Chapter 67 The Marriage Contract of Cultivator Xu

Xiao Mingxin had no choice but to go into seclusion to recuperate for a period of time. While he was in seclusion, Xu Cangyu slipped out of the Purple Bamboo Formation.

Stepping out of the Bamboo Forest Abode, Xu Cangyu saw groups of disciples cultivating everywhere on Bamboo Rain Peak. As they looked over, he instinctively turned around, put on his veil, and descended the mountain using Xiao Mingxin's disciple token.

Having not descended the mountain for a long time, the world was still bustling with activity, teahouses and taverns, street performers and entertainers—a sight not found on Bamboo Rain Peak.

After a satisfying meal, Xu Cangyu finally thought of buying some tonics for Xiao Mingxin. He casually asked someone nearby for a pharmacy with a full range of medicines, and the person immediately named Jishetang.

After much hesitation, I advised him not to go.

"In the past, Jishetang was undoubtedly the number one pharmacy in the world, but recently it was revealed that Jishetang sold fake medicines and harmed people five years ago."

"The matter from back then was left unresolved, and who would dare to do business with Jishetang now?"

The man handed him a piece of paper, saying, "Take a look, this is the latest Yu'an tabloid."

"Tsk tsk, I never thought that the Qiushui Sect, which claims to help people and save lives, not only sells fake medicine, but also that the Jishitang pharmacy is a scam that gets its money out of nothing. Furthermore, its disciples commit murder and robbery. Their crimes are simply too numerous to count."

"I bet you're from out of town. Don't get scammed."

The name Qiushui Sect was hard for Xu Cangyu to ignore; he had narrowly escaped being tricked last time. He never expected that Qiushui Sect, so adept at cultivating its reputation, would suffer retribution so quickly.

This Yu'an tabloid is quite interesting.

The description is vivid and detailed, not like a fabrication without any basis.

Xu Zangyu continued reading, but was suddenly shocked to find his name in the Yu'an tabloid.

According to the tabloids, he was the biggest victim of the fake drug scandal back then.

Back then, as the owner of an unknown pharmacy, my subordinates brought in counterfeit medicine from Jishetang, which nearly cost my disciple Wumen his life.

Upon discovering the crimes, the sect leader of Tianyi Sect was enraged and punished the sect with ten lashes to extract the soul, expelling the sect from the sect.

Degenerated into—

A disowned member of a sect.

Suddenly, he recalled that night when he was whipped on the back, his back a bloody mess. He woke up in a cold sweat from the pain.

Lu Ming's words echoed in his ears.

"Junior brother, you don't actually think you're popular in the sect, do you?"

“You’ve forgotten everything so completely, you don’t even remember the trouble you caused before. If you keep showing your face like this every day, who knows when you’ll be silently killed by the sect you’ve offended.”

Was it just a pawn to be discarded?

No wonder Xiao Mingxin always speaks so evasively; is he afraid of being found out, or of the Tianyi Sect finding out?

The veil that had been lifted was now lowered again; it was indeed necessary to keep things under wraps for now, as who knew how many enemies he had outside.

He read the last few words of the Yu'an tabloid.

Author: Anonymous.

"Brother, I won't say any more to you. I heard that Ruo Wuming is telling stories at Yu'an Tower today. I have to get there early, or there won't be any seats left."

Xu Zangyu accepted the tabloid and quietly followed him to the territory of Yu'an. Suddenly, he remembered that he had heard the name Yu'an somewhere before.

This is the place that has been the subject of the most heated discussion. It was originally a dead land, but after the Tianyi Sect eliminated the disaster, it unexpectedly became a blessed land, which was fought over by various sects.

He came from the mountains of Yu'an and was supposed to perish in that disaster, but he unexpectedly survived.

He was so focused on escaping that he didn't take a good look at Yu'an. He never expected it to be so prosperous. People dressed in the robes of disciples from different sects could be seen everywhere, as well as merchants, wealthy people and nobles, all gathered here.

That tallest vermilion building must be Yu'an Tower.

As soon as he got close, the soft murmurs of conversation reached his ears. He could tell that someone had set up a soundproof barrier in the building, and obviously, the content of their conversation was something that should not be known to others.

Although he couldn't use his spiritual power, he hadn't lost his martial arts skills. He moved lightly and quickly, landing on the rooftop and crouching under the eaves.

"You guys keep your eyes peeled. If Nameless dares to show himself, kill him immediately."

"The contents of the Yu'an tabloid have spread far and wide, and many of Qiushui Sect's industries have been hit hard. We must destroy their den as soon as possible."

"And those who have the portrait, make sure you see it clearly. If you see someone named Xu Zangyu, it's better to kill the wrong person than let him go."

"But... Senior Brother Lu Ming, didn't you say you wanted to capture them alive?"

“The living are not as convenient as the dead,” the man said, taking out a bowl-shaped necromancer. “Even if someone is dead, their soul can still be collected.”

Lu Ming doesn't seem to be dead; he's now sworn enemies with the Autumn Water Sect.

There was another sound from the room above him, so he climbed up to the third floor and put his ear to it.

Today was indeed lively; a single piece of news brought out a whole pool of people with ulterior motives.

"The people from the Autumn Water Sect will definitely appear today. If they make a move, we will need Senior Sister Wanyan to lend a hand."

"We're all from the same sect, no need to be so polite. Even if I don't help, out of respect for Xu Zangyu, I'm sure someone else will."

Zheng Ruo's eyes dimmed, and Qi Wan said:

"...Don't be sad, that kid is tough, he might just suddenly pop up one day."

Zheng Ruo forced a smile: "I hope so."

