One Qi Chaoyang

Chapter 168 167: A banquet, a friend

As the people below, one thing is that everything we do is to serve the people above. After all, the people above may always look up at the sky and into the distance, or they may close their eyes and never stop.

Therefore, the people below need to observe their facial expressions, know their likes and dislikes, and know whether they are in a good mood or not.

Douzi felt that there was an indescribable sense of expectation on his eldest lady's face. This was the first time in all these years that he saw such an emotion on the lady's face.

"Miss, is that man your friend?" Douzi trotted along beside her because he didn't know why his young lady's little feet under her lotus skirt were walking so fast.

"Not sure." Zhuang Xinyan said quickly. She was indeed not sure, but she counted all the men she knew over the years, and among them, there was only one person who could not necessarily be called a friend.

That person was Zhao Fuyun, a disciple from Tiandu Mountain whom he met in Nanling Wuze when he went to avenge his brother.

It's just that he might have traveled here and come to see her, and if she is not there, he would leave. As for other male monks with other purposes, she felt that they would definitely reveal their identities and would not leave immediately just because she was not there.

Now that the Zhuang family is in trouble, she has seen too many people who want to take advantage of their misfortune and seize their land and property, and some even want to directly seize her.

When Zhuang Xinyan returned home, she quickly went into the reception hall, and then she saw a Zhao Fuyun who was completely different from the one she had imagined.

In her mind, Zhao Fuyun should wear a simple robe, which would better highlight his melancholy and feminine temperament. Now the clothes he was wearing covered all of that, making him look like warm purple jade.

Zhuang Xinyan felt that the person who gave him this set of clothes must not want to see him fall into gloom.

Therefore, this noble and bright color is used to dilute the temperament in him, which may have been accumulated due to some unfortunate experiences.

The housekeeper Uncle Shen was sitting there drinking tea with Zhao Fuyun. There was also a big man next to them whose eyes flashed silver when he blinked.

When Zhuang Xinyan came back, Uncle Shen stood up immediately.

"Miss, you're back." Uncle Ju said, turning his head to look at Zhao Fuyun, but Zhao Fuyun was sitting there without moving.

Zhao Fuyun was also looking at Zhuang Xinyan. She had lost a lot of weight now and looked much more mature.

To be honest, he never thought about meeting her again when he was in Wuze County, and he was even a little annoyed with her at that time.

But sometimes, when you haven’t seen someone you once considered just an acquaintance for a long time, there is always a special feeling when you meet again.

It’s hard to describe the feeling. It’s like in this vast universe, this dangerous world, being able to meet again is a rare luxury and fate.

"Welcome Master Zhao to my humble home." Zhuang Xinyan said.

Zhao Fuyun stood up, bowed, and said, "I was passing by Cangzhou, and I thought you were from here, so I stopped by to see you. You were not here, so I wanted to leave, but your housekeeper called me, so I waited here for a while."

"It is an honor for the Zhuang family to have the Taoist priest here." Zhuang Xinyan said those typical polite words, but the joy in her eyes was real.

That night, the Zhuang Mansion held a grand banquet, but only for one person.

Zhuang Xinyan took out all the good things in her house that could be made into food to treat Zhao Fuyun.

The servants were pouring wine and serving dishes, but no one knew who the current owner of the Zhuang family, Miss Zhuang, was inviting to the banquet.

"You know what? Actually I don't have any friends. When I was little, I envied the kind of people who would invite friends with a paper crane. In the twilight, friends would come riding on a paper crane, drink all night long, and then leave in the morning light, leaving behind wine jars all over the floor and leftovers on the table."

"But in all these years, I have never had a friend visit me like this."

She drank glass after glass of wine.

"You are the first one. I don't know if I am your friend, but since you came to visit me, I will treat you as my friend."

"Here, drink."

Zhao Fuyun just listened quietly. When they were in Wu Ze, he thought that she was scheming a lot, but now he thought that she had gone alone to investigate the cause of her brother's death and to avenge him, but he was powerless and she almost died.

He thought of how powerless he was when he was in the Zhao family, and couldn't help but raise his head and drink another glass of wine.

There were two of them, she was the one talking and Zhao Fuyun was the one listening. He was not a talkative person to begin with. When he was young, he had said too many flattering words. In his heart, he actually hated himself for being like that.

It wasn't until her face turned red from drinking and she was about to slide under the table that she gradually became silent.

"I heard that you were in trouble, right?" Zhao Fuyun suddenly asked.

