Patrón de flores incorrecto

Capítulo 20

"The key is that the price is cheap... Waiter, one of each of your signature dishes, please!" Ye Xiao was so happy that he almost flew to the sky.

Luo Qingcheng watched coldly, remaining silent.

The food was also excellent. The three of them were all smiles after the meal.

"Who is your master chef? Every dish is made with ingenuity..." Luo Qingcheng finally spoke.

The waiter was about to reply with a smile when a furious shout came from outside: "You little brat, where do you think you're going!"

In response to this sound, an eight- or nine-year-old child ran into the restaurant.

Following closely behind the child, Huang Tingfeng led the two envoys of the Martial Alliance and a group of experts into the room.

The battle of wits in the restaurant

The boy was quite clever; he plunged into the restaurant, weaving through the crowd, and soon reached the back door.

Just as they were about to escape the restaurant, they suddenly crashed into a wall of flesh with a loud bang.

The child quickly looked up and met Fang Qin's big, bell-like eyes. He couldn't help but shrink back and quickly turned his head away.

He had only taken two steps when someone grabbed his collar, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground with a thud.

Fang Qin sneered, then used his strength to lift the child up like an eagle snatching a chick.

This was a rather handsome child with a pair of bright, deep black eyes that now revealed deep fear. Tears were welling up in his eyes, but he managed to hold them back.

"You little brat! You're not very tall, but your legs are quite long! You escaped last time, but I didn't expect to catch you here today!" Fang Qin sneered. The child pouted, looking aggrieved, and remained silent. The tall and burly Fang Qin was about to leave with the child in his arms when suddenly a figure blocked his way.

The man was quite tall, about the same height as him, with clear, sharp eyes, staring at him without fear. "Why did you kidnap a child!" the man said, indignantly. Fang Qin paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered that this was the tall man who had been with that "All-Knowing" guy and Luo Qingcheng last time.

"These are remnants of the Netherworld City, and everyone has the right to kill them! Who are you? Don't you know your own limitations if you want to meddle in other people's business? Do you want to collude with the demons of the Netherworld City?" Fang Qin shouted sternly. Thinking of Luo Qingcheng, whose martial arts were as ghostly as a ghost, he couldn't help but feel guilty. His eyes darted around and he was shocked to see Luo Qingcheng sitting quietly in the corner with a cold expression, his face expressionless and his presence imposing without anger. Fang Qin's breath hitched and he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Remnants of the Netherworld City?" Xiao Xun said coldly, glancing at the child before him. "What evidence do you have? The Netherworld City has long since withdrawn from the martial world. When did any remnants appear?" Fang Qin glanced sideways at Guo Qiwu, who was staring blankly at Xiao Xun, seemingly lost in thought. Seeing that Old Guo had no intention of helping him, Fang Qin had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Well... of course we have solid evidence... this child's grandfather is definitely a villain from the Netherworld City..."

Xiao Xun sneered: "Just a little kid. Don't even mention that the matter of the remnants of Youming City might be something you made up. Even if he has some connection with Youming City, what threat would he pose to the powerful martial arts alliance? Do you really have to exterminate him?"

"How could we be making this up! We saw it with our own eyes. The legendary weapon that helped Lu Mingfei, the Lord of the Netherworld City, dominate the world, the 'divine weapon descended from the heavens,' was in this child's hands..." Fang Qin blurted out in his haste. After he finished speaking, he heard Huang Tingfeng cough and suddenly realized that he seemed to have said something he shouldn't have.

Xiao Xun raised an eyebrow, about to say something sarcastic, when he heard a sinister voice from the corner say, "So the Martial Alliance wanted to steal someone's treasure, so they just arbitrarily accused them of being remnants of the Netherworld City... I remember last time you tried to steal our jewelry box, you also said that I had a connection with this Netherworld City... So this is your usual tactic!"

