Chapter 6
The waiter whispered to Ah Heng, “Our boss and Yu Tong, the big boss from neighboring Shima Town, don’t get along. Yu Tong has always wanted to take over our Apricot Blossom Pavilion. When we were rebuilding and preparing to reopen recently, Yu Tong interfered and delayed us for a whole month. The day before yesterday, when we finally opened, our old master came personally to oversee things, so Yu Tong didn’t dare show up. But today, he’s here!”
Ah Heng felt as if every inch of his body had been scanned. He sensed he was being targeted by something sinister. He asked the waiter, “Did that Yu boss bring anyone with him?”
The waiter replied, “Yes, he brought a cultivator from the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect. Word is that cultivators have already reached the third layer of Qi Cultivation!” Ah Heng gave a wooden nod. His composure was so steady that the waiter couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Had he known what Ah Heng was actually thinking—namely, “What is Qi Cultivation?”—he would have exploded.
Thus, a delightful misunderstanding took root. Ah Heng, not one for words, and the waiter, unaware of Ah Heng’s lack of knowledge, each boldly charged straight toward the tattooed giant.
The flower tattooed big man looked at Ah Heng up and down. “You’re the physical cultivator from Apricot Blossom Pavilion who can kill tigers?”
Ah Heng looked skeptical. What was a physical cultivator? The tattooed man gave a sarcastic laugh, then shifted his body to make a narrow passage. “Go in.”
The waiter quickly pulled Ah Heng through the gap. As they passed, Ah Heng clearly saw pity in the tattooed man’s eyes.
Inside Xinghua Pavilion, the waiter swiftly guided Ah Heng past the entrance and into a corner. Only then did Ah Heng begin to properly observe the establishment.
Though he’d dined here yesterday, truth be told, he hadn’t truly taken in the finest tavern in Xiaoyan Town. The Xinghua Pavilion had only two stories. The first floor was cluttered with two or three dozen wooden square tables and stools.
It was midday, the busiest time for the Xinghua Pavilion. When Yu Tong arrived, the place must have been packed with diners. But now, those customers had all been shooed away. The tables were strewn with half-eaten dishes and broken bowls.
Behind the tables, near the kitchen entrance, two curved staircases spiraled upward to the second-floor platform. Several chairs were arranged on the platform, originally facing a low table. It was said that storytellers performed here in the afternoons, a tradition preserved since the restaurant’s reconstruction. Every afternoon, the lower level would be packed with listeners, and cheers could be heard outside the building during the most thrilling parts.
But now the table lay shattered, replaced by several armchairs. Three figures sat within them, while Master Mu, his back to the main hall, bowed and bent.
Seated closest to Master Mu on the left was a pale-faced middle-aged man. He had beady eyes, a hooked nose, and a beard that hung down to his chest. His posture was supremely arrogant as he sipped his tea leisurely.
The two men beside him wore matching yellow-and-white robes. The one on the left appeared to be in his forties, a whisk resting on his arm. The man in the middle had a jade flute tucked at his waist and looked remarkably young.
The waiter pulled Ah Heng into the crowd of Xinghua Pavilion servants and whispered, “The man on the second floor near Mr. Mu is Yu Tong, the leader of Shima Town. He brought an immortal master from the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect this time. Mr. Mu has already gone to seek help from our sect’s Patriarch. If a fight breaks out, Ah Heng, you must stall for time. Our Patriarch will definitely come to save us!”
Ah Heng leaned on his beggar’s staff, scanning the room. At least twenty or thirty servants bustled about Xinghua Pavilion, while only three men occupied the second floor—Yu Tong and his companions.
“Ah Heng, do you think you could take on the one on the second floor… the one with the jade flute?” Before the waiter could finish, Ah Heng felt a powerful killing intent surge toward them.
Ah Heng yanked the waiter behind him just as a chilling wind whistled past his ear. A split second later, the waiter would have lost his life.
The waiter’s face was drained of color. He dared not utter another word of insolence. He’d heard tales of cultivators possessing great supernatural powers, capable of killing silently from miles away.
It was truly terrifying.
The man with the jade flute at his waist set down his teacup, a cold smile curling his lips. “Interesting… What exactly is this thing?”
