Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 54 Third Visit to the Burning Tail Inn: Are You the Owner? (4 words)
In front of the dojo, the autumn sun slanted across the eaves, warming the dojo.

Fang Shu glanced at the charred plaque above the gate. The characters were painted in vermilion with scorch marks, and it read "Shaoweiguan" (Burned Tail Hall).

He walked in with practiced ease.

Unlike before, this time when he entered the sect, the female Taoist priest named Xiao Lili did not come out to greet him in time.

This is someone else's dojo, so Fang Shu can't just go in directly, lest he break a taboo and get into trouble.

He could only wait outside the hall to see if anyone would come out of the burning tail hall to take over.

But Fang Shu didn't just stand there idly. He strolled around in the nearby open space.

During his wait, figures kept passing by him.

One of them glanced at him a few more times, then suddenly turned around and walked towards him.

The other person was walking stealthily, seemingly trying to scare him, but before he could get within three zhang of Fang Shu, Fang Shu noticed him and turned his head to look.

A gaunt young man appeared in Fang Shu's eyes. Who else could it be but the toad-like boy, Yin Xiaojian!
Yin Xiaojian assumed that Fang Shu had turned his head to look at him by coincidence.

A bored smile appeared on the other person's face, then they walked briskly towards Fang Shu, raising an eyebrow and saying:

"Brother Fang is here again. As I said last time, if the dojo is accepting apprentices, I will naturally let you know in advance."

Yin Xiaojian spoke fluently, her voice carrying a hint of reproach:

"Look at you, you're going to make another wasted trip. There's still a month or two left."

Fang Shu recognized him as an acquaintance and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings, Brother Yin."

He thought for a moment and then said, "I have come here today on business, and I would like to ask Brother Yin for a favor."

Where is Fellow Daoist Xiao, who is in charge of reception? Or is there another manager in the academy? Please ask him to inform him for me.

When Yin Xiaojian heard that Fang Shu had something to ask him, he immediately stopped in his tracks and was about to turn around and leave, thinking that he had something else to do.

He only wanted to tease Fang Shu, but he didn't want to get into any trouble.

However, upon hearing that Fang Shu was looking for Xiao Lili, the man's eyes darted around, he stopped turning, and asked as if he had just realized something:

"I understand. You know Senior Sister Xiao, are you looking for someone to do you a favor?"

Upon hearing this question, Fang Shu realized that the other party had misunderstood, but he didn't explain much, simply nodding.

"Indeed, I have something to ask of you."

Yin Xiaojian smiled and immediately said, "So you came here beforehand to smooth things over. Since you know Senior Sister Xiao, I'll take you inside to find her."

As he spoke, he casually tried to put his arm around Fang Shu's shoulder and walk towards the main hall of the Shaowei Restaurant.

Fang Shu simply smiled and took a step forward, skillfully avoiding the other man's attempt to put his arm around his shoulder, and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Brother Yin."

Yin Xiaojian's arm missed its target, and she showed displeasure, but seeing that Fang Shu seemed to have some connections in the restaurant, she continued to lead him forward.

"Let me tell you, if you join the academy, you'll become a junior disciple. You see, the academy ranks members according to the time they joined."

As Yin Xiaojian walked, she kept chattering away, seemingly able to speak so freely in front of others for once:
"Don't worry, just call me senior brother then, and I'll naturally look after you. When I, your senior brother, undergo tribulation and enter the inner courtyard next year, you'll be in for a treat."

Fang Shu noticed that this fellow kept assuming he had come to become a disciple, and his behavior was quite pretentious.

He didn't expose it, but just listened with a smile.

With a disciple of the dojo accompanying him, Fang Shu was no longer considered to have trespassed into the main hall of the Shaowei Dojo. The two entered and soon found two figures in a corner of the hall.

The figures were a man and a woman, standing by the courtyard, looking at the withered lotus in a water vat under the eaves, whispering to each other as if they were talking about something.

Upon seeing this, Yin Xiaojian immediately called out, "Senior Sister Xiao! Someone is looking for you."

A man and a woman looked in the direction of the sound and immediately spotted Fang Shu.

Xiao Lili recognized Fang Shu immediately, while the man scrutinized Fang Shu, vaguely feeling that Fang Shu looked somewhat familiar.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Fang." Xiao Lili bowed respectfully.

When Yin Xiaojian saw that the other party took the initiative to bow to Fang Shu, she thought to herself that Fang Shu must have found some connections in the restaurant.

"Most likely, he couldn't get into the temple last time, so he gritted his teeth and spent a lot of money on talismans this time," Yin Xiaojian thought to herself.

