Chapter 1 Tianhu Mountain

Tianhu Mountain was originally a renowned sacred place beyond the mundane world in the Jin region.

From this mountain, in the distant past, had emerged two generations of celestial masters. One was bestowed the title of National Preceptor by the contemporary Jin Emperor, and the other was regarded as a family guest elder by the contemporary Wenren family head, who even allowed his offspring to acknowledge him as their Dao Father.

More recently,

the grand master who had been stationed in the inner palace of the Yan Kingdom for nearly thirty years had also descended from this mountain.

Originally, Tianhu Mountain had an endless stream of incense offerings. Especially during festivals, the number of devout worshippers and tourists ascending the mountain was countless.

Zhou Bian had always remembered the former prosperity of Tianhu Mountain because his home was located at the foot of the mountain. Later, he used all his savings and borrowed some money to take over a small tavern at the foot of Tianhu Mountain.

There was a small town at the foot of Tianhu Mountain, though it wasn't very large, much smaller than an average village.

There were fewer than twenty shops, including inns, taverns, tea houses, and shops selling incense and candles. These were all proper shops that had to be rented from Tianhu Mountain.

During those festivals, there would inevitably be many pilgrims, which would naturally attract many vendors who would come to take advantage of the opportunity to do some business. Tianhu Mountain would have a group of disciples stationed at the foot of the mountain to register them and collect a fee.

Zhou Bian used to be a small vendor and often came to Tianhu Mountain to set up a stall. Every time he was charged a stall fee, he would curse in his heart how greedy these people beyond the mundane world were.

But after he finally managed to take over a tavern, when other vendors flooded in during festivals, he would hate why those people beyond the mundane world didn't charge those vendors more money, letting those food vendors steal his business for nothing.

However, the good times didn't last long. That day, the Marquis went up the mountain, the palace grand master died, and a great fire engulfed Tianhu Mountain, reducing the ancestral temple to ashes.

Indeed, it is the immortal that gives the mountain its spirit. After the people of Tianhu Mountain were gone, this place truly became just the foot of the mountain.

Not only did the small vendors stop coming to steal business, but even the shops next to his had long since closed. However, Zhou Bian still lived here with his wife and son.

Because in order to take over this tavern, he had already sold his original house. If he didn't continue to stay here, his family of three would have nowhere to go.

The business was just barely getting by. He didn't bother to stock any fresh dishes. Basically, he sold whatever his family ate. However, there was still a lot of the old wine left that hadn't been sold, so he could continue to sell that.

Every few days, Zhou Bian would take his wife to the terraced fields on the mountain. With the ancestral temple of Tianhu Mountain gone, the fields that had once belonged to Tianhu Mountain were now barren.

Zhou Bian planted some things, and since no one collected taxes or managed the land, it was enough to provide his family with some food.

In addition, the shop rent that should have been paid this year was naturally not collected. Thinking about it that way, it wasn't so bad. He had only planned to take over a shop, but now he at least had a house.

Today, Zhou Bian had originally planned to go to the terraced fields on the mountain again, but in the morning, two groups of guests arrived.

The first group of guests consisted of a scholar, a female warrior, and a monk.

They were easy to recognize,

because the scholar looked like a scholar, the female warrior looked like a female warrior, and the monk also looked like a monk.

They ordered three bowls of noodle soup, which was originally meant for Zhou Bian's family of three for lunch, but how could he refuse to sell it?

The second group of guests consisted of a drunkard and an accountant.

The drunkard's face was already flushed red in the morning. As soon as he sat down, he shouted for Zhou Bian to bring him wine.

The accountant carried an abacus with him, which he placed to the side. He didn't order any dishes, but instead took out a flatbread from his baggage and asked Zhou Bian for a bowl of noodle soup to soak it in.

Meanwhile, Zhou Bian's wife carried a small jar of wine and placed it on the table.

The drunkard, perhaps because he was drunk or perhaps because it was his nature, pointed at Zhou Bian's wife's big butt and said:

"Wow, you bastard, you opened a shop in this remote wilderness with no business, and your woman is still willing to stay with you, tsk tsk."

A businessman can't get angry easily. Zhou Bian's wife glared at the drunkard and cursed:

"Shut your dog mouth and drink your horse piss."

