Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 548 - 189 Idle Chess (Part 1) (1/2)

Not until the carriage had disappeared from view did the young man finally withdraw his gaze.

He raised his hand and gently ruffled the hair of the little girl in his embrace, lost in thought.

The little girl, curious, looked up at him, wondering why the young man who had just been telling her a story was suddenly staring off into space. Two strands of long hair fell by his temple, giving him a somewhat delicate and attractive appearance.

Out of curiosity, she reached out and twined the strand of black hair around her finger, gently playing with it.

As the donkey cart hit a small pothole and jolted slightly, the young man came to his senses, placed his right hand on the top of the little girl's head, paused, and then suddenly spoke:

"Let's stop here."

The man driving the cart was startled and almost thought he had misheard, but then quickly pulled the reins tight, and the donkey, already old, naturally came to a halt.

That man turned around and, with a flattering smile, said:

"What's wrong, young master?"

The young man smiled, lifted the little girl from his arms, set her aside, then leaped down from the donkey cart, stood on the official road, and casually patted the bottom of his robe, saying indifferently:

"Suddenly thought of something, so I won't be going."

"Not... not going?"

The man driving stammered out his words.

He didn't mind the hustle of the past few hours, but feared it had all been in vain. His eyes uncontrollably drifted to the young man's waist.

The young man smiled, aware of his intent, and seeing the little girl seemed reluctant to part with him, he bent over, placed his hands by the little girl's mouth, making her seem to smile, and said cheerily:

"Remember to smile a lot in the future..."

"If big brother has time later on, I will come to see you."

The little girl pursed her lips, and the young man smiled at her again then straightened up, took out a money pouch from his embrace, felt its weight, and casually tossed it onto the cart, producing a dull thud.

The man was taken aback for a moment, but then his eyes lit up with joy.

So heavy, even if it was just Copper Coins, he had made a killing, which was worth many days' income at the tavern he ran by the roadside. He rubbed his hands together, turned around, and was about to reach for the hefty money pouch.

But no sooner had he stretched out his hand than he felt an indescribable chill, his body stiffened, and he could no longer move. Struggling to lift his head, he saw the amiable young man standing in front of his daughter.

The young man's eyes were coolly fixed on him, as if a mountain weighed upon his shoulders, making it hard for him to breathe. He managed to force a smile and said:

"Young... young master?"

The young man said blandly:

"Use this money to make her some new clothes and improve her diet."

"It's best to do some business in town. It's not safe by the official road, with people coming and going, and it's no good for a child either."

The young man spoke slowly and gently.

The man, however, was sweating profusely and managed to nod in agreement:

"Yes... I'll arrange everything just as the young master has said."

The young man smiled, lowered his head, and the pressure that had felt like the upheaval of Heaven and Earth disappeared in an instant. The man took a deep breath, grabbed the money pouch with his right hand, and held it tightly.

The young man lightly tapped the little girl's forehead and said with a smile:

"Off I go..."

The little girl reluctantly nodded, and was about to take off the ivory-white dress she was wearing to hand over, but the young man, with a smile, prevented her.

He smiled at her again, turned around, and walked slowly away, appearing to be an ordinary scholar taking a stroll in a pavilion. Yet his pace was swift, and within a short time, he was out of sight.

The little girl, somewhat regretfully, withdrew her gaze and tightened her grip on her clothes.

At this moment, the man driving finally came to his senses. Running a tavern by the official road, he had seen his share of martial artists from Jianghu passing through, and he knew that he and his daughter had probably encountered an extraordinary master. Holding the money pouch, he dared not look any further and hastily stuffed it into his bosom.

He hurriedly picked up his daughter and placed her beside him, then cracked his whip.

The old donkey pulled the cart in a new direction, heading away from the official road. With one less person's weight, the cart moved a bit faster, but the man still found the old donkey to be too slow, his whip continuously striking the donkey's back.

The pouch full of Silver was in his bosom, but outwardly, he showed no signs, nor dared to show any. He had only glimpsed inside the pouch and was nearly blinded by the gleaming silver.

Now his mind was a complete mess, just thinking about getting back and hiding the silver.

