Han Changsheng planned to take An Yuan back to the Yuehua Sect. Luckily, the Mingyue Sect isn"t very far from it. First, he would look into Liu Xiaoqi"s past, then determine if there was any new evidence regarding elder Xian Yue"s death.
However, it took nearly half a month to return to the Central Plains from the Tiandao Prefecture.
One evening, they arrived at an inn, still three or four days before they reached the Yuehua Sect. Han Changsheng was hesitant to return, he couldn"t just bring an amnesiac An Yuan with him. Getting close to Liu Xiaoqi would prove to be difficult. Han Changsheng hadn"t figured out how to do it yet, so their pace slowed.
As soon as they entered the inn, Han Changsheng saw that the lobby was full of people from the Wulin Alliance. Several people lingered around a man in blue, throwing around compliments.
"Young-heroic Lu is very promising!"
"Will the Young-heroic Lu attend the Wulin a.s.sembly this time?"
"Your father"s legacy depends on you!"
Han Changsheng glanced at them. At the center of the group stood a man in his twenties. He had a pair of red phoenix eyes, a nose with a high bridge, thin lips, and pride written between his eyebrows. Although he wore a smile, Han Changsheng could see a glimmer of careless, cold n.o.bility. He didn"t pay attention to anyone else. From his breathing, Han Changcheng could tell he was highly skilled. It was no wonder he was so arrogant.
Some people around him bore swords, while others held long spears. They were all from different sects and all different ages. Some were young, some were middle-aged, and they were from all over the world. Somehow, they found themselves together.
After a few compliments, the young man finally said, "Ladies, stop going on and on. Your compliments are too coquettish!"
Han Changsheng almost tripped and fell to the ground. It was hard to believe that such a n.o.ble and cool looking man spoke in Baoji dialect. This was such… such a blot on the landscape.
Seeing that he was staring at the man in a daze, An Yuan prodded him and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Shrugging, Han Changsheng went to the inn"s front desk to reserve a room.
"Innkeeper," He said, "Give me two rooms."
With a smile, the innkeeper said, "My guest, there are so many others already here. We only have one room that is still available. The guest staying only just cancelled, too."
Han Changsheng frowned. "There aren"t any other rooms?"
"We do have… a dormitory room with a wide bed for multiple guests, but…" Although Han Changsheng and An Yuan both wore straw hats to cover their faces, they still wore bright clothes. They don"t look like they intend to share with other guests.
It upset Han Changsheng. If he slept in the same room as An Yuan, he wouldn"t be able to remove his makeup. He already had acne because he hadn"t been able to remove his makeup for several days in the Tiandao Prefecture. The acne affected his domineering nature.
An Yuan had no problem with it. He stood by Han Changsheng"s side and waited.
After thinking about it, Han Changsheng gave up and decided to go to another nearby inn. Before he did, he turned back, the chatter catching his attention once more.
"Young-heroic Lu, will the leader of the Wulin a.s.sembly announce the plan to suppress the Tianning Cult?"
"Yes, the evil cult has grown more and more arrogant. I heard they killed Elder Xian Yue of the Mingyue Sect a month ago. They want to eradicate the principles of our Wulin one by one and steal our martial arts scripts. It"s horrendous! They have to be stopped!"
Bah! Han Changsheng thought. Who was indulged here, exactly? In the beginning, it was the Wulin who gathered thousands to siege the Xiushan Mountain. Was it not because Gao Shengfeng, the original founder, the great G.o.d, beat everyone to a scared witless, total annihilation? None of you have any ability at all!
"Let"s choose a different inn," An Yuan"s cool voice drew Han Changsheng back into the moment. "Other inns might have more rooms available."
Slamming his money down on the counter, Han Changsheng shouted, "Give me the d.a.m.n room!"
An Yuan was stunned.
The innkeeper was thrilled to have someone get the room. Immediately gathering up the money, he registered them and handed a key to Han Changsheng. "This is for the third room on the left side of the building. Call me at once if you need anything."
An Yuan looked at Han Changsheng. "Why not go to another inn?"
