“Go outside to fight! So as not to implicate innocent common people!” Ma Shengxiong said sternly.
Commotion arose in the room. The manager was on edge—from the moment these three people entered, he had a premonition that things wouldn’t end well, especially that masked weirdo who looked like no good person no matter how you viewed him. Now hearing loud noises from upstairs, “Little Fu, go up and take a look.” He grabbed Fu Zhumei and pushed him toward the stairs. “If they want to fight in the shop again, use nice words to please them out. Anyway, the money’s already been collected, and I won’t fuss about the fine ingredients they’ve ruined.”
“I…” Fu Zhumei opened his eyes wide looking toward the second floor. “What should I say to make them willing to go out?” The manager heavily slapped his head. “Are you stupid? Say anything, as long as these plague gods are willing to leave.” Fu Zhumei was tongue-tied, completely failing to grasp the manager’s meaning, walking toward the stairs with a blank expression, obviously not having thought of a single word to say. But the manager didn’t care about him, hurriedly hiding in the inner room, not even showing his shadow outside.
“Fight?” The porcelain-masked person slowly removed his mask, casually tossing it aside into the air. With a “snap,” the porcelain mask shattered to pieces on the ground. “Do you know who you’re talking to?” Seeing that face, Ma Shengxiong’s complexion immediately turned deathly pale. “You—you—” Void Taoist suddenly stood up. He recognized this person’s face—several years ago during the great battle at Jiangnan Manor, he had seen this person’s imposing manner as he killed people like cutting grass. This person was actually “Nine Gates Path” Wei Beiyin!
Ma Shengxiong slid back to stand back-to-back with Void Taoist. Both felt their hearts turn ice-cold. Having encountered this demon, they had no fortune today, but even if they couldn’t win, they had to fight with all their might. Wei Beiyin looked coldly at these two, flexing the five fingers of his right hand, wondering whose head to twist off first.
In this moment of silence, Fu Zhumei stepped onto the second floor. Wei Beiyin raised his eyes to look at him, glaring sinisterly at this young man dressed as a servant. Fu Zhumei was completely oblivious to his cold gaze, staring blankly at the three people in the room. “The manager said… if the three guests want to fight, please go outside…” Before he finished speaking, Wei Beiyin flicked his finger, silently shooting the wine cup in his hand toward Fu Zhumei’s chest. This finger flick contained his full inner force, enough to pierce through three Fu Zhumeis. Ma Shengxiong’s eyes were sharp and hands quick—he shouted loudly and swung his spear to intercept. That small wine cup suddenly accelerated, nimbly avoiding Ma Shengxiong’s extended long spear, still shooting toward Fu Zhumei’s chest. Void Taoist sighed. Wei Beiyin showed a sinister smile. Ma Shengxiong cried out in alarm, thinking this white-clothed servant would definitely have his chest pierced with a large hole by the wine cup and fall dead on the spot. However, when he retracted his spear movement and turned to look again, he was greatly startled to see that white-clothed servant holding the wine cup, standing there with a blank expression, still continuing, “…Silver Horn Restaurant’s northwest corner, within thirty zhang, there’s Golden Crow Escort Agency’s practice ground.”
Ma Shengxiong and Void Taoist looked at each other, momentarily unable to figure out whether this servant was a hidden expert or whether Wei Beiyin had inexplicably held back. Just as they were confused, they heard Wei Beiyin coldly praise, “Your Excellency has such quick hands! This Wei has traveled the martial world, and today is the first time I’ve misjudged!” Fu Zhumei opened his eyes wide looking at him, with no particular expression in his eyes—not even different from when he had carried soup up earlier. But Wei Beiyin’s way of looking at him was completely different now. To catch his wine cup strike, this white-clothed servant’s ability was definitely no less than that of first-class martial world experts. At least Ma Shengxiong and Void Taoist absolutely couldn’t do it. Who exactly was this person? “Who are you?” Wei Beiyin slowly stood up from his chair. “You look very young. Who is your master? Xue Xianzi? Wudang Qingjing? Or Kunlun Tianwen?” This servant appeared to be only twenty-one or twenty-two years old, so he guessed that if he wasn’t exceptionally talented, he must have had some extraordinary encounter and received instruction from a famous master.
