A crowd of people surrounded the Second Young Master Zhu as he entered the council chamber, his long cloak trailing on the ground, creating an atmosphere of great solemnity.
Jiang Shenglin was caught off guard and choked on a mouthful of tea, coughing for half a day.
Li Sui was also looking at Zhu Yanyin with the eyes of someone who had found a ghost. However, since he was always expressionless, finding a ghost or finding a treasure was about the same to him, so the others didn’t notice anything wrong. They were still enthusiastically arranging a seat for Zhu Yanyin. The Alliance Master Wan may have also been brainwashed by that pitch-black cloak, and simply ordered someone to add two chairs next to Li Sui: “Master Zhu, Young Master Zhao, please.”
Li Sui: “?”
Zhu Yanyin picked up the hem of his cloak, and amidst the envious gazes of all the martial arts sects, he slowly sat down next to the murderous demon… No, he sat next to Palace Master Li. The young masters from the wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River are very well-mannered. Having accepted a cloak from someone, it’s only proper to show gratitude. Thus, he cleared his throat, tried to smile warmly and sincerely, turned his head towards the person next to him, preparing to thank him… Oh no, that’s not going to work, the look in his eyes is too terrifying, better not thank him at all!
Li Sui looked at him coldly: “What do you want to say?”
All of a sudden, the surroundings were silent.
A roomful of martial arts sects all looked at him at the same time. In conjunction with the serious topic of “Crusade Against the Demon Cult” today, the atmosphere suddenly became solemn. Everyone had expectant eyes, as if they were very much looking forward to Zhu Yanyin being able to present a 70-80-page essay entitled “On How to Annihilate the Burning” immediately, leading everyone to launch a grand and vigorous and righteous campaign to eliminate the demons.
On such a grand occasion, it seemed inappropriate to bring up whether or not to wear a cloak, as it would appear eccentric. Although it’s true that I am indeed eccentric, not all eccentricities are the same. So, Second Young Master Zhu chose to subtly redirect the question, “I was wondering, Palace Master Li, do you have any good suggestions regarding the crusade against the Demon Cult?”
Li Sui: “None.”
Zhu Yanyin: “….Well.”
Onlookers from the martial arts community: Palace Master Li and Young Master Zhu seem to be having a delightful conversation; they indeed have a close relationship!
And so, the assembly began in a harmonious and cheerful atmosphere.
In fact, the Martial Arts Alliance is not entirely useless. At least, according to the information obtained by Wanren Palace, Wan Zhuyun has also dispatched people to investigate, including dozens of undercover agents from the Demon Cult lurking in Jincheng, all with detailed records and action routes. Upon hearing this, Zhu Yanyin was stunned on the spot, “They are all following me?”
Zhu Xiaosui was also astonished, why are they following my young master?
Equally shocked was Zhao Mingchuan, how could such a thing happen?
And Wan Zhuyun: “So, Young Master Zhu was unaware?”
But Palace Master Li was already aware, why didn’t he send someone to inform you?
In response to this question, someone quickly provided an answer. It seemed to be a member of some martial arts sect, as a voice suddenly shouted, “Young Master Zhu, rest assured. Master Li must have already sent people to guard around the inn, so the Demon
Cult spies couldn’t infiltrate.”
Li Sui’s brow furrowed, and with a subtle movement of his right hand, the joints cracked, leaving faint patterns on the mahogany armrest of his chair. Before he could lift his head to address the crowd, a figure in bluish-gray had already floated over like a ghost, astonishingly fast.
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.
Jiang Shenglin: I can't be slow, or someone will die.
Lf rabbv lc ogbca bo Ol Vel, kfjglcu j rwlilcu ojmf jr tf rtloafv atf abqlm, “Vb, vlrmlqifr bo Qjcgfc Ujijmf jgf jirb xffqlcu jc fsf bc atf Gfwbc Jeia. Ccs olcvlcur?”
Li Sui replied, “It seems someone has been consistently heading towards
Aljcu Vtfcuilc kjr ajxfc jyjmx, “Let?”
Lf tjv bglulcjiis wfcalbcfv la mjrejiis, yea tf vlvc’a fzqfma Ol Vel ab mbwf eq klat remt j revvfc gfwjgx. Lf tjv yffc vffqis lcnbinfv lc atf wjaafgr bo Qjcgfc Ujijmf, jcv lc atf qjra ofk wbcatr, tf tlwrfio tjv yffc gfrqbcrlyif obg gfmbgvlcu ktfgf atf Gfwbc Jeia rqlfr kfca jcv ktbw atfs kfgf agjmxlcu fnfgs vjs. Lf kjr fzagfwfis ojwliljg klat atflg wbnfwfcar, yea tf tjv cfnfg tfjgv jcsatlcu gfijafv ab Hlil Ojxf.
