Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

After dealing with Zhang Cheng's family matters, he walked out of the alley in the south of the city, where the bustling city of Xiangyang came into view.

The streets and alleys are crisscrossed, and the bluestone pavement is smoothed by the footsteps of passersby. Shops line both sides, including taverns, cloth shops, grain shops, and pharmacies. The sounds of hawking and bargaining rise and fall, revealing the unique liveliness and atmosphere of a border town.

Compared to Taiyuan Prefecture and Hezhong Prefecture under Mongol rule, this place, though still under guard, has a more vibrant atmosphere. While pedestrians wear caution on their faces, they rarely show that deep-seated despair.

Su Yan strolled slowly along the street, his eyes scanning the scenery along the way. He thought to himself: Sun Bu'er only said that Wang Xingyi was the daughter of the Wang family in the west of Xiangyang City, mentioning that her family was of refined taste, but did not give details about her specific address. Xiangyang City is not small, and there must be many families with the surname Wang in the west of the city. He needs to find out slowly.

He led Su Ye to a tea stall on the street corner, found an empty seat, ordered two bowls of tea, and politely asked the old man selling the tea.

"Old man, may I ask if there is a refined Wang family in the west of the city? They have a daughter named Wang Xingyi."

Upon hearing this, the old man stroked his gray beard and pondered for a moment.

"There are quite a few families with the surname Wang in the west of the city. There's the wealthy Wang who runs a grain merchant, the manager of the Wang cloth shop, and a few other gentry families, all of whom are considered to be of refined character. As for the daughter's name, Wang Xingyi, I've never heard of it. Perhaps it's a private name that's not shared with outsiders."

Su Yan asked a few more questions, but the old man couldn't give any more clues and just shook his head.

"If you're from out of town, it might be difficult to find. Why don't you ask the restaurant owner? They've traveled all over and might know some details."

After thanking the old man, the two went to two more restaurants to inquire. The innkeepers either shook their heads and said they didn't know, or that there were too many Wang families in the west of the city and they couldn't tell which one it was. They only vaguely remembered a wealthy and kind-hearted Wang family, but they couldn't say which street it was.

"It seems that directly asking for names and addresses won't work."

Su Yan stopped and said to Su Ye.

"Let's find an inn to stay in first, then slowly search around; perhaps we can get clues from other people."

Su Ye nodded in agreement, and the two followed the streets and alleys to find the Yue Lai Inn. After settling their luggage, they went downstairs to the inn's attached restaurant for a meal. It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was bustling with activity. Groups of three or five guests chatted and laughed loudly, exuding the uninhibited spirit of江湖人 (jianghu people, people of the martial arts world).

The two found a corner to sit down, and just as they ordered their food, they heard several men at the next table chatting animatedly, their voices full of sighs.

"This is really too strange. The eldest daughter of the Wang family went out for a trip and all that, how did she end up getting into trouble with Black Wind Ridge?"

"Who can argue with that! That Master Wang was a well-known philanthropist in the west of the city, yet his daughter ended up like this. It's truly a cruel twist of fate!"

"Alas, it's all because that one-eyed man is too rampant! Even the government can't do anything about him, so who would dare to provoke him? Master Wang has offered a reward of a thousand taels of silver, but no one dares to take down the notice!"

"Even a thousand taels of silver can only be spent if you're alive! Black Wind Ridge is a treacherous terrain, and One-Eyed Dragon is only a peak second-rate fighter; going there would be suicide!"

Su Yan and Su Ye exchanged a glance, both seeing the unspoken understanding in each other's eyes.

Su Yan picked up his teacup, stood up, walked to the next table, and politely bowed.

"Gentlemen, I apologize for disturbing you. I just heard that the eldest daughter of the Wang family was kidnapped. May I ask if the Wang family has a daughter named Wang Xingyi?"

Seeing Su Yan's extraordinary demeanor and Su Ye's aloof yet sharp presence behind him, the men quickly stood up to return the greeting.

