Chapter 46
Yan Nan Tian and Hua Wu Que walked out of the woods together.
Hua Wu Que suddenly said, “Which direction did Tie Xin Lan walk towards? Did you not notice as well?”
Yan Nan Tian replied, “No!”
Hua Wu Que raised his head and looked up, saying with a soft sigh, “I wonder where Jiang Xiao Yu is right now as well?”
Yan Nan Tian asked, “When did he end up in the hands of that ‘Mr Copper’?”
“Last night”
Yan Nan Tian was silent for a moment, and suddenly said, “How can there be a ‘Mr Copper’ in the martial arts realm? If he is so highly skilled, why have I never heard of him? … Do you know his background?”
Hua Wu Que replied, “I only know he is extremely skilled, unbelievably so, but I do not know his background as well.”
Yan Nan Tian smiled coldly, “If my guess is correct, he must be someone in disguise.”
Hua Wu Que asked, “But who in the world would be so highly skilled?”
Yan Nan Tian replied, “The Mistress of Floral Palace…”
Hua Wu Que said with a slight smile, “Why would my Teacher want to disguise herself? And why would she want to hide it from me? How would doing this benefit her? Hero Yan, can you think of a reason why?”
“I can’t think of any…” He paused for a while, and added, “Where would you think that ‘Mr Copper’ would bring Jiang Xiao Yu to?”
Hua Wu Que heaved a long sigh as well, “I can’t think of any as well.”
By now Xiao Yu’er is already asleep. Taking advantage of the night, Mr Copper brought Xiao Yu’er back to that room in the inn. He really could not think where else he can bring this troublemaking youth. Xiao Yu’er lied on the bed, sleeping soundly, but Mr Copper can only sit on the chair and look at him. He is just like a statue sitting on the chair, not moving at all. Xiao Yu’er’s breathing lowered, as if he is sound asleep, and like a child who is sleeping next to his mother, there was a slight smile at the corners of his mouth.
When he’s awake, on this face, not only is it full of captivating charm, but there is also a carefree, mischievous air. But now that he is asleep, this face looked as innocent as a baby.
Mr Copper looked at his innocent and handsome face, looked at the scar on his face that can never be removed, and his whole body started to shiver.
His hand clutched tightly at the back of the chair, so tightly, that his cold eyes became hotter than fire, as if it’s filled with pain, or filled with hatred.
There was a ‘pak’ sound, and the back of the teak chair was shattered to pieces by him!
Xiao Yu’er slowly opened his eyes, rubbed his eyes and smiled at him, asking, “Did I sleep for a long time?”
“Very… very long” He tried his utmost to make his voice sound calm, but there was still a slight shiver.
Xjao Yu’er smiled, “You have been sitting there guarding me all along?” Although Xiao Yu’er could not move his body, but with a kick, he jumped down the bed and said with a smile, “I’ve taken over you bed, and you could not sleep, I’m really sorry about that.”
Mr Copper stared at his leg, and asked fiercely, “You… your leg is not injured?”
Xiao Yu’er made a face at him, and started walking out.
Mr Copper shouted, “Where are you going?”
Xiao Yu’er grinned, “I have a habit, once I wake up I need to… need to go to the toilet.”
Mr Copper fumed, “You’re not allowed!”
Xiao Yu’er said miserably, “If I’m not allowed, then I’ll have to poop in my pants, that would be very smelly.”
Mr Copper almost jumped up, and shouted, “You… You dare to do it?”
Xiao Yu’er said slowly, “No matter how fierce or capable a person is, even if he can kill or set fire, but he cannot ask others not to poop.”
Mr Copper stared at him, his gaze almost smoking with fire.
However, Xiao Yu’er remained unperturbed, and smiled, “If you do not want me to poop, there is only one way, which is to kill me immediately. Or else… or else I really cannot hold it in any longer.” As he spoke, he was about to squat.
Mr Copper quickly yelled, “No… not here….”
“Are you letting me out?”
Mr Copper stamped his feet angrily and said, “Scram!”
Without waiting for him to finish talking, Xiao Yu’er is already walking out with his back bent, and laughingly said, “If you’re worried, you can look at me from outside the toilet.”
Mr Copper was indeed worried, and indeed could only wait outside the toilet.
He would not even imagine in his dreams, that in his life, he would actually be standing outside a toilet, waiting for someone who is pooping inside.
After almost an hour, Xiao Yu’er walked out slowly rubbing his belly. Mr Copper was quite mad and fumed, “Have you died inside?”
