Ein Lächeln kann eine Stadt zum Einsturz bringen

Kapitel 6

Cheng Hongxiao frowned and replied somewhat reluctantly, "At that time, I didn't know that she was Duan Wenzheng's treasure. This was originally a riddle set by the Sword Saint, and I'm not the only one who hasn't solved it."

Su Xianhua couldn't help but chuckle. Indeed, no one would have imagined that the treasure so many people had been searching for would belong to one person, let alone that this person would be taken away by someone completely unaware of the situation. A futile search all night—how ridiculous!

Cheng Hong smiled and tapped the table, saying, "Now you can tell me Duan Ruhua's whereabouts."

Su Xianhua snorted: "What if I don't tell you?"

His beautiful eyes narrowed instantly, and he said coldly, "Information in the martial arts world always has a price."

The air around him instantly filled with an undisguised murderous aura following his words.

Su Xianhua naturally understood the threat in his words. She quickly calculated in her mind—although Cheng Hongxiao was unknown, his martial arts skills were extremely high, rarely seen among his peers. Furthermore, given that Tan Ge addressed him as "Young Master," it was hard to guarantee that he didn't have some extraordinary figures behind him whom one couldn't afford to offend…

Without making a sound, she took out the silver hairpin from her sleeve and handed it over, saying, "What Young Master Cheng said is quite right. I've listened to so much of your information, so I can't leave without giving back... But I really don't know where Duan Ruhua went. She only left me this hairpin. If Young Master Cheng finds it useful, please take it."

Cheng Hongxiao didn't stand on ceremony, took the wine, examined it carefully, and put it in his pocket. His gaze towards Su Xianhua then held a probing quality. However, he didn't raise any objections in the end. He simply finished the wine in his cup and nodded as a farewell.

"Wait a minute." His sleeve was pulled forcefully.

Turning around, she saw a pair of clear, bright eyes on a honey-colored face. Su Xianhua's tone was very resentful: "Young Master Cheng, you can't just leave like this."

"..."

"I originally intended to pawn this hairpin for money."

A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, even softening the menacing markings around his eyes: "How many do you want?"

Su Xianhua held up one finger, and Cheng Hongxiao, without even raising an eyebrow, pulled out a silver note from his pocket and handed it over. Su Xianhua was stunned when she saw the words on it: one thousand taels! She actually only wanted one hundred taels, but even one hundred taels was far more than the price of a single silver hairpin. This young master Cheng was truly generous!

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (8)

To everyone's surprise, he added casually, "I borrowed it from you, remember to return it later."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly moved, his arm creating a gust of wind as he swung it towards the nearby grove of trees.

"Who's eavesdropping? Show yourself!"

As he moved, an old voice cried out in pain. Su Xianhua immediately rushed in and saw an old man with white hair and beard lying half-reclined by the stream next to the grove, rubbing his back and groaning. His straw hat was askew, and his fishing rod was lying to the side.

Cheng Hongxiao's eyes narrowed, a silver glint flashing within his narrow sleeves. He was about to make a move when Su Xianhua blocked his way, glaring at him: "What do you want to do?"

He glanced at her face, then at the groaning old fisherman, snorted, and without a word, turned and left.

Su Xianhua didn't bother to dwell on the young master Cheng's wicked behavior and hurriedly stepped forward to help the old fisherman up.

By the time she helped the old man sit up straight, Cheng Hongxiao and his attendant, Tan Ge, had already vanished without a trace. She couldn't help but curse him under her breath, calling him a "bastard." She vowed that next time she saw him, she'd give him a good stab.

Of course, this is all on the premise that they can still meet.

"Old man, are you alright?" She squatted down in front of the old fisherman, looking worriedly at his grimacing expression—actually, if it weren't for his distorted expression, the old man would have been quite handsome, with neatly trimmed white hair and beard, giving him a somewhat ethereal appearance.

The old fisherman, clutching his aching back, groaned, "This old man almost fell to his death... Where did this villain come from? Is there no law in this world?"

Su Xianhua didn't know how to answer, so she could only ask, "Grandpa, where does it hurt? Let me take you to see a doctor."

