Chapter 27 (Bonus Chapter for 3000 Nutrient Solution Counts) Frankness
Chapter 27 Honesty (Bonus Chapter for 3000 Nutrient Solution Count)
Soon, almost as Wang Sumo was ladling another bowl of rice wine dumplings in the kitchen, He Ping returned and looked at Wang Sumo gently, "Miss Wang, the Master asked if there's any more?"
Wang Sumo turned around, and He Ping saw that she was holding two bowls in her hands.
He Ping smiled and said, "The Master said he would like to talk to Miss Wang about the old Master. Miss Wang, do you have time?"
Wang Sumo naturally knew that Huo Lianchi was only using the excuse of asking for a late-night snack to inquire about the matter of Master He.
“Okay,” Wang Sumo readily agreed.
The osmanthus trees in the garden hadn't bloomed yet, but enjoying the cool evening air and drinking rice wine dumplings here on a summer night was quite pleasant. There were two bowls of rice wine dumplings left; one was handed to Huo Lianchi, and Wang Sumo placed the other in front of him.
Since we can't just talk, rice wine dumplings are a better choice than drinking alcohol.
He Ping, being quite perceptive, said he had something to do and went to check on things first, leaving only Wang Sumo and Huo Lianchi in the garden.
"Why would Miss Wang want to make this rice wine dumplings?" Huo Lianchi asked gently.
Wang Sumo looked at him and asked truthfully, "Does Master Huo want to hear the truth or a lie?"
Huo Lianchi couldn't help but laugh, "Miss Wang, what makes you say that?"
But it did surprise him.
Perhaps, the old man was the same way, and in the end, he finished the plate of tofu with scallions.
Wang Sumo smiled and said, "If Master Huo wants to hear some high-sounding words, then I specifically asked He Ping today what kind of desserts and late-night snacks Master Huo likes. He Ping told me that Master Huo doesn't particularly care about anything, but the young master of Qingyun Manor likes glutinous rice balls. I think there aren't many people who make this rice wine glutinous rice ball dish. Master Huo should find it novel when he tastes it, so I made it."
Huo Lianchi nodded. "That sounds very reasonable. So, what's the truth?"
Wang Sumo glanced at him, placed her hands on the stone table, and said softly, "Qingyun Manor has always emphasized self-discipline since its founding. Disciples are not allowed to drink alcohol at will. Both the old manor lord and the manor lord Huo set an example. He Lin told me that next time I go down the mountain and forget, I must remember to secretly find some wine to drink. This shows that Qingyun Manor's rules are very strict and apply equally from top to bottom."
A smile gradually appeared in Huo Lianchi's eyes.
Wang Sumo continued, "Master Huo must have had a lot of worries lately, so I think that since he can't drink wine, he would like rice wine dumplings."
The smile in Huo Lianchi's eyes gradually faded, and she looked at Wang Sumo seriously, "Miss Wang, please continue."
Wang Sumo also truthfully said, "Bazhenlou has traveled all over the country and seen many people and things. In the past few days at Qingyun Manor, we have actually had more or less contact and judgment with Elder He, Manor Lord Huo, the eldest son and the second son."
"The second young master, He Lingyun, is a bit stubborn and inflexible, but he's not without his own thoughts."
"The eldest son, He Huai'an, is much more shrewd in his dealings with people than his younger brother, and he is cautious in everything he does, leaving no room for criticism."
"I have never met Huo Ling, the young master of Qingyun Manor, but I heard that he is recuperating outside."
"The old master has reached an age of magnanimity, and fame and fortune are no longer important to him. Under the care of Master Huo, Qingyun Manor is flourishing. The old master is not worried. Therefore, what the old master truly cares about are these younger generations."
"The storyteller's favorite part is that back then, Master He single-handedly broke through all 108 checkpoints of the Xiaoyao Sect and rescued his best friend's orphan, who was Master Huo's orphan. Master He had no children, so Master Huo was personally raised by Master He. Master Huo also respected Master He, and Master He trusted Master Huo, so he entrusted the entire Qingyun Manor to you, Master Huo."
"Huo Ling is the rightful young master of Qingyun Manor, but he is frail and sickly; He Huai'an, who came to Qingyun Manor by chance, had already missed the best age for learning martial arts, and his talent was not outstanding. Master Huo was afraid that he would not be able to establish himself in Qingyun Manor, so he let him manage Qingyun Manor; while He Lingyun, who has a unique physique and talent, is a chuunibyou youth who always wants to go against Master Huo and openly shows his dissatisfaction with Master Huo in front of others..."
"Moreover, Huo Ling and He Lingyun seem to have a bad relationship; He Lingyun injured Huo Ling, who was already weak and sickly; and then the old man used his internal energy to heal Huo Ling."
"Of the three heirs of Qingyun Manor, at least two are unreliable. The only reliable one left, He Huai'an, hasn't even mastered martial arts. Yet Qingyun Manor is a big name in the martial arts world, someone who attends important occasions and sits on equal footing with the leaders of various sects. If he doesn't even know the essence of the Longevity Gentleman Sword, even if others are respectful on the surface now, they will eventually be unable to convince the masses."
"Whether a martial arts sect prospers or not depends not only on the present, but also on the future. The future depends on who will be the next leader of Qingyun Manor. Only by choosing the right person can Qingyun Manor truly continue and maintain its place in the martial arts world."
"Others may not care about these things, but Master Huo needs to. They're both his flesh and blood; on one side is Huo Ling, on the other are He Huai'an and He Lingyun, and in the middle is the old man who doesn't want to put Master Huo in a difficult position. Master Huo certainly has a lot on his mind. What can relieve his worries? Only wine, and..."
