Chapter 35: Instruction

  On the way back, only the sound of horseshoes was heard, and the entire guard team was quiet without a single sound, showing a posture of marching in a hurry.

  The curtains in the carriage hung heavily, and a faint fragrance seeped out of the golden pendant. Li Peinan sat in the middle of the purple sandalwood chair, his purple robes spread out, not stained with dust, nor wrinkled in the slightest. Min Ankang, squeezed at the door on a small stool, did not have this neat appearance, he wrapped himself in a dark grey robe, and was dozing off with his hands and feet tucked in.

  Li Peinan mentally went over the subsequent arrangements and turned his eyes to look at Min An, who was already about to fall asleep. The carriage rode smoothly, he tilted his face to one side, and with a slight jolt, let out a long sigh. It wasn't until the carriage turned a corner and the compartment wall bumped against the wound on the back of his head that he subconsciously furrowed his brow.

  Li Peinan looked down at Min An's pale face, gazing at it for a moment before scanning his disheveled body. He recalled the huge commotion that had erupted in the Second Institute tonight and wondered what method Min An had used to escape, not only bringing out Li Fei's corpse but also helping him determine the cause of Li Fei's death.

  It seems that Min An has made a great contribution and should be rewarded accordingly.

  Li Peinan was just about to wake up Min An, reminding him that from tomorrow on, he would have to intensify his martial arts training. The wheel rolled over a stone and the horse stumbled, throwing Min An off balance, waking him up with a start. He groggily opened one eye, rubbing his sore spot, before even opening his eyes.

  The coachman immediately stopped the carriage and said loudly: "Young master, wait a moment, I'll add some oil."

  "Hmm." Li Peinan responded from inside the car, slightly adjusting his legs and letting Min An wipe over the crimson blindfold in front of his knees. He then rushed out of the small sedan.

  Min An didn't expect the carriage to stop suddenly, and his forehead bumped hard against the opposite wall of the compartment, making a loud thud. He turned around, glaring at Li Peinan with anger, but after meeting Li Peinan's dark eyes, he suddenly came back to himself. He faced who again and should put on what kind of expression to wait, so he pursed his lips and sat silently back onto the cushion.

  Li Peinan asked: "Awake?" Min An nodded.

  Li Peinan said: "It seems that tonight, your physical strength, martial arts skills and riding skills are inferior to ordinary people. From tomorrow on, I will personally train you."

  Min An's consciousness returned, and he looked at Li Peinan with a mournful expression, his face tear-stained: "No need for the young master to take the trouble... Besides, I'm not bad myself, compared to Brother Shiwei, I'm not inferior to the young master..."

  Just then, the carman who had finished adding oil raised his whip and lightly whipped the horse's buttocks to urge the carriage on its way. Min An's body shook again, and he rushed towards the opposite side. Li Peinan raised his left hand and pressed down on Min An's forehead, saving him from another collision. Min An was grateful and wanted to thank him, but Li Peinan's hand seemed to have a sticky force that held onto Min An's forehead, making it impossible for him to shake it off, leaving him looking disheveled and being held in the palm of his hand.

  "Is this not different?" Li Peinan asked Min An with a cold face.

  Min An bluntly pushed away Li Peinan's hand and replied: "You used internal energy, I naturally can't break free."

  Li Peinan gazed steadily at Min An: "Those who stay by my side can at least protect themselves."

  Min An let out a sigh and didn't say anything, sitting on the horse all the way with his chin pressed against his chest, looking at the gap outside the car door with a depressed expression. Li Peinan looked over from his messy hair, only to see the tip of his bright white nose, scrunched up and wrinkled, finally cracking open a small smile at the corner of his mouth.

  The guards waited for the carriage to return to the inn, and Min An rushed straight to his own bamboo hut and fell asleep. After dozing off for a while, a clear and cold voice suddenly came from outside the bamboo window: "Min An."

  Min An hastily got up, smoothed out his clothes, wiped his face clean and opened the door.

  Li Peinan, wearing a white undergarment and an outer garment made of green silk gauze, stood with his hands behind his back beside the bamboo fence, with a military doctor carrying a medical box behind him. Min An immediately came out to greet him, asking: "Is there anything else you'd like to instruct, young master?"

