Chapter 210

Since you have already made a promise, from now on let us treat each other with respect as guests. If one day you grow to despise me, do not blame this swordsman for being heartless.

Lin Shinv's face was as cold as frost; after handing over the red silk, she glanced at Yang Tiexin and said calmly.

Yang Tiexin took the red silk, clasped his fists solemnly, and said, "Thank you, Headmaster Lin, for your kindness. If I ever change my heart, I will surely take my own life before the gate of the Ancient Tomb Sect to apologize."

Lin Shinv nodded lightly and said nothing more.

Although Granny Sun was a servant of the Ancient Tomb Sect, she had followed her young mistress into the sect in her youth and could be considered a veteran of the Ancient Tomb Sect. Otherwise, with her aloof nature, she would never chatter so much in front of outsiders.

"Master, is Granny leaving?"

Just as Yang Tiexin and Granny Sun turned around, the delicately carved little girl whom Li Mochou held by the right hand suddenly lifted her head and asked Lin Shinv in a childish voice.

"What a pretty little doll." Niu Ben and the others, hearing this, couldn't help but turn their heads to look.

Lin Shinv's icy expression softened slightly as she looked down at her disciple and said softly, "Granny Sun lives nearby and will come back to see Little Dragon."

"Oh—"

The little girl's voice trailed off.

As Lin Shinv followed behind Yang Tiexin and the others, the little girl was led by Li Mochou's right hand, stumbling along while looking up at her senior sister and asking in a childish voice, "Senior sister, if you leave, will you still come back to see Little Dragon?"

"Who said I'm leaving?" Li Mochou's pretty face froze; she lowered her head to glare at her junior sister, then glanced guiltily at her master before sternly saying, "Disciples of the Ancient Tomb Sect are duty-bound to guard the tomb and may not leave lightly—how could you, senior sister, possibly go?"

"Oh—"

The little girl gave an "oh," then walked honestly without speaking further; although she remembered her senior sister muttering about leaving the Ancient Tomb Sect, she dared not talk back to the fierce senior sister.

After a quarter of an hour, with Yang Kang leading the way, everyone slowly returned to the wooden hut.

The wedding was extremely simple; Yang Tiexin and Granny Sun performed a brief bow to heaven and earth, after which a group of people sat at two tables in the dim candlelight and quietly began to drink the wedding wine.

Perhaps because her master sat beside her, Li Mochou several times wanted to ask Bao Xiruo, who sat next to her, about news of Older Brother Niu, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

"If you can't sit still, just return to the Ancient Tomb Sect."

Lin Shinv glanced at her restless senior disciple and said calmly.

"Oh—" Li Mochou dared not be presumptuous any longer, imitating her junior sister's tone and answering honestly.

But seeing her master put down his bowl and chopsticks, she couldn't help feeling a little anxious, knowing that once they returned she would have no chance to come out.

Gritting her teeth, Li Mochou quickly finished the rice in her bowl, slipped her hands under the table, quietly took out a letter from her sleeve, lightly poked Bao Xiruo a few times with her finger, and slipped the letter under the table to her.

While Bao Xiruo was gently chewing her rice, lost in thought, Li Mochou's poke brought her back to awareness.

Just as she was about to turn and ask, she felt something being passed to her under the table, and suddenly she understood.

Thus, without changing her expression, she gently set down her bowl and chopsticks, smiled at Lin Shinv, and said, "I'm full, Headmaster Lin, please take your time."

Having said that, she lowered her hands under the table, quietly took it, and slipped it into her sleeve.

"Are you full?"

Lin Shinv glanced at the senior disciple opposite her, then at the junior disciple beside her, and asked calmly.

"I'm full!"

Li Mochou nodded obediently.

Seeing this, the little girl opposite wiped her oily little mouth, looked up, and said in a childish voice, "I'm full, Master."

Mu Nianci couldn't help but smile, set down her bowl and chopsticks, took out a handkerchief to wipe the girl's mouth, and asked gently, "What's your name, little miss?"

"Xiao Longnu."

The little girl's eyes were bright and clear as she stared unblinking at Mu Nianci and said in a childish voice.

Lin Shinv then realized she had forgotten to wipe her disciple's mouth, so she nodded slightly at Mu Nianci, looked at her two disciples, and said, "If you're full, follow me back to the Ancient Tomb Sect."

"Senior sister, let's go..."

The little girl placed both hands on the stool, nimbly climbed down the bench, walked to her senior sister's side, and took her hand.

Seeing her master rise, sword in hand, heading outdoors, Li Mochou didn't dare delay; she gave Bao Xiruo a pleading look, then scooped up her junior sister and hurried after them.

