Chapter 38: Scholars At First Sight

Chapter 38: Scholars – An Instant Connection

Backyard.

"Sect Master, is that Little Doctor your beloved?" Li Fuzhou asked with a strange expression.

"Yes," Zhao Qingmei replied concisely, with few words.

Li Fuzhou slowly said, "If the Sect Master were not married, then I, Li, would definitely offer a death-defying remonstrance. But since this matter is already set in stone, anything I say now would be meaningless."

"However, there are some things I still need to say as a warning."

Zhao Qingmei said indifferently, "Speak freely."

She had long been prepared for Li Fuzhou's lecture.

Li Fuzhou slowly said, "Sect Master, this Little Doctor is just an ordinary person, while you are the Lord of Beyond the Heavens, the head of the Three Sects of Heaven, Earth and Man. Not to mention external enemies, will the internal Three Sects agree to this marriage? You should know the Earth Sect Leader's thoughts. If the Three Sects of Heaven, Earth and Man develop cracks and cannot be of one mind, it will undoubtedly be a huge crisis for the Demonic Sect."

"Furthermore, there are external enemies all around. The situation in Great Yan now seems as calm as water, but internally, it has been peaceful for decades, and there could be turmoil at any time. This is a rare opportunity. Will he become a hindrance to you, and thus a hindrance to the Demonic Sect?"

"Everything you said, I already know," Zhao Qingmei said indifferently, with her hands behind her back. "Sect Leader Li, don't forget, I am the Lord of Beyond the Heavens, and the Earth Sect is merely a branch of Beyond the Heavens. It's not his place to dictate to me. If he insists on dictating, what meaning does the Heaven Sect hold for me?"

Zhao Qingmei's words were very calm, but they carried an undeniable authority.

Li Fuzhou didn't speak, as if he wasn't surprised by Zhao Qingmei saying such words.

"The sword in hand is the sword in hand, Li Fuzhou, do you understand?" Zhao Qingmei turned to look at Li Fuzhou.

"The Dao of a gentleman is like traveling far, one must start from near; like ascending high, one must start from low. Your subordinate understands." Li Fuzhou looked into her eyes, then bowed and said, "However, that Little Doctor is powerless. If someone wanted to…"

"That's why you've come at just the right time." Zhao Qingmei's lips curved into a smile.

"Sect Master, do you mean for me to…?" Li Fuzhou's brow furrowed slightly.

Who was he?

The Human Sect Leader of Beyond the Heavens, someone even ghosts feared within the Demonic Sect.

A figure similar to the Seal-Holding Eunuch, one of the three chief eunuchs under the Great Yan Emperor, was he actually going to protect a Little Doctor?

"Exactly," Zhao Qingmei nodded. "Third Master, I'll trouble you."

"Alright." Li Fuzhou heard Zhao Qingmei say this and could only agree. Then, as if he remembered something, he asked, "When I came to Yu Prefecture, I heard there was a Peerless Swordsman in Yu Prefecture City, rumored to be a master of our Demonic Sect…?"

The Cao Gang was a top-tier gang in Great Yan. The killing of Tie Yunshan, one of the Seven Vajra, and the subsequent bloodbath of their entire city's main branch, was a huge matter. He had heard many rumors along the way.

Furthermore, as the Human Sect Leader, he was always the first to hear news from the Jianghu.

Such a master had appeared within the Sect, and he hadn't known.

Zhao Qingmei said indifferently, "This person is not a member of our Demonic Sect. The Cao Gang must be trying to confuse the public, using others to deal with this Swordsman."

"The Cao Gang is truly bold. If the Swordsman truly were a member of our Demonic Sect, they would be openly provoking us. It seems our Demonic Sect's prestige has gradually faded after being absent from Great Yan for so long."

Li Fuzhou chuckled softly. "When I arrived, I heard that the Western Pure Land's Leiyin Temple is also making moves, seemingly heading to Faxi Temple. This Jiangnan Province is really quite lively."

