Early in the morning,
The other two fundamental techniques of the Golden Water School were the Golden Water Sword Eighteen Forms and the Wave Treading Eighteen Forms. The former consisted of eighteen basic movements for cultivating swordsmanship, while the latter was both a movement technique and a footwork art, emphasizing the tight coordination and interplay between mind, eyes, and body.
In his previous life, Lorist had heard his grandfather recount how their ancestral Golden Water School originated from the Five Elements School during the Southern Song Dynasty. An ancestor who was a military officer found the Five Elements School too complicated, so he took only the Gold and Water elements and established the Golden Water School. Its philosophy was: attack like a sharp blade, piercing through all defenses; defend like flowing water, endless and unceasing. This continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era, when foreign firearms and cannons dominated the battlefield. The predecessors of the Golden Water School reversed the meaning of Gold and Water, transforming it into: defend like a golden mountain, immovable under any thunder; attack like flowing water, cascading down like a waterfall.
Lorist was absorbed in his fist practice, running through the Fierce Tiger Eighteen Forms three times in succession, until steam rose from his entire body and sweat beaded on his forehead. Only then did he finish the set. His skin had turned a deep red, and his joints cracked with sharp pops — this morning's practice had been truly exhilarating. Lorist did a few cool-down stretches, planning to rinse off at the well.
Applause sounded at the courtyard gate. Lorist looked up and saw El clapping his hands.
"Why are you here?" Lorist looked left and right. El was indeed alone.
El knew what Lorist was looking for and said irritably, "That kid refused to come. Heard you're at the
"Heh heh." Lorist laughed. He didn't mind what others thought of him — he'd already done El a huge favor by agreeing to teach the boy. The kid's refusal simply saved him the trouble, and he was more than happy to be let off the hook.
"Nice place you've got here — just a bit too quiet. How about your big brother finds you a couple of personal maids? They'll handle things during the day and warm your bed at night — guaranteed to serve you like a proper noble lord. Don't worry, I'll make sure they're both real beauties." Standing in the living room, El looked around Lorist's new dwelling and suddenly came up with the idea of gifting him two women.
"No thanks. The sword art I cultivate requires a peaceful mind. You think I can stay focused with two women chattering beside me? If I slip up during the duel, don't blame me." Lorist flatly refused El's kind offer.
"We'll leave that for later then. The duel's what matters now. Oh, by the way — what were you practicing in the courtyard just now? It was like a magical beast appeared right before my eyes." El asked curiously.
"It's a method of physical training. My ancestors observed the fighting styles of magical beasts and created a set of mimicking movements designed to improve the body's coordination and reflexes, as well as boost combat ability when unarmed."
"Oh." El stopped asking. Methods of training like this were essentially a family secret. Even though he and Lorist were on good terms, it wouldn't be appropriate to pry.
"What brings you to the academy so early in the morning? Something going on?" Lorist asked.
"Sigh, don't even mention it. It wasn't early at all — I was up half the night. Last night I brought a barrel of wheat beer and some roast meat to see
Lorist had to fight back a laugh. He'd heard that when they took over the Yellow Ribbon Academy, Fatty Shi discovered a large patch of bramble berries growing in one corner of the campus. The berries were so sour and astringent they'd survived untouched by the students. But Fatty had treated them like treasure, picked every last one, and brewed his own fruit wine. His technique was terrible, though — the wine he'd produced was absolutely awful. Last time Lorist had taken one sip and spat it all out. He couldn't believe El had actually managed several cups. He had to hand it to him for that.
"...I was actually going to invite you to drink along with us last night, but Fatty said you'd been busy tidying up the new place these past couple of days and must be exhausted, so you'd turned in early and we shouldn't disturb you..." El was still grumbling...
Damn it — that fat bastard was clearly just afraid Lorist would come to settle the score. Seven thick volumes and he'd only paid eight large silver coins, stiffing him out of three gold coins. The coward didn't even dare show his face, passing messages through other people whenever something came up these past two days, terrified Lorist would come after him. Tomorrow he'd swing by that office and get those seven books back. He wasn't going to let that money-grubbing Fatty get away with it. Lorist made up his mind.
"Oh right — when I came by last night, Louise asked whether you still wanted her to keep that guest room reserved for you. The payment for that private commission you took on before heading to the Ruins Archipelago has all come in, so you should go settle the account. Also, your luggage and clothes have all been washed and aired out and are packed up now. And finally, Louise said don't forget what you promised her." El recalled the message the future proprietress of the Red Crow Tavern had asked him to pass along to Lorist.
He couldn't remember what it was, so he turned to El and asked.
"How would I know what it is? Go to the tavern tonight and find out. No point racking your brain over it now. My head's killing me, Lorist — lend me your sofa for a nap." El couldn't hold on any longer; it looked like he could fall asleep right there on the sofa.
