At this moment, many disciples of Chonghuo Palace also secretly put down what they were doing and gathered around to watch.
Yuan Shuangshuang smiled and said, "Actually, it's nothing serious. I didn't want to bother the elders. Xuezhi is still young, so it's normal for her to make mistakes."
Elder Yuwen stared at Yuan Shuangshuang without saying a word.
Xuezhi said, "Please don't beat around the bush, just say it directly!"
"That's right, I heard that Xia Qingmei gave Xuezhi a small gift..."
"Xia Qingmei?" Elder Yuwen frowned. "The ninth disciple of the twelfth generation of Lingjian Manor?"
"The elder truly possesses the wisdom of a hundred dragons; it is he."
Xuezhi interrupted, "Whatever he gave me is none of your business!"
"Oh, Zhi'er, let me finish what I have to say." Yuan Shuangshuang called out to Xuezhi with increasing affection, looking at her as if she were her own daughter. "There are rumors all over the martial arts world about you and your brother Xia. Of course, I believe you two wouldn't do such a thing at such a young age... but it's not good for a young lady's reputation to be talked about like that..."
Elder Yuwen frowned and remained silent.
Xuezhi said urgently, "What nonsense are you talking about?! He and I just sat down, had a few drinks, and chatted for a bit. It's been less than two hours... If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart right now!"
“Oh, Zhi’er, I’m doing this for your own good,” Yuan Shuangshuang sighed. “Actually, it’s your freedom if you and your brother Xia really have something going on. But I think you probably don’t know, your brother Xia proposed to Feng Zi many years ago, but Feng Zi was still young, and we adults didn’t agree to the marriage at that time, and now it’s a bit too early. But it will be different in two years. Although your brother Xia is always said to be a paragon of virtue in the martial arts world, how could he not be moved when he meets a beautiful girl like you who is interested in him…”
Xuezhi didn't hear a word Yuan Shuangshuang said.
All she heard was that Xia Qingmei and Lin Fengzi were already engaged.
No wonder Xia Qingmei spoke so many good things about Feng Zi in front of her. She thought... he had feelings for her and hoped that she could get closer to their lives.
Feeling inexplicably aggrieved, Xuezhi raised her voice and said, "Auntie, please shut up! Xia Qingmei and I are just friends, nothing more. If you keep spreading these rumors, I'll have someone chop you up right now!"
Elder Yuwen said, "Young Palace Master, you are not the Palace Master yet."
"That's right, I'm just trying to give you a friendly reminder, Zhi'er. I know you're a beauty, but honestly, given your background and your personality, I don't think your brother Xia will be serious about you. You should stick with those who are a good match for you, like the leader of the Green Shark Gang, the disciples of the Xuan Tian Hong Ling Temple, the Silver Whip Sect, the Golden Gate Island, and so on. Aren't there plenty of people who want to marry you?"
Xuezhi immediately rushed forward, shouting, "I'm going to kill you—"
However, Elder Yuwen stopped her with his cane. Elder Yuwen remained expressionless and looked at Yuan Shuangshuang: "Has Sect Leader Yuan finished saying what she wanted to say? May you leave now?"
Yuan Shuangshuang was angry for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's right, Feng Zi is still waiting for me to bring her the flower hairpin from Luoyang. Sigh, this girl is so delicate, yet she acts like she was born from a fairy tale, making those wild mountain girls jealous to death. So many men are chasing after her, and they are all young masters and noblemen from prestigious families. I really worry about Qingmei..."
She spoke as if she were talking to the people around her, but she spoke very loudly, so Xuezhi couldn't help but hear her.
Finally, Yuan Shuangshuang walked away. Only Xuezhi, Elder Yuwen, and a group of Chonghuo Palace disciples who had been eavesdropping and then dispersed remained.
"Starting tomorrow, the young palace master is forbidden from stepping out of Chonghuo Palace until you have cultivated the Hunyue Sword to the ninth level." Elder Yuwen said this and turned to leave.
"But I have to go to the Weapon Ranking Tournament after the New Year. Before that, I can't cultivate to the tenth level."
"Mu Yuan will go to the Weapon Ranking in your place; you don't need to go."
"No sect participates in the martial arts tournament without its leader."
Elder Yuwen pondered for a long time before saying, "Xia Qingmei will be attending the Weapon Ranking Conference, is that right?"
"I didn't go for him! Do you elders believe what Yuan Shuangshuang said? Xia Qingmei and I are just friends!"
"You're infatuated with him now because he defeated you, and you're too weak. Wait until you've mastered the Chaotic Moon Sword to the tenth level, then go back and see if you'll still like him."
Xuezhi's eyes reddened: "Liking someone isn't measured by swordsmanship. You can't manipulate me like this!"
"Starting tomorrow, you are no longer allowed to go out. That's all I have to say. Young Palace Master, continue your sword practice." With that, Elder Yuwen left.
That same evening, Chong Xuezhi carried her bundle and escaped from Chonghuo Palace.
