Chapter 11: Chapter Seven

The head of the Langya List, Mei Lang of Jiangzuo.

Even for a man of Xie Yu’s noble status and marquis rank, this name could not help but stir a ripple of trepidation.

"As pure as ice and snow reflecting the world, a hidden fragrance drifts where the river bends; having known all the paths of the world's heroes, one bows their head to Mei Lang of Jiangzuo." These were the verses recited by Shu Qingtian, the leader of the northern titan "Qiaolong Gang," when he first met Mei Lang nine years ago.

At that time, the Gongsun family had fled into Jiangzuo to escape disaster, and Shu Qingtian had pursued them across the river. The newly appointed sect leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance, Mei Changsu, had come to the riverbank in person to meet him. Without bringing a single blade, sword, soldier, or attendant, the two held a secret talk atop Heling Peak for two days. After descending the mountain, Shu Qingtian retreated to the north, the entire Gongsun clan was preserved, and the name of the Jiangzuo Alliance began to spread throughout the pugilistic world.

"The sect leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance has always been low-key; few have ever seen his face... How did you two come to know him?" Xie Yu pondered for a moment before asking.

"It was Big Brother..." Xie Bi stammered a few words, but Xiao Jingrui had already taken over. "Reporting to Father, last winter when I was passing through the Qinling Mountains, I was resting in a teahouse and happened to be seated next to Brother Su. He kept looking at a sprig of winter plum I was holding, seemingly quite fond of it. I didn't think much of it at the time, so I gifted it to him, and that is how we became acquainted. Since then, while traveling the world, I have often been under his care. Brother Su is of frail health; after the old master Han Yi Xun Zhen examined him, he ordered that he must leave Jiangzuo and stop managing sect affairs to focus on recuperation. So, I took the opportunity to invite him to Jinling for a short stay... Father also knows that Brother Su’s reputation is too great, so to ensure peace and quiet, he adopted the alias Su Zhe..."

"So that is how it is..." Xie Yu hummed and nodded. "That is fine. Master Su is an honored guest; you must treat him well."

Xiao Jingrui and Xie Bi bowed in unison and slowly retreated.

Once they left their father’s study, Xie Bi grabbed Xiao Jingrui to question him, only to learn that Feiliu had actually crossed swords with Meng Zhi today, which left him clicking his tongue in wonder. The two then went to Xue Lu to inform Mei Changsu that his father now knew his identity. The sect leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance only smiled faintly, not taking it to heart.

Early the next morning, the brother of the Empress, Yan Yujin, dressed quite elegantly, came to the manor to announce that "Brother Su must have rested enough from his travels, so today we are all going out to play." He dragged Xiao Jingrui and Mei Changsu out, leaving behind the busy and resentful Xie Bi, and the three of them wandered about for the entire day.

Because the selection of a husband for Princess Nihuang was drawing near, the capital had been packed with young talents arriving from all over. The major restaurants and teahouses were bustling with guests every day, and scenes of flashing blades and flying fists were constantly being staged, as if they were spontaneous preliminary rounds for the selection tournament. Yan Yujin, who had always loved a good show, found it incredibly satisfying and had been running around to watch the "performances" since the day he returned to the capital. On this day, while taking Xiao Jingrui and Mei Changsu out, he was already able to authoritatively introduce them to which restaurant had the most brawls and which teahouse had the highest level of dueling.

After watching a full day of chaotic fighting without seeing many true experts (naturally, experts would not reveal their identities to stir up trouble at such a time), Yan Yujin remained enthusiastic, but Xiao Jingrui was already bored. If it were before, he likely would have forced himself to accompany his friend, but today he was out with Mei Changsu. The moment he saw Brother Su’s weary expression, he immediately vetoed Yan Yujin’s suggestion to "go play at the Yaoyue Restaurant."

"Why not go? Yaoyue is a lot of fun. A few days ago, I saw a man using a meteor hammer fighting someone wielding twin blades. He didn't use his strength right, and the hammer flew back and hit his own forehead, knocking him out on the spot. It was hilarious..."

Xiao Jingrui whispered a reminder: "Yujin, Brother Su is tired."

"Ah?" Yan Yujin looked at Mei Changsu’s somewhat pale face and couldn't help but pat himself. "I’m just too careless. Brother Su is in poor health, so of course he’s different from us. Then let’s rest here. The food here is quite good; shall I order a few signature dishes for Brother Su to try?"

"I only had snacks an hour ago; how could I eat?" Mei Changsu leaned against the back of his chair, his expression weary but his spirit still decent. "Let’s sit for a while and then head home separately. Even if we are out, we shouldn't overdo it. It’s better for Jingrui to go home and have dinner with his parents."

"That’s true, Jingrui is a good boy," Yan Yujin agreed. "Unlike me, my father doesn't care when I return after being let out..."

His tone was very light when he said this, but Mei Changsu caught a hint of loneliness and couldn't help but look at him deeply. Xiao Jingrui, being too familiar with him, didn't notice and was busy waving for the waiter to hire a clean sedan chair.

Before long, the sedan arrived, and the three parted ways in front of the restaurant. Yan Yujin continued to wander, while Xiao Jingrui accompanied Mei Changsu back to the Ningguo Marquis Manor.

Just as they arrived at the side gate and stepped out of the sedan, a servant saw them and rushed inside to report. Xie Bi immediately hurried out to meet them, saying loudly as soon as they met: "Why are you only just returning? Someone wants to see you; they’ve been waiting for a long time!"

To Xie Bi’s complaint, Xiao Jingrui’s reaction was to immediately ask: "Who wants to see us?" But Mei Changsu froze, a flash of hesitation crossing his brow, though it vanished in an instant, and he immediately returned to his calm demeanor.

Xie Bi looked them up and down and said urgently: "You both look fine, no need to change. Come in with me quickly; the Empress, Mother, and Princess Nihuang want to see you."

Xiao Jingrui was stunned. The three women Xie Bi mentioned could be considered the most noble and powerful women in the Great Liang Kingdom. The Empress, needless to say, governed the six palaces and was the mother of the world; Princess Liyang was the Emperor’s sister and the wife of the Ningguo Marquis; and although Princess Nihuang’s rank was slightly lower, she held command over one hundred thousand iron cavalry of the Southern Border. It was difficult enough to see one of them on a normal day, let alone have them waiting together to meet them. It could be said that no one had ever received such special treatment before.

"Why are you dazed?" Xie Bi poked his brother. "If you don't want to go in, that's fine; they mainly want to see Brother Su anyway."

"You still say that," Xiao Jingrui glared at Xie Bi unhappily. "Did you let your tongue slip about Feiliu and Commander Meng’s fight, which piqued their curiosity? You forgot that Brother Su is here to recover, not to socialize everywhere. Now that he’s in the spotlight, how can he have any peace?"

Being blamed like this, Xie Bi felt a bit embarrassed and apologized sheepishly: "It was indeed my carelessness. While I was entertaining guests with Mother, it just slipped out. I hope Brother Su will forgive me."

"Not at all," Mei Changsu said in a calm tone. "I should be grateful to the Second Young Master Xie for introducing me to such noble people. Perhaps when we go in later, the Empress will even reward me with some treasures on behalf of Prince Yu."