She cursed,

but the curse was laced with charm,

making it hard to get angry.

After his wife went down to take care of the child,

Zhou Bian said with a smile:

"My name is just one word, Bian (Whip). There's nothing I can do about it. God rewards me with food. Since I was little, my thing has been big. My dad always called me:

Donkey, donkey.

Later, when it came time to give me a proper name, he simply took it upon himself and chose Bian (Whip)."

The drunkard laughed loudly upon hearing this,

and said:

"Okay, okay, I believe you, I believe you. I won't compare myself to you, I won't compare myself to you."

"Would you like to order some more food to go with the wine?" Zhou Bian asked with a smile.

"Just throw something together," the drunkard knew that there wasn't anything good to be had in this tavern.

"You wait."

Zhou Bian went to the kitchen and personally mixed a wild vegetable dish. He also rummaged around for two salted duck eggs that he had prepared for his son. As he was leaving the kitchen, he stopped and said to his wife:

"Wife, steam some more rice and scrape off some of that smoked meat."

"What's wrong? Are more guests coming?"

"No, but when business isn't going well, there might not be a single guest for days, but when they come, if two groups come, there will definitely be more coming after that."

"Got it."

Zhou Bian carried the cold dish and the salted duck eggs out, and immediately saw three people getting out of a carriage.

The person walking in front was dressed in white and carrying an object wrapped in cloth;

Behind him followed a man and a woman, both of whom were very young.

The man was dressed in black silk, with a fishing pendant hanging from his waist, and the woman was dressed in a purple dress, with plum blossom hairpins in her hair. She was plump and had a charming face.

"Yo, three guests, what would you like to eat?"

The drunkard immediately laughed and cursed:

"Why are you asking them what they want to eat? What else can you have in this broken shop? Just serve whatever you have. We're just looking to fill our bellies. Oh, but the wine here is not bad. It's Miaozhuang wine from the Litian City, but it's mixed with more water than the restaurants in Litian City. But after all, this is at the foot of a remote mountain, so it's still acceptable."

"Of course, the price we sell it for isn't more expensive than the restaurants in Litian City. The water we add is just the sweat I shed pushing it back here all by myself."

Zhou Bian was a flexible person.

"Hahaha, you kid."

The drunkard picked up some wild vegetables with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth. They were crisp and refreshing. He nodded and said:

"This dish is well-mixed."

"Of course, the wild vegetables at the foot of Tianhu Mountain are imbued with spiritual energy."

At this moment, the scholar from the first group of guests spoke:

"Where does this Tianhu Mountain get its spiritual energy now? I think it's full of ghostly energy."

The drunkard "heh heh"ed twice and took a sip of wine.

Zhou Bian walked up to the new guests. By this time, the three guests had already taken their seats.

"Guests, the shop doesn't have much food. How about three bowls of lard rice? And a few more side dishes? The shop is simple and crude, I'm really sorry."

Zheng Boren, dressed in casual clothes, smiled and nodded, saying:

"Just get whatever you can."

"Alright, guests, you wait."

Zhou Bian went back to the kitchen again.

And at this time,

the drunkard's gaze fell on the sword next to the Sword Saint, which was wrapped in cloth. He couldn't help but say:

"Heh, what a good thing, that you're willing to wrap it with such good material."

The Sword Saint ignored him, sat there, and closed his eyes to rest.

The scholar who had spoken earlier stood up, walked over, and said:

"It looks like there's a sword wrapped inside, right? Miss Ding, he's a swordsman like you. Since it's wrapped in such exquisite material, it must be a good sword. Can you let us have a look so we can admire it?"

The Sword Saint still ignored him.

The sword was wrapped in cloth because its name was Longyuan.

Seeing that the Sword Saint ignored him, the scholar frowned slightly, and his tone suddenly became much harsher, saying:

"My little sister also loves swords. Please, give us some face."

"Yo yo yo, face, face. Out here in the wilderness, face, how much is it worth? Moreover, you haven't hung your sign around your neck, who knows how much your face is worth?"

The drunkard picked up his wine bowl, took a big gulp,

then wiped his mouth,

and said:

"Young man, this table has three distinguished guests. That black-clothed young master has both form and spirit. There's a hint of nobility surrounding him. He's definitely not an ordinary person."