Fu Zhumei shook his head. After a long while, seeing Wei Beiyin staring at him intently, he rubbed his hair. “You… why are you looking at me?” At these words, Ma Shengxiong and Void Taoist were dumbstruck, looking at each other again, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, unable to tell if this person was truly stupid or pretending to be stupid. Wei Beiyin said indifferently, “Since Your Excellency mentioned that there’s Golden Crow Escort Agency’s practice ground nearby, if Wei doesn’t agree, wouldn’t that seem petty? Lead the way. If you can take one blade from Wei, I’ll turn around and leave immediately. I won’t take these two people’s lives either, and from now on I’ll never step foot in this place again. How about it?”
Fu Zhumei exclaimed “Ah,” hesitated for a long while, then reluctantly said, “Alright…” He glanced at Ma Shengxiong and Void Taoist. “I haven’t fought with anyone for several decades…” The implication was that he had no confidence at all, telling Ma Shengxiong and Void Taoist to leave first. At these words, Ma Shengxiong and Void Taoist were stunned again. Even if he was kindly giving a warning that he had no confidence facing Wei Beiyin, that would be understandable. But this person was only twenty-one or twenty-two, yet spoke of “not fighting with anyone for several decades”—this was pure nonsense. They didn’t know if he was deliberately toying with Wei Beiyin or if his mind was unclear and he was simply an idiot. Wei Beiyin looked at him coldly. “It seems Your Excellency is very confident?” Even when facing Rong Yin, Zhu Xiu, or Bai Nanzhu, he had never been so cautious. This dull-looking white-clothed servant exuded an entirely unfathomable strangeness, unlike anyone he had ever seen.
Fu Zhumei was very hesitant about this question and didn’t answer. He wasn’t being arrogant—everyone could see he had thought for a long time but couldn’t decide whether to answer “very confident” or “actually I don’t know.” After hesitating for a while, he rubbed his head again, turned around, and led the way downstairs. The three people left behind were stunned again. Wei Beiyin’s heart burned with dark fire, furious to the point of laughter, and followed him down. Ma Shengxiong and Void Taoist had never seen such a scene. Seeing Wei Beiyin stride away, the two followed from a distance—one would return to the Prime Minister’s residence to report what they had seen today, while the other would secretly watch the outcome of this white-clothed servant’s battle with Wei Beiyin. Void Taoist truly couldn’t tell how capable this savior who had appeared halfway was.
One in front, one behind—in no time they reached Golden Crow Escort Agency’s practice ground.
Wei Beiyin stood with hands behind his back. Fu Zhumei turned around. Golden Crow Escort Agency originally had several disciples practicing martial arts. Seeing strangers enter, they all retreated to one side to watch quietly. Around the capital and Luoyang, there were many martial arts practitioners. Everyone had seen many such cases of borrowing practice grounds for martial contests.
“Take my one blade.” Wei Beiyin slowly drew a short blade from his robes. A gentle breeze came, and the blade in his hand showed mottled edges with rust marks and nicks. But this blade had crossed weapons with Rong Yin, Zhu Xiu, and even Bai Nanzhu and Tang Lici. Even in confrontations, Wei Beiyin never fell into disadvantage. Given how many people he had killed and how varied they were, his so-called “one blade” was a killing blade.
Fu Zhumei stepped back once, then stepped back again. His eyes never changed, still crystal clear. After stepping back twice, he suddenly reached to press his waist. The same gentle breeze blew, and there was no blade at the side of his white clothes stained with scallion pieces and garlic paste. Yet he gripped emptily with his hand, and his eyes suddenly changed.
