Le Jianghu de Feng Qingcheng et Mo Xibei

Chapitre 32

Leng Jie gave Shi Yu a meaningful smile, her eyes saying, "Now you have to admit defeat, right? If I don't teach you a lesson, someone else will!"

Xiao Shiyu glanced at Leng Jie, then looked at his savior, gritted his teeth, and nodded in response:

"Yes, I will."

Leng Jie chuckled to herself.

"My name is Duanmu Xingchen. I wonder if I have the honor of getting to know you two?" the scarred man suddenly introduced himself, using a literary style.

Leng Jie noticed a slight pause in Xiao Shiyu's eyes after hearing the scarred man's self-introduction. It seemed this was someone important, and Leng Jie dared not be careless. She cautiously replied:

"It is our brother's good fortune to know Master Duanmu! My surname is Leng, and my given name is Jie. This is my younger brother, nicknamed Little Stone. Today, we are truly grateful to you for saving my brother. To express our gratitude, how about I treat you to a simple meal at Qunyinglou? Would you do me the honor?"

Xiao Shiyu glanced at Leng Jie, surprised that she could speak such fluent Jianghu (江湖, the world of martial arts and outlaws) language. It seemed she truly had the ability to speak to one person as one speaks to another!

Duanmu Xingchen laughed heartily, "Alright, let's go to Qunyinglou. It doesn't matter who's hosting. As long as we enjoy the food. And stop calling me 'Big Hero' all the time. I'm a few years older than you, so I'll just pretend to be older. How about you call me 'Big Brother'?"

"Big brother?" He didn't stand on ceremony. Leng Jie felt a chill run down her spine. But she still forced herself to agree.

Shi Yu was even more disdainful. He was clearly older than Duanmu, so why should he call him "elder brother"?

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Another Calamity Inescapable

The eastern part of the city was mostly inhabited by prominent martial arts families, making it a bustling and prosperous area. The southern part was a neighborhood for ordinary citizens, also lively and bustling. Qunyinglou was located between the eastern and southern parts of the city. Therefore, it combined the characteristics of both prosperity and liveliness.

Qunyinglou, true to its name, is a restaurant that caters specifically to martial arts heroes. Those who come here to eat and drink all consider themselves heroes of the martial world. Hence the name Qunyinglou (Hall of Heroes).

Although Qunyinglou caters to martial arts practitioners, these practitioners are also divided into different classes. Therefore, Qunyinglou also has its own hierarchy. The first floor, the main hall, offers affordable rooms suitable for ordinary martial arts practitioners such as bodyguards and bodyguards. The second floor is slightly better, catering to higher-ranking martial arts practitioners, such as disciples of prestigious families. The third floor consists of private rooms, naturally reserved for influential and wealthy figures in the martial arts world.

It was still some time before noon, but the Qunyinglou Restaurant was already packed with people. All sorts of martial arts figures were chatting about the latest news in the martial arts world. In a private room on the third floor, three special figures from the martial arts world were discussing the hottest topic in the martial arts world.

"You two have been quite a search for by the Green Robe Sect these past few days! I didn't expect you to still be in the capital," the scarred man, Duanmu Xingchen, exclaimed. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Leng Jie and Xiao Shiyu, who were looking at the VIP room on the third floor, exchanged a glance.

"Brother Duanmu wants to see us?" Leng Jie asked with a sly smile. "But how did Brother Duanmu recognize us brothers?" Had her makeup skills deteriorated?

Duanmu carefully examined the two simply dressed, sallow-faced, emaciated boys before him, who looked as if they were malnourished. They were completely unrecognizable as the ethereal figures he had seen at the inn that day. However, he never judged people by their appearance. He only looked at their eyes; he could see right into a person's soul through their eyes.

He first noticed them because they didn't even flinch when they suddenly saw the scar on his face. In this world, besides the blind, only these two had ever remained completely unfazed by the sight of his scar. Although he never felt saddened by it, he saw the true nature of countless people through it. He immediately thought that these two were either exceptionally pure-hearted or exceptionally wicked.

