Why do I have so many masters?

Chapter 8 The Host of This Place (2/2)

This block was quite chaotic.

Yet this courtyard was very tranquil, with bluestone walls and a signboard hanging high, inscribed with the words "Tranquility Brings Distant Future." On each side of the courtyard stood a martial artist; the one on the left was a gaunt man with arms that hung past his knees and eyes that shone with a brilliant light, his waist belt concealing who knows how many hidden weapons.

On the right stood an extremely burly man, with bulging muscles, clearly possessing excellent external cultivation. Beside him was a nine-ringed heavy blade, inserted upside down, which had crushed many bluestones beneath it.

Upon seeing Wang Anfeng approach, he raised a hand to stop him and said gruffly,

"Young man, outsiders are not allowed inside."

The tone of Wang Anfeng's voice remained unchanged as he replied,

"Once inside, I will no longer be an outsider."

Hearing this, the man frowned and said,

"If you are not an outsider, then from which sect's door plaque do you hail?"

Wang Anfeng answered,

"A insignificant place." Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

"You might have not heard of it."

The man was slightly taken aback. He had been chewing melon seeds, but now spat them out with a puff. His right hand grabbed the air, his large fingers slightly open, reaching for the handle of the heavy gold blade beside him and slowly enclosing around it. The dead skin of his palm rubbed against the white cloth wrapped around the handle, making a creaking sound.

The heavy blade was slowly extracted from the bluestone, each second of the motion without a hint of anomaly, yet the air around became oppressive with the act of drawing the blade.

Just this move was a cut above Ma Hongkuo of the Mountain River Spear, from the Giant Whale Gang the day before.

The laughter of the entire block seemed to gradually cease. In Wang Anfeng's perception, more than thirty gazes locked onto him, each containing a faint intent to kill.

Should he make any sudden movements,

Should he possibly pose a threat to the master of this courtyard, the children who were no more than twelve or thirteen years old, the flamboyant courtesans, all could become lethal assassins in an instant, launching a fatal blow at Wang Anfeng.

And if he were to strike first, he could forget about receiving the slightest help from the master of the courtyard.

Moreover, he would face the pursuit of the Jianghu's top martial artists.

The big man caressed the handle of his heavy blade in silence for a while, then said softy,

"If you're not an acquaintance, and have no referrals, young man... please leave."

"The master of this place does not see strangers."

The passersby around did not know when they had altered their steps, encircling Wang Anfeng among them.

Wang Anfeng gazed at the big man before him, unperturbed, and calmly said,

"I've heard that the master here can accommodate even the likes of dogs and thieves."

"I come with good intentions, why can't I enter?"

The big man chuckled darkly,

"Good intentions? What kind of good intentions..."

"Every single one, whose legs I've broken, also said they came with good intentions."

Wang Anfeng's left hand rested behind him, his expression serene, counting numbers silently in his mind. The big man's brow furrowed with irritation; his right hand gripped the blade and swung its back fiercely towards Wang Anfeng's head, the blade as heavy as a branch as it whipped up a wild wind in his hand.

He was determined to give Wang Anfeng a harsh lesson.

The forceful wind hit his face, and a roaring sound rang out. Just as the blade was about to crash down upon Wang Anfeng, a voice suddenly emanated from within the gate, shouting,

"Old Zhao, stop!"

With a swish, the heavy blade, weighing over a hundred pounds, stopped steadily in front of Wang Anfeng, his youthful black hair fluttering slightly from the released vigorous qi.

Those tranquil black eyes remained still, revealing not the slightest ripple.

The big man with the blade withdrew it with a backhand motion and stepped back two steps to stand aside. A young man dressed in a light gray long robe with a gentle smile on his face and kind eyes, with a Jade Dragon hanging at his waist and a folding fan in hand, emerged from the courtyard. His black hair was held up with a jade hairpin, looking gallant. He smiled at the big man and said,

"Old Zhao, be more polite to our guests. It's time you worked on that temper of yours..."

The big man scratched his head and bowed in apology, grumbling,

"Young Master Jade is right; it was Old Zhao who was rash..."

The young man lightly shook his folding fan and laughed,

"Ha-ha, what reprimand? I dare not accept such words, Old Zhao."

Wang Anfeng raised his eyes to the two men, who seemed to have forgotten him, standing with his hands behind his back, and calmly stated,

"Young master, why arrive so late?"

The expression on the young man's face visibly hesitated for a moment as he instinctively looked towards Wang Anfeng, only to see those deep, tranquil eyes and felt an inexplicable chill rising unbidden from the depths of his heart, alarms blaring.

Wang Anfeng, however, had already reined in the faint smile on his face and watched the few people before him in silence.

Meanwhile, he silently recited the Prajna Sutra within, clearing his distractions, his heart clear as the sky, viewing the young man before him just as his third Master had said—like fat on the chopping board, like eggplants in the frying pan, within my control. With this thought in mind, his expression became even more composed.

And because of what he had just said, the positions of the two parties suddenly underwent a reversal as abrupt as a turned tide.

Here lived the most well-informed person in the whole of Xi Dingzhou City. Wang Anfeng did not believe that Gongsun Jing's men buying property here could escape this person's notice. He had deliberately taken a full quarter of an hour to walk from the entrance of this street to this courtyard gate.

It would be an exaggeration to say that everyone on this street was an informant for the master of this place,

But if every other one was counted, there would inevitably be some overlooked.

