Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 769 Having Met a Gentleman
The two waited only ten breaths before Lu Wu's tiger shadow appeared from the main seat.

"You all heard that, right?" It raised its paw and placed the small sword on the table.

“I overheard your conversation with Yongbei and General Chan,” Pei Ye said.

"Yes, just the three of us."

"Is this also a miraculous occurrence from the Queen Mother's dream?"

"This is a little trick I came up with a few days ago, and I'm putting it to use for the first time today. It seems to have been quite successful." Lu Wu raised his sharp claws and tapped the table. A celestial sound rang out, and the jade plate, small sword, golden book, wine cup, and other items reappeared on the table. "Generally speaking, it involves letting a part of your mind fall into a dream, while the rest remains outside, thus simultaneously existing between the real world and the dream. Selecting what your mind perceives and sees, and releasing it in the dream, achieves this effect."

"Let's call this technique... 'Nine Dreams, One Awakening'," it muttered to itself. "It will remain in the dream world, and everyone can learn it. However, you'll still need my assistance to use it."

Although Pei Ye possessed the quail head, his mastery of mental arts was still shallow, and he couldn't understand it at all, so he asked, "What kind of place is 'Yu City'?"

“Before Yongbei mentioned it, I hadn’t focused on this city, but after Yongbei spoke of it, I realized that it was the future he was preparing for Yongji,” Lu Wu said.

The giant lily asked, "What do you mean?"

"If everything Yong Ji has done in the past six months has succeeded, what do you think it would be like now?"

"Welcoming the bloodline of the Qilin back to the Northern Territory, bearing the immortal authority of [White Water]."

"There's one more thing he needs to do that you've forgotten."

"what?"

"I will kill you and Shao Li."

"..."

“If he obtains the White Water, it means you will all die in the struggle,” Lu Wu said. “In that case, the Yan Prince’s Mansion will take root in the capital, and Yong Ji will obtain not only the Lin Blood and the White Water, but also the Mysterious Fire and the Western Court Heart.”

"……I see."

“That was Yong Bei’s original plan,” Lu Wu said. “After the matter in Shenjing is settled, with the heart of Xiting and the real power of Shenxian, where will Yong Ji go next?”

Da Li nodded: "Understood, naturally it's about going to the west to compete for the position of the Western Court Master."

“He still has the same plan now,” Lu Wu said. “If Yong Ji can leave the capital alive and kill Shao Li, then all of this can still be achieved.”

Pei Ye asked, "Is Yucheng important in this step?"

“Yucheng has two special features,” Lu Wu said. “First, in terms of secular geography and politics, it is the hub of the 800-mile border in the northwest. Wangzhou is located at the northernmost part of Xilong, and it is shaped like an earthworm, filling the border of Xilong. Its southwest borders the Tianshan Mountains, its east borders the Xincang Mountains, and its terrain is above the Xincang Mountains. It connects to the west of the Northern Wilderness to the north.”

"Given its geographical location, Wangzhou has always been a military prefecture, stationed in the north to guard the border and receiving supplies from the entire western region. Yucheng is its core, directly facing the northern wilderness. Although it is located in a remote area, its city defenses and armored troops are excellent. In the battles against the northern wilderness since ancient times, 'Wangzhou Yucheng' has been a familiar phrase in the battle reports."

Pei Ye paused for a moment, then asked, "Isn't this city under the control of Yongbei?"

“He will not return. Although it is commonly said that the Prince of Yan is stationed in the northern border, not every inch of the northern frontier of the Tang Dynasty is under the responsibility of Yongbei.” Lu Wu said, “In reality, he probably guards about 70% of it, encompassing the eastern and central lines. And these two lines are also directly opposite the heartland of the Wilderness. Whenever the Northern Wilderness launches a major offensive, the main force is concentrated here.”

Pei Ye nodded slowly: "He wants to extend his reach to the west."

“That’s one way to think about it,” Lu Wu said. “Secondly, in the legends of the immortals, this city is a key point in the affairs of King Mu. Considering that it is the largest city in the area of ​​several hundred miles, Yu City can serve as a base for exploring the legends or for competing with the northwestern Jianghu such as Tianshan.”

“I even suspect that Yongji’s existence is solely for these matters in the west,” he said.

Pei Ye nodded slowly: "I see."

“They did half of what they did, so of course we can take over and do it too. We are extremely lacking in extensions in the West, and I am happy to agree to the Prince of Yan’s initiative.” Lu Wu raised his claw and gently tapped the empty bowl in front of him. “I should have finished the wine in my bowl by now.”

With a few clinking sounds, the jade bowl in front of him indeed disappeared. Lu Wu nodded in confirmation: "Then my part is complete."

Upon hearing this, Pei Ye lowered his head and then turned his head to the side, and saw that the wine he and Da Li had drunk that day was still rippled on the wall of the jade bowl in front of them.

It still accounts for about one-fifth of the gull's weight, and about three-fifths of its own.

Pei Ye picked it up and drank it down in one gulp: "I understand, and I will do the same."

