Joy of Life Chapter 339

Aunt Song? Everyone was surprised. Did the commissioner have acquaintances in Hangzhou? Overwatch Council members knew that in matters of the heart, Fan Xian was an official in Jingdou who rarely boasted of such things. Despite his youth, he rarely went out to find the attention of women. Preceded by his reputation, his people's thoughts must have gone crooked.

Of course their thoughts went crooked. Fan Xian was only thinking about whether this Hangzhou would be the same as that Hangzhou and have an aunt with a surname of Song who sold fish soup. In this West Lake, there was no Su Causeway or Bai Causeway, but he wondered if there were Jiangnan women as gentle as Xi Zi.

Having traveled the world, he finally arrived at the Jiangnan fondly written about by literati and scholars. Fan Xian felt a little excitement in his heart. He squeezed his legs and directed the horse to enter the city.

Entering Hangzhou was simple. Their group had prepared the necessary travel permits and documents. They pretended to be the outguards of a large family from Wuzhou traveling south through Hangzhou. No one could see anything wrong with the stamps on the travel permits and documents. For their own convenience, the Overwatch Council often used advanced forging techniques, much to the dismay of local yamen officials.

The group cheerfully followed the straight road beneath the gates into the city. At this time, Fan Xian had returned to the carriage and lifted the curtain to look at the scene inside Hangzhou. He saw the people they passed were happy and content and a forest of stalls on either side of the road. Before long, they came across a restaurant. Since it was still early, there were no alluring scents drifting out. By looking at the clothing of the commoners and the state of the streets, it was clear that Jiangnan was wealthy.

After driving for a while, a long row of tidy willow trees appeared in front of the carriage. Since the tail end of winter was still cold, the willows did not welcome the guests with green leaves. They hung weakly like whips. They were still tidy and neat, which left a strong first impression.

Fan Xian's eyes were sharp, and he saw the surface of the water hidden behind the curtain of willows.

The light on the water was clear and soft, without a single ripple. In this late winter weather, the air gave off a clean smell and was not so cold that it pushed people thousands of miles away. There was a gentle warmth that spread across the 10 li lake. In the distance, green hills could be seen, although their beauty was shrouded in mist. A few grey wooden structures rose beside the lake, giving off a sense of wealth without being overly ostentatious.

This body of water was West Lake, and the banks of it were somewhat lively.

"Riding by the banks of West Lake, breaking off willow branches and gifting green plums," these were two lines of a random poem Fan Xian had learned in the elementary school of his previous life. In that life, he had a natural yearning for Hangzhou. He always wondered how West Lake could be so beautiful, and how could there be so many famous people?

Within his circle, he had a classmate from Hangzhou who once told him that West Lake really wasn't much. At that time, Fan Xian, who was still called Fan Shen, found it difficult to believe. But, he never had an opportunity to see Hangzhou for himself, partially because he became sick later, but mostly because in that life, the house prices in Hangzhou were expensive to the point of being ridiculous.

The Loushang Tower beside West Lake was the best restaurant in Hangzhou. Outside the building, sails fluttered and trees cast shadows, and there was a large plain suitable for showcasing literary talents. Inside the building were wooden tables, black clothed servants, and courtesans singing. Everything was made to be enjoyed. Unfortunately, as it was winter, the sails froze solid, the trees were yellow, and there were vulgar people fighting. The courtesans still sang, but their allure was greatly weakened since they couldn't wear light silk.

Fan Xian sat at a table near the rail and peeked through the wind-blocking bamboo curtain outside the rail at the surface of the lake. He felt slightly disappointed. There was no Aunt Song's fish soup. There was also no dongbo pork or beggar's chicken. There wasn't even water shield soup. Fortunately, Longjing prawns still existed, otherwise he probably would have turned around and left because he was so depressed.

There was no Leifeng Pagoda or Broken Bridge. This West Lake...Was it still the West Lake in his heart? He lifted a wine cup as thick as three of his fingers and downed it in one gulp. He was unspeakably disappointed.

In reality, he was being too exacting. The original dishes of Hangzhou were light with a sense of comfort and very different than the foods in Jingdou—they were quite famous in the Qing Kingdom.

