was far less amusing than fishing back at the manor.

Soon after, Chen Yi brought the small group back to the Marquis's estate, not even bothering to dine outside for lunch.

Before long.

Having escorted Chen Yi, Xiaodie, and Xiao Wuge back to the Spring Lotus Garden, Wang Lixing glanced at the surrounding personal guards of the Marquis's mansion.

"The second son-in-law, what on earth is his courage made of?"

"Who knows? From where I stand, he's probably been cooped up in the manor too long and went to the southern district just to feast his eyes."

"If the Old Marquis and the Second Master find out, our dear son-in-law will likely have hell to pay."

"Still, seeing that scholar surnamed Liu cornered at the Lihong Courtyard earlier truly made my day."

"Haha... don't mention it, just hearing you say it makes me want to laugh all over again."

Wang Lixing did not linger; after changing into his armor, he went straight to Xiao Xuanshuo to report.

"The absolute scoundrel!"

"He—how dare he take Wuge to such a place! He may not care for his own face, but my Xiao family cannot afford to lose its dignity like this!"

Xiao Xuanshuo slammed his hand against the armrest of his wheelchair, his square face flushed with burning rage.

Wang Lixing stood to the side, not daring to move an inch, secretly breaking into a cold sweat for Chen Yi.

Even after cursing for a long while, Xiao Xuanshuo's fury remained unabated.

Yet he knew such scandalous matters should not be aired publicly, and letting it reach the Old Marquis would only cause needless worry, so he immediately commanded:

"Lixing, go inform the estate guards that from this day forward, Chen Yi is not permitted to take a single step out of the Marquis's mansion!"

Wang Lixing assented, stole a glance at his countenance, and hesitated, "But the son-in-law... the Second Miss sent word before to lift his grounding."

"As for Jinghong, I will speak to her myself. You just do as I command," Xiao Xuanshuo snorted.

"Furthermore, pass word to that scoundrel. Tell him I said that upon Jinghong's return, I will personally test his martial progress. If he fails to break through to the Lower Tier of the Ninth Rank, I'll pack him off to report to the Black Armor Army!"

Wang Lixing opened his mouth to speak but, recalling Chen Yi's performance with the stance training over these past days, he shook his head in silence.

Even with an Earth-grade Great Spear Stance, tempering the physical body to raise one's cultivation to the Lower Ninth Rank was no easy feat.

Most people required two to three months; only those heaven-sent geniuses could manage to hone the internal Qi within a single month.

Even the Second Miss herself had taken over half a month when she first began her cultivation.

And that was the result of unremitting daily toil, whereas the son-in-law... the son-in-law was in for a miserable time.

To Wang Lixing's surprise, however, when Chen Yi received the news, he did not throw a tantrum at all. Instead, he remained perfectly calm, as though he had long anticipated it.

"Forbidden from leaving the mansion, but I can roam freely within it, correct?"

"That is indeed the case. Son-in-law, you..."

Chen Yi waved a hand to cut him off. "Understood. The stance training will continue as usual from now on."

He had indeed expected this.

Had they gone unnoticed it would be one thing, but with Xiao Wuge and the others accompanying him, the matter was bound to reach the ears of the Xiao family elders.

After all, the Xiao family was a household of hereditary Marquises of Great Wei. For a husband wedded into the family to stroll through the pleasure quarters of the southern city in broad daylight—escaping without a beating was already an act of mercy.

With a wry smile, Wang Lixing clasped his hands and turned to leave the Spring Lotus Garden.

The moment he departed.

Large tears began to roll down Xiaodie's face, and an irrepressible sobbing choked her throat.

"Ma-Master, it's all my fault. I didn't stop you..."

Seeing her looking like a pear blossom drenched in rain, Chen Yi could not help but feel amused.

"What are you crying for? Look on the bright side."

"You—you are grounded again, and your martial arts are to be tested. Where is the bright side in any of that?"

"Precisely because I am grounded, I won't be able to run around wildly anymore, will I? Think about it, shouldn't that mean you won't have to worry either?"

Xiaodie thought it over through her tear-veiled eyes, and it did seem to make sense.

She quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve, wanting to smile yet holding it back, which left her entire face flushed red.

"Master, you... you really are something else..."

What kind of person he was, she could not quite articulate.

But having lived in the Marquis's mansion since childhood, seeing people come and go, she had met many—high officials, wealthy young masters, and scholars well-versed in the classics—yet none was like her master.