"Buddhist people? They're finally making a move?" Zhao Qingmei said in a deep voice.

"Exactly," Li Fuzhou said with emotion. "The Pure Land has long wanted to return to Great Yan; this is no secret. They first need to get past the Zhenyi Sect, the national religion of Great Yan, so we don't need to worry. After all, the more chaotic the waters, the better it is for our Demonic Sect. What I'm curious about is the true identity of this Swordsman."

The Western Pure Land, said to have three thousand Buddhist kingdoms, contained countless Buddhist Sect Masters.

The Zhenyi Sect, since the Taiping Emperor ascended the throne, had become the national religion of Great Yan, with its prestige at its peak, making it the number one Sect in the world today.

Although the two sides did not have a blood feud or an irreconcilable conflict, there were many grudges and no small amount of friction between them.

Zhao Qingmei gently tapped the table and said, "According to my guess, this person is very likely that one from the Ghost Valley Sword Sect."

"That old fellow from the Ghost Valley Sword Sect?" Li Fuzhou's eyes narrowed into slits. "Didn't he go into seclusion to seek the Dao and no longer concern himself with Jianghu matters?"

Zhao Qingmei nodded slightly. "This person used the Hundred Steps Flying Sword when he massacred the Cao Gang, and he also rescued Jiang Sanjia, causing my plan to fail…"

"That old monster from the Ghost Valley Sword Sect hasn't made a move in decades. As the saying goes, 'To have friends come from afar, is this not a joy?'"

Li Fuzhou's eyes held a hint of anticipation.

The Yuzhou River was picturesque, with carriages and horses bustling across the ancient bridge, flowing endlessly.

Shops lined both sides of the street, in neat rows.

After lunch, Zhao Qingmei and Tan Yun went out to buy some fabric.

An Jing, meanwhile, saw patients, and Li Fuzhou was responsible for dispensing medicine according to An Jing's prescriptions.

He was meticulous and serious in his work, and the dosages were precise.

"Your handwriting is too sloppy. You need to be more serious. This matter cannot be taken lightly."

Li Fuzhou said sternly, looking at the handwriting.

Old man, what do you know?

"Got it."

An Jing agreed readily, but his handwriting remained very sloppy.

Seeing this, Li Fuzhou immediately felt that this Little Doctor was becoming more and more displeasing to his eyes, treating him with such contempt.

And serious, rigid, old-fashioned, and cunning—these were An Jing's impressions of Li Fuzhou.

For an entire morning, apart from that one sentence, the two barely spoke another word.

"Oh my, my back is going to break."

An Jing stretched lazily. "Third Master, some of the herbs in the back room can be dried. I'll leave them to you."

"Understood."

Li Fuzhou heard An Jing's words, put down the book in his hand, and walked towards the backyard.

An Jing nodded in satisfaction, then patted Xiao Heizi: "Little fellow, you seem to have been quite well-behaved this morning."

Li Fuzhou, who was walking away, heard this and his face darkened.

Bastard!

Those words were definitely a veiled insult.

"Oh, Little Doctor An, are you here alone?" Just then, Zhou Xianming walked in, glancing around the back hall, seemingly looking for something.

"Who are you looking for?" An Jing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Don't tell me you're here to work like an ox or a horse again?"

"No, I just came to look, just to look." Zhou Xianming chuckled twice. "I've been studying hard at home day and night recently, so I came out for a walk… Ah-choo!"

As he was speaking, Zhou Xianming sneezed, and snot ran out of his nose.

"You really caught a cold, didn't you?" An Jing looked closely and said, "It's changing seasons recently, you need to keep warm."

With his medical skills, he could naturally tell that Zhou Xianming had caught a cold.

"The wind on the boat was strong. I accidentally caught some cold wind last night, but it's nothing." Zhou Xianming wiped his nose with his sleeve and laughed.

"Strong wind on the boat?" A hint of doubt appeared in An Jing's eyes.