Since suffering a great loss at the hands of Luo Qingcheng and sustaining severe internal injuries, Fang Qin has not fully recovered. The mere thought of Luo Qingcheng still fills him with dread. Now, seeing his sinister eyes and hearing his chilling words, he is trembling uncontrollably and unable to utter a single word.

Many of the diners at the restaurant were scions of prominent families and their entourages. Many of them had heard about and witnessed the previous conflict. Now, hearing Luo Qingcheng's account, they all believed that the Martial Alliance was in the wrong. Some timid and cowardly individuals, restrained by the Martial Alliance's domineering nature, dared not step forward, but their indignation was still revealed through their disdainful eyes. Meanwhile, a few hot-blooded young men were already rubbing their fists together, eager to try their hand at upholding justice.

Huang Tingfeng's somewhat effeminate peach blossom eyes swept over the scene, realizing the unfavorable situation. She sneered and said to Xiao Xun, "Don't underestimate this child. Last time, he followed his grandfather in using a diversionary tactic to steal a crucial item from our martial arts alliance... We need to capture him and take him to headquarters to find out the whereabouts of this item. This concerns the safety of the entire martial arts world... We cannot tolerate or be negligent... If you want to meddle in this matter, you are going against the entire martial arts world!"

A single sentence immediately reversed the tide, and the few who had previously wanted to step forward quietly sat down and fell silent. After all, going against the entire martial arts world was something no one dared to even consider.

Xiao Xun smiled coldly: "If everyone in this martial arts world is like this, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, unable to distinguish right from wrong, what harm is there in offending them all!"

Huang Tingfeng sneered again, about to scare Xiao Xun once more, when suddenly a figure flashed before his eyes, swift as lightning and eerie as a demon, circling around him before reaching out to Fang Qin and snatching the child from his arms in the blink of an eye. When Huang Tingfeng looked again, Luo Qingcheng was already sitting at the table holding the child, still expressionless, his eyes gloomy, as if he had never gotten up from his seat.

Huang Tingfeng suddenly felt a lightness on his head, and his neatly tied hair fell down, almost covering his entire face. Somewhat surprised, he reached out to touch it, and with a crisp clink, the golden hairpin that bound his hair fell to the ground, broken in two, the broken ends seemingly cleaved by a blade, perfectly clean.

A chill ran through him, and he looked at Luo Qingcheng with some fear. If this man wanted his life, his head would probably be the one to fall to the ground and break in two... Meanwhile, Fang Qin was even more terrified, his legs trembling like leaves.

"What...what do you want to do?" Huang Tingfeng's eyes narrowed as he looked at Luo Qingcheng, his expression fierce but his heart was weak.

Luo Qingcheng raised an eyebrow and said lazily, "Offending the entire martial arts world? We brothers are of one mind. Since the third brother says so, I will do it."

Several figures flashed by, surrounding Luo Qingcheng. Guo Qiwu, the leader, stared intently at Luo Qingcheng: "Your movements just now were extremely strange. May I ask what kind of kung fu it was?"

Luo Qingcheng smiled faintly, "Oh? Are you going to say I'm a remnant of the Netherworld City again?"

Guo Qiwu was taken aback and said, "Exactly... I think the skill you just used is the lightness skill from the Eighteen Forms of the Netherworld..." Before he could finish speaking, a low chuckle rose from the crowd. Guo Qiwu was furious and glared at the people around him, "What are you laughing at! You bunch of mortal fools! You're completely ignorant and can't distinguish right from wrong! This person is clearly a remnant of the Netherworld City! The Netherworld City has been very active lately, and it seems to be making a comeback. If we can't stop it in time, it will cause a huge mistake, and the entire martial arts world will face a catastrophe! Let's see if you'll still be laughing then! Go back and ask around, when Lu Mingfei was running rampant in the martial arts world, how many sects didn't suffer from the ravages of the Netherworld City! If it weren't for our Martial Arts Alliance standing up for us, if it weren't for Alliance Leader Li Zhong sacrificing himself, how could we have had this peaceful situation these past few years! You're not only ungrateful, but you're also becoming accomplices to evil! You're all scoundrels!"

