The young man's fingers paused on the guqin, but the sound of the music seemed to linger in the ears of the people, echoing throughout the teahouse. Even the sound of the rain outside felt distant. The boy's guqin melody was graceful, and as people regained their senses, they saw him sitting there, sipping tea.
He raised his cup and offered it to the young lady, the tea was somewhat light, allowing her to enjoy the dried figs she was eating. These fruits were abundant in the Western Regions, dried under the sun and rough winds, yet still very sweet, while the coarse tea from Jiangnan perfectly balanced the flavor.
"How is it? Is it delicious now?"
"One salty, one sweet, it can never go wrong."
The young man raised his eyebrows in delight, dressed in a plain black outfit with white trim. Though it was somewhat too simple, the flower pinned at his temple made his demeanor lively and spirited. He sat there explaining the eating method to the young lady.
Beside them, a young woman shyly lowered her head.
The young lady was savoring the lyrics of the poem, feeling it was truly talented and thinking that this fellow must have recited it during his ten years of fleeing, having encountered some great scholar. However, the poem was indeed excellent, and suddenly her face flushed red.
She widened her eyes, as if finally realizing, and muttered the line from the poem several times.
Her fair, jade-like face visibly turned crimson.
Unable to resist, she lifted her leg and gently kicked Li Guanyi.
With a face as red as a ripe peach, she stammered, "Y-y-you!"
"Huh? What did I do?"
The young lady's face was flushed, and she whispered, "Why did you write such a poem and sing it out loud?"
Li Guanyi smiled and replied, "I didn't write it; I encountered a great scholar named Liu Sanbian on my journey of fleeing. He recited it by the well, and I have a good memory, so I remembered it."
Xue Shuangtao said angrily, "Then why did you include my name in it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Angry waves roll over frost and snow!"
Li Guanyi was taken aback. He had only been lost in playing the guqin and had not realized that this line could be interpreted as "frost waves like Jiangnan snow." At this moment, seeing the young lady's face flushed, the blush seemed to reach her eyes, filled with both shyness and anger.
Snow is rare in Jiangnan, and thus Jiangnan snow is precious.
Li Guanyi prided himself on his sharp tongue, but at this moment, he found himself at a loss for words, saying, "I... I..."
The people around them burst into laughter, and the young lady stomped her foot and ran outside.
Suddenly, something flew over, and Li Guanyi raised his hand to catch it; it was a silver ingot, akin to the applause for storytelling and singing in the teahouse. The young man showed no airs of a scholar, accepting the silver with a slight smile and a bow.
Then he grabbed an umbrella and dashed into the rain.
The person who had thrown the silver was sitting on the second floor of the teahouse, where some rainwater splashed in. Most people wouldn't sit there, and moreover, the second floor required extra payment. Those seeking shelter from the rain were mostly children and vendors from the vicinity; they would rather get wet than spend an extra ten wen to go upstairs for the view.
The person who threw the silver wore a bamboo hat and softly murmured, "Angry waves roll over frost and snow, it is indeed a good tune."
"The style of Chen Kingdom is different from that of Ying Kingdom; Jiangnan has such a young man."
The speaker was a woman with a pleasant voice, wearing a mask. Opposite her was a man who said, "I didn't expect the Sword Immortal of Luzhou to care so much about such a poem."
The woman replied indifferently, "Poetry and lyrics hold no benefit for me."
"It is merely his demeanor while playing the guqin that reminds me of a dear friend from my youth."
"I haven't heard her guqin music in a long time."
The man sensed that the Jianghu expert before him was unwilling to elaborate further.
He smiled slightly and said, "Previously, I had the honor of working with the Sword Immortal to defeat Yue Qianfeng alongside General Xue of the Chen Kingdom. That man is indeed a fierce general; it was the Sword Immortal's piercing sword qi that broke his aura, revealing his traces."
"The Sword Immortal of Luzhou is indeed worthy of the name."
"This is a token of gratitude."
