Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 36

When the food was finally served, all ten waiters came out at once and brought the dishes to all the customers. Lu Wei opened his eyes and found that there was an extra roast chicken and a pot of cloudy wine among the dishes that were served.

"This is a New Year's gift from our owner to the tavern's guests. Please enjoy!"

Without Lu Wei having to ask, the waiter proactively explained with a smile.

"Thank you, please give my New Year's greetings to your boss."

Lu Wei turned his head to look down from the railing at the first floor and saw that the savages had also each received roast chicken and turbid wine, which caused a stir.

These people were just looking for a place to shelter from the night wind because it was cold outside. They never expected to have free food and wine to enjoy. They immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly towards the kitchen, not even knowing where the owner was.

The wanderer on the second floor had some money, but he was still amazed by the tavern owner's generosity and felt a sense of goodwill towards him.

"The owner of this place must be extraordinary; I should make his acquaintance!"

Thinking this, Lu Wei poured himself a cup of turbid wine, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Then he took out his Six-Star Bead Grass from his pocket and hung it on his chest.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the first floor returned to calm. A middle-aged man in his thirties, followed by a young waiter, carrying a wooden tray with a wine pot and wine cups on it, walked out of the kitchen and went straight to the center of the first floor.

This immediately attracted the attention of some people.

Seeing that he was dressed in hemp clothing, unlike Xu Qiu who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, but with a chivalrous spirit emanating from within, Lu Wei guessed that he was the owner of this place.

"Everyone~"

The middle-aged man clapped his hands, and the tavern fell silent; all eyes turned to him.

The waiter poured a large glass of wine and placed it on the middle-aged man's right.

"I am Lü Qing, the owner of this tavern, and beside me is my son Lü Chen."

A commotion arose again on the first floor, and many patrons on the second floor also stood up, holding onto the railing, and looked down at the first floor.

"Please be quiet, please be quiet!"

Lu Qing's voice was bold and generous, carrying a hint of laughter, quite unlike the gentle, amicable manner of a businessman. He opened his arms and pressed his palms down, instantly calming the agitation.

"It is fate that we have all gathered here on this special night."

"I, Mr. Lü, have nothing but some surplus gold and silver. This small New Year's gift is a token of my gratitude for everyone's support."

"I offer this cup of wine to you all!"

He took the wine glass in his right hand, drank it all in one gulp, then raised the glass high, turned around, and showed it to everyone.

"Respectfully, Mr. Lü!"

Whether they were savages or wandering knights on the first or second floor, they all raised their wine cups and took a big gulp.

Outside the tavern, snowflakes began to fall, but inside, there was no chill in the air...

Chapter 50 Mountain Bandits

Generosity, sociability, and a strong sense of loyalty were hallmarks of chivalrous figures during the Qin and Han dynasties.

Although the Lü father and son run this tavern, they have a chivalrous spirit and are probably people from the martial arts world.

After the group drinks on the first floor, Lü Qing went up to the second floor, where she chatted with the guests, clinked glasses, and laughed together.

Other patrons around them occasionally joined in the conversation loudly, but they did not get up from their seats. They were waiting for Ms. Lü to offer them a toast, as was the custom.

When the Lü father and son walked to Lu Wei's table, Lü Qing's right hand, which was holding a wine cup, trembled slightly when he saw the six-star pearl grass. Looking at the overly young face of the pearl grass's owner, he hesitated again.

In farming families, the term "six-star pearl grass" generally signifies the position of the head steward, or the second-in-command within the household.

Some disciples have made extremely high contributions, and when the evaluation within a certain hall is that their status should exceed that of a five-star pearl grass, they will be awarded a six-star pearl grass as a sign of honor, but their authority will certainly not be as great as that of the head steward.

Having run his business in the town for many years, and with farmhouses operating there, Lü Qing naturally understood the local customs and traditions.

He had never even heard of a high-ranking member of the Six-Star Pearl Grass sect at such an advanced age, let alone seen one.

The town's farm steward had only brought three-star pearl grass.

Could it be that this young boy was just decorating it casually for fun because he didn't know any better?