Xiao Yu’er laughed, “A few day’s worth of stuff, to be cleared in one go, of course it would take some time.”
Mr Copper was so angry that he did not know what to say, and can only turn his head away.
However, Xiao Yu’er grinned, “Now we should go for a meal.”
Mr Copper fumed, “You… what did you say?”
Xiao Yu’er laughed, “Eating and pooping, is the most common thing, what’s so strange about that? …. Have you never seen anyone who wants to eat?”
Mr Copper was stunned for a while, and suddenly smiled frostily, “Although I cannot stop you…. you from going to the toilet, but I can stop you from eating.”
Xiao Yu’er asked, “You won’t allow me to eat?”
Mr Copper roared, “You will only eat when I let you, other wise you will shut your mouth!”
Xiao Yu’er blinked, and smiled, “But the mouth is on my face, right? So, when I want to eat, you will have to let me eat, or else I will never eat. If I starve to death, your plan will be finished… do you understand?”
Mr Copper went forward with a step, grabbed Xiao Yu’er’s collar and hissed, “You… you dare to say such words to me?”
Xiao Yu’er grinned, “I may not be able to win you in a fight, but if I want to starve myself, there is nothing you can do, right?”
Mr Copper was shaking with fury, but can only pretend not to hear.
Yan Nan Tian and Hua Wu Que naturally could not find Tie Xin Lan, and of course Xiao Yu’er. They walked aimlessly for a while when Yan Nan Tian suddenly asked, “Do you drink?”
Hua Wu Que smiled, “I can drink a cup or two.”
Yan Nan Tian replied, “Good, then we’ll go for a drink!”
So the two of them went back to the city, and Yan Nan Tian said, “The food in Jiang Zhe are too sweet, Northern cuisine too bland. Only Sichuan food, salty, spicy and hot, are suitable for a man’s taste, what do you think?”
Hua Wu Que replied, “There is this restaurant called Yang Zi Jiang in the city that seems to have a famous chef.”
At this time the night market is still open, the streets were crowded, and it was quite a bustling atmosphere. On the upper level of Yang Zi Jiang Restaurant, were also filled, not a table untaken.
Jiang Bie He was alone drinking.
There are too many things worrying him these two days, Xiao Yu’er, Hua Wu Que… and his son Jiang Yu Lang, who still have not returned.
Suddenly a burly man hurriedly ran upstairs, knocked over two chairs and walked to him, whispering, “Master Hua is here, he’s just downstairs, and seems like he’s coming up for a drink.”
Jiang Bie He asked, “Is he alone?”
The burly man replied, “He is with a tall, skinny man with tattered and torn clothes, seems like…”
He has not finished his words but Jiang Bie He’s expression had turned ashen, and immediately stood up, and fluttered, “Quickly… you think of a way to block them first.”
But by now Hua Wu Que and Yan Nan Tian had already walked up, and Hua Wu Que is walking towards him with a smile.
Jiang Bie He’s hand held onto the table, almost unable to stand from fear.
He heard Hua Wu Que said with a smile, “I didn’t expect Brother Jiang to be here as well.”
Jiang Bie He replied, “Yes… yes…”
He stared straight at Yan Nan Tian, and only felt his throat drying, his legs softening, unable to utter even a single word, as if he’s already scared out of his wits.
Yan Nan Tian looked at him up and down twice, and smiled, “Is this the recently famed person in the Martial Arts realm ‘Hero of Jiang Nan, Jiang Bie He’?”
Jiang Bie He stammered, “I wouldn’t… wouldn’t dare.”
Yan Nan Tian replied, “Fine, let’s sit together, and have a few drinks.”
He pulled a chair over and sat down, but realized that the cups and plates on the table kept moving. It turns out that Jiang Bie He’s whole body was shaking. Yan Nan Tian furrowed his brows and asked, “Why won’t Brother Jiang sit down?” Jiang Bie He immediately sat down straight on the chair.
Yan Nan Tian said with a laugh, “Although I have not stepped into the martial arts world for a long time, but I have long heard of Brother Jiang’s heroic name. I must have a good drink with you today.”
Jiang Bie He hurriedly poured three cups of wine and said with a forced smile, “Let Junior offer a toast to Hero Yan first.”
He used the wine cup to cover his face, but in his heart he was totally surprised! “So Jiang Xiao Yu have not told him about me, but he… how could he not have recognized me? These twenty years, my looks have not changed much.”
He secretly looked over from the corner of his eyes over the wine cup, and was silently contemplating, “But his looks have changed a lot, could it….. could it be….”
