Lady, escort the emperor! 55
Chapter 55: Life’s Short Candle
After a sound afternoon nap, Li Nuo awoke feeling refreshed. He had planned to go to the county government office, but when he reached the courtyard, he encountered Song Mu Er, who expressed her desire to stroll through the streets.
Li Nuo didn’t refuse. Although he had been in this world for over half a month, his days had largely consisted of shuttling between the county government office and his home. A constant tension had kept him on edge, and he hadn’t had the chance to properly experience Chang’an life. Accompanying her for a while before heading to the office wouldn’t be a problem.
Soon, three figures—two adults and a child—appeared on the bustling streets of Chang’an. Li Nuo and Song Jia Ren each held one of Song Mu Er’s hands, walking through the streets of Chang’an, resembling a heartwarming family of three.
Wu Guanjia (the family steward) walked a few steps behind Li Nuo, closely observing the passersby, occasionally glancing at the young master and his wife, a smile playing on his old face. If he could one day see the young master and his wife holding their own child like this, he would die without regret. After this brief fantasy, he returned to his vigilant watch. His master had made too many enemies; countless people were undoubtedly watching Li Manor’s every move. Unable to harm the master, they might very well target the young master instead.
Song Mu Er was lively throughout their walk, stopping whenever she saw delicious snacks, interesting toys, or street performers. After many busy days, Li Nuo enjoyed this leisurely relaxation. A street corner performance caught his attention.
Under the watchful eyes of the onlookers, a woman squeezed into a wooden box. A man stood outside, successively inserting more than a dozen sharp swords into the box. The swords pierced through one side and emerged from the other, eliciting gasps from the crowd.
With so many swords piercing through, could the woman inside still be alive? The onlookers were both shocked and doubtful, but when the man drew the swords, the woman emerged from the box, her white dress spotless, and performed several energetic cartwheels, cheerfully soliciting coins from the audience.
“Excellent performance! Well-deserved reward!”
“I didn’t see it properly. Do it again!”
The crowd, captivated by the thrilling performance, threw copper coins onto the stage.
Song Mu Er’s mouth fell open in astonishment; her candied fruit dropped. Tugging at Li Nuo’s sleeve, she asked, “Li Nuo gege (older brother), how did they do that?”
Naturally, the sword-piercing trick wasn’t real. The box the woman used must have had a hidden mechanism. Li Nuo had seen several explanations for similar magic tricks in his past life. However, these street performers earned their living through hard work, and he wouldn’t ruin their business in public.
He patted Song Mu Er’s head and said, “I’ll tell you later.”
At that moment, several people around Li Nuo turned their heads as if they had noticed something, exclaiming in surprise.
“Isn’t that the official from the county government office?”
“What official? That’s the Blue Sky Great Elder!”
“He’s the one who helped me with my case of land seizure!”
“And Mrs. Chen’s case too! He had the son of the Chief Secretary of the Board of War imprisoned, and I heard he made the Wang family compensate Mrs. Chen with one hundred taels of silver! She used the money to open a tofu shop…”
For the people of Chang’an, they might not know the Chang’an County Magistrate, but they certainly wouldn’t forget the Blue Sky Great Elder who championed their cause. Government officials were usually in cahoots with the powerful, treating commoners like cattle, sheep, and dogs, only interested in currying favor with the wealthy. Who would genuinely care about the people, offending powerful figures for ordinary citizens?
Only this young official.
The people naturally held high those who cared for them.
Unexpectedly, even while watching a street performance, they encountered this official. The people immediately crowded toward Li Nuo, but they seemed to encounter an invisible barrier three steps away, unable to approach any further.
Four elderly men in gray robes surrounded Li Nuo from four different directions. They jointly created a True Energy shield to prevent the people from getting closer, preventing any assassins from taking advantage of the situation.
Li Nuo hadn’t expected the Chang’an citizens to be so enthusiastic. Waving back at them, he felt a sense of accomplishment. These cries of “Blue Sky Great Elder” were the greatest praise they could give. However, fame had its drawbacks. Being recognized meant no more street performances, so Li Nuo had to leave with the girls.
“Blue Sky Great Elder, farewell!”
Long after the three had left, the commotion gradually subsided. At the performance stall, a girl ran to a nearby fortune-teller’s stand, picked up a teapot, gulped down several mouthfuls, wiped her mouth, and asked the old man, “Grandpa, who was that person? Why did so many people recognize him…?”
The old man shook his head, “Although I don’t know who he is, he’s certainly no ordinary person. Five Fourth Realm guards are openly protecting him, and at least twenty more are secretly watching. That woman with him, so young, has already reached the Fourth Realm in Martial Arts. Even the little girl has cultivated Internal Energy. Da Xia Dynasty is indeed full of talented people…”
“Ah, has that older sister already reached the 御物境 (controlling objects realm)?”
The girl was stunned. She thought that condensing True Energy at sixteen was remarkable. Unexpectedly, on her first day in Chang’an, she witnessed someone far superior.
That older sister looked only two or three years older than her, yet her Martial Arts cultivation was a whole realm higher. And that little girl, probably only six or seven years old, had already cultivated Internal Energy. When she was six or seven, she hadn’t even started cultivating martial arts…
Looking at the departing figures, the old man moved his right fingers slightly, then shook his head, “Such a pity…”
The girl asked curiously, “Grandpa, what’s a pity?”
The old man withdrew his gaze, “That young man seems to be loved by the people, but sadly, his lifespan is nearing its end. Without a stroke of luck, he won’t live for more than half a year.”
The girl didn’t doubt the old man’s words. She sighed softly, “Good people don’t live long, bad people live for a thousand years…”
Li Nuo and Song Jia Ren, one on each side, led Song Mu Er through the streets. People greeted him along the way. This area was not far from the Chang’an County government office. When he held court outside the office, the nearby residents had come to watch, so many recognized him.
Song Mu Er held a large apple, taking a bite curiously. “Li Nuo gege, why do they call you Blue Sky Great Elder?”
Before Li Nuo could answer, she set her sights on a vendor selling candied haws. These candied haws were made with various seasonal fruits, colorful and attractive. Pulling Li Nuo’s hand, she said, “Li Nuo gege, I want to eat that!”
The candied haw vendor was a young man. He picked one and smilingly approached. Li Nuo asked, “How much?”
“I can’t accept money from the Blue Sky Great Elder. The neighbors would look down on me otherwise,” the vendor said, smiling as he handed the candied haw to Li Nuo. “This is a gift to the Blue Sky Great Elder, in gratitude for his work on behalf of our people…”
As the vendor offered the candied haw, Li Nuo didn’t reach for it. Instead, he abruptly took a step back. The moment the vendor extended his hand, his wrist flipped. The candied haw fell to the ground, and a cold gleam shot out from his sleeve, aimed directly at Li Nuo’s throat.
*Shhh!*
The dagger pierced the air with a sound like ripping cloth. His speed was extremely fast, and the distance was so close that even a low-level martial artist would be unable to react.
But Li Nuo seemed to have anticipated this. Before the vendor could strike, he had already stepped back. This step made the dagger’s trajectory slightly off, delaying the strike by a fraction of a second. This fraction of a second was all he needed.
Even without this step, Li Nuo would have been fine. The moment the vendor attacked, a slender white hand emerged from beside Li Nuo, leaving a illusion trace in the air as it grasped the sharpest part of the dagger.
(Chapter end)
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