When they didn"t have an inn in the countryside, it didn"t matter. But, when they reached an inn, they had to bathe and everything else in one room. It was more or less inconvenient for two big men to live together.
Smiling, Han Changsheng threw his arm over An Yuan"s shoulder. "What"s so bad with us sharing a room? We have such a good relationship. I like to sleep in bed with you, it"s nice to have someone to hug at night."
An Yuan"s face turned red. Hiding behind his straw hat, he sighed and opened his eyes.
Was this a love confession? Has he always had nefarious plans for me? He deliberately clings to me when we sleep together, doesn"t he? Did he really call out my name in his dreams, or was he only pretending? If it really was his dreams, isn"t it absurd to dream about me every night?! This guy… Just how much does he like me?!
Han Changsheng didn"t notice An Yuan"s abnormality. He pretended to look carelessly at the front of the shop, but he was still eavesdropping.
Who was the young-heroic Lu? Why did the people in the Wulin admire him? He was just a young man. The right way of the Jianghu was very seniority oriented. As long as someone stayed in a sect and gained a small reputation, others would respect him, even if he became a good-for-nothing when he grew old. That was why Han Changsheng disliked famous people. They turned sour and hypocritical, giving him a toothache.
The young man was the center of the crowd. He had to have a strong background. Why did they all talk about the Wulin a.s.sembly with him? Which powerful sect"s brat was this?
Han Changsheng noticed a familiar face in the crowd.
The man wasn"t young, but likely around thirty. With a sword at his waist, he looked at the young master with a face of false flattery.
The man"s eyes turned, catching sight of An Yuan and Han Changsheng. They were stunned.
Han Changsheng immediately remembered. He was the eldest disciple of the Yunxiao Sect! On the day when he and An Yuan first met the old man Xuanji, they met him and two other disciples of the Yunxiao sect. Han Changsheng kicked him in the face back then!
If that particular brat had not disrespected the old man Xuanji, there wouldn"t have been such a big misunderstanding. As it was, that old man still thought Han Changsheng was a good, kind-hearted child.
Now, however, Han Changsheng wore a different face, and he and An Yuan were wearing straw hats. They weren"t wearing the Yuehua Sect"s disciple"s clothes anymore, so the disciples of the Yunxiao Sect wouldn"t recognize them at a glance.
However, An Yuan had worn a straw hat on that day, too. The man wore a puzzled expression on his face. He didn"t return to normal until someone nudged him. He wore his painted facade as he smiled down at the young-heroic Lu.
One swordsman from upstairs asked, "Young-heroic Lu, would you like to give me some tips after dinner?"
By then, An Yuan and Han Changsheng disappeared up the stairs. They didn"t hear what he had to say.
It was getting late. Han Changsheng and An Yuan went into their room and put down their bags, then they returned downstairs for dinner.
The people they left behind were still there. Taking a seat, they noticed that the conversation had shifted to the demonic cult.
"The Tianning Cult is really hateful. We can"t wait for anything in the Wulin conference. We must make sure wiping out the evil cult gets put on the agenda. Our Tianmen Sect will be the first to join!"
"Shoot, go away, old Jin. Why are you stealing the show? Young-heroic Lu, we at the Bagua Sect are at your disposal!"
Han Changsheng itched with anger. If An Yuan wasn"t beside him, he would"ve stabbed his chopsticks into their faces. He would"ve liked to break their front teeth.
Calling the waiter, An Yuan ordered several dishes, then added, "Bring us a jar of osmanthus flowers wine."
The waiter answered, and the table next to him beckoned for him. They also ordered a jar of osmanthus wine.
The waiter walked away. After a while, he took a jar of wine and walked straight to the crowded table. Setting the jar beside them, he returned to Han Changsheng and An Yuan. With a smile, he said, "My guests, I can"t help you. The sweet-scented osmanthus wine is sold out."
Han Changsheng was furious. After enduring his anger for so long, he finally lost it.
Slamming his fist down on the table, he yelled, "Motherf.u.c.ker, do you know who I am?!"
The whole inn fell silent. Everyone"s eyes fell on him.