Chapter 25

Qiu Chiyan's words proved prophetic.

The next day, the news spread throughout the streets that the Hundred Gates Sacrifice Ceremony had been postponed for five days.

This is unprecedented.

Shen Yu had no choice but to focus on her business and give up her desire to go out for a stroll.

Since there's nothing to see outside, I might as well stay in the kitchen and cook something.

I went to the market this morning and bought a bag of crabs. The inn is getting more and more crowded, and the few ordinary dishes are getting a bit monotonous. I need to make something better to improve the meals.

"Manager, someone's looking for you upstairs." Granny Chen darted into the kitchen, her eyes shining. "A handsome young man has arrived, and he's dressed so well..."

"I'm a little embarrassed by your praise."

A slightly amused male voice sounded from behind her.

Following behind Grandma Chen, another person entered and stood behind her, a head taller than her.

The newcomer was dressed in a blue robe with a jade belt around his waist. He had a gentle demeanor, yet possessed an undeniable air of authority.

Grandma was taken aback, thinking to herself, "I didn't see you being particularly embarrassed, and you just walked straight into their kitchen."

"How is your injury from that day? I've been busy dealing with people these past few days and haven't been able to come see you properly." The man was very concerned as soon as he arrived.

"Brother Huo!"

Shen Yu was also pleasantly surprised.

Given his status, everyone's attention was focused on him; no one expected him to come here directly.

The smile in Huo Ningyu's eyes gradually faded, and the two began to talk naturally, exchanging words back and forth.

Grandma Chen, caught in the middle, didn't rush to leave. She looked up at the two people—

Wow, our little shopkeeper really has a wide network of connections, he even knows such a person, he must be quite extraordinary.

And look at those eyes... oh my.

"Just put it inside, on top of the bean bag."

Qiu Chiyan's voice came from outside the door. He and Xu Dahe came in one after the other. The small kitchen was crowded with people.

"This is..." Qiu Chiyan put down the sack on his shoulder, paused slightly, and looked down at Shen Yu's shoulder—

Huo Ningyu's hand was resting on hers.

His gaze lingered for only a moment before he casually looked away and turned to Huo Ningyuan.

“This is Huo Ningyu.” Shen Yu turned around and introduced them again, “Brother Huo, this is Qiu Chiyan, the constable of the Six Doors. He was the one who contacted the people who went to Tiankun Ravine that day.”

The two clasped their hands in a gesture of respect to each other.

Huo Ningyu stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and smiled politely and gently: "Thank you for your righteous help, Constable Qiu. If you hadn't arrived in time, that trouble would probably not have ended well."

"With the Hundred Gates Sacrifice imminent, it is our duty to avoid chaos."

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Dahe, oblivious to the danger, noticed the ingredients in Shen Yu's hands.

"What a plump crab!"

"Would you like crab-stuffed oranges or steamed crab?" Shen Yu asked with a smile.

Xu Dahe had never heard of the former approach before, so he was naturally curious about it.

"I'll help you dismantle the crab!" Before he could even lower his sleeves, he walked straight toward the stove. Suddenly, Grandma Chen, for some unknown reason, pulled him out of there.

"Someone up ahead wants wine, but I can't reach it. Quickly help Grandma get it down."

"Huh? There's no one here."

"There are people here, there are people here, just go outside..."

The kitchen staff immediately felt much more relaxed.

Qiu Chiyan spoke first: "Brother Huo, what brings you here?"

"The Hundred Gates Sacrifice Ceremony has been postponed, and we must wait for Father to make a decision. I finally have time to come and see Xiaoyu." Huo Ningyu said, his gaze falling gently on Shen Yu. "Leaving aside that day, it has been five years since I last saw Xiaoyu. I never expected to run into her here."

Seeing that Shen Yu was also smiling happily, Qiu Chiyan asked her, "Have you known each other for a long time?"

"Yes, my father and Uncle Huo are old friends. Our two families lived together for three or four years."

Brother Huo.

Xiao Yu.

No wonder.

Qiu Chiyan said calmly, his tone revealing no emotion.

Since Qiu Chiyan didn't move out, Huo Ningyu had to say a few more words to him: "Officer Qiu, did you come here for the Hundred Sects' sacrificial ceremony?"

"I've been here for a long time, investigating a case."

"Oh, then what...?" Huo Ningyu noticed that his work attire didn't seem like that of an official.

Shen Yu took over and explained, "It's a long story. At first, he didn't reveal his identity as a constable and stayed with me to recuperate. Later, although everyone found out, it was lively with many people around, and I was happy to have him there."

Huo Ningyu paused slightly, a cryptic smile flashing across his eyes, and replied softly, "That's fine then. Too many things have happened before this competition, I'm afraid there won't be any peace and quiet afterward. I heard that the Mo Yuntang caused trouble here before, and it even involved a mysterious person committing murder?"

"Speaking of which, Brother Huo, if you don't mind, would you mind if we went upstairs so we can discuss this in detail?"

Qiu Chiyan asked him to talk alone, and Huo Ningyu naturally accepted the invitation.

Suddenly, Shen Yu was left alone in the kitchen again.

She couldn't find anyone to help her open the crabs.

Fine, I'll do it myself. But I don't know if I should cook another meal for Brother Huo.

The two chatted for the entire afternoon before coming downstairs for dinner.

Huo Ningyu did not intend to stay. He clasped his hands in thanks to Qiu Chiyan, said goodbye to Shen Yu, and then hurriedly left.

"What are you talking about, taking so long?" Shen Yu asked him, chopsticks in her mouth.