The man took out a box from his sleeve and placed it on the table, gently pushing it forward. The box was made of golden silk nanmu, extremely rare, and even this box was already a precious item, let alone what was inside.
The woman known as the Sword Immortal of Luzhou did not even glance at it, merely saying, "No need for further words."
"I only promised Dantai to assist him three times as per our agreement from years ago."
"After those three times, all past grievances will be resolved."
"That previous time was already the second."
The man smiled and said softly, "The Sword Immortal is still a Jianghu person, a promise worth a thousand gold. This third invitation to the Sword Immortal to Jiangzhou City is actually still about that previous matter—today, the world is changing greatly, Tuyuhun is like fish meat, and all nations are like knives and chopping boards. The grand ceremony of the Chen Kingdom is this grand curtain."
"On the surface, it appears splendid, but in reality, it is like oil on fire."
"Domestically, there is the matter of Marshal Yue, the various officials, and the two newly appointed Silver Blue Grand Masters, along with the matters of Xiao Wuliang and Yue Qianfeng; in the world, there are the Turks, the Dangxiang, and Ying Kingdom all coming. Such a huge affair, if Yue Qianfeng, that reckless man, acts recklessly, wouldn't the Chen Kingdom lose face before the world?"
"I ask the Sword Immortal to restrain this fiend."
The Sword Immortal of Luzhou said, "…Yue Qianfeng is very strong."
The man nodded and praised, "Ranked thirty-fourth on the Divine General List, he is indeed strong. However, Sword Immortal, you traverse the Jianghu, your sword qi is unparalleled; stopping him shouldn't be difficult."
The Sword Immortal of Luzhou replied, "I only have a fifty percent chance."
"You should seek stronger individuals."
The man laughed but was filled with regret, saying, "Those stronger Jianghu experts are unlikely to step into the mortal realm easily."
"Do you want me to seek out those four legendary Jianghu martial arts masters? Or perhaps the ten great grandmasters?"
"Most of the wandering heroes in the Jianghu seek fame through battle; many of the renowned generals were once wandering heroes traveling across nations in their youth."
"But those ten great grandmasters, each one is worthy of the Divine General List, yet they refuse to be controlled."
A glint of sharpness suddenly appeared in the man's eyes, saying, "Only because the world is not yet stable does there exist soil for their presence."
"Once the world is unified, they will surely trample the Jianghu."
The Sword Immortal of Luzhou did not respond, gazing outside. On one side of the Divine General List, the Jianghu people had the Master List, those practitioners who did not enter the court or return to the hundred schools, fighting in the Jianghu, entangled in grievances and enmities, their names resounding in their regions, ultimately forming various powers.
The grievances and enmities in the Jianghu are no less than those in the court.
The man continued, "It seems the Sword Immortal is unwilling to take action. Among those ten great grandmasters, since the Sword Immortal just mentioned them, why not share which grandmaster you believe is the strongest, capable of easily suppressing the grand ceremony of our Chen Kingdom? I will report to my teacher and do my utmost to invite him back."
He was merely appeasing the Sword Immortal.
The Sword Immortal, wearing a silver mask, said, "That one, you all know."
"But only he, you cannot invite."
The man's smile faded.
He knew who the Sword Immortal was referring to.
The only one without a doubt who could directly crush Yue Qianfeng in battle.
The rain outside gradually stopped, dripping from the eaves, falling drop by drop onto the earthenware jar, producing a crisp sound. The Sword Immortal of Luzhou lifted her sword, gazing at the scenery outside, saying, "Twelve years ago, when the Peace Order was trapped in the capital, the cavalry of Ying Kingdom invaded the eighteenth state of Jiangnan. That person wielded ninety-seven mysterious weapons, personally blocking the gates."
The man said, "The Peace Order was drinking in the capital, not trapped in it."
The Sword Immortal of Luzhou replied indifferently, "I want to ask, when the Peace Order was in the capital, in the two years before his death."
