Chapter 21 I'm the superfluous one, haha, after that old servant leaves...
After the old servant left, Lu Qing said softly, "Wu Chen, I have a bad feeling about this."
The master craftsman's skill and ingenious craftsmanship inspire awe. Yet why does she now feel a chill run down her spine, as if she has a thorn in her side?
Wu Chen noticed that the hairs on both sides of her fair neck had stood up, so he quickly reached out and gently patted her back. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."
Contrary to her usual behavior, Lu Qing suddenly grasped Wu Chen's hands. "Wu Chen, if the Sword Forging Manor really has a Spiritual Fruit, I'm afraid..." Her throat suddenly became so dry that she could hardly continue speaking, "...I'm afraid she might not be much better than the one from Tan Family Manor."
"You want to save her?" Wu Chen asked.
“There must be some logic to this world.” Lu Qing looked at Wu Chen with an unprecedented seriousness and sharpness in his eyes. “People always look down on demons, thinking that demons harm the innocent and are bloodthirsty. But the people of Tan Family Village, the things they did, even demons would despise. This is not right, this world should not be like this.”
Wu Chen sighed silently in his heart, feeling both wistful and proud.
Look, his little girl is more insightful than those hypocrites who spout platitudes. He smiled and said, "Alright, let's find out what really happened."
Lu Qing was surprised that he agreed without any hesitation. "Ah, then, won't that cause you trouble?"
Wu Chen let her hold his hand and said softly, "What distinguishes humans from beasts is that humans have compassion. They have sympathy, shame, courtesy, and the ability to distinguish right from wrong. If they can't even do these basic things, they can't be called human. We usually call them beasts."
He summarized it simply and powerfully: "Besides, exorcising demons and upholding righteousness are two different things."
Lu Qing suddenly felt that Wu Chen had changed in her eyes. She didn't know how to explain it. Before, although she looked at Wu Chen, she just saw him. But suddenly, when she looked at Wu Chen again, it was as if he had walked into her eyes, and his whole being became clear and bright.
Lu Qing blinked, realizing that she wasn't imagining things, and her cheeks unconsciously flushed slightly.
This was the first time Wu Chen had seen a faint blush on her face. He raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Lu Qing sighed softly, "I don't know, it seems like my eyes have suddenly gotten better."
Wu Chen didn't understand, so he reached out to touch her eyes and leaned closer to examine them. "Are your eyes still uncomfortable? Did you cry too much last night?"
Yu Jitang, who had just woken up and came out to find them: ...Ah~ If I still believe that you two are completely innocent, I'm a fool!
Before long, disciples from the manor came to invite them to a banquet.
Because two divine servants from the Divine Palace had suddenly appeared at today's banquet, no one in the Sword Forging Manor dared to be negligent. Almost all the important figures came out to accompany them, to show their respect. However, those who were not necessary did not show up at all, such as the uncle and nephew staying in the other guest courtyard, and Du Xiaoyu.
This surprised Lu Qing. She was a female guest, yet Du Xiaoyu didn't come to accompany her. The young master Tie Zhilan did come, and the heavy look on his face made Lu Qing wish she could find two sticks to support him.
Lu Qing didn't need to say anything about the polite exchanges at the table, and she was happy to relax, keeping her head down and picking out delicious food to eat. Her mouth, eyes, and ears were all busy, and she didn't have a moment to rest.
After a few rounds of drinks, Wu Chen spoke up, "Master Tie, we came to ask for the sword without inquiring beforehand, which was indeed presumptuous. If the manor is too busy or inconvenient, we can talk about it another time."
To their surprise, Tie Xiao's answer was completely unexpected. He laughed heartily, "Witch God Servant, what are you saying? It's just a divine weapon. It might be incredibly difficult to obtain elsewhere, but in our Sword Forging Manor, it's merely a matter of time..."
Tie Zhilan's expression suddenly changed, "Father!"
Tie Xiao glared at him. "Are you drunk?"
Tie Zhilan met his father's gaze for only a few breaths before giving up, hanging his head dejectedly and falling silent.
Tie Xiao raised his cup and said to Wu Chen and Yu Jitang, "My son has never seen much of the world and is of no use. If he could have the opportunity to become a disciple of the Divine Palace and cultivate under the guidance of a great master for a few years, that would be an honor beyond measure."
Is this a chance to enter the divine palace for cultivation in exchange for a divine weapon?
Yu Jitang glanced at Wu Chen but didn't say anything. He wasn't really stupid; Wu Chen had asked for this favor, so naturally he didn't need to ask.
Wu Chen thought for a moment, “This matter is not difficult. However, we are not in a hurry. If your estate has any difficulties, we can come again next year.”
"No need, no need," Tie Xiao waved his hands happily. "I can design a sketch for Miss Lu tomorrow."
Lu Qing feigned delight, "Really?"
Tie Xiao said, "A word spoken is a word that cannot be taken back."
Lu Qing thought for a moment, "But..." She looked in Tie Zhilan's direction, but Tie Zhilan kept his head down, clearly not intending to communicate with her. Lu Qing immediately changed her tune, "I've never seen how weapons are forged before, could I go to Wanlian Peak to take a look?"
Tie Xiao pondered for a moment, then said to one of his disciples, “It’s alright. Tomorrow, you will take our distinguished guest to Wanlian Peak.”
The disciple quickly clasped his hands in agreement.
Lu Qing then stopped talking and toasted Tie Xiao with a bright smile.
Although Tie Xiao didn't know the exact nature of her relationship with Wu Chen, the two were inseparable, sharing both their homes and the house. Regardless of whether they would become husband and wife in the future, she was undoubtedly the apple of Wu Chen's eye at this moment, and he dared not offend her lightly. He quickly raised his glass in response.
