Chapter 95: One Sword, Frost Across Fourteen States

The storm that had erupted at Creek Garden a few days ago had been fierce, yet it faded away without a sound. Its effect, however, was plain for all to see.

By killing the “monkey” in plain sight, Lu Jin had reset his standing in the Shen household. No one dared look down on this son-in-law anymore, this man who had dared to challenge the mistress of the house and still walked away unscathed. Not even Young Master Shen Yanlun could help but report to Creek Garden punctually every day.

After several adjustments, the daily schedule at Cloud-Rising Terrace had gradually become fixed. The children rose early to practice martial arts, then Wu You taught them to recognize characters and other basic knowledge, while Lu Jin painted. Around ten in the morning, in the traditional reckoning of the day, Lu Jin would tell them stories and introduce them to a scientific view of the world, giving them a basic understanding of modern science so that they could later receive a more systematic education.

“Brother-in-law, can people really fly into the sky?” Shen Yanlun asked, watching the paper airplane soar away. That was what his brother-in-law called it.

“Of course. As long as you find the right solution, there is nothing that cannot be done. If you can’t do it, that only means you haven’t found the real answer yet.”

“Then what should we do?” asked Lu Caivi.

“You have to understand the principles involved. Only after you understand them can you find an effective method. Take the two paper airplanes I just folded, for example. Why did one fly only a short distance, while the other could fly so far? Only by finding the true reason can you push it further, and even create tools that can carry people into the sky.”

“To discover the reason, you must first master certain knowledge, and that knowledge is in the textbooks I gave you.”

“All right, I need to go out for a while. Who wants to come with me?” Lu Jin asked as he stood up.

“Brother-in-law, where are we going?”

“Just strolling around. I’ll take you all to Clear Breeze and Bright Moon Tower for a meal!”

...

“Well now, what brings our honored top scholar here today?” Jiang Shaonian looked more and more like a man of wealth; there was almost nothing left of the student about him.

“I brought the children from home to add some liveliness to your place,” Lu Jin said with a smile.

Jiang Shaonian curled his lip. Add some liveliness? Did he not see the line waiting outside?

“Oh, right, Nianqing, we’ve got trouble,” Jiang Shaonian said hurriedly, tugging Lu Jin toward the stairs.

“First arrange a private room for the children to eat in. Youyou, take them to have their meal first. I’ll go upstairs with him for a moment,” Lu Jin instructed.

Lu Jin had come out mostly to let his younger sister, along with Anu and Ali, see more of the world.

“Why are there so few customers across the street at Drunken Immortal Residence?” Lu Jin asked in surprise.

“That’s the trouble I wanted to tell you about. Xiao Hua, take this young gentleman and the little masters and misses to a private room. Serve them the best dishes and attend them well,” Jiang Shaonian said, glancing at Wu You, who was dressed in men’s clothing. So this was the young lady of the Shen family? But wasn’t she called Shen Yanxi?

Lu Jin did not introduce her, so he did not ask further. Since she was dressed as a man, he would simply address her as young master. Even so, it was a little too obvious.

Lu Jin went upstairs with Jiang Shaonian and took a seat.

“What happened? What could possibly have stumped our great Young Master Jiang?” Jiang Shaonian was a master at business, and since the restaurant had opened, he had hardly ever had any trouble.

“It’s just that we’ve become too popular. They’ve lost all their customers—how could they not be jealous?” Jiang Shaonian poured Lu Jin a cup of tea.

“What does their lack of customers have to do with us?” Hearing this, Lu Jin could roughly guess what was going on. Many people in this world thought in a very strange way. They never tried to improve themselves; instead, they couldn’t stand to see others doing better, and they sought to sabotage them.

“That’s true enough, but they’ve been running just fine all along. Now that we’ve stolen away their customers, of course they won’t accept it. There were several hands in their kitchen who were actually their people, sent over to steal our recipes. I found them out and threw them all out. Yesterday their manager came over and said we had to teach them, or else we could forget about staying in business. They said there’s a big shot backing them!” Jiang Shaonian grew angrier as he spoke.