"The border troops of Chen Kingdom retreated as if they were deliberately allowing Ying Kingdom to invade the borders. The Murong family defended the city, and three hundred seventy-two direct descendants died in battle. The blood of the Murong family flowed into the rivers of the city, and in the end, it was the citizens of that city who defended it, forcing back thirty thousand troops."
"He personally killed one thousand seven hundred heavy cavalry of the Tiger Barbarians, charging into battle seven times, severely injuring the second strongest heavy cavalry in the world, which took ten years to recover."
"He killed two ranked divine generals."
"Among the Jianghu masters of the Central Plains, he is the strongest."
"Among the martial artists who wield swords in the world, there is none more domineering than him. But can you invite him back?"
The man's eyes showed a hint of panic, and he merely lowered his head to drink tea.
The Sword Immortal of Luzhou held her sword, opened her umbrella, and walked out of the teahouse, softly murmuring:
"One guqin, one sword, a lifetime of meaning, bearing the wild fame for two hundred years."
"The divine soldiers of Jiangnan, the Murong family."
"Sword madman, Murong Longtu."
"With sword in hand, riding through blood rain, bones piled like mountains, birds startled into flight."
"Longtu's ambition, autumn water without trace."
"Jiangnan's misty rain, divine soldiers of Murong."
This was a lineage that simultaneously held weapons and melodies among the families of the Jianghu.
The man in the teahouse sipped his tea, seemingly recalling the blood and gore of that scroll, as well as the hidden struggles within the text. Finally, he closed his eyes, as if listening to the winds and rains of Jiangnan, hearing the sharp sound of blades in the wind, softly saying:
"It is not ninety-seven, but ninety-six."
"Among the weapons of the divine soldiers of the Murong family, one is missing."
He realized that the person in front had already left, stopping his words, and finally raised his head to look at the distant sky:
"Grand ceremony, no matter what, must not go wrong."
"For the sake of this world."
…………
Li Guanyi found the young lady under a tree. The spring rain in Jiangnan was very fine, so the young lady had not gotten wet. Li Guanyi held the umbrella to shield her from the rain, saying, "The rain is about to stop. If we stay out here any longer, the old man will surely have something to say about us."
"Did you have fun, young lady? Should we head back?"
Xue Shuangtao had calmed down. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Well, there's one last thing."
She shyly pointed at the tree, saying, "I want to climb up to see the scenery."
Li Guanyi was dumbfounded.
Xue Shuangtao said, "Since I was little, only my younger brother could climb trees. Grandpa always said that girls shouldn't climb trees; it doesn't suit the demeanor of a noble lady. I really want to see what Jiangnan looks like from the highest point."
Li Guanyi smiled and said, "Alright, do you need my help?"
Xue Shuangtao rolled up her sleeves, saying, "Don't underestimate me. Although I haven't entered the realm, I have some achievements in the family’s Jade Arm Divine Bow technique."
She moved her body, leaping up, her right foot stepping on the tree trunk, her inner qi bursting forth, propelling her upwards five or six feet. After adjusting her breath, she took just a few steps and landed on the trunk.
The young lady's eyes widened as she looked at the Jiangnan cityscape, where the rain was about to end. The rain in Jiangnan was different from that in the desert or the Central Plains; the fine rain fell like mist, enveloping the bluestone slabs and buildings, beautiful as a painting. But Xue Shuangtao felt that standing at a high place allowed her to breathe more freely!
Li Guanyi asked, "Do you want to shout out?"
Xue Shuangtao replied, "Of course not, that would be improper."
The young man laughed and shouted, "At this time, what propriety is there to speak of? Xue Shuangtao, are you silly!" His inner qi surged, his voice booming, startling the birds. The young lady's eyes widened, then she laughed, cupping her hands around her lips, shouting, "Li Guanyi, you are the big fool!"
After shouting several times, she suddenly felt very exhilarated.
Then she laughed.
After admiring the scenery for a while, Li Guanyi called her down. The young man said, "Be careful when you come down! Climbing down is much harder than climbing up. I'll catch you."
