Chapter 132 Strange Phenomenon
Chapter 132 Strange Things
Therefore, the difficult one is not Huo Ling, but Wang Sumo!
Bai Cen could clearly feel Wang Sumo's gaze coming towards him.
Oh wow!
Bai Cen had already begun to silently mourn for himself. What a coincidence! The road leads to the sky, each going their own way, and yet, on this official road, with its mad horse and its broken-down carriage, they still managed to meet…
Bai Cenxin was heartbroken.
This time, I'll probably have to explain everything clearly, otherwise the Eight Treasures Pavilion won't be able to stay...
Huo Ling, standing beside him, didn't seem to care about his absent-mindedness at all; it had nothing to do with her. She only asked what she cared about: "What are you doing here? Didn't you tell my father you were going to the Western Regions?"
As soon as Huo Ling finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Bai Cen.
This time it's a complete disaster.
Bai Cen felt like dying.
Ding Bo also stepped forward. There were many people around, and the horse was startled. In addition, Bai Cen deliberately hid, so Ding Bo did not recognize him.
Huo Ling's ostentatious display didn't escape Ding Bo's notice: "Young Master Bai?"
Young Master Bai?
All owners of Bazhenlou: →_→
Oh, we know each other?
Bai Cen braced himself and politely cupped his hands in greeting: "Uncle Ding, the lighting wasn't very good just now, so I didn't recognize you."
All owners of Bazhenlou: ←_←
I don't know how the light was different from before.
That's a really clumsy lie.
Ding Bowen smiled gently, stroked his beard, and did not expose him. He simply said in a gentle voice, "It's been several years since I last saw you. Young Master Bai has become even more handsome and refined."
Huo Ling glanced at Bai Cen: "It's been years? Didn't you just visit my father at Qingyun Manor last year?"
All owners of Bazhenlou: →_→
Compared to the earlier incident where the horse was startled and the carriage nearly overturned, this was practically a scene of a major rollover accident.
Bai Cen gave an awkward laugh, but before he could say anything, Huo Ling said, "Weren't you called Wumingshi? Why are you suddenly called Bai Cen?"
All owners of Bazhenlou: ←_←
Bai Cen coughed twice awkwardly, making a fist, and said to smooth things over, "Young Master Huo, it's a long story, and I can't explain it in a few words. Let's talk about it slowly later."
Huo Ling gave him a look that said, "I'm not going to let you out of this: You came to the manor to see my father two years ago. At that time, you said your name was Wuming and that you were going to the Western Regions. The Western Regions were far away, and you probably wouldn't be back for three to five years. You came to say goodbye to my father before you went to the Western Regions. What, you're back from the Western Regions so soon?"
All owners of Bazhenlou: →_→
Here comes a string of lies!
Bai Cen, shameless as ever, continued to embellish the story: "It's a long story, I'll tell you later."
Huo Ling snorted lightly, convinced in her heart that this person was a liar and a despicable scoundrel.
Although I don't know how my father came to know such a despicable person, every family has a few poor relatives who are not presentable but like to come and hang around.
They actually know shame, calling themselves anonymous.
Huo Ling had an arrogant look on her face, and she couldn't stand anyone.
Coupled with his already weak physical condition, his arrogant expression, coupled with his deathly pale face, made him appear especially disdainful.
Ding Bo came to the rescue: "The old master mentioned Young Master Bai not long ago, I didn't expect to meet him here."
This time, when they were looking for the old man, Wang Sumo and Zhao Tong both turned to look at him—so they knew each other.
They even pretended not to know each other.
Old He/Master He even acted in a play with him, that must have been quite a huge honor...
Not to mention Ding Bo and Huo Ling in front of him, seeing the entire group from Bazhenlou staring at him, Bai Cen felt that he was in a situation where he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Wang Sumo, however, also sensed something else in the meaning—
Huo Ling said that she saw Bai Cen go to see Master Huo at Qingyun Manor the year before last;
But Uncle Ding said that Master He had mentioned last year that he hadn't seen Bai Cen for several years.
In other words, when Bai Cen went to see Master Huo alone, he deliberately avoided Master He...
What is the reason for this?
Although Bai Cen's origins have always been shrouded in mystery, Wang Sumo never considered delving into it.
Even back in the Bewitching Town, when rumors of the White Armor and the person behind the Marrow Cleansing technique surfaced, Wang Sumo only wanted to verify whether he possessed the White Armor, and never considered asking him to reveal his origins...
Everyone at Bazhenlou has their own unique past, including herself.
But at this moment, she suddenly became curious about Bai Cen's background.
Although she could vaguely sense that Master He liked and cared for Bai Cen.
She assumed that, like the old man, Bai Cen was someone she liked as a junior.
Looking back now, it's clear that Bai Cen had connections with Qingyun Manor, Master Huo, and Elder Master He from a very early period onwards...
Bai Cen was no ordinary dabbler in the martial arts world.
No one would use a poison that supposedly destroys internal energy on a mediocre person, only the inexplicable poison of eating spinach that grants superhuman strength.
