Divine Tang Era

Chapter 176 The Legendary Story of the Lord of Yinlong Pavilion

Upon arriving at the shop, the carriage was brought to a stop.

The driver jumped down from the carriage shaft, bowed, lifted the curtain, and whispered, "My lord, we've arrived."

A man with a lean face and a light beard stepped down. He appeared to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with an air of dignity about him. He wore a black turban, a blue round-necked robe, and a leather belt with a fish-shaped pouch hanging from his waist. Although his clothes were simple, his steps were steady and he exuded an air of authority.

Then, a woman of similar age to him took the man's hand and slowly got off the car.

She wore a fashionable updo with only a plain silver comb in her hair, a light purple brocade half-sleeved top with pearl and duck patterns, a tulip skirt, and a fox fur pleated coat for warmth. She was dignified and had a gentle smile.

Finally, the man turned around and carried a chubby little girl off the train.

The little girl was about six or seven years old, wrapped in a thick apricot-yellow cotton-padded jacket, wearing a rabbit-shaped hat adorned with fluffy snow hats, revealing only her delicate, round face. Her big, dark eyes looked around curiously, and she was tightly clutching a cute little tiger made of animal fur.

Upon seeing the guests arrive, Xu Dan quickly went to greet them, "Are the three of you here for hot pot? It's cold outside, please come in."

The man was taken aback when he saw that the person who came forward to greet him was a young boy. He asked in surprise, "Young man, you're so young, and you're already working as a shop assistant in the store?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Dan puffed out his chest and said with great arrogance, "It seems my reputation in Jingning City is still lacking! You don't even recognize me. I am the owner of this shop, Xu Dan, the esteemed ancestor of Xu Gongzu."

Before he could finish speaking, the chubby little girl suddenly leaned out of her father's arms and said in her sweet, childish voice, "I know you! You're the one who wrote 'Since ancient times, love has only brought endless regret. Lovers fly together across the vast lands, but the heartbroken have other thoughts to share.'"

Upon hearing this, Xu Dan's eyes lit up. He never expected that even a child would know about his masterpiece.

Unconsciously, a smile spread across his face. He stroked his bald chin with a smug look and said with delight, "Has it spread? It seems I do have some poetic talent. Perhaps this poem will bring me fame throughout the Tang Dynasty and make me known throughout the world!"

Upon hearing this, the little girl's eyes widened, her chubby face filled with shock.

This was clearly the first time I'd ever met someone so shameless and self-important.

Xu Dan didn't care about their reactions; geniuses always have a small generation gap with ordinary people. He then led the three into the restaurant. Upon entering, Cheng Ruxia's gaze swept around the interior, his eyes suddenly fixing on Rui Wuni, who was directing the staff. An undisguised look of shock appeared on his face.

He... he... he would never admit to being wrong!

Years ago in Chang'an, Cheng Ruxia and his wife Cui Yun'e had the good fortune to catch a glimpse of him from afar at a banquet; his beauty remains unforgettable to this day.

I later heard that she left Chang'an and disappeared without a trace. I never expected to run into her in this desolate place, in a small hot pot restaurant!

Cheng Ruxia's heart was churning with emotion, and he almost instinctively wanted to step forward and bow in greeting.

However, he had barely taken a step.

Rui Wuni on the other side seemed to sense something, turned her head slightly, made brief eye contact with him, shook her head almost imperceptibly, and silently uttered a few words.

Cheng Ruxia was also a quick-witted person. Upon seeing this, he immediately suppressed his surprise and doubt, and abruptly stopped his advance. He merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then returned to normal, as if his earlier lapse in composure had never occurred.

Xu Dan noticed his unusual behavior and looked in the direction he was staring.

Rui Wuni, however, had already turned around and gone to take care of the guests at another table as if nothing had happened, leaving only a composed figure behind.

"Could the two know each other?" Xu Dan wondered to himself.

However, judging from the situation, neither side seems to have any intention of recognizing the other.

He wasn't one to meddle, so he quickly gestured for Cheng Ruxia and his family to sit in an empty corner. Once the three were seated, Xu Dan skillfully asked, "What would you like to eat? Would you like to cook your own food in the simmering pot, or would you like it served cooked?"

"Let's have some raw hot pot."

Cheng Ruxia seemed to still be in shock, and subconsciously replied upon hearing this.

Clearly, they had done their homework beforehand and were quite familiar with how to eat hot pot.

