Chapter 36: Famous
The carriage curtains were lowered, and the light inside the green cloth enclosure was dim.
Yun Yuan and Feng Yanyuan sat on each side, and the space between them seemed to separate them from the entire Luo River.
The two of them didn't exchange a single word along the way, only Feng Jiu's cough on the shaft occasionally broke the silence.
Yun Yuan lowered her eyelashes, her gaze fixed on a subtle pattern on the hem of her skirt.
She had naturally prepared a thorough explanation. After all, she had simply fallen off a cliff on her way to the city. The young master was ill, so wasn't it an excuse for her to take the money and do something for him? She was still a spy, so wouldn't it be reasonable for her to go to Baihua Tower and ask about the yellow card that the young master was concerned about? At most, it was just an act of presumption.
But he didn't ask, he just kept her at a distance with a cold attitude, and didn't even want to look at her.
Whatever, he's always been like this. She's gotten used to it these days. She wasn't used to him the way he was yesterday.
That was fine, she didn't want to explain. After all, too much talk leads to mistakes.
She could go to Shouchun to attend the meeting without having to lie to please others. What more could she ask for? She might as well just be an obedient servant, listening to the arrangements without questioning. She made up her mind, keeping her head down the whole way without saying a word.
Feng Yanyuan had originally thought clearly, but the moment he saw her, his emotions spiraled like the bumpy mountain road. Seeing her submissive and obedient appearance, a nameless anger suddenly flared in his chest—how could she be so calm?
With a clang, the wheels of the car rolled over gravel, causing the teacup on the table to shift slightly. Feng Yanyuan instinctively reached out to steady it, only to see Yun Yuan reach out as well. Just as his fingertips were about to touch, he abruptly withdrew his hand, allowing the cup to tip over, spilling its dark brown liquid onto the table.
A flood of restlessness welled up in his heart.
"Sir, be careful..." She finally said the first sentence.
Feng Yanyuan turned around, lifted the car curtain, and glared fiercely at the innocent and vast mountains.
Feng Jiu cracked his whip outside, startling a group of gray sparrows in the woods.
Feng Jiu's preparations for this journey were truly thorough. From the hidden markings on the customs documents to the deliberately aged copper bells on the shafts, every detail betrayed the expert's sophistication. The carriage traveled day and night, passing through the rolling wheat fields of Yanzhou and the numerous ponds of Xuzhou. By the time they reached Xiapi, the air was already filled with the unique warmth of the south.
Yun Yuan lifted the carriage curtain. The setting sun shone obliquely across the distant Sishui River, tinting the shimmering waters a golden crimson. She was just contemplating where to stay for the night when the carriage abruptly stopped on a deserted mountain path. She tilted her head to glance over, only to see a dozen burly men standing in front of them. Their bare arms were tattooed with indigo animal patterns, and the one-eyed bandit in their lead carried a nine-ring broadsword.
Their eyes almost met, but Yun Yuan retracted her fingertips, and the curtain suddenly dropped. Turning back, she was met by Feng Yanyuan's eyes, which were as cold as a pool of ice. His gaze was like a blade tempered with ice, and she lowered her head in panic.
"My dear friends," Feng Jiu said, "Here is a small gift..." He took out a bulging purse from his pocket, and with a flick of his wrist, the purse drew an arc in the air and landed right in front of the thief's feet.
The one-eyed thief weighed his money bag and threw it back casually. The two minions rushed to catch it, but they bumped into each other.
"This little bit of silver is not even enough to fill my teeth!" He spat, with meat scraps stuck between his yellow teeth.
Feng Jiu smiled and said, "It's really not easy for you heroes to make a living as kings of the mountains. If you don't know how to advance or retreat, I'm afraid even these will turn into paper money."
"What a big mouth!" Another thief with a face full of flesh suddenly laughed wildly, "I want to see today what kind of immortal is hiding in this car!" He suddenly spat out the grass roots in his mouth, "If the young man or the young lady is pleasing to me..."
How could Feng Jiu tolerate such foul language? He just shook his wrist, and the sharp sword at his waist came out like a silver snake from a hole, drawing a sharp arc of light.
