“Step aside.”
With a subtle lift of her foot beneath the table, Xu Qingfeng directed her scornful gaze towards the aristocratic youth from the capital who was boasting about his lineage. Her words startled all the diners. The martial artists especially admired her, thinking that although this young lady’s cultivation depth was unfathomable, her courage and boldness were unparalleled. It had been a while since the martial world had shown respect to the court. Daring to confront the son of a minister in Tai’an City, she was likely not an ordinary martial artist. Could she possibly be the descendant of a powerful official? Wang Xionggui’s most undistinguished youngest son, upon hearing this insult, laughed heartily, straightened his back, spun an ivory embroidered ball in his hand, and showed no sign of anger. To him, a woman with a seductive appearance was even more charming when she was a bit fiery and domineering. Wang Yuanran mercilessly dealt with aristocratic youths whose backgrounds were slightly inferior to his own. He clearly knew which peers in the capital were to be avoided, which ones required a warm greeting, and which ones he had to play the role of a junior. In a city of millions, only a thousand or so were truly prominent. Excluding the retired elders and those of equal standing to his father, there were only about a hundred young aristocrats left. Most of them were well-known to him, and he had a healthy respect for those he feared. He truly did not recognize the young couple before him. Confident and composed, he glanced at the purple-robed woman’s chest, thinking she was quite alluring, and then looked condescendingly at the man from the provinces who was kneeling to tie her skirt. Brother and sister? Were they trying to fool him? Wang Yuanran inwardly scoffed, thinking that just because you wore white, did you think you were the Prince of Beiliang who could walk into the palace with a sword and not kneel?
Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “Alright, the courtesy and the transaction are settled. One pair of eyes for an embroidered ball; it seems like you, the son of Minister Wang, have the better end of the deal. If you don’t leave now, I can’t guarantee you won’t be carried in and carried out later. Wang Xionggui has been in office since the Yonghui era, and he has impeached Xu Xiao twelve times, big and small. There is a rightful grievance and a clear debt. Unlike some people in the capital, I won’t hold a grudge against you, the son, for these past matters, and you’re not even worth it.”
Inside Jiujiuman, no matter how hot the mutton pot became, it turned especially fitting once those words were spoken, matching the cold and harsh atmosphere outside the restaurant. At the table where officials were seated, the students and mentors instinctively put down their bowls and chopsticks. The elderly man who had not paid much attention before now looked closely, his face first paling and then turning dark green. On that morning court session, the old man, serving as a Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel with the rank of Zhengwu Pin, was seated at the back and couldn’t get a close look at the Prince of Beiliang’s audacity. Later, when the young man stood alone against ten thousand people at the Imperial Academy, the old man went to the Applying Literature arch to join the crowd. From afar, he saw the young man in white Python robe behaving badly and, together with his colleagues, lamented that Beiliang indeed produced fierce and savage people. Even before coming of age and inheriting the title, he was already so rebellious. How could such a boastful young man be expected to guard the northwest border, a crucial area for the dynasty, when he became the Prince of Beiliang?
Wang Yuanran was so angry that he could hardly speak. He pointed his finger at Xu Fengnian, laughing bitterly, “Kid, do you really think you’re the Prince of Beiliang? Even if you are, what are you going to do about it?”
Xu Fengnian extended one arm, his five fingers forming a hook. Wang Yuanran, a top-ranking young rascal in the capital, was dragged forward and slammed onto the table. Xu Fengnian pressed his head onto the table, creating a hole in it, and Wang Yuanran fell straight to the ground, unconscious. The hangers-on were so frightened they dared not speak, their legs trembling. As aristocratic youths who ranked highly in the capital, they could afford to kick and slap a few times when they were confident of victory, but they never really rolled up their sleeves to fight. That would be too demeaning. The most disgraceful thing they did was spit into the bowls of those who begged for mercy and made them drink it, or urinate on others. But those who did such things usually had fathers with powerful positions, like sons of generals. Could this guy in front of them really be that savage from Beiliang?
Xu Fengnian gave a slight smirk to the young boy, saying, “Throw them all out.”
