Life Going Wild With Plug-ins

Chapter 19

Chapter 19 - The small loyal dog is really honest.

After hearing many legends about famous swords1 , I decided to go take a look at the Qiu Manor, an influential sword-casting family in Suyang that offers good quality at a good price.

Ye Tan drove the carriage while I hid away inside, dozing off while we wandered towards the south-east. It had not been more than two days when we arrived at a new place, I stepped outside of the carriage for some fresh air, and in passing stuffed two glutinous rice cakes in Ye Tan’s mouth. Unexpectedly, we were stopped at the city gates.

It was not soldiers blocking our path, dressed with plain clothes, holding knives and swords, they seemed rather like men of the Jianghu.

“Which sect and group are you from? Where do you come from? Where are you going?”

I, not understanding the situation, naively answered: “We don’t have a sect or a group, we come from Jincheng, and are going to Suyang.”

A swordsman wearing a bamboo hat rudely said: “What nonsense is this? If you are going from Jincheng to Suyang, how did you end up coming to Helan?! This is the complete opposite direction.”

“The opposite direction?” I was astounded.

Hearing this, the guests inside the teahouse next to the relay station all tuned their ears to watch the joke unfold.

I asked doubtfully: “Huh? How can that be? For as long as we’ve been on the road, every time we came across a fork in the road we asked someone, and every time they pointed to this direction, it never changed.”

The bamboo hat-wearing swordsman turned towards the men beside him and laughed: “This can also be the opposite direction, these two are stupid, ha ha ha ha.”

“Brother He, don’t be careless.” Amongst the group there was a youth wearing robes and a belt2 , having heard what happened, he came over and took a look at the situation, “To be mistaken in such a strange way, I see you’ve been deceived.”

“Then, let’s give you a test to prove that you’re not one of that bastard's men.” The bamboo hat swordsman pointed his blade towards the two of us, and shouted, “You two, shout these words towards the heavens ‘Zhongli Zixi is a son of a bitch worse than a beast’, then this Uncle will let you both pass.”

Zongli Zixi? Second Young Master? Could this group be an enemy of Zhongli Court?

I helplessly said: “This is how you figure it out?”

“Of course, we already caught one.” The swordsman pointed towards the side, where I saw a young man tied up with his arms behind his back, mouth stuffed with a cotton cloth, and muttering curses as he struggled.

....Okay, you win.

Naturally, I have no problem with this, but Ye Tan has always had a thick skull. After all, The Second Young Master was his previous Master, and he has a talent for being stupidly honest and straightforward. For someone as honourable as him it would be difficult to be disrespectful towards his previous master. I’m afraid I can’t turn back, so I have to think of another way to keep him from accompanying this tied-up idiot.

“Zhongli Zixi is a son of a bitch worse than a beast.” Ye Tan finished shouting without stopping for breath, without blushing, and without skipping over words. Turning to look at me, and seeing I was dumbstruck, he urged, “Master, it’s your turn.”

I: “.....”

....I think too much.

“Boy, why aren’t you saying it?” The bamboo hat swordsman glared at me and said, “Your complexion looks strange, surely you’re not really one of that beast’s men?”

I immediately recited the words in a wooden tone.

The blue-clothed young man cautiously looked at me and said: “Your expression just now was not right, I’m sure you have some connection with Zhongli Court. Kneel before me.”

I was baffled, and responded by plopping down on my knees.

Ye Tan was greatly alarmed: “Master! How can this be?”

Eh? What’s wrong with this?

The young man looked at Ye Tan and said: “You too.”

Ye Tan resoundingly said: “Aside from Master, I don’t kneel to anyone.”

I whispered to him: “Then just kneel behind me and direct it towards me.”

“Ha ha ha ha, your companion has a lot of backbone, this Uncle likes it. It’s just a pity his master is actually a coward.” The bamboo hat swordsman laughed loudly, and patted the blue-clothed man’s shoulder, “Brother Qi, we are a famous clan, what are we doing bullying these two little children who can’t do wuggong?”

The blue-clothed man didn’t say anything and just sat back down. With a big wave of his hand, the bamboo hat swordsman told the others to let us pass.

I had just kneeled down, how could just I stand up when you say stand up. Ye Tan hurriedly carried me back into the carriage and patted the dust off my knees. He led the horses into the city gates, still occasionally glancing back at the relay station outside of the city gates.

“Master, you mustn't do this in the future.” Ye Tan muttered, “Ye Tan is willing to risk my life in combat, but unwilling to see Master suffer such humiliation.”

I inexplicably said: “What humiliation? What was wrong with that?”

Ye Tan looked at me with a complicated expression: “....nothing.”

I spoke again: “I actually didn’t expect you to be able to curse the Second Young Master like that, wasn’t he your previous master?”

“....what? This subordinate’s Master is you, other people have nothing to do with it.” Ye Tan seemed to have noticed there was something wrong after I brought it up, and after thinking about it, said “However..... the Second Young Master did grace me with being master and servant, this subordinate will keep that in mind for the future.”

“Nonono, that’s good, keep it up.” I commended.

I suddenly realised he lived a transparent life that was not bound by the past, which was rather remarkable.

“Oh.” Ye Tan, unaware I was making these twists and turns, answered cutely.

I asked again: “You kept looking around just now, what was the reason?”

Ye Tan said: “This subordinate recognised that tied-up man, so I couldn’t help but take a second look.”

That idiot who got tied up because he couldn't curse the Second Young Master? I asked: “Then, who was it?”

“His name is Qin Chenyuan.” After Ye Tan finished saying that, he explained, “He is related this subordinate’s first Master, he’s Qin Kezuo’s little brother.”

I was surprised: “A person from the Qin family?”

Ye Tan nodded: “Yes. Before Seventh Young Master Qin died, he entrusted me to take care of his relatives..... But now I’m no longer his subordinate, so the Qin family and I should have nothing to do with each other any more.”

“That’s not right, wait, is it that.... that family that, for the sake of taking Qin Kezuo’s body into the ancestral tomb, fought with you for half a month, and hates you to the bone, that Qin family?” I was extremely flabbergasted.

Ye Tan nodded again: “Yes. Qin Chenyuan and the Seventh Young Master Qin had a deep relationship, he risked his life in a bloody battle with me.”

“That’s not scientific!” I grabbed his shoulder and said, “The Qin family was itching to kill you after that, but the Second Young Master insisted on shielding you, making them unable to get revenge. How is it possible for the Qin family to have befriended the Second Young Master?” Especially with this Qin Chenyuan being such an honest idiot.

Ye Tan was also at a loss: “This subordinate also doesn’t understand.”

I stroked my chin: “That won’t do, I’ll look for an opportunity to ask.”

Ye Tan frowned, wanting to say something but hesitating.

I started again: “A-Tan. If you won’t speak about this matter, I won’t ask you. But if I were to find something out by myself, then there’s nothing you can do about it, right?”

Ye Tan nodded and hung his head, dejected. I saw he looked pitiful and couldn’t help but rub the top of his head.

Don't even mention the fact that we had taken such a wrong turn this time.

I’m afraid someone really wants me to know about this matter.