Then he watched as the two of them, working together seamlessly, completely bewildered and disoriented everyone with just a few words. At this point, he was somewhat disappointed, thinking they must have some ulterior motive, perhaps trying to extort money from the innkeeper. But to his surprise, the two of them simply slipped back to their room to sleep amidst the chaos, as if nothing had happened downstairs. At this point, he was certain they were the first type of people.

He was certain that the fat boss, who had suffered in silence, would not let the matter rest. He wanted to speak up and warn them. But seeing their frail appearance, he gave up. He decided to protect these two pure souls, the only ones of their kind in the world. So, he paid special attention to any noise outside while he slept at night. He woke up when the waiter was choked by his own incense.

But what happened next surprised and bewildered him once again! Could a pure-hearted person have imagined turning two men into that state? And how could someone who could subdue two top-tier masters of the Green Robe Sect so silently and instantly, and calmly style them, possibly be weak? And yet, they seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth overnight, disappearing without a trace. Even the Green Robe Sect couldn't find them.

He had just seen a child nearly hit by a carriage and had intervened to save him. Then he saw her clear eyes, filled with a cunning and sharp light, searching for people. He looked at the child in his arms, who had just returned from a brush with death, yet was neither crying nor fussing, nor showing any fear. Although the child seemed a little distracted, the expression was definitely not one of terror. He then realized that the two of them had switched clothes.

"Brother Duanmu, Duanmu Xingchen! Duanmu!" Seeing that Duanmu seemed to be in a trance, Leng Jie called him several times, but he didn't come back to his senses. Then, suddenly, she struck him on the ear with two palms, making a "smack" sound.

"Uh..." Duanmu stared blankly at the face magnified in front of him.

"Sigh, I've finally come to my senses!" Leng Jie sighed and sat back down in her chair.

Realizing he had been daydreaming, Duanmu gave an awkward laugh. The smile made the scars on his face look even more terrifying. Fortunately, Leng Jie and Xiao Shiyu didn't even notice his smile. Instead, they were staring intently at the dishes already laid out on the table.

"I didn't expect there to be meat here! But yesterday on the first floor, I asked them for the best dishes, and they only served me vegetables, radishes, and tofu," Leng Jie said in surprise, pointing to the table full of meat dishes with her chopsticks. It seems that thanks to Duanmu, the treatment on the third floor is indeed different.

Duanmu and Xiaoshiyu looked at her as if she were an alien, and then burst into laughter at the same time.

"Haha..." "Hehe..."

Did she say something wrong? Leng Jie stared at them in astonishment, then asked with a sneer, "What are you laughing at? I know that the dining floors here are divided into different classes, but I didn't know that the dishes are also divided into different classes! Do they think that people downstairs can't afford the expensive dishes? Besides, isn't meat banned now? Does that only apply to commoners but not to rich people?"

"You said you wouldn't allow meat, so why is there meat here?" Duanmu Xingchen suddenly stopped laughing, picked up a chicken leg with her chopsticks and put it in Leng Jie's bowl. "Try it and see what this is."

Not to be outdone, Xiao Shiyu placed a piece of braised pork into Leng Jie's bowl and asked, "Try it and see what kind of meat this is?"

Isn't this meat? Has she not eaten meat for half a month and her eyes can't even recognize it? Leng Jie looked suspiciously at Duanmu, who was eagerly anticipating her gnawing on the chicken leg, then at Xiao Shiyu, who was grinning mockingly, and then looked down at the golden-brown chicken leg and red meat in the bowl. Could there really be something strange about this? The word "vegetarian chicken" suddenly flashed through Leng Jie's mind.

"Is this chicken leg made of tofu?"

The two people who were expecting a surprised expression suddenly lost their sparkle. How could something so interesting have unfolded so quickly?