That evening, the Red Crow Tavern blazed with candlelight, packed to the rafters and buzzing with noise.
Lorist held a large mug of blackberry wheat ale, leaning against a corner of the counter while chatting in low tones with Garrilando, the tavern owner.
"...All nineteen commissions have been completed. The total reward comes to one hundred and thirty-nine gold coins, thirteen large silver coins, and four small silver coins. The tavern's five-percent cut is seven gold coins, and then we deduct your room rent and expenses — five large silver coins and three small silver coins; we'll call the coppers a wash. That leaves you with one hundred and thirty-two gold coins, eight large silver coins, and one small silver coin. Oh, and we need to add El's eighteen gold coins. Little Lorist, do you want to leave it on the tab or take it with you now?" Garrilando asked Lorist.
"Leave it on the tab. Look at them — they've all gathered over there making a racket, and knowing them they'll drink until they drop. You'll have to arrange rooms for them later. Put all of tonight's tab on my account too, just so El can't weasel out of it tomorrow morning." Lorist gestured toward a corner of the tavern where three tables were packed with El's brothers and friends from the academy. Since they were drinking wheat ale that didn't cost them a thing, Fatty Shi was the most enthusiastic of them all.
"Mmm, that works. Have you worked out the terms of your venture?" Garrilando asked.
"Yep. I get twenty percent no matter what. Fatty Shi and his lot from the academy get ten percent. After expenses and greasing the right palms, El and the others still stand to make thirty percent. I hope this one pays off — I want to buy a building as a safety net. To tell you the truth, Old Gar, this academy duel was something Dean Levins shoved me into against my will. You know I don't like being the center of attention. But this time I really had no choice — that old devil played me like a fiddle. My heart's gone a bit cold. I don't know whether he'll keep using me in the future either. If it gets really bad, I might just resign from the academy. I graduated ages ago anyway. Having a building to collect rent from would at least give me something to fall back on..." Lorist had clearly had a bit too much to drink; somehow he'd started pouring out the feelings he kept buried deep inside.
"If you really feel you can't stomach being at the academy, then leave, Little Lorist. With your skills, you'd live perfectly well as a mercenary — free and easy, without having to watch anyone's face. Just like this trip to the Ruins Archipelago — after deducting your costs, you probably cleared over sixty gold coins, right? One trip like that each year would be enough. Or you could gather a few good friends, form a small mercenary squad, and once you've built it up, expand into a mercenary company." Garrilando also felt that
Lorist let out an amused laugh. Old Gar really was obsessed with the idea of forming a mercenary company — when his nephew El turned out to be a lost cause, he'd set his sights on him instead. "Ha ha, Old Gar, it's not that simple. Being a mercenary might be freer, but living rough in the wild, hustling day in and day out, fighting tooth and nail for survival — it's no easy life, nothing like the comfort of holding a position at the academy. You know I'm a Dual Golden Instructor there, but do you know how much the academy pays me a month? Thirty gold coins. Instructor Clude only gets twenty gold coins a month — I'm the highest-paid instructor on staff. This time I got played by that old devil, sure, but I had to go along with it. I'm an instructor at the academy, enjoying generous compensation — I can't just run away when the going gets tough. So, Old Gar, when you tell me to resign, do you think I can make that decision lightly?"
"Damn, you make more in a year than I do running this tavern! The academy really does treat you well. That salary is making even me consider applying for a position there." Garrilando swore quite rarely, and here he was saying that Lorist had made over sixty gold coins from half a year in the Ruins Archipelago, which he considered a decent sum. Who would have thought that someone could earn that many gold coins just from teaching students comfortably at the academy for two months? It seemed Lorist wouldn't listen to his advice about resigning to become a mercenary after all.
"Oh, right, Old Gar, El mentioned you proposed to Big Sister Louise? I just got back and haven't congratulated you yet. I'll definitely bring a generous gift on your wedding day. But Old Gar, what made you suddenly change your mind? Didn't you used to say you wanted to live your whole life as a bachelor?" Lorist asked Garrilando.
"Nothing really, I just suddenly felt that living alone for a lifetime would be boring. Besides, Louise has been at the tavern for ten years too. That little girl from back then is now twenty-eight, her parents have passed away, and she doesn't want to go live with her brother and sister-in-law. She was planning to stay at the tavern for the rest of her life. So I thought we might as well just get together, and when I mentioned it to Louise, she agreed. Speaking of Louise, I remember she said she has something to discuss with you. She's waiting for you in the second-floor guest room you reserved. Go on, it's something good." Garrilando winked at Lorist several times, his face full of lewdness.
"What kind of expression is that, Old Gar?" Lorist downed his mug of ale in one gulp, placed the cup on the counter, and turned to walk towards the stairs.