“Zheng——”
The moment the sword was sheathed, the foul-mouthed bandit suddenly covered his mouth, blood gushing out from between his fingers - his upper and lower lips were cut into four petals, blooming on his face like flowers.
Some cried out in shock, others retreated a few steps. The one-eyed bandit leader suddenly swung his sword and smashed it against the ground, sending a shower of gravel flying. "Coward! You've been frightened by a young man. How are you going to survive in the underworld?" This roar spread like wildfire, and the dozen or so bandits were instantly furious. Maces, machetes, and chains were all drawn, ready to tear the carriage apart.
Feng Jiu's sword had barely extended three inches when he heard a clear shout from behind him: "Wait."
The sound was neither fast nor slow, but it caused the dead silence on the mountain road.
Feng Yanyuan lifted the curtain and walked out. The purse flew out from his sleeve, leaving a silver rainbow in the air, and landed in front of the thief leader with a "bang".
"Dear heroes, please give me a way." Feng Yanyuan said.
The henchman who received the silver hurriedly untied the bundle. He couldn't open his eyes because of the dazzling gold cakes. He was so happy that his mouth was grinning from ear to ear: "Boss! Let's make a fortune——"
Before he could finish his words, he saw his leader frozen in place as if struck by lightning, his eyes like copper bells staring straight at the young man.
"Sir, could it be that you are... the Third Young Master Feng from Xiaofeng Hall?" The nine-ring broadsword fell to the ground with a clang.
A hint of surprise flashed in Feng Yanyuan's eyes.
The mountain wind suddenly became biting, blowing dead leaves around everyone's feet.
Feng Yanyuan raised his eyebrows slightly: "Why do you think so?"
The thief leader shuddered at the words, hurriedly snatched the two money bags, and scrambled to Feng Jiu's side. He held the money bags high above his head with both hands, and the cold sweat on his forehead shone in the setting sun: "We are blind and have offended the heir of the Wind God Spear..." Before he finished speaking, his knee had already slammed down heavily, shaking up a small cloud of dust.
Feng Jiu took the purse back in a daze.
The bandit leader suddenly banged his head against the ground, howling as he banged his head. "The Wind God Halberd is incredibly powerful, capable of sweeping away thousands of troops. Everyone on the underworld knows this! Please, sir, just ignore us and let us go!"
The bandits behind him seemed to have finally reacted and fell to their knees.
In the twilight, Feng Yanyuan's lonely figure formed a strange contrast with the burly men kneeling on the ground.
Feng Yanyuan frowned as he jumped out of the car, leaning over to lightly support the bandit leader's arm. He wanted to ask a few more questions, but before his fingertips could touch him, the man sprang up like a startled bird, his waist bent almost in half, and he retreated while bowing, "Young Master, you are so generous! Young Master, you are so kind!"
When he was about three feet away, he suddenly let out a strange cry and broke into a run. His massive frame scurried away with the speed of a rabbit, leaving a trail of dust on the mountain path. The henchmen behind him were stunned for a moment before also fleeing in panic. One, so panicked, plunged headfirst into the bushes, then scrambled out in a panic, his trouser leg half torn.
Feng Jiu looked at the group of bandits who had turned into small black dots in the blink of an eye and laughed out loud: "I didn't expect that the young master, who has not yet entered the martial arts world, has already spread his fame far and wide, and even the robbers are frightened by him..."
The laughter stopped abruptly—Feng Yanyuan's gaze shot out like an ice-hardened arrow.
Feng Jiu didn't dare to breathe. After the young master climbed onto the carriage, he touched his nose embarrassedly and turned around to sit back on the shaft.
In the carriage, Feng Yanyuan frowned.
Yun Yuan looked at Feng Yanyuan's gloomy face and became suspicious.
Feng Yanyuan had always been a recluse, and on this trip, he dressed like a businessman. His carriage and luggage were ordinary, and Feng Jiu was also dressed as an ordinary driver. Logically, his identity shouldn't have been discovered so easily. How could these bandits recognize him at first sight?
Only Feng Jiu was in high spirits, tapping the horsewhip lightly to the beat and almost humming a tune.
