Chapter 57: From the Flower Reflects a Picture – Part 14

 
Ming ChangYan abruptly jumped back a step.

The heat on his face wouldn’t go away so he used his hands as fans and fanned himself with them.

Huai Yu’s expression seemed even worse than before.

Ming ChangYan continued walking but paused from time to time, seemingly wanting to say something, eager to break apart this strange silence. It’s just that Huai Yu walked very fast and didn’t even glance sideways. No matter what petty maneuver or sound that Ming ChangYan made, he ignored them all.

Ming shaoxia didn’t use to be scared of people not talking to him. Back when he was in TianQing, he also had a lot of fights with LiMin-Jun, but because the difference between their cultivation was so drastic, when Ming shaoxia really used his fists there was a possibility of him beating LiMin-Jun to death. That’s why LiMin-Jun established a rule, whenever they fought, Ming shaoxia wasn’t allowed to use his fists, they could only engage in a cold war, not talking, waiting until the both of them calmed down. This was a good idea, it saved energy and money for medicine, plus, as long as LiMin-Jun didn’t want to talk to him, then he could go outside and have fun. For ten days to about half a month, LiMin-Jun wouldn’t try to talk to him. If it wasn’t for LiMin-Jun finally being unable to keep from talking to him any longer, then Ming shaoxia could have even forgotten what the other’s last name was.

Obviously, this skill has lost its effects on Huai Yu.

He didn’t want to talk to Ming shaoxia, but Ming shaoxia couldn’t help but want to talk to him. Often when the silence stretched out for too long, he would be at a loss. He was originally properly thinking about some other problem, but in the end, it all rushed together and ended up on Huai Yu and it became: Is he ignoring me because he’s angry?

“Ai!”

Thinking about this, Ming shaoxia sighed heavily.

Huai Yu paused his footsteps.

“Why are you sighing?”

The moment he spoke, Ming shaoxia’s reason for sighing disappeared.

“You’re paying attention to me now?”

Huai Yu softly humphed.

Ming shaoxia was beaming.

“Let’s go, there’s no point in staying here at Xiu LingLong’s, I’ve already asked all I needed to ask. Let’s go get something to eat first or I’m gonna starve to death!”

The two returned on the boat, found an inn, and stopped to eat a meal.

After they finished, Huai Yu asked, “What did she say to you after she made me leave?”

Ming ChangYan knew that he was going to ask that, so he didn’t hide anything and directly answered, “I asked her about the crown prince. Of course, that didn’t really matter, what’s important was that all the people who were killed with the Thousand Needles Through the Throat had all been old friends of the Zhuang family. This matter most likely has something to do with the Zhuang family.”

Huai Yu said, “Are you implying that Zhuang Xiao didn’t die?”

Ming ChangYan nodded, “XiaoHan temple wasn’t among the sects that were exterminated and old friends of the Zhuang family. I asked Xiu LingLong just now, XiaoHan temple had only begun building temples in Huating in recent years, which was when the frequent killings began. I think it’s probably because Zhuang Xiao doesn’t want them to build their temples there.”

Huai Yu inquired, “If this really was all done by Zhuang Xiao, then why did he murder his father’s friends.”

Ming ChangYan said, “Now that’s some food for thought. Why don’t we ask exactly why everyone’s blaming all these sect massacres on me!”

Finishing, he said, “It’s probably the doings of XiaoHan Temple. I’m not accusing them without reason, even though I have made a good number of enemies in the Central Plains.”

At the mention of this, Huai Yu snorted.

Ming ChangYan rubbed his nose, then continued, “But XiaoHan Temple absolutely hates me! Those ancient bald monkey’s hatred for me just came out of nowhere, when it comes to them claiming the Common People’s Order is theirs, fine, that’s justified, but that blade has always picked its own master. They haven’t been able to pull it out for decades, but now that it’s in my hands, it’s turned into me stealing from them!”

Huai Yu drank a cup of tea and said, “You’re thinking in the wrong direction. XiaoHan Temple wronged you, the reason being to overtake Jianghu. When Zhuang Xiao kills, it’s by using the Thousand Needles Through the Throat, though the technique is somewhat different from yours. Besides, there are many people who use needles. Think, why do they always pinpoint it on you?”

Ming ChangYan pondered for a bit then said, “Are you saying that Zhuang Xiao’s killings weren’t directed at me, but that someone is deliberately killing these people with the facade of being me to shift the blame on me? Then this person’s pretty hard-working, what are they even trying to do!”

Huai Yu said, “They want you dead.”

Ming ChangYan raised his brow, “Why, what will they gain from my death?”

Huai Yu, “Why are you asking me, I don’t want you dead.”

With that, he got up and proceeded to walk downstairs.

Ming ChangYan really did ask a rather nonsensical question, what benefits will come from his death? There are numerous people who would benefit from this, there’s just too many to count.

He quickly chased after him, “Hey, wait for me!”

He thought: And he says he doesn’t want me dead, I’m already at the brink between life and death!

Ming shaoxia caught up to Huai Yu and tugged at his sleeves, “Don’t be angry, I’ll give you a treat. I’ve already told you all that Xiu LingLong said to me.”

Seeing Huai Yu like this caused him to promptly take a tanghulu from a nearby stand, taking out two copper coins from his chest, he threw them at the shopkeeper.

Ming shaoxia waved it around, “It’s very sweet, do you want some?”

Huai Yu, “No.”

He took a bite and purposely ate it in a way that made a lot of noise, “It’s really sweet! You better not regret it later!”

Huai Yu said, “No.”

Ming ChangYan happily chewed away. He suddenly reached out and snatched the tanghulu from Ming shaoxia’s mouth, “You’re not allowed to eat it.”

Ming ChangYan wasn’t about to let him do as he wished.

Ming shaoxia, “Such an overbearing temper, such an overbearing person! You don’t like eating it so you forbid me from eating it!”

While walking, Ming ChangYan spotted some familiar robes that appeared on the opposite side of the street, turns out it was a few of XiaoHan Temple’s senior monks.

One couldn’t just avoid their enemies. Ming ChangYan didn’t intend to acknowledge them at first after all this was Huating, they’ve bumped into monks plenty of times during these past few days. However, he didn’t expect that after walking a few steps closer, he was able to recognize the aura of an old acquaintance of his among the group of senior monks.

For a long time, he’d used a person’s aura in order to identify them. Therefore, for ordinary people with no knowledge of cultivation or people of weaker status in Jianghu, if they didn’t see each other often, it would often be difficult to identify them. On the other hand, if the other was of high ability, and especially if they were his sworn enemy, then he would have an acute memory of them. Even though they haven’t met in several years, the subconscious part of his brain would automatically be reminded of that loathing: The bald monkey that you hate the most has arrived!

This acquaintance of his wasn’t just some ordinary acquaintance, it had all happened by coincidence. It was after he had obtained the Common People’s Order from the Great FengShan feast. He’s the only outsider, besides the inner disciples of TianQing, that knew about his real appearance. The backbone of XiaoHan Temple—Dao Zhen-fangzhang*.

(TN: I hate titles and names of festivals/events/people/cultivation techniques, fangzhang is like the same as an abbot, which if people don’t know what that is *raises hand*, they hold the position of administrator for a Buddhist temple, just means they hold a more superior position that’s all you have to know.)

At this point, he had only recovered about 60-70% of his cultivation. Although he had Huai Yu beside him, there wasn’t that big of a problem in terms of power. Even so, if he was to expose his face now, it will only cause more trouble than not, so absolutely not!

Quick thinking, he turned around and threw himself into Huai Yu’s arms.

Huai Yu was completely stunned by him, before he could even regain his senses, he heard the muffled voice of the person in his arms say, “Hug me.”

Huai Yu thought that he was feeling unwell because the illness in his body was acting up again. He was just about to bend down and carry Ming ChangYan when the other corrected, “No, no! Hug me while standing! Cover me!”

Unclear on what kind of bad idea the other was trying to pull off, Huai Yu could only oblige. He held the other tightly in his arms, gently, he stroked his hand through the back of Ming ChangYan’s head. Tilting a little sideways, he covered him.

Just as expected, when the monks from XiaoHan Temple glanced over and saw these two who were closely bound together, they immediately looked away like their eyes had been stabbed by needles, quickly walking away while saying ‘Amitabha.’

It was only when Dao Zhen together with them disappeared, that the two separated.