“There’s no need to see a doctor…” The old fisherman glanced at Su Xianhua, a strange light flashing in his eyes, and grinned, “If the little girl is so kind, why don’t you treat me to a meal?”

"What?"

"The old man had no food, so he fished here to fill his stomach. Who knew he'd be startled and fall like that? It hurts a bit, but it's nothing compared to the discomfort of an empty stomach..." The old fisherman sighed, rubbing his belly, his eyes filled with pity as he looked at Su Xianhua. "Girl, please have mercy on me..."

"It's just a meal, no problem, I'm hungry too!"

"Isn't this just one silver note? It's enough for the old man to eat sea cucumber and abalone if he wants. That cold-blooded and wicked young master Cheng Hongxiao's only redeeming quality is his generosity."

Su Xianhua stared in disbelief as the old fisherman swallowed a whole roast goose, took a sip of tea, and let out a satisfied burp.

"Ah, I'm finally full..."

"Grandpa, are you... are you alright eating so much?" She looked at the old man with some concern. His wrinkled face was slightly flushed from the full meal, and there were still a few specks of oil on his beard. His eyes were slightly closed, and he looked very content.

The old fisherman smacked his lips and said lazily, "It's alright, it's alright, if we don't eat more we'll be hungry again soon..." Before he finished speaking, he glanced at Su Xianhua, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He chuckled and leaned closer, saying, "Girl, thank you for treating me to dinner. This old man will have to pay you back for this meal."

Just as Su Xianhua was about to wave her hand and say no, the old fisherman had already stretched out a hand towards her. She asked in confusion, "Old man, what are you doing?"

"Without the initial investment, how can I turn things around and make money to pay you back?"

"You're going to gamble?" Her eyes widened.

"Don't worry, I'm an old man with great luck, I definitely won't lose."

Su Xianhua had been sitting on the stone steps at the entrance of the gambling den for almost an hour.

In truth, she didn't know why she was sitting there. The old fisherman, a complete stranger, said he wanted to gamble. She could have easily given him a few taels of silver and left without a second thought. But then she remembered how badly the old man had fallen and hadn't rested properly, wandering around aimlessly right after dinner, and she started to worry. Who knew this old fisherman really was a complete gambler? After entering the largest gambling den in Qinghe Town, he didn't emerge for an entire hour.

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (9)

Although Su Xianhua was a bandit, she was very principled. She could drink, fight, and even steal things of dubious origin, but she would never gamble. However, her abstaining from gambling didn't mean others wouldn't. Black Wind Stronghold was full of hot-blooded men, and when they had no other entertainment, most of them would gamble a little. As the saying goes, a little gambling is harmless fun; wins and losses of a few taels, tens of taels, or even hundreds of taels were within their means and wouldn't break the gang rules.

Even those close to her, such as the second-in-command Qin Shao and the fourth-in-command Huai Ming, were experts in this game. Sometimes, they would lose all their clothes in one night of gambling. However, they were the most capable assistants in helping her manage her subordinates to gamble "with integrity." Gambling was fine, but losing all their family fortune and even taking lives for gambling was absolutely unacceptable.

At first, she just sat for a while at the entrance of the gambling den, planning to leave after the old man had lost all his money. But after sitting for so long, the old man still hadn't come out, and she began to feel uneasy.

She wasn't worried about the old fisherman's health, but rather his money.

There are only two possible reasons why the old man hasn't come out yet after being inside for so long—one is that he won a lot of money and is so happy that he doesn't want to leave, but Qin Shao had already told her that gambling dens in the private sector have hidden mechanisms and secret doors, and nine out of ten gamblers lose. How could the old man possibly win all of them? So there is only one other possibility: he has lost everything and can't win it back.

Should we go in and check on him?

She sat on the steps, appearing calm, but inwardly she was engaged in a fierce internal struggle. Most of the gamblers coming and going were men, who were very curious about this woman sitting alone by the door with an enormous long bundle on her lap. Some glanced at her a few more times, only to be glared at by her and forced to go inside dejectedly.

