The conversation veered off, but getting back to the point, the old man wanted to meet my parents, so I brought him home and found my father.
Father came from a well-off family, but he was kind and didn’t care about social status, so he paid no mind to the old man’s background.
He immediately invited him into the living room, and they sat down in their respective places.
I must say, in this era, such an attitude is truly rare, though he was overly strict with me…
Father had a maid pour tea for the old man and then asked, “May I know the purpose of your visit, Master? Has Qing’er caused trouble again?”
I immediately bristled, “What do you mean ‘caused trouble again’? Have I caused that much trouble?”
Father glared at me.
“Not long ago, you damaged the paper windows and furniture of common folks’ homes. I had to send people to apologize and compensate. And you say you haven’t caused trouble?”
I was just unfamiliar with this world! Besides, who knew those things were so flimsy and fragile…
I barely touched them, and they broke…
Of course, I thought this but didn’t dare say it aloud.
Meanwhile, Liu Ling珊, seeing me get scolded, covered her mouth and giggled quietly, clearly delighted.
“Sir, rest assured, your son hasn’t done anything out of line,” the old man said.
“I am a wandering martial artist, planning to return to my hometown to visit my wife. But earlier, I met your son by chance, and he truly amazed me.”
He looked at me with clear eyes.
“Your son’s talent is truly exceptional. Though only seven years old, his movements—his steps, his gestures—show a grasp of strength and technique far beyond that of an ordinary child his age. I was so impressed that I decided to pay a visit.”
Though he praised me highly, when I thought about it, it made sense.
My body might be seven, but I’m actually over twenty years old mentally, so of course I’d have better control than other kids.
But seriously, was it that obvious?
I just ran a few steps and bumped into him, and he saw all that?
Truly, a master is a master—grand, cool, and impressive.
Father glanced at me, intrigued.
“Is that so? I’ve been worried about this boy. I wanted to send him to a private school so he wouldn’t have to follow me into business and could instead become an official to bring honor to our family. But this child is so unruly and disobedient, sneaking out of school every day. I had no choice but to give up on that idea. I had no idea he had such potential.”
You can’t blame me for that! If you were stuck with a bunch of little kids reciting classical texts all day, could you stand it?
“Indeed!” the old man continued.
“In my lifetime, I’ve seen countless people, many with excellent potential, but someone like your son is a first. I wish to take him as my disciple. What do you think, sir?”
“This…” Father hesitated.
Even if what the old man said was true and his son had such remarkable talent, could this old man truly have the ability to teach him?
Choosing a master required caution.
The old man clearly sensed Father’s doubts and stood with a hearty laugh.
“Is there a spear or similar weapon here?”
Father understood his intent and had a servant fetch a long spear for the old man.
The old man took the spear and stepped into the courtyard, striking a stance.
He thrust the spear lightly, a move that seemed utterly ordinary, without any flair.
Hmm, quite plain.
But in an instant, the spearhead twisted, and one thrust became seven, with seven spear shadows flashing in the air.
Hmm, not bad.
“Ha!” the old man let out a low shout, and his spear danced again.
The seven spear shadows multiplied into countless spear flowers, the sound of the spear’s hum echoing in all directions.
Uh…
The whirlwind from the old man’s spear stirred up dust and leaves, which danced in the air with the spear flowers.
The leaves followed the spear’s movements, swirling around.
Then, the old man’s eyes sharpened, and with a single thrust, all the spear shadows converged.
The swirling leaves and dust shot skyward in an instant.
Under the sunlight, the dust shimmered with golden light, and the leaves fell like feathers scattering across the ground.
It was like…
The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!
A name flashed through my mind.
This strange old man… could he be?
I had asked about the year before, and though my memories were incomplete, I vaguely recalled that this era was likely the late Han period I’d always dreamed of—the time just before the Three Kingdoms, when heroes vied for dominance.
Speaking of spear masters, I could never forget the monstrously skilled Zhao Yun.
But in this era, Zhao Yun wouldn’t be this old.
Still, someone who could wield a spear with such divine skill… there weren’t many like that.
The old man’s display lasted only a moment.
As we were still reeling from the spectacle, he retracted his spear, returned to Father, and the leaves and dust slowly settled back to the ground.
While everyone was still immersed in the stunning performance, a sudden burst of applause broke the silence.
My mother, wide-eyed with amazement, clapped enthusiastically and tugged at my sleeve, exclaiming, “Qingqing, look, look! This old man is even more incredible than the performers we saw in Pengcheng! Isn’t he amazing?”
Mother… can you act a bit more mature?
If not for our age difference, based on her personality, we’d seem more like father and daughter than mother and son…
“Ahem…” To avoid embarrassment and to preserve the fading smile on the old man’s face, Father quickly coughed awkwardly to drown out Mother’s next words.
He bowed solemnly to the old man and asked, “May I ask your honorable name, sir?”
The old man forced a smile, steadied himself, and stood with his spear.
“I am Tong Yuan, styled Xiongfu, just a humble martial artist.”
Tong Yuan!?
The name unlocked a flood of sealed memories in my mind.
“Tong Yuan!?” Before I could speak, Liu Ling珊 gasped in surprise.
What!?
This airhead actually knows Tong Yuan?
That’s unscientific!
