Chapter 28: Jiang Dou

Chen Zhuoan smiled after hearing this and said, "It seems I have asked an unnecessary question." As he spoke, he stepped into the cabin and sat down at the square table.

The white-clad young girl reached out and took a jade teapot from the table. Thinking she was about to brew tea for him, Chen Zhuoan hurriedly took a teacup, held it up with both hands, and said, "You are too kind, Miss..."

To his surprise, without even looking up, the girl poured the tea directly into her own cup and placed the teapot back in its original position, looking as though she had no intention of serving him at all.

Chen Zhuoan remained frozen with the teacup held in mid-air, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face. Having made a fool of himself, he sheepishly set the cup down.

The girl held the teacup with both hands, took a light sip from her crimson lips, and narrowed her eyes, looking utterly blissful. She spoke in praise: "What exquisite tea!"

Then, setting the cup down, she seemed to only just notice the person before her and said curiously, "Since you have come, Brother, why do you not taste my Cloud Mist tea? Could it be that you find my hospitality lacking?"

Chen Zhuoan thought to himself, *Have you actually provided any hospitality from start to finish?* Of course, he could not say this to her face, so he merely replied, "I am a coarse man; I do not know much about tasting tea."

The girl nodded, saying as if realizing something, "No wonder. You do indeed look quite coarse; even your stubble is as thick as pig bristles. This little one does not understand coarse men, so please do not take it to heart, Brother."

Chen Zhuoan felt a surge of indignation. He thought, *I called myself a coarse man out of modesty, but this girl is truly pushing her luck.*

He shot her another glance. *This girl is quite pretty and looks like a lady from a wealthy family, so why is she so ill-mannered?*

Feeling angry, he said gloomily, "I wonder what business brings you to invite me onto your boat? If there is nothing urgent, I shall take my leave."

Hearing this, the girl seemed to remember something and nodded rapidly like a pecking chicken. "There is, there is! I have an urgent matter and wish to ask for Brother's help!"

"Oh?" Chen Zhuoan raised an eyebrow. "Please, Miss, speak plainly."

The girl extended a fair, delicate hand and pointed at the sword-bearing youth beside her. "It is all because of him!"

Suddenly singled out by her finger, the youth was momentarily bewildered, looking over with a face full of confusion. The girl continued, "This little servant of mine is far too lazy. He spends most of his day sleeping soundly, and no matter how much I, his mistress, call him, he won't wake up. It leaves me having to handle every little thing myself. Don't you think that's infuriating?"

Then she looked at Chen Zhuoan and said with a smile, "Just now, I heard Brother playing the bamboo flute. It was like the wailing of ghosts and the howling of wolves—truly a celestial experience, the likes of which I have never seen in my life! I ask Brother to play more for this boy; I am sure he will never sleep so sweetly again. Should he wake in the middle of the night, he will surely still hear the haunting echoes of Brother's ghostly flute in his mind."

Chen Zhuoan understood immediately. *So this little brat is angry that my flute playing disturbed her music, and she invited me on board just to find ways to humiliate me.*

Having spent much time in the martial world, he possessed the spirit of a rugged hero. Instead of feeling angry, he found her quite amusing. He thought to himself, *This girl looks like she comes from a scholarly or wealthy family, yet she refuses to follow etiquette. She is quite a clever little thing—a fascinating person!* Then, as if remembering something, he thought, *Hmph, the etiquette and laws of this world are all set by those in power. If it weren't for those damn rules back then, how could Xiu'er have...*

As if recalling a past event, Chen Zhuoan's eyes instantly dimmed, and an air of desolation settled over him.

Seeing his lost expression, the girl thought she had gone too far. She said, "Hey, hey, you're a grown man; can't you take a few words? Fine, fine, let's just say it was my fault. Brother, please go back then."

Coming back to his senses, Chen Zhuoan smiled faintly. "I do not blame you, Miss. I can only blame my poor flute playing for ruining everyone's mood. I shall not dare to play it again once I return." With that, he rose to depart.

At that moment, a cough suddenly came from behind the girl. Her brow furrowed, and she reached out to stop Chen Zhuoan.

"Brother, wait!"