  Li Peinan turned to the military doctor and said: "Take a closer look at his injuries and make sure he can come for training tomorrow."

  Min An walked back to the house with his head hung low, allowing the military doctor to apply a good medicinal paste to the wound on the back of his head. The military doctor had heard that he also had lash wounds on his back and wanted to undo his clothes, but he dodged far away, frowning and saying: "Thank you, uncle, it's fine like this, you can go back and rest early."

  Li Peinan, who was outside the house, heard the sound and walked in. He glanced at Min An and said: "I appreciate your kindness, but this wound on my back has already been treated by my master. If you call Uncle to remove the bandage again, I will have to endure another round of pain. Why not just let me off easy this time?"

  Li Peinan waved his hand, and the military doctor nodded in understanding before exiting the door and leaving the bamboo house.

  Li Peinan glanced around the simple furnishings of the bamboo house, unable to stand still, and was about to leave without saying a word. Min An followed him and said in a low voice, "Young Master, Young Master, can we discuss something?"

  "No discussion." Li Peinan flatly refused.

  Min An resolutely pushed away the obstructing hands of Li Lie and followed Li Pei Nan to the second floor of the main building. He said in a low voice, "I have read books since I was young, but I rarely ride horses. Being an official is already enough for me, and it's really not suitable for me to be a military general. Young Master wants to teach me martial arts, isn't that like forcing ducks onto a perch? Please think thrice, Young Master."

  Li Peinan suddenly turned around, almost making Min An stumble into his arms. Min An stood still, seeing the stone-green curtains and splashed ink landscape paintings in the room, realizing that he had entered someone's bedroom door, and if he followed him in, it would be inappropriate.

  He stared at Li Peinan's snow-white collar and said in a mosquito-like voice: "Think about it again, how is it?"

  Li Peinan had experienced Min An's sharp tongue many times before, and he knew that this was just a desperate attempt to struggle before the event. He didn't say a word all along the way, letting him mutter to himself. It can be seen that even when they arrived at the residence, he still didn't intend to turn back, wanting to disobey orders instead. Li Peinan couldn't help but turn cold and said: "If you can withstand my three moves tomorrow morning without anything happening, I'll let you go."

  Min An's tension increased as he leaned against the door frame with one hand and asked: "Is it swordsmanship or fist method?"

  "Fencing."

  Min An thought to himself, "I've never even held a sword in my life, how can I take three moves from you?" He withdrew his body with some disappointment, his left hand still numbly grasping the door frame. Li Peinan couldn't close the door, and looked up at Min An's fingers, while Min An was lost in thought, sighing, without looking at the face of the young master of the house.

  "Are you coming in?" Li Peinan asked suddenly.

  Min An listlessly raised his head: "What are you doing here?"

  "The songstress has been dismissed by me, on a chilly autumn night, there is no one to warm the bed."

  Min An hastily retreated a step and said with a smile: "The young master has always been a dignified person, how could he joke around with me, a low-ranking subordinate?"

  Li Peinan said calmly: "I'm not joking, it's been made clear outside that you are the exclusive rabbit of the Crown Prince's mansion."

  Min An recalled the flirtatious words he had repeated, his face flushing with shame: "I've dragged down the young master's reputation, I'm extremely sorry. Coming to disturb the young master again in the middle of the night, my guilt grows thicker. I'll leave now, Young Master, rest well."

  Li Peinan didn't wait for Min An to turn around, and closed the door in front of him. With a calm tone, he said: "Next time you barge in here, don't think about leaving. Remember one thing, I've never distinguished between men and women."

  Min An covered her red ears and ran away without looking back.

  On the second day, early in the morning, the general with bound feet in the bamboo basket flapped his wings and woke up Min An. Min An dragged his painful body to get up and changed the bird food and clean water for the general, cleaned himself up, opened the door and went out to find breakfast.

  A cluster of emerald green bamboo stood beside the majestic figure of Li Peinan. He wore a dark robe with arrow sleeves, his eyebrows and eyes calm as a mountain, his right hand grasping a bamboo sword, exuding an air of serenity. Min An had barely stepped out when he spotted him, unable to avoid him, so he steeled himself and went over to greet him.

