Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 741 - 45: Tanghulu (Candied Hawthorn)...... (2/2)

Chapter 741 -45: Tanghulu (Candied Hawthorn)…… (2/2)

After Jiang Lan entered the guest room, she lifted the veils covering her face and gently laid them on the table. They resembled flowing gold and fine sand, softly folding into one another.

This veil was not like that of the Hu women, suggestive yet coy, nor was it ineffectual in hiding her features and inciting curiosity—it truly served to conceal her true identity.

It was made of the rare Gold Jade Silkworm Thread, lightweight yet capable of masking her features. Produced by a gifted member of the Mo Family, the veil could deceive the eyes, making it difficult to discern the true contours of her face. In the world of Jianghu, it was a rare and coveted artifact, desired by many distinguished heroines, yet seldom seen.

Jiang Lan stood by the window, watching the people outside. Along the journey, although her demeanor had always been courteous and humble, her expression remained indifferent, so much so that even Wang Anfeng could not discern her thoughts.

Having hidden and dodged her way, now that she was nearing Jiangnan Road, there was a slight relief in her heart unlike the pressing urgency before.

Footsteps approached from outside the door. Alert, Jiang Lan’s eyes narrowed as she raised her hand to cover her face with the veil again. Moments later, the visitor stopped at the door and knocked softly three times before saying in a gentle voice:

“Miss Lan, it is this old man.”

Recognizing Wu Qiong’s voice, Jiang Lan’s tension eased slightly, yet she did not remove the veil from her face. She apologized briefly and took light steps to the door to open it. Indeed, outside stood the aged scholar in a light green robe, his hair and beard all white.

Seeing that Jiang Lan had not lowered her guard despite recognizing his voice, Wu Qiong nodded slightly in approval.

His heart harbored a landscape vast as Thousand Mountains, and in this respect, he was stronger than her father, Jiang Yang, the master of One-Leaf Pavilion.

Thinking of the current elusive master of the pavilion, the old man’s emotions complicated as he sighed softly.

Jiang Lan invited Wu Qiong into the room and poured two cups of chrysanthemum tea. The elder took a sip and gently placed his cup on the table, then looked towards the street that gradually diverged from the architectural style of Jiangnan Road and said softly:

“We have reached Jiangnan Road.”

Jiang Lan nodded.

The old man continued, “It has been quite troublesome for Miss Xue and her group all the way here. Now that we’ve reached Jiangnan Road, it’s about time to part ways. After all, the affairs of One-Leaf Pavilion are matters of Jianghu, and we should solve them ourselves.”

“I’ve already written to an old friend at Zixiao Mountain Villa, and when the time comes, they will naturally lend a hand. Maybe not to the extent of helping you return to One-Leaf Pavilion, but at least they can ensure your safety. As for avenging the past and repaying old debts, this old man will personally see to each one.”

“Zixiao Mountain Villa…”

Jiang Lan’s eyes slightly hardened.

As one of the top seven sects sharing the peak of Jianghu, the relationships within were anything but peace and harmony. The enmities and struggles, often hidden from outsiders, were far more perilous than the battles fought by ordinary warriors of Jianghu.

For example, the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect, which had been the leader of the Sword Dao for a hundred years, was always at odds with One-Leaf Pavilion. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Dragon Institute sat in the Northwest, daily observing the grand spectacle of chains stretched over rivers, isolated from the affairs of other sects in Jianghu.

In the land of Shu within Jiangnan Road, Zixiao Mountain Villa stood strong like a tiger; it looked south towards One-Leaf Pavilion and north at the Taoist Sect, the spiritual home of dragons and tigers, naturally interacting with these two great powers. The disciples of the villa were known for roaming the world and befriending rangers; it was not uncommon for elders to form life-and-death friendships, celebrated tales in Jianghu.

For instance, Jiang Yang, the master of One-Leaf Pavilion, had once traveled with Yuan Shouyue, the elder of Zixiao Mountain Villa, for five years in his youth. They shared adventures of duals swords breaking enemy strongholds under the moonlight and absurd moments of sitting on the ground cursing when they were overpowered.

Their bond was as deep as that of brothers.

Entrusting his only daughter to him, Wu Qiong couldn’t be more at ease.

In terms of safety, the lands of the seven major sects of Jianghu were only slightly less secure than the Imperial Palace. Moreover, Yuan Shouyue’s only son, Yuan Zixia, a promising young man of just over twenty, had already reached the top five of the secondary Sword List, on par with the seventh son of the Xuanyuan Family who practiced Royal Sword Dao.

Wu Qiong couldn’t help but entertain thoughts of entrusting Jiang Lan’s future to him—his own impending return to Jianghu unencumbered by worldly concerns.

Jiang Lan, nimble-minded and once praised for her exquisite sensibility, merely lowered her gaze at his words, revealing none of her thoughts.

The two conversed for a while longer, with Wu Qiong doing most of the talking. For an elderly person, becoming talkative as parting approached was a common occurrence, regardless of whether one hailed from a common farmer’s house or a renowned name in Jianghu.

After their secretive conversation, having finished a pot of chrysanthemum tea, Wu Qiong stood to take his leave. After seeing him off, Jiang Lan walked back to the window and stared out in a daze.

The streets bustled with people, including martial artists in vigorous attire, scholars in wide robes and large sleeves, and many vendors making a living.

Children, unbothered by the heat, laughed and scampered about playfully.