The scholar smiled,

and said:

"Do you think I can't see that?"

The clothes these three were wearing were already extraordinary.

Clothes make the man. In this era, what clothes you wore clearly reflected your status.

"Heh, you only know one thing, but not the other. This black-clothed young master not only has nobility, but also a carefree spirit of contentment. Even when entering this broken tavern, even when sitting on this dirty stool, he's at ease.

He's truly a dragon when he enters the sea, and a fish when he enters the stream.

Either he comes from an extremely wealthy family, nourished by nobility, without any agitation;

or he has achieved a high position through his own hard work.

You can't afford to offend the former; the latter, heh, capable people are even more unoffendable than people with family backgrounds."

"Hahahaha."

The scholar laughed loudly upon hearing this,

and said:

"You're a strange person. I just want to see a sword. Isn't that what I'm asking? Why are you giving me so many roundabout explanations?

What a coincidence,

the little master accompanying me is also proficient in face reading. He hasn't said anything. Why have you been babbling for so long?"

The drunkard shook his head,

and said:

"This little master has wisdom roots, but how should I put it? Face reading, face reading, where does it really come from sitting in a temple and chanting scriptures? Isn't it learned from observing people?

Observing their form, observing their aura, and then examining their whole body. In addition, after entering the world for half a year, seeing all kinds of people and experiencing all kinds of things, you can dare to say that you have some knowledge of face reading.

Anything else is just a laughingstock."

The monk who was eating noodle soup immediately stood up, faced the drunkard, and put his palms together:

"Amitabha, this humble monk has been taught."

The scholar was a little persistent and continued to ask:

"Then why do you think I can't afford to offend them? Why do you think I can't look at this sword?"

The drunkard pointed at the female warrior sitting over there,

and smiled;

"With a beauty by your side, your heart is eager and restlessness arises. You must know that true dragons and fish do not reveal their power, and kunpengs and sparrows do not spread their wings;

Take a look,

your words are so rude and annoying,

has that white-clothed gentleman shown any reaction?

That black-clothed young master still has a smile on his face."

"Hehehe."

Zheng Boren was really amused. Just then, Zhou Bian brought the teapot and teacups first, apologized, and then went back to the kitchen to busy himself.

Xiong Liqing helped Zheng Boren pour a bowl of water,

Zheng Boren picked up the teacup,

and gave a respectful toast to the drunkard.

"Oh, oh, oh."

The drunkard hurriedly stood up, held his wine bowl with both hands, bent his back, and said with a smile:

"Please, please."

Zheng Boren took a small sip and put down the teacup.

The drunkard then drank a bowl of wine in one gulp, with the bowl facing down to show that he hadn't left a drop, before he sat down again.

And at this time,

that female warrior couldn't help but look at Zheng Boren, and then at Xiong Liqing.

Xiong Liqing wasn't a stunning beauty, but her aura was good. This aura made the female warrior feel slightly displeased, because in this regard, she felt completely outdone.

The scholar shook his head and said:

"Since we're out, we shouldn't judge based on family background. I really want to see this sword today."

The drunkard stroked his beard and said:

"Can't see it, can't see it. Some people rely on their family background to live their lives, their family background is their only reliance, they always mention their ancestors and fathers;

Some people, after leaving their family background, feel more free and at ease.

The same family background, some people think it's a door panel, while others think it's a prison.

Behind the door panel are chickens and pigs, in the prison, a fierce tiger is locked."

"Hey, you drunkard, you're only talking about him, why don't you talk about me?"

"You, um, I can't tell."

"Since you can't tell, why do you conclude that I can't see it?"

"Alright, then I'll explain it to you again. The beauty next to the black-clothed young master has her hair styled in a cloud-like pattern, which is a noble hairstyle. She's wearing perfume that costs as much as gold. When she walked in, her gait was graceful. This is something that even a pampered maid in a wealthy family can't compare to. The former only has the appearance of wealth, while the latter, a true noblewoman, can have such a dignified demeanor.

And look at her sitting in this broken tavern. She clearly dislikes how dirty and broken it is, but she still sits here.

When the teacup is served, she personally wipes it lightly with her sleeve, and then pours tea into the cup to serve the young master. This is not just love, it's more like fear.