Author's Note: 4 chapters on July 24th
19 20 21
19
This was the first time Chong Xuezhi had left without the elders' permission. Having never traveled the world alone before, she realized as soon as she left Chonghuo Realm that she hadn't taken many essential items. However, she certainly had enough silver.
Carrying a bundle full of gold ingots, Xuezhi looked at the vast world outside Chonghuo Palace and suddenly felt utterly lost. She had gone through so much trouble to drug Mu Yuan and the elders and protectors, and had escaped with such difficulty, but standing outside Chonghuo Palace, she truly didn't know where to go.
Who should we contact at this time?
Lin Yuhuang's great-uncle was always alone; those connected to him were either subordinates or allies. The sects on good terms with Lin Yuhuang ranged from the prestigious Lingjian Manor, the number one mountain stronghold in Jiangnan, to the Nanke Inn at the foot of Mount Emei. His acquaintances ranged from the righteous hero Hua Yijian to Situ Xuetian, the richest man in the capital, to the renowned blacksmith Wei Yi'ang, to Tie Xiao, the current leader of the third-rate Qingsha Gang, to Helian Jinghong, the owner of Hua Manlou, Luoyang's top brothel… Lin Yuhuang never dominated the martial world like Chonglian, nor did he like to flaunt his skills, but from his early teens, he had a particular fondness for befriending people. Some he might have forgotten, but the other person would still remember him. To this day, randomly grabbing a few people in the martial world could very well turn them into his friends or family.
In reality, Lin Yuhuang's closest friends were Hua Yijian and Situ Xuetian. However, Xuezhi considered the situation carefully. Hua Yijian was a wanderer, his whereabouts uncertain; Situ Xuetian had been with her since she was little, and had even slapped her many times, treating her even better than Lin Yuhuang. So, going to him was definitely the right thing to do. The journey from Chonghuo Palace to Chang'an wasn't too far, but going to Chang'an would inevitably involve passing through Luoyang. She wondered if Helian Jinghong, her grandmother, was busy with business at Hua Manlou or refining poison at the Ghost Mother Temple deep in the mountains.
However, Xuezhi's first stop was still Luoyang.
It's often said that Chang'an centralized power, while Luoyang concentrated wealth, and this is absolutely true. Most wealthy merchants chose to settle in Chang'an, but still conducted business in Luoyang. Therefore, Luoyang's nickname was "City of Ingots." Martial arts practitioners went to Chang'an generally for martial arts schools, weapon shops, the largest pawnshops, or the council chambers within teahouses. Those who went to Luoyang, regardless of their skills, would invariably visit the brothel, opium dens, and gambling dens if they were men; and the women would almost always visit the Fu Family Cloth Shop.
Fu Family Fabric Shop is a genuine chain store, with branches all over the country, even in nameless little villages. The main store is in Luoyang, and the shop is built like a palace, making it impossible to ignore.
Xuezhi was a young woman herself, and upon arriving in Luoyang, she found it hard to resist the allure of the Fu Family Cloth Shop. Furthermore, she recalled Yuan Shuangshuang's words, which further solidified her resolve to undergo a major financial sacrifice.
The cloth shop's business was much more prosperous than Xuezhi had imagined.
Large yellow lanterns hung from the rafters, each bearing the character "福" (fortune/blessing). Below the lanterns, a steady stream of customers thronged, nine-tenths of whom were women. Luoyang certainly had many beautiful women; their faces might not be conventionally pretty, but they were all dressed to the nines. Xuezhi, looking at her still-on sword-practice uniform, felt increasingly awkward. She hesitantly entered and discovered that the girls here were quite different from those outside. They spoke softly, but with particularly strong emphasis, calling each other "sister" and "brother" in a melodious voice, showering each other with compliments. Their smiles were all breathtakingly beautiful.
Suddenly, two maids from the cloth shop whispered behind Xuezhi:
"The young master's return has made a difference; there are twice as many people as usual today."
"Yes, many of the people here today, who are usually the ones who roll up their sleeves and haggle with us, are surprisingly generous today. After chatting enough, they casually picked out a piece of cloth, paid for it without even asking the price."
Xuezhi glanced back at the two maids. The two maids exchanged a glance with Xuezhi, looked at her clothes, and then smiled.
Xuezhi felt even more embarrassed by their behavior. Although her clothes weren't fancy, they were clean and tidy. Why did these two treat her like she was a beggar? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She put down the fabric in her hand and left.
As Xuezhi left the cloth shop, a commotion arose at the entrance. She glanced back at the swarm of women who seemed to be surrounding something, but she wasn't interested in knowing and headed straight for the weapons shop.
After looking around, this place still suits me best. The clanging and banging sounds inside the shop also sound particularly comforting.
The weapons shop was almost entirely filled with men, and upon seeing Xuezhi, they would all involuntarily turn around and take a look.
