Clang—
A sound like a struck gong rang out between the cleaver and the wooden ruler, and the recoil almost sent the cleaver flying from my hand.
Zhang Dabiao ignored the sound of the collision and picked up the wooden ruler to inspect the spot I had just chopped. It was smooth and flat, with no trace of a chop mark.
"This must be Yin Tie Mu, no mistake. But why does this Yin Tie Mu feel much harder than usual?" Zhang Dabiao stroked the smooth surface of the wooden ruler, looking at me with some confusion.
I glanced at the cleaver in my hand. There was an egg-sized chip on it, clearly the result of the collision with the Yin Tie Mu. I tossed the cleaver aside, excitedly took the wooden ruler from Zhang Dabiao's hand, and beamed with excitement.
The hardness of Yin Tie Mu was just one of its advantages. The most important thing was its effect that Yin Gua Masters cherished: it could seal Yin souls. If a Yin Gua Master was strong enough, they could even seal a Ghost King within it.
However, such things were merely speculation. Yin Tie Mu, like Lei Ji Mu, was a type of wood that required a special growing environment. It was just that Yin Tie Mu was not as demanding as Lei Ji Mu.
Although the requirements were not extremely harsh, obtaining Yin Tie Mu was still very difficult. Looking at the Yin Tie Mu in my hand, my heart warmed. "Brother Zhang, do you think there's a possibility that Fifth Gege refined it again?"
Hearing this, Zhang Dabiao pondered for a moment. "It's not impossible. Although Yin Tie Mu isn't hard to find, it takes at least a hundred years to be usable. The wooden ruler in your hand could chip a cleaver, which means it's at least 500 years old. You kid, you really have a knack for treasure hunting."
I chuckled. "I told you to come along, maybe you could have found something good too."
Zhang Dabiao shook his head and patted the mountain-splitting saber in his hand. "I'm content with this. As for anything else, forget it."
During the day, I called Li Zuoquan and told him that my senior sister had also arrived and insisted on accompanying me up the mountain, fearing I might be in danger. I asked if I could bring one more person.
I thought Li Zuoquan would be suspicious or refuse outright, but to my surprise, he readily agreed. He even kindly told me not to let my senior sister go if her skills were inferior to mine, as it would be difficult to explain if anything happened.
As evening approached, there was a violent knocking at the gate. The sound didn't seem like knocking at all, but rather like someone furiously battering the door as if I had wronged them.
In preparation for the night's operation, I planned to get a good nap after lunch so I wouldn't be tired at night. I felt like I hadn't slept for long before I was jolted awake by the knocking. Who wouldn't be angry?
"Who is it! Are you calling souls? Knocking like you want to kill the door."
My words did not make the person knocking relent. Instead, they knocked even more vigorously, as if they had a vendetta against the door.
I shuffled in my slippers, pushed open the courtyard gate in a rage, "Are you sick? Is this how you knock on doors? Even if there was a pregnant woman at home, you'd scare her into a miscarriage."
The moment I spoke, I regretted it, because standing outside the gate was a girl who looked about my age, holding a travel bag, looking at me with a smile. Seeing her elegant and demure appearance, I seriously doubted if she was the one knocking so violently.
"Who are you looking for?"
"I'm knocking on your door, of course I'm looking for you. Are you Song Qingyun?"
Judging by her attire, she didn't seem like someone lacking in upbringing. But the moment she spoke, it felt like she was spitting fire, leaving me speechless.
Fortunately, I'm not petty. I ignored her rude behavior and asked kindly, "I am Song Qingyun. What do you need me for? Do we know each other?"
"Then that's right. I'm here to find you. I assume someone has told you?"
I looked at her in bewilderment. Was the person Fifth Gege mentioned some kind of problematic girl? If I had known she was like this, I would never have told Li Zuoquan that my senior sister was coming!
Judging by her nonchalant demeanor, even if she claimed to be my senior sister, no one would believe it unless they were blind.
Seeing me standing at the door in a daze, she didn't stand on ceremony. She pushed me aside and strode into the courtyard. When she reached me, she threw her travel bag at my feet.
"Why are you so unobservant! Don't you see a beautiful woman and offer to help with her luggage?"
Saying this, she acted as if she owned the place, looking around with curiosity at everything.
I glanced out the gate again, but saw no one else. It seemed that the person Fifth Gege mentioned was indeed her.
With a helpless sigh, I picked up her travel bag, closed the door, and was about to discuss this with Zhang Dabiao.
But as soon as I turned, I saw Zhang Dabiao confronting the problematic girl. One was coming out of the house, the other was trying to get in. They were blocking the doorway, glaring at each other like fighting cocks.
"Qingyun, where did you find such a young girl? Why is she so ill-mannered?"
Before I could speak, the problematic girl retorted, "Song Qingyun, why are you living with such a smelly old man? Aren't you afraid of learning bad habits from him and never finding a girlfriend?" As she spoke, she took a couple of steps back, seemingly disgusted by Zhang Dabiao.
Hearing this, I thought, "She's a complete problem child!" Who acts like this, coming to someone's house and yelling, as if the whole world revolves around her.
Zhang Dabiao's face instantly darkened. He glared at her, "Who are you calling a smelly old man? I'm not even thirty yet, how am I a smelly old man? What are your eyes for? If you're sick, go see a doctor."
"What's wrong with not being thirty? Aren't you about to enter the ranks of old men? I'm only seventeen this year. Do you think you're a middle-aged smelly old man?"
Seeing this, I knew I had to stop them from arguing, or they would start fighting before we even left. I quickly stepped between them, my gaze falling coldly on this problematic girl.
"If you're here to cause trouble, I hope you leave immediately and don't make a scene here. If you were sent by Fifth Gege, I hope you speak and act properly, otherwise don't blame me for telling Fifth Gege about your behavior. Then you'll regret it."
Perhaps she was intimidated by Fifth Gege, or perhaps by my words. She took two steps back, still with an air of arrogance, and shrugged at me, "Whatever you say goes?"
I let Zhang Dabiao out of the courtyard first, then took her and her luggage into the house. I quickly found a room and shoved her in, telling her to stay put until the night operation.
Clearly, she didn't heed my words. As soon as she entered the room, she snatched the travel bag from me and took out her MP3 player to listen. I frowned.
I was filled with complaints towards Fifth Gege, "Why did she send me such a troublemaker? Is she here to help, or to cause chaos?" But it wasn't the time to deal with her. I needed to go comfort Zhang Dabiao first.
As I stepped out, I saw Zhang Dabiao sitting at the square table in the courtyard, smoking, seemingly lost in thought.
"Brother Zhang, don't be like her. She's just a clueless little girl. I'll definitely report her to Fifth Gege when I see her."
Zhang Dabiao stubbed out his cigarette and flicked the butt far away. "You think I'd be the same as her?"
"Then what are you?"
"This little girl is unusual! She's probably not alive."