Yang Ge put away his smile and said softly, not too slow or too fast, "It’s not just because we are friends, but also because the most pressing matter for Lianhuan Fort right now is to keep its holdings, while those who would create waves and fuel the fire are those looking to expand territory."
"The court and the martial arts world have been too friendly for too long, so long that the vermin hiding in the sewers can’t find an opportunity to cause trouble. My killing of that old eunuch in the Imperial Horse Supervisor made them see an opportunity, but the waters are too clear right now. They’re all trying to muddy the waters together, hoping to fish in troubled waters," Yang Ge continued.
"What you just said makes sense, people always say immortals are good, but they can’t forget about fame and wealth..."
The dandy young man frowned, "So they are using you as a pawn? Doesn’t that bother you?"
Yang Ge: "Honestly, I don’t feel much of anything."
The dandy young man suddenly widened his eyes in shock, "You’re not thinking of grabbing a sword and going after Lou Wai Lou to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, are you?"
Yang Ge laughed, "If it were before... I really might have taken a sword and gone to talk things out with Lou Wai Lou."
The dandy young man followed up, "And now?"
Yang Ge propped his chin with one hand, "I’ve gotten a bit tired, too lazy to move."
The dandy young man: "So you’re just going to watch them scheme against you with your eyes wide open?"
Yang Ge: "Have you already forgotten what I told you just now? ’A heart full of vigorous thunder but a face as calm as a placid lake is worthy to be saluted as a General.’"
The dandy young man let out an "Oh" and said, "You’re waiting for them to pop their heads out on their own before you chop them off one by one?"
Yang Ge: "Right, but not entirely right."
The dandy young man: "What do you mean?"
Yang Ge slowly explained, "As long as I make a move, no matter how I move or who I target, it will all be within their calculations. They also won’t fail to anticipate my move. Even if I did move, it would be hard to achieve the intended results...So, I’d rather do nothing, and just keep myself openly visible to everyone in the world."
"As long as I don’t cause chaos, no matter how they stir the wind and the rain, they won’t be able to create trouble here with the martial arts world and the court. Once this storm passes, I’ll settle accounts with them one by one..."
The dandy young man’s eyes flickered with realization and he laughed, "No wonder you absolutely refuse to move; you’re watching the clowns perform, right?"
Yang Ge also laughed, "How about that, isn’t the view from my seat excellent?"
The dandy young man looked around, and what came into his view were not the rough and simple wooden huts but rather a night with strong winds and waves, and he immediately praised, "Indeed excellent... With you at the front, can Lianhuan Fort rest easy without worries?"
Yang Ge gave him a thumbs up, "Progress! I should be able to buy you some time, but to forge iron you must be strong yourself, you also need to hurry up."
The dandy young man raised his teacup in place of a toast, "That’s enough, it’s not a waste for this young master to spend his years idly here with you!"
Yang Ge was startled, then suddenly realized, "I say... not bad at all, even if you’re not yet ready to be saluted as a General, you’re certainly qualified to be appointed a guerrilla General!"
The dandy young man: "As long as you’re not sick of me, that’s good."
Yang Ge raised his teacup to clink with his, "A gentleman discusses deeds, not intentions, for in discussing intentions, there is no perfect person in the world."
Both men tipped back their heads and drank in one gulp, then put down their teacups with a firm "thud."
Just then, a slender figure in bright red descended from the sky and landed with a "thump" on the moist terrace, "Hey, it seems quite lively here!"
Both men under the eaves simultaneously turned to look, then simultaneously rolled their eyes.
Yang Ge asked irritably, "Big sister, what are you doing here?"
The newcomer stood in the rain, her gentle True Qi pushing away the rain, leaving no sign of water except beneath her shoes.
She pointed her fair finger at the dandy young man, "If he can come, why can’t I?"
Yang Ge: "He’s my friend, but what are you to me?"
The newcomer thought for a moment, and tentatively asked, "Uncle... and aunt?"
"Slap."
Yang Ge and the dandy young man each slapped their own face simultaneously... there’s truly nothing to see here!
The newcomer ignored their comical expressions and gracefully walked beneath the eaves, sitting beside the tea table, "A visitor should be treated as a guest, is this how you receive guests?"
Yang Ge: "Uninvited guests are the worst kind, friends come over and we slaughter cattle and sheep, hostile visitors come wielding knives and spears!"