Wang Sumo looked at him specifically, "Without Master Huo's authorization, how could someone as cautious as He Ping bring me Lu Wenqu's brocade pouch from the dungeon without asking first? He Ping could do this with Master Huo's tacit approval. Others might not know about the old master's whereabouts at Bazhenlou, but Master Huo should know, and it is precisely because he knows that he went along with it and sent me here."
"For Master Huo, whether the Eight Treasures Pavilion cured Chief Escort Yang of the Golden Might Escort Agency's appetite is not important; what is important is that Master Huo knows that if Elder Master He hears news of Master Qu from me, he might consider leaving Qingyun Manor to go to the Eight Treasures Pavilion to see Master Qu. Therefore, isn't Master Huo the one who truly wants Elder Master He to leave Qingyun Manor?"
After Wang Sumo finished speaking, she smiled generously.
During the gradual process just now, Huo Lianchi's gaze seemed to see right through her.
After she finished speaking and looked at him generously, Huo Lianchi's gaze softened, and he nodded slightly, smiling softly, "Yes, Miss Wang is right."
Perhaps remembering something, she turned to look at the openwork and subtle patterns on the wall beside her, as if searching for a way to begin through these scattered traces. Finally, she said in a deep voice, "I am very grateful to the old man..."
Wang Sumo looked at him.
His gaze pierced through the openwork in the wall, looking into the dark distance, his eyes becoming deep and distant. "Actually, the storyteller was wrong about one thing..."
Wang Sumo was slightly surprised.
Huo Lianchi smiled faintly, finally withdrawing his gaze from the darkness, and then looked gently at Wang Sumo, "How could it be such a coincidence? The old man braved all 108 checkpoints of the Xiaoyao Sect and just happened to be able to save his dear friend's orphan who was being held captive by the Xiaoyao Sect?"
Wang Sumo asked in surprise: ? ? ?
Huo Lianchi smiled, "The Xiaoyao Sect is utterly wicked. If they knew that the old man came specifically to save his dear friend's orphan, and knew that the old man would fight to the death, would they still leave the orphan alive?"
Wang Sumo suddenly understood.
Huo Lianchi lowered her head and took a deep breath, then looked at Wang Sumo with an open mind, "Miss Wang, you should have guessed it by now. I am not the orphan of the old man's close friend. I am just a child that the old man saved when he came to Xiaoyao Sect."
Wang Sumo's brow furrowed slightly.
The Free and Unfettered Sect is a demonic sect that everyone in the martial arts world wants to kill. They have committed too many killings, and everyone's hands are stained with blood. The sect would not leave a young child behind for no reason.
Either the children were indeed kidnapped by the Xiaoyao Sect from other sects in the martial arts world as hostages; or their close relatives were members of the Xiaoyao Sect.
Wang Sumo took a deep breath and held it.
It was somewhat unexpected, but it should be dealt with as it comes.
If that's the case, perhaps even the old manor owner himself couldn't have made that judgment at the time.
But the child was innocent, so the old manor lord chose to conceal the truth and told everyone that Huo Lianchi was the orphan of his best friend, and that he went to Xiaoyao Sect to save Huo Lianchi. Therefore, everything was reasonable, and no one would bother to investigate the truth about Huo Lianchi's identity.
Only then did the old man keep Huo Lianchi by his side to personally teach and raise him, pass on the Longevity Gentleman Sword to him, establish Qingyun Manor with him, and entrust all his life's learning and Qingyun Manor to Huo Lianchi.
The Qingyun Sword is a gentleman's sword. Faced with the so-called code of chivalry and the principle of what a gentleman should and should not do, the old man chose the latter.
Because he chose the latter, he devoted his entire life to carefully teaching Huo Lianchi. Regardless of the truth about Huo Lianchi's origins, Huo Lianchi became the old man's personal disciple and the next master of Qingyun Manor.
Old Master He knew the risks involved, but he followed his conscience and made the choice he felt was right, and ultimately he took full responsibility for his decision throughout his life…
Therefore, when Master He talked about how after Master Qu left the Kunlun Sect, he never used any of the Kunlun Sect's secret techniques again, but instead created his own Cloud Piercing Mountain Breaking Hand, he smiled with satisfaction.
Because, like Master He, the old man is a man of his word, and his actions always bear fruit.
Therefore, the two are kindred spirits and true friends who ventured into the world together...
Wang Sumo took a deep breath and looked intently at Huo Lianchi opposite him. "Master Huo, this is a secret between you and Elder Master He, and it is also a family matter of Qingyun Manor. There is no need to tell me, an outsider, about such a matter; and I really have no need to know."
"The Eight Treasures Pavilion travels all over the country, and there's no guarantee what kind of people or things they'll encounter in the future. Hearing too much of what they shouldn't hear might not be a good thing. Moreover, even the others in Qingyun Manor might not know Master Huo's secrets, yet Master Huo is telling me all this now. The risk is too great. If he's not careful, he could end up in utter ruin and disgrace. I really don't understand what Master Huo's intention is in doing this?"
Wang Sumo got straight to the point. Huo Lianchi glanced down at the bowl of rice wine dumplings, then looked up at Wang Sumo, his expression calm yet gentle and frank. "Now that Miss Wang knows my secret, she understands my honesty. The old master misses me and wishes to go to the Eight Treasures Restaurant with Miss Wang. I don't know how long he'll stay, or if it will be a short visit, and Miss Wang may have concerns as well. I would like to ask Miss Wang for a favor to fulfill the old master's wish. I am willing to take full responsibility for any problems. What I can offer Miss Wang as collateral is what I just mentioned. Miss Wang, would you be willing to help me with this?"
[Author's Note]
Thank you, my darlings! This chapter is a bonus for 3000 nutrient solutions. See you at 6000 nutrient solutions!
Because this chapter was updated first, today's regular second update will be postponed until before 12 o'clock. [shy]
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