There were three tables in the private room. Other than the two guards outside the door, Fan Xian had ordered all the others, regardless if master or servant, noble or common, to sit. They were all eating with enjoyment. It was anyone's guess as to whether the dripping sound was drool or soup landing on the table. Although they were hungry after a long journey, seeing the way these people ate also demonstrated that the dishes at Loushang Tower were skillfully made.

This scene was a little scary. A huge group of people were eating silently and aggressively, and the two guards at the door were swallowing their saliva. Only Fan Xian had the mindset to lean against the railing with his wine in hand to admire the scenery.

He raised the curtain a little and instantly the light burst in. The image of the wintry lake was imprinted on his eyes. The wind blew into the tower and dissipated the aroma of the dishes floating in the room.

At the same time, an earth-shattering cheer came from the rocky plain outside next to the lake. The wind brought the cheer into the tower and drew the attention of Loushang Tower customers leaning on the rail. They joined in unison with the cheer. In a moment, there was an incredibly lively roar of voices.

Only this private room was strangely silent. Fan Xian leaned against the rail to see and drank more wine. A smile floated onto his face. He was not surprised.

His subordinates were startled into raising their heads by the countless cheers. They knew the martial competition downstairs had reached a crucial moment, but they didn't rush to the railing to watch. Instead, they once again lowered their heads and focused on finishing the delicious food on the table.

Fan Xian glanced at his subordinates and thought it was strange. Even if you are proud in your heart and think that these martial artists on the jianghu couldn't stand up against a few attacks from you, except as kindred spirits, you should at least have enough interest to offer some criticism, right?

In reality, he didn't understand. For the Tiger Guards and swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau, no matter how lively the Jiangnan Martial Assembly was it would never be as attractive as the food on the table. Those aces of various schools were skilled, but when it came to killing people, they weren't quite enough—after all, they were professional assassins.

Sisi and the newly purchased girls were afraid of the killing and slaughtering scene, so they sat quietly at a table to the side.

There was only the Third Prince watching. It was he who pushed for this visit to Hangzhou to see the Assembly. Who knew what kinds of methods he employed for Fan Xian to agree, so how could he possibly miss it? He held a plate of quick-fried eel in one hand and chopsticks in the other that brought it to his mouth. His face was filled with interest and scrunched up in excitement as he watched two people competing outside on the plain.

Fan Xian glanced at him, furrowed his brows and gently said, "Your Highness, is it that delicious?"

The Third Prince was a bit angry to be interrupted in his show watching. He rolled his eyes and said, "The palace isn't allowed to make this."

Fan Xian paused a moment and then remembered that the food in the palace had regulations. Something like the eel, which was rare and from the North, couldn't be supplied year round. It also looked ugly, which made it difficult to enter the mind of a royal chef. He smiled self-deprecatingly as he followed the Third Prince's gaze and looked down. He instinctively opened his mouth to give an explanation to the child.

"The person wielding the sword is a disciple of the Dragon-Tiger Mountain. It looks like he's at least a seventh-level ace. It's a pity his wrist strength is slightly lacking. Rumors say his teacher was once a scholar and didn't fully master the fundamentals. His bad habits have also been handed down to his descendants."

"The person who is battling him is relatively famous. Surname is Lv, first name Sisi. Don't look at me; it is just a girl. She is the disciple of Dongyi City's Yun Zhilan and could be considered the female grand-disciple of Sigu Sword. Coming from a distinguished background, naturally she is extraordinary. I think that swordsman of Dragon-Tiger Mountain is going to lose an eye."

"Teacher...Yun Zhilan?" The Third Prince's chopstick full of eel stopped short of his mouth. Even a child like him had heard of this name. Yun Zhilan was Dongyi Sigu Sword's top disciple and had long advanced into the ninth-level. He was considered one of the masters of the sword of a generation. Last year, when the Dongyi diplomatic mission came to visit the Qing Kingdom, this man was the leader.

"I heard that he came to Jiangnan not just to encourage his favorite female disciple." Fan Xian thought for a moment then said, "I think it has something to do with the Ming family."

Dongyi City always had a good relationship with the Eldest Princess. However, its relationship with Fan Xian was not very positive. Although the two sides had not had much direct contact, they had almost crossed swords countless times. In their one actual confrontation, it was enough for him and the other party to form a difficult-to-resolve hatred.

He had killed two of Yun Zhilan's female disciples on Niulan Street.

