Chapter 90: A Storm Is Coming
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Seeking Sword Hall was full of guests. Outside, the warm sunshine shone on the lake, and inside, there was music and laughter.
A pair of ladies, dressed as a mother and daughter, were sitting in the main seats and watching the singing and dancing in the hall.
The older young woman was dressed in a soft and elegant blue dress. Her hair was tied into a dignified woman’s bun, with a jade pearl hairpin inserted diagonally. There was a thin gauze veil covering her face, revealing only a pair of enchanting peach blossom eyes.
Beside the young woman was a little girl. She was wearing a white and red dress, and her hair was tied in a double bun like an ordinary little girl. If not for the saber hanging on her waist, she would look like a young lady from a scholarly family.
Although the mother and daughter didn’t reveal their identities and were only called ‘Madam Xue’ and ‘Miss Yun’ by the Zhou family, the famous figures of Jianghu who could sit in the hall were well aware of the young woman’s identity—the cult mistress of the Pacifying Heaven Cult, the woman of Pacifying Heaven Cult Master Xue Baijin!
Xue Baijin was publicly acknowledged to be invincible under the mountains. Not to mention the guests present, even Sword Saint Zhou Chiyang would have to be respectful to this madam.
After Zhou Huaili took his seat at the main table, the famous figures of Jianghu began to chat again.
The Three Absolutes Elderly Immortal, Guanghan Lin, didn’t have the highest martial arts skills in the hall, but he had students and good relationships with people all over the world. He was almost 70 years old and could be considered half an elder of everyone present.
Guanghan Lin was sitting beside Xuanyuan Hongzhi. He stroked his beard and sighed. “The young people of Jianghu nowadays are different from us old people. They don’t follow the rules and don’t take the reputation of Jianghu seniors seriously. A honorary disciple of mine in the capital was taught a lesson by a hothead last month. He stabbed my disciple’s left and right arms. After stabbing, he even said, ‘1 heard that you’re a disciple of the Three Absolutes Elderly Immortal?’ Sigh, I almost died of anger on the way when 1 received the letter…”
“Hehe…” Everyone shook their heads and chuckled.
Zhe Yunli had just rushed over with her master’s wife. Her eyes were sparkling as she asked curiously, “So arrogant? Hero Guanghan, didn’t you deal with that kid?”
Guanghan Lin shook his head and said, “Thirty years ago, I would go to the capital to see whose son was so arrogant. Now, 1 can’t do it anymore. The rules of the Imperial Court are strict, so the rules of Jianghu are naturally lighter.”
The people sitting here were all people of Jianghu. Talking about these things could easily evolve into criticism of the Imperial Court’s ‘strict laws and cruel punishments’.
Zhou Huaili felt that it wasn’t appropriate to talk about this, so he changed the topic. “Heroes emerge in troubled times, and only famous ministers can appear in prosperous times. The current Jianghu is still the same wave as twenty to thirty years ago. The younger generation all grew up in peace. All of them are proud and arrogant, but there aren’t many who are really outstanding…” “That’s true…”
Everyone discussed animatedly.
Luo Ning sat in her seat like a fairy and looked at the musicians. She didn’t listen to these gossips at all. She only played with a small jade pendant with her delicate hand in her sleeve.
The jade pendant was the ‘Dragon Pool Tourmaline’, an heirloom passed down by the Zhou family’s ancestor. She had killed the Wingless Owl with Ye Jingtang in the capital and obtained it.
Originally, she had planned to use this item as a gift for the Zhou family and return it to its rightful owner, thereby repaying the favor of the Zhou family for forging a sword for her back then and no longer having to participate in such boring occasions in the future.
But after sitting here, she wasn’t able to speak no matter what.
After all, this jade pendant had been given to her by the shameless little thief…
On the day she obtained the jade pendant, the little thief had untied her clothes, kissed her shoulder, and even kissed her red lips gently…
If I give this jade pendant away, the little thief won’t be angry, will he…
How could 1 be afraid of him?!
Luo Ning flipped the jade pendant with her fingers, feeling that something must be wrong with her.
