Qixia Village
The man had feelings for the woman, but the woman had no feelings for him. This was probably the most painful situation in the relationship between a man and a woman. Yan Qixuan did not know why he had fallen into such a situation.
However, he didn't have time to think about how to escape this situation because Yin Lanyao wasn't happy right now. No matter how hard Yan Qixuan tried, he could not make her smile again.
Yin Lanyao was unhappy because Yu Mu had left without saying goodbye.
Yan Qixuan carefully carried a bowl of white fungus soup into Yin Lanyao's room.
"Lan Yao, this is the white fungus soup I made myself. It's very sweet.”Yan Qixuan said eagerly.
"I don't like sweet things," Yin Lanyao said unhappily.”
Yan Qixuan smiled." I remember that you used to like sweet things the most." At that time, I even specially brought you snacks from Suzhou.”
"You liked it before, so do you have to like it now?" Yin Lanyao said coldly.”
Yan Qixuan's smile became a little awkward. He could only put down the bowl in his hand.
"Lan Yao, I heard that there will be lotus lanterns on the Qinhuai River tonight. There will also be fireworks. Let's go and watch it together.”Yan Qixuan suggested.
Yin Lanyao turned around impatiently and said,""If you want to go, go. I'm not going.”
Yan Qixuan laughed at himself. She no longer liked her favorite sweets and fireworks.
However, he couldn't bear to see Yin Lanyao like this. He felt bad for her, and he hated her. He hated that the reason she was unhappy was because of Yu Mu, not him.
Yan Qixuan thought of another idea and said,""Lan Yao…"
"Can you go out for a while? I want to be alone.”This time, Yin Lanyao didn't even have the patience to listen to him.
Yan Qixuan finally couldn't take it anymore. He asked,""Why? Why are you so unhappy? Just because of him, you left without saying goodbye?”
Yin Lanyao blushed at first, but then she said coldly,""That's right, that's the reason.”
Even though he already knew, Yan Qixuan still felt his heart ache when he heard Yin Lanyao admit it.
"Is it worth it? Last time, he was rude to you. This time, he still asked you for help, but he left without saying goodbye. Why do you care about such a person who doesn't know etiquette? Why should you be sad for him?" Yan Qixuan was puzzled.
"You don't have to worry about my business," Yin Lanyao said.”
Yan Qixuan was helpless against these few words. He said painfully,""We've known each other for so many years, but we still can't compare to you and Yu Mu?”
"I'm just worried about Young Master Yu's safety." Yin Lanyao retorted.”
"Worried about his safety?" Yan Qixuan asked. The yamen of Yangzhou had already sent someone to pass on the message. The person had already been caught. What do you have to worry about his safety?”
Yin Lanyao knew that she couldn't convince him, so she kept quiet.
Yan Qixuan sat on the chair dejectedly. He didn't feel that he had lost to Yu Mu in any way, even if he was Yu Sheng's son.
"When are you going back to the Jade Flute Sect?" Yin Lanyao suddenly asked.”
"You want to chase me away?" Yan Qixuan was stunned.!”
"This is the Yin family," Yin Lanyao said coldly.”
Yes, this was the Yin family. She had the final say here.
Yan Qixuan rushed to Yin Lanyao and said,""I'm sorry, Lan Yao. It's my fault. I shouldn't blame you. It's all my fault.”
Yan Qixuan's pleading tone softened Yin Lanyao's heart. It was impossible to say that he didn't mean anything to her.
He was one of the four great young masters and the future leader of the Jade Flute Sect. Whether it was martial arts, status, or appearance, he was the best choice. How many men in the world could be better than him? However, he was willing to bow down to her and accommodate her.
Thinking of this, Yin Lanyao said gently,""I won't chase you away. Let's go to the Little Qinhuai River tonight to see the lanterns.”
Yan Qixuan quickly nodded." Alright, alright. As long as you're not angry with me."”
"I'm not angry with you." Yin Lanyao smiled.”
Although she said that, Yin Lanyao was still thinking about Yu Mu, the only man she had ever met who didn't care about her.
Who was Yu Mu thinking about?
His mind was filled with that girl.
She suddenly appeared in front of Yu Mu like the wind, then left quietly like a cloud. She didn't leave any trace behind, but she left a mark on Yu Mu's heart.
How easy would it be for someone to fall in love with someone?
A brush of shoulders, a word, a glance back.
Yu Mu had too many reasons to fall in love with this girl. Her face, her figure, her smile, her mysteriousness.
Perhaps she was also unpredictable.
When would he meet her again? Yu Mu did not know. But he knew that he would definitely see her again.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp."
Yu Mu's stomach growled.
"Although beauties are good, they can't fill my stomach.”Yu Mu thought.
"Yes, yes, yes."
Yu Mu patted the old donkey and said,"Yes, yes, you're hungry too." Let's go find a place to eat now.”
A man and a donkey walked unsteadily, and it was already dusk.
Yu Mu rode the old donkey all the way, but he didn't see any inns or taverns along the way. He sighed, as if he had already accepted the fact that he would be hungry tonight.
There was an upward slope on the road ahead. On the slope, a man was pulling a wooden cart with great effort. There were many items on the cart. It was obvious that the man had some strength.
Yu Mu was about to ask the man if he needed any help, but the rope hanging on the man's shoulder suddenly broke. The wooden cart was about to flip over. The man lost his balance and rolled onto the cart.
Yu Mu, who was still on the donkey's back, came to the back of the wooden cart with a sway. He raised his elbow to block the falling wooden cart, and then used his right hand to pull the man who was overturned by the wooden cart.
The man only felt a force grabbing his arm, and then he gently spun in the air before landing steadily on the ground.
Then, Yu Mu helped the man pull the car up the slope.
"Thank you for your help, little brother." The man cupped his fists gratefully.”
"You're too polite, brother." Yu Mu smiled.”
"Little brother, that pair of hands was really handsome," the man praised.”