After waiting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she couldn't resist any longer. She stood up and was about to go inside when a rough voice suddenly rang out from the entrance of the gambling den: "Hey, are you Old Man Lu's granddaughter?"

She was taken aback, turned around and met a face full of fat, and immediately took a step back: "Who are you looking for?"

"Old Lu's granddaughter." The man dressed as a guard at the gambling den glanced at Su Xianhua and said in a gruff voice, "Old Lu just owed the gambling den fifty taels of silver. He said his granddaughter is waiting outside and asked us to come out and collect the money. The girl in the blue dress, isn't that you?"

Su Xianhua snorted: "When did I have a grandfather, and when did I owe money?"

"Then what are you doing waiting here if you don't gamble?" The burly guard became even more rude when she tried to evade the issue, and shoved her. "Little girl, don't be stubborn. If you don't have the money to pay back, our boss has plenty of other ways to make you pay..."

He glanced at her wide blue dress and honey-colored face, and secretly shook his head: This kind of woman, although she has a pretty face, has rough skin and a fierce look. She doesn't look like she can fetch a good price.

I have no idea what's in that big bundle she's carrying. It looks like a weapon, but since she's carrying it so easily, it's probably just a big cloth bag for carrying a shoulder pole.

He was trying to gauge Su Xianhua's appearance when Su Xianhua, already enraged, was about to strike him when a familiar voice rang out from inside the door: "Oh, granddaughter, you've finally arrived! If you hadn't come, your grandfather would have been skinned alive and his old life would be in danger..."

Her hand suddenly stopped. Sure enough, it was the old fisherman who had been inside for an hour and hadn't come out yet!

She shook off the guard's hand, walked up to the old man, glared at him angrily for a long time, and suddenly shouted, "Grandpa, you've gone too far! You gambled away the money we just got from selling land to pay off debts? Grandma is sick in bed with no one to take care of her, Dad is working hard at Master Wang's house and hasn't come back yet, Mom is working in the fields without anyone to help, my brother's pants haven't been mended yet, and my sister has been hungry for three days and can't even speak anymore. We still owe Auntie three two cows, Uncle five a flock of chickens, and we borrowed a liter of rice from Auntie six next door a few days ago and haven't paid it back yet! Oh, and last year we bought five ounces and three mace of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar at the village shop, and the shopkeeper has come to collect it three times already… Grandpa, how could you be so foolish? What are we going to do?"

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (10)

She finished speaking in one breath without even blinking, leaving everyone around her stunned. Su Xianhua then grabbed the old man's arm, pretended to be very sad, and whispered through gritted teeth, "Gambling is a waste of money and brings bad luck to your family. Old man, please don't gamble anymore."

Old Man Lü seemed to have been taken aback by her long-winded speech. Hearing her speak, he blinked, a barely perceptible hint of amusement flashing across his eyes. When he opened them again, they were brimming with tears. He nodded hurriedly, "Granddaughter, you're right. I'm getting senile... I'll go home with you now, don't cry, don't cry..."

Su Xianhua rolled her eyes, unable to hold back her tears any longer. She could only rub her face with her hands and grumble, "Then Grandpa promises he'll never gamble again!"

Old Man Lü hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, alright, I'm not gambling anymore. I'm going home to farm..."

Before she could finish speaking, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd. It turned out that a group of onlookers had gathered around, listening to the "granddaughter" recount her family's plight. They couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, and seeing that the gambling grandfather was willing to quit drugs, and that the family was about to be reunited and that the debts owed to those gossipy relatives could finally be paid off, they couldn't help but feel happy for the grandfather and granddaughter.

Su Xianhua secretly tugged at Old Man Lü's sleeve, pretended to wipe her face, and looked up at the burly guard, asking in a crisp voice, "How much money does my grandfather owe you?"

The burly man was already bewildered by the whole scene and was clapping along with everyone else in a daze when he heard Su Xianhua ask him a question. He blurted out, "Fifty taels."

"Alright, fifty taels without interest!" Su Xianhua unhesitatingly pulled out a fifty-tael silver note from her bosom and stuffed it into his arms, then pulled Old Man Lü and turned to leave.

