Xia Lan: From Meeting a Martial Arts Girl

Chapter 3 Jiugongling

The next morning, Lu Siye was awakened by the chirping of birds outside his window.

He lay there in a daze for a while before slowly remembering where he was.

University dormitory in the provincial capital.

He sat up and glanced at the bed opposite him.

The boy with glasses had left sometime earlier. His bed was made neatly, the blankets were folded into squares, and the pillows were placed upright.

Lu Siye glanced at his blanket, which was rolled up in a ball in the corner of the bed, and his pillow was askew. He was silent for two seconds and then decided not to look at it anymore.

The phone rang.

Tang Yuan's message: "Are you up yet? Are you up yet? Are you up yet?! We were supposed to go shopping at school today!!!"

It was followed by a string of exclamation marks and an emoji of a rabbit stomping its feet frantically.

Lu Siye replied "I'm up," and got up to wash.

Twenty minutes later, he met Tang Yuan downstairs in the dormitory building.

She wore a light blue dress today and had her hair tied in a high ponytail, making her look even more energetic than yesterday.

Seeing Lu Siye come out, she looked him up and down, then frowned: "Why are you still wearing this?"

Lu Siye looked down at himself; he was still wearing the same T-shirt as yesterday.

"Just this one."

"Is there nothing else in your suitcase?"

"have."

"Then why not change it?"

"This one isn't dirty."

Tang Yuan was speechless, then sighed and waved her hand, "Alright, alright, let's go, let's show you around our future school."

The two of them slowly walked deeper into the campus, following the path they had taken the day before.

The September sun was shining brightly, and the sycamore leaves were still green.

Occasionally a few students would pass by on the road, all of them dragging suitcases, probably returning students who had come back to school early.

"Look, that's the library," Tang Yuan pointed to a gray building in the distance. "It's huge! Bigger than our entire high school!"

"Um."

"Those are the teaching buildings, one, two, three, four... wow, five buildings!"

"Um."

"And that one, isn't that a stadium? It looks like it can hold a lot of people!"

"Um."

Tang Yuan stopped, turned around and glared at him: "Could you say just one more word?"

Lu Siye thought for a moment and said, "Hmm, it is quite big."

Tang Yuan laughed in anger and reached out to pinch him, but then she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye and her hand froze in mid-air.

"Hey, isn't that Senior He?"

Lu Siye followed her gaze.

Sure enough, He Chutian was walking this way on the path not far away.

He wore a light gray T-shirt today, still looking as refined as ever.

There was another person with him.

Su Nian.

She was dressed the same as yesterday: casual clothes, short hair, and a cold expression.

The two walked together, one gentle and the other cold, like a couple straight out of an idol drama.

He Chutian also saw them and waved with a smile: "What a coincidence?"

Tang Yuan greeted them warmly: "Hello, senior! Hello, senior!"

Su Nian nodded in response.

He Chutian walked closer and looked at the two of them: "Are you strolling around the school?"

"Yeah, I only saw a small part of the campus yesterday. Today I want to see the whole campus," Tang Yuan said. "What about you seniors?"

"Let's just wander around a bit," He Chutian said with a smile. "Why don't we come together? I'll be your tour guide; I guarantee it'll be more interesting than if you explored on your own."

Tang Yuan's eyes lit up as she looked at Lu Siye.

Lu Siye nodded.

The four of them then walked forward together.

He Chutian walked at the front, introducing the buildings as he went: "This is the teaching building area, there are five buildings in total, and most of your classes will be held here from now on."

"That's the lab building, mostly frequented by science students. Further ahead is the library. If you want to get seats, you'd better get there early."

Tang Yuan listened attentively, occasionally asking a few questions.

Su Nian walked at the very back, remaining silent the entire time.

Lu Siye glanced at her occasionally, then hesitated for a moment, remembering what happened in the alley last night, before finally saying nothing.

After passing through the teaching building area, the view suddenly opened up.

Ahead is a commercial street.

It's not one or two snack streets outside a school; it's a real commercial street.

The two- or three-story buildings stand in rows, housing supermarkets, milk tea shops, restaurants, clothing stores, and even a movie theater.

Tang Yuan was stunned: "This...this is inside the school?"

"Yes." He Chutian smiled. "Our school is a bit special; the commercial area is built on campus."

Why?

He Chutian didn't answer directly, but pointed into the distance: "Do you see that over there?"

Lu Siye looked in the direction he was pointing.

At the end of the commercial street is a continuous mountain range.

The mountain is not high, but it is very imposing, lush and green, and gleams with a verdant light in the sunlight.

Some buildings can be vaguely seen on the mountaintop, with gray walls and black tiles, resembling ancient temples.

