Luo Siming grabbed his chin, muttering, “Ming Feizhen? The name sounds familiar…”
“Indeed,” added Luo Siming’s three bodyguards.
“You’re kidding me!” yelled Zha Pi, so astonished that he unknowingly cancelled his attack.
(Big Bro, the name is familiar!)
(… I’m going to go buy pork shoulders. Be right back.)
(Wait! Wait! Wait! You have heard the name of her husband, have you not?)
(… Yeah…)
(He shares the same name with you and is also from Daluo Three, Daluo Four or whatever.) Evidently, Zha Pi misheard “Mountain, pronounced shan” for “three, pronounced san”.
(… Yeah…)
(How are you so calm?! She said her husband, lover, dear, man, kid’s father’s n-)
(Are you a synonym database?! Yes, she was referring to me.)
“Are you for real?!” Zha Pi surveyed Yu Feiyuan from head to toe and back up again then heaved a breath so heavy that you’d think he was going to bawl his eyes out.
(What now?)
(You can’t do this, Big Bro! You eat the flowers, chew the grass and even take a bite out of the fruits! What am I supposed to do? What about Tang Ye? What about Su Xiao? What about Vice-Captain Shen? You are an immoral man. You are not an intelligent man. You are not a virtuous man. Your lifestyle is riddled with issues, sob, sob, sob. I am going to report you using the small black box for reporting fellow colleagues.)
(Cut the rubbish out. What’s all this crap about Tang Ye and Su Xiao?)
(Huh? Does that mean Vice-Captain Shen has not escaped your evil grasp yet? Amazing.)
I swear to god you’re lucky I can’t show myself right now!
Bodhi didn’t care why Reverend Zha suddenly stopped his attack. Escaping was his priority, and escape he did, leaping onto a roof a hundred metres away – because it was one of the few buildings still standing: “You are formidable, Empyrean. Bodhi is busy and has to take his leave now. We shall meet again if fate allows.”
“As you no longer have the will to fight, I won’t keep you.”
“… Perhaps we won’t be meeting, like this, the next time we meet.”
Zha Pi had no clue what was going on, but Ming Feizhen, who was relieved too soon, did. If Ming Feizhen didn’t control Zha Pi using celestial spider silk and communicate with Zha Pi, the former’s presence would’ve been more discreet owing to him constantly transferring internal energy. Alas, Ming Feizhen had no choice since Zha Pi would expose himself without Ming Feizhen’s assistance from the dark.
Bodhi stood up from a crouch and smiled: “I look forward to scrapping with the real you.” Bodhi jumped over thirty metres in his next jump.
“Not many people can jump that far,” Ming Feizhen praised in his mind. In a speed contest on flat ground, the biggest factor in winning and losing was internal energy, so Bodhi’s leap bespoke he dedicated a lot of time to developing his internal energy.
“Mother flipper! You dug this trap for me, you bloody daoist! It freaking stinks!”
“What did I do to him?” Zha Pi wondered.
Oh, don’t tell me he fell into the hole I told Xiaogou to dig. Damn, man, considering the size of Xiaogou, the hole and size of his faeces must be…
“I’ll remember this! I’ll get you for this one day!” Bodhi blustered after getting out of the ground.
How did I just make another enemy, for crying out loud? Whatever. Nothing I can do now.
With Luo Yan’s departure, his forces started to lose their upper and were duly subdued.
According to Yu Feiyuan and Lian Qingluan, Bodhi suddenly showed up at Wutong Jin Yuxuan’s place in the morning and announced he was going to take their sect’s treasure in the most hubristic tone possible, declaring he was going to let them experience how it feels to be mashed. To their surprise, only Yu Feiyuan and Lian Qingluan were able to put up a fight against him. After a few exchanges opposite Yu Feiyuan, Bodhi decided to flee. Lian Qingluan went after them as she was afraid Yu Feiyuan might lose or be tricked. Before they knew it, they were in Luo Clan’s estate.
“Miss Ao Xue is hurt.” Reverend Zha was actually asking how Ao Xue’s injuries were when he sounded as though he was pointed out a fact.
Luo Siming figured Reverend Zha, who had switched back to his wise act, was inquiring about Ao Xue’s injures and, therefore, informed, “My second uncle hit her in the back with a palm strike. Thanks to Interim Patriarch Yu’s intervention, the heat energy has been removed. Ao Xue only needs proper rest now to recuperate.”
Reverend Zha took another step closer: “That is simple enough. This one can help her modulate her qi. That will expedite her recovery to just a few days.”
Reverend Zha thereupon felt internal energy explode inside him. From seven metres away, he picked up several stones and flicked them at Ao Xue systematically, siphoning over true qi using the stones as a medium. Luo Siming caught on and, using his hand on her back as a medium, helped guide her true qi, discovering how potent and pure Reverend Zha’s qi was. Though he couldn’t identify which style Reverend Zha utilised, he could see that the former’s true qi was miles ahead of his own. The soothing flow of qi ironed out the wrinkles on Ao Xue’s nose.
If I didn’t witness it for myself, I would never believe someone could transfer this sort of true qi over using stones, not to mention his pinpoint accuracy at identifying where to flick them. Reverend Zha really is in a league of his own.