Old Man Lü took a few steps, looked back at the dumbfounded guards and the group of smiling passersby, and finally realized: "Girl, so that's why you put on this show..."

"It's for your own good!" Su Xianhua replied decisively, then secretly smiled, "Of course, with everyone watching, he wouldn't dare charge me, the daughter of a poor family, extra interest."

"Although the girl doesn't gamble, she knows the rules of this place very well."

"That's right." She chuckled, not even bothering to look at the kind of people her buddies were.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a hundred-tael silver note, handing it to Old Man Lü: "Old man, take this money and start a small business, or buy a few acres of land. Just don't gamble anymore..."

Before she could finish speaking, she felt Old Man Lü stiffen, his steps slowing instantly. He didn't even take the silver from her hand, turning and disappearing into the crowd. Su Xianhua instinctively reached out to grab him, but only managed to touch a corner of his clothes.

"Girl, the old man has run into a real nemesis. He needs to stay out of the way for now. Meet me at Feihua Cottage outside town in three days. See you there..."

As his voice trailed off, the elderly man surnamed Lü, who had looked frail and old just moments before, suddenly vanished into the crowd like a slippery fish.

Su Xianhua looked at her empty palm and the silver notes lying on the ground, and looked back with suspicion. What she saw there immediately stunned her.

She didn't see which passerby was the old fisherman's adversary, but she spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

The handsome young man with a smile on his lips and a leisurely gait not far away, who else could it be but Zhong Zhan?

Upon seeing Zhong Zhan's face, Su Xianhua froze for a moment, then quickly turned around, like Old Man Lü, and slipped into the crowd, casually pulling up her sleeve to cover her face, muttering to herself: "Can't see me, can't see me, can't see me..."

Being so timid and hesitant wasn't her usual style, but she couldn't help feeling afraid. After all, she had gotten drunk and taken liberties with him… Just thinking about it made her face burn. Although she was a bit tough, she was still an unmarried girl. How could she face the person involved after such an embarrassing incident?

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (11)

As the crowd gradually left the main street, Su Xianhua looked around and finally couldn't see Zhong Zhan anymore, then let out a long sigh of relief. Even if Qin Shao ridiculed her for being cowardly and irresponsible in the future, she would accept it.

After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but recall Old Man Lü's parting words: "Three days later, at Feihua Cottage outside town..."

three

She knew the name "Feihua Xiaozhu".

Centered on Luoyu Mountain, where Black Wind Village is located, there are two towns at the foot of the mountain. One is Wancheng in the south, where the Bai family's Yulin Manor is located. Going east from Wancheng, you can reach Xijing Yuzhidu. The other is Luoyu County in the northwest, which is backed by the tens of thousands of acres of bamboo forest of Luoyu Mountain. It is famous throughout the world for its Luoyu green bamboo and is a wealthy commercial town.

Qinghe Town, located between Wancheng and Luoyu County, is a vital transportation hub where martial artists traveling to Yulin Manor and merchants heading to Luoyu County would stop for rest.

But the name "Qinghe Town" has another meaning in the eyes of people in the martial arts world.

Ten miles outside the town, there is a building perched on the cliff of the Daimao River Valley, named "Feihua Xiaozhu".

The owner of Feihua Xiaozhu was a woman surnamed Ji, whom everyone called Madam Ji. "Ji" was the imperial surname of the dynasty, leading to rumors that she was a member of the royal family, but this was never confirmed. It was said that Madam Ji was not very old, but she rarely appeared in public, and even when she did, her face was veiled, so no one had ever seen her true appearance.

The mysterious owner of Feihua Xiaozhu is famous because she runs a business closely related to figures in the martial arts world—sword forging.

Whether it's forging, reshaping an old sword, or mending a broken one... there's only one requirement—it can only be a sword.

Swords forged by Feihua Xiaozhu are all of the finest quality, especially the "Feihua Sword," of which only three are forged a year. Once it enters the market, it immediately becomes a highly sought-after weapon among young martial artists.