Chapter 23 Secrets In The Open

The volunteered martial artists tried their best to find Yang Ru, but they were unable to find him. After the third day of the search, the volunteer martial artists decided to cancel the search and went their separate ways.

It was almost dawn when Rao Zhengsheng, Xue Horan, Dong Lanying, and Yuan Xiurong saw the small teahouse on the side of the road. They decided to take a break before continue to walk to Sword village. While sitting and drinking, they saw the seven members of Sword Village, the talkative Yan yisheng, and Chen Dandan.

Dong Lanying said, "It seem like they left right after us."

Rao Zhengsheng, "They are members of Sword Village and also the road is free for anyone to travel. We are going to visit them, so let's play nice."

Xue Horan didn't pay much attention to this issue. He listened to Rao Zhengsheng and Dong Lanying talked back and forth about Sword Village, suddenly a voice made him look back.

Yongzheng asked, "How much is one bowl of noodle?"

The waiter said, "One bowl of noodle is one liang."

Xue Horan watched Yongzheng take out the worn-out money bag, took out one liang and handed it to the waiter. The waiter smiled at him, "Your bowl of noodles will be right out."

Sitting out in the late summer sun, Yongzheng remembered when he first met Xue Horan, their first meal together was noodle soup. He wondered how Xue Horan has been doing. Then the waiter set his bowl of noodle in front of him. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

Rao Zhengsheng asked "Horan, what's the matter?"

Xue Horan replied, "Zhen ge, Yongzheng sits over there."

Dong Lanying said, "Would you like to invite him to our table? Anyway, he and his shifu, once rescued us from Cao Fengge?"

Xue Horan said, "You haven't told me about this. How did Yongzheng saved you?"

Dong Lanying said, "Although he looks like this, but his internal skills are very strong. When da shixiong and I tried to kill Cao Fengge in Sword Village, we were no match to him because he has the five-colored mice with him. Also, our skills was not good at that time."

Xue Horan said, "Then invite him to eat with us, because he also saved me many times." Rao Zhengsheng, who could not say no to Xue Horan smiled and nodded at Xue Horan. Xue Horan quickly walked to the other side of the small teahouse on the side of the road and put his hand on Yongzheng's right shoulder. "Yongzheng."

Yongzheng looked up and saw Xue Horan smiling at him. He swallowed the noodles and said, "Horan, what are you doing here?"

Xue Horan, "Come and sit at our table." He stretched out his hand and grabbed Yongzheng's right wrist. He began to drag Yongzheng to their table.

Yongzheng stopped and said, "Horan, it's alright. I can sit at my table. There are only four stool."

Xue Horan said, "We can sit on the same stool." He continued to drag Yongzheng's hand to their table. Xue Horan let Yongzheng sat on his stool and he sat on the same stool as Rao Zhengsheng.

As more and more martial artists of different sectors and clans came to sit down, the five young people began to eat. The martial artists began to chat.

The first man said, "I heard that Mu Dishi is not dead, and he still lives inside Mu Cave."

The woman, "You heard it wrong, Mu Dishi is dead, but according to the local priest, the mountain is hunted. I don't doubt it at all."

The second man said, "What do you mean?"

The woman looked at the two of them and said, "Too many martial artists have died in the Mu treasure cave. It's normal for theirs' sprit to roam the cave at night."

Xue Horan then asked, "Zhen ge, who is this Mu Dishi? Why do people say that I look like him?"

Rao Zhengsheng said, "I only saw him once, many years ago. I didn't pay much attention to his looks, I don't know if you two look alike."

Yuan Xiurong said, "Mu Dishi, the last survivor of the Mu Clan, he is the only person who has completed the 'Killer Strings Manual' beside Zan Huangming, of the Zan family. Many years ago, since the despairing of Zan Huangming, people thought the 'Killer Strings Manual' was lost forever, until Mu Jiao Long used it to earned his place in the martisl arts world. Since the death of Mu Jiao Long, the people thought the 'Killer Strings Manual' was lost once more, until Mu Dishi showed up in Central Plains and claimed the lives of the three sectors and four clans. The whereabouts of Mu Dishi is unknown, but everyone believes that he is dead. After the incident inside the Mu Treasure Cave. No one has seen him."