The laughter gradually subsided, and people slowly lowered their heads. Many hadn't experienced the horrors of those years, but for a long time, Youming City was a wound that no sect could reopen. Even mentioning it would at least result in a reprimand from elders, and at worst, punishment under sect rules—a fact everyone was well aware of. Everyone had witnessed Luo Qingcheng's profound and unpredictable martial arts skills, and coupled with Guo Qiwu's renowned reputation and absolute authority in the martial world, people, after careful consideration, gradually began to doubt Luo Qingcheng's identity.

Guo Qiwu slowly turned around and looked at Luo Qingcheng: "Eliminate evil completely, better to wrongly accuse than let the guilty go free! Since this brat is so arrogant as to oppose the entire martial arts world, then we will not be polite. Regardless of whether he is truly a remnant of Youming City, we will join forces to eliminate him today. If we wrong an innocent person, I, Guo, will take full responsibility! At worst, I will pay with my life, and I will take my own life! For the sake of justice in the entire martial arts world, for the sake of peace in the world, I, Guo, accept this!"

Upon hearing this, the situation in the restaurant immediately changed dramatically. Everyone's expressions gradually became serious, and their gazes toward Luo Qingcheng were filled with disgust and fear. They all felt a sense of shared hatred and indignation.

Luo Qingcheng sneered, handed the child to Ye Xiao, and said loudly, "Using numbers to bully the weak is a common tactic of the Martial Alliance! You think I'm afraid of you just because there are more of you? I'm determined to save this child! Anyone who dares to stop me, I, Luo, will make sure their blood is spilled on the spot!"

Ye Xiao had been listening with a smile, but now, glancing at the surrounding situation, his brow furrowed slightly. Suddenly, he asked Huang Tingfeng with some hesitation and fear, "Young Master Huang, the divine weapon that descended from the sky... is it round?"

Huang Tingfeng was slightly taken aback, then nodded blankly and said, "I don't know, maybe it's round..."

"Is it all dark...?" Ye Xiao asked again, glancing at the satchel at his waist.

Huang Tingfeng had never actually witnessed a divine soldier descending from the sky. Observing Ye Xiao's eyes, a glimmer of light flashed in his mind: "What, you've seen it?"

Ye Xiao paused for a moment, then gently shook her head: "No... this child just gave me something, which I put in my satchel..." As she spoke, her eyes kept glancing at her waist, and her hand couldn't help but touch the satchel.

Huang Tingfeng felt a surge of excitement and rushed over, snatching Ye Xiao's satchel. Sure enough, he found a dark, round object inside. He weighed it in his hand; it was heavy and seemed to be made of metal. There was a small button inside a thin slit in the middle.

"Yes! This is it! This is the divine weapon that descended from the heavens! The evidence is irrefutable! This child is indeed a remnant of the Netherworld City! There's a button on this. Press it lightly, and eighty-one iron dragonflies will shoot out... taking lives and catching people off guard... Press it again, and the iron dragonflies will obediently fly back... I can demonstrate it for everyone..." Huang Tingfeng was so excited that he was almost incoherent. He immediately held the thing up high, pointed it at an open space in front of him, and lightly pressed the button.

With a soft click, a cloud of black mist shot out and poured down. An unprecedented stench could be smelled for miles. Huang Tingfeng, covered in sticky, foul-smelling liquid, couldn't help but cough violently. As he coughed, his stomach churned, and he vomited and coughed again, nearly fainting from the ordeal.

Ye Xiao let out a scream, grabbed the child, covered his nose, and jumped three zhang away. "Divine soldiers have descended from the sky! They are indeed powerful! No one within several miles can escape this calamity! Run quickly!" He was the first to rush out of Jianghu Xiaotan Pavilion.

Before he finished speaking, a commotion erupted in the shop as almost all the customers scurried out.