However, Yin Xiaojian maintained a smiling face and bowed to the man beside her, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother Ling."

Fang Shu's gaze inadvertently drifted to the man's face.

He recognized at a glance that the man standing next to Xiao Lili was the same Shaowei Hall disciple who had once ridiculed him and his second uncle.

The other person was also looking at Fang Shu, and felt that Fang Shu looked more and more familiar, but couldn't remember where they had met before.

"I wonder what brings Fellow Daoist Fang here today?" asked the female Daoist Xiao Lili.

Fang Shu didn't delay. He took out the name card of the owner of the Duguan Pavilion from his sleeve, handed it to the other party, and said, "Just like last time, I've come with a request."

These words caused a look of surprise to appear in Xiao Lili's eyes.

She stared intently at Fang Shu for a few moments, then picked up the name card, glanced at it briefly, and her surprise deepened.

The other person's expression made Yin Xiaojian, who was standing next to her, keep wondering if Fang Shu had somehow gotten close to a powerful figure, since a letter of introduction could make Xiao Lili so surprised.

As for the man surnamed Ling, he glanced at the contents of the name card and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

Xiao Lili didn't explain to the two of them; she simply cupped her hands in a respectful gesture towards Fang Shu.

"Since that's the matter, please come with me, Fellow Daoist Fang, and let's have a chat inside."

Fang Shu nodded calmly, indicating that the other party should lead the way.

The two quickly entered the depths of the hall, one after the other, seemingly heading to find Manager Xiao Hu.

So by the courtyard,
For a moment, only Ling Baiquan and Yin Xiaojian remained.

One of them was pondering who Fang Shu was, while the other turned his attention away from Fang Shu and instead focused on Ling Baiquan beside him.

Yin Xiaojian had a smile on his face. He stared intently at Ling Baiquan's feet, his mind full of ideas for a conversation.

This fellow suddenly spoke up:

"Brother Ling, which shop did you get your shoes made at?"

The white dog casually replied, "Liu Kuaishou Tailor Shop."

This answer made Yin Xiaojian's smile widen even more, and she couldn't help but stretch her legs, saying to Rong Youyan:
"What a coincidence! I also had it done on Liu Kuaishou."

These words made Lingbaiquan glance at the person, but he didn't respond.

Ling Baiquan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What was that kid who came from outside the building doing here?"

"Oh, that guy, he's here to become an apprentice. He failed the first two times, so he's probably trying his luck again."

Before Ling Baiquan could even ask any further questions, Yin Xiaojian rattled off all the information she knew about Fang Shu. Listening to this, Ling Baiquan immediately recalled Fang Shu and his nephew.

An unusual light flickered in the man's eyes.

"Is this boy a suitable candidate for our school's martial arts?" A thought also surfaced in Ling Baiquan's mind.

Meanwhile, Yin Xiaojian remained oblivious to Ling Baiquan's strange behavior and kept trying to find topics to talk about, hoping to build a relationship with him.

………………

the other side.

Fang Shu followed Xiao Lili, and before long, just as they entered the depths of the main hall, they found the person the two were looking for.

There stood a middle-aged man with slightly dark skin, a square face, and an air of authority. He had several deep lines on his forehead, wore a dark blue steward's robe, and held a leather whip in his hand, the tip of which dangled to the ground.

The man was supervising a group of servants in the main hall, his face so grim it could drip water.

The servants around were silent, carefully spreading out the notebooks and placing them under the courtyard to dry.

Before Fang Shu even got close, he heard the middle-aged foreman's voice, rough and deep, tinged with impatience:

“Watch your skin, all of you. If even one page of these books is damaged, I’ll skin you alive.”

Upon hearing this, the servants trembled, bent over, lowered their heads, and rustled as they turned the pages of their books, not daring to be distracted in the slightest.

Xiao Lili walked over, not even glancing at the servants, but quickly went to the middle-aged steward's side and called out in a clear voice, "Father!"

The middle-aged manager looked up and immediately smiled, but when he saw Fang Shu behind Xiao Lili...

The man's expression immediately darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "How many times have I told you? When you're working in the shop, you have to call me 'Manager Xiao Hu' and follow the rules."

Xiao Lili rolled her eyes and reluctantly cupped her hands in greeting: "Greetings, Steward Xiao Hu."

This middle-aged manager was none other than Xiao Lili's father, Xiao Hu, the head manager of the Shaowei Restaurant.

The other person shifted their gaze from Xiao Lili to Fang Shu, saying indifferently:

"You've come to see me today with people again. Tell me, what business do you have here, and what are your grievances?"