"That's Taoyuan Mountain," He Chutian said. "There's a scenic area on the mountain called Jiugongling."

Lu Siye's heart skipped a beat.

Jiugongling.

He remembered what the bald old man in the village had said.

In my great-great-grandfather's generation, a Xia Lan (a legendary warrior) emerged from the back mountain of our village.

The place where those Xia Lan lived was called something like Palace...

"Jiugongling?" Tang Yuan asked curiously, "What kind of place is that?"

"It's a tourist attraction," He Chutian said. "It's quite famous; you haven't heard of it?"

Tang Yuan shook her head.

Lu Siye had never heard of it either.

He Chutian thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll tell you from the beginning."

He walked to a sycamore tree by the roadside, leaned against the trunk, and slowly began to speak: "This area around our school used to be a small town called Taoyuan Town."

"Back then, this place was surrounded by farmland, with only a few streets in the town. It was a very ordinary place."

Tang Yuan leaned closer and listened attentively.

"Then one year, a big thing happened in Taoyuan Town," He Chutian said. "I don't know exactly what happened, but after that, the government started to develop the area vigorously, building roads, constructing buildings, and building schools, and it gradually became what it is today."

He pointed to the commercial street in the distance: "Most of these shops were built by the government and rented to merchants to operate."

"Our school has a partnership with the government, so students get discounts when they shop here, and it's also easy for them to get jobs in those shops after graduation."

"What about Jiugongling?" Lu Siye asked.

He Chutian glanced at him and smiled: "Jiugongling was developed later."

He paused, then continued, "Do you know about the Xia Lan?"

Tang Yuan was taken aback: "Xia Lan? That... the legendary one?"

"Yes, it's a legend," He Chutian said. "It is said that a long time ago, there was a group of people called Xia Lan who specialized in dealing with a monster called 'Zero.' The place where they lived was called Jiugong Ridge."

Tang Yuan blinked: "Isn't that a myth?"

"It's a myth," He Chutian said, "but the government has turned the myth into a tourist attraction."

"They sent people to investigate the original site of Jiugongling, built some antique-style buildings, and even constructed a cable car, developing it into a tourist area."

"It's incredibly popular there now, attracting tens of thousands of tourists every year, and all the surrounding shops cater to tourists."

He pointed to the distant mountains: "Our school is located at the foot of Jiugongling Mountain, so we have partnerships with those shops."

"As long as you are a student at our school, it's very easy to find part-time jobs or jobs after graduation there."

Lu Siye listened and secretly made a mental note of it.

Part-time job, work, Jiugongling.

He came to the provincial capital to find work.

If I could work in a shop there, it would be better than wandering around aimlessly in the city.

"However," He Chutian changed the subject, smiling as he said, "those Xia Lan and such are just legends, don't take them seriously."

"The performances and explanations in the scenic area are all for tourists."

Tang Yuan nodded: "I know, just like the Dragon Mother Temple in our area. They say it's effective for those who ask for children, but it's all just made-up stories."

"right."

The group walked a little further, crossed the commercial street, and came to a lawn.

At the end of the lawn stands a stone tablet with the words "Taoyuan University" engraved on it.

"This is the main gate," He Chutian said. "We came in from the east gate. That's the side gate. The main gate is not usually open; it's only used for the opening or graduation ceremonies."

Tang Yuan ran to the stone tablet and asked Lu Siye to take a few photos of her.

After taking the photos, she looked at her phone and suddenly said, "Oh dear, it's already past eleven."

He Chutian checked the time: "So fast? It feels like we haven't been out for very long."

"I'm meeting up with my high school classmates to go shopping." Tang Yuan put away her phone, waved to Lu Siye, and said, "I'm leaving now. You guys can shop around on your own this afternoon."

Lu Siye nodded.

Tang Yuan then looked at He Chutian and Su Nian: "Goodbye, seniors!"

He Chutian smiled and waved.

Su Nian simply nodded.

Tang Yuan jogged away, her ponytail swinging behind her.

There were three people left on the lawn.

He Chutian glanced at Lu Siye, then at Su Nian, and said with a smile, "Then I'll head back first. I have some things to take care of. You two can continue sightseeing?"

Su Nian didn't speak.

Lu Siye nodded.

After He Chutian left, Lu Siye and Su Nian stood facing each other in silence for a few seconds.

Su Nian glanced at him, then turned and left.

As Lu Siye watched her figure disappear into the crowd on the commercial street, he suddenly remembered what happened in the alley last night.

She saved him, even though her attitude was terrible, she did save him.

He opened his mouth, wanting to call out to her to say thank you, but the words stuck in his throat.

