Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Su Yuchen shook his head and sighed, "Something unexpected happened. I just hope that pearl was really in the Prince's Treasury at the time, otherwise I'm afraid we really will never have had the chance to see it."

A few days later, Hua Manlou received an invitation to attend a vegetarian feast.

"Master Bitter Gourd's vegetarian dishes are truly exceptional; it's said that even Bodhisattvas would be tempted by them," Hua Manlou said.

Then he shook his head and said, "However, I'm afraid this vegetarian meal won't be so easy to eat."

Su Yuchen said calmly, "When you offer a gift, you must have something in mind. Although the Seven Children of the Hua Family are well-known, I'm afraid there aren't many who can actually help you."

Hua Manlou nodded and said, "So, it's still for Lu Xiaofeng. Master Kugua is Jin Jiuling's fellow disciple, and Jin Jiuling was the previous chief constable of the Six Doors. I'm afraid it's for the case of the Embroidered Bandit. And the only one who can help is Lu Xiaofeng."

Su Yuchen laughed and said, "He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's gift is bound to him. If you had eaten the vegetarian food, you would probably have had to help persuade Lu Xiaofeng as well."

Hua Manlou shook his head and said, "Master Kugua is not only a high-ranking Buddhist monk, but also a disciple of Zen Master Dabei. Since he has extended an invitation, I cannot refuse him."

Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Anyway, Lu Xiaofeng is the one who suffers. After we've finished eating, we'll just remain neutral. Besides, I'm afraid Lu Xiaofeng might not want to be involved in this case."

Hua Manlou agreed wholeheartedly; given Lu Xiaofeng's meddlesome nature, how could he not be curious about this matter?

………………

When Su Yuchen and Hua Manlou arrived at Hanshan Temple outside Suzhou, it was already close to afternoon.

As soon as the two arrived, they were greeted and welcomed inside by the monk who had been waiting at the door for a long time. His attitude was polite and considerate.

In the meditation room, Hua Manlou was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "I thought you were referring to Jin Jiuling as Lu Xiaofeng's friend. I didn't expect that Gu Song Jushi and Mu Daoren would also be here."

Su Yuchen looked at the Buddhist scriptures written on the wall and said indifferently, "Apart from you and Ximen Chuixue, Lu Xiaofeng's taste in making friends is not commendable."

Hua Manlou frowned slightly and said, "Could it be that Jin Jiuling also has a problem?"

Su Yuchen smiled and asked, "Have you met Jin Jiuling?"

Hua Manlou shook his head and said, "No. But it is said that this person is very generous and magnanimous to his friends, and always willing to help. He is a man of exceptional character and ability, so although he is a lay disciple, Master Kugua and Zen Master Dabei both think highly of him."

“Then you will see him today!” Su Yuchen said.

Hua Manlou's heart skipped a beat. Judging from Su Yuchen's expression, could it be that Jin Jiuling was something unusual?

………………

Before long, the bell of Hanshan Temple rang, and the day had turned to dusk.

As Hua Manlou and Su Yuchen left the meditation room, they saw a layman and a Taoist waiting at the courtyard gate. They were none other than the inseparable Gusong Jushi and the Wudang elder Mu Daoren.

"I've met you two seniors. I never expected to have the honor of meeting you here today," Hua Manlou said with a smile.

Master Mu chuckled and said, "The vegetarian dishes of Monk Bitter Gourd are a rare treat. Since I have come across them, I naturally cannot miss them."

The Ancient Pine Hermit sized up Su Yuchen and said, "This must be Su Yuchen, the eldest son of the Su family!"

Su Yuchen nodded but did not reply.

Gu Song Jushi didn't seem to care. Instead, he looked at Hua Manlou and said, "I heard that Ximen Chuixue and Dugu Yihe fought at Fengling Ferry. Both of you were there that day. I wonder how good their swordsmanship was?"

Hua Manlou shook his head and said, "In that battle, sword energy crisscrossed, and no grass or trees remained within a radius of more than ten miles. But the sheer intensity of the sword energy is enough to explain everything."

Master Mu sighed, "I've heard that many people have gone to admire the ruins. I'm afraid Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship is even more unstoppable now. The younger generation of Emei is not skilled enough, and I'm afraid Dugu Yihe's dual sword and saber techniques will disappear from the martial world from now on."

Gu Song Jushi said, "Brother Dao's swordsmanship is probably comparable to that of Ximen Chuixue."

Master Mu shook his head and said, "If it were before, I would have dared to boast a bit, but Ximen Chuixue can surpass Dugu Yihe. His swordsmanship is so high that I'm afraid only Ye Gucheng can rival him."

Hua Manlou said softly, "Ximen Chuixue is living in seclusion at Wanmei Manor, and Ye Gucheng lives alone overseas, so it is difficult for them to fight each other."

However, Master Mu chuckled and said, "This old Taoist only hopes that they will not fight. Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship only kills people. Now that Dugu Yihe is gone, if another person is lost, the martial world will inevitably decline."

He changed the subject, saying, "Now that everyone's here, let's go. Otherwise, the Bitter Gourd Monk might get impatient and refuse to feed us anymore."