"This young hero is from out of town, isn't he? That's right! The eldest daughter of the Wang family is named Wang Xingyi. She was kidnapped by bandits from Black Wind Ridge a few days ago at Shili Slope outside the city. The news only came today. I just saw Master Wang posting notices at the yamen gate."

"Thank you for informing me."

Su Yan cupped his hands in greeting once more.

"I wonder which street or alley in the west of the city this Wang family lives in? I have some old acquaintances with the Wang family, and having heard about this matter, I thought I'd come and see if I could help."

The leading man readily agreed.

"No problem! Just walk west along this street until you reach the end, turn into the alley, and walk another half a mile. You'll see that mansion with its blue brick walls and vermilion gate; the words 'Prince's Mansion' on the lintel are very conspicuous!"

"I am extremely grateful."

Su Yan thanked everyone and returned to her seat.

The dishes were served quickly, but the two didn't linger. After a quick meal, they headed towards the west of the city, following the route the man had given them. The streets and alleys along the way gradually became quieter, with fewer pedestrians, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

After walking for about half an hour, they indeed saw a mansion deep in the alley. The blue brick walls were neat, and although the vermilion gate was tightly closed, it exuded an elegant atmosphere. The two characters "Wangfu" on the lintel were written with vigorous strokes, just as Sun Bu'er had described.

A large crowd of people had gathered in front of the mansion, their voices rising incessantly. Su Yan and Su Ye squeezed forward and saw a yellowed notice posted on the gate, which read:

"Recruiting martial arts masters to rescue the young Queen Xingyi at Black Wind Ridge. Upon successful completion, a reward of one thousand taels of silver will be given, along with other generous gifts. Signed: Wang Huai'an."

"The eldest daughter of the Wang family has been kidnapped for two days now, and no one has dared to take down the notice?"

"Who dares to go! The One-Eyed Dragon of Black Wind Ridge is incredibly fierce; the government has failed in their several attempts to suppress him!"

"Master Wang has no choice. The silver was five hundred taels this morning, and another five hundred taels were just added. But who's willing to gamble with their life?"

Hearing the whispers of the people, Su Yan frowned slightly.

The matter entrusted by Sun Bu'er has taken an unexpected turn, and Wang Xingyi's safety is uncertain. Simply inquiring outside will not yield the truth. It is necessary to verify the details with the Wang family in person and find out the relevant clues about Black Wind Ridge.

He glanced at Su Ye, then walked straight forward and knocked on the vermilion gate.

A moment later, a servant poked his head out from inside the door, his eyes wary but polite, and asked in a gentle tone.

"Greetings, esteemed guests? May I ask what brings you to my master? My master has been so preoccupied with the young lady's affairs lately that he has no appetite and is truly unable to receive guests. I hope you will understand."

Su Yan took out the Quanzhen token from his bosom, showing the two characters "Quanzhen" on the token, his tone calm and unhurried.

"Please inform Master Wang Huai'an that I am Su Yan, a disciple of Chongyang Palace in Zhongnan Mountain. I have come here specifically to visit Miss Wang Xingyi at the request of my Uncle-Master Sun Bu'er. I heard that you have been robbed, so I have come to help you."

The servant noticed that the token was simple in design and had regular patterns, making it no ordinary imitation. Upon hearing that it belonged to someone from Chongyang Palace in Zhongnan Mountain, and that the Quanzhen Sect was renowned in the martial arts world and respected even by the people of Xiangyang, the servant's eyes lit up. He quickly bowed and became even more respectful.

"So you're the young hero from Chongyang Palace! My apologies for my rudeness! Please wait a moment, I'll go and inform the master immediately. Such an honored guest is sure to be welcomed personally by the master!"

Having said that, he didn't dare to delay for a moment, turned around and ran quickly into the courtyard, forgetting to close the door properly, leaving only a crack.