"Thank you for your trouble, Shao Li." Lu Wu tapped the table. The fairy music faded away, the banquet ended, and it looked at Pei Ye. "There is one more thing I need to discuss with you."

"what?"

"Tomorrow we will meet at the Immortal Terrace in Tianshan. Those who already know this are Chu Xiao, the master of Weifeng Pond, and Nie Shangheng, the Red Steed. You went to the Tianshan Sword Banquet yesterday; what did you say to them?"

Pei Ye thought for a moment and then told him about his conversation with Shi Zanxue: "I didn't see either of them yesterday. I also didn't reveal any specific details about Xian Quan and Xi Tingxin to Tian Shan. In Tian Shan's opinion, I know very little and don't have a close connection with you."

Lu Wu nodded: "I think Tianshan came here for a few reasons: first, to test my attitude; second, to confirm Xitingxin's condition; and third, to see if it can be retrieved. There is some debate within Tianshan about this, but the specific situation is not clear. I will make some probes tomorrow."

"The one who wants me to stay in Shenjing is—the 'Han minister,' Liu Bei; the one who wants to invite me to the west is the 'Han traitor,' Cao Cao." Pei Ye thought for a moment and said, "If they think you don't care much about me and that anyone can be the 'Master of the Western Court,' then they might ignore my negotiations with you. You can do a simulation, and that will reveal a lot about what people in Tianshan are thinking."

Lu Wu said, "Then we shall do as you say."

He glanced at the two of them and said, "Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."

Pei Ye nodded: "It's nothing."

Only after Lu Wu nodded and left did he realize that he seemed to have become the one deciding whether to adjourn the meeting.

Da Li watched him from the side, and Pei Ye said seriously, "Lu Wu is also very confused. If everything is alright, you should just disperse. Why did you leave on your own?"

Da Li said, "You didn't tell me that yesterday, besides meeting with Sect Leader Li, you also formed some kind of alliance with Tianshan [Anxiang]."

“…I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet,” Pei Ye said. “Didn’t you say you wanted me to get in touch with Tianshan?”

"Oh, what kind of contact did you make?"

Pei Ye thought for a moment: "Anyway, we didn't have that kind of contact."

"..."

"..."

Pei Ye tilted his head and stared at the bird with its plumage and handsome features.

It paced back and forth a couple of times, then turned its head away.

Pei Ye leaned in and touched her soft neck feathers.

"Be careful when you leave Xianrentai," Da Li whispered.

"Understood."

……

……

Pei Ye opened his eyes from the top floor of the observatory and saw that Li Jian was already in front of him.

He was somewhat surprised by the old man's elusive nature, and for a moment suspected that he could appear anywhere in the capital city within a few breaths. When Li Jian saw that he had woken up, he nodded slightly: "Yong Bei is not joking. When I came back just now, there were already three military grandmasters lying in wait on your way back to the Sword Cultivation Academy. I have dealt with them - at least before you kill all the useful people in the Yan Prince's Mansion, you should be as careful as possible in the capital."

“…I understand.” Pei Ye nodded.

He was well aware that the situation had become tense again after the Prince of Yan entered the capital. The next month would be a standoff between Li Jian and the Prince of Yan. Even though an "agreement" had been reached, the two sides would continue to test each other and fight in the shadows until the martial arts examination in the capital arrived.

Pei Ye himself was one of the key targets of the Prince of Yan's mansion.

Indeed, as Li Xizhou said, he should hide away for the next month, or at least not wander around. Ideally, he should stay in the Zhujing Palace and remain inside until the martial arts examination begins.

However, for a young man, it was already quite an achievement to be able to suppress the urge to investigate the Prince of Yan and assassinate Yong Ji.

He could hide; the boy didn't care much about saving face. But he would never hide in front of this person.

This fight wasn't just for him alone.

Pei Ye stepped down from the Star Gazing Platform, walked out of the Immortal Terrace government office, looked up at the sky, and saw that it was already broad daylight.

In reality, Pei Ye wasn't very angry at this moment, or rather, that anger was deeply buried inside him. As soon as he stepped out of the alley and saw the bustling street, a sense of tension that had been building up inside him rose up. He unconsciously took a deep breath.

This is, of course, "tomorrow."

If it's past midnight, it's "tomorrow"; if it's past dawn, it should still be "tomorrow".

But Miss Ming didn't specify which time "tomorrow" it would be.

It might be in the morning, or at noon, or in the afternoon, or it might be during the long wait for the next midnight or dawn.

This kind of anticipation with no fixed time is really agonizing.

At this moment, Pei Ye felt that he was being pretentious, especially since he had been in the capital for half a year and felt that he had grown up. But of course, he could not send a letter to Miss Ming about this matter—it would seem too... well... clingy to send a small jade sword to ask when she would arrive.

Pei Ye found a suitable word.

But he was indeed overjoyed, so much so that he felt he could put aside the Yan Prince's Mansion matters that could easily ignite his anger for now. Yongbei's entry into the capital was like a boulder thrown into a lake, making the waters dangerous and turbulent again; there was still no clue as to how to defeat Yongji... But all of these could be discussed tomorrow, and he could first greet Miss Ming, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, with a happy demeanor.