However, Wang Sumo looked at him.
Bai Cen seemed to sense this gaze and looked in Wang Sumo's direction, then smiled ingratiatingly.
Wang Sumo responded politely.
It would have been better if she hadn't responded! But with such a polite and courteous response, Bai Cen knew he was in deep trouble!
While Bai Cen was preoccupied with how to explain things to Wang Sumo so he wouldn't be kicked off the Eight Treasures Pavilion, Uncle Ding asked him why he was at the Eight Treasures Pavilion. Bai Cen replied casually, "I happen to be working as a handyman at the Eight Treasures Pavilion."
Duan Wuheng, who was standing nearby, quickly added: "Handyman, and bodyguard at the same time!!"
Duan Wuheng always regarded Bai Cen as his own brother, and although most people were powerless, he had seen Bai Cen unleash his full power.
Just now, Huo Ling kept referring to him as "anonymous," her tone full of contempt.
Bai Cen only modestly said that he was a handyman. That annoying guy named Huo Ling would definitely look down on Bai Cen even more. That won't do!
He was both a handyman and a bodyguard, and he emphasized the word "bodyguard".
Because the sound was loud, Huo Ling did indeed give him a haughty look.
Duan Wuheng glared back at him without any politeness.
Huo Ling scoffed, only glancing at Bai Cen: "Didn't you say you had no internal energy? How can you be a guard without internal energy?"
Huo Ling found him increasingly strange.
In fact, he increasingly felt that his father might have been misled by him before.
Otherwise, why would they be so close?
Huo Ling looked at him rather impolitely, as if trying to see through him.
Bai Cen really found it difficult to explain things clearly to Huo Ling and Ding Bo in just a few words, and he was even more afraid that the more he explained, the worse it would get.
Instead of that, let's try a different approach: "Our boss is kind-hearted, benevolent, and broad-minded..."
She used every kind word she could think of, and even spoke loudly to make sure Wang Sumo could hear her.
He always said she was kind-hearted, compassionate, and broad-minded; if she were to suddenly become unkind, compassionate, and broad-minded, it wouldn't make sense...
His little scheme was so well-known that everyone in the entire Bazhenlou could hear it!
Huo Ling also glanced at Wang Sumo, especially after Bai Cen finished listing those adjectives, Huo Ling coldly remarked, "He doesn't seem to have a very broad mind."
Wang Sumo: →_→
Bai Cen: ←_←
Bai Cen was practically about to cover Huo Ling's mouth when Uncle Ding stepped in to defuse the situation: "Young Master, the carriage has been bumpy all the way here, and the crossbeam at the bottom has broken. It can't go any further for now. I just heard from an elder that if we continue forward, there's a series of mountain roads that will take four or five days to travel. With the carriage damaged, we can't get there with just three horses. I'm afraid we'll have to hitch a ride with Miss Wang's carriage until we get back to Qiaozhen, which we passed through earlier, and then we can change to another carriage before we can continue our journey."
Ding Bo had already explained it very clearly, but Huo Ling was unhappy: "Didn't we just come from Qiao Town? We've been traveling for about four or five days. Aren't there other villages along the way?"
Ding Bo nodded: "Yes, although there are small villages along the way, ordinary villages don't have carriages to buy things. The nearest town to us is Qiao Town."
Huo Ling still looked troubled.
Others can go whichever way they want, but he doesn't want to go back.
Ding Bo followed his suggestion: "Or, there is only one other way. The young master stays where he is and has He Zhen ride a fast horse to Qiaozhen and bring back a carriage. We will wait here."
"How long will it take He Zhen to go by himself?" Huo Ling asked.
He Zhen was a disciple of Qingyun Manor who was traveling with them.
Ding Bo truthfully replied, "The round trip would take six or seven days, working day and night."
Huo Ling: "..."
Huo Ling certainly wouldn't want to wait by the official road for six or seven days.
That means they can only return to Bridge Town in the same carriage as the nameless man and his companions...
Huo Ling muttered unhappily, "Bad luck."
Yeah, what bad luck!
Bai Cen was speechless. The world of martial arts is so vast, how could they possibly run into each other like this?!
Beside him, Duan Wuheng whispered, "I think this guy looks like a big rooster."
No sooner had he finished speaking than he added, in a rather annoyed tone, "A sickly rooster."
"No constancy," Old Master Weng whispered a reminder.
Duan Wuheng pouted.
“Miss Wang, I was just talking about this with Elder Qu. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to come here?” Ding Bo was astute as a mirror. Although Elder Qu had almost agreed, Wang Sumo was the owner of Bazhenlou.
When traveling, being considerate is a matter of etiquette.
Wang Sumo was naturally willing, after all, Fang Rushi was still there.
"Uncle Ding, you're too kind. Old Master He stayed at Bazhenlou for a while before, but had to leave temporarily with an old friend due to some business. Of course, Bazhenlou welcomes everyone. It was just a small favor."
Wang Sumo responded generously and straightforwardly, then looked happily at Fang Rushi, who was trying her best to remain silent and make no appearance.
