Wedding ceremony tomorrow

Chapter 47 The Girl's "Conspiracy"

There was a moment of silence in the courtyard.

The nightingale opened its mouth, its expression somewhat blank.

Luo Qingfeng was a little embarrassed and explained, "I've been sharpening it for a long time, and the rust and chips are still there, so I just kept sharpening it... I didn't pay attention to the whetstone..."

The nightingale snapped out of her daze, quickly walked to him, picked up the rusty, broken knife from the ground, and examined it closely in the moonlight for a long time, still looking incredulous: "This knife... is so hard?"

Luo Qingfeng had no idea either.

Sharpening a knife, sharpening a knife, and actually breaking the whetstone is indeed quite unbelievable.

Most importantly, the wounds on the blade and the rust on the body of the knife are still there, as if nothing has changed at all.

What material is this knife made of?

Nightingale looked at it for a long time, then said with some helplessness, "It looks like a good knife, but if the nicks and rust on this knife can't be removed, it will be difficult to even chop wood, let alone fight. This whetstone of mine is specially used by the Demon Suppression Academy to sharpen precious artifacts. Even it can't sharpen your knife. I guess it will be very difficult to sharpen your knife again."

With that, she handed the knife back to him.

Luo Qingfeng took the knife, wiped the blade with his fingers, and didn't seem to care: "It's fine, it'll still work. It has a blade edge, so you can still stab with the broken edge."

Nightingale shrugged. "If that's the case, I suggest you use your fists. By the way, have you practiced swordsmanship?"

Luo Qingfeng shook his head.

Nightingale looked helpless, but immediately comforted her, "It's alright. Once you enter the Demon Suppression Academy, accumulate more merit points, and you can exchange them at the Merit Pavilion. Alright, let's eat."

Luo Qingfeng sheathed his knife and followed her into the kitchen to serve the dishes.

Aya was still sitting in the stove where she was adding firewood. Her pretty, delicate face was flushed red by the flames. When she saw him come in, she immediately lowered her head, as if she owed him gold.

"Ah Crow, dinner's ready."

The nightingale cried out, her voice tinged with a hint of anger.

Aya kept her head down and only dared to stand up after the two people had taken the dishes out.

Luo Qingfeng and Nightingale brought the dishes into the living room.

Ah Ya then helped her grandmother up in the corridor.

An old oil lamp was lit in the living room, its dim light illuminating the room. Though not bright, it felt especially warm and cozy on this cold and dark autumn night.

A dilapidated courtyard, warm lights.

The four of them sat down at the table and began to eat their steaming hot dinner.

Nightingale piled most of the bones and meat in front of Luo Qingfeng and commanded, "It's all burnt. You have to finish it. Don't waste it."

Luo Qingfeng lowered his head and ate silently, a warm feeling flowing through his heart.

The meal was quickly finished.

Finally, all the plates and bowls were empty.

Nightingale laughed and joked, "Not bad! If I burn anything again, I'll call you over to eat it."

Grandma smiled and scolded her a few times.

After finishing his meal and packing up his things, Luo Qingfeng didn't linger and took his leave.

Nightingale saw him to the door and accompanied him out of the alley, instructing him, "Find an inn to rest early. Get up early tomorrow and wait for me here. I'll take you to the Demon Suppression Academy. Don't wander around at night; there are soldiers patrolling the streets. You don't have an identity yet, so be careful not to get arrested if you're seen."

Luo Qingfeng nodded, paused for a moment, and looked at her, saying, "Sister Nightingale, thank you."

The nightingale smiled, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What should I do to thank you?"

The moonlight, like water, fell upon her beautiful face and tall, proud figure. Her long, black hair danced gently in the night breeze, adding to her charm and allure.

Luo Qingfeng changed the subject: "I owe you a total of forty-six taels of silver, and I owe your sister a piece of gold, which is about five taels. I will remember all of that."

