Sihai Grand Teahouse

The place with the most lively atmosphere in Pingding City wasn't the brothels that lured souls with their allure.

A pot of hot tea, a few plates of snacks, listening to a storyteller, and chatting about idle gossip.

The bloody storms of the jianghu were temporarily calmed.

Someone once compared them.

The Thousand Red Pavilion was like a charming, beautiful concubine, only attentive and considerate when you had money.

The Sihai Grand Teahouse, however, was more like a virtuous wife. If you had money, you could get a private table on the second floor; if you didn't, a few copper coins could get you a pot of low-grade tea, and you could spend half a day amusing yourself at the long tables in the main hall.

In the hearts of the jianghu men in Pingding City, neither was dispensable.

These past few days, the Sihai Grand Teahouse had been exceptionally popular, with every performance packed and no seats available.

The private tables on the second floor were in short supply.

The main hall on the first floor was also packed. There were no seats at the long tables, so those jianghu men sat cross-legged on the floor.

On a high platform, there was a long table.

Old Mr. Ma, who was exceptionally skilled at mimicry, finally stopped telling stories from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

"Hahaha, I, Pockmarked Snake, can pay any price to become a true dragon. How magnificent is that!"

"The Five Elements Dragon Scales can only be obtained by those with great virtue, wisdom, and courage. Use them to defeat evil, eliminate injustice, and rebuild a world of light..."

"Pockmarked Snake, for so many years you've impersonated a true dragon and oppressed the aquatic races. Today, I shall act on behalf of heaven."

At a small table on the second floor, directly facing the stage, sat a pot of clear tea and a plate of peanuts.

A blue-robed figure drank alone, amidst the crowd, yet exuding a bone-deep loneliness, drinking the tea as if it were wine.

Seated at the table next to the blue-robed figure were a delicate young man and a burly man in tight-fitting clothes.

The young man pointed at the stage and laughed, "Old Shi, could the fish scales that the Blue Robe Immortal gave to Tong Baixiong to extend his life be these Five Elements Dragon Scales?"

The man surnamed Shi flattered him, "The Young Guard Leader is indeed wise to see the connection between the two."

The young man then shook his head, "No, no, the Five Elements Dragon Scales should have five colors."

The man surnamed Shi teased, "Perhaps... 'Five Elements' is just a name, and it doesn't necessarily mean five colors. Just like wife cakes don't necessarily contain a wife. Or lantern cakes don't necessarily have lanterns."

The young man corrected him, "Wife cakes definitely don't have wives, otherwise they'd be human flesh cakes."

The man surnamed Shi laughed as he peeled peanuts. The storytelling on stage, though novel, didn't hold much appeal for him.

At forty years old, his body was already starting to decline. The jianghu was too turbulent; he just wanted a peaceful life.

The young man suddenly clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "This is so interesting! The true dragon that everyone worships is actually a Pockmarked Snake."

The man surnamed Shi chuckled, "Truth within falsehood, falsehood within truth, seeing flowers in a mist. It all depends on the storyteller's tongue. How can outsiders know?"

A faint smile appeared on the blue-robed figure's lips, lost in thought.

Just then, a richly dressed middle-aged man came up the southern stairs to the second floor. He grabbed a waiter by the collar and cursed, "When I come to your place for tea, when have I ever sat in the main hall? I don't care, you must find me a private table. I have plenty of money."

"Sir, I am truly sorry, but all the private tables are occupied."

"If you can't find one, I'll slap you across the face—"

"Sir, please have mercy, I truly have no other options."

The middle-aged man had just reached the second floor when he suddenly stopped, stunned for a moment. He let go of the waiter and said, "You can go. I've found a seat."

The waiter, who had been bracing himself for a slap, felt as if he had received a great pardon and scrambled down the stairs.

The middle-aged fatty's eyes gleamed, and he swallowed. Every movement of the blue-robed figure was exquisitely graceful. The slender fingers holding the wine cup were as lustrous and flawless as white jade, so beautiful that he couldn't help but feel a dryness in his throat.

He walked up to the table and asked, "May I know your esteemed surname, friend?"

The blue-robed figure continued to drink his tea, ignoring him. This only made the fatty more eager.

"My surname is Zhou. I'm in the silk business and have seven shops in Pingding City."

"I feel an instant connection with you, friend. It's noisy and crowded here. Why don't we go to my home, and we can chat leisurely?"

Only then did the blue-robed figure glance at him, his eyes slightly cold.

His words became even more suggestive, "Why must you keep me at arm's length? Tell me, how much money do you want to be with me?"

The blue-robed figure's gaze grew colder, and he stood up.

Seeing him about to leave, the middle-aged fatty quickly reached out to stop him, smiling, "In ancient times, a thousand pieces of gold could buy a beauty's smile. If you grant me my wish, I am willing to bankrupt myself."

The young man at the next table slammed his teacup onto the table and turned around, cursing, "What kind of pervert is this, spewing filth everywhere!"

The man surnamed Shi quickly stood up but couldn't stop the young man in time, thinking, This is bad.

"Who lost control of their pants and exposed themselves? How dare you meddle in my business?"

The middle-aged fatty looked over and smiled, "Oh, you're a handsome young man too, and still a virgin. It's a shame you don't have the same charm as this beauty—"

His voice abruptly stopped.

The blue-robed figure walked past him and went straight downstairs.

The fatty stood there blankly, his smile frozen on his face.

The young man exclaimed in shock, "What... what happened to him?"