Suddenly Yan Nan Tian asked, “Why haven’t Brother Jiang drank up your cup of wine?”
Jiang Bie He hurriedly gulped it down, and said with a laugh, “Junior have long been respectful of Hero Yan’s heroic name, I did not expect to meet you today, it is indeed an honor.”
Yan Nan Tian laughed loudly, “That’s right, it’s the first time we met, we must really have a good drink.”
On hearing the four words ‘first time we met’, Jiang Bie He felt even more perplexed, but can’t help heaving a long sigh of relief, and laughed, “We really must have a good drink, and not leave until we are drunk.”
Yan Nan Tian slapped the table and laughed, “What a good ‘not leave until we are drunk’…. Come, hurry up and bring us thirty catties (= 15 kg) of wine!”
Mr Copper and Xiao Yu’er walked out of the inn. It’s late in the night, there’s no one else on the long street and the shops on both sides are all closed.
Xiao Yu’er clasped his hands behind his back and walked around, seemingly very happy, and smiled, “Don’t be anxious, even if the restaurant is closed, as long as you’re willing to spend, even the ghosts will work for you. There’s no need to worry that the restaurant won’t open for you.”
Mr Copper controlled his anger and said, “There’s a restaurant here, you can call for them.”
Xiao Yu’er said, “This restaurant is called San He Place, it’s Jiang Zhe dishes(Jiang Su and Zhe Jiang Provinces), it can’t do… hmm, there’s a restaurant Zhen Bei Ping here, must be Northern food, can’t do as well.”
Mr Copper fumed, “Why can’t it do? Can’t you just make do with it?”
Xiao Yu’er replied with a straight face, “No, a person can let his friends down, but he must never, never let his own stomach down, because friends will run away when you are having bad luck, but the stomach will stay with you for life.”
Mr Copper stared at him angrily, before slowly commenting after a moment, “Everyone in the world fears me, you… why are you not afraid?”
Xiao Yu’er replied with a smile, “I obviously know that you will not kill me yourself, why should I be afraid of you?”
Mr Copper suddenly turned around and walked away with large strides.
Xiao Yu’er laughed loudly, “Actually you don’t have to be angry. You obviously know that the angrier you are, the happier I will be, so why must you make things difficult for yourself?”
They saw on the upper level some distance away, there is still light, and the large gold words on the signboard were also shining. “Yang Zi Jiang Restaurant, authentic Sichuan Cuisine”.
But by then there are no customers at the Yang Zi Jiang Restaurant, only a few workers were cleaning up.
The few of them lifted their heads and all were stunned by their fear – a person wearing a ghastly copper mask, had wondered upstairs since who knows when, is looking at them icily.
Xiao Yu’er however, was grinning, “What are you all stunned about, this Sir here may be wearing copper on his face, but there’s lots of silver hung on his waist. The God of Fortune is coming to your door, aren’t you going to welcome him quickly?”
The worker replied numbly, “Sor… sorry, our shop is closed.”
Mr Copper looked at him frostily, and suddenly grabbed his hair.
That worker’s was like travelling on cloud, his whole body flew out. When he regained his senses, he realized he’s sitting on the beams of the roof. Although he was not physically injured, but he was scared out of his wits. His head felt faint and he fell straight down. If not for Xiao Yu’er catching hold of him, his head would have been smashed like a rotten watermelon.
Mr Copper coldly said, “I don’t care of you’re closed or not, whatever that he wants to eat, you will have to serve it. If any one item is missing, then no one among the four of you will live!” How would the four workers dare say the word ‘no’.
Xiao Yu’er laughed, “Oh joy oh joy, to have a meal with someone like you, is really joyous.”
He sat down comfortably and said, “I’ll have four cold dishes first, chicken sticks, cold dish in four sauces, hot and spicy tendons, garlic meat, and a fat camphor tea duck, roasted oxtail, black bean fish….”
With every dish he said, the workers nodded their heads, until they were a little dizzy from all the nodding. Xiao Yu’er finally sighed and said with a smile, “It’s so late at night, there’s no need to prepare so many dishes, I’ll just make do with these few. However, the wine must be of excellent quality, either Bamboo Green or Huadiao will do, let us have twenty or thirty catties first.”
The few workers were tongue-tied. These dishes are enough for twenty people, yet this lad said that he’s just ‘making do with it’. They were stunned for a while before they stammered, “Sorry…. Our… our shop’s wine, have all been drunk by the three customers earlier.”
