Chapter 308 Xiaoxiang Teahouse

Chapter 308 Xiaoxiang Teahouse

Chapter 308 Xiaoxiang Teahouse
A drizzle was falling in Hengshan city. There were few pedestrians on Xinghua Street. There was a teahouse on the corner. The stove facing the street was burning brightly. The eight square tables in the inner room were full of people. There was a faint sound of flute coming from upstairs, melodious and crisp, which could soothe the impetuous and worldly heart.

"DengDengDeng!"

Dr. Tea carried the wooden tray and went upstairs.

There are four round tables upstairs, which symbolize stability and the roundness of the sky and the squareness of the earth.

At the front of the private room, there is a small compartment with a bamboo curtain. Occasionally, wandering artists of the lower class would come here to sing and perform to earn some money. The income depends entirely on the tips from the guests. According to the rules, the teahouse only serves a pot of tea and two plates of snacks, and does not ask about anything else.

"Sir, tea is here."

The flute sound stopped temporarily.

"Please come in."

Dr. Tea held the wooden tray in his left hand, lifted the bamboo curtain with his right hand, and walked in sideways.

The compartment was cramped, with only a wooden desk and an official hat chair.

"The shopkeeper will give you a pot of Longjing tea, a plate of pumpkin seeds, and a plate of candied fruit. I wish you a happy life wherever you go."

Dr. Tea glanced at the guests behind the table, then hurriedly lowered his head to pour tea, hiding the surprise in his eyes.

Most of those who came to the teahouse to perform were the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled who were poorly clothed and had little food.

The man was wearing a black robe of high-quality material and long boots, which seemed to be of extraordinary quality. Just to mention the black gauze hat on his head, with the gauze hanging down to the neck to cover his face, it was a high-quality product sold by the Wu Shi Tang in the north of the city. It cost eight cents of silver each, which was equivalent to two months' salary for him.

The man looked at the tea dust floating in the cup and chuckled, "I don't ask for sweetness without bitterness. If it's bitter first and sweet later, that's already great."

Dr. Tea smiled and said, "Sir, you are a person who cherishes your blessings, so you will have nothing to worry about."

"Lend your auspicious words."

"Boss Li from the No. 1 Elegant Room, I'd like to give you 720 coins as a reward. It's already been recorded on the counter."

"I'm ashamed."

No matter how much Dr. Tea thought this man was strange, he would never show it on his face. As the owner of a teahouse, he was also a layman and was used to seeing strange people and things.

There is a man who has a fortune, and his biggest hobby is to dress up as a beggar in a tattered suit, begging on the street for dog food.

There were those who were penniless, who pawned their wives and daughters, and borrowed money at high interest, just to buy themselves a decent outfit. They then went in and out of teahouses and brothels, pretending to be mysterious, but in fact they did not have a single ounce of silver in their pockets.

"Thank Boss Li and your shopkeeper for me."

"Enjoy your meal, sir. If you need anything, just call me anytime."

Dr. Tea said a few polite words, took the wooden tray, lifted the bamboo curtain and walked out.

Just at this moment, there was a sudden noisy noise from downstairs.

Zhang Yu picked up the teacup, walked to the south side of the compartment facing the street, opened half of the window, and could just see the half of the first floor facing the street.

Teahouses have always been gathering places for all kinds of people in the world, and it is a good place to get information. The "Purifying Heart and Universal Good Mantra" that was just played is only known to very few people in the world. One of them is Mr. Liu Sanye from Hengshan, who has a huge fortune and certainly will not lower himself to perform in a teahouse to beg for money.

"If the music master could hear the sound of the flute, he would know that I am coming."

He lifted the gauze curtain, blew away the smoke, and drank half a sip of Hengshan City tea.

"Hmm~"

“Slightly bitter, but then turns sweet.”

In the lobby of Xiaoxiang Teahouse, dozens of people were all shocked and speechless when they saw the seven teacups and seven porcelain rings on the table.

The sad sound of the erhu faded away, and everyone looked towards the street. The hunched figure disappeared in the misty city of Hengshan City in an instant.

The teacup will not fall over and the porcelain rim will be intact.