Chen Zhuoan asked, "Does Miss have further instructions?"

The girl was momentarily stunned. "I..."

"My master has yet to ask for your honorable name," spoke the sword-bearing youth behind her.

"That's right!" The girl clapped her hands and said with a grin, "As they say, meeting is fate. May I ask for Brother's honorable name?"

Chen Zhuoan cupped his hands. "I am Chen Zhuoan, from Taizhou in the State of Zhao. May I know your name, Miss?"

The girl mimicked his gesture and bowed. "I am Tang Diexian, and this is my servant, Liang Yan."

"So it is Miss Tang. Young friend Liang, a pleasure to meet you."

The gray-clad youth then added, "Is Brother Chen from Yongle Town in Taizhou?"

Chen Zhuoan was startled. "Correct. How did you know?"

"That is simple," the youth smiled slightly. "Does the bamboo flute at your waist not have the words 'Yongle Laifu' carved upon it?"

Chen Zhuoan laughed heartily. "Young brother Liang has keen eyes! Indeed, I am preparing to return to Yongle Town to visit relatives."

The youth's expression shifted. "What a coincidence. My mistress is also going to..."

Before he could finish, an explosion suddenly erupted from outside the boat, followed by the vessel rocking violently. Then, a coarse, loud voice shouted from outside: "Listen up, everyone on the boat! If you want to live, pack up your gold and silver and come out to hand them over to us! If you try to be clever, we'll kill you without a burial!"

Chen Zhuoan frowned slightly and said to Tang Diexian and Liang Yan, "Do not panic. Stay in the boat. I shall go out and meet them!"

He rose and walked out of the cabin, only to see a large ship positioned opposite their small boat, with over thirty men standing upon it.

*Quite a grand display!* Chen Zhuoan thought, though his face showed no fear.

He stepped onto the surface of the river, walking upon the waves, and then leaped through the air onto the enemy ship. With a *clang*, his long sword left its scabbard.

Knowing that to catch the thieves, one must first catch the leader, Chen Zhuoan gripped his sword and, without a word, charged directly at the man in command. The leader was a bald, shirtless brute carrying a meteor hammer. Seeing this, the man sneered and swung his hammer to meet him in combat.

Though outnumbered, Chen Zhuoan's momentum did not falter. His "Swimming Dragon" sword style was so dense and continuous that the surrounding men could not find an opening. He decided to fight steadily, waiting for an opportunity to capture the bald leader first.

Just as the two sides were clashing, more than ten men in black suddenly rushed out from the cabin. These men were clearly well-trained; the moment they emerged, they headed straight for Chen Zhuoan, their strikes fierce and aimed directly at his vital points.

"You!" Chen Zhuoan parried one of the black-clad men with a sweep of his sword and drifted backward. His internal energy surged violently; he was clearly in a difficult state.

"You are not water bandits—you came specifically to wait for me!"

One of the men in black laughed. "Chen Zhuoan, you are like an ant trying to shake a tree! To die here today is truly your own doing!" With that, they swarmed him, surrounding him completely.

Chen Zhuoan gave a bitter laugh and met them with his sword. The strength of these men was significantly greater than that of the water bandits. Alone and attacked from all sides, Chen Zhuoan was soon covered in wounds. He relied on his internal qi to hold on, but in the eyes of the others, he was merely a spent force. The men in black were in no hurry; they formed a circular formation to trap him, slowly wearing down his stamina while waiting for the killing blow.

Just as Chen Zhuoan was in mortal peril, he caught a glimpse of a white figure flying out from the small boat, landing lightly upon the large ship.

It was Tang Diexian. Clad in white, her posture was upright, and her long black hair flowed with the wind. At a glance, she looked like a valiant heroine.

She shouted, "Sword, come!"

The crowd held their breath and looked toward the river, but there was nothing but empty space and no response.

An annoyed expression appeared on Tang Diexian's face. She glared fiercely at the small boat behind her, stomped her foot, and shouted again, "Sword, come!"

Inside the boat, Liang Yan rolled his eyes as if he had only just heard her, and slowly pushed the scabbard in his hand. The Hundred Flower Sword soared into the sky, letting out a clear, resonant ring as it shot toward Tang Diexian.

