Xuanxia

Chapter 563 Fate

Tang Jiao has been in a bad mood in recent days.

The reason is that Mingjian Pavilion has suspended the investigation of the person behind Wuli Village.

Although Fu Qingzhou accompanied her for a whole day and talked a lot, and also let her know some confidential information, letting her know what the emperor and Mingjian Pavilion were planning... she still felt lost.

I finally tracked down the clues and got to this point, but now I have to put it aside...

Therefore, she only did a few things these days.

First, cooking and frying at home is her most leisurely and comfortable time. She doesn’t have to think about anything and it’s very relaxing.

Second, take care of Tang Min - after that night, Tang Min fell ill.

This is not surprising. After all, he is old and has suffered serious injuries one after another. In addition, he has accumulated too many hidden injuries in his early years. If he relaxes all of a sudden, he will naturally get sick... The small courtyard could not accommodate Tang Min, so Tang Jiao opened a small courtyard for him in the best inn on Baishi Street and went to take care of him every day.

The third place is to come to Chang'an Lane.

After Nan Muzhi passed away, she wanted to continue running Nan Muzhi's private school.

But today, Tang Jiao was not here to give lectures to the children here. It snowed heavily the night before yesterday, so it must be especially cold today. Most of the children here are thinly dressed and cannot afford good clothes. That small private school has holes and leaks, so if they were to take classes there, they would probably be frozen to death.

Therefore, she planned to come and pay tribute to Nan Muzhi, and then invite some craftsmen to renovate the small private school.

Unexpectedly... I suddenly ran into an acquaintance.

"I see."

After some pleasantries and a brief understanding of the whole story, Tang Jiao said softly, "Brother has been very busy these days and went to the palace early in the morning. He hasn't told me about you, the Young Alliance Leader."

"Don't call me Young Leader anymore." Hua Wuying sighed.

After that, he forced a smile and asked, "Miss Tang, did you see the exiled old man just now? Ah, you should know him?"

"Mr. Exiled, of course I know him."

Tang Jiao responded, but then shook her head and said, "I haven't seen him."

"Strange." Hua Wuying rubbed his temple: "Can't it be that I saw it wrong?"

At this time, Hua Xiaolan, who had been silent for a long time, said softly: "Wuying, if that old man is really an expert, then I'm afraid that his purpose was to lead you here to meet Miss Tang."

Hua Wuying was shocked.

Bring me to see Tang Jiao?
This doesn't make sense. I've already met Fu Qingzhou, and it's only a matter of time before I meet his junior sister. Why should I do this?

But soon, he thought of something: "Miss Tang, you said that you came here today to... pay tribute to Mr. Nan?"

Tang Jiao nodded slightly, and looked at Hua Xiaolan with some doubt.

She had stayed in Wandu Mountain for many years. Although she was taken in by the Wandu Mountain, she did not have a good life there and did not have a good impression of the Miao people... But her impression of Hua Xiaolan was very complicated.

On the one hand, she was the leader of the Miao people, so Tang Jiao naturally wouldn't have a very good impression of her.

But on the other hand, it was also because she sent me to Fu Qingzhou that I was able to have my current situation.

Hua Xiaolan...is actually so closely related to Hua Wuying?

Tang Jiao blinked, trying hard to hide her confusion and shock.

Hua Wuying and Hua Xiaolan did not notice her look.

The two of them looked at each other and seemed to understand something.

"Since that old man has brought you here... then you should follow Miss Tang and go to pay respect to Mr. Nan together." Hua Xiaolan said with a smile: "Perhaps, something will happen?"

Hua Wuying nodded slightly.

"Mr. Nan is a man of high character. Even if it's not for this, I should pay tribute to him when I meet him today."

He said to Tang Jiao, "Please lead the way, Miss Tang. We will go together."

Tang Jiao naturally would not refuse.

After Nan Muzhi passed away, Fu Qingzhou and his colleagues buried him in a deserted graveyard behind Chang'an Lane.

Normally, there would not be such cemeteries in the capital city. There were public cemeteries and mass graves outside the city. If citizens of the capital passed away, they would mostly be buried outside the city, but... the people in Chang'an Lane were too poor.

They were too poor to buy a coffin or hire someone to hold a funeral, which meant that it was difficult for them to bury the body outside the city.

Therefore, at some point in time, they marked out a piece of wasteland behind the alley as a cemetery.

At that time, Fu Qingzhou wanted to give Nan Muzhi a grand funeral, but Tang Jiao thought that he had spent his last years and time in this alley, so it would be best for him to stay here after his death.

"In front is the cemetery where Mr. Nan is buried... Huh?"

As Tang Jiao spoke, she walked through the path between two dilapidated houses, but as soon as she saw the cemetery, she saw a figure standing in front of Nan Muzhi's grave.

Not only that, Nan Muzhi's grave was also filled with offerings and incense burners.

