Why do I have so many masters?

681: Chapter 10: The Sound of Qin on Jiangnan Road (2 in 1)_3 681: Chapter 10: The Sound of Qin on Jiangnan Road (2 in 1)_3 The voice paused, and his gaze fell on the long saber behind Xiahou Jie, saying,

“When you pay respect to father, don’t bring the saber with you.

It’s been a year, and he doesn’t know how many times he has muttered about you in secret.

Don’t be stubborn with him this time.”

“He only knows how to put on a stern face.

How could he mutter about me?

Even if he did, he would only be complaining that I don’t play the qin and only practice the saber.”

“Playing the qin is not as good as the saber, practicing the saber is more exhilarating.”

Though she said this, Xiahou Jie obediently removed the long saber from her back and gently placed it on the table.

The edge of the saber was chillingly cold.

The high-quality golden nanmu table seemed to sink slightly.

Xiahou Xuan spoke with Xiahou Jie for a while before he turned to leave the quiet and secluded courtyard, walking leisurely beside a pond of lotuses, his pallor notwithstanding, carrying an elegant and refined demeanor akin to polished jade.

It was common knowledge on the Jiangnan Road that the young master of the Xiahou lineage, who was blessed with talent, became even more distinguished after his travels one year.

Ordinary people who diversify their attention tend to expend a lot of mental energy, which hampers their martial arts.

However, the more diverse Xiahou Xuan’s interests were—astrology, divination, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, geography, and alchemy from the Taoist Sect—his martial arts improved by leaps and bounds each day.

Only his physique seemed to grow frailer.

Even though his martial arts inner strength had already crossed the Longmen, it was still of no help.

His inner strength could be strong, but when it came to his vigor and vitality, he was not better off than a woman who had only practiced superficial martial arts, standing in front of the lotus pond watching the koi flick their tails under the lotus leaves.

After watching for a moment, he turned and slowly departed, returning to his own loft.

This five-storied loft was built under his supervision, the first floor for various schools of thought, the second for exotic skills and artifice, the third having less of the items it once displayed, while the fourth floor contained only a sword, a qin, and a chessboard.

The higher one went, the heavier the shade seemed to get.

When he arrived on the fourth floor, Xiahou Xuan’s coughing was almost unstoppable.

Coughing, he strode to the fifth floor.

The young man sat in a rosewood armchair, his arms wrapped around the Bronze Warm Furnace, exhaling a long breath, with wisps of green smoke rising and his expression becoming relaxed.

In front of him stood a person, reverent and careful, not daring to relax in the slightest.

Xiahou Xuan said amiably,

“How long can we keep a lid on the Wen Family affair?”

The person reported in a steady voice,

“The Wen Family’s servants we encountered that day, totaling over a hundred and thirty, have all been killed.

Each case has been staged as debt disputes, brawls, or untimely accidents, and will not implicate that young master from the Divine Martial Mansion.”

“Several officials have gotten into trouble and can’t extricate themselves.”

“But although I’ve been manipulating the situation, there will come a time when everything comes to light.”

“We can only buy at most one more month.”

Xiahou Xuan waved his hand, coughing and laughing,

“That’s enough.”

“If he wants to leave, he would have already left in one month.

If not, there’s no need to delay further.

He has his own plans, and I can’t change his mind.”

“Withdraw our forces.”

The man continued to report,

“Recently, several elders in our family have received letters, apparently intending to join the campaign against the younger generation of the Divine Martial Mansion, seemingly to forge good relationships with others.”

Xiahou Xuan inquired calmly, “Uncle Three and Uncle Six?”

“Make a copy of the letter for me, and send a copy of Oiran Wan Xiu’s poems to my seventh brother and a piece of Feihong Jade to my sixth aunt.”

“Let Uncle Six see it.”

“Within three months, I hope Uncles Three and Six can refrain from interfering with Divine Martial Mansion matters.

Seventh brother is not proficient in martial arts, and it’s time for him to calm his mind.”

The man bowed respectfully.

Xiahou Xuan coughed several times and said,

“Pay close attention to how things unfold.”

“Send our Xiahou Family merchant caravan into the forest, trading grain and flour for hides and elixirs discreetly.

Should anyone inquire, all in our family know I may not be covetous, but I have always had a liking for wealth.

You should know how to proceed.”

The man’s heart turned cold; he bowed, acknowledging the order, then stepped down the stairs one by one.

Xiahou Xuan coughed as he looked outside, his expression peaceful, and suddenly smiled.

“The life-saving grace of that day, the medicinal wine antidote, I consider it repaid to you.

The rest is up to you.”

“We agreed to meet again in Jianghu; before we meet again, don’t you die on me.”

“Wang Anfeng.”

PS: Today, two chapters are presented together…

Today, I encountered some unexpected trouble here.

Xiahou Xuan, the man who lured his wife back with a candied haw stick, was one of those who gained insight into the grandmaster’s realm together with Huangfu Xiong and Wang Anfeng after Liu Wuqiu’s enlightenment.