Chapter 42: Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand
Golden Snake Li Family.
Chen Shun’an parked the water cart at the side gate.
The two gate guards greeted Chen Shun’an familiarly,
“Old Chen, you’re a bit late today.”
“Old Chen, you’ve been slacking off. My brother and I have been waiting for you for a while.”
After these days of interaction, Chen Shun’an had come to know these two men well.
Both were orphans adopted by Master Li from the orphanage back in the day, taught to read and write and martial arts techniques by hand, raised as house guards.
They had no formal names.
The one with the saber was called A Da; the one with the spear was called A Er, both at third-rate perfection strength.
The two were grateful for Master Li’s nurturing and training.
So even though Li Mansion was on its last legs, living on borrowed time, the two still cherished old affections and were unwilling to leave, content to serve as gate guards.
“I was delayed on the road a bit…”
Chen Shun’an chuckled and hauled two crisp, sweet melons from behind the water cart, handing one to each.
“Baizhou’s local melons, just on the market. You two brothers must try them.”
Maintaining relationships was shown through these daily little favors.
A Da and A Er had just been joking, but now they took the melons and casually pushed open the side gate.
A Da said softly,
“Master Li should be teaching martial arts in the front courtyard. There’s a young man surnamed Yi who spent four hundred taels of silver to seek true skill, taking Master as instructor to learn《 Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand》.”
A Er muttered,
“The young man surnamed Yi has excellent root bone. Master Li doesn’t say it, but he’s probably laughing inside and even made an exception to let him and his mother eat and live in the mansion.”
Chen Shun’an was carrying wooden buckets into the courtyard when he heard this, his face showing surprise.
Surname ‘Yi’?
This surname was not common in Wuqing County.
Especially those who could produce four hundred taels of silver—there weren’t many, and they seemed concentrated in Xin Lianzi Hutong, Da Shamiao Hutong, and other north city areas.
Chen Shun’an remembered that Scholar Ma’s amateur performer, one of the Four Uniques in “Five Monsters, Four Uniques, Three Leaders”—the spear unique, Zuoling Yi Wen—was surnamed Yi.
And…
The Li Family was actually selling their inherited true skill?!
A glint flashed in Chen Shun’an’s eyes.
He noted that A Da said “taking as instructor,” not taking as master.
Taking as master meant inheriting the mantle, observing father-son rites, and upon getting the true inheritance, also taking on the master’s generational karma and grudges.
An instructor was not so formal; money sufficed.
Clearly, between Master Li and this young man surnamed Yi, it was just a simple money-for-hire relationship.
So…
Selling the family true skill once was selling; selling twice was selling too, right?
This seemed like an opportunity for Chen Mou.
After all, this《 Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand》 was superior martial arts, combining the strengths of palm techniques and footwork, tricky, strange, agile, and variable, its reputation in no way inferior to《 Meat Flying Immortal》 or《 Great Accomplishment Fist》.
Chen Shun’an had coveted it for a long time.
Entering Li Mansion, the previously peeling, unrepaired gate tower and red-lacquered support pillars were all brand new.
Passing the front courtyard, the open ground now had more wooden stakes, stone locks, and weapon racks for sabers and spears, staffs, etc.
Vigorous shouts rang out.
Chen Shun’an then saw a fair-skinned, resolute-faced youth, bare-chested, wearing a faded short jacket, tempering his muscles and bones under the blazing sun.
Steward Zhao and Master Li were both under the eaves’ shade, fanning themselves with iced wind, with floating plums and melons.
Suddenly, Steward Zhao’s gaze turned cold.
Whoosh!
A plum pit shot from his mouth like firelight, striking the youth’s wrist and leaving a bruise with blood.
“Forgot what I taught you?! Palm techniques should form a coiling bind!”
“Don’t be so rigid! Be lively, lively!”
“Learn to use your white connected fingers! Such good root bone wasted on you!”
Steward Zhao shouted sharply.
It was said to be Master Li teaching martial arts.
In truth, most of the time it was Steward Zhao giving pointers.
Master Li sat in the grand tutor’s chair, hands on his peach wood staff, eyes slightly closed as if dozing, only speaking at key moments.
The youth practiced some complex palm technique, teeth gritted, staring at the blazing sun, not daring to utter a word of complaint.
Chen Shun’an noticed this youth’s hands were unusual, like duck webs, with a thin membrane connecting them.
Extremely resilient, like a spring segment, stretching and snapping back swiftly.
“White connected fingers?”
Chen Shun’an exclaimed in surprise; this was excellent root bone for cultivating palm techniques and finger techniques.
“Old Chen is here?” Steward Zhao noticed Chen Shun’an.
Master Li slowly opened his eyes, saw Chen Shun’an, and cupped his hands with a smile,
“Brother Shun An.”
Chen Shun’an exchanged pleasantries with the two, then carried his load to the kitchen and filled the water vat.
