The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear

Chapter 179

"Just one room? What about me?" Zhu Huihui was angry, but dared not ask.

Because if you ask, the answer you'll most likely get is: woodshed, stable, cowshed, pigsty, you can stay anywhere, and they might even send you to sleep in the outhouse—pshaw!

"Please try our mountain tea first, the dishes will be here shortly!" The waiter poured a cup of tea and then went to prepare the food.

Fengxue slowly sipped her tea. The teacup was made of rough earthenware. The camellia was a bit bitter, but the water was sweet, and the combination created a unique flavor.

Zhu Huihui was also thirsty, and stared longingly at Feng Xuese, but the other person acted as if they didn't see him, holding their cup and sipping slowly. He had no choice but to swallow his anger and ask another waiter in the shop, who had a towel draped over his arm, for a bowl of cold water, which he gulped down.

Soon, the waiter brought over four side dishes: shredded chicken with longevity vegetables, stir-fried rabbit with mushrooms, steamed fish with wormwood, and bamboo shoots with enoki mushrooms, along with a pot of rice wine.

Zhu Huihui glanced at the table and saw that there was only one set of bowls and chopsticks. He knew there was no room for him. In fact, even if the waiter had set out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, he wouldn't have dared to sit at the same table as Feng Xuese. He knew that this old man in white didn't "like" him and that it was only because he was being forced to leave that he had no choice. So he would never take the initiative to approach the old man.

However, Zhu Huihui didn't care at all whether Feng Xuese liked or disliked her. She had already endured this much in order to redeem Hua Hua as soon as possible, so it wasn't worth upsetting him over such a trivial matter—besides, she couldn't afford to offend him!

He asked the waiter for a bowl of brown rice, topped with a few pickled vegetables. Holding the bowl, he sat on the threshold of the inn, facing the dark mountains. He ate the rice and pickled vegetables with relish.

Against the backdrop of the wide, dilapidated wooden door and the black night, Zhu Huihui's figure appeared very thin, sitting on the rough wooden threshold like a doormat.

Watching him shovel a mouthful of rice into his mouth, and then take a bite of pickled vegetable strips, Feng Xuese suddenly felt a little sorry for him, but when she saw the rice grains stuck to his dirty face, her heart immediately hardened.

He was known for his kindness and chivalry, and treated everyone equally, from high-ranking officials to commoners, with humility. But he simply couldn't be polite to this Zhu Huihui.

In fact, Zhu Huihui hadn't done anything particularly heinous, but his many bad habits made him unappealing to most normal people in the world.

He was cowardly, afraid of death and pain, lazy, spineless, sycophantic, opportunistic, bullying the kind, glib, sophistry, and habitual liar. He used all his cleverness on a bunch of dirty tricks, stealing things—mostly petty theft, like casually taking a couple of buns or a chicken. He was very hateful, but when you really wanted to punish him, you couldn't really get him into any real trouble!

His only redeeming quality is his self-awareness and ability to adapt; he knows who he can't afford to mess with and is willing to grovel before the powerful—a typical petty person! Sigh! This guy isn't old, but his character is so despicable. You can call him whatever you want: thug, hooligan, rogue, street ruffian, scoundrel, petty scoundrel…

Thinking about how she would have to escort this shameless man a long way because of that case, Feng Xuese sighed inwardly.

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Seven (2)

Zhu Huihui put the last grain of rice into her mouth and casually wiped her face with her sleeve.

The food at this kitchen is bad; they put the wrong seasoning in the rice. Those kinds of mushrooms, when added to rice, have a slightly astringent taste. They're better suited for dishes with chicken, duck, fish, or meat; once dissolved in oil, the unpleasant flavor disappears.

Sigh! Now is not the time to be picky; having food to eat is better than nothing. I wonder if Hua Hua is being properly fed by that big monk; she might still be starving!

Hua Hua and I are really unlucky this time. Not only did we see things we shouldn't have seen, but we also ran into people we shouldn't have met, and we were both bullied. Unfortunately, the enemy is too strong, and we can't retaliate. We're just stuck suffering in silence!

He stood up, stretched comfortably, turned around, and handed the rice bowl back to the waiter.

The waiter took the bowl of rice, looked at his face, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

Zhu Huihui looked back at him, puzzled, and scratched her head: "Huh?" Did the waiter realize that she didn't have money to pay the bill?