"Neither." Xiao Lili's expression grew even more displeased, and she directly handed over the calling card in her hand:
"The visitor is an inner disciple of the Dugu Pavilion. He wants to learn the Lead Technique from our pavilion and needs your approval."

Upon hearing this, the steward Xiao Hu immediately showed a look of surprise. He said to Xiao Lili:
"The Solitary Gu Sect and Lead Kung Fu? These names sound familiar. Didn't you take them last time?"

As he spoke, the man's gaze fell on Fang Shu, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Before Xiao Lili could answer, the steward Xiao Hu's eyelids twitched as if he had thought of something. He immediately flipped open the name card and glanced at it.

Upon seeing this, the man's eyelids opened wide, and he stared intently at the nameplate, especially the two characters "Fang Shu" on it.

His mind was in turmoil as he recalled Fang Shu's identity and what had happened before.

After several breaths, the steward Xiao Hu looked at Fang Shu with a dazed expression and asked to confirm:
"You little rascal, are you really Yu Lao Er's nephew?"

Fang Shu nodded and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the other party.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to greet the other person politely.

"My nephew Fang Shu greets Uncle Xiao Hu."

Now, the steward Xiao Hu looked at Fang Shu with even more astonishment. He took a few steps forward and circled Fang Shu to examine him, his surprise almost overflowing.

He was surprised and said:

"It's been less than a year, and you've already come to request the Marrow Refining Technique from our school. Are you really not just making fun of us?"

Fang Shu didn't say anything, but just smiled and pointed to the name card in the other person's hand.

It means that the post made it very clear.

However, the look of surprise and doubt in the eyes of the steward Xiao Hu did not disappear; instead, his brows furrowed.

Manager Xiao Hu was now feeling quite annoyed. If he had known this would happen, he should have gone with the flow and accepted Fang Shu.

In that case, wouldn't that guy surnamed Fang and that second brother Yu be extremely grateful to him?

Furthermore, raising an obedient inner disciple is far more valuable than that woman surnamed Yin's body.

Unfortunately, it's too late to regret it now.

"No, I did give him a chance back then, I wanted him to be a handyman, but he didn't want it." Xiao Hu tried to justify himself in his mind, but he still couldn't suppress his frustration.

Fang Shu spoke up: "Manager Xiao?"

He quickly snapped out of his reverie, adopted a composed posture, and paced back and forth in the room, deep in thought.

He coughed lightly:
"The Marrow Refining Chapter's techniques are far superior to the Entry-Level Essence Refining Chapter. It's already considered one of the core treasures of our school. According to the rules, even if one could obtain it, one would still have to consult with the school master, but the school master is an extremely busy man..."

"Alright, alright, what can I do? I'm acquainted with your second uncle." He then changed the subject, speaking again:
"Since you are a descendant of an old friend, I will give you a chance. You can choose someone from my sect and have a battle with them to show your true abilities."

If you are worthy of this lead-based skill, I will grant your request directly! Then, when the master asks afterward, I will have an explanation to give him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lili was both stunned and speechless.

She immediately realized that her father was probably playing those so-called power games again, trying to manipulate others.

However, the woman simply pursed her lips, neither interrupting nor uttering a single word.

She pretended not to see the questioning look that Fang Shu was giving her.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Hu, the manager, who was still standing in the middle of the room, suddenly looked past Fang Shu.

He looked in the direction Fang Shu had come from, and his eyelids twitched: "Oh, your nephew, you've arrived."

The men who had just entered the depths of the hall were Ling Baiquan, who had been by the courtyard, and Yin Xiaojian.

*Smack!*

Manager Xiao Hu clapped his hands and said with a smile:
“That’s perfect. Your nephew is not only the adopted son of the academy, but he has now broken through to become a second-level immortal. His skills are extraordinary, and he is just right to test your abilities, so as not to hurt you.”

Upon hearing this, the white dog who had just entered sensed something and vaguely understood what was happening.

The person did not verbally refuse, but their eyes flickered.

As for Yin Xiaojian, he stood aside like a lackey, just staring blankly at the scene.

This guy didn't understand how Fang Shu could talk to the manager Xiao Hu so easily, especially since the other party seemed to value him highly.

What confused and surprised Yin Xiaojian even more was that Fang Shu, who was in the room, did not agree to the suggestion at all. Instead, after a moment of surprise, he suddenly let out a soft laugh.

Fang Shu ignored the manager Xiao Hu's intentions. He straightened up, pointed directly at the name card in the other man's hand, and asked with a smile:

"May I ask, Steward Xiao, are you now the owner of the Burnt Tail Inn?"

(End of this chapter)