Hearing that someone was coming, the person in front of the grave turned his head slightly and took a look.

This is an old man, wearing simple plain clothes, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin. There is an indelible sense of fatigue between his brows, but at the same time there is a kind of majesty that makes people feel frightened.

"You are..." Tang Jiao walked forward slowly and asked tentatively, "Mr. Nan's friend?"

The old man seemed a little surprised when he heard her call out "Mr. Nan".

His gaze paused on Tang Jiao, then glanced at Hua Wuying and Hua Xiaolan who were standing behind her, and asked, "Who are you?"

"We...I am Mr. Nan's junior."

Tang Jiao said softly: "Mr. Nan has been taking care of me since I was very young."

The old man nodded and said nothing more.

Hua Wuying and Hua Xiaolan looked at each other, seemed to realize something, but did not ask any more questions.

They followed Tang Jiao to pay a simple tribute in front of Nan Mu's grave. Tang Jiao said some trivial things, such as the private school needed to be renovated as the weather was getting cold, the children in Chang'an Lane missed Mr. Nan very much, a child from a certain family asked an interesting question in class yesterday... and so on.

Hua Wuying was moved by what he heard and said a few words, promising that if Tang Jiao needed help, he would do his best to help.

During the whole process, the old man stood not far away and watched quietly.

At this moment, a sound of light footsteps was heard not far away.

At some point, a secret envoy from the Mingjian Pavilion slowly appeared. His expression was calm but cold. He held the hilt of the knife, his eyes fixed on Hua Wuying, and walked towards him step by step.

Several people noticed him at the first moment, and Hua Wuying's face changed.

"What's wrong?" Hua Xiaolan asked softly.

Hua Wuying raised his head and glanced at the sky: "They asked me to go to Dongliu Inn to be under house arrest within an hour, I... forgot the time..."

When these words were spoken, everyone around was stunned.

The secret envoy came closer and closer, with a very unfriendly look on his face.

But at this moment, the old man suddenly walked towards the secret envoy.

The envoy was startled when he saw the old man, but soon the coldness and scrutiny on his face turned into respect and he lowered his head slightly.

"Give me some face."

The old man did not shy away from Tang Jiao and the others and said bluntly: "Give him a chance."

"Understood." The emissary bowed his head slightly, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "I will give him another hour."

The old man nodded, and the secret envoy turned around and left without saying anything, but he did not go far. He just stood at the wall of a dilapidated house not far away, looking at Hua Wuying from a distance.

"This senior..."

Hua Wuying quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Thank you."

"Aren't you curious about who I am?" the old man asked calmly.

Hua Wuying shook his head and said softly, "We are just worshippers in front of Mr. Nan's tomb. Why ask where we come from when we meet... I promised Mingjian Pavilion, but broke the appointment. It was my fault. Senior spoke for me. I am already extremely grateful. How dare I ask for more?"

After that, he raised his face, turned his head and smiled at Tang Jiao: "Miss Tang, thank you."

Tang Jiao was stunned: "Thank me for what?"

"These past few days, I have been at a loss, almost losing myself, and often thinking about how the Wulin Alliance has fallen to this point, and what will happen to me in the future?"

Hua Wuying said slowly: "But after hearing about Mr. Nan's deeds, I have become more open-minded - life may not only have one path, there are many people waiting for me to help, and there are many things waiting for me to do."

"Even though my master has been possessed by a demon, the master who once guided me is still real. He is gone, but I have not changed. I... have many responsibilities and cannot sink into despair."

After that, he bowed deeply to Tang Jiao, bowed again to the old man, and finally smiled at Hua Xiaolan: "Xiaolan, let's go."

Hua Xiaolan smiled slightly and nodded.

But just as they were about to turn around, the old man suddenly spoke.

"Wait a minute."

He said slowly, "Young man, you are right. Why ask where you came from when we met? But meeting is fate. Since we are paying tribute to the old friend today, I cannot fail to express my gratitude."

After saying that, he slowly took out two copper coins from his sleeve.

The shapes of these two copper coins are somewhat strange. They are not the copper coins commonly used today. Whether it is color, shape or size, they are all rather strange.

"I didn't bring much with me, this is all I have."

The old man said calmly: "Little girl, and this young man, each of you take one - this thing is of little value, but if you need help one day, take this copper coin and go to Shisong Hutong Street in the northwest of the capital."

"On that street, there is a house without a lantern... When the people in the house see this copper coin, they will do their best to help you solve your problem."

Without saying anything, he threw two copper coins to Tang Jiao and Hua Wuying respectively, then walked away leisurely with his hands behind his back.

Tang Jiao, Hua Wuying and Hua Xiaolan looked at each other.

But they knew that this meeting was not necessarily a vague fate... but was inexplicably arranged by the elusive fortune-teller...

(End of this chapter)