"There is a sword hidden in the zither, and the sword makes the sound of the zither. Who else could it be except Xiaoxiang Yeyu, Mr. Mo Da?"

"Mr. Mo Da, this...how is this possible? Isn't he at odds with Mr. Liu Sanye..."

The man with the white beard sneered, "No matter what they are, they are still my fellow disciples. It is not their place for outsiders to talk nonsense. Look at the nonsense you said. Fortunately, Mr. Mo Da did not take it seriously. Otherwise, it would not be these seven teacups that would be cut off, but your head!"

The dark-faced man was still afraid and touched his neck: "Yeah... Oh, that's not right, brother, you said a lot just now, how come seeing these seven teacups makes it all my fault?"

The conversation of the crowd was overheard by Dr. Tea who came down from the second floor. He was stunned for a while. The old man who had been singing in the teahouse these days was actually Mr. Mo Da, the head of the Hengshan School?
Zhang Yu stood by the window, the sound of flutes rose again from upstairs, and mist and rain fell downstairs.

The world is like a chess game, with crisscrossing connections.

The teahouse is like a stage, where people perform on stage.

Before entering the city, the beggar from Baitang Town changed into plainer clothes and bought a red oil-painted bamboo hat on the street for eight cents. His face was still a mess, and he quietly found a seat in a teahouse.

In just a moment, the white-haired old man and the girl in green walked into the teahouse.

The sound of the flute is slightly sluggish.

Afterwards, a tall and thin young man with a white ape squatting on his shoulder also came over.

Huashan disciples gathered together, and laughter filled the teahouse.

While everyone was talking, hurried footsteps were suddenly heard at the end of the street.

Lu Hou'er looked up and saw a dozen people coming in the rain, wearing oilcloth felt clothes, with light steps and long swords in their hands. He recognized the tall old nun in the lead, whose Buddhist name was Dingyi. She was the junior sister of Master Dingxian, the head of the Hengshan School, and was famous in the world for her hot temper.

"Linghu Chong, get out here!"

"Meet Uncle Dingyi."

"Don't be so polite! Where is Linghu Chong? Why don't you let him come out to see me? I want to ask him how he can help outsiders deal with his fellow disciples of the Five Mountains Sword Sect."

Yue Buqun and Linghu Chong were not in the teahouse. Lao Denuo, as the leader of the group, walked to the street and greeted Master Dingyi. Seeing that the other party was coming with an aggressive attitude and speaking unkindly, he was also confused. He didn't know how the eldest brother had offended the fellow disciples of the Hengshan School.

"That's strange. Could it be that the little nun Yilin was captured by Tian Boguang again?"

Zhang Yu stood at the window. He did not dare to claim that he knew everything, but he was still foresighted in some aspects. Originally, Linghu Chong had fought with Tian Boguang in Huiyan Tower to save Yilin, which caused misunderstanding by the Hengshan Sect.

"No, he has tasted the power of the life and death talisman. Even if he has lustful thoughts, he would not dare to sacrifice his life."

The young girl in green walked from the corridor to the old nun and bowed, saying, "Uncle Master, is there any misunderstanding here? Senior Brother has always been chivalrous and caring for his fellow disciples. How could he help outsiders deal with the Hengshan Sect disciples?"

"Hmph, Yi will tell you what happened this morning."

"Yes, Master, Junior Sister Yue, this is what happened..."

After Yilin lost her footing in the mountains last night, Yihe led people to search for her for a long time, but still could not find her. They had to rush to Hengshan City to report to their master. Master Dingyi always protected her shortcomings and loved her youngest disciple Yilin very much. She immediately led all Hengshan disciples into the mountains in the middle of the night to search for her, but found nothing. They then dispersed the disciples to search around Hengshan City, but still found nothing.

At dawn, when Yihe passed by a tavern in the northern suburbs, she accidentally discovered that the rosary that Junior Sister Yilin never took off was actually worn around the neck of a wretched-looking man, who was drinking with Linghu Chong of the Huashan Sect. She was immediately furious and drew her sword to capture the evil thief.