Never mind, let's talk about it another time.

He took out his phone and pulled the crumpled job advertisement from his pocket.

"Looking for cleaners, male or female, no age limit, daily pay."

He dialed the number listed on the form.

The phone rang a few times before being answered.

The voice on the other end was that of a middle-aged man, a little hoarse: "Feed?"

"Hello, I saw the job posting for a cleaner. I was wondering if they are still hiring?"

"Hiring. Can you come for an interview this afternoon?"

"able."

"You know the address, right?"

Lu Siye glanced at the address written on the notice: "I know."

"Okay, call me when you arrive at 2 PM."

The phone hangs up.

Lu Siye checked the time: 12:10.

There's still over an hour left, there's plenty of time.

He randomly picked a noodle shop outside the school, ate a bowl of noodles, and then followed the address on the map to find the place.

The interview location was not far from the school, about four kilometers away.

He walked for more than forty minutes and came to a relatively quiet street.

The streets are lined with old-style residential buildings, with various small shops on the ground floor, such as barbershops, convenience stores, and car repair shops.

He stopped next to a barbershop and looked at the address.

Yes, this is the place.

But this wasn't a shop; it was a black iron gate.

The door was closed, and a wooden sign hung next to it with a few words engraved on it.

"Taoyuan Martial Arts School".

Lu Siye paused for a moment, then looked at the job posting in his hand again.

Yes, the address matches.

Just as he was about to knock on the door, someone beside him suddenly spoke up: "Who are you looking for?"

Lu Siye turned his head and saw a middle-aged man squatting next to the door.

He looked to be in his forties, wearing a blue cloth jacket and a pair of old Beijing cloth shoes.

He was holding an enamel mug, slowly drinking water, and squinting at Lu Siye.

Lu Siye asked, "Excuse me, are you hiring a cleaner here?"

The middle-aged man put down the enamel mug and looked him up and down: "You're the one who made the phone call?"

"right."

The middle-aged man stood up, smiled, and said, "Come in."

He pushed open the black iron door, and Lu Siye followed him inside.

There was a large courtyard inside the gate.

It was much bigger than he had imagined. The courtyard was paved with blue bricks in the middle and surrounded by a ring of old-fashioned bungalows.

There were some martial arts training equipment in the courtyard: wooden dummy, stone weights, knives, spears, halberds, and all sorts of things.

At the very back was an open hall with wooden floors, where a dozen or so people were practicing their skills.

Lu Siye was stunned.

The middle-aged man turned and glanced at him, smiling as he said, "Never seen a martial arts school before?"

"no."

"That's normal. Who practices martial arts these days?" the middle-aged man said. "Come on, let me show you around."

He led Lu Siye on a tour of the martial arts school.

I looked through the yard, the hall, the backyard, the kitchen, and the toilet.

Those who were practicing martial arts nodded and greeted him, saying "Hello, Master."

Lu Siye then realized that the man wearing a blue cloth jacket, squatting at the door drinking water, was actually the headmaster of the martial arts school.

"We don't have many people here, just a dozen or so students," the director said. "They're all here to learn the routines, the kind for competitions, you know? It's performance-based, not real fighting."

Lu Siye nodded.

"Your job is simple."

The curator pointed to the courtyard.

"We clean the yard, hall, backyard, and toilet every day. The equipment is used by someone who will put it back after use, so you don't need to worry about it."

"You dump your trash in the outside bins, and the door opens at eight in the morning and closes at eight at night. Where do you live?"

Lu Siye said, "School."

"A school?" The curator glanced at him. "Taoyuan University?"

"right."

"A freshman?"

"right."

The curator smiled and said, "You've come to work early?"

Lu Siye nodded.

"Okay," the curator said. "The salary is two thousand five hundred a month, and we'll raise it if you do a good job."

"You can leave as soon as you finish your work each day, without having to stay all day. Would you be willing to do that?"

Two thousand five hundred.

It's not much less pay than working in a restaurant, and the work doesn't seem too strenuous.

Lu Siye thought for a moment and nodded: "I'm willing."

"Shall we start today?" the curator asked. "One trial day, and if you do well, you can come back tomorrow."

"it is good."

The curator gave a few more instructions and then went back inside.

Lu Siye found a broom and began sweeping the yard.

The work is indeed not heavy.

The yard isn't big; sweeping it once takes less than half an hour. The living room is a bit more troublesome; the wooden floor can't be rinsed with water, so you have to mop it little by little.

There are several osmanthus trees in the backyard, and the ground is covered with a layer of fallen leaves. I swept them into a pile and put them in a garbage bag.

After finishing all that, Lu Siye checked the time; it was a little past four.

