Volume 2 Chapter 1: A Sword Forged Over Ten Years Chapter 2: The Flying Divine Snow of the Water Dragon's Hum

  Just as Zhang Xing was scolding Sun Liu, he and his father were arguing on the street when they suddenly heard someone next to them loudly praising Xing.

  As the father and son turned to watch, they found that it was an old man in a brown robe who had just walked out from beside the stall and came up to them. Looking at the old man's appearance, he seemed to be quite advanced in years, but his face was ruddy and his hair was black and full. Judging from the way he walked around from the side, his steps were vigorous and powerful, and he didn't seem like an ordinary old man who needed a cane. It seemed that this old man knew the way of nurturing life.

  He thought of the old man's praise earlier and humbly said

  "Hah! The old man is overpraising me, just now I only scared away a hooligan, it's not a big deal."

  Listening to his humility, the old man's eyebrows moved and he smiled:

  "Young man, your words are wrong! Just now, I was watching from the side and understood that when you saw that rascal entwining, you almost didn't think before rushing forward to seize the knife and intimidate. This is exactly because you have a quick mind and dare to make decisions. Later, I saw you choose the person to seize the knife, although he is a heroic guest of the rivers and lakes, but his face is clear and bright, with no rough edges on his forehead, obviously not a reckless and impulsive fellow. Generally, people with this kind of facial features will likely stop you from drawing your knife, advise you with a few words, give you an opportunity to vent your anger, firm up that rascal's heart, and make him think you really have the intention to kill him!"

  After listening to Old Zhang's analysis, he was stunned. The previous stormy affair, he himself hadn't had time to think so much about it. But now, after hearing Old Zhang's analysis, thinking carefully, there is indeed some truth to it. If he had chosen a rough-looking ruffian with a scarred face and crooked eyebrows earlier, he would have been afraid that the world wouldn't be chaotic enough, and not only would he not have dissuaded him, but might have even actively handed over his knife. In that case, how could he have taken the opportunity to slow down, and it would have been impossible for him to say those intimidating words? If it had been like that, who knows how this play would have continued!

  Looking at the young man's thoughtful expression, the old man in front of him knew that he had hit the nail on the head, so he chuckled and continued to say:

  "Moreover, from what you just said, I also heard that you can judge from the way he lies down on the ground that he is not a lazy and timid person. In such a critical moment, you still have such meticulous thoughts, how can I not admire you?"

  "Whoa... I'm so embarrassed!"

  The young man's heart was delighted when he heard the old man's words of praise. His father, Old Zhang, was after all just a simple and honest villager, and no matter how his son explained it to him, he couldn't quite grasp the subtleties. But today, running into this chance-met old fellow who analyzed his earlier actions with such clarity, how could the sixteen-year-old not feel joyful?

  Just as everyone was overjoyed, they heard the old man laugh and say:

  "It's said that a planned meeting is less enjoyable than an accidental encounter. Since neither of you has eaten yet, why don't I treat you to a meal today? Please have a drink and let me know what you think?"

  As soon as the words fell, old Zhang was about to decline, but the old man wouldn't listen, and pulled him along with his rabbit basket, swaggering down the street without a care!

  It had to be so, and the Zhang family father and son could only follow along, following behind the old man all the way. As it happened, Xingyan had just lost his job at the Rice Fragrance Building and didn't know where he would have lunch today, so the old man's actions were quite welcome! With a happy heart, he slightly let his guard down, but saw that the old man was walking quickly ahead, and if he hesitated for a moment, he would already be left behind. Looking at the old man's energetic appearance in front of him, Xingyan secretly cursed to himself and hurriedly quickened his pace, closely following behind.

  Just as Zhang and his son were panting slightly from running, the old man stopped in front of a wine house. After stopping to catch their breath for a moment, they looked up and found that this wine house was extremely familiar to them: it was the very same "Fragrant Rice House" where he had been just a short while ago, the place where he had been heartbroken that morning.

  As for Liu, the owner of the Tianxiang Building, seeing Xing Yan and his father walking up again, he thought that this young scoundrel was still coming to pester him about those two silver coins. Just as he was about to scold him, the older guest in front had already stopped in front of him, turned around, pointed at the father-son pair, and loudly said:

  "Hey! This fellow, our trio is waiting for you in the VIP room upstairs!"

