I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 103 He actually became the incense master! ?

It’s not that Xie An was getting carried away or anything, but facing this situation, no matter how calