Chapter 232: Chapter 157: Xie Luohe
"A coincidence?"
Even as Zheng Xiu said the word, he didn’t believe it himself.
"Heh! You’ll see. Once you’ve watched this little show, you’ll know whether it’s a coincidence or not."
Chu Chengfeng chuckled.
Zheng Xiu fell silent. He was now living within Gongsun Mo’s memories, and if it were up to him, he certainly wouldn’t be in a hurry to take some exam. He’d recently decided to just wait and see, following Gongsun Mo’s memories to find out what would happen next.
"Gongsun Mo’s" silence made Chu Chengfeng assume he was hesitating. He smiled and asked, "Why did you come to Kang City in the Shu Region?"
Gongsun Mo cupped his hands. "Since ancient times, the Shu Region has been situated in the Central Plains, connecting north and south, east and west. It has always been a vital transport hub and a land of strategic importance. The mountain roads here are treacherous, so if one wishes to travel north smoothly, Kang City is an essential stop. Brother Chu, did you see that bright red archway when we entered the city? Legend says that a man once stopped beneath it to buy a stick of candied hawthorns. He later became the Champion Scholar, so the archway became known as the Champion Scholar Archway. Now, everyone there sells ’Champion Scholar Candied Hawthorns.’ What Poor Scholar like me, heading north for the metropolitan exam, wouldn’t know of this place? We all hope to soak up a bit of its luck, to borrow some of its good fortune..."
Just then, seeing Chu Chengfeng’s grin widen, Zheng Xiu—the self-proclaimed Poor Scholar—slapped his forehead, his face flushing. "My apologies, I was being presumptuous. A man like you, Brother Chu, who has traveled the Jianghu for so many years... how could you not know the local legends?"
"Hahaha! Younger Brother Gongsun, it’s not that I’m trying to be evasive. I’m just worried that if I tell you everything outright, I’ll end up dragging you into this mess. The real reason I’ve said so much hinges on what you just said about this being an ’essential stop.’"
Zheng Xiu exclaimed in shock, "You mean to say that even though they’re Martial Artists, they also want to head north and test for an official position?!"
"Pah!" Chu Chengfeng spat, then cursed with a laugh. "Bullshit! We live our lives in the wind and rain, settling scores amidst the flash of blades, roaming the Jianghu free and proud. What’s so great about some useless official title? At the end of the day, all that studying just makes you an official at the Court—a lapdog for that dimwitted emperor, a hound for the Court!"
"Shh!" Zheng Xiu hissed, lowering his voice. "You can’t just say things like that!"
Chu Chengfeng clicked his tongue, not lingering on the topic. "Speaking of which, Younger Brother Gongsun, the metropolitan exam is held once every three years. The next one isn’t until next spring when the flowers bloom, which is more than half a year away. It’s still early! There’s no need for you to be in such a hurry. The area around Kang City isn’t safe right now. It wouldn’t be too late to leave town after things quiet down. Just think: why do you suppose the Baili Escort Agency passed through here yesterday without stopping, just hurrying on their way?"
"Not safe?"
Zheng Xiu mulled over Chu Chengfeng’s words, his expression turning puzzled. "Brother Chu, don’t you look down on testing for official positions? How are you so familiar with the dates for the ’spring examinations’? Don’t tell me you..."
Chu Chengfeng’s weathered face flushed an odd shade of red. He stiffened his neck and declared loudly, "I, Chu Chengfeng, have never taken the provincial examinations! Never! And I never will! Wait... someone else is here."
Just then, six burly, barrel-chested men with thick beards stormed into the inn, brandishing sabers and looking utterly menacing.
The one in the lead wore a necklace strung with what looked like human bones, had a mouth full of yellow teeth, and a copper ring through his nose. You couldn’t deny it, the look was kind of... trendy.
The bearded leader scanned the inn. His eyes quickly sized up the Iron Fan Scholar and Cao Dongxue before landing, almost casually, on the back of a woman hunched over her meat dish. The men who came with him surprisingly split up, taking seats at three different tables and ordering yellow wine and snacks.
"Oh? Now this is getting interesting."
A playful smile spread across Chu Chengfeng’s face.
"Are they also here for the Iron Fan Scholar?"
Chu Chengfeng shook his head. "No, they’re two separate groups."
"What two groups?"
Chu Chengfeng gestured discreetly toward the floor below. "The Iron Fan Scholar and Cao Dongxue are one group—a classic case of ’fated lovers and sworn enemies are destined to meet.’ As for the men who just came in, if I’m not mistaken, they’re local bandits. See how they came in together but split into three tables? They’re clearly setting up to block that young woman’s escape. They’re here for her."
"You don’t recognize them?" Zheng Xiu asked, glancing at Chu Chengfeng with curiosity.
Chu Chengfeng had been acting like a Jianghu Bai Xiaosheng in front of him, so Zheng Xiu had assumed he knew everyone.
Chu Chengfeng chuckled at the question. "I only bother to recognize people who have a bit of a reputation, either because they’re listed on the Weapon Manual or because they’ve made a great name for themselves. Why would I learn the faces of anyone else? If someone provokes me, I’ll just cut them down. If I knew them, would I then be obligated to bury their body and set up a gravestone? That’d be a terrible waste of my time."
Zheng Xiu slapped his forehead. "That makes sense! I’ve learned something today!"
Chu Chengfeng was about to praise him for being a quick study, but he froze mid-thought and turned to the Poor Scholar in surprise. "Why is a Scholar like you learning things like that?"
"A slip of the tongue! A slip of the tongue!" That last line wasn’t from Gongsun Mo’s memories; Zheng Xiu had blurted it out himself.
"They’re about to make their move."
Chu Chengfeng had been keeping a close eye on the commotion downstairs.
"Which side do you mean, Brother Chu?"
"From the looks of it, the ’sworn enemies’ are going to be the first to start a fight."
Chu Chengfeng mused, stroking his chin.
Zheng Xiu remained silent.
In truth, he had also figured that the first group would be the one to erupt into violence.
After Chu Chengfeng’s reminder, Zheng Xiu noticed that the ’wronged party’ had been glaring murderously at the ’other man’ for a good while now.
His spirit was wound to its absolute peak.
As for the group that arrived later, they would surely notice the tense atmosphere in the inn and would likely use the ensuing chaos to make their move.
Since entering this Ghostly Realm, the one thing Zheng Xiu had felt above all else was "chaos." The Martial World was a truly chaotic place, where a single misplaced word could lead to a fight. This era, two hundred years in the past, was far more chaotic than his own, perfectly embodying the old saying: "Heroes break the law with their martial arts." Gongsun Mo might not have understood Chu Chengfeng’s implications, but Zheng Xiu understood perfectly.
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