"Trouble, what trouble in this world could be greater than the trouble of parents and brothers dying one after another in a short period of time?" Zhuang Xinyan said.

"This is a sad thing, but it's not a problem." Zhao Fuyun turned to look at the housekeeper Shen Shu and said, "Tell me about the troubles of your family."

The housekeeper glanced at his eldest daughter, but the eldest daughter waved her hand and said, "Our family's affairs are difficult for an honest judge to judge, and even if we have the right reason, we can't explain it clearly. If it is about our family's affairs, be careful not to affect the reputation of your Tiandu Mountain."

"The reputation of Tiandu Mountain is not so easy to affect." Zhao Fuyun said.

"Go ahead and tell me. I'm not a nosy person. If you don't tell me, I'll leave." Zhao Fuyun said.

When the housekeeper heard his eldest daughter say that the other party was a disciple of Tiandu Mountain, his eyes widened. So did the big man next to him. They all stood aside, wondering which immortal mountain Zhao Fuyun practiced in. They never thought that he was a disciple of Tiandu Mountain.

Although the banker is in trouble now, Tiandu Mountain has been at the center of controversy in recent years. They feel that Tiandu Mountain’s reputation may be useful.

The housekeeper wanted to say something, but although Zhuang Xinyan was lying there, she raised one hand and shook it.

The butler sighed, said nothing in the end, and lowered his head.

"In that case, then forget it. The fun is over and the wine is enough. Bye." Zhao Fuyun stood up, his body swaying slightly, as if he was a little drunk.

The sky outside was dotted with stars and the breeze was blowing gently, bringing bursts of coolness.

Zhao Fuyun's body disappeared into the darkness, as if he had never been there.

"Miss, Taoist Zhao has left." said the housekeeper.

Zhuang Xinyan smiled and said, "Good riddance. He passed by here to visit me. I prepared a banquet for him. How could he get into trouble because of me?"

The housekeeper Uncle Shen felt that this was not something his young lady should say. He knew that the young lady actually had a lot on her mind and could always use some external help.

When he thought of this, Zhuang Xinyan spoke again: "In fact, he hates me. I know that when we were in Wuze before, the way he looked at me, although not disgusted, was not enthusiastic at all."

"I know that many people in Cangzhou are talking about me behind my back, but I don't care. For the sake of my family's business, I can ignore other people's criticisms, but I don't want him to think that I am using him again, because I led those people to him in Wuze before, and used him to help Xiange get revenge. I have done it once before."
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When the wine goes down the throat, the mood surges into the heart. People always have times when they feel proud and have learned a set of skills. At a certain moment, when they meet certain people, they will inevitably have some impulses. For example, when they see a prince, they will want to see this prince and what abilities such a noble person has.

Moreover, Zhao Fuyun suddenly thought of something, wondering if he could improve his understanding of the fire disaster if he took the initiative to respond to some disasters. So he went to a place where he could get some information.

Every place has such a place, where people can gather information and hire killers to kill people.

He came to a grocery store, which was still lit late at night.

The door was closed, but light shone through the crack. He stood in the light in front of the crack, his body glowed like fire, and then he slipped into the door like a stream of light.

In the grocery store, there was a young man lying on a recliner, covered with a sheepskin blanket, a cotton hat on his head, and thick clothes. Although it was winter, it was not that cold yet, and there was a fire next to him.

He lay there with his face thin and pale, looking like a sick man.

Zhao Fuyun stood in front of him and looked at him. He slowly opened his eyes, without any surprise in his eyes, and looked at Zhao Fuyun in the same way.

"A guest is here late at night. What do you need to buy?"

"Are you the shopkeeper here?" Zhao Fuyun asked.

"Every shop in our grocery store has its own manager. Of course, I am the manager here." said the pale young man.

"I want to know what kind of trouble the banker has encountered." Zhao Fuyun asked.

"Which dealer?" asked the pale-faced shopkeeper.

"The Zhuang Mansion in Xinghua Lane." Zhao Fuyun said.

"That will be a big trouble." The pale-faced shopkeeper still had no intention of getting up, but stretched out his hand to warm himself by the fire while speaking.

"How big is it?" Zhao Fuyun asked.

"Everyone in the local area knows this news, but since you come to my shop to ask, you have to abide by the shop's rules. This piece of news costs one spirit stone." said the pale-faced shopkeeper.

Without saying a word, Zhao Fuyun took out a spirit stone and placed it on the cabinet next to him.