Listening to Yuan Xiurong sharing her knowledge of the martial arts world, Xue Horan finally understood why Rao Zhengsheng wanted Yuan Xiurong by his side. Although Yuan Xiurong is a weak woman, she has a profound knowledge of martial arts world. Then he think about himself. He is a person who knows nothing about the martial arts world. All he can do is cook, clean, wash clothes, and then practice swordsmanship. For him, as far as he can remember, he wanted to be with Rao Zhengsheng and take care of him, so instead of learning what the world of martial arts is, he practiced being a good housewife. Now he regrets it very much because he wasted all those years practicing the wrong thing.

Rao Zhengsheng noticed that Xue Horan was poking his noodle. He picked up two beef strips and put them into Xue Horan's bowl of noodles. He asked, "What's wrong? You don't like it?"

Xue Horan said, "No, I like it. I'm thinking about what I should do to improve the taste, but I can't think of anything else."

Rao Zhengsheng, "When we return to the Yuan Mansion, how about you cook us a meal. I really want to eat the food you cook."

Xue Horan smiled and said, "Alright."

Rao Zhengsheng and Xue Horan talked as if they were the only two people in the whole roadside teahouse.

Yan Zhanjin looked at Yong Taihua from a distance, and said, "No matter how you look at it, that young man is very similar to Mu Dishi."

Yong Taihua said, "I don't see any similarities."

Yong Caixia added, "I agree with Yan ge."

Chen Dandan said, "How come only you and Cao gongzi said that he doesn't look like Mu Dishi, when everyone else agree that he does look like Mu Dishi?"

Yong Taihua, "I have the same questions for everyone who thinks he look like shizun."

Yan Zhanjin said, "Alright, if we meet Ma-ge, let's ask him." He stared at Yong Taihua, as if he already knew what secrets Yong Taihua was hiding in his heart. "I always wanted to ask you."

Yong Taihua, "What?"

Yan Zhanjin said, "You have a lot of respect for Mu Dishi, do you have a thing for him?"

Yong Taihua said, "Yan Zhanjin, watch your words. I would never have such thoughts about shizun. I respect him highly." He looked at Yan Zhanjin. "Even if I do, do you think shizun will lay his eyes on me?"

Yan Zhanjin chuckled and said, "Probably not." He knew that he had crossed the line. "I asked because you are not young anymore and you have not shown any signs of marriage."

Yong Caixia said, "Who said that?"

Yan Zhanjin looked at Yong Taihua, "Who is the lucky girl?" He looked at Yong Caixia's glaze that fell on Chen Dandan. "Dandan, you have been quiet." He put two and two together, and he choked heavily on his tea. "You…him...when?"

Chen Dandan blushed and said shyly, "I don't know."

Yan Zhanjin asked, "What does leader Yong think about your two?"

Yong Caixia, "Father have no objection, other than urging da ge to quickly get marry, because he very want to hold his grandchildren."

Yong Taihua then asked Yan Zhanjin, "Do you have any objections?"

Yan Zhanjin, "As long as you are loyal to her, I don't, but mark my words. If you cheat and marry a mistress, I will poison you to death." He stopped. "No, I will poison everyone in Sword Village to death." He pointed at Yong Caixia. "You are my witness."

Chen Dandan, "Da shixiong, whatever happen to your motto 'my hands are here to save lives, not to take lives, no matter how evil the patient is." She looked at Yong Caixia. "Da shixiong, how about you marry Caixia?"

Yan Zhanjin, "You must be crazy. I treat her like Taihua treats her. She is my other meimei."

Yong Caixia smiled and said, "When were I ever decline another da ge."

Everyone at the table laughed and enjoyed dinner. Yan Zhanjin looked at the happy couple. He knew that deep in his heart, no one could please his heart like Zhu Mingyang. He also knew that he would never like someone like the way he liked Zhu Mingyang, and he also accepted the fact that he met Zhu Mingyang too late. He frowned deeply and said in his heart, "Mingyang, how are you doing? Do you enjoy life happily with the one you love?"