Then he considered taking out a little at a time; maybe in a year or two, they could buy property in an ordinary county town and live a prosperous life, and then he could get some nice clothes made for the child too.

These were the disordered thoughts running through his head.

The little girl, holding her clothes, thought about what the young man had told her, that he would have a chance to see her in the future.

But the four-year-old girl did not realize that if her father truly no longer ran the tavern by the official road, and she had not told the young man where her home was, with countless villages and towns nearby, where would he go to find her?

The young man walked leisurely, yet it seemed as though clouds sprang beneath his feet. With just seven steps forward, it was as if he had traveled a great distance at a galloping speed. When he stopped, he was already at another location.

His lips slightly pursed, the young man's demeanor instantly turned cold as he said indifferently:

"Come out."

"Yes."

Two figures appeared before him. The first was a man in his twenties, dressed in dark cyan vigorous attire, with a sword in his right hand, a resolute face, and hair that seemed to have soaked in herbal dye, giving off a faint green hue.

There was also an old woman with white hair, standing with her hands hanging down and a sword carried on her back.

The sword was long and without a sheath, adorned with a coiling dragon, its head broken off at about three inches from the blade.

"Young master..."

Both of them bowed in unison.

When he saw that only two people appeared, the young man, usually composed, now showed a very clear fluctuation in expression. He paused for a moment and said slowly:

"Only... the two of you?"

"This..."

The old woman showed a look of hesitation on her face.

The sword-bearing young man showed no fear or hesitation. He cupped his fist in salute and said gravely:

"Yes."

"The other two... Tie Futu, and the Fish Intestine Sword?"

"Reporting to the young master, Tie Futu's hard kung fu has been destroyed, and he is no longer alive. Shi Huaidie's assassination failed to hold back the enemy and was killed by a sudden strike of a finger from an expert, and the Fish Intestine Sword was shattered under that same expert's finger.

"Smashed the Fish Intestine Sword?!"

The young man referred to as Young Master furrowed his brow slightly, a hint of astonishment crossing his face. The ten famous swords of the prior generation were all crafted by artisans. Apart from their lack of a living spirit, their durability was not much inferior to that of legendary divine weapons.

Someone who could shatter the Fish Intestine Sword with a single finger was undoubtedly a top martial arts expert in the world. Even among grandmasters, he would certainly not be an unknown figure.

The young man's eyes narrowed slightly, a heaviness settling in his heart.

The records stated that Wang Tiance used a mix of strategies and dominance, mixing yin and yang, openly guarded by Li Qidao—was this the safeguard employed by Wang Tiance to protect his progeny?

Being able to trade for this, this exchange wasn't a loss after all.

It was only unfortunate for Tie Futu.

The young man rubbed his temples and said indifferently:

"Let's go, find a place and recount the details of what happened."

The sword-bearing young man bowed his head in salute.

Seeing the young master not even mentioning Shi Huaidie and only caring about the Fish Intestine Sword, the old woman could not help feeling a mournful sentiment akin to the sorrowful empathy of a dying rabbit and a grieving fox.

She felt that the step she took years ago was terribly wrong, but now she was mired so deeply in the quagmire that escaping was absolutely impossible.

This time, they could exchange with the lives of Tie Futu and Shi Huaidie.

Would this noble person hesitate to use her own life one day?

With that thought, a myriad of emotions flooded her heart.

"Nanny Xi..."

As she was brooding, the young man spoke. The old woman regained her composure and saw that the young master was looking at her. Her heart tightened, and she raised her hand in salute, saying:

"Your subordinate is here…"

"What are your orders, young master?"

Without dwelling on the old woman's distraction, the young man simply said:

"You don't need to follow me for now."

"To the north, a hundred miles away, there is a father and daughter speeding in a donkey cart. The daughter is wearing my clothes. Find them and ensure their safety in secret."

"Then, find a way to enter their lives."

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"The daughter has a physical constitution among martial artists that ranks third in the Ninth Grade 'Mirror Viewing', well-suited for your lineage. You may teach her martial arts. If she proves unworthy, you may abandon her."

"It's but a trivial piece in idle play, a trifling matter better than nothing."

The old woman opened her mouth but said nothing, instead bowing deeply to the young master.

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