The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2003: The Hidden Knife is Not Bad
In early autumn, the bluestone streets of Baoning County still retain the moisture from last night's rain.

A Han Chinese merchant dressed in indigo short brown clothes was striking a gong with a wooden mallet to attract customers to buy the newly arrived Shu brocade from his bamboo basket.

Beside her, an elderly Qiang woman squatted in front of an elm wood chopping board, her silver collar ornaments jingling as she chopped the cured meat. Her deep-set eyes shone with an amber light, as if she were calculating whether she could exchange them for enough salt that day.

At the corner, a row of buckwheat cakes were drying on a rammed earth wall. A Tibetan merchant, using a turquoise-inlaid belt to weigh down his fur robe, was negotiating prices with a Qiang girl wearing an intricately carved silver headdress. The girl's bright, almond-shaped eyes caught sight of the passersby, and she suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled softly, the silver bells beside her ears jingling like shattered jade.

Beneath the newly built hipped-roof houses beside the official road, several Han craftsmen were gilding the beams and rafters, and the copper bells on the eaves seemed to ring out a clear, melodious sound in the Bianjing dialect in the wind.

A Qiang woman wearing a double-breasted embroidered skirt walked by carrying a bamboo basket, with freshly picked ferns peeking out from between the bamboo strips. At her waist, a silver chain was adorned with twelve bronze plaques with sun and moon patterns—an auspicious number that a Qiang woman's mother would personally tie on her when she got married.

Yuan Zishan and Chili lifted the carriage curtain to gaze at the scenery outside, filled with curiosity about this exotic landscape. Although this was within the territory of the Great Shu Kingdom, it bordered Tibet, and the coexistence of different ethnic groups was quite evident.

Feng Jiuxiao said in the carriage, "Fifteen, let's see where we can rest and then take a look around." Now that we're here, we should naturally enjoy the scenery.

Before long, Pang Shiwu spotted a Tibetan-style restaurant. The signboard was inscribed with both Han and Tibetan characters: Holy Snow Mountain Restaurant!
Sparks crackled and popped in the red clay hearth of the restaurant. The rough stone walls, the beams and pillars painted with auspicious symbols, and the vermilion railings of the second-floor corridor all revealed fine cracks etched by time.

A faded prayer flag still hangs somewhere, its light fluttering against the copper bells on the eaves in the breeze.

The rich aroma of yak meat and barley wine wafted from the kitchen, and the waiters walked up and down the creaking pine stairs, their coarse cloth boots covered with bits of grass they had brought in from the market outside.

A drunkard suddenly slammed his fist on the table and laughed loudly, causing ripples to rise in the earthenware bowl and startling the gray pigeons that were perched on the window frame pecking at tsampa crumbs.

The shopkeeper behind the counter tapped his knuckles on the copper abacus, his peripheral vision glancing at the lone man in the corner drinking alone in a fur coat—the man's thumb was unconsciously rubbing the silver-inlaid scroll pattern on the scabbard of his waist knife, and as the liquor dripped down his disheveled beard, his Adam's apple bobbed as if he had swallowed some secret more scorching than strong liquor.

As soon as Pang Shiwu's carriage stopped at the door, a Tibetan young man came to greet him.

The highland sunlight cast dappled patterns of light on his angular face, and his amber eyes, like beeswax soaked in butter lamp oil, held a shrewdness honed on the ancient Tea Horse Road, hidden in the slight upturn at the corners.

When he saw that Pang Shiwu seemed to be younger than him, the vertical line etched by the wind and sand between his brows immediately relaxed, and his thick, dark eyebrows rose like an unfolded hada (a ceremonial scarf). His rough knuckles deftly took the reins from Pang Shiwu's hand. "Where do you come from, sir?" His eyes were clear and full of enthusiasm, and his Mandarin accent was very broken.

Pang Shiwu noticed a Tibetan knife tucked into his waistband. "Your knife is quite nice!"

The Tibetan man flashed a smile, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, and said, "This was made for me by my father himself!"

Pang Shiwu said, "Really good!" His eyes were fixed on the Tibetan knife, which was indeed quite impressive and eye-catching!

The scabbard was made of brand-new dark red cowhide, and the brass hilt shone with a golden light, making the lotus flower relief in the center even clearer!

The young Tibetan enthusiastically took the knife off and drew it from its sheath!

The moment the blade was drawn, a sliver of cold light caught the eye, as if severing the aroma of tea oil in the air.

The blade is curved like a crescent moon, much like wild grass bent by the wind on the grassland! The blade is covered with fine, flowing ripples, and the six-syllable Tibetan mantra is engraved near the guard, highlighting the profound heritage of this knife!
The handle of the knife was wrapped with blackened yak sinew, and dark brown logs were visible through the gaps in the rope.

The young Tibetan handed the knife to Pang Shiwu so he could feel it!
Pang Shiwu was surprised by the young Tibetan's enthusiasm!
He took the Tibetan knife, gripped the handle, and when he tightened his fingers, he could feel several irregular indentations on the wood—but they fit perfectly with each finger!