Mr Copper said icily, “If it’s finished then go someplace else to buy it. Thirty catties, even if it’s one catty less, I’ll have your head!”
The four workers could only blame it on their bad luck, they just sent off three Gods of Plague, and here comes another two evil spirits.
In less than an hour, all the dishes and wine were served, and indeed not a single item was missing. Xiao Yu’er immediately started eating and drinking voraciously, but Mr Copper would not even sit down.
Xiao Yu’er grinned, “Why are you not sitting down, the way you are standing, how can I find my appetite?”
He raised two cups and smiled, “This wine and dishes are really not bad, why don’t you eat a little. If you have lost your appetite from anger, and starve yourself sick, I would feel bad.” Mr Copper totally ignored him.
Xiao Yu’er picked up a piece of Camphor Tea duck, and sighed as he chewed, saying “The mouth is on your face, if you refuse to eat, there’s nothing I can do. But you are neither eating nor sleeping, how can you take it?”
Mr Copper suddenly stuck with his palm, and shattered a table by the side to pieces. He really has no way to vent the anger he is feeling, and can only take it out on the table.
Xiao Yu’er laughed, “The table did not offend you, why must you make things difficult for it… in my opinion, why don’t you let me go and save yourself from such suffering.”
Mr Copper replied angrily, “Let you go, forget it!”
Xiao Yu’er raised his head and took a drink, laughing loudly, “To tell you the truth, even if you release me now, I won’t leave. I have a bodyguard when I’m asleep, someone is paying for my meals, such happy days, where else can I find it?”
Mr Copper stared at him for a while, before saying each word slowly, “I want you to live happily, that way when you die, it will be more painful.”
Xiao Yu’er put his chopsticks down and stared at him, and suddenly said with a sigh, “Let me ask you, I do not know you at all, why do you hate me so much? Since you hate me so much, why won’t you kill me yourself?”
Mr Cooper looked heavenward and laughed coldly, “The secret within, you will never know!”
Xiao Yu’er sighed, “For a person to never find out a secret closely related to himself, isn’t it the most cruel, most pitiful thing.”
Mr Copper laughed harshly, “That’s right, it is indeed the most cruel, most pitiful thing in the world. I can guarantee that you can never escape from this pitiful fate, because there is definitely no one in the world who can reveal this secret. So now your only concern is to remain happy, as long as you can really be happy, then be happy by all means.”
Yan Nan Tian, Hua Wu Que and Jiang Bie He, the three of them seemed a little drunk. They staggered around under the star lit night.
Jiang Bie He has never drunk so much wine in his life, but since Yan Nan Tian wants to drink, he can only drink with him, although later whenever Yan Nan Tian drank a cup, his own cup is at the most only half filled.
Yan Nan Tian sang loudly, “The Piebald horse, the lady raids, a shout to change for excellent wine, to drink away worries with you…. Worries…” The song was gallant yet filled with grief, as if the heart is full of anguish.
Yan Nan Tian looked towards heaven and heaved a long sigh, “Why is it that the best person and the worst person in the world, are all surnamed Jiang?”
Jiang Bie He stammered, “Wha… what do you mean by that?”
Yan Nan Tian sighed, “That 2nd Brother Jiang of mine, is gentle and kind, and can be considered the best person in the world, but then there is Jiang Qin…”
As he said the two words ‘Jiang Qin’, Jiang Bie He suddenly felt a cold shiver. Yan Nan Tian’s hair was disheveled, his gaze fierce, and he continued angrily, “Although my 2nd Brother Jiang treated Jiang Qin like a brother, but that heartless murderer, actually secretly colluded with someone else and betrayed him!”
Cold sweat was dripping down Jiang Bie He’s face, but he forced out a laugh and asked, “That Jiang… Jiang Qin is truly so vicious?”
Yan Nan Tian took his hands in a tight clench and hissed, “A pity that murderer has gone into hiding, and I could not find him… if I find him, I will definitely crush all his bones one by one.”
Jiang Bie He shivered again, and seems to have been shocked out of his drunkenness. He only felt Yan Nan Tian’s hold on his hands getting tighter and tighter, as if he is going to crush his bones.
Jiang Bie He can’t help but forced out a smile and said, “Ju… Junior is not Jiang… Jiang Qin, Hero Yan please do not crush Junior’s hands.”
Yan Nan Tian released his hands with a laugh, and saw in front of him in the dark night, a few people flying into a house like a cat, and who knows what secret deals they are making.
