Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 721 - 31 Drinking (1/2)

Chapter 721 -31 Drinking (1/2)

And now in the Great Qin, a hundred schools of thought contend, but the status of Confucianism and Taoism still far surpasses other schools. Even the Mo Family, which stands side by side as one of the three teachings, is still some distance away for reasons not fit to be spoken aloud.

Wang Anfeng had spent some time at the Fufeng Academy and had seen many Confucian disciples, knowing that although most Confucian students are learned in the classics and history, their martial arts were not lacking either.

The father of that Master from a thousand years ago was a warrior on the battlefield who could carry a city gate on his back and break into an army of thousands. The Master himself also had amazing physical strength but did not wish to be known throughout the world for his valor. After all, the human heart is unpredictable; being able to travel the world several times during years of chaos relied on more than just principles in one’s heart.

As for the young scholar in dark blue long robe to the right, whether his reading was good or not is unknown. Yet, he obviously possessed impressive martial arts. The jade-green flute in his hand was wielded with a set of swordsmanship, light and sharp. As he retreated, he pressed the flute, and the sound was ethereal, causing the average person to feel dizzy and heavy-headed—obviously, a significant inner strength was infused into it.

The young man in black facing him as an adversary heard it most clearly. The longsword in his hand lost its precision, becoming erratic. His martial arts were originally only slightly inferior to the scholar’s, and now he was even less of a match.

Moments later, the scholar closed in and tapped his wrist with the jade flute. The longsword in his hand dropped to the ground with a sharp clang.

The black-clothed swordsman staggered backward two steps, staring at the longsword on the ground as if disbelieving the outcome, he opened his mouth but then closed his eyes and said,

“Today is my defeat, if you wish to kill then kill; I will not utter another word.”

This declaration caused a commotion among the patrons at the nearby tea stall. Upon hearing these words, how could anyone remain seated? Young people were excited amidst their shock, eager for the sight of bloodshed. Old hands from Jianghu, however, were taken aback with alarm.

Fei Yonglin shifted the hilt of his knife at his waist, his face betraying his discomfort. His martial arts were good, but they were far from outstanding among Fei Poyue’s disciples.

Fei Poyue’s vigorous boxing style was distinguished wherever it was displayed, but what Fei Yonglin had managed to learn was merely a fraction of its prowess. Only because those disciples with exceptional talent had already ventured into Jianghu did Fei Yonglin get to be the second senior disciple.

Regarding the two young men who had just exchanged blows, not to mention the scholar whose martial arts I refrain from discussing, my head still feels a little heavy just from listening to his flute music. As for the defeated black-clothed swordsman, his martial arts must be above mine. If we really fought, I would probably last only forty or fifty moves before my head would be chopped off.

Such martial arts at this age definitely indicate instruction from a master.

If we get too involved in today’s spectacle and get blood on our hands, who knows when that master would come knocking on our door for an explanation? In Jianghu, it’s all too common for unintentional involvement to lead to an undeserved death.

Although Fei Poyue’s martial arts are powerful, he is after all just a local strongman. We have been traveling for seven or eight days and are now on Jiangnan Road, where it’s likely that no one has heard of the Fei Family’s martial arts school. There is no need to get involved in this excitement, so I’m considering retreating.

Tian Zhide, who was holding a spear, was also feeling tense.

He glanced at Liu Ling beside him, but the old man was just drinking heavily. Now somewhat drunk, he was half-leaning on the table, clearly unable to continue on the road. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

The scholar holding the jade flute noticed the hubbub at the tea stall, showed a wry smile, and moved the jade flute away from his hand, saying, “We were only sparring, why speak of life and death, brother?”

“This time Liu was just a bit luckier, winning by a half move. If we were to spar again, who would win or lose is still unknown.”

While speaking, he put away the clear jade flute in his hand and placed it next to the jade pendant on his waist, causing a clinking sound.

The black-clothed swordsman fell silent, then sneered,

“Good that you know it too.”

“Nevertheless, I have lost this time. I owe you a favor. Next time we meet, if you lose to me, I won’t take your life, just one of your hands.”

The scholar was a good-natured man. Upon hearing this, he did not get angry, but instead nodded slightly and said thanks softly.

The young man in black kicked the tip of his sword and lifted it from the ground into his hand. His gaze swept over the people at the tea stall, emitting a rather gloomy demeanor. When he saw Gong Yu and others, he hesitated briefly, probably thinking of the disgrace of his defeat, and his expression turned even uglier.

With a snort, he turned and walked away. After a few steps, an intelligent horse chased after him. The black-clothed martial artist slapped the horse’s flank, leaped up onto its back, let out a clear shout, and the horse neighed long. Raising a cloud of dust, it carried him far away.

Tian Zhide was sweating profusely. He placed his palm on a wooden table nearby, supporting his weight, his palm slick with perspiration.

When that black-clad young man turned around to look here, Tian almost thought he would attack next. We were not within city walls, and even if there were skilled enforcers from the Ministry of Punishment around, if he decided to kill swiftly and leave, they couldn’t do much.