Unexpectedly, after only five moves, Linghu Chong drew out his sword, separated the two men, stood in front of the wretched man, and repelled Yihe. Yihe saw that the two men were no less skilled than she was, and that it was useless even if she fought desperately, so she hurried to report to Dingyi. When she and the Hengshan disciples came again, Linghu Chong and the man were nowhere to be seen.

Master Dingyi has always had a hot temper and would always be unreasonable. Now that she has found the culprit, she is not willing to let the Huashan Sect off. She brought her disciples into the city and found out what was going on.

Yihe looked at the two of them and said, "Monks do not tell lies. Brother Lao, Sister Yue, this is what happened."

Ding Yi snorted coldly, his eyes swept across the faces of Lao Denuo and Yue Lingshan, and he shouted in a rough voice: "What else do you have to say? Could it be that you suspect that I am a disciple of Hengshan Sect and fabricated lies to deceive you?"

Yue Lingshan knew that her senior brother had always behaved in a somewhat rude manner, but he had a kind heart and an open mind. He would help even strangers. Moreover, the Five Mountains Sword Sects were of the same blood. How could he collude with evil people and harm his junior sister from the Hengshan Sect?

"Uncle Master, I'm afraid there is some misunderstanding."

Ding Yi sneered: "Oh! Lingshan, you mean that I wronged you."

"Uncle Master..."

Seeing that Yue Lingshan was still about to defend Linghu Chong, Lao Denuo interrupted her and bowed to Ding Yi.

"Uncle Master, Senior Brother Linghu is not here. We have been waiting for him but he has not come."

Ding Yi glanced at him and sneered, "You are such a sly person, you know how to use these words to evade me. Fine, fine, since you don't know where Linghu Chong is, I will go to Yue Buqun to ask for him and see what he, as a master, has to say!"

"Uncle Master, please don't. Senior Brother just got thirty sticks for being drunk in Hengyang. Now that you said that, he will get another sixty sticks."

Yue Lingshan became anxious and stepped forward to stop him.

Ding Yi said angrily, "You rude and righteous beast, it's no injustice to kill you, but I'm afraid your father won't have the heart to clean up the mess. Fine, I'll detain you first, and then ask Yue Buqun for an explanation."

After she finished speaking, the old nun suddenly stretched out her hand and locked Lingshan's wrist, as if it was an iron hoop. She screamed "Ah" and tears welled up in her eyes due to the pain.

"Uncle Master..."

"Whoosh!"

A strong wind suddenly blew out from Xiaoxiang Teahouse.

Ding Yi snorted coldly, let go of Yue Lingshan, flipped his fingers, and clamped the "hidden weapon" that was shot at his forehead, but he couldn't help but took a half step back.

Everyone looked closely and found that it was actually a pumpkin seed, which forced Hengshan Dingyi to step back half a step. They were all surprised, just like Mr. Mo Da before, who cut off seven cup rims with one sword. They all looked at the people around them, trying to find out who launched the hidden weapon, but at the same time they were worried that they would be angered by the Hengshan Sect.

"Humph!"

Dingyi shook his fingers, and the plump pumpkin seed immediately turned into powder.

"Which master from Huashan Sect has arrived? Are you ashamed to call some juniors to lead the way?"

She stood on the street covered with drizzle, looking towards the Xiaoxiang Teahouse with a solemn expression, and her fingers hidden in her sleeves were trembling slightly.

The pumpkin seeds are extremely crispy after being fried, yet they are able to exert such a force that the person who attacked secretly, whether in terms of the technique of hidden weapons or the cultivation of internal strength, has already shown the demeanor of a master.

"When did Huashan Sect have such a master? And he is a friend of Master and his wife, who saw injustice and came to help?"

The Huashan Sect disciples themselves were also confused and looked at each other.

"Okay! Since you want to be a coward, don't blame me for taking it out on the juniors!"

Ding Yi felt that he was at a disadvantage and became furious. He took two steps forward, bypassed Yue Lingshan, reached out to grab the defenseless Lao Denuo, and slapped him in the face. Half of Lao Denuo's face instantly became red and swollen.

"Uncle Master..."

He felt extremely aggrieved and didn't know why this crazy woman Ding Yi suddenly attacked him.

Ding Yi was very rude and sneered, "Yue Buqun is not strict in his discipline. You should regard this slap as a punishment for your teacher."

