4. Chapter 004 The Golden Toad Pouch (Completed)

Chapter 004 The Golden Toad Pouch

While everyone at Qingyun Manor was still engrossed in the braised rice and chicken soup, Lao Qu and Wang Sumo had already finished eating and were sitting on the rocks by the stream watching from afar.

"It seems the food at Qingyun Manor is pretty rough!" Old Qu sighed. "I have to keep a close eye on them; I have a feeling they'll eat the pots and pans."

Wang Sumo looked at it with her chin resting on her hand, unable to suppress a smile.

Old Qu thought for a moment, then took out the dog book that Wang Sumo had given him earlier from his pocket.

"No, we still need to get a dog as soon as possible." Old Qu was serious.

Watching Lao Qu carefully selecting a dog, Wang Sumo suddenly asked, "Whenever I go to nearby towns to buy groceries, you always remind me that the world is dangerous and I shouldn't stay out alone for too long. You always tell me to send you a signal if anything happens. Why didn't you mention it this time when we went to Qingyun Manor, a journey that took more than ten days to travel back and forth?"

Old Qu said leisurely, "If you don't want to go, you definitely won't go. But if you say you want to go, there must be a reason. Can you stop me?"

Wang Sumo smiled, "That makes sense~"

Old Qu looked at the dogs in the booklet, then at her, and decided that he preferred the dogs.

But he didn't stop talking, "What, does Qingyun Manor have something on you?"

Wang Sumo shook his head, "No, it's a friend from a long time ago. He promised to find a spice for me, and if he found it, he would ask someone to give it to me so I could go find him."

After Wang Sumo finished speaking, he handed the "Golden Toad Brocade Pouch" in his hand to Lao Qu.

Old Qu's eye for talent far surpasses that of younger generations like He Ping and He Lin. "The Golden Toad Pouch of the Heavenly Fragrance Sect?"

"You know him?" Wang Sumo asked in surprise.

Few people in the martial arts world know about the Tianxiang Sect anymore; she only learned about it from Lu Wenqu.

The brocade pouch was previously in He Ping's possession, but He Ping probably didn't know its origin. However, since the old man could name it, he must know it.

It seems that Lao Qu is more interested in this brocade pouch than the dog.

When the sachet arrived, Lao Qu held it in his hand and examined it repeatedly, no longer looking at the dog booklet.

The grand plan to get a dog was put on hold.

"The Tianxiang Sect is skilled in making incense and poisons. More than a hundred years ago, it was a renowned sect in the martial arts world, which made many people tremble with fear."

Old Qu sighed, "But later, it seems none of the disciples amounted to anything, and it declined. Back then, I could still barely hear any news about the Tianxiang Sect, but now, these younger generations of martial artists probably don't even know what the Tianxiang Sect is..."

This is not surprising, at least He Ping and others were unaware of it.

Looking at the brocade pouch, Lao Qu sighed, "If it weren't for this brocade pouch, I would have thought that the Tianxiang Sect had disappeared."

Old Qu asked curiously, "Girl, how did you meet?"

In front of the old man, Wang Sumo did not hide anything, "I've been looking for rare spices for cooking, haven't I? On the way, I met a man named Lu Wenqu. What a coincidence! He was also looking for various spices that could be used to make incense. So we ended up in the same place by different paths?"

Too.

The spices used for seasoning are not necessarily completely separate from the spices used for making incense.

Especially rare spices, which may be universally applicable; or they may not be universally applicable, but they still need to be found before it can be determined whether they can be used for flavoring or aromatherapy.

interesting!

Wang Sumo continued, "During our casual conversation, he also revealed some things about the Tianxiang Sect. In fact, the Tianxiang Sect was originally a place that specialized in perfume making, not a martial arts sect. However, the process of perfume making is complicated and requires a lot of olfactory experience, as well as whether the perfume can be used for a long time or whether it will cause discomfort. Over time, while the perfume was being made, they also unintentionally discovered a lot of poison formulas."

"Therefore, Tianxiang Sect is different from other Jianghu sects that are good at using poison. Other Jianghu sects that are good at using poison, such as Medicine King Valley, mostly practice medicine, refine medicine and use poison in one, and cultivate both medicine and poison; but Tianxiang Sect only knows how to make incense and use poison. It was also due to chance and accident that it became a famous Jianghu sect at that time."

Wang Sumo couldn't help but sigh, "So, the martial arts world is sometimes just a makeshift troupe; those who rise to prominence by chance will disappear without a trace due to a lack of successors..."

Old Qu hissed softly, "That makes sense."

Lao Qu then asked, "Does the Tianxiang Sect have any other successors?"

