The Inverted Dragon's Scale

Cui Mansion. Splashing Ink pavilion.

The Grandfather of the Cui family, Cui Xichen, was teaching the smaller grandchildren of the family to write, practicing calligraphy Master Huang Tingjian’s ‘Flower adornment flow’. Master scholar Huang’s writing style was strangely thin and stiff, and extremely straight, which was suitable for teaching the young.

“Kid, keep your shoulders straight. Even when tired one cannot lower your body, or else will lose your spirit. The same with writing, when you lower your body, the words will lose their spirit.”

“Nannan, this stroke should be a little longer, you’re a girl, your strength is not enough and your imposing manner is lacking, so you will have to go down the graceful and beautiful style——”

“This word ‘Buddha’ is not written well, write another 100 today——”

“Master.”

A middle-aged housekeeper stood at the door of the Splashing ink court, smiling respectfully.

“Come in and talk.” Cui Xichen knew that there must be a reason for him to come at this time.

“I have cold air on me, I don’t want to bring it in, lest the little masters and Miss catch a cold——” The smile on the housekeeper’s face widened, watching the little children sitting at the desk writing with the same doting expression as looking at his sons. Every one of them smiled at him, and a few also nodded to him. The children of prestigious families tend to be better behaved at certain situations.

Cui Xichen nodded, turned to warn the little demons to not slack off and that he will be back to check on their work in a moment before he came out and closed the door behind him.

“What is the matter?” Cui Xichen asked.

The housekeeper whispered a few words into Cui Xichen’s ear. The expression on Cui Xichen’s face immediately turned strange, saying, “That old man really came out?””

“Master, I have asked someone in particular to ask, it is true. It’s something that a lot of people saw with their own eyes.” The housekeeper said confidently. “It is said that Old immortal also launched a sword strike with his divine thought at the Lu family’s doorway. The Lu family’s Lu Qingming mistakenly entered the sword barrier, and failed to block it successfully. But in the end that old man of the Lu family repeatedly threw out several punches and exploded the sword qi. Otherwise, the consequences would have been even more serious.”

“It’s really getting more and more interesting.” Cui Xichen grinned, and then asked, “His majesty is at the Lu mansion?” ”

“Yes. It is said that His Majesty had no idea that Old immortal would come. He was also greatly surprised.”

“Old Immortal of Still water sword school challenged Li Muyang in front of His Majesty, challenged an ignorant youngster——” Cui Xichen still had a playful smile on his face, muttering, “Interesting. It really is interesting.”

“Do we need to——do something more?” asked the housekeeper, referring to something.

“Must not.” Cui Xichen sternly reminded. “A lion and tiger are fighting, how do we make them bite each other more fiercely?”？”

“Beat a drum to encourage them?”

“No, don’t do anything. Quietly, let them bite without disturbance. If someone startled them, they will have a third enemy in their eyes. At that time, their anger will be indefinite and not merciless enough. They may be unable to keep tearing to the end of the battle and their fight may not last to the end.”

“Understood.” The housekeeper bowed his head.

“So, without my orders, do not act.”

“Yes. Master.”

Cui Xichen, gazing at the whirling snow in the garden, gently sighed, “this winter there really is a lot of snow compared to the past.”

“——” The housekeeper did not know why Master suddenly sighed like that, did not answer, and just stood next to him with a smiling face.

In a small courtyard separated by a wall, Cui Xiaoxin was standing there motionless with a Snow swallow in her arms.

It was a baby Snow swallow, its body was fluffy with feathers, but its wings were lacking strength and the ability to fly at the moment.

Standing there waiting until the sound on the other side of the wall had disappeared, and the sound of footsteps had gradually gone far away, Cui Xiaoxin finally breathed out a long sigh, looking extremely distressed.

She put the baby Snow swallow into the arms of Liulu, and told her to put the little swallow into the nest. “How is it?” she asked, pulling Taohong over, “have you found out?”

“I have found it clearly.” Taohong replied, gasping for breaths: “Today is the 60th birthday of the Grandfather of the Lu family, Lu Xingkong, I heard that even His Majesty has gone to offer birthday congratulations, and many of the ministers are also there——”

“That’s not what I’m asking.” said Cui Xiaoxin, in an anxious voice.

“Yes, yes, yes” Taohong nodded. “I heard that the Still water sword school went to the Lu mansion today to deliver a written challenge. Their Still water sword school’s Old immortal wants to challenge the Lu family’s guest, Young master Muyang——I can’t believe it, Miss Shinian’s driver is Young master Muyang. Miss, how could we not know?”

“It is you who did not know.” Cui Xiaoxin said with a serious expression.

“Ah?” Taohong gasped. “Miss——Miss already knew at the time?” “

“Prepare the carriage.”

“Miss, where are we going?”

“To celebrate Grandfather Lu’s birthday.”

“Miss don’t.” Taohong attempted to dissuade her. “Master is in the house today, and none of the Young masters have gone, Miss will be scolded if you went.”

