Chapter 78: The Wen Family in Ningzhou
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
“Run!” Just when he was vexed, the initiator Ma Linglong chuckled. She turned the horse around and left.
“General Ma, this…” Xu Yong awkwardly looked at Ma Tai-an, his gaze revealing an intention of requesting for help.
“What?” Ma Tai-an grinned, yet he didn’t reply. He only watched the back of Ma Linglong and shouted, “Aha, Miss is returning. You idiots quickly go and protect Miss. Don’t let her get hurt again!”
Before his voice had died away, dozens of Metal Horse Carriage from behind followed Ma Linglong and they were as fast as lightning. In a blink, there were only Xu Yong, Junior Leopard and Ma Tai-an on the wide official road.
“Elder Xu, thank you for the matter of today. I have to leave now. We didn’t hear anything at all just now, haha…”
“You!” Xu Yong raised his hand and wanted to say something, but Ma Tai-an had already left like a rush of the wind.
Passively putting down the raised right hand, Xu Yong looked at Junior Leopard and laughed bitterly, “Disciple, now we’re in trouble that cannot get rid of!”
Junior Leopard’s eyelids twitched. He also sighed heavily. Ma Linglong’s words caused them, who wanted to take some advantages of others, to get into great trouble.
It was as if they ate half a green worm and they wanted to spit it out but couldn’t.
Both men were very gloomy. The whole world was watching the marriage between the Governor Mansion of Yunzhou and the Mingyi School. Besides, according to sources, the imperial court of Jin was also involved in the matter. This was the reason that Ma Tianchang agreed to the marriage, even though Lu Shaoyou encountered obstacles when he proposed.
Once this was settled, there was no room for Ma Linglong to reject. She had no right to reject in this matter.
Wang She did make a scene, but it was not because of Ma Linglong, because of the Tian Long Taoism. It was to show the position of the Tian Long Taoism. All the world thought so, and no one would think of Ma Linglong having a relationship with the Chief of the Tian Long Taoism. After all, this Governor Mansion had nothing to do with the Tian Long Taoism at all.
Today, however, Ma Linglong’s words had complicated this matter.
Ma Linglong definitely was by no means just the Governor’s daughter. At least she was not what people thought that she was nothing but the Governor’s daughter.
She and the Tian Long Taoism had a strange relationship. Otherwise, she wouldn’t request to go to the Tian Long Mystic Mountain with Xu Yong and Junior Leopard. After being interrupted halfway, she even asked Junior Leopard to send a message to Lei Xu who was in the Tian Long Mystic Mountain. What was more, she gave Junior Leopard a jade pendant that allowed Junior Leopard free access to the Tian Long Mystic Mountain.
Furthermore, she called Lei Xu “big brother Lei Xu”!
What an affectionate and ambiguous address!
By comparison, “little brother Zhou Bao” was paled much!
Who was Lei Xu?
He was one of the three Chiefs in the Tian Long Taoism. His position was the same as Wang She, but in the eyes of the people in the martial arts world, he carried much more weight than Wang She.
Wang She was only a Chief of the Tian Long Taoism. However, Lei Xu was not only a Chief of the Tian Long Taoism, but also the legitimate son of the Lei Family, one of the three families of the Tian Long Taoism. He owned heaven-sent bloodline, and was the most popular choice of the Tian Long Taoism’s next suzerain.
They could not afford to offend such a person.
“Big brother.”
Thinking of this address,
both Xu Yong and Junior Leopard couldn’t help shivering and sweating.
Both of them thought of the seriousness of the matter at the same time.
To send a message?
If Lei Xu really had a dubious relationship with Ma Linglong and fought with Lu Shaoyou with Wang She at his wedding, then it would be a big deal.
The Mingyi School, Lu Shaoyou, even the imperial court of Jin could do nothing towards the Chief of Tian Long Taoism. However, they could deal with Xu Yong and Junior Leopard, who sent message to Lei Xu, at will.
What if they were not going to send the message?
Lei Xu won’t spare them!
If Ma Linglong got married to Lu Shayou, everyone seemed to be happy. However, Ma Linglong was not happy. She may say that she married Lu Shaoyou instead of her big brother Lei Xu since they didn’t send her message. Then she may egg Lei Xu on to deal with Xu Yong and Junior Leopard!
If Lei Xu was a character that liked to vent his anger on others, then they would also get into trouble!
“Teacher! You’ve been in Jianghu for years. Is chivalry really so hard in Jianghu?”
“This isn’t a matter of chivalry, nor is it a matter of being in the Jianghu. This’s unlucky and it cannot blame the Jianghu!” Xu Yong said with an expressionless face.
“Then what do we do now?”
“What do we do? I have no idea!” Xu Yong helplessly said. He slapped the horse with his legs, “Let’s go. Huayang City is in front. After Huayang City, it’s more than 50 kilometers from Ningzhou City. Let me think about it. Anyway, there are still two years left!”
“Yes!” Junior Leopard softly replied.
