Chapter 281 - 173: Hidden Sword Manor, Martial World Assembly, Plum Blossoms in the Snow

Chapter 281: Chapter 173: Hidden Sword Manor, Martial World Assembly, Plum Blossoms in the Snow

How exciting.

"Let me tell you..."

Just as Zheng Xiu was about to recount the classic tale of "white meat," the young boy arrived with a tray.

"Hot tea! Ginger soup! Braised meat! Here you go! Enjoy your meal, esteemed guests!"

"Hold on," Xie Luohe said with a smile, gently placing two copper coins on the table. "I’d like to ask about the latest news. Tell me whatever you’ve heard recently."

The boy excitedly scooped up the two copper coins and quickly recounted two pieces of news.

First, bandits were causing trouble up north. Marauders from who-knows-where had plundered several villages, and some Survivors were fleeing south.

Second, many martial artists from the Jianghu, all wielding weapons, had recently been seen riding fast horses north along this very road. None of them looked like people you’d want to cross.

Xie Luohe placed another two copper coins on the table.

The boy gulped and shared one more piece of information.

Ten days ago, a squad of heavily armored soldiers from the Daqian Army had hurried north without stopping at the teahouse.

Xie Luohe: "Is that all?"

The boy shook his head nervously. "That’s all."

Xie Luohe smiled. "Bring us another pot of tea."

The boy froze.

Xie Luohe explained, "The tea is cold. And bring a clean pair of chopsticks."

"Right away!"

Clutching the copper coins, the boy went back inside, overjoyed, to get a new pot.

Xiaotao was starving, but since the Young Lady and Young Master hadn’t touched their chopsticks, she didn’t dare to either. She stared eagerly at the chopsticks and braised meat, her mouth watering at the smell of the ginger soup as she audibly swallowed.

Soon, another pot of hot tea was served, its spout hissing with steam.

"Pretty lady, here are the chopsticks you asked for. I promise they’re washed extra clean!"

He was implying that he thought Xie Luohe had found the first pair of chopsticks dirty.

"Is that so."

Xie Luohe held up the two chopsticks, waving them in front of the boy’s face. She smiled and asked, "What are these?"

The boy paused. "Chopsticks. Clean chopsticks."

With a flick of her wrist,

SWISH.

The two chopsticks shot down, pierced through both of the boy’s feet, and pinned them to the floorboards.

The boy looked down, staring blankly at the tips of the chopsticks protruding from his feet. He even wiggled his toes, thinking it was an illusion.

"AHHHHHHH—"

It wasn’t until ten seconds later that the boy let out a bloodcurdling scream and tried to collapse. But with both feet pinned by the chopsticks, his instinctive attempt to roll on the ground sent a jolt of pain so intense it made him break out in a sweat.

"I won’t do it again! I won’t! I won’t!"

The boy wailed, and his horrifying screams made Xiaotao’s face turn white.

Zheng Xiu let out a soft sigh. He shifted his stool and covered Xiaotao’s eyes, saying, "Children shouldn’t watch this."

"My son!"

The woman suddenly pulled a gleaming knife from behind the counter, wailing as she prepared to charge. "He’s just a child!"

Xie Luohe calmly sipped her hot tea, her other hand casually picking up two more chopsticks.

But unexpectedly, the man slapped the woman to the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she tumbled into a corner. The man then dropped to his knees with a heavy THUD before Xie Luohe, banging his head repeatedly on the floor. "Spare us, my lady!" he shouted. "My family was blind and failed to recognize our betters! I beg you three heroes, please spare my family!"

Xie Luohe drained the scalding tea from her cup and raised the chopsticks.

The man’s face went ashen.

Zheng Xiu sighed softly. "Let it go, Luohe."

Xie Luohe’s hand, chopsticks raised, paused. She turned to Zheng Xiu, a sly smile on her face. "What did you just call me?"

"Luohe. Xie Luohe."

"Heh. Admitting defeat, are you?"

Zheng Xiu spread his hands. "Fine, kill them then."

Xie Luohe lowered the chopsticks. "Now I don’t want to."

With that, she slapped her right palm on the table. The chopsticks pinning the boy’s feet instantly shot upward, pierced through the roof, and vanished.

This display of effortless power terrified the man and woman. They had never seen such incredible skill before.

"If you get him treatment right away, there won’t be any permanent damage to his bones or muscles. But if I ever hear of you doing this again, I will kill you without mercy."

Sobbing, the man promised over and over, "We won’t! We’ll never dare again!"

He then picked up the boy, and he and the woman scrambled out of the teahouse in a desperate tumble.

After the family fled, Xie Luohe calmly poured herself another cup of hot tea.

Zheng Xiu uncovered Xiaotao’s eyes and asked in surprise, "Isn’t the tea poisoned?"

"Not poison, just a mere Sedative," Xie Luohe said, downing another cup with a smile. "It’s actually quite sweet."

"Then..." Zheng Xiu gestured toward the ginger soup and braised meat.

Xie Luohe ignored Zheng Xiu and turned to the still-shaken Xiaotao. "They only put the drug in the tea. The ginger soup and braised meat are fine. Go ahead and eat."

Zheng Xiu asked, puzzled, "Is this meat really okay to eat?"

Xie Luohe snorted with laughter. "Don’t tell me you actually thought this was human flesh?"

Zheng Xiu replied, "Isn’t it?"

Xiaotao, who had just picked up a slice, turned pale upon hearing their exchange. She gagged, and the piece of meat fell from her chopsticks onto the table.

Xie Luohe slapped the table, laughing so hard she shook. "You can’t even tell the difference? That dream of yours must have made you stupid. There aren’t that many people who’d dare to serve ’white meat’."

Zheng Xiu picked up a slice and stuffed it in his mouth, trying to hide his embarrassment at being mocked by Xie Luohe.

With only the three of them left, the teahouse was much quieter. Once they had nearly finished their meal, Xie Luohe asked curiously how Zheng Xiu had known something was wrong with the place.

"The tracks," Zheng Xiu said, picking his teeth after his satisfying meal. He explained with a smile, "There were a lot of footprints and hoofprints in front of the teahouse, but there were far more tracks leading in than leading out. I figured something was wrong."

Xiaotao’s eyes lit up when she heard this, and she clapped her hands enthusiastically. "You’re amazing, Young Master!"

Xie Luohe got up to inspect the teahouse’s interior. She found a small, windowless room containing a stove and dry firewood. After listening for a moment, she said:

"It’s going to snow again soon. They won’t dare to come back, so we’ll spend the night here."

「Nightfall.」

Sure enough, just as Xie Luohe had predicted, a heavy snow began to fall shortly after dark.

’Her hearing is unreal,’ Zheng Xiu thought, finding it all rather absurd.

He went outside and led the two horses into the teahouse, tying their reins securely to a Pillar. He found a few bundles of hay outside and piled it under the "two little cuties" to keep them from freezing to death. After settling the horses, he returned to the inner room to find that Xiaotao had already taken three thick blankets from their luggage and arranged them neatly around the stove.