FIMA Ch124: Encounter Again

Jiangcheng was the largest city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, a thoroughfare connecting nine provinces. And the Linjiang Ferry Crossing was the foremost ferry port linking the north and south of the river, welcoming and sending off countless people every single day.

Around noon this day, the bright sun shone down, and the water rippled and sparkled.

A massive two-story passenger ship arrived at the Linjiang Ferry Crossing amidst lively, clamorous noise.

Hearing the sailors’ order to disembark, the passengers on the first floor of the ship surged toward the shore like a dense flock of birds freed from a cage. Amidst the crowd, sounds of bumping, arguing, hitting, and cursing were not uncommon.

The porters working on the docks, however, all wore expressions of having seen it all before.

Since the Wu family of the Jingchu region raised their army last month and began facing off against Huangzhou across the Yangtze, Jiangcheng—already a highly prosperous hub of transit—had directly become the central intelligence gathering point for all major factions, as it was the closest major city to Huangzhou.

But that wasn’t all. Just half a month ago, the Outer Heaven Pavilion, hailed as a martial arts holy land, released news declaring that a Martial Arts Alliance Conference would be held in Jiangcheng on the day of Lidong (Start of Winter).

Of course, the so-called Martial Arts Alliance Conference was merely a surface excuse. All the major aristocratic clans and various rebel armies had received secret intelligence: what was truly being held was an assembly to “choose a ruler on behalf of Heaven.” It was even rumored that the Imperial Seal of the Realm, which had been missing for a century, might appear at this conference.

Thus, Jiangcheng instantly became the focal point of the entire world.

Factions and aristocratic clans large and small from all over, as well as martial arts masters from the jianghu, couldn’t help but dispatch envoys and disciples to Jiangcheng, waiting for the opportune moment to strike for the Imperial Seal.

The current Jiangcheng was a chaotic mix of dragons and snakes, completely turned into a boiling pot of porridge.

“Uncle, do you need help carrying your luggage?”

“Young hero, where are you heading? Do you want to hire a carriage?”

“Swordswoman, is this your first time in Jiangcheng? Care to take a look at the Lingxu Pavilion?”

…

Most of the people on the first floor of the passenger ship had already left, and the guests from the second floor began to slowly disembark.

Thus, the laborers working on the docks also swarmed over under the leadership of their respective bosses. Those who could afford the second floor were all wealthy people, making them their primary targets for service.

Among them, two tall and slender figures were extremely eye-catching.

In this early winter season where everyone else was shivering and avoiding the river wind, the two of them wore thin clothes yet possessed an aura of proud aloofness, instantly separating them clearly from the rest of the crowd.

One person wore a simple snow-cyan robe. His features were picturesque, his appearance exceedingly striking. Looking at him, he was as clear and cold as ice and snow, yet as moving as bone-corroding flames, making people afraid to look closely lest they sink into infatuation.

Consequently, everyone’s gaze naturally shifted to the other figure beside him.

That person wore a dark-gold embroidered black robe, his hair bound with a jade crown. His face was lofty, profound, and coldly isolated. As he walked with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture was like a pine or bamboo.

Wherever his gaze swept, the crowd instantly felt their breathing catch. For a moment, they only dared to lower their heads and evade him, forgetting all other words and actions.

Such a majestic and imposing aura!

Even long after the man had left the ferry docks, that stalwart and awe-inspiring figure still uncontrollably surfaced in everyone’s minds.

These two were, naturally, Gu Siyuan and Xie Chenyun.

That day in the Diligent Governance Hall, after the two of them put on a show with Wei Zhengping and the others, the matter of the emperor personally leading the expedition was finally finalized.

However, right before the grand army was about to reach Huangzhou, they first heard the news regarding the Outer Heaven Pavilion and the Imperial Seal of the Realm.

As it happened, the Wu family across the Yangtze River were also drawn to this matter and temporarily wouldn’t cause any more trouble. Thus, Gu Siyuan and Xie Chenyun simply decided to personally make a trip to Jiangcheng to witness this grand event for themselves.

To witness who dared to spout the arrogant nonsense of ‘choosing a ruler on behalf of Heaven’ while he, the monarch of Great Zhou, was still alive?

The two walked side-by-side along the broad bluestone streets of Jiangcheng, smelling the various aromas of food wafting from both sides.

Jiangcheng was also a land of culinary delights.

They only stopped walking when they reached a magnificent three-story tall pavilion standing near the river.

Xie Chenyun crossed his arms, stared at the resplendent and brilliantly illuminated signboard, and smiled lazily: “It’s said that inside the Lingxu Pavilion, not only are there the most beautiful girls on both sides of the Yangtze, but also the most delicious food on both sides of the Yangtze.”

