Chapter 151: Reunion

Chapter 151: Reunion

In the blink of an eye, the sedan chair had arrived.

The four girls stopped in their tracks, and the man in the sedan chair finally came to his senses.

He glanced around:

"Where are we?"

"Sir, would you like something to eat?"

One of the girls spoke softly, "Although it's just a roadside teahouse, it can still satisfy your hunger."

"Oh."

The young master nodded in realization: "Alright."

With these two words, the four girls carried the young master into the tea pavilion.

The sedan chair was set down, and one of the girls stepped forward to a vacant table, lifting it and placing it in front of the sedan chair.

This sedan chair was small, without a canopy, and when placed down, it resembled a chair with only a top, looking somewhat odd.

The young master took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped clean a small area in front of him.

Only then did he speak: "Where is the waiter?"

"Coming, coming."

The waiter hurried over, but before he could get close, one of the girls stopped him: "Don't come too close."

The waiter paused, then quickly smiled and said, "Yes, yes, what would you like, sirs and madams?"

"May I ask, do you have 'Jinxiu Liancheng' here?"

"..."

The waiter carefully considered, confirming he hadn't misheard, and then smiled helplessly:

"No."

The young master nodded, slightly disappointed.

But he wasn't offended and continued to ask: "Then, do you have 'Wan Niao Chao Feng'?"

"…No."

"Hmm… It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Then… hmm…"

At this point, he spoke very cautiously, hesitating for a long time before asking:

"Shan He Wan Li?"

"???"

The waiter still wore a smile but shook his head firmly: "No."

"Ah…"

The young master sighed: "Then… bring me a pot of Chunyue Nian."

"We only have wild tea from the mountains. Would you like a pot of that?"

"Wild tea?"

The young master seemed surprised at first, then suddenly said, "Waiter, please wait."

He quickly lowered his head, picked up the book he had put down, and after a moment, flipped through a page, scanning it rapidly. Suddenly, his eyes sparkled with joy:

"Good, good, good, I'll have a pot of wild tea."

"…"

The waiter immediately responded, "Would you like anything else?"

"Is there anything else?"

The young master asked, clearly puzzled. He had just listed so many items, but none were available.

Where did the waiter's confidence come from?

The waiter was left speechless and could only say, "Please wait a moment…"

With that, he turned and left.

Su Mo and the others watched for a while, and Zhen Xiaoxiao couldn't help but wave to the waiter.

The waiter hurried over: "What would you like, sirs and madams?"

Zhen Xiaoxiao looked eagerly at Su Mo:

"Boss, what should we eat?"

Her words made everyone present look at Su Mo.

Boss!

Who would be called such a title?

That’s clearly a bandit from the mountain!

Someone immediately clutched their bundle closer, afraid that the chieftain would see it and take it by force.

Others became cautious, subconsciously reaching for their weapons at their waists.

At a table close to Su Mo, a man smiled confidently, nodding lightly at Su Mo and his companions.

Yang Xiaoyun couldn’t help but laugh, coughing slightly as she said:

“What do you have here?”

“Everything you could possibly want to eat.”

As the waiter spoke, he glanced at the young master with a guilty look.

The young master, on the other hand, watched curiously.

Hearing the waiter’s words, Yang Xiaoyun felt reassured and said with a smile:

“In that case, give me five slices of cooked beef.

“Two large meat buns.

“And one cold dish, two hot dishes, you decide.”

“Sure thing, sure-thing.”

The waiter finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking this was a normal order. He hurried around the counter to prepare.

After hearing this, the young master seemed to have an epiphany. He flipped through his book for a moment, then shouted loudly: “Waiter, Waiter!”

“Coming, coming.”

The waiter had just given instructions when he hurried out with a teapot, approaching the young master: “Young master, your tea.”

“Put it down first. Now, cut me five pounds of cooked beef, two large meat buns, one cold dish, two hot dishes, you decide.”

He mimicked Yang Xiaoyun’s words, almost word for word.

The waiter found it familiar and instinctively looked at Su Mo’s table, nodding repeatedly:

“Just a moment, I’ll bring it right away.”

With that, he rushed back.

Su Mo turned his gaze to the young master, who quickly smiled and nodded.

Su Mo returned the gesture, feeling somewhat speechless.

“Whose young master is so ignorant?”

Yang Xiaoyun whispered, “The food he wants, how could this small mountain inn have it?”

Su Mo remained calm, whispering, “Brocade City, Ten Thousand Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, Ten Thousand Miles of Mountains and Rivers… I wonder what it really means?

“But it has nothing to do with us, ignore it.”

Yang Xiaoyun nodded.

A moment later, the waiter brought over a tray, placing the ordered items on the table.

After Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun inspected everything and confirmed there were no issues, they began to eat and drink.

It’s worth mentioning that Zhen Xiaoxiao’s eating prowess at the table, even after several days of acquaintance, still left Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun impressed.

Like a whirlwind, her hands moved swiftly.

Ordinary people eat buns one bite at a time, and perhaps only one dumpling per mouthful.