The young boy, a deadly assassin, suddenly stood up, grabbed one of them like a chicken or a duck, and threw them out the door. However, just as one wave was settling, another arose. The hangers-on who had just been thrown out were thrown back into the restaurant, crashing into their fox-like friends, collapsing on the ground. They were probably too scared to cry out for their fathers. Xu Fengnian turned his head, narrowed his eyes, and saw that one of the true masters of the capital had arrived. The Zhao family had already made the city their own, naturally making it their family’s domain. Among the five or six people who entered the restaurant, there were two surnamed Zhao. Princess Sui Zhu, Zhao Fengya, and a tall, strong man who stepped into Jiujiuman ahead of her was the eldest prince Zhao Wu, who had long been regarded by the court and the country as the next emperor of the Zhao family. Zhao Fengya had a face full of schadenfreude, while Zhao Wu’s face was gloomy. Behind him were three people, a woman whose beauty far exceeded ninety wen, Chen Yu. There were also two powerful palace attendants with long and mighty qi, their steps steady, their waists adorned with golden knives wrapped in yellow silk, bestowed by the emperor.
The official from the Ministry of Personnel, who had already taken a good look, was terrified and dared not look away this time. He was about to kneel to welcome the prince and the princess when Zhao Wu, known for his heroic bearing and the demeanor of the late emperor, frowned and waved his hand, stopping the old man from making a big fuss. The official from the Ministry of Personnel quickly took his Proud disciple and hurriedly bent down to leave the restaurant. The martial artists also dared not stay in a place of trouble for long, leaving the silver behind without waiting for change before fleeing. Wang Yuanran was unconscious, and those who had been helping him were in real trouble. The ugly duckling looked in the mirror and scared itself, and with a few thuds, they didn’t dare to cry out and just knelt there to beg for mercy. Zhao Wu picked a stool to sit on and, without looking at Xu Fengnian, sneered, “A stray dog is just someone without manners, peeing everywhere, not even looking at the place.”
Xu Fengnian turned around, gestured to the waiter to bring the pot and dishes, and then smiled softly, saying, “A dog at home barks loudly, always barking at people, not afraid of being hit with a brick and thrown into the pot. In the cold winter of the capital, eating a meal of locally grown dog meat is really not bad.”
Princess Suizhu lowered her head, seemingly a refined lady, but in reality, she was smiling broadly, one hand holding her stomach, laughing so hard it hurt.
The woman who had just made the new Rouge list, known for her beauty that made all women “step aside,” secretly frowned after hearing their vulgar and sharp words.
The demeanor of the two golden knife attendants was naturally incomparable to that of ordinary high-class servants. They held their breath and stood still, just quietly standing at the door of the restaurant, ignoring the confrontation inside the small restaurant.
Prince Zhao Yi said indifferently, “He is only fit to fight with a watchdog like Wang Yuanran. What a pity.”
The waiters of Jiujiuman had already dared not show their faces. The owner of the restaurant was a woman in her middle age, still charming and attractive, and it was unknown whose golden bird she was. Facing such a big storm, she was also unafraid, smiling and walking out gracefully, holding a copper pot in both hands and placing it on the table. Then she quickly brought three plates of fresh and tender mutton slices with marble patterns, as well as several delicate snacks like sesame cakes, sour cabbage, and pickled garlic in white vinegar. She also brought more than seven or eight bowls and dishes, including smoked vinegar from Qing Xu, homemade soy sauce, freshly fried chili peppers, chives flowers, etc. Red, green, yellow, blue, and white, each dish and bowl was clear and refreshing, making people’s appetites open at a glance. She greeted Zhao Yi’s table with a word saying to wait a moment, then stood leaning against the door of the hanging curtain, swaying with charm. She made it clear she would not miss the fierce battle between the local dragon and the passing Python. It was not just small fish and shrimp; even a few hundred pounds of big fish, thinking they could still turn the tide in these two groups, would have to be obediently put into the pot for steaming or braising.
Chen Yu spoke out, “You all go out first.”