Wei Beiyin raised an eyebrow. At that moment of virtually pressing a blade, Fu Zhumei’s demeanor had completely changed—becoming calm, sharp, composed. More terrifyingly, in this instant he was filled with killing intent. That kind of killing intent was definitely not pretense, but absolutely the remnant traces after instantly killing hundreds and breaking through blood. Such a change was shocking. Wei Beiyin originally hadn’t taken this white-clothed servant seriously, but suddenly, he absolutely dared not underestimate this seemingly young white-clothed youth. Gripping the blade, Wei Beiyin half-stepped back, turned his body to take stance. This blade “Heaven and Earth for Use” covered the enemy’s entire upper body with its blade momentum. As long as the opponent wasn’t specialized in leg techniques, it could attack or defend.
The blade moved, blade light like snow. Activated by Wei Beiyin’s deep power, this blade was pure and vast, deeply grasping the blade’s essence. When the blade was unleashed, several disciples of Golden Crow Escort Agency cried out in unison, their faces turning white, their spirits captured. Fu Zhumei stared intently at the approaching blade, his face gradually turning very pale, even his lip color becoming very light, as if ice and snow had instantly condensed on his body. That supremely cold and magnificent aura seemed to emanate tangibly. In an instant, blade light reflected in eyes, like moon rays shooting past. Wei Beiyin only felt a brilliant light like the bright moon flash before his eyes and disappear. He heard a “clang,” and the blade in his hand was already blocked by something. Then the opponent’s wrist added force—if not for his decades of power concentrated on the blade beforehand, this blade alone would have broken! Shocked color flashed through his eyes. He had truly lost composure, exclaiming involuntarily, “Imperial Plum Blade!”
Imperial Plum Blade! The blade like imperial plum blossoms, supremely cold and magnificent. When the blade emerged, it shocked enemy courage; when snow fell, it startled ghosts and spirits! The legend of thirty years ago, the extraordinary person of thirty years ago. Wei Beiyin sternly demanded, “Who are you?”
Fu Zhumei’s hands were empty. That blade that had flashed past seemed not to have come from his hands at all. He didn’t answer, his brows and eyes sharp, his gaze piercing like a blade as he stared at him.
Such power! Such eyes! Such aura! Definitely not a junior of the martial world! That phrase he had said earlier, “haven’t fought with anyone for several decades,” flashed through his mind. Wei Beiyin retreated three steps. “You—are the Imperial Plum Master!”
Fu Zhumei didn’t deny it. Wei Beiyin gave a fierce whistle and fled immediately. Since he had discovered this person was actually a martial world senior, actually the Imperial Plum Master, if he didn’t leave now, when would he? Actually, in terms of martial arts, Wei Beiyin wasn’t necessarily much inferior to Fu Zhumei. Even if he couldn’t win, he absolutely wouldn’t need to flee in panic. But the legend of the Imperial Plum Master was truly shocking. In his alarm, he had no intention of fighting again and turned to leave.
Imperial Plum Master?
Imperial Plum Blade?
Within Golden Crow Escort Agency, an uproar of commotion arose. Void Taoist, watching from afar in the rear, was shocked and delighted, full of confusion—how could Fu Zhumei, such a young, dull-looking servant, be the Imperial Plum Master? How was that possible? But he had seen with his own eyes that this white-clothed servant had indeed unleashed that godlike blade.
If not the Imperial Plum Master, who else could wield the Imperial Plum Blade?
“This… this…” From within Golden Crow Escort Agency, a large man ran out, rushing toward Fu Zhumei, mouth agape, not knowing what to say. Fu Zhumei stared blankly at him. The killing intent in his eyes gradually faded. Suddenly he sighed, rubbed his hair, and slowly turned to walk away.
“This… Master…” The head escort of Golden Crow Escort Agency stared blankly as Fu Zhumei turned and left, thinking that this master whose martial arts were unimaginably high looked very much like the servant from the neighboring Silver Horn Restaurant. Could it be that he had remembered wrong?