The shop was enormous, mainly selling swords, knives, spears, and whips. One wall displayed rows of various swords. Xuezhi reached out and weighed them in her hands, finding them all to be of medium to high quality, of uniform quality, yet their prices were astonishingly high—none were less than a hundred taels. She suddenly remembered that Liuli was very skilled at sword forging; even a casually made sword by him could be far superior to those here. She should have advised him not to become a protector; he would have made a fortune selling swords here.
Just then, the shopkeeper hung up a new knife and saw Xuezhi. He immediately waved to her.
"Hey, little girl, this isn't a place for you to play. Go home right now."
Xuezhi said, "I'm here to choose a sword."
The boss sneered, "You even know anything about swords?"
20
Xuezhi casually picked up a sword named "Azure Rainbow," weighed it in her hand, and said, "This one is top-heavy, easily damaged, and difficult to control." She then picked up a knife named "Snow Lion": "The blade is very narrow, making it a light knife, but the weight of the blade itself is too great, completely negating its advantages. It would probably be much better if it weren't filled with lead." Finally, she picked up a whip called "Wild Wind": "I haven't studied whip techniques, but I've sparred with many who know how to use them. This whip looks exquisite, but the proportions of the handle are off—"
Before he could finish speaking, the boss snatched the whip from his hand. Many people looked at them with surprise.
"If you can't afford it, don't spread rumors here. You're not welcome here!"
"I really didn't plan to buy it. Your weapons are just for show, with fancy names to match."
Xuezhi turned to leave. The boss, however, became furious: "You think you can just walk away after wrecking our place? I bet you're some country bumpkin, you've never heard of me, Master Zhuo! Guards!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than several burly men rushed out.
Xuezhi's temper flared up as well, and she deftly drew the sword from her back: "I bet you've never even heard of your grandma, Chong Xuezhi!"
The boss burst into laughter: "You're Chong Xuezhi? Hahaha, then I'm Chong Lian! Get him!"
Several burly men drew their swords and slashed at Xuezhi.
Xuezhi immediately used the eighth level of the Hunyue Sword technique taught by Mu Yuancai.
Although not very skilled, and not as effective as using the seventh level, it was definitely enough to intimidate people. The two burly men in the lead exchanged a glance, then immediately turned back to whisper a few words to Boss Zhuo. Boss Zhuo was slightly taken aback, and said in a trembling voice, "You, if you have the guts, don't run away, just wait and see..."
Xuezhi tilted her head, toying with the sword tassel in her hand: "I'm waiting."
Boss Zhuo immediately went into the inner room.
Xuezhi chuckled and turned back to look at the weapons. Everyone knew that in big cities, things were generally mediocre in quality but cheap; appearance was king. She regretted clashing with the shopkeeper. But with everyone watching, leaving now would be a disgrace to Chonghuo Palace.
Just as she was hesitating, a hand took the "Azure Rainbow Sword" from the wall beside her. Xuezhi had only glanced at the sword at first, but when she saw the hand, she couldn't help but turn around to look at the person.
“This sword is indeed not worth the price,” someone nearby said. “The young lady is right.”
“Yes, yes.” Xuezhi looked up at him. “...I already said it.”
"Are you a swordswoman, young lady?"
Yes, yes.
The man smiled slightly at Xuezhi: "What's wrong?"
"fine."
Xuezhi realized that her reaction was quite sluggish. She had been in the martial arts world for quite some time, but she had rarely seen such a tall young man. In her memory, among the people she had met in recent years, the new leader of the Jade Dart Sect was very tall, Abbot Shixuan was very tall, and Fengcheng, the head of the Huashan Sect, was very tall, but this was the first time she had seen someone so tall and of such a great build.
"I didn't expect to see people from Chonghuo Palace in Luoyang. It's quite rare. You've mastered the Hunyue Sword very well."
"No, no." Xuezhi turned her head and shook it against the wall. To her, this man, whether in appearance, voice, or demeanor, was like a bone to a dog that hadn't eaten for three days.
Chong Xuezhi had lived for almost seventeen years, and this was the first time she was so certain that she was a woman.
Fortunately, Boss Zhuo reappeared at this moment.
This time, the people accompanying him were no longer ordinary burly men, but several disciples dressed in Huashan Sect uniforms.
"That little girl was the one causing trouble at my place... Young Master Shangguan?" Boss Zhuo stared at what was behind Chong Xuezhi and asked in astonishment, "What are you doing here?"
The two Huashan Sect disciples following behind Boss Zhuo also bowed to him, saying, "Greetings, young master."
Young Master Shangguan smiled and said:
"Boss Zhuo, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
"Thanks to you, young master, very good."
Young Master Shangguan opened his folding fan and gently shook it: "Your business here is getting more and more prosperous, and your weapons are becoming more and more exquisite."
"Yes, yes, of course. It's rare for Young Master Shangguan to come here, so please do me the honor of coming in for a cup of tea."
"No, I have something to discuss with this young lady. We'll meet another day."
Xuezhi asked, "Do you know me?"