  As soon as he was treated like a servant, the master of this floor, Liu Zhanggui, almost choked to death. Just about to get angry, he saw that old man's arrogant and domineering demeanor, which was not ordinary. Therefore, Liu Zhanggui only dared to secretly scold in his heart, but on the surface, he didn't dare to be slow, and respectfully led the three of them to a elegant seat by the window upstairs.

  The seat arranged by Liu Zhuanggui, Xingyan still remembers clearly. Three days ago, this place was where Ju Ying and her uncle sat down. As the saying goes, "seeing things and thinking of people", seeing the familiar table and chair position, Xingyan thought of Ju Ying's cute appearance when she was eager to try a plate of pig hands, and unknowingly, a smile floated on his face - but unexpectedly, Liu Zhuanggui glanced at Xingyan unintentionally, just saw this former little servant boy, now with a hint of a smile on his face.

  "Laughing like this, 80% is because this kid saw himself being taken as a partner just now and was secretly delighted?"

  Liu Zhuanggui had a somewhat petty mind and was guessing:

  "This stinky little brat is really hateful!"

  An old man in a brown robe finished ordering his dishes, and then Liu Zhuang hastily retreated to the back hall to change into a bright and shiny outfit, after which he would come out again to make his rounds.

  And without mentioning Liu's visit to the back hall to try on clothes, let's talk about that old man. After the wine and dishes were served, he started drinking cup after cup, and enthusiastically encouraged the father and son to drink and eat; apart from this, he didn't say a word.

  However, although Xingyan also followed Lao Zhang's meaning and ate wine dishes, he was not as confused and unaware as his father. When Lao Zhang had drunk about five or six cups of wine, Xingyan finally couldn't help but put down his chopsticks and asked very politely:

  "I humbly ask the elderly gentleman, we met by chance, but I don't know why you have been so kind to me, a young man, and even invited my father and me to enjoy such a delicious meal here? It can't be just because I chased away that Six-Fingered Splashing Skin?"

  "Hahaha!"

  The old man in brown clothes, who was drinking wine mouthful by mouthful, burst out laughing loudly upon hearing the words, his voice echoing and reverberating throughout the second floor of the restaurant, causing all the diners to stop eating and stare.

  "Good question, little brother! However, you don't know that you and I have actually been connected by fate for a long time!"

  "Oh? But I don't think I've ever met the old man before?"

  Having heard the old man's words, he woke up and tried his best to recall, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't remember when he had met this old man. Just as he was completely confused, the old man chuckled and said:

  "By the way, little brother doesn't have to call me 'old man' all the time. If you don't mind, just call me 'older brother'."

  "We've just met yesterday, little brother shouldn't have forgotten so quickly?"

  Yesterday?

  Although he was usually quick-witted, at this moment he was somewhat hesitant. He racked his brains to think carefully and sorted out all the things that had happened yesterday in his mind.

  "Yesterday morning, I slept in at the Ping'an Inn in Boyang County until the sun was high in the sky; yesterday afternoon, I went to Nanji Island to eat shad fish at a water residence - could he have been there eating shad fish too? But at that time, there weren't many people in that pavilion, if I had really seen this old man, I would absolutely not have forgotten; or was it in the afternoon? Yesterday's incident was truly shocking and thrilling, something I will never forget my whole life; could this old man be a tourist on that painted boat? But somehow, I don't seem to have any impression... who exactly is this old man?"

  Seeing him puzzled, the old man smiled and said:

  "You're quite clever, but your memory isn't that great. Yesterday at Poyang Lake, you helped me spread the word about what happened back then and even gave me a poem, how could you forget so quickly?"

  After hearing Lao Zhang's words, Wakin still felt a bit puzzled; the strange and terrifying scene on Lake Poyang yesterday afternoon was too shocking; later, he had another "shock", and he was also shocked to be confused, at this moment, he was already confused about what he did before his transformation that day.