Judging from the fine iron sword, it was not something an ordinary person could wield. Then Lü Qing recalled the intelligence he knew; it seemed the Farmer's Clan would indeed be sending people from headquarters to the town recently...

Forget it, it's better to believe it's true than to act rashly. If it's fake, I'll find out the truth myself before capturing the boy and handing him over to the farmer.

Thinking of this, Lü Qing bowed slightly: "I was unaware that an esteemed person had come here. I have been truly negligent!"

"Please follow my son into the back hall first, and after I have dealt with the matters here, I will apologize to you. Is that alright?"

"Hmm," Lu Wei had no idea how many thoughts were running through Lü Qing's mind. He had just discovered that both father and son had extraordinary internal strength, especially the son Lü Chen, whose level was almost the same as Lu Yu's. Judging from his similar age to his own, this son was either exceptionally talented or had also cultivated profound internal energy techniques.

This level is high enough to make them my 'friends', and I can consider becoming acquainted with them!

The patrons on the second floor were all astonished to see Lü Qing being so respectful to a young man. They couldn't help but look at Lu Wei as well, the six-star pearl grass becoming increasingly conspicuous.

Lu Wei had been watched by thousands of disciples on the martial arts stage at the Autumn Harvest Gathering, including the five hall masters and the chivalrous leader who was secretly spying. The attention he received at the tavern was nothing. He calmly followed Lü Chen downstairs and into the kitchen, carrying his fine iron sword.

The commotion on the second floor was no longer his concern.

Leaving the tavern through a side door in the back kitchen, you'll find an inn right next door. Judging from Lü Chen's practiced door-opening movements, this inn should also be owned by the Lü family.

With a tavern and an inn, the Lü family was undoubtedly a local powerful clan.

"Please wait here in peace, sir. I will go and serve you some tea."

Lü Chen led him to an elegant superior room, lit the candles in the room, respectfully invited Lu Wei to sit down, and then retreated in small steps to leave.

Before long, he presented two plates of exquisite snacks and a pot of 'Jade Top Spring' tea to Lu Wei.

Yu Ding Chun is a famous tea from the State of Qi, and Lieshantang has planted a lot of it. It is rare to find it in a small town like this.

I took a sip of the tea; compared to what I drink when I work in the farmhouse, the flavor is somewhat inferior. But it's still acceptable.

After twelve years of hardship, his luck turned around in less than three years, and he was not so easily corrupted and unable to return to 'frugality'.

He casually chatted with Lü Chen for a few minutes and learned that the Lü father and son were locals who had earned their tavern and inn through their own hard work and were known for their generosity and kindness, which earned them a good reputation.

As for the internal energy cultivation techniques he possessed, it was a secret manual that Lü Qing was taught after receiving a drunken wandering swordsman a few years ago.

After some time, Lü Qing rushed over and saw his only son chatting happily with this person who seemed to be an important figure. He chuckled and entered the room. After exchanging a few words, he got to the point:

"May I ask which branch of the Farmer's Clan you are the head steward of, young hero?"

"I am Lu Wei, the head steward of Gonggong Hall. I forgot to inform Boss Lü of my name; how rude of me!"

Lu Wei seemed to realize something belatedly, patted his forehead, and laughed.

"Oh, so you belong to the Gonggong Hall, young hero."

Seeing the other party's unpretentious attitude and his extensive knowledge in conversation, Lü Qing immediately chose to believe him.

As a local tycoon, he only knew the names of the six branches of the Farmer's Family, but who the higher-ups were was beyond his knowledge.

"Did Steward Lu come to Zhuangshan Town because of the disappearance of the farmers' transport team?"

Lü Qing has the desire to improve herself.

Venturing into the world of martial arts was a life that the Lü family had always longed for.

After initially confirming Lu Wei's identity, he immediately spoke based on the information he possessed.

"Oh?" Lu Wei keenly sensed that his heart skipped a beat after Lü Qing said those words.

He slowly turned the lid of his teacup: "Mr. Lü has a surprise for me?"