As soon as Lin Shinv left, the other table suddenly became lively; three old men raised their wine cups, clinked them together, then lifted them toward Niu Ben, Yang Tiexin, and Yang Kang, laughing heartily, "Come on, come on, drink up—bottoms up!"

"Bottoms up, bottoms up! I'll drink first—wishing my father a happy wedding!" Yang Kang raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

After downing a cup of wine, his face flushed instantly, and without realizing it, he propped his right leg up on the stool.

Seeing this, Yang Tiexin frowned, lowered his cup, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Meanwhile, Mu Nianci and Bao Xiruo sat quietly at the table, neither speaking first, the atmosphere a little tense.

Mu Nianci's eyes flickered; she wanted to break the silence but didn't know how to address her.

Bao Xiruo seemed to notice, sat up slightly, and said softly, "Follow Niu Dingtian and call me senior sister."

After a pause, she lifted her brows slightly, looked at Mu Nianci, and murmured, "Living alone in that little cottage is too lonely; why don't you move in with me so we'll have someone to talk to?"

Mu Nianci bit her lip, did not refuse, and finally gave a soft hum and nodded.

The letter her father had left her had already made things clear; she did not want to be disturbed and only wished to start anew.

Furthermore, her father had warned her the day before to try to avoid coming around as much as possible, and aside from Niu Dingtian's territory, she had nowhere else to go.

After several cups of wine, seeing that it was getting late, Niu Ben gave a subtle glance, and Su Lu Zhi chuckled and proposed to take his leave.

The next morning, the group began their return journey from the town; five days later, they finally arrived again at Jiugong Mountain.

After Huang Yaoshi, Yideng, and Hong Qigong departed, life on the mountain seemed to fall into a quiet, isolated tranquility.

Besides Chen Jin'er and Fen Tian, who handled various affairs each day, the rest, aside from practicing martial arts, would lean on their hands and drift off, wasting half the day in a daze.

Time flew by; before they knew it, winter had arrived and it was the twelfth lunar month. On the day before New Year's Eve, heavy goose-feather snow suddenly began to fall over Assisting Sun; within half a day, the snow-clad summit of Jiugong Mountain was already deep enough to reach above their ankles.

The next evening, the snow suddenly stopped, and from time to time on Jiugong Mountain one could hear the crackling of firecrackers coming from the direction of Assisting Sun City.

But on New Year's Eve, with one person missing, the mountain simply wouldn't liven up.

That evening, Ke Zhen'e, Zhu Cong, Han Baoju, Yan Fangyu, together with Niu Ben, Niu Kui and others, led Guo Jing and Yang Kang to the barracks for some lively fun.

But with one person missing on New Year's Eve, the mountain just wouldn't liven up.

In the evening, Ke Zhen'e, Zhu Cong, Han Baoju, Yan Fangyu, Niu Ben, Niu Kui and others led Guo Jing and Yang Kang to the bustling military camp.

Chen Jin'er, Miss Huang, Han Xiao Ying, Well-behaved Little Treasure, Mu Nianci, Bao Xiruo, Yan Huaixi, He Yuanjun, Murong Miaozhen, Fen Tian, as well as Guo Jing's mother Li Ping, sat together in the main hall eating the New Year's Eve dinner.

Seeing the atmosphere at the dinner table slightly chilly, Chen Jin'er suppressed her wistfulness, lifted the mulled wine before her, and said with a smile: "It's New Year's, we ought to be lively; don't stay silent—let's first drink a cup together."

Everyone was fairly cooperative; even He Yuanjun, who couldn't drink alcohol, downed the mulled wine in his cup in one gulp.

Chen Jin'er set down her wine cup, looked at Miss Huang, who was resting her chin on one hand, slumped on the table, still listless, and smiled: "Are you missing your father, Miss Huang? I told you to write a few more letters; Island Master Huang will surely come."

"I don't want that old fogey!"

Miss Huang rolled her eyes and snorted discontentedly: "Whether he comes or not, Martial Sister Mei can't cook; if he doesn't return to Peach Blossom Island, he's capable of eating out every day!"

Saying that, she slightly pursed her lips, sighed listlessly: "I'm just wondering when Brother Niu will come out; I don't even know if he's having a meal now."

Even in closed-door cultivation one must eat; she had merely stored some food beforehand, but thinking that over the New Year her Brother Niu might be eating coarse steamed buns made her feel uneasy.

Hearing Miss Huang say that, the few people at the table who had already picked up their chopsticks involuntarily put them down again.