The pale-faced shopkeeper didn't even look at it, but Zhao Fuyun's actions seemed to be fully perceived by him. He only heard him say, "The Zhuang family's assets are large enough, and there are enough spiritual fields. She can't keep the things passed down by her ancestors. All the noble families in Cangzhou Prefecture want to take a bite."

"That's it?" Zhao Fuyun said somewhat dissatisfied.

"That's it. If you want to hear more specific details, it's not the price." said the pale-faced shopkeeper.

"Just tell me, your spirit stones will be indispensable." Zhao Fuyun said.

"If you want to ask, then of course I will charge you spirit stones. I'll tell you in detail. I'll charge ten spirit stones." said the sickly shopkeeper.

Zhao Fuyun took out another ten spirit stones and placed them on the counter.

"Where do you want to start?" asked the sickly shopkeeper.

"Let's start from the beginning." Zhao Fuyun said.

"That's something to say. The ancestors of the Zhuang family fought with Emperor Jiwu and made great military achievements. They were granted a sacred land in Cangzhou."

"This is not only a reward for the Zhuang family, but also a way for the Zhuang family to continue to guard this place on behalf of the Zhou royal family. After all, Cangzhou was the hardest hit area by the rebellion back then. Therefore, the Zhuang family has been prosperous for so many years. As a family of cultivators, when there are no more cultivators who can stand on their own, it is the beginning of their decline."

"After so many years, who still remembers the contributions of the Zhuang family? However, some local noble families do remember that when the Zhuang family was at its peak, it suppressed other noble families. At that time, the Zhuang family even had half the say in government affairs."

"So when the banker is in decline, everyone will naturally turn against him."

"About ten years ago, Zhuang Xiange, the last hope of the Zhuang family, responded to the 'Daozi New Deal' and wanted to take a risk and be the first to stand out so that the court would remember the Zhuang family again, but he died outside."

"In everyone's eyes, the banker is just a big piece of fat meat."

"However, surprisingly, Zhuang Xinyan managed to hold on for so many years. This surprised many people. However, she managed to hold on until the end, because her godmother failed to survive the tribulation a few days ago."

"Godmother?" Zhao Fuyun interrupted and asked.

"Yes, she has a godmother, the White Snake Lady from Panshe Mountain." said the sickly shopkeeper.

This answer surprised Zhao Fuyun. He had never thought that the situation of the gray-white snake undergoing the tribulation that he saw in the previous city was actually related to Zhuang Xinyan.

"Over the years, it has always been Bai Niang who has been protecting the Zhuang family's spiritual fields. Bai Niang is also the Zhuang family's guardian deity. Anyone who wants to enter the Zhuang family will be blocked by Bai Niang."

"Besides, the rat infestation and various animal damage outside the city won't cause much loss with Lady Bai here."

“But ever since Lady Bai was forced to survive the catastrophe, not only will Lady Bai die, but the banker will also have difficulty surviving,” said the sickly shopkeeper.

"Is Lady White dead?" Zhao Fuyun asked, recalling the scene of a huge white snake rising into the sky with wind and rain.

"It shouldn't be. If it was dead, it would have been found by now. Its body would have been discovered. It still hasn't been found yet, which means it is not dead. It must have hidden itself, but it must have been injured. It is only a matter of time before we find it."

"The government office has invited Wang Yiwen, an expert at making accurate predictions, to go to Panshe Mountain to do divination. We should be able to find Lady Bai's whereabouts within the next few days," said the sickly shopkeeper.

"In other words, if we want to save the Zhuang family, it would be best to save that White Snake as well?" Zhao Fuyun said.

"This is just one aspect. There is another person who is the key." said the sickly shopkeeper.

"Who?" Zhao Fuyun asked.

"You'd better not know this person's name." The shopkeeper finally took his hand away from the stove and said seriously to Zhao Fuyun.

"Who is this person?" Zhao Fuyun asked again.

"Ten spirit stones." said the shopkeeper.

Zhao Fuyun did not say anything, but took out ten more spirit stones from his belt and placed them on the counter.

"The noble family in Cangzhou just wanted to divide up the Zhuang family's assets, but someone has set their sights on Zhuang Xinyan's bloodline. However, this person has now entered Panshe Mountain to look for Lady Bai, also for the spirit snake bloodline in Lady Bai's body."

The sickly shopkeeper retracted his hand under the sheepskin blanket. He looked into Zhao Fuyun's eyes, as if he wanted to see into Zhao Fuyun's heart.

(End of this chapter)