“Jianghu is really unfathomable. We’ve only been walking hundreds of kilometers, and we’re getting into trouble. This’s really unfortunate!”
…
They were silent all the way. They looked sullen because of the matter in their hearts.
After resting for one night at Huayang City, they rode straight for Ningzhou City.
Ningzhou City was the second largest city in Moyang County. It was not as big as Qinlingjun City, but its atmosphere was extraordinary, with a different taste from that of Qinlingjun City.
Its geogrIts geographical position was very special, situating in the midst of a mountain concave. It was originally just a small village, with only a narrow winding trail. It was just that when Jin was founded, people coincidentally discovered that there was actually a shortcut from the rural areas of Yunzhou crossing into the heartlands of Jin. Thus it became a city and the trail was widened. Slowly the present Ningzhou City was formed. Because of the special geographical position, the climate here was also special. And here abounded in fragrant trees. The tree was evergreen. There was a fantastic fragrance in the bark, which could help calm the mind. People here grinded the bark into powder and made all kinds of spices. It was also the main industry of Ningzhou City. Hence, there were many fragrant trees outside the city.
On both sides of the official road to Ningzhou City were rows of neat fragrant trees just like the border trees that Junior Leopard saw in his previous life. Riding on horses, they could smell the fragrance from a distance. Gradually, the trouble began to fade away.
“This Ningzhou City really is not bad. Who knows if these fragrant trees can be planted anywhere else!”
“Stop dreaming! The fragrant tree is a specialty of Ningzhou City. When Jin was founded, the founding Emperor tried to transplant the fragrant tree to another place, but it did not succeed. For hundreds of years, other people have tried this, but they all failed. Hence, later, people gradually dismissed the idea!”
Xu Yong knew the thoughts of his own disciple, so he smiled lightly and said, “So you sould stop dreaming!”
“I didn’t!” Junior Leopard said, “I only felt something in my heart. Teacher, the city in front is Ningzhou City, right?”
“Yes!” Looking at the city wall and moat not far ahead, Xu Yong finally smiled, “We’ll be there soon. Your Uncle Wen’s men are already waiting at the city gate!”
Uncle Wen Huayang was their target of their visit this time.
Wen Huayang was a Level Four master. He was from the Wen Family in Ningzhou City. Wen Family was small and had no position in the martial arts world. However, in Ningzhou City, it was one of the three great families in Ningzhou City, controlling the whole city’s salt and iron business, having a good partnership with the Wu Family.
Wen Huayang was the present patriarch of the Wen Family. When he was young he got to know Xu Yong. He and Xu Yong had known each other since they were young. Then they wandered in Jianghu together, so they had a good relationship.
Xu Yong and Junior Leopard breezed into Ningzhou City. After crossing a few streets, they stopped in front of an extravagant manor. Then there was someone to report.
“Dull Xu, you’re finally here. I thought you were going to be a few days late!”
Soon after the gatekeeper entered, a forthright laugh came from the manor. Then the gate was opened and a sturdy man of 50 came to welcome them.
“This is your newly accepted disciple. Looks pretty good!”
Wen Huayang was forthright. Seeing Xu Yong took Junior Leopard over, he was stunned for a while and then laughed, “He is so young and so strong. Looks like you have a successor!”
“He is still young. He still needs your care in the Jianghu!” Xu Yong smiled, and let Junior Leopard pay his respects to the Uncle.
“That’s what I should do. Your disciple is also my disciple. Don’t be so polite!” Wen Huayang lifted Junior Leopard up and said warmly, “Your name is Zhou Bao? This name sounds fearsome. We are meeting for the first time and I don’t have anything good to give you. This thumb ring is not bad, just take it as a meeting gift!”
As speaking, he took a jet thumb ring off his left thumb, and passed it to Junior Leopard’s hand!
“This!”
Junior Leopard was scared. Even though he did not know the thumb ring well, it seemed that the material of jade was delicate like mutton fat. Besides, Wen Huayang kept it on his left thumb. With one look, Junior Leopard knew it wasn’t an ordinary item. It had to cost at least a few thousand of silver. Wen Huayang wanted to give it to him for the first time. Was it that Wen Huayang was extremely rich, or he respected Xu Yong very much? He wanted to accept it, but dared not. After rejecting a few times, he looked at Xu Yong for help.
“Since your Uncle wants to give it to you, you should accept it!” Xu Yong smiled, “Don’t be courteous to him!”
Junior Leopard then accepted it. He dared not put it on his finger immediately. Instead he gingerly kept it within his inner pocket.
“Your disciple is also dull, even duller than the you in the past!” Looking at Junior Leopard’s response, Wen Huayang said to Xu Yong.
“Cut the crap. Let’s go inside. Do you want to stand here and talk to me all the time?” Xu Yong asked.
…
…
“This’s my eldest grandson, Wen Biao. Little Biao, this’s your Uncle!”
“Uncle!”
“This’s my second grandson, Wen Qing. Wen Qing, call Uncle”
“Uncle!”
“This’s my third grandson…”