But when Zhen Xiaoxiao opened her mouth, she could fit two buns in one bite, grinding them down with her teeth before swallowing.

While Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun had just picked up a bun and hadn’t started eating yet, Zhen Xiaoxiao had already finished a whole plate.

Su Mo sighed, “I underestimated her.”

“Waiter…”

Yang Xiaoyun called out to the waiter, feeling like she had been doing this a lot lately.

A short while later, they ordered another table full of food, and Su Mo began to worry as he watched Zhen Xiaoxiao devour everything.

This girl was great, a big, strong lass who fought bravely.

But she ate too much.

If she joined the escort agency, no amount of monthly pay would be enough to cover her food expenses.

Suddenly, Zhen Xiaoxiao stopped and looked at Su Mo cautiously.

Su Mo was taken aback, “What’s wrong?”

“Um… Big Boss, am I eating too much?”

Zhen Xiaoxiao pulled back her large, chubby hand, “Um… I’m full!!”

She straightened her back and gently patted her belly, then nodded as if to add weight to her words.

"..."

Seeing this, Su Mo felt a twinge of guilt and waved his hand, "Eat, eat. I wasn't looking at you; I was thinking about how much monthly pay would be appropriate for you."

"Monthly pay?"

Zhen Xiaoxiao sounded puzzled, "What is monthly pay?"

"Once you join us, you'll naturally contribute to the escort agency. Besides food and drink, you'll receive monthly pay."

Yang Xiaoyun smiled, "It's silver for you to spend as you wish."

"I don't want silver."

Zhen Xiaoxiao said, "As long as the Chief and the Second Chief provide me with meals, what use do I have for silver?"

Su Mo was taken aback, just about to speak when he heard the young master from somewhere shout in surprise:

"What is this?"

The three of them instinctively turned to look and saw him holding a meat bun, which he had carefully bitten into twice.

While chewing hard, he looked amazed:

"What is this?"

Though he was asking, his hands didn't stop, shoving more into his mouth.

The teahouse's buns were indeed good, thin-skinned and full of filling, causing the young master to let oil drip from the corners of his mouth without noticing.

He wiped it off casually, not even bothering to use his silk handkerchief, and then wiped his hand on his clothes before reaching for another bun.

Eating with both hands, his table manners were no better than Zhen Xiaoxiao's.

The other guests in the teahouse shook their heads, wondering where these two hungry souls had come from.

The young master, in his eagerness, kept stuffing buns into his mouth and then grabbed a piece of beef to shove into his mouth, his eyes sparkling as if he had never tasted anything so delicious.

After watching for a moment, Su Mo decided to let Zhen Xiaoxiao eat her fill without restraint.

Hearing Su Mo's words, Zhen Xiaoxiao sniffed, "Chief, you're so kind to me!"

Saying this, she sniffed again and continued to stuff herself.

Su Mo wondered if her words were somewhat perfunctory but didn't dwell on it, joining Yang Xiaoyun in eating, knowing that the table wouldn't last long if left to Zhen Xiaoxiao alone.

At the same time, he kept his ears open, hoping to catch some news.

They were now not far from Haoran Academy, about three to five days' journey away.

Thus, it was wise to stay alert and gather information about Yang Yizhi and his group.

However, after listening for a while, he heard nothing particularly noteworthy.

Just as he was about to give up, several people appeared at the end of the road, moving quickly and seemingly in a hurry.

By the time Su Mo looked up, they were almost at the teahouse.

Without hesitation, these people rushed in.

But the teahouse was already full. After scanning the room, they noticed Zhen Xiaoxiao's imposing figure and wisely skipped over her.

They also glanced at the young master who was devouring buns and beef but passed over him as well.

In the martial world, anyone dressed like that was usually not someone to mess with.

Despite the young master's fancy clothes and the four beautiful girls by his side, he seemed oddly naive, greedily munching on buns.

They didn't want to offend him unnecessarily.

Finally, one of them gestured to the nearest table and shouted:

"Move!"

The people at that table were almost finished. If these newcomers had asked politely, they would have paid and left.

But the newcomers' rudeness made them hesitate. They weren't ordinary civilians; each carried a sword or a knife. Hearing the demand, they laughed:

"Go to hell! Just because you tell me to move, I should? Do you think you're my son?"

"Ha ha ha."

Their companions couldn't help but laugh.

The newcomers' faces darkened. The scar-faced man among them said nothing more, flipped his palm, and sent a strike.

"Huh!?"

His opponent was no ordinary fighter either. With a swish, his single-edged saber was out of its scabbard, the blade spinning and chopping toward the man's wrist.

But then he saw the man’s palm suddenly become elusive, the real and the illusory reversing in an instant.

Not only did this strike miss, but as he raised his head, that palm had already plunged into his chest and abdomen.

It appeared to be a palm, but in fact, it concealed a hidden finger technique.

In an instant, it tapped three times in quick succession on the man’s chest, leaving the knife-wielder unable to move, his face turning pale with shock:

"Phantom Palm?

"Are you the Huai Mountain Five Tigers!?"

"You have some discernment."