Pang Shiwu sheathed his sword and handed it to the young Tibetan man. "What's your name?"

"My name is Tashi!"

"Hello, my name is Pang Shiwu!"

"Young Master Pang, are you here for a stay or a meal?"

Pang Shiwu turned around and asked, "Big Brother?"

Feng Jiuxiao stepped out of the last carriage. "It's still early, so we can just have a meal. We don't need to stay overnight."

Zaxi was somewhat astonished, "You were speaking so softly, how could your older brother hear you clearly?"

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "His ears are very sharp," then leaned close to Zaxi's ear and whispered, "His ears are incredibly sensitive, like a dog's nose. He can hear what you're saying from miles away!"

Zaxi looked incredulous. "Really?"

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "You can try to find him later! Let's find a place to rest first!"

"Alright! Please come in, let me park the carriage for you!" He turned around and shouted a few words in Tibetan, but Feng Jiuxiao could guess from his expression that he was calling for "Dorje! Dorje! Come out quickly! We have guests!"

Sure enough, a young voice rang out from inside, "Coming!" It was spoken in Chinese!
Dorjee responded in Chinese because he knew the customer must be Han Chinese! If it were a Tibetan, Tashi would never have been so excited! Especially in this Han-ruled territory, they only show extra enthusiasm when Han Chinese enter the shop!
If it's fellow countrymen visiting, then we don't need to be so polite!
Dorjee is more robust than Tashi!

Dark complexion, rough skin, broad shoulders, and a confident stride!
"Welcome, gentlemen, to our place!" His Chinese was broken, but his smile was genuinely warm, and his teeth were very white, giving off a sense of rustic simplicity.

Pang Shiwu smiled and replied, "Okay! Are there any seats available?"

Dorjee said, "Yes! Please follow me!"

Pang Shiwu looked back and saw that Yuan Zishan, Chili, Chang Zijin, and Erni had all gotten out of the car, while Zeng Yong and Bigwof were waiting for Zaxi to take the reins from them!
Pang Shiwu said, "Let's go in first."

Zeng Yong said, "Okay, you two go in first, we'll be there shortly!"

This Sacred Snow Mountain Grand Hotel has three floors and is five zhang tall, making it one of the most impressive establishments in the entire prefecture!

Upon entering, they found the first floor already packed with people and noisy. Dorje said, "Please let me go up to the third floor; the second floor is almost full too!"

Pang Shiwu asked, "What's so special about today? Why are there so many people?"

Dorjee said, "Recently, there have been more guests than before, and most of them are people from the martial arts world!"

Pang Shiwu asked, "How do you know you're a member of the martial arts world?"

"They were all carrying weapons. Knives, swords, and all sorts of other weapons."

"Where are they from?"

“They come from all over the country; judging from their accents, they're from all corners of the land!” “Are they heading south or north?”

"I didn't notice that, but when I saw the guests off, I noticed that most of them were heading north."

"Oh." Pang Shiwu glanced at Feng Jiuxiao, who nodded. It seemed these martial arts masters were most likely heading towards Haixin Mountain!

After Zaxi settled Zeng Yong and Bigwof's carriage, the six mantises of the Mantis Sect appeared in their line of sight, about thirty feet away!
The six of them exchanged a glance with Zeng Yong, then simultaneously looked away!

Zeng Yong's gaze was full of hostility, and his sinister appearance made people feel extremely uncomfortable!
Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, whispered, "That guy may have a cold look in his eyes, but he's not to be feared. Let him be arrogant for a while longer!"

Silver Mantis Fu Tingxiu chuckled, "Understood, Senior Brother! They're just scouts for us."

Copper Mantis Ye Chen said, "With them leading the way, we've saved ourselves a lot of trouble!"

Iron Mantis Lu Tingchen frowned and said, "I heard that a lot of people from the Liu family died yesterday, but I don't know if it's true!"

Zhou Tianlong, the tin mantis, said, "The Liu family? The Liu family of that Fourth Young Master Liu from yesterday?"

Jade Mantis Xie Yantang said, "What? Someone in his family died? How come I didn't know?"

Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, said, "You slept like a log yesterday, what do you know!"

Jade Mantis said, "I feel that the Liu family is very powerful in this area, but how come I've never heard of them before?"

The Golden Mantis said, "They must have always been low-key."

Jade Mantis asked, "Senior Brother, what you said about the Liu family... could they be involved?"

The golden mantis scoffed, "So what if we have it?"

Jade Mantis said, "This shows that their martial arts skills are too high!"

Jin Mantis said, "So what if you're strong? The martial world isn't just about fighting and killing; it's also about human relationships and social interactions! These days, to succeed in the martial world, you not only need to have the strongest fists, but also the quickest minds, and even more importantly, the strongest backgrounds!"

Jade Mantis said, "That's right! That's why the Four Young Masters of the Martial World are so awesome. Their martial arts skills aren't the highest, but they've managed to gather heroes from all over the world. Many of their subordinates are even more skilled than them!"

The Golden Mantis said dismissively, "The reason why the Four Young Masters of the Martial World are so famous and their influence surpasses that of the Eight Great Sects is precisely because they have the backing of the imperial court, isn't it?"

Jade Mantis said, "That's right! If my dad were a general with 300,000 troops, I could dominate the region too! What are the Three Qin Princes and the Qi Marquis? Without their official relatives backing them up, they're nothing!"

Jin Mantis said, "That's why I'm reminding you not to be intimidated by their reputation! Their reputation is all fabricated! A few years ago, when Young Master Qi was holding a 100-day celebration for his daughter, he was assassinated and almost lost his life. At that time, he wasn't even at the peak of the Ninth Realm! Yet he was the leader of the martial arts world in Hunan and Hubei! If you were in the Hunan and Hubei area, would you obediently respectfully call him the leader of the martial arts world?"

Jade Mantis sneered, "Respect my ass! I was already at the peak of the eighth realm back then. If I couldn't kill him, I wouldn't have submitted to him. No way!"

When the group arrived at the restaurant on horseback, Zeng Yong had already gone inside.

It was Zaxi who received them again.

When the Jade Mantis spotted the Tibetan knife tucked into Zaxi's waist, its eyes lit up immediately. "Let me see the knife!"

Tashi immediately saw greed in the other person's eyes!

He had a premonition that this rich Han Chinese young master was not a good person, and if he handed over this curved knife, it was very likely that he would not come back. So he hesitated!

The jade mantis's expression immediately darkened. "Didn't you hear me?"

When Zaxi saw the other person's eyes suddenly turn fierce, he immediately remembered his boss's words, "When you feel that the person coming has ill intentions, when you feel that you can't handle it, you must call me immediately!" Zaxi immediately turned around and shouted in Tibetan towards the restaurant!
Jade Mantis cursed, "Damn it! You scared me half to death! What the hell are you yelling for? Huh?" He went up and slapped Zaxi across the face, knocking him to the ground with a loud crack!
Golden Mantis frowned and said, "Junior Brother, why are you acting impulsively again?"

The Jade Mantis roared, "That damned Tibetan dog is pretending to be deaf! I have to teach him a lesson for his lack of manners!"

Suddenly, the sound of clothes fluttering in the wind rang out, and a middle-aged man dressed in a Tibetan robe appeared before them!
The man was tall with curly, dark brown hair, a gold ring in his right ear, and a chiseled face with sharp, angular features. His eyes were piercing, and he was staring at the jade mantis. His voice was booming, "Why are you bullying my nephew?"

The Jade Mantis sneered, "What, you Tibetan dog, so what if you bully your nephew?"

The Tibetan man said, "My name is Langjie, and I am the owner here. If you are here for a meal, I will certainly welcome you with open arms! If you are arrogant and do not respect us, then please leave; you are not welcome here!" He always left himself some room for maneuver in his words until the very last moment!

This is, after all, Han Chinese territory, and he doesn't want to cause trouble!
But when Jade Mantis saw that the Tibetan was speaking softly, he assumed that the other party was afraid of him, and immediately became even more aggressive: "Did I come all this way just to listen to your nonsense? Listen up, let me see this knife on this kid's body, and then immediately arrange a table of his signature dishes for me, you hear me?"

Lang Jie's face darkened: "You're trying to steal my nephew's knife?"

The Golden Mantis stepped forward and said, "Don't make false accusations! My junior brother just wanted to borrow it to take a look; he didn't say he wanted it!"

Langjie said, "If it's a loan, why did you hit my nephew?"

The Jade Mantis said, "It's his fault for not lending it to me!"

Langjie laughed in anger, frowning as he said, "Have you always been this arrogant? I'm curious, how have you managed to survive until now? It seems you're a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong; it would be a miracle if you hadn't survived this long!"

Jade Mantis's anger flared up instantly. "You dare to laugh at me?" He gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, the threat practically written all over his face!
Langjie remained unfazed and sneered, "Are you trying to scare me?"

The Golden Mantis said, "He's not trying to scare you. You'd better be smart and lend him your knife to take a look!"

Langjie said, "Alright! Zaxi, lend it to him! I want to see what tricks he's up to!"

Eight knights approached the group from a distance.

The Golden Mantis frowned; the Eight Immortal Thieves had actually followed them!

The Jade Mantis frowned, thinking: Damn it, they actually followed us! Looks like they want to go there too! The solution to the problem of too many monks and too little meat is simply to get rid of the excess monks!
Just as he was pondering this, the young Tibetan man Tashi handed him a knife. He was distracted and suddenly saw someone handing him a knife. In a moment of panic, he drew his sword and attacked!

Thank you for your strong support and encouragement from Yudong!