Chapter 293: An Old Acquaintance?
The little teahouse was off to the side of the main road, but it was a bit out of the way.
Aside from Su Yi, there were currently about ten people resting there, both young and old. They were dispersed throughout the various tables.
The little girl had pigtails, with pink cheeks and features clear as jade. She was adorable, and extremely likable.
Su Yi glanced at the green jujube in her hands, then went back to sipping his tea. “Off to the side with you.”
His attitude was cold and indifferent, and his words weren't the least bit polite.
The little girl was stunned; she’d obviously been caught off guard. A moment later, she said pitifully, “Big Bro, I was trying to give you something yummy! Why are you being mean to me?”
Su Yi’s eyebrows rose, and he seemed a bit displeased.
It was then that a young, beautiful woman hurried over, picked up the little girl, and whispered a rebuke. “Girl, don’t make a fuss!”
She then turned to Su Yi and smiled sheepishly. “She’s young and doesn’t know any better. Please don’t take offense.”
Su Yi’s expression was cold, and he said nothing.
The woman’s smile froze, and she immediately turned and led the little girl away, then sat at a table not far away.
A sickly-looking youth in gray and a wrinkled, hunchbacked old man in simple cloth robes sat there too.?The youth listlessly sipped his tea, and it seemed he wasn’t paying attention to anything else.
When the elder saw the young woman bring the little girl back, he couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly. He suddenly rose, then walked up to Su Yi’s table, sat down, and asked carefully, “Young Lord, are you headed to the White Provincial Capital?”
Just like the Imperatorial Provincial Capital, the White Provincial Capital was the heart of the White Province. From here, you could reach it in less than one hundred miles.
Su Yi’s gaze swept across the woman, child, and gray-robed youth before returning to the old man seated across from him. He said seriously, “I don’t know why you’re keeping watch on this place, and I have no interest in finding out, but you’d best not make trouble for me.”
With that, he looked away, took out a piece of snow-white, crystalline spirit ginseng, and started eating.
A spiritual medicine like this had an appealing texture, and it was sweet, crunchy, and delectable. It instantly provided Su Yi’s empty, aching belly with some much-needed relief.
The elder’s eyelids twitched.?Is this kid seriously eating a tier-four Snowseed Spirit Ginseng as if it were a radish?
He then thought back to what Su Yi had just said. His expression turned somewhat serious as he realized that this blue-robed youth wasn’t simple.
After a moment’s silence, the elder rose, then clasped his fist. “Sorry for disturbing you.”
With that, he turned and left.
When he saw the elder return, the sickly-looking youth in gray shook his head. “It’s true; the older you get, the more cowardly you are.”
The old man in simple cloth robes furrowed his brow, lowered his voice, and said, “If you want to live to old age, you must be cautious. Better not to cause unnecessary trouble at a time like this.”
The gray-robed youth laughed. “Can you really rest assured without finding out who that young man is?”
He then cleared his throat and leisurely rose. His gaze swept around the area, and he said loudly and with complete assurance, “Everyone, allow us to get everything out in the open. We’re here on a mission, and we’re waiting for our target. If you’d be so kind, please leave as soon as possible!”
Quite a few customers’ expressions shifted. They rose to their feet and left in a panic.
Even the proprietor shook, turned, and left; he dared not linger.
Soon, only Su Yi, the gray-robed youth, his companions, and a man in a conical hat remained. He was seated not far away, and he was the only one at his table.
The gray-robed youth glanced at the man in the conical hat, seemingly a bit surprised. “Do you see that? There’s more than one suspicious character here.”
The elder in simple cloth robes, the beautiful woman, and the little girl glanced at the man in the conical hat. Each wore a different expression on their face.
The man in the conical hat wore clothes of coarse hemp and cut a lean figure. He sat facing away from the crowd, as if completely unaware that his presence had already attracted their attention.
It was then that a horse-drawn carriage appeared further down the official road.
The driver was a coarse, hulking middle-aged man with a scraggly beard and mustache. His skin was swarthy, and his eyes flashed like lightning.
When he saw the group gathered at the little tea house, the powerful-looking carriage driver tugged on the rains, bringing the carriage to a sudden halt.
Practically simultaneously—
The old man in simple cloth robes, the youth in gray, the beautiful young mother, and the little girl in pigtails rose, and their mighty auras surged around them.
Shockingly, although the girl in pigtails looked as if she were only about five years old, her aura was no weaker than her companions, and that innocent, guileless little face of hers was now brimming with murderous intent.
The atmosphere was instantly stifled and oppressive.
“Xie Yuanshan, you cannot escape. Within the surrounding three hundred miles, in addition to the four of us, there are seven such strongholds. Each houses enough power to capture you easily. No matter which direction you choose, all roads lead to death!” said the elder in simple cloth robes. He straightened his hunched back, his turbid eyes suddenly as sharp as swords. The characteristic aura of a fourth-level Grandmaster permeated the air around him.
He now seemed like a completely different person!
The gray-robed youth laughed. “The one seated in that carriage ought to be your family’s young mistress. Am I right?”
He’d seemed feeble and sickly earlier, but now, his entire body emanated an icy, intimidating aura, and his smile was cold.
“Don’t waste time talking! Why haven’t you attacked yet?” the pigtailed little girl scowled with impatience as she rebuked the gray-robed elder and old man. Even her voice had turned raspy and high-pitched.
