Yan Liang arrived in the capital on the first day of the ninth month, fourteen days before the decisive battle between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue. He had come to the capital by wandering aimlessly without any direction or purpose, but other martial arts figures, including the three members of the Tang Clan, had all come to the capital for the decisive battle between these two sword masters.
Yan Liang stayed in the capital for a few days and noticed that the number of martial arts practitioners in the city was increasing at a visible rate. Martial arts practitioners were easy to identify; a single glance at their faces was enough to tell whether they were ordinary people or members of the martial arts world.
"Are Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue really that famous?" Yan Liang couldn't help but ask, looking at the carriage downstairs.
He and Tang Tianzong discovered this restaurant while traveling in the capital. It was tucked away deep in an alley, quiet and peaceful, and most importantly, the food was excellent. They had been dining here for the past few days, but today there were suddenly more people, and although not noisy, it was still a bit more chaotic than before. Moreover, it seemed that these people were all there because of the duel between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue.
"Of course, only you would be so indifferent to matters of the martial world." Tang Tianzong picked up a chili pepper from the plate and stuffed it into his mouth without looking up.
"I'm not a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world), and fighting is no good. Peace is the most important thing." Yan Liang looked at the fiery red chili peppers on the other person's plate, and on a whim, he picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth. He then coughed from the spiciness and looked around for water with teary eyes.
"Quickly—quickly—quickly—emergency!"
Tang Tianzong poured him a cup of tea, looking at him as if he were a fool. "If you can't eat spicy food, why do you insist on trying it when you see it?"
Yan Liang sighed, then choked: "I've been craving spicy food—cough cough—I can't control my craving—uh cough cough cough—"
Tang Tianzong: "...Alright, have some water."
The two had become quite familiar with each other over the past few days, and even Tang Tianzong, despite his arrogance, couldn't get angry in the face of Yan Liang's gentle and kind smile. Not to mention, Yan Liang's personality was truly indescribable; although he was older than Tang Tianzong, he had the heart of a very young man.
Despite having a young heart, he has a broken body.
The Tang Clan is skilled in poisons, and poison doctors are inseparable from each other. Members of the Tang Clan are also quite knowledgeable in pharmacology. Upon seeing Yan Liang for the first time, he could tell that Yan Liang's condition was very bad, that he would not live much longer, and that medicine would be ineffective.
Tang Tianzong observed that Yan Liang possessed a natural elegance in his every gesture, acting freely and unrestrainedly—qualities not easily found in ordinary families. But everyone has secrets, and since his friend didn't want to talk about them, he wouldn't ask.
Lost in thought, he heard Yan Liang let out a completely emotionless "Ah".
Tang Tianzong's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.
The person who made the sound was holding chopsticks and looking downstairs, while a black cat was perched on the railing next to Yan Liang.
It was a glossy black cat, kept by the restaurant to catch mice. Tang Tianzong and Yan Liang had been there many times and were already quite familiar with the cat. This cat was known for its ruthless nature; whoever fed it would shamelessly roll around, whine, and meow.
Yan Liang always fed the cat by leaning against the railing. The cat was clever and always managed to get the food into its mouth without leaving any.
Tang Tianzong looked downstairs and saw a magnificent carriage parked below. Beside the carriage, a man in white was looking up at the two people and a cat upstairs. He was dressed in fine clothes and had a handsome face.
"What did you do?" Tang Tianzong asked.
"My hand slipped, and a piece of meat fell down, but the person downstairs dodged it," Yan Liang replied seriously, while waving to the man in white downstairs: "Brother, I'm so sorry, would you like to come up and have a meal with me?"
Tang Tianzong: "..."
The man in white stared at the sky for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Why not?"
He had been wearing a cold expression, but when he suddenly smiled, it didn't seem out of place; he appeared more approachable. However, the chill in his eyes was like a deep, cold pool in the mountains, icy and penetrating to the bone.
