Chapter 324 - 166: Qingyuan (Part 2)
"By the way, what brings you here, Dao Wuming?"
"...What else? It’s all because of your Tea and Zither Appreciation Gathering."
Dao Wuming sighed. "You know what I do. How could I turn a blind eye to such a major event? When the time comes, who knows what demons and monsters will be lurking about. Honestly, you’ve got some nerve...
"Why did you suddenly decide to hold this gathering?
"Do you really have the Jiaowei?"
"Want to see it?"
Jiang Ran asked with a smile.
"...I don’t!"
Dao Wuming frantically waved his hands. "And have you make me play a tune on it? Are you trying to get me killed?"
"There aren’t many clear-headed people like you left in the martial world."
Jiang Ran shook his head gently.
"I may not know what you do, but I know what *I* do.
"These demons and monsters are usually hard to find. Now that I have such a rare opportunity to gather them all in one place, how could I possibly waste it?
"Otherwise, what was the point of getting the Jiaowei?"
Feng Wu seemed to want to say something upon hearing this.
But he thought back to their earlier exchange and how utterly he had been defeated. ’Not only did my family’s Heavenly Phoenix Nine Stanzas fail to gain me any advantage, but the Inner Energy Jiang Ran displayed at the end still makes my heart pound with fear just thinking about it. Plus, the man is known for his saberplay; that must be his greatest strength. I lost before he even drew his blade. If he had actually drawn it, my defeat would have been even more decisive. What right do I have to speak up now?’
So he swallowed the words he was about to say.
Gu Shengyan, however, glanced at Jiang Ran with curiosity, then said to Ruan Yuqing:
"Yuqing, how did you end up with them?"
"There’s a lot you don’t know, Shengyan."
Ruan Yuqing didn’t hide anything and told her everything that had happened.
Some of these events were already circulating in the martial world, but most were still dismissed as exaggerated rumors.
For example, the story of Jiang Ran saving Ruan Yuqing from the Three Rivers Gang.
The Gentle Water Sword had been famous in the martial world for a long time, while Jiang Ran was a virtual unknown. Aside from publicly slaying Li Feiyun, the leader of Feiyun Stronghold, with his saber, most other stories about him were just hearsay.
Now, hearing it from Ruan Yuqing’s own mouth, Gu Shengyan finally knew the rumors were true.
She couldn’t help but look at Jiang Ran in a new light.
She glanced at Ruan Yuqing again, a sudden smile playing on her lips.
"Young Hero Jiang’s martial arts are unparalleled, and he saved your life. Yuqing, don’t tell me you..."
Ruan Yuqing froze. With her deep understanding from years of studying romance novels, she immediately understood what Gu Shengyan was implying.
She quickly shook her head.
"Don’t say such things. Young Master Jiang... already has someone he loves."
"Oh? Who is it?"
Gu Shengyan was taken aback. "Is it someone I know?"
"You probably do."
Ruan Yuqing smiled. "But it’s not my place to say."
"Ah? Leaving a story half-told is pure torture!"
Gu Shengyan immediately tugged on Ruan Yuqing’s sleeve. "Oh, come on, you have to tell me!"
Once the flames of gossip are lit, they’re not so easy to extinguish.
Like a two-woman show, they immediately found a spot and began to chatter and whisper amongst themselves.
Ruan Yuqing didn’t say it directly, but she beat around the bush, revealing just enough to keep Gu Shengyan from guessing the truth.
Tang Huayi was also very curious and wanted to edge closer to hear what they were saying.
But she was still wearing Li Tianxin’s face, so she couldn’t very well go huddling up with a group of women.
She could only force herself to endure it.
Finally, the young Daoist Qingyuan let out a soft laugh.
"Young Hero Jiang, I have often heard of your great reputation.
"I’ve long wished to make your acquaintance, but sadly, I never had the chance to meet you."
"Oh?"
Jiang Ran smiled. "Well, if you’re not lying to me, young Daoist, then someone must be badmouthing me behind my back."
As he said this, he glanced at Dao Wuming.
Dao Wuming quickly waved his hands.
"Would I be the type to gossip behind someone’s back?"
"I wasn’t talking about you. Why are you so defensive? Do you have a guilty conscience?"
Jiang Ran gave a half-smile, but then he remembered something and suddenly said to Dao Wuming:
"I didn’t have a chance to ask you before, so I let it be.
"But now that we’ve met, there’s something I need to ask you."
"...What is it?"
Seeing Jiang Ran’s serious expression, Dao Wuming was slightly taken aback.
"Have you ever heard of a person who sits in a sedan chair carried by four expert bearers, who can tread on empty air, moving three inches above the ground?"
Jiang Ran spoke slowly.
However, the moment these words were spoken, Feng Wu was the first to frown deeply.
"Moving three inches above the ground? My friend, are you joking?
"Although there are countless masters in the world today, I’ve never heard of anyone capable of moving above the ground.
"Besides, what kind of person with such an ability would be willing to act as a sedan bearer for someone else?"
Jiang Ran ignored Feng Wu.
’He may be the Young Master of Qifeng Manor, but he’s just a complete greenhorn. Full of arrogance, but his perspective and abilities are sorely lacking.’
He focused his attention mainly on Dao Wuming and Qingyuan.
Sure enough, he saw that after he finished speaking, the expressions of both Dao Wuming and Qingyuan had changed.
The two of them exchanged a glance, and then Qingyuan asked:
"Jiang Ran, where did you see this person?"
"Near Red Maple Mountain."
Jiang Ran smiled. "This person took Shi Pingzhang from me."
"I see."
Qingyuan let out a soft breath.
"Thank you for the information, Jiang Ran. This matter is of grave importance... Elder Dao, I’m afraid I can no longer accompany you to Sunset Plateau."