There was complete silence in Shuanggui Alley. A luxurious carriage was parked at the entrance of the alley, and the coachman was dozing off outside the carriage.
In the courtyard, Xiuhe was wandering around the kitchen. She was being very diligent in washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen utensils. During this, she asked in a sneaky manner:
"Madam, what should we do now?"
Pei Xiangjun sat gracefully at the table in the main room, smoothing the feathers of Niaoniao. She had been looking thoughtfully at the double bed not far away and asked, "What do you mean, what should we do?"
"It's about what Madam said, you know... arranging a beauty to serve beside Young Master Ye..."
"Didn't you see that Jingtang already has someone he likes?"
"Young Master Ye has such a good personality. He surely wouldn't be willing to let the person he likes do the laundry, cooking, and other rough work. I think we can arrange a pretty maid to serve tea, pour water, and feed Niaoniao..."
"Jiji!"
Niaoniao highly approved of this suggestion and nodded vigorously.
Pei Xiangjun rubbed Niaoniao and said, "Do you want to take on this important task?"
"Uh..."
Xiuhe blinked her eyes. She thought that if she were to "take a bite" of the "dish" that the Madam hadn't touched yet, she might be expelled from the Honghua Building. So she shook her head and said, "I'm just giving an idea. Madam, you're older than Young Master Ye, and I'm also older than him. In the future, I'm going to follow you when you get married and serve the future master of the house."
Pei Xiangjun let out a soft "humph" and looked at the bed again. "Do you think Jingtang's character is the type of man who can't walk away when he sees a beauty?"
"It's hard to say. Madam, your beauty is one in a million. Didn't your heart also flutter when you saw Young Master Ye..."
While they were chatting, there was a commotion in the alley.
Pei Xiangjun motioned for Xiuhe to be quiet, and then, like a normal female elder, she sat there gracefully.
Creak——
The courtyard gate opened, and Yejing Hall walked in. He seemed a bit absent-minded. As soon as he entered, he smiled and said, "Third Miss, I've kept you waiting. Xiuhe, stop working. I'll clean up later."
"Young Master, you don't have to be so polite. It's only right."
Pei Xiangjun waited until Yejing Hall came into the room and sat down before she gently asked, "Jingtang, who was that girl just now?"
Yejing Hall noticed that Third Miss's demeanor was very dignified and gentle, which was quite different from her previous behavior of acting like a coquettish young woman. He more or less knew the reason and wasn't surprised. He replied, "She's a chivalrous woman I met before. Um... hehe..."
Pei Xiangjun just thought that Yejing Hall was too embarrassed to say more, so she didn't ask further. She stood up and said, "I have nothing to do, so I came to teach you some spear techniques. At the end of the month, we're going to Xiwang Town. After that, we have to go to Shuiyun Sword Pool to attend the birthday banquet of Old Master Zhou. The round trip will take more than half a month, and we'll be on the boat the whole time. You can just practice on the boat."
"Okay."
Yejing Hall immediately stood up and went to the courtyard, intending to pull out two bamboo poles from the melon trellis.
But Pei Xiangjun had already made arrangements before she came. She asked Xiuhe to continue tidying up the house and took Yejing Hall out, leading him to a workshop near Ranfang Street.
The workshop used to make rattan mats. Like most of the businesses on the street, it had been abandoned for several years. The green bamboo that was originally planted along the courtyard wall for decoration had taken root and broken through the ground, growing into a small bamboo forest in the courtyard. There was a thick layer of withered leaves on the ground.
Pei Xiangjun scanned the bamboo forest, pulled out the knife from Yejing Hall's waist, cut off two suitable-sized green bamboo poles, removed the branches, and threw one to Yejing Hall. She stood upright and said, "Jingtang, from now on, I'm your master."
Yejing Hall had just taken the bamboo pole when he heard this and raised his eyes. "Master?"
Pei Xiangjun held her head high, held the green bamboo pole obliquely pointing at the ground, and said, "I'm a disciple of the Pei family, and you're an adopted son with a different surname. We have no relationship. If you want to learn the family's spear techniques, how can I teach you if you don't acknowledge me as your master?"
Yejing Hall looked helpless. "Once a teacher, always a mother. This is no joking matter. How about Third Miss teaching me some basic moves first, and I'll give it a try? We can talk about this matter later?"
Pei Xiangjun didn't really want to accept Yejing Hall as her disciple either. But today, she had seen Jingtang's confidante, which had cut off the possibility of a "marriage" between them. If she wanted to keep Yejing Hall's heart, it seemed that the only way was to be a meticulous and good master... or an adoptive mother...
