The Sun Rises in the West

Gu Ning'an returned straight to Ansi Courtyard and fell into a deep sleep, not waking for an entire day.

As the golden morning light broke the horizon, Gu Ning'an was awakened by the chirping of birds outside his window. Stretching lazily, he exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling an unparalleled sense of comfort throughout his body.

In his previous life, he rarely had the luxury of resting so well. Even on weekends, he would wake up before noon, partly due to poor sleep quality, and partly because of the many responsibilities waiting for him. Time was a precious commodity he couldn't afford to waste.

But now, things were different. Time was perhaps the one thing he had in abundance. With that in mind, he decided to indulge in the "laziness" that came with being human. Any lost sleep from the day before had to be made up all at once.

Slipping into his shoes, Gu Ning'an stepped outside the courtyard, washed up, and prepared a simple bowl of Yangchun noodles for himself in the kitchen.

After eating his fill, he returned to his room and began summoning the three strands of red dust qi stored within his body. Letting his mind empty, he carefully recalled the sensations he experienced when using it to extinguish demonic flames the previous day.

Outside Ansi Courtyard, a middle-aged man in his fifties, dressed in a dark blue hemp shirt, walked slowly down the street, holding the hand of a young boy about ten years old.

"Xingwang, have you remembered everything I taught you?" Jin Wan squeezed the small hand in his palm and continued, "Whatever you do, you mustn't mess this up. This is our Jin family's golden chance to rise to glory!"

Beside him, the sleepy-eyed boy looked impatient. "Grandpa, you're nagging like Grandma! You've told me all this yesterday and the day before, but we waited at the door for so long and never even saw him."

"Keep your voice down!" Jin Wan glanced around cautiously and whispered, "You little rascal, don't you dare let that temper of yours show when the time comes."

"Do you want to live in a big house and eat the finest food or not?"

The boy, Jin Xingwang, nodded earnestly. "Of course, I do!"

"Then just listen to Grandpa and stop fussing!" As he spoke, Jin Wan led his grandson to the entrance of Ansi Courtyard.

The pair didn't knock on the door but found a clean stone step to sit on instead.

For the past two mornings, they had come early to wait for Gu Ning'an to leave his home.

According to Jin Wan's reasoning, to gain the favor of someone as distinguished as Gu Ning'an, they couldn't come across as too pushy, yet doing nothing would also seem insincere.

By bringing his grandson here but refraining from knocking, Gu Ning'an would see them waiting patiently and, out of "guilt" for making them wait, would be more inclined to treat them kindly.

"Grandpa, how long are we going to wait today?" Jin Xingwang propped his chin on his hand, his eyelids drooping.

Jin Wan nudged him upright and whispered, "Sit properly. You've barely warmed the seat, and you're already nodding off? If Gu Ning'an sees you like this, how will he ever agree to take you as his disciple?"

Hearing this, Jin Xingwang could only respond with a reluctant "Oh" and straightened up.

Just then, Butcher Liu stepped out of his house nearby. His sharp eyes immediately spotted the Jin grandfather and grandson sitting in front of Ansi Courtyard.

Puffing on his dry tobacco pipe, Liu exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and sneered.

"Well, well, no wonder he was asking me about Gu Ning'an the other day. Turns out he's been scheming all along. Coming here two days in a row with his grandson—what a shrewd move! The clinking of his abacus can probably be heard all the way over in Bazhang River."

Sitting on the stone steps, Jin Xingwang pointed toward Butcher Liu, who was standing not far away, and frowned. "Grandpa, why does that old guy keep staring at us? His mouth is moving—what's he saying?"

Jin Wan patted his grandson lightly and replied indifferently, "What else? He's probably gossiping about us trying to scheme our way to the top. Just ignore him. Remember, the old saying: 'An old man who doesn't die becomes a demon.' Don't provoke him, or he might ruin our plans."

"He wouldn't dare!" Jin Xingwang clenched his fists. "With that frail body of his, he might not even win a fight against me!"

Jin Wan smiled helplessly. "Alright, alright, no need to brag."

As the sun climbed higher into the sky, even Jin Wan grew restless. He kept glancing at the plaque above the gate of Ansi Courtyard, wondering if Gu Ning'an had already left.

"Hey, why's Hu Chi'er walking this way?" Jin Xingwang suddenly remarked, making Jin Wan turn to look.

Approaching them at a leisurely pace was Hu Shi, a short man carrying a small clay jar in one hand.

As the Jin grandfather and grandson scrutinized Hu Shi, Hu Shi was equally observing them.

Although Jin Wan didn't say anything, he could clearly sense the disdain and mocking look in Hu Shi's eyes, as though he were staring at a pair of fools.

As for his precious grandson, Jin Xingwang, the boy was notorious in the village as a "little tyrant." He often led a gang of kids, climbing trees to raid bird nests or catching fish by the river. Whenever he saw Hu Shi, he never missed a chance to tease him.

"What are these two doing sitting outside Sir Gu's house?" Hu Shi murmured to himself without realizing it, his thoughts spilling into words more quickly than usual.

After some deliberation, Hu Shi decided to pretend he hadn't noticed the grandfather and grandson. He walked past them and started climbing the steps. But just as he'd taken a few steps, Jin Xingwang jumped up, ran to his side, and made a face at him.

"Hu Chi'er! What are you doing here?"

Hu Shi's newfound quicker reflexes weren't entirely a blessing.

In the past, Jin Xingwang's antics wouldn't have elicited any reaction from him. But now, Hu Shi was startled, his chubby face turning slightly pale.

"Wh-what does it matter to you!" Hu Shi stammered, regaining his composure. After saying this, he continued climbing the steps toward the door.

Seeing this, Jin Wan realized something unusual. The village "fool," who would normally take ages to string together a sentence, now not only showed fear but also managed a quick retort.

Could it be that this was the result of guidance from some expert?

Noticing the clay jars Hu Shi was carrying and his intent to knock on the door, Jin Wan couldn't help but suspect that the man had come to steal his grandson's opportunity.

Slap!

Jin Wan suddenly delivered a sharp smack to his grandson's backside, the sound ringing loud and clear.

Unprepared for the strike, Jin Xingwang yelped in pain, gritting his teeth and wincing. "Grandpa! Why did you hit me?"

Jin Wan pointed at him and scolded sternly, "Does Hu Shi not have a name? Who gave you permission to call him a fool? Apologize to him now, or I'll smack you again!"

Hearing this, Jin Xingwang was confused at first but quickly caught on to his grandfather's hint.

Turning to Hu Shi, he put on a contrite expression and said earnestly, "Hu Shi, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you a fool."

Hu Shi glanced toward the western sky, as if checking to see if the sun had really started rising from the west.