During the banquet, many people drank quite a bit.
Wu Chen's cheeks were slightly flushed, as if he couldn't hold his liquor. Lu Qing secretly pursed his lips, probably no one but himself had seen him pour the wine into the spirit pouch in his sleeve when he raised his sleeve to drink.
The group had drunk a bit too much, gesturing wildly, and the scene wasn't very pleasant. Tie Xiao then had one of the disciples from the manor perform a sword dance. Although the disciple was male, he was well-built, handsome, and agile. His two swords moved like dragons in flight, graceful as startled swans—a truly beautiful sight.
Lu Qing clapped enthusiastically until her little hands turned red.
Seeing her so supportive, Tie Xiao couldn't help but feel proud, and then had several disciples perform a sword formation for her to see.
Lu Qing showered Tie Xiao with compliments, making the leaders of the Sword Forging Manor burst into laughter from time to time, their attention completely focused on the three of them. They didn't notice that Tie Zhilan, who had been as quiet as a mannequin, had quietly slipped away.
Lu Qing's eyes never left Tie Zhilan out of the corner of her eye. Upon seeing this scene, she immediately cheered and praised loudly, which amused everyone even more.
But under the table, she secretly reached out and poked Wu Chen.
Wu remained unresponsive.
Lu Qing looked at him curiously. He remained calm, but his eyes held a mysterious depth. "They're good-looking?"
Lu Qing was taken aback, but still gave a very fair assessment, "It's beautiful!"
This time, Wu Chen really picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp.
What's this guy doing? Is he really drunk?
"What's wrong with you?" Lu Qing tugged at his sleeve.
Wu Chen ignored her, filled his own glass, and raised it to toast Master Tie.
Wu Chen never praises people casually, but when he does, he can praise them to the point of being unbelievable.
He commented in a fair and impartial tone, "Among all weapons in the world, those that can communicate with their master's will are extremely rare, something you can only hope to encounter by chance. Your master craftsmanship is truly exceptional, able to turn stone into gold and bring life to the metal. Such divine skill is unparalleled in the world."
To receive such praise from a future high priest filled Tie Xiao with indescribable pride and satisfaction. He decided to personally take to the stage and perform a dance with the sword of the Sword Forging Manor's lord, as a sign of respect and reciprocation.
Lu Qing forced a smile: "No matter how well you dance, you're a middle-aged man, but you can't compare to the youthful and beautiful disciples."
Wu Chen and Yu Jitang were extremely supportive, taking turns praising her, which immediately sparked a new wave of toasts at the table.
They drank until the moon was high in the sky. Several of the managers of the Sword Casting Manor were drunk and passed out, including Tie Xiao, who was now visibly slurring his words.
Lu Qing glanced at the two people beside her. Although Wu Chen was sitting upright, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were noticeably slower. He no longer looked at people as lightly as a feather falling on their hearts. Now, his gaze seemed to carry a lot, like water, capable of moving people or drowning them.
Lu Qing's heart pounded as he looked at her, thinking to herself: My goodness, they say beautiful women are the cause of trouble, or rather, handsome men are the cause of trouble, and it's true. If this guy were released, it would be perfectly natural for all the women in the world to be in chaos because of him.
Meanwhile, Yu Jitang, who was also slightly flushed from the alcohol, had long been forgotten by Lu Qing.
After sitting for a while, Wu seemed to have regained some clarity. He then stood up, supported by Lu Qing's arm, and bid farewell to Tie Xiao.
Tie Xiao managed to say a few incoherent pleasantries, and Wu Chen smiled and nodded before putting his arm around Lu Qing's shoulder and walking out.
Yu Jitang followed slowly behind him, not so much that he needed someone to help him, but he was clearly unsteady on his feet.
A disciple carrying a lantern led the three out of the banquet hall. Wu Chen didn't rush to leave; instead, he stopped by the roadside.
Lu Qing asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Wu Chen smiled and said, "I drank a bit too much. Let me get some night air to sober up."
Upon hearing this, the disciple stopped. "I'll have someone fetch some hangover soup."
Wu Chen shook his head. "It's not that serious. Just blow on it a little and it'll be fine. Give me the lantern and go get some rest."
The disciple was terrified, "How can this be allowed?"
Wu Chen smiled and said, "The managers of your manor have all had too much to drink. I don't think there are many disciples serving you tonight, so you might not be able to take care of everyone. You can go ahead. We've actually had just the right amount of alcohol, and we'll go back after a walk to sober up."
The disciple asked what else was being said.
Yu Jitang scoffed, impatiently trying to reason with him, "You idiot, what kind of person are you, standing there while they're enjoying their time together?"
The disciple suddenly realized what was happening, handed the lantern to Lu Qing, and ran away looking embarrassed.
After the person had gone far away.
Yu Jitang then asked in a low voice, "What are you planning to do now?"
Wu Chen glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, then moved the hand that was supporting Lu Qing from her left shoulder to her right. There was still a distance between them, but the intimacy was undeniably jarring. Not satisfied, Wu Chen added casually, "Of course it's a romantic evening under the moon and flowers. What are you doing standing there like that?"
"Ha!" Yu Jitang gritted his teeth. "You can fool others, but you can't fool me."
Lu Qing watched them silently from the side, her eyes darting between their faces, then she lowered her head, shrugged, and pursed her lips tightly to prevent herself from laughing.
Yu Jitang glared at the two guys in front of him who were completely in cahoots and asked Lu Qing with an annoyance, "What are you laughing at?"
Lu Qing finally couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, "I... I think I'm the one who's standing on the sidelines, haha..."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Lu Qing: You two, please continue your romantic evenings, O(∩_∩)O haha~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
