Chapter 14
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Chapter 14: Farewell
Before long, Zhu Tianci returned, striding into the kitchen.
The flames rose high as ten strong men surrounded the stove, busy with their tasks. When they caught sight of Zhu Tianci, they quickly stood straight and swallowed the food they hadn’t finished chewing.
“Little Six, keep an eye out. The head chef is resting today; if there are any difficult dishes to prepare, call for me.”
“Got it! I can handle most dishes!” replied the leanest of the cooks among the ten.
Zhu Tianci served as the second chef at Fuyuan Tavern and was the head chef’s apprentice. He earned this honor partly because he had previously managed food for the army, but mainly due to Li Hui’s support. If it weren’t for someone backing him in the Jade Symbol Sect, he wouldn’t have received as much attention after being promoted to an outer sect small accountant; given Zhu’s rough nature, it would have been hard for him to catch the head chef’s eye.
To run a tavern in Frost Town that could satisfy the tastes of visiting disciples and cultivators, the head chef had to possess some level of cultivation.
Unfortunately, Zhu Tianci was simply not suited for cultivation; being a second chef was already a challenge, let alone entering the path of cultivation through food.
With a creaking sound, Zhu Tianci returned to the side room with two food boxes. Li Hui had been waiting there and already retrieved a black wine jar from under the bed. He casually popped open the seal, instantly filling the small room with the scent of wine.
“You’ve been greedy for drink since you were eleven!” Zhu Tianci chuckled, kicking his stool back and sitting down to unpack the food boxes, which soon revealed small dishes.
“Wine is a good thing. It invigorates the blood, eases anxiety, and relieves sorrow. Life would be quite dull without it,” Li Hui said as he stood to pour a large bowl for his elder brother, also pouring one for himself. He paused for a moment then poured an extra bowl for his sister-in-law.
At that moment, there came a knock at the door—three short knocks followed by four long ones. Zhu Tianci stepped out to open the door. The three of them were particularly cautious; if something serious occurred or they were threatened, the knock would have been different.
Their older brother had once warned them that the Jade Symbol Sect was not a safe place. He had faced countless great winds and waves on the battlefield but fell to poison from rogues in the world outside, a lesson worth remembering. They had to remain vigilant at all times, especially in the Jade Symbol Sect.
Helping Jin Buduan cook the books carried significant consequences; one could say it was a matter of life and death. Li Hui and Zhu Tianci’s main wish was to take good care of everyone on Chuxia Mountain, while Ji Mengxue wished to fulfill her fiancé’s last wish. Even without a formal marriage, they respected each other as noble souls deserving admiration.
Shortly after, a woman dressed in blue and white walked in. Li Hui quickly stood to greet her. “Sister-in-law!”
“Little brother!” The woman appeared plain, but under the light, her natural beauty shone through. She looked as pure as a lotus flower, and no matter the angle, she gave an incredibly comfortable impression.
As she lightly called his name and gazed at Li Hui, her expression brightened momentarily, though her eyes soon dimmed as she suppressed all the unusual emotions.
“It’s been half a year, and sister-in-law, you look even more stunning!” Li Hui praised. He and Zhu Tianci had privately agreed they did not want her to live a widow’s life and planned to encourage her to find a good man to marry as soon as conditions improved.
After all, time is relentless. For a non-cultivator, a woman in her mid-twenties is considered old; in an ordinary family, she would already be a mother of several children.
Hearing Li Hui’s compliment, Ji Mengxue tucked her tousled hair behind her ear, her eyes sparkling. However, when she noticed the white streak in Li Hui’s hair, she was shocked. “Little brother, what happened? Why do you have a white hair at such a young age? Have you fallen into the wrong path in your training?”
“Ha ha, sister-in-law, you have quite the imagination. The Jade Symbol Sect is a well-known sect; their cultivation methods are repeatedly refined. It’s not easy to go astray,” Li Hui chuckled. Even though he felt uneasy inside, he didn’t want to show it, fearing it would worry his sister-in-law and elder brother.
After some explanation, the three took their seats, eating and chatting over wine.
Li Hui recounted all the events of the last six months from start to finish. After downing the fifth bowl of blood brew, he lowered his voice. “I feel something is off in the sect lately; it seems a big event is about to happen. Furthermore, the inner sect has directly issued orders to over forty outer disciples—this kind of order being given is quite rare.”
With that, he pointed to the six-link chain and pulled out a package.
Zhu Tianci and Ji Mengxue looked at the hand chain with envy. Although they were not cultivators, having lived in Frost Town for a while made them much more aware than they had been in the past.
Li Hui took out the previously tied items and pushed them toward them. “Here are fifty-eight silver money symbols, three hundred money symbols, as well as the scattered change I saved over the past six months and the wind-milled copper that can turn into a hundred coins.”
“Three hundred money symbols?” Zhu Tianci and Ji Mengxue exclaimed in disbelief, staring at their little brother.
“By chance, I swindled the Chief Steward of the outer sect, Jin Buduan. Don’t ask me how I did it; knowing more puts you in greater danger,” Li Hui said hesitantly, lowering his voice. “Be careful with this wealth—extremely careful. Using money symbols carelessly can attract trouble for non-cultivators. Yet I happen to have the most money symbols on me, and I can’t just exchange them freely in Frost Town.”
Zhu Tianci and Ji Mengxue exchanged glances, understanding there was an issue with the origin of the items, and it was a serious matter that required them to avoid Frost Town.
The silver money symbols could be exchanged through some channels, but the money symbols were too eye-catching and would undoubtedly attract attention. They may have planned to set aside the matter for later, but the outside world was becoming increasingly harsh, and Chuxia Mountain desperately needed this money.
“Sister-in-law, elder brother, I’m heading to the White Sea. It’s going to be hard for me to return in two years, so I have no choice but to hand this hot potato over to you. Besides, I’m afraid I won’t return to the Jade Symbol Sect after this trip.”
“Little brother, no matter what you decide, you have my support,” Zhu Tianci said, patting his chest firmly.
“A Hui, since you’ve decided to leave the Jade Symbol Sect, why go to the White Sea? Why not return to Chuxia Mountain with us?” Ji Mengxue liked to call Li Hui A Hui, her eyes filled with longing and hope.
“I can’t; I’m too dangerous right now. Even if I go somewhere else, I can’t return to Chuxia Mountain for fear of bringing trouble there. I’m leaving tonight; we can’t delay. But don’t worry, as soon as I get out of danger, I will come back immediately,” Li Hui said, drinking deeply as a farewell to the two closest people to him.
Zhu Tianci and Ji Mengxue fell silent. Even though they had a thousand words to say, they didn’t know how to begin; all they could do was drink in silence, feeling heavy-hearted.
At that moment, Brother Zheng and the triangular-eyed man entered Frost Town, their eyes bloodshot as they scanned the streets. Soon after, they summoned a hundred miscellaneous disciples to search the street.
“Quick, go to Lingfeng Silk and Fuyuan Tavern. That bastard is connected to these two places!” The triangular-eyed man’s eyes glinted with malice. The avalanche had wiped out all his subordinates, and he was determined to take revenge that night!
