After the first cup, the master and her six disciples began chatting and laughing over the food and wine.
With Tao Wenshu present, everyone was a little restrained, but tales of the martial world and anecdotes from Prefecture City still made for a warm, convivial gathering.
Wan Guhong, Lin Shuyue, and Xue Xian, the three disciples who had recently traveled the martial world, gradually began sharing their experiences, much to Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi's delight.
"In short, I made fools of those swindlers and sent them straight to the magistrate's jail," Xue Xian said, looking rather pleased with herself.
Having drunk quite a bit, she turned her flushed face toward Tao Wenshu and asked with bright eyes:
"Master, what were you proudest of during your travels?"
Tao Wenshu chuckled.
"There were quite a few things. The one I remember best was when a valuable shipment belonging to the Hongxin Trading Company was seized by lake bandits on Heaven Lake in Treasure Province. Senior Brother Jin, Junior Sister Yan, and I happened to be traveling nearby. When we heard about it, we bought a fishing boat, crossed the lake, and landed on the bandits' island. We stormed seven strongholds in a single night and finally recovered the goods."
Her account was brief, but the words "stormed seven strongholds in a single night" alone set Zheng Zhuxi and the others' hearts surging and their blood boiling.
So Master had her days of youthful recklessness and high spirits too... Ding Songyan sighed inwardly with genuine feeling.
He asked curiously:
"Master, is the Junior Sister Yan you mentioned Elder Yan?"
Yan Jingxian, the Xiaoming Sect's other Martial Grandmaster, was of the second rank, "Subtlety."
"Yes." Tao Wenshu nodded lightly and continued in a reminiscent tone. "Those lake bandits were slippery as eels. Whenever