Chapter 10: The Shameless Thief

In the secluded alleyway, the creaking of old timber continued unabated.

Ye Jingtang racked his brains to spout frivolous nonsense that even he found shameless. The cold and beautiful swordswoman remained biting her lower lip, staring at him through tear-filled eyes, refusing to let an outsider hear a single sound. Fortunately, Ye Jingtang’s acting was convincing enough; the constables outside finally let down their guard, and their muffled voices drifted in:

"He looks like a decent man, but his mouth is quite filthy... What does 'sticking the rear' mean?"

"It’s an advanced spear technique for flanking. I’ll show you another day. Nothing worth listening to, let’s go, let’s go..."

*Thump, thump.*

After two soft sounds of bodies leaping over the perimeter wall, the courtyard fell completely silent.

Inside the enclosed room, Ye Jingtang let out a quiet sigh of relief and tilted his head toward the window, listening intently. The woman’s previously icy expression had vanished; her face was flushed and glistening with moisture, beads of sweat clung to her forehead, and her peach-blossom eyes were crystalline. With color returning to her cheeks, she looked breathtakingly beautiful, like an ethereal jade goddess who had been ravaged.

The woman gazed at the handsome profile just inches away. Perhaps due to the lingering shame and rage, she found she couldn't summon the "fury" she felt moments ago. Despite the cold poison having largely receded, she felt even weaker than before.

"You... ah~..."

As the officers moved away, she tried to question him, but noticed the little thief’s hand stir. The previous act had been a desperate necessity, which she could excuse, but this was real! She quickly covered her mouth, a murderous glint in her eyes as she glared at the man above her.

"You..."

Ye Jingtang turned his head, looking puzzled. "Can't let go? Then should I start over..."

The woman was no pushover. Her soft sword flashed from its sheath, emitting a chilling glint. Ye Jingtang reacted with lightning speed, leaping back into the room and gripping the hilt of his blade. "What are you doing? Returning evil for good... burning the bridge after crossing it?"

The woman pointed her sword at him, her eyes indignant. "You shameless thief..."

"Lady Knight, are you not clear on which of us is the thief?" Ye Jingtang looked at her face, which remained hauntingly beautiful even in her distress. "If I hadn't done that, how could you be sure the officers wouldn't come in to check your identity and injuries? Knowing we were in dire straits, you were still stubbornly refusing to make a sound—were you trying to get me killed?"

The woman’s eyes were cold, yet they could not hide the underlying panic and helplessness. "I know you were just playing a part, but you... you took liberties! Taking advantage of someone in their moment of weakness..."

Ye Jingtang countered, "If you wouldn't cooperate when I was 'playing a part,' how could I have made it convincing? Don't you have a daughter? Do you not know how this play goes? Or in the past, whenever you did this, did you just turn your head, close your eyes, and not make a sound?"

Facing such "lewd words," the shame and anger in her eyes deepened. "You are shameless!"

Ye Jingtang looked dissatisfied. "You asked me to cover for you. I risked my life to help, and now that the officers are gone, you call me shameless? If you hadn't been so panicked and had just cooperated, would I have had to touch you?"

"..."

The woman glared at him, but she understood he spoke the truth. After biting her silver teeth for a long while, she finally lowered her soft sword. "For the sake of your timely help... I will spare you this once..."

***

Ye Jingtang was satisfied and approached the bed. "You promised to teach me martial arts. Teach me."

The woman lifted her eyelids, full of rage. "You acted so lewdly toward me, I haven't even settled that score, and you still..."

"Lewd? You think I enjoyed it? I haven't even mentioned how you took advantage of me." Seeing she wanted to renege, Ye Jingtang became unhappy. He picked up a small mirror from the bedside and held it up to reflect their faces. "Look for yourself. Which of us is better looking? Do you think I’d risk my life and property for you?"

The woman had likely never been belittled regarding her beauty, and found the notion absurd. But then she looked at the reflection in the mirror: she was disheveled, tear-stained, and flushed with anger. Despite her natural beauty, she looked less than half as stunning as usual. Beside her, the little thief had sharp brows, bright eyes, and a majestic aura; his features and bearing were impeccable.

Niaoniao, who had been hiding under the bed, crawled out to act as a judge. After glancing back and forth between them, it pointed a wing at the young woman.

"Cheep."

It meant that Miss Little Watermelon was still the pretty one.

Ye Jingtang was speechless to find his own bird undermining him. The woman understood the bird's meaning, and a faint, proud gleam flashed in her eyes. With this interruption, her argument that the handsome thief was greedy for her beauty lost its footing. She said coldly, "This matter... I will treat it as if it never happened. You are not to speak of it, or even the gods won't be able to save you."

Seeing the young woman was no longer being unreasonable, Ye Jingtang tossed the mirror aside and adjusted his robes. The woman looked away, wrapping herself in a thin quilt to tidy her disheveled collar, only to suddenly realize her trousers seemed soaked with sweat... or perhaps it wasn't sweat...

