Smooth sailing
As Meng Yan approached the group of buildings shrouded in ethereal mist, he discovered that they were not as otherworldly as he had imagined. Instead, they were quite simple, and any house from Peace Valley could be moved here without looking out of place among them.
The pervasive fog had dissipated considerably, with only a few wisps occasionally peeking out from the rooftops. This did not obstruct visibility but instead added a touch of unusual atmosphere to the place.
"Senior Brother Yue, don't forget to come help after you pick up the person!"
The window was wide open, and through the thick fog overflowing from inside, one could vaguely make out a human figure, but nothing else was visible.
"It's still not resolved. Tell me, how can you be so capable? You almost wiped out our sect with just one talisman. You have this ability, yet you can't even draw the corresponding antidote talisman. Really... oh dear!"
Yue Lang looked up to confront him, but unexpectedly, he turned around and was hit on the forehead. His gaze swept over and he saw Meng Yan beside him, so he subconsciously hid behind her.
A man of similar height approached aggressively, rolling up his sleeves as he chased after him, though there was no obvious malice in his actions. "What kind of trash is this, wiping out an entire family? You dare say that again in front of your master? I'll show you how to wipe out an entire family, I'll show you how to wipe out an entire family..."
"Senior brother, didn't I learn this from Master? He used to say this to me every day, and that's how our sect became prosperous. Don't you understand the wisdom of our predecessors?" Yue Lang defended himself as he fled.
Meng Yan was surrounded by the two of them like a tree, unable to move. Watching them chase each other quickly, she remained calmly in place, waiting for the whirlwind around her to subside, relying on her instincts as a tree.
"Senior brother, Senior Brother Li, the best in the entire sect, please stop fighting. Why don't you turn around and look at who's standing next to you?"
"I hit you, what does it have to do with anyone else? Do you expect some young girl to save you?"
"What's wrong with a damsel in distress rescuing a hero? You can't question me just because you've never been rescued yourself. Being rescued is also a skill."
"Hey, you're really getting cocky now." Senior Brother Li was genuinely angry this time. The hair on the top of his forehead stood straight up, and he took much bigger strides as he chased after Yue Lang.
Yue Lang deliberately slowed down so that he could catch him, and then in an instant, he turned Meng Yan to the side, and the three of them suddenly faced each other and calmed down.
"Now you realize how embarrassing it is?" Senior Brother Li grabbed Yue Lang by the collar and pulled him away from Meng Yan. "Don't try anything funny that might scare the girl."
The two brothers stood quietly before me, their shared sect aura slowly revealing itself. Ignoring their movements and expressions, they could be described as refined gentlemen, their hair and clothing meticulously arranged. However, it was impossible to ignore their behavior.
One of them was caught but still laughed without a care in the world, while the other was furious. Meng Yan wanted to shove an ice furnace into his head to cool him down.
"If I said this was reinforcements I brought, would you believe me, senior brother?" Yue Lang was still teasing him.
Half of Li's hair fell down, the other half clearly indicating disbelief.
"Look, she didn't deny what I said. Senior brother, why don't you guess who she is?"
Meng Yan's lips twitched; this forced acceptance felt somewhat familiar.
Senior Brother Li, mindful of his junior brother's feelings, didn't drag him away on the spot, but he was somewhat surprised by this girl whom he had never met before, nor had Yue Lang ever mentioned her.
After all these years, no matter how many friends Yue Lang has, he has only met a handful of girls, and the first one to come all the way from across the mountains and seas to his doorstep is no exception.
He frowned and whispered to Yue Lang, "How much money do you owe that girl? How many things did you break? You even forced her to come to your house to collect the debt?"
When Yue Lang was asked, he lowered his voice and muttered, "No, actually I don't understand why she came either. I asked her on the way, but she didn't answer, and then you, senior brother, messed things up."
"Oh, so it's my fault? Should I apologize to you then?"
"Keep it. You can say thank you if you want, but it should be a thank you."
The senior brother was stunned for a moment, and Yue Lang had already escaped from his grasp. He straightened his collar and began to introduce himself.
"The lady to my right can fly in the sky and fight tigers on the ground. Countless ingenious creations have come from her hands. She is otherworldly, kind-hearted, and her good name has spread far and wide to our sect. She is Miss Meng Yan from Ping'an Valley."
After saying that, he waved his left hand, "This is my senior brother Li Li."
Meng Yan: "..."
Li Li: "...That's it? All I'm worth is a word from you?"
Yue Lang shouted, "What else?" and jumped behind Meng Yan. Li Li was furious but helpless. He choked and finished his introduction: "Miss Meng Yan, I have long admired your name. You may not know me, but you should be familiar with another brother Li. The talismans from the previous few times were passed on through the two of us. In detail, the rare talismans he asked me for the first time, as well as the ordinary talismans he specially ordered several times with money, all came from this kid Yue Lang. In the end, it should have ended up in your hands. The ice furnace is one of the products."
After speaking, the two, who were the beginning and the end, exchanged a silent glance, their eyes filled with disbelief at what Senior Brother Li had said.
"Judging from your reactions, you all don't know, do you?" Li Li never imagined that he was the only one who knew.
"I don't know." One shook his head, and the other spoke.
