Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 741 Elders

"Okay, okay." The young lady from the official family quickly made room for her.

Li Piaoqing finished her candied hawthorn in a few bites, then looked down at the dazzling array of items on the stall. They were all clearly handmade by the young woman herself, including small purses embroidered with the character "Pei," thumb-sized human head carvings, and rows of small stone seals... The quality varied somewhat.

The girl beside her noticed her gaze and quickly took out a small purse and gave it to her. Li Piaoqing had no choice but to accept it and thanked her with a smile.

"Sister, are you a swordsman from out of town?"

"Ah."

"Then, you've heard of Young Hero Pei Ye, haven't you?"

Li Piaoqing nodded: "I've heard of it."

“I knew it! Young Master Pei Ye is so skilled, yet those swordsmen from out of town insist he’s some nobody, ‘unheard of in the martial world.’ They’re clearly short-sighted,” said the young lady from the official family. “Sister, let me tell you, Young Master Pei Ye is not only a master swordsman, but also a good person. He came to the capital from a remote place, yet he’s humble, sincere, and diligent in his training. Before the New Year, he made a name for himself in a sword duel at the Vermilion Bird Gate, which swept through the capital. But after becoming famous, he disappeared without a trace, unlike those swordsmen who chase fame and fortune.”

A more refined young woman leaned over and said gently, "Indeed, it is this character of being calm in the face of both honor and disgrace that sets Young Hero Pei Ye apart from those vulgar people who fight and fight. It is most precious."

"..." Li Piaoqing held the purse.

“But those people spread nonsense and slander every day.” Many girls gathered around her. “Sister, you must not believe the rumors that Young Hero Pei Ye ‘drank wine and women before ascending the Vermilion Bird Sword Platform’.”

"Huh??" Li Piaoqing tilted her head.

“That’s right! They said that Young Master Pei Ye was disheveled that day, with a woman’s ribbon tied in his hair. But it was snowing heavily that day, who could have seen clearly?”

"..."

"Anyway, there are many bad things about Young Hero Pei Ye in the capital. If you accidentally hear them, please don't be fooled."

Li Piaoqing paused for a moment, then smiled: "Hmm... I know. Pei Ye is very skilled with a sword, and he is honest and keeps his promises. He is a first-rate man."

"I knew it!"

The surrounding girls all cheered. Clearly, this "older sister" had a certain air of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world), an extraordinary demeanor, and looked like an expert. Even she spoke well of Young Hero Pei Ye, so his strength and character must be impeccable.

Li Piaoqing sat among them, listening to them talk about their imagined Pei Ye, and for a moment she didn't know how to feel—this novel experience was truly a first for her.

At this moment, the beautiful young woman on the pavilion spoke, and everyone looked at her.

"Alright, I see everyone is almost here. Let me tell you about tomorrow's Tianshan Sword Banquet."

Cui Zhaoye leaned on the railing and said with a smile, "The Tianshan Sect gave me twelve invitations, which is very generous. I have already invited Young Hero Pei Ye to go, and he has agreed."

The girls around Li Piaoqing were excited.

"The Tianshan Sword Banquet has invited a large number of people, but the selection process is very strict. So, if you have connections from other places, you can get in on your own. I will try to leave the places in my hands for friends who don't have connections or whose families don't allow it."

"it is good!"

"Sister Cui, give it to me!"

"No! Give it to me!"

The pavilion erupted in lively laughter. Cui Zhaoye raised his hand and said with a smile, "Stop arguing, everyone. We agreed to draw lots. Twelve real lots and eighty-seven fake lots. Those with lower merit points will draw first and last, while those with higher merit points will draw in the middle. I'll read out the names."

The grass quickly quieted down. Li Piaoqing had heard of this girl before; her name often appeared in the national newspaper, and she knew that she was the eldest daughter of the Cui family.

This young woman surnamed Cui was clearly quite prestigious in this "enthusiasts' club," and everyone listened with smiles whenever she spoke.

Li Piaoqing looked behind her again and saw a well-mannered girl standing there holding several scrolls. Cui Zhaoye reached out and she handed over one of the scrolls.

She stood out in the shadows, her voice unusually quiet, with a hint of worry and unease on her face.

The grass quieted down, and Cui Zhaoye began to call out names one by one. When someone's name was called, they would walk up, and everyone's eyes would be on them. When they opened the door after a few prayers and saw a look of disappointment on their face, everyone cheered.

If someone happens to win, it immediately sparks a chorus of envious shouts.

Li Piaoqing sat among them with a smile until the young lady from the official family next to her was also called up. Li Piaoqing cheered her on, but she went up solemnly only to be disappointed and returned dejectedly.

After the lottery was over, the girls who received invitations were naturally surrounded by people looking at the novelty, and then people in the pavilion began to talk about the recent news of Young Hero Pei Ye.

Cui Zhaoye said that Pei Ye's recent movements outside the city have been confirmed. He and Zhu Gaoyang are running rampant in the Eight Rivers, upholding justice and killing many bad guys. They also helped Xianrentai solve a major case, and their fame is now being spread throughout the Eight Rivers.