Wan Zhuyun was also puzzled, “Qili Lake?”
Locals in Jincheng knew that it was a dirty mud puddle deep in the mountains, surrounded by overgrown weeds and thorns. In this season, there were various snakes, insects, rats, and ants. The place lacked ventilation, with animal carcasses piling up, creating a nauseating stench. Why would the Demon Cult go there?
Li Sui turned his head to look at Zhu Yanyin.
Second Young Master Zhu had no guard up at all. Being an outsider, he was unfamiliar with places like Qili Lake or any Bali Lake. So, he earnestly listened to everyone’s discussions, silently enjoying the grandeur and joy of participating in the martial arts assembly. Suddenly, he felt the piercing gaze of Master Li locking onto him, leaving him bewildered. Why?
Wan Zhuyun caught on, “Young Master Zhu, have you been to Qili Lake?”
Zhu Yanyin quickly shook his head, “I’ve never heard of that place.”
Wan Zhuyun hesitated, “Then…”
Li Sui leaned lazily on his chair, his gaze casually lowered, “Perhaps I made a mistake. Since you haven’t been there, I’ll withdraw Wanren Palace’s people tonight.”
His tone was light and easy, but to Zhu Yanyin, it was like a thunderous explosion. Hold on a moment, what do you mean by withdrawing Wanren Palace’s people just because I haven’t been there? Are you arranging people to guard that pond for my sake?
Do we know each other from before?
Are those rumors in the martial world true!
Zhu Yanyin widened his eyes, looking at Li Sui with a mix of shock and excitement, accompanied by a hint of nervousness. Without having been to Snow City, a tempest of roaring winds and swirling snowflakes raged in his mind. Having experienced amnesia once before, his thoughts were now blank, and his ears buzzed like a whistle. For a while, he couldn’t utter a single word.
When he finally regained his senses, the discussion was coming to a close.
As Zhao Mingchuan mentioned earlier, choosing Jincheng as the venue for the Martial Arts Assembly was aimed at recruiting Li Sui. Now that he had agreed to head north with the Martial Arts Alliance, the objective was considered achieved. As for the specific strategy to besiege the Burning Fire Pavilion, given the craftiness of the Demonic Cult, no one could come up with a foolproof plan at the moment. It was suggested to head northeast first and then reorganize based on the actual situation.
The departure date was set for five days later.
Zhu Xiaosui was still concerned about the appointment with Jiang Shenglin, so as soon as the Martial Arts Assembly ended, he wanted to take his young master to see the divine doctor. However, Zhu Yanyin stood up and ran to the door, calling out, “Palace Master Li.”
Li Sui was tall and had long legs, and his Qigong skills were superb. He simply ignored the figure chasing after him, and in the blink of an eye, disappeared into the horizon.
Zhu Yanyin gazed admiringly, So amazing!
Curious, Zhu Xiaosui asked, “What does the young master want to do?”
Zhu Yanyin pulled him to a less crowded corner and lowered his voice, “Tell me the truth, did I have any martial arts skills before?”
Without hesitation, Zhu Xiaosui replied, Of course not. Why would the young master suddenly have such a strange thought?
Zhu Yanyin didn’t believe it, “Then why would Master Li send people to protect me at the Qili Lake?”
Zhu Xiaosui replied, “I’m also curious. Talking about Demon Cult spies without any clear context, did they mistake someone else for you?”
Zhu Yanyin squinted his eyes, is that so?
Zhu Xiaosui, straightforward as always, Otherwise, what could it be?
Zhu Yanyin tapped his head with the fan handle, feeling triumphant, “I will definitely find out the truth.”
Zhu Xiaosui felt exasperated. What truth? It was already well-known that several months ago, the young master suffered amnesia after encountering bandits while out for a stroll. His family had recounted the story countless times. What more was there to investigate?
Zhu Yanyin wrapped the black cloak tightly around himself, turned and walked away, exuding an extraordinary air.
The world remained shrouded in the pervasive yellow sand.
The grandeur was indeed grand, but the wind was really too strong. After just a few steps, the Second Young Master of the Zhu family started to stagger, and his huge cloak was blown over, covering him up tightly.
“…”
Zhu Xiaosui: Master, don’t worry! I’ll save you!