Actually, Old Gar didn't know that Lorist hadn't spent much of his own capital. He'd earned around a hundred and twenty gold coins from this trip to the Ruins Archipelago. Those magical beasts had been killed and skinned by him personally; he hadn't spent money buying them from others. Did Old Gar think he couldn't handle those high-rank magical beasts? Hmm, which guest room was it? Let me think... and what did Big Sister Louise actually want to see me about? I don't have any memory of that... Lorist muttered to himself all the way up to the second floor, then stood there trying to remember which room he had reserved.
He tried to sober up a bit, then went over and knocked on the door.
Once inside, Lorist discovered that waiting for him wasn't just Big Sister Louise, but also a round-faced, plumply-built girl.
Seeing Lorist enter, Big Sister Louise was very pleased: "Little Lorist, this is the girl from my village I told you about. Her name is Molly, and she'll be working as a waitress at the tavern from now on. This is her first time, so be gentle—don't be too rough."
Lorist sobered up nearly half in an instant, suddenly recalling what Big Sister Louise had mentioned to him the day he returned. It seemed he hadn't refused, so she had taken his silence as agreement. What a mess. At this point, he could only resign himself to it. Otherwise, Big Sister Louise would think he was going back on his word over two gold coins.
"Uh, h-hello..." Lorist greeted the girl, his face flushing red. The girl looked him over from head to toe without a shred of shyness, finally breaking into a smile and nodding. She was obviously quite satisfied with Lorist, the man who was about to become her first.
Big Sister Louise clapped her hands and said, "Alright, I won't interrupt your little rendezvous anymore. The bath is all ready. Molly, take good care of Little Lorist—don't forget everything you learned at the temple. Use it all to satisfy him, and when he's happy, he'll give you a nice tip."
Big Sister Louise left, and Molly, the round-faced girl, very boldly invited Lorist into the tub to soak first. Then she stripped herself completely bare. Just as she was about to step in, she remembered something, rummaged through the clothes on the table for a moment, and pulled out a vial. She uncorked it and drained the red liquid inside in one gulp.
"What did you just drink?" Lorist asked.
"It's the Michila Sacred Liquid," Molly replied.
Oh, at her words, Lorist understood.
Michila, Goddess of Pleasure and Joy. She was the youngest daughter of Sigwa, the Sun God, God of Light and War, and Sufina, the Blood Moon Goddess, and had always been known for her willfulness and wanton indulgence. Legend had it that she possessed a paradise filled with handsome men and beautiful women who indulged in pleasure without a care in the world, and that all men and women who worshipped her would enter that paradise upon death, gaining eternal bliss.
In order to free her female followers from the worries that might hold them back from indulging in pleasure, Goddess Michila specially invented the Michila Sacred Liquid for them. As long as they drank the sacred liquid, her female followers could freely enjoy those pleasures with men without any fear of becoming pregnant. If a follower wished to marry and become a virtuous wife and good mother, she could visit the temple to purchase a different potion—after drinking it and abstaining for three months, she would regain the ability to bear children.
However, the Michila Sacred Liquid was ineffective on women who had already borne children. Relying on this potion—also known as the Waters of Ecstasy—Goddess Michila amassed a massive following, and her temples grew fabulously wealthy from the sale of these two potions, becoming one of the richest temples in all of Galentea.
"How did you end up working as a tavern waitress?" Lorist lay on the bed with his hands tucked behind his head, watching as the girl took his hardness into the soft warmth of her body.
"Sss... that hurts," the girl let out a long, pained whimper, her whole body going rigid. It took a good while before she slowly began to move up and down.
"I... I want to earn... earn tw-twenty gold coins, and... and then buy ten... ten acres of farmland in our... our village. That would be enough... enough for my... my dowry..."
The girl's halting response was punctuated by quickening movements as her body grew more responsive, and involuntary sounds of pleasure escaped her lips.
Lorist could no longer hold back either. It had been nearly a year since his last intimate encounter with the young miss, and he hadn't touched a woman since. Now, thoroughly aroused by the girl beneath him, he let out a fierce growl, wrapped his arms around her, flipped their positions, and began a vigorous campaign...
The next morning, the sun had already climbed high before Lorist descended the stairs, refreshed and in excellent spirits, to order a hearty breakfast. They had nearly kept at it until dawn last night, so he needed to properly replenish himself. That was when Old Gar delivered last night's bill.
Damn it. Lorist gritted his teeth. Ernst, I'll remember this...
Last night, once Ernst heard that Lorist was paying, he'd switched from ale to fruit wine and ordered two bottles for every person at the table...
Damn it, Fatty Shi, that's too much...
This morning, Fatty Shi had gotten up, eaten breakfast, and also packed away two bottles of fruit wine and a barrel of ale...
No way.
Last night Terman had gotten drunk and bought out tavern waitresses Jumili and Sara for the entire night...
……
Very well, I won't pretend to be a wealthy patron paying for everyone's tab anymore. That was what Lorist said……