Chapter 145

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The Piaomiao Sect, Piaomiao Manor, Council Hall. Ou Peng was leisurely sipping fragrant tea.

Could it be that he was indulging in such leisure, stealing a moment of tranquility amidst a busy life?

This period had certainly worn Ou Peng out.

The Luo River Gang had recently been incorporated into the Piaomiao Sect, and there were pressing concerns about how to plan and develop for the new year. The Piaomiao Six Tigers and Shui Yupeng had exhausted themselves, wracking their brains just to barely draft five “Three-Year Development Plans”. The hardships they faced were not easily explained to outsiders. If the development were too rapid, it could lead to an unstable foundation and it could easily attract unwanted attention from the major sects. Should those larger sects catch wind of even the slightest clue, the consequences would be disastrous. On the other hand, standing still and being overly cautious would not only dishonor the brothers who gave their lives for the merger of the two sects but would also demoralize the Luo River Gang members. Once the morale drops, it becomes difficult to lead the group. Ou Peng had understood this well, and Shui Yupeng would not allow it either. For a while, Ou Peng would frequently sigh and reflect that the ancient philosophy of balance and harmonious development was indeed wise!

Whether it was the “Three-Year Development Plan” for the Luo River Gang or the fifth “Five-Year Plan” that had been revised by the Piaomiao Sect, their core idea was to elevate the sect’s status within the martial world, increasing its influence in Jianghu affairs, and becoming a significant power on the Jianghu stage. Achieving these goals depended heavily on expanding and properly managing the combined forces of the Piaomiao Sect and Luo River Gang. The essence of this expansion lay in the substantial improvement of the disciples’ martial skills. Speaking of improving martial arts, at the current stage, the medicinal herbs in the dense forest were the most direct shortcut for the Piaomiao Sect and a dream of immense potential. Therefore, Ou Peng placed high hopes on this year’s expedition to the forest to gather herbs.

After careful planning by the Piaomiao Sect’s leadership, countless disciples were dispatched during the New Year, including Lu Yueming, who was tasked with gathering herbs from the forest. Once the disciples were sent out, Ou Peng could only anxiously wait. This time was different from the last. Previously, they had not placed much importance on it, adopting an attitude of “if we succeed, great; if not, it’s fine”. Their expectations had not been high. However, this time, the development of the Piaomiao Sect was at stake, so Ou Peng couldn’t help but feel nervous and anxious. At times, he even had the impulse to let the Piaomiao Six Tigers go there in person.

However, Ou Peng, with his rich experience in Jianghu conflicts, deeply understood that no matter how covert his actions were, many martial arts sects, including some major sects, would be keeping an eye on them. Even if he personally managed to obtain the medicinal herbs from the secret land, the secrets of that place would likely be discovered by many sects in Jianghu. The things there would no longer be something that the current four factions could share. In comparison, it would be a loss rather than a gain. It was better to use a more indirect approach and let the disciples handle it.

The cost of such low-key operations was Ou Peng’s daily anxiety and anticipation, waiting for news of Lu Yueming’s success. This kind of psychological pressure was unbearable and could not be shared by others. A month ago, one late night, Lu Yueming returned alone in a horse-drawn carriage. When Ou Peng received the news, he was so excited that he almost used the Piaomiao Steps to greet him. Looking back now, he felt somewhat self-deprecating. He was well past the age of impulsiveness, but under such immense temptation, it was hard to avoid losing composure.

The contrast between his excitement and loss of composure and Shui Yupeng’s confusion and bewilderment at the scene was quite striking. Ou Peng reflected once more that ignorance is bliss, the ancients were not wrong.

Lu Yueming’s efforts were not in vain and the people from the Medicine Hall were not useless. Just a few days ago, the pills that enhance martial abilities were finally refined. This was a considerable batch of pills. If all went as expected, it would surely create a large number of core elite disciples, and the strength of the Piaomiao Sect would advance to a new level.

However, Ou Peng soon thought of another issue, should Shui Yupeng and the other disciples of the Luo River Gang be given a share of the pills? If they were given the pills, there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t leak information. If they were not given the pills, then the policy of the Piaomiao Sect’s dual approach would leave hidden dangers. Whether to share the pills or not was indeed a problem that needed careful consideration.

