Chapter 1554 - Sparring (Part One)

Zhuo Yifan hesitated for a moment, then thought: Since this woman is a police officer, she must know a great deal about the inner workings of the Shorthairs. If I can charm her into gathering intelligence for us, that would be most convenient. And so he said frankly, "Then I shall accept your kind offer."

Lian Nishang said, "I work at the East Gate Market Police Station. I have two rest days a month, starting from the first, and falling on every day with a 'four' in the local calendar. Meet me at noon by the north entrance of the Cooperative Department Store."

"Very well. I shall be there."

She's certainly direct, Zhuo Yifan thought.

"That's the local 'Gregorian calendar,' not the 'Great Ming calendar.'"

Since both were returning to East Gate Market, they traveled together. Zhuo Yifan was a young man who had known success early; bold yet meticulous by nature. With such a spirited policewoman at his side, he felt no fear at all—if anything, a certain exhilaration. Chatting on the train, he learned a great deal about Lingao and the Shorthairs from her.

Back at the inn, he told Wan Lifeng what had happened. Wan Lifeng said, "This could be useful, but we must guard against a trap."

"We have broken no laws here. The Shorthairs pride themselves on 'rule of law'—surely they won't arrest people without cause." Zhuo Yifan had absorbed much of Lian Nishang's "legal education" on the journey.

"Young Master's reasoning is sound, but I still sense some risk," Wan Lifeng said, his old jianghu veteran's instincts making him ever apprehensive.

"We are walking a tightrope regardless. We can only take it one step at a time."

Just then, a Hengshan disciple came to summon Zhuo Yifan. Abbess Miejing wished to inquire about Zhou and Nan's situation. After all, two young women, separated from their sect elders' supervision, had been living among several men for an extended period. If anything improper occurred, it would disgrace the sect.

Zhuo Yifan naturally dared not describe Zhou Zhongjun's current appearance to the abbess, lest she fly into a rage and upset the larger plan. He simply reported favorable news and got through the interview.

The night passed uneventfully. Over the following days, Zhuo Yifan dealt with Li Xiaoliu and Li Xiaopeng's various "sales pitches." To avoid arousing suspicion, he paid a deposit for an off-plan unit at Jade Rose Garden. Then, under the pretext of preparing to move, he had Li Xiaoliu show him around East Gate Market, familiarizing himself with the local terrain.

Meanwhile, the Bai household was in a panic like ants on a hot griddle. After the young master's arrest, the family had no connections whatsoever in this place. Their only recourse was to appeal to Li Xiaopeng—who was stamping his feet in exasperation. A case of harassing women was not too serious; according to the Public Order Law, it merited roughly a whipping and a few days in the pillory. But Bai Siwen was the family's eldest son, the apple of his elders' eyes. How could they stand by and watch him suffer so? Naturally, they expected Li Xiaopeng to smooth things over.

In the Great Ming, this would have been no problem. But under the Yuan Laoyuan's jurisdiction, even his grandfather Li Sunqian's personal intervention could not have made this go away.

Yet the Bai family was a client. To ignore them entirely would damage his reputation on the mainland. Li Xiaopeng had no choice but to temporize, promising to "pull some strings."

In their desperation, the Bai family cast their net wide, sending their steward to deliver visiting cards and gifts to every household at the inn, seeking anyone with "connections." Zhuo Yifan could only smile ruefully and decline.

In the blink of an eye, the fourteenth arrived. Zhuo Yifan went out alone and took the public horse-carriage to the city center. The Cooperative Department Store had its own stop. Alighting, he walked just a few steps to the store's north entrance.

Just as he reached the north entrance, he heard the distant chime of bells striking eleven times—the commercial building's clock tower, the latest model crafted by Clock Doctor, now capable of sounding the hour with the correct number of strokes rather than just a single toll.

Today he was dressed as a scholar: a square cap, a lake-blue silk robe, white-soled black boots, and a Korean folding fan in his hand. He was handsome by nature—a scion of officials and gentry, trained in martial arts at Mount Hua. Both refined and valiant, he stood on the street with an air rarely seen in these parts. Women of all ages could not help but give him a second glance.

Zhuo Yifan was looking about when someone called his name from behind. He turned to see a young woman in a blue short-sleeved dress with white cuffs and collar, a black silk ribbon tied at her breast. Her short hair was pinned back with a long rose-pink clip; she wore white socks and black cloth shoes. Who else but Lian Nishang? Every time he had seen her, she was in the Shorthairs' black police uniform; beautiful, yes, but with a certain fierceness about her. Now, dressed in this "Australian-style" outfit, she appeared as lovely as a spring blossom. Zhuo Yifan stood transfixed.

"What? Don't recognize me?" Seeing his daze, Lian Nishang lightly nudged his arm.