Leng Jie had already gotten the answer from their expressions. She picked up the chicken leg and took a bite.

"It is indeed made of tofu skin, but it has the flavor of chicken. The texture is even better than real chicken."

Then she put the braised pork in her mouth, frowned slightly, and then gave a satisfied sigh:

"Made with winter melon and taro. Winter melon makes the fatty meat smooth and not greasy, while taro makes the lean meat chewy but not sticky. It's a great dish, much tastier than braised pork. The best part is that it's made to look like meat, which is so interesting. The chef here is really clever to come up with such a brilliant idea as 'satisfying the craving for meat.'"

Leng Jie ate while offering insightful commentary, behaving like a true food connoisseur. She was a complete contrast to the country bumpkin who had mistaken the vegetarian chicken for real chicken. Her demeanor, however, genuinely captivated the other two.

"Is it really that delicious?" It can't possibly be better than your cooking, can it? Xiao Shiyu picked up a piece of "braised pork" and put it in her mouth. She stopped after taking just one bite.

"How is it? Is it really that delicious?" Duanmu asked Xiaoshiyu curiously.

She glanced at Leng Jie, who was all smiles, then at Duanmu, who was full of anticipation. Then, she closed her eyes, swallowed the meat, and replied with a smile:

"Delicious, so delicious, it melts in your mouth. Brother Duanmu, you must eat more." As he spoke, more than half of the braised pork was already in Duanmu's bowl.

"Oh! If it's delicious, everyone should share!" Duanmu sincerely divided half of the good stuff in his bowl into Leng Jie's bowl.

"Little brother, you're growing so much, you should eat more." Leng Jie poured the food into Xiao Shiyu's bowl without hesitation. She was the epitome of a loving older sister who cherishes her younger brother. Then, pointing to the food in Duanmu's bowl, she said, "Brother Duanmu, this is Xiao Shiyu's gift to you, so please eat it!"

Duanmu smiled back, picked up a piece of "braised pork" from the bowl, put it in his mouth, took a bite, and unconsciously frowned.

He now realized he'd been tricked by the siblings. This didn't taste like winter melon or taro at all! It was clearly a radish coated in flour, both salty and sweet, and then... well, you couldn't even tell what the rest tasted like. In short, it was utterly awful. He glanced at the siblings, who were snickering. He truly admired them, especially her; she was incredibly good at convincing herself! Just because they'd laughed and she hadn't been able to tell the truth, she'd managed to describe this disgusting thing as a delicacy to entice them to try it.

"Hehe, is it delicious?" Xiao Shiyu asked Duanmu mischievously.

"How did you manage to offend the Green Robe Sect?" Duanmu didn't answer, but changed the subject by asking a different question. However, he was thinking to himself, given their mischievous nature, he'd believe they'd offended even the Emperor himself, let alone the Green Robe Sect. See? They can even play tricks on their savior like him.

"It's nothing. Their two protectors tried to rob us, but they accidentally got their tendons severed by us." Xiao Shiyu answered easily, picking up a piece of green vegetable and putting it in her mouth.

Had he misheard? The eight protectors of the Green Robe Sect were all top-tier martial arts masters; each one was a force to be reckoned with, and few in the world could rival them. Even he could only manage a draw against one of them. Yet, they were just a frail young girl and a child.

"What?" Duanmu Feng's eyes widened suddenly, and he blurted out incredulously, "You two picked the tendons and limbs of two Qingyi Sect protectors?"

"Little Stone, how do you know those two are protectors? They might just be two lackeys." Leng Jie asked as well.

Shi Yu glanced at Leng Jie with a cold look, pouted, and said reproachfully, "You've been running around the martial world for so long, and you don't even know that the protectors of the Green Robe Sect use all-green golden swords? And those low-ranking members are of different levels, with green swords with silver handles, bronze handles, or wooden handles."

Is that true? Leng Jie looked at Duanmu Xingchen for confirmation.