Ye Jingtang watched as her face turned scarlet, her expression shifting between rage and mortification. He understood perfectly, thinking to himself, *If she can get like this just from pretending, is she made of water?*

He didn't dwell on it, simply buttoning his robe. "Now that we're safe, you should explain things clearly. Who are you, and what trouble are you in?"

The young woman, her mind in a mess while she quietly adjusted her clothes, said coldly, "My name is Luo Ning. Knowing anything else will do you no good. I came to the capital only to rescue a friend from the Jianghu. I was exploring the Black Yamen at noon and accidentally triggered a trap, inhaling toxic smoke. I hid here only to evade the pursuit of White Impermanence..."

Ye Jingtang was slightly surprised. Black Yamen constables usually traveled in pairs, and the six most powerful chief constables were known in the Jianghu as the 'Six Evils,' named after ghosts: Iron Arm Impermanence, Ghost Shadow Impermanence, Vajra Ox-Head, Silver Hook Horse-Face, White-Haired Ti-Ting, and Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha.

That this woman, Luo Ning, could escape after being pursued by White Impermanence showed that her martial arts were indeed formidable.

After hearing the process, Ye Jingtang looked around. "Where is your maid?"

"She went to lure away the pursuers; she should be back soon. You... you had best leave at once..."

"This is my home!" Ye Jingtang gestured to the bedding. "I just bought these sheets yesterday; they are all I have. You occupied my nest without a word and brought disaster upon me. I haven't even held you accountable, and you want me to leave? Are you trying to go back on your word to teach me martial arts?"

Luo Ning had suffered a great loss and really didn't want to teach him. But people of the Jianghu valued their word, and she didn't want to owe this little thief a favor. She stood up, her footsteps fluid, and raised her palms.

"I said I would teach you one move, and only once. Whether you remember it or learn it is your own ability; if you can't, it's just your lack of fortune. You cannot say I broke my word."

Ye Jingtang nodded slightly, his expression focused as he watched her movements. Luo Ning raised her palms, moving with rhythm—sometimes embracing the moon, sometimes pushing forward. The movements were like flowing water. After demonstrating a few times, she gave one final push and finished.

"Have you learned it?"

Ye Jingtang looked blank. "Are you messing with me? Do you think I'm a three-year-old? You call this kung fu?"

Luo Ning looked angry. "I have already taught you the moves..."

"What exactly did you teach?"

"Cheep."

Niaoniao also looked blank, shaking its wings to signify: *It's just waving hands; who can't do that?*

Luo Ning met Ye Jingtang's eyes. Seeing his expression didn't look fake, her anger receded, and she asked suspiciously, "Have you never learned kung fu before?"

Ye Jingtang had wanted to say he had, but then thought—his foster father only taught him fake tricks... which meant he hadn't, had he?

His expression softened, and he asked earnestly, "I truly have never learned real kung fu. Are you certain that was a move?"

Luo Ning glanced at him strangely. "I saw your foundation was solid and you had internal energy, so I assumed you had been trained... How did you get to this level without a teacher?"

"I run thirty miles with weights every day, do three hundred stone-lock lifts, five hundred sit-ups..."

Luo Ning raised a finger to stop him. "Everything you mentioned suggests someone was guiding you to build a foundation. Proper martial artists do not train that way."

"So I am an improper martial artist?"

"Yes." Luo Ning nodded, fully agreeing.

Ye Jingtang opened his mouth, deciding not to argue with the Lady Knight. "How do normal martial artists train?"

"So-called martial arts: 'Wu' refers to the techniques (moves), and 'Gong' refers to internal energy. The two complement each other. Having techniques without energy will always be 'only in form.' Having energy without technique is like having an army of thousands but only knowing how to smash against city walls with brute force, lacking any strategy."

Ye Jingtang understood. "I get that feeling. So, am I currently a brainless general who only knows how to charge? How should I train the moves?"

Luo Ning said seriously, "The moves are a method for 'circulating energy,' not a set routine for combat. Once you master it and achieve a unity of mind and form, you will naturally understand how to use this move in battle. A simple, straightforward punch can shake a city wall for one person, but fail to break a door panel for another; the difference lies in the 'Gong' behind it."

Ye Jingtang seemed to understand, raising his hands and moving them slowly. "So, you mean practicing like this is the way to circulate energy, and when it comes to a real fight, it's only that final push?"

"It seems you understood." Luo Ning nodded. "This move is the first of the Fourteen Sticky Cloud Hands. It emphasizes soft power. If you can train until a palm strike to the chest or abdomen shatters the internal organs while leaving the skin unscathed, then you have entered the gate. For an ordinary person to reach this stage, it takes at least three... three..."

Before the young woman could finish, she saw the young man in black before her raise his palms and move them back and forth. His movements were not a hair's breadth different from her own.

"Your memory is truly excellent!" Luo Ning was slightly astonished and continued her guidance: "Ponder carefully why there are so many movements. Experience the nuance, the force, and the flow of energy in each motion. Carefully comprehend the method of energy circulation hidden within... the gate..."

Her voice trailed off.

*Whoosh... whoosh...*

In the enclosed small room, a faint breeze brushed past, stirring the hair at the young woman's temples. Her eyes slowly shifted from astonishment to shock...