Unorthodox Wuxia: While Others Practice Martial Arts, I Cultivate Immortality - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Fighting Against Bullies

The next morning, when Yuan Zhao came out of her room, she happened to see Xiao Kong Kong walking out of the woodshed.

Looking at his weary, listless state, Yuan Zhao gave him a half-smile and asked, “Looks like you didn’t take my advice to heart. Well? Did you succeed?”

Xiao Kong Kong kept a stony face, said nothing, and quickened his pace toward her. He shoved a booklet into Yuan Zhao’s arms, “Here, the thing you wanted.”

Because of his damaged meridians, his steps were weak and unsteady.

Yuan Zhao flipped open the booklet and finally learned the name of his lightness skill ‘Swallow’s Shadow Skimming the Waves.’

“You didn’t add anything or leave anything out, did you?” she asked after closing the book.

“If you’re worried, then don’t learn it,” Xiao Kong Kong replied irritably.

“You’d better not have messed with it. You know full well, if I end up with problems while training, no one will undo your acupuncture sealings for you. You’d be crippled for life!”

Looking aggrieved, Xiao Kong Kong muttered, “Alright, alright! The manual’s fine. Believe it or don’t!”

With that, he stormed off. Yuan Zhao tucked the booklet into her robes and went to wash up.

Soon, another busy day began.

Yuan Zhao worked in the kitchen kneading dough, preparing to open for business. Xiao Kong Kong, soulless as a puppet, mechanically wiped down the tables and benches.

Meanwhile, Ah Qing was in the courtyard picking fresh tomatoes, with Old Wolf trotting beside her, a basket hanging from his neck.

Around dawn (about 6 a.m.), the noodle shop officially opened.

Escort guards who had traveled all night strode in with vigorous steps.

“Miss Ah Qing, give us some beef noodles! We’ll eat and then get some proper sleep.”

“Coming right up, just a moment!” Ah Qing replied, darting into the kitchen.

When the guests noticed the unfamiliar Xiao Kong Kong, they exclaimed, “Oh! Miss Yuan’s hired a helper?”

They hadn’t been in Tianmen Town yesterday and naturally knew nothing of Xiao Kong Kong’s situation.

More customers entered. “Isn’t this the fellow who was hanging at the door yesterday? How come he’s turned into a waiter overnight?”

At that moment, Ah Qing came back with bowls of noodles.

“From today on, he’s working here. If you need anything, just tell him.”

“Alright then, Miss Ah Qing, we won’t be polite,” laughed one of the new arrivals.

“Brother, quick, tell me what’s the story with this new waiter?”

Soon enough, the escorts and new guests were huddled together whispering.

(ㅍ_ㅍ) Listening to the gossip about himself, Xiao Kong Kong felt utterly lifeless.

As time went by, the shop grew busier, the atmosphere livelier. Business wasn’t quite as booming as the grand opening yesterday, but still very good.

Around noon, Han Long arrived with several Wind Chaser from Xiaoyue Pavilion. The moment he entered, he called out: “Ah Qing! Quick, bring me that so-called Jinghong Jade Noodles! I’ve got to taste what all the fuss is about today!”

Ah Qing laughed: “Uncle Han, we were just waiting for you. I’ve already prepared it!”

She dashed into the kitchen and soon returned with bowls of tomato-and-egg noodles.

Han Long stared at the festive-looking noodles in disbelief. “This… is Jinghong Jade Noodles?”

He leaned closer to sniff. “Smells good!”

Ah Qing smiled: “Tastes even better!”

“Is that so? If Qing says so, I’ll believe it. And Miss Yuan’s cooking, I trust even more!” He picked up some noodles with his chopsticks and took a bite.

The moment he tasted them, his expression became: ˚*̥(∗*⁰͈꒨⁰͈)*̥ Wow~

Then he immediately urged his companions, “You guys eat too, quick! If it clumps up it won’t be as good.”

Soon their table was filled only with the sound of noodles being slurped.

Around noon, a peddler came to the Yuan household gate. Old Wolf instantly recognized him as the man who had sold Yuan Zhao tomato seedlings before, so he led him to the courtyard next door.

Just then, Ah Qing came out of the house.