The scar-faced man sneered, pointing casually at the man’s forehead.

And the companion of the knife-wielder, upon hearing the name "Huai Mountain Five Tigers," turned deathly pale, completely lacking the courage to come to his aid.

Just as the man was about to die from that single point, the scar-faced man’s expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly pulled back.

But after two shaky steps, he felt a slight chill at his fingertips. Looking down, he saw a fine needle, as thin as a cow’s hair, piercing through his finger.

This cow hair needle, as fine as its namesake, required precise technique to penetrate the skin.

However, the person who struck had done so from a distance.

This demanded no small amount of internal strength.

Otherwise, not only would the needle not travel far, but it would be impossible to pierce someone’s finger.

The scar-faced man’s face darkened, and he clasped his hands together, saying:

"May I ask which hero is this? If you disapprove of our actions, the Huai Mountain Five Tigers, feel free to speak up."

"Very well."

The young master, who was eating a bun, spoke up:

"Why do you people exude such a heavy killing aura? You’re always ready to take lives.

"You want to eat at this table, which is understandable.

"But to speak without reason is your fault.

"But that’s not all; to be unreasonable and still try to kill...

"Sigh, I’ve read countless books, but I’ve never seen such logic."

"It’s you?"

The scar-faced man frowned slightly, looking at the young master, and after a moment of contemplation, he clasped his hands together and said:

"May I know your name?"

"No need for formalities."

The young master also clasped his hands: "We met by chance in the Jianghu. There’s no need to have met before. If you think I’m right, then let this brother go. He just couldn’t back down; he didn’t mean to offend the Huai Mountain Five Tigers."

"Very well, since this young master has spoken, I will..."

He suddenly pushed the knife-wielder: "Let’s put this matter to rest."

The knife-wielder, pushed by him, flew away.

In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of the young master.

Before the young master could act, the four girls around him had already extended their long swords, holding the knife-wielder in place.

Hearing a hoarse sound from the knife-wielder’s throat, he suddenly turned his head, his face already black. Opening his mouth, he was about to spew out a mouthful of black blood.

The young master, with his keen eyesight, saw everything clearly in an instant.

His face showed a hint of pain, and he sighed deeply, lightly flicking his sleeve on the table.

A bun flew out and directly entered the knife-wielder’s mouth, making him swallow all the black blood.

"Master!"

The four girls were simultaneously startled.

They placed the knife-wielder on the ground, about to seal his acupoints, when they heard the young master say:

"Don’t touch him. Just use the sheaths of your swords to hold him. If your fingers touch him, you might get contaminated by the corpse-dissolving poison."

The girls, hearing this, instinctively took a step back.

The scar-faced man feigned surprise: "This, this, how did he suddenly get poisoned?"

"Obviously, you poisoned him."

The young master didn’t even look up, casually pulling out several cow hair needles from somewhere and flicking them into the knife-wielder’s back.

With a few quick taps, he used his internal strength to make the needles vibrate halfway into the body.

The young master frowned: "Still a bit off..."

As he said this, the scar-faced man’s expression became unpredictable.

At this moment, the closest to them were only Su Mo and his two companions. Without any overt movement, he discreetly flicked his fingers at Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, and a faint mist began to drift from his fingertips.

Su Mo's brows furrowed slightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind swept out.

The mist that had yet to reach them was immediately reversed and blown back.

"What?"

The Five Tigers of Huai Mountain all changed color, quickly retreating. Only one of them was a step slower, allowing the mist to envelop his entire head and face.

In an instant, his skin turned pitch black, and he fell over, black blood flowing from the corners of his mouth, a scene of utmost horror.

"Damn it!"

"Third Brother!!"

"How vicious your methods are!"

The remaining members of the Five Tigers of Huai Mountain were enraged, glaring at Su Mo as if he were the instigator.

Their audacity and malice were truly astounding.

Only the scar-faced man, who had somehow donned a pair of golden silk gloves, grabbed the 'Third Brother' by the shoulder and threw him towards the young master:

"This young master, he is also poisoned!"

But before he could finish speaking, a powerful gust of wind swept in from the side, sending the 'Third Brother' flying out of the teahouse.

The young master looked up at Su Mo and nodded with a smile.

Su Mo waved his hand and raised his gaze to the Five Tigers of Huai Mountain:

"Gentlemen... you are courting death!"

As soon as the words left his lips, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air.

Turning abruptly, he saw not a projectile but a person.

This person's lightness skill was extraordinary; he moved like a blade, swift and lethal, as if he were not a human but a weapon itself.

In an instant, the blade was upon them, and the faces of the Five Tigers of Huai Mountain turned pale. Before they could react, a flash of sharpness cut through the air, and a head soared into the sky.

The newcomer had severed a head with a single stroke and was about to continue his killing spree when he caught sight of Su Mo and his companions.

He paused, his steps halted, and he clasped his hands in a salute, his demeanor cold as ice, his presence chilling:

"Chief Escort Su, we meet again!"

This person was none other than Feng Baichuan, the senior disciple of the Heavenly Blade Sect!