Chapter 133: A Familiar Scent

Page (1/3)

From the phrase “daughter-protecting maniac” alone, Chen Xiang understood why everyone reacted so strongly whenever they saw the beautiful woman.

Some even deliberately avoided crossing paths with her, which showed just how formidable her reputation was.

Seeing Chen Xiang’s surprised expression, the beautiful woman merely smiled faintly and had no intention of explaining.

After walking for a while, they arrived before a tall building.

It was a tea house. People streamed in and out of the entrance, all of them wealthy and influential.

Chen Xiang suddenly froze and turned to look behind him. Several young men were strolling down the street, chatting and laughing, before finally entering a discreet little shop.

Everyone who saw them changed expression and hurriedly moved aside, their faces filled with fear and respect. Their reaction was even more extreme than it had been upon seeing the beautiful woman.

Chen Xiang narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

All of those young men were cultivators, and their cultivation was roughly at the third or fourth level of the Core Formation stage.

Although he had never seen them before, Chen Xiang sensed a faintly familiar aura from them—one he had encountered only recently.

After thinking about it, he immediately realized where that aura had appeared before.

It came from the Heaven-ranked, mid-grade movement technique, Shadow Strategy.

As far as Chen Xiang knew, the Sky Yin Sect possessed only fragmentary scrolls of that technique.

“Could the Sky Yin Sect still be in Fragrant Flow City?” Chen Xiang wondered, becoming somewhat more vigilant.

Since he had not killed that young man the other day, the man would certainly come looking for him.

Chen Xiang himself was not afraid. In fact, he rather hoped the Sky Yin Sect would come after him—preferably sending a few Nascent Soul cultivators. That way, he might be able to complete his Shadow Strategy.

He had collected only eight fragmentary scrolls last time. Two more were needed before he could reconstruct the true Heaven-ranked, mid-grade movement technique.

At the thought of this, Chen Xiang could not help feeling eager.

“Young Master, the tea produced in Fragrant Flow City is of the finest quality. Why don’t we go in and have a taste?” the beautiful woman suggested.

“Ah… yes, all right!” Chen Xiang turned his head, his heart still itching with anticipation, and looked at her.

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

Although Chen Xiang’s reaction seemed perfectly natural, the beautiful woman still noticed that something was off.

Curious, she followed his gaze. There, behind a curtain marked with the character for “gambling house,” stood a place she knew well. Having lived in Fragrant Flow City for so long, she was thoroughly familiar with its streets and establishments, and recognized it at once as the Three Origins Gambling House.

The Three Origins Gambling House was no ordinary gambling den. It had been established by a Nascent Soul senior. On the surface, it was a place where ordinary people gambled, but secretly, it also served as a gambling house for cultivators.

In the beautiful woman’s eyes, however, Chen Xiang was merely a mortal. Perhaps he had gambled there in the past and now felt like going in for a little amusement. This caused her opinion of him to fall somewhat.

“What is it? Does Young Master Chu want to visit the Three Origins Gambling House?” the beautiful woman asked with a smile.

“Haha, no need. I’m not particularly interested in gambling. Let’s go have some tea instead,” Chen Xiang replied with a laugh.

The beautiful woman nodded and led the way inside.

As soon as they entered the tea house, the proprietor hurried forward to greet them, looking both nervous and honored.

“Madam Xiao, you’ve come! What kind of tea would you like today? I’ve recently acquired several excellent varieties. I can bring them out for you to sample.”

Although the proprietor’s expression was somewhat tense, his enthusiasm was even more apparent.

He knew of the beautiful woman’s fierce reputation, but it all stemmed from her determination to protect her daughter, which was hardly unreasonable. Moreover, whenever she came, she ordered only the finest tea, giving his business a generous boost.

“Is that so? Let me take a look first,” Madam Xiao said, her interest piqued.

She often visited this tea house and was quite familiar with the proprietor, so there was no need for unnecessary formality.

The proprietor took a wooden board from the counter. Several tea varieties were written on it.

Madam Xiao glanced over the names. A few caught her attention, but she still handed the board back and said, “Manager Sun, the Blue Orchid and Spring Banner are indeed quite good. But couldn’t you bring out a little of your treasured Emerald Green? Look, I’ve even brought a guest today. It wouldn’t do to entertain him with such ordinary tea.”

Chen Xiang smiled appropriately at the proprietor but said nothing.

He knew little about tea appreciation, so he was in no position to comment. He would simply leave everything to Madam Xiao.

Manager Sun gave a bitter smile. “Madam Xiao, it isn’t that I’m being stingy. There’s simply too little Emerald Green. I went to enormous trouble to obtain just a few ounces, and I can barely bear to drink any of it myself!”

“Manager Sun, I know Emerald Green is rare. But if you keep it locked away, it will only go moldy. How about this? I’ll buy one ounce, and I won’t ask you for any more in the future,” Madam Xiao said with a faint smile.

Manager Sun hesitated several times. If he refused, Madam Xiao might stop visiting so often. Though her reputation had been earned through protecting her daughter, everyone also knew how formidable she was. What if she became displeased and demolished his shop?

At that thought, Manager Sun could only sigh helplessly and wave his hand.

“All right, all right. Madam Xiao, I’ll be generous just this once and sell you one ounce. But you mustn’t tell anyone. Otherwise, those old fellows in the city will come looking for trouble.”

“Don’t worry. I understand. I won’t go around telling people,” Madam Xiao said with a smile, clearly pleased that he had agreed.

“Very well. Will you be taking it home, or shall I serve it here?” Manager Sun asked.

“We’ll drink it here. The view at your establishment is quite lovely, and it’s the perfect place to savor your Emerald Green,” Madam Xiao replied calmly.

“All right. The usual table?” Manager Sun asked with a bright smile.

Madam Xiao nodded.

Manager Sun then instructed an assistant to lead the two of them upstairs.

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

The tea house had five floors. The first two were open halls, arranged in a simple yet elegant fashion. The third and fourth floors contained private rooms, while the fifth was another open hall.

Chen Xiang and Madam Xiao went straight to the fifth floor.

The fifth floor was not large, measuring only around one hundred and eighty square meters. There were no walls around the edges, only a waist-high railing. Ten low tables and cushions were arranged throughout the hall with exquisite care, and directly opposite them lay a lake.

Tall and short buildings lined both shores, while dozens of boats drifted across the water. The entire panorama could be seen at a glance.

Chen Xiang could not help admiring the proprietor’s ingenuity. He had arranged the tall building with remarkable attention to detail, each floor higher than the one below it. The design was perfectly suited to the tastes of the scholars and refined gentlemen of Fragrant Flow City. It would have been difficult for his business not to prosper.

Several people were already seated on the fifth floor, and Chen Xiang happened to encounter a few familiar faces.

They were none other than Young Master Wang and Young Master Zhang, who had tried to humiliate him at the small literary gathering in the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion the previous day.

They habitually glanced over when they heard someone coming upstairs.

But the moment they saw Chen Xiang, their expressions first changed to surprise, then fury, and finally unease.

However, as soon as they noticed Madam Xiao, their expressions shifted once again.

They immediately put on broad smiles and walked toward Chen Xiang.

To be continued…