Due to Wan Zhuyun’s lingering old ailments that required acupuncture and recuperation, Jiang Shenglin had to stay a couple more days with the Martial Arts Alliance. It wasn’t until the evening of the third day that he returned to Wanren Palace. Without even pausing for a drink of water, he went straight to ask about the Qili Lake.
Li Sui casually toyed with a hidden weapon at his fingertips, “The Demon Cult’s people went to the Qili Lake this morning.”
Jiang Shenglin: “Huh?”
He vaguely sensed the other’s implication, “So, Qili Lake was just a name you mentioned casually, and there’s no real secret there… You suspect that agents of the Demon Cult have infiltrated the Martial Arts Alliance?”
“When the Martial Arts Assembly was held, the surroundings couldn’t hide the spies of the Demon Cult,” Li Sui explained, “But they still found out about Qili Lake.”
“At that time, there were at least two hundred people in the meeting hall. Investigating this is quite tricky; let’s take it step by step,” Jiang Shenglin poured himself a glass of water. “By the way, there’s also Young Master Zhu. Now, not only is there wild gossip in the city about the Zhu family and Wanren Palace, but even he himself believes it. When I examined him yesterday, he questioned me in detail for a long time, claiming that he felt his inner strength had been sealed.”
To lie to anyone is wrong, but to lie to a patient with amnesia is truly unethical.
Li Sui clearly lacked a sense of conscience. He raised his eyebrows slightly, recalling the image of the clueless young man in white, and his mood seemed quite good.
Two days before departure, while Zhu Xiaosui was busy preparing provisions and transport outside, Zhu Yanyin stayed within his chambers, meticulously writing a letter and selecting a thoughtful return gift. After all, he had received a cloak, and it was only natural to reciprocate.
To emphasize his sincerity, this time even the envelope was adorned with gold leaf and embedded with dried flowers. When Zhao Mingchuan delivered it to the Yanhui Hall, it added a touch of romantic spring to the pitch-black, icy chamber.
However, Li Sui had no appreciation for such aesthetics. He picked up the letter with two fingers and, without opening it, tossed it towards the candlelight.
A gentle breeze lifted even finer tongues of flame, and in an instant, the flammable rice paper was engulfed.
Something indistinguishable enclosed in the letter was also ignited. Drifting out in invisible smoke, it initially carried the faint fragrance of a spring day in a flower-filled forest. The next moment, it abruptly transformed into a pungent odor reminiscent of a fragrance shop, as if hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of different types of scents were assaulting the senses simultaneously. It turned into fine powder, filling the nostrils and throat, causing a nauseating sensation, stinging the eyes, and making the chest feel heavy, almost inducing the urge to retch bile.
Li Sui, rare to be in disarray, rushed out of the main hall without looking back.
Upon hearing the news, Jiang Shenglin hurried over to see what had happened. Even outside the winding corridor, he already caught a whiff of the situation, “This is the best fragrance in Jiangnan, called ‘Enchanting Orchid Beauty,’ worth a fortune. Where did you get it?”
Li Sui still held his breath, “Zhu Yanyin.”
Jiang Shenglin remarked, “No wonder. Others wouldn’t even get a glimpse of this good stuff. However, the fragrance of Enchanting Orchid Beauty is extremely intense. Just a small amount, like the size of a fingernail, can burn for half a year. Moreover, the aftereffect is extremely persistent. How much did you burn?”
Li Sui recalled the envelope and clenched his fist.
Jiang Shenglin took two steps back, “Are you going to hit me, hit Zhu Yan Yin, or is it because that piece of incense you burned was as big as a fist?”
Li Sui endured the strange smells around and the urge to kill, “About four or five liang.”
“Four or five liang, and you burned it all at once?” Jiang Shenglin listened with deep regret and sympathy, “Well, I guess no one can stay in your Yanhui Hall for the next year.”
Fortunately, everyone was heading northeast anyway, so it didn’t matter.
Li Sui’s face turned iron blue.
….
According to the gossip in the martial arts world, before setting out to besiege the Demon Cult, Palace Master Li, with a heavy heart and troubled mind, spent a sleepless night lying on the wild grass outside Wanren Palace.
The northwestern sky was long, and the Milky Way stretched across it.
Hi, translator here. It is my first name translating a novel out of sheer boredom. This story is one of my favorites with all the humor. I hope you enjoy it. If you find any mistakes or typos, do let me know. I am novice, and I ask for your guidance.
Thank you for translating!
Lmao serves him right for burning the letter
🤣. Thank you for the chapter 🌺
Thanks for the chapter
Tysm for updating! This novel is so hilarious I’m going to go read the raws too while I’m at it
🤣 Ahaha, serves him right!