Fortunately, everything was ready, and it was just a matter of making a decision. Once his senior brothers were gathered, they could discuss it further. It was nothing too serious.

These two matters were public affairs of the sect, and as the highest decision-maker of the Piaomiao Sect, Ou Peng naturally had the duty to be concerned. However, as an older brother, what worried him most was the recent incident involving his beloved younger sister.

Ou Yan’s ambush on a rainy night still had no leads. All clues were cut off at a certain point, and the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall were at a loss, which greatly infuriated Ou Peng. Although the Piaomiao Sect was not one of the best sects in Jianghu, it was still a renowned sect. To be bullied like this without being able to retaliate was frustrating. Fortunately, the incident involving Ou Yan’s assassination was tightly controlled and remained unknown to the Jianghu, otherwise, the Piaomiao Sect would have suffered a major loss of face.

His younger sister, who had grown up with him since she was a child, was physically unable to practice martial arts and lacked self-defense abilities. He had always paid great attention to her personal safety. This time, a slight lapse almost led to a major disaster. Fortunately, Ou Yan was destined to survive, although she was injured, her life was not in danger. According to the news from Huanxi Villa, Ou Yan’s health had greatly improved. This news pleased Ou Peng more than anything else. However, thinking about his sister’s stubbornness, Ou Peng couldn’t help but shake his head. He had urged her to bring more people when going to the south, but she insisted that she had little value in Jianghu and that going stealthily would be fine. As a result, such a major incident occurred. Furthermore, regarding that young boy surnamed Zhang, who had sacrificed himself to save Ou Yan, the compensation from the Piaomiao Sect was initially set at three hundred taels of silver. Since his sister found it insufficient, he increased it to five thousand taels, a precedent-setting amount. Who asked him to save the legitimate sister of the Sect Master of the Piaomiao Sect? If someone had complaints, then come and save her as well. However, when the compensation was sent to the Lotus Escort Agency and to his brother, Ou Yan increased it again, doubling it to an unprecedented ten thousand taels! With such an example, how would he handle compensation in the future?

Ou Peng smiled wryly and shook his head. His sister was indeed a person of strong feelings, always remembering others’ kindness. But on the other hand, who in this world had they, brother and sister, ever owed a debt of gratitude to? If ten thousand taels could repay his sister’s life, what more could he say? It was not excessive at all. Even if he had to exchange the entire Jianghu for his sister, it would still not be enough.

With these thoughts, Ou Peng shook his head, took a sip of tea, and smiled. He wondered which hero in Jianghu would be fortunate enough to win his sister’s heart. Seeing that Ou Yan was not getting any younger, he, as her older brother, needed to pay more attention to her.

As he was thinking, he suddenly sensed the soft sound of footsteps approaching the council hall. As they say, “Speak of Cao Cao, and he shall appear”. The person he had been thinking about had arrived.

When the visitor turned the corner into the hall, it was none other than Ou Yan, the owner of Huanxi Villa!

It can be said that only Ou Yan could enter the council hall without prior notice, no one else could, not even Ou Peng’s wife, who, of course, never came. This demonstrated that Ou Peng’s indulgence towards his sister had not diminished over the years.

When Ou Yan entered the hall, she was momentarily taken aback. She had always seen the council hall bustling with activity before, but this time it was so quiet, which was unexpected. Seeing her brother leisurely enjoying his tea made Ou Yan smile. She quickly approached and paid her respects to Ou Peng. Ou Peng smiled and said: “There are no outsiders here, make yourself comfortable.”

Ou Yan sat down cheerfully, looking as lovely as a little swallow.

Ou Peng looked at his beloved younger sister with affection and asked: “Yan’er, how is your health recently?”

Ou Yan replied: “What are you talking about, big brother? Although my body is not suited for practicing martial arts, I’ve been tempered by hardships and am not as fragile as you think. The injuries from last time have long since healed according to the doctor, and I’m doing very well now.”

