Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 59 Viewing the Lake

"Brother Hu, don't be nervous." Jiang Xun quickly waved his hand. "I'm just running errands for the Prince of Qi. There are some things they can't handle themselves, so they need someone like me to step in. In the end, it's still a job in the martial arts world."

He didn't hide his relationship with Li Che—these things couldn't be hidden from a local bigwig like Hu Dajiang.

It's better to expose it now than to have it exposed later; it makes you seem more open and honest.

Hu Dajiang's eyes darted around, and his expression gradually relaxed.

This guy, Bai, has latched onto a powerful figure and risen to the top in one fell swoop.

But it's good that we have a good relationship with him. It will give us connections with the government, making things much easier to get done.

Thinking of this, Hu Dajiang's smile warmed even more, and he patted his chest, saying, "From now on, you're my brother. If you ever need anything, just ask."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun immediately prepared to bow down: "Elder brother, please accept my bow—"

"Hey, hey, hey—" Hu Dajiang couldn't let him really bow, so he quickly reached out to support his arms. "Good brother, no need to be so polite!"

The two looked at each other and laughed.

Li Tang almost burst out laughing while watching from the side.

With such acting skills, it's a real shame she's not a professional opera singer.

Jiang Xun chatted for a while about old stories of Jiangzhou, which were rumors he had heard while he was living a mundane life in the city. They were half true and half false, but he told them in a very convincing way.

Hu Dajiang listened with great interest, occasionally interjecting with a few questions.

After chatting for a while, Jiang Xun figured the time was right and casually asked, "By the way, Brother Hu, I came to Qiantang this time to ask about something."

"What is it? Tell me."

Have you ever heard of Dragon Crystal?

Hu Dajiang was taken aback, frowning as he thought for a long time: "Dragon Crystal? That name sounds unfamiliar. Is it a medicinal herb or some kind of treasure?"

Jiang Xun's heart skipped a beat—even the second-in-command of the Green Wolf Gang didn't know about it, so it seemed that the news of the Dragon Crystal hadn't spread among the lower levels of the martial arts world.

But he didn't show it on his face, only smiled and said, "It's just a rare item. I heard some martial arts practitioners are quite interested in it. Or have you seen any unfamiliar faces in the city recently, Brother Hu?"

"Unfamiliar faces?" Hu Dajiang slapped his thigh. "There are way too many!"

He moved closer to Jiang Xun, lowering his voice slightly: "To be honest, Brother Bai, these past few days, people from the martial arts world have been arriving in Qiantang City like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, one wave after another. Our gang leader has given the order, telling the brothers to be careful during this time and not to cause trouble."

Jiang Xun's spirits lifted: "Who are these people?"

"There are so many." Hu Dajiang counted on his fingers, "From Mirror Lake, Hidden Abode, Starry Sea, Jade Cang Sect, and even from the Northern Border... I heard even sword guardians, fairies and celestial maidens have come. Anyway, they all look like they're not to be trifled with."

Jiang Xun's pupils contracted slightly when he heard the words "Starry Sea".

The memory of the Gu family's massacre resurfaced in his mind. He took a deep breath, suppressed his murderous intent, and asked, "What are these people doing here?"

"I don't know about that." Hu Dajiang shook his head. "However..." He paused, looked around, and moved closer to Jiang Xun. "I did hear that most of these people are asking about someone."

"Who?"

"Meng Huaigu".

…………

"Meng Huaigu? I've heard that name before."

In a side room in the backyard of the inn, Li Che, who had just returned, nodded after listening to Li Tang's description.

"He is a great Confucian scholar of our time and once served as the Crown Prince's tutor. After the Crown Prince passed away, he resigned and returned to his hometown, where he lived in seclusion in Qiantang, lecturing. I heard that several princes wanted to invite him to come out of seclusion, but he refused them all."

"The Crown Prince's Grand Tutor?" Jiang Xun was taken aback. "Isn't that someone from the imperial court?"

