In a great mood, Shen Xiuhan tucked the letter away and asked casually,
“Sister-in-law, is the eatery busy? Do you need any help?”
“Not busy, not busy,”
Liang Xiuhe waved her hand with a smile, untying the apron around her waist.
“The mealtime rush has passed. Right now, there's only one customer from the prefecture capital, and he's almost done eating.”
“That's good then.”
Shen Xiuhan nodded. Without saying anything more, he turned and walked back into the courtyard.
In the courtyard, the sun had already begun to sink into the west, its lingering rays painting half of the courtyard wall in a warm yellow hue.
Shen Xiuhan sat down on a stone bench, took a deep breath, and tore open the envelope.
Rip!
The wax seal cracked open.
He slid his fingers inside the envelope and pulled out the neatly folded letter. The scent of fresh ink immediately drifted to his nose.
Unfolding the letter, he saw neat, upright handwriting:
“Greetings, Junior Brother Shen—
The annual assessment of Bixia Villa is fast approaching, and the yearly disciple recruitment ceremony will begin in mid-August.
I have shamelessly used my connections within the sect to recommend you to the Qi Meridian Elder.
When the time comes, if you bring this letter with you, you can bypass the mundane duties of the outer sect and directly enter the inner sect to cultivate in peace.
This is a golden opportunity for a martial artist to leap over the dragon gate. You must not miss it...”
His gaze drifted downward.
At the very bottom, three characters were written neatly:
“Zuo Guangshu...”
Shen Xiuhan's gaze froze slightly. He pursed his lips and sighed helplessly. “Why is this letter from Senior Brother Zuo?”
Indeed!
The sender of this letter was a senior brother who had left the Mei Courtyard in his early years and was now cultivating diligently in the inner sect of Bixia Villa in Nanxiang Prefecture.
Zuo Guangshu!
However, the letter Shen Xiuhan had sent through the courier station a few days ago was actually addressed to the renowned Chief Disciple Zuo of the Star-Plucking Sect!
A difference of a single character, yet worlds apart.
In the past, when he killed Gao Nian in the dead of night, he had seen and heard with his own eyes and ears that Gao Nian had once raped and murdered a woman in Shitan County, Guangwu Prefecture.
Later, while escorting Ji Xue, Ji Yao, and the others back from Wuji Academy, he had heard about the past of Chief Disciple Zuo of the Star-Plucking Sect from Ma Jingxing and Wen Beng.
Comparing the two accounts, Shen Xiuhan had grasped the truth.
The woman Gao Nian had raped and murdered was none other than Chief Disciple Zuo's sister!
Now, Gao Nian had already been slain by him, leaving only Gao Fu, who could be considered half an accomplice.
Shen Xiuhan originally had no intention of dealing with him.
But the current situation was turbulent and unpredictable, involving the inheritance of Diaohai Pavilion's core disciples, as well as the need to face Duan Xiao after attacking the Bai family...
Shen Xiuhan had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure!
“What a pity...”
Shen Xiuhan rubbed his temples and read the letter once more, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Although both shared the surname Zuo, their cultivations were as different as heaven and earth!
Zuo Guangshu had mediocre talent and had barely broken through to the Anjin Rank.
Meanwhile, according to Wen Beng, the Chief Disciple Zuo of the Star-Plucking Sect had already broken through the Huajin Rank barrier two years ago!
If he could lure him here, dealing with Duan Xiao would be a guaranteed success.
Fortunately... it wasn't a complete waste of effort.
Shen Xiuhan would have to leave this tiny Changyun County sooner or later to venture into the wider world.
As one of the four top powers in Nanxiang Prefecture, Bixia Villa had extremely high entry requirements.
Its disciples were mostly handpicked from the great clans of the prefecture capital, or even from the eighty-one counties under its jurisdiction.
Even in Cangzhou, it was a famous and powerful sect.
Being able to use Zuo Guangshu to pave the way, bypass the outer sect threshold, and enter the inner sect for further studies was undoubtedly an excellent path.
Shen Xiuhan put the letter away, exhaled a long breath, and muttered to himself,
“Well, once the matters at hand are settled... I'll pay a visit to Bixia Villa.”
“If you wish, you could also try your luck at my Star-Plucking Sect.”