"Exactly!" Seeing that the other party did not deny it, Lü Qing immediately straightened his back: "This was done by the bandits of Zhuangshan!"

"Thieves from Zhuangshan?"

Zhuangshan Town gets its name from Zhuangshan Mountain, which it is backed by. The so-called Zhuangshan bandits, judging from the name alone, should refer to the bandits who occupied Zhuangshan Mountain.

Lu Wei also sat up straight: "Mr. Lü, could you please elaborate?"

"Naturally, I learned of this information because I wanted to help the farmers." Lü Qing organized his words:

"I learned this information by bribing a junior officer among the Zhuangshan bandits: In recent months, under the instructions of their leader Zhuang Jia, the Zhuangshan bandits have been specifically targeting farmers' transport teams."

"According to that junior officer, the lower-level thieves are very worried about going against the farmers."

"But the merchant seemed to have other plans. He claimed that such behavior would not only not bring disaster, but would also bring great wealth to everyone."

Lu Wei, nicknamed "Great Wealth," tapped the fine iron sword on the table lightly with his index finger. Instead of showing any anger, he laughed and asked, "Does Boss Lü know about Zhuang Jia's background?"

“Of course, everyone in Zhuangshan Town knows Zhuang Jia,” Lü Qing said solemnly. “This man is a born villain!”

“He was originally a smuggler from out of town. Twenty years ago, when he was traveling through Zhuangshan Town, his followers were killed, his goods were stolen, and his face was disfigured by several thugs.”

“A kind-hearted person in town took pity on him and took him home to recuperate for three days. Unexpectedly, after the farmer’s injuries improved, he used a kitchen knife to kill his benefactor’s entire family of seven, claiming, ‘I have no way to repay your great kindness, so I can only send you to end your suffering as soon as possible.’”

"It was a bloody morning. The surrounding families were so frightened by the villain's actions that no one reported it to the authorities. They watched helplessly as Zhuang Jia carried the family's remaining food and left the town."

"Later, Zhuang Jia hid in the dense forests of Zhuang Mountain, and would occasionally come down the mountain to kill people and rob grain, becoming extremely rampant."

"What's even more hateful is that this villain was just an ordinary person at first, but somehow he actually obtained a martial arts technique and started practicing martial arts. After mastering his martial arts, he became extremely arrogant, killing several righteous knights and recruiting villains from nearby towns to officially establish the Zhuangshan Bandit Organization!"

"Mastery of martial arts?" Lu Wei frowned slightly. He had paid particular attention to this phrase during the story he had just heard.

"It was his own claim that about two years ago, Zhuang Jia single-handedly defeated four heroes and dug out their hearts, shouting to the heavens that he had achieved 'great success'."

Lu Qing's brows furrowed with disdain; he loathed Zhuang Jia.

“Such a thief…” Lu Wei initially wanted to ask if the government was doing nothing about it, but then he thought that if they could control him, how could this official still be so rampant? So he changed his question: “How does this thief’s skill compare to yours, father and son?”

Lu Qing and Lu Chen were taken aback. They exchanged a glance, and Lu Qing honestly said, "Even if we join forces, we can probably only last fifteen moves against that villain at most."

"Is he that strong?" Lu Wei quickly assessed whether he could beat him.

Zhuang Jia, this name never appeared in the story again; it's unclear whether he was just a nobody or simply hadn't had his turn to appear...

Based on what Lü Qing said, Lu Wei estimated that the assassins from the Luo Wang network, which he was more familiar with, were at least at the 'killer' level.

It's a pity I was so overconfident and didn't bring Lu Ni along this time, otherwise, why would I have to be so timid and hesitant...

Chapter 51 Two Tigers Fighting

This enemy sounds like a formidable opponent, and is also exceptionally ruthless. A slight misstep could put my life in danger.

From a rational perspective, in life-or-death situations, Lu Wei still prefers to bully opponents who are weaker than himself.

But since I've already come all this way, if I don't actually go and see the situation for myself and just slink back because of a few words from Lü Qing, I'm afraid I'll lose all my prestige and it won't be good for my progress in martial arts.