Fang Ru, whose name was called, felt like she wanted to die!
This time, I really can't leave!
*
The carriage at Bazhenlou was fairly spacious, but there were already seven people, plus five more from Huo Ling's group, making a total of twelve. The carriage definitely wouldn't be able to accommodate everyone.
Huo Ling's carriage was already wrecked, leaving only three horses.
He Zhen, Bai Cen, and Zhao Tong rode horses.
Take the old man and old man Weng to drive the carriage.
The rest of the people stayed in the carriage for the time being.
The wheels rolled forward. Inside the carriage, Huo Ling found that the Eight Treasures Pavilion's carriage was not as well-insulated as his previous one. As the carriage moved slightly faster, the wind would seep in, forcing Huo Ling to cover his mouth with a handkerchief and cough.
Qingwu, the maid who was taking care of Huo Ling's daily life, poured out some rock sugar and pear soup from the pot to soothe her lungs. Huo Ling took a sip, and her coughing subsided a little.
Ding Botong and Wang Sumo exchanged brief pleasantries.
Jiang Yutang and Duan Wuheng both crossed their arms and looked at Huo Ling, who was somewhat arrogant, pretentious, and annoying.
The thought of having to travel with him for at least four or five more days made their eyes look rather unpleasant.
Duan Wuheng and Jiang Yutang simply ignored him and focused on the three white tiger cubs in the carriage.
Fang Ru was dozing in a corner, just hoping Wang Sumo wouldn't come looking for him.
And so, after the initial period, everyone in the carriage gradually became familiar with each other, and there was little need for small talk to ease the awkwardness of unfamiliarity. Uncle Ding began to communicate with Fang Rushi about Huo Ling's medication and condition.
Huo Ling seems to be feeling much better after drinking the pear soup.
Although he was also curious and watched the white tiger cubs for a long time, he got bored after a while, so he asked Qingwu to lift the curtain on the carriage window so he could look outside to relieve his boredom.
When I lifted the curtain to look outside, I saw Bai Cen riding a horse, holding two ropes in his hands.
One rope is a pig, and the other rope is a dog.
He was riding a horse and walking a pig and a dog.
Huo Ling frowned.
Turning his head to look behind him, he saw something even more peculiar: a man named Zhao Tong was riding a horse and leading three sheep...
They're all some strange and eccentric people.
Huo Ling didn't have much affection for these people anyway.
Overall, after leaving Qingyun Manor, he felt that everyone outside the manor seemed strange to him, unlike his fellow disciples inside the manor who appeared more natural...
Wang Sumo also turned away, lifted the curtain and went outside to ride with Old Master Qu and Old Master Weng.
However, she had a feeling.
Although Huo Ling was spoiled since childhood and had a bad temper, he would listen to whatever Ding Bo said, and would choose to listen to advice based on the pros and cons.
Although Huo Ling was very dissatisfied with the fabricated stories Bai Cen told her, Ding Bo stepped in to smooth things over, and Huo Ling knew when to stop, so she didn't embarrass Bai Cen any further.
She always felt—
Huo Ling is not very sensible, but she doesn't seem like a hopeless, scheming bad child.
Moreover, although he was not in good health from childhood, he did not harbor any distorted dissatisfaction or express any dissatisfaction towards the people around him, including those in the carriage after he got on.
At most, he might have some spoiled brat syndrome or young master syndrome...
Wang Sumo couldn't say for sure either, but she felt that Huo Ling wasn't that bad.
Especially when the carriage was bumping along just now, Duan Wuheng almost managed to hold onto the white tiger cub, and Huo Ling reached out to carefully support him.
Huo Ling is not good with words, but she is not really bad.
At least, they were measured.
How could that be...?
Wang Sumo sighed softly, resting her chin on her hand.
"Girl, what's wrong? Why are you sighing like that?" the old man asked, looking at her.
He meant that he let Huo Ling and the others stay because of Lao He; but if the girl felt uncomfortable, he could kick them out now.
Wang Sumo thought for a moment, not knowing how to tell the old man, so she rested her chin on her hand and sighed softly again: "Some things seem a bit strange, and I can't figure them out for the time being."
She was referring to Huo Ling's matter.
But both Grandpa Qu and Grandpa Weng misunderstood. Grandpa Qu was also somewhat dissatisfied: "That guy Bai Cen is a complete liar, he doesn't tell a single truth. I don't know why Old He is covering for this kid like this? I wonder what kind of unspeakable secret this kid has in his background."
Upon hearing Lao Qu speak of Bai Cen in this way, Old Master Weng's expression became slightly unnatural.
In particular, this is an old man's name.
Finally, just as the old man was continuing to criticize Bai Cen, the old man said in a deep voice, "He has his own reasons. I know his father, so he is my nephew."
This time, let's take the old man/Wang Sumo: ? ? ?
[Author's Note]
I went out to play today, so this is just one update for now. There's a red envelope (cash gift) for this update!
The mystery slowly begins to unravel after meeting Huo Ling.
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