Bah, bah~
Pei Xiangjun didn't know what she was thinking, and she felt a bit strange. After some consideration, she changed her words and said, "Well, let's talk about this later. Whether you acknowledge me as your master or not, as long as you learn the spear techniques, I'll treat you as my disciple. I'll be strict where I need to be strict, and I'll also punish you if you deserve it. Don't take it the wrong way."
Yejing Hall held the bamboo pole and saluted with his hands clasped. "If I'm not proficient in my studies, it would be a great honor for Third Miss to correct me."
Seeing this, Pei Xiangjun didn't say more. She wanted to start with the "Collapsing Spear Style," but since she was wearing a dress, it was inconvenient to make big movements. So she first inserted the bamboo pole into the ground, took off her shawl, and then untied her belt...
Swoosh, swoosh...
She loosened her clothes.
?!
Yejing Hall stood up a little straighter. He wanted to look away but thought it would be disrespectful, so he didn't.
Fortunately, Third Miss didn't mean to test him by being naked. Under the dress, she was wearing a set of light short fighting clothes made of Shuiyun brocade.
The clothes fit closely and wouldn't affect her movements. But at the same time, they couldn't conceal her heroic figure like the loose ruqun did.
The collar was tightened, and her chest naturally stood out high. It looked quite imposing. Her waist was just the right size, and following the line of her waist downwards were her powerful hips and legs. Overall, her figure was in a gourd shape.
To be honest, this figure wasn't very suitable for wielding a large spear, but it was definitely eye-catching. It wasn't appropriate to compare it to an ordinary carriage. It was more like a top-of-the-line luxury car. With just a slight beckoning gesture, she could make an ordinary man lose his composure.
Yejing Hall was quite remarkable. Out of respect for his teacher, he managed to keep a straight face and not look away, only focusing on the bamboo pole in Third Miss's hand.
Smack——
Pei Xiangjun slid her feet apart, raised her hand, and executed the "Collapsing Spear Style." Immediately, a loud crack sounded, and her imposing manner also changed completely.
Yejing Hall stepped back three steps. All distractions in his mind disappeared, and he was fully focused.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——
Pei Xiangjun held the green bamboo pole and rotated around her body in coordination with her steps. Her posture was as smooth as flowing water. Then she spun around and leaped up, raising the bamboo pole high and executing a "Chopping Spear Style," slamming it down towards the ground with great force.
For a normal "Chopping Spear Style," the pole was usually raised at most to the top of the head, and the central part of the body wouldn't be exposed.
However, Pei Xiangjun's "Chopping Spear Style" was completely different from those in common martial arts. She almost swung the pole behind her head and chopped down with both hands holding the pole, her posture as powerful as splitting Mount Hua.
"Hiyah——"
With a delicate shout!
The lightweight bamboo pole in Pei Xiangjun's hand was like a steel whip that had been charged to its limit.
Bang——
When it hit the soft withered leaves, the layer of withered leaves more than an inch thick on the ground was instantly shaken away, scattering in all directions, and directly creating an open area more than a zhang in diameter.
When the lightweight bamboo pole landed, the sound was extremely dull, as if a huge object weighing a thousand catties had fallen to the ground. Although the sound wasn't very loud, Yejing Hall felt his feet shake.
Rustle, rustle, rustle——
After the strike, many bamboo leaves fell from the nearby small bamboo forest.
Yejing Hall nodded slightly, his eyes serious. "Good spear technique."
After executing the spear move, Pei Xiangjun smoothly put away the green bamboo pole, stood upright, with one hand behind her back, assuming the demeanor of a martial arts master in the江湖. "The two characters 'Honghua' of the Honghua Building refer to the red tassel on the spearhead. This move is called 'Yellow Dragon Lying on the Path' in the Pei family's 'Overlord Spear' technique. It's similar to the 'Chopping Spear Style,' but the techniques are completely different. You can try practicing it first."
Yejing Hall held the bamboo pole and was just about to take up a stance when he remembered something. "Third Miss, I learn quite quickly. Later, you..."
"Just learn it first."
Pei Xiangjun was a bit displeased when she saw that Yejing Hall was already boasting about himself before he even started. "The spear technique that once ranked seventh in the world isn't that easy to master."
Yejing Hall wasn't lacking in discernment. Although this spear technique was powerful, like his saber technique, it was an external martial art that emphasized moves and required a high level of physical fitness. In terms of the difficulty of getting started, it was actually not as difficult as Qiu Tianhe's mysterious backhand saber technique.
"Third Miss, I can tell with a pinch of my fingers that later you'll definitely say, 'How do you know the Overlord Spear?' And then I'll say that you just taught me..."
"Start practicing quickly!"
Pei Xiangjun frowned, looking like a strict teacher. She stood with her hands behind her back, staring at Yejing Hall sternly, signaling for him to be more serious...