Chapter 5
"Ah... really?" Gong Er chuckled dryly. "I just don't like shopping. You and she can go shopping from now on. I'm too lazy to move."
"Oh, oh, oh, now you're saying this? Who was it that was haggling so fiercely with the owner when you bought the wine?" Yao Liuliu didn't hold back and exposed his true colors.
"...I'm too lazy to talk to you."
They often bickered like this, and Shen Yu was used to it.
However, Gong Er was rather quiet, and his laughter wasn't as hearty as usual.
As evening approached, more and more customers came to eat.
It was Xu Dahe's first time washing dishes and doing chores. He was on high alert in the kitchen, which made Yao Liuliu think he was kind of cute. She quickly told him to relax.
Shen Yu and Gong Er were taking care of the guests in the front hall. Shen Yu was familiar with the place and greeted them, occasionally telling jokes to regular customers.
Gong Er was initially absent-minded, but as the number of people increased, he had to quicken his pace and his voice became more lively.
"One serving of roasted pork belly, two servings of rice wrapped in lotus root, and two pots of tea—hey, the food is good today, don't just focus on the wine!"
Laughter and clinking glasses blended together, creating a lively atmosphere as if nothing had happened.
Just then, the wind chimes at the door jingled, and a gust of cold wind swept in.
A man with a sword slowly stepped in. He was not tall, his shoulders were somewhat thin, and he even looked a bit frail, which was completely disproportionate to the weight of the long sword at his waist.
There were several shallow nicks on the scabbard, which looked like signs of a long battle.
Gong Ergang was still chatting and laughing with a guest when he caught a glimpse of the knife out of the corner of his eye, and his smile gradually faded.
He stepped forward and gave a perfunctory greeting, but said nothing else.
Qiu Chiyan, standing at the counter, naturally took in everything.
He carefully observed the man.
The man was not a famous figure. Although his movements showed some signs of martial arts training, they were not particularly refined. What was even more problematic was that he walked unsteadily, his steps light and unsteady, like a half-baked traveling monk.
That knife was no ordinary weapon; its hilt was entwined with dark patterns and had a deep blood groove, making it clear at a glance to be a fine weapon.
As Shen Yu carried the wine pot back and forth, Qiu Chiyan quietly called her over as she passed the counter, asking her to keep an eye on the customer.
Shen Yu followed his gaze and gave a soft "Oh".
"knew."
"Know what?"
She glanced at him, her expression playful yet composed, then interrupted with a smile: "Let's get to work!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she picked up the wine pot and headed straight for another table, her steps as light and quick as ever.
The innkeepers always ate much later than the guests. By the time the guests started eating, it was already dark, and lanterns were hung sporadically on the street, casting a warm yellow glow on the alley.
Tonight's dinner was all cooked by Yao Liuliu. Unlike Shen Yu, she only eats what others like and doesn't care if they don't like it. She never listens to other people's opinions or looks at their reactions.
Before everyone was even seated, she had already started eating.
As a newcomer, Xu Dahe was rather reserved, keeping his hands under his buttocks while waiting for the others to arrive.
As usual, Gong Er sat down silently, holding a jar of wine, and casually picked up some food.
Shen Yu said she had something to do, so she wouldn't eat with them or ask them to stay for a meal.
After finishing tidying up, in the dead of night, Qiu Chiyan looked at Gong Er from the bedside, hesitating whether to speak.
Footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard, and the wooden door creaked open, pushing a man inside.
Shen Yu followed closely behind, throwing a large knife on the table: "I'm starving. I'll go make some food first. You guys chat."
Gong Er and Qiu Chiyan stared blankly at the man, who was the short, thin man with the knife from the night before.
However, his clothes were disheveled, with tears in his sleeves and shoulders, and a bruise on his chin.
He was aloof and unapproachable when he came in the afternoon, but now he's just looking dejected.
"This is..." Gong Er had never seen such a scene before. He rolled off the bed and stepped onto the floor, looking at him with some vigilance.
The man spoke slowly, his voice hoarse like that of a vengeful spirit from the underworld, utterly eerie: "I just wanted to participate in the Hundred Sects Sword Offering, but before I even saw a single hero, I was defeated by an innkeeper. All that money wasted on this sword, what a mess..."
Overwhelmed with grievance, he sat at the table sighing repeatedly, his eyes welling up with tears.
"...Who hit you? Don't..." Gong Er subconsciously thought that this person was trying to extort money, but then he seemed to realize something.
"That person just now...?" Gong Er asked him cautiously.
"If it wasn't her, then who was it!" he suddenly barked, even more aggrieved, "Where did this person come from? We couldn't beat them at all..."
"...What are you two fighting about?"
“She said—” He looked up at the sky, as if he found the whole thing absurd, “that if she won, I would have to come with her because someone wants to ask me a few questions. And I actually… I really did bet with her… Who is it! Who wants to ask me!”
Gong Er's room was connected to the kitchen. Suddenly, Chen Yu lifted the curtain and poked her head out: "Just tell me, who are you, and where did you get the knife?"
“I…Xu San.” He was also stunned by the sudden challenge that evening, and had almost forgotten his own name. “I’m from Yingzhou. The knife…I got it from Qiongyu Pavilion.”
"Why is Xueyin there?" Shen Yu asked again.
Qiu Chiyan's gaze suddenly fell on the knife.
He had never seen this knife before, but its name was legendary.
This famous sword, once ranked fifth in the martial arts world, was crafted twelve years ago by Duan Yun, a master craftsman from the largest forging factory in the martial arts world.
It is said that Duan Yun was not very old and had only forged ten knives, each of which was famous in the region, the most famous of which was Xueyin.