Nightingale chuckled, her charm as beautiful as a flower: "That's not all. You also owe me a fine whetstone and a burnt dinner."

Luo Qingfeng's face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Nightingale chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her temple, and said, "Alright, alright, I'm not joking anymore. The gold and silver must be returned, but as for the rest, let's just forget about it."

Luo Qingfeng said in a low voice, "Mm."

Nightingale said, "Go on, or the inn will be full of rooms if we go any later."

Luo Qingfeng nodded and left the alley.

The nightingale stood at the alley entrance, watching his back until he disappeared around the corner before turning around to go home.

But as soon as I turned around, I saw a slender and petite figure standing quietly in the darkness behind me.

For some reason, Nightingale suddenly felt a little guilty and explained, "Ah Crow, don't overthink it. He and I are just ordinary friends, and we've only met a few times."

Aya didn't speak, her dark eyes watching her in the darkness.

The two sisters returned to the courtyard.

The old man, leaning on his cane, watched them from the living room doorway. Seeing the two sisters return together, he suddenly sighed, "Ah Ying, you'll be twenty years old after the New Year this year."

Nightingale walked into the yard, picked up the axe from the ground, put it in a corner, and then bent down to pick up the broken pieces. She said nonchalantly, "So what if I'm twenty? It's good to be grown up."

The old man looked at her and said, "A man should marry when he comes of age, and a woman should marry when she comes of age. Now that your father's debts have been paid off, it's time for you to find a family."

Nightingale paused for a moment, then looked up at her: "Grandma, I've said it many times, I don't want to get married right now."

She paused for a moment, then said, "If I have to get married, I won't marry out. I'll find someone to marry into the family and live with us."

After saying that, she lowered her head and continued picking up the wood chips on the ground.

Seeing this, the old man knew he couldn't persuade him, so he could only sigh.

Suddenly, A-Ya poked Nightingale with her finger from behind.

The nightingale looked up at her.

Aya pointed blankly to the doorway, then to the axe in the corner, then to her, and then to the house.

Nightingale chuckled and said, "What are you thinking, girl? You want that boy to marry into our family? How could that be? He wouldn't stoop so low as to become a laughingstock. He's a scholar, a xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), and a cultivator even more powerful than your sister. Do you think that's possible?"

To everyone's surprise, Aya nodded blankly.

Nightingale waved her hand and said, "Don't even think about it, it's impossible for us."

After saying that, she got up and carried the chopped wood into the kitchen.

Aya stood in the courtyard, head down, her innocent expression turning into one of contemplation.

Even at night, Wangxing City remains bustling with activity.

As Luo Qingfeng walked along the wide street, looking at the prosperous scene of thousands of lights in the city, he couldn't help but think of the dilapidated and desolate town outside again.

Some people were displaced, and their families were torn apart and people died.

Some people gathered together, their lights gleaming, and they partied all night.

From the nearby Falling Star River, melodious piano music, a woman's singing voice, and enthusiastic cheers from the onlookers could be heard.

Several lavishly decorated pleasure boats were moored on the riverbank, their lights shining brightly.

The woman's graceful figure, shrouded in mist, was faintly reflected in several windows, along with the figures of people clapping and drinking excitedly.

Luo Qingfeng arrived at the riverbank, stood behind the crowd, and watched silently.

A cold river breeze blew, and some people shivered from the cold, yet they still stood by the river, craning their necks to look, their faces full of envy and longing.

Most of them were down-on-their-luck scholars.

In this world where demons abound and everyone values ​​martial arts, scholars are indeed of little use and have few opportunities to earn money, unless they achieve fame through the imperial examinations.

Of course, scholars are also indispensable.

The operation of a country and its cities cannot rely solely on a group of cultivators.

Luo Qingfeng glanced at the riverbank a few times, then turned and left, continuing to wander the streets of the city.

Soon, it was late at night.