"Brother's strength is not bad, but the rope can't withstand such a great force." Yu Mu said.”
The man saw the Green Lotus Sword in the old donkey's bag and knew that this sword was ancient and extraordinary, so he asked,"May I know which sect little brother is from?”
"No sect, no sect," Yu Mu replied.
"I see that your sword is of an ancient style, little brother. It should be an inheritance item."”
"My old man didn't trust me," Yu Mu said."He thought it would be safer to travel the Jianghu with a sword, so he gave me the sword passed down in his family."”
The man nodded and said,"I'm Zhou Tong. May I ask your name, little brother?"”
"Big Brother Zhou, you're too polite. I'm Yu Mu."”
"Since Brother Yu doesn't belong to any sect, why don't you join my Seven Heroes Stronghold?"”
Seven Heroes Stronghold?
Yu Mu searched his mind slowly, but he didn't seem to have heard of any sect called the Seven Heroes Stronghold.
"Thank you for your kindness, Big Brother Zhou," Yu Mu declined."But I'm used to roaming the world and being free. I don't have any plans to join any sect yet."”
As he spoke, Yu Mu's stomach growled again.
Zhou Tong laughed out loud and said,"Looks like Brother Yu, your stomach doesn't quite agree."”
Yu Mu smiled helplessly.
Zhou Tong warmly invited him," Brother Yu, I can't repay you for helping me right now. There aren't any towns within a five-kilometer radius. My Seven Heroes 'Stronghold is on the mountain. Why don't you follow me to the Seven Heroes' Stronghold to take a look and have a meal at the same time? Then, you can sleep in the stronghold tonight. How about that?"”
Yu Mu wanted to refuse, but his stomach was starving. He smiled and said,"Since Big Brother Zhou has invited me warmly, then I'll go up the mountain and disturb you for a night.”
"You and I are fated to meet, so there's no need to be so polite."”
On the way, Zhou Tong asked,"Little brother, you're so young. Why do you want to wander the martial arts world alone?"?”
"My mother died early and had a dispute with my father," Yu Mu said."So, in a fit of anger, I decided to wander the Jianghu alone."”
Zhou Tong advised," It's common for young people to argue with their elders in a moment of anger. My parents died early, so even if I wanted to argue with them, I didn't have much of a chance. Your father still dotes on you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given you the family sword to protect yourself."”
"Maybe I'll understand him in the future." Yu Mu smiled.”
"Big Brother Zhou, may I know who the chief of the Seven Heroes Stockade is?" Yu Mu asked.”
"I won't hide it from you, Brother Yu. The chief of the Seven Heroes Stockade is me."”
"This is the first time I've seen the chief of a village personally pulling a carriage," Yu Mu said with a smile.”
"Brother Yu, you'll understand when we reach the mountain.”
The two of them chatted happily along the way, but the old donkey suffered. The heavy responsibility of pulling the wooden cart fell on its shoulders.
As he approached the mountain gate of the Seven Heroes Stronghold, Yu Mu saw a man and a woman waiting at the gate from afar.
When the man saw that there was another person beside Zhou Tong who turned around and entered the village, the woman went up to him.
The woman was not considered to be a devastatingly beautiful woman, but she was still beautiful. Her face revealed a heroic spirit, and her deliberately cut short hair added a sense of valor.
"Who are you?" the woman asked Yu Mu.! Why did you follow my brother up the mountain?”
"Brother Yu Mu is my guest, so you can't be rude, little sister." Zhou Tong hurriedly explained.”
The woman turned to Zhou Tong and said," You too. You're still bringing people into the stockade at a time like this. Aren't you afraid that he's the one?"。。”
Halfway through her sentence, the woman seemed to have a taboo and stopped talking.
The woman's words were nothing special. What made Yu Mu feel strange was that he had met three people from the Seven Heroes Stockade, but their attitudes towards him were different.
"Brother Yu Mu isn't a bad person. He helped me on the way here, and I was the one who invited him up the mountain as a guest."”
Then, he said to Yu Mu," Brother Yu, don't be angry. She's my sister, Zhou Luan. She was born with this temper. I couldn't bear to scold her since she was young."”
"Brother Zhou, you're worrying too much. She's such a beautiful girl. Even if she hit me or scolded me, I wouldn't be angry." Yu Mu said.”
Zhou Luan heard Yu Mu's joking tone and immediately glared at him. Yu Mu responded with a smile.
"Alright, let's talk when we enter the stockade," Zhou Tong said.”
"Brother, have you bought everything?" Zhou Luan asked.”
"They're all in the car," Zhou Tong said. Hurry up and ask them to prepare some food. Stir-fry a few more dishes. Brother Yu and I are starving.”
After saying that, Zhou Tong deliberately looked at Yu Mu, who also smiled.
After arranging the carriage, Zhou Tong suggested,""Brother Yu, dinner will probably be ready later. Why don't I show you around the Seven Heroes Stronghold?”
"Of course, I'll have to trouble Big Brother Zhou."”
Zhou Tong waved his hand and said,"What's the trouble? You're a good person in every way. You're just too polite."”
Yu Mu followed Zhou Tong to the main hall of the Seven Heroes Stronghold. A plaque that was almost painted off was hanging in the main hall, but the words " Seven Heroes Stronghold " could still be vaguely distinguished.
At the innermost part of the hall stood the wooden statues of seven people. The wooden statues were already in tatters and looked quite old.
Zhou Tong pointed at the wooden statue." It turns out that the Seven Heroes Stronghold was built by a group of bandits. There are a total of seven leaders in this group of bandits. None of the seven leaders were willing to submit to the other. When it came to naming the stronghold, they were even more quarreling. Each of them wanted to use their own names. One of the bandits suggested. Since there were a total of seven leaders, it would be better to call it the Seven Bandit Gang or the Seven Thief Gang. The leaders felt that even though they were mountain bandits, the name Seven Bandit Stronghold sounded a little unpleasant, so they called themselves Seven Heroes Stronghold.”
