The location where Jiang Shenglin conducted medical consultations was at the Xuanlin Tower.
Almost no one in the martial arts world knew about his friendship with Li Sui. They believed that Doctor Jiang, the divine doctor, roamed freely across the four seas, and as for his temperament and character, opinions varied widely, with no consensus.
In the past few days, Zhu Yanyin had read many martial arts novels. The divine physicians portrayed in them were often fierce, threatening patients at the slightest disagreement, even going so far as to threaten them with baldness. This put some pressure on him, fearing that Jiang Shenglin might be of the same kind. Therefore, he considered whether to bring some mountain delicacies as a gift, as the saying goes, “don’t slap the giver’s face when extending a hand.”
Zhu Xiaosui carefully smoothed down the hem of his clothes for him, saying, “It’s still early. How about accompanying the young master to the dry goods shop?”
Zhu Yanyin took the hat from the side, and as the wind blew, the long gauze scarf fluttered.
Once outside, the eyes of various martial artists followed him. After a night of rumors spreading like wildfire, the bond between Second Master Zhu and Palace Master Li had become entangled and confusing. They might not share the same birth date, but they wished to share the same death date. The truth behind the scenes was astonishing.
Zhu Xiaosui complained, “Why are these people staring at us again?”
Zhu Yanyin replied, “They’re staring for a reason. Everyone else is dressed neatly, and here I am, covered in several layers of Southern Cloud Brocade. It’s noticeable, so why not change into something lighter tomorrow?”
Zhu Xiaosui said, “No way! The young master can’t wear coarse hemp clothes. The dignity of the Zhu family in Southern Jiangnan must not be compromised!”
As the sun rose, warm light penetrated through the dust and mist, touching the large black and gray walls and houses of Jin City. Jin City, solid and stable, along with its houses and vehicles, had been weathered by the desert wind and sand, appearing particularly mottled and ancient. Standing on the high tower and looking down, the only bright and eye-catching figure was Second Master Zhu, swathed in luxurious Southern Cloud Brocade, walking on the long street.
The common people were watching him.
The martial artists were watching him.
The spies of the Demon Cult were also watching him.
The Wulin Alliance, with great fanfare, was preparing to launch an expedition against the Burning Fire Pavilion. Naturally, the Red Sky Sect will not sit idly, and they have long since sent people to infiltrate Jin City. At this moment, they were hiding in the shadows, keeping a vigilant eye on the dry goods store. Zhu Yanyin sifted through the merchandise, seemingly dissatisfied even after selecting for a long time. The shopkeeper respectfully invited him to take a seat while hurrying off to fetch better goods from the boss.
The spies of the Demon Cult were now even more convinced. The sudden boiling rumors last night must have a reason behind them. There must be some unclear relationship between Zhu Yanyin and Palace Master Li. Otherwise, why would everyone show such deference to him?
In the Xuanlin Tower, Jiang Shenglin was preparing the medicine box for the afternoon. Li Sui looked at him with an unfriendly expression and asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Jiang Shenglin replied, “I’m not laughing. Hahahahahahahaha.”
Li Sui flicked his thumb joint, and the Xiangjun Sword was halfway out of its sheath.
Jiang Shenglin raised his hands in surrender, not bothering to conceal it anymore. “What kind of mind can come up with those rumors circulating outside? When I first heard about them from the Shadow Guards, I almost laughed out loud.” However, Li Sui didn’t find it funny. Pulling a chair and sitting down, he asked: “When will he come?”
“Who?”
“Zhu Yanyin.”
“He should be here soon.” Jiang Shenglin replied, only then sensing that something was wrong. “What’s the matter? Do you really suspect that this person has a problem?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a subordinate came to report that the Burning Fire Pavilion’s spies were still following Zhu Yanyin, and it seemed they wouldn’t withdraw anytime soon.
Jiang Shenglin asked, “Have there been any contacts between the two parties?”
“No,” the subordinate replied. “Second Master Zhu went to buy dried goods on Huyang Road early in the morning and is still in the shop.”
