Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 844 The Copper City Boils Over (Part 3)

Pei Ye had never known before that a woman could be so shy. Even after sitting down and having tea poured for her, the blush on her cheeks still lingered.

However, after Shi Zanxue sat beside him and asked him a few questions in a gentle voice, he gradually relaxed.

"Young Master Pei is willing to joke with you, which shows that he considers you a friend. When we first met, he was very distant and polite."

“He was very gentle and polite when we first met, and I thought he was a gentleman.” Lu Yuque held his teacup and said softly, “Who would have thought that he would reveal his true colors after only a few days.”

“Miss Lu, there’s a misunderstanding here,” Pei Ye reminded her. “Miss Shi might think I did something to you.”

Lu Yuque smiled: "No, not at all."

Shi Zanxue smiled, resting her chin on her hand: "It's not surprising that there are."

"..."

Pei Ye said, "That's very strange."

Lu Yuque probably sensed that this fairy from Tianshan was not as unapproachable as he had imagined, and somewhat embarrassedly helped to explain: "Young Master Pei is very careful in this regard and has never offended me."

Shi Zanxue laughed: "Young Master Pei steals hearts before stealing people. When you think he's a good person, you've already fallen into his trap. Be careful."

Lu Yuque glanced at Pei Ye with some surprise, and Pei Ye silently looked back at her.

Lu Yuque withdrew his gaze and said confidently, "Young Master Pei has no designs on me."

Pei Ye smiled and said, "Miss Lu, please stay a while. Here, take the cat. I'm going to talk to Miss Shi about something."

"Okay! Thank you for chatting with me." Lu Yuque nodded. "I'm familiar with it now, you can go ahead."

Pei Ye finished his tea, picked up his sword and stood up. Shi Zanxue smiled at Lu Yuque, and the two left together.

Lu Yuque's smile faded, and she looked down at the cat on the table. The cat was also looking at her.

She raised her hand and gently stroked it, pushed the teacup aside, and took out paper, pen, and a small bundle from her bosom.

Shi Zanxue walked upstairs, with Pei Ye trailing behind by half a step.

The letter mentioned recommending a senior colleague?

"Yes." Shi Zanxue stopped and gestured, "This is the one."

Pei Ye looked over and saw that the old man was dressed in a clean Yunshan Sect uniform, with white hair and beard, but his back was straight and his eyes were clear. He carried a long sword on his back.

“Lord Li, this is Young Hero Pei Ye,” Shi Zanxue said. “Young Hero Pei, this is the current Lord of Xiaoyun Mountain, Senior Li Fengzhao of [Liuyun Longque]. He is here today because he wants to meet you.”

Pei Ye was slightly taken aback, then clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Junior Pei Ye greets the Mountain Lord. I have long admired your talent."

Li Fengzhao also clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "I have long admired you, Young Hero Pei, greetings."

Since leaving Fenghuai, Pei Ye has met many important figures, but among the leaders of the Thirty-Three Sword Sects at the top of the martial arts world, he has only met the leaders of the Kongtong and Shenxiao sects. The Da Yunshan and Xiao Yunshan sects have a high reputation in the two Long regions, and Pei Ye has heard about the chivalrous deeds of the Kongtong and Yunshan sects since he was a child.

"How dare I?" Pei Ye said. "Back in Fenghuai, I was greatly protected by Senior Shen Yanping, a disciple of your sect. Without Senior Shen, there would be no Pei Ye today. I am only ashamed that I have never thanked Yunshan in person."

Li Fengzhao looked at him: "Young hero, do you still remember Yan Ping?"

"How could I not remember?"

“Yan Ping is my grand-disciple. He is handsome and of good character, but he is timid and lazy.” Li Fengzhao waved his sleeves to make room for Pei Ye and recalled, “Once, he and three others from the same sect made a mistake and came to me to receive their punishment. He shrank to the back, relying entirely on the favoritism of his senior brothers and sisters.”