“Little sister!” the peddler greeted her happily.

“You are…?” Ah Qing looked puzzled, not remembering him at first.

“It’s me, the one who sold red-fruit (tomatoes) to your sister,” he explained. “Didn’t she ask me to bring vegetable seeds?”

With the reminder, Ah Qing immediately recalled. “Oh, it’s you! Wait here, I’ll get my sister.” She dashed back inside.

Soon, she brought Yuan Zhao out.

“Miss, we meet again! I’ve brought everything you asked for,” the peddler said cheerfully.

“Really? Thank you so much, big brother!” Yuan Zhao’s eyes lit up as she hurried forward to check.

“Of course. A promise is a promise.” He set down the bundle he was carrying and opened it, revealing small cloth pouches inside. Each was labeled with the name of the vegetable seeds it contained.

“Look here, miss: chives, Chinese cabbage, radish, coriander, scallion, cucumber…” He introduced them one by one.

“So many kinds?” Yuan Zhao exclaimed in surprise.

The peddler chuckled: “Seeds are light to carry, so I brought plenty. Some I picked up on my trade routes, collected from other regions.”

Yuan Zhao hadn’t expected such care from a casual request. “You’ve worked hard, big brother. I’ll take them all.”

She pulled out ten taels of silver and pressed it into his hand.

Startled, the man protested: “No, no! That’s far too much. They’re only seeds, not worth so much.” He tried to return the money.

Yuan Zhao quickly pushed it back. “Maybe the seeds aren’t expensive, but your time and effort are worth it. Please accept it as a token of thanks, don’t refuse.”

These seeds weren’t just about profit, they meant better living standards for Yuan Zhao and her family.

Now that life was improving, she wanted better food. Meat wasn’t rare in Tianmen Town, but vegetables certainly were. She dreamed every day of eating fresh greens.

With these seeds, she could grow her own. Whether they would thrive in local soil was another matter, but at least she had the chance.

Seeing her insist, the peddler gratefully accepted the silver. “Thank you, miss. If you ever need anything else, just find me. I’ll do my best to get it.”

“Deal!” Yuan Zhao smiled brightly.

Then the peddler suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, miss, last time I noticed your interest in red-fruit, so I brought you some of their seeds as well.”

“Really?” Yuan Zhao’s eyes sparkled with joy. She’d been worrying that their small tomato patch wasn’t enough, now she could expand.

The peddler rummaged through the pile and soon found a small black pouch.

“Here it is.”

Yuan Zhao opened it and saw flat, sesame-sized pale yellow seeds inside—tomato seeds indeed.

“You’re very thoughtful. I truly need these. Thank you.” She bowed in gratitude.

“It’s nothing. I’m just glad you don’t think me meddlesome.” He grinned.

“Not at all, I’m grateful beyond words,” Yuan Zhao said warmly.

After a few more exchanges, the peddler left happily.

That evening, once the noodle shop had closed, Yuan Zhao gathered Ah Qing, Xiao Kong Kong, and Old Wolf to open up land for planting vegetables.

Behind both the house and the noodle shop was a sizable unused plot. It had always been empty, but now it was perfect for farming.

Yuan Zhao handled the plowing, Old Wolf dug the holes, Ah Qing sowed the seeds, and Xiao Kong Kong watered them.

Originally, Yuan Zhao had wanted Xiao Kong Kong to do the plowing, but his damaged meridians had left him too weak for heavy work.

With just that small plot of land, it still took Yuan Zhao and the others several days to finish planting—after all, they were all beginners.

Each day after planting, they would carve out a little time to practice Swallow’s Shadow Skimming the Waves. Yuan Zhao and Ah Qing trained, while Xiao Kong Kong stood to the side, offering pointers.

And indeed, with guidance, things were completely different—much better than fumbling around on their own. Both Yuan Zhao and Ah Qing progressed rapidly.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.

That morning, Ah Qing got up early with a basket in hand and went to the vegetable garden behind the house to pick fresh produce. After more than three months of careful tending, the garden had grown lush and vibrant.

Plump cabbages, radishes thick as arms, bright red tomatoes, and chives that regrew as soon as they were cut… every single vegetable glistened with life.