He addressed the man holding the whisk. The whisk-bearer glanced toward Ah Heng. “I observed it for a while myself, yet I cannot fathom what it is. To call it a walking corpse seems odd—it still breathes and has a heartbeat.”
The jade flute man replied, “Once this matter is settled, we’ll bring him back to the sect for the elders to examine. Then we’ll know.”
The whisk man bowed his hands in respect: “Senior Brother Qin always thinks ahead.”
Yu Tong shot a glance at Mr. Mu: “Now then, Mr. Mu, have you made up your mind? Can Xinghua Pavilion change hands today? Give me a straight answer.”
Mu Chuanfeng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: “Mr. Yu, we’ve been friends for so many years. Why must you be so relentless? You already dominate Shima Town. At least leave me a crumb to eat.”
“That’s not fair. Xinghua Pavilion is bleeding money. I’m offering a sincere buyout, yet you act like I’m bullying you.” Yu Tong set down his teacup with a forced smile. “Today I brought a cultivator from the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect as a witness. I’ve even secured a guarantor. Ha ha ha ha!”
Ah Heng whispered to the waiter, “What’s going on here?”
The waiter’s legs shook like a sieve (shake all over). “What else could it be? They’re forcing our boss to hand over Apricot Blossom Pavilion. If he refuses…”
The waiter was too terrified to continue. Ah Heng pressed him, “If he refuses, what then? Could the Immortal Masters of the Extreme Bliss Sect really kill people in broad daylight?”
The waiter kept glancing at the sky outside the door, as if awaiting someone’s arrival. His voice trembled: “They’re Immortal Masters, we’re mere mortals. If they want to kill us, even the authorities can’t intervene. Ow… why isn’t our old master here yet… this is killing me…”
Ah Heng: …So the waiter had just dragged him along for numbers. If it came to blows, wouldn’t he be crushed like any ordinary mortal by the Immortal Masters?
Ah Heng looked up at the man on the second-floor platform, a jade flute tucked at his waist. The man appeared young, yet Ah Heng sensed he was the most formidable presence there. Still, compared to the golden leopard encountered last night, he seemed less terrifying. Ah Heng scratched his cheek, lost in distracted thought.
Outside the door, Old Wen and Er Gouzi stood among the gawking crowd. Most astonishingly, the black-and-blue-faced San Hu and his crew were standing right beside them. San Hu slurred, “It’s over… It’s over… Xinghua Pavilion is finished…”
Old Wen shot Sanhu a look. “A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory. After eating all that leftovers from Xinghua Pavilion, you couldn’t even say something nice.”
Sanhu and the others had taken a beating yesterday, but that didn’t mean they feared Old Wen or Er Gouzi. The only one they truly dreaded was Ah Heng. Ah Heng was inside Apricot Blossom Pavilion right now. Given Sanhu and the others’ usual temperament, they should be dragging Lao Wen and Er Gouzi out for a brutal beating to vent yesterday’s anger.
Just as Lao Wen said, Sanhu and the others had eaten plenty of Apricot Blossom Pavilion’s leftovers. They were genuinely worried about the place now. Sanhu waved his hand dismissively: You don’t know shit! Do you know who Yu Tong brought this time? He’s got Qin Shiwei and Huang Dingfeng, inner-door disciples of the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect! Qin Shiwei is even the closed-door disciple of an Elder! Do you get it?! Xinghua Tower’s old patriarch is just a Foundation Establishment disciple from the Wuji Immortal Sect’s inner circle. He’s no match for Qin Shiwei!”
Er Gou’s eyes went wide: “What?!”
Sanhu scolded him like a disappointed parent: “Or maybe your brain’s just clogged with shit!”
Ergou flared up: “Who the hell are you calling shit-brained?!”
Sanhu scratched his head in frustration: “You,he is talking about you, idiot! Stop interrupting me or I’ll beat you to a pulp! Now listen up!”
“Even in cultivation, there are ranks. Some immortal sects are big, some are small. Take the nearby Wuji Immortal Sect and the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect—Wuji is one of the top sects, while Extreme Bliss is much smaller. Every sect has outer and inner disciples. Outer disciples are like Yu Tong and Boss Mu—they attach themselves to the sect, regularly providing funds in exchange for protection.