They're telling the truth! Duanmu Xingchen stared back at Leng Jie in astonishment, completely oblivious to her questioning gaze. He was wondering just who these siblings were, and what astonishing abilities they possessed, hidden beneath their seemingly weak exterior.

But their completely uncoordinated eye contact appeared to Xiao Shiyu as an irritating exchange of glances.

"Ahem!" Xiao Shiyu coughed lightly, picked up a vegetarian chicken leg, and politely placed it in the Duanmu bowl, saying:

"Brother Duanmu, eat quickly!"

Duanmu took a bite of the vegetarian chicken, even though the "braised pork" he had just eaten was a huge disappointment. But he still held onto hope for this vegetarian chicken. No, it should be said that he held onto hope for Leng Jie's opinion.

But he was destined to be disappointed. In this era without chicken essence or MSG, and without the option of killing chickens to make chicken soup, how could he possibly make tofu skin and gluten taste like chicken?

"Brother Duanmu isn't from the capital, is he?" Leng Jie asked casually, turning her gaze away.

"No, I'm in the capital on some business and I'm leaving tomorrow," Duanmu replied sullenly, chewing on his dry vegetarian chicken. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he looked at Leng Jie and asked, "I'm going to Jianzhou to participate in the martial arts tournament. Are you coming?"

Leng Jie and Xiao Shiyu exchanged a glance. Should they go to Jianzhou with him?

Seeing their silence, Duanmu continued, "The Green Robe Sect is searching for you everywhere. Although you two have changed your clothes, the difference between the two of you—one big and one small—is too obvious. As long as you walk together, people with ulterior motives will make those connections. Aren't you wondering how I recognized you? To be honest, I didn't recognize Little Stone at first. It was only when I saw how anxiously you were looking for him that I recognized you from your eyes. Why don't we travel together? That way, two adults with a small child, they won't think that way."

What do you mean by "two adults with a child"? Even if they really were going back to Jianzhou, he wouldn't go with Duanmu Xingchen. Xiao Shiyu glared at Duanmu fiercely. Then he secretly glanced at Leng Jie. Although he didn't want the three of them to travel together, if she agreed, he didn't seem to have the right to object.

Go to Jianzhou with him? It's a good idea, but Shi Yu's curse hasn't been lifted, so he won't be of much use back with her, right? Besides, with Duanmu's face, it's impossible not to attract attention, isn't it? Following him might be even more dangerous? Leng Jie thought to herself as she ate with her head down.

As fate would have it, just as Leng Jie thought this, the trouble that Duanmu had brought them actually occurred.

With a loud bang, the wooden door to the private room was kicked open from the outside. Then, a group of men dressed in black filed in, instantly filling the large private room to capacity.

"The Green Robe Cult is here!" "Run!" "The Green Robe Cult is going to kill again!"...

Outside the window, screams and shouts erupted from downstairs, along with the sounds of running and crying from women and children.

From the moment someone kicked the door, Duanmu got up, drew his sword, and took the lead in protecting Leng Jie and Xiao Shiyu behind him.

Xiao Shiyu stood quietly in the middle, her face grim, her sharp, icy gaze seeming to pierce through every black-clad man who entered. The chilling aura emanating from her added to the suffocating atmosphere of the already crowded room.

Leng Jie frantically searched for an escape route. She quietly moved to the window and quickly glanced outside. Good heavens! As far as the eye could see, there was only darkness. Downstairs, upstairs, even on the rooftops across the street, were men in black. It seemed there was no escape today!

The men in black who squeezed into the room remained silent, seemingly waiting for their leader. Leng Jie and her group also kept quiet; Leng Jie adhered to the principle of "if the enemy doesn't move, I don't move; if the enemy moves, I move first." Soon, the commotion outside ceased. Silence reigned all around.

The rhythmic thud of footsteps on the wooden stairs broke the suffocating silence. The sound reached the door of the private room in an instant, and the men in black inside immediately stepped aside to make way. Then, a middle-aged man in his thirties, tall and broad-shouldered with a large head and long face, wearing a gorgeous brocade blue robe, walked in with a strutting gait as the men in black respectfully greeted him.