Jiang Shenglin looked at Li Sui and said, “Either he is truly associated with the demonic sect, or the people of the demonic sect have also fallen victim to the rumors in the city. Whether it’s one way or the other, it seems you’ll have to step in and handle the situation.”
Li Sui sneered lightly, “If he’s truly from the Burning Fire Pavilion, that would save quite some trouble.”
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.
…
On Huyang Road, Zhu Yanyin spent a large sum of money and basically bought out the good items privately hidden by the owner. Satisfied, he took Zhu Xiaosui to have a meal. The restaurant they were headed to was called Phoenix Terrace, and just by the name, it sounded very grand. The chef was invited from the Imperial Capital, and business was booming. To secure a seat, one had to make a reservation in advance.
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Zhu Xiaosui craned his neck and said, “Isn’t there still an empty table over there?”
“Didn’t you hear what the waiter said just now? You have to make a reservation in advance,” Zhu Yanyin said, “Anyway, we’re not in a hurry. If you’re hungry, go buy a bun for yourself.”
“I’m afraid it will delay the young master’s medical consultation in the afternoon,” Zhu Xiaosui said. “Seeing patients is important, and we shouldn’t delay. If young master is hungry, I can go buy it.”
Zhu Yanyin said, “Don’t worry about it. We can wait. If you’re that anxious, go ahead and make a reservation for us.”
While they were talking, a group of people came up the stairs, and just by their imposing manner, Zhu Yanyin knew who they were.
Tan Shuqiu, the young master of the Azure Wave Sect, who spent money extravagantly and made others envious, made a disdainful snort when he saw Zhu Yanyin. The sound was so loud that it startled Zhu Xiaosui, who was sitting with his back to him.
Tan Shuqiu’s family servant, who had misspoken yesterday, was eager to make up for it. Seeing his young master “snort” like this, he mocked and echoed, “Some country bumpkin thinks he can come to Phoenix Terrace just because he has money?”
Zhu Xiaosui looked at the group of boorish people, feeling shocked and angry. If it were his usual self, he would have retorted already. However, considering that the young master still had to go for a consultation in the afternoon, and medical consultations were a big deal, it wouldn’t be good to delay. He just glared at them and said, “If you have a seat, go eat. Why are you blocking here?”
Tan Shuqiu glanced at Zhu Yanyin, saw that he had been drinking tea and enjoying the scenery the whole time, and decided to let it go for now. Leading his servants, he arrogantly went to the reserved seats.
Zhu Xiaosui became even more convinced that people in the jianghu were really not quite normal. He pulled the narrow table and chairs towards the wall to avoid further disturbances.
After a while, Zhu Yanyin suddenly handed him a plate of melon seeds and asked, “If you’re really upset, should I go and tease him again?”
Zhu Xiaosui was momentarily stunned, realizing his own lapse in composure. He quickly averted his gaze and said, “If the young master is not angry, why should I be? Let’s eat quickly; we still need to go back to the dry goods store for supplements.”
Not far away, Tan Shuqiu’s ordered dishes had already started to arrive—seven plates and eight large bowls filled with a variety of chicken, duck, fish, and meat. At this moment, another group of people arrived, each dressed in splendid clothes with long swords, jade belts, and silver crowns. They were chatting and laughing amiably. Zhu Xiaosui was familiar with this scene; the rich young masters of Southern Jiangnan often gathered each year to compete in poetry during the spring outing. He guessed that this was probably a group of young masters from various martial sects who came together to eat.
On the second floor, there were no more empty tables. The waiter hurriedly ran up and said with a smiling face, “Gentlemen, you might have to wait for a while. There are other guests in front, still enjoying their tea.”
As one of the ‘other guests,’ Zhu Yanyin didn’t hold any expectations for these arrogant young masters. He didn’t want to argue with them while hungry, so he decided to leave with Zhu Xiaosui. However, before he could stand up, the group of people had already surrounded the largest table—the one where Tan Shuqiu was sitting.
“Yo, Brother Tan, how come you’re having a meal here too?”
“Finished eating?”
“If you’re done, we might as well claim this table.”