The Snow Drinking Blade originally belonged to Huo Lingxiao, the Cold Tyrant of the Northern Desert. He had never been defeated in his life, but two months ago he seemed to have heard that there was internal strife in the Northern Desert and that Huo Lingxiao might be dead.
But the distance was too great, and the news couldn't get out, so no one knew whether it was true or false.
Judging from their reactions, they seemed quite certain that this was indeed the Snow Drinking Blade.
Xu San replied in a muffled voice, "I heard from the shop assistants at Qiongyu Pavilion that after Huo Lingxiao disappeared, Xueyin was first secretly sold by one of his former subordinates who was drunk, and exchanged for a jar of fake wine. The person who drank that wine immediately suffered from diarrhea and passed out the next day. Xueyin, however, was pawned. The pawnshop owner didn't recognize its value and thought it wasn't worth much, so he sold it at a low price to a gambler. The gambler took it to the gambling table and bet big, losing it all to a dealer overnight. Finally, only the dealer recognized the knife, so he sold it to Qiongyu Pavilion at a high price. I don't know if it's true or not! Anyway, that's what they said..."
The once-famous weapon has come to such an end after all these twists and turns; the reputation of a renowned figure in the martial arts world is worth nothing more than a few jars of watered-down fake wine.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Chiyan couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
But when he looked at Gong Er again, the man's expression was unusually calm, unlike his icy demeanor in the afternoon, and instead had a hint of a half-smile.
"It's just a knife, why all this fuss?" He said casually, as if commenting on a trivial matter.
"That's right. I don't think this knife is any good either. Not many people will recognize it if I take it out, and it's not very useful either." Xu San was a little frustrated. He originally wanted to make a name for himself here, but after walking around the town for two days, no one recognized him.
"You think it's not easy to use because you're not skilled enough and don't know how to use a knife."
Shen Yu said very bluntly.
"…you!"
Xu San's face flushed red, but... he couldn't refute it.
This young woman looked tall and thin, but she was surprisingly strong, and her martial arts skills were very solid. After several exchanges, she was able to beat him into a sorry state with her bare hands.
After a brief standoff, he simply snorted coldly, suppressing his anger.
"...Is there anything else?!"
"That's all, you can go now," Gong Er said first.
Xu San scoffed, glancing at the knife several times, afraid that the group would also snatch it.
After all, it cost him a lot of money to buy it.
Seeing that everyone's expressions were normal, he grabbed the knife and ran like the wind, eager to escape the room. His shadow was scattered in all directions.
"I thought you wanted to take the knife back." Shen Yu pouted.
"What would I do with it? Chop firewood?"
Qiu Chiyan listened from the side, the word "take back"...
Only the owner can assert sovereignty.
He had never met Huo Lingxiao, but the man should be nearly fifty years old, which certainly didn't match Gong Er's age.
However, it may be similar to "Duan Yun".
Gong Er shrank back onto the bed, hugging his knees, and suddenly laughed: "You too, I thought you went to the night market, what happened, you went to find someone to fight."
"Did you hear something during the day?"
"While I was shopping, I think I saw some people from the Northern Desert. They never come to the Central Plains, unless..."
He hesitated for a moment, then chuckled and sighed, "Well, I did live there for a while, and I'm just a little sad that such a once-famous gang has just fallen apart."
"Huo Lingxiao is capable, but his subordinates are not. If he can't hold things together, things will definitely fall apart."
Shen Yu spoke of those important figures in the martial arts world without any sense of admiration, as if discussing everyday matters with neighbors.
Gong Er paused for a moment: "It's just a knife... You're boiling water, aren't you? It's not dry, is it?"
"...Oh no! My pot!"
Shen Yu hurriedly retreated to the kitchen.
Gong Er smiled faintly, lifted the quilt, and prepared to go to sleep, but still noticed another gaze in the room.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Your Mightiness…"
"What 'Your Excellency'? I'm just a menial servant and waiter, destined to serve tea and water." Gong Er resumed his playful grin.
"That stretch of cloud..."
"It's just a former name," Gong Er admitted frankly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
Although he spoke lightly, this name was not unknown in the martial arts world.
He was the youngest genius in the casting industry, but five years ago, the industry was embroiled in a black market scandal—
Someone embezzled a huge sum of money from the factory, resulting in several people being expelled from the factory.
After the storm passed, Duan Yun's name also disappeared completely from the martial arts world.
No one could explain the truth behind it; people only relied on fragmented rumors and casual conversations at the dinner table to conclude that Duan Yun was involved.
The lamplight inside flickered slightly, and a breeze slipped in through the half-open window, causing the lamp flame to tremble and casting long, thin shadows on the wall.
Qiu Chiyan nodded slightly.
Why bother investigating further?
Some people spend half their lives wandering, their reputation ruined by a single joke; others establish their authority with a knife, only to be betrayed over a cup of wine. So-called right and wrong are often forgotten once the tea has cooled.
The accounts of the martial arts world are just being turned over and over again, only with a few different names. Tomorrow the sun will rise as usual, someone will still pour the wine, and someone will still eat the noodles.
Gong Er lay down completely, put his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. After a moment, a faint fragrance wafted into his nose.
First came the aroma of the noodle soup, followed by the scent of scallions frying in hot oil. He sat up abruptly, then jumped out of bed.
"I'm impressed! What are you doing so late at night? It smells so good!"
He casually stomped on the soles of his shoes and darted into the kitchen in twos and threes.
The kitchen was warmly lit, and Shen Yu was standing by the stove with her sleeves rolled up, rinsing the noodles and adding some broth to the pot.
"It would be a shame not to eat this chicken soup that's been simmering for so long. It's getting cold, so having a bowl will warm your stomach and give you the energy to work tomorrow morning."
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