As the sun sank into the west, a newly renovated guesthouse suddenly appeared at the edge of the wilderness. A plain silk lantern hung between the green tiles and white walls. A plain paulownia wood plaque hung under the eaves, with the four official script characters "Wangyou Nijiu" (Forget Worry Inn) written in fresh ink.
When the evening breeze blows, the white silk flutters and the tung wood plaque sways slightly.
Feng Jiu pulled the reins neatly, and after Feng Yanyuan and Yun Yuan got off the car, he put the whip on his waist and stepped into the guesthouse first.
The shopkeeper at the counter was a emaciated old man, wearing a faded hemp scarf on his head. He raised his cloudy eyes and tapped his calculator with his dry, branch-like fingers. "Two rooms for the guests, would you like them, sir?"
Feng Jiu turned around and looked at the two people behind him.
Yun Yuan was staring intently at the flickering flames of the bronze goose and fish lamp on the wall, the flames reflecting two golden rays in her eyes.
"Three rooms." Feng Yanyuan stepped forward.
The innkeeper looked up and saw that the speaker was wearing a cross-collared silk robe. He knew that he was a nobleman and hurriedly bowed: "Forgive me, sir, there are only two rooms left..."
"The shop owner is so tactless~" The crisp sweet sound was accompanied by the tinkling of pendants.
Several people turned to look, only to see two beautiful women in crimson gauze gowns gracefully descending the stairs. The first one held a bronze house deed and gently waved it, "How can we let the Third Young Master of the Feng Family stay here?" The woman placed the deed for "Tian Zi Yi Hao" on the counter, covered her lips with a chuckle, and said, "This one will be given to the Third Young Master. We sisters can just share one."
The shop owner's face flushed crimson as he met the woman's gaze. His withered hands trembled like a sieve, and when he accidentally grabbed the card, the bronze deed fell to the ground with a clang, spinning three times on the blue brick floor before coming to rest. And Feng Jiu, swept by that gaze, was so utterly stunned that he didn't even notice the whip in his hand snapping to the ground, like a puppet possessed by a spirit.
Feng Yanyuan sneered and said, "I have never met you two before. I don't know how I have done anything to deserve your help."
"Your reputation is far-reaching. To be able to share a room with you is a blessing earned by Luqi over several lifetimes." She opened her red lips slightly, her breath fragrant with orchids, and she was so close that she almost brushed against Feng Yanyuan's sleeve. "Not to mention a room, even if you want us sisters to stay together all night, I would not refuse..."
Yun Yuan looked over. If the woman in green was indeed the "Luqi" recorded in the Jianghu celebrity register, then the woman next to her in an apricot-red shirt must be "Jinse." The Jianghu's two famous beauties, Qin and Se, were both renowned for their captivating charms.
"I'm really unworthy of your kindness." Feng Yanyuan flicked his wide sleeves and pushed the shop owner's skinny wrist to push the house sign back, meaning that he didn't want to touch the sign at all.
Seeing this, Luqi suddenly twisted her slender waist and slipped behind Jinse, only half of her face showing: "Young Master Feng is so heartless~" The last syllable was dragged out for a thousand times.
Jinse's white hands gently stroked the hairpins on her temples, the bells on her wrists jingled, and her red lips slightly opened: "I heard that you are a great pianist. I wonder if I can have the honor to learn from you?" Her voice was extremely pleasant, like the chirping of an oriole, and like a lingering whisper. Before she finished speaking, there was a "thump". It turned out that the young man who served the dishes had his legs weakened and fell to the ground.
"You two ladies are tired from the journey, so I won't bother you anymore."
Feng Yanyuan took the sign for the two lower rooms given by the store owner. Seeing that Feng Jiu was still smiling foolishly, he frowned and hit him hard on the forehead with the sign.
Feng Jiu woke up from a dream as if by mistake. He took the room card handed to him by the young master in a daze, and then realized that he was under a spell. His face turned red immediately, and he looked like a cooked shrimp.
Yun Yuan's eyes turned slightly, scanning the people in the restaurant - they were all martial artists.
This time the alliance was in Shouchun, and this place was a must-pass route, so it was not surprising to run into people attending the meeting. What was strange was that they all recognized Feng Yanyuan.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