"I haven't seen him much since then." Li Fengzhao said, his tone ambiguous, "He said he went to Shaolong and worked at the Immortal Terrace."

"Prosecutor Shen is a courageous and resolute man."

“Yes. His remains were buried back in Yunshan.” Li Fengzhao looked at him. “That’s when I first heard of Young Hero Pei.”

"Originally, Yunshan and Young Hero Pei should have had a master-disciple relationship, but if that were the case, Young Hero Pei would not have achieved what he has today." The old man smiled and lowered his head.

Pei Ye paused for a moment: "If nothing happens, and I can enter Yunshan to cultivate peacefully, that would be more precious to me than any achievement."

Li Fengzhao looked at him, raised his hand, and gently patted his forearm.

"I came to meet Young Hero Pei today to see his stance and, with a daring inclination, to discern Master Li's intentions. But having heard your words, my wish is fulfilled, and there is no need for further words." Li Fengzhao smiled. "The most precious thing is a world where nothing has happened. In any case, let us do our utmost together. Farewell."

Pei Ye was slightly taken aback. The old man carrying the sword brushed past him and left. Shi Zanxue did not see him off, but watched him disappear downstairs with a smile.

"...They haven't even exchanged two words yet." Pei Ye couldn't help but smile. "What an extraordinary person."

"Knowing that Young Master Pei is fond of extraordinary people, I specially arranged this introduction," Shi Zanxue said.

"The Western Regions were completely unfamiliar to me, but meeting this senior has indeed been quite inspiring." Pei Ye withdrew his gaze, looked at the woman by the window, and walked over.

"Long time no see, Young Master Pei."

The room was dark when it rained, but the window was bright. The pattering, chilly rain hung like a curtain from the eaves, and the wind blew the hair of the two people. Behind the building was a garden, where the flowers and trees were lush and green.

Shi Zanxue turned around and leaned against the window, choosing a more comfortable position.

"Long time no see, Miss Shi." Pei Ye leaned against the window.

“It has been exactly twelve months since we parted in Shenjing,” Shi Zanxue said. “Last month, I was thinking in our correspondence that I didn’t know when or where I would see Young Hero Pei again. But as soon as May arrived, the snow lotus flowers bloomed wildly, and it was Young Hero Pei who arrived at the foot of Tianshan Mountain.”

"The situation arose so suddenly that I set off three days after hearing the news," Pei Ye said. "Were those people who just left invited by Miss Shi?"

"Yes, I only arrived this morning, but if we talk about it an hour later, things might change within an hour."

"It seems the result wasn't good?"

“Not good.” Shi Zanxue paused for a moment, “but it was also within expectations.”

"Each has their own ulterior motives?"

“They may not all have ulterior motives. It’s just that they can’t truly be of one mind,” Shi Zanxue said. “That’s the most difficult thing to handle.”

"Miss Shi, what do you have to say?"

Shi Zanxue suddenly smiled and looked at him: "I would like to change the way you address Young Hero Pei first."

"what?"

"Stop calling me 'Stone Girl' all the time, it sounds like we're still writing a letter, it makes us seem so distant."

“…We used to call her that, so why does it feel wrong now?” Pei Ye laughed. “What should we change it to—so I’ll call you Fairy too?” “Don’t tease me.” Shi Zanxue smiled. “I don’t want to change it to anything, calling you ‘you’ is fine too.”

"Then tell me."

Shi Zanxue's smile faded: "The martial world of the Western Regions is not heavily constrained by the Immortal Platform. Young hero, you have been here for half a month and should have already felt it. The Shaolong Immortal Platform is still quite useful, but the Xilong Immortal Platform doesn't even rank in the top five in our region."

"Yes. If we want to mobilize manpower, only the Immortal Platform in the prefectural city is suitable. If we ask for information, we can only get some rumors from the martial arts world."