Seeing his high spirits, Gu Siyuan said faintly, “Since that is the case, we will know once we go in.”

The Lingxu Pavilion was the number one establishment in Jiangcheng, and also the primary hub for gathering and disseminating information. It was exactly their destination for this trip.

However, right now was the lunch hour, and the Lingxu Pavilion was already packed with distinguished guests. The second floor, and even the most expensive private rooms on the third floor, had long been fully occupied. The two of them could only find a table by the window in the first-floor main hall and sit down.

Although it didn’t offer the sweeping views of being higher up, the line of sight wasn’t bad at all.

The architecture of the Lingxu Pavilion was actually quite unique and thoughtfully designed. Against the north wall stood a high stage separated into two tiers, piercing straight from the first floor to the third.

Because of this special structure, the VIPs in the private rooms could see the bustling liveliness of the hall below simply by looking down; meanwhile, the guests in the main hall could also barely catch a glimpse of the prosperity above by looking up.

At this moment, on the first tier of the high stage, a storyteller was speaking with a torrent of words and flying spit, enthusiastically recounting the general trends of the world. The second tier, decorated even more exquisitely and luxuriously, remained empty. It was said that that place was a stage exclusively reserved for the number one beauty of the Two River provinces to display her talents.

As the crowd listened to the storyteller, they drank wine, sipped tea, and engaged in various emotional discussions.

“I heard the Wu Family Army only took ten days to conquer Ezhou and the other four cities. It truly can be said they are crushing everything in their path like splitting bamboo!”

“It’s said that this is because the Wu family master’s two adopted sons, known as the ‘Twin Dragons of Jiangdong’, lead their troops with peerless valor and use military strategy like gods!”

“Hmph, it’s also because the local officials only know how to line their own pockets and seek pleasure, making them collapse at the first strike!”

“I wonder when the Wu Family Army will point their troops toward Huangzhou. If they do, I’m afraid our Jiangcheng will be in danger too…”

“No need to worry, the geographical advantage of our Jiangcheng is incredibly important. The imperial court’s reinforcements will arrive soon. Isn’t that little emperor currently in Jinling?”

“That’s true…”

Gu Siyuan tasted a few of the Jiangcheng dishes and felt that a dish called ‘Braised Three Delicacies’ was quite good.

The so-called ‘Three Delicacies’ was a mixed stew primarily consisting of fish balls, meatloaf, and meatballs. The meat carried the fragrance of fish, and the fish carried the flavor of meat. In addition, reconstituted daylily buds, black fungus, baby bok choy, radish, and other vegetables were added to cut through the grease, making it the utmost in fresh and savory flavor.

And thanks to the tacit understanding cultivated over these past days, Gu Siyuan’s first reaction after tasting it was to scoop another spoonful into Xie Chenyun’s bowl, saying faintly, “Not bad, you should like it.”

The corners of Xie Chenyun’s mouth curled up slightly.

Sure enough, the habit I worked so hard to cultivate has paid off. He can already take the initiative to serve me food now. As a grown man, if you like someone, you like them; what’s the point of acting all coy and bashful?

After thinking for a moment, he continued to act spoiled, “I want you to feed me.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Is he getting more and more childish?

Gu Siyuan shook his head, not bothering to bicker with him. He dipped his chopsticks into the porcelain basin, just about to pick up a piece of meatloaf.

But right at this moment, with a BANG, a massive noise erupted from above, sounding like a door being kicked open or tables and chairs collapsing.

Xie Chenyun paid no attention to this. His eyes were solely fixed on that dish, staring at the chopsticks in Gu Siyuan’s hand.

However, the very next moment, with a soft splat, several pieces of wood splinters and dust suddenly fell from the sky directly into the blue-and-white porcelain basin holding the dish. Not only did the broth splash out, but the entire dish was completely ruined.

Xie Chenyun’s expression changed abruptly.

What kind of thing dares to ruin my business?

Gu Siyuan set down his chopsticks and said faintly, “We’ll just order it again in a moment.”

Xie Chenyun gave an unconvinced, annoyed humph.

The two looked up.

The doors to a private room on the west side of the third floor had already collapsed to the ground. A young man in white leaped out from the room, closely followed by a man in blue and a woman in red. The three of them began fighting fiercely right there in the corridor.

From their leaping and dodging figures, one could tell their internal energy was profound; they were at least top-tier second-rate masters.

However, those who could afford to eat at the Lingxu Pavilion naturally weren’t from small or insignificant families either. Seeing them cause such a ruckus, people immediately expressed their displeasure: “What kind of people are these, making such a racket? How is everyone else supposed to eat?!”