The world is vast, and people of Jianghu are detached by nature—changing their names and hiding away, relying on their martial arts to flee thousands of miles. How could the local authorities in an ordinary county ever catch them?

If we were to count seriously, the number of unresolved murder cases each year is not much fewer than those caused by violent criminals, except that the latter often involve hundreds of lives at once, causing a stir.

Yet these unresolved cases are scattered across the vast territories of the Great Qin and appear inconspicuous as a result. Although famous trackers come and go in their investigations, there are always some who slip through the net.

The scholar watched the black-clothed swordsman disappear into the distance, paced over to the tea shopkeeper, and laid down a silver ingot. Then, he repeatedly bowed and apologized to the many travelers seated around, his face filled with regret. Only then did he turn and leave.

Unlike the swordsman who rode away on horseback, he leaped into the air, displaying a superb Qinggong, and in just a few quick movements, he was already dozens of yards away, drawing gasps from the tea stand.

Even more shaken was Tian Zhide. Although his martial arts were modest, his experience wasn’t. Such Qinggong, if improved upon, would be considered a mastery of Middle Third Rank, akin to flying in the wind. Given that the young man was merely in his early twenties, reaching Middle Third Rank in the future seemed almost a certainty. This thought, contrasted with his own circumstances, filled him with sorrow.

It wasn’t until the scholar had left that the old-timers of Jianghu finally breathed a sigh of relief. They couldn’t even be bothered to finish their herbal teas and, leaving a few copper coins on the tables, braved the scorching sun of early autumn to disperse. Even the shopkeeper prepared to pack up his stall to move elsewhere for the coming days.

Coming back to his senses, Tian Zhide also didn’t dare linger any longer. After exchanging a few words with his junior brother at his side, he reached out to nudge the old drunkard who was half-asleep on the table in broad daylight. It was with great effort that he finally awoke Liu Ling, who, first thing, started pouring wine from his jug into his mouth, stirring impatience in two martial artists from the Fei family’s martial arts school.

Fei Yonglin couldn’t help but step forward and loudly called out to Old Liu. As the old man turned his head groggily, Fei Yonglin hastily briefed him on the recent events. Liu Ling, after listening, simply waved his hand and smiled,

“If there was real malice, it’d be too late by now. If it’s just your overthinking, you’re only making trouble for yourselves. Life and death are matters of fate, why be so anxious?”

“Better to drink, better to drink, haha…”

Fei Yonglin was so anxious he nearly jumped up and down.

Yet, he heard an elderly scholar from the group praise, “Well said!” Carrying a jar of wine, the scholar took only two or three steps to bridge a considerable distance and reach the table, causing Tian Zhide to almost think his eyes were playing tricks on him, instinctively rubbing them.

When he looked again, the two gray-haired old men had already cleared the tea bowls on the table, filled them with wine from the jar, lightly clinked their bowls together, and just like that, began to drink heartily right there.

In no time, even the shopkeeper who ran the tea house left with his belongings. Wang Anfeng gave some silver, securing the one table and four long benches for the two elders to drink together.

Liu Ling, a lover of wine, now drank with even more gusto. He gulped down an entire bowl of wine in one breath, a flush of red spreading across his face, and as he exhaled, he uttered a content “That hits the spot.”

Li Qidao, on the other hand, remained unfazed, simply drinking and casually remarking,

“You really do like drinking.”

Liu Ling laughed, “Don’t you like it, brother?”

Li Qidao looked up at the sun and said, “I do like it, but it’s been a long time since I had anyone to drink with. Drinking alone tends to be a bit dull. Today, the sun is just too fierce. Better to drink than to travel.”

Liu Ling was slightly stunned; he didn’t know the extent of Li Qidao’s martial arts and assumed he was just an elderly man like himself. Glancing at the two anxious martial artists beside him, he sensed tremendous courage and high spirits from these words and laughed,

“There are many reasons to drink in this world, mostly for fame or profit. But this is a good reason; I’ve learned something new. You’re right, drinking alone is truly dull. One can drink without dishes, but the company is necessary.”

“Yet in this vast world, you can’t find a few to drink with you?”

Li Qidao shrugged, “Can’t find any.”

He picked up his bowl, gazed at the ripples in the wine, and said nonchalantly,

“In all my years, many who once drank with me are no longer in this world. There are few who are still alive. Back in the day, I had a friend who was the worst when it came to holding his liquor but loved drinking the most. It’s been over twenty years since we last drank together.”

Liu Ling, a true connoisseur and lover of wine, took a sip and smiled,

“Is it because he couldn’t hold his liquor?”

Li Qidao said, “He got better at it later.”

“Then why not?”

Li Qidao let out a laugh, tilted his head back to down the wine in his bowl, too lazy to hide the truth but also not explicit, saying,

“He’s in Heavenly Capital, and I’m in Jianghu. His position just kept getting higher and higher. At its highest point more than two decades ago, he was out of reach, naturally making it impossible to drink together.”

Liu Ling drank his wine with a hint of regret,

“Then he must have neither friends nor wine.”

PS: Here’s the first update for today… three thousand characters~_(:з」∠)_