"I didn't expect that there would be a story behind the name of the Seven Heroes Stronghold."”
"Let's go, I'll bring you to the top of the mountain to take a look. The scenery there is excellent."”
"Alright," Yu Mu replied.
On the way to the top of the mountain, Yu Mu saw the stable of the Seven Heroes Stronghold. Not only was the stable dilapidated, but there was not even a single horse in it.
When they reached the top of the mountain, the scenery at the foot of the mountain was clear to their eyes. As Zhou Tong had said, the scenery was excellent.
"I think the mountain where the Seven Heroes Stronghold is located is the tallest mountain within a radius of dozens of miles. It's a good location." Yu Mu said.”
Zhou Tong sighed and said,"A good location doesn't mean it's good."”
Yu Mu could hear the hidden meaning in Zhou Tong's words, but he didn't ask further.
Zhou Tong pointed at a river." That river passes through the back of the mountain. We often go there to hunt rabbits and fish.”
"If I could find a place like this to live in the future, how leisurely would it be?" Yu Mu said,"It's just that there's no such leisurely place in Jianghu now."”
"It's very difficult to find a peaceful place, let alone a leisurely place.”
Yu Mu was a little surprised to hear such sad words coming out of Zhou Tong's mouth, but before he could say anything, Zhou Tong said that it was time to go back to the village for dinner.
After returning to the village, Yu Mu was completely dumbfounded.
At the dining table, there were only five men other than herself.
"Brother Zhou, you're not telling me that there are only these few people in the Seven Heroes Stronghold, are you?" Yu Mu asked.”
Zhou Tong smiled mysteriously." Of course, it's not just the five of us. Didn't Zhou Luan go and call them?"”
A moment later, Zhou Luan came in with five children and let them sit at another table.
Yu Mu thought to himself that if the Seven Heroes Stronghold wanted to gather the 'seven heroes' in its name, it would probably have to include women and children. No wonder the chief had to pull a wooden cart himself.
Zhou Tong stood up and hooked her finger at the only little girl. The little girl ran to Zhou Tong's side expectantly.
Zhou Tong took out a rattle drum and handed it to the little girl as if she was performing a magic trick.
"Thank you, Uncle." The little girl said to Zhou Tong.”
Zhou Tong pointed at Yu Mu." Don't thank uncle. Thank this big brother. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have been able to keep your rattle-drum."”
The little girl ran to Yu Mu and said shyly,""Thank you, big brother."
Yu Mu patted the little girl's head and said,"Next time, big brother will give you something even more fun.”
The little girl raised her head and asked innocently,"What more fun stuff?"
Zhou Tong carried the little girl to another table and said,""You have to eat first. Otherwise, First Uncle won't let Big Brother give you anything fun.”
The little girl immediately nodded obediently.
Zhou Tong, who had returned to his seat, began to introduce the few members of the Seven Heroes Stronghold to Yu Mu.
He pointed at Zhou Luan and said," This is my younger sister, Zhou Luan. You've already met her, so I won't introduce her anymore."”
Zhou Luan acted as if she hadn't heard Zhou Tong's introduction. She didn't even look at Yu Mu.
Zhou Tong pointed at a short and fat man and said,""This is Kong Xi, the cook of our Seven Heroes Stronghold. His craftsmanship is not bad. You have to try it later.”
Kong Xi stood up and wanted to shake hands with Yu Mu, but he found that his hands were full of oil, so he sat down in embarrassment.
Zhou Tong pointed at a one-eyed man below Kong Xi and said,""This is Gao Qiu. He is in charge of hunting in the village. His arrows are the most accurate I have ever seen. In order to practice archery well, he blinded one of his eyes.”
"Big brother, don't joke with me." Gao Qiu said.”
Then, he nodded to Yu Mu.
Zhou Tong pointed at a tall and thin man and said,""His name is Wang Jian. He doesn't have much ability. Like me, he does odd jobs in the village.”
Wang Jian felt wronged." Big Brother, you even praised them when you introduced them. Why do you call me useless when you talk about me? Also, you're a handyman yourself. Don't drag me into this."”
"Nice to meet you." Yu Mu stood up.
"Little brother, don't listen to my big brother's nonsense. I know quite a few unique skills. I'll show you some when the time comes."”
Zhou Tong pointed at the last person, the one who turned around and left after seeing Yu Mu at the village gate, and said,"This is the strongest martial artist in our Seven Heroes Stockade, Chen Wanjiao. The rest of us combined are not his match.”
Chen Wanjiao didn't say anything, she just coldly glanced at Yu Mu.
Zhou Tong finally introduced Yu Mu." I met Brother Yu Mu today. Brother Yu Mu may be young, but he has good martial arts." Today, when I was pulling the car up the hill, the rope that was pulling the car broke. He only needed to lean on it and pull it. Not only did he stop the car, but he also picked me up from the air. "Of course, I also took a fancy to his martial arts skills, so I wanted to pull him into the village. However, he only agreed to take a look at the village and didn't say that he wanted to join our Seven Heroes Village.”
When Kong Xi saw Zhou Tong say this, he immediately interrupted,"Brother Yu Mu, your martial arts are so good. If you join our Seven Heroes Stockade, I will support you as the first chief.”
"That's right. If you join us, I'll support you as the chief." Wang Jian echoed.”
Unexpectedly, Zhou Tong also spoke up,"Brother Yu, I'm serious. If you're willing to join our Seven Heroes Stockade, I'll immediately abdicate."”
Yu Mu didn't reject her outright this time. Instead, he smiled and said,"Sure, sure. It's just that I'm really too hungry. Can we discuss it after dinner?”
"Alright, let's eat." Zhou Tong laughed out loud.”
Just as everyone was about to start eating, Chen Wanjiao, who had been cold and silent all this while, said,"Since the chief said that your martial arts are outstanding, we can have a spar if there's a chance.”
"I'll do it if I have the chance," Yu Mu replied with a smile.”
Yu Mu was surprised that there was no wine at the banquet, but he couldn't say it as a guest.