After hearing this, even the good-tempered Huashan disciples could not help but get angry and put their hands on the hilts of their swords. The Five Mountains Sword Sects are of the same blood. Dingyi, as the uncle, taught Yue Lingshan and Lao Denuo a lesson, no matter whether it was reasonable or not, and everyone had to bear it. However, the words just now insulted Huashan's leader Yue Buqun, which was very excessive.

Just as the two groups were arguing fiercely, two people came running towards them from the other end of the street holding oil-paper umbrellas and lanterns. The one leading them was Liu Zhengfeng's eldest disciple Xiang Danian. When he came closer, he greeted everyone one by one.

"Xiang Danian greets Uncle Dingyi and all the sisters from Hengshan Sect."

Dingyi nodded slightly.

Xiang Danian bowed and said, "Brother Lao, Brother Liang, fellow disciples of Huashan Sect, I am honored to meet you."

Mi Weiyi clasped his fists and said, "My master has asked us to welcome all the heroes from the martial arts world. Since there are so many people coming in the past two days, please forgive me for my negligence."

Lao Denuo had a half-swollen face and felt very embarrassed, but he was good at endurance and shouldn't have taken his anger out on the Hengshan Sect. He smiled and returned the greeting, "Hello, Senior Brother Xiang. I've heard that Senior Uncle Liu San's disciples are full of talented people. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."

Xiang Danian bowed again and said, "No, no, I just met Senior Brother Linghu. He discussed swordsmanship with our master. We all benefited a lot from listening to him. You two are both elites of Huashan. If there is a chance, I hope you can teach me."

Ding Yi reacted, his eyes narrowed, and he asked hurriedly: "What did you say? Where is Linghu Chong?"

Xiang Danian was a little surprised, not knowing what he had said wrong, so he could only tell the truth: "Master, I happened to meet Senior Brother Linghu when he entered the city early in the morning, so I invited him to rest in my shelter first."

Yihe was worried about the whereabouts of her junior sister, so she stepped forward and said, "Master, we..."

Ding Yi stopped her, glanced at the people from Huashan Sect, and said to Xiang Danian, "We are just about to come to visit Mr. Liu San, please lead the way."

Lao Denuo and Yue Lingshan looked at each other. Now that they knew the whereabouts of their senior brother, they should go there at least to ask which side was being rude. The slap in the face from the Huashan Sect could not be taken in vain. And seeing Dingyi's arrogant look, she would never give up unless they followed him.

He cupped his hands and said, "Stop nagging!"

"Everyone, please! Everyone, please!"

Xiang Danian still didn't know what had just happened, but he felt that the atmosphere between the Hengshan Sect and the Huashan Sect was a bit strange. He didn't want to ask too much, so he could only hold the lantern and lead the way in front.

"My master said that the Five Mountains Sword Sects are of the same origin. Your presence here is a great honor to the Liu family. Why would you bother to complain?"

Dozens of people walked along the long street in a mighty procession. After a few hundred steps, they turned the corner and crossed three streets. They saw a big house on the left. Eight big lanterns were lit at the door. More than 20 people holding torches and umbrellas stood in front of the door to welcome guests.

"A distinguished guest has arrived!"

"Welcome!"

After the Hengshan Sect and Huashan Sect's two groups entered, Liu Zhengfeng's disciples led many guests in from both ends of the long street. There was an endless stream of people. There were still several days before the official start of the Golden Plate Washing Hands Conference, and since the beginning of June, the Liu Mansion's banquets had never stopped, and money was spent like water.

"What a grand display, is it to buy peace of mind?"

The man in a black robe and a veiled hat stood on the street for a while, blended in with the crowd, and then followed him in.

There are many strange-looking people in the world. Some wrap themselves tightly in white cloth all year round, some wear masks and never show their true faces, and there are also many people like Zhang Yu who wear straw hats.

The buffet banquets these days were originally organized by Liu Zhengfeng to do good to his fellow martial artists. On the day of his retirement, he will strictly follow the invitation to attend the banquets.

At that time, it was not easy for ordinary people in the underworld to sneak into Liu's mansion.

(End of this chapter)