Then again, even if she’s unreliable, working for that so-called Time Administration Bureau, it makes sense she’d know something about historical figures.
“Indeed,” the old man said, smiling slightly at Liu Ling珊.
“Who’s Tong Yuan?” she asked, touching her cheek with her finger, looking puzzled.
…Never mind.
The old man, who had been smiling faintly, twitched at her words.
Sorry, so sorry!
My mother and this dimwit are so ignorant, I apologize!
I helplessly glanced at the two behind me—one big, one small—both sporting confused expressions, and sighed inwardly.
You two should be mother and daughter…
Tong Yuan.
As the master who trained spear-wielding prodigies like Zhang Ren, Zhang Xiu, and Zhao Yun, how could I not remember him?
Tong Yuan, styled Xiongfu, known as the Spear Sage of Penglai.
He took Zhang Ren as his first disciple, then Zhang Xiu, and in his later years, Zhao Yun.
All three learned his ultimate technique, the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear, and each went on to achieve greatness.
“You… you are the Spear Sage, Tong Yuan!?”
Thankfully, Father wasn’t like them.
His timely shock eased the stiff expression on the old man’s face.
“Not at all… that’s just flattery from others,” Tong Yuan said with a slight smile, stroking his beard.
“So, about taking your son as my disciple…”
“To have my son favored by Master Tong is the greatest fortune of his life,” Father said, immediately making his decision upon learning the old man was the renowned Spear Sage.
He stepped forward, grasped Tong Yuan’s hand, and said excitedly, “I entrust my son to you, Master Tong, and hope…”
“Wait!”
Just as I was reeling from Father selling me off in a few words, a pleasant voice interrupted.
Hearing that Tong Yuan was about to take me away, Mother couldn’t sit still.
She pulled me behind her, holding me close to her side, and I caught the calming, faint fragrance of her presence.
“Husband, how can you so easily entrust Qingqing to someone else? He’s only seven! How can he endure the hardships of traveling mountains and training in martial arts? If he gets hurt… loses an arm… or a… sob… leg… I… I couldn’t go on living… sob…”
As she spoke, tears welled up.
It wouldn’t be that bad, would it?
Father couldn’t handle Mother’s tears.
The moment she cried, his composed demeanor vanished, and he fumbled to take a silk handkerchief from Leng Yu, who handed it over calmly, to wipe her tears.
“My dear, that’s not what I meant. I’d never want Qing’er to suffer like that, but this is a rare opportunity…”
Tong Yuan quickly clasped his hands and said, “Madam, please don’t worry. If I take him as my disciple, I’ll treat him as my own son. It won’t be as harsh as you fear. Besides, martial arts training begins in childhood, and seven is already a bit late. If we delay further, he may lack the foundation.”
But no matter how they pleaded, Mother refused, her tears coming in waves, soon soaking the handkerchief in Father’s hand.
I stared in disbelief as Bing Qiao handed over another handkerchief, marveling that women truly are made of water…
Seeing Father and Tong Yuan at a loss, I, despite my reluctance, took Mother’s hand and said, “Mother, I’ll be fine. I’ve always been interested in martial arts, and meeting a master like this is an opportunity I can’t miss. Please, let me do this.”
Mother looked down at me with teary, shimmering eyes, silent for a long time.
Finally, she sniffed and said in a trembling voice, “Alright.”
“She agreed!?” Tong Yuan couldn’t help but exclaim.
They’d tried persuading her for ages, and she’d been adamant, yet one word from me, and she complied.
Father let out a relieved sigh, muttering, “My wife is so indulgent with the child…”
“Who’s the adult here?” Ling珊 mumbled, unfazed, as if this were nothing new.
With Mother finally settled, Father regained his composure and beckoned me.
“Qing’er, come here.”
I walked slowly to him.
“Father.”
“Quickly pay respects to your master.”
“I, your disciple, pay respects to Master,” I said, bowing slightly to Tong Yuan.
Father frowned at my gesture.
“To take a master, you must kneel in respect. What kind of behavior is this? Kneel!”
As someone from the modern era, kneeling to my parents is one thing, but to a stranger I just met?
How could I do that?
Besides, Father handing me over so quickly, even if the man is a legendary master, left me a bit resentful.
As I hesitated, Father grew irritated.
“Why won’t you kneel!? A master for a day is a father for life. You’re about to take Master Tong as your teacher, and he’ll be like a father to you. What’s stopping you!?”
Tong Yuan clearly noticed my reluctance, and with Mother showing signs of stepping in, he quickly waved his hand.
“No need, no need. Such formalities can be dispensed with. Let’s not dwell on it.”
Father sighed and bowed apologetically.
“My son is unruly. I hope Master Tong will forgive him and guide him strictly in the future.”
Tong Yuan didn’t mind.
He laughed and shook his head.
“Haha, your son’s free spirit is rare. He’s sure to achieve great things.”
“You’re too kind, Master Tong,” Father said with a wry smile, then turned to me.
“Since it’s settled, go pack your things. Tomorrow, you’ll follow Master Tong to the mountains…”
“Wait!” Mother interrupted again, and Father broke out in a cold sweat, thinking she’d changed her mind. “My dear, what now?”
Mother handed the damp handkerchief back to Bing Qiao and said seriously to Father, “Husband, if Qingqing must go, I’m going with him to take care of him.”
Oh, Mother…