Ming Pao

In truth, Li Xiuwen could also tell that his current status made his presence somewhat awkward in this little circle. Ding Shao in particular looked at him with detachment and indifference. Though Ding Shao spoke politely, there was always an odd distance in his tone. People were bound to change. A rise in standing invariably brought a shift in mindset. *** At Wu Jun's barbershop. Brother Jun, having returned a few days earlier from honing his craft outside the Walled City, casually picked up a freshly bought copy of *Ming Pao*. Glancing across the page, he caught sight of a familiar name. "Night Heron Martial Arts Hall pays a challenge visit to Four Seas Martial Arts Hall; four first-floor disciples of Four Seas accept the challenge, with only one emerging victorious... Li Xiuwen?" "Ah Wen has gotten this good?" "I knew it—Ah Wen can accomplish great things." Brother Jun smiled knowingly. "A few hundred bucks to become Ah Wen's elder brother—this money... was well spent!" *** Outside the Walled City, at Hongyun Restaurant. Zhao Dalong and Ding Sheng were gathered together. Compared to their last small gathering, this one was even livelier, with a dozen or so new members who had joined the association. Drinking, eating, shooting the breeze... it was bustling with energy. Zhao Dalong was quite happy, but Ding Sheng seemed somewhat dispirited. "Ding Shao? Not in the mood?" Zhao Dalong walked over with his drink in hand and asked. Ding Sheng frowned. "Didn't you invite Nanshu?" Zhao Dalong paused, then squinted and smiled. "Nanshu is with Nantian Martial Arts Hall, after all. Their rules are strict. She told me her senior sister only allows her to get together once every six months." Ding Sheng offered a faint smile. "Nanshu not coming is understandable... but Ah Wen gives us no face either?" Taken aback for a moment, Zhao Dalong raised his cup and laughed heartily. "You know Ah Wen's personality—sensitive and insecure. He's not doing so well these days, so he probably didn't feel like coming." Ding Sheng took a sip of liquor. "True enough. The three of us are doing fairly well for ourselves... Ah Wen probably feels a bit unbalanced inside." "These are all new friends I pulled in. What, Ding Shao looks down on them? Only pining after Nanshu?" Zhao Dalong asked with a half-smile. "Not at all," Ding Sheng smiled. The gathering came to a hurried close. In the luxury car on the way back, Ding Sheng exhaled the fumes of alcohol and said coldly, "Nanshu couldn't make it because of the rules... but Ah Wen not coming is truly giving me no face." The driver chuckled. "Young Master, an untouchable from the Walled City showing up would only lower your status. Do you know why Mr. Ming has been able to hold the Walled City?" Ding Sheng said, "Immense martial strength?" The driver laughed. "That's only one factor. Another reason is that the Walled City is... too foul." Ding Sheng chuckled. "Being foul is enough to keep those martial masters out?" The driver said, "I heard the master say that top experts from outside won't set foot inside because they loathe being tainted by the turbid, foul air, which would sully their pure, ethereal qi mechanisms and hinder their martial cultivation. The people in the Walled City are like catfish in a cesspool. Having lived in that place for decades, their every word and deed carries the stench unique to the Walled City. If you ask me, keeping your distance is for the best, lest you get tainted with bad luck and affect your heaven-reaching fortune, Young Master. Do you really expect a stinking fish from a mud puddle to leap over the Dragon Gate? Connections like that are useless; you're better off without them." Hearing this, Ding Sheng laughed. "No wonder there was always a distinct smell about Ah Wen. I get it now." He picked up the newspaper he had casually bought at a roadside newsstand. As heir to the Chunqiu Press tycoon, he made a point of reading other papers daily to learn from their strengths and shortcomings. After a while, his gaze froze on the latest issue of *Ming Pao*. He caught sight of a familiar figure and blurted out in surprise, "Ah Wen?" "What is it, Young Master?" the driver asked. "Nothing. That friend of mine from the Walled City seems to be doing fairly well in there. He's even become a trained fighter..." Ding Sheng smiled faintly. The driver chuckled. "When an obscure, no-name martial arts hall like that makes the papers, they probably just bought