Chapter 143: Huazhou
Chapter 143 Return to Huazhou
Shilipo, Ping'an Inn.
It was windy and snowy outside, and as it was near the end of the year, there were few people walking around.
"Crack!"
The pine wood in the stove is roasted into a light yellow oil, emitting a light and soft aroma.
The only two customers in the store were half drunk, with swords pressed on their packages. They were also dressed like martial artists and seemed to have just returned to Guanzhong from the south. They were in high spirits and talked about their experiences in the martial arts world.
"If we talk about the biggest gang in Sanxiang, it has to be the Hengshan Clan. Mr. Liu Sanye is generous and charitable, and has great martial arts skills. Many heroes in the martial arts world have received his kindness and are very impressed by Liu Zhengfeng of Hengshan."
The yellow-faced man, wrapped in a half-worn dog-skin coat, poured a bowl of warm wine. There are some unwritten rules in the underworld. For example, if you receive a favor from someone, even if the other party does not seek return, you should still make the other person famous. This is in line with morality.
The burly man sitting opposite said, "As far as I know, the head of Hengshan Sect is Mr. Mo Da, who is also known as 'Xiaoxiang Night Rain'. How come Mr. Liu San's reputation has surpassed that of the head?"
The yellow-faced man laughed and said, "Brother, I often travel around Bashu, I don't know the inside story."
"What's the secret?"
The yellow-faced man said, "Mr. Mo Da, you only became the head because you joined the sect early. I heard that their master wanted to pass the position of the head to Master Liu San, but Master Liu San was too kind and righteous and didn't want to take his position away from me, so he gave up."
The burly man nodded and said, "As expected of Liu Zhengfeng, how many people in the martial arts world would shamelessly draw swords and kill entire families for a little bit of profit? Master Liu San is willing to give up the position of the head of the sect, which shows that he is selfless and worthy of the name of a hero."
The yellow-faced man sighed and said, "Mr. Liu San is upright, but Mr. Mo Da has a grudge against him and has been suspicious of his fellow apprentice ever since. Everyone in Hengshan City knows that the two have had a bad relationship since they were young, and now they have no contact with each other, and their disciples are also clearly divided."
The burly man shook his head and said, "This is wrong of Mr. Mo Da. It is unbecoming of a leader of the righteous sect."
Behind the counter stood an accountant, about fifty years old, who was writing down the conversation between the two in tiny calligraphy.
He was a member of the Sun and Moon Sect and had worked as a private school teacher. His two sons had also joined the sect, so he was relatively reliable. This time, he and another cook and a waiter were brought to Huazhou from Luyang by Zhang Yu to run the Ping'an Inn.
Huazhou City is connected to the provincial capital in the west and Tongguan in the east. There are many people coming and going here, and it is the place with the most up-to-date information in Guanzhong.
The door curtain was lifted, the wind and snow rushed in briefly, and a middle-aged man in a gray robe walked in.
Lu Fu calmly turned over a page in the account book, looked up at the door, and said with a smile: "Sir, are you going to stay overnight or stay at the hotel?"
The gray-robed man walked to the tall cabinet and said, "Neither. Has the owner of this inn changed?"
"Sir, do you know my shopkeeper?"
The middle-aged man in gray robe asked, "Is your shopkeeper Zhang Liyu? I am Lao Denuo from Huashan. I met Shopkeeper Zhang once before on Huashan. I came to visit him today. Is he in the shop?"
"I see. Please have some tea first, sir. I'll have someone go and inform them."
Lu Fu stretched out his hand to call the waiter, who made a pot of hot tea for the visitor.
Behind Ping'an Inn, among the pine trees, there is a simple pavilion.
In the pavilion, there was a fire in the iron stove, and a wire mesh made from a blacksmith shop was set up, on which were placed various skewers of meat, including mutton, venison, and beef, with some fat and some lean meat. Under the roasting of pine charcoal, fat slowly emerged, and a little salt and pepper were sprinkled on it, and the aroma was instantly elevated to a higher level.
"brush!"
"Hoohoo!"
