In the Xue family estate, the passing family members, both male and female, couldn't help but glance over.
The young girl in the goose-yellow long dress walked ahead, with a teenage boy about her age by her side. His figure had begun to stretch out, his features resolute, dressed in a plain blue robe, with a leather belt fastened by a hook, a heavy saber in an intricately patterned dark sheath hanging at his waist, and a bow slung over his back with strands that shimmered like twisted gold. His very presence exuded martial vigor.
When had the Xue family gained such a young man? No one seemed to know.
Several had been about to step forward and greet him, but seeing him walking with Xue Shuangtao, they abandoned the idea.
Xue Shuangtao said, "A bow, a heavy saber, and then we'll head to the pharmacy."
"Armor's impossible. Grandfather said that the Xue family does not possess armor."
"Armor goes against the laws of Chen."
Li Guanyi nodded.
But in his mind, he recalled the bold and carefree demeanor of that old man. For some reason, he only half believed the girl's words.
He believed that Xue Shuangtao genuinely thought so.
As for Elder Xue Daoyong's words…
He wouldn't believe even a punctuation mark of them.
Thanks to his past life's education—at least nine years of compulsory schooling—Li Guanyi had a keen sense of history. In times of chaos, powerful local clans like the Xue family were bound to maintain private armed forces and armor. When order collapsed, such local powers often rose to become dukes, kings, and even emperors.
The Xue family's pharmacy was much larger than Huichuntang's.
Huichuntang was the largest pharmacy in Guanyi City's southern quarter, and in past years they would send specific medicinal materials here annually. The moment the door opened, the fragrance of medicinal herbs filled the air, and Li Guanyi felt an instinctive sense of relaxation and comfort. His eyes scanned the place, easily identifying many of the herbs present.
Dragon bone, polygala, fleece flower vine—medicines for calming the spirit.
Angelica, fleeceflower root, prepared Rehmannia—blood-nourishing herbs.
Ginseng, white atractylodes, Rhodiola—qi-tonifying herbs. And…
As his gaze swept casually over the cabinets, it momentarily paused when he noticed certain drawers marked for the apothecary's personal use, with unlabeled herbs. Ordinary people wouldn't recognize them, but Li Guanyi had been dealing with herbs since the age of five and had studied medicine for eight years. He recognized them at a glance:
Morinda root, curculigo, teasel, dodder, cynomorium, psoralea, asparagus root, ink cypress.
Tonic formulas for strengthening yang?
Judging by the formulation and strength—
To tonify kidney yang, enrich essence and blood.
Strengthen sinews and bones, stop internal bleeding?
If that was the case…
At that moment, the elderly doctor with a goatee noticed the boy's gaze, coughed softly, and calmly stepped to block Li Guanyi's line of sight. With a kindly smile, he asked, "Miss, young master, what brings you here?"
Xue Shuangtao smiled gently as usual, her tone warm: "Thank you for your trouble, Elder Zhang. We've come to collect a cultivation package."
The old man produced the goods faster than ever before, like a flash of lightning.
"Thirty portions of Danshen Drink—helps with circulation of qi and can also temporarily relieve angina if necessary."
"Ten doses of Shengmai Lotus Pills, to simultaneously replenish qi and blood."
"Five packets of hemostatic medicine; thirty medicinal bath packs to nourish the body after training, promoting blood circulation and easing soreness; and another thirty nighttime bath packs to prevent hidden injuries."
"In addition, I feel a certain affinity with this young man, so I'm adding an extra ten percent—my gift."
This old miser, long famed for being stingy enough to squeeze urine out of a frog, now placed a small bundle on the table. Li Guanyi's expression was shy but polite. He smiled faintly and said, "Many thanks, Elder. Your medical skills are profound, but with so many herbs unlabeled, it's hard to distinguish them all. This junior was getting dizzy just looking. Perhaps things would be easier if they were tidied up?"
A warm smile appeared on the old doctor's face as if a weight had been lifted: "The young master makes a good point."
"I'll be sure to tidy up next time!"
An old man and a youth, an unspoken understanding between them.
The elder added a few more pills to the package.
Then he escorted Xue Shuangtao and Li Guanyi out the door, breathing a long sigh of relief and wiping sweat from his forehead.
"When did the Xue family get themselves such a sly little fox? And one who knows medicine and prescriptions at that?"
Xue Shuangtao said softly, "Elder Zhang is usually… thrifty, but he treated you quite generously today."
Li Guanyi answered, "Perhaps because I used to work as an apothecary."
Xue Shuangtao gave him a suspicious glance but didn't press further. "Pills and weapons are different. You can collect your allotment of pills each month, but grandfather has set a rule—you can't take more than the allotted amount, no matter what. Cultivation still relies on yourself."
"Alright. We've nearly finished—now to the tailoring house."
The tailoring manager, Mistress Qu, was handling some mundane affairs. When she saw Xue Shuangtao and Li Guanyi arrive, she was surprised at first, then her eyes fixed on the token hanging at Li Guanyi's waist. Her sultry gaze faltered slightly, then she stammered, "L-Li… young master…"
Xue Shuangtao spoke casually, "I've brought Guest Minister Li here to collect his set of attire."
"Guest Minister…?"
Mistress Qu stared at the young man, slightly dazed. Then her expression softened into something more deferential and respectful. "Yes, miss, Guest Minister, please wait."
