The eting of the Chinese Nobility in Yingzhou saw the head of the Li Jian Family deposed, and Li Jian Amber set out for Yingzhou.
Huai Shi's mind was a ss of thoughts.
Each of these three pieces of news was overly complex.
It's only November. Has the internal Deer's Sing Hall eting of the Chinese Nobility been moved up this year?
The head of the Li Jian Family has been deposed? Deposed? By whom? Who has the authority to do that?
And Li Jian Amber is heading to Yingzhou. Isn't Amber an external staff mber of the social security bureau now? Why Nara? Shouldn't the Li Jian Family's fief be in AnFang Country?
All three of these matters, each deeper than the last.
Instinctively, he sensed endless sches.
The Chinese Nobility eting being moved up indicated that the power struggle between the Wu Family and the Duke faction had intensified. Only two people had the power to depose the head of the Li Jian Family. And Amber's movents already showed that the social security bureau had started to infiltrate Yingzhou... Huai Shi could almost see how delighted Xuan Niao's old face would be, smiling widely.
Although it's possible that Amber is unblemished by the mire and has no private dealings with the Dongxia Genealogy, the question is, who would believe that?
He was the youngest son of the Li Jian Family, one of those with legitimate inheritance rights. From the day he left for Dongxia, he was destined to be labeled 'Second fifth' for his entire life.
Huai Shi could easily imagine what a ss the Li Jian Family had beco by now, not knowing how many people planned to swim naked in the muddy waters, competing in all manners.
Looking at Kusaki, Huai Shi was filled with sheer amazent.
This guy had been free for so many years and was now opting to return at such a critical mont... He knew it was a trap but still jumped straight in?
"Have you really thought this through?" he asked seriously.
"That kind of thing, I've never considered it."
Kiyoshi Kusaki replied calmly, "And there's never been a need to consider it... Since the day I started serving the Li Jian Family, I've been prepared to sacrifice my life soday. For a samurai, there is no better outco than this."
"..."
After a long silence, Huai Shi sighed, "Can you not always think of life as sothing to sacrifice? In my opinion, sacrificing one's life for a aningless title is nothing but the epito of foolishness. Although it might not be appropriate to say, Mr. Sasaki, the Li Jian Family won't miss one less of you."
Kiyoshi Kusaki's mouth curved into a hearty smile. "Well, one more of doesn't make much difference, does it?"
Huai Shi rolled his eyes, sighed softly, and said no more. He got up, took another jar from the cupboard, and placed it on the table.
"We may have finished the sake from Tengu Mountain, but there's enough of Uncle Fang's ho-brewed yellow wine. Please, Mr. Sasaki, this is the last thing I can do for you as a friend."
"Then, I would be remiss not to accept it!"
Laughing loudly, Kusaki raised his cup once more.
"Cheers!"
.
.
But he hardly took a few sips before he collapsed.
Big addict, little tolerance.
Raymond drank up the rest. When leaving, one hand was carrying the drunken Kusaki, the other still gripping two jars. Had Uncle Fang not been quite pleased, Huai Shi might have chopped off Raymond's hands.
In the end, a ss was left for Huai Shi.
Uncle Fang had been busy all night and was sent off to rest by Huai Shi. Fortunately, there were two students to help out.
Little Nineteen cleaned the table, Yuan Yuan mopped the floor, and Huai Shi, with an apron tied around, went to clean up and wash the dishes in the kitchen.
Clearly holding quite a grudge against stubborn Kusaki who wouldn't heed advice, he muttered while washing, "...He's always got his head in the clouds, not understanding the value of life. He just mulls over what grand cause he can sacrifice himself for, as if he's footing the bill for the entire village. Xiaoyuan, Little Nineteen, don't grow up to be like that, okay?"
"..."
The two students looked at each other speechlessly.
"Uh, I think you're the last person qualified to say that, Teacher," one of them ventured.
"Nonsense! What I do is 'bravery founded on outstanding skill.' Can you even compare?" Huai Shi glanced back at them. "At his level, once he goes back to Yingzhou and gets involved in that ss, he'll sooner or later be chopped to death on the streets. Isn't living well better than anything else?"
"...I do wish you could also understand that sa reasoning."
Little Nineteen is getting bold!
Huai Shi glared at him again. The youngster got timid, but it was too late!
Dare to argue with the teacher? You'll be in for extra lessons tomorrow! Get ready for an intensive course on the Performance thod. If you can't play the zither, start learning from the kazoo!
Lin Nineteen leaned on the mop, thought for a mont, and then said suddenly, "Grandfather used to tell that a person can't choose how they're born, but they can always decide how they die. I think Mr. Sasaki might be fully aware of what he's heading into this ti."
He said, "He might have been waiting for this day for a long ti."
"...Fine. For the family, for honor."
Huai Shi couldn't help but sigh and only then rembered: both of his students, one from the Yuan Family and one from the Lin family, belonged to distinguished high houses, both certified by the Astronomical Society as sacred lineage clans.
Everyone grew up with a sense of family honor that Huai Shi couldn't match, brandishing a knife without a second thought for their clans. Huai Shi himself couldn't imagine drawing a sword and charging into battle shouting 'For the Huai Family.'
Too laughable.
