A Note on Chapter Title
Zhu Yanyin looked at the haggard appearance of Pan Shihou, and couldn’t imagine any pleasant scenes where he and Li Sui could be considered “uncle and nephew.” Mainly because the aura of Palace Master Li is too demonic; it’s like he’s got “Family? What family?” written all over him in capital letters. He doesn’t look like a nephew, rather he seem more like the father of the Sky Spider Hall.
Outside the city, on the mountain path, disciples of the Wanren Palace were busy cooking over a fire. Jiang Shenglin took out a carrot and strolled over to feed it to the Snow-Kicking Black Roan.
Li Sui was displeased: “I was wondering why it had gotten fat recently, turns out it’s because of your idle hands.”
Divine Doctor Jiang was stunned, ‘Can you please be reasonable? I’ve only fed it twice in the past half month.’
Snow-Kicking Black Roan absentmindedly chewed on the carrot, longing for the bean cakes.
Li Sui combed its mane, then patted its head twice: “Go back to the city.”
Jiang Shengli: “Are you talking to the horse?”
Li Sui gave him a cold glance.
Jiang Shenglin raised his hands in surrender, “Okay, I’ll go back to the city and check on Sect Master Pan for you.”
Li Sui tossed the horse brush into the bucket and walked away to the other side.
Jiang Shenglin thought to himself, “What kind of dog temper is this?”
If any tabloid in the Jianghu were to offer a hefty sum for a contribution on the experience of having a friend with a dogged temperament, Divine Doctor Jiang might consider accepting the offer and anonymously penning a hundred-thousand-word piece on it.
In the bank, Zhu Yanyin comfortably bathed, had a meal, took a short nap. When he woke up, it was still bright outside, and he could vaguely hear the bustling sounds of carriages and people on the street. Upon inquiring with the shopkeeper, Zhu Yanyin learned that Pan Shihou was hosting a feast, entertaining the members of the Wulin Alliance. The tables were set up from the Sky Spider Hall all the way to Caoshu Street, with grand arrangements that blocked the road, causing congestion.
Zhu Zhang said, “Divine Doctor Jiang is also at the Sky Spider Hall. He said he will return to our bank tomorrow.”
“In that case, no acupuncture tonight,” Zhu Yanyin thought for a moment and then asked, “Is there anywhere good to go in Baitou City? When those people of Jianghu have dispersed, we should go out and relax. Staying at home too long has made my bones soft.”
The shopkeeper smiled and said that the young master has been in Liucheng of Jiangnan for a long time. This time coming to the northwest, he naturally needs to see something rare. The most famous scenery in Bai Tou City is the Tiger Roar Gorge outside the city. The water, when viewed from a distance, appears to be like silver-white satin, rushing forward and suddenly falling vertically along the way, causing waves to surge in the canyon, sounding like tiger roars, magnificent and majestic.”
Zhu Yanyin was moved by what was said: “Can we also see it at night?”
“Yes, why not?” the shopkeeper said, “Tonight, with the moon shining bright, its silver glow reflecting on the silk-like water, it’s even more captivating than during the day.”
Zhu Yanyin agreed, “Alright, after it gets dark, we’ll head to the Tiger Roar Gorge!”
On the other end, the banquet on Caoshu Street didn’t disperse until the sun set in the west.
Everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and the table was a mess of plates and cups.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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After careful consideration, there were only two possible explanations. First, he didn’t want to live anymore, but given the prosperity of the Sky Spider Hall, Pan Shihou’s life seemed to be going well, making it unlikely that he suddenly wanted to seek death. That left only the second possibility: he was faking his illness.
…
Outside the city, on the mountain path.
Pan Shihou stood by the bonfire. Although he no longer needed assistance to walk, his complexion wasn’t looking good. It was not related to his physical condition but rather connected to the turmoil in the martial world.
Li Sui looked at him, furrowing his brow. “Are you faking your illness?“
Pan Shihou smiled sheepishly and said, “Yes.”
Pan Shihou nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, fearing this “nephew” very much, not much strong-minded than other martial artists. He stood still for a long time before continuing,, “If I don’t fake my illness, I’ll have to go to the martial arts conference in Jincheng. Leader Wan of the Martial Arts Alliance will surely ask me to go to the Wanren Palace to invite you. But you won’t see me, and that would be a loss of face.”