During the meal, he noticed that Chen Wanjiao had been looking at Zhou Luan intentionally or unintentionally, and Zhou Luan did not hide her disgust for Chen Wanjiao. In order to avoid Chen Wanjiao's gaze, she would rather turn her head to Yu Mu.
After the children had finished eating and returned to their rooms to sleep, Zhou Tong signaled Kong Xi to take out the wine.
He opened the wine bottle and said," Brother Yu, this Nu 'er Hong is probably decades old. We found it in the wine cellar when we first came to the village. We haven't been able to bear to drink it." Since you're here today, I'll take this opportunity to unseal it.”
"Then I'm flattered." Yu Mu smiled.”
Zhou Tong poured a bowl of wine for Yu Mu and said,"Brother Yu, try it.”
After Yu Mu drank the wine, he realized that it was not a Daughter's Red wine. It was clearly a low-quality local wine. Although it had indeed been aged for some time, the quality of the wine itself was too poor, so after so many years, it did not have any taste.
Yu Mu smacked his lips and praised,"Good wine, it's really good wine."”
Zhou Tong said," Look, even Brother Yu Mu, who has traveled all over the world, says it's good wine. You guys haven't even tasted it before and you say it's local wine. You're really a group of people who haven't seen the world."”
Yu Mu could only smile bitterly in his heart.
Zhou Tong stood up and held the bowl of wine." Today, Brother Yu Mu, you helped me out. This old brother here will give you a bowl of wine."”
"Brother Zhou, you're too kind. I'll do it." Yu Mu quickly stood up.”
Yu Mu finished the wine in his bowl in one gulp, causing Zhou Tong to burst into laughter.
Kong Xi and Wang Jian also stood up." Brother Yu, you helped our Fort Master today. We brothers should each give you a bowl."”
These two people spoke righteously, Yu Mu could only raise his bowl to welcome them.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Tong stood up and said,"You two Harbao, did you want to get my brother Yu Mu drunk from the beginning?" Brother Yu, just drink one bowl. I'll drink the other bowl for you.”
Before Yu Mu could express his gratitude, Gao Qiu said,"Brother Yu Mu, you see, you haven't even agreed to join our village, but the village chief already treats you like his own brother, protecting you everywhere.”
"Thank you, Big Brother Zhou. I'll drink it up." Yu Mu raised his bowl.”
Kong Xi and Wang Jian had just sat down when Gao Qiu stood up with a bowl and said,""Both of them are toasting you. I can't just sit there and do nothing. Come, I'll drink first.”
Yu Mu had to finish another bowl.
Unexpectedly, the one who got drunk first was not Yu Mu, but Zhou Tong. This bearded man's alcohol tolerance was even worse than Yu Mu's.
He had only drunk a few bowls before his face was already red and his voice was starting to sound like a big tongue.
Zhou Tong hugged Yu Mu and said,"Brother Yu, please tell me what my sister looks like."”
"Miss Luan is naturally a national beauty," Yu Mu said.”
"What are you shouting for?" Zhou Luan asked. My name is Zhou Luan. Don't you know how to read these two words?”
"Shut up, brother Yu Mu is my guest, why don't you have any manners? I'll punish you by toasting Brother Yu with a bowl of wine." Zhou Tong slammed the table and said.
Zhou Luan looked at her brother angrily, while Zhou Tong kept slamming the table and urging him.
Yu Mu quickly stepped forward to smooth things over,""Let me toast Miss Luan with a bowl of wine.”
"Brother Yu is taking care of you. Aren't you going to drink?" Zhou Tong shouted.”
Zhou Luan snatched the bowl of wine from Yu Mu's hand. She had not drunk a single bowl of wine before, but this time, she drank it all in one gulp.
Zhou Luan choked on the wine, but she stared at Yu Mu with a red face, trying not to cough.
"Since you think that my sister is pretty, why don't you let me, your older brother, make the decision to betroth her to you?" Zhou Tong said.”
"Big Brother Zhou, you're drunk. You're talking drunk." Yu Mu said.”
"What drunken talk?!" Zhou Tong asked. I'm not drunk! A man's words at the table were like a spittle or a nail, and they would never change.”
"Brother, stop talking nonsense." Zhou Luan said.”
"Shut up!" Zhou Tong shouted.
"I'm afraid I'm not worthy of Miss Luan." Yu Mu suddenly changed his attitude.”
Zhou Tong said," What are you talking about? Brother Yu, you are also a talented person with a dignified appearance. You are a perfect match for my little sister."”
"I'm afraid Miss Luan won't agree." Yu Mu pretended to be worried.”
Zhou Tong patted his chest and promised," Brother Yu, don't worry. An elder brother is like a father. I can still make the decision for her marriage."”
"Yes, yes. I think the two of you are a match made in heaven.”Kong Xi and the other two also voiced their agreement.
Zhou Luan saw that her brother's words were getting more and more out of line, and the people around her were also saying the same thing. She finally could not help but throw down her bowl and chopsticks and rush out of the door.
Chen Wanjiao, who had been silent all this while, chased after him with an ugly expression. After a while, he returned, but his expression was even uglier.
Yu Mu didn't understand. Even he, an outsider who had just arrived, could tell that Chen Wanjiao was very interested in Zhou Luan, but the others didn't seem to feel this at all. Zhou Tong even used the alcohol to pull up the partner.
"This dish tastes very strange. I wonder what it's made of?”Yu Mu changed the topic to the dishes.
Kong Xi smiled slightly and kept him in suspense."Take a guess."
"Pork?" Yu Mu guessed.
Kong Xi shook his head.
"Chicken?" Yu Mu asked again.
"To tell you the truth, this dish is made of tofu." Kong Xi laughed loudly.”
"Tofu?!" Yu Mu exclaimed. Tofu could actually be made into such a texture.”
Seeing Yu Mu's shocked face, Kong Xi felt a little smug.
