Chapter 287 - 175: Iron Fan, a Beast?

Chapter 287: Chapter 175: Iron Fan, a Beast?

Eventually, he got used to it. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he’d grown numb.

One night, Xiaotao even rolled over in her sleep and began mumbling.

She said things like, "Miss, Xiaotao wants to go home," and, "Young Master, please don’t!" Who knew what sort of strange things she was dreaming about.

At the foot of Hidden Sword Mountain lay a small town. As the first day of the third month drew near, the town filled with Jianghu Knights bearing swords and sabers.

However, most of these Jianghu Knights had received a Heroic Invitation and were here by official summons. Even if they had ulterior motives, they wouldn’t stir up trouble and jeopardize the main event with the first of the third month so close.

"What’s your plan?"

「The twenty-ninth of the second month.」

The three of them sat in a corner of the restaurant, waiting for their food.

Xie Luohe propped her chin on her hand, utterly bored. Her eyes were half-lidded as she stared out the window at the tender green buds sprouting from a withered willow tree.

Relations between Zheng Xiu and Xie Luohe had been awkward lately, and they barely spoke. But with the first of the third month only two days away, Zheng Xiu risked her ridicule and broke the silence.

Xie Luohe shifted her gaze from the willow buds, a wide grin on her face. She countered, "What do *you* think?"

Xie Luohe’s attitude suddenly made Zheng Xiu feel as if they were children again, playing a game of ’whoever speaks first loses’.

Xie Luohe was clearly enjoying herself, her eyes glinting with a hint of triumph.

’It was as if by speaking first, Zheng Xiu had taken one small step that was, in fact, a giant leap in their little contest. She, Xie Luohe, had won a major tactical victory.’

Grumbling internally, Zheng Xiu scanned his surroundings.

The restaurant was full of people in strange and outlandish outfits. Every one of them had a menacing glint in their eyes, and they clearly weren’t to be trifled with. Every now and then, someone would glance their way.

Sensing the strange looks from all around, Zheng Xiu reached under the table and gave Xiaotao’s thigh a friendly pat, trying to tell her not to be nervous. But the pat seemed to flip a switch in Xiaotao, and she began to tremble even more violently.

Nervous.

Martial Artists would normally stand out in a common marketplace. But with the Martial Arts Tournament about to begin, the area was flooded with them. As a result, it was the dispositions of Zheng Xiu and Xiaotao that seemed out of place, making them stick out like a sore thumb.

"What do *you* think?"

Xie Luohe asked again.

Zheng Xiu said, "You’ll dutifully participate in the Martial Arts Tournament, easily make it into the top ten with your skills, and then you and the other nine will gather around my grandfather’s calligraphy in a perfectly harmonious atmosphere. You’ll all amiably discuss the scroll’s hidden secrets and the marked location of Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault. Afterward, you’ll all have a nice dinner, wake up the next morning, and agree to team up and go run a dungeon together..."

Zheng Xiu’s rant grew more and more absurd. He finally trailed off under Xie Luohe’s gaze—one that was both amused and curious about what "running a dungeon" meant. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Alright, fine. I don’t believe for a second that someone with your personality would be so well-behaved. Please, Miss Xie, Patriarch Xie, Bandit Xie, Granny Xie, just give me a straight answer. Are you planning to just take it by force?"

In truth, Zheng Xiu had suspected on the way here that Xie Luohe was just planning to wait for the Four Seasons Map to appear and then take it by force. But for Xiaotao’s sake, he’d phrased his words carefully, giving Xie Luohe some leeway.

"You guessed wrong."

Xie Luohe held up a single index finger, wagging it back and forth in front of Zheng Xiu’s face. "I’m going to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament."

"Right, so for the part where you take it by force, do you have a plan... huh? What did you just say?" Zheng Xiu thought he’d misheard.

Xiaotao, thinking her Young Master truly hadn’t heard, kindly repeated her mistress’s words. "My lady said she’s going to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament."

"Are you sure?"

The word "disbelief" was written all over Zheng Xiu’s face.

’Like hell I believe you.’

"Of course," Xie Luohe confirmed.

"Then what about us?"

"You’ll find out when the day comes," Xie Luohe answered mysteriously.

Zheng Xiu felt helpless. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that as the bandit chief of Yunhe Village, if Xie Luohe wasn’t planning on robbing someone, she wasn’t being herself.

He waited patiently until the first day of the third month.

Early the next morning, before dawn, a long arrow shot through the headboard right above Zheng Xiu, waking him as punctually as an alarm clock with a sharp THWACK.

Zheng Xiu, long accustomed to Xie Luohe’s unpredictable, pop-out-of-nowhere arrows, calmly got out of bed and dressed. He hadn’t even reached the door when Xie Luohe struck it from the outside, shattering the latch with a palm strike and slipping inside.

Zheng Xiu was about to protest that it was improper for a man and woman to be alone in a room together, but Xie Luohe gave him no chance to complain, tossing a gilt-edged invitation onto his bed.

It was a Heroic Invitation.

"I’m heading up the mountain first. You and Xiaotao can follow together later. Once you’re up there, if you see me, just pretend you don’t know me."

Zheng Xiu opened his mouth.

Xie Luohe took a few steps forward and, with the gentleness of a young bride, straightened his collar.

Zheng Xiu was so startled by her sudden gesture that he didn’t dare move a muscle. He was afraid that any sudden movement would prompt her to pull out her bow and start shooting arrows everywhere.

"See? Feng Bei wouldn’t do this for you, but I will." Xie Luohe gave Zheng Xiu a playful wink, patted his collar, and said, "You’re a smart man, so I don’t need to explain everything. I’m sure you’ll understand once you look at the Heroic Invitation. Just go on up the mountain with confidence. Don’t worry about a thing. As for the Martial Arts Tournament... I think it’s best you stay out of it."

Having said her piece, Xie Luohe took the mask Zheng Xiu had given her from her waist and put it on.

This morning, Xie Luohe was like a gust of wind, arriving in a flash and vanishing even faster.

Puzzled, Zheng Xiu picked up the Heroic Invitation from the bed. He flipped it over and immediately understood. This wasn’t the same one Xie Luohe had shown him before.

This invitation’s wax seal was intact; it had never been opened.

He turned it back to the front. The name written in the "recipient" field on the envelope left him stunned. Now he fully understood Xie Luohe’s plan.

"Xiao Buping???"

...

The sky had not yet brightened. One by one, Jianghu Knights emerged from their lodgings, shouldering all manner of weapons.