Ou Peng said: “Yan’er, seriously, don’t do such reckless things in the future. When you go out, be sure to bring enough outdoor gear and bodyguards. It was so dangerous this time, that I was worried sick. If it happens again, I don’t know how I’ll handle it.”

Ou Yan giggled and said: “I understand, big brother. I’ll be more careful next time. This incident was indeed unexpected, I don’t even know the reason myself. How about you? Have you found any clues?”

Ou Peng awkwardly said: “Ah, not yet. I’ll urge them to investigate more thoroughly and get justice for you.”

Ou Yan said: “There’s no need to rush. It doesn’t really concern me personally, just as long as there’s no conspiracy targeting our Piaomiao Sect. Big Brother, you should also be careful and always bring bodyguards when you go out.”

Ou Peng laughed, “Got it. I’ll definitely bring Shi Niu along as a giant bodyguard. By the way, Yan’er, what brings you here today? You’re not here to urge me to find the culprit, are you?”

Ou Yan said: “No, Big Brother. I’ve left the matter of finding the culprit to you and won’t interfere. I’m here today to discuss something else with you.”

Ou Peng was puzzled: “What is it that needs discussing?”

Ou Yan said: “Big Brother, do you remember the young man who saved me?”

Ou Peng replied: “Yes, I remember. His surname was Zhang, I think. Speaking of which, I need to say a few words to you. You shouldn’t be so willful in the future. Our Piaomiao Sect has clear regulations about compensation. Although it’s okay to give a bit more, adding so much as you did is somewhat inappropriate. Fortunately, this matter was kept quite confidential, and not many people know about it, otherwise, it could have had a negative impact. With your reckless temperament, how will you find a good husband in the future?”

Upon hearing this, Ou Yan was displeased and said angrily: “Big Brother~, why do you always change the subject? Am I willful? How does this have anything to do with finding a suitable match?”

Ou Peng quickly waved his hand and said: “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m just getting old and like to ramble. Just let it go in one ear and out the other. By the way, the compensation money should have already been given to his older brother, right? This way, you don’t have to keep mentioning it. Even if I don’t see you, I know you’re very concerned.”

At this point, Ou Yan’s face lit up with excitement, and she said with a smile: “Big Brother, I came here today precisely to tell you about this. You don’t need to worry about the ten thousand taels of silver, it’s not necessary to pay it out, and there’s no need to worry about anyone in the sect using this matter to make an issue.”

Ou Peng was taken aback and asked: “How come?”

Then he realized: “Oh, have you found that boy?”

Ou Yan was surprised and said: “Big Brother, you’re really impressive to guess it right away.”

Ou Peng shook his head and laughed: “How can such a trivial matter stump me, the sect master?”

Ou Yan also laughed and said: “Actually, it wasn’t us who found him, he returned on his own.”

Ou Peng was even more surprised and said: “He wasn’t killed by that black-clad old man? At the very least, he should have been gravely injured. To come back on his own, he must have recovered from his injuries, right?”

Ou Yan was also surprised and asked: “Big Brother, how did you know his injuries had healed?”

Ou Peng smiled and said: “It’s quite normal. If his injuries weren’t healed, how could he have traveled thousands of miles back to Pingyang City?”

Ou Yan thought for a moment and nodded slightly, agreeing with the logic.

Then, Ou Yan recounted in detail everything Zhang Xiaohua had told her. Ou Peng listened with astonishment. Such events were indeed rare, escaping from death and safely returning to Pingyang City was already a miracle.

Ou Peng then asked: “Since that Zhang—what’s his name?”

Ou Yan replied: “His name is Zhang Xiaohua.”

Ou Peng laughed and said: “Haha, Zhang Xiaohua, that’s an interesting name. It sounds like a girl’s name. By the way, since Zhang Xiaohua has returned, you surely wouldn’t take back the ten thousand taels of silver. Just give it to him. Why say it’s no longer needed?”

Ou Yan said: “Big brother, you guessed correctly at the beginning, but you didn’t guess the end. Zhang Xiaohua refused the ten thousand taels of silver. After my repeated insistence, he only accepted a one hundred taels banknote. He said, ‘The weight of this one hundred taels of silver in my heart is the same as ten thousand taels in Sister Ou’s heart. By accepting this one hundred taels, I am representing the ten thousand taels in Sister Ou’s heart’. Big Brother, don’t you think this young man is quite interesting?”