She changed into the storyteller's clothes, held a folding fan, and tidied her appearance. "The Autumn Water Sect has been eyeing Yu'an for so many years, trying every means to obtain this place. If they hadn't gone too far, killing the supplier and breaking the cook's leg, forcing my Yu'an Tower into isolation, I wouldn't have torn off the mask and fought them to the death."

“Yuanlou is not the Jishetang of the past. Even if I risk my life, they won’t get anything for nothing.”

"With me here, your Yu'an Tower won't fall. My cooking skills may not be the best in the world, but they are definitely among the best. I'll go down and prepare now. Today, we'll meet these demons and monsters."

No sooner had Qi Wanyan left than the window where Xu Cangyu was hiding was punched through, the blade grazing Xu Cangyu's face.

"Have you heard enough? Get out here now!"

Xu Zangyu jumped in through the window and sized up the girl who looked like a scholar. Her sharp eyes were also fixed on him.

"Hiding your face, hiding your true identity, is that something you can't show to others?"

Zheng Ru lifted his veil, remained silent for a long time, and then asked with a heavy heart, "Why are you still wearing a mask?"

Xu Zangyu said half-jokingly, "The veil is for sun protection, and as for the mask, I have a mission to complete and cannot easily show myself."

"The conversation just now..."

Zheng Ruo narrowed her eyes and heard him say, "If I'm not mistaken, the Qiu Shui Sect member you're talking about is in the downstairs room."

Zheng Ruo: "Why did you tell me?"

Xu Zangyu: "I have always admired chivalrous people like you who punish evil and promote good. If I can do my part to fight against the dark forces, it would be my honor."

"I never expected you to be so kind. It's a pity you lack cultivation, otherwise you could fight alongside me."

Zheng Ruo smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then, with lightning speed, tied his hands behind his back to the chair.

"Miss Zheng...you don't believe me?"

Zheng Ruo looked up: "You recognize me?"

As he reached out to lift his mask, there was a knock on the door. "Everyone's almost here."

"knew."

With the plan in progress, Zheng Ru put on a smiling mask and, before leaving, told him, "There are no eyes for swords downstairs, so you should stay in your room and wait for me to come back."

The storyteller appeared on stage, and the building was immediately in an uproar.

"If you are so powerful and all-knowing, even knowing the secrets of the major sects, I wonder what interesting things you've been telling lately?"

The person on stage changed his voice, sounding like a middle-aged man with a deep voice, "I am just a storyteller who told a few made-up stories. Please just listen to them for fun and don't take them seriously."

"Is the story good? Do you like this story? Last time we talked about the outcasts of the Tianyi Sect, this time..."

Zheng Ruo: "This will say—"

Zheng Ruo looked up and saw that the door to the third-floor room was open. The person who had been tied to the chair walked out leisurely, looked at Zheng Ruo, and smiled and nodded.

Zheng Ruo choked on her breath, watching him walk to the next seat and sit down, drinking and chatting with others.

"Would you mind if there were more people at the table, sir?"

Beside him sat a man with imposing posture, exuding a fierce aura. There was no one else around, and Xu Zangyu was the first to approach him.

The two had completely opposite temperaments, one quiet and the other lively, and coincidentally, both wore half a mask.

Through half of the ghost mask, Xu Zangyu saw a pair of sharp eyes, whose piercing gaze paused for a moment on the person who had suddenly intruded.

"Drinking alone is no fun, so what's wrong with having another person? I'm just looking for someone to talk to."

Xu Zangyu sat down gracefully and accepted the wine cup handed to him from across the table. The storyteller downstairs slammed his hand on the table in surprise.

"Today we will talk about the son of the sect leader who made a marriage agreement with a former disciple of the Tianyi Sect."

The wine glass at my lips stopped, and another familiar scene flooded my mind.

It is said that people with amnesia often recall past events when they revisit familiar places, and this is indeed true.

Xu Cangyu felt his memories being gradually unearthed, and from the moment he met Zheng Ruo, her name appeared in his mind.

There are also some things from my childhood.

The marriage certificate Zheng Ruo mentioned now suddenly reminded him of a figure dressed in red.

The man should have had a cold and stern face, but Xu Zangyu couldn't help but want to get closer.

If he gets any closer, he can see it clearly.

The surrounding listeners all pricked up their ears, clearly very interested, and Xu Zangyu also hoped that Zheng Ruo would continue speaking.

But the masked man beside him slammed his fist on the table:

"Nonsense, utter nonsense! I've heard that the one with whom this cultivator Xu has a marriage agreement is the young master of Anxiang Pavilion."

Xu Zangyu: "..."

He has many enemies outside, is it this kind of hatred?

The storyteller remained calm despite being refuted, saying, "As I said before, I am just a storyteller, and what I hear and say are just stories. If you have a different opinion, you can share it with everyone."

The masked man said, "I am not someone who can be fooled with stories. I am a disciple of the Dark Fragrance Pavilion, and everything I say is true. That cultivator Xu has already sworn brotherhood with our young master. As for the marriage certificate you mentioned, it was just a rumor spread by the disciples of the Heavenly One Sect."

"Nonsense!" The one who retorted was another person dressed in the robes of a Tianyi Sect disciple. Anyone with a discerning eye would recognize him as Wang You, a disciple of Chaolu Peak from the Tianyi Sect's disciple competition.

"Did you not have anyone else present during the disciple competition?"

He sneered, "Who doesn't know that Anxiang Tower loves to spread false information? Back then, when they were pursuing our Tianyi Sect's Senior Brother Chu, they spread rumors everywhere that Senior Brother Chu was their young master's man."

"You are a womanizer who falls in love with every woman he sees. I have no say in the character of the young master of Anxiang Tower, but how can you tarnish the reputation of my Tianyi Sect disciples?"

Today's events are more exciting than ever; halfway through the storytelling, disciples from two different sects are about to start fighting.

The live performance was indeed more captivating than any written description.