Ming shaoxia was so engrossed in avoiding them, he didn’t expect that after throwing himself into Huai Yu’s arms, he would be so close to the other. The muddled fragrance on Huai Yu’s body was much stronger than usual, which made his head feel faint and his face flush red. After they separated, Ming ChangYan quickly took in a breath of fresh air as he exaggerated, “That bald monkey, still the same stuck-up as always!”

“What’s the matter.” Huai Yu calmly asked as he brought his hands behind him and turned around.

Ming ChangYan finally regulated his breathing, after he took a few breaths he said, “It was Dao Zhen, one of the monks from just a moment ago had seen my appearance before, which was Dao Zhen.” He paused then added, “Anyhow, I can’t expose myself.”

After hearing this, Huai Yu seemed to have accepted this explanation and walked onward.

Ming ChangYan thought that this little brat was angry again, so he quickly caught up to apologize, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Don’t be angry! I couldn’t think of anything else just now.”

“I’m not angry.” Huai Yu’s eyes glanced his way a few times, but he didn’t look at him directly. His steps slowed down as he emphasized, “I don’t mind.”

“Then, then that’s good, haha, thanks for your generosity….”

He was just about to liven up the atmosphere when someone suddenly bumped into him. Ming ChangYan retreated a few steps back and was caught by Huai Yu.

“Do you even know how to walk.”

Just as he said those words, a crowd up ahead suddenly broke out into a cheer, “Yes!!”

Ming ChangYan laughed and said, “Look, someone answered for me.”

He steadied himself, looking ahead he saw that on a viewing platform a group of Jianghu performers was putting on a show. Because Huating was holding the Fireworks Festival, a lot of outsiders from different parts of the country came to have a look. Every part of the city was bustling with excitement.

On the platform, first up was spitting fire, the second was splitting a rock on someone’s chest, then finally, it was swallowing a sword before using it to fight. After the end of each performance, a person would circle around the crowd with a rag hat. If the performance was good, then the hat would be filled with more money. If the performance was bad, even if everyone held onto their money, they wouldn’t accept it.

Ming ChangYan commented, “I’ve been in the palace for so long, I haven’t seen these sorts of performances in a while.”

It’s not like the palace didn’t have these kinds of performances, but the emperor liked beauties. He only liked to have a few good-looking girls go on a stage, then have them twist their hips a little and dance over and over again. That’s all they would do and after watching it so many times, he got tired of it. Ming ChangYan didn’t like seeing people dance, so he decided to squeeze into the crowd to take a closer look.

He barely moved when his collar was grabbed by Huai Yu.

“You’re not allowed to go.”

Ming ChangYan sighed, “I can’t do this, I can’t do that, then what can I do!”

Huai Yu humphed.

Just as he was looking around, a man in black jumped down from the roof.

To be exact, he didn’t really ‘jump down,’ but held onto a piece of white silk and gracefully made a few circles in mid-air before elegantly landing in the middle of the stage.

Ming shaoxia narrowed his eyes and felt a little uncomfortable.

“Who do you think he looks like?”

Huai Yu glanced at Ming ChangYan.

Ming ChangYan continued, “It seems like this is another Noble Gentleman. But this one’s got some guts, he knows perfectly well that Huating’s magistrate is over here arresting anyone who wears black, yet here he is flaunting it around. I guess he realized he’s lived too long.”

To sum what the Noble Gentleman wearing a bamboo hat black veil said on stage, he was going to show everyone a TianQing sword technique, but this technique of his was a spectacle too terrible to endure. The sword in his hands fell out of his hands twice, just looking at it made Ming shaoxia feel exasperated for the other’s failing.

Offstage, there were quite a few vendors set up peddlers selling millet pancakes. Ming ChangYan felt a little hungry, but he had just used his last two copper coins to buy tanghulu and now he was penniless. Plus, he’d only taken one bite of that tanghulu before it was taken away by Huai Yu. At a loss, he suddenly thought of something. He borrowed a nearby old man’s bamboo hat, tore off a piece of black gauze, and crudely sowed it onto the bamboo hat using the Moondrop Needle before putting it on his head.

In a split second, flowers covered the entire stage, the fragrance of the flowers spreading throughout the crowd causing everyone to cover their noses and sneeze. Immediately afterward, a black silhouette flew down onto the stage. Ming ChangYan was covered in flowers and grass, he had easily passed through a hundred or so tiny flowers. They used limited resources in order to create such an astonishing display. It even startled the Noble Gentleman on the stage to stumble back a step.

