"Big Brother, you're back!"
Not long after Chen Ping'an vaulted over the courtyard wall, Chen Er Ya walked out of the house.
Evidently, the little girl had been keeping watch on the courtyard the entire time.
"Nannan, you haven't slept yet?" Chen Ping'an bent down to slip off his shoes. "Fetch me a pair of shoes, will you?"
"Oh, Big Brother, your..."
Chen Er Ya covered her mouth as she finally caught sight of the bloodstains on his shoes.
"Are you all right?"
Instead of fetching the shoes, the little girl rushed over and looked Chen Ping'an up and down with great care.
"I'm fine!" Chen Ping'an patted his chest. "Your big brother is strong as an ox! You know how much strength I have."
"Then the blood is..." The little girl was still a bit uneasy.
"Just a small incident, but nothing to worry about. I've already taken care of it." Chen Ping'an patted Chen Er Ya's little head and said with a smile, "Go on, hurry and fetch the shoes."
"Mm." Chen Er Ya nodded, quickly returning from the room with a pair of shoes.
Chen Ping'an took them and slipped them on, then held the bloodstained shoes by their edges and walked into the kitchen.
He tossed them beneath the stove hearth and deftly struck a spark with a flint. Beneath the hearth, a tiny flicker gradually grew into a crackling flame.
"Go on to bed, it's very late," Chen Ping'an said, turning toward Chen Er Ya.
From the moment he arrived until now, the little girl had been watching him intently. She was curious about what had happened to her brother, but if he did not say, she would not pry.
"I'll wait for you, Big Brother."
"You silly girl..." A doting smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face.
Making no secret of it before Chen Er Ya, he drew out the black cloth pouch and the dagger from his robes. Meeting her puzzled gaze, Chen Ping'an smiled and explained, "These are my spoils! A fool targeted me on my way back, so I casually dealt with him."
A flicker of complex emotion crossed Chen Er Ya's eyes, and she gave a gentle nod.
Chen Ping'an did not mention the details of the encounter, nor did the little girl ask. Such was the tacit understanding between brother and sister.
Chen Ping'an opened the black cloth pouch, revealing loose pieces of silver and copper coins inside. He took them out and counted: a total of one and a half taels of silver, plus fifty-two small cash.
A glint of delight surfaced in Chen Ping'an's eyes.
This was nearly two months of his monthly stipend. With this money in hand, he wouldn't have to worry about meat for their meals for some time to come.
Next, he turned his attention to the dagger.
The dagger was seven or eight inches long and shaped like a miniature sword. Chen Ping'an drew it from its sheath, revealing a gleam of cold light. It was double-edged and honed sharp; though somewhat worn and showing the ravages of time, judging by its gleam, it remained as sharp as ever.
"An unexpected bonus!"
Chen Ping'an toyed with the dagger, unable to put it down, growing more satisfied the more he looked at it.
Though its design was ordinary and a bit weathered, it was still sharp and practical. Having such a weapon on him would grant him a bit more confidence when venturing outside.
By this point, the shoes beneath the hearth were nearly reduced to ash, the flames dwindling until they completely went out.
After confirming nothing was amiss, Chen Ping'an stepped into the courtyard, drew a basin of water, stripped off his clothes, and wiped himself clean.
"Big Brother, let me help you," Chen Er Ya volunteered, coming over.
Not wanting to dampen the girl's enthusiasm, Chen Ping'an agreed with a chuckle.
With Chen Er Ya's help, Chen Ping'an soon finished washing up, and the two went into the room to crawl into their respective beds.
Clearly, the little girl was thoroughly exhausted. With Chen Ping'an by her side putting her heart at ease, she drifted into a deep sleep after barely a few words of conversation.
"This girl!" Chen Ping'an chuckled softly.
The night was deep, yet sleep eluded him. Though this wasn't his first time killing someone, his heart still wasn't entirely calm.
The gruesome state of the bamboo-hatted man surfaced in his mind from time to time.
*Such is the way of the world. If your skills fall short, blame no one else!*
Chen Ping'an let out a long sigh.
If given a choice, who wouldn't want to live a peaceful and secure life in this world?
He had no choice!
To live well and with dignity, one had to make trade-offs. That was the law of this world, one that no one could break!
Since he couldn't fall asleep anyway, and having just acquired the Flying Locust Throwing Technique, Chen Ping'an thought he might as well review and contemplate it once more.
Having a golden finger truly was wonderful. The manual had already been recorded into it, so with a mere shift of his gaze, the full text of the technique unfolded before his eyes. Even with his eyes closed, it appeared vividly in his mind.
"It certainly saves quite a bit of lamp oil," Chen Ping'an remarked with a self-deprecating smile.
The opening section was an introduction to Flying Locust Stones:
*The Flying Locust Stone is among the most convenient and economical of all concealed weapons. Readily available and found lying about everywhere, it requires neither money to purchase nor time to craft; inexhaustible and boundless in supply, it can be gathered at will and hurled at a whim...*
*In the wild, seek hard stones: bluestone is best, granite second, and yellow sandstone least of all. The chosen stones should be slender, tapered at the top and broad at the base. As for the four edges, their contours resemble that of a locust, hence the name Flying Locust Stone...*
*When traveling, wear a pouch at the waist. The method of wearing the pouch depends on the hand one uses to cast stones; for one accustomed to throwing with the right hand, the pouch should hang below the left waist...*
Chen Ping'an read through it carefully, feeling a sense of admiration.
"Though the Flying Locust Throwing Technique is ordinary, there is profound knowledge within it. Once mastered, it actually has three practical applications: first, as a concealed weapon to strike an enemy by surprise when they least expect it; second, to scout the path ahead, tossing stones downward or forward to test for danger; and third, as a diversion, hurling a stone far away to create a sound in the distance, drawing nearby people away to investigate.
These so-called Flying Locust Stones are truly ingenious!"
*While the convenience of the Flying Locust Stone is as described, its method of practice is likewise not overly difficult, largely resembling that of thrown darts, except it relies exclusively on a snapping whip force rather than a pushing thrust.*
*As for the setting of targets...*
*In terms of throwing hand techniques, the yin hand is mostly employed. First raise the hand upward, then flip the wrist downward and snap forcefully forward to strike the mark; this is the direct strike. If striking a side target while throwing with the right hand, stand sideways with the left shoulder facing the target, hold the stone before you in the right hand, sweep it up to the right, and then twist the wrist to whip it vigorously to the left to hit the mark. These two methods constitute the orthodox foundation of the Flying Locust Stone, both employing the yin hand.*
*When using Flying Locust Stones against an enemy, aim first for the various parts of the head and face, as they are completely unprotected and the eyes, nose, and surrounding features are exceedingly fragile and most easily injured. Second, aim for the joints of the wrists and ankles, for these two joints are least able to bear pain; striking the wrist bone will inevitably force the foe's weapon to drop, while striking the ankle bone will surely make walking difficult for a time...*
As he continued reading, Chen Ping'an gradually grasped the training methods of the Flying Locust Stones. Though he had not yet begun formal practice, with this foundation, he would be able to train smoothly after only a few proper attempts on the morrow.
"Good, tomorrow I'll begin practicing the Flying Locust Stones!"
With the technique clear in his mind and his heart firmly at peace, Chen Ping'an gradually drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 43