"No, no—it's just that your attire today is a bit unfamiliar..." Zhuo Yifan felt somewhat awkward. Walking alongside a woman in this "shameless" style of dress—if word got out, it would hardly do his own or his sect's reputation any good...

Still, there was no backing out now. "Why aren't you wearing your uniform today, Miss?"

"Uniform? You mean the police uniform," Lian Nishang laughed. "Today is my day off. Why would I wear it? Do you only feel at ease seeing me in that?"

Zhuo Yifan thought: This woman certainly has a high opinion of herself. He smiled and said, "Does Miss have quite a reputation here?"

"I wouldn't say a great reputation—but I'm the household registration officer and also handle public order. I've been involved in quite a few cases, so I suppose I'm somewhat known." Lian Nishang said it matter-of-factly.

Since they had agreed to spar, Lian Nishang led him to the "gymnasium." Zhuo Yifan did not know what a gymnasium was, but he followed.

The county gymnasium stood on the bank of the Wenlan River. It was the height of spring; new green lined the streets, flowering trees bloomed—everywhere one looked seemed a painting. Zhuo Yifan felt his spirits soar. "Truly like the Peach Blossom Spring!"

Lian Nishang glanced at him. "The doctor hasn't been in Lingao long, has he?"

"No," Zhuo Yifan nodded. "Only a bit over a fortnight."

"No wonder you think this way. Compared to the Great Ming, this place really is far better."

"Is Miss also from the mainland?" Zhuo Yifan asked deliberately.

"Of course. Apart from a few original natives, everyone here came from elsewhere."

"I noticed Miss has good skills. You must come from a martial family." Zhuo Yifan probed. From what he had seen of Lian Nishang's movements, she had childhood training.

If she had studied martial arts and been taken as a disciple, they would share the kinship of the jianghu. Using this as a wedge, perhaps he could persuade her to forsake darkness and return to the light.

"You have a sharp eye. I did study martial arts when I was young." Lian Nishang nodded absently. "But I've grown rusty. Most of my skills now came from the Chiefs."

Chatting as they walked, the distance passed quickly, and soon they stood before the gymnasium.

This Lingao County Gymnasium had only recently been built. The great stadium was certainly imposing, but being open-air, it could not accommodate indoor activities. Director Xiong had proposed a gymnasium—partly to promote mass athletics and various sports, partly to provide an indoor venue for large meetings.

And so the gymnasium was officially established. Now that the Yuan Laoyuan had plenty of steel and manpower, constructing a 1970s-standard gymnasium was no great project. Soon, a gymnasium rose beside the Wenlan River. As for beauty, it was nothing remarkable—but in this era, it was a rather astonishing structure. Enough, certainly, to give Zhuo Yifan a start.

"Startled?" Lian Nishang smiled, unsurprised.

"It truly defies imagination," Zhuo Yifan admitted. "Though by local standards, I suppose it's nothing special."

"Exactly. The Chiefs' miracles are beyond counting; this little gymnasium is but a drop in the ocean."

Zhuo Yifan bristled inwardly: The Shorthairs are full of deceptions for naïve young women! A proper girl spouting such bombast without even blushing.

He noticed large red banners with yellow characters flanking the main entrance. One read: "Develop Physical Culture; Strengthen the People's Constitution." The other: "Life Never Ends; Movement Never Stops." He thought it odd—these lines did not even match in meter or character count. What sort of couplet was this?

Lian Nishang led him up the steps and through the entrance. The building was impressively tall, yet the interior was bright—glass panels had been set into the roof. Zhuo Yifan looked more closely and gasped.

The interior was vast and open—no ordinary dwelling, shop, or even temple or Daoist hall was so large. Perhaps only the palaces in the Forbidden City were comparable.

In terms of sheer scale, this gymnasium was not entirely beyond Zhuo Yifan's experience. But that beneath this roof lay a single uninterrupted space, without a single pillar for support—that was astonishing.

Traditional timber-framed buildings were limited in span by the strength of materials; to build large halls required many columns for support. The Forbidden City, the Great Hall of Confucius at Qufu, even the world's largest wooden structure—the Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji in Japan—all contained rows of pillars.

This Lingao County Gymnasium used steel truss structures, eliminating the need for interior columns and preserving an unobstructed interior.

"Well? What I said was no lie." Lian Nishang seemed to know what he had been thinking; she teased him.

Zhuo Yifan had no reply. Beneath the roof, the floor was entirely wooden planking, marked with white and yellow lines, and fitted with various equipment he did not recognize. People in short shirts and shorts ran and jumped about, or tumbled on apparatus. Two people dressed all in white stood facing each other across a fishnet, each holding a paddle, racing back and forth and whacking a shuttlecock to and fro. They grunted and gasped, drenched in sweat, yet utterly absorbed. Zhuo Yifan observed their frantic exertions and wondered: What on earth are they doing?

(End of Chapter)