Jiang Moran cast a look of disgust at him; he still had a slight impression of this coward.
Back then, the speed at which he had knelt was truly impressive.
Fengqingzi rushed over when he heard the commotion, only to freeze when he spotted the senior standing in the middle of the crowd.
“Why has Senior gotten into another fight?” he muttered in a low voice, quickly stepping forward.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yan Xie caught a glimpse of white robes. Looking closer, he realized it was his old acquaintance, Fengqingzi, who had arrived.
“Brother Feng!” Yan Xie ran straight over and hugged his thigh.
Fengqingzi gasped in surprise. “Yan Xie, what kind of madness are you suffering from now?!”
“Brother, please help me reason with that big shot!” Yan Xie cried, looking utterly miserable. He was indeed crazy, but he wasn't stupid. Even if there were a gap in strength, he could usually trade his life to take his opponent down with him.
But fighting this man was pure suicide!
Uh... Fengqingzi was temporarily speechless.
“Oh, Little Feng, what brings you here?” Jiang Moran caught sight of Fengqingzi.
“Senior.” Fengqingzi kicked Yan Xie aside and stepped forward, saying, “Information came from Pavilion Master Su. She wants to know about the situation inside Yinhan City.”
“She says that if there is a chance to open a north-south trade route, that opportunity lies within Yinhan City!”
Jiang Moran pondered for a moment. This passage could indeed open up a north-south trade route, and the city's inhabitants were already conducting small-scale transactions between the north and south. It was just that no one had noticed it before, until the Zhang Family Ancestor, who had visited this place once, specifically left behind a map.
Unfortunately, after the Second Prince ascended the throne, he had no intention of making peace with the North. This city would ultimately become nothing more than a sacrificial lamb in the war between the two nations.
“Tell her that using this passage as a trade route is impossible. She should just give up on that idea.”
Fengqingzi nodded at his words, then spoke up again, “Ning Qingzhu and the others are waiting for you at the tavern to have lunch.”
Lunch already? Jiang Moran glanced at the sky, surprised to see that it was already midday.
He had only eaten a single bite of fish this morning, so he was indeed quite hungry by now.
“Let's go, let's go. Lead the way.” As Jiang Moran spoke, he glanced over at Xiao Yu.
“This flatbread is pretty good.”
Xiao Yu stared at him, nodding in a daze.
Yan Xie lay there pretending to be dead after being kicked aside. It wasn't until he stealthily opened his eyes and saw no sign of the two men that he finally struggled to crawl back up.
“The enmity of a murdered master is irreconcilable under the same sky! This has been an undeniable truth since ancient times.”
Yan Xie fiercely gripped a short blade, sliced off a corner of his robes, and said with an expression of absolute resolve, “Master, your disciple cannot defeat him. With this slice today, our master-disciple bond ends right here!”
Under the stunned gaze of the Beggar Gang Leader, Yan Xie turned around and walked further and further away.
...
In the eastern district of Yinhan City stood a tavern. Though not the grandest establishment in the city, it enjoyed the busiest trade, all because the manager had hired the chef from the Central Plains overnight.
As soon as Jiang Moran stepped inside the tavern, his eyes fell upon a diverse crowd of martial artists from the jianghu.
The familiar, mouth-watering aroma of braised beef and soy-sauced pig trotters wafted through the air—delicacies rarely found in the Northern Desert. No wonder the shopkeeper was praised for his foresight; he knew exactly how to capture his customers' palates.
Old Chen had already ordered a table full of dishes and was waiting for him. Seeing Jiang Moran enter, he hurriedly rose and waved.
“Young Master! Over here!”
Jiang Moran spotted Old Chen in the crowd and squeezed his way through, sitting down at the table along with Fengqingzi. Now, the whole group was finally gathered.
“How did you guys manage to find this tavern? I ate a fish outside just now and almost got single-handedly taken out by it.”
Old Chen handed over a bowl and chopsticks, laughing. “This region is freezing, so most of the fish is preserved in ice. It's only normal that the fishy smell is quite strong.”
“Fortunately, Little Qing has a sharp nose and found us a fine tavern.”