Ming shaoxia swatted his hands together and coughed.

The Noble Gentleman said, “Who are you!”

Ming ChangYan cupped his hands together, “I’m also a Noble Gentleman!”

The spectators looked at each other in dismay, when no one was able to respond, Ming shaoxia laughed and said, “My fellow countrymen, I am—the Noble Gentleman! Ming ChangYan! I passed your precious lands today and used up all my money. I’m in a tough position right now, so I have come up here to perform for everyone—”

The other Noble Gentleman thought: What does he want to perform? Ming ChangYan that guy only has two skills, one being the Moondrop Needle, and the other being the TianQing sword techniques. I’ve already performed the sword techniques and seeing as he doesn’t have a sword, don’t tell me he’s going to perform needlework?

Huai Yu was also somewhat curious and glimpsed at him a couple of times.

The Ming ChangYan on the stage drew in the audience’s attention, sitting down on a stool, he finished his speech, “The Noble Gentleman eating watermelon!”

“Everyone with money can come up to the front and those without money can borrow some to get a spot up front!”

Huai Yu, “…..”

The audience wasn’t buying and burst out in sighs, until one person said, “Hold up! Everyone think about it, what do you need to use when eating watermelon!”

A peddler in grey heard this, knowing the answer he quickly raised his hands, “I know I know!”

That person, “Dear brother please explain!”

The peddler in grey said, “Of course it’s with the mouth.”

The crowd was completely silent. The peddler in grey rubbed his chin, “What’s the matter? Am I wrong?”

That person swung his hand, “That’s true, but besides the mouth, you also have to use another object. Everyone look, what’s placed beside the watermelon?”

A person replied, “A watermelon knife!”

“That’s right. It’s a knife! Now I assume everyone here knows what the Noble Gentleman is an expert in using?”

When that peddler in grey heard this, his eyes brightened, he knew the answer to this one too, “I know, he’s an expert at being handsome!”

A person said, “Are you here to mess around?!”

“You keep cutting in. Good friend, don’t mind him, continue!”

That peddler was pushed around the crowd until he was squeezed outside. He sighed a few times before finally going outside the crowd.

The person from before continued, “As everyone knows, Ming ChangYan is an expert at using blades, and the Common People’s Order beside his waist is also a blade! And that watermelon knife is also a blade. Maybe he’s going to use the watermelon to show his knife skills!”

Everyone agreed with his words.

“You’re right, you’re right!”

“Well said, well said!”

“Makes sense, makes sense!”

With this, everyone looked up on stage with expectation, their gazes landing on Ming ChangYan, and how he would prepare this watermelon.

They saw him slowly pick up the watermelon knife using his left hand before slashing down with a loud ‘he,’ which made everyone’s hearts jump. Then with a ‘hiya’ he sliced down twice and cut the watermelon into four pieces.

After he finished, Ming ChangYan let out a sigh of relief, he sat upright and circulated some qi around. Picking up a slice of watermelon, he lifted his veil and slowly began eating it.

Everyone kept a fixed gaze on him in fear that they might miss some kind of knife technique.

So for a whole incense amount of time, the hundred or so people offstage looked under Ming ChangYan’s black veil. A red watermelon would go in, but only a green rind would come out. The black veil moved up and down until he had finished eating, it was only then when Ming shaoxia let out a satisfied sigh and cupped his hands together, “Thank you for your support, my performance has come to an end!”

It was then that the audience flared up.

This…this was just getting a monkey to perform tricks*! Even when teasing a monkey you at least give it a banana! All you did was have the monkey take a sniff of the banana with the peel on! Is this something a person could do?!

(TN: “耍猴”; To make fun of somebody, or to tease)

Sure enough, Ming shaoxia was worthy of the title Ming shaoxia. With that natural power of his that allows him to make anyone die from rage, no matter how many times he’s killed or where he is, he’s still just as infuriating as ever, even more so it seems!

He was being thrown watermelon rinds and cabbage all while jumping and dodging, crying out in the process, “Hold up! Wait, wait, wait, wait! Don’t hit people! Let’s be honest, my performance on watermelon eating wasn’t that bad! There are two Noble Gentlemen on the stage, why are you guys only hitting me! Unfair!”

Ming shaoxia pointed at the other Noble Gentleman, “If you want to hit someone, hit him too!”

