nownovels Show me Chapter 133...
Show me Chapter 133...
Lu Yuan looked in the direction Chen Fushun pointed.
That's the very center of the tent area.
A gray-white tent, larger than the others, stood quietly on the snow.
The reed mats on the tent roof were pressed down neatly.
The windbreak rope was tauter than elsewhere.
The curtain is double-layered, with a thick canvas outer layer and a cotton curtain attached to the inner layer.
It's obvious that a lot of thought and effort was put into it.
Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised.
My two beautiful aunts-in-law actually stayed here last night?
After speaking with Chen Fushun, he hurriedly turned around and walked towards the tent.
The snow underfoot was compacted, making a soft crunching sound.
The morning light had already bathed the entire camp area, and the smoke from the cooking fires was gradually fading.
People began to walk towards the kitchen in twos and threes.
Many people who went early returned carrying bowls and dry rations.
His face showed a satisfied expression of having eaten and drunk his fill.
As he passed a tent, he heard a hearty laugh coming from inside.
It was a few old ladies chatting idly.
They talked about whose daughter-in-law was pregnant with twins, and how many acres of corn they would plant in the spring.
We passed another one, its cotton curtain half-lifted.
A middle-aged man was squatting on the ground repairing a stool.
Three or four teenagers stood around, staring longingly.
Every now and then, he would hand over a screwdriver or a nail.
Lu Yuan slowed his pace.
For some reason, he was clearly eager to see them.
But when he actually got to the tent, he suddenly stopped.
The cotton curtains were drawn tightly, obscuring the view inside.
Only a very thin, dim yellow light leaked out from the gap between the curtain hem and the floor.
It left a narrow golden line on the snow.
He heard voices.
It was Aunt Qiao'er's voice.
"...I still can't get used to sleeping in that bed last night."
"Even with three layers of padding under the mattress, it still feels uncomfortable."
Her tone was slightly coquettish, but she kept it very low, as if afraid of being overheard.
Then came Aunt Qin's soft laughter.
It carried a hint of helplessness and indulgence.
"You're the one who's got all the glory; I was woken up by the cold in the middle of the night!"
"Good grief, who knew you'd be so good at stealing the blanket? I'm never sharing a bed with you again!"
Aunt Qiao'er smiled too, her voice soft:
"That won't do!"
"It's even colder to sleep alone in the middle of winter."
Aunt Qin couldn't help but say coquettishly:
"Then why don't you share half of the blanket with me!"
Aunt Qiao'er immediately said in a sweet voice:
"It just rolled away on its own while I was sleeping, and I couldn't stop it."
Aunt Qin couldn't help but burst out laughing.
After the laughter subsided, the tent was quiet for a short while.
When she spoke again, Aunt Qin's voice was much softer.
With a hint of barely perceptible fatigue:
"Alright, get up quickly, we need to help settle things here too."
"We can't let our fellow villagers feel wronged."
"Otherwise, when our men come back and see this place in complete chaos, they'll be so worried."
Aunt Qiao'er gave a soft "hmm".
Lu Yuan stood outside the curtain, motionless.
He kept his head down, his expression hidden in the shadows.
His Adam's apple, however, kept bobbing gently.
Someone passed by him, recognized him, and was about to say hello.
He waved his hand, and the man nodded knowingly.
I walked away quietly, my footsteps light.
Lu Yuan raised his head, feeling the biting cold wind.
He blinked hard at his sore eyes.
Then he raised his hand and gently lifted the cotton curtain.
The morning light, carrying both the chill and warmth of the snowfield, instantly flooded into the tent.
Inside the tent, two women sat side by side on a cot.
The two sat shoulder to shoulder, each holding a cup of hot water.
Aunt Qiao'er was still wearing that silver-gray mink cloak.
Her hair was a little loose, and the jade hairpin by her temple was slightly crooked.
Her complexion was paler than usual, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, but she still had a smile on her face.
Aunt Qin was wearing a royal blue cotton cheongsam, with a matching cloak over it.
A red scarf was casually draped over his shoulders.
Her eyes were a little red, clearly she hadn't slept well.
The tip of his nose was red; he must have been quite cold all night.
The two of them turned around at the same time and looked at the backlit figure at the doorway.
Lu Yuan opened his mouth.
A thousand words welled up in my heart like a tidal wave, but I was choked up by overwhelming emotion and heartache.
Lu Yuan opened his mouth.
He wanted to say, thank you.
He wanted to say, "Thank you for your hard work."
He wanted to say, "What have I, Lu Yuan, done to deserve meeting you two in this lifetime?"
But these words stuck in my throat, and I couldn't squeeze out a single one.
In the end, Lu Yuan simply strode forward.
He pulled the two stunningly beautiful women, who were still not fully recovered from their shock, into his arms.
to be honest……
It was quite a struggle for him to hold both of his "small" aunts, Qiao'er and Qin, together in his "small" embrace.