Zhou Tong said," Brother Yu, how is it? I didn't say anything wrong, right? Kong Xi's craftsmanship can be considered top-notch."”
"It's indeed a masterpiece," Yu Mu praised.”
Kong Xi smiled." I only know how to cook. If it weren't for Gao Qiu going to the back of the mountain to hunt every time, it would be difficult for a clever wife like me to cook without rice."”
Wang Jian interrupted," Why are you guys talking about this again? Are you going to add another sentence later? Wang Jian is not capable?"”
Everyone burst into laughter when they heard Wang Jian's words.
The banquet continued until Zhou Tong passed out on the table. Chen Wanjiao, who hadn't drunk much, carried him back to his room.
Yu Mu remembered how he felt when he was drunk with Pei Shengxin last time. He was just a little dizzy, but he hadn't lost consciousness.
Wang Jian put Yu Mu in an empty room and covered him with a blanket.
Yu Mu didn't think too much about it, and went to sleep after Wang Jian left.
When he woke up, the glaring sunlight shone through the window, making it difficult for Yu Mu to open his eyes. It was getting late. Fortunately, he didn't drink too much last night, so Yu Mu's head didn't hurt much when he woke up.
As soon as Yu Mu pushed open the door, he saw the five kids from yesterday practicing sword techniques with someone in the open space in front of the house. The one who taught them was not Chen Wanjiao, who Zhou Tong said was the most skilled in martial arts, but Zhou Luan.
She held a wooden sword in her hand, while the children each held a small short sword and imitated her.
Yu Mu came to Zhou Tong and Wang Jian, who were watching from the side. He rubbed his eyes and said,"Morning, Big Brother Zhou, Brother Wang.”
Wang Jian smiled and nodded. Zhou Tong said,"It's still early. I didn't wake you up this morning because you were sleeping so soundly. It's almost noon now.”
"I drank too much last night."”
"I really drank too much last night," Zhou Tong said."I had a splitting headache this morning.”
"I know that feeling." Yu Mu smiled.”
"Yesterday at the banquet, I asked you to marry my sister. What do you think?" Zhou Tong asked.”
"I thought you were just talking drunk, Big Brother Zhou."”
"My words at the table always count. It's up to you, Brother Yu." Zhou Tong smiled.”
"Miss Zhou Luan is naturally the best partner, but I still can't force her to do something that is difficult for me."”
Zhou Tong didn't insist like he did yesterday.
Suddenly, Zhou Tong said,"Brother Yu, your martial arts are very strong. Take a look at the sword technique my sister taught them."”
"They're still young, why are they learning the sword now?" Yu Mu asked.”
Zhou Tong's expression changed." The martial world is so chaotic. We have to teach them some self-defense techniques."”
Yu Mu nodded and said," Actually, at their age, it's enough for them to just learn the ordinary slashes that Miss Luan taught them. No matter how advanced the sword technique is, it's actually practiced from the basics."”
Unexpectedly, Yu Mu's words were heard by Zhou Luan, who was teaching the sword. She immediately stopped what she was doing and shouted,"Are you saying that my sword technique is just an ordinary stab? Then I'd like to learn a few moves."
When the children who were learning the sword saw that Zhou Luan was angry, they hurriedly hid at the side.
"Miss Luan, you've misunderstood," Yu Mu explained.。。。”
"My name is Zhou Luan." Hearing Yu Mu call her that again, Zhou Luan was even more furious.
"Miss Zhou, I'm just saying that at their age, it's enough for them to learn some simple slashes. I'm not saying that your swordsmanship is bad." Yu Mu said.”
Zhou Luan couldn't listen to Yu Mu's explanation. She sneered,"Since your swordsmanship is superb, I think it's better for you to come down and teach me a few moves.”
Yu Mu looked at Zhou Tong for help.
"Brother Yu, I think you should let her broaden her horizons."”
Wang Jian was also watching the fun from the side.
Yu Mu had no choice but to compete with Zhou Luan.
Zhou Luan threw the wooden sword in her hand to the ground and said to Wang Jian,""Give me your sword."
"We can compete with wooden swords," Yu Mu said.”
Zhou Luan glanced at Yu Mu coldly and said,""How can you only use a wooden sword when competing with a swordsman with superb swordsmanship like you?”
"Wang Jian, hurry up and take out your sword," she urged.”
" Chen Wanjiao's sword is obviously the best in the village," Wang Jian said with a bitter face." Why did you have to use my sword?"”
"If you don't take it, I'll go to your room and look for it myself." Zhou Luan said coldly.”
Yu Mu thought to himself that this was bad. Zhou Luan was already furious, but Wang Jian had mentioned Chen Wanjiao. Wasn't this adding fuel to the fire? In the end, Yu Mu was the one who suffered.
Wang Jian took out a longsword with a damaged sheath from the room and handed it to Zhou Luan.
Zhou Luan unsheathed her sword. The shiny blade of the sword emitted a cold light. Her eyes were also filled with coldness.
Yu Mu walked up to Zhou Luan and pulled out the wooden sword that she had thrown on the ground.
"Are you looking down on me?" Zhou Luan asked. Yesterday, I saw a sword on your donkey.”
"I'll use a wooden sword," Yu Mu said with a smile. If I don't use the wooden sword, wouldn't I lose the heart to cherish a woman?”
Zhou Luan spat,"Pah, what bullsh * t pity for women? I won't give in to you."”
"You naturally don't need to hold back." Yu Mu said, holding his sword behind his back.”
" You chose the wooden sword yourself," Zhou Luan said coldly." If you die under my sword, don't cry out for injustice."”
Yu Mu looked at Zhou Tong and said,"Big Brother Zhou, if I accidentally die under Miss Luan's sword, you can give my family's sword to Miss Luan as a gift."”
Zhou Luan heard Yu Mu deliberately call her Miss Luan again and immediately rushed towards Yu Mu with a sword in hand.
Unexpectedly, Yu Mu did not even dodge. Instead, Zhou Luan staggered and stopped in her tracks.