Outside the pavilion, Yue Jian was practicing swordplay in the wind and snow. "Seventeen Swords Striking Left and Right with Broken Branches and Fallen Plums" was very suitable for the two sisters. However, no matter how hard the younger sister tried, she could not beat the older sister. Hua Jian's understanding of kendo was so profound that even Zhang Yu was amazed at it sometimes.
"Boom!"
There was a loud noise in the woods.
A pine tree shook violently, and snow fell off.
The girl walked through the woods, chose a pine tree with the most snow on its crown, and punched that tree.
"She still loves playing with trees."
“But this is really stress-relieving.”
Zhang Yu shook his head, holding the skewers of meat in his hand, and looked at the only person who was still willing to stay with him in the pavilion.
"If she doesn't get sick, maybe this is best for Xiaoyu." Hua Jianan sat quietly in the pavilion with a drawing board in front of her, and was drawing her sister's sword-practicing moves.
Everyone has his or her own unique way of understanding martial arts. She uses her paintbrush to understand the sword moves, strength, and posture.
Zhang Yu looked at the scroll, then looked outside the pavilion.
Only then did he discover that the Flower Sword was not just a copycat, but adjustments were made to and corrections were made to the flaws in each of the Moon Sword's moves, making the entire set of sword techniques look more smooth and natural on the scroll.
"It seems that Yue Jian will never be able to defeat you in swordsmanship."
Hua Jian chuckled and said, "Sir, Yue Jian works very hard, but she is too impatient. Please persuade her when you have time. She listens to you the most."
Zhang Yu nodded and said, "Okay, you can have some venison skewers first. I've grilled them."
"This is what adults call 'barbecue'. It's such a straightforward name for a dish. I've never heard of it before."
"Try and see how it tastes." Zhang Yu is very confident in his cooking skills.
"Thank you for your hard work, it must be delicious."
Hua Jian put down her paintbrush, smiled and took the skewers of Lulou meat strung together with red willow branches, then bit off a piece with her pearly teeth.
She ate with great grace, with the temperament of a Ming Dynasty lady that Zhang Yu imagined. If she had not joined the martial arts world, her slender jade fingers would have been more suitable for holding a needle and thread in an embroidery building.
Zhang Yu saw her covering her lips, sweat on her forehead, and her cheeks reddened, so he asked, "What's wrong? Is it not tasty?"
Hua Jian whispered, "The meat smells delicious, but... a little spicy."
Zhang Yu walked over to her, took the skewer of venison from her, and said with a smile, "Then don't eat it. I won't put pepper in the next batch."
"It smells so good. You didn't call me when the meat was ready. Did you guys eat it secretly?"
Yue Jian had put away his sword at some point and rushed back to the pavilion. He picked up the skewers of meat and started eating. He looked as usual and was not afraid of the spiciness at all.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, how strange! Apart from their appearance, these two sisters are very different in every other aspect.
Yue Jian was eating when she suddenly noticed that her sister's cheeks were red, like red clouds rising, and she was covering her lips. She looked at Zhang Yu standing next to her suspiciously and asked, "Sister, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm fine, it's just too hard."
Yue Jian smiled and said, "Is it hard? I think it's just right."
After eating one skewer, she went to the woods to find Xiaoyu.
At this time, a man came over. He was actually the waiter in the store.
He bowed and said, "Meet the incense master."
"What's the matter?"
"Huashan Laodenuo asked to see me. He came alone."
"understood."
Zhang Yu stood up and walked out of the snow pavilion.
Not long after, Hua Jian saw Zhang Yu coming back.
Hua Jian asked, "Sir, what do the people from Huashan Sect want from us?"
Zhang Yu sat down in the pavilion and said, "He said that Sect Leader Yue and Lady Ning both liked the wine he sent last time, but the wine jars were cracked and there was not a drop of wine left in one jar. He came down the mountain to buy some wine this time and came to us to buy some."
Hua Jian asked in confusion: "The wine jar has cracks and the air has leaked out, shouldn't there be no drop left?"
Zhang Yu picked up a cup of tea and chuckled, "Maybe someone stole it."
These chapters are not boring, some details are used to lay the groundwork.
(End of this chapter)