Fortunately, Fei Jia had dignity. He personally visited Dongyi City and used the respect he had gained when he cured Sigu Sword's illness four years ago to extract a promise that no one from Dongyi would come bother Fan Xian. Otherwise, given the hot-blooded vengeful nature of the Dongyi people, Fan Xian would not have passed the past two years so comfortably.

It must be noted that Sigu Sword—a strange creature—was a madman who dared to assassinate the Emperor of Qing Kingdom.

There were not many people on the plain. They had put up a bamboo canopy facing the lake. Under the canopy were a few seniors of virtue and prestige. In the middle sat an official of Jiangnan. The Jiangnan water bandit, Xia Qifei, was sitting the furthest away. He was young and not senior enough among the Jiangnan martial artists. The person who sat on the platform today was an unassuming official of the Overwatch Council Fourth Bureau. Only Fan Xian recognized his identity.

The Jiangnan Martial Assembly had been going for half a day, and the people competing on the plain had switched out a few times. There were all kinds of weapons, and it was very lively. Although there had been many fights, there were no deaths. Under the gaze of the court official, the jianghu people were more cautious. In the end, the Martial Assembly was a successful, victorious, and unifying one. Some jianghu won fame, and others won a rare opportunity to show their faces. Some won flashy but impractical martial experience.

Fan Xian looked coldly on this scene and remembered a novel from his previous life. Jianghu is a corner of the kingdom? The so-called jianghu on the plain right now could probably not be considered a corner; it was only a flowery border in the kingdom.

There was still a faint trace of worry on his face. These jianghu aces did not bring out any rare techniques or fight for their lives, but there were some truly strong persons among them. He considered the Dragon-Tiger Mountain swordsman from the last round. Even before the bloodline of the Dongyi City, he was never disadvantaged. He had probably given up half a step in the end for the sake of Sigu Sword.

True aces did not make an appearance; those who did were no longer vulgar. Behind these people, without exception, were wealthy families or the shadow of the feudal officials. If there was someone with heart who brought all this power together, Fan Xian would find it a bit of a headache. No wonder the court always managed this area strictly. It seemed that His Majesty knew the court must maintain its usual powers of intimidation against martial abilities in the public. At the same time, the court also used its brilliance to attract the other party.

Fan Xian knew that, in the end, he had been careless. Xia Qifei was right. There were heroes among the weeds. Qing Emperor had aggressively suppressed martial power for 20 years, so there hadn't been much of an opportunity to demonstrate it.

"Where is Yun Zhilan?" The Third Prince searched curiously through the groups of people below and didn't notice Fan Xian's momentary distraction.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "His identity is not the same. Of course he doesn't have the patience to sit under the canopy with those old men and court officials. Who knows where he has gone at this hour?"

It was said that the year before last, in the royal palace, Fan Xian had been pierced a few times by Yun Zhilan's sword-like gaze. But he was thick skinned and black hearted and knew the other party couldn't do anything to him, so he bore it willingly.

Chen Pingping once talked about the hatred between the Shadow and Sigu Sword. That marrow-deep hatred could not be controlled by official business, particularly since Yun Zhilan was traveling in disguise in Jiangnan and wasn't taking official roads. If the Shadow wanted to kill him, this was the best opportunity.

On a day where aces gathered like clouds and officials and seniors were present, if, under the thousands of eyes present, a ninth-level battle broke out, the impact would be terrible—even though the crowds would be pleased.

Fan Xian was deep in thought. It was clear that Yun Zhilan was not coming to Hangzhou for this worthless assembly; he was here for him. Xinyang transported goods toward Dongyi City. No matter what, Sigu Sword would ensure the safety of the Ming family, while he was going to topple the Ming family. It seemed like he would have to find that great swords master from the shadows first.

At this moment, the official under the canopy down below stood up and walked on to the plain. He raised his hands in a salute and warmly said, "Watching you heroes performing today, I couldn't but be deeply moved. The Qing Kingdom indeed has many illustrious heroes, and many are among the people. I hope that everyone will continue to practice hard. There will be a day that you will be able to aid the Qing Kingdom in battle to open new lands. It is only a matter of time before your glory will live on beyond this age and bring honor to your ancestors."