“They are them, I am me. Shinian and I are close friends, it is her Grandfather’s birthday, it is only right that I pay a visit.”

“Miss——”

“Prepare the carriage.”

“Yes. Miss.”

Creak——

The Courtyard door was pushed open, and Cui Xiaoxin’s mother came in with a smiling expression on her face. “Is Xiaoxin going somewhere? If you have nothing to do then can you accompany me to your Uncle’s house? He has a problem with his leg, during winter he cannot get out of bed because of the pain——”

“——” Cui Xiaoxin let out a gentle sigh, it seemed that she can’t go anywhere today—— “

Outside the city gate, the Song Family’s old mansion.

The Song family’s old Grandfather Song Gudu, clothed in a white unlined garment, was crouching under the eaves, gazing at the few plum trees in the courtyard in a trance.

Song Tao scurried over when he saw Grandfather crouching there motionlessly, hurriedly draped his black bear skin coat over Grandfather’s body and urged: “Grandfather, it is cold outside, why don’t you go into the house to rest?”

Song Gudu responded without turning his head round. “If even this blizzard can hurt me, then why should my old body continue to live?”

“Grandfather, as long as you live well, then there is a great meaning——You don’t have to worry, you can leave everything for the uncles to deal with. Although us grandchildren are not people worthy of respect, but we can also help out——You just need to live comfortably, no need to worry about anything, no need to do anything. Just let us come see you, and we will be satisfied.”

“That’s a silly remark.” Song Gudu shook his head, “If I just lie there and can not even get up, then what’s the point of living? Am I a statue? Or a piece of wood?”

Beauty is afraid of old age, heroes are afraid of passing their prime time.

Song Gudu was a well-known top cultivator in the world, his name shakes the Divine continent. He was the top legendary hero of the West Wind kingdom.

He had lived a free and unfettered life, moving unhindered across the world. There was no unreachable place for him, and no one that he could not kill.

However, at old age, he had turned into a useless old man who could not even eat. How could he accept it?

Song Tao looked at Grandfather’s thin face from the side, calmed himself a little and said: “Grandfather, I’ll tell you something amusing. Do you remember Old immortal of the Still water sword school?”

“Mu Dingyi?”

“Yes, that Old immortal had not showed his face for many years, and the world thought he had gone to training in seclusion. But unexpectedly he had come out from training because of a youngster, and also personally came to his door to deliver a written challenge to that young man——”

“That youngster is Li Muyang?”

“Grandfather already knew about this matter?” Song Tao asked, smiling.

Song Gudu was still staring at the courtyard of plum trees. “In the entire Sky capital, the only youngster worthy of him coming out for——is probably only that youngster called Li Muyang.”

“Grandfather——” Song Tao was astonished and jealous.

Astonished, because Li Muyang, who had never met his grandfather, was judged so highly by his grandfather. If this compliment were to spread out, then Li Muyang would most likely become a famous figure across the whole West Wind.

Jealous, because they were both young people, but why was it that Li Muyang obtained such a high evaluation, and he didn’t——After all, Grandfather’s sentence was basically using the reputation of all the youngsters of the city to compliment Li Muyang.

“All right, all right, you can go do your own things. You don’t need to stay with this old man.” His sight was still fixed on the plum trees, whispering, “Quietly wait for the flowers to blossom.”

“Grandfather, hasn’t the plum blossoms bloomed already?”

Song Gudu let out a gentle sigh, “even when bloomed, it will bloom again.”

Helpless, Song Tao got up and was about to leave.

“By the way, go and ask the young man surnamed Li if he would you like to come to the old mansion and have a cup of tea with me?”

“Grandfather——”——”

—————————-

“I haven’t agreed yet.” Li Muyang howled out loud.

The written challenge had been delivered, Old immortal had appeared, there was no other reason for Elder Chengfeng to stay in the Lu mansion anymore.

He was even more reluctant to answer Li Muyang, who asked him a question that made him flustered. He turned and gave a cupped fist salute to Lu Xingkong before he turned towards the way he came.

Stone gentleman Shi Tao thoughtfully took a glimpse at Li Muyang, before following behind.

In an instant, the hundreds of white robed swordsmen were gone completely. When they announced their departure their voices were loud, but when they were leaving it was almost silent.

Lu Qingming gazed into the empty sky, and then at the long spear in his hand, a strong disappointment and sadness in his eyes.

Li Muyang went over to say consolingly, “Uncle Lu, that old guy is just unnecessarily making it complicated. As long as your spear is faster than him, a little faster than what our eyes see, theb his so-called sword barrier will naturally be broken. It looks very profound, but it’s just deceptive trick. Uncle Lu does need not take the matter to heart.”

“Muyang,” Lu Qingming grimly stared at Li Muyang, and said in a deep, solemn voice, “I beg you, please promise me one thing.”

“Uncle Lu please tell me.”

“In ten days, I will go fight on your behalf.”

At this very moment, the look of Lu Qingming’s eyes was resolute, calm and incomparably determined as through there was no turning back.