Yan Liang's first reaction: This person is not easy to mess with, let's treat him to a meal and apologize first.
Tang Tianzong's first reaction: This person's martial arts skills are quite good. It seems that he has also come for the duel between Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng.
The man in white did not introduce himself. After going upstairs, he sat down at the table where Yan and Tang were sitting and picked up a pair of chopsticks to start eating.
The black cat meowed as he sat down, then gracefully leaped down from the railing, rubbed against the white-clad man's feet, and lay down.
Yan Liang couldn't help but bend down and look at the black cat from under the table. The black cat glanced at him, yawned, and closed its eyes.
Yan Liang: "..."
You heartless little bastard.
"What are you looking at?" the man in white asked.
Yan Liang sat up straight calmly and said with composure, "I was looking at the cat at your feet."
"You like cats?" the man in white asked him.
"Yes." Yan Liang nodded.
“But it’s mine.” The man in white smiled.
Yan Liang: "...Yours?"
The man in white coldly replied, "If it's not mine, then is it yours?"
Yan Liang: "...???"
His question sounded rather aggressive, and Tang Tianzong retorted angrily, "Even if it's not his, it doesn't bother you."
The man in white glanced at him and said coldly, "Since it's mine, it shouldn't be fed by others."
Yan Liang couldn't help but speak up: "But I've been feeding it for six or seven days."
Man in white: "At this restaurant?"
Yan Liang: "Yes."
The man in white said, "This restaurant is mine too."
Tang Tianzong: "So what if it's yours? We both paid for it."
The man in white said, "No matter what, this cat is mine, and this restaurant is mine. I don't want the two of you to stay here anymore."
Tang Tianzong was furious. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up, shouting, "Do you know who I am?"
Young people are naturally impetuous, and this man in white was clearly unreasonable. Tang Tianzong was aroused and had already prepared a hidden weapon in his sleeve.
The man in white said coldly, "Those who can't beat me."
Yan Liang said, "People who like spicy food."
Tang Tianzong: "..."
Tang Tianzong glared at Yan Liang angrily: "Whose side are you on anyway?!"
"Of course it's on your side, brother," Yan Liang said with a smile. "But the weather is so nice today, and the scenery is beautiful everywhere. We haven't had lunch yet. The dishes at this restaurant, such as Auspicious Dragon Double Flight, Phoenix Spreading Wings, Spicy Beef, Pearl Tofu, Hundred Sons Winter Melon, Sweet and Sour Lotus Root and Pipa Shrimp, are all delicious. Why don't we eat first and then talk?"
After hearing the man name several dishes, Tang Tianzong stood there dumbfounded for a long time, feeling like a fool. After sitting down, he said angrily, "You are really heartless. It's clearly you who fed the cat, but it makes me look narrow-minded."
He was straightforward and said whatever he thought, which Yan Liang was used to. He poured him a cup of tea to calm him down, and then looked at the man in white in front of him: "If you don't want me to have dinner with him at your restaurant, we don't have to come back. But this time we paid for the meal first, so how about we finish our meal before we leave?"
The man in white raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his face: "You've got a good idea."
Yan Liang: "Hehehe."
Tang Tianzong was eating chili peppers in a fit of anger when he heard this "hehehe" sound and almost choked.
What does "hehehe" mean? Even if it's a laugh, is it necessary to make every sound out?
The man in white said, "Since you've said that, I'll allow you to finish this meal. I don't want to see either of you here afterward."
Yan Liang readily agreed.
When the man in white arrived at the restaurant, it was nearly noon. The dishes that Yan Tang and his companion had ordered had just been served. After the three of them finished their discussion, the man in white ate a few bites and then stopped eating, coldly watching the two of them eat.
The man in white waited from the height of the sun until dusk. The black cat woke up and fell asleep repeatedly, finally jumping onto the table and staring intently at the food, licking its lips. It hesitated several times in the face of Yan Liang's temptation, but endured it under its master's cold gaze.