Not to ntion his parents, even his Grandfather didn't take the family's reputation seriously when he was alive. If things went south, so be it. At least he left a legacy house for his grandson, which could be sold to provide for a lifeti's sustenance.
He casually asked, "Are there many people like that in your families?"
After thinking for a mont, Yuan Yuan replied, "There aren't many people in the Yuan Family, and we don't have the custom of hiring outside retainers. Grandfather always says the family is for the old to worry about, and children just need not bring sha to the family. For this, you should ask Nineteen, he's more familiar with it."
"...The Lin family has no such thing as glory," Lin Nineteen said, scratching his head, his expression one of helplessness. "Everyone is thinking about how to commit cris in Hell every day. Many of the elders don't even bear the Lin surna. The sense of unity cos less from blood ties and more from the Sky's Command inherent in Zhujuyin. It can't be taken as a typical example."
Alright then, one family's lineage is passed down to a single heir through generations, and the other is simply unorthodox.
Thinking about it this way, it really does seem that the Yin's family, with its kind fathers and filial sons, and respectful brothers and deferent younger siblings, is a bit better.
"Teacher, there's no need to be so despondent. Many Sublimators in Yingzhou, especially the traditional ones, usually lack a certain sothing in their heads. It's pretty normal for them to actively seek death every day."
Lin Nineteen said, "Furthermore, Mr. Sasaki is willing to risk his life for the grace of the Li Jian Family; his loyalty can indeed be called righteous."
"Righteousness, huh..."
Huai Shi thought for a mont, then said no more.
He bowed his head and washed the dishes.
After cleaning up, Yuan Yuan and Little Nineteen bid their farewells.
After saying goodbye to Uncle Fang, who was still studying the cookbooks, the two set off on their way ho.
Amidst the night, Yuan Yuan suddenly asked, "Did you just have sothing you didn't say?"
"Don't you too?"
Lin Nineteen looked back at her and said, "The teacher understands; he's just sad, that's all."
Yuan Yuan did not reply.
"Compared to that, I'm actually the one who really doesn't understand."
Lin Nineteen walked ahead, shaking his head and sighing. "If Grandfather were to say, 'Little Nineteen, co quickly, the Lin family needs you to shed your blood and sacrifice,' I might... go as well. But I'd probably embarrass myself so much I couldn't stand to watch."
"Afraid?"
"Being afraid is normal. Not everyone is like the Yuan Family, treating the battlefield as if it's just another day shopping, trained by Sparta from childhood." Lin Nineteen paused for a long ti at this point and couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Actually, the Lin family is pretty much the sa; it's just that I'm a bit different."
From childhood to adulthood, it was just him, as if he was left to fend for himself.
No one cared.
Do whatever he pleased.
While everyone else happily engaged in murder and arson, he would sit alone in a corner, quietly radiating an unlikable presence.
Ignored by all.
Yuan Yuan walked calmly behind and suddenly said, "That might not be so bad."
Lin Nineteen laughed. "How so?"
After a mont, Yuan Yuan seriously said, "At least I have never thought about killing you."
"..."
Lin Nineteen rolled his eyes and said no more.
For so reason, he began to recall his childhood.
Back then, there was only one television on the mountain, placed at the entrance to Grandfather's room. Occasionally in the evening, everyone would watch the Dongxia news to keep up with current events and learn advanced criminal expertise from overseas counterparts.
Other than that, no one cared.
Only Lin Nineteen was there squatting in front of the TV every day at six o'clock, without fail.
The mont the music began, the invincible warrior, the super soldier from space, the hope of humanity—the Light Energy Falcon would make a glittering entrance!
Fighting the Space Corps, fighting the Underground Empire, fighting Atlantis, fighting all the little monsters.
"Grandfather, when I grow up, I want to be a hero!"
In the Wood Cottage of old, it seed such words were once spoken.
During a family eting, when everyone was asked about their future ambitions, he stood up, struck a super-energy beam pose, and declared loudly, "Just like the Light Energy Falcon!"
He rembered the blank looks on his parents' faces and the astonished expressions of the other uncles and aunts.
As if he had said sothing wrong.
Only Grandfather was smiling, so happy. He reached out to lift him up, gently encouraging, "Then you must work hard, yeah!"
It was much later that Lin Nineteen realized just how foolish his words had been. Nobody would rember a child's grand declarations after watching a cartoon. Not even Lin Nineteen himself had rembered.
Would Grandfather still rember such a trivial thing?
His steps suddenly paused, as he lowered his head with a bitter expression.
He suddenly understood why Kiyoshi Kusaki was laughing so happily.
Perhaps even a down-and-out ronin samurai aspired to be a hero? Even if he couldn't beco one, dying like a hero was just as good.
In the silence, he started laughing softly to himself, full of self-mockery. But I'm different.
This was a secret Lin Nineteen had never uttered from childhood to adulthood.
The reason he wanted to beco the Light Energy Falcon was that his girlfriend in the cartoon had really big breasts...
"I've decided!"
Lin Nineteen's steps suddenly paused, his expression turned serious.
When Yuan Yuan turned back in confusion, she heard his resounding shout, "I must find a girlfriend with big breasts, otherwise it would be too much of a loss!"
"..."
In the silence, Yuan Yuan began to search for her Mountain Monarch's Heavy Sword.
Indeed, it was better to kill this embarrassing fellow here and now, to clean up the ss for the teacher.
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