Wuxia: Drinking with Spring Breeze

Although Zhao Cha did not know martial arts, she was well in tune with the details of the variety of guests in the inn and had a general understanding of the feuds and affection between various clans and schools, especially the gossip stemming from romantic entanglements, which she knew like the back of her hand...

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If Louwailou did not rank importance by one’s martial arts skills, she could have mixed in well enough to secure her own private office.

However, Xiao Baoqi, an old-timer in the jianghu, would not be fooled by her. Waving his hand dismissively, he said, "Mind your own business when it comes to affairs of the jianghu!"

When one plan failed, Zhao Cha quickly formulated another, her gaze taunting as she drew out her words, "Oh~~~~"

Feeling ridiculed by a young girl, Xiao Baoqi could not save face. Just as he was about to say something, Li Qing led Yan Bufan towards them.

"Yang Tiansheng, this is Yan Bufan from the Huashan Sect. He is upright and straightforward, a pillar of virtue in the northern martial arts community,"

Li Qing gestured for Yan Bufan to proceed, introducing him to Yang Ge. Then, with another gesture, he turned to Yan, "Yan, this is ’Divine Exemplar’ Yang Erlang."

Yan Bufan stood beside Yang Ge, not sparing a glance at Xiao Baoqi sitting across him, and saluted respectfully, "I am Yan Bufan. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir!"

As he spoke, he took off his backpack and extracted a square wooden box, holding it out to Yang Ge with both hands, "I have long heard of the second master’s eagerness to help others and his benevolence. Our Huashan Sect has admired you for a long time. This ’Sky Blade Secret Record’ is a centuries-old secret of the Sky Blade Sect from Yan Yun, treasured by our Mount Hua Sect yet followed by none. My master, Gu Feng, upon hearing of Bufan’s journey south to discuss swordsmanship with Master Li, specially commanded Bufan to bring this secret record to express our respect. Please don’t reject our humble gift."

Yang Ge looked at this forthright modern swordsman, then glanced at Xiao Baoqi, who had turned his face away, and smiled lightly as he saluted, "I appreciate the kind offer from your sect, but I believe in not receiving undue rewards, and since I do not share a friendship with your sect, it is neither reasonable nor appropriate for me to accept such a generous gift. Yan, you have traveled far to be here, and unfortunately, I can only offer some humble wine and dishes. Please don’t find them too meager… Shopkeeper, what are you standing around for, please show our honored guest to his seat!"

"This..."

Yan Bufan seemed confused, evidently puzzled by Yang Erlang’s outright rejection.

While hesitating to say more, Zhao Cha already put on a practiced enthusiastic smile and gestured, "I’ll take you to the VIP room upstairs, please come with me."

Yan Bufan could only saluted Yang Ge again, "Thank you for your hospitality, sir. I am ashamed to accept."

After speaking, he packed up the wooden box and followed Zhao Cha upstairs.

Li Qing and Yang Ge exchanged a greeting, then accompanied Yan Bufan up the stairs.

"Time to pay up!"

Once Zhao Cha led Yan Bufan upstairs, Yang Ge, with a smile spread across his face, urged the three people at his table to pay up, "It wasn’t easy winning a clear round, don’t think of dodging the bill!"

Xiao Baoqi took out his purse, counted out fifty copper coins, and placed them in front of him with a smirk, "Thanks, second master!"

Yang Ge snorted, "Don’t flatter yourself, it’s not about you... Let’s continue, today I’m going to win big, bringing all of you to a grand defeat!"

Xiao Baoqi sat up straight, fearless and imperturbable, "Let’s keep going, who’s afraid of whom!"

"Exactly, no child cries daily, no gambler loses everyday!"

"On it again... this round will teach you what ’even gods scare of the left hand’ means, you two better not pass me any dodgy cards!"

"Only a fool would do that!"

Yang Ge: "All talk and no trousers, are you all aiming to be top scholars or what?"

