It's been six days since the beginning of their journey, the dirt path had treated them kindly, the weather had been in their favor, sunny days and quiet nights, life on the road had been uneventful, but their bantering and talk about the future entertained them
Up until now, because of De Ming's busy routine and the difference in their positions within the Crimson Cloud household, the two never really had time to talk it out properly. At best, they would have short conversations in the hallways or courtyard, never anything more
At night, they would set up camp, cultivate, and rest. Being the spoiled young lady that she was, Zhu Lian was clueless in this manner; she attempted to help wherever she could, but De Ming ended up doing most of the work.
Disheartened by the fact, multiple times have Zhu Lian has offered to help carry De Ming's belongings
Zhu Lian had a spatial ring, a valuable artifact that allows a martial artist to imprint their Qi on it and use it as their personal inventory. Only by willingly giving up its ownership or dying can the contents be accessed by someone else; breaking it leads to the objects inside being lost in between dimensions, scattering everything randomly all over the world
Zhu Lian's ring storage space was only around one cubic meter, just enough to store her belongings. As for how she came into possession of such an item, it was a gift from her father at her recent send-off celebration
Possession of these artifacts is far and few between; even the cheapest of these cost at least a small fortune. Zhu Zhang must have spent a large part of the family's funds on them.
As usual, even though he doesn't express it, he really does love his daughter
" Mingggggg, let me help carry your stuff."
Zhu Lian pleaded and wined as she walked with De Ming, side by side, offering her hand
"For the last time, Lady Lian, these are mine to carry."
De Ming said in a matter-of-fact tone while brushing off beads of sweat from his forehead
What man would he be if he had a girl carry his belongings while he strided freely?
"Don't call me Lady Lian! It makes us seem so distant, it was already annoying back at the manor… "
She paused as she turned to stare at De Ming's eye
"We're travel companions now! That sort of language is forbidden!"
Zhu Lian scolded before pretending to make an angry expression, but to De Ming, all he saw was a cute pout
" Haha, fine… um… Zhu Lian? I'm really not used to this."
De Ming chuckled awkwardly after his attempt to speak informally
" Hmph! There you go."
Zhu Lian made a cute puffing noise as a proud smile flashed across her face, clearly very satisfied with the fruit of her persuasion
The two continued to banter joyfully until they saw the entrance of a town slowly creep over the horizon
"Oh, we've made it to Golden Carp Town."
Zhu Lian spoke up, recognizing this riverside town as one of her family's business hubs
" We have a few restaurants here. I've only been here once before, on a trip with Father a while back."
" There's a local legend that the river cutting across the town was once one of death and barrenness, and no fish could be caught here. That was until one desperate fisherman, chased away from his usual fishing spots by thugs, went here in a last-ditch effort. It was recounted that after days of fishing, with not even a single twitch of his rod, something finally bit; he wrestled with it for two full days before he was able to reel it in, he caught a golden carp. From then on, the river's fish became bountiful, propelling his wealth, which eventually led to him establishing this town, pretty cool story right?"
Zhu Lian excitedly told the Golden Carp Town's origin story, flaunting her knowledge, hoping for a praise from De Ming
" So cool! Maybe we should also do some fishing, we might catch another Golden Carp, right?"
They shared a hearty chuckle as they walked through the entrance. Before them is a stunning visual of busy streets, people of all shapes and sizes, lined with a multitude of different shops and restaurants, including those owned by the Crimson Cloud, and most distinctly, a great river running through the town's center, splitting the place in two
De Ming's eyes shone in wonder as he fully took in the sight. A place this busy and commercial was completely foreign to the former servant De Ming, whose life until now had only revolved around the Crimson Cloud manor and a village nearby where he ran errands and bought supplies.
" What are you just standing there for? let's go!"
Zhu Lian said energetically as she grabbed the dazed De Ming's hand and dragged him off to the west side of the town.
Her pace hastened in excitement as they approached a fancy-looking two-storied restaurant by the river, with a white and red color scheme and drifting cloud-themed decor, dubbed the "Drifting Cloud Pavilion."
" Zhu Lian, is this…?"
De Ming asked hesitantly
" Mhm, it's the fanciest restaurant we own here! Let's head in, come on."