"Why didn't you dodge?" Zhou Luan shouted.”
"Because I don't think you have the heart to kill me." Yu Mu laughed.”
"Why don't you try dodging this sword?" Zhou Luan sneered.”
After saying that, she thrust her sword at Yu Mu again.
Yu Mu dodged Zhou Luan's sword with a single step.
"You can't use your sword well with emotions in your heart.”
Yu Mu's kind advice sounded like a joke to Zhou Luan. She turned around and slashed at Yu Mu with her sword, as if Yu Mu was a piece of firewood waiting to be chopped.
Yu Mu dodged again, and Zhou Luan naturally returned empty-handed.
"I don't think you know swordsmanship at all. You only know how to run."”
"Brother Yu, I think you should teach her a lesson. Otherwise, she will always speak rudely to you." Zhou Tong, who was watching the battle, laughed.”
Zhou Luan got into position and stabbed at Yu Mu again. This time, Yu Mu didn't just dodge. He bent down and swung the wooden sword in his hand, hitting Zhou Luan's ankle.
Zhou Luan only felt a pain in her ankle. Her original forward charging posture came to an abrupt stop, and then her entire body fell back uncontrollably.
However, she did not fall on the hard ground. Instead, she fell into a warm embrace.
Zhou Luan raised her head and met Yu Mu's eyes.
She struggled to break free from Yu Mu's embrace. At this moment, Zhou Luan was ashamed and angry.
She didn't know whether to hold the sword or abandon it. She didn't know whether to leave or not. No matter what she did now, it seemed that she was wrong about everything.
Yu Mu had already seen Chen Wanjiao watching the battle in the dark. This was also the reason why he was teasing Zhou Luan.
However, Yu Mu had never thought about the consequences of teasing Zhou Luan. Looking at Zhou Luan, who was standing on the spot and letting two streams of tears fall, Yu Mu felt that he was more embarrassed than her.
Fortunately, Gao Qiu came out at this time. He said to Zhou Tong,"Big brother, I went to the back of the mountain to hunt.”
Yu Mu hurriedly threw away the wooden sword in his hand and caught up to Gao Qiu, saying,"I'll go with you."
Gao Qiu was dragged to the back of the mountain by Yu Mu, leaving Zhou Luan standing in the open space.
"Phew." Yu Mu, who had escaped from the Seven Heroes Stockade, let out a long sigh.
"What's wrong with you? Why did you have to come with me to the back of the mountain to hunt?" Gao Qiu asked curiously.”
"Can't you see?" Yu Mu spread his hands. Of course I provoked the wrong person."
Gao Qiu smiled." You're also amazing. No one in our village dares to provoke Zhou Luan. She will barely listen to the words of the Fort Master."”
"Did you guys come to the Seven Heroes Village together?" Yu Mu asked.”
Gao Qiu shook his head and said," Fort Master and his sister were in the village from the beginning. Kong Xi and Wang Jian came at the same time. Chen Wan Jiao came earlier than us, but he was not with Fort Master and the others from the beginning.”
"How many years have you been living in the Seven Heroes Stronghold?" Yu Mu asked.”
"I've been here for ten years, and the Fort Master and the others must have been here even earlier." The few of us are people who have no one to rely on in Jianghu. It's all thanks to the Stronghold Chieftain who took us in, so we've always been very grateful to him.”
"Who are those kids?" Yu Mu asked.”
Gao Qiu sighed." Those children were orphans with a bitter life. The chief could not bear to see them homeless at such a young age, so he took them in." The little girl had been abandoned when she was still in her swaddling clothes. The Fort Master had personally brought her back.”
"I can see that Big Brother Zhou is a kind-hearted person."”
"Let's not talk about it, let's go hunting."”
"Alright," Yu Mu replied.
Gao Qiu entering the back mountain was like a fish entering the sea. Naturally, he didn't have a lightness skill like Yu Mu, but with his familiarity with the forest, he could easily leap across the forest, and his movements had an indescribable elegance.
"Shh." Gao Qiu pressed his hands together, signaling Yu Mu to be gentle.
There was a wild rabbit gnawing on the weeds in front of him.
Gao Qiu quietly drew his bow and nocked an arrow. He was blind to begin with, so he might not be able to see things accurately, but for archery, this was a unique talent.
With a whoosh, the arrow pierced straight through the rabbit's back.
"Don't think that I'm blind in one eye, but let me tell you, I can see better with one eye than with two." Gao Qiu said proudly. Sometimes, your disadvantage would become your advantage. The Fort Master said that your martial arts are strong. I said, no matter what, young people should always listen to the words of their seniors. They can learn life-saving things.”
Yu Mu smiled and nodded.
The two of them walked to the side of the wild rabbit. Gao Qiu sighed,"If I were a few years younger, my eyes would be clearer. This time, it must have been the leg. That way, he would have been able to pull out a complete piece of rabbit skin.”
Yu Mu didn't reply. He bent down and broke the arrow on the hare.
Gao Qiu was about to scold him, but Yu Mu waved his hand, and the sound of a rooster crowing could be heard in the forest.
Gao Qiu ran in the direction of the crowing chickens, and the broken arrow that Yu Mu had dropped happened to hit a pheasant.
He looked at Yu Mu and then at the pheasant. The two of them were more than ten steps away, but Yu Mu didn't even look at them and hit the pheasant with one strike.
Gao Qiu carried the pheasant back to Yu Mu's side, looking at the smiling Yu Mu and said,"Alright, Senior hasn't even said anything about you, and you're already in a hurry to show Senior your skills?”
Yu Mu smiled." It's nothing. I just threw it casually. I was just lucky. I'm not as good as you, Senior."”
Gao Qiu laughed out loud when he heard this.”
After hunting another hare, Gao Qiu suggested to go to the river to catch two fish. The harpoon on his back also made Yu Mu guess that he would not only hunt rabbits and pheasants today.
