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

Chapter 2072 The Charming Landlady

Venerable Bailian issued several orders overnight, one of which was that no monks were allowed to leave the temple! Anyone found leaving the temple without permission would be killed without exception! At the same time, he dispatched his trusted disciples Quecheng, Jiaguan, Yusong, and Yuanzhen, each leading five monks, to guard the four corners of Guangming Temple, and dispatched his disciples Zhiguang and Gaoan, each leading five monks, to patrol the entire Guangming Temple!
The entire Guangming Temple was shrouded in a murderous aura, and everyone felt threatened!

Everyone who wasn't involved turned off the lights and went to sleep; they even skipped evening classes!
Although everyone knew perfectly well that Guangming Temple was a temple on the surface but a gangster organization in secret, no monk was foolish enough to expose it!
Almost everyone considered themselves real monks, with the morning bell and evening drum, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures every day, living a completely normal life as a monk!
In the eyes of the local Tibetans, this is a real Han Chinese temple, and the people living here are real monks.

Now, all the monks responsible for guarding and patrolling are fully armed with knives and crossbows! The advantage of the monk soldiers is immediately apparent!
The White Lotus Venerable's orders were crystal clear—for suspicious individuals, if they couldn't be captured alive, kill them on sight! In close combat, use a sword; if the enemy is outnumbered and tries to escape, the advantage of a bow and crossbow immediately becomes apparent. Trying to run?! No way! Within three hundred paces...

Feng Jiuxiao examined Zeng Yong's injuries again and said softly, "He's recovering faster than I expected. He should wake up by tomorrow morning!"

Erni was immediately overjoyed: "Really? That's wonderful!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Of course! Alright, it's getting late, everyone should rest."

Erni left the house reluctantly, turning back almost every step of the way.

Chang Zijing tugged at Erni's sleeve and laughed, "Alright, Erni, let's go."

Seeing the women leave, Bigwolf whispered, "Fifteen, shall we go out and find a place to drink tonight? The rice porridge at this temple is so watery, we haven't even had a piece of fly meat, we're starving!"

Pang Shiwu immediately perked up, "Really?"

Bigwolf said, "Of course!"

Feng Jiuxiao's face darkened. "There's still one breathing here."

Bigwolf immediately said seriously, "I saw you eating with great relish just now, are you still not full?"

Feng Jiuxiao raised an eyebrow. "If we don't pretend to be full, will Bai Lian end the banquet?"

Bigwolf said, "Then... if you go too, what will happen to Brother Zeng?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "The entire temple is under heavy security now, and outsiders can't get in. Besides, Zishan and the others are right next door. If there's any disturbance, she'll take action, right, Zishan?"

A cold voice rang out from next door: "Get out of here!"

Then Erni's voice rang out: "What's wrong, Zishan? Are they going out? I'll go keep an eye on Ayong!"

Bigwolf and Pang Shiwu exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly. This Erni is truly devoted!
When Feng Jiuxiao and his companions appeared at the mountain gate, Bai Lian's disciple, Jia Guan, immediately appeared, clasping his hands together: "Young Master, my master has ordered that no one is allowed to leave the temple. What do you think—"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "It's alright. You're just following the rules. I'll tell your master." He turned around and suddenly opened his mouth as if to shout, but no sound came out. However, a white figure quickly swept in from the twilight!

Bai Lian floated down in front of Feng Jiuxiao. "Young Master, are you going out?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Brother Wolf wants to eat some beef, I'll go with him for a walk."

Venerable Bailian was taken aback, then looked apologetic: "I'm sorry, Mr. Wolf, this is a temple, and we only serve vegetarian food. I forgot your preference. There is no meat in the temple. I'm really sorry. Well then, there is an inn three miles away. It is a place that merchants must pass through, and there must be beef there. Let's go there."

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Okay! Then you should rest. We might be back a little later."

Venerable Bailian said, "Good!" He then said to Jia Guan, "No matter when the young master returns, you must open the door immediately and do not ask any questions."

Jia Guan immediately bowed and said, "Yes!"

Seeing Feng Jiuxiao and the other two figures disappear into the distance, Jia Guan asked in a low voice, "Master, why did they go out to eat beef in the middle of the night?"

Venerable White Lotus's gaze was profound: "Yes, we'll eat beef. Of course, we'll inevitably have to drink some wine."

Jia Guan immediately realized: "So it's because he's craving alcohol!"

Venerable White Lotus asked, "How is it? Is there anything unusual?"

Jia Guan said, "No unusual activity has been detected so far!"

Venerable White Lotus said, "Alright, keep an eye on them." With that, he swiftly returned! He still needed to continue interrogating the two traitors!

Suddenly, fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Pang Shiwu exclaimed, "It's snowing again!"

Bigwolf said, "But it's alright, it's not cold."

Looking at the desolate wilderness, Pang Shiwu said, "I forgot to ask which direction the good inn is in!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Just get to the main road. The inn must be on the main road. We didn't pass by it on the way here, so it must be to the north."

Bigwolf said, "Yes, it's fine to go north along the main road!"

The three of them soon arrived at the main road.

There were many ruts and hoofprints on the snow on the road.

Pang Shiwu said, "I didn't expect there would still be people traveling so late."

Feng Jiuxiao sighed, "Life is full of ups and downs, and all living beings suffer. Sometimes I think, what's the difference between humans and cattle or horses? We toil and struggle every day, yet there's no hope of getting ahead!"

Bigwolf said, "Why are you acting so strangely today? You've achieved more than just fame and fortune now, haven't you? Why are you so sentimental?"

He simply couldn't understand it. Feng Jiuxiao was no ordinary person now; he had money and power! He had practically monopolized the most lucrative industries in Guang Prefecture, Peng Prefecture, and Cai Prefecture, making a fortune every day was no exaggeration! In terms of power, he was the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial City Guard of the Great Song Dynasty, with the authority to execute first and report later—his power was immense!
In officialdom, he had close relationships with Wei Qiansui of the Imperial City Guard, Grand Tutor Gao Li, Marquis Qi Da Gongzi of Zhenhai, and Lin Yongpeng, a rising star among military officials; in the martial arts world, although he abolished the Mountain Alliance, he could still command a large following!
Why did he suddenly think of ants in the mud today?

Big Wolf's stomach rumbled again. He patted his belly and thought, "Fine, let Feng Jiuxiao express his feelings if he wants. Let's fill our stomachs first!"

After walking north along the official road for several miles, they indeed found a faint moonlight ahead, with fine snowflakes. They could not see clearly that the houses there were quite large, with many bright red lanterns hanging on them. The soft light was particularly eye-catching in the snowy night.

The plaque above the door is inscribed with the three Chinese characters "Xuequanyi" and below it is a line of Tibetan script.

Several carriages and horses were parked in front of the gate. A cacophony of noise emanated from inside; besides the sounds of drinking contests, there seemed to be gambling shouts of "Big! Big! Big! Small! Small! Small!"

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "I didn't expect it to be so lively here!"

Bigwof said, "It's good to have people around; the worst thing is having no customers!" No customers means a bad reputation! The fact that this place is so lively means the inn must have something special about it!
Such overcrowded inns must offer excellent food, lodging, or entertainment! Otherwise, there would be other inns nearby, and they wouldn't all be concentrated here.

Pang Shiwu opened the door, and a cloud of white steam billowed out, indicating that the room was very warm!

Upon entering the house, a wave of heat indeed hit us, and there were even burly men shirtless inside! There were several stoves in the house, no wonder it was so hot!

The room was quite large, and it was packed with people!
As soon as Pang Shiwu entered the room, only a few people glanced at them; the rest went about their own business.
In an instant, Feng Jiuxiao noticed that there were nine tables in the room, all of which were full of people. Many people were even sitting on the floor, drinking and eating meat. It seemed that there were no more tables available!

At this moment, a Tibetan man came over and said in fluent Chinese, "Hello, I am the host here. Welcome, guests from afar. Would you like some drinks or a place to stay?"

Seeing that the three men had no baggage, he figured they were probably there to gamble, but out of habit he still asked them a few questions.

Pang Shiwu asked, "Do you have beef?"

The Tibetan shopkeeper laughed and said, "Of course we have that! Would you like braised beef or beef stew?"

Pang Shiwu asked, "Is it all yak meat?"

The Tibetan shopkeeper chuckled, "That's right!" His expression then changed slightly. "You want to eat yellow beef? Well, I'm out of stock! Yellow cattle are too expensive for us; most people can't afford them, so we've stopped preparing them over time. If you gentlemen have a particular fondness for yellow beef, then I'm afraid I can't help you!" Pang Shiwu glanced at Bigwov, who said, "Yak meat is very good, we'll eat it! So, how many ways do you prepare yak meat here?"

The Tibetan shopkeeper chuckled, "Judging from yourselves, this must be your first time at my shop, right? You all seem to have a unique appreciation for food! Hehe, we have roast beef, boiled beef, smoked beef, and stewed beef, all ready-made. Which would you like?"

Bigwof said, "Only children make choices; I want all four!" The Tibetan shopkeeper was surprised that this blond foreign man was not only fluent in Chinese but also very witty, and couldn't help but laugh.

But the blond man's next words left him instantly petrified—

The blond man said, "Give me thirty pounds of each kind of beef to try first, and order more if it's not enough."

The Tibetan shopkeeper could hardly believe his ears. "How much? Thirty catties of each? That would be over 120 catties of beef! Are you sure?" He was genuinely surprised! Did these three people have such large appetites?

Bigwolf said, "Of course I'm sure! Let's go!"

The Tibetan shopkeeper immediately replied, "Alright!" and turned to leave!
Bigwolf said, "Wait a moment!"

The Tibetan shopkeeper was taken aback, then immediately turned around and asked with a smile, "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

"It's certain you have alcohol here, but I'd like to know, how many kinds of alcohol do you have?"

"Hehe, this place is covered in ice and snow, far from the Central Plains. The cost of transporting a jar of wine here is unimaginable! So all the wine here is barley wine!"

Bigwolf said, "Fine! Something is better than nothing!"

The Tibetan shopkeeper said, "Alright!" He glanced around and pointed to the corner, "There's still an empty space over there. I'll find you a small square table. Don't mind, there really aren't any seats left!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Okay!"

Although the corner location is a bit out of the way and the table is a low one, it's relatively quiet there, and you're unlikely to be disturbed while sitting there.

"Let's choose that place!"

The three of them sat down at the small table. Because of the good angle, they could see almost everyone in the room.

While the Tibetan shopkeeper was arranging the beef, the three of them watched the various aspects of life here as if they were watching a play.

At a table on the south side, six companions were gambling with dice!
"Big! Big! Big!" Several burly men shouted exaggeratedly!

The others shouted, "Small! Small! Small!"

Everyone was flushed and their veins were bulging; they were extremely excited!
Besides the bowl in the center of the table used for rolling dice, there were also many silver ingots and copper coins scattered everywhere. Each person had a small pile in front of them, which should be their own betting capital, while the large pile of silver ingots in the middle must be the bets thrown by everyone!

Naturally, some onlookers also gathered around the gamblers, some of whom were clearly eager to join in, but had not yet done so due to some concerns!

The men at the table to their south were all wearing white headscarves and long robes. They had high noses, deep-set eyes, and eyebrows that were almost joined together—they were clearly Persians! They were carefully cutting beef with small knives and chewing slowly and deliberately, looking particularly refined.

At the table north of the gambling table sat a group of bodyguards! Han Chinese bodyguards! It's incredible that a security company would dare take on a job involving a journey of thousands of miles, even crossing national borders! Impressive!
The three tables on the east side are all occupied by people dressed as merchants; let's assume they're merchants for now.

The three tables on the west side were filled with people from the martial arts world! Everyone carried weapons and had sharp eyes!
At that moment, a figure appeared from the kitchen. As soon as he appeared, the whistles of the surrounding men rose and fell!

It turned out to be a woman in red, carrying a tray as she walked over. Her waist was so slender that it could be encircled by one hand, and she moved with light steps, like lotus leaves swaying in the wind, graceful and charming!
Feng Jiuxiao said, "No wonder this place is so popular!"

Pang Shiwu said, "Is it because of her?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "More or less!"

"She's the proprietress?"

"At least one of the proprietresses!"

"She looks like a Han Chinese!"

"Yes, they are Han Chinese!"

"She was Han Chinese, but she married a Tibetan?"

"Probably. What's that expression on your face?"

"I just feel it's a pity!"

"What a waste of a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung?"

"That's right! Although this woman is over thirty, she is very beautiful and more than a match for that Tibetan! What a pity!"

The woman, carrying a tray, approached the three of them and smilingly placed three plates of beef on the tray. "This is ten pounds of smoked beef. You can eat first. The rest of the meat will be here soon."

Feng Jiuxiao asked, "Besides beef, what else do you have?"

The woman smiled and said, "We have stir-fried beef heart and stir-fried beef tongue, would you like some?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Here you go! How many pounds is one serving?"

The woman smiled sweetly, "About two or three pounds."

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Then I won't order by portion, I'll order by weight, ten pounds of each!"

The woman's eyes seemed to brighten even more, and she laughed, "Alright!" The portions ordered by these three people were larger than those of the other twenty people; they were definitely "big customers," true VIPs! They had to be served well!
The whistling sounded again as the woman passed by the "pack of wolves"!

However, the woman simply smiled calmly, showing no signs of anger or embarrassment at being offended, nor any sense of being humiliated by being publicly harassed and unable to retaliate. She completely ignored these external disturbances, and it was clear that she was already used to such incidents!

A short while later, the Tibetan shop owner came out to deliver the vegetables.

As he put down the four large bowls of boiled beef, Feng Jiuxiao asked, "Was that woman your wife just now?"

The Tibetan man immediately laughed and said, "Exactly!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "We brothers are very curious about how you got together. Would you mind revealing it?"

The Tibetan man thought for a moment and then smiled, "Convenient. Want to hear it?"

Pang Shiwu said, "I want to hear it!"

The Tibetan man then said, "Then I'll tell you!"

But then a sarcastic voice rang out from the side: "Hawthorne, I've asked you before, why didn't you tell me? These three are here for the first time, and you're going to tell them? What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?"

The Tibetan shopkeeper immediately laughed and said, "How could that be? How could I dare to look down on you?"

The man stood up and slowly walked over, his face full of menacing features. "Then tell me, why?"

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