Moments later, the Jianghu Xiaotan Pavilion was a complete mess, deserted, with only the members of the Martial Alliance standing there dumbfounded. What was supposed to be a thrilling capture of the demon had turned into a humiliating farce before it even began. Guo Qiwu, his face ashen, turned to Huang Tingfeng with a sinister expression, speechless for a long time.

The waiter, who had always been friendly, finally lost his composure and timidly approached, pinching his nose: "Gentlemen, you've caused such a commotion... Not only have the customers left, but they haven't even paid their bills yet... Shouldn't the losses of this small shop fall on your shoulders?"

uninvited guest

After running for a while, Xiao Xun finally couldn't help but ask, "Boss, was that really a divine weapon that fell from the sky? Why does it smell so bad?"

Ye Xiao chuckled: "Of course not... This is a stinky bomb made by 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance' in Tiangong Valley..."

"A beauty of unparalleled grace! The most famous perfumer in the world, skilled in making all kinds of aphrodisiacs and fragrances... You..." Luo Qingcheng swallowed the rest of his words, refraining from scolding Ye Xiao for asking for another useless thing.

Ye Xiao's eyes darted around, and she quickly understood what he was thinking. She chuckled, "Don't underestimate this stinky bomb... Once you get it on you, you'll smell terrible for a whole month... Now that Ah Huang won't be able to please Miss Yuan anymore... Qingcheng, your chances of winning have increased a lot..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Qingcheng turned his head slightly. Ye Xiao, with the child close beside him, had a delicate face right in front of him. Her youthful face was brightened by a cheerful smile, radiant with light. Her bright eyes narrowed into slits, their depths unfathomable… A pang stirred within him, as if a piece of him had been knocked out. He quickly turned back and said sarcastically, “Did Xiaoxiao use this stuff recently? She smelled terrible for a long time…”

Ye Xiao froze for a moment, her bright smile vanishing instantly. "Really? I... I only picked out a little to look at last time..." Suddenly, she felt incredibly annoyed, vaguely remembering that Luo Qingcheng had said she smelled bad many times. Being a young girl, she felt utterly humiliated. Luo Qingcheng watched her childlike change of expression and couldn't help but chuckle softly behind his mask, his voice suddenly softening. "It's okay... I don't mind that you smell..."

Xiao Xun suddenly spoke up from the side: "Oh dear! It'll stink for a whole month! Will Jianghu Xiaotan Pavilion be unable to open for a month? Will we be unable to eat such delicious food again?"

Ye Xiao's face darkened, and her slightly pouting lips curled up even more.

"Child..." Luo Qingcheng chuckled again behind his mask, his gaze sweeping over a candy vendor on the street before walking over. He plucked two silly, grinning little figures from a bundle of straw, turned back and handed one to Ye Xiao, and the other to the still somewhat shaken child.

Ye Xiao took the sugar figurine, her mood gradually brightening. She compared the size of the figurine with the child's and asked, "Little brother, what's your name?" The child's large, clear eyes swept over Ye Xiao with a reproachful look, clearly showing some disdain. "My name is Shan'er. I'm a girl. What kind of look is that...?"

Ye Xiao paused for a moment, looked her over carefully, and muttered, "She's clearly dressed as a boy..." Shan'er looked at her with disdain again and said in an old-fashioned tone, "The world is dangerous, and it's inconvenient for girls. Dressing as a boy can reduce a lot of trouble." Ye Xiao sighed and licked the sugar figurine: "I also came out to explore the world alone when I was ten years old, and I've always dressed as a girl. I've never encountered any trouble."

Luo Qingcheng let out a cold laugh, looked up, and remained silent for a long time, gazing at the sky. Ye Xiao couldn't help but look up as well, staring at the ever-changing clouds: "What are you looking at? What's in the sky?" Luo Qingcheng replied, "A cow is flying... Is it the one Xiaoxiao blew up?"