“Actually, it’s not that Xilong Immortal Terrace is weaker, but that Shaolong Jianghu is weaker,” Shi Zanxue said. “Shaolong is closer to the capital, and it only has one Kongtong. If you count further down, there’s only Luoying Mountain and Mingzhu Water Pavilion.”

"They are also a first-rate sect in the martial arts world," Pei Ye said.

"Yes. But how many sects of this level are there in Shaolong?"

"Fallen Petals, Bright Pearl, Feather Spring Mountain, Five Swords Blessed Land... six or seven places."

Shi Zanxue smiled and said, "There are more than thirty companies in Xilong."

"..."

"The martial arts world in the Western Region is thriving and has formed its own distinct faction. It has always been estranged from the Central Plains. The Immortal Platform has not been established for very long, and it is still a long way from being able to penetrate the martial arts world of the Western Region."

"In the western region, the noble faction is respected."

"That's a valid point. But reverence in one's heart and actual control are two different things."

Pei Ye glanced at her: "Does Miss Shi mean that even if Tianshan and Xianrentai cannot truly unify the various sects, the martial arts world of the Western Region cannot be of one mind?"

Shi Zanxue nodded: "Giant, powerful, and numerous—that's the impression the martial arts world of the Western Region gives people. There are three at the top: Tianshan, Kunlun, and Yijian Southern Sect—actually, if we divide them by stars, there should be another one in the Western Region as well. Do you know which one it is?"

"Which one?"

"Yunlang Mountain".

That's terrifying.

"Fortunately, it seems that lotus flowers don't grow there." Shi Zanxue smiled. "Anyway, from the three families down, those listed on the second tier include Qing Sang Valley, Longhe Sword Manor, Diancang, Kongtong, and Da Xiaoyun Mountain. Kongtong should be ranked last among them, but it has become dominant in Shaolong. Among them, Longhe Sword Manor and Qing Sang Valley are actually both ancient traditions with more than a thousand years of history, and they also have Tianlou within their sects, but they are far removed from Xianrentai."

“Counting down further, we reach Luoying Mountain and Mingzhu Level 1. In this level, the Shaolong families are actually ranked quite high, probably because the area is vast and the number of families is small. I won’t list them all, but if we add Xilong and Shaolong, plus the northern and southern edges, there are at least forty or fifty families. If Lu Yingzhang were alive, Jian Du would actually be included in this list. Not to mention Xie Tingyu, who is a lone lineage.”

Pei Ye listened quietly.

"Therefore, once there is a major change, there is no strong enough force to unite them, because every family is strong and cannot submit to each other," Shi Zanxue said. "Actually, the most suitable person for this role is Tianshan, but Tianshan is currently... unable to extricate itself from the situation."

Who came today?

“Besides Senior Li Fengzhao, there is also Fang Heng, the master of the Kunlun Golden Crow Palace; Tie Rusong, the master of the Diancang Tingjiang Pavilion; Xu Shang, the master of the Kongtong Caiwu Peak; Shan Xishi of the Longhe Sword Manor; Xie Tingyu of the Cloud Chariot Feather Banner; and Song Zhilan of the Qingsang Valley,” Shi Zanxue said. “Apart from the Southern Sect, all of these masters have actually been gathered together.”

"Isn't the Southern Sect coming?"

"The Southern Sect is not coming."

Shi Zanxue looked at him: "I know that you saw what happened to Jian Du and want to deal with the Southern Sect. But the current situation is volatile and it is not advisable to start a fire. Perhaps it is better to stop now."

"Hmm." Pei Ye looked at the rain splashing on the windowsill. "I think Senior Li Fengzhao is truly sincere about this. What are other people saying?"

Shi Zanxue smiled, seemingly speechless.

"Senior Li Fengzhao's character and conduct in Yunshan are the result of years of hard work, and all the sects truly trust him. But other things are hard to say."

