The Dich Family's Little Loc

In a small courtyard within the rear residence of the Dich family.

A young maiden was leisurely playing on a swing.

The maiden was fifteen years of age, dressed in a pale green long skirt with a waistband, draped with a white mink fur shawl, her hair styled in twin ponytails. Her skin was fair and delicate, like fine jade, her eyes clear and spirited, with shapely eyebrows and a well-formed nose.

The moment the swing soared, dimples faintly appeared on her goose-egg shaped face; truly jade eyes and moth eyebrows, fresh and captivating.

This maiden's name was Dich Thi Ngon, with the pet name Little Loc. She was Dich Thien Xich's daughter.

Because she was his only daughter, and also intelligent and clever since childhood, she was thus greatly adored by Dich Thien Xich.

"Father, swing a little higher!"

A young lady of the inner chambers, still a sheltered maiden who rarely ventured out, Dich Thi Ngon had not yet known the world's dangers. She still preserved a child's innocence, and her smile could heal people's hearts.

As the swing swayed, the silk ribbons tied on her twin ponytails danced continuously.

"I'm going to fly!"

Dich Thi Ngon let go of the swing ropes, spread her arms, and her laughter, like silver bells, rang out.

Dich Thien Xich, standing beside the swing, paid constant attention, preventing Dich Thi Ngon from falling, while also saying, "Little Loc, steady yourself, don't fall."

"Father, don't worry, I won't..."

Before she could finish speaking, as the swing reached its highest point, Dich Thi Ngon's bottom left the swing. Without holding onto the ropes, she flew straight out.

Dich Thien Xich was startled. Just as he was about to go and catch her, Dich Thi Ngon, in the instant she flew out, twisted her hand back to grab the swing rope, then jumped down, landing steadily on the ground.

"Little Loc, you..."

"Hehe, Father, did I trick you?" Dich Thi Ngon ran to Dich Thien Xich's side, hugged his arm, and swayed it gently.

Seeing his daughter's adorable appearance, Dich Thien Xich couldn't muster any anger, no matter how great. He reached out and stroked Dich Thi Ngon's head: "You, always fooling around."

After speaking, he sighed. The more his daughter was like this, coupled with the fact that he had no son, the more reluctant he was to marry her off.

However, when it came to recruiting a live-in son-in-law, those from gentry clans, scholars with integrity, scholars with status, were unwilling; after all, being a live-in son-in-law was a shameful affair.

Those who were willing, he looked down upon. They might not be from high-ranking families, might not be martial artists, but they had to have a clean family background, at the very least from a humble scholar family.

After all, his Dich family's legitimate daughter, if she were to marry a son-in-law with no ability and a lowly status, it would invite ridicule from other gentry clans and also lower the status of the gentry.

For this reason, he had quite a headache over his daughter's marriage.

Just then, a maidservant passed through the moon gate, trotting into the small courtyard, and began whispering in Dich Thien Xich's ear.

"What?" Dich Thien Xich's eyebrows shot up, and he shouted, "Audacious scoundrels, they even dare to make a move on anyone! Do you know that scoundrel's identity?"

"Master, news from the yamen says that person seems to be called Tran Mac, from Phuc Trach Village. He gathered deserters from outside the city and rebelled," the maidservant whispered.

"What's his name?"

Dich Thien Xich was astonished.

"Replying to Master, it's Tran Mac," the maidservant repeated.

"Tran Mac, from Phuc Trach Village, it's him..." Dich Thien Xich's expression became somewhat dazed.

"Father, what's wrong?"

Dich Thi Ngon opened her large eyes and looked at Dich Thien Xich with puzzlement.

Dich Thien Xich patted his chest, sighed lightly with relief, and said, "Little Loc, it's fortunate you escaped a calamity; Father almost pushed you into a fiery pit."

Hearing this, Dich Thi Ngon became even more puzzled.

...

In the courtyard of a pavilion elsewhere.

Lingering music from strings, melodious tunes.

Under a peach blossom tree, a cloth mat was spread. A woman in white sat on the ground, holding a pipa, her slender fingers, like sharp bamboo shoots after a spring rain, constantly plucking the strings.

Before her, a woman in black danced with a sword. The woman's appearance was exquisite, and coupled with her superb swordsmanship, it made the entire sword dance look not only full of aesthetic beauty but also carry a sense of explosive power.

The two women coordinated with perfect tacit understanding, as if they were one person simultaneously completing two tasks.

Before long, a guard appeared in the sight of the two women.

The sound of the pipa came to an abrupt stop.

The sword dance also ceased.

Ha Chi Ngung wiped the sweat from her forehead, stood with her sword, and frowned slightly: "Guard Liu, what is it?"

The man addressed as Guard Liu respectfully cupped his hands towards the two women: "Eldest Miss, Second Miss, something has happened. Rebels have caused chaos outside, and Binh Dinh County town is now under lockdown – entry only, no exit."

"What?" Ha Chi Tinh's face was the first to show shock. She said in surprise, "Has the Heavenly Master Army arrived?"

"No, according to news from the yamen, it seems the group of deserters heading to Phung Tien city rebelled. They killed two hundred garrison soldiers who left the city this morning, and even Head Constable Banh was killed by a youth named Tran Mac who led them," Guard Liu said.

"A youth?" Ha Chi Ngung interjected. She knew that the yamen's Head Constable there was an eighth-grade martial artist. How could he be killed by a youth?

"Guard Liu, are you sure it was a youth?"

Guard Liu nodded lightly: "According to the yamen's information, it is so, and that youth is only seventeen years old."

"Seventeen years old, killed an eighth-grade martial artist..." Ha Chi Ngung knitted her brows. It wasn't that the Great Song Dynasty lacked seventeen-year-olds who could kill eighth-grade martial artists; there were even greater geniuses. But those individuals all came from princely and noble families, from powerful clans. Could such a person emerge from this tiny Binh Dinh County?

Ha Chi Ngung expressed her doubts.

...

The sun set in the west, and dusk descended.

Phuc Trach Village.

In the village, a group of village women were collecting the cleaned and sun-dried armor.

Suddenly, a burst of horse hoofbeats sounded. A tall, dark red horse galloped past them and stopped outside the Tran residence. Han An Nuong came out from the room.

Tran Mac was in a good mood at this moment. Having spent half an afternoon, he had finally learned to ride a horse. Although he wasn't very proficient yet, basic operations were no longer a problem.

The reason he could learn so quickly was thanks to his own cultivation, which allowed him to better tame the horse beneath him.

The only thing that made Tran Mac slightly regretful was.

These two horses were not warhorses from the battlefield, not even considered fine steeds; they were the most ordinary horses.

He tethered the horse in the courtyard and gave the other one to the patrol team, so that the person at the watchpost could return to report news in the fastest time.

Seeing his sister-in-law didn't look very happy, Tran Mac asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

"Uncle, Little Man's father drowned in the river. Phuc Sinh's mother found him in the river," Han An Nuong said.

"Oh, is that so? Has he been buried?"

Tran Mac asked impassively; how Luu Thu had died, he knew best.

"The villagers helped bury him," Han An Nuong said.

Tran Mac nodded lightly: "Where's Little Man?"

"In the room. She cried herself tired and just fell asleep," Han An Nuong said.

"Mm, when Little Man wakes up, comfort her well." Tran Mac's expression was calm, without even a ripple in his eyes. Then he said, "Sister-in-law, follow me into the house. I have something to tell you." ...