"Young Master Xiangma, how is your father, City Lord Uncle Yan?"
"He's doing quite well. It's just that he's busy with official duties most of the time, so I rarely get to see him." Li Mu Yang thought of Uncle Yan, the Jiangnan City Lord who had ridden to Maple Forest Ferry to see him off, and spoke.
"How is Old Master Yan's health? Years ago, when he was guarding the frontier, he suffered a severe injury to his waist in a battle against Yuan Taiji, the great general of Zhou. He barely survived, and ever since then, his waist has ached whenever the weather turned damp. He has to drink strong liquor brewed with Dragon Bone Grass. As it happens, I served as commander of Sui Long Yuan for many years, and Dragon Bone Grass can only be found there. So every year, when I return to Tiandu to report on my duties, I bring Old Master Yan several jars." Lu Qingming spoke in a ringing voice as he rode alongside Li Mu Yang.
"Thank you, Uncle Lu. My grandfather keeps saying that he owes you a favor." Li Mu Yang smiled, though inwardly he had a bitter grievance he could not voice.
When he had rescued Lu Qingming from Strange Daoist, he had casually given Yan Xiangma's name.
First, it had been to satisfy a tiny bit of his own wicked amusement. Didn't Yan Xiangma always claim that, as Jiangnan City's notorious playboy, there was nothing he dared not do? By pinning all those deeds on him, Li Mu Yang had conveniently helped his good friend make a name for himself.
Second, it had effectively concealed his identity. After all, compared to Yan Xiangma, he had neither power nor influence and came from a small household of little