Li Li stroked his chin and pondered with the two of them. After a while, he suddenly realized something and said, "When Brother Li asked me for that pile of rare goods, Junior Brother Yue said that they were not very useful except for taking up space. So I didn't have time to tell you when I sent them out. Now that you are familiar with each other, can you let me witness their use? Li Li bragged to me about them to the skies. I am curious about what kind of creation they were used for later."
Yue Lang pursed his lips and opened them again, taking a breath and then closing them again. After swallowing air for a while, he said slowly, "It's not a mechanical kite, is it?"
That's not entirely his fault. Those talismans were just something he drew casually for fun. He only copied half a wall of them while he was still excited about them. Later, when his interest waned, he left them to collect dust in the corner. It was Li Shixiong's arrival that reminded him of these antiques. After giving them all away, he completely forgot about them. How could he possibly associate this pile of junk with Meng Yan's big bird?
Meng Yan untied the wooden bird from her waist and casually touched a few mechanisms. With a click, a mechanical kite unfolded in front of her. She gestured to Li Li, while Yue Lang relayed her message, "This is the one who is rumored to be able to fly."
Li Li had witnessed Meng Yan's mechanical skills before, but when this palm-sized wooden bird transformed into a behemoth as wide as half a house, he was still taken aback.
After a while, Yue Lang nudged his shoulder to bring him back to his senses. "Have you finished admiring it, Senior Brother? We're in a hurry to leave."
Reminded by him, Li Li stepped back and gestured "please," but he was still bewildered. "Miss Meng Yan came to our sect just for this kid?"
"What do you mean 'without me,' can you even see the real me?" Yue Lang elbowed him and pushed the cart back.
After taking two steps, he caught a glimpse of Meng Yan deep in thought, and pulled the cart back.
"There really is something else..."
Although it was just a joke at first, seeing Meng Yan hesitate slightly, Yue Lang felt a pang in his heart, as if he had been pierced by a series of needles.
"I came here specifically to see you, but perhaps I can also meet some new friends along the way?"
As she used sign language, she raised an eyebrow, which Yue Lang noticed and carefully considered the meaning behind her words.
"Tell me," Li Li said, elbowing him in return, hoping that his junior brother, who had been studying diligently for many days, could translate Meng Yan's words.
Yue Lang's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed as he chose the expression he most approved of: "Miss Yan came for me, so I might consider getting to know you."
At first, Li Li thought he had really learned sign language because he was thinking seriously. But now, after hearing his answer, he immediately rolled his eyes to the sky. "You might as well say that she got lost, or that one of the fellow disciples in the valley ordered a creation from Ping An Valley and she came to deliver it."
Hearing this, Meng Yan nodded and gestured towards the jingling sounds inside the wooden cart, saying, "The items inside are gifts. I have some thoughts I'd like to discuss with you two in detail."
Li Li looked through the ice furnace and food basket in the carriage, and after Yue Lang relayed her meaning, she led them to the pavilion behind the mountain to sit down, puzzled.
.
"No problem, absolutely no problem."
After hearing Meng Yan's suggestion, Li Li slapped Yue Lang's thigh and readily agreed.
"Go take your own picture." Yue Lang moved away from him, freeing his thigh and looking at Li Li. Li Shixiong's worthless appearance only appeared when he was interested in something, such as what Meng Yan said, that he would send over the new mechanisms he had developed for testing, and that he could also raise any new ideas in this regard with her or Li Li.
Having dealt with the unexpected Li Li, Meng Yan turned his gaze to Yue Lang, seeking his opinion.
After the two sects reached a cooperation agreement, Ping An Valley no longer paid cash for talisman paper when purchasing it. Instead, they waited until each batch of talismans had a surplus and then shared the profits according to a set ratio.
At first glance, it seems like a great deal. After all, apart from Ping An Valley, very few people would come to the mountains to buy talismans. This year, the sect has made a rare big profit, and the buyers all signed their names as Ping An Valley. If this plan succeeds, given Ping An Valley's current development, the days of starving will be a thing of the past.
It's so hard to refuse!
Moreover, judging from Meng Yan's previous answers, she originally came here for him, so how could she let him leave empty-handed?
After receiving affirmative answers from the two, Meng Yan meticulously took out a pre-prepared contract. The three of them took turns signing and affixing their fingerprints. After putting it away, she smiled slightly and informed her two friends, who were facing a difficult task, about the plan for the heater.
"Therefore, if there are any losses, Ping An Valley will bear them on its own. In return, you will also lose that portion of the talismans, which is equivalent to working for us for free for an entire winter."
Yue Lang didn't care; he would definitely do his best to help Meng Yan if needed. But he wondered if Li Shixiong, such a diligent, thrifty, and ambitious person, would feel depressed after such an ordeal.
Before he could offer any words of comfort, Li Li clenched his fist and raised it to his chest, saying, "Even if I had to pay extra to collaborate with Miss Meng Yan on designing a new mechanism, I would have no regrets."
Never mind, I forgot that this person is a follower of Meng Yan's mechanical arts.
It went much more smoothly than expected. Meng Yan solved the most troublesome key issue for everyone by simply explaining the future plans.
Winter has not yet arrived, but warmth has already come first.
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