Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Inside the Luohua Pavilion Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Inside the Luohua Pavilion Editor: Atlas Studios Outside Wangxiang Town, there used to be a peach blossom forest.
Each time the peach blossoms were in full bloom, the Ten Miles Peach Blossoms were unforgettable.
However, it was not the season for the peach blossoms to bloom.
Thus, only branches across Ten Miles were left, slightly desolate.
In this patch of peach trees, there was a pavilion called Luohua Pavilion.
Observing the falling petals of peach blossoms and tasting the essence of life through the seasons was indeed a unique pleasure.
Su Mo followed that young man, who was heading towards the Luohua Pavilion in the peach blossom forest.
Before they reached it, they already heard the distant and stirring tones of the zither, resembling the sound of mountains and rocks.
Moving forward, they saw a middle-aged man sitting in the pavilion, deeply engrossed in playing the zither.
A single ancient zither, and one burner of incense!
With three strands of long beard fluttering in the wind, he seemed utterly carefree.
That young man gestured Su Mo to wait a moment and then left after saying goodbye.
Su Mo smiled and did not interrupt the middle-aged man’s playing, just quietly listening.
After a while, the piece concluded.
The middle-aged man pressed his hand on the zither strings to stop the sound, as the light smoke from the incense burner lingered, he looked up at Su Mo and smiled casually:
“Young Hero has arrived? This old man was relieving his emotions through the zither and got carried away, I fear I have neglected you.”
“Not at all, not at all.”
Su Mo waved his hand: “It is I who unfairly enjoyed an exquisite piece, and thus gained the advantage.”
The middle-aged man’s eyebrows vaguely showed delight: “Young Hero is actually a connoisseur? But I wonder what you found wonderful about this piece?”
Su Mo thought for a moment, then earnestly replied: “It sounds pleasant.”
The middle-aged man was stunned, obviously not expecting such a straightforward and superficial answer from Su Mo.
After a brief shock, he could not help but burst into laughter:
“Young Hero is indeed a man who appreciates fun, far beyond the mundane. Please, have a seat.”
He gestured with his hand, and Su Mo, giving a bow, finally entered Luohua Pavilion and sat opposite the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man poured a cup of tea for Su Mo: “It’s nothing special, but it possesses a novelty. Some time ago, an old friend from the far north of Donghuang brought it. The north is harshly cold, not conducive for tea cultivation. Yet peculiarly, there is a rare type called Xue Lihong, which thrives more as the cold deepens. Locals use Donghuang’s tea-making method to brew it, and surprisingly, it turned out quite well, Young Hero can give it a try.”
Su Mo took the tea cup and smiled: “May I inquire about Senior’s honored name and surname?”
“Haha, my apologies for my rudeness.”
The middle-aged man smiled lightly: “My surname is Xu, and in my early years, I learned a few tricks and roamed Jianghu. People in Jianghu gave me the nickname Mountain Flipping Hand. However, the turbulence of Jianghu was too rapid, and within a few years, I was mentally exhausted, hence I chose to retreat to the mountains and enjoy my solitude.”
“So, it’s Mountain Flipping Hand Senior Xu, I’ve heard much about you.”
Su Mo hastily gave a bow.
Of course, despite his words, he did not believe a single word this man said.
He had never heard of the name Mountain Flipping Hand before.
Although one could say that Su Mo was ignorant and failed to recognize the Master in person, this man was definitely not the kind who retired to the woods to enjoy wealth.
Otherwise, why would he be so busy preparing for a Brocade Box?
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu smiled lightly: “You flatter me too much. My humble name is hardly worth such admiration.”
Despite saying so, his face showed delight, as if he truly enjoyed the praise from Su Mo.
Observing his words and gestures, Su Mo couldn’t help but admire him. Although harboring different intentions inside, this man’s speech and actions, down to the smallest movement of his fingers, were impeccable.
It can be said, no flaws were revealed naturally.
Had it not been for seeing him with several others in the forest, Su Mo would almost have believed his words.
From this, it can be seen that the Jianghu is mysterious and often lies in the human heart; the dangers of the human heart are the evils of Jianghu.
“Young Hero, having not truly experienced the vastness of Jianghu in my younger years, I have often reflected on this and felt regret. Therefore, I hold those who travel through the Jianghu in high regard. This prompted me to take the liberty of inviting you here for a chat, please do not take offense, let me apologize first.”
As he finished speaking, he stood up and bowed deeply, his manner sincere.
Su Mo made a gesture of support: “Senior is too polite.”
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu slightly moved his eyes and then smiled: “As long as Young Hero does not mind, come, let’s have tea.”
Su Mo picked up the teacup, pretending to drink, but paused slightly: “Speaking of which, there is one thing that I really do not understand and would like to ask Senior for clarification.”
“Although my whereabouts are not a secret, I did not inform anyone about my visit here. Not only did Senior know my surname Su, but even my attire and appearance were described exactly. May I know where did you hear about me?”
Su Mo put down his teacup and looked up at the middle-aged man, his eyes faintly seeking the truth.
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu did not show any surprise but simply chuckled: “I knew Young Hero would be curious about this, but…”
His tone pondering, he picked up his teacup as a sign.
Su Mo just smiled without speaking.
The middle-aged man named Xu sighed softly: “Well, since Young Hero insists on asking, I am not unwilling to answer… Just because, a day ago, by the roadside and within the forest, I personally witnessed Young Hero’s divine might!”
Is this the crux of the matter?
Su Mo’s expression suddenly changed, but he heard the middle-aged man named Xu chuckle lightly:
“Young Hero has remarkable physical strength and is also very cautious, not like someone who is new to the Jianghu. However, the time has also about come, do you feel your body getting weaker?”
Su Mo frowned slightly, his expression growing darker: “Impossible, I didn’t drink any of the tea.”
“Ha ha ha, being cautious about what you consume is correct, but on the Jianghu where there are many masters and million divine skills, why limit to just the contents of the cup?”
He pointed to the incense burner beside the ancient zither, and said with a laugh: “Did you enjoy the incense?”
Su Mo smirked, “Poison in the incense? And yet you are unharmed?”
“I had taken an antidote beforehand.”
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu stood up, his attitude triumphant: “Hu Piaopiao claims to have myriad methods, and Chef Zhou took the first step, although I don’t know how you passed Chef Zhou’s test, but since you managed to come to Wangxiang Town, you still can’t escape from my grasp. Young man, your physical strength is truly terrifying, even I am not fully confident facing you directly.
“Thus, I resorted to these means to capture you.
“Now, you are like fish on a chopping board. If you don’t want to die, you better listen to whatever I say.”
“…So it is, you’re also here for the Brocade Box?”
Su Mo smiled bitterly: “I thought so, there’s no such thing as free lunch or someone randomly inviting me for food and lodging without an ulterior motive… Now, I am bound to die, but before I die, there is one thing I do not understand and wish to die knowing, may I ask, what exactly is inside the Brocade Box?”