“Everyone wants to believe that Kongtong doesn’t want to see this. They are empty inside and are looking forward to recuperation, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take action if given the chance.” She looked at Pei Ye. “The past is not far off. The martial arts styles of the Seventeen Peaks are mixed, which is an inherent problem for Kongtong. Moreover, they are at the bottom of the valley and need to fight… Xu Shang is telling the truth, but the various sects probably see Kongtong as a sick wolf with blood on its mouth.”

"Dragon Crane Sword Manor specially sent their passionate Third Master here, but I don't know what their intentions are. Master Shan Xishi is one of the top figures in the Western Region in recent years, but Dragon Crane Manor is a force that forges weapons in the Western Region and is not such a simple power. Their First Master is indeed not here this time, but the Second Master is in the city."

"Qing Sang Valley is unwilling to see this happen, nor do they want to get involved. That's certainly their usual style, so there's nothing to say about it." Shi Zanxue smiled again. "Young Master Pei, what do you think is the reason why these families are unwilling to see the Snow Lotus suffer?"

"...because they didn't want to see them in the first place."

This seemed like obvious, but Shi Zanxue nodded: "Yes. Kongtong is weak, and Longhe and Qingsang are in charge of weapon forging and medicine in the western region respectively. The turmoil in the western region is of no benefit to them; the stability of the western region is in their interest."

"Since there are those who stand on this side because of their own interests, there are naturally those who stand on the other side because of their own interests."

Shi Zanxue sighed softly, "Not bad."

"Kunlun's ambition to expand is not something that can be accomplished overnight."

"Are they willing to see the snow lotus suffer?"

“I can’t say I’m willing. But at least it’s an opportunity,” Shi Zanxue said. “More importantly, if you were a sect at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, could you feel at ease?”

"……cannot."

“That’s right. Even if Kunlun doesn’t have this intention, the other sects won’t believe it doesn’t, and in reality, it will definitely make such preparations.” Shi Zanxue said, “What kind of gains would Kunlun, one of the few major sects in the Western Region, gain once it starts to annex? Just think about how tempting it would be.”

"Diancang is a decent sect. It does not seek expansion, but it is very fierce. It has conflicts with sects such as Kunlun, and has a blood feud with Xie Tingyu."

"Isn't Diancang one level weaker than Kunlun?"

"Yes. However, Kunlun has been lacking in younger generations in recent years, and several pillars of the older generation have passed away. Currently, only the Palace Master is among the Heavenly Tower members in the sect. Meanwhile, the current leader of Diancang, Shen Qing, known as the Snow Pavilion General, is in his prime and has exceptional talent. He has shown signs of ascending to the Heavenly Tower in recent years. If Diancang continues to grow, it will surely overtake Kunlun. The tension between the two sects has been a recent phenomenon."

"...Indeed, tigers, leopards, eagles, and wolves live together on the same mountain."

“Indeed, this is exactly what I’m worried about,” Shi Zanxue said in a low voice. “The Snow Lotus disaster is like a series of fuses connecting the various sects. The lower levels of the martial arts world have already started killing and stealing books. There are bloody incidents even in Yetian City, not to mention the remote border regions. This matter still seems to be under control because these few sects still have the willpower... Once these few sects are involved, it will be like a landslide.”

Pei Ye remained silent and gently tapped on the window frame.

"Actually, all the sect leaders are in Yetian City, right?"

“Yes. But none of them have come.” Shi Zanxue said, “Shen Qing of Diancang Sect, Wei Guang of Kunlun Palace, Chen Qingxiang of Qingsang Valley, Li Fengzhao of Xiaoyun Mountain, and Duan Dansheng of the Southern Sect... Several important figures are actually already stationed in the city.”

“I will go and pay a visit,” Pei Ye said.

"what?"

"We are separated by barriers, and a fire suddenly broke out somewhere. We need to make things clear." Pei Ye said, holding his sword. "Having just arrived in the Western Region, I should have paid a visit to some senior figures."

"Then, when?"

"Let's do it today."

(End of this chapter)