The official laughed and said, "I'm not afraid. You heroes will laugh. I admit that I am a frail scholar. To be fortunate enough to here to watch your martial skills, I am full of admiration and envy. I wish I could learn a few tricks from you so that in the future I can ride horses and kill thieves to earn face for the Emperor."

The jianghu people on the plain smiled as they heard this and thought this official had some amusing things in his otherwise courteous speech. Although they were angry there was an official of the court watching what was supposed to be a jianghu matter, hearing what he said made some people feel that it really was this way. Good martial skills were eventually sold to the royal family.

Life on the Jianghu was naturally free and at ease, but it is easy to end up in dire straits. It couldn't compare with entering the army, which would ensure both reputation and benefits. The Emperor always considered martial ability of paramount importance. After so many years of peace, there was bound to be a war to fight and plenty of time to accumulate military honors.

The people who thought like this were the minority. Most of the jianghu removed from politics were free and at ease. They naturally turned their noses up at this court official. Someone said darkly, "It is true that there are many heroes among the people, but they may not all be heroes of the Qing Kingdom. Weren't there a few swordsman from Dongyi City earlier? Are you going to persuade them to also join the army and later fight their way back to Dongyi City?"

Upstairs, Fan Xian listened; he originally thought that this Jiangnan Road official had a clever way with words. After hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh and gently scolded, "What a sharp tongue."

The Third Prince ruthlessly said, "They are all a bunch of wicked people. Teacher was right; there really is no point. We shouldn't have come to watch."

The official then spoke evenly and measuredly. "The way of literature and martial arts originally recognized no borders. A scholar of our court who once participated in Northern Qi's imperial examinations has now married and become prime minister in our court. As everyone knows, Sigu Sword of Dongyi City is a great grandmaster, and naturally his disciples are extraordinary. It is a fortunate matter for these people to participate in our gathering. If anyone of Dongyi City wishes to serve the court of the Qing Kingdom, the court will not refuse."

He smiled and coughed a few times before saying, "Of course, our court and Dongyi City have long had a good relationship. What the gentlemen said earlier would never happen."

The dark jianghu man roared with laughter after hearing these words. "There are many small feudal states in the world, but if fighting were to truly start, who would be fit to be our opponent other than just Northern Qi and Dongyi? Sir says we won't fight Dongyi, then that must mean we will fight Northern Qi?"

The crowd roared. Some of the older generation couldn't help but glare at that person and think, It is common knowledge to not fight with officials, why are you purposely clashing with them? The crowd looked at that man and thought he looked unfamiliar, not like someone who was known in the Jiangnan martial scene.

Fan Xian, who was silently listening upstairs, also found it strange but couldn't say why.

The Jiangnan official on the plain muttered to himself a little, then suddenly smiled and said, "This person speaks sense, but other than our wealthy central plains, there is little peace under heaven. They say that the Manzi on the west side have recently become restless. Has everyone heard about that?"

He tossed out an unverified rumor to quiet the crowd, then continued, "The court has just exchanged documents with Northern Qi last year. The marriage alliance shall be completed, and the friendship between our countries cemented forever. Why would it be, as you said, that we will send troops against each other again?"

That aggressive speaking jianghu figure was silent for a moment then opened his mouth to speak. "As long as this is how Qing people think, then that is good. Thank you, Sir, for dispelling my doubts." Finishing this sentence, he retreated into the crowds at the back.

This sentence exposed his identity. He was a man from Qi.

A soft clamor ran through the crowd; only the Martial Assembly had no restrictions. Dongyi City could send people to participate as could Northern Qi. No one could say anything.

Upstairs, Fan Xian furrowed his brows and stood up. His eyes were bright and began to search carefully through the crowds of people below. His gaze wasn't on the Northern Qi man who was closely surrounded and discussed by the crowd. Who knew what he was looking for?

The corner of the building he was in was to the side hidden by the winter trees. There was also a bamboo curtain between him and the crowd; thus the people below didn't notice him and assumed he was at dinner watching the excitement.

The expression of the official on the plain changed a little. It seemed that he also didn't expect the man who spoke previously to be from Northern Qi. He paused for a moment, then said with a trace of coldness and derision, "It is true that the three countries are on good terms, but you who have come from Northern Qi…I didn't see you enter the field earlier. Only now do I understand. It seems our friends from Northern Qi all like the way of literature and have less confidence in this area."