"Okay, I'll arrange it for you right away." Xu Dan replied, gesturing for the waiter to prepare the hot pot base and ingredients.

The chubby little Cheng Ziyin had been staring at Xu Dan with her big, bright eyes ever since she entered the shop, her gaze filled with curiosity. Suddenly, she tilted her head and asked in a sweet, childish voice, "Young master, have you written any new poems lately?"

"No, those timeless verses aren't something you can just casually create," Xu Dan said seriously.

Cheng Ziyin was speechless, and could only blink her big eyes and stare blankly at him.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ruxia and Madam Cui exchanged a glance and smiled slightly, finding the shopkeeper quite amusing.

"Although I don't have any new poems, I do have a legendary story about my poems that have been passed down through the ages. Would you like to know?" Xu Dan added.

"Uh-huh"

Cheng Ziyin nodded eagerly; she loved listening to legendary stories.

Xu Dan leaned closer and whispered, "Do you know the master of Yinlong Pavilion in Jingning County?"

Cheng Ziyin nodded vigorously. When her parents took her to Yinlong Pavilion, she met the kind-hearted master of Yinlong Pavilion, who even gave her a gift.

"These verses of mine, which have been passed down through the ages, are inspired by a moving and tragic story of the Lord of Yinlong Pavilion, a story that touches the heart and moves people to tears!"

Xu Dan paused here, shaking his head, before continuing, "Back then, when the Lord of Yinlong Pavilion first entered the capital, by chance he met a noble lady. Seeing her graceful figure, which was like 'light clouds veiling the moon, and drifting like snowflakes in the wind,' and her stunning beauty, which was like 'the rising sun and the glow of dawn, and the radiance of 'a lotus emerging from clear water,' he was instantly awestruck."

From that moment on, he fell in love at first sight and could never forget her.

But he felt inferior and unworthy of the beautiful woman. So he resolved to work hard and strive, hoping that one day he could be worthy of her.

"What a pity!"

Xu Dan sighed heavily and said with a pained expression, "When he finally achieved some success and returned full of hope, he found that the number of people who admired that noble lady was countless, like fish crossing a river! Among them were members of royal families, scions of powerful clans, young masters of prestigious families, and even disciples of reclusive sects—his self-proclaimed efforts and achievements were simply a joke in front of these people."

"So he could only swallow his tears and pretend to be happy, silently stepping aside to hide his deep affection."

Xu Dan shook his head as he spoke, as if he felt the same way.

"What's more, there was another Fengzhen Temple Star Lord at the time who, like him, was deeply in love with this noble lady, but also couldn't have her and could only grieve in the corner. These two, both fellow sufferers, gradually came to appreciate each other and became close friends who could talk about anything."

"A few days ago, the Pavilion Master of Yinlong Pavilion came to my place for drinks. It turned out that this noble lady had joined the sect and made a grand vow that she would never talk about personal feelings before she had achieved success in her cultivation!"

Heartbroken, the Master of Yinlong Pavilion sought solace in wine. This gave rise to the immortal lines: "Since ancient times, those with deepest feelings have only left behind regrets, a regret that will never end. A pair of lovers fly across the vast land, a heartbroken man harbors a different kind of sorrow."

Xu Dan talks nonsense, yet he does it vividly and emotionally, as if he witnessed it firsthand.

Cheng Ziyin, innocent and naive, had no idea whether it was true or false. She listened with her mouth slightly agape, forgetting to blink, completely immersed in Xu Dan's fabricated "tragic" story, filled with sympathy for the Lord of Yinlong Pavilion and the Star Lord she had never met. She felt she should share this legendary tale with her girlfriends.

Cheng Ruxia and Madam Cui, who were standing nearby, found Xu Dan's nonsensical story quite amusing. They wondered what the pavilion master thought of it.

"Hmm...hmm..."

Xu Dan was speaking animatedly, his face beaming, when suddenly someone patted him on the shoulder a few times. Just as he was getting into the swing of things, he was interrupted. Xu Dan was furious and turned around angrily, wanting to see which guy was so reckless.

"I think I heard you saying something about what happened at Fengzhen Temple?"

Kui Mu Xingjun appeared behind him at some point, speaking calmly.

Looking further back, the two star lords of Fengzhen Temple had their eyes gleaming; they had clearly heard what was said earlier and were watching the show with suppressed laughter.