“And do you know which big shot it is?” Lu Jin asked in puzzlement.

“They didn’t say. They only told us to take care of ourselves,” Jiang Shaonian said bitterly.

What in the world was this? If they couldn’t win, they were just going to resort to force?

“Let’s go. Since I’m here, we may as well take a look together.” Lu Jin thought that he had been coming over too infrequently, leaving Jiang Shaonian to handle everything alone. He felt a little guilty, and just as well, perhaps he could settle this matter while he was at it.

Soon Lu Jin, with Yuan Fang and the others, arrived at the restaurant across the street. Seeing the sparse handful of customers inside, Lu Jin twitched at the corner of his mouth, but this really could not be blamed on them.

“Where is your manager?” Lu Jin asked the servant at the door without wasting words.

“Hmph! And now you want to see our manager? Too late!” The servant was extremely rude, and his tone actually stunned Lu Jin for a moment. For an instant, Lu Jin even wondered what grave mistake he had committed.

“You go tell your manager that I am the owner of the restaurant across the street. We’re in business here—if there’s something to discuss, let’s discuss it properly.”

Lu Jin wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face. It really was true: the king of hell was easy to meet, but the little devils were hard to deal with.

“Just wait right here. Don’t you go frightening our guests.”

Damn it, what guests? I’ll endure it.

“Young master, this is too much indulging of them,” Yuan Fang could not help saying. But then he thought better of it. These people had brought this on themselves. This was the Shen family’s son-in-law. He now walked sideways through the Shen household with complete confidence; if he truly got angry, this shop would be done for.

“Calm down. We’ll wait,” Lu Jin said. He was not a reckless brute. If he could endure, he would. Harmony brings wealth.

“Hah, and I wondered which noble guest had arrived. So it’s the owner of Bright Moon Tower. What a rare visitor. What can I do for you?” After a while, a man nearing fifty came down from upstairs, his face full of cunning.

“Manager, is this how Drunken Immortal Residence treats its guests, by not inviting us in to sit?” Lu Jin said, forcing himself to remain composed.

“Hmph!”

The man simply walked inside ahead of him.

Lu Jin was furious. Was there not a single person here capable of speaking properly? At this rate, it was no wonder their business was bad.

When they were seated inside, Lu Jin went straight to the point. “I hear the manager intends to force my Bright Moon Tower to teach you culinary skills?”

“Hmph! That’s only because I’m thinking of you,” the old man said smugly, not even bothering to look at Lu Jin.

Lu Jin was genuinely stunned. How shameless could a man be? He robbed others and still claimed he was doing them a favor?

“Otherwise, if I anger the owner behind me, even if your Bright Moon Tower’s dishes are excellent, you won’t be able to stay open for a single day.”

“May I ask who your owner is?” Lu Jin inquired humbly.

“Hmph. You’re not qualified to know. Just tell us when you’re willing to teach the culinary skills. After that, there’ll be no second chance.”

Damn it. Did he think I was begging him? Lu Jin realized some people really could not be given face.

“What if we refuse to teach?” he asked. “What then, Manager?”

“Mm?” The manager froze, then his anger flared even higher. “Have you thought this through? Don’t end up with nothing but the clothes on your back, your entire fortune gone for good.”

“You’re threatening me?” Lu Jin asked with a smile.

“Hmph! A nobody like you—do you really think you’re worthy of any attention?” The manager clearly did not take Lu Jin, a young man, seriously at all.

If patience was no longer possible, then there was no need to keep enduring. It was obvious nothing good could be said here; he would have to teach this man the meaning of being human.

Smack!

Lu Jin stood and slapped him across the face, sending the old man staggering.

