Chapter 8 Qingyun Manor

Chapter 008 Qingyun Manor

On a merchant ship, aside from occasionally leaning on the deck to gaze at the sunrise and sunset and feel the river breeze, there's not much to do.

After sunset, the river was pitch black, with almost nothing visible except for one or two distant lights from other merchant ships.

Wang Sumo returned to the cabin, lit the lamp, and quietly did Sudoku.

The crucian carp in the bamboo basket beside it had spent another day doing its job, like a monk ringing a bell, and acting as a pet.

As Wang Sumo finished a page of Sudoku, the sound of the page turning was followed by a crucian carp swishing its tail and thrashing about in the bamboo basket, circling around...

Wang Sumo reached for the cup, took a sip of water, and continued.

Her father passed away early, and she and her mother depended on each other for survival from a young age.

In her memory, her mother loved counting rods, and she was influenced by her from a young age to like Sudoku.

But she didn't have her mother's talent. She liked what her mother taught her, but she wasn't proficient in it.

Later, after her mother passed away, she took the letter her mother left behind to the Xuanji Sect and sought out the sect leader, Yu Daozi.

Uncle-Master Yu Daozi spent five years building the Eight Treasures Pavilion.

She never told anyone that the original blueprints for the Bazhenlou restaurant were drawn by her mother.

Every mechanism, every gear, and every mortise and tenon joint inside was calculated and drawn by my mother, one detail at a time.

The Eight Treasures Pavilion embodies my mother's life's work.

When the Eight Treasures Pavilion was completed, Master Yu Daozi pressed the button in front of her for the first time. All the materials in the wooden box quickly unfolded, like a two-story building rising from the ground in an orderly manner!

The shock was indescribable!

She sat in the Bazhenlou restaurant all night with red eyes.

The following day, she bid farewell to her Uncle-Master Yu Daozi, as she was going to fulfill her mother's last wish.

With Bazhenlou as my guide, I set out to find the rare ingredients in "The Tale of Delicacies" and complete the book.

Uncle-Master Yu Daozi said to wait a few more days.

A few days later, looking at the Bazhenlou, which was the same as before but also somewhat different, her Uncle Yu Daozi told her that it was not easy to travel the world alone. He had reread his mother's blueprints and designed and added life-saving mechanisms and hidden weapons from the Xuanji Sect.

He poured his heart and soul into it.

When Yu Daozi saw her off, she drove her own carriage, and even after she had driven a long way, she could still see Yu Daozi watching her from the same spot.

She also remembered that the night before her departure, Yu Daozi burned the blueprints of Bazhenlou and calmly said, "Possessing a treasure is a crime. When you travel in the martial world in the future, you must never mention to others that the blueprints of Bazhenlou were drawn by your mother. Just say that by chance, I gave them to you."

She nodded.

That was also the last time she saw Yu Daozi.

As the world of martial arts unfolds, she gradually comes to understand that the blueprints for the Eight Treasures Pavilion, which Yu Daozi warned her against mentioning, were drawn by her mother...

Later, she "picked up" an old man.

Besides her, another regular figure began to appear at the Eight Treasures Restaurant.

Old Qu liked to ramble on. Along the way, she caught many crucian carp and wild rabbits while traversing clouds and mountains. The journey to find spices with her companions was still long, but she was no longer alone...

After turning off the lights, Wang Sumo returned to her bed.

We'll be arriving at Tingshui tomorrow.

After seeing the old master and Lu Wenqu at Qingyun Manor, return as soon as possible. If you linger too long, Lao Qu will worry...

As Wang Sumo turned over in bed, she remembered the person hiding in the cargo hold.

— Oh, my mouth is watering.

— Order more spinach.

She was both amused and annoyed. It was such a coincidence, and the other party was so carefree. She was also wondering if she should tell He Ping.

However, I'm also worried that being on a merchant ship might cause trouble for the other party.

It was only when I kindly helped the old man and shielded him from the whip that I discovered the adulterated rice in the grain bag.

never mind.

She'll be at Tingshui tomorrow. If he can get on the boat, he'll find a way to get off.

When you're wandering the world, you might meet someone by chance, but it's best to keep it brief and to leave it at that.

The river was rough, the merchant ships rocked gently, and the crucian carp in the bamboo basket swirled around, having lived another day...

*

The next day, when they were to disembark, Wang Sumo got up early and went to the deck. He saw He Ping talking to someone on the deck, who was probably from the merchant ship.

The two men greeted her from a distance.

She stepped forward, and the ship's manager bowed to her in greeting before leaving.

He Ping told her that they would reach the shore in another hour and a half.

She asked He Lin if he was feeling better.

I heard that He Ping was the one taking care of things yesterday.

