A Particular Restaurant
“How do you know about this?”
Being as clever as he was, Ming Feizhen knew it was not something to talk about. He pushed his chest out and slightly tugged up a corner of his lips. Instead of getting mad, though, Song Yanluo blurted, “Y-you eavesdropped on me?”
Impressive, Lass! I heard you were superior to your brother in martial arts and wits, but you figured that out somehow? Is Jingan in on this? You seven ladies sure are you united.
Ming Feizhen wanted to scare Song Yanluo, but her exposing him led to him being scared enough to have delusions.
Song Yanluo: He’s so rude! No matter how obsessed you are with my beauty, nobody would eavesdrop on me every day, would they? I never mentioned Third Brother’s situation, either; I only ever mumbled it to myself, yet he heard everything. No wonder why there’s no sight of him day or night. He’s as crooked as Hua Yumeng. But, while he’s rude, my beauty is partly to blame.
Ming Feizhen, who still could not figure out what was on her mind, thought she was pitying him with her sigh.
Song Yanluo looked up at Ming Feizhen without any pity and said, “It’s been hard on you.”
Despite all the shameless things he had done since his debut, he had done enough of them to no longer feel ashamed of himself. This was the first time a girl under twenty was pitying him. As much as he wanted to rebut her, considering his shifu could have been close by, he decided it was wiser to strike a deal with her than be confrontational.
Ming Feizhen held his hands up in salute. “Let us be direct, then. Miss Yan, I wish to tell you that I…”
“You don’t have to,” Song Yanluo raised a hand and interjected. “I know what you want to say.”
“Huh?”
H-how does she know without me even saying anything? Are all the newbies such monsters?
“Do you think there is a chance?”
Song Yanluo shook her head. “No. You can forget it.”
“Please reconsider. I am being sincere. I…”
“Your level of sincerity makes no difference. That is not the primary reason. I am not a snob. Regardless of one’s background, I view everyone equally.”
“I am glad to hear that. You do your reputation as a heroine justice.” All else aside, being able to speak on equal terms was the most important prerequisite for discussing a deal. “Please listen to my condit-”
“That won’t be necessary.” Song Yanluo gestured with her hand for Ming Feizhen to not speak.
“But you have not yet heard me out.”
“I told you. I can ignore everything else but one thing.”
“What is it? I can change?”
“You can’t!”
“Why not? Can you tell me first?”
We’re talking business, not marriage. What can I possibly not change?
“You,” reluctantly, Song Yanluo answered, “are too ugly.”
Ming Feizhen blankly watched the two ladies leave without even a thought of stopping them. Long after they were gone, he touched his face and then gazed into the sky.
I’ve been rolling in the pugilistic for twenty-nine years. Have appearances become so important in the pugilistic world now?
***
There was probably never a point in Hangzhou’s history where as many martial-world folks had gathered in the city as now. Not only were there armed warriors on every street, the celebratory mood had permeated every location that was even the slightest bit busy. The passing on of leadership of Wutong Jin Yuxuan was an occasion for celebration, but the atmosphere right now was on another level, which went to show that, under Matriarch Zi Wutong’s leadership, the sect had levelled up.
As he wandered around, Tang Ye tried to decipher the secret of the merry atmosphere. Hangzhou was known as one of the havens for warriors since old – even when Jiangnan was accounted for – yet its martial arts community was now second fiddle to Night Fortress and Wutong Jin Yuxuan. Tang Ye had not forgotten Jin Wangsun trampled on Night Fortress. That being said, Gold and Silver Sect were then exiled from Hangzhou. Therefore, Night Fortress should have paid that debt. Night Fortress’ master then defeated Abels in Jiangnan, leading to them gaining popularity again. Now that South’s Ember Five Palaces were replacing the White Princes, they should have gained even more fame. He thought it would be easiest to collect information on Night Fortress in the city their headquarter was based, only to find out he was dead wrong. Following two days of wandering, he had yet to hear a mention of Night Fortress or Mount Daluo no matter if it was the bustling streets and stores or quiet zones. Fortunately, he had another method of acquiring information.
One could lie through their teeth, but their body was always honest. To avoid his shifu catching him as soon as they were on Mount Night Fortress, Ming Feizhen taught Tang Ye a method to determine one’s identity. While Night Fortress was home to characters of numerous backgrounds, there was a common denominator between them – they all practiced Trailblazer Formation’s internal mental cultivation.
Without a guide, an outsider would have an awfully tough time bypassing the formation Ming Huayu installed on Mount Night Fortress. As for those who called the mountain home, they had to learn to navigate the formation before they could leave the mountain. The simplest approach was to learn the route, except that was not the same as learning the internal mental cultivation.
Ming Feizhen imparted the internal discipline to the warriors on the mountain; they needed to use it to leave the mountain. Tang Ye could use this knowledge to identify who came from the mountain. What surprised him was that, when he found a restaurant, pretty much everyone inside fit the bill.
Previous Chapter l Next Chapter
