Zhou Zishu lit the candle. There was no water in the room, so he took a cup, unfastened the flask to pour half a cup of wine, and handed it to Zhang Chengling. Zhang Chengling did not know that his wine was strong and drank a mouthful, only to feel a small fire burn a line from his throat to his stomach. His face turned red instantly and he choked, unable to form any words.

Zhou Zishu looked at his silly demeanour, and his tense face relaxed slightly of its own accord. He turned his head aside, chuckling lightly.

This was Zhang Chengling’s first time seeing his “strict master” laugh in his direction with his own face, and he did not dare to even exhale too loudly, staring dumbly at him.

When they had met in Jiangnan that year, he had no one to rely on. Around him, there was only this man who talked loquaciously to others but had few words for him, and he clung to him like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline. He knew that his shifu was good, and could not help but want to be close to him, but was also afraid that he sparked his irritation--although his shifu did look like he was perpetually irritated by him. Slowly, this cautious treading turned into fearful respect; every time he wanted to talk to him, he had to undergo a bout of trembling from his nerves.

But even so, every time he felt sad, he still could not help but come look for him--in Zhang Chengling’s heart, his father and shifu looked completely different from head to toe, but for some unknown reason, he just felt that they were the same sort of person.

That sort of person who was tall and broad, courageous and strong, and who...treated him well.

Zhang Chengling said, “Shifu, we followed Senior Ye here to look for that Puppet Manor and to ask about the Lapis Armour. After we clarify the things that happened so many years ago, will we then know why they wanted to kill my father?”

Zhou Zishu cocked an eyebrow, and avoided the topic to give a brisk answer, “Who knows.”

Zhang Chengling frowned, and wracked his brains over it for a moment before saying, “Shifu, do you think that there are people who will kill others without any reason? I’ve thought a lot about it, is the reason why they want to kill my father because my father has done something evil?”