While talking, they deliberately threw their swords onto the table with a loud clatter, causing the cups and plates to tilt and create a mess.
Tan Shuqiu’s face turned red and green. Amidst the teasing and banter, he gritted his teeth, “I haven’t finished eating!”
“No rush, take your time. Do you want me to feed you?” One of them picked up a bowl of hot soup and poured the boiling meat soup into Tan Shuqiu’s mouth. Tan Shuqiu hastily stepped back, but still got splashed with sticky broth. The surrounding laughter grew louder, and some other customers, whether just watching the show or recognizing who he was, joined in the laughter. The followers from the Azure Wave Sect usually behaved arrogantly, but this time, they didn’t dare to stand up for their young master. They only wiped away the soup stains on him and softly advised, “Let’s go.”
Tan Shuqiu clenched his fists, recalling his father’s repeated admonition, “Never get into conflicts with those major sects.” In the end, he endured this humiliation and reluctantly said, “I’ve finished eating. You can have this table.”
Zhu Xiaosui coldly remarked, “Turns out you’re just a bully who fears the strong.”
Zhu Yanyin turned his head and happened to lock eyes with Tan Shuqiu.
Out of curiosity, he was curious, while Tan Shuqiu… after being humiliated, he still wanted to see if this farce had fallen into the eyes of his ‘archenemy.’
Just promoted to ‘archenemy’ yesterday, Zhu Yanyin: “…”
Seeing Tan Shuqiu looking at the corner, the group of noisy young men also glanced at him.
Zhu Xiaosui had just moved the table farther away, and Zhu Yanyin had almost half of his body concealed in the darkness. If one didn’t look closely, it would indeed be hard to notice.
Among the crowd, someone recognized Zhu Yanyin and was astonished, thinking, ‘Isn’t this the person who happily conversed with Master Li on Xiangsi Street yesterday afternoon?’
Zhu Yanyin was also puzzled. He couldn’t understand why this large group of people was suddenly staring at him so intently. What kind of strange trick was this? Could it be that the several layers of luxurious cloud brocade were truly so elegant that anyone who saw it couldn’t help but seriously scrutinize?
Impossible.
He couldn’t figure out the situation for a moment, so he maintained a friendly and amiable demeanor, continuing to exchange warm gazes with the people across from him.
Sure enough, those young masters were subdued by his nonchalant appearance. They couldn’t figure out if he was related to Tan Shuqiu or if they found the previous commotion too loud. Regardless, following the principle of “the best strategy is to retreat,” they quickly put away their arrogant airs and left the restaurant in haste.
Whether it was a illusion or not, Zhu Yanyin felt like someone took advantage of the chaos to give him a gesture of respect.
“…”
Only Tan Shuqiu remained standing there.
Yesterday, after returning to the inn, he was scolded by his father and confined to his room with his servants for self-reflection. Therefore, he had no idea about Second Master Zhu’s elevated status in the emerging novels. He could only infer from the reactions of those people just now that the person sitting across from him might indeed have a significant identity.
Zhu Yanyin watched as Tan Shuqiu stood still for a while, then started to stride towards the stairs. He walked halfway but suddenly stopped and turned back.
Zhu Xiaosui was startled for the second time today, thinking that there might be a fight. He hurriedly protected his young master.
Tan Shuqiu’s chest rose and fell violently, and his Adam’s apple rolled a few times. He wanted to speak but hesitated, as if he couldn’t find the right words.
Seeing his difficulty in speaking, Zhu Yanyin could only take the initiative and said, “No need to thank me.”
Tan Shuqiu visibly relaxed, lowered his head, and quickly left.
Zhu Xiaosui: … What’s wrong with him!
The waiter efficiently cleaned up the mess. This matter was considered over. Zhu Yanyin ordered a few dishes, intending to discuss what had happened with those martial artists. However, Zhu Xiaosui was firm in his position, steadfastly asserting that it was either because of the young master’s charm, leaving these uncultivated ruffians dumbfounded, or they were simply insane. After all, most people in the jianghu were a bit crazy.
