Why do I have so many masters?

Chapter 757: Chapter 55: News (1/2)

The people inside the nearby teahouse had already been dumbstruck.

The words spoken by those two burly men just now had nearly turned their brains to mush, but then the scholar, who seemed to be a disciple of One-Leaf Pavilion, suddenly launched a sneak attack. He had only run a few steps before being swiftly and neatly struck down from his horse.

Quick as a hare and fast as a falcon, yet it made the onlookers utterly confused.

The Tea Doctor of this teahouse was a man over fifty, an elder. In his youth, his family was well-off, and he had read some books. Unfortunately, his family fell on hard times; the young master who once studied poetry had to toil for a living, for wasn’t he to eat?

Unwilling to be useless, he sold the family estate and became self-sufficient.

Later, because he admired the demeanor of the disciples of One-Leaf Pavilion, he opened this small teahouse. He enjoyed watching the learned young scholars coming and going and had been here for over thirty years.

Having once fallen from wealth to the dust, he had grown indifferent to human sentiments and the endless affairs of the world. With a discerning eye, he recognized Jiang Lan, Wu Qiong, and Ye Zhuhua, who had been struck to the ground. He merely pondered for a moment and believed seventy to eighty percent of what the two men had just said.

Immediately, his heart trembled uncontrollably, yet his face remained calm. He signaled with his eyes to his regular customers to not make a fuss, lest they bring trouble upon themselves.

After all, even though the seven sects of Jianghu were not part of the Imperial Court, their influence in the world was by no means less than that of any great feudal official. Common folk gossiping about such matters could get tangled in their affairs even if One-Leaf Pavilion decided not to pursue the matter further.

However, he also knew that with such a significant incident, few could resist speaking to others about it. Everyone would act thus, and soon, the entire city would be engulfed in storms, all the more natural because it wasn’t driven by anyone.

His heart couldn’t help but contemplate seeking temporary refuge from the storm.

At that moment, Xiahou Xuan, unaware of what was on the minds of the people in the teahouse, grasped Wang Anfeng’s arm. There was a rare, sincere affection on his face as he burst into hearty laughter, saying,

“Previously, Huangfu corresponded with me and told me that your martial arts had improved greatly, and you were no longer the naive man of yesterday. I didn’t believe him then, thinking he was merely spouting nonsense after drinking too much, so I informed my little sister and sent him after that cowardly drunk.”

“I had not expected that this time he didn’t talk nonsense. Back then, you were just a novice in martial arts, just beginning your Foundation Establishment. But now, I fear I am no match for you. If Huangfu were to join me, the two of us together might just manage to stand against you. So much can change in three days; indeed it is so, indeed it is so, haha.”

“How marvelous!”

Wang Anfeng sighed and then said,

“Huangfu must hate me to death by now, and he’ll never speak well of me again.”

Xiahou Xuan merely laughed heartily.

Wang Anfeng wanted to ask how he had seen through his disguise, but then he thought of how his friend, despite his naturally frail constitution, possessed frighteningly high talents in various arts such as music, chess, calligraphy, and astrology. There seemed to be nothing in the world he couldn’t do.

Years ago, Liu Wuqiu had shared his lifetime of insights with them when they were disarming. Limited by their learning, each of the three obtained only a piece of the whole. Because Xiahou Xuan understood the world’s myriad arts, he acquired a vast knowledge, and skills such as disguise were naturally a trivial matter for him.

Leaving aside other techniques, Wang Anfeng hadn’t been able to tell how his appearance had been altered just now. An ordinary ranger of Jianghu, relying solely on this skill of disguise, could move through the world as freely and effortlessly as a fish through water, yet it was just one of many techniques for Xiahou Xuan.

The two of them chatted and reminisced on the sidelines, while Wu Qiong could barely hold on any longer. He sat down cross-legged on the ground, took out an elixir from his bosom, and consumed it. The elixir’s power dissolved, and relying solely on the profound inner strength he had cultivated for fifty years, he caused his blood to retract, stimulating his injuries to heal.

However, he felt it was a pity. If only those martial artists who gradually ascended to high levels through external cultivation needed not endure such troubles, they could simply pull out the sword, and their wounds would naturally heal. Unlike him, a martial artist based on inner strength, he might have a commanding presence or stronger physique, yet he lacked in many aspects.

This meditation and breathing adjustment took a half-hour before he managed to remove the impurities that Ye Zhuhua’s thunderous sword qi had introduced into his own qi mechanism. Wu Qiong opened his eyes, his blood surging. He exhaled a breath of white air, mixed with Ye Zhuhua’s sword qi, which pierced the air and emitted a sound like a longsword sheathing, ringing sharply, startling those with lesser martial prowess as their hair stood on end from the chill.