"It's neither here nor there." Li Che picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold, but he didn't care. "Meng Huaigu is a man of high ideals who doesn't care about fame or fortune. He has a high reputation among scholars."

"Then why are so many people in the martial arts world mentioning him?" Li Tang blinked, looking puzzled. "What connection does a scholar have with the martial arts world?"

"I don't know either." Li Che shook his head, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

Jiang Xun noticed the weariness in his eyes and, with a thought, asked, "Are the negotiations with the grain merchants not going well?"

Li Che sighed and forced a smile: "It's not that things are going badly. Those grain merchants are willing to see me, but they're all playing games—saying that this year's harvest is bad, the inventory is tight, and that the canal transport is blocked and it's difficult to transfer grain. I offered a price 20% higher than the market price, but they still made excuses."

Jiang Xun frowned: "Not enough?"

"Not entirely." Li Che didn't say much, but rubbed his temples. "I'll meet with a few more people tomorrow, and we'll find a way."

Jiang Xun didn't dare to ask any more questions; he knew nothing about business and couldn't help.

Just then, Steward Sun came in from outside, holding an invitation in his hand, and respectfully handed it to him: "Young Master, someone delivered this."

Li Che casually took it, opened it, glanced at it, and narrowed his eyes slightly: "What a coincidence."

Li Tang hurriedly asked, "What's so coincidental?"

Li Che raised his head, his gaze sweeping over them, a smile appearing on his lips: "Meng Huaigu is holding a sutra discussion tomorrow night and has invited me to attend."

"How did he know you came to Qiantang?" Jiang Xun asked, puzzled.

"Since Meng Huaigu is a great Confucian scholar, he must be well-informed." Li Tang didn't take it seriously, but his eyes lit up. "Perfect, we can go and see what kind of connection this Master Meng has with the martial arts world."

The next morning, when Jiang Xun woke up, the outside world was already bustling.

He opened the window, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, carriages and horses, and pedestrians chatting and laughing mingled together. What rushed towards him was the unique atmosphere of Qiantang—more refined than Jiangning, less rugged than Yunzhou, and even the air was filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus.

"This place is actually quite suitable for retirement," he muttered, stretching.

The window next door was also pushed open, and Li Tang poked her head out. Her hair was still a little messy, but her eyes were bright: "My brother is gone?"

"They've left." Jiang Xun nodded. "They just took Zheng Xiao out; they said they're going to meet some big grain merchant."

Li Tang pursed her lips, shrank back into the house, and came out again a short while later, having tidied up neatly.

Today she changed into a moon-white dress, with a lake-green silk sash tied around her waist. As she walked, the hem of her dress swayed gently, giving her a graceful and elegant air reminiscent of a woman from Jiangnan.

Jiang Xun glanced at it a couple more times, and Li Tang noticed, raising an eyebrow and asking, "What are you looking at?"

"You look great dressed up today," Jiang Xun said honestly.

Li Tang blushed slightly, then raised her chin: "Of course, you have to dress up when you're out having fun. Come on, you're mine today."

"What do you mean it's mine now—"

"My brother said you have to come with me for a walk." Li Tang was already skipping and hopping out. "Hurry, hurry! I heard there's a Golden Bull Lake in Qiantang, it's so beautiful!"

Jinniu Lake is located west of Qiantang City, only three or four streets away from the inn.

The two walked there, and along the way, Li Tang was like a bird released from its cage, finding everything new and exciting.

One moment she was pointing at the sugar figurine stall and asking, "Can I eat this?" The next she was squatting in front of the silk flower stall, picking and choosing, and finally bought a pale yellow silk flower to pin in her hair, tilting her head and asking Jiang Xun, "Is it pretty?"

"It looks good." Jiang Xun replied casually, but his gaze swept over a few pedestrians with swords on their backs at the street corner—judging from their attire, they seemed to be martial arts practitioners, gathered in front of a tea stall and talking in hushed tones.

Li Tang followed his gaze and pouted, "Should we go over and ask?"

"No, thank you." Jiang Xun looked away, smiled, and said, "Let's go see the lake."