Chapter One, First Encounter (I)
Oh my goodness, if this continues, someone will die! Yun Feifei rolled up her sleeves, just about to step forward, when a wave of foul odor wafted from that person. Just as she hesitated, she heard someone shout: "Here comes another bucket of fresh ones, let him have his fill!"
"You drunkard, let you eat for free! Let you eat for free!" A middle-aged man resembling a hotel owner was fiercely kicking a person on the ground, while several attendants were mindlessly striking that person with sticks. The man was crawling on the ground, his clothes dirty and wet, with water continuously dripping from his head, curled up and shivering, yet still tightly holding onto a wine gourd in his hand
The girl looked up and saw many people glancing at her. She turned around and gave Ding Xiang a playful knock on the head, saying: "Why are you yelling like a ghost? You won't be the only one punished! Even if the sky were to fall, I, Yun Feifei, would bear it. You don't need to worry about it, little girl!"
Heavens! Dingxiang exclaimed, "Why have I ended up with such a young lady!"
The ice and snow have melted, and the peach and plum trees are beginning to bloom. The pale pink apricot blossoms fall like snowflakes, dancing down the streets of Luoyang in the Zhou Dynasty
The young girl spat out leaves, and Gege smiled and said, "I wonder what excitement is happening again, shall we go take a look?"
The Northern Zhou, which governed by the Yangtze River alongside the Southern Qi, has experienced several upheavals. In the past two years, it has finally returned to a stable course, at least on the surface, and has once again entered an era of peace and prosperity characterized by songs and dances
As she reached out to pull her, just as she touched the sleeve, the young girl was yanked away and dashed forward like the wind, squeezing into the crowd. Her cheeks were flushed with a faint pink, stirred by curiosity and excitement, making her pair of eyes even more crystal clear and radiant than a pair of dangling crystal earrings swaying in the breeze, exuding an enchanting charm.
A bucket of fresh excrement was lifted by someone and splashed onto that person with a "whoosh." The person shuddered violently but still did not raise his head; he slowly lifted his hand, trembling, and brought the wine gourd to his lips. The wet filth trickled down his hair, splattering his face, making it difficult for him to even open his eyes. Moreover, a few drops of excrement mixed with the wine flowed into his open mouth.
"Miss, Miss! It's getting late and we've finished looking at the pictures in the book, we should head back!" In the crowd, a little girl with a worried expression was closely following a young girl in a red dress ahead.
The young lady nodded busily and said: "Your martial arts skills are indeed quite impressive, even several strong men cannot get close to you! ... However, young lady, we should return early; we need to get up early tomorrow to practice martial arts with the young master! Master Lin was invited by the master to teach the young master, and he certainly won't teach you specifically!"
The young girl seemed somewhat moved, bringing the leaf to her lips and blowing on it twice. Just as she turned around and was about to leave, a sudden commotion and bursts of laughter erupted ahead.
In the second month of the fourth year of the Yongxi era of the Northern Zhou dynasty
Dingxiang's eyes widened in shock, her hair nearly standing on end, as she let out a deafening scream: "Miss, are you trying to kill me!"
The lilac cried out: "Miss, I have several large bumps on my head because of you!"
Dingxiang covered her head, her face filled with sorrow, and said: "We have been out all day, and even if we go back now, we will inevitably face a scolding!"
Heaven had no time to heed the lamentations of this young girl. Even if it were to pay attention, it must first address the injustices before her lady. Her lady, Yun Feifei, had already lost her excitement and was now glaring with righteous indignation at the scene unfolding before the Scholar's Tower.
Although it is close to evening, the streets remain bustling and lively. Street performers, singers, and vendors selling cosmetics are still energetically calling out their wares, while the taverns and tea houses on both sides occasionally echo with the sound of seductive singing
The young girl was merely around sixteen or seventeen years old, with features as beautiful as a painting, eyes like dots of ink, and a spirit that seemed to soar. She was holding a leaf in her mouth, cheerfully blowing a tune of the willow, and running forward with her wide sleeves swaying. Upon seeing the girl urging her on, she took the leaf from her lips and playfully tapped the girl on the head, saying: "Dingxiang, are you the young lady or am I the young lady? Every time we go out, you rush me home as if it were a matter of life and death!"
The young girl laughed and said: "Since returning early will result in scolding, and returning late will also lead to scolding, why not simply wait until the middle of the night when they are all asleep, and then we can go back!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar, retreating in unison, even those who were actively engaged in the fray laughed heartily as they stepped back
The young girl was taken aback for a moment, then reached out to touch Ding Xiang's head, saying: "Is my martial arts really that impressive? Just a light flick, and it can cause such a big bump?"