The lighting in the hall suddenly grew dim and a figure in a bamboo hat appeared at the entrance. There were gold embroidery on his flocket [1]. His physique was tall and big, hence blocking the light.
“Little guy, give me the item and I’ll spare you.” his voice was low but it could be heard that his age was pretty old.
Bao Shaoliu slowly stood up, his body still swaying a little.
The person’s martial art skills was high and it was not on the level that he could look up to, which explained why he could not even take one hit from him.
The beautiful lady owner stood in front of the counter. She narrowed her beautiful eyes but she did not say anything or show any panicked look on her face.
Only Shen Lian knew that with the pair of hands she has, there was not much in the entire Shen Du that could scare her. The man in the bamboo hat certainly was not one.
Ruoxi crinkled her little button nose and said in her young voice, “Big brother, I don’t want it anything. You see, it is already dirty.”
She pointed towards a slice of the duck meat in the pan. On top of the golden crispy duck skin, there were some trails of dust.
Shen Lian patted her head, took out a silk handkerchief and handed it to her, telling her to wipe both her mouth and hands clean.
On the other side, Bai Shaoliu heard the man in the bamboo hat and his face tensed. He stared at the other and said word by word, “No way.”
The man in the bamboo sighed and did not say much afterwards. Footsteps then followed. His steps were not heavy, they were even slow but it was like a sharp knife that vehemently stabbed into people’s chest.
Bai Shaoliu had cold sweat on his forehead. The other was using his profound inner strength and blended it within the sound of the footsteps. It was meant for Bao Shaoliu. Even though the other did not use any weapon, but the sound of the footsteps hit into his Qi and blood one time after another which was similar to using a real blade and stabbing it into his flesh.
It was obvious the other wanted to subdue him without taking his life yet.
Ruoxi quickly wiped herself clean, obediently returned the silk handkerchief to her brother. Shen Lian simply took the silk handkerchief and said quietly, “Jin Daowang, it has been 17 years since I last saw you and I see you have fallen to the point of bullying children.”
Evn though Shen Lian’s voice was not loud, but it was enough to cover the sound of the footsteps, which dispersed the penetrative properties of it at the same time.
The man in the bamboo hat stopped in his tracks. Shen Lian had his back to him. It was just that the voice sounded familiar to him and he saw Shen Lian’s back. It was still a little hard for him to believe because he thought of someone.
Juvenile Bai was already drenched from head to toe. Once the sound of the footsteps disappeared, he laid on the ground and could not stop panting, his sweat pooling on the floor.
The man in the bamboo hat moved and was beside the young male in a blink of an eye, he then turned towards Shen Lian. Slowly, he removed the bamboo hat, revealing the grey head of hair and silver facial hair. His physique was still the same of an oak tree.
However, the cane knife that had accompanied him for over ten year was not brought along. He had already put down the knife in his hand.
The same delicate look came into Jin Daowang’s eyes, he could not even see any aging marks.
“You’re Shen Lian?” Jin Daowang could not comprehend at all. By right, Shen Lian would have been over 30, but why does he look not that different when he first saw him? It was as though the years had been heartless to him, yet it was also treating Shen Lian really well.
Of course, Jin Daowang noticed something very quickly. Ever since he gave up on the knife and eventually transitioned from martial arts into Dao, the biggest change was the increase in his senses. With 5 percent of his martial art skills, he was able to do the things that required 10 perfect of his martial art skills, it has also even gotten easier.
This concentrated state was helpful in condensing his orifices points and entering to a higher level. It was just that he could not inherit the celestial method and the Qi of vitality in the human realm is even thinner. He was afraid that he could not find the awakened entrance in his entire life.
The flowing water swordsmanship is exactly what he had hoped for. This swordsmanship was not well known to begin with and it was passed down by an ordinary martial arts school. It was afterwards that the martial arts school had a genius and within a month’s time, he actually defeated 18 of the famous masters using this swordsmanship. After the fight, he even drove through the skies and went off.
No one knew of this matter originally and even the decedents of the martial arts school did not realize the truth from it.
It was not until a few months ago that this news spread, which attracted disastrous event for the martial arts school. Everyone in the school was wiped out entirely, saved for one juvenile who escaped.
It was an organization that have done this and Jin Daowang was a part of this organization, so he knew of the many details about it.
He was already in his old age and if it had not been the fated moment of consuming that spirit ginseng, he could not have achieved what he had achieved today.
As he ages, he gets more paranoid about death and greedy for life. He would not give up on any hope of breaking through.
Shen Lian said, “I see you can still recognize me. Your age has not muddled you.”
Jin Daowang kept quiet for a while and then pointed towards Bai Shaoliu, he said, “If you want to defend him, I’ll go.”
If he was at the level he was ten years ago, he would exert his utmost effort to fight, because that time he was not on the level to realize just how formidable Shen Lian was.
Now that his senses was one step higher, even with Shen Lian sitting there with a faint smile on his face, he dared not make eye contact with him. Simultaneously, he felt a slight intimidation within him.
The Shen Lian 16 years ago was already an exceptional master of this world, he was not even an adult that time. Now he was unfathomable, this was of course naturally as it should be.
“You should go.” Shen Lian answered.
Jin Daowang nodded and did not even glance again at Bai Shaoliu.
He put on his bamboo hat once again and was prepared to leave.
It was then the lady owner spoke, lazily she added, “Leave the money for my tables and chairs and this young lad’s medical fee, or else do not even think about leaving.”
Jin Daowang coolly humphed, he was getting a bit irked.
Shen Lian’s voice rang again, “You’re not lacking this small amount of money, since she has said so, just leave it. Also, help me foot my bill too.”
Jin Daowang suppressed his anger and went to the counter. He took out a small ingot of silver and placed it down, it was actually embedded on top the counter. He huffed, “For you.”
Never had he been so embarrassed in his entire life.
Once Jin Daowang left, Shen Lian was holding onto Ruoxi as he prepared to leave.
The lady owner came strolling, the small ingot of silver that was previously embedded on the counter top in her hands.
She said, “You rather have a good heart, mister. Even saving an old man.”
Shen Lian obviously heard the undertone of her words. If it was not for Shen Lian who had scare Jin Daowang off, the lady owner was going to deal with it herself. There was no chance Jin Daowang could have survived.
This was why Shen Lian had Jin Daowang to foot his bill, after all, his life was more expensive than a small ingot of silver.
“It all came down that we’ve known each, hence this action. We are quite close, if it’s not too much trouble for you, lady owner, you can stop by from time to time.” Shen Lian can see that the other is also a cultivator, he just did not know which faction or which school she came from, and the celestial method she had learned.
“No need to call me lady owner. Your name is Shen Lian, right? Which ‘Lian’ is it?” her brows arched beautifully. Even though there were slight crinkles at the corner of her eyes, but it only added to her appeal.
“The ‘Lian’ is that of the gold metallurgy’s ‘Lian’. You can call me Qing Xia.” Shen Lian politely answered.
“My surname is Zhou, the Zhou dynasty’s ‘Zhou’. The single name is ‘Ling’, the ‘Ling’ of that of the bier.”
Shen Lian slightly nodded, pulling Ruoxi along, he leisurely passed by Zhou Ling and went off. However, he thought, Zhou is not only the Zhou Dynasty’s Zhou, the female emperor’s surname is also Zhou.
Bai Shaoliu knew the two were speaking but he did not understand a word. But, he already remembered one thing, and it was that was not Shen Lian the capable person who saved him that night?
He wanted to scramble to his feet but he could not do so. His mouth was dry as he watched both Shen Lian and Ruoxi leave, but inside he fussed, he already owed Shen Lian two lives.