Li Ping saw this, hesitated a little on her face, looked at Chen Jin'er, and asked doubtfully: "Miss Chen, do you know when Young Master Niu will return? It's been half a year with no sign of him; yesterday Jing'er kept muttering about him."

Chen Jin'er smiled and said: "He should be back soon; before leaving, Uncle said there would still be matters to attend to half a year later, if—"

"If what?"

Li Ping asked curiously.

However, Chen Jin'er did not answer her; her gaze fixed on the hall exterior, her smile gradually freezing.

"Amitabha—"

A Buddhist chant sounded; before the ladies could react, a gray figure had somehow stepped into the hall, and everyone present instantly felt their breath tighten.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Han Xiao Ying, Fen Tian, and Miss Huang reacted instantly, turning into illusory shadows and lunging forward.

"Sound the alarm!"

As Chen Jin'er gave a coquettish shout, a sword flash sprang from her waist; the next moment, her Purple Cloud Soft Sword, with a tearing-through-air sound, swept over the table and thrust at the gray figure.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Hum—

The gray figure threw three punches in succession, blasting Han Xiao Ying, Fen Tian, and Miss Huang away; then another fist strike slammed straight into the sword's edge, causing Chen Jin'er's soft sword to fly from her hand instantly.

At the same time, six prayer beads shot out in succession, striking the others on that side who were pulling out a signal to raise an alarm.

"Foe—"

"Bang!"

Chen Jin'er was about to shout loudly when the gray figure pointed a finger; her voice was cut off abruptly, and then a flickering shadow lunged at the fallen Han Xiao Ying and the two others.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

The three, relying on their swift body technique, had just dodged two moves of the gray figure when they felt a sharp pain in their chest cavity; their bodies, like those of the others by the table, could no longer move even a fraction.

"Three moves!"

In just three moves, the newcomer subdued everyone in the hall with thunderous speed.

"Master, are you here to beg for alms?"

Miss Huang's face turned pale, yet she still greeted Master Juexing with a silly smile; she, Han Xiao Ying, and Fen Tian had not had their mute points struck.

Han Xiao Ying and Fen Tian said nothing; both were silently trying to break through their sealed acupoints.

"Amitabha, I should have realized earlier that Benefactor Niu isn't on the mountain." Master Juexing pressed his palms together and let out a soft sigh.

Approaching Chen Jin'er, after releasing her mute point he said lightly: "I have come only for the Heaven Reliant Sword and the Dragon Slaying Saber; Master Han, surrender your weapons, and then accompany me to the Shaolin Temple for a few days' temporary stay; the rest of you will come to no harm."

Chen Jin'er shook her head and said: "Going to the Shaolin Temple for a temporary stay is no problem, but I don't know where my uncle has placed the swords; Master Juexing, please understand."

"Do you really think, Benefactor Chen, that monastics refrain from killing?" Master Juexing's old face turned cold; he slightly gathered palm power, his indifferent gaze swept around, finally settling on Fen Tian.

"Master, three years ago you weren't like this." Han Xiao Ying met that gaze, her heart suddenly chilled; she stopped circulating her energy, and with a complex expression said: "My life was originally saved by Master; if you wish to act, first take back what you gave me."

Master Juexing heard this, startled slightly; his gaze fell on Han Xiao Ying, and he unconsciously furrowed his brow.

Han Xiao Ying's eyes flickered slightly as she whispered: "Master should already know that the scriptures were seized by my husband back then; why aren't you rushing to reclaim the scriptures, but instead fixating on his weapons?"

She had long suspected this in her heart, but had never been willing to reveal it.

These days, in the Divine Sect, Shaolin's supreme techniques are practically commonplace; whether spoken or not makes little difference.

Seeing Master Juexing seem a bit distracted, Miss Huang shifted her eyes, gave Chen Jin'er a subtle glance, then lifted her pale pretty face and said in a coquettish tone: "Hey, great monk, are the words you just spoke really true?"

"Naturally it's true!" Master Juexing instantly regained focus, fixed his stare, and said solemnly: "Miss Huang, if you now hand over the swords to me, I will take no lives; once I have the swords I will leave immediately."

"Tch, whether to bring them or not will be up to you then."

Miss Huang felt disdain inside, but without changing her expression she snorted: "Unseal them! I'll take you there!"

Thinking of where the swords were stored, Chen Jin'er's face changed instantly; she couldn't help but shout sharply: "Ronger! You're not allowed to go!"

After Miss Huang's acupoints were released, she rubbed her chest cavity and consoled: "Weapons are dead things; people are alive; at worst we can recast them later."

Having said that, they waved their hand at several people, leading Juexing out of the hall. (End of chapter)