He Ping smiled gently, "He's feeling much better after taking the seasickness medicine. He also ate all the spinach and egg rolls last night. He must have been starving all day, so he wolfed them down. He's still not awake."

He Lin is the youngest in the industry, and it's clear that He Ping takes good care of him.

Without He Ping, a hothead like He Lin would have run into a lot of trouble in the martial arts world.

"Qingyun Manor is located on the outskirts of Tingshui City. It's about an hour's journey by carriage after disembarking at the dock," He Ping offered.

Wang Sumo followed up, saying, "Hero He, even doctors need to treat the symptoms. Since you've agreed to cook for the old master, Hero He, please tell me about the old master and the affairs of the manor, his likes and dislikes, and the background of his actions."

He Ping understood, "Of course. I originally planned to bring it up with Miss Wang in the carriage, but since Miss Wang asked, I'll speak first. If you want to ask any more questions, feel free to interrupt me."

Wang Sumo nodded.

"Qingyun Manor is a renowned sect in the martial arts world, founded by the former master. Back then, the former master single-handedly broke through all 108 checkpoints of the Xiaoyao Sect to rescue his best friend's orphan, making the reputation of the 'Eternal Gentleman Sword' spread throughout the martial arts world. Even after decades, it remains a legend in the martial arts world."

Yes, it's a story that storytellers like to tell.

It's widely known and talked about; even children know it.

"Later, the old master took the child back to Qingyun Manor and raised him personally. He is our master."

Therefore, the owner of Qingyun Manor is not the biological son of the old manor owner.

Or was it an orphan that the old master of the manor rescued from the Xiaoyao Sect back then?

He Ping nodded calmly, "Yes, the old master has always been grooming the master as the successor of Qingyun Manor, focusing all his efforts on Qingyun Manor and the master."

"After the new master took over Qingyun Manor, the old master gradually retired from the martial world. It was about twenty years ago. Qingyun Manor also grew stronger after the new master took over."

Wang Sumo knew this.

Huo Lianchi, the master of Qingyun Manor, enjoys a very high reputation in the martial arts world.

He is considered by many in the martial arts world to be the leader of the righteous path.

She had previously wondered why the master of Qingyun Manor was surnamed Huo, since He Ping and the others should have been disciples of Qingyun Manor since childhood, yet they did not share the surname of Master Huo.

It turns out that he took the surname of the old manor lord.

It seems that Master Huo has great respect for the old master.

Qingyun Manor enjoys an excellent reputation in the martial arts world, and few sects would gossip about it behind its back.

Therefore, Qingyun Manor is rarely the subject of gossip or widely discussed in the martial arts world.

He Ping continued, "The old master retired at that time because he had developed many old ailments from his travels in the martial world. Moreover, many of these ailments were from when he stormed the Xiaoyao Sect. From then on, the old master's health began to decline, and he was constantly worried about matters in the martial world, which gradually made him unable to keep up."

Wang Sumo understood that things in the martial arts world—even in the martial arts world, there are family gossips, families that don't follow martial ethics, families that slander each other behind their backs, or families that fight each other.

Wherever there are people, there is a world of its own.

In any society, fairness is essential.

Each sect and faction has its own agenda, so they will seek out respected and credible sects and leaders in the martial arts world to uphold justice.

Over time, this became an unwritten rule.

This kind of reconciliation seems simple, but it is actually the most mentally taxing.

It's rare to find a situation where both sides are truly satisfied; some will accept it, because there will always be others who are not.

Someone always has to make concessions, and the other party may not necessarily accept the favor, so the favor will be placed on Qingyun Manor.

Because everyone believes that Qingyun Manor is fair.

It was fair, but it took a lot of effort.

In short, the "trivial matters" between sects need to be coordinated every day.

He also had to oversee the overall situation in the martial arts world from time to time, which required a lot of mental and physical effort.

If you don't rest and recuperate, your old illness is likely to relapse.

But after Master Huo took over from the old master, the old master was able to focus on recuperating in peace.

This is undeniable.

But these things weren't enough to make the old manor owner lose his appetite.

Sure enough, He Ping sighed softly, "About ten years ago, not long after the manor lord took over Qingyun Manor, two children came to the manor with tokens to find the old manor lord."

Wang Sumo was surprised, "The old manor lord's grandson?"

Is it something she should listen to about the gossip of powerful families and influential figures in the martial arts world?

He Ping shook his head. "No, the old master never married or had children. Many years ago, the old master and his younger brother were separated, and he always thought the man had died in the famine. When the two young masters brought the tokens and had faces similar to the old master, he recognized them at a glance. There was no need for doubt."

Oh, she understands.

After Master Huo took over Qingyun Manor, the two grandsons of the old master's younger brother came looking for their relatives.

It's human nature to treat both sides equally...