Dusk deepened. Shan'er sat on the threshold, head propped up, staring blankly into the distance, tears slowly welling in her eyes. No matter how Xiao Xun tried to coax her, she wouldn't speak. "Shan'er, come and eat!" Ye Xiao called out with a grin, moving the oil lamp on the table to a different position. She stretched out her hands, rapidly changing their shapes, and the shadows on the wall transformed into various small animals—one moment an eagle foraging for food, the next an adorable duck, then a playful puppy. Accompanied by the ever-changing shadows on the wall, she made sounds of the animals calling out, interspersed with narration, creating a veritable shadow play.

Xiao Xun watched with great interest, a knowing smile on his face: "Boss is really amazing!"

Ye Xiao looked at him with disdain: "You need to learn properly! Otherwise, how will you be a father and coax children in the future! These are all things my father taught me..." Xiao Xun smiled without any concern: "It's alright. I can marry a wife who knows shadow puppetry... or let the second son learn..."

Upon hearing Xiao Xun's words, Luo Qingcheng felt a sudden pang of bitterness in his heart, and his voice became shrill: "I want to marry a rich woman... and hire a maid who can do shadow plays... and bully her terribly!"

A tiny figure walked to the table, picked up a rice bowl, and said abruptly, "Who are you trying to fool with this childish stuff? I'm not a three-year-old!" Ye Xiao stopped eating, somewhat taken aback, and looked at the little figure seriously shoveling rice into their mouth: "You're really from Netherworld City, aren't you? You're practically inhuman..."

Immediately, two angry male voices rang out in unison from the side: "Nonsense! You're not human!"

Ye Xiao buried her head in her food, feeling dejected. Then she heard Luo Qingcheng say in an unusually gentle voice, "Shan'er... eat more. Are you homesick?" This only made her more frustrated, and she couldn't help but glare at the little girl with jealousy.

The little boy was eating heartily when he heard Luo Qingcheng's words. Suddenly, he stopped moving, his mouth full of rice, and burst into tears: "...Grandpa...I want to go home...I want to find Grandpa..."

Ye Xiao was startled and curiously peered at her face: "...A horizontal line, a vertical line... Slippery, wet... You've turned into a big tabby cat... Guess the riddle! The answer is tears... Shan'er, are you pretending to be a kitten?" Shan'er clearly wasn't buying it and cried even louder: "...I got separated from Grandpa... Grandpa is coming to Langjing Manor to find my brother... Waaah... I want Grandpa..."

A strong arm lifted the child up. Ye Xiao looked at Luo Qingcheng with surprise, his eyes filled with a tenderness that could drown a child, and said to Shan'er, "Shan'er... if you can't find your grandfather, finding your brother will do... what's your brother's name? We'll help you look for him in the village." Shan'er's crying subsided a little, but she was still sobbing, "...I don't know... I only know what my brother looks like. There's a portrait of him at home..."

Ye Xiao sighed, "That's it! A child who can't even describe his name and appearance... even a celestial being couldn't help him!"

Luo Qingcheng sneered: "Don't you know everything? Is there anything in the world you don't know?" He then picked up Shan'er and went out: "Shan'er, brother will take you to buy some delicious food... Don't pay attention to this boastful sister."

Watching the two figures disappear from sight, Ye Xiao felt a little annoyed: "This kid is really something else, he can turn a block of wood into a puddle of water..." Xiao Xun, with a shameless grin, leaned closer: "...and he even indirectly called me a three-year-old, but Boss, the shadow play you did was really fun! I've never seen anything like it before. My mom loves me, but she doesn't know how to do this...could you do it for me again?"

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two people, one big and one small, returned cheerfully, carrying several paper packages filled with various fragrant and crispy pastries. Ignoring the two people in the room who were staring in disbelief, they sat down and began to feast. Luo Qingcheng even slapped Ye Xiao's hand, which was reaching for the paper package, away fiercely.

Shan'er shook off her earlier depression and became a happy little bird, chirping incessantly, "Brother Qingcheng, this is delicious, you should eat more." "Brother Qingcheng..." She even insisted on sleeping in Luo Qingcheng's room at night.

