Chapter 4
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Shen Tang
Sheng Yuanyao thought she hadn’t caught up to Lu Xingzhou on his way down the mountain, still puzzled by how swiftly the little Daoist boy could push a wheelchair. In truth, Lu Xingzhou hadn’t even reached the bottom of the mountain; she had simply overshot him.
Halfway down, master and disciple saw a solitary woman in a wheelchair by a cliffside path leading west, quietly lost in thought as she gazed at the distant setting sun.
Her demeanor was desolate and melancholic. The wheelchair was dangerously close to the cliff’s edge, looking as though it could tip over at any moment.
The little Daoist boy slowed his pace, constantly looking back at the woman’s retreating figure.
Lu Xingzhou, expressionless, asked, “Now what is it?”
The little Daoist boy’s chubby face wrinkled. “Master, that older sister isn’t planning to end her life, is she?”
Lu Xingzhou turned his head to look. From behind, the woman indeed seemed to have lost all will to live, but he still said, “What’s it to you?”
The little Daoist boy pleaded, “But she’s also in a wheelchair, and all alone, so pitiful…”
“So, you’ve always thought Master is pitiful?”
The little Daoist boy patted his chest. “Master isn’t alone! Master has me!”
“It’s precisely because I have a little rascal like you that Master is pitiful.”
The little Daoist boy’s chest-patting gesture froze, his expression utterly aggrieved.
Lu Xingzhou felt like laughing at his adorable face but ultimately didn’t voice any more objections. The little Daoist boy then understood his meaning and happily dashed forward, pushing the wheelchair.
Shen Tang sat on the cliff edge, quietly gazing at the sky’s glow, seemingly lost in thought. A clear, cold voice, seemingly from nowhere, quietly entered her ear: “Bai Chi has become the Chief Alchemist of the Danxia Gang. The former alchemist, Lu Xingzhou, has been expelled. Shall we execute Bai Chi on the spot?”
Shen Tang’s lips moved slightly, seemingly soundless, but her voice carried far. “What about that Lu Xingzhou?”
“His cultivation is ordinary, he’s disabled, but he seems to have secrets. As for his alchemy skill, he appears to be on par with Bai Chi.”
Shen Tang pondered for a moment. “Let’s not consider killing for now. We’ve just arrived in Xiazhou; it’s not good to cause too much commotion, and let’s not create trouble for Yuanyao either.”
The communication stopped there, as she had sensed someone approaching behind her.
Soon, she heard a gentle male voice. “Miss, if you please, you’re blocking my path.”
Shen Tang looked back, focusing intently on the wheelchair and Lu Xingzhou’s legs for a long time, finding it quite amusing. “This is a cliff. Where is there a path? You aren’t suggesting I’m blocking your path to suicide, are you?”
“Indeed,” Lu Xingzhou replied. “Perhaps we should queue? You first, Miss. If I jump in after you, I could merge with a beauty, completely indistinguishable. Quite a bargain.”
Shen Tang was slightly taken aback. Her gaze then fell upon the little Daoist boy’s face, peeking out half a head from behind the wheelchair. The little Daoist boy blinked, appearing sympathetic.
Shen Tang chuckled inwardly. These master and disciple seem to have misunderstood something… Lu Xingzhou’s words sound like teasing, but on closer inspection, he’s subtly trying to prevent me from jumping.
He himself had just been expelled, yet he had such a kind heart to meddle.
Thinking this, Shen Tang’s eyes subtly shifted, and she chuckled softly. “Then why are you contemplating suicide? Is it because you were just expelled from the Danxia Gang like a stray dog, utterly heartbroken?”
Lu Xingzhou sighed. “You know?”
“Because I followed behind Bai Chi. Now he’s staying, and you’ve come out. As for your identity, the wheelchair is far too recognizable, isn’t it?”
“And what about you, Miss? Why are you in such a state in the prime of your life?”
Shen Tang also sighed. “Because the alchemist Bai Chi, whom I painstakingly hired, was poached as soon as he arrived in Xiazhou. Don’t you think if I jumped here, it would certainly cause the Danxia Gang some trouble?”
Both paused, then suddenly chuckled simultaneously.
Their experiences in this matter were closely aligned, and both even used wheelchairs, indicating a strong connection.
Lu Xingzhou also realized his initial impression was mistaken. This woman looked desolate, but she was definitely not here to jump off a cliff. She was likely here because she intended to follow to try and win Bai Chi back, or for some similar reason. She should have had an attendant pushing her, who was perhaps temporarily absent, so she was merely waiting for someone.
“If your attendant isn’t here, sitting so close to the cliff edge alone in a wheelchair is very dangerous. If you slide down, you’ll regret it endlessly,” Lu Xingzhou gestured to the little Daoist boy.
The little Daoist boy scurried over. Seeing that the other party didn’t stop him from approaching, he immediately became happy, pulling the wheelchair back several feet and turning it around, positioning it directly facing Lu Xingzhou.
Earlier, when she had looked back, he could only see her profile. Now, facing her directly, Lu Xingzhou realized how truly beautiful this woman was.
Without any makeup, her features were still as exquisite as a painting, her skin like congealed cream. Although confined to a wheelchair, her gentle smile made her appear tender and graceful, creating a very comfortable first impression. In terms of her dignified bearing alone, let alone the gang leader’s daughter Liu Yan’er, even the well-connected Sheng Yuanyao from the capital seemed a step weaker in comparison.
The sun was gradually setting, the horizon a blaze of twilight glow, illuminating the woman and adding a mystical, ethereal quality, as if a divine maiden had descended.
Shen Tang was also observing Lu Xingzhou, secretly marveling. Both in wheelchairs, both with the aura of a noble young master or lady, they could almost see a gender-swapped version of themselves in each other.