"Why are all gangsters the same everywhere?" Leng Jie couldn't help but roll her eyes. Look at his airs, he's more like an emperor than a king. Leng Jie took two steps forward and asked first:

"You're the leader of the Green Robe Sect?"

The middle-aged man didn't answer, his deep, sinister eyes staring at Leng Jie for a long while. He then glanced at Duanmu, finally fixing his gaze on Xiao Shiyu. He paused for a moment, then burst into laughter:

"Haha, so who dared to not only sever the tendons and ligaments of my two great protectors of the Green Robe Sect, but also leave a message telling me to have my sect leader wash his neck clean and wait for you to come and take it. It turns out to be the famous Prince Ying!"

These words immediately caused an uproar. The incredulous gazes of the men in black, like spotlights, all turned to Xiao Shiyu, and then they began to whisper among themselves.

"How could this little brat possibly be the ruthless and decisive Prince Ying?"

"Exactly, I think it's more likely that it's his son."

Similarly, Duanmu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. How could Xiao Shiyu possibly be Prince Ying? And who was Leng Jie? He looked at Leng Jie in disbelief, only to find her still staring unfazed at the middle-aged man. Looking at Xiao Shiyu again, his face had turned a bluish-purple, and the fine hairs on his body were almost frosted over. His cold, chilling eyes glared fiercely at the middle-aged man in blue, as if he wanted to tear him apart and skin him alive.

The middle-aged man raised his right hand, and the chattering men in blue immediately fell silent.

"My master said that there aren't many people in this world who dare to speak to him like that. So, we must find this audacious person and bring him back to see for ourselves. However, no one would have imagined that the little brat our Green Robe Sect has been searching for would be Prince Ying!" After a pause, the middle-aged man continued, "However, Prince Ying's bone-shrinking skill seems quite impressive! I heard that this skill was passed down from the royal family. So, Prince Ying, did you come to the capital on the urgent summons of the new emperor?"

Leng Jie was taken aback. This guy not only recognized Xiao Shiyu at a glance, but also knew that his shrinking was related to the royal family. It seemed he was also connected to the Dark Guard. Or perhaps the Green Robe Cult was connected to the Dark Guard? Or maybe they already knew that Xiao Shiyu was Prince Ying? If so, their intentions would be crystal clear. Therefore, they absolutely could not be allowed to take Xiao Shiyu away.

Leng Jie secretly checked her equipment. Having chased after Xiao Shiyu, she had nothing on her except the two rings on her fingers and the sleeping potion in her purse. Each ring contained only two silver needles, enough to take down only four people. But there were over four hundred people inside and outside the house. How was she going to rescue them?

Before Leng Jie could come up with a solution, the middle-aged man shouted at the men in black:

"What are you all standing there for? Quickly escort Prince Ying back to report to the leader!"

As soon as the words left his lips, the men in black lunged at Xiao Shiyu. Duanmu Xingchen immediately shielded Xiao Shiyu behind him and charged forward with his sword. Instantly, the entire room was enveloped in the clash of blades. Due to the limited space, only two men in black could attack at a time; any more would injure their own men as their swords swung around. Duanmu's skill far surpassed that of these lowly members of the Green Robe Sect, and dealing with two of them at once was effortless for him. In the blink of an eye, fifteen or sixteen men in black lay dead on the ground. Seeing this, the remaining men in black in the room began to dodge and weave, too afraid to come forward and risk their lives.

The middle-aged man's expression changed drastically, and he yelled at the followers, "A bunch of good-for-nothings, get out of here!" As he spoke, he slapped out with his palm.

Duanmu, who was entangled with two other men in black, did not expect the middle-aged man to make a sudden move, so he had no choice but to withdraw his hand and exchange a palm strike with him.

With a "bang!", their palms collided.