Tang Diexian caught the precious sword, a flash of excitement in her eyes, and charged straight at the black-clad assassins. Seeing her extraordinary entrance, the men on the ship did not dare be careless and immediately diverted half of their numbers to surround her.

However, Tang Diexian was a Qi-refining cultivator, while the men on the ship were merely ordinary martial artists. They were no match for her.

Because she had been instructed by Liang Yan not to reveal her identity, she used only the most ordinary martial arts techniques, avoiding any immortal spells.

Yet, her realm was too high. As the saying goes, "strength overcomes all skill." Even without flashy movements, her sword strikes were unstoppable, instantly cutting down more than half of the black-clad men.

With her assistance, Chen Zhuoan rallied his remaining strength and charged at the bandits. Within a few breaths, the black-clad men and the water bandits were either dead or wounded; the survivors, unable to fight further, jumped into the water to flee.

By this time, Liang Yan had also walked upon the waves and arrived on the large ship.

Chen Zhuoan approached Tang Diexian, cupped his hands, and said with a bitter smile, "I misjudged you before. If not for you today, Miss, my life might have ended here."

Tang Diexian pouted and said, "Of course. Now you know how formidable this lady is!"

Chen Zhuoan nodded. "Miss Tang possesses profound internal strength, yet I have never heard your name in the martial world. May I ask who your master is?"

Tang Diexian froze and instinctively looked at Liang Yan. Liang Yan cleared his throat and said, "We are a reclusive martial arts family that has not appeared in the world for a long time. This trip down the mountain was at the wish of our family head to allow the young lady to gain some experience."

Tang Diexian nodded hurriedly. "Yes, yes, my skills were all taught by my father."

Chen Zhuoan nodded and smiled. "So it is a family legacy. My apologies for the disrespect!"

Liang Yan added, "Now, can you tell us your true purpose for going to Yongle Town?"

Chen Zhuoan was stunned. After a long silence, he sighed softly and said, "Young friend Liang has keen eyes; nothing can be hidden from you. Indeed, my return to Yongle Town is likely to involve a fierce battle."

"Oh? I am eager to hear more!"

"Actually, my wife and I did many things to punish evil and promote good in the martial world years ago, which offended many villains. Later, we wished to retire from the world, so we opened an inn in Yongle Town to live a peaceful life. Recently, while I was out searching for an old friend, I accidentally learned that a group of old enemies has found our tracks and is heading to Yongle Town to seek revenge. Fearing for my wife's safety, I intended to rush back to face them together."

Liang Yan's heart stirred. *Isn't this a pillow delivered right when I'm sleepy?*

He had been worrying about needing an ordinary identity to infiltrate Yongle Town to facilitate his sect mission, and here was Chen Zhuoan delivering himself to their doorstep.

Liang Yan and Tang Diexian exchanged a look. Understanding his thoughts, Tang Diexian interjected, "In that case, this lady shall accompany you to Yongle Town to lend you and your wife a helping hand."

Chen Zhuoan waved his hands in refusal. "How can that be? The calamity my wife and I face is extremely dangerous. You truly do not need to risk yourself for us."

Tang Diexian glared at him. "Why not? Meeting is fate, and I love stepping in to help when I see injustice. If you refuse my help, are you looking down on me?"

Being cornered by her words, Chen Zhuoan found it difficult to refuse. He said awkwardly, "If that is the case, then I thank you for your great kindness, Miss."

Only then did Tang Diexian nod with satisfaction. Suddenly remembering something, she said, "However, you are going to see your wife, and it might be inconvenient for a young lady to follow you. How about... how about you say I am your distant cousin..."

Though she was speaking to Chen Zhuoan, her eyes flickered toward Liang Yan. Seeing him nod slightly, she continued, "Yes, say I am your distant cousin! That way, it won't cause any misunderstandings."

"That... well, alright, we shall do as you say, Miss."

Chen Zhuoan was a veteran of the martial world; how could he not notice the secret communication between Tang Diexian and Liang Yan? He did not say it aloud, but he thought to himself: *This master and servant pair are quite strange. Miss Tang is nominally the master, but the one making the decisions seems to be this young brother Liang.*