Who would believe it if he told them?
Moreover, the Evening Crimson Tower dared scheme against the Third Imperial Prince Yang Yuanpu. Who knew how powerful the forces behind them were or how deep their plans ran?
Exposing and revealing everything now—who knew if it would force them to desperately lash out and silence both him and his father?
Han Qian forcibly suppressed the impulse to call out to his father and reveal everything.
Watching Fan Xicheng ride a thin horse ahead toward the estate, so dejected he looked like he’d suffered a serious illness, his spirit far worse than before, Han Qian’s expression perked up slightly. He recalled a phrase from the dream world: “To struggle against others is endless joy; to struggle against heaven is endless joy…”
When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a road. No matter how ruthless the Evening Crimson Tower was, they were still human.
At the moment, Han Qian didn’t care what Fan Xicheng might think. He directly had Zhao Kuo accompany him to the back mountain.
Behind the estate, passing through a dense forest with narrow paths and steep terrain, the landscape opened up somewhat. A slope was enclosed within a mountain hollow. A solitary new grave stood beneath an ancient tree requiring two people to encircle.
A crude thatched hut had been erected beside the grave. The youth Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged in the hut with a haughty expression, the Black Cloud bow resting across his knees.
A frail young girl wearing hemp cloth garments was collecting the bowls and dishes the youth Zhao Wuji had eaten clean into a bamboo basket. Seeing Han Qian and Zhao Kuo coming up the mountain, the girl boldly glanced over several times. When Han Qian and the others drew near, she lowered her head.
“…” Han Qian sized up Zhao Wuji’s older sister.
Though she lowered her head, they were positioned below and could see Zhao Ting’er’s palm-sized small face, clean as a pool of mountain spring water. Beneath long eyelashes, her eyes were as animated as stars in the night sky. It was hard to imagine such beauty could exist in the wilderness—she was just too thin, her body too frail, making her appear somewhat plain.
Of course, Han Qian also suspected that perhaps he’d been confined at the estate too long, making him think even a mountain girl was quite exceptional.
The youth Zhao Wuji stood up, holding the Black Cloud bow as if to kneel before Han Qian in grateful thanks for saving his life.
“Your heart has no intention of prostrating. You’re not one who bows and kneels to others. Why make things difficult for yourself?” Han Qian smiled faintly, having the youth Zhao Wuji stand there to speak.
The youth Zhao Wuji’s eyes revealed a grateful expression. He held out the Black Cloud bow: “My father says this bow is too valuable. Wuji shouldn’t accept such a heavy gift from the young master?”
“Your father probably said this bow is inauspicious. If not for this bow, such disaster wouldn’t have been invited, right?”
Han Qian smiled inwardly, hands clasped behind his back as he said:
“Without this bow, even if you weren’t sent to the county yamen for punishment, you would have been driven from the estate to wander homeless. Are you truly willing to accept that?”
“…” The youth Zhao Wuji raised his head to look at Han Qian, slight confusion in his eyes. But no one noticed that the young girl Zhao Ting’er’s eyes looking toward the ground were burning brightly at this moment.
“If you feel your family should rightly be driven out, then return this Black Cloud bow to me. If your heart is unwilling, then keep this Black Cloud bow. If in the future any wicked slaves dare come to seize your father and siblings’ foothold, you may use this bow to kill them!” Han Qian said.
Only after hearing Han Qian’s words did the youth Zhao Wuji’s gaze become firm. His still somewhat tender hands gripped the Black Cloud bow even tighter.
Hearing Han Qian’s words, Zhao Kuo sighed inwardly, thinking secretly that from the beginning the young master had truly intended to use the youth Zhao Wuji’s hand to kill Fan Wucheng. He had truly misjudged before.
Seeing the young master Han Qian turn to look over, Zhao Kuo lowered his head, avoiding the young master Han Qian’s sharp, killing gaze.
“Zhao Kuo, withdraw first. I want to teach Zhao Wuji an archery formula,” Han Qian said to Zhao Kuo.
“Yes!” Zhao Kuo bowed humbly in salute and withdrew to the forest below, but also didn’t leave too far, demonstrating he still had the duty of protecting the young master Han Qian closely.
“My archery has achieved nothing, but I had a good master who taught me an archery formula when I was young. I couldn’t practice any superior archery from it, but transmitting it to you might be useful,” Han Qian said. He then taught the youth Zhao Wuji the archery formula that old Daoist priest had taught him in Chuzhou years ago: “Both hands hold the bow before the body, like a towering tree standing in the wasteland. Proper structure resembles the full moon, great form fills with perfect roundness. Spirit rises yet remains calm, the whole body surges in chaotic cycles…”
Han Qian had neglected training too long. No matter how formidable the Stone Duke Fist or this archery formula were, he didn’t expect to become a world-class expert within three or four years.
But if this youth Zhao Wuji before him could truly be used by him, perhaps he would be more trustworthy than old bastards like Fan Xicheng and Zhao Kuo.
“Having you keep mourning vigil before Fan Wucheng’s grave—this wasn’t others wanting to humiliate you with this. Actually, I was the one who proposed it. Don’t be unable to endure even this slight humiliation. Patiently ponder archery here. In a few days I’ll come again to teach you the Stone Duke Fist,” Han Qian said. “Also, can you read and write?”
“I cannot!” the youth Zhao Wuji said.
“Not being literate won’t do,” Han Qian said, stroking his chin. “Literacy doesn’t require great depth, but you must be able to read books fluently—how about this: I’ll still be staying at the estate for some time. During these days, come down the mountain to the eastern courtyard every morning at dawn, and I’ll teach you to read. If anyone dares stop you, you know what to do.”
“The young master’s orders—Wuji absolutely dares not forget,” the youth Zhao Wuji said firmly.
Han Qian nodded with satisfaction, then bid farewell to the siblings Zhao Ting’er and Zhao Wuji, and strode down the mountain.