With such a companion, what about this black-clothed young master?

Let me give you another hint,

when this young master came in earlier, his stride was wide and his shoulders were slightly slanted. This is because he's used to riding warhorses. On a warhorse, he often needs to dodge and maneuver, doing things in a small space, which leads to this habit;

And look at when the young master picked up the teacup to drink tea earlier, there was a thin layer of calluses on his tiger's mouth and palm, even though they had been trimmed. He must practice archery constantly, and his weapon of choice is a saber.

With a bow, horse, and saber by his side,

this young master must be a member of the military.

Furthermore,

this young master isn't wearing armor, he's traveling in plain clothes, but he's still dressed generously and appropriately. He's not wearing armor because he doesn't want to attract attention, and he's not dressed simply because he wants to be comfortable and at ease. He doesn't want to attract attention, but he's not afraid of being seen. Such demeanor, hehe.

Currently, there are many Jin military leaders in the Jin region, but the Yan people are the true masters of the three Jin regions. Jin-born generals now basically have to live with their tails between their legs.

Therefore,

this black-clothed young master must be a nobleman from the Yan Kingdom."

As he said this,

the drunkard put his palms together and said:

"May the nobleman have good fortune and health."

Zheng Boren didn't comment, but was wondering if this drunkard had really guessed his identity.

"A nobleman from the Yan region? A general from the Yan Kingdom? Hahahahaha."

The scholar suddenly laughed,

laughing so hard that tears were about to come out,

and said:

"In that case, I really can see this sword this time."

The drunkard stopped speaking and just watched the scholar with cold eyes.

The scholar turned around, looked at Zheng Fan, and said:

"Take out this sword and let me see it."

Zheng Boren put his hands up and propped his chin up, looking at the scholar, and said:

"Why should I?"

The accountant sitting next to the drunkard suddenly stood up,

at the same time,

the monk who had just sat down also suddenly stood up.

The auras of the two collided in an instant.

The accountant held the abacus and turned around, pushing the abacus forward.

At the same time, the young monk smashed out the Buddhist beads on his wrist. After colliding, they didn't make a sound. Instead, the two were attracted to each other and stuck together.

However,

just then,

the young monk's eyes narrowed and he shouted in a low voice.

"Om!"

The accountant was forcibly pushed down and sat back in his chair.

The young monk took the opportunity to pull the Buddhist beads, and took the other party's abacus into his hands, casually fiddling with it.

The drunkard narrowed his eyes,

and praised:

"Buddhism and martial arts cultivation, one orthodox and one unorthodox. This makes me think of that Marquis of the South from Great Yan.

Back then,

outside the capital of the Jin Kingdom,

the Marquis of the South fought against the Sword Saint of the Jin region, and the Sword Saint lost!

Afterwards, I went to that forest to look for the site of the battle to check the traces, and found that the Marquis of the South was not only physically strong, but also good at unorthodox arts.

Therefore, I deduced that:

the Sword Saint's defeat wasn't a sin of war, but because the Marquis of the South regarded the duel as a battle between two armies, and he had a hidden move, so he won.

This little master cultivates both Buddhism and martial arts. Perhaps in the future, he can also walk the same path as that Marquis of the South."

"Amitabha."

The young monk recited a Buddhist prayer. With a wave of his hand, the abacus fell back to the accountant, who reached out and took it, putting it back on the table.

The drunkard pointed at the accountant and scolded with a smile:

"I told you to learn more fighting skills, but you didn't. Now I'm losing face."

This accountant should be a qi refiner. In the first round of confrontation, he was fighting the young monk with unorthodox arts, but afterwards, when the monk revealed his martial arts physique, it became a matter of overpowering skill, and he was directly suppressed.

Seeing the end of the brief conflict here,

the scholar looked at Zheng Fan again,

and asked:

"You just asked me why?"

Zheng Boren nodded.

"Alright, then I'll tell you, in fact, we're all on the same path. It's normal that you don't recognize me, because I don't usually show my face."

As he spoke, the scholar took out a token from his arms and showed it to Zheng Boren,

while saying:

"I am,

the number one guest elder under the command of the Earl of Pingye of Great Yan,

Zheng Fanli."