Li Sui said, “…”
In the chilly midnight wind, it was bone-chilling cold, and staying out too long might lead to catching a cold.
Li Sui shook his head inwardly and said, “You can go back.”
“I came because there’s something important to discuss,” Pan Shihou hurriedly said, “Shangru Mountain Villa is acting suspicious.”
Li Sui asked, “What’s suspicious?”
Pan Shihou lowered his voice and said, “It seems like they have dealings with the Burning Fire Hall.”
Li Sui’s hand clenched.
Shangru Mountain Villa was located in Dujuan City, situated to the south. Instead of resembling a martial arts sect, it looks more like a wealthy landlord’s estate. Over the years, they have donated to build several academies, truly living up to the name “Shangru“. The sect leader, Du Yafeng, always presents himself as an unparalleled philanthropist. Wearing a white robe, he can be seen everywhere distributing porridge and money. One could almost expect him to ascend to the heavens at any moment due to his accumulation of merit and virtue. For such a sect, having dealings with the Demon Sect?
Pan Shihou said, “Although I haven’t gone to Jincheng to participate in the martial arts conference, I’ve been investigating the matters concerning the demonic cult. The academy set up by Shangru Mountain Villa at the foot of Fengxian Mountain is very likely a contact point for the Burning Fire Hall. If you don’t believe it, feel free to send someone to investigate.”
Li Sui nodded: “Okay.”
“Then will you come back with me and stay for a couple of days? I heard from the Alliance Leader Wan that they plan to stay in Baitou City for three days.” Pan Shihou’s gaze and tone both revealed anxiety. “Your aunt also misses you. She prepared the guest room a few days ago.”
Li Sui leaned against a tree: “No need, you can go back.”
“…. Alright, alright.” Pan Shihou forced a somewhat awkward smile. “Then I’ll leave.”
He wrapped his outer robe tightly around him, looking even more withered and frail. Two strands of white hair hung down from the temples, giving him a somewhat disheveled appearance. Before leaving, he added, “The demonic cult is always full of cunning schemes. You also need to be careful.”
After a while, he raised his eyes, and Pan Shihou’s figure had already disappeared into the dark mountain path.
The nearby shadow guard cautiously suggested, “Palace Master, it seems that Sect Master Pan is indeed not feeling well. He stumbled just now. The wind is strong and chilly in the mountains. How about I accompany him back to the city?”
Li Sui took the Xiangjun Sword from the side and gave a brief whistle.
Snow-Kicking Black Roan galloped down from halfway up the mountain, its sturdy hooves passing over the campfire, sending up a trail of scattered starlight.
Its mouth still held a freshly nibbled handful of tender grass.
Not tasty.
…
Tiger Roar Gorge is still a distance away from Whitehead City, but Zhu Yanyin slept a lot during the day, so he wasn’t sleepy at the moment. He led a group of more than ten people out of the city in high spirits, enjoying the stars and the fragrance of flowers along the way, bringing back some memories of night strolls in the Jiangnan region.
However, it didn’t take long for it to no longer resemble Jiangnan. A distant, thunderous roar echoed faintly, as if a fierce beast were about to break free from its cage. As they got closer, even talking required shouting.
Zhu Xiaosui sat in the carriage, trembling with fear, wondering what terrifying sight awaited them. In previous years, there was a fraudulent ghost city built by unscrupulous businessmen in Liucheng, where they deceived people into going on a day trip to the underworld, and even there wasn’t this much wailing and sobbing.
Zhu Yanyin was also annoyed by the noise and thought it might be better to turn back. A visit to the flower fields they had passed earlier would be just fine; there was no need to endure the roaring waves here.
He lifted the carriage curtain, intending to instruct Uncle Zhong to turn back, but he was stunned by the scene before his eyes.
On this bright moonlit night, the snow-white waves rushed out from the clouds, resembling thousand-foot-long ice threads hanging from the cliffs. Then, they cascaded down into the deep pool below, splashing waterfalls resembling a downpour of rain. It was called the Tiger Roar, but it sounded more like thunder echoing through the valleys, exploding in the ears like a descending jade dragon, with the air filled with moisture.
“This…” Zhu Yanyin jumped off the carriage, looking at the towering peaks and flowing waterfall before him, feeling immensely shocked.
The manager of the bank smiled triumphantly and said, “I knew it; the young master will surely like it here. If you climb White Rainbow Peak to see Tiger Roar Gorge, it’s another scene, and the view is even broader.”