“Starting a fight just like that. Young people are truly impulsive, coming to blows over the slightest disagreement.”

“This is truly outrageous. Stop immediately! Do you think you three are the only ones in the Lingxu Pavilion?”

At this time, a young boy in red, who emerged from the original private room a moment later, suddenly glared downwards and shouted coldly: “The Thunderbolt Hall is handling business here! Unrelated persons scram, otherwise your life or death is your own responsibility!”

As soon as these words came out, the spectating crowd instantly fell dead silent.

It was actually people from the Thunderbolt Hall?

Although the Thunderbolt Hall wasn’t one of the four great sects of the jianghu, they were ranked just below the top four. Furthermore, because they produced and sold massive quantities of firearms and explosives, they were incredibly wealthy—even the four great sects couldn’t compare.

Perhaps due to dealing with firearms year-round, the people of this sect all loved to wear fiery red clothes, and their tempers were as explosive as blazing fire. Moreover, they carried their unique ‘Thunderbolt Pellet’ firearms on them, which possessed immense destructive power. Ordinary martial artists avoided them like the plague.

However, while some feared them, others disdained them.

“Truly what great prestige! Do you think Jiangcheng is your Xunyang?!” A young girl standing behind the railing on the second floor scoffed indignantly in mockery.

The moment her words fell, the long whip in the hands of the red-clad woman fighting above suddenly snapped straight, smashing viciously toward the second floor.

The expression of the little girl who had just spoken changed drastically, and she squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

A few breaths later, a crisp, resounding crack of a whip was heard, accompanied by a sharp, piercing scream of “Ah!”.

Covering her face, the little girl tremblingly opened her eyes.

After a long while, she realized that the whip hadn’t actually landed on her. Then what about that sound and commotion just now?

She lifted her head and looked up.

Only to see that the red-clad woman who had just swung the whip at her was currently covering her cheek and neck, her expression twisted in agony. Through her covering hand, one could faintly see a clear, bright red welt.

So, this whip had actually hit the woman herself?

The little girl blinked.

The red-clad woman glared hatefully in all directions, screaming: “Who is it?! You coward hiding your head and showing your tail, you dare offend my Thunderbolt Hall?!”

The red-clad boy also shouted loudly, “You dare hurt my older sister?! My Thunderbolt Hall wants your entire family to accompany you in death!”

The spectating crowd nearby also burst into discussion.

“I wonder which master made a move?”

“Just a single chopstick, yet it not only stopped the momentum of the whip, but even altered the direction of its force?”

“This truly is ‘using the opponent’s own methods to strike back at their own body’!”

The little girl instantly understood that an expert had helped her. Her eyes sparkling brightly, she also began scanning the area, searching all around.

In the main hall below, Xie Chenyun looked at the single chopstick missing from in front of Gu Siyuan with an incredibly bizarre expression. “Just now, you… what’s going on with your internal energy?”

Gu Siyuan raised his eyes and said faintly, “Good luck. I just threw it casually; I didn’t expect it to hit so accurately.”

“…” Xie Chenyun.

Do you think I’m an idiot?

Gu Siyuan looked toward the blue-clad man fighting above, his eyes darkening slightly as he said faintly, “Running into an old acquaintance on the very first day.”

“The so-called ‘new grudges added to old hatreds’ is nothing more than this,” Xie Chenyun sneered, glancing at the ruined food.

Resting his chin in his hand, he asked Gu Siyuan curiously, “Who do you think is more formidable between the two of them?”

Because the red-clad woman was injured by her own whip, she had already withdrawn from the battlefield. Currently, only the white-clad man and the blue-clad man were engaged in a one-on-one fight.

Gu Siyuan’s voice was completely flat: “Naturally, it’s Tang Sheng.”

“I guessed as much.” Xie Chenyun curled his lip, saying lazily, “His martial arts weren’t bad to begin with, and looking at him now, he’s improved quite a bit.”

The young man in blue currently fighting was none other than Tang Sheng, who had been rescued by Xiao Hanxin of the Outer Heaven Pavilion at the Xie Family Manor a few months ago.

As the two spoke, the fight above, which had originally been roughly evenly matched, suddenly changed at some point.

The white-clad man was forced to switch from offense to defense, retreating repeatedly under Tang Sheng’s attacks.

“This Senior Brother of mine doesn’t seem to be doing too well!” Xie Chenyun raised an eyebrow, sighing slightly with emotion.

Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow: “Senior Brother? Your Senior Brother from the Bathing Fire Cult?”