Li Guanyi gave a slight bow and said warmly, "Thank you, Sister Qu."
The woman froze momentarily, but upon seeing the sincerity on the youth's face, her smile became far more genuine. "Still such a sweet talker. Don't worry, leave it to me. I'll find the very best for you."
Swaying her hips gracefully, she vanished behind the screens. Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao took seats in the guest area of the tailoring hall. Tea was served, along with delicate pastries. Li Guanyi, driven by his cultivation method Breaking Formation Song, found himself frequently hungry and slowly ate some pastries.
Meanwhile, Xue Shuangtao was eyeing him curiously, up and down. "Did you know Mistress Qu before?"
"Mm. Met her yesterday when I came to pick up clothes."
"Then why call her 'Sister'?"
Li Guanyi brushed away a crumb from the corner of his mouth and calmly said:
"Because she's older than me."
"That's it?"
"Courtesy never offends."
The conversation ended there.
Li Guanyi nibbled at the snacks. Between the two chairs was a small table. Xue Shuangtao sat across from him, graceful and composed. The pastries were artfully made—soft and sweet with red bean filling. Suddenly, she asked, "Guest Minister, how old are you?"
"A bit over thirteen. My birthday is in about two months."
Xue Shuangtao looked ahead. "I just passed my fourteenth birthday."
Li Guanyi nodded.
"I'm older than you."
She paused, eyes falling on his face.
"I'm also older than you."
Li Guanyi seemed to understand something. Did she want him to call her Sister, too?
He couldn't help but laugh. What a lovely girl, truly.
Just then, footsteps approached. Xue Shuangtao immediately composed herself, folding her hands gently over her lap, her posture graceful, every movement flawless, embodying the elegance of a noble young lady.
Mistress Qu returned, smiling widely. "What a coincidence today! We happen to have a robe just about your size, and wouldn't you know it—there's even a belt with jade fittings. Young master, come and try it."
Li Guanyi set down the pastry and followed her to change.
It was still a crisp blue robe, but the material was entirely different, with subtle dark patterns—not too gaudy, yet possessing the understated dignity of an aristocratic house. At his waist hung a fragrant sachet, the leather belt adorned with a round piece of smooth white jade.
In Chen of the Southern Kingdom, decorative dress was prized.
Even belts varied wildly in style: celestial flowers, lychee, southern tribes, playful children; materials ranged from leather to metal, jade, rhinoceros horn—each denoting status in past times. Though official restrictions had loosened in recent years, embellishments like jade on belts were no longer scrutinized by the court.
Mistress Qu clapped her hands with delight. "Handsome appearance, excellent bearing."
"What a fine young gentleman."
Even Xue Shuangtao, upon seeing him, had to admit—though there were plenty of handsome young men among the Xue family's allied noble clans, none quite possessed this effortless composure. Saber at his waist, bow in hand, brow sharp with youthful ambition—it matched the wild willows of spring and the spirited gallop of horses.
Mistress Qu smiled as she sent them off. At the doorway, a servant girl whispered, "Mistress, wasn't that robe promised to another young master?"
"To give it early to this Guest Minister—won't that cause trouble?"
Mistress Qu replied lazily, "This tailoring hall listens to me. That young master struts around barking orders. A little delay won't matter as long as it's done before the deadline."
"But that young master holds higher status."
"Indeed, his status is higher," she said with a sly smile. "But that 'Sister'—it was sincere. He didn't look down on us. I'm happy to go out of my way for people like that. Everyone's entitled to their quirks, right?"
"I just like to make sure that the people who treat me well live well themselves."
…
"Pills, bow, saber, new robes—all set."
"I'll take you to the library tomorrow."
"Also, as Guest Minister, you're entitled to a Xue family carriage, and two maids to help with household matters. Remember to come early tomorrow."
Coachman Zhao Dabing had brought the carriage over upon hearing that a Guest Minister needed one. When he saw Li Guanyi dressed like this, he was speechless for a long time. "Young brother… no, Guest Minister—didn't you say yesterday that becoming a Guest Minister was a far-off thing?"
And now, not even a day later—here he was!
Had he been drunk for ten years after that cup of wine yesterday?
Li Guanyi smiled slightly. "Because there's an old saying."
"A single day can feel like a year."
Zhao Dabing opened his mouth, that envy and frustration on the tip of his tongue. But upon realizing it was a playful jest, he simply chuckled, the bitterness fading, and said, "Guest Minister, you sure have a way with words."
"Please, get in."
Li Guanyi paused. "Brother Zhao, do you still have those salt-roasted peanuts? I've never had anything quite like them. Been craving them all day."
Zhao Dabing froze, then laughed proudly. "Of course, I have more!"
"You want them? I'll always have them ready for you!"
Watching the thirteen-year-old youth so naturally handle people and affairs, Xue Shuangtao reminded softly, "Guest Minister, don't forget to come early tomorrow."
"Mm."
Li Guanyi placed one foot on the carriage step—then suddenly stopped.
Xue Shuangtao: "Hmm?"
Li Guanyi opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he didn't. He only said, "One moment."
Oddly, even he didn't quite know how to say it.
He turned away, patted his face to compose himself, and turned back again. Sunshine spilled down, the busy courtyard full of Xue family members coming and going. The handsome young man wore a clean, shy smile.
"Thank you."
A pause.
"Xue family… Elder Sister."
(End of chapter)