“How dare you, brat!” The old man had never imagined the other side would suddenly strike him. In an instant, his beard and eyebrows trembled with rage.

“Why don’t you see whether I dare?” Lu Jin stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled him up again. “You’ve lived all these years only to grow old like a dog? You don’t even know how to speak properly?”

“Hmph! If you’ve got the guts, then kill me. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never live in peace.” The old man’s eyes nearly split with fury.

Still one of those who would not yield to soft words or hard blows.

Smack!

Lu Jin slapped him again, and this time the old man saw stars. Both sides of his face swelled red and hot. The nearby servants rushed forward, but where were they Yuan Fang’s match? Within a few moves, they were all beaten to the ground.

Lu Jin had not intended to make a scene, but this old man was simply too infuriating and impossible to reason with. He would have to bring out the owner behind him and deal with that person instead.

Lu Jin flung the old man to the ground and turned to leave. “I’ll be waiting for your tricks.”

“Who knows who that owner behind them actually is,” Jiang Shaonian said gloomily. His family had always been in business, and what he feared most was exactly this kind of thing—offending some great power from nowhere, without even knowing how.

“We’ll probably meet him soon enough. No need to rush. Let me know when there’s news,” Lu Jin said. As the Shen family’s son-in-law, he now had plenty of confidence. He wanted very much to see who was so arrogant.

...

“Brother-in-law, we’re done eating!” After Lu Jin had chatted with Jiang Shaonian downstairs for a while, Wu You came down the stairs with the children like a young lady dressed as a man.

“Caivi, how was the food?” He did not care about his brother-in-law; his younger sister was what mattered.

“It was pretty good,” Lu Caivi replied, then lowered her head. Over the past few days, she had been living with her brother in Shen Manor and had gradually become familiar with it. Everyone there had been kind to her. But she did not actually get many chances to speak with her brother. She had to study so many things every day, and her brother was even busier than she was.

“That’s good. I’ll bring you here often in the future.” As he spoke, he rubbed her head. That was what younger sisters were for, after all.

Lu Caivi was at least in her teens now, and she cared about her dignity. How could she let Lu Jin rub her head in public? She slapped his hand away and glared at that dog of a brother with puffed cheeks.

Ah, definitely the rebellious phase. This sister is no longer salvageable.

Lu Jin then looked at Anu and Ali, his eyes full of warmth. Those two children who had once been like weeds had finally been reborn.

“You go on and handle your work. I’ll take them around for a casual look,” Lu Jin said to Jiang Shaonian.

The rest of the day was fairly relaxed. He wandered aimlessly with Wu You and the children, buying this and that as they went. A carriage followed behind them, so when they were tired of walking, they could simply go home.

By now, Lu Jin and Wu You no longer felt awkward around each other. It did not matter what others thought. In truth, no one paid them much attention when they went out; most simply assumed he was a delicate, charming young lady.

“Youyou, next time you go out, you should bring your sword. A dashing sword immortal would definitely look better than that blockhead Yuan Fang, and if anything really happens, you could protect us too,” Lu Jin said. Such superb martial skill should not go to waste.

Yuan Fang, arms folded behind them, trailed along in the rear, fuming. So he did not even care whether I could hear him?

“I thought Big Brother wouldn’t like it,” Wu You said.

Lu Jin had long since become immune to such words. “How could I not? I’ve always wanted to be a hero myself. It’s a pity I don’t know martial arts. Sword energy sweeping across thirty thousand miles, a single sword bringing frost to fourteen states—just thinking about it is enough to make me happy.”

“If Big Brother wants to learn, I can teach you!”

“I’ll pass. If you have the time, teach the children instead, and spar more with Yuan Fang and Su Nian.” He was not learning that. Too tiring.

“Young master, young master...”

Hearing someone call out, Lu Jin instinctively turned around.

He saw a boy running toward him, waving as he came.

Lu Jin narrowed his eyes slightly. The boy seemed strangely familiar.