To say he was learned, he certainly was, but he was never arrogant about his talents. He read books constantly, yet one could tell he did not truly care for studying; it was merely to pass the time.

He also frequently spoke in strange, colloquial phrasing, yet occasionally uttered remarks of profound wisdom... in short, he was very peculiar.

"Now that you've stopped crying, go to the kitchen and see what's for lunch."

A single sentence sent the young maid wiping away her remaining tears and running out the door.

At that moment, Xiao Wuge, who had been standing silently by, looked at the unbothered Chen Yi and asked curiously:

"Brother-in-law, do you dislike going out?"

"Depends on the situation." Chen Yi looked left and right, picked up his fishing rod, and walked toward the pond. "If there's nothing to do, leaving the mansion is quite tedious."

Xiao Wuge followed him, also carrying a fishing rod, and after a moment's thought, broke into a smile.

"I understand. Brother-in-law is right."

"What do you understand?"

"I understand that you prefer stillness over movement, Brother-in-law. You like fishing and drinking tea, and you dislike practicing martial arts and reading."

"I suppose you've got me there..."

...

In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.

During this time, Chen Yi stayed properly within the Marquis's mansion, though he did occasionally venture outside the Spring Lotus Garden.

His luck was rather good; during this period, three of the "Daily Intelligence" notices happened to be located right inside the estate.

He had Xiao Wuge and Xiaodie lead him around the mansion, partly to enjoy the spectacle and partly to familiarize himself with the grounds.

Though it was all rowdy, brawling intelligence, and the rewards could not compare to the Dragon and Phoenix Movement Technique from outside the Lihong Courtyard that day, Chen Yi was content.

At the very least, it brought faster progress than when he had simply stayed in the Spring Lotus Garden relying on baseline opportunities.

It not only allowed him to raise both "Martial Arts: Fist" and his newly practiced "Martial Arts: Footwork" to the Proficient realm, but his Mountain-Collapsing Fist had also broken through to the Familiar tier, and even his Dragon and Phoenix Movement Technique had made considerable strides.

And then, of course, there was his cultivation.

After this period of practicing the Great Spear Stance, his cultivation had successfully broken through from the Lower Ninth Rank to the Middle Ninth Rank.

The harvest was plentiful.

That day in the Spring Lotus Garden, within the pavilion.

The sky unleashed a deluge of rain, pattering and drumming into the pond.

Chen Yi and Xiao Wugou sat side by side on the pavilion railing, one tall and one short, gripping two fishing rods, their eyes fixed on the bobber without a single blink.

Xiao Di perched at the stone table nearby, watching the two elders with occasional refills of steaming tea.

She dragged her chin, musing on the amusing affairs of these days, feeling a touch of unease.

It was unclear if it were a mere illusion, but whenever scandals or mischief arose in the mansion, the elder would appear first, cracking open sunflower seeds and watching the spectacle.

Yet she dared not lift her head, fearing the wrath of those people.

As she pondered, Xiao Di smiled softly and whispered:

“Master, in a few days it’ll be the old master’s birthday banquet. Would you like to prepare a gift?”

“The birthday banquet… indeed, it should be prepared.”

After all, Chen Yi had spent several months in the Xiao household without once laying eyes on the old master.

He could not tell whether the venerable patriarch still bore a grudge over his evasion of the marriage, or was occupied with other matters. In any case, his recent visit to pay respects had been turned away.

So Chen Yi abandoned the notion, finding contentment in lingering in the Spring Lotus Garden, sipping tea and casting lines.

“Let me calculate the days—Miss and Madame are due back soon.”

Chen Yi’s ear twitched, a sudden realization dawning.

The old master’s grand birthday, Xiao Jinghong would indeed return, though what attitude the lady would take upon her return remained unknown.

Thinking this, Chen Yi asked: “Xiao Di, does the old master have any hobbies?”

Since Xiao Jinghong would likely not prepare any gifts, the son-in-law would have to shoulder the responsibility in the critical moment.

Xiao Di pondered, “The old master used to enjoy swordplay and staff dancing, though those were bygone days…”

Xiao Wugou leaned over: “Grandfather has been playing chess with several visiting elders lately.”

“Chess?” Chen Yi scratched his chin. He had never learned the game.

“Then perhaps inscribe a calligraphy piece for the old master.”

In these days, his brushwork had reached a refined level; composing a congratulatory verse for the birthday should be within his grasp.

(End of chapter)