The number of pedestrians on the street began to dwindle, and the lights in front of the shops started to go out one by one.

As it approached midnight, the streets became dark and deserted.

Of course, except for some special places.

As Luo Qingfeng passed by a brothel, the women upstairs and at the entrance swayed their alluring figures, waving handkerchiefs and calling out in sweet voices, "Young master, come in and have some fun! No charge if you don't enjoy it!"

One by one, several men strode in.

Luo Qingfeng glanced at it a few times, then calmly walked past the door.

It's impossible to give away money if it's not fun.

Anyone who can run a brothel here must have a powerful background and strong financial backing.

Try not paying me and see what happens?

He had nowhere to go and wanted to find a room to sleep, but he was penniless and didn't have the courage.

Of course, he really just wanted to sleep.

I haven't slept for several days, and I'm also injured, so I'm really tired.

He walked around the streets for a while longer and finally found a Guanyin temple.

The incense at this Guanyin temple seems to be quite good.

The incense burner was filled with the remaining incense sticks, but the plate on the table was empty.

Clearly, this place has been visited by homeless people.

Even in the most prosperous places, there are always homeless people, unless there is some reason that makes them afraid.

Luo Qingfeng entered the Guanyin Temple and first looked around.

Seeing that no one else was around, he sat down in the corner at the back, leaned against the wall behind him, and prepared to go to sleep.

A cold wind still blew in from the doorway, howling through the air.

He moved to a different spot, hiding behind the Guanyin statue, huddled in a corner, and closed his eyes.

Stay up all night.

Once I enter the Demon Suppression Academy tomorrow and become a demon exorcist, I'll have a place to sleep.

He comforted himself in this way, and just as he was about to close his eyes, he suddenly remembered the data in his mind.

It must have grown quite a bit again.

Thinking of this, he had a thought, and two lines of blue text appeared in his mind.

[Progression complete: 100, eligible for advancement]

[Fourth-Star Realm of Creation, Progress: Thirty]

The first row of data has reached one hundred again!

He was somewhat surprised, but after thinking about it carefully, his expression suddenly became complicated.

The first line of data states that only killing demons can quickly increase the progress.

And the demon he killed...

It's somewhat ironic to think about it.

He shook off his emotions, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.

It's not safe here; anyone or anything can come in at any time. I can't advance yet.

Only by finding a safe place tomorrow can I confidently make a breakthrough.

No sooner had he closed his eyes than he felt something was wrong. He opened his eyes abruptly and saw that a figure had suddenly appeared in front of him in a strange way!

He was startled and was about to punch when he suddenly saw who it was.

The person who arrived was none other than the naturally naive girl, Aya.

"You... what brings you here?"

He looked surprised.

The girl simply looked at him without saying a word.

Luo Qingfeng suddenly became wary again.

At this moment, the girl stretched out a small hand, and there was a piece of silver in her palm.

Luo Qingfeng was taken aback for a moment, then said, "For me?"

The girl squatted down, placed the silver on the ground, then took out a twig and wrote three words on the ground: "Lend...to...you..."

While Luo Qingfeng was still in a daze, she had already thrown away the branch, gotten up, and quickly left.

"Lend it to me?"

Luo Qingfeng picked up the silver from the ground, his face full of doubt.

You don't even have gold yet, and you're already offering to borrow silver?

Was it because you felt compassion for him when you saw him homeless and with nowhere to sleep?

This little girl... is so kind.

Luo Qingfeng held the silver in his hand, secretly moved.

At this time.

As Aya walked out of the Guanyin Temple, she glanced back inside, and a mischievous glint appeared on her usually blank face.

"I'll make you owe more and more, until you can't pay it all back, and then you can... marry into my sister's family..."

The little girl thought to herself with a smug smile as she walked away with light steps.

She decided that she would secretly go out to earn money again, and then... lend him money so that he would never be able to pay back the debt in his lifetime!

(End of this chapter)