  Li Peinan nodded and replied: "Go choose a weapon and exchange three moves with me."

  Outside the courtyard, Lü Qun had already prepared two rows of weapon racks. Min An slowly walked over and chose a leather armguard to wear on his left arm. He then picked up a military saber that emitted a cold glow and tested its feel in his hand. Finally, he swung it at his own left arm to see if the armguard was secure.

  He slowly walked back in front of Li Peinan, bowed his head and said: "Please spare my life, young master."

  "Uh-huh."

  As soon as the single word fell, Li Peinan raised his eyebrows. His eyes immediately shone with a cold autumnal color, and his whole demeanor was different from before, like after a frosty night, the chill had subdued all the grasses.

  Min An hurriedly pursed his lips and concentrated on his opponent.

  Li Peinan launched an attack towards Min'an's wrist, and Min'an raised his hand to defend himself. The bamboo sword suddenly changed direction, like a flash of lightning, and stabbed at his elbow joint. Min'an felt his left hand go numb and couldn't lift it up, and he couldn't help but cry out in pain: "Stop, stop, stop, I can't hold on anymore."

  Li Peinan didn't stop, but withdrew half of his inner force from the sword tip and swept it across Min An's forehead with a backhand motion, knocking on his temple. "This is the first move, called 'Throwing Wood to Report Jade'."

  Min An only felt his scalp numb, and before Li Peinan turned around, he quickly lifted his sleeve to wipe away the sweat, and also adjusted the strange expression on his face. "A murderous sword move with a elegant name, what's even more deadly is that it treats me like this, but still wants me to repay the young master's deep kindness."

  Li Peinan's expression didn't change and he said: "The second move is called 'Regretful Late Encounter', pay attention to my starting movement."

  Min An's eyes widened, but he couldn't see how Li Peinan had moved. He only felt the green sword tip stirring up a layer of wind barrier, densely and heavily surrounding him. Just as he had used great effort to break free from the impact of the sword, the next moment he turned his head to look for the figure's shadow, but found that Li Peinan was already close to his side, with a cold and stern face pressing in front of him.

  Min An suppressed her exclamation and silently took a big step back, thinking bitterly in her heart: What a wonderful encounter, it's as if he was sent to her doorstep to give her a cold sweat.

  Li Peinan didn't wait for Min An to catch his breath, and his figure quietly approached like a ghost, saying lightly: "The second move hasn't been used up yet, learn it well."

  Min An hastily waved his hand to cover his eyes, unwilling to face Li Peinan's actions anymore. Li Peinan still withdrew half of his strength and used the bamboo sword to tap on the skin guard, causing Min An's left hand to go numb and unable to lift it up.

  "The final move 'White Headed Bird Returns Home'."

  Even if Min An's mind was not focused, Li Peinan still had to finish teaching the sword moves. He said the name of the third move, and the bamboo sword turned over in his hand, moving straight towards Min An with a whoosh. The name of this sword move was originally meant to symbolize the deep friendship between friends, until the two people mutually supported each other against their enemies. Min An had no idea about the complex relationships hidden within, he was still shocked by the strange conjecture that the young master taught him, and again thought of last night's phrase "not distinguishing between male and female", his body becoming even more like a silly goose standing still.

  Li Peinan withdrew his sword in time, looked at Min An's expressionless face, and knocked on his arm without a word. Seeing that he didn't move, he poked his ear again: "What are you thinking about? Have you learned it all?"

  "About right."

  Li Peinan ordered: "Come and try it once."

  Min An raised his leather gloves and military sword, but no matter how he brandished them, it didn't feel right. Li Peinan stood by the bamboo, watching him coldly. Finally, Min An threw down his weapons and shouted: "The general is flapping its wings, seems like it's hungry, I'll go take a look." He ran into the bamboo hut without looking back, shut the door and never came out again.

  Thank you very much, Aunt Rong, for the two landmines, pig ears and beautiful painting of landmines (*^__^*) l3l4