Through trial and error, Yuan Zhao had finally figured out why her vegetables grew so well—the water she used for irrigation carried her spiritual energy.

That spiritual energy not only made the vegetables thrive but also shortened their growing cycles to some extent, giving them an even more delicious taste.

“Lalalala~~”

Ah Qing hummed an unknown little tune as she lightly tapped her toes, flitting from one plot to another in the blink of an eye.

What she was using was Swallow’s Shadow Skimming the Waves.

And wherever she passed, every vegetable was harvested with perfect precision, without harming the parent plant in the slightest.

That was the technique of Heaven-Sweeping Hands.

Before long, she had filled her basket to the brim.

Just then, Yuan Zhao’s voice rang out from the front yard.

“Ah Qing, are the vegetables ready? It’s almost time to open the shop!”

“I’m coming!” Ah Qing responded quickly.

With a leap, she landed on the rooftop, then bounded down again, landing lightly in the front yard with the basket still steady in her hands.

Yuan Zhao came up and tapped her forehead. “At this rate, our roof is going to collapse under your stomping!”

“No, it won’t!” Ah Qing retorted.

“Enough chatter—go open the doors.”

And so, their busy day began again.

Compared with three months ago, the Zhao Family Noodle Shop had become even more lively.

As its reputation spread, every time outsiders passed through Tianmen Town, they would come just to try the famed Jinghong Jade Noodles.

By now, the dish had completely become the shop’s signature.

In addition, thanks to their homegrown vegetables, Yuan Zhao had introduced vegetable noodles.

Since vegetables were rare in Tianmen Town, vegetable noodles were priced at 10 wen, one wen more than beef noodles, and quickly became the second most popular dish after the Jinghong Jade Noodles.

Of course, with more customers coming in, conflicts began to arise as well, especially among first-time visitors.

Around mid-morning, when business was at its peak, a tall, burly man with a scruffy beard and a large broadsword slung over his shoulder walked through the gate.

Judging by his appearance, he was a wandering rogue with little respect for rules. And since his face was unfamiliar, it must have been his first visit to Zhao’s Noodle Shop.

At that same moment, a middle-aged couple arrived with a young boy.

The boy, hurrying too fast, accidentally bumped into the burly man and stumbled to the ground. The man’s face instantly twisted with rage.

“Where’d this brat come from? Got no eyes, eh? You dare bump into your grandpa? Looking for death!” He raised his hand and slapped the boy across the face.

The boy, just getting to his feet, was knocked down again, his cheek swelling up at once.

And still unsatisfied, the man raised his broadsword to strike down.

“Ah Liang!!”

The boy’s mother screamed and threw herself over him to shield him.

The father, without hesitation, lunged forward too, covering both wife and son with his body.

This family of three were from the neighboring town. The father had once told them: if they ever had the chance to visit Tianmen Town, they must eat at the noodle shop run by Lady Yuan, the Heroine of the Heaven’s Prison Blade.

Without her righteous deeds, their lives would not be as peaceful as they were now.

But who would have thought that on the very day they came, disaster would strike?

Just as the broadsword was about to fall, a flash of cold light shot out from inside the shop.

The man screamed in pain—looking down to see a metal chopstick pierced through his sword-wielding wrist.

Clutching his arm, his eyes widened in terror, just as a small, graceful figure floated out from the shop.

With both palms raised, she struck again and again at the man.

The burly man was huge, built like a wall of meat. Her blows looked light, almost harmless.

But when the strikes ended, his bones suddenly cracked and popped, and in the next instant, he collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.

“It hurts! It hurts! I’m dying!!”

Ah Qing landed gracefully, crossed her arms, and glared coldly at him.

“Didn’t even bother to ask whose place this is before causing trouble? You’ve got some nerve.”

The family of three finally realized they’d been saved and quickly dropped to their knees in gratitude.

“Thank you, miss, thank you so much!”

“Thank you for saving our lives!”

Ah Qing waved them off. “Enough—go inside. Use the left entrance.”

Since fights had become more frequent, Yuan Zhao had divided the shop into two sections.

The left hall served ordinary townsfolk. The right hall served martial artists.

Hearing this, the family hurried into the left hall.