Hsu Fengnian and the disfigured woman rested in a small town that was not covered by city walls. They were still three days away from the provincial capital.
She wore Hsu Fengnian's scholar's robes, which were rather loose. The four scars on her face had begun to form calluses. Fortunately, in order to not leave any traces and let her wounds heal at the same time as Zhong Gui's death, she was able to apply ointment to speed up her recovery. However, the desert wind was rough. After being brushed by her face, even with a headscarf covering her face that was no longer delicate, she was often badly mutilated. The pain she suffered was probably not any easier than being cut by a dagger. She did not cry much. Hsu Fengnian also did not say anything to comfort her. The two of them remained silent. Occasionally, Lu Chen would take the initiative to ask about some jianghu matters. Hsu Fengnian would also tell her everything in a serious and gentle manner. Perhaps he was afraid that if he made her laugh, she would suffer again.
Hsu Fengnian and her had just entered the city when the sky suddenly changed. Dark clouds covered the sun. It was clearly noon, but the sky was as dark as night. A sandstorm was approaching. Hsu Fengnian and Lu Chen had no choice but to enter a shabby inn. The innkeeper took advantage of the situation and raised the price as high as he could. Hsu Fengnian's original intention was that it did not matter if he was cheated of a few taels of silver. As long as he had a place to stay, he did not expect Lu Chen to be so stubborn. She tugged at his sleeve and refused to be cheated of money. It seemed that she was sincere when she said that he was good at running a household. Hsu Fengnian had no choice but to turn around under the innkeeper's rolling eyes. He wanted to go to another inn that was more considerate. Before he even stepped over the threshold, he saw merchants and travelers swarming over from the narrow streets. Judging by the situation, if he did not stay in this inn, he might have to sleep on the streets and hide in the alleys to avoid the sandstorm. Hsu Fengnian smiled at her. She did not insist. The innkeeper was narrow-minded and deliberately made things difficult for her. He doubled the price. Lu Chen was so angry that her shoulders trembled. Hsu Fengnian put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. He obediently paid the deposit and took the wooden token and key to the residence in the backyard.
Lu Chen, whose face was covered by a scarf, felt a little gloomy. Hsu Fengnian opened the wooden door, and the room was filled with a moldy smell. After closing the door, he took down the book case and the Spring and Autumn Sword. There was a clay jar on the table. He shook it a little and there was not a single drop of water left. Lu Chen sat quietly on the stool. She took off her scarf and gently turned her head away. She did not meet Hsu Fengnian's eyes. She only asked, "With Young Master's superb skills, why do you have to lower your voice to these commoners? You don't even need to unsheathe your sword to scare them out of their wits."
Hsu Fengnian closed the two leaky windows tightly and sat in front of the table. He smiled and said, "Do you think that all experts have to have a pair of cold eyes? Or are they born with the backs of tigers and waists of bears? Or do they want to hang two pieces of tiger or leopard carcasses on their backs? Or do they want to hang knives, spears, rods, and spears all over their bodies? Only then will they look imposing when they go out adventuring. "
The corners of Lu Chen's mouth curled up slightly. She could hear the teasing in his words and her mood improved a little.
Hsu Fengnian bent down and took out a few secret manuals from the book case. He placed them in front of her and sat cross-legged on the stool in a relaxed manner. He said softly, "I've been flipping through these manuals when I have nothing to do these past few days. I even practiced according to the moves inside. Only then did I realize that they were really fun."
She said softly, "Why don't you try it?"
Hsu Fengnian waved his hand and said, "That won't do. What if the sky falls and the earth shatters?"
Without waiting for her to speak, Hsu Fengnian said softly, "Don't laugh."
She really pulled a long face.
Hsu Fengnian picked up the tea jar and said, "I'll go get some water and food. Wait here."
Lu Chen nodded. She picked up a fake secret manual and casually flipped through it. Hsu Fengnian soon returned with a tea jar filled with cold water. Lu Chen raised her head and asked, "You spent money again?"
Hsu Fengnian smiled and said, "There's no other way. Little ghosts are hard to deal with. A pot of water costs half a tael of silver. Later, we'll just drink it like nectar. Oh right, the food will have to wait for a while. "
Lu Chen lowered her head to continue reading and said, "We can afford to wait."
Without knocking on the door, a waiter of the inn casually pushed the door open and entered. Lu Chen hurriedly grabbed her headscarf and hurriedly wrapped it around her head. The waiter was holding a large wooden tray with a few sloppy and crude dishes on it. He inadvertently caught a glimpse of Lu Chen's face and jumped in fright, almost knocking over the tray. He hurriedly put down the food and ran out. Just as he crossed the threshold, he shouted loudly, "Come and see, come and see, there's an ugly freak in the house. I saw a ghost during the day."
Lu Chen tugged at Hsu Fengnian's sleeve. However, Hsu Fengnian gently shook and strode out of the door. He kicked the unlucky guy who spoke without thinking, causing him to sink into the courtyard wall. It was unknown whether he was dead or alive. After returning to the house, Lu Chen said sadly, "I've always been ugly."
Hsu Fengnian said calmly, "Yes, you're not good-looking. With the makeup on your face, it'd be strange if you looked good. However, if anyone dares to say it out loud and into my ears, I'll let him … "
She continued, "Go and die?"
Hsu Fengnian said seriously, "How can that be? I'm not a devil. I've always liked to convince people with my appearance. If it really doesn't work, I'll convince people with my virtue."
Lu Chen stared at this scholar who she couldn't tell if he was a good or bad person. She pursed her lips and shook her head with a faint smile. She said, "It's not funny at all."
Hsu Fengnian dismissed it with a smile. He distributed the dishes and then buried his head in wolfing down the food. Lu Chen covered her face with one hand and chewed slowly. She had the demeanor of a lady who didn't speak while eating. She put down her chopsticks at the same time as Hsu Fengnian. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I thought you'd say some pretty words to comfort me."
Hsu Fengnian saw that she still had leftovers and didn't stand on ceremony. He moved the leftovers in front of him and said as he ate, "Didn't you say that you hate it when people lie to you? No matter if you believe it or not, in my eyes, you're still that delicate girl. You're not good-looking, but you're not much better."
Lu Chen asked, "Really?"
Hsu Fengnian lowered his head to eat and nodded.
The storm lasted for half the afternoon and gradually calmed down. Hsu Fengnian pushed open the window and looked out. It was already dark enough to delay their journey. He walked out of the courtyard with Lu Chen. The unlucky inn worker had already been carried away. There was no sign of any retaliation from the inn. Hsu Fengnian bought her a veiled hat on the street and rode slowly on his horse. Perhaps because she knew that they were about to reach the destination, Lu Chen's words became more lively. She began to take the initiative to ask Hsu Fengnian about some of the stories of Jianghu. She told him about the Wu family's' Nine Swords Break Ten Thousand Horsemen Shop '. She didn't have any intention of testing him. The pair of man and woman both intentionally and unintentionally became less scheming. Lu Chen herself was also a lively girl. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone out alone with Zhong Gui.
Where there's a gathering, there's a parting.
As they neared the provincial city, the width of the relay road was no less than the main roads of Beiliang.
Lu Chen gazed at the majestic city sprawled on the yellow sand like a colossus. Her heart palpitated with fear. She bit her lip and fell into a daze. After a long time, she looked back, wanting to catch a glimpse of that man and bid him farewell.
However, he was already nowhere to be seen.
She smiled. Even though she couldn't see him, she still turned her horse around and waved her hand.
In the distance, Hsu Fengnian, who had seen this scene, slowly leaned back on his horse's back. He held a weed stalk in his mouth.
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