“Okay,” Zhu Yanyin became interested. “Then let’s climb to a higher place and have another look.”
Not far away, Pan Shihou and his group were riding horses, also galloping in this direction.
The road to White Rainbow Peak wasn’t actually rugged, but as they went higher, it became steeper. Zhu Yanyin found it somewhat challenging, and just as he was about to ask a servant to give him a hand, he was suddenly lifted around the waist, both feet dangling in the air, and his body lifted off the ground, as if riding on clouds and soaring through mist!
He flew away without any precautions at all!
This experience wasn’t actually bad at all. After all, who wouldn’t love flying over rooftops and walls, especially for Second Young Master Zhu, who harbors dreams of being a great hero? That is, if his mouth wasn’t covered.
Zhu Yanyin’s mouth and nose were covered, and with a sudden “boom” in his mind, his first reaction was, I’ve been kidnapped!
Then, without waiting for him to struggle, he was already pressed into the grass: “Young Master, don’t make a sound; there are people on the opposite mountain.”
Only then did Zhu Yanyin see clearly that it was a servant from the Zhu Family who had flown him. He breathed a sigh of relief but was also surprised. “You know martial arts?”
The servant said, “With the Young Master going on a long journey, the Old Master and Eldest Young Master are extremely worried, so naturally, they must send more people to protect along the way.”
Zhu Yanyin: “Then why didn’t you say it earlier?”
The servant truthfully replied, The Eldest Young Master didn’t allow us to say, fearing that the young master might get addicted and refuse to ride in the sedan chair anymore, always clamoring to fly through the air.
Zhu Yanyin: “…”
The rest of them were also guarded by the servants in the bushes, feeling anxious. They couldn’t understand how watching a waterfall could lead to trouble. After searching for a while on the opposite mountain, Zhu Yanyin didn’t find any figures. So he asked, “Did you perhaps see it wrong?”
“No,” the servant said, “and there is another group of people coming on the mountain road.”
The sound of horse hooves came closer and closer.
Zhu Yanyin unconsciously held his breath.
The person who came was Pan Shihou.
He was going home, and this was the only way to enter the city.
Zhu Yanyin also saw his appearance clearly and whispered, “He’s from the Sky Spider Hall. We saw him during the day. Why hide from him?”
The servant pressed his head even lower and said, “We’re avoiding the group of armed men on the opposite mountain. They seem to be targeting Sect Master Pan.”
Zhu Yanyin’s heart tightened, “Is it true or false?”
Just as he was talking, a sharp whistle sounded in the night sky!
Figures of assassins dressed in black, like hawks and eagles, descended from the mid-mountain, surrounding Pan Shihou’s group in the middle, not saying a word before drawing their knives and attacking, each move a deadly strike.
Zhu Yanyin witnessed a real Jianghu vendetta for the first time, his eyes fixed in nervousness without blinking. He was biased towards Pan Shihou because the other party had been bragging about his “close uncle-nephew relationship with Li Sui” outside and still survived, indicating that he wasn’t a bad person. However, the skills of those assassins were impressive. After just a few exchanges, Pan Shihou stumbled and fell to the ground, only able to frantically raise his sword to defend against the blades.
Zhu Yanyin asked, “Can you defeat those assassins?”
The servant replied, “The opponents’ martial arts style is strange and unpredictable. We estimate that it will take several hundred moves before we can defeat them.”
Zhu Yanyin said, “Then go help Pan—”
Before he could finish saying “Pan,” a series of screams came from below.
Zhu Yanyin urgently turned his head, thinking that Pan Shihou had already died.
A red mist sprayed up several feet high.
Several dark objects were flying in the air, and after Zhu Yanyin carefully distinguished them, he realized that they seemed to be heads.
The heads that were on the necks of the assassins just a moment ago.
Li Sui sat astride a black steed, his face stern. With a single hand, he wielded a sword, its blade dripping with fresh blood, creating a small dark stream on the ground.
In just one move, he had killed more than ten people.
Zhu Yanyin’s face turned pale, and his stomach churned.
Ugh—
The author has something to say:
A pampered young master from Jiangnan like you, with one move, I can scare off ten people like you.
✨💖✨💖
Thanks for the update! The top paragraph seems to cut off accidentally
Hi! I am sorry. I have updated it. Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for the chapter 🙂