In the end, two disappointed people were left in the house, sighing deeply.

"I'm clearly much more handsome than the second brother! Why does every woman like the second brother? Not even a little girl?" Xiao Xun pondered repeatedly, but couldn't find the crux of the problem.

"I'm clearly much more fun than that block of wood, so why does this kid insist on hugging the block? No way, I have to work hard and win this kid back! Otherwise, I'm not going to be the boss anymore!" Actually, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep the job...

Before Ye Xiao could come up with a solution, the beautiful Yuan arrived in person with the prize money.

Having just finished dinner, the group was sitting under the starry sky, enjoying the cool evening air, drinking tea and chatting. Upon seeing Yuan Peixin, Ye Xiao cheered and excitedly reached for the intricately carved gold incense burner. Unexpectedly, the beautiful woman withdrew her hand, glancing sideways at Luo Qingcheng: "I want to personally deliver this to Young Master Luo… Young Master Luo, on the day of the Lanzhou Boat Race, you overwhelmed everyone with your brilliance… It's a pity Peixin didn't get to witness your magnificent presence that day… Today… I wish to speak with you alone… to experience your elegance…"

Luo Qingcheng gave a cold, indifferent "oh" and ushered her inside. A deeply disheartened Xiao Xun glanced miserably at the equally miserable Ye Xiao, then led the obedient Shan'er out the door. Before leaving, he carefully examined the wooden block on the table one last time. It still held a perpetually icy face, its features rigid and unremarkable, its expression lifeless. The only striking feature was its pair of bright, sparkling eyes. Something must be wrong with this world. No matter how you look at it, nothing can blossom from this block of wood. Are all those women blind? Ignoring this handsome man like himself, are they all wasting their time on this block of wood?

It was already night, and the surroundings were quiet, with only the chirping of summer insects. An oil lamp on the table cast a milky yellow glow, making everything around them appear dreamlike and ethereal, with a touch of ambiguous romance. Luo Qingcheng initially sat somewhat aloof, but soon felt a surge of heat throughout his body, as if something was amiss. He glanced in surprise at the beautiful Yuan, who was shyly bowing her head. Was it the muggy weather?

"This is the prize you won that day. Langjing Manor has always kept its word, and Father asked me to bring it over specially," Yuan Peixin said softly, turning her head and giving a flirtatious wink, exuding a captivating charm.

A string in his mind seemed to snap, and all the blood rushed to his face. Luo Qingcheng shook his head, trying to shake off the swirling thoughts in his head.

"Do you like it?" Yuan Peixin asked in a coquettish voice, pushing the crimson gold incense burner towards him, her head slightly lowered as she smiled faintly. Luo Qingcheng reached out woodenly to take the incense burner, but instead touched something warm, soft, and smooth. Glancing sideways, he saw a crystalline, moist, white substance, and his heart trembled. His mind went blank, and his hand trembled as he grasped that pure white object.

Yuan Peixin shyly withdrew her hand: "Young Master Luo is incredibly talented... truly astounding. But how come I've never heard of you before? It's like you've appeared out of nowhere all of a sudden... Peixin really wants to know... who exactly are you, Young Master?"

Luo Qingcheng's mind went blank. He instinctively wanted to speak, but a voice in his heart stopped him. With a determined heart, he bit his tongue, barely managing to retain a sliver of clarity. He didn't speak, only breathing heavily. He felt her hand was smooth and soft, and suddenly his whole body felt hot.

"Who is that Ye Xiao? She's quite a cute girl." The beautiful woman smiled gently, slowly meeting his eyes. She couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart. How could such bright eyes be set on such a plain and somewhat ugly face?

Ye Xiao's image floated faintly in his mind, indistinct, laughing and cursing, quirky and clever... Luo Qingcheng could no longer suppress the evil fire in his heart, and pressed the beautiful Yuan down on the bed, covering her with his body.

Yuan Peixin screamed in fright. How could things have turned out like this? Was the dosage too high?

□ and stupid drugs