The hangers-on felt a great relief, grateful and tearful, but still dared not move, fearing that this fairy might not keep her word and make their punishment worse. They would surely be skinned and flayed by their parents when they got home. Prince Zhao Wu frowned and waved his hand, and the hangers-on immediately fled, not looking back, leaving Wang Yuanran lying on the cold ground. The words “sharing prosperity and adversity” were not just a few words of flattery or a bowl of chicken blood to drink. Zhao Yi’s words were shocking: “I heard that you personally intercepted and killed Zhao Kai at the Iron Gate Pass. Although I don’t like this brother of unknown origin either, he is still a Zhao.”
Upon hearing these words, the owner, whose charm surpassed that of young women, sighed and retreated to the inner room, lowering the curtain. This was already a secret beyond her right to hear. Even though her patron was powerful, surpassing the imagination of the wealthy offspring like Wang Yuanran, who in the world wasn’t living under the Zhao family’s roof? Not knowing the big picture, one couldn’t survive in the capital. However, this was the first time she had seen the eldest prince, who had been secretly sent to the border for training since childhood. She had often heard that he always led the charge whenever he was in battle. If not for his royal status, his accumulated military achievements would have already made him a real officer commanding three thousand troops. His words and actions were bold and heroic, and this time she saw it with her own eyes, straightforward and Swift and sharp, a true manly man.
Xu Fengnian turned around, “You can eat recklessly, but you must be careful with your words.”
Zhao Wu laughed heartily, “Xu, are you afraid to admit what you’ve done?”
Xu Fengnian laughed along, “I can’t say much else, but I dare to admit beating a household dog.”
Zhao Wu nodded, “If a stray dog could pee on my feet, that’s also a skill. I’m just afraid it’s full of crap, only smelly but not biting.”
Xu Fengnian slowly stood up.
Zhao Wu said, “Just you? Not asking others to help? Don’t come up with excuses later, saying you didn’t eat, so your hands and feet are weak.”
A golden knife guard stepped out three steps, drew his sword a few inches.
Xu Fengnian continued to walk forward, the guard took one step forward, the golden wrapped sword was quickly drawn, the blade light flashed.
But in the blink of an eye, Xu Fengnian stood in front of him, one hand pressing on the hilt, pushing the sword that was about to be fully drawn back into the sheath. The guard in front of the emperor, nearly at the second level of martial arts, had a sharp look in his eyes, lifted his knee to strike. Xu Fengnian’s left hand released the hilt, lightly pushed, the guard’s knee strike missed, in shock, Xu Fengnian delivered a spinning kick, howling into a gust of wind. The guard, unable to draw his sword in time, which would certainly not be advantageous, suddenly dropped a thousand jin, his body fell backward, one hand slapped the ground, just about to retreat a zhang and then rise up, was immediately approached by Xu Fengnian, one palm like a celestial being patting the top, directly slammed into the ground, spitting blood, struggling to stand up.
Without the inner strength of the false Realm of Zhi Xuan, and even without the false Realm of Tian Xiang, Xu Fengnian had witnessed the grandeur of the long scroll unfolding. Even though he had only picked up a few rare feathers, it was far beyond what a guard with less than second-level martial arts could challenge.
Another golden knife guard leaped over his comrade’s body, raising his sword to slash down from above.
In the rain alley battle with the blind zither player, there had been the Eighteen Beats of the Hu Jia.
Xu Fengnian sidestepped, tapping six times on the blade, and the sword’s momentum was gone. With a flick of his sleeve, he sent this palace guard flying to the wall, then summoned the swords Huang Tong and Qing Mei, pinning him to the wall by the shoulders.
The remaining ten swords pierced through in an instant.
After the guard fell onto the table, there were twelve shocking bloodstains on the wall.
Xu Fengnian turned around, grabbing the eldest prince Zhao Wu by the neck, lowering his head with a sinister smile, “What do you have to compare with me, Zhao Wu, besides your surname?”
Xu Fengnian pushed backward, Chen Yu was directly knocked down. This Prince of Beiliang actually pinned the eldest prince of the Great Liang against the wall, unable to breathe. Xu Fengnian asked word by word, “What can you do just because you have the surname Zhao?!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage