“Elder Zhao Zilai.” Xiao Tieying lifted his hand to greet him. His handsome face revealed a smile. “Come sit with us!”
Zhao Zilai thought quickly.
A coincidence or a trap?
Perhaps they just happened to be here now. After all, Sky Inn was the largest restaurant in Chong Ming Town. Xiao Tieying and Li Yuning coming here to eat was nothing surprising.
Or were they waiting for him there?
Zhao Zilai was very composed and did not show the slightest sign of panic.
It did not matter if Xiao Tieying was there coincidentally or if he had been deliberately waiting for him. He was still a High Official of the imperial house and Xiao Tieying could do nothing to him!
He smiled and approached them. “Master Xiao Tieying, you guys are here too!”
“What a coincidence!” Xiao Tieying stared at him and gave him a smirk. “If I knew that Elder Zhao Zilai wanted to come over for dinner, I would’ve invited you. Let’s sit together, how about it?”
He sneered inwardly. Chu Li had guessed right. How could there be such a coincidence!
What was even more depressing was that, even if he knew that Zhao Zilai had something to do with Lu Yurong, he could not do anything to him. The standing of a High Official of the imperial house was transcendent and he was just the eldest master of the Public House. Zhao Zilai was way out of his reach.
“Very well.” Zhao Zilai sat down at the table and smiled at Linquan.
Linquan gave a humble smile and bowed.
“Brother Linquan can be regarded as a top-notch martial arts master too.” Zhao Zilai laughed heartily. “But you certainly don’t look like it!”
Linquan smiled. “You flatter me.”
Xiao Tieying said, “Elder Zhao Zilai, do you have any dissatisfactions with our hospitality?”
“It was quite good.” Zhao Zilai smiled. “I’ve always loved to hang around Leisurely, I enjoy being carefree and easy. I don’t like to be restrained so I’ll take this opportunity to take a stroll around Chong Ming Town.”
“Elder Zhao Zilai, please make yourself feel at home. You can tell the maid if you’ve any orders. I will do the honors.” Xiao Tieying smiled.
At this time, the tea was served. Linquan stood up to take it and handed it to Zhao Zilai.
Zhao Zilai took the teacup and smiled. “When do I help Second Lady remove the Vitality Sealing Finger? If I can complete the task early, I can set my heart at rest and take a stroll around Chong Ming Town wholeheartedly.”
“No hurry.” Xiao Tieying took the teacup and Chu Li sipped the tea. “Let my sister take a good rest first for a few days. If something goes wrong, I will regret it for the rest of my life!”
He believed in 70-80% of Chu Li’s judgment. Even if it was really a coincidence today and he wronged Zhao Zilai, he still could not let him unseal the Vitality Sealing Finger anymore. No matter how small of a doubt he had, he could not take the risk because Second Younger Sister had only one life.
“That’s true too.” Zhao Zilai smiled and put down the cup of tea. “But I would like to meet Second Lady and take a look at her condition first.”
“Of course.” Xiao Tieying nodded and smiled. “Before you start the treatment, naturally, you will need to see her.”
Zhao Zilai said, “Yesterday, the young man who was at the table with us was a rank three Scribe. At his age, he must be really good.”
“He’s Chu Li.” Xiao Tieying’s face turned grim and he gave an unhappy snort. “He’s indeed a genius, but he has an unruly character. Pardon his rudeness, Elder Zhao Zilai!”
“He’s young so it was inevitable.” Zhao Zilai shook his head and smiled. “A young person will find it hard to always be composed, so train him well!”
Xiao Tieying laughed. “He’s still young and has a long way to go!”
Zhao Zilai sighed and said, “Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the Duke. Where is the Duke now?”
Xiao Tieying’s face turned dark momentarily and he put on a smile. “Father is in Isolated Cultivation. He has ordered that no one is to disturb him. As his son, I cannot go against his order.”
This surnamed Zhao was really hateful, he was picking topics that he should not have!
“Hai … the Duke has tremendous charisma and stage presence. Until now, thinking about it would make one look forward to seeing him again!” Zhao Zilai shook his head and said, “Unfortunately, I couldn’t catch a glimpse of it.”
Xiao Tieying smiled and changed the topic. “Come, Elder Zhao Zilai, try Sky Inn’s signature dishes—beef with sliced turnip and sauce.”
The bartender served many dishes and the mouth-watering aroma from the food assailed their nostrils.
After dinner, Xiao Tieying returned to Iron Eagle Island with a gloomy face and sat bitterly on an armchair in the main hall. He sneered. “Very good, Zhao Zilai!”
Linquan lowered his head and eyes. He said softly, “Master, it’s not worth it to be angry. Those who have advanced in age have strange tempers. It’s best not to bother yourself with the likes of him.”
“Humph!” Xiao Tieying sneered. “I think he was trying to anger me on purpose… Linquan, do you think he is suspicious?”
Linquan smiled. “Master, I dare not say.”
“Cut it out!” Xiao Tieying said snappily.
Linquan said, “Even if we say that he’s suspicious, he’s a High Official in the imperial house and is usually arrogant. It’s not surprising that what he said was a little hateful. Suspecting that he conspires with the Ren Public House because of this would be too… too…”
“Humph, too rash, am I right?!” Xiao Tieying scoffed.
Linquan smiled awkwardly and said, “Of course, if we say that he isn’t suspicious, he’s also a little suspicious. The coincidence was a little odd.”
“An old person will become cunning. That’s totally right!” Xiao Tieying pointed at Linquan.
Linquan gave an awkward laugh.
Xiao Tieying said, “No matter what, this so-called Zhao Zilai cannot be trusted!”
Linquan said, “We can still request the help of another High Official from the imperial house.”
“This time it was because of the Empress’s help. If we give up and go ask for another person’s help, we’ll be seen as ungrateful!” Xiao Tieying scoffed.
Linquan said, “Then what should we do?”
“Let me think again.” Xiao Tieying frowned. “We can always find a Grandmaster!”
“I know that the Duke has a best friend.” Linquan looked at him carefully and whispered, “He’s a top-notch Grandmaster.”
“Who’s it?” Xiao Tieying said coldly.
Linquan said, “‘Thunder Guiding Blade’, Feng Jiuyang.”
‘Thunder Guiding Blade’ Xiao Tieying pondered and then he frowned. “He’s a good friend of Father’s?”
“Thunder Guiding Blade” was very famous, his blade was like a thunderbolt as if it was guiding thunder down. It was as fast as lightning and unavoidable. Even if he had disappeared for ten years, his reputation did not weaken.
“It’s a life and death friendship.” Linquan nodded. “But ‘Thunder Guiding Blade’ has retired into the mountains and Duke is in Isolated Cultivation too, they haven’t stayed in touch for more than ten years. We don’t know how he is now. If he hasn’t abandoned his martial arts, he should still be a top-notch master.”
“I’ve heard of the famed ‘Thunder Guiding Blade’.” Xiao Tieying nodded slowly. “Since his martial arts is very powerful, let’s give it a try!”
Now, he could not care about keeping his pride and being vindictive. He wouldn’t have scruples just because he was a friend of father.
Linquan said hurriedly, “We must first mobilize some manpower to look for him. After he retired to the mountains, he never came out of the mountains anymore. I’m afraid that he’s in Isolated Cultivation like Duke, or…”
“Why did he retire into the mountains?” Xiao Tieying said, “It can’t be true that it was because of a woman, right?”
There was a rumor in the martial arts world, saying that “Thunder Guiding Blade” retreated because of a woman.
“… Seems to be true,” Linquan mumbled.
Xiao Tieying frowned at him.
Linquan mumbled, “It seems to have something to do with Second Madame.”
Xiao Tieying snorted. He really did not want to ask about the grudges between the older generations, but this matter was related to Second Younger Sister’s life so he could not put it aside.
Linquan said, “‘Thunder Guiding Blade’ likes Second Madame very much too. After the death of Second Madame, he became depressed and retired to the mountains.”
“Since his martial arts is so powerful, presumably, he won’t die. We must find him!” Xiao Tieying said.
Linquan said, “I fear it will not be so easy.”
Even if he did not go into Isolated Cultivation, he had retired into the mountains. Since it was remote and sparsely populated, there was nowhere to search for.
So many years have passed and now, only a few can recognize “Thunder Guiding Blade”. At the very least, the informants of the Public House could not recognize him.
“Master, we cannot be careless about Zhao Zilai too,” Linquan said. “After all, he is a High Official of the imperial house.”
“It will be fine to just take good care of him.” Xiao Tieying scoffed. “Don’t let him have a single complaint.”
“Yes.” Linquan nodded.
‘Thunder Guiding Blade…’ Xiao Tieying pondered.