Xu Qing: "Commander Zuo really honors me too highly."
Magistrate He: "How is it honoring you too highly? Could it be that you think Mr. Wu calling you the fledgling Phoenix of our times is incorrect or that Mr. Zhou’s phrase ’In future days, he shall be a great scholar of the world’ is just spouting nonsense?"
Xu Qing could not help but smile awkwardly.
Today, Magistrate He has been speaking with words within words.
Ah, the old fox must have figured something out. Testing me.
Pretend to be confused, even though I understand.
Yet Xu Qing couldn’t outright expose it.
Magistrate He pretends to be confused, to make Xu Qing "understand" in his heart.
If he was to break the true nature of reality, that would be really "confused."
From this, it is evident that Magistrate He’s control over the government is much deeper than Xu Qing had presumed.
Fortunately, the two are like-minded and on the same boat.
As long as one doesn’t make principled mistakes, Magistrate He naturally wouldn’t target Xu Qing.
"Mr. Xu, the scholar, these are the things left by the old lady surnamed Tang; the rest of the items, I am taking to submit to higher authority. I presume Magistrate He has already told you; do you want any other compensation?" Households Commander Zuo is a martial man and has taken a liking to Xu Qing, thus he speaks frankly.
Xu Qing bows his hands in thanks. If people offer kindness, it’s a grace; if not, it’s their right.
That Households Commander Zuo would do this, frankly, has surprised Xu Qing.
It’s rare to see such an upright official these days, especially one from the Inner Factory.
Who is the real scholar here?
It makes Xu Qing feel that perhaps he has been too immoral.
Households Commander Zuo is frank, and Xu Qing is not coy; he speaks bluntly: "There’s an incense at the Heavenly Fragrance Courtyard called ’Fox Attraction Incense;’ I would like some of that."
Households Commander Zuo: "Fox Attraction Incense? This item is indeed rare, but with the shares Magistrate He gave you, asking for these things is no problem. But have you thought it through, is this truly what you want as compensation?"
"You misunderstand me, sir. I intend to pay the market price for it. As for other compensation, I do not want it."
"You still plan to pay?"
"Public is public, private is private; otherwise, it’s hard to settle accounts."
Once Households Commander Zuo hears this, he indeed finds it reasonable. Although he could decide over Heavenly Fragrance Courtyard, if Xu Qing directly took away the Fox Attraction Incense, the account would not be easy to settle.
Households Commander Zuo then says: "Mr. Xu has considered it thoroughly. It’s still too unkind of me. How about this, the other day I noticed your saber skills were too casual; if you don’t mind, I can teach you a set of saber techniques. What do you think?"
Xu Qing is somewhat pleasantly surprised.
He is not averse to learning weaponry, it’s just that he hasn’t found sophisticated saber techniques, swordsmanship, or gunsmanship to systematically learn.
He knows, the Martial Arts Academy of Laoshan Shangqing Palace, although it cannot compare to the profound heritage of the Great Zen Temple, its combat skills are not necessarily much weaker.
The saber techniques passed down by Households Commander Zuo are surely not ordinary.
"Thank you, sir," Xu Qing quickly thanks him.
Households Commander Zuo smiles: "This saber technique I am teaching you is not handed down from Lao Mountain, so after you learn it, there will be no trouble, and it will not be inferior to the prized saber techniques of my sect. I see you have a solid foundation and are fit to learn it. I hope after learning it, you can carry it forward and honor it."
Households Commander Zuo smiled and looked towards Magistrate He: "Magistrate He, may I borrow your government’s Martial Arts Arena?"
Magistrate He smiles: "I regard Gongming as my own nephew; for Commander Zuo to speak so formally is truly unnecessary."
Consequently, Households Commander Zuo took Xu Qing to the government’s Martial Arts Arena.
Xu Qing had been here more than once and was already familiar with it. He directly took a commonly used waist saber from the weapons rack, similar in style to the one Households Commander Zuo carried.
When Households Commander Zuo drew his saber from its sheath, there was an immediate appearance of profound and towering grandeur.
Xu Qing had seen King Lin’s imposing power and Eunuch Zhao’s aura, but these two top masters he had encountered in life did not possess Households Commander Zuo’s kind of grandeur.
If speaking of the fierceness of Qi-Blood, Households Commander Zuo might not match Heavenly King Lin.
But such grandeur was something Heavenly King Lin could not possess.
Households Commander Zuo slowly said: "That year, as I traveled through the mountain forests, I witnessed five tigers contending and realized this set of saber techniques, driving the five tigers across a stream. To commemorate the event, I named the saber technique ’Five Tigers Breaking Gate Saber.’ Mr. Xu, watch closely now."