When Tang Tianrong and Tang Tianyi arrived, they saw this strange person who only sat but did not eat. They were puzzled at first. Tang Tianzong angrily told his two elder brothers to sit down, ordered a few more dishes, and then glared at the white-clothed man with a cold expression.
Yan Liang was so angry from trying to suppress his laughter that his liver hurt. He couldn't catch his breath and started coughing violently, covering his mouth.
"Ugh cough cough cough—Pfft haha—Cough cough cough—"
The three members of the Tang Clan: "..."
The man in white said coldly, "Are you playing me?"
"No, no, my two friends came here specifically to find us, so naturally we have to treat them to a meal. Besides, I haven't finished my meal yet, so it's not like I'm playing a trick on you."
Yan Liang took a sip of water, a smile playing on his lips. Tang Tianrong and Tang Tianyi, though completely bewildered, sensed the strange atmosphere at the table and slowed their eating.
Tang Tianzong glanced at him and told his two elder brothers to just eat, and that Yan Liang could take care of the rest. This guy could fool anyone to death; the tense atmosphere from before was instantly changed by his interruption.
The man in white clearly noticed this as well, and coldly changed the subject: "You won't live much longer."
The air suddenly became quiet.
The man in white said slowly, "Even if I don't kill you, you'll die sooner or later. I don't want to dirty my hands. If you want to get out, then get out now."
Yan Liang said, "Thank you for sparing my life? You are truly kind-hearted and magnanimous. But at least wait until we finish this meal, okay?"
The man in white sneered, got up and left. Yan Liang watched him go downstairs and then turn into the courtyard next door.
Yan Liang couldn't help but whistle: "He's very rich."
The atmosphere at the dinner table became somewhat heavy because of this incident. Tang Tianzong thought for a moment and said, "If you are missing any medicinal herbs, I may be able to help you find them."
Yan Liang had been taking his medicine for the past few days, a prescription given by Hua Manlou. Although it was extremely bitter and spicy, Yan Liang didn't want to disappoint Hua Manlou's kindness, so he obediently took the medicine every day. The three members of the Tang Clan knew that he was taking medicine regularly and were aware of his physical condition, but they hadn't discussed it in detail.
Tang Tianrong said, "That's right. If you encounter any inconvenience, my two brothers and I will definitely help you."
Seeing that his two junior brothers had said what he wanted to say, Tang Tianyi nodded to the side.
Yan Liang felt a warmth in his heart. Everyone said that the people of the Tang Clan were difficult to get along with and would often use hidden weapons to hurt people, but if you treated them sincerely, the people of the Tang Clan would definitely be the best friends.
"Thank you all." He scratched the back of his head and said thank you.
"And...would you like a bowl of mixed honey soup? I think it's delicious," Yan Liang asked.
"...Drink if you want." Tang Tianzong said expressionlessly.
He suspected that Yan Liang might not have died of illness but rather from overeating. Martial artists generally have large appetites, but none of the three brothers could match Yan Liang's. He was like a reincarnated starving ghost, eating whenever he had the chance.
Moreover, the moment this person opened his mouth, the previous atmosphere vanished as if it had been fed to a dog.
An unusual person.
The three brothers were surprisingly in agreement at that moment, and their eyes lit up when they drank the newly served assorted honey soup.
"good."
"It tastes good."
"It would be better if it were a little spicier."
Yan Liang almost choked on Tang Tianyi's comment and replied, "The restaurant owner wouldn't let us come, and this is a sweet soup, it's impossible to add spice."
Tang Tianyi sighed with regret: "What a pity."
Yan Liang didn't know if the other person was regretful that they couldn't come again or that they couldn't have a slightly spicy version of the mixed honey soup; his intuition was that it was the latter.
The Tianyi brothers... their tastes are a bit heavy.
Yan Liang seemed to be deep in thought.
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