“That works too.” The gray-robed youth’s smile faded, and he drew his sword with a clang. The edge caught the sunlight and glinted like frost.
Su Yi saw this, but his expression remained unchanged. He just went on eating and drinking. He planned to leave once his belly was full.
But against all expectations, the man in the conical hat suddenly rose, then faced the distant horse-drawn carriage and its powerful-looking driver. “Old Xie, you leave first.”
With that, he turned and fixed his gave on the gray-robed youth and his companions. He smiled faintly, revealing a set of snow-white teeth. “Your opponent… is me!”
Boom!
His lean frame burst with power, his clothes fluttering around him. The energy sent his conical hat flying from his head, and it split apart in midair, revealing a thin, determined face.
Furthermore, he now held a long, thin, snow-white spiritual saber. His majestic air was so sharp and overbearing that even the air around him buzzed and whimpered.
“Pei Yundu! How could it possibly be you…?” The elderly man in simple cloth was suddenly focused. His companions’ expressions changed too; it seemed they dared not believe it.
Pei Yundu!
He was a long-established fifth-level Grandmaster, one of the top five in the White Province. His attainments in the Dao of the Saber had long since reached mastery, and he was only one step away from becoming a Xiantian Martial Ancestor.
“Your Lordship Pei, too much is on the line. Are you sure you want to get involved? Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?” The elder’s face revealed deep-rooted dread.
“If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have come,” said Pei Yundu calmly. “Old Xie, go ahead and leave. I’m rather interested to see just which of them steps forward to get killed themself killed first.”
“Many thanks, Your Lordship!” The fierce-looking carriage driver, Xie Yuanshan, solemnly clasped his fist.
Su Yi then took out yet a fist-sized, crimson jadefruit and started eating, perfectly at ease. It was as if he didn’t even notice the austere, oppressive atmosphere lingering in the air.
The others present noticed this strange scene, but neither the gray-robed youth and his allies nor Pei Yundu paid it any heed.
They stared each other down, weapons drawn. The air was rife with tension.
But just as Xie Yuanshan was about to steer the carriage away, a figure hurtled from a nearby hill at top speed.
“And here I wondered who dared boast so brazenly. So, it was you, you old dog!” That thunderous voice still echoed through heaven and earth as a figure streaked over, quick as lightning, and stood near the little teahouse.
This was a scholarly-looking man with a high-rimmed hat and broad elt. His long hair was tied up, and his face was like carved jade. An embellished sheath hung from his waist.
When he saw this new arrival, the gray-robed youth and his allies instantly sighed in relief, then bowed. “Greetings, Your Lordship Wen!”
Wen Qingju!
He was the leader of the White Provincial Capital’s top underworld faction, the Bluelake Gang, as well as a famed fifth-level Grandmaster.
Pei Yundu knit his brow.
The carriage driver, Xie Yuanshan, was already far away, but his expression darkened too.
“I’ll handle old man Pei Yundu,” said Wen Qingju leisurely. “You go deal with Xie Yuanshan. Remember: don’t hurt the young mistress inside the carriage.”
The group nodded. Everyone could tell a grand battle was about to begin.
“Who’s that?” Wen Qingju suddenly glanced at Su Yi. Despite himself, he was stunned.
When he arrived, he was completely focused on Pei Yundu. Thus, he only now realized that a young man in blue still sat in the little teahouse, sipping his tea. Given the circumstances, that calm, unhurried demeaning was extremely jarring.
“A passerby,” said the young man in gray after a moment’s hesitation. He wasn’t sure where the young man in blue had come from either.
By now, Su Yi had already eaten and drunk his fill. He rose and said, “He’s right. I really am just passing by, and I have no intention of getting involved. Once I’m gone, you’re welcome to fight to your hearts’ content.”
With that, he put his hands behind his back and sauntered off into the distance.
He couldn’t even be bothered to watch a conflict like this. Making headway on his journey was more important. Once he reached the White Provincial Capital, he’d find a decent inn and have himself a good night’s sleep. Then, he’d eat a good meal. If he felt like it, he’d stroll through the city. If he didn’t, he’d just continue on his way.
When they saw Su Yi leave as if none of this had anything to do with him, the gray-robed youth and his allies were stunned.
Were Su Yi an ordinary person, a scene like this should have startled him. He should have hidden or scampered off in panic, but he just seemed so calm…
Wen Qingju’s brow furrowed; he couldn’t see through this situation either.
Still, in the end, he repressed his desire to hold Su Yi back and said nothing. The youth in blue was leaving; he might as well let him and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Pei Yundu said nothing. He, too, was a bit surprised by the young man in blue’s courage and composure, but when he saw Su Yi leave, he made no effort to stop him.
The mighty-looking Xie Yuanshan was bewildered and uncertain too. At first, he thought Su Yi was another one of Wen Qingju’s subordinates.
Now, he suddenly realized that that wasn’t the case after all.
His behavior was just too strange; it didn’t match the tense, oppressive atmosphere at all. It was like a new and jarring variable had appeared out of nowhere.
For a moment, the two opposing sides just stared each other down. Neither took action. It seemed they both wanted to wait and see if Su Yi, the “passerby”, really would just leave.
Su Yi naturally wouldn’t concern himself with their feelings.
However, as he passed the horse-drawn carriage and strode into the distance, the window curtains parted slightly.
Then, a somewhat surprised, excited voice rang out. “Mas-... Master Su?”
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