A shallow smile curled at the corners of Xie Chenyun’s mouth: “Should be. The Bathing Fire Cult has a good relationship with the Song Clan, so the Duke of Song’s second son, Song Zhengqing, became a disciple under the Cult Leader to learn martial arts. He is my Third Senior Brother. However, when I joined the Bathing Fire Cult before, he happened to have gone out traveling, so we’ve never met.”

“But, observing this white-clad person’s moves, his internal energy is clearly the Nirvana Holy Canon, and he uses the exquisite Six Yang Palms ultimate technique. These can only be cultivated by direct disciples of the Bathing Fire Cult. I’ve met all the other direct disciples, except for this Third Senior Brother. Master once mentioned that Third Senior Brother loves wearing white and carries a folding fan all day…”

Gu Siyuan set down the teacup in his hand, looked up, and said leisurely, “Then there shouldn’t be any mistake.”

As the two conversed, the white-clad man was viciously kicked in the chest by Tang Sheng. The next moment, he flew backward directly toward the lower floor, looking as if he was about to crash miserably onto the ground.

The white-clad man’s face turned bitter; his first reaction was to use his folding fan to cover his face.

Xie Chenyun narrowed his eyes, lightly patted the table with his palm, and his entire body leaped into the air, flying toward the white-clad man.

The two met in mid-air. Xie Chenyun supported his back with one palm, and the white-clad man’s falling momentum abruptly stopped.

A split second later, the two of them landed smoothly together in the middle of the first-floor main hall.

“Oh my, he has a companion!”

“This companion is even younger, but it seems his martial arts are even higher! The young people nowadays are truly incredible!”

Seeing this sudden turn of events, the Lingxu Pavilion fell silent for a moment before even more clamorous voices arose, the crowd engaged in fervent discussion.

Song Zhengqing was overjoyed in his heart. He hurriedly turned around and said excitedly, “Many thanks to this brother.”

Xie Chenyun shook his head: “Third Senior Brother need not be so polite.”

Song Zhengqing blinked, confused for a moment, then suddenly realized with a flash of understanding: “You… you’re that new little disciple Master took in, Junior Brother Xie, right?”

Xie Chenyun nodded: “Exactly.”

Song Zhengqing tapped his head with his folding fan and laughed: “Ah, blame it on the fact that I just happened to go out traveling during that time. When I returned to the sect last month, you had already left. I only heard Master mention some things about you; I didn’t expect we’d meet at a time like this.”

Xie Chenyun also felt quite a bit of goodwill toward this Third Senior Brother’s personality, so he joked, “Meeting early isn’t as good as meeting at the right time. The timing was just perfect.”

“Right, right, right! A good meal is never too late! Little Junior Brother, I truly owe you today. Otherwise, your Senior Brother would have thoroughly embarrassed himself today.” Song Zhengqing smiled and gave him a very proper, formal bow.

Xie Chenyun: “Between fellow disciples, we naturally ought to watch over and help each other.”

“Xie Chenyun! You actually dare to show up!”

Just at this moment, a male voice carrying an aura of icy chill rang out.

Following this, three figures landed in front of Xie Chenyun and the other. Naturally, it was Tang Sheng and the two young men and women in red from the Thunderbolt Hall.

Xie Chenyun lifted his eyes and sneered: “Even the person who was beaten like a stray dog fleeing from my Xie family back then dares to swagger out and show his face now. Why wouldn’t I dare?”

Tang Sheng’s gaze focused, his expression turning extremely cold: “You’re courting death!”

Xie Chenyun cracked his knuckles, tilted his head, and smiled: “Come on then, let’s see who dies first…”

That beautiful young girl in red looked at Tang Sheng and asked with concern: “Big Brother Tang, did this person offend you?”

“Naturally he offended him. Didn’t Junior Brother Xie just say it? Back then, he beat him like a stray dog,” Song Zhengqing chuckled hehe, showing absolutely no psychological trauma from his recent defeat.

The red-clad girl’s gaze turned cold: “You’re also courting death!”

Song Zhengqing scoffed: “Miss Lei, your face doesn’t hurt anymore, does it? So you can start spouting farts (nonsense) here again, right?!”

The red-clad girl’s expression drastically changed, and she instantly reached up to cover her face: “Damn you!”

Suddenly, her eyes flickered as she thought of something. She glared viciously at Xie Chenyun: “Was it you?! The person who sneak-attacked me with a chopstick just now, was it you?!”

Xie Chenyun crossed his arms and chuckled lightly: “So what if it was?”

The woman in red tightened her grip on the whip in her hand, just about to say something.

At this moment, a crisp, deep, and icy male voice suddenly drifted over.

“Impersonating someone else. How dishonest.”

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