Zhu Yanyin sighed, “Forget it. I’ll go ask Big Brother Ming about it later.”
The meal was not enjoyable, and Zhu Yanyin put down his chopsticks after only a few bites. He looked around and saw Tan Shuqiu still on the street, sitting alone in a small tea shop, comparing notes with the frosted eggplant.
Zhu Yanyin certainly didn’t think he was particularly good, but he also didn’t think he was particularly bad. After all, if he were truly wicked, he wouldn’t have had the chance to argue with him at the weapons store yesterday.
Tan Shuqiu stared at the porcelain teacup in front of him, observing the steaming white mist wafting out from the murky tea. He lifted his sleeve and wiped his face vigorously.
Zhu Yanyin: …Sorry for the disturbance.
Tan Shuqiu hadn’t expected that his state of humiliation and desolation could attract someone to share it with him. He gruffly asked, “Why are you here?”
Zhu Yanyin replied, “According to etiquette, I should probably say something about having tea, but I figure you wouldn’t believe it anyway.”
Tan Shuqiu remained silent.
Zhu Yanyin sat across from him and ordered a pot of tea for himself.
The two of them sat there, drinking for quite some time, until Tan Shuqiu couldn’t hold back and asked, “Are you waiting for me to pour out my grievances to you?”
Zhu Yanyin poured tea and said, “I just think you are stronger than those people earlier.”
Tan Shuqiu said, “I know.”
Having been seen in such a miserable state today, Tan Shuqiu felt extremely frustrated, “But they are all from prestigious sects, and I can’t afford to offend them.”
Zhu Yanyin said, “I thought in the jianghu, skill is all that matters.”
Tan Shuqiu looked at him, “If you can’t even wield a sword and still everyone respects you, it shows that the sect behind you is very important.”
Zhu Yanyin shook his head, “I don’t have a sect behind me.”
Surprised, Tan Shuqiu asked, “No sect? Then… why are those people avoiding you?”
Zhu Yanyin replied, “Maybe because of my extraordinary charm and enchanting demeanor.”
Tan Shuqiu: “…”
Tan Shuqiu: Say it again, with your hand on your conscience. Do you think I would believe you?
Young Master Zhu: People from prominent families have no conscience.
The two of them finished a pot of tea, and it wasn’t until the attendants from the Azure Wave Sect brought new clothes for Tan Shuqiu that Zhu Yanyin left.
Zhu Xiaosui was puzzled, “Why does the Young Master bother with such trivial matters?”
Zhu Yanyin answered, “Just now, seeing him looking so despondent and without anyone by his side, I thought he might be considering self-harm.” Or perhaps self-castration, as the novels often depict.
Fortunately, his followers only went to buy new clothes for him.
As the wind whispered through the air, Li Sui stood on a high tower, watching Zhu Yanyin leave the tea house, enter the dry goods shop, and then emerge carrying a large pile of elegantly wrapped red silk, equivalent to a substantial dowry. He boarded a carriage.
The members of the Demonic Sect were like fools, silently sticking to Zhu Yanyin.
It seemed that two members even separated, silently tagging behind Tan Shuqiu.
The Shadow Guards of the Wanren Palace noticed the situation, “Palace Master, are they trying to monitor everyone who has had contact with Zhu Yanyin?”
Li Sui turned and left the high tower, “Then find a way to make everyone in the jianghu pay a visit to this Second Young Master of the Zhu family.”
Phork: This was a big big chapter— 3k words. Anyways, I am back home, frozen like a popsicle. Hope you all are having as much fun with this story as I am.
Tan Shuqiu’s bullying is practically flirting compare to what those other young masters were doing.
hahaha yes i felt the same!
LOL, Zhu Yanyin had become an effective bait for those demonic cult. Let them scatter their resources and time into those who have intersection with ZY?
lmaoo yes that does seem to be Wanren Palace’s strategy here
Ohh gosh…there’s soooo much misunderstanding in here … and gossiping seems like the top sport for humans 😬….thank you for the chapter 🌺
Wh-why self-castration, Zhu Yanyin?