  Whether it was a wake-up call or a daze, the old man didn't give any further explanation, he just said:

  "I've heard that a wise man once said, 'If you do good with intention, even if it's not rewarded; and if you do evil without intention, even if it's not punished.' Your actions over the past few days are exactly an example of unintentionally doing great good!"

  Upon hearing this, the young man who had been kidnapped by Officer Shang and had always been harboring evil intentions in his heart skipped a beat. He was about to speak when he saw the old man continuing with great enthusiasm:

  "Punish the strong and support the weak, without seeking personal gain. This is what we men of honor should do! Satisfying! I can die with a clear conscience!"

  Having said that, Lao Zhang raised his neck and downed a cup of strong liquor in one gulp. He smacked his lips and continued to say:

  "Just thinking about yesterday's events is delightful! The old man couldn't have imagined that the young gentleman would compose such a great poem. That line 'Drunk and leaning on the Zhou Lang tower, under the moon, the clear flute sound sends off the Dragon Sleep' is wonderful! Refreshing! It's truly exquisite, and can even float a big white!"

  Before he had finished speaking, the old man tossed back his head and downed two more cups of strong liquor. Whether it was because he had drunk too much wine, the old man now began to talk a lot:

  "However, the two of them didn't know that I have always been one to hate evil and love good, and can't bear to see good people suffer while evil ones roam free! Hmm... what a wonderful sound of the qin sending off the dragon's sleep! Just for this poem alone, today I will also give you a small gift!"

  At this point, the old man who was full of interest and chivalry had already shown 70-80% drunkenness, his face flushed red, and he looked silly. Without waiting for his son to speak, he stood up and said in a slurred tone:

  "Wait a minute, let me see what's in this sleeve."

  Perhaps the old man came out in a hurry, and now he rummaged through his large sleeves for a while, but to no avail. As a result, that drunken face became even redder.

  Seeing this situation, he woke up and said:

  "Actually, there's no need for you to be polite, young man. This is a case of 'no work, no pay'! To be honest, I don't know what..."

  Just as he was about to yield, the old man waved his hand, spraying wine breath and red-faced, interrupting him and shouting:

  "I said it in a joking manner, don't take it seriously. Little brother, no need to rush, wait for me to slowly find it again!"

  Then the father and son saw this brown-robed old drunkard, closing his eyes, muttering to himself, as if reciting incantations like a Taoist priest.

  "Haha~ Got it!"

  Just as the father and son were wondering if the old man was drunk and confused, "Yun Zhong Jun" suddenly burst out laughing, seemingly very pleased with himself, and boasted:

  "Haha! It seems that I still have a good memory, and when I left, I didn't forget to bring one or two gifts that can be presented with both hands - this is indeed a good habit! Here, this stone flute will be given to you, young man, just as the clear sound of the flute sends off the sleeping dragon! Haha ~ wonderful!"

  The old man, while praising himself, had already pulled out a jade flute from his sleeve and, without saying a word, stuffed it over to him. Waking up to see that he was already half drunk, fearing that if they pushed and declined, the jade flute would be smashed, so he could only follow the old man's intention and take the jade flute, holding it tightly in his hand.

  The old man was overjoyed and said with some unclear words:

  "Good! Right... We men should not imitate that little girl's coquettish behavior!"

  Upon hearing this, the words of excuse that had already reached his lips retreated back in, and he simply stared at the flute with a foolish smile. The jade flute in his hand was made from delicate jade stone, smooth and round, as if naturally formed; the body of the flute was pale blue-green, with hidden snow-white patterns inside, just like the spring mountains and green valleys floating with a few strands of milky white clouds. At the end of the flute's tuning hole, a sprig of plum blossom tassel was tied, its silk color tender red, fluttering in the wind, complementing the crystal clear and calm body of the flute, making them even more perfect together.

  Above the blowing hole of the jade flute, two characters are inlaid with ancient and simple seal script:

  "Divine Snow"

  These two ancient seals are vigorous and elegant, just like the finishing touch of a dragon painting, instantly making this jade flute full of ancient charm.

  Just as he was playing the jade flute in his hand, the half-drunk old man suddenly slapped his forehead and shouted:

  "Look at my brain, it's really muddled! I'm afraid I'm indeed a bit drunk... Today I gave the flute away, which is like giving someone fish, but why not teach them how to fish instead? Having only the flute isn't enough, you need the score too! Wait, that score..."