The stream at the back of the mountain flowed very slowly, and from time to time, fish could be seen swimming in it. Gao Qiu unconsciously showed off his senior's experience.
"Do you know what's the most important thing about catching fish?" Gao Qiu asked.”
"The speed of the attack?" Yu Mu asked.
Gao Qiu shook his head. He rolled up his trousers and went into the river with the harpoon.
"The fish in the water react much faster than the wild rabbits and pheasants in the forest. No matter how fast you attack, you can't be faster than its swimming speed.”
"Please enlighten me, senior," Yu Mu said 'modestly'.”
"Most importantly, you can't give it time to react.”
He said as he moved slowly in the river. "You have to let your feet become one with the river water so that the fish can't feel you approaching, and then hit it with one strike. Watch my fork."
"Yes!" Gao Qiu suddenly shouted and stabbed the harpoon in his hand into the river.
He missed.
Gao Qiu smiled awkwardly.
"Come, you should try going into the river too." Gao Qiu greeted Yu Mu.
Yu Mu took off his boots, rolled up his pants, and went down the river. He took the harpoon from Gao Qiu and searched for prey in the river.
"Move slowly. Don't let the fish sense the change in the water flow.”The old senior Gao Qiu reminded.
Yu Mu fixed his eyes on a fish that was resting beside a rock in the river. He slowly approached it.
The fish turned around, but it still stayed there.
Yu Mu was afraid that the fish would escape, so he accidentally took a big step and scared the fish away.
Gao Qiu said," See, I told you that you young people are impatient. Give me the harpoon and let the old senior demonstrate it to you again."”
"Hey, hey, hey, let me try a few more times. You tricked me into the river and let me try once?”Yu Mu ran away.
Gao Qiu said," Young man, you're just impatient. If you watch the seniors 'demonstration more, you'll take fewer detours."”
"Your demonstration didn't yield any results." Yu Mu said.”
Gao Qiu defended himself." I only did it once. How could I hit it so quickly? Quick, quick, let me do it again."”
"Well, I only came for a while. Shouldn't you give more opportunities to the young people?" Yu Mu said.”
The two of them pulled and pushed each other. They stayed in the river for an entire afternoon before finally catching a fish.
"If you weren't fighting with me, I could have brought back ten fish in one afternoon," Gao Qiu said.”
"Come on, Senior, I was the one who caught this fish."”
Gao Qiu's face turned red." Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's go back." We have enough ingredients for today."
In the eastern kitchen, Kong Xi was chopping wood for the fire. Seeing the two returning with a full load, he smiled and said,""The two of you have gained a lot today.”
"Old Kong, you didn't see it today," Gao Qiu said,"Yu Mu shot a pheasant with a broken arrow." They were more than ten steps apart. He didn't even look at them. Just like that, he hit them with a whoosh.”
After saying that, he quickly gave Yu Mu a look.
Yu Mu said,"How can I be as accurate as Big Brother Gao's archery? Two arrows are two hares." Sigh, it's a pity that he caught a fish and asked me to go into the river to try. In the end, I didn't catch anything after trying for an entire afternoon.”
Kong Xi said," I was wondering why the two of you only caught one fish. It seems that Old Gao's teacher is not good."”
"No, no, it's just that I, as a disciple, didn't learn well."”
Seeing Yu Mu covering for him, Gao Qiu heaved a sigh of relief. Otherwise, he would have been laughed at by his old brothers again.
Wang Jian had also come to the Eastern Kitchen. When he saw Yu Mu, he said,""Aiya, my Brother Yu, you've caused a big trouble this time.”
"Is she still crying?" Yu Mu asked.”
Wang Jian nodded." I cried for the whole afternoon. It was useless even if the Fort Master tried to persuade me."”
Yu Mu thought that Zhou Luan had only teased her a little during the competition. She didn't look like such a fragile woman, so why was she crying so sadly?
Wang Jian urged," You'd better go back to your room and hide. I'll call you when it's time for dinner. When the time comes, apologize to her and the Fort Master will put in a few good words for you. This matter might be over."”
Hearing that, Yu Mu put down the prey in his hand and ran back to his house.
When he passed by the row of houses, Yu Mu stuck his head out to take a look. When he arrived at Zhou Luan's house, he heard intermittent crying sounds. Yu Mu did not dare to poke his head out to take a look. He quickly ran back.
Yu Mu felt bored staying in the room alone, so he had to close his eyes to pass the time.
In his daze, Yu Mu heard someone shouting. It turned out that he had been sleeping for more than two hours.
"Time to eat!"
"Time to eat!"
"Time to eat!"
Wang Jian's shout came from the lobby. It turned out that he didn't call Yu Mu from his room.
Yu Mu stretched his body and prepared to go to the lobby. Unexpectedly, when he opened the door, he found someone waiting for him at the door.
Chen Wanjiao!
Chen Wan Jiao held a long sword in a black scabbard, his face was still as cold as ever. He stared at Yu Mu, making Yu Mu's hair stand on end.
"It's time to eat. Didn't you hear me? I'll go over first." Yu Mu pointed at the lobby and said.
Chen Wanjiao blocked Yu Mu's way and said,"I saw that the few moves you used to hit the woman today were not bad.”
Yu Mu ignored Chen Wanjiao's words and walked past him. Chen Wanjiao wanted to grab Yu Mu, but she couldn't even touch the corner of his clothes.
Yu Mu said," What are you doing with that sword? Put it away and come eat. Hurry up and come."”
Chen Wanjiao was so angry that he laughed. He instantly drew his sword and charged at Yu Mu.
The sword missed.
Chen Wanjiao lowered his head and saw a chopstick pressing against his left chest.
While Yu Mu dodged the sword, he took out a pair of chopsticks and subdued Chen Wanjiao.
Chen Wanjiao knew that Yu Mu's move would kill him even if the chopsticks were sharpened, let alone a sword.
Yu Mu put away his chopsticks and patted Chen Wanjiao's left chest.
"Let's go eat."
Chen Wanjiao sheathed his sword. He could only lower his head and smile bitterly.