“Hehe,” Ning Qingzhu giggled proudly, picking up a piece of braised beef and placing it into Jiang Moran's bowl.
Jiang Moran smiled and took a bite.
“Young Master, where did you wander off to today? Why did you only return just now?” Ning Qingzhu asked inquisitively.
“Nowhere special, just wandered around. I bought some plum blossom wine, ate some flatbread that tasted pretty good, and beat up a beggar.”
Beat up a beggar? Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, not expecting him to have such an hobby.
It seemed that even if they starved to the point of having nothing to eat in the future, they absolutely must never become beggars...
Just then, Qiu Zhiya suddenly spoke up.
“This place is merely an ordinary city. Xu Qing and I plan to leave the city tonight.”
Hearing this, Ning Qingzhu was taken aback and said with a touch of reluctance, “Sister Qiu, won't you stay and have fun for a couple more days?”
“No. Since there is no treasure here as we had anticipated, there is no point in lingering any longer.”
Xu Qing remained silent. Wherever she went, he would follow.
With both of them resolute in their departure, the others could not persist in convincing them to stay. Fengqingzi looked at Jiang Moran with a hint of hesitation, as if he had something to say but stopped himself.
“Just spit it out. What are you dawdling for?” Jiang Moran grumbled.
Only then did Fengqingzi speak up to ask, “Then... what are Senior's plans for the future?”
His tone carried a hint of reluctance. The events of this past month had been incredibly thrilling, and his own strength had grown considerably because of them.
Jiang Moran didn't speak, only turning his gaze toward Ning Qingzhu, who was still busy putting food in his bowl.
Sensing his gaze, Ning Qingzhu immediately set down her chopsticks and said sheepishly, “This jianghu is far more exciting than I imagined. I still want to make a name for myself here!”
Seeing this, he smiled helplessly.
“Go ahead then.”
After they finished their meal, Qiu Zhiya and Xu Qing took their leave and departed. Old Chen, Jiang Moran, and the rest planned to stay in Yinhan City for a couple more days; after all, they had already traveled all this way.
Ning Qingzhu, on the other hand, planned to set off for the North in a few days to try her luck in the Northern Emperor's lands and broaden her horizons.
This time, Old Chen would not be accompanying her, as the young girl insisted on venturing out on her own. Jiang Moran was quite reassured, however, since the movement technique she had learned was taught by him.
“What do you plan to do next?” Fengqingzi whispered, leaning closer to Zhang Wuji.
With his signature dead-fish eyes, Zhang Wuji shook his head and said helplessly, “I've already left my old employer. The moment I left, they were destroyed, so I have no choice but to tag along with you guys.”
Hearing this, Fengqingzi patted his shoulder.
What a jinx.
The tavern's dishes suited the palates of the Central Plains people very well; Jiang Moran alone consumed more than half of them. Accompanied by the unique plum blossom wine, he was thoroughly satisfied.
Crash! The sudden sound of a tray hitting the floor came from the entrance, followed by a noisy argument.
“What do you mean there are no tables left? If there are no tables, do you expect me to stand and eat?!”
“I'm terribly sorry, I'm terribly sorry. Please don't be angry, Young Master Guo.”
The crowd turned to look at the noise and saw a plump man who had come for lunch with a few friends. Upon being told there were no tables left, he had instantly flown into a rage.
The tavern waiter could only apologize repeatedly. This was the young master of the Guo Family; in this city, the Guo Family was the most powerful second only to the City Lord!
Not to mention that the Guo Family also had a highly skilled eldest young master, who possessed the legendary reputation of the Cold Moon Flying Daggers.
“No tables?”
“Can't you just throw a few people out for me?!”
The waiter looked completely helpless; doing such a thing would surely ruin their establishment's reputation...
Jiang Moran watched all of this unfold. If anyone were to ask what he thought, he would naturally say he was watching it while eating—what else was he supposed to do?
It had nothing to do with him.
“Oh, Young Master Guo, look over there! There's a beauty!” one of the people beside Young Master Guo suddenly exclaimed, pointing in Ning Qingzhu's direction.
...Jiang Moran: ?
Rate on N.U.