The youth curiously glanced at Chen Shun’an’s retreating figure, only to be met with another plum pit.
“Brother Shicheng, your mansion seems to have good news?”
Wiping sweat from his face with a handkerchief, Chen Shun’an returned to the front courtyard.
“Hahaha… Thanks to your good news, Brother Shun An.”
Master Li’s voice was a bit stronger than last time, as he laughed,
“Reconnected with old friends from Caobang, already formed a ship team heading to Nanhai Prefecture; should return to Wuqing County soon.
But customs are strict, charging port fees to foreigners, cargo taxes to our own; never mind smuggling salt and iron—even tea and silk hidden on board can be sniffed out by inspection… Sigh, dealing with those official masters is such a headache…”
At this, Master Li slapped his forehead and said,
“Agh! Old age makes me talk too much… So cash is tight, thus taking out the ancestors’ true skill to sell—hope Brother Shun An doesn’t laugh.”
Chen Shun’an nodded in understanding.
Master Li was a man of resolve.
He acted swiftly, implementing upon getting the intelligence.
But Master Li’s words stirred something in Chen Shun’an’s heart.
You could curse the Sacred Dynasty as rotten, but on profitable matters, you couldn’t call it incompetent!
Customs Tax Bureau was rife with bribery and smuggling indulgence, tax evasion, all sorts of inventively named fees in scary numbers.
Entry fees, exit fees, berthing fees, grain path donations, per-head fees, fire consumption, cabin inspections, invoice fees… all flowered up, proceeds privately divided among officials high and low.
And Nanhai customs had many checkpoints under it, one every ten li, one gate every fifty li; any merchant ship from overseas was checked repeatedly.
Just hoping to find contraband for a hefty squeeze!
So…
How did hibiscus paste fire get through sea transport, past Nanhai, and circulate to Wuqing County?
No matter how connected the pounding house and Nanhai Twelve Guilds were, they were just merchants.
How could they rival the Customs Tax Bureau?
Chen Shun’an’s heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.
Standing in place, also enjoying the iced wind, silently watching the youth practice martial arts, without leaving.
Master Li got the hint and gave a look to Steward Zhao.
“Yi Yan, come with me. I’ll rub your muscles, dispel the bruise, iced medicinal bath!”
Steward Zhao instructed the youth Yi Yan, then walked into the bathhouse with hands behind his back.
Yi Yan obediently followed with head down.
Master Li picked up the tea bowl, sipped some tea, and looked at Chen Shun’an: “I wonder, Brother Shun An, what else is the matter?”
Chen Shun’an then walked to face Master Li, cupped his fists and said,
“Brother Shicheng, Chen Mou has an unreasonable request. My《 Meat Flying Immortal》 focuses on lower body tempering, leaving upper body somewhat deficient, qi and blood hard to fully overflow, risking imbalance; plus Chen Mou pushes cart and delivers water, hauls buckets and unloads planks, over time my hands have hidden injuries…
So I seek cultivation, to trouble Brother Shicheng to teach《 Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand》!”
Concurrent cultivation for body balance was reason.
Elderly decline, healing hands was sentiment.
Chen Shun’an thus reasoned with logic and moved with emotion.
“This…”
Master Li’s face showed displeasure upon hearing.
Family true skill could not be lightly taught; even teaching to Yi Yan, despite reasons, was highly disgraceful.
Chen Shun’an’s action now seemed somewhat like repaying favor with demand to Master Li.
Master Li said gravely,
“Brother Shun An, I won’t hide from you. That Yi Yan is Zuoling Yi Wen’s illegitimate son, born to a mulberry-picking girl, drifted outside from childhood, even fostered in the orphanage for years, begged for livelihood in the colored gate（ doing magic tricks）.
As he grew, he showed talent and exposed extraordinary martial arts aptitude, finally recognized by Zuoling Yi Wen…
But Yi Mansion is a noble family, many heirs, fierce competition; plus Yi Mansion’s true inheritance is《 Subduing Poison Kill Spear》, not matching Yi Wen’s nature, so Mrs. Yi introduced him to my Li Mansion…”
Chen Shun’an immediately understood.
No matter how disfavored, Yi Yan was still zuoling offspring.
If word spread, Li Mansion wouldn’t lose face.
Chen Shun’an paused, then said,
“I am willing to offer two hundred taels of silver, and just listen in, try not to trouble Brother Shicheng.”
“It’s not about money… Brother Shun An, you’re advanced in years, stuck before second-rate realm for years; I worry you’ll bite off more than you can chew and harm yourself…” Master Li frowned.
“That was before.”
Suddenly, Chen Shun’an stepped into standing meditation, toes not angled, qi and blood surging wildly, muscles and flesh rolling and twisting all over.
As qi and blood circulated, a ‘crack’ sounded; his spine dragon came alive, bone joints vibrating and thundering like a string of thunderclaps.
Second-rate jade tree?
Master Li’s eyes showed surprise.
