“Young master, even if you want to show off your noble air, you have to consider us guards as well.” The golden-robed wealthy man blocked Mu Nianhua’s path. “If something happens to you, even if I, the Thousand-Faced Wealth God, have a thousand more faces, your father will skin me alive.” “I have caused you trouble,” Mu Nianhua sighed softly. “In our line of duty, there’s no such thing as causing trouble or not; all we can do is give it our all,” the wealthy man in the golden robe said gravely as he looked at the burly man. “Crouching Tiger, have you truly resolved to turn against the Mu family?” The burly man known as Crouching Tiger chuckled and said, “That’s right. What are you going to do about it?” The Thousand-Faced God of Wealth was indeed a formidable figure. When he was young, his family was once rich and powerful. Later, his family was persecuted and exterminated. He alone survived, thanks to his miraculous martial art of a Thousand Faces. This skill was peerless for escape, but for taking lives, in Crouching Tiger’s eyes, it was utterly worthless. “If you think that just changing your face will allow you to escape the pursuit of the Five Wheels of Reincarnation, then you underestimate me. You just said that I have a universe in my sleeve. What if I really do have a universe in my sleeve?” Thousand Faces Wealth God opened his sleeves and raised his head slightly. Crouching Tiger narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at the mustached…
“Since the Mu family has already given their answer, there’s no need to wait any longer, right?” The burly man sitting on the tiger-skin lounge chair yawned and said lazily, “Wen Ze?” Wen Ze bowed his head slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, he sighed softly, “Don’t go too far.” “I know, I promise you, at the very least the boat won’t be smashed; we still have to make it ashore,” said the burly man as he rose from the lounge chair, grabbing the large cleaver with a golden hilt beside him, “Let’s go.” "Yes," the nineteen disciples of the Courtyard of Clear Sky responded in unison from behind him. The group marched out of the room with grandeur, the last two disciples carrying the tiger-skin lounge chair. Once outside the cabin, they set the chair down, and the burly man lay back on it, yawning, "Let the Mu family come out. Since they have admitted to this matter, they have to come out and bear the responsibility." “Mu has been waiting for quite some time,” a figure leapt down from the mast, having been seated atop it all this while, admiring the view. Mu Nianhua was dressed in white, with a golden belt around his waist and an elegant long sword in his hand. He looked at the Courtyard of Clear Sky assassins in front of him with an indifferent expression and an extraordinary demeanor. However, there was no one behind him. “You, alone?” The burly man propped his chin with his hand, eyeing Mu Nianhua with keen…
“This is celestial dew, it can heal internal injuries,” the scholar said, holding the reins in one hand and tossing a bottle of medicine into the carriage with the other. “Your wounds are not light; if you hasten to Yunmeng Prefecture like this, I fear you’re rushing towards your demise.” Xie Yuling took the vial of celestial dew, removed the cork to smell it, then asked in bewilderment, “This celestial dew ranks among the apothecary’s most expensive remedies. Just this small bottle costs hundreds of taels of silver. Why would you help us so generously?” “Consider it a travel expense,” the scholar said with a dismissive wave of his hand, appearing unconcerned. Though he now held the reins, driving the carriage so diligently, it should be Xie Yuling and his companion paying him, as if he were their coachman. “It’s just a few hundred taels of silver. You’re also a son of a noble family, so why are you so surprised?” Zuo Feng snatched the celestial dew from Xie Yuling’s grasp, tilted his head back, downed it in one swift motion, and after a satisfying smack of his lips, he declared, “Delicious, bring another bottle.” “I only have two bottles, and if you drink it all at once, there’ll be none left,” the scholar said as he pulled out another bottle and tossed it to Xie Yuling. “The owner of the Medicine Master's Workshop is a friend of mine; it’s just celestial dew, there’s no need for you to pay me back.” Feng Zuojun and Xie Yuling exchanged a glance.…