(Big Bro, what are you doing? That was supposed to be my chance to put on a show!)
(A blind man could tell she only cares about Luo Siming. If he or she wants to dismember you for taking advantage of her situation to fondle her, I’m not saving you.)
The busted reverend could sense a pair of worrying eyes locked on him; however, he couldn’t determine what their owner wanted.
(Big Bro, why does that woman keep staring at me?)
Ming Feizhen frowned: (“Woman”? Have some respect, will you?)
(Sure. How can I say no? So… why is Sister-in-law staring at me?)
Ming Feizhen shivered upon hearing “sister-in-law”.
Yu Feiyuan slowly angled her head: “Is someone behind you?”
Zha Pi shuddered, almost blurting, “How did you know, Sister-in-Law” had Ming Feizhen not stopped the former’s mouth in time.
Yu Feiyuan pointed in Ming Feizhen’s direction: “I think I sense someone over there.”
If Bodhi was able to pick up the similarities between Zha Pi’s sword qi and Yu Feiyuan’s style in addition to sensing Ming Feizhen’s presence, there was no way she wouldn’t have noticed.
“Damn it, where do I run now? She’ll come chasing after me if she detects movement! I’d rather not spend another three days running from her!” Ming Feizhen inwardly growled.
“Who is it? I’m going to go bring them here.”
(Big Bro, say something! I’m here working my behind off and risking my neck for legitimate work, while you two are playing “catch the cheater”?!)
“Wait, wait, I’ll come out myself.” An elder around Reverend Zha’s age jogged over to Yu Feiyuan.
“Who’s he? How long has he been here?” Luo Siming wondered.
Ming Feizhen introduced, “Ahaha, I am Empyrean Zha’s friend.”
Zha Pi: “Sworn Brothers!”
Luo Siming queried, “May this one ask why you are here?”
Ming Feizhen’s eyes wandered left to right then he pointed to Zha Pi: “He requested an order of firewood, citing there is a lack of firewood at the estate.”
Zha Pi huffed a breath onto his that hands he rubbed together.
Yu Feiyuan glanced around: “Where is the firewood.”
“Uh…” A cat caught Zha Pi’s tongue.
Ming Feizhen shrugged: “It was stolen. Miss, it is hard to do business these days.”
The only reason Luo Siming and Lian Qingluan didn’t expose Ming Feizhen was out of respect for Empyrean Zha.
Yu Feiyuan’s fists shook: “Not only did they break into someone’s home but even robbed someone? They cannot be spared.”
This was exactly why Ming Feizhen encouraged Yu Feiyuan to floor her opponents before engaging in conversation with them.
Ming Feizhen bobbed his head delightfully: “The heavens will punish them one day.”
“Elder, why do you look familiar?” Yu Feiyuan voiced.
Ming Feizhen glanced over to Zha Pi, only to receive a gaze of despair.
Can we not slap my face here?!
Yu Feiyuan took a closer look at Ming Feizhen’s face: “I remember meeting you a few days ago on the mountain. You were with your granddaughter.”
“I almost thought you forgot about me, Miss.” When Ming Feizhen and Mountain Monster ran into Yu Feiyuan, he told her he was a lumberjack, which was why he told them he was delivering firewood.
“I remember we ate tofu pudding together. You also invited me to have some tofu pudding with you in the north of the town, telling me that the tofu pudding there had a better aroma. Do you still remember?”
Why did I have to dig myself a hole with that promise? People in the pugilistic world don’t know about Lass Yu’s insistence on honouring her word regardless of how trivial it might seem, but I do…
“Of course, of course,” Ming Feizhen responded with a fake smile, thinking, “How can I run the tofu pudding store out of business?”
Luo Siming inquired, “The tofu pudding store in the north of the town? Is it that old one?”
“Indeed,” Ming Feizhen replied.
“That place has already closed down; even the owner has left.”
Oh, lucky! Thank you for adhering to my wish.
Luo Siming continued, “Dragon Phoenix Inn recruited him for his splendid skills. You should try the tofu pudding at Dragon Phoenix Inn.”
Nobody asked you! My risk of being exposed would be fifty times higher if we ate at Dragon Phoenix Inn!
Yu Feiyuan expressed, “We should go to Dragon Phoenix Inn, then. I will make a reservation there tomorrow for you and your granddaughter,” then had a few words with Luo Siming before leaving.
Don’t just walk off on me! You haven’t heard my objection!
(Tsk, tsk, Big Bro, Sister-in-law is one hell of a character. Even her strut is stylish.)
I’d kick you into a ravine if I could right now! I’ll leave it for tomorrow…
Ming Feizhen exchanged a few words with everyone prior to leaving, instructing Zha Pi to deal with Luo Siming and company while he went to search for Shen Yiren. Nobody complained about Ming Feizhen showing up in the estate owing to his friendship with Zha Pi. Once Ming Feizhen made it through the main door, he used qinggong to sneak back in to where Shen Yiren was and, using her scent as a guide, Ming Feizhen inhaled and sped over.
It’s time for you to come home, Boss.