Hua Manlou smiled and said, "The vegetarian dishes at Wudang's Jixiang Kitchen are not bad either. If you hadn't been so engrossed in the martial world, I'm afraid Wudang's vegetarian dishes would have satisfied you."

Master Mu chuckled and shook his head, saying, "If I go back to Wudang, I'll be confined. A bunch of Taoists will drive me crazy. It's better down the mountain."

Su Yuchen smiled silently. Hua Manlou's eyebrows twitched, as if he sensed Su Yuchen's disdain, but he remained calm and did not ask.

As the four arrived outside the monastery where the monk Bitter Gourd was staying, they were greeted by a faint, peculiar, and complex fragrance that seemed to linger and whet their appetites.

The four exchanged a smile, and Gu Song Jushi lifted the curtain and went in first. But as soon as he entered, Gu Song Jushi sighed, "The monk is too biased."

At the vegetarian feast, only one person was sitting. A disheveled man, who looked like a beggar reincarnated from a starving ghost, was wolfing down his food, completely ignoring the arrival of the four people. Half of the vegetarian food on the table was already gone.

"Amitabha! It's not that the monk is too biased, it's just that some people came at the right time, in a wonderful way, and at the perfect moment," the Bitter Gourd Monk said with his palms together and a smile.

With a beaming smile, Master Mu said, "Lu Xiaofeng, what are you doing here?"

Lu Xiaofeng raised an eyebrow and asked in a strange tone, "Why shouldn't I be here?"

Hua Manlou smiled and said, "Didn't you escort the Emei disciples back to Sichuan?"

Lu Xiaofeng said, "Although Sichuan is difficult to travel to, Dugu Yihe has already been buried, but I was chased all the way to the Northwest."

Gu Song Jushi asked curiously, "Who would chase you to the Northwest? Is it because you want to try the strong liquor from the Northwest, and you're just making up an excuse?"

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but say, "Although I like strong liquor, I don't want to go to the Northwest to eat sand. It's all because of that bastard Sikong Zhaixing. I beat him once last time, and this time I chased him all the way."

The Ancient Pine Hermit laughed and said, "The King of Thieves' lightness skill is indeed unparalleled in the world."

The monk with the bitter gourd clasped his hands together and frowned, saying, "It would be best if you all didn't mention this thief."

The group was slightly taken aback. The Taoist priest chuckled and said, "We forgot that the monk's junior brother is an official. It is indeed inappropriate to talk about thieves in front of an official."

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask, "Is Jin Jiuling here too?"

Gu Song Jushi said, "I'm afraid Chief Constable Jin won't have time to come; he must be busy with something important."

"What is it?" Lu Xiaofeng raised an eyebrow.

The Hermit of Ancient Pines asked in surprise, "You don't know?"

"Should I know?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Master Mu sighed, "You've been eating sand in the Northwest, so you really don't know about this major event that has happened in the martial world."

Chapter 432 Discussions on Descending the Mountain

The monk Bitter Gourd put his palms together and said, "In this martial world, there is one person who has recently become quite the sensation."

Lu Xiaofeng said, "Could it be Ximen Chuixue? After all, he just killed Dugu Yihe."

The monk Bitter Gourd shook his head and said, "Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship is indeed admirable. But I'm afraid no one would dare to go to Wanmei Manor to learn his swordsmanship."

Lu Xiaofeng glanced at Su Yuchen without saying a word.

The monk Bitter Gourd had no choice but to continue, saying, "Recently, a new master of embroidery has appeared in the martial world. As soon as he makes a move, he overshadows everyone else. Even Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng are no match for him."

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask, "What earth-shattering thing did he do? Did his embroidery come to life?"

The monk with his head bowed said, “What he embroidered was not embroidery, but a person, a blind man. It was the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, the eighteen pearls of the Southern Prince’s Mansion, and countless antiques and paintings from Huayuxuan.”

Upon hearing about the eighteen pearls of the Southeast Prince's Mansion, Lu Xiaofeng glanced at Su Yuchen and Hua Manlou in surprise, but the two remained unmoved, so Lu Xiaofeng had no choice but to suppress his questions.

After waiting for a long time, Lu Xiaofeng did not respond, but just buried his head in eating. Seeing that the vegetarian dishes on the table were almost empty, the Bitter Gourd Monk asked in surprise, "Aren't you curious?"

Lu Xiaofeng sighed, "Chang Mantian of Zhenyuan Escort Agency, Jiang Chongwei, the chief steward of the Southern Prince's Mansion, and Hua Yifan, the owner of Huayuxuan, are all skilled in martial arts. If they could be blinded without anyone noticing, the person who made the move must be quite skilled. Why should I be curious and cause trouble?"

"Aren't you the least afraid of trouble?" asked the Bitter Gourd Monk.

Lu Xiaofeng said, "I used to be unafraid of trouble, but now I'm terrified of it."

Mu Daoren asked in surprise, "Who could make you so afraid? Even if the killers are Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng, you'll probably have to try your Lingxi Finger to find out."

Lu Xiaofeng sighed, "There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. Who knows when or where an unreasonable master might suddenly appear?"