But when Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin came to their senses, they were incredibly obedient and well-behaved.
They huddled together in Lu Yuan's arms.
She raised her delicate chin, revealing her stunningly beautiful and mature face.
Her face was filled with barely suppressed joy, and she said in a sweet voice:
"When did you get back?"
Lu Yuan didn't speak.
She just held tightly to Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin.
Then he lowered his head and kissed Aunt Qiao'er, who looked on with some surprise.
He turned his head again and kissed Aunt Qin.
At that moment, the cheeks of the two mature and beautiful women instantly flushed with embarrassment.
Outside the tent, the morning light was just right.
The smoke from the cooking fires has dissipated.
The rich aroma of pork stew with sauerkraut wafted from the kitchen, mixed with the wheat scent of freshly steamed buns.
The steaming heat permeated the cool air.
Chen Fushun squatted at the entrance of his tent, holding a bowl of hot porridge.
Sunbathing with squinting eyes, taking sips every now and then, it's wonderful.
In the distance, the city gates of Fengtian slowly opened.
Carriages and people began to pour into the city that had been asleep all night.
A new day is about to begin.
Lu Yuan, who was holding the two beautiful women tightly, remained silent for a long time.
After a long pause, he muttered a sentence:
"The old man in my family wants to drink liquor, and it has to be Maotai."
Aunt Qin was taken aback.
Aunt Qiao'er smiled.
"I know~"
She said softly:
"It's already prepared~"
Fengtian City, Zhao Family, Main House in the Backyard.
After returning from the tent area outside the city, Lu Yuan thought he would just find a restaurant to grab a bite to eat.
Or perhaps they could simply have the servants prepare some hot soup noodles at Aunt Qiao'er's house; after all, who would be in the mood for such things after a whole night of commotion? But before he could even speak, he was already being pressed down onto the kang (heated brick bed) in the main room's warm chamber.
"Sit still and don't move."
Aunt Qin took off her cloak and casually draped it over the screen, her tone carrying an unyielding, spoiled air.
"I feel chilly all over, so let me warm my hands first."
Aunt Qiao'er had already left sometime earlier, leaving only the words "I'll be right there."
Her voice was soft, but the last syllable carried an undeniable hint of coquettishness.
Lu Yuan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the warm room.
The ground was burning hot, and the warmth of the blue brick floor seeped through the soles of my shoes to the soles of my feet.
New cotton paper was pasted on the window frame, filtering the harsh winter sunlight into a soft, milky white.
In the corner, a copper basin burned with silver frost charcoal, containing valuable spiritual meat. Not a trace of smoke was emitted, only a gentle warmth permeated the air. Before he could examine it closely, the curtain was lifted, and Aunt Qiao'er returned.
Two maids followed behind him, one carrying a red lacquered and gold-painted food box, and the other carrying a steaming copper basin.
"Wash your hands first."
Aunt Qiao'er personally wrung out a hot towel and handed it to him.
Lu Yuan took it; it was still hot and had a faint scent of soap.
After wiping his face, he was about to say that it wasn't necessary to go to such trouble...
The curtain rustled again.
This time, an old woman in a gray coat came in, carrying a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl.
The bowl contained a strong ginger and jujube tea, with the jujubes pitted and the ginger finely shredded, steaming hot and exuding a sweet aroma.
"For dispelling cold."
Aunt Qiao'er took it, gently blew on it, and brought it to his lips:
"Be good~ Listen to me~"
"Drink it while it's hot!"
Lu Yuan: ..…….…”
This is ridiculous...
Why are you treating me like a child?
Lu Yuan obediently opened his mouth.
The ginger tea slid down my throat, its warmth reaching my stomach and dispelling the chill that had accumulated in my bones overnight.
After finishing the ginger tea, the table in the main room was already full of food.
It turned out that when she returned home from outside the city, Aunt Qiao'er had already sent someone on horseback to prepare food in advance.
"After you finish eating, get a good night's sleep. Look at your face, it's almost chapped from the cold!"
Aunt Qin pulled Lu Yuan to the dining table, saying in a tender voice with heartache.
To this, Lu Yuan shook his head and said:
"Today is not an option. I just got back, and I have a ton of things to do."
I have to meet two people today.
One is Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable.
One is Shen Shulan.
The reason for visiting the Heavenly Venerable Crane was not for any other reason than that, as a junior, he naturally had to pay a visit upon his return.
Secondly, given the current situation, we need to discuss with the Heavenly Venerable Crane Patrol to see if we can let the villagers vote in advance.
After all, Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable is a Celestial Venerable of the Upper Three Gates, and his words carry great weight. His words are very effective.
If he were to step in, this matter might be resolved very easily!
Let alone seeing Shen Shulan.
When I returned from the place of nurturing evil spirits last time, there was just too much time, and I didn't even have a chance to thank them.
The matter of raising the evil spirits was truly thanks to Shen Shulan.
It's not just Shen Shulan himself, but also the treasures he took from home.
Otherwise, those last few places to nurture evil spirits wouldn't be so easy to take down, and it wouldn't save so much time.
Lu Yuan felt he owed Shen Shulan a great deal.
We owe them a debt in every way, not just in terms of personal favors, but also in terms of money.
Favors and such can be repaid later when there's an opportunity.
However, those valuable ritual implements must be returned immediately.
Lu Yuan selected some powerful ones from his system space.
Therefore, Lu Yuan prepared a top-tier magical artifact, one that was on par with the Divine Firmament Thunder Sword.
It's not fair to say that Shen Shulan gave Lu Yuan something worth a hundred yuan, and then returned something worth only a hundred yuan. He should be properly thanked!
Lu Yuan understood the principle of repaying a small kindness with a great one!
Lu Yuan is definitely not a stingy person, much less a miser or a nouveau riche.
Moreover, Lu Yuan can earn these things again from the [Slay Demons and Exterminate Evil] system!
When we left the Zhao family's house, the sun was already close to noon.
Lu Yuan, carrying the heavy sword box, rode in the carriage prepared by Aunt Qiao'er towards Beihua Tower.
The box is made of fine Phoebe zhennan wood, with white copper covering the edges. It feels cool to the touch, yet it is surprisingly heavy.
Lying inside is the top-tier magical artifact he obtained from the [Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil] system.
Xuan Yuan's Evil-Slaying Decree Sword!
It is of the same grade as the Divine Firmament Thunder Sword, but it is not from the Thunder Sword lineage.
It is made from a thousand-year-old jujube wood struck by lightning in Zhongnan Mountain, and inlaid with the Five Thunder Talisman, the Seal of the Capital Heavenly Dharma Master, and the three true forms of the Northern Exorcism Academy's edict.
The day the sword was completed, it silenced all the birds within a radius of thirty miles.
The system evaluation reads in eight characters: "All evils are warded off, all laws return to their source."
That's absolutely amazing.
Lu Yuan doesn't have many things of this caliber.
But Lu Yuan was very willing to give it to Shen Shulan!
Since transmigrating over a year ago, Lu Yuan has never felt that he owes anyone anything.
Only Shen Shulan is someone I truly owe a huge debt to.
Especially what...?
In particular, Shen Shulan never felt that Lu Yuan owed her anything because of these things, and her attitude never changed.
He still addressed Lu Yuan as "Uncle-Master" repeatedly, and then did his best to help him.
The more this happened, the more uneasy Lu Yuan felt, and the more he felt he owed people too much.
To be honest, this was making Lu Yuan a little confused!
This sword is not only to thank Shen Shulan, but also to help me to clear my mind.
Riding in a carriage, Lu Yuan soon arrived at the large courtyard behind Beihua Tower.
Standing in front of the courtyard gate, Lu Yuan knocked on the door knocker three times.
After a while, the door opened a crack, and an old servant peeked out.
"Lu Yuan of Zhenlong Temple requests an audience with Senior Sister Shulan."
Lu Yuan cupped his hands in greeting:
"Please inform us."
The old servant looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on the sword box in his arms for a moment, then he turned and walked inside without saying a word.
The door wasn't closed.
Lu Yuan stood outside the threshold, waiting.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, footsteps sounded from inside. Unhurried, the soles of boots clicking on the blue bricks carried the composure unique to aristocratic families. It wasn't Shen Shulan.
Lu Yuan raised his head.
The man was around fifty years old, thin, with three long wisps of beard, and wore a slightly worn black Taoist robe. The cuffs were faded from washing but were meticulously ironed. In his hand, he held a string of sandalwood prayer beads, the beads having a thick patina, clearly indicating that he had been handling them for many years.
Shen Jizhou.
Lu Yuan had met him at the previous Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.
Last time I only got a glimpse from afar, but this time I'm so close.
Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed and said:
"This junior, Lu Yuan, a disciple of the Ling generation from Zhenlong Temple, greets my senior uncle!"
Shen Jizhou did not respond.
He stood in the shadows inside the doorway, scrutinizing Lu Yuan from head to toe through the half-open door.
The gaze wasn't fierce, but it was deep.
Like a still pool of water, its depths unreadable, yet it made Lu Yuan's back tense slightly.
"Master Lu has come this time."
Shen Jizhou spoke, his voice not loud, but every word clear:
"Are you looking for my daughter?"
Lu Yuan said directly, "That's right."
"Regarding the matter of raising evil spirits, I was greatly assisted by Miss Shen. I have no way to repay her, so I have prepared this small gift to express my gratitude."
He pushed the sword case forward.