As soon as he spoke, the fat man collapsed straight down. There wasn't a single scratch on his body. He looked like a drunkard who had passed out by the roadside, fast asleep.

The young man was startled and retreated repeatedly.

The man surnamed Shi's expression changed drastically. He quickly whispered, "Let's leave quickly, or we'll be implicated in a murder case."

Before going downstairs, the young man suddenly said, "That person just now, could it have been the Blue Robe Immortal?"

At the same time, accompanied by Shopkeeper Wang of the Sihai Grand Teahouse, the four of them ascended to the third floor via the north staircase.

That private room, not open to the public, was Qu Feiyan's exclusive seating.

Shopkeeper Wang stood at the door, took the food box from the waiter, and personally delivered it inside.

Four kinds of dried fruits: walnuts, hazelnuts, dried dates, and chestnuts.

Four kinds of cold dishes: braised beef, drunken crab, preserved chicken feet, and fried shrimp.

A pot of top-quality Hangzhou Longjing tea.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Wang," Qu Feiyan said with a smile. These were all her favorite foods.

"Miss Feiyan, it is my honor to have you grace my humble establishment. Not to mention the new storybook you gave Mr. Ma, The Adventures of the Little Carp, it's been so popular that our doorstep is almost worn out these days. Mr. Ma's voice is also about to give out, and he's only managing with Honey Pear Paste."

Qu Feiyan laughed, "I didn't write The Adventures of the Little Carp."

"Then who did?"

"A friend of mine."

Shopkeeper Wang praised, "A friend of Miss Feiyan's must be exceptionally talented, a first-class scholar."

Qu Feiyan sighed with feigned maturity, "Alas, it's a pity he doesn't want anyone to know his name."

Before Shopkeeper Wang retreated, he secretly glanced at the young man sitting at the same table as Miss Feiyan. He wore a black robe, had a sword at his waist, and was exceptionally handsome.

He thought to himself, He hasn't reached the age of manhood yet, but he's about seven or eight years older than Miss Feiyan. Is that appropriate? Miss Feiyan making friends outside, I wonder if Lord Qu is aware of this?

Du Xiaochai stood by the door of the private room, holding her spear, looking displeased.

"Why does he get to eat and drink inside with Miss?"

Zhao Changfeng, who was always engrossed in martial arts, was contemplating sword techniques. Seeing her throw another tantrum, he chuckled helplessly, "You can go in too. Miss always invites you to eat with her, but you refuse."

"If I go in, who will protect Miss's safety?"

Zhao Changfeng secretly thought, Such a fuss.

Inside the private room.

Zhang Yu poured himself a cup of Longjing tea. "Feiyan, how did you convince Mr. Ma to tell The Adventures of the Little Carp instead of Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"

Qu Feiyan sampled various pastries, her cheeks bulging, making her speech sound distorted. "I didn't have to convince him. I gave Mr. Ma the storybook, and after he read it, he agreed immediately."

Zhang Yu nodded. "It seems Mr. Ma was also tired of telling Romance of the Three Kingdoms and just hadn't found a good storybook."

"Mm, I'm planning to write a storybook for Mr. Ma."

As they were talking, a familiar voice came from outside.

"Don't stop me, I'm looking for Brother Zhang!"

Zhang Yu pushed the door open and saw Qi Zhaogu arguing with Zhao Changfeng. He stepped forward and smiled, "Brother Qi, how did you know I was here?"

Qi Zhaogu chuckled, "I heard from the owner of the Taiping Inn that you got on Feiyan's little carriage, so I knew you'd definitely come to the Sihai Grand Teahouse. Feiyan has a special seat here."

Qu Feiyan poked her head out with a smile. "Uncle Qi, is Little Qizi here too?"

Qi Zhaogu was very polite to Qu Feiyan. "Miss Feiyan, Little Qizi has returned to his maternal grandfather's home in the capital and will only be back for the New Year."

Zhang Yu was curious. "Who is Little Qizi?"

Qi Zhaogu replied, "My son!"

Zhang Yu was surprised. "I had no idea, Brother Qi already has a son."

Qi Zhaogu frowned. "Is that so strange? I'm almost thirty. Do you know the saying 'at thirty, one stands firm'? ... Alas, I didn't come here to talk about this."

Zhang Yu asked with a smile, "Brother Qi, you came in such a hurry, what's the matter?"

Qi Zhaogu said with a strange laugh, "Brother, your appointment has been made."

Zhang Yu had a bad feeling. "What is it?"

"See for yourself."

Qi Zhaogu took out a bronze plaque and an order with a red seal from his embrace.

"Wind Thunder Hall Master Token: Zhang Yu, possessing both wisdom and courage, is promoted to Flag Master. Pingyang City is located at the border of Shanxi and Hebei, serving as the western gateway of the Divine Cult. Previously, the subordinate gang, the Wild Wolf Gang, was defeated, and the Dragon Scale Association, in collusion with the Mount Song Sect, became dominant in Pingyang. Zhang Yu is ordered to proceed to Pingyang to take charge, gather the remnants of the Wild Wolf Gang, and eliminate the Dragon Scale Association. Upon successful completion, he will be further recognized."

Zhang Yu's expression gradually turned grim. Without even guessing, he knew that Third Young Master Tong was behind this.

You can't write two characters for 'Tong' in the same word. After all, they are father and son. No matter how good the story of the immortal bestowing scales is, it can't compare to whispers in one's ear.