The enthusiasts had been keeping tabs on this for a while, and now that it's been confirmed, the lawn was filled with cheers.

The young lady from the official family beside her asked Li Piaoqing with bright eyes, "Sister, have you heard about this in the martial arts world?"

Li Piaoqing nodded with a smile: "Of course I know. Pei Ye went deep into Yanwu alone in full view of everyone and killed a master of body-building with a single sword. Later, he and Zhu Gaoyang swept through the Eight Rivers and became famous in the Jianghu outside the city."

Several girls nearby gathered around in surprise, as Cui Zhaoye had never mentioned such a detail.

"Assassination...how was it an assassination?" This was a question that arose from fear upon hearing about the murder.

"Who is that grandmaster? Is he famous?" This was a question raised by those concerned about Pei Ye's battle record.

"Why did Young Master Pei kill him?" This question stems from concerns about Young Master Pei's moral character.

Another question was: "What is a 'Tuancan Zongshi'?"

Li Piaoqing then told them how Pei Ye, surrounded by two or three hundred boats on a rainy night, darted up like a swan, took three swords, and severed the head of the body by connecting the two swords.

This drew gasps of amazement.

And once this session is over, the latest story Cui Zhaoye tells is much more interesting.

The news came from the Sword Cultivation Academy, saying that Xu Wensang, the most prominent figure at Kunlun Yanri Palace, had gone to the academy to show off his power and provoke the current year's sword students. Everyone was both angry and helpless, but just then, the young hero Pei Ye returned from outside the city.

So, with just one sword strike, Young Hero Pei Ye defeated Xu Wensang, who ranked eighteenth on the rooster list. "My friends in the Sword Cultivation Academy witnessed it with their own eyes and experienced it firsthand; there is no falsehood—Changsun, isn't that right?" Cui Zhaoye turned around and said.

Then Li Piaoqing saw the dignified young woman behind him nod to everyone.

Clearly, everyone believed in the integrity of this "eldest grandson" and began to discuss it excitedly. The young lady from the official family next to her proudly said, "What nonsense about asking about mulberry and cypress trees, daring to jump around in front of Young Hero Pei Ye."

Li Piaoqing watched them laugh, and that strange feeling returned to her.

On the one hand, she really didn't expect the boy to be so popular in Shenjing. Even though she knew he had become very powerful, she really didn't expect something like the "Pei Ye Fan Club".

This discovery surprised and delighted her. Ever since that small martial arts competition in Bowang City, the boy had been a little sun in her heart. She loved watching him defeat his enemies in front of everyone. Every time she saw his proud and triumphant look, her heart felt like a bright gardenia was blooming.

At that time, the name "Guo Er" didn't even exist yet. They sat together in a remote and secluded small town, savoring the budding emotions in their hearts and thinking about the upcoming autumn martial arts competition.

Back then, no one came up to her and said, "I think Young Hero Pei Ye is amazing," but Li Piaoqing would tell herself that now, seeing him standing at the pinnacle of the entire capital, admired and loved by so many people, the girl's heart was as sweet as honey.

But on the other hand, she also felt a pang of sadness and disappointment, as if some sand or gravel had gotten stuck in her heart.

Li Piaoqing sat quietly beside the laughing and joking people, resting her chin on her hand and smiling as she watched them. At this moment, Cui Zhaoye in the pavilion began to make small talk, saying that even if they could not see Young Hero Pei Ye this time, there would be another chance at the Sword Tournament, and if that didn't work, there would be the Feather Scale Trial, so that those who did not draw the prize should not be sad.

However, the disappointment of the young lady from the official family beside Li Piaoqing could not be concealed. After laughing, she kept sighing. But what made Li Piaoqing unable to help but laugh was that even so, she was still seriously discussing with the girls beside her a plan to cheer for Pei Yeyu Linshi.

She listened for a while and found it quite interesting, but before she could participate, a shadow fell beside her and a young girl stood there.

It turned out that Cui Zhaoye from the pavilion had run over, his eyes fixed on her with a smile.

Clearly, the girl in the blue dress had already caught his attention. Chairman Cui was definitely thinking of bringing such an extraordinary person into the association.

She leaned closer and affectionately took the girl's arm—Li Piaoqing moved slightly and offered her her right arm—and said with a smile, "Sister, would you like to come into the pavilion and take a look? We have many rare traces of Young Hero Pei Ye here."

"...What kind of rare traces?"

Li Piaoqing opened her eyes curiously, having already been pulled up by Cui Zhaoye. The eyes of this eldest daughter of the Cui family seemed to speak volumes, smiling as she looked at her: "Sister, don't be frightened by them. It's just that we haven't heard from Young Hero Pei Ye for a long time, and everyone is quite excited about his return."

Cui Zhaoye knew that being too enthusiastic at the beginning could scare people away. Unlike those members who wholeheartedly believed that Pei Ye was the best in the world, Chairman Cui knew that most people in these martial arts sects were confused by the name Pei Ye, so he had to proceed step by step.

