Song of the Carefree Sky

[Thick Health Bar, Freewheeling Jianghu Wanderer] VS [Technical Whiz, Fallen Peacock]

"Who on earth came up with morning classes?!"

For the 195th time, Zhang Cheru plotted to skip school. At last, beneath the wall behind the mountain, he found the perfect dog hole.

A great man does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. When you can take no more, there is no need to endure another moment!

Having learned his lesson from the blood, sweat, and tears of his previous 194 attempts, he cut his luggage down by seventy percent, keeping only his money pouch, stuffed until it bulged. He held his breath, sucked in his stomach, and squeezed through the dog hole in one go.

Freedom!

But on the very first day of freedom, his carriage fell apart, his money was stolen, and a downpour drenched him to the bone.

He limped along, gathered up the disgracefully bedraggled hem of his robe, and plunged into a ruined temple in the middle of the wilderness, looking just like a peacock that had wandered into a mud pit and could no longer spread its tail.

The peacock glared at the sky and cursed, "Damn that coachman! Give me my money back!"

Before he had even caught his breath, he met a pair of icy eyes.

A tiger fallen to the plains gets bullied by dogs. The peacock caught in the rain had run into a lone wolf.

The man carried a three-foot-wide greatsword. Neither it nor the man looked cheap.

Lian Kuo stood with his arms crossed over the sword. "A hundred taels for a broken-down carriage, plus a coachman to serve and escort you all the way to Chengzhou? Is your head full of water or mud?"

Zhang Cheru was so angry he squeezed out a few catlike tears. "What would you know? The curtains were embroidered on both sides, the axles were made of Fengxi sandalwood, and it even had the latest suspension mechanism..."

"Now it's just a pile of good-for-nothing scrap."

A wineskin came flying through the air and smacked into Zhang Cheru's arms.

"Enough of your nonsense!" Lian Kuo shot him a scathing look. "Warm yourself up. Don't actually freeze to death out here."

Zhang Cheru tipped his head back and took a swig. It tasted worse than horse urine.

Seeing him stare blankly at the wineskin, Lian Kuo turned to leave, but stopped at the threshold. When Zhang Cheru hobbled over to him, Lian Kuo got a clear look at the gaudy identity tag hanging from his waist.

It was said that Zhang Cheru, the young master of the Minister of Rites' household, had been raised in the lap of luxury. He was clever and nimble-fingered, never did anything useful, and had a head full of wild ideas. So they had sent him to an academy in Jiangnan to calm his mind and cultivate his character.

Lian Kuo had seen him at a palace banquet three years ago. Back then, the kid had been figuring out how to put steel pellets in firecrackers and blast out a whole feast of shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

Who could have guessed that after three years away, he would have grown into such a pretty, showy young man?

The wind and rain raged outside the temple. Zhang Cheru's voice drifted to Lian Kuo's ear, mingled with the scent of grass and wine.

"Great hero, where are you off to uphold justice?"

"South."

"Mind if I come along for a while?"

The road ahead was long, and Zhang Cheru's black-boned, gold-inlaid fan could not hold a candle to Lian Kuo's three-foot-wide greatsword.

At last, Zhang Cheru couldn't help saying, "Lian Kuo, your heart is unsettled."

"Yes. My heart is unsettled."

Amid the windblown wine-shop banners, Lian Kuo had thought he had picked up a jade beauty to nurture. Only then did he realize he had found a concealed blade.

["I want to draw my blade, and I want to roam free and easy."]

Reader's Guide:

1. The full manuscript is complete. A light comedy, launching on December 18.

2. Happy ending, devoted to each other in body and heart, one-on-one romance. Read with confidence.

3. The setting is fictional. Please see the author's notes for references. Historical elements are mixed together, with no attempt at rigorous accuracy.

4. Extra chapters on holidays. Come join the fun!

Wishing you all good health and success, and happy reading!

Theme: Give me back what you took from me!