the column space. Not worth mentioning." Ding Sheng smiled. "It's fine. We're acquaintances, after all. I do hope Ah Wen does a little better for himself, though it doesn't mean much in the end." The driver said, "If you ask me, even if he made something of himself and became a local heavyweight in that Walled City... he'd still be nothing more than a bird in a cage, a frog in a well. Young Master, once you take charge of Chunqiu Press, those you rub shoulders and banter with will all be Justices of the Peace, the martial aristocrats of the Empire in Xianghai. Those are the ones who truly stand above the rest." *** Several days later. Mount Taiping. Inside a grand villa built in the style of a martial arts hall. Li Nanshu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, her palms, soles, and crown turned toward the heavens. Across her jade-white skin, her pores opened and closed as she absorbed the wonders of complete-circuit breathing. After a time, she rose and picked up the copy of *Ming Pao* brought over by a servant. Although her master was Ye Nantian, the true idol in her heart remained the more legendary, low-profile, and mysterious "Mr. Ming." She occasionally heard rumors among martial arts halls that when her master first arrived in Xianghai, he had entered the Walled City on a challenge visit to see Mr. Ming. Upon emerging, her master never spoke a single word about the battle between them, only decreeing: "All Nantian disciples are forbidden from entering the Walled City and must never make an enemy of Changle!" Because of that, she never missed an issue of *Ming Pao*. Yet on this day, her brow knitted, a look of surprise crossing her face. "Night Heron pays a challenge visit; Sea Sand suffers a crushing defeat..." "This Four Seas Martial Arts Hall is truly pathetic." "To think that with Ah Wen's innate physique and aptitude, he could end up being the only one who made a decent showing." "Ah Wen isn't bad. By my judgment, his innate physique is merely of inferior aptitude. To achieve this, even if he most likely took pills, is still his own doing." *** At Chen's Noodle Factory. Having learned long beforehand that Ah Wen would appear in the newspaper, his aunt held the copy of *Ming Pao*, having carefully clipped out the page mentioning him. She pressed it against her chest, her face full of anticipation. In truth, Li Xiuwen was mentioned only in a single sentence throughout the article, an overlooked background figure whom nobody cared about. Unless someone was paying deliberate attention or was closely acquainted with him, anyone skimming the newspaper would almost certainly miss the three characters of his name. The real protagonist of the piece was Gaojiao Qi of the Night Heron Martial Arts Hall. "All right, all right, his name barely appeared once, and look at how pleased you are, staying up all night," his uncle said helplessly. His aunt countered, "This is *Ming Pao*! Ah Wen made it into the paper at just twenty-one years old, and he was the most impressive one in Four Seas Martial Arts Hall." His uncle could not help but concede, "Ah Wen has indeed made something of himself." His aunt smiled. "A few days ago, some punk came by trying to collect protection money from me. As soon as he heard Ah Wen was a trained fighter, he scurried off on the spot." Lately, Longjin Road had enjoyed a rare bout of peace. His uncle sighed. "If we'd known sooner, we should have let Ah Wen practice martial arts earlier. Who knows, he might already be a big shot by now." He had also heard that Ah Wen was on the older side, with his innate physique already set, meaning his potential was likely limited and currently sustained purely through sheer diligence. His aunt scoffed and said with a smile, "Someone back then went on about the four untouchables—regretting it now, aren't you?" His uncle scratched his head and gave a wry smile. "How could I have known Ah Wen was truly cut out for it? Besides, Ah Wen never mentioned wanting to practice martial arts before. He only got the idea after Brother Ji knocked him cold." His aunt said, "That's all in the past now. Ah Wen is on the right track. As long as we don't hold him back in the future, that'll be enough. Who knows, maybe Ah Wen is a late bloomer?" His uncle sighed. "Yeah... I truly hope to see that day come soon." His aunt's expression dimmed, and she quickly added, "Then take good care of your health! Listen to Ah Wen and go to the hospital regularly!"