Inner disciples, however, hold a much higher status. They receive formal instruction from the sect and have access to its resources. Some even become core disciples, who may then be taken as apprentices by the sect’s senior cultivators.
Though Boss Mu’s ancestor was an inner disciple of the Wuji Immortal Sect, he was not a core disciple. With countless cultivators in the Wuji Immortal Sect, the Old Patriarch Mu had remained at the Foundation Establishment stage for years. Yet Qin Shiwei, despite his youth, was already a core disciple. Rumor had it he possessed both gold and wood spiritual roots, making him exceptionally gifted. Reaching Foundation Establishment was only a matter of time.
Don’t you understand? The Wuji Immortal Sect wouldn’t risk antagonizing the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect over a mere Apricot Blossom Pavilion. To the Wuji Immortal Sect, the Apricot Blossom Pavilion is but a flea on the back of a nine-headed ox! The Apricot Blossom Pavilion is finished… Soon, the little beggars from Stone Horse (Shima) Town will come to our Little Rock Town to beg for food…”
Sanhu was deeply troubled. Old Wen and Er Gouzi, upon hearing this, also grew anxious.
Er Gouzi, his fever just broken and face still pale, asked Old Wen in a trembling voice, “Old Wen… Is Ah Heng okay?”
Old Wen replied softly, “Ah Heng can kill tigers… He’ll be fine…”
San Hu poured cold water on the hope without mercy, “Come on, Ah Heng’s only a bit stronger than us. Even cultivators at the Qi Gathering stage can kill tigers barehanded!” ”
Er Gouzi’s eyes instantly reddened. Staring at San Hu with fierce determination, he gritted his teeth, “You’re talking nonsense! Ah Heng is incredibly strong!”
Sanhu didn’t bother arguing with Er Gou. Like the others, he craned his neck to watch the situation inside Apricot Blossom Pavilion.
Qin Shiwei’s hand rested on the jade flute. “So negotiations have failed. The Apricot Blossom Pavilion being handed over to the Blissful Immortal Sect was a favor granted to you. Since you refuse, I can only be blunt.”
Mr. Mu’s face turned completely pale. He could barely stand steady, stumbling backward a few steps before grabbing the stair railing. “I have the Boundless (Wu Ji) Immortal Sect behind me! You can’t do this!”
Ah Heng gripped his beggar’s staff tightly. Something was about to happen. His eyes narrowed slightly. Qin Shiwei clearly paid no heed to Mr. Mu’s words. He elegantly drew a jade flute and began to play with it in his hand.
Here it comes! Ah Heng’s figure instantly materialized before Boss Mu, his black begging staff blocking the emerald jade flute with pinpoint accuracy. Qin Shiwei’s pupils contracted slightly as he regarded the gaunt, sallow-faced Ah Heng. “I didn’t seek you out, yet you come right to me.”
He had intended to channel spiritual energy into Mr. Mu’s body, letting him die silently. Yet Ah Heng had rushed in to disrupt his plan. Qin Shiwei withdrew the jade flute, his voice cold. “What… exactly are you?”
The spiritual energy he had unleashed vanished without a trace. How could an ordinary mortal block the attack of his jade flute with nothing but a beggar’s staff?
“What is your name? Who is your master?” Huang Dingfeng flicked his whisk, sending waves of transparent spiritual energy toward Ah Heng. The moment Huang Dingfeng’s energy touched Ah Heng’s body, it vanished without a trace.
Huang Dingfeng and Qin Shiwei exchanged glances. This creature was truly unorthodox.
Leaning on his beggar’s staff, Ah Heng replied, “My name is Ah Heng. I’m a beggar, belonging to no school or sect. I owe Mr. Mu something and promised to help him.”
Ah Heng felt inexplicably drawn to the two Taoists before him… they seemed… quite… appealing…
Ah Heng startled himself. Just as Qin Shiwēi and the others had said, what exactly was he?
Author’s Note:
Qin Shiwēi: What the hell are you?!
Huang Dingfeng: Right, what the hell are you?!
Wēn Héng: Don’t say that to me. I’m already a corpse.
Lián Wúshāng: You’re still a tree.
Wēn Héng: Right. I’m still a piece of wood.
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