Shortly after, Zhao Cha, who had gone down to the kitchen to order dishes, returned, bubbling with excitement. She whispered excitedly while clutching Yang Ge’s shoulder, "Second brother, Master Li and that Yan fellow said they’d go outside the town for a spar after dinner. Let’s go watch!"

Yang Ge shrugged his shoulders to free himself from her grip, replying with half-hearted interest, "It’s not interesting. If Li Qing were serious, he could beat him in less than ten moves."

Zhao Cha: "And if Master Li isn’t serious?"

Xiao Baoqi chimed in, "Don’t you know? It would be a narrow victory either way!"

The drifters in the main hall burst into laughter together.

Zhao Cha also joined in the laughter, feeling extremely joyful. She had lived in the palace for over a decade, yet these few months in the inn had brought her more joy than those years.

The drifters in the inn felt similarly.

Before they stepped into this inn, practicing martial arts and striving to stand out were their entire lives.

Although they often felt confused, why must they practice this lousy martial art? Why must this dumb head always stick out?

But they didn’t have much time to stop and think, because it seemed like everyone around them lived this way, as practicing martial arts was like rowing upstream: not advancing meant retreating…

It was not until they stepped into this inn that they suddenly realized the things they had racked their brains over and lost sleep for had suddenly become trivial. On the other hand, those things they once thought insignificant slowly turned into important skills.

In this inn...

If you played chess well, someone would think highly of you.

If your tosses in pitch-pot were accurate, someone would think highly of you.

If you were good at rolling dice, someone would also think highly of you...

Even if you could farm, weave, or repair houses, someone would think highly of you.

Only...

No one would think highly of you just because you were skilled in martial arts.

Nor would anyone think highly of you just because you were famous.

And no one would think highly of you just because you were rich and powerful.

After all, no matter how skilled you were at martial arts, how famous you were, or how rich you were, you wouldn’t hold more esteem than the saltiest fish in the inn.

In such a relaxed environment, they instead gradually grasped the true meaning of life, started living in the moment, and began to appreciate contentment and joy...

More absurdly, many despondent souls tormented by obstacles and bottlenecks, after adopting a nonchalant attitude and giving up, inexplicably made breakthroughs in their martial arts.

It was just like everything falling into place.

And it was like... they could have broken through much earlier, but their previous obstacles and bottlenecks had always just been their own mental demons.

...

Today, Yang Ge was very lucky, defeating everyone left and right, causing Xiao Baoqi, the ruffian, and the flea to doubt their own lives, suspecting that he had intentionally let them win previously just so he could take it all back today...

As the trio looked at his nearly bursting-with-laughter face and mentally prepared themselves, determined to teach him a harsh lesson today about the harsh realities of life, another figure appeared at the inn’s entrance, smiling and waving at Yang Ge: "Shopkeeper, got any rooms? I’m staying here!"

The visitor had a handsome face with a crescent-moon-shaped scar under his left eye.

Yang Ge glanced at the visitor and, seizing the opportunity, grabbed his bulging money bag and stood up: "A guest, a guest, Miaomiao, attend to the guest!"

The trio was furious.

"Winning and thinking of running? No way!"

"Not just no way, not even a window!"

"Don’t you know the rules of the gambling table? Losers can’t leave, winners can’t flee!"

Yang Ge, standing with his heavy money bag, retorted confidently, "I won the money fair and square, why shouldn’t I leave? Not convinced? Fight another three hundred rounds tomorrow!"

"Okay, okay, that’s how you want to play it?"

"If I don’t bankrupt you tomorrow, I’ll write my name backwards!"

"No betting on five tomorrow, we’re betting on one!"

Yang Ge shook his head like a rattle-drum: "Betting on one? Too big, too big, can’t afford it, can’t afford it..."

The newcomer, looking bewildered at the scene, thought to himself, ’Don’t you know, he recently fleeced a Grandmaster?’

Zhao Cha, who emerged in response, also looked intimidated when he saw the visitor, approaching slowly and grinning apologetically, "Is it Shen, Lord Shen? You aren’t here to take me back to the palace, are you?"