The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

#231 - Seventh daughter of the Wen family

“Let’s fight.” Lu Jing was eager to try.

“What?” Yan Yun suspected there was something wrong with her ears, and couldn’t help but ask again.

“You just asked if there was anything you could help me with… How about fighting me first?” Lu Jing said.

“Sparring? Sure.”

A hint of understanding flashed in Yan Yun’s eyes. She knew that there were indeed some people in the martial world who were obsessed with martial arts.

Their minds were filled with things related to martial arts. When they saw opponents with similar or stronger strength than themselves, they would try every means to spar with them.

And they often gained a lot from these spars, finding flaws in their moves and directions for future improvement. These people were usually called martial arts fanatics.

Lu Jing being able to cultivate his staff technique to the realm of Great Perfection in such a short period of time was likely because he was such a person.

However, Yan Yun didn’t expect Lu Jing to shake his head afterward and say, “No, no, no, not sparring. I hope you can go all out, preferably without any reservations. Of course, to prevent accidents, we can both refrain from using weapons.”

“A real fight?” Yan Yun raised her eyebrows.

“A real fight.” Lu Jing nodded.

After saying this, Lu Jing saw Yan Yun’s gaze become complicated. However, the chief disciple of the Yunshui Jingci Pavilion ultimately didn’t say anything more, simply replying straightforwardly, “Alright, when do you want to fight me? Tonight?”

“No, if Miss Yan is free, would a quarter past Shen Shi (3:15 PM) this afternoon be alright?”

“Location?”

“You can decide the location, I’m fine with anything.”

“Alright, then let’s meet in the maple forest behind the mountain.”

After Yan Yun agreed, she nodded to Lu Jing, and then left the school without saying anything more.

She reached out and knocked on the courtyard door.

A lazy voice came from inside, “The door isn’t closed, come in yourself.”

Hearing this, Yan Yun pushed the door open and entered, seeing a girl in green who had just gotten up and was putting on makeup.

If Lu Jing were here, seeing this scene, he would probably recall Wen Tingyun’s poem “Bodhisattva Barbarian,” in which the line “Lazily getting up to paint moth eyebrows, leisurely doing makeup and washing” was a true portrayal of the green-clothed girl in front of him.

Seeing this, a rare look of helplessness appeared on Yan Yun’s face, “Xiao Chuan, why are you getting up so late again? Aren’t you going to attend the lectures?”

“Oh, I sneaked out with some new friends to watch a play yesterday, and accidentally came back late, so I had to catch up on sleep this morning.” The green-clothed girl yawned as she spoke, “As for the academy’s classes… anyway, the first few classes in the morning aren’t mandatory.”

“Only listening to the three mandatory subjects won’t get you through the final exams,” Yan Yun advised.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” the girl named Xiao Chuan said with a smile, “Since you know where I come from, you should also know what the survival之道 (dao, way) of the Wen family women is.”

“You’ve spent so much time and energy socializing everywhere, have you ever thought that relying on men… is ultimately not as good as relying on yourself?” Yan Yun said seriously.

“My mother once said that women who usually say that relying on themselves is better than relying on men are women who don’t have the ability to find good men. But… Sister Yan is an exception.” Xiao Chuan said with a giggle, “So you are the person I admire the most.”

“But…” Her tone then took a turn, “If you want me to become like you, then forget it. Even if I had your talent, I wouldn’t be able to do it, it’s too tiring… I still prefer this kind of rice-worm life of doing nothing and waiting to die. The reason I practice martial arts is also to make it easier to find men, hehe.

“Because in the eyes of those great experts, women who know martial arts are more attractive.”

As Xiao Chuan spoke, she stretched out her calf from under her skirt and showed it to Yan Yun. Not only was it slender and fair, but it was also more toned and powerful than the calves of ordinary women in secluded boudoirs, looking full of health and beauty.

“Sister Yan, don’t underestimate being a rice worm. My mother said that this is not easy at all, no less than scholars going to the imperial examination. After all, there are only so many good men in this world. First of all, your vision must be good enough.

“It’s best to strike in time before the gold is fully shining. Well, but if you are outstanding enough, you can also directly pick up gold, like my eldest sister, third sister, and fourth sister.

“One of them married Li Bangzhu, the leader of the Chang Le Gang, the number one gang in the world. One became the new mistress of the Xiaoyao Villa after the original wife of Zhuangzhu Lu died, and one is the wife of Yu Wenyu, the number one swordsman in the Central Plains.

“And they all struck when these three were at their peak. Alas, I, the youngest, don’t have their ability, so I have to set my sights on those gold that hasn’t been fully discovered yet.

“And just finding a good man is not enough, you also have to find a way to capture his heart, because men are animals who like the new and tire of the old. Without some tricks, your gold may run away with other women after it shines.

“That’s why I’ve been practicing piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, cooking, and even the secret arts of the bedroom passed down from our Wen family since I was a child.

“In addition, my mother also said that rice worms who only know how to eat rice are the least intelligent rice worms. Truly powerful rice worms also know how to raise rice, making the rice bigger and bigger, so that it tastes even better when eaten.

“You ask me why I’m so enthusiastic about socializing everywhere. Firstly, it’s naturally to pick men, and secondly… after I pick a good man, the connections I’ve accumulated will also become his help.” Xiao Chuan said, counting on her fingers.

Hearing this, Yan Yun also felt quite emotional, “No wonder there is a saying in the martial world that to learn swordsmanship, you should enter the Sword Washing Pavilion, and to marry a wife, you should marry a Wen family woman. The seven daughters of the Wen family are truly extraordinary. If I were a man, I would choose you as my wife.”

Hearing this, Xiao Chuan directly dropped the bronze mirror in her hand and jumped into Yan Yun’s arms like a mischievous monkey, her legs clamping around the latter’s waist, and said with a smile, “Okay, okay, why don’t you marry me now? I don’t care even if you’re a woman.

“Who told you to be the number one person of the younger generation? Stepping onto the Tianji Ranking before the age of twenty, I can’t even walk when I see you. If you become my husband, even if I see my sisters in the future, I can stand up straight in front of them.”

However, Xiao Chuan didn’t expect that when she mentioned the Tianji Ranking, Yan Yun’s expression would change slightly.

The green-clothed girl keenly captured the fleeting subtle change in her friend’s eyes, and her expression couldn’t help but freeze. She asked, “What’s wrong, did something happen?”

Hearing this, Yan Yun didn’t hide anything, “Someone has challenged me.”