“Yes.” Wang Sumo picked up a pebble and threw it into the stream, creating ripples. “Tianxiang Sect is still around, but the successors of Tianxiang Sect now only make incense. Strictly speaking, it’s no longer the once-famous Tianxiang Sect.”

Old Qu joked, "Girl, you've seen your fair share of the ways of the martial world these past few years at Eight Treasures Pavilion!"

She knew things that even he, who had spent most of his life wandering the martial world, didn't know.

Wang Sumo smiled and threw a small pebble into the stream. "Coincidence, isn't it? Nothing is possible without coincidence. Wasn't it a coincidence that I met the old man back then?"

Old Qu suddenly asked, "How did we meet again?"

Wang Sumo was slightly taken aback, but soon his smile returned as he continued, "When I met Lu Wenqu, he was being chased by his enemies and had only escaped by hiding in the Bazhen Tower in a panic."

"We then spent several months together searching for spices, and then we parted ways because we each had our own journeys to take."

“A gentleman’s friendship is as pure as water. He showed me this ‘Golden Cicada Pouch’ and said that if he found the spices I was looking for on his journey, he would have someone bring this pouch to me. As soon as I saw the pouch, I understood its meaning.”

Wang Sumo said leisurely, "Look, the brocade pouch has arrived!"

Old Qu asked in surprise, "So, the people from Qingyun Manor came to deliver the brocade pouch on his behalf?"

“Not entirely.” Wang Sumo hissed. “I heard he also stole valuable ‘items’ from Qingyun Manor, got his leg broken, and is currently locked up in the manor’s dungeon. He told the people at Qingyun Manor, ‘Bring me this brocade pouch, and I will come.’”

Old Qu was both amused and exasperated. "So, you didn't find the spices, but rushed me out to save another life?"

Wang Sumo threw another pebble into the stream, saying, "It's hard to say; we'll have to go and see for ourselves."

Old Qu said quietly, "He was being chased by his enemies before, and now he's got his leg broken and is locked in a dungeon. He's a habitual offender..."

After sighing, Lao Qu suddenly realized something, "How did this guy escape unscathed when he was being chased by his enemies and fled into the Eight Treasures Restaurant? Did he keep dogs at that time?"

Back then, he wasn't at Bazhenlou yet, and this girl didn't even have a shred of martial arts skills!

Wang Sumo chuckled lightly, "I've been wanting to raise them, but I haven't had the chance yet. The dog register was only just finished. The Eight Treasures Pavilion was made by the Xuanji Sect, and the Xuanji Sect is skilled in hidden weapons and mechanisms. How can it function without some kind of barrier?"

Lao Qu understood.

No wonder she dared to travel all over the world alone in search of spices.

It seems that the Eight Treasures Pavilion has more than just the function of a mobile restaurant; it also hides other secrets.

The girl didn't mention it.

Lao Qu didn't expose it.

"Aren't you afraid that those guys from Qingyun Manor will make things difficult for you on this trip?" Old Qu suddenly changed the subject.

Wang Sumo smiled faintly, "You didn't say we couldn't go, so it must be safe!"

“That’s… that stubborn old donkey…” Old Qu suddenly fell silent. No, he’d been tricked into saying something.

Sure enough, Wang Sumo approached and asked, "Hey, Lao Qu, you know him?"

"Hehe." Old Qu gave a forced smile.

Wang Sumo rested her chin on her hand and looked at him, "Should I help you with something?"

"There's absolutely no need for that!" Someone's tone suddenly changed, and they instantly gained momentum!

It felt as if the other person was right in front of me, as if I were actually there.

Wang Sumo understood.

There's a story behind it!

"You're his defeated opponent?"

Old Qu, his beard bristling and eyes wide, exclaimed, "Huh! How could that be!"

"So, did he steal your martial arts manual? Or a treasure trove of wealth beyond measure hidden beneath the cliff?"

Old Qu was annoyed, "There's no such thing!"

"I understand!" Wang Sumo suddenly said confidently.

Lao Qu Yi Leng.

“A love rival!!” Wang Sumo said decisively.

This time, Lao Qu remained silent, most likely because he had hit a nerve.

"Hey~" A busybody was not idle.

"What!" Old Qu didn't want to answer.

"So, in the end, who got the prize? Old Qu, you didn't lose out, did you?" Who doesn't love gossip? Especially Old Qu's!

Without even thinking, Lao Qu replied, "Of course it's me..."

"No, wait," Lao Qu realized, "Why are you worrying so much? Go away! Leave me some peace and quiet for a few days."

*

The following morning, Qingyun Manor was preparing for departure.

Wang Sumo said goodbye to the old man, "Grandpa, eat well and don't miss my cooking too much~"

"Here you go." Old Qu took something out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"What is this?" Wang Sumo took it; it was a miniature scroll. He opened it and saw—the Diamond Sutra?