Hearing these words, the Qing and Dongyi people on the plain laughed loudly. Although Northern Qi, like the Qing Kingdom, had formed not long ago, since they attacked Northern Wei, they were weighed down by their old and impractical culture. Many people in their country chose a gentle and agreeable approach. In comparison, their martial abilities were not strong. The impression they left on the world was one of frailness and weakness.

Although Northern Qi had a Great Grandmaster, Ku He, he was focused on the cultivation of Tianyi Dao and rarely walked among the mortal world. They also had a ferocious general, Shang Shanhu, but he had been placed by the Northern Qi court in the freezing wastelands of the extreme north. They had since summoned him back to the capital but placed him under house arrest and would not put him in an important position. Thus, in the hearts of the jianghu people, they did look down on Northern Qi people a little.

It must be noted that Dongyi City had the most ninth-level aces in the world, so of course they would have a natural confidence. The Qing Kingdom valued martial arts and had countless aces and ferocious generals. The two families, Qin and Ye, had countless generals. Among their martial aces were two great grandmasters. They also had no lack of ninth-level aces. Yan Xia, who could shoot an arrow through the clouds and talk about Sir Fan junior who had recently risen in prominence, was just one example of a martial prodigy.

In the past two years, there was mention of a girl named Haitang from the North, but...she was a woman. The jianghu people were even more sexist than the common people and looked down on the people of Northern Qi.

Thus, when the official said this, no matter if they were Qing boxing masters or Dongyi swordsman, they all laughed loudly.

The face of the Northern Qi man darkened and showed a trace of rage.

Upstairs, Fan Xian's face revealed a strange smile. He quite liked that the Jiangnan Road official had not managed to suppress his anger. His eyes narrowed as he quickly looked down as if he were looking for something. He then gently slapped the rail and tightly grasped it with some strength. It seemed he was slightly more excited for no discernible reason.

The Third Prince looked at him with confusion.

Fan Xian's gaze was directed underneath a tree near a path away from the plain. Under the tree was a normal girl carrying a basket and selling flowers. Given the cold weather, who knew where the flowers in her basket had been stolen from?

The girl stood with her back to the plain the whole time. Her hair was tied with a flowery cloth, so it was impossible for see her face. Just as the official on the plain had humiliated Northern Qi, she turned around and glanced over.

It was this turn that allowed her face to fall into Fan Xian's eyes. If it wasn't Haitang, who could it be?

Haitang was already in Jiangnan. Fan Xian's brain began to spin quickly. The girl should already know that he was the illegitimate child of the Qing Emperor. Why would she still do as she said in the letter and come down to Jiangnan to find him? In these circumstances, did she really dare to give the Heart of Tianyi Dao to him and complete Northern Qi's plan of raising a tiger?

It was at this juncture that there were too many things Fan Xian needed to make a decision about in a flash, so he took in a deep breath and calmed his emotions. He then continued to search below the building for Yun Zhilan's figure.

There was a sudden opportunity, and he needed a great deal of courage to act. Although Fan Xian's emotions were steady, he couldn't help feeling nervous. He didn't know if he and the Shadow would be able to make use of this opportunity and thought it was a great pity that the Shadow's personality was too recalcitrant. Otherwise, if the people of the Sixth Bureau worked with him, perhaps they would have a better chance of succeeding today with this last-minute scenario.

The girl selling flowers under the tree was leisurely walking toward the plain. A light, clean scent emitted from her body, and the jianghu aces immediately sensed something was different.

The crowd parted unconsciously for the flower girl as if they didn't dare to block her path. Once the girl walked by, only then did the crowd find it strange. Why did they give way to her?

In a moment, Haitang had mounted the plain with a calm expression and stood naturally in front of the official. She gently said, "Sir, I am a girl from Northern Qi. I am crude and cannot read literature. However, I have some confidence in the matter of fighting."

The Jiangnan official narrowed his eyes slightly at this unremarkable girl in front of him, yet he didn't say anything, as if she had stunned his spirit.

At this moment, a cold breeze blew in from the West Lake. It didn't move the thick coat on Haitang's body, but it pushed the messy hair at her temples toward her face, which looked a little funny. Hangzhou did not have a fairy appear out of nowhere. Instead, it had a village girl step onto the stage because her hometown was humiliated.