Ou Peng stroked his chin thoughtfully and said: “Hmm, yes, this Zhang Xiaohua is quite interesting. So, what brings you here today?”

Ou Yan replied: “Big Brother, actually, on the way south last time, I saw that Zhang Xiaohua practiced his martial arts very diligently. Although his talent is quite ordinary, his perseverance and hardworking spirit are comparable to how you were when you were young. So, I promised him that after returning from the south, I would ask you to let He Tianshu from the Medicine Hall teach him some of our Piaomiao Sect’s inner energy techniques.”

Ou Peng nodded slightly and said: “Since you think so, it’s not impossible. After all, even if you say his talent is ordinary, letting He Tianshu teach him some inner energy techniques should be enough for him to learn throughout his life.”

Ou Yan continued: “However, he refused the ten thousand taels of silver, so I felt quite guilty. Considering that he risked his life to protect me, if it weren’t for him, how could I have returned safely to the Huanxi Villa? I must repay this life-saving grace. Since he doesn’t want the silver, I thought, how about this: Big Brother, could you allow him to join the Piaomiao Sect and become one of our disciples? This way, he could learn martial arts, which has always been Zhang Xiaohua’s lifelong dream.”

Hearing this, Ou Peng laughed and said: “I thought it was something significant that needed we, brother and sister, to discuss. Becoming a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect has quite a high standard, but since it’s Yan’er’s request, how could I, as an older brother, refuse? Let alone one, even if it were ten people, it wouldn’t matter. This is a trivial matter, why even discuss it?”

Alas, it really annoying to compare people. Zhang Xiaohua left Guo Village and went through all kinds of hardships. He wanted to become a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect and practice martial arts, but couldn’t do it. Later, even if he tried to join the Lotus Escort Agency, they wouldn’t take him. To be a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect? This idea has long been dead in his heart.

But now, with just one word from Ou Yan, Ou Peng agreed without considering Zhang Xiaohua’s qualifications or age. He just nodded lightly and fulfilled Zhang Xiaohua’s dream. This may seem like a small matter, but it truly highlights an old truth, relationships are indeed the key to success!

Ou Yan was overjoyed and said: “Thank you, Big Brother. I know that the disciples you recruit for the Piaomiao Sect are all exceptionally talented individuals. Compared to them, Xiaohua is vastly different. It’s indeed troubling for you.”

Ou Peng waved his sleeve and said: “Why be polite to your Big Brother? Talent is important, but hard work is also necessary. Even if Zhang Xiaohua is of no use, having one more disciple or one less disciple doesn’t matter much to our Piaomiao Sect. Let He Tianshu be his master and teach him martial arts at your Huanxi Villa. How does that sound?”

Ou Yan clapped her hands and said: “Excellent. Zhang Xiaohua’s talent in martial arts is average, no, it should be said it’s quite poor. According to He Tianshu, he has practiced for a long time but still cannot complete a full set of techniques. However, he is very knowledgeable about medicinal herbs. He had read thoroughly the books I gave him. He might be of help at my place in the future.”

Ou Peng said: “Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, bring He Tianshu and Zhang Xiaohua to the meeting hall to finalize this matter, so you won’t keep worrying about it. Also, the issue with the medicinal herbs should be resolved slowly. The elders at the Medicine Hall are at their wits’ end, so don’t stress too much and affect your health.”

Ou Yan said: “I understand, Big Brother. It’s precisely because they can’t solve it that I want to take over. Although the medicinal herbs from the secret land are available, it’s not as convenient as growing them ourselves. We can only visit the secret land once a year, and the demand for medicinal herbs far exceeds what we can collect. If we want to expand the Piaomiao Sect as you envision, we must solve this problem.”

Ou Peng sighed and said: “I knew you wouldn’t give up easily, but you must prioritize your health.”

Ou Yan smiled and said: “I understand, big brother. No need to lecture me further.”

The siblings chatted for a while longer before Ou Yan took her leave and returned to the Huanxi Villa.
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