Hua Wu Que felt the alcohol rushing up, and seemed to have become more high spirited, and laughed, “It’s the middle of the night, these few people must be up to no good, I’ll go take a look.” Yan Nan Tian suddenly said, “With me around, would there be a need for you to go look?”
With a jump, he flew over the wall and said fiercely, “Yan Nan Tian is here, friends inside should all come out now!”
He has not finished his words when there were a few people scattering out in the darkness like rats.
Yan Nan Tian roared, “Stop, not a single one is to leave!”
The few men of the night seems to have been really shocked by the name ‘Yan Nan Tian’, and all of them stood there, not even daring to move at all.
Yan Nan Tian said fiercely, “With me in this city, how care you think of committing misdeeds, don’t you want your lives anymore!” He stood alone on the wall, his clothes fluttering in the wind, and at a glance really looked like a God descended from heaven.
The few of them saw how imposing he looked, and only then confirmed that it is really the undefeated Yan Nan Tian who is here. The few of them were so startled that they all prostrated on the ground and fluttered, “We did not know that Hero Yan has returned to the martial arts realm, we hope Hero Yan will forgive us.”
Yan Nan Tian bellowed, “But Hero Jiang is in this city, did you not know as well?”
The few of them took a glance at Jiang Bie He, and although they did not say anything, but the meaning is quite obvious. No matter how hard Jiang Bie He works, but Jiang Bie He’s ‘Hero’ is way below when compared to Yan Nan Tian.
Yan Nan Tian roared, “On the account that you have not committed any misdeeds, all of you are to give yourselves twenty slaps, scram quickly!”
The few of them actually really raised their hands and slapped themselves twenty times, kowtowed once, and flew off in distress.
On witnessing this, Jiang Bie He was astonished, envious and jealous, and can’t help but heaved a long sigh, “If a person can have such a reputation, only then would his life not have been in vain.”
Hua Wu Que smiled and said, “In the whole world, to have such a reputation, I’m afraid it’s not only Hero Yan.”
Yan Nan Tian asked, “Hua Wu Que, you still refuse to accept my ability?”
Hua Wu Que smiled, “If they know that someone from Floral Palace is here, I’m afraid they would run even faster.”
Yan Nan Tian stared at him for a while before suddenly laughing loudly, “To make someone like you accept, is really a difficult task.”
He jumped down from the wall and started walking and singing again.
Jiang Bie He quietly tugged on Hua Wu Que’s sleeve and whispered, “Good Brother, Hero Yan seems to be a little drunk, why don’t we say our farewells to Yan Nan Tian and leave quickly.”
Hua Wu Que smiled, “I’m afraid I will have to say my farewell to Brother Jiang.”
Jiang Bie He was stunned, and asked, “Good Brother you… you really want to go with Hero Yan?”
“Exactly.”
Jiang Bie He’s palm broke out in cold sweat, “If your Teacher were to find out, won’t it be a little inconvenient?”
Hua Wu Que smiled, “Even if my Teacher were to know, I will still need to leave with him.”
Jiang Bie He was shocked for a moment, and asked, “You…. where are you going?”
“To look for Jiang Xiao Yu.”
Jiang Bie He secretly shivered, and thought to himself, “Even if Yan Nan Tian has not recognized me, even if he still regards me as a friend, but once he sees Jiang Xiao Yu, I will still be finished.”
The three of then walked another two rounds, and also ended up at the inn where ‘Mr Copper’ was staying. Jiang Bie He’s eyes rolled, and suddenly said with a smile, “Would Hero Yan want to go into this inn to have another drink?”
Yan Nan Tian laughed loudly, “You are indeed understanding… come, let us go in.”
Once they’re in the house, Yan Nan Tian ordered for wine to be brought, while Jiang Bie He looked for an excuse to go outside, and secretly slipped into Mr Coppers’s house.
Naturally he was thinking of looking for Mr Copper to deal with Yan Nan Tian, unfortunately Mr Copper was not in the house. Although the light fragrance is still in the air, but he could have left this place long ago.
Jiang Bie He was full of disappointment, and when he returned to the room, Yan Nan Tian had already drunk a few catties of wine. He may be a good drinker, but by now he is a little drunk. Hua Wu Que was also getting drunk. Jiang Bie He had a thought, and slipped out. He used his hands to induce vomiting, and threw up all the wine in his stomach before returning with the intention of urging them to drink more.
Later Yan Nan Tian finally collapsed on the bed and slept soundly. Hua Wu Que was mumbling, “Wine with friends, not leave until drunk, come, have another cup…” Before he finished his words, he also fell asleep on the table.
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