Information about him leaving the Giant Whale Gang's compound and coming here would certainly have reached the ears of the master of the courtyard by now. With Gongsun Jing's formidable military exploits and the growing influence of the Giant Whale Gang, not to mention the latter's preference for making friends, anyone with a bit of sense would not provoke a conflict at this moment with Wang Anfeng, who might be a member of the Giant Whale Gang.

In fact, this young man should have been waiting at the gate to meet him.

Was it an attempt to intimidate, or a test?

Wang Anfeng's expression remained unchanged as he silently mused.

He reflected on Mr. Ying's teaching: people of Jianghu, especially those in the marketplaces, always bully the weak and fear the strong. If one swallowed their pride this time, they would always be seen as pushovers, and that would only invite endless trouble in the future.

Wang Anfeng pursed his lips as he recalled the chickens eggs that he had accidentally crushed and buried in the soil over the past two years, the food he scorched while cultivating his Inner Strength, and that indescribable taste, his expression growing colder.

The young man looked at Wang Anfeng and felt a chill down his spine.

His heart was filled with doubts, but he managed to maintain his composure and replied with a smile:

"Is it not a coincidence that I have come?"

His voice paused for a moment before he gestured inward and said, "The old gentleman inside is waiting for the young hero, please."

Wang Anfeng glanced at him but did not return the greeting. Such behavior made the young man even more uncertain. As they passed by a man holding a heavy blade, Wang Anfeng's steps slowed slightly, and he said indifferently:

"You have good blade skills."

The big man paid his respects with his arms crossed and said in a deep voice:

"Thank you for the compliment, young hero."

Wang Anfeng's gaze swept over the man's muscles and fists, controlling his voice to sound exceptionally calm as he casually remarked:

"However, I am quite interested in seeing your fist technique."

The big man's pupils contracted sharply.

He suddenly looked up, but Wang Anfeng and the young man had already walked far away, leaving the man with a profound and inscrutable silhouette. Recalling how the former had simply stood still when he drew his blade, not even his breathing changed, his heart was filled with even more doubts.

Without making a move, Wang Anfeng had already imposed an indescribable immense pressure on him.

Who on earth is this man?

All the way, he walked at a leisurely pace.

Wang Anfeng resisted the impulse to return the greeting to the maidservants who bowed to him and maintained an indifferent and peaceful demeanor, following behind the young man to the front of the main house. The youth hastened his pace, knocked gently on the door, and said respectfully:

"The young hero has arrived."

After three breaths, an aged voice came through:

"Please invite the guest inside..."

The young man gave a slight bow to the house, then stepped aside and said to Wang Anfeng:

"Young hero, please enter."

He then raised his hand and gently pushed the door open. With a creak, a stream of sunlight poured through the crack, making the dark and spacious room seem even more cold and vacant. Wang Anfeng stepped inside slowly, while the youth, because the elder had said to invite the guest, not to bring the guest, simply closed the wooden door and stepped aside.

In the seemingly peaceful surroundings of the room, there were at least three famously powerful Seventh Rank martial artists, as well as one Sixth Rank expert who was no less capable than a Sect Elder.

In this place, no one could defy the "Master's" rules.

Inside the room.

As soon as Wang Anfeng stepped in, he was greeted by a tall screen painted with a fierce tiger climbing a mountain, which had a raw, unyielding force to it, and it was obviously the work of a master artist.

The aged voice came from behind the screen, saying:

"Please have a seat, young hero."

"I am not in a position to show myself. Please forgive me... There is a cup of weak tea, if you don't mind it, it's still good for moistening the throat."

Wang Anfeng turned his gaze toward the side, where a cup of fragrant tea was already placed on the table. He slowly took his seat without drinking the tea and simply said:

"The old gentleman is very cautious."

The elder laughed, then said:

"The young hero flatters me."

"I have lived a lifetime, my martial arts are not exceptional, just learned to be careful."

"The higher the position one sits, the more careful one must be. The more beautiful the woman in one's arms, the more careful one must be. The finer the food one eats, the more careful one must be. In Jianghu, there are not many lives that can afford to be careless."

"Speaking of which... does the young hero come to see me for some matter?"

Wang Anfeng narrowed his eyes and said:

"Indeed, I have a matter that requires the old gentleman's assistance."

"May I ask, what matter it is...?"

"I would like to request the old gentleman's help in finding someone."

The elder sighed and said:

"This person must be quite troublesome..."

Without waiting for Wang Anfeng to speak, he then rallied his spirit and continued:

"However, on Jianghu, the more troublesome a matter is, the more it holds value, everything is negotiable."

"If a sufficient price is paid, trouble is no longer trouble."

Wang Anfeng fell silent for a moment before saying:

"Ten thousand pieces of gold, how about it?"

The elder suddenly laughed out loud, laughing so hard he began to cough violently. After a pause, he finally said with a sigh:

"Ten thousand pieces of gold, such a grand gesture!"

"If I were ten years younger, I would definitely take on this task, but sadly I am already old. At my age, neither gold nor beauties are of much significance to me."

"If you truly mean it, why not gift the famous sword 'Zangyuan' on your back to this old man... How about that?"

Wang Anfeng's expression became slightly stunned, and the calm in his eyes suddenly became sharp.

The voice behind the screen slowed down as it mentioned that name.

"Zangshu Shou."

PS: Second update delivered...