With the breath of qi expelled, Wu Qiong’s complexion was much paler, but he was far more comfortable than before. If such scattered sword qi was left unchecked, it would be like a group of sharks catching the scent of blood, mingling in the meridians and causing persistent pain, and even posing a threat to life.

At this moment, there wasn’t time for him to heal slowly. Wang Anfeng chose to sever the arm, expelling his Qi Mechanism in one breath exteriorly. This method, though permanent, left him mocking himself internally. Despite suffering many setbacks from the martial artists of Jianghu this time, he had also learned a decisiveness he had never possessed before.

In the past, he wouldn’t have been willing to take such a measure.

Looking around, the familiar tea house provided him with a refreshing drink to moisten his throat. Jiang Lan stood by his side while Xiahou Xuan, with his hands behind his back, stood further back with a cold expression.

Ye Zhuhua was now in utter misery.

Xiahou Xuan might appear as the first-class, charming scion of a Noble Clan from Jiangnan Road, exuding an indescribable spirit even in the simple attire of a Hidden Guard, capable of captivating the hearts of women worldwide. Yet, his personality was remarkably different from that of a gentle and modest gentleman. Knowing well the various arts of the Bai Family, his methods were intricate and unrestrained in execution.

Having fallen into his hands, Ye Zhuhua had undoubtedly endured immense suffering during the last hour.

Wu Qiong could only see a few people left in the tea house nearby, all looking quite uneasy. Ye Zhuhua’s handsome face was now entirely pale, with sweat dripping from his forehead. The once strong Qi Mechanism in his body was like a river flowing eastward—completely gone without a trace, utterly destroyed at its core.

With his eyes slightly closed, although he maintained a calm appearance on the face, the slight trembling of his fingers and eyelashes clearly showed his inner turmoil was nothing like what he depicted. Everyone around knew too well that given Xiahou Xuan’s temperament, after this incident, it remained uncertain how many days Ye Zhuhua could still live.

Wu Qiong, feeling a sense of compassion rising in him, thought of pleading for leniency, yet remembering the actions of this younger man, he sighed deeply but ended up keeping silent, apparently aging in an instant, his vitality seeming much diminished.

Xiahou Xuan, seemingly aware that Wu Qiong had stabilized his injury, did not look at him. Instead, he casually said, “Since Elder Wu has stabilized his injury, that’s for the best. Let’s have a cup of tea here now before making further plans.”

At this, Wu Qiong’s brows creased slightly, deeply puzzled.

By now, the situation was more or less clear, with One-Leaf Pavilion completely falling into the hands of Zhang Zuosheng. Just ten miles ahead lay the ambush site, yet with only these few men, they could at most break out of the encirclement.

Why not take advantage of the enemy’s unawareness to leave swiftly instead of lingering here, risking the enemy growing suspicious over Ye Zhuhua’s prolonged absence, perhaps sending someone to investigate and thus exposing their location?

However, Xiahou Xuan clearly did not have such good intentions to explain to him; he simply stood with his hands behind his back, his expression faint, his profile handsome but utterly cold. Those phoenix eyes were especially profound, as if looking into an abyss.

Even in simple clothes, his presence was too significant to ignore.

Wu Qiong, holding back the doubts surfacing one after another in his heart, was about to voice his questions when he caught sight of Jiang Lan by his side. Seeing the overly calm look in her eyes and remembering Xiahou Xuan’s self-mockery earlier, he paused, not wanting to subject Jiang Lan to further distress, and forcefully suppressed his doubts.

Then, taking the porcelain bowl of cool tea from a nearby boundary stone, he downed it at once. Wu Qiong did not go into the tea house to enjoy the cooler air but simply fixed his gaze, watching what kind of trick the naturally indifferent scion of the Xiahou Family was playing this time.

It hadn’t been more than half an incense stick’s burning time when, about three minutes off to the south from One-Leaf Pavilion, a man suddenly came galloping on horseback. Dressed in black, his sleeves rolled to reveal white-edged, muscular arms and a sword on his back, he approached with a brisk, forceful presence, heading straight towards them.

For the first time, a frown appeared on Xiahou Xuan’s serene face.

The horseman stopped abruptly five steps from the group, dismounted with a roll, and kneeling with a fist in palm before Xiahou Xuan, head bowed low. His first words had Wu Qiong’s heart trembling, and he abruptly stood up.

The martial artist said,

“Jiang Yang’s whereabouts at One-Leaf Pavilion have been found. His Qi Mechanism has dissipated, and he has lost all his martial arts skills.”

The second statement went,

“He does not wish to leave, and is currently heading alone towards the gates of One-Leaf Pavilion.”

PS: The first update of today offered up… about 2600 words~ the second chapter might be slightly delayed