It was at this moment that he uttered the word "welcome" and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that he hadn't actually prepared anything that could be called "welcome".

He looked down at himself, noting that he had hastily put on his clothes in the early hours of the morning, not to mention his appearance, which clearly showed he had stayed up all night.

Thinking of this, he felt a sense of urgency and thought it would be better if Miss Ming didn't come so early.

He quickly summoned a carriage and rushed back to the Sword Cultivation Academy, where he thoroughly washed and bathed, and changed into clean clothes and boots.

Then he sat on the edge of the bed and pondered for a moment, then turned his head and pulled the kitten off his shoulder and pressed it into the basin of water.

The black cat bit him hard, its jade-green eyes staring at him seriously.

“Little cat, you haven’t taken a bath since you came with me,” Pei Ye said seriously.

“I’d be cleaner than you even if I didn’t wash for ten thousand years.” The black cat leaped back onto his shoulder.

Pei Ye sighed softly. Actually, he didn't necessarily want to wash the kitten; he just wanted to find something to calm his restless heart.

"There are no pears at this time of year," he said, distressed.

“I have a suggestion,” the black cat said calmly.

"What?" Pei Ye's eyes lit up.

“Before planting pears, you’d better leave this room,” the black cat said. “Otherwise, if Ming Qitian comes now, he’ll see your messy blankets, dirty clothes lying around, and your big shorts fluttering in the wind.”

“…” Pei Ye turned his head seriously, “Little Cat, your words are truly invaluable.”

He stood up abruptly, turned around and quickly tidied up the room that he hadn't had time to clean in the morning, then straightened his clothes in front of the mirror.

"Going out..." Pei Ye pondered, "Little Cat, what places in Shenjing do you think are worth seeing?"

"The scenery at Zhujing Hall is quite nice; the Xiaoqinglou (small green building) of Xiuwen Hall by the lake is also beautiful."

“…How about I arrange an empty sword-fighting arena at the Sword Cultivation Academy?” Pei Ye ignored it. “No, that won’t work either. The sword students will definitely recognize Miss Ming, and Miss Ming probably doesn’t like too much disturbance.”

Pei Ye pondered carefully while looking at the map of Shenjing, and finally chose a neighborhood he had never been to before and a pond he had never visited before.

Quiet yet not secluded, it's perfect for meeting Miss Ming.

Once the location was confirmed, the boy rushed out the door, and only after leaping over the threshold did he toss the kitten in his hand onto his shoulder.

After boarding his carriage and urging his horse onward, Pei Ye arrived at this pond.

It was indeed very quiet, with clear water, spring flowers and green grass growing around the pond, no trace of tourists, and only children's paintbrushes on the ground.

There was no one around at this hour. Pei Ye sat down on the blue stone by the pool, feeling the cool breeze on his face and hearing the occasional ripples of fish and the chirping of birds.

He crossed his legs, took a deep breath, and quietly gazed at the sky.

Time flowed by silently; when will Miss Ming arrive?
It was unlikely to be in the morning, Pei Ye thought; it should be in the afternoon, with a small chance of being at night.

Because Miss Ming is on her way, she sent a letter last night saying she would arrive "tomorrow." If she arrives in the capital this morning, it means she traveled overnight. There is nothing urgent in the capital.

So it makes more sense that Miss Ming sent him a letter before staying overnight, and then set off for the capital today... She might have just left at this time.

Pei Ye stretched her legs and sighed softly.

The quieter the wait, the more subtle anxieties began to surface.

He wondered if he had changed after not seeing himself for so long.

Has Miss Ming changed her appearance again?

What to talk about upon meeting shouldn't have been a problem, but the more he thought about it, the more problematic it became. For a moment, Pei Ye didn't know how to start a conversation with the woman. He raised his hand in a gesture of respect, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and practiced a few lines, but nothing felt quite right…

He wondered if, along her journey of swordsmanship, she had traversed half of the Tang Dynasty, made many new friends, and witnessed many things he had never seen before. Did she perhaps bring a new friend with her to the capital?

He had never considered this before, but now that it suddenly occurred to him, he felt a sense of unease and uncertainty. Miss Ming had already arrived at Mount Hua; why had she been delayed for so long before entering the capital? Was there some official matter holding her back?
Pei Ye grew increasingly worried as he thought about it. Just then, a soft, gentle voice sounded behind him: "Why are you sitting here all alone? What are you thinking about?"

Pei Ye turned around in a daze. The woman was dressed in white and carried a single sword. Her familiar eyes looked at him calmly and quietly.

"...Miss Ming, why are you... here so early?"

“I’m worried that if I arrive late, you’ll be impatient,” she said.

The boy had one leg crossed on a rock and the other dangling off the ground, his back still slightly hunched, looking back up. The woman, like a perpetually calm sea, stood beside him, watching him.

Pei Ye chuckled.

(End of this chapter)