Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Baoyu left Xiaoxiang Pavilion with a long face, then went to Qingyan Hall and gave Jia Cong a good scolding. Jia Cong, however, just spread his hands with a look of not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Second brother, you've really misunderstood me. How would I know anything about locks?"

Baoyu slapped his forehead, feeling extremely remorseful once again.

"Yes, brother, I had no connection with Sister Bao in the past, so I naturally knew nothing of this..." He sighed after a long while, holding his teacup.

"It was my fault for being so confused that I couldn't even make out the embroidery pattern. This only made my sister more suspicious. She's always been a bit of a thinker, and after this incident, she probably thinks I was just being perfunctory."

As she spoke, she pounded her leg again, "It's all my fault. I took the things and delivered them without even looking at them. I deserved to be given the cold shoulder."

Jia Cong suppressed a laugh and offered some words of comfort. He then accompanied the other party back to Yihong Courtyard, where they drank two pots of wine before finally stopping at the urging of Qingwen and Xiren.

The next day, Wang Xifeng ordered a batch of glass products to be delivered, saying they were fired in the kiln on the estate. They were distributed to the masters and mistresses of each household first, and when it was Jia Cong's turn, he also received a set of teacups and utensils.

Jia Cong naturally looked down on glass objects, and simply instructed Chu Lan to put them away, continuing to use the original porcelain.

On this day, Jia Cong arrived at the drill ground in the south of the city as usual, but unexpectedly, Sun Tai was already waiting there, leading a yellow-maned horse and carrying an ordinary long knife.

"Master Sun, this is..." Jia Cong got off Ba Hongchen and handed him to Li Rong, looking at him with some doubt.

Sun Tai tossed him a set of light leather protective gear, laughing loudly.

"Third Master is highly talented and has now entered the third level of the Martial Realm. It's time for him to be put to the test in actual combat!"

Jia Cong's expression also turned serious. He hurriedly put on his armor with Li Rong's help, and then mounted Ba Hongchen again.

"In that case, please give me your guidance, Master Sun."

"Of course, Third Master, just attack! I'll gladly oblige!" Sun Tai also changed into soft protective gear, flicked his long sword, mounted his horse, and charged straight at Jia Cong!

Jia Cong spurred his horse, Ba Hongchen, and thrust out a spear, the blade strong yet still somewhat probing.

Sun Tai remained calm and composed, his wrist flicking slightly as his longsword slashed diagonally. With a crisp clang, the weapons clashed, and Jia Cong felt a numbness in his arm, nearly losing his grip on the spear.

"Third Master, your strength is sufficient, but you forgot to lower your wrist!" Sun Tai'er spun around, feinting with his longsword to avoid Jia Cong's counter-attack.

"The third level of martial arts is about agility, not brute force. Look at this spear technique, if it's off by even half an inch, you'll lose your follow-up move."

Jia Cong frowned slightly, and as instructed, he lowered his wrist to stop his attack, then turned and changed his thrust into a slash, aiming straight for Sun Tai's shoulder.

Sun Tai dodged to the side, his long sword shaft lightly tapping the back of Jia Cong's spear.

"Good response! It's just that your footwork is messed up. The horse moves with the rider, and the rider moves with the spear. The two are inseparable." Before he finished speaking, he flipped his wrist, and the long sword slid down along the spear shaft, the back of the blade lightly touching the leather breastplate of Jia Cong.

The two riders clashed, their shadows flashing, their blades clashing. Jia Cong gradually found his rhythm, his spear techniques becoming increasingly fluid. After exchanging more than ten moves, his competitive spirit ignited. Using the Imperial Guard spear technique previously taught by Sun Tai, he suddenly thrust forward, the spear tip like a cold star piercing the moon, aiming straight for Sun Tai's heart.

"Soul-Severing Thrust!"

"Excellent marksmanship!" Even Sun Tai exclaimed in admiration, not daring to be careless. He spurred his horse, slightly shifting his body, and used his longsword to block in front of his chest. The blade steadily struck the spear tip, and he used the momentum to spin and deflect the force. "Unstoppable! But beware of a counterattack after deflecting the force. Let's see how you change your tactics!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong remained calm. He twisted the shaft of his spear, and the tip suddenly changed from a thrust to a sweep. The spear shadows danced like a woven tapestry, piercing through Sun Tai's defenses. With another loud shout, he...

