"Thank you, Mr. Zong."
Mrs. Bo's voice sounded not far away, and Xiao Nanhui suddenly came back to his senses.
Mr. Zong?
The only people who can be respectfully addressed as "sir" by the royal family members are the imperial tutor and the clan priest.
But she had never heard of an imperial teacher named Zong in the capital, nor had she ever heard of any priest wearing such a rag-like brown cloak when attending a royal blessing ceremony.
Also, when did a martial arts master named Zong appear in the martial arts world, but she had never heard of him?
"Madam, there's no need to be so polite."
The hunched figure under the brown cloak spoke again, but his voice returned to its low and old tone, no different from that of an ordinary old man.
Obviously, he had just seen the Shrike take action, so he deliberately used his power to transmit sound so that the sound could be heard through the air as a warning.
Although he didn't know the other person's identity, Xiao Nanhui had a hunch that this person should not be offended. Just as he was about to step forward, he was suddenly grabbed by the person behind him.
She turned her head and met Shrike's somewhat pale face.
It was the first time in her life that she had seen the Shrike tremble with fear.
She and Shrike didn't exactly grow up together, but they had been companions for a while, sharing much of their lives. As her name suggested, Shrike was simple-minded, yet fierce and untamable, rarely yielding, and even less willing to be inferior. If faced with a strong enemy, she wouldn't retreat; instead, she would grow more courageous.
From previous clues, Xiao Nanhui already knew that the old man was very skilled, but she did not expect that he would make the Shrike retreat without a fight and even feel timid like today.
Maybe there is another possibility.
That was the man that Shrike had fought with before.
They know each other.
"Don't go over there..." Shrike's voice was low, but his eyes were fixed on the old man in brown clothes not far away, "He is from An Daoyuan."
With the exception of the dean, Xie Li, all those who had completed their apprenticeship in An Daoyuan had a master to serve, and those who hadn't completed their apprenticeship were not allowed to even step out of the academy. This person came alone, and was almost the same age as Xie Li. How could he be from An Daoyuan?
Moreover, the people in Andaoyuan were born to defend the righteous path. Even if there were many frictions among fellow disciples, it wouldn't become so terrible, right?
Xiao Nanhui's doubts grew even stronger, but Shrike obviously didn't have the opportunity to say more.
Mrs. Bo was whispering something to the old man over there, and the next moment, the man's eyes were directed straight at her.
"It turns out that he is from the Qinghuai Marquis's residence."
Xiao Nanhui was called out and could no longer stand still. He could only gently pat the back of Shrike's hand to show his reassurance, and then walked towards the man.
"Meet Mr. Zong."
She was already very close to the other person, but still could not hear any breathing sound, which was enough to show that this person's skills were unfathomable. She wondered if he was even more powerful than Xiao Zhun.
After a long time, the voice sounded above her head.
"Do you know me?"
Xiao Nanhui raised his eyes and saw only a pair of somewhat cloudy eyes. Time had left an indelible mark on this body, but it could not erase a certain aura within its owner.
Those eyes seemed to be able to penetrate people through the air. It was the fierce murderous aura that only people who had practiced martial arts for many years could have.
Xiao Nanhui's breath was caught, and then he lowered his eyes.
"I don't know him. I just heard Madam call him that, so I took it upon myself. If there is anything inappropriate, please forgive me, sir."
The man's gaze seemed to be hovering over her head, and it took a long time before he looked away.
"All guests visiting today must receive blessings at Yi Garden. Don't forget."
I don't know whether he was talking to her or to Mrs. Bo.
The latter was obviously very respectful to Mr. Zong and quickly took over the conversation.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Zong, Miss Xiao will be with us and will definitely not be absent."
The old man did not respond to this, but walked straight to the flower stand where he had just played the game of guessing covers.
There were still traces of silk, satin, silver cups and fresh fruits on the flower stand. A few apricots were crushed and splashed with a few drops of tender yellow juice, making a puddle on the ground.
The old man stared at the platform for a while, and suddenly waved his sleeves. The exquisite things on the ground seemed to be blown by a strong wind, and in an instant they rolled off the flower platform and fell into a pool of water.
The women who had been standing nearby couldn't help but scream in fear, their expressions terrified. No one dared to whisper anymore, and the entire courtyard fell silent in an instant, with only the sound of bubbles being heard as the cups, bowls, and jade vessels sank into the lake.
The old man slowly retracted his sleeves and hid them under his cloak. He bent over and coughed twice, then staggered to the front of the astonished Mrs. Bo.
"Since ancient times, games like cover shooting and hook hiding have caused separation. Madam, you should be more self-disciplined and polite, and avoid playing games. This will also bring more peace and joy to the royal family's backyard."
Madam Bo's face paled upon hearing this, and she remained silent, unusually silent. She stood there for a moment before turning and quietly reprimanding the maids on the flowerbed, ordering them to hastily withdraw with their respective daughters. Wanwan was clearly still a little dissatisfied, and before leaving, she glared fiercely at the Shrike, then left angrily, her skirt in hand.
Xiao Nanhui, who witnessed everything, felt a little gloating for some reason, but became even more curious about the old man's identity.
Even as a royal priest, he wouldn't dare act so recklessly in the royal palace. And if he were just a priest, he wouldn't need such great skills and abilities.
She was curious and wanted to explore a little further, but when she turned around, the man had left as quietly as he had come.
Mrs. Bo still stood in front of the flower bed, her back as dignified and straight as ever, without a single flaw visible. Xiao Nanhui knew that his "punishment" for the day had come to an end. After quietly taking his leave, he pulled Shrike out of the side yard.
The garden, which was full of chirping birds and noisy noises just now, is now filled with only flowers, still bright and prosperous.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