"If our meeting is fate, then parting should also be left to fate." Xie Yuling couldn't figure out what this scholar was up to. If he were from the Shanglin Heavenly Palace, he wouldn't have saved them last night. But if he was just a passerby, why was he acting so strangely? With a hint of caution in his voice, he asked, "Shall we then part ways and each go our own way?" The scholar said with a smile, “I have traveled on foot, enjoying the scenery along the way, but I have grown weary. Since you two have a carriage, could I perhaps join you in your carriage?” "I'm afraid we're not going the same way," Xie Yuling frowned slightly. “Where are you going?” the scholar asked politely. “We’re heading to Yunmeng Prefecture,” Feng Zuojun declared, cutting in before Xie Yuling had a chance to respond. “Then I’ll go to Yunmeng Prefecture too.” The scholar nodded slightly. Xie Yuling was taken aback. He turned slightly to the side and placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword. "This young master seems determined to accompany us." "I set out on this journey to see the sights of the world, and I am content to go wherever the wind takes me. If a carriage heads to Jimo, then to Jimo I shall go. If a boat sails to the south of the Yangtze, then aboard I shall be. Hence, if you journey to Yunmeng Prefecture, I too shall make for Yunmeng Prefecture. Yunmeng Prefecture is a destination one must…
“Luckily, I have a cool head and a warm heart, not moved by lust or beauty. Senior sister, oh senior sister, you always slumber so peacefully in front of me, you trust me so much.” Su Baiyi laid Nangong Xi’er on the bed, stood up, and whispered, “Feng Zuojun was right… senior sister is really beautiful, and she has it all…” Nangong Xi’er’s legs suddenly twitched. “Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk.” Su Baiyi immediately shook his head, “I am a scholar, how could I think of such filthy things! What does it matter to me what senior sister looks like! Is she not my senior sister if she is not beautiful!” Nangong Xi’er’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. Su Baiyi turned around and walked to the side of the long bench; after hesitating for a moment, he made up his mind and moved a small stool to the bedside. Then he sat down with a thud and muttered to himself, “There’s no harm in taking a peek…” And then Nangong Xi’er turned over. Su Baiyi snapped out of it, sighed lightly, and stood up. He draped the quilt over Nangong Xi’er, then returned to the side of the long bench. After blowing out the candle, he sat cross-legged on the bench and began to circulate his qi and meditate. He had developed this strange problem after practicing the Book of Immortals given by Xie Kanhua for half a year: as soon as he fell asleep, he would lose his consciousness, but gain far more strength than usual. He had almost smashed the…
“What an extraordinary man my master is.” Su Baiyi pondered for a while, and eventually opened the conversation with this remark. Nangong Xi’er ate her rice in small bites, her expression indifferent. “Mhm.” “He opened a school in Apricot Blossom Village to support the two of us, but the money was only enough for us to eat steamed buns, not enough for drinking, so he sold his calligraphy, which was very good, but he was too lazy to write himself, so he taught me how to write. Every New Year, when I wrote for those rich families in the city, we would earn enough for half a year’s expenses in just that half a month. He promised to give me whatever was left, but he never kept his word. He always spent it all, leaving nothing behind.” Su Baiyi watched Nangong Xi’er’s expression carefully as he spoke tentatively at first, but seeing that she remained indifferent, he became more talkative. “Later I learned to be smart, and I would secretly keep some for myself, but then the money was not enough. Master taught me how to listen to the dice, and then he let me go to the casino to make some money back, but I had to lose some on purpose, afraid of attracting attention.” “Listen to the dice?” Nangong Xi’er took a sip of soup. “Yes, I have excellent hearing now. I can close my eyes and hear how many petals fall when Master swings his sword at the apricot tree.” Su Baiyi said proudly. “No wonder, this…
The masked man looked at the woman in front of him and gently tapped his mask with his hand. “It seems that this ship, the Golden Wind, is full of hidden talents.” “It’s all thanks to the poor judgment of the Mu family that we were able to sneak into this section of rooms. If they had discovered earlier that there were distinguished guests from the Shanglin Heavenly Palace on board, how could we, such insignificant people, have a chance here?” The woman bent her waist slightly, her eyes sparkling, full of charm. “Are you trying to cause me disgust? Murong He, the Buddha of a Thousand Faces.” The man in the mask said slowly. “You guessed wrong, I’m afraid. I’m not Murong He.” The woman smiled behind her hand. “Oh? Could it be the Master of a Thousand Faces, He Xue?” The man in the mask said again. “The Courtyard of Thousand Inventions is well-informed, knowing everything under the heavens, but who I am, you really can’t guess.” The woman made a gesture of “please”. “I’m going back to my room now, sir. Have a good day.” “Fine.” The man in the mask turned around and strode away. At that moment, the door swung open, and the person who entered the room changed back into the fat and wealthy man. He smacked his lips, shook his head, and said, “That was indeed disgusting.” Nangong Xi’er finally breathed a sigh of relief and put down her sword, but she was still puzzled. Who were the people living in the next…
Beneath the apricot tree, a man who had drunk too much wine lifted his sword and spoke to Su Baiyi, “There is no weapon more captivating than the sword, and no one more handsome than the swordsman. Would you like to become a swordsman?” "Yes." “Between heaven and earth, the swordsmen roam with grace. Many envy the one who travels the world with a sword, a white robe, and a pot of wine, enjoying the freedom and joy. But behind every stroke of the sword, there are countless times of forging. It is easy to practice the sword, but to truly become a swordsman, one must pay a price beyond the imagination of ordinary people.” “Master, I’m not used to you being so serious all of a sudden.” "You can play with life, but you have to be serious about swords." Xie Kanhua caressed his long sword and said, “There is a city called Jimo, where everyone practices swordsmanship and calls it the Sword City. They use many ways to judge a swordsman’s skill, such as sword qi, sword intent, sword momentum, sword heart, sword path, sword technique, and so on. They also made a tedious list, in which I ranked third in sword qi, first in sword intent, fifth in sword momentum, fourth in sword heart, ninth in sword path, and three hundred and twenty-sixth in sword technique.” “Master, if you think this list is so boring, why do you remember it so clearly?” “……” “Master, what does sword intent mean, and why are you ranked first?" "Sword intent…
Only a handful of crew members bustled about on the deck, while some young couples lingered there, talking and admiring the view, but soon they would retreat to the cabin, unable to bear the river wind. Only one person remained there, gazing at the faraway, motionless, as if sculpted in stone. There were quite a few people standing nearby, watching over this young master. This young master was usually cheerful and chatty, and among all the sons of the Mu family, he was the most playful and carefree, but he was also the most tender and good-hearted son to the Mu family’s servants. But this son, who always treated the servants with a smile and never a frown, would sometimes be quiet like this, gazing at the faraway in a trance, and they would also wisely keep their distance and not bother him, because this must be the son pondering over a very grave matter. A youth in white clothes walked past them at this moment, and in a few steps he reached the mast, slapping the young master’s shoulder, “What are you thinking about?” The servants were all startled, and some of them even planned to rush up and beat up this impudent fellow, but Mu Nianhua turned his head and just smiled. “It’s you, why aren’t you staying in your room?” Su Baiyi smiled awkwardly, “My senior…my wife wanted me to go out and get her something to eat.” “Come on, she’s not your wife, she’s just your senior sister, there’s no food to buy on the deck,…
Two people sat across from each other in the Golden Wind’s bottommost deck, where iron walls enclosed them in the most secure and secluded spot on the whole vessel. One was an old man with a square face and a pale complexion, who had a bronze abacus in front of him. The other wore a white mask, had a thin figure, and carried a long sword at his waist. “We both came here on orders. The master I serve has high martial skills, but a bad temper. He is one of the most difficult masters to serve on Weilong Mountain. He also speaks very rudely. I might as well tell you, manager Yan.” The masked man tapped the table, his tone mocking. “The Mu family of Qingzhou is nothing in my eyes.” Manager Yan moved the abacus and placed it in front of the masked man, “This is all the wealth you have on Weilong Mountain now.” “Manager Yan knows a lot. Even I, who belong to the Courtyard of Thousand Inventions, am not too sure about the exact amount of wealth.” The masked man said softly. Manager Yan started to click the abacus again, and after he finished, he pushed it over. “Within three months, the Mu family can make the price of gold drop by 30%. By then, this will be the amount of wealth on Weilong Mountain. Your master is troublesome, but what about Master Bai? Is he easy to serve?” The masked man cleared the abacus with one swipe after a moment of silence, “I trust…