A small panic crossed De Ming's face as he heard her words, knowing full well of his worries, Zhu Lian signed and smiled
" I'd take care of money, just relax and eat okay?"
De Ming seemed to calm down as he nodded, with his hand still grabbed by Zhu Lian. They stepped in a picked out a small table with a great view of the river upstairs, the upper floor is exclusively for Vips, so Zhu Lian had to show them her family's jade token, giving them exclusive seating privileges and food free of cost
De Ming's face grew a wry smile, awkward yet amused. For the first time in his life, De Ming had been treated as a Vip. Zhu Lian noticed but didn't say anything. She enjoyed seeing him like this, it's kind of adorable, this side of him, she thought as she ordered food
"Would that be all, Young Miss?"
Said a waiter, clad in a delicate white and red changpao, in a respectful tone
Zhu Lian sneaked a glance at De Ming, whose mouth was dripping at the thought of all this luxurious food, she chuckled softly and confirmed their order
They waited for food as they chatted about the scenery, praise of amazement came out of De Ming nonstop as Zhu Lian watched him, amused at the lovable country bumnkin before her
" Hey! What do you mean I can't have that seat, I am a Vip here! Remember?!"
A loud yelling came from downstairs. The two looked down and saw a well-dressed guy, clearly of a wealthy family, behind him were some scary-looking gangsters, possibly underlings he had hired
" Who dares take my seat with the beautiful view upstairs! I demand you get them down here, right now!"
The guy roared, breaking the restaurant's peaceful atmosphere. He was most definitely referring to De Ming's and Zhu Lian's current seating. His demeanor and words reek of arrogance and a spoiled upbringing
" Young Master Mo, we are terribly sorry, but that seat is already taken. Perhaps we can offer you a different one, the scenery is guaranteed ofcoursed"
The waiter from earlier spoke out calmly as he bowed and offered an alternative
In a fit of rage, the arrogant Young Master raised his hand, flared his mid third-rate Qi, and slapped the waiter, the Qi-infused slap sent him tumbling
" If I don't tear down this restaurant today, then I'm not fit for the Mo family name."
He roared out before signaling his goons to start messing up the place and causing trouble
Seeing this unfold before him, De Ming could no longer stay put, he understood the humiliation of being mistreated by arrogant people who think they're superior to you; ignoring this injustice would be no different than betraying his ideals
De Ming gritted his teeth and stood up, preparing to jump in
" Ming wait… "
Zhu Lian panicked as her mind raced for a way to resolve this conflict without needing violence. De Ming mustn't get hurt!
But before both of them could intervene. A figure from a nearby table on the Vip floor stood up. A tall man wearing scholarly blue robes, long black hair draping from his shoulder, his face obscured by a comical bamboo hat.
The man swiftly made his way to the railing, his steps fluid, gliding across the floor just like the mysterious elder De Ming encountered a month ago, albeit comparatively slower
The man jumped off the railings, the air itself seemed to hold his weight as he gracefully drifted down, his robes fluttering as he caught the attention of the whole restaurant
He landed perfectly in front of Young Master Mo, blocking his path to the fallen waiter, then removed his hat, revealing a dashing man with androgynous features and a youthful yet piercing gaze
" Wudang sect, Li Wei"
The man introduced himself as a member of the Wudang Sect, wearing a subtle smile as he cupped his hands
The Wudang sect is famous in Jianghu, located in the Wudang Mountains and rooted in Taoist philosophy, it's known for formidable "soft" martial techniques that defeat foes with grace and elegance. A major player in the Righteous faction, upholding justice in the chaotic martial world
" It is unbecoming of the Mo family to cause such a ruckus, is it not? It's best that you put today's offence aside and leave Young Master Mo."
Li Wei said softly while maintaining an enigmatic smile, his words laced with hidden poison, a warning that if he doesn't comply, things can get ugly
" Piss off!!"
One of the goons grunted as he changed forward, his thick skull not comprehending the situation they're in
He raised an oversized dao sword, flaring his early second-rate Qi as he swung it down at Li Wei
Not moving even a half-step, Li Wei casually swung his hand in a circular motion, the Qi-less maneuver instantly redirected the blade, sending it towards the ground
The goon's dao sword gets stuck in the wooden flooring, before he can pull it out. Li Wei softly struck the back of his neck, knocking him unconscious as the rest paused to process what had just occurred