He found a corner to sit down and rested for a while.

The students in the martial arts school were still practicing, each move precise and skillful.

He didn't understand it, but he found it quite interesting.

A young man is practicing boxing, delivering a powerful and impressive set of punches.

After the fight was over, several people nearby applauded and cheered.

Another middle-aged man was recording a video on his phone, saying it would go viral if posted online.

As Lu Siye looked at it, he suddenly remembered what the bald old man in the village had said.

Xia Lan, Zero, Purple Light.

If those things really existed, would people still be filming videos here now?

He smiled and realized he was overthinking things.

It got dark.

The students left one after another, until only Lu Siye remained.

He put away his tools, checked the doors and windows one last time, and was about to close the door and leave.

The door was suddenly pushed open.

A person rushed in.

Lu Siye was startled, and after taking a closer look, he froze.

Su Nian.

She was breathing heavily, her hair was a little messy, and she had an expression on her face that he had never seen before.

It wasn't indifference or apathy, but rather tension.

Before Lu Siye could react, she quickly turned around, closed the door, and bolted it shut.

"Bang!"

Something bumped into the door.

Lu Siye subconsciously took a step back: "What's going on?"

Su Nian ignored him and just stared intently at the door.

"Bang!"

one more time.

The door frame shook, and the latch creaked.

Lu Siye took out his phone: "I'm calling the police."

"Don't move."

Su Nian's voice was cold.

Lu Siye was stunned.

"Bang!"

The third time.

The latch cracked open.

Su Nian turned around and shouted into the martial arts gym, "Dad! Come quick!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure rushed out from the backyard.

He is the curator.

He was still wearing that blue cloth jacket, but now he had a staff that reached his eyebrows.

He glanced at Su Nian, then at Lu Siye, asked nothing, and walked straight to the door.

"open."

Su Nian pulled open the latch.

The door was kicked open.

Something rushed in.

Lu Siye will never forget that scene in his life.

That was a "thing".

It roughly resembles a person, but it is definitely not a person.

It was shrouded in a black mist, which seemed to be alive, constantly churning and twisting.

Two red eyes could be vaguely seen in the black mist, staring intently at them.

The moment it rushed in, the temperature in the entire yard seemed to drop several degrees.

Lu Siye felt a bone-chilling cold seeping into his bones.

The curator made a move.

He swung the stick down, hitting the thing right on the head.

The creature let out a hiss and staggered back two steps.

Su Nian rushed forward, a short knife suddenly appearing in her hand, and plunged it into the creature's chest.

The thing struggled, and the black mist churned even more violently.

Lu Siye stood there, his mind blank.

Then he saw the thing lunge at him.

Whether it was instinct or something else, he dodged to the side, grabbed a wooden stick standing nearby, and smashed it down on the thing's back.

The wooden stick struck the black mist with a muffled thud.

The thing turned its head, its scarlet eyes staring at him.

Lu Siye felt a sharp pain in his hand, where he had touched the black mist. It felt like being burned or pricked by needles.

But he didn't care about any of that; he just gripped the stick tightly and stared into those eyes.

"Afraid of fire!"

Su Nian's voice came from the side.

The next second, a torch was thrown over.

Lu Siye instinctively caught it and poked it in the face.

The flames sizzled when they touched the black mist.

The thing screamed and backed away.

The black mist seemed to have thinned a bit, but it struggled even more fiercely, with astonishing strength, knocking over the wooden dummy next to it.

"Hold it down!"

The curator shouted.

Su Nian rushed forward and grabbed the thing's left arm.

Lu Siye paused for a moment, then threw away the torch and pressed down on its right arm.

The thing struggled wildly, with an absurdly strong force.

Lu Siye felt as if he was holding down not a person, but a cow.

His palms were getting more and more painful, the stinging sensation felt like needles drilling into his bones.

But the curator made a move.

He threw away the staff, clasped his hands together, and then thrust it forward with a sudden movement.

"Yuan Qi——Palm!"

Lu Siye saw that the curator's palm lit up.

It was a white light, gentle and soft, yet impossible to look directly at.

Light burst forth from his palm and struck the thing.

The thing let out a piercing scream.

The black mist churned violently, as if it were being scorched by something.

Its body twisted and deformed in the light, and finally...

With a "poof," it disintegrated.

Nothing was left.

There wasn't even a trace left.

Lu Siye slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

He looked down at his right hand.

My palms were red and the stinging sensation was still there, but stronger than ever before.

He could even feel something moving restlessly beneath his skin.

He looked up at the curator.

The curator was also looking at him.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, then the curator suddenly spoke up: "Who painted that thing in your hand?"

Lu Siye was stunned.