When that Noble Gentleman heard this, he stopped his foot in anger, “Why hit me! Weren’t my TianQing sword techniques good!”

Ming shaoxia strongly argued, “Nonsense! You call that sword-play good? This shaoxia can do a better performance with his feet! Plus what I performed was the real Noble Gentleman eating watermelon, isn’t that better than you fooling everyone?”

That Noble Gentleman said, “Are you for real?!” He widened his eyes before he suddenly lowered his voice and scooted over, “Brother, everyone’s out here trying to make a living, we’re only here to get a bite to eat. Is there a need for you to intervene? On the account that we’re both impersonating Ming ChangYan, stop smashing my stage, I’ll split the money in half with you, how’s that?”

Suddenly, before Ming ChangYan could even reply, Huating officers had already surrounded the stage. The leading guard shouted, “Where’s the Noble Gentleman!”

Ming ChangYang laughed, “I didn’t go looking for them, but they sure came looking for me!”

He raised his hand, “I’m here, what can I do for you?”

The other Noble Gentleman quickly pulled off his veil to reveal a mediocre-looking face. He panicked, he hadn’t expected the officers would arrive so quickly. Seeing that the peer beside him didn’t fear death, he was both scared and alarmed, promptly crouching down to grab his things before running away.

The leading bodyguard exclaimed, “You’re looking for death! Seize him! The country’s lord is accompanied by the third prince today on a tour of Huating. Anyone who dares defy orders will be detained in jail until further notice!”

Ming ChangYan secretly thought: No wonder the officers arrived so fast, it wasn’t because someone reported it to authorities, but because of this shaoxia’s bad luck that he’d come here the same day as the emperor’s son!

Four guards pushed through to try and capture Ming ChangYan, but before they could even touch him, the four all simultaneously felt a sudden pain in their ankles and knelt on the ground.

Huai Yu coldly said, “What are you still standing there for.”

Ming ChangYan laughed and instantly flattered, “Thank you, Young Prime Minister, for saving my life! I will remember this for as long as I live!”

The guard’s expression changed as he yelled, “How dare you!”

At the same time, from afar came, “How dare you!”

It was the voice of a young girl.

The guard looked over and saw a young girl furiously walk over, with a stern-looking young man standing beside her. The country lord had a bend back as he was trying to curry favor behind her, and finally, behind them all was the third prince wearing a smile.

That girl was precisely A-Jun.

She declared, “Who do you think you are! How dare you speak to our country’s Prime Minister in such a tone!”

As soon as that guard noticed who was behind this girl, he could already guess the identity of this person. Thus he was so shocked that it made his legs go soft, causing him to kneel on the ground.

Trembling from head to toe, he was in such a state of panic he forgot how to properly form words, “I, I, I wasn’t talking to the Prime Minister, it was, it was to the Noble Gentleman! The Noble Gentleman! Yes! It was him!”

The guard suddenly raised his head as he pointed at Ming ChangYan, “It was him! He’s pretending to be the Noble Gentleman! I was yelling at him!”

When A-Jun heard this she was baffled as she reprimanded, “What Noble Gentleman?! What kind of logic do you as a servant have! You’re not allowed to yell at the Prime Minister, so it’s only natural that you can’t yell at his wife either!”

 

 

The author has something to say: I see no error in A-Jun’s logic! *throws everything on the floor*

The Young Prime Minister isn’t angry, the Young Prime Minister doesn’t mind, the Young Prime Minister just wants to calm down.

 

 

 

This was translated by https://poppyscanlations.video.blog/, any other repost is stolen, and if you steal my work I’ll wack you with my watermelon rind.

 

 

 

And the award for best misunderstanding goes to, you guessed it, this chapter!

Once again, I am posting that at 5 am in the morning with class tomorrow (༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ)

I so want to go on a break again, but then I guess I’ll wait till like chapter 100 or something. It’s just a lot of work translating a whole novel by yourself and you get really tired sometimes. Don’t worry, I have no plans to drop this translation, I’M GOING TO GO THROUGH IT TILL THE END!! Even if it’s a break, I think I’m literally just going to take a week or two off then come back.

If you see any grammatical/translation errors please notify me! I’m half-asleep right now.

Stay healthy my dudes.

 

 

 

Chapter 56 : Table of Contents : Chapter 58