Before his voice could fade, an unfamiliar, clear voice carrying a hint of amusement suddenly rang out from behind him.
“Hmm?”
“Who's there?!”
Shen Xiuhan's pupils contracted sharply, and goosebumps instantly broke out across his back.
Clang!
Hanlin leaped from its scabbard.
Exerting Swift Swan, Swimming Dragon to its limit, his toes tapped the ground, and his figure swept out like a phantom, flying over thirty feet away in just two steps.
Before he even landed, Shen Xiuhan twisted his hips, his longsword drawing a cold arc as its tip pointed directly at the spot where he had just been standing.
His cultivation had already reached the mid-stage Anjin Rank, and with his Tinggong acupoint fully opened, his hearing was so sharp that even falling leaves or flying insects within dozens of feet could not escape his perception.
Yet, this newcomer had managed to sneak up behind him completely unnoticed. He hadn't sensed even a shred of another living presence before the person spoke!
This meant...
With the other party's cultivation, if they had harbored ill intent...
He would probably be dead by now.
Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath and stared ahead, but when he clearly saw the person's appearance, his gaze froze.
Because...
this person was simply too handsome!
Shen Xiuhan himself was already quite striking.
Particularly after mastering the Mingjin Rank, his posture was as upright as a pine and his features were sharply defined. Walking down the street, he often drew the sidelong glances of young ladies and married women alike, and matchmakers came to his door every other day.
Among the men he had met:
Xiao Wu's appearance was domineering yet heroic, like an unsheathed blade.
Ji Ning had a youthful face but a cold temperament, like deep, icy water.
Even Wen Beng from Changshui County possessed a fine set of features, gentle as jade, looking every bit the noble young master.
But compared to the man before him, they all paled in comparison.
The young man in the courtyard looked to be no more than twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, dressed in a spotless, moon-white long robe.
His brows were like distant mountains, his eyes like bright stars, his nose straight, and a faint curve rested on his lips—neither overly warm nor distant.
He stood casually in the courtyard, his sleeves perfectly still, looking completely composed, yet carrying the ethereal grace of a banished immortal.
At this moment, seeing Shen Xiuhan on high alert and tense as a coiled spring, the young man could not help but clap his hands and chuckle, his voice as clear and melodious as jade:
“There is no need to be so skittish, little brother... Your reaction reminds me of a pet cat my younger sister raised when she was a child. Usually quiet, but easily startled like this whenever it suddenly ran into a stranger.”
A pet cat?
Shen Xiuhan's lips twitched. What kind of bizarre comparison was that?
Comparing him to a cat?
But in a flash of realization, a spark of inspiration struck his mind, and his body shuddered!
Superb cultivation, a younger sister, and arriving at his home without any warning...
All the clues lined up!
Shen Xiuhan's breathing quickened slightly. Suppressing the killing intent on his blade, he asked tentatively,
“You are...”
The young man did not answer. He walked calmly to the blue stone table in the courtyard, lifted his robe, and sat down leisurely. Only then did he look up at him with a smile and say,
“You sent me a letter yourself, yet now you ask who I am?”
It really was him!
Chief Disciple Zuo of the Star-Plucking Sect!
A Huajin Rank expert!
Shen Xiuhan hearing this, his pupils dilated slightly, and his heart pounded wildly.
He had thought that after receiving the secret letter, the other party would at most reply to confirm and plan, and perhaps he would have to make a trip to the Star-Plucking Sect himself.
But he had never expected this man to simply show up in person!
Calculating the time...
The other party must have set off immediately upon receiving the letter, traveling day and night to reach Changyun County.
At this thought, Shen Xiuhan sheathed Hanlin, adjusted his clothes, and cupped his hands in a respectful salute.
“I am Shen Xiuhan. Greetings, Senior. I had only heard of you by chance before and have never seen you, so I failed to recognize you at first...”
“No need to call me senior,” the young man waved his hand casually.
Then, Shen Xiuhan witnessed an incredible sight!
The young man raised his hand, and with a soft clack, his empty, pale palm suddenly produced something out of thin air.
A white jade wine pot and two exquisite wine cups appeared out of nowhere on the blue stone table, as if by magic!
'This is...'
'A storage treasure!'
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