Ignoring calls from their mothers and sisters, they stopped in front of a vendor carrying a straw man. The vendor, in his thirties, appeared indolently casual. The straw, as tall as a man and supported by a wooden stick, was fashioned into a crude human figure, adorned with bright red fruits.

In the absence of hawthorn, unripe red shaguo fruits were used. Without frost, they were coated in syrup, still tempting enough to make the children willingly part with the Great Qin Tongbao they had saved to exchange for a skewer of candied haws.

Red as flames.

Reflected in Jiang Lan’s eyes, she was once praised by the scholars of Jiangnan Road as a woman with ‘thousands of mountains and ravines in her heart,’ unlike ordinary women. It all seemed as if a breeze had passed by, stirring the green lotuses in the pond and causing a delicate ripple.

Slightly biting her red lip, she whispered softly,

“Liar…”

A group of naughty children had all received their coveted candied haws. Even being dragged away by their elder sister and having their ears pulled, they still wore a satisfied expression. When these kids scattered like birds and beasts, at least a third of the candied haws on the scarecrow figure had gone.

The leisurely big man probably felt that the weather was too hot, and seeing no more children around who might buy his goods, he thought the syrup might melt. So, he directly picked up the candied haws and walked toward the street outside, then sat down at a tea stall at the end of the street.

He set the scarecrow-like wooden stick down, leaning it against the table.

The tea shop assistant, familiar with the routine, promptly brought over a pot of herbal tea and two plates of freshly cut fruits. The fruits, tied with rope, had been hung in an ancient well. They were only taken out when ready to be eaten, permeating even the innermost parts with a lingering chill. The sound of cutting the fruits was crisp, bringing a refreshing coolness.

The big man, with his chest bare, consumed three pieces in succession and then exclaimed in enjoyment, “Refreshing!” At the table also sat an elderly man in his seventies, wearing a long shirt that seemed too hot for the weather, with a distinct and clear appearance, crescent-shaped brows, but with somewhat pronounced bags under his eyes, adding a touch of gloom.

Stretching out his spindly hand, he gently caressed the tea cup and said faintly,

“Has Miss Lan settled in?”

After eating the fruit and drinking the herbal tea, the big man leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-closed, and said, “She has settled in. However, due to one of the women, she didn’t stay in the two inns we had greeted, which would have been more convenient.”

The old man laughed, his voice raspy and unpleasant, and said,

“That’s enough.”

“Even though we and Xiahou Xuan, that consumptive young master, don’t see eye to eye, his judgement is indeed sharp. He had us stationed here early. This time we benefited, and our Second Young Master should really thank that sick man.”

The big man frowned and said, “However, it is said that Young Master Xiahou once had some affection for Miss Lan. And yet, he now joins hands with us…”

The old man coldly chuckled, his hands feeling the edge of the porcelain cup. After a pause, he said,

“Fratricide among those in power isn’t uncommon, much less for a mere woman. Despite his frailty, Xiahou Xuan has firmly held the limelight among the younger generation of the Xiahou Family. How could he achieve this without a ruthless mindset?

“He might not have hope in martial arts, unable to enter the realm of a grandmaster in his lifetime, hence he cannot use the family’s ancient Dragon Abyss zither. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lowered his head to collaborate with our Second Young Master. But in judging the situation and not hesitating to act against an old lover, he has also shown decisiveness. Were it not for his inherent physical weakness and frequent coughing fits of blood, he could truly be regarded as a formidable and awe-inspiring hero.”

The big man, seemingly agreeing, nodded slightly.

The tea shop had several customers, but no one showed any signs of interest in their conversation. Each had a bag at their waist, a waist dagger much longer than that of Great Qin, quietly sipping their tea without a word.

………

Perhaps because it was a rare opportunity for big business, the somewhat corpulent innkeeper tried every trick in the book to make his important guests as comfortable as possible, even going so far as to lower his pride to plead, coaxing a head chef from a nearby familiar inn.

The cuisine from Shu Land is different from that of Jiangnan Road, featuring predominantly spicy flavors. This head chef was particularly adept at preparing rabbit, solid and rounded in stature, bringing seven or eight assistants in a grand manner to the inn, teaching those who had been eating Jiangnan cuisine for more than ten days to switch flavors.

Especially since Wang Anfeng came from Wangxian County, and most of the Divine Martial Mansion were warriors from nearby Fufeng, they were not accustomed to the light and slightly sweet taste of Jiangnan Road cuisine. The spicy and refreshing taste of Shu cuisine was more to their liking.

The head chef brought some hand-torn rabbit meat, served it on plates, and just as everyone was about to eat, Wang Anfeng suddenly stopped his chopsticks. Next to him, Tian Zhide was slightly startled and looked towards Wang Anfeng.

Wang Anfeng smiled and asked,

“Tian Hero, do you hear any sounds outside?”

Tian Zhide concentrated to listen but only heard silence, a bit puzzled he shook his head and said, “Nothing at all…”

Wang Anfeng softly said,

“Yes, absolutely nothing.”

“But this town has dogs in almost every household, and there are always people coming and going. Just a moment ago, the sound of dogs barking was incessant. How could there suddenly be complete silence?”

Tian Zhide, Fei Yonglin, and three others’ faces drastically changed, the sounds of alertness ever-present. Wu Qiong dropped his chopsticks, gathering his strength as he rose, his restored qi force after several days of recuperation unleashed in a toss of his sleeve.

His profound qi force roared like a dragon, instantly blasting out of the inn.

PS: Today’s second update presented… three thousand words!