  The old man's tongue got tangled again as he spoke to this point, drunk:

  "That scroll, I should also bring it? Wait a moment, young man, let me slowly take it out!"

  Then, Xing Yan saw the old man close his eyes for a moment, then with a pleased expression, he pulled out an object from his sleeve. When he pulled it out, Xing Yan took a closer look and saw that the object was an ancient silk book. The book had a deep blue cover, lined with seaweed dragon patterns at the bottom, and on the white title page, three large black seal script characters were written:.

  "Water Dragon Chant"

  Now he took out the book, and the old man was again in a flurry of excitement. He woke up to find that the good silk face was stained with oil and water, so he had to put it away again. Seeing him being so happy, the old man was also very pleased, and raised his cup to laugh loudly:

  "Haha! Wonderful! These two days, I've seen you punish the evil and support the weak, and I'm also grateful for your spreading of my deeds and presenting me with poems and writings. The other day, I helped you see that person's true face, and today I can give you this score and flute, which is a fulfillment of my wish."

  "Uh... I shouldn't drink any more of this wine, or else I'll get drunk!"

  "Second brother, I bid you farewell!"

  Having said that, the old man who was already quite drunk stood up unsteadily and muttered to himself in a daze.

  "Alas, whatever heroes... good men, after a thousand years... how many people can recognize them?..."

  "Hey buddy! Come and settle the bill!"

  As he spoke, the old man beckoned and pointed, calling over that "fellow" nearby to come settle the bill.

  But Liu, who had been pointed out by the old man and was now wearing a brand new robe, didn't believe that the strange old man was calling him again, so he just stood there looking around. Just as he was shaking his head, the drunk old man suddenly let out another loud, strange shout:

  "What's taking you so long? It's your turn! Come and settle the bill!"

  As soon as he confirmed, Liu Zhuang's face fell like a deflated balloon, and he thought to himself "bad luck". However, he couldn't lose his temper, so he forced a smile and walked over, telling the old man how much money the meal cost. After hearing the price, the red-faced old man let out a belch and shouted:

  "Here! This silver ingot is for you, take it! As for the rest, I'll get them back from this young fellow."

  As he spoke, the drunken old man handed Liu a ingot of horse hoof silver with a slant, and then muttered another sentence:

  "You're always running around, dressed to the nines, but that clever guy hasn't even started yet!"

  Having said that, he swayed from side to side and walked towards the staircase.

  "Old man! Watch your step! Wait a minute and I'll help you."

  The old man was already half drunk, his feet staggering beneath him. Afraid he would fall, she loudly cautioned him to slow down. Upon hearing her warning, the old fellow turned around with a toothy grin and said:

  "It doesn't matter! I'm not that foolish drunkard!"

  As he spoke, the old man continued to sway forward. Seeing this, Xingyan was about to go forward and support him; at this moment, however, he was stopped by Liu Zhuanggui:

  "I said you little rascal, what are you doing messing around? That old man is so cunning, it's not easy to swindle him! Here, this is the money I just earned from this meal. Alas, some people have good fortune, but I don't know how you, a little rascal, managed to run into such a perfect mark today -"

  Liu Zhuanggui's sarcastic scolding stopped abruptly at this point; he raised his head and stared at the former fellow accountant in front of him in shock.

  He had originally given the remaining silver coins to Xing Yan, but they were short of a few cents, which coincidentally matched the amount he had deducted from the young man's wages earlier.

  “……”

  Just as the two of them were staring at each other in shock and confusion, they suddenly heard a "thud" followed by a series of rolling sounds; turning their heads to look back, they saw that it was indeed the old drunkard who had lost his footing and rolled down the stairs!

  Hearing the rumbling sound, I woke up and secretly cursed in my heart. I didn't bother to chat with Liu Zhuang anymore, and hurriedly followed Old Zhang down the stairs.

  Just as they reached the lobby downstairs and were about to exit the restaurant's main entrance, they found that the street was crowded with people coming and going in an endless stream; but the old drunkard who had given them the flute and the book had long since vanished without a trace.

  。