When the man from Northern Qi who had suppressed his anger saw her appearance, he feigned hesitation. A moment later his eyes lit up and he was overjoyed. He threaded his way out of the crowd and fell to his knees below the plain. "Lady Haitang! How are you here?"

The jianghu people crowded outside of Loushang Tower were shocked. The gaze with which they looked at the normal girl on the plain became alert and fearful.

Haitang? The Northern Qi Haitang!

Great Grandmaster Ku He's last disciple? The peerless swordswoman of the North? The ninth-level ace and legendary tianmai? A great grandmaster wasn't going to suddenly appear on the shores of the West Lake. Who could challenge her?

While Haitang was stealing the limelight, it was a pity that Fan Xian did not look. From the beginning, he did not look at her. He only furrowed his brows and closely inspected the movements of the people below. After a moment, he finally noticed something. Beside the lake and beneath the causeway in a small boat was a fisherman wearing a bamboo hat holding a fishing pole.

Fan Xian placed his hands on the railing and stared without blinking at the fisherman. He discovered that just as Haitang appeared, the fishing pole in his hands lightly dipped. There was no fish on the hook. The fisherman saw Haitang's cultivation and wanted to hide himself deeper, so he made that instinctive reaction.

Fan Xian witnessed this tiny action. He stretched out a hand and retrieved the blue and white porcelain plate from the Third Prince's hand.

The Third Prince said with surprise, "I haven't..."

Before he finished speaking, Fan Xian had thrown the plate down with force.

They only heard a crisp crashing sound as the porcelain plate shattered into countless pieces. At that moment, it was quiet outside of the building due to Haitang's appearance, so this sound was extraordinarily obvious.

Some people raised their heads to look up at the building, thinking, Which uncultured person dropped a plate down off the building in fear after hearing the name of the female saint of Northern Qi? These people were not able to see Fan Xian's appearance because of the big trees and the bamboo curtain divide.

Some people continued to watch the field nervously, not knowing what Haitang was going to do next.

Only the fisherman on the lake had a clear and unobstructed view of Fan Xian in the building. He could clearly tell that the plate was forcefully thrown by someone and not dropped, thus he was slightly confused and slanted his head as he gazed up.

It was only one gaze, but it could never be taken back because Fan Xian's gaze was coldly staring back, focused intently on him.

Yun Zhilan was disguised as the fisherman watched the young man with a calm expression up in the building. It was like a fire had been lit in his heart. Fan Xian! You are also here!

Yun Zhilan slowly drew back his fishing rod, but his gaze was like two dazzling swords directed at Fan Xian.

With dozens of meters between them, the man upstairs and man in the boat seemed to have forgotten about everyone inside and outside of the building. They forgot that Haitang was about to strike, and they only looked at each other.

For a long time, the two people's gaze did not leave each other. There was no probing in their gazes; they held only a naked coldness. The two of them, because of old vengeances and the matter of the Jiangnan Ming family, were certainly not going to sympathize with each other.

Yun Zhilan had retracted half of his fishing pole.

A strange unreflecting tip of a dagger appeared near the boat around the fishing line as if it had quietly, with his retraction of the line, risen up. Finally the spirit stealing dagger gradually emerged from the water.

At this moment, the larger half of Yun Zhilan's attention was on Fan Xian in the building, and the smaller half was on Haitang in the plain. Although he was the head disciple of Sigu Sword, he knew that both Haitang and Fan Xian were people of the younger generation who had unfathomable depths. Furthermore, rumors said that these two got along unusually well. For them to both appear at the same time in Hangzhou, to both be near this little boat, what exactly did they want to do?

A black blade of cunning murder streaked past.

The fisherman on the boat let out a muffled humph and shot into the sky with a long, terrifying and bloody wound on his body.

It was like the black awnings on the little boat were being pulled by numerous forces in all directions. In a split second, it broke into countless pieces. The water shook as a shadowy figure of a man wearing all black broke through the water of West Lake and followed through the air in the direction Yun Zhilan had taken to escape.

After two sounds of breaking air, there was no trace of anyone near the lake. There were only broken pieces of the black awning that bobbed up and down with the waiter. Among the broken pieces was a bamboo hat commonly seen in Jiangnan floating indeterminately. It seemed to be giving a show of protest to Fan Xian in the building.

Chapter end