Zhou Xianming seemed to realize he had let something slip and quickly said, "I've been diligently studying at home for several days and haven't gone to cheer for Miss Li Yue. I was afraid she'd worry, so I went to the Red Pavilion last night. At that time, Young Master Mingfei had reserved the entire Red Pavilion pleasure boat, so I could only wait outside."

"How long did you wait?"

"Not long, less than two hours."

"That's not long? You just waited there?"

An Jing could imagine the scene: Young Master Mingfei and Li Yue intimately entwined on the pleasure boat, while Zhou Xianming stood alone outside the boat, listening and standing guard.

Truly, it was enough to make the listener sad and the hearer weep…

Zhou Xianming sighed and said, "You don't understand. Young Master Mingfei goes there often and is very generous. The madam, for the sake of money, certainly wouldn't want to offend such a big customer, forcing Miss Li Yue to accompany him for so long. She had no choice. I only regret that I don't have the money to buy her freedom."

"Actually, how could Miss Li Yue, being so proud, be willing to accompany such an unlearned, pampered young man?"

"She must have suffered last night."

An Jing looked at this, paused for a moment, and said in surprise, "Brother Zhou, it's clearly you who was frozen like a grandson…"

At this moment, Zhou Xianming showed An Jing what it meant to be a 'battle wolf'.

"Although my body is cold, my heart is warm. Forget it, you're just a vulgar person. I, Zhou, won't waste any more time with you." Zhou Xianming felt that An Jing and he were not on the same wavelength. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed a book on the table. "Oh? Do you read this 'Strategies' too?"

"No, I use it to wipe my butt."

An Jing glanced at it. This was clearly the book Li Fuzhou had put down.

"An insult to scholars!" Zhou Xianming immediately glared angrily upon hearing this.

"That's my book, how dare you!" Just then, Li Fuzhou walked out, picked up the 'Strategies' from the table, and looked coldly at An Jing.

"Oh, it's the old gentleman's book. My apologies." Zhou Xianming saw Li Fuzhou's attire and quickly bowed. "I was wondering, Little Doctor An doesn't usually like reading books, so how would he have 'Strategies' at home?"

Li Fuzhou raised his head and said indifferently, "Such profound books are not something ordinary people can understand. He doesn't count. But you, young man, do have some discerning eyes."

"I usually enjoy studying 'Strategies'. Since the old gentleman is so fond of this 'Strategies', he must also be a man of refined tastes."

"Oh? You, young man, do have some insight. I, too, am very fond of it. Whenever I read its sentences, my heart suddenly opens up, and I can't help myself."

"Especially that line…"

The two chatted more and more happily. Zhou Xianming grew increasingly admiring of Li Fuzhou, feeling a sense of meeting a kindred spirit too late, while Li Fuzhou also became more and more satisfied with Zhou Xianming.

An Jing looked at the two coldly, never expecting his words to come true.

Weren't they just flattering each other and fawning over each other… Truly disgusting.

Unbeknownst to them, the two had already become close friends despite their age difference, feeling like a musical genius meeting his soulmate.

Zhou Xianming enthusiastically laughed, "Old Mr. Li, we hit it off instantly. How about we go to the Brothel to listen to music tonight?"

Zhou Xianming must be crazy, inviting this rigid, pedantic old man to a Brothel to listen to music? An Jing secretly grumbled in his heart.

But the next scene made An Jing's jaw drop.

"Go to the Brothel to listen to music!?" Li Fuzhou clapped his hands and laughed, "Good! It's been a long time since I've been."

"When was the last time you went, Old Mr. Li?"

"Two days ago."

"Two days? That certainly is a long time. I don't have much money on me. I originally planned to borrow some from Madam An this time and repay it later when I have money."

"No matter, I still have some on me."

The two walked out of Ji Shi Clinic, chatting and laughing, leaving behind a bewildered An Jing.

Got any tickets, brothers?