"Break through the fortified formation!"

Sun Tai nodded in satisfaction, his longsword wielding with impenetrable skill, constantly deflecting the spear thrusts while continuing to offer guidance.

"Breaking through a fortified formation requires a balance of strength and flexibility. While your spear thrust is powerful, it lacks a certain agility!"

Before he finished speaking, Jia Cong had already changed his tactics, his spear swirling and thrusting in all directions, the spear tip moving in a precise and orderly fashion, completely blocking Sun Tai's escape routes.

"Break through the encirclement!" The two horses clashed, and amidst the rising and falling gunshots, Jia Cong made three consecutive moves, his spear technique becoming increasingly fluid and steady.

After exchanging two or three more blows, Sun Tai feinted a slash, then leaped off his horse, sheathed his sword, and stood ready.

"Enough! Third Master has made great progress today. His three moves—Soul-Severing Strike, Breaking the Formation, and Breaking the Encirclement—were executed flawlessly in succession, showing considerable skill. With diligent practice, he will surely achieve great things!"

Jia Cong also reined in his horse, dismounted, and handed his protective gear to Li Rong.

"It's all thanks to Master Sun's mercy. If it weren't for Master's step-by-step guidance, I would never have been able to understand it so thoroughly."

Sun Tai laughed loudly.

"Third Master is exceptionally talented. He only needs to hone his skills diligently, and this year's martial arts examination will be a piece of cake."

After practicing again, Jia Cong felt drenched in sweat before stopping, bidding farewell to Sun Tai, and returning to the Rong Mansion.

To his surprise, as soon as he stepped inside, he saw the entire mansion in chaos, almost making him think that the Rong family's property had been confiscated ahead of schedule.

Jia Cong grabbed Yuanyang, the head maid who was about to run towards Rongqing Hall, and asked suspiciously,

"Sister Yuanyang, why are you in such a panic?"

The mandarin ducks, panting heavily, waved their hands, completely forgetting their manners.

"Third Master is back just in time! Hurry up and go see Second Mistress and Baoyu!" With that, he broke free from Jia Cong and ran off again.

Jia Cong had no choice but to put aside his thoughts of changing clothes and quickly followed Yuanyang into Rongqing Hall. They didn't even bother with the maids and servants announcing their arrival at the door. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they heard Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and others crying out "My child!" and "My flesh!"

Baoyu brandished a knife and a cane, seemingly intent on killing himself, while Fengjie wielded a gleaming steel knife and slashed into the garden, killing chickens, dogs, and people alike.

Zhou Rui's wife quickly led several strong and brave women to grab the knife, take it away, and carry it back to the room. Ping'er, Feng'er, and the others cried their hearts out.

Jia Zheng and the others were also somewhat troubled, as they were preoccupied with one thing but couldn't let go of another.

Rongqing Hall was in complete chaos, but Xue Pan, upon seeing the graceful and charming Lin Daiyu, was instantly captivated.

Jia Cong understood the gist of it; this was a case of a witchcraft-induced encounter between an uncle and aunt with five ghosts. However, it wasn't a good time to expose Aunt Zhao's tricks, as he had no evidence.

For three consecutive days, Jia Zheng and others sought out monks and Taoist priests, but to no avail. After three days, Feng Jie and Bao Yu lay on the bed, their breaths almost gone.

The whole family was terrified, saying there was no hope left, and they busied themselves preparing clothes and shoes for the two of them in their next life.

Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Jia Lian, Ping'er, and Xiren wept even more bitterly than the others, forgetting to eat and sleep, and contemplating suicide. Aunt Zhao, Jia Huan, and others naturally agreed.

Jia Cong saw all this, but his heart was not greatly disturbed. He was only outwardly busy with various matters, even skipping the drill ground. He believed that Wang Xifeng and Jia Baoyu were not destined to die, and that the bald-headed monk and the lame Taoist priest would come to their door in another day.

On the morning of the fourth day, as Grandmother Jia and the others were weeping around the two of them, Baoyu opened his eyes and said, "From now on, I'm not staying at your house anymore! Hurry up and pack my things to send me away."