I spent the whole afternoon cooking, but couldn't find anyone to talk to, which was quite boring.

"I told him about the cases in Sanhe Town these past few days. Given his status, the information he could get and what others told him was ultimately limited."

Qiu Chiyan had to admit that Huo Ningyu was a gentleman of noble character and integrity, and even more so, a chivalrous person with a strong sense of righteousness.

Although he was just a figure in the underworld, he did make a lot of efforts to maintain balance and stability among all parties, understood the importance of the matter, and was more willing to take responsibility.

"What did you say to him?!" Everyone at the table turned to look at Qiu Chiyan.

He found it hard to swallow under the intense gaze. He knew, of course, that some of the people present held special positions and didn't want to be known so clearly, so he made his point even clearer.

"In the initial case of the illusion drug, I asked him for some clues. Later, regarding the old case of Moyuntang, I made it clear to him that the government's attitude was that the matter could not be easily settled with the rules of the martial arts world. Also, I asked him for his opinion on the two people who died in Zhenyuetang and Guanzhongdao Society, as well as the accident in Tiankunjian."

Looking back, a lot has indeed happened in the past two months.

But sometimes, when you're in the thick of it, you don't even realize how chaotic it is.

"Do you want to continue the investigation?" Shen Yu asked him.

"The first two issues cannot be resolved immediately with drastic measures. As for the later ones, matters of the martial arts world are beyond our control, unless someone asks us to take a neutral stance."

“It’s better not to get involved.” Gong Er took a big gulp of soup and looked up. “The people from Zhenyue Hall are extremely difficult to deal with. They’re all like they’ve been poisoned, with their eyes on the top of their heads.”

"You've seen him before?" Yao Liuli nudged him with her elbow.

"The orders I took from Zhumen before were probably the most demanding and unreasonable ones I've encountered in my entire career."

Looking back, even with passion, there were always unpleasant moments along the way, especially in interactions with people.

Qiu Chiyan listened quietly to Gong Er's complaints, poking at the crab roe and meat in the orange with his spoon, his thoughts not actually on the dinner table.

The image of the hand that rested naturally and familiarly on Shen Yu's shoulder kept replaying in his mind.

Childhood sweethearts.

good.

She knows so many people.

"Is it not tasty?"

Gong Er and Yao Liuliu were still chatting noisily when Shen Yu tilted her head and asked Qiu Chiyan in a low voice.

He suddenly snapped out of his daze: "What? No."

"You've been stirring it with a spoon for ages but you still aren't eating it."

"...I'm thinking about something."

"There's always work to be done, but food gets cold." Shen Yu picked up another dish from afar and placed it on his plate.

Looking at the food in his bowl, Qiu Chiyan suddenly realized that thinking about these things was pointless.

Eat in peace.

When I looked up, I saw that Grandma's eyes were fixed on my direction, scrutinizing me in a very peculiar way.

He smiled at her awkwardly but politely and continued eating.

As night deepened and the lights went out, the sound of the wind from Sanhe Town crept into the house through the cracks in the roof tiles. He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

So I went up to the rooftop to enjoy the breeze by myself.

A cool breeze caressed my face, and the moonlight was pale.

Not long after, another head popped up on the other side of the roof.

“You’re the most active patient I’ve ever seen. Although I’m not a proper doctor, you’re clearly trying to ruin my non-existent reputation.” Shen Yu said, covering his legs with the thin blanket she had brought.

"...Why did you come up here? Here, you can use the blanket."

Shen Yu ignored him, instead reaching out to press the corner of the blanket on his knees, and then covering the back of his hand. He froze instantly.

“I have a fiery temper, I’m always hot-blooded.” She chuckled and let go, mainly to let him see for himself. “I have good hearing, I heard a noise on the roof and wanted to come and see.”

She looked up; the moon hanging in the sky was nearing its fullness. "Are you here to see the moon?"

Qiu Chiyan gazed at her profile, which was bathed in a pale silver glow by the moonlight, and let out a very soft "hmm".

But we can't just keep staring at the sky with our necks stiff and silent forever.

"I never imagined that you and the Huo family had such a past."

Qiu Chiyan wanted to find a topic to talk about, but what he blurted out made him immediately regret it.

Why mention someone with the surname Huo?

However, Shen Yu didn't notice anything amiss: "My parents and Uncle Huo have known each other since they were young. You could say they became friends after a fight. They traveled together for a while before separating. But later, they all started their own families and moved back together for a few years."

Even though she said that, Qiu Chiyan still found it amazing.

Despite possessing such skill and having close ties with the Huo family, the name Shen Jingyuan had never appeared in the martial arts world.

He was so curious that he asked the question.

Shen Yu smiled and said, "It was my father who told his friends to stop mentioning him and causing trouble for him in public. Naturally, the others are also keeping their promises and will not mention him even if they get along very well with someone."

"Then, Uncle must have had a very comfortable life."

With close friends and family, I live life to the fullest, undisturbed by trivial matters.

“My dad sometimes says that although everyone hopes to be reincarnated and have a better life, he really wants to be a human again in his next life and live that kind of life again.”

A gust of wind blew across the rooftop, lifting a few stray strands of hair from her temple. She suddenly drifted off into thought.

“A couple of years ago, my dad thought I was taking up his and my mom’s time alone, so he forced me to go out and make my own way in the world. I originally thought that I didn’t care what kind of life I lived, as long as I could see different scenery and hear other people’s stories. But actually, seeing other people on the road, even with storms and waves, is quite interesting.”