Urbaner Blumentraum - Kapitel 193
"So, can Ye handle this all by himself?" the third person boldly voiced his question.
The man in the middle paused for a moment before saying, "Night has never disappointed me." His voice was chillingly cold.
Everyone lowered their heads.
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Twelve (2)
Around noon, an ordinary horse-drawn carriage sped into Chenzhou City.
The driver was a young man of about ten years old. After turning left and then right from Dongning Avenue, he drove into a hutong (alleyway). High walls lined both sides of the hutong, and at the end of the wide bluestone path was the vermilion gate of a house.
At the main gate stood a plump old man with a round, white face. Upon seeing the car approaching, he immediately went to greet it with a deep bow: "Young master, it is an honor to have you here. Song Ziqian is late in welcoming you, please forgive me!"
A boisterous voice came from above: "My dear minister, you may rise, no need for formalities!" It was the very theatrical emperor's tone.
"ah?"
The old man looked up in puzzlement and saw a dirty and lazy young man sitting on the carriage, swinging his legs back and forth, looking every bit like a thug.
"Thump!" A light kick came from the car and sent the thug flying off.
The old man, Song Ziqian, immediately recognized the elusive kick as his young master's doing and excitedly stepped forward, exclaiming, "Young master!"
"Ziqian, no need for such formalities!" the person in the carriage said gently. "It's been three years since we last met, hasn't it? Ziqian, you're still as charming as ever!"
“Young master has a good memory. It has been exactly three years since the old city lord and his wife invited the brothers to enjoy the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.” Song Ziqian dismissed the coachman, personally took the reins, and led the carriage into the courtyard. After traveling for quite some time, they finally arrived at a courtyard.
"Please alight from the carriage, young master!"
As soon as the car door opened, Feng Xuese slowly stepped out. Although her clothes were covered in dust, she still exuded elegance, and her smile remained warm.
"Young master, please rest for a moment. Let this old man entertain you and help you clear your way home!"
"Thank you for your help!"
Feng Xuese lightly lifted the hem of his robe and strode forward. What he needed most right now was a hot bath and to change his clothes. However, there were still some things he needed to explain beforehand.
Zhu Huihui knew that although the old man's attitude towards him had improved, he still disliked him and dared not go into the house with him. So he obediently squatted in the corner and waited for the old man to come out and deal with him.
Feng Xuese stepped onto the stairs, glanced at Zhu Huihui, then stopped and whispered a few words to Song Ziqian.
Song Ziqian seemed somewhat surprised, but still respectfully replied, "Yes, young master!"
Meanwhile, Zhu Huihui waited for the old man to speak while curiously peeking around.
He was a naive man, never having seen much of the world before, and this was his first time entering such a grand mansion. He didn't even know which courtyard he was in. Although the mansion was clean and tidy, with high walls and large houses, it wasn't luxurious at all. The houses had white walls and gray tiles—too plain. Even the houses of wealthy country folk had carved beams and painted rafters!
Moreover, despite the size of the house, it seemed to be sparsely populated; apart from the fat old man, there was no one else, and even the coachman was nowhere to be found.
Think back to this morning on the official road, the old man casually drew some symbol on a tree, and not long after, a carriage caught up behind him and very respectfully invited the old man to get in.
When I first saw this kind of communication method, I was quite excited and admired the old man's grand style. But it turns out I was taken to such a place! Looking at this house that is all show and no substance, you can tell that the fat old man Song Ziqian is a poor wretch.
Zhu Huihui's legs were a little numb from squatting for too long, so he stood up to stretch his legs and then leaned against a maple tree by the door. But with a "thud," he fell hard on his bottom! Caught off guard, he was hit hard and sat on the ground for a while before he finally stood up, groaning and clutching his buttocks.
"Huh?"
He rubbed his eyes hard. The tree had been right behind him just moments before, so how had it suddenly moved three feet away? Suspiciously, he reached out to touch the bark, and in a flash, the tree twisted its trunk, making way for his dirty hand.
Ah! Could it be... that the tree has become a spirit? With a large house and few people, it's inevitable that yin energy is dominant and yang energy is weak... Is this house haunted?
Just as I was thinking this, I suddenly heard a woman's voice behind me say, "Young master, please come with me!"
Zhu Huihui suddenly turned around and found two women appearing out of nowhere behind him. Both were about seventeen or eighteen years old, beautiful, and dressed as servants. He was immediately terrified—female ghosts! Two of them! This was too much; they actually came out in broad daylight!
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Twelve (3)
He jumped up suddenly: "Don't come any closer! Come any closer and I'll strangle you! My flesh is poisonous, one bite and I'll make you die again..."
"..."
The two female ghosts looked at each other, and after a moment, they acted at the same time. One of them grabbed Zhu Huihui's arm and dragged him away.
In the empty house, Zhu Huihui's loud cursing could be heard incessantly.
"Ziqian, investigate along the Hulan River and find out where the Luomei Nunnery is located. Report back as soon as possible!"
"Yes, young master!"
"Also, contact all branches and check if anyone has reported missing persons in the past month, especially large-scale disappearances..." Hearing the cursing coming from outside the courtyard, he frowned slightly. "What's going on?"
A voice from outside the door said, "Young master, it's the young man you brought. The two maids, Xihua and Xiyue, are helping him bathe..."
"If two aren't enough, add two more!" After thinking for a moment, Feng Xue Se added, "Choose strong maids!"
"Yes, young master!"
The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the room was filled with mist. Feng Xuese lay in the bathtub, her eyes half-closed, breathing slowly. The water was very hot, soothing her skin. After days of running around and working hard, being able to soak in a hot bath was a truly pleasant thing.
He refused Song Ziqian's offer to serve him. He always believed that a person in the martial world should be just an ordinary wanderer, braving wind and rain, roaming freely, experiencing joy and sorrow, and being content with whatever comes his way. Why bother with so many formalities!
The water gradually cooled down. He slowly got up, picked up a white towel from the side of the bucket, and wiped the water droplets from his hair and body. Then he took the clothes draped over the screen. His clothes, from the inside out, were all plain white, which was exactly his favorite color.
As he was getting dressed, he saw the bluish bruises on his chest, and the faint pain reminded him of that small bottle of wound medicine from Beikong Valley. It was a pity that Zhu Huihui had treasured it and kept it safe—maybe he would take it to the market and exchange it for two steamed buns.
As he was fixing his hair in front of the mirror, he faintly heard a sound from the rooftop, as if a cat had run by. He paused, a faint smile appearing on his lips, before continuing to fix himself as if nothing had happened.
On the surface, this Song residence is the mansion of a wealthy merchant in Chenzhou City, but in reality, it is a branch of Fengxue City in Chenzhou. The chubby Ziqian is not the owner of a cloth shop or restaurant, but one of the thirty-six hall masters of Fengxue City, known in the martial arts world as "Iron Rooster" Song Biao Song Ziqian!