The Hermit of Ancient Pines asked, "Are you afraid?"

Lu Xiaofeng nodded without hesitation and said, "I'm very scared."

Su Yuchen and Hua Manlou smiled silently, Lu Xiaofeng sighed, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

………………

Just then, the curtain was lifted again, and someone walked in with light footsteps, saying, "So, even you, Lu Xiaofeng, have moments of fear? Are you afraid you can't solve this case?"

Lu Xiaofeng seemed to have been prepared. He nodded without any surprise and said, "Mr. Jin, you don't need to provoke me. I'm terrified of trouble right now."

The person who entered was Jin Jiuling. He looked surprised and exchanged a glance with the Bitter Gourd Monk. Clearly, Lu Xiaofeng's reaction was unexpected for both of them.

When Jin Jiuling entered, Hua Manlou sniffed lightly, but he didn't say anything.

"Do you already know who committed this crime?" Jin Jiuling asked directly.

Lu Xiaofeng shook his head and said, "I don't know, and I don't want to know. I just want to find a place to get a good night's sleep. I just hope that when I wake up, the case will be solved."

Jin Jiuling's expression froze, and his eyes dimmed as he said, "I'm afraid even if you sleep for a whole month, you still won't be able to solve this case, and you'll lose a friend."

The Hermit of Ancient Pines asked in surprise, "Why?"

The monk with bitter gourd bowed his head and uttered "Amitabha."

Jin Jiuling said, "I am the one who solved this case, but I have no clues at all." As he spoke, he took out an embroidered handkerchief from his bosom and placed it on the table.

Gu Song Jushi said in surprise, "But you are just the former chief constable of the Six Doors."

The monk Bitter Gourd sighed, "Entering the public service is like entering a deep sea."

Gu Song Jushi, Mu Daoren, Lu Xiaofeng, Hua Manlou, and Su Yuchen all fell silent. Anyone could hear the helplessness in those words.

Jin Jiuling said bitterly, "If Lu Xiaofeng is afraid of trouble, I'm afraid you'll only be able to burn paper money for me at my grave next year."

After saying that, he got up and left without hesitation.

Hua Manlou sighed, "Although it's troublesome, this case probably isn't that troublesome."

The Bitter Gourd Monk remained silent with his head bowed.

The wooden Taoist said, "Do you really want to watch yourself lose a friend?"

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but glance at the embroidered handkerchief on the table, grabbed it, and got up to leave: "This monk has ill intentions, and this vegetarian meal is not good either."

………………

On the way down the mountain, Lu Xiaofeng looked at Su Yuchen beside him and couldn't help but ask, "You really didn't do this?"

Su Yuchen raised an eyebrow and said, "Why do you think I did it? Is it just for a pearl?"

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask, "Is that a pearl? According to you, it's clearly a treasure of heaven and earth. Even a single Purple Jade Marrow Pearl has such extraordinary effects; who knows what these ones will have?"

Hua Manlou laughed and said, "I can testify that this case has nothing to do with Brother Su. He was in seclusion when the incident happened."

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but want to retort, "With your martial arts skills, can you keep an eye on a monster like Su Yuchen?" But then he thought, "Even Ximen Chuixue has his own pride, so what about Su Yuchen? He probably wouldn't stoop to lying either."

Thinking of this, Lu Xiaofeng's doubts gradually faded. He took out the embroidered handkerchief and examined it carefully.

"You even know embroidery?" Su Yuchen asked in surprise.

Lu Xiaofeng said, "I don't understand, but I know there is one person who definitely understands."

"Old Mrs. Xue from the Xue family, the master of needlework?" Su Yuchen asked.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed, "This matter is indeed troublesome; we have to face a tigress right from the start."

Su Yuchen ignored him and instead looked at Hua Manlou, asking, "What do you think?"

Hua Manlou sighed, "Indeed, he's not simple."

Lu Xiaofeng put away the embroidered handkerchief and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Hua Manlou said, "We are talking about Jin Jiuling."

“Jin Jiuling?” Lu Xiaofeng raised an eyebrow and said, “He is naturally not simple. Every one of the chief constables of the Six Doors is a man of great intelligence.”

Su Yuchen shook his head and said to Hua Manlou, "You and he are both from humble backgrounds, poor beggars with no knowledge, what is there to say to each other?"

Lu Xiaofeng: ...

Hua Manlou said softly, "The scent of spices on Jin Jiuling's body is a unique honey dragon fragrance."

Lu Xiaofeng was still puzzled, so Hua Manlou had to explain: "Honey Dragon Incense is a fragrance that is only used by the imperial palace and a few nobles. Although it is not the Dragon Saliva Incense that only the emperor can use, it is not something that just anyone can use. So although some of it has been circulated, it is not much and it is very expensive."

Lu Xiaofeng asked in surprise, "How expensive could it be?"

Hua Manlou said, "Although it's not as good as ambergris that costs one tael of gold per tael of incense, it's still far more valuable than half a tael of gold."

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but be surprised. Although he knew that Jin Jiuling enjoyed life, he didn't expect that the spices he used would be so expensive.

Hua Manlou said, "And the clothes he was wearing."