Wang Sumo asked, "Then, has Master Huo married and had children?"

These two children, like the old master, share the surname He, but now Qingyun Manor is surnamed Huo.

If Qingyun Manor still has a young master...

“The young master is still young,” He Ping confirmed.

Wang Sumo had already imagined a whole drama unfolding in her mind.

"Young Master has been frail and sickly since childhood, with congenital deficiencies. He has seen many doctors and taken a lot of medicine. But even walking fast makes him breathless, so he is unable to practice martial arts."

"When the eldest and second young masters returned to the manor, the young master had just recovered from a serious illness. After taking good care of the young master, the manor lord brought the two young masters to his side and personally took care of them, just as the old manor lord had taught him."

"Over the years, the eldest young master has been following the manor lord and learning how to manage the manor's affairs. But the second young master is always arguing with the manor lord, always looking for trouble, and he will run away from home. Several times, the manor lord has asked me to bring him back."

Lift?

Wang Sumo was puzzled.

He Ping smiled helplessly, "It means I brought it back by the collar."

Uh, Wang Sumo understands.

Although He Ping didn't say much, Wang Sumo understood.

Among the younger generation of Qingyun Manor, Master Huo's son was sickly from childhood; the eldest son mentioned by He Ping was of mediocre talent; only the second son had a talent for martial arts, learning it in no time, but he was playful by nature, did not study properly, and did not listen to discipline.

This gave the old master and Master Huo a headache.

"At the beginning of the year, the young master fell into the water and was nearly killed by the cold air. The old master used his inner strength to keep the young master alive. It wasn't until the life-saving ginseng arrived that the young master was able to save his life. The old master lay in bed for a long time and his spirits were not good."

"I had just brought the second young master back from out of town. After he came back, he had a huge fight with the old master, and the old master was furious. Shortly after, someone ate the old master's chickens, and the old master fell ill from anger. He was still arguing with the second young master, so angry that he couldn't even eat..."

"The eldest young master has not yet returned from the martial arts tournament in place of the manor lord. The manor lord has to handle matters within the manor and also worry about the recent actions of the imperial court. The second young master and the old manor lord are still causing trouble. The manor lord had no choice but to ask the young lady to come over."

Every family has its own troubles, and Qingyun Manor is no exception...

Towards the end, the wind picked up on deck. Wang Sumo and He Ping came down from the deck and overheard passersby whispering, "The kitchen was burgled last night, ransacked, but nothing else was missing except for the spinach..."

"Spinach isn't worth much! There are so many good things in the kitchen, why steal spinach?!"

Wang Sumo's steps faltered slightly.

—Add more spinach.

"Miss Wang, what's wrong?" He Ping asked when she stopped.

"Oh, it's nothing." Wang Sumo thought for a moment, then added, "By the way, Hero Hero, when we get to Qingyun Manor, I'd like to go see the person who gave you the brocade pouch first."

"After we've met the Master of the Manor, I'll take Miss Wang there."

Wang Sumo nodded.

...

The merchant ship soon docked at Tingshui Wharf.

He Lin offered to help Wang Sumo carry her belongings this time. Wang Sumo herself was carrying the basket of crucian carp, which she hadn't had a chance to eat yet, so she could only take it to Qingyun Manor to eat.

He Lin put the things on the carriage, then set up the footrests, and Wang Sumo got on the carriage with the fish basket in his arms.

"Miss Wang, we're leaving now."

Qingyun Villa is located in the suburbs of Tingshui City; you need to take a horse-drawn carriage to get there.

"Why haven't I seen Hero He?" Wang Sumo asked.

"It will take about an hour to get back to the manor. Boss, go back to the manor first to prepare." He Lin vomited for most of the journey by water, and for the remaining half, he ate Wang Sumo's spinach and egg pancakes to fill his stomach and keep him alive. Having been fed, he was now completely submissive and couldn't muster any backbone.

"Let's go then."

Through the car window, you can see porters at Ting Shui Wharf unloading goods from merchant ships.

She didn't know if the young swordsman had also managed to disembark, but since they had only met by chance, she probably wouldn't run into him again.

The carriage curtains were lowered, and the carriage drove away from the dock.

On the gangplank, Bai Cen mingled with the people on the ship and easily blended into the crowd at the dock.

Ting Shui, he hasn't been here for a long time either.

This was truly a coincidence.

Bai Cen looked around and saw people from Qingyun Manor escorting a carriage away from the dock.

He remembered that Wang Sumo had been with the people from Qingyun Manor on the merchant ship.

Qingyun Mountain Villa is located in the outskirts of Tingshui.

Uncle Huo, it's been a long time since I've seen him...

[Author's Note]

Happy weekend! There's a red envelope in this chapter, it'll be sent out tomorrow at 12 noon.