"Oh... I was just wondering, would you like another bowl, sir?"

Zhu Huihui patted her stomach and said, "No more, I'm full!"

Turning his head, he saw that Fengxuese was still eating slowly and methodically, so he patiently sat down again against the door frame, waiting for his instructions.

He was already prone to sleepiness after a meal, and the boredom of sitting idly made him yawn repeatedly, his hand covering his mouth. To pass the time, his eyes idly wandered around.

At the far east end sat a plump, white man and a burly man carrying a bow and a knife. The two were eating and chatting, and from their conversation, they seemed to be a merchant who collected mountain goods and a hunter from the mountains, haggling over a leopard skin.

The guest sitting on the west side was dressed in a blue scholar's robe. He was about forty years old and had three strands of black beard under his chin. He looked very learned. However, there was a crane-beak medicine hoe standing on the corner of the table, so he was not a teacher in the school, but should be a doctor.

At a table in the corner sat a young couple. Judging from their clothes, they came from a middle-class family. The man was handsome, and the woman was voluptuous and quite attractive. However, their behavior was too cheesy. Their heads were close together, and they would feed each other a bite of food and steal a kiss. Were they afraid that others would not know that they had eloped?

Next to him, a skinny man who looked like a peddler was sleazy and stingy. He only ordered a small pot of wine and a plate of roasted tofu on the table. He sipped it slowly, smacking his lips. It was obvious that he had never eaten anything good before. He was so happy with a plate of tofu!

On the far right is a woman in her thirties, leading a boy of about twelve or thirteen. They must be mother and son, right? Look how much the mother loves her child, putting all the good meat and vegetables onto her son's plate!

In contrast, my mother only asks me to cook for her, and if the food doesn't suit her taste, she scolds me... Sigh, poor and unfortunate Zhu Huihui!

Just as I was wallowing in self-pity, a thunderclap boomed in the sky, followed by rolling thunder, and the rain that had been brewing all day finally began to fall.

A mountain breeze blew, and raindrops pattered down. Zhu Huihui quickly jumped up and reached for the bamboo curtain to close the door.

A large, grayish-white moth was blown by the wind and crashed headfirst into Zhu Huihui's face. It flew crookedly half a circle before falling to the ground with a "thud," instantly turning charred.

Huh? My skin is so thick that I even knocked the moth unconscious?

All eyes turned to her. Zhu Huihui felt a little ashamed and secretly pressed her face. No, her cheeks were quite soft!

Just as I was wondering what was going on, with a "pop," all the lights in the shop suddenly went out.

Zhu Huihui was taken aback. How could seven candles, positioned in different locations, go out at the same time? Besides, the doors and windows were closed, and the mountain wind couldn't get in—ah, it's a ghost! Ghosts usually appear in this way!

Just as his mind raced and he began to suspect that a vengeful ghost had broken in, he heard a "clang" sound. It was the familiar sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath—the sound of the grumpy old man's volatile sword. This long, snow-white sword had been held against his neck more than once before.

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Seven (3)

Zhu Huihui was terrified upon hearing the sound. She instinctively dropped to the ground, rolled to the right, and hid behind the door, covering her head.

Just as I was wondering what I had done to anger the old man, I heard a "thump-thump" sound coming from where I had just been standing, like the sound of tiny needles being driven into the wooden floor.

Then, various noises arose in the inner hall: the sound of tables breaking, plates and bowls shattering, the whooshing sound of palms striking each other, and the continuous clash of weapons.

Zhu Huihui's heart pounded wildly. Oh no, a fight has broken out!

Judging from the commotion, it must be some kind of江湖 (jianghu, martial arts world) feud, and they all seem to be experts... Damn it, I must be cursed lately, why do I keep running into these kinds of things!

He was just a street urchin. Although he longed for the world of martial arts, after wandering for many days, he hadn't even gotten close to the real world. What he saw in his daily life was mostly thugs fighting, gang warfare, and scoundrels causing trouble. He once thought that was the world of martial arts. Relying on his cleverness and experience in the streets, he usually got the better of others and rarely suffered a loss.

It wasn't until he witnessed the massacre firsthand, then experienced the killing of the "brothers who refused to eat or drink," and was then tortured by the "temperamental old man," that he realized the hellish place of the martial world was not one he could afford to play in!