She wanted to sweep away the distracting thoughts in her mind and take out the jade pendant to give it away. But every time this thought rose, it was quickly suppressed by her distracting thoughts.
She was going back to the capital in a few days. If the little thief pestered her again because she gave the jade pendant away, wouldn’t it be troublesome…
Just as she was letting her imagination run wild and hesitating, a commotion suddenly sounded outside the Seeking Sword Hall.
“Father! Father! Something happened…”
Luo Ning turned her head and saw one of Zhou Huaili’s sons running in in a panic.
Today was the Zhou family’s birthday banquet, and countless people from Jianghu were present. Some ran in yelling in a panic, so he naturally attracted everyone’s attention. The entire hall fell silent.
Zhou Huaili’s smile froze, and anger flashed across his eyes. He looked up and saw that it was his son, so he didn’t slap him and tell him to get out. He suppressed his anger and said calmly, “Everyone sitting here is an elder. If there’s anything, go look for your third uncle.”
“Third Uncle told me to come here. People from the Red Flower Pavilion are here. There are many people, including the White Buddha and the Jiang Province Crane. There’s a person wearing a bamboo hat in the lead. He’s probably the Red God of Wealth…”
Buzz!
As soon as he said this, there was a commotion in the hall.
The Water Cloud Sword Pool and the Red Flower Pavilion had a lot of friction over the business of the Clear River in recent years. Everyone in Jianghu knew about this.
It was the Zhou family’s birthday banquet today. No one was surprised that people from the Red Flower Pavilion had come to maintain their relationship on the surface.
But who were the people who came?
Fist Grandmaster of the Heavenly South, the White Buddha; Formidable ship gang leader of Jiang Province, Chen Yuanqing; Red Flower Pavilion’s Pavilion Lord, the Red God of Wealth…
There were only three Grandmasters in the Red Flower Pavilion, and they had all come out in full strength. It didn’t look like they were here to celebrate a birthday but more like to annihilate a family!
When Luo Ning heard this explosive news, the young woman’s wandering thoughts were suppressed, and her eyes turned solemn.
Before she left, the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master had already guessed that there would be friction between the Red Flower Pavilion and the Zhou family. She told her to be cautious with her words and not offend either side.
But she had never expected the Red Flower Pavilion to come in such a grand manner. If the two parties fought, she, who had the highest status here in Jianghu, would have no choice but to speak. What should she do…
Zhe Yunli’s eyes lit up. She wanted to get up and go out, but Luo Ning stopped her with a look.
The guests in the Seeking Sword Hall also wanted to get up and take a look, but Zhou Huaili didn’t say anything, and it wasn’t appropriate for them to go out on their own, so they looked at him.
Zhou Huaili’s eyes darkened. He knew that the Red Flower Pavilion was probably up to no good.
But countless friends from Jianghu were sitting here. If the Zhou family showed cowardice, they would definitely be gossiped about in Jianghu.
Zhou Huaili thought for a moment and smiled. “So it’s esteemed guests from the Red Flower Pavilion. Everyone, please wait a moment. 1’11 go out and welcome them. 1’11 be back—”
“No need!”
Before he could finish speaking, a clear voice suddenly sounded from outside the Seeking Sword Hall. “We came uninvited. There’s no need for Sect Master Zhou to go out in person to welcome us.”
The voice was clear, proud, and full of energy. Just from the voice, people could tell that the person who spoke was definitely an untamed young man with extraordinary martial arts skills!
At the same time, dense footsteps sounded from the lake.
Tap, tap, tap, tap…
Their footsteps were extremely fast, and there were many people. It sounded like an army was pressing forward and approaching the entrance of the Seeking Sword Hall!
The oppression that felt like a storm was coming made the expressions of everyone present change. They turned to look out the door.
Luo Ning was so shocked by the man’s voice that her shoulders shook slightly. Her eyes flashed with panic as if she was a little wife who had been caught by her husband.
But Luo Ning’s expression immediately turned into astonishment and disbelief. This voice…
Zhe Yunli’s reaction was almost the same, and she almost slid from her chair..
She opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to say: This voice… Why does it sound so much like my Brother Jingtang?!