44: I am resigning!
The next day.
The day for visiting relatives had arrived.
Before the early morning mist had even dispersed, the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall was already filled with a chilling atmosphere.
The commotion on the river last night was simply too great; the Hall Master had taken all the Elders and Deacons of the Meridian Opening Realm overnight, leaving only a few behind to watch the house.
Chen Meng changed into plain clothes and stood at the entrance.
Li Qing walked over from the attendants' quarters, still wearing that same old, faded garment, but now it no longer seemed so loose on him.
He had grown taller and sturdier.
Chen Meng glanced at him, and that inexplicable anger flared up in her heart again.
He showed no ambition in the martial arts hall, only knowing how to play in the Inner City; eating the hall's food had certainly made him a bit plumper.
"Let's go."
She coldly uttered those two words and turned to leave.
Li Qing followed behind silently.
One after the other, the two of them crossed through the Inner City and headed toward the Slum.
Not a word was spoken along the way.
Chen Meng didn't want to talk, and she couldn't be bothered to.
Li Qing, on the other hand, didn't care.
Most of his mind was still immersed in the Earth Spirit Turtle's massive body and terrifying power.
The young girl beside him didn't attract his attention in the slightest.
An hour later, in the alleys of the Slum.
Chen Shui was already looking out from the doorway.
"You're back! Quick, come in, the food is all ready!"
Chen Shui was extremely happy.
After waiting so long, the martial arts hall finally granted leave for visiting relatives.
At the dining table, Chen Shui looked at his daughter's cold face and then at Li Qing, who was silently shoveling food into his mouth, feeling a bit puzzled.
"What's wrong? Did you suffer some grievance at the martial arts hall?"
"No," Chen Meng replied stiffly.
"Ah Qing, are you getting used to the martial arts hall?" Chen Shui turned to ask Li Qing.
"It's quite good, Uncle Chen." Li Qing looked up, his face showing no emotion.
Chen Shui felt the atmosphere was truly strange.
"By the way, Uncle Chen? Lu Yunfei is dead."
Chen Shui's movement of picking up food paused.
He looked up, somewhat stunned.
"Dead? How did he die?"
"I heard he died during the Autumn River Night Hunt a few days ago."
Li Qing smacked his lips.
"That stretch of water has been very eerie lately; first, a Black Armored Turtle appeared."
"Then last night the earth shook and the mountains swayed; even the City Lord's Mansion has declared martial law."
Chen Shui's expression was somewhat complicated.
He could hardly suppress the joy in his heart.
Then he looked at his precious daughter's expression.
Chen Meng showed no sorrow.
This was a good thing!
The meal ended with Li Qing and Uncle Chen chatting.
Chen Meng was heavy-hearted, while Li Qing seemed to be brooding over the martial arts hall's techniques, appearing unhappy.
"Uncle Chen, Senior Sister, I'll head home for a bit and come back later."
After the meal, Li Qing helped Uncle Chen wash the dishes.
After wiping the table, he got up to take his leave.
"Go on, go on."
Chen Shui waved his hand.
Watching Li Qing's departing back, Chen Meng finally couldn't hold it in any longer.
She trotted over, her eyes slightly reddened.
"Father!"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Chen Shui was startled by her.
"I don't want to take him to the martial arts hall anymore!"
Chen Shui was stunned.
"Why? Isn't Li Qing quite honest and well-behaved?"
"Honest?" Chen Meng sneered.
"He is honest, alright—honest as a block of wood!"
"You had him follow me to the martial arts hall because you wanted him to learn something so he could have a future!"
"But what about him? So many days have passed!"
"Every day he runs off to the Inner City to gawk at that illusory prosperity!"
"I've tried so hard to advise him, but he always just keeps his head down and stays silent!"
"He's simply worthless mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall!"
She became more agitated as she spoke, her eyes welling up.
"I risk my life every day practicing my swordplay until my bones feel like they're falling apart, just because I want to get stronger and survive in this dog-eat-dog world!"
"But he just idles his days away without a care! Seeing him makes me furious!"
"I don't want him affecting my fighting spirit!"
Chen Shui listened quietly to his daughter's complaints, the smile on his face slowly fading.
He picked up his pipe and took a silent puff.
His main purpose for having Li Qing follow his daughter back then was to guard against that rascal Lu Yunfei.
Now Lu Yunfei was already fish food in the river.
This greatest hidden threat was gone.
His daughter had a point.
This child, Li Qing, indeed showed no sign of ambition.
He sighed.
"I've noticed it too; he's a bit sturdier now that he's back, so it seems he hasn't been eating poorly at the martial arts hall."
"Fine, since you don't want to take him, then so be it."
"When he comes over tonight, I'll talk to him."
Chen Shui made a decision.
Everyone has their own way of living; it cannot be forced.
Since he annoyed his daughter, he might as well come back.
At least in the Slum, he could live a stable and peaceful life.
Having received her father's promise, the frustration in Chen Meng's heart finally dissipated.
She looked out the window; that boy was, after all, just a passing traveler in her life... Li Qing returned to his own dilapidated home.
A thin layer of dust had accumulated in the room, and the air smelled of dust and decay.
He stood for a while, not bothering to clean.
He wouldn't be living here much longer anyway.
He sat cross-legged on the only bed board, his mind sinking to the bottom of the river.
The Earth Spirit Turtle's massive body lay dormant in the cave, and the Earth Vein Sensing talent allowed him to know the surroundings like the back of his hand.
On the river's surface, boats bustled back and forth, and waves of powerful Martial Artist auras swept across the water, clearly still busy dealing with last night's commotion.
Li Qing withdrew his consciousness.
In the future, once he became powerful, he could indeed protect Uncle Chen's family.
Only when night fell did he stand up again and head toward Uncle Chen's house.
When he arrived, Chen Shui was sitting at the door, puffing away on his pipe and deep in thought.
"Ah Qing, you're here."
"Uncle Chen."
Li Qing walked up to him.
Chen Shui looked at the boy before him, organizing his words and thinking of how to speak without being too hurtful.
"Well, Ah Qing, about the martial arts hall..."
Although he had made a decision, looking into Li Qing's eyes, he found it a bit hard to say.
"Uncle Chen."
Li Qing interrupted him.
"I came today to tell you that I don't plan on going to the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall anymore."
His voice was very calm, yet it caused all the words Uncle Chen had prepared to get stuck in his throat.
Chen Shui was stunned, forgetting even to bring the pipe to his mouth.
"You, what did you say?"
"I said, I want to resign from my duties as an attendant."
Li Qing repeated.
"Thank you and Senior Sister for taking care of me these past few days."
Chen Shui was completely dazed.
Looking at Li Qing's sincere gaze.
This—this was completely different from what he had expected!
It wasn't him dismissing Li Qing, where Li Qing might have even wept in pain!
Why was it now Li Qing taking the initiative to leave?
Li Qing spoke up first because he was afraid Uncle Chen would ask him to help Chen Meng watch out for others at the martial arts hall again.
So he spoke up first.
He didn't realize that Uncle Chen's words were intended to have him quit being an attendant at the martial arts hall.
Inside the house, Chen Meng also heard the conversation outside; she abruptly stood up, walked to the door in a few steps, and looked at the scene in disbelief.
Was Li Qing... making a preemptive strike?
How did he dare?
A poor kid from the Slum, an attendant at the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall—that was a job so many people could only dream of!
He actually just gave it up just like that?
"Li Qing, do you even know what you're saying!"
Chen Meng couldn't help but shout a rebuke.
"Who do you think you are? Coming and going as you please?"
In her mind, being dismissed and resigning voluntarily were two completely different concepts!
Li Qing turned his head, looking her directly in the eye for the first time.
His gaze was as calm as water, devoid of his former cowering and evasion.
"I know."
"Senior Sister Chen, thank you."
Having said that, he bowed deeply to Chen Shui and Chen Meng.
"I will repay Uncle Chen's kindness in the future!"
Then, he turned around and walked into the night without looking back.
Leaving only Chen Shui and Chen Meng standing there in a daze, unable to say a word for a long time.
Chen Meng stared fixedly in the direction where Li Qing had disappeared, her heart in turmoil.
Only then did she realize that Li Qing was already taller than her.
She remembered that at the very beginning, Li Qing was just a malnourished boy.
He seemed to be only about 1.5 meters tall.
Now he was even a bit taller than her.
Was the food for martial arts hall attendants really that good?
Or was he just in a growth spurt?
Li Qing's gaze, that calm tone, and that decisive silhouette.
Was this still that submissive boy who was like worthless mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall?
An inexplicable irritability and sense of loss surged in her heart.
She felt as if she had... missed something.