Xue Shuangtao said, "I’m a martial artist; I’m not afraid!"
She nimbly jumped down, using the trunk for leverage, but at that moment, a spinning top came rolling over.
A five or six-year-old child came running without a care.
Just like Li Guanyi had seen in his previous life, children running around on the main roads often lacked a sense of danger. If the young lady's Jade Arm Divine Bow technique were to collide with this child, he would likely be severely injured by the burst of inner qi.
Li Guanyi stepped forward, and Xue Shuangtao had already shifted her inner qi.
With a turn of her foot, she landed elsewhere and then jumped down, avoiding the child.
The child holding the top was startled and froze. Li Guanyi caught the little one who wanted to run away, sternly lecturing him to prevent him from making the same mistake again. Seeing that the young lady was unharmed, she said, "You don't have to be so strict."
Li Guanyi raised his eyebrows, saying, "Otherwise, this kid will just make the same mistake again."
He pinched the child's nose and said fiercely, "If you make the same mistake again, I'll come to your door at midnight and take your nose away. By then, you'll only have two holes left." This frightened the child, who turned pale and ran away. Xue Shuangtao burst into laughter, saying, "Why are you doing such childish things?"
Li Guanyi didn't care, but as he walked back with the young lady, he noticed that at first, she walked normally, but later he saw her brow furrowed, and she began to lean to the left. Li Guanyi sighed and stopped her, saying, "Did you twist your ankle?"
"You haven't forged your body; such explosive martial arts can easily injure yourself. You were too hasty... No, I still need to teach that kid a lesson."
Xue Shuangtao was both amused and exasperated, saying, "Alright, stop messing around."
Li Guanyi said, "This is not messing around."
"Can you still walk?"
Xue Shuangtao jumped down, saying, "I can."
"Can my foot!"
Li Guanyi rolled his eyes. The young man squatted down and saw that the young lady's ankle was already swollen, so he turned around and said, "Get on."
"Huh?"
Li Guanyi said, "If you don't get on, you might have to lie in bed for five more days." The young lady hesitated for a moment, thinking that since he had already touched her ankle, it wouldn't matter if he carried her, so she gently climbed onto Li Guanyi's back.
Li Guanyi smiled and said, "You're really light."
He carried the young lady back along the misty, rainy roads of Jiangnan, buying a string of candied hawthorns along the way. The young lady wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and the young man began to complain about the lack of public transportation in this world, wishing there were public carriages.
He joked all the way, making Xue Shuangtao laugh out loud.
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing."
Xue Shuangtao said, "I was just thinking, in the past, I only played the guqin and practiced martial arts, and every day felt the same. Today feels very strange. I think, many years from now, I definitely won't forget this day."
She softly thought, "No matter how far into the future, regardless of how many years."
"I will definitely remember today with a smile."
Li Guanyi carried her through the alleys of Jiangnan, through the mist and rain, with laughter in their ears.
However, when they returned, the Xue family members were stunned.
The old man had previously heard that Li Guanyi had taken Xue Shuangtao out to play and had only laughed, but when he saw them return, he suddenly couldn't laugh anymore.
His eyes twitched as he realized what had happened, and he turned red-faced, instructing the maid to take the suddenly aware young lady, who was blushing, to treat her injuries. Then he glared fiercely at Li Guanyi, saying, "You little brat, come here!"
"If you don't give me an explanation today, I’ll hang you up and give you a beating!"
Li Guanyi said, "Because I was a bit happy today, I acted recklessly. Seeing the young lady in a bad mood, I took her out for a stroll."
"Happy? Good, little brat, tell me, what made you happy?"
The old man grinned, his expression dangerous:
"If you can't explain, I'll make you happy."
Li Guanyi smiled slightly, clenched his fists, and bumped them together.
The sound was like the clash of gold and jade.
The expression on the old man's face gradually solidified.
Li Guanyi said, "I have forged my body."
(End of Chapter)