Visitor: "You wouldn’t want the whole martial world to know that Yang Erlang bullies defenseless women and children, would you?"
Yang Ge, rolling his dead fish eyes, filled a cup of tea for her: "Let’s get one thing straight, if you’re here to advocate for your White Lotus Sect, just save your breath. I have no ties with your sect and we don’t pee in the same pot. I don’t want to waste words!"
The visitor picked up the steaming cup of tea, holding it in her palms to warm her body: "Since you also know the purpose of my visit, you should know that I didn’t want to come, yet I had no choice."
Yang Ge: "That’s easy then, I’ll just beat you up and throw you out. When you go back to face your Peacock Matriarch, you’ll have an excuse!"
The visitor got furious: "Bastard, no wonder you’ll die alone!"
Yang Ge was beside himself with laughter: "That’s exactly what I want!"
The visitor, utterly baffled: "They say that it’s better to settle enmity than to keep it. My White Lotus Sect doesn’t pursue revenge for Wang Lin’s death. Why must you insist on walking down this dark path? Having more friends means more paths to take, having more enemies means more suffering, young man! Don’t tell me you still think you can wave around that ox-tail saber like before?"
Yang Ge: "Don’t ask. If you ask, it’s simply because I can’t stand the sight of you White Lotus Sect folk! You disagree? Send someone to fight me!"
Visitor: "Do you really think you, Yang Erlang, are invincible?"
Yang Ge: "Whether I’m invincible is up for debate, but I assure you, even if your Peacock Matriarch herself shows up, I have no problems leaving her with a lasting disability. Does your White Lotus Sect dare to bet on that?"
Visitor: "Bastard, I knew this task was damned from the start..."
Yang Ge: "There’s the door, please feel free to use it!"
A silence fell over the scene, as the three of them stared at each other.
Yang Ge: "Why haven’t you left?"
Visitor: "I just got here, and you’re kicking me out before I’ve even warmed up. Are you even a man?"
Yang Ge pushed the red clay stove toward her: "Here, warm yourself by the fire, but hurry up and leave once you’re warm... It’s just you I’m tolerating. If the White Lotus Sect sent anyone else, I’d twist their heads off, believe it or not?"
Visitor: "I believe it, why wouldn’t I? If I weren’t afraid you’d kill on sight without reason, why would I bother coming here in such stormy weather?"
Yang Ge: "You dare say you don’t have a clue about the dirty tricks your White Lotus Sect is playing? I let you in on account of Shen. If I hear any rumors afterwards, don’t blame me for disrespecting Shen..."
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
As soon as he finished speaking, all three heard a "thud" as another black-clad person landed on the waterside terrace.
The newcomer had an ox-tail saber with a gold-inlaid beast’s head at his waist and a crescent-shaped scar on his left face: "I seem to have overheard someone praising my looks... Yikes, it’s quite lively here, isn’t it!"
The lady in red had her back to him, and the man in black could only see her slender figure. He had not seen her face and, while speaking, even squeezed a playful wink at Yang Ge.
Yang Ge: ...
Saucy Young Man: ...
Lady in Red: ...
Coming back to his senses, Yang Ge commented dryly: "Am I somehow surnamed Cao today?"
The man in black casually walked towards the eaves, the ox-tail saber swinging with his steps: "Ah, the ’Cao’ of Cao Cao, is that it... I, you, why are you here?"
He walked under the eaves and finally got a clear view of the face of the lady in red. His smile instantly froze.
The lady in red beamed a seductive smile at Yang Ge and said softly, "Why can’t I be here?"
The man in black’s face turned green with eyes blazing as he glared at Yang Ge.
Yang Ge lowered his gaze and expertly flipped over a teacup, pouring a cup of hot tea for the man in black: "Don’t look at me. She only just arrived, and for the same reason you’re here. My suggestion is, the two of you go out and have a fight. Whoever wins can come and talk to me!"
The saucy young man got up, shouldered his pear-wood armchair behind Yang Ge, and lay back down, cradling his head and eyes shining: ’Time to watch the show!’
The man in black, his expression alternating between cloudy and clear, paced back and forth between Yang Ge and the woman in red a few times, finally touching the scar on his left face.
Yang Ge glanced at him: "You seem to be thinking something very impolite!"
The man in black looked at Yang Ge with shifting eyes: "You just mentioned that today your surname might be Cao?"
Yang Ge: ???