"If that's the case, I can rest assured.”
This inexplicable sentence caught Yu Mu's attention. Just as he was about to turn around and ask Chen Wanjiao what she meant by that, she had already walked away in a daze.
The next day's dinner was even more sumptuous than yesterday's because of the prey that Yu Mu and Gao Qiu had hunted. However, there were two less people at the table.
Zhou Luan and Chen Wan Jiao.
Yu Mu wanted to ask Zhou Luan why she didn't come to eat, but he thought about it and swallowed his words.
At the dining table, Zhou Tong was still as enthusiastic as ever. Gao Qiu and Wang Jian were constantly trying to find something to talk about. Kong Xi also proudly let Yu Mu have a taste of his cooking. On the contrary, Yu Mu seemed to be a little absent-minded. The dishes on the table that were even more delicious than yesterday tasted like chewing wax.
Yu Mu knew that Zhou Tong was definitely hiding something from him, or rather, everyone was hiding something from him.
After dinner, Yu Mu returned to his room. He had already decided that he would bid farewell to Zhou Tong and the others tomorrow.
Just as he was thinking, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
"Come in." Yu Mu replied.
The person who walked in was the one Yu Mu least expected, and also the one he least wanted to see.
Zhou Luan.
Yu Mu immediately sat up from the bed.
"Miss Zhou, I didn't do it on purpose during the day. Please don't take it to heart.”Yu Mu hurriedly apologized.
Zhou Luan's eyes were still red and swollen. She must have shed a lot of tears. At this moment, a trace of a woman's frailty appeared on her face, making people feel pity for her.
"Yu Mu, can I call you that?" Zhou Luan asked.”
"Of course," Yu Mu replied.
"I'm not here for the competition today."”
"Miss Zhou, please speak frankly."”
"Yu Mu, if you don't want to get into trouble, I advise you to leave the Seven Heroes Stronghold as soon as possible."”
"To tell you the truth, I'm also planning to say goodbye to Big Brother Zhou and the others tomorrow." Yu Mu smiled.”
"I said we'll leave tonight, now!" Zhou Luan said. And don't let my big brother and the others find out.”
"Why?" Yu Mu asked. I've been staying here for two days. Even if I'm leaving, I should at least say hello to Brother Zhou and the others.”
"I know, but if you stay until tomorrow, I know you will be in trouble."”
"What trouble?" Yu Mu asked.”
"I can't tell you, but you have to believe me."”
"I've been wandering in the martial world for so long, so I'm not afraid of trouble." Yu Mu smiled.”
Seeing that her persuasion was futile, Zhou Luan could only give up. Before she left the room, she said,"I've already said it. It's up to you whether you want to leave or not.”
Yu Mu finally remembered. On the first day he came to the Seven Heroes Stronghold, Zhou Luan asked,"Why are you still bringing people into the stronghold at this time?"”
No matter what would happen, Yu Mu knew that the truth would be revealed tomorrow. He had decided to stay and see what would happen.
Yu Mu fell asleep, but these things didn't make him sleep well.
Footsteps!
Yu Mu opened his eyes instantly. He looked out of the window. It was almost dawn outside.
Bang bang bang. The knocking sounded a little dull.
"Brother Yu Mu, are you up yet?" The person outside was Zhou Tong.
"Yes, come in, Big Brother Zhou." Yu Mu stood up and replied.”
Zhou Tong pushed the door open and entered. There was an unnatural smile on his face.
"What?" Zhou Tong asked. Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Yu Mu looked into Zhou Tong's eyes and said,"I'm thinking about something."”
Zhou Tong lowered her head." I remember you saying that the location of the mountain where the Seven Heroes Stronghold is located is very good when we were enjoying the scenery at the top of the mountain the day before yesterday."”
"Yes, I did." Yu Mu nodded.”
"Chief Tie has his eyes on this place. They said that they want to make the Seven Heroes Stronghold one of their branches." He gave me a deadline. As long as I leave the Seven Heroes Stronghold with my men before the deadline, he can pretend that there is no one in the stronghold and burn it down with a torch.”
"The deadline is today," Yu Mu said.”
"Yes, it's today," Zhou Tong said.”
" Although the location of the Seven Heroes 'Stronghold is not bad," Yu Mu said doubtfully," there are no towns or villages within a radius of dozens of miles. Why would Chief Tie build a branch in such a place?"”
Zhou Tong smiled bitterly." This is within the Iron Chief's sphere of influence. They don't want to use the Seven Hero Stronghold to build a branch. They want to ensure that there will be no more people in the Seven Hero Stronghold.”
"I understand," Yu Mu said. So why did you invite me up the mountain?”
"Brother Yu, don't misunderstand. I'm not asking you to go against the Iron Chief." My sister is going to take those children to a friend of mine in Hangzhou. However, Hangzhou is hundreds of miles away from here. She's a woman with a few children. I really can't rest assured on the way. So I want to ask you to protect them along the way.”
"No wonder you invited me to stay on the mountain for two days." Hide this matter from me first, and then wait for me to thank you before you speak. Am I right?"
"I was also forced to do so. Brother Yu, please help me."”
"That day, you wanted me to marry Zhou Luan under the influence of alcohol. Was it also for this matter?" Yu Mu asked.”
Zhou Tong could not deny it.
Yu Mu really didn't like Zhou Tong's tricks.
"Let me think about it." Yu Mu said.”
"No matter what your decision is," Zhou Tong stood up and said,"I'll still invite you to the main hall at dawn."”
"Alright, I'll definitely go."”
Zhou Tong nodded, then looked at Yu Mu apologetically before leaving.
Yu Mu didn't agree because Zhou Tong didn't explain two things.
Firstly, he was worried that something might happen to Zhou Luan and her child on the way, so why didn't he escort them all the way? Secondly, they could have left the Seven Heroes Stockade earlier, so why did they wait until today?
Yu Mu had been waiting for Zhou Tong to explain, but he didn't.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。