The little Daoist boy exclaimed, “Older sister is so pretty…”
Lu Xingzhou chuckled. “You call everyone pretty. Just now you called Sheng Yuanyao ‘pretty older sister.'”
The little Daoist boy muttered, “She really is pretty too…”
Shen Tang smiled faintly. “Little sister, you’ll be prettier than anyone when you grow up.”
The little Daoist boy brightened. “Really? Master says I’m fat.”
Shen Tang: “…”
Lu Xingzhou ignored him and said to Shen Tang, “High-tier Eighth-Grade Alchemists are rare in Xiazhou, but they’re as common as dirt outside. Losing a Bai Chi isn’t a big deal, Miss, no need to dwell on it. Alright, I can see that you’re not one to seek an early grave. I misunderstood earlier. Let us part ways here.”
The little Daoist boy reluctantly pushed the wheelchair, taking a long time to turn it back around.
This older sister looks so pretty and gentle!
Shen Tang chuckled. “I thought you’d offer your services.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Wouldn’t it be good? The Danxia Gang poached Bai Chi from me and drove you out. If you came to me and built up a great enterprise, suppressed the Danxia Gang, and made them regret it deeply, wouldn’t that be satisfying?”
“There are many ways to seek revenge. Making someone regret losing you is just something you women like to use.”
Shen Tang paused, not sure what she was thinking, and fell silent.
“Even if one only wants to make them regret, there are many ways, and it doesn’t necessarily mean gambling one’s own future,” Lu Xingzhou said with a slight smile. “So, if you sincerely invite me, I hope we can discuss more practical things. For example, your current situation, goals, and the benefits you’d offer me. So far, I don’t even know your name. Why would you think I’d volunteer to join a faction I know nothing about?”
“I was rude,” Shen Tang said, scrutinizing Lu Xingzhou. “Your Excellency… you don’t seem like a youth.”
“Can’t be helped,” Lu Xingzhou turned and reached out to pinch his little Daoist boy’s cheek, smiling very gently. “After all, a man has to support his family; he doesn’t have the luxury of acting on impulse.”
The little Daoist boy rubbed his face aggrievedly. “You clearly think I’m fat.”
Shen Tang watched, amused, then quickly composed herself, her expression returning to the desolation from their first meeting. She whispered, “My name is Shen Tang. I was originally the Young Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect in Yongzhou. A month ago, our sect offended someone and suffered heavy casualties, even my Master… Only I remain, leading the remnant forces to Xiazhou, operating under the guise of traveling merchants.”
“Why choose Xiazhou?”
“It’s a remote place where we can avoid enemies, and it has good medicinal conditions to try and treat my leg. There weren’t many options.”
“You trust me so much, aren’t you afraid I’ll spread this?”
“We sincerely invite Master Lu, so we can’t possibly hide our origins,” Shen Tang smiled. “And I believe Master Lu has no need to betray me.”
Lu Xingzhou was noncommittal, staring at her leg for a while. “Was your leg broken in a previous conflict?”
“Yes,” Shen Tang replied calmly. “From the perspective of sect development, our Sword Sect also lacks alchemy talent and is unbalanced, hence our search… Your concerns are valid, Young Master. We are like stray dogs, and outsiders. Our conditions are much worse than the Danxia Gang’s. If you are unwilling to come, we cannot blame you; it simply means there is no fate between us. But if you are willing to come, I am willing to pay double the salary the Danxia Gang offered you, and establish you as the Master of the Elixir Hall, handing over all major authority related to alchemy and medicine.”
These were very good terms. Why wasn’t Lu Xingzhou called a Hall Master at the Danxia Gang, just Chief Alchemist? Because the Elixir Hall Master was actually Liu Yan’er, even if she didn’t manage affairs. After all, a Hall Master was a high-ranking sect official; it wasn’t given casually to an outsider. It usually required a period of assessment, so Liu Qingtian’s approach was understandable. This Shen Tang directly offering this position showed great sincerity.
Lu Xingzhou, however, wasn’t swayed. “Your sect has powerful enemies outside, and the situation is unpredictable… Forgive me, but I have a child to care for, and I don’t stand near crumbling walls. Even making me a Sect Master would be meaningless.”
Shen Tang sighed, nodded, and then said towards the mountain, “Qingli, let’s go back.”
A figure flickered, and a white-haired girl appeared beside her, emotionlessly supporting the wheelchair. She pushed past Lu Xingzhou and his disciple without even glancing at Lu Xingzhou.
Lu Xingzhou blinked, and both master and disciple synchronously turned their heads, their gaze following Qingli.
The girl had white hair, slightly blue eyes, and skin whiter than snow, possessing an unparalleled cool beauty. Born into this world nineteen years ago, he had seen many demons and monsters, but this was the first time he’d seen such a ‘two-dimensional’ human in this world!
Shen Tang was somewhat apologetically explaining to Lu Xingzhou, “Qingli has a naturally cold temperament, Master Lu, please don’t mind her rudeness.”
Lu Xingzhou stared at Qingli for a long time, then suddenly asked, “You sound like you’ve just arrived. Do you have a place to stay?”
Shen Tang paused. “We’re currently staying in an inn and looking for a suitable place.”
Lu Xingzhou flashed his perfectly aligned eight white teeth. “Joining your sect isn’t very convenient… but I could be your landlord. How does that sound?”
The two women, plus the little Daoist boy, all looked at Lu Xingzhou with very strange expressions.
Even just being a landlord, wouldn’t that still be standing near a crumbling wall…? In a storyteller’s tale, isn’t this called not being interested in the young lady, but taking a fancy to her maid?
– Mochinuna.