Wang Sumo: ? ? ?

Wang Sumo looked at Lao Qu in surprise.

Old Qu replied dismissively, "Take it. It's a talisman I've used for many years, ensuring I can escape unscathed from any place I go. You can borrow it."

Wang Sumo exclaimed, "This amulet is way too big!"

Old Qu was annoyed. "Just put it away properly!"

Wang Sumo quickly put it away; although it was so small, it could still be put into her sleeve pocket.

Old Qu visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Take this too!" Old Qu impatiently handed her the bamboo basket.

Wang Sumo took the basket, which contained the crucian carp he had just "caught" yesterday.

Wang Sumo: "..."

She knew that because she loved crucian carp, Lao Qu had specially "fished" all day yesterday. Wang Sumo accepted it, saying, "Are you afraid I'll crave it on the way?"

Old Qu was speechless. "I'm afraid you'll fall into the water! Crucian carp can swim, eating them will help you swim. Go away, go away, go away! Out of sight, out of mind!"

"Remember, you can only eat a little bit of dried fruit each day," Wang Sumo also reminded him.

Old Qu quickly hid the dried fruit, fearing that the girl might suddenly have a craving and he wouldn't be able to control himself, taking half of it away at the last minute!

Wang Sumo smiled.

Just then, someone from Qingyun Manor stepped forward and asked, "Miss Wang, do you need to take all of these with you?"

After dinner last night, the people from Qingyun Manor spoke to Wang Sumo less formally than before. Although they were polite and courteous, they were also more friendly.

That bag contained the tools that Wang Sumo had packed in advance.

She's not used to using other people's pots and pans; they're not as convenient for her.

Wang Sumo didn't know the guard's name yet, but the guard had already helped her carry it to the carriage.

Her iron bell was quite heavy.

He Ping was squatting beside the carriage, checking that the carriage was properly secured and that there were no problems with the chassis, making final preparations before setting off.

He Lin had just returned with the dry rations when he asked, "Why is there a horse-drawn carriage?"

“Miss Wang can’t ride a horse.” He Ping had just finished checking and stood up, leaning on his sword.

"Can't ride a horse?" He Lin was surprised. How could someone who can't ride a horse travel the world?

I've never seen anything like this before.

He Ping gently reminded her, "Doesn't Miss Wang own the Eight Treasures Pavilion?"

Oh, right.

He Lin casually asked, "Who was driving?"

He Ping looked at him.

He Lin: "..."

He Lin's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Me?! Me?!"

He Ping smiled and patted him on the shoulder, tacitly agreeing, "Get ready to pack up and leave."

He Lin has a big head.

Just then, Wang Sumo arrived carrying a bamboo basket, and He Ping greeted her politely, "Miss Wang."

"Hero He," Wang Sumo addressed him, changing his form of address.

He Ping said gently, "The carriage has been inspected and is ready to go at any time. It will take about a day to walk from here to the dock, so it may be hard for you to stay in the carriage all day."

"Thank you all for your help."

"I'll go check on the preparations elsewhere. Call me if Miss Wang needs anything."

"good."

After watching He Ping leave, Wang Sumo noticed He Lin craning his neck to peek into her bamboo basket!

Wang Sumo covered it with her hand and then turned around.

He Lin knew he'd been discovered, and then looked at her with a strange expression. "Taking a basket of crucian carp to eat on the way?"

After last night's delicious and satisfying meal of braised pine mushroom rice and stewed chicken soup, He Lin understood why the manor owner insisted on sending the boss to find the owner of Bazhenlou.

He had never eaten such delicious food! He had never tasted such rich and flavorful chicken soup!

Qingyun Manor also has cooks and head chefs. The old manor lord's meals are not bad, but he just doesn't have much of an appetite.

Although they had an appetite, perhaps because they had been hungry all day, they ate the stew from last night with particular relish.

It seems that the food was indeed different from the food prepared by the chefs at the resort. Towards the end, even the bottom layer of the pot had to be fought over!

He also heard from Dunzi that the food at Bazhenlou was something you couldn't get even if you had money!

Many martial arts practitioners would follow Bazhenlou for months just to get a taste of it, and once Bazhenlou opened for business, they would scramble for a seat!

The treatment they received last night would be the envy of countless people in the martial arts world!

He certainly wouldn't have believed this before; but now he does.

Just the day before, he was yelling at people, but people are bound by their kindness and obligations.

Right now, it's a little awkward.

He was genuinely curious about what she had mysteriously brought in her bamboo basket, but when he saw the crucian carp, all he could think about was craving crucian carp.

Braised crucian carp and crucian carp tofu soup were the two dishes that kept swirling in my mind. Then I wondered if there were any other dishes. As a result, Wang Sumo caught me red-handed.

He stared at her fish, eyeing them.

Wang Sumo quickly hugged the bamboo basket, as if she had "seen" his "ill intentions," and said deliberately, "This is my pet! I'm used to taking my pet on the road, to keep me entertained, and maybe even catch a fish."

He Lin: "..."

He Lin: (,,ω,,) Pet?

"Does anyone keep crucian carp as pets?" He Lin was stumped.

Wang Sumo pulled the bamboo basket out from behind her back and handed it to him, saying deliberately, "Yes, catching fish is so enjoyable, would you like to try it first?"

He Lin: No, no need...

"I'll get on the carriage now." Wang Sumo stepped on the pedal, then turned back. "Hey, call me when you want to slack off!"

He Lin: -_-||

Once they were on the carriage and the curtains were drawn, Wang Sumo couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He Lin heard this and was speechless and furious.

He doesn't believe it's a pet!

Who keeps crucian carp as pets instead of koi?

...

Overall, the journey by carriage to the dock was smooth.

With people from Qingyun Manor accompanying him, Wang Sumo didn't need to worry about safety.

No one in the martial arts world would dare to provoke Qingyun Manor unless they were an enemy.

Qingyun Manor is known as the Gentleman's Sword. Since it's called the Gentleman's Sword, it doesn't have that many enemies. If it were the Cloud Piercing Mountain Breaker, it would probably have even more enemies.

Now that she had nothing to do in the carriage, she could finally begin!

happy! ! !

Wang Sumo opened the bundle; the clothes were packed in one place, and in the other bag—

The Complete Sudoku Guide

Five Years of Sudoku, Three Years of Selected Works

"Fun Sudoku"

Don't Tell Me You've Seen a Sudoku Book

Sudoku, we're serious!

...

That's right, I'm bad at the game but I love playing it, and I'm really addicted!

The perfect way to while away the time while adventuring in the world – a horse-drawn carriage for killing time!

Fortunately, Lao Qu isn't here yet!

The road was an official road, and the journey was smooth. The sound of horses' hooves became white noise, masking most of the other sounds along the way.

Inside the carriage, Wang Sumo was completely absorbed.

Outside the carriage, He Lin remained suspicious the entire way.

— Not a sound at all!

He Lin had no idea if there was anyone in the carriage!

When we stopped to rest and have some dry food, no one showed up. They just said "no need" and didn't know what they were busy with.

Finally, after a day's journey, the group arrived at the dock around dusk, and Wang Sumo alighted from the carriage.

The journey by water will take another two or three days. This rented carriage will not be taken on the boat. When we arrive, a carriage from the mountain resort will come to pick us up.

Wang Sumo looked at the bustling scene at the dock, where goods were being loaded and unloaded everywhere, and pedestrians and cargo passed by from time to time.

And the sounds of haggling filled the air!

This is another kind of reality and prosperity.

Compared to these merchant ships, even horse-drawn carriages seemed incredibly small.

A gentle breeze caressed my face as the sun set, and light dust danced in the evening glow. The last trace of heat from the daytime dissipated at this moment.

Wang Sumo was still holding the basket of crucian carp in his arms.

People who enjoy traveling by horse-drawn carriage to find spices from all over the world will not dislike the atmosphere of travel, especially when temporarily escaping from familiar surroundings.

“Miss Wang,” He Ping stepped forward, “Dianzhou Wharf has been busy these past two days. All the chartered boats have already been booked, and the earliest available boat will be tomorrow noon. Tonight, we only have merchant boats that share passengers, and these are temporary. It is assumed that there will be other passengers on board, but they will not be individual passengers.”

I don't mean individual travelers, but rather that they are less likely to be a mixed bag of people. They might be like them, either merchants, martial arts practitioners, or a group of travelers.

“If you mind, we can wait until tomorrow noon to charter a boat before we leave,” He Ping explained to Wang Sumo, outlining both possibilities.

“I don’t mind at all,” Wang Sumo said decisively. “With Qingyun Manor here, the merchant ship is safe. You don’t need to worry about me either; I have things to do and can stay in the cabin almost all day.”

Well, whether others believe it or not, He Lin believes it!

"Where is Miss Wang?" He Lin had finished what his boss had told him to do, but when he turned back, he didn't see Wang Sumo. He only saw her pot, spatula, and large ladle.

Another guard replied, "Oh, Miss Wang said she wanted to buy some food for her pet before the ship sets sail."

pet?

He Lin frowned, thinking, "Those few crucian carp really are her pets!"

[Author's Note]

My darlings, this chapter is now complete!

[Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers] Let me go a little crazy~