“I see that you also practice swordsmanship, so you should know about the swordsmen in Shenjing right now?” Cui Zhaoye chose a topic that seemed easy to talk about and that she was good at.

But Li Piaoqing smiled slightly and said, "No, I think you are all very nice. I also like Pei Ye very much."

"……Really!"

“Yes. Pei Ye’s swordsmanship is unmatched, and his character is exceptional. It’s only natural that he is well-liked,” Li Piaoqing said with a smile.

"Not just few can match him, he's unparalleled in the world!" Cui Zhaoye's eyes widened as he tightly gripped the girl's wrist and led her up to the pavilion. "So you also like Pei Ye. We should have met sooner!"

She was overjoyed, like a patriotic monarch unexpectedly encountering a wise minister in exile. Her eyes shone brightly, as if revealing her true colors. She turned to the girl in the blue and white dress beside her and extended her hand: "Come, let me introduce you. This is one of the rare traces of Young Hero Pei Ye."

Changsun Jue was shocked, and Li Piaoqing's eyes widened as well.

Fortunately, she quickly added the next sentence: "—A classmate when we were studying at the Imperial Academy!"

“Young Master Pei Ye’s scholar’s ​​certificate is extremely rare! If anyone mocks Young Master Pei Ye’s lack of education in the future, just ask them if they have ever attended the Imperial Academy,” Cui Zhaoye said.

“...The traces of reading are indeed very rare.” Li Piaoqing smiled and cupped her hands in greeting at the well-mannered young woman, and Changsun Jue quickly returned a very standard scholar’s ​​bow.

Then Cui Zhaoye introduced his various treasures to Li Piaoqing, including books that Pei Ye had read, sword manuals that he had reviewed, and his most treasured possession, wrapped in layers of silk cloth—the Daosheng Sword from the Sword Cultivation Academy, which Pei Ye had given her.

Li Piaoqing sat to the side, quietly flipping through the items one by one with a smile. When Cui Zhaoye opened the sword package, she did feel a slight unease, but when she saw that it wasn't the familiar blue color, she relaxed.

Cui Zhaoye sighed softly: "I originally asked him for his old sword, which seemed to be due for replacement, but I don't know why he refused. Instead, he gave me this one instead—but this one is also very good; no one else has it."

Li Piaoqing's smile deepened unconsciously, and she nodded.

After Cui Zhaoye finished her introduction, she sat down next to her. She actually had a good impression of this girl in the green dress. Firstly, because of her outstanding temperament, she must be quite good at swordsmanship; secondly, because she really had a deep interest in everything about Pei Ye and really knew a lot about him.

To be honest, the current membership of the enthusiasts' club is largely due to her promotion and introduction, and they are basically all influenced by the Vermilion Bird Sword Gamble. Now that she has met a true like-minded person, Cui Zhaoye almost feels like she has found a kindred spirit.

“You like Pei Ye, you must have seen him using a sword somewhere, right?” Cui Zhaoye said. “I was amazed when I saw him once. Only a swordsman like him should have a lot of support in the capital, but unfortunately, not many people knew about him back then.”

"Is that why you started this hobby club?"

“Yes, sister, would you like to join?” Cui Zhaoye’s beautiful eyes smiled, making it hard to refuse. “Although different swordsmen in the capital have their own fans, if you ask me, Pei Ye is the best one, there is no doubt about it.”

She counted on her fingers: "In terms of talent, Pei Ye is already among the youngest. Besides, he started learning swordsmanship very late and doesn't practice day and night like the disciples of the major sects."

In terms of temperament, Pei Ye is one of the few young swordsmen who can truly fight the life-and-death sword, and he fights it better than anyone else.

In terms of understanding, Pei Ye realized earlier than all his peers that the sword was a weapon of destruction; he had always grasped the essence of the sword.

Moreover, Pei Ye's swordsmanship is always the most beautiful and captivating.

As she spoke, she seemed to be lost in thought, listing Pei Ye's merits one by one, going on and on. Finally, she felt that she had gone a bit too far and thought for a moment: "The only thing that can be considered inferior is that compared to Yan Feiqing and Zhu Gaoyang, Young Hero Pei is not as good-looking. He is not as handsome as them when he is not holding a sword... But that's not a big deal, is it?"

The girl in the blue dress, who had been listening attentively with a smile and knees drawn up to her sides, nodding earnestly at each point she made, paused slightly and said, "That's not entirely objective."

Cui Zhaoye paused, then asked, "What?"

Li Piaoqing said seriously, "Others may have better facial features, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are more handsome. Even without a sword, Pei Ye's eyebrows and eyes are very handsome, and he has more manly spirit. I think Pei Ye is much better looking than them."

"..." Cui Zhaoye was stunned.

"..." Changsun Jue, who was standing to the side, also opened his mouth slightly and stared at her blankly.

After a brief silence, Cui Zhaoye grasped her wrist and said earnestly, "I want to give you the position of president."

(End of this chapter)