Shen Jizhou glanced down at it but didn't take it.
"No need."
Shen Jizhou's tone was indifferent:
"It's Shulan's own business to help you."
"However, after this incident, your relationship is over, and you need not see each other again."
He paused.
"Master Lu, please return."
Having said that, he turned to go inside.
Lu Yuan was taken aback. This...
It seems like Shen Jizhou is quite annoyed with him?
But that makes sense.
That day, everyone returned from the place where they raised evil spirits, looking utterly disheveled.
Shen Jizhou only has one precious daughter, Shen Shulan. How could he be happy to see his daughter come back like that?
However, Lu Yuan came to express his gratitude.
Coming to his senses, Lu Yuan quickly took half a step forward:
"Uncle Shen!"
Shen Jizhou paused, turning his head to the side.
The lines of his profile were cold and sharp, but his eyes held a hint of scrutiny, and a subtle displeasure.
"Master Lu."
His voice was still not loud, but it was like tempered iron—not hot, but hard.
"Those two in your family... they've already had it tough enough."
"Shulan is young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. There are some things she can't see clearly, but I, as her father, can't be blind to them."
That's a subtle way of putting it.
But Lu Yuan understood.
In an instant, Lu Yuan suddenly realized.
Oh~~
So the roots are right here!
Lu Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say, "I'm just here to return the gift, I don't mean anything else," but he swallowed the words back.
At this point, anything you say will be wrong.
He could only push the sword case forward a little further, saying with utmost seriousness:
"Senior Uncle, this junior has no other intentions."
"When we were raising the evil spirits, Senior Sister Shulan brought many treasures from Wuqing Temple to help us."
"This is a small token of my appreciation, offered as compensation for any losses incurred..."
Shen Jizhou did not answer.
He didn't even glance at the sword case again.
"My Wuqing Temple is the foremost Taoist temple outside the Great Wall. We can afford to compensate for a few ordinary ritual implements."
He said calmly:
"Master Lu, please don't worry about it. Please return."
After saying that, he stepped inside.
Lu Yuan stood there, holding the sword box in his hands, unsure whether to go forward or retreat.
Lu Yuan suddenly felt a pang of regret.
I should have had someone bring it in.
Doing it himself only deepened Shen Jizhou's misunderstanding.
But since we'd already come all this way, and the sword case had been brought right to our doorstep, why would we just slink away like this...
He looked down at the white brass corner protectors on the box and sighed.
That's it.
Go back and ask someone to send it to you.
He tucked the sword case under his arm and turned to leave.
Perhaps he was too tired from traveling all night, or perhaps the sword case was too heavy, but when he turned around, his arm loosened and the case slid down.
He quickly went to retrieve it.
My fingertips barely hooked the edge of the box, but the clasp was suddenly forced open by the force.
"Clap"
A soft sound.
The lid of the box was lifted slightly.
There were no earth-shattering phenomena.
There was no lightning, no dragon's roar, and not even a trace of sword energy was released.
just
Shen Jizhou suddenly stopped.
He stopped abruptly.
The sole of the boot creaked as it pressed against the blue bricks.
Before Lu Yuan could put the box lid back on, he saw the figure in black turn back.
Shen Jizhou walked very fast.
The sandalwood prayer beads were rolling rapidly in my palm, the beads colliding and making a soft "tap-tap" sound.
He stopped in front of Lu Yuan, his gaze falling on the open seam of the box.
He didn't reach out.
Just watching.
half an hour.
"...What's in here?"
His voice was still not loud, but it was completely different from before.
That was a subtle, unspoken distance.
At this moment, it felt as if something was weighing on his mind...
It wasn't shock, nor greed, but a solemnity born of a predatory sense of anticipation, yet one that was forced to suppress.
Lu Yuan paused for a moment, then looked down at the sword box in his arms.
"This sword is named 'Xuanyuan Slaying Evil Decree'."
Lu Yuan continued:
"It was obtained by chance by a junior. It was made from a thousand-year-old jujube wood struck by lightning, and inlaid with three true forms: the Five Thunder Talisman, the Seal of the Heavenly Dharma Master, and the Edict of the Northern Exorcism Institute." "On the day the sword was completed, birds within a radius of thirty miles fell silent."
Shen Jizhou remained silent.
He stared intently at the seam in the box, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
a long time.
He suddenly asked:
"When was the sword completed?"
"Is there an inscription on the hilt?"
Lu Yuan thought for a moment:
"some."
The nameplate inside the box reads "The 37th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty".
Shen Jizhou fell silent.
a long time.
"……that……"
"Take it out and let me see it, Lin..."
Lu Yuan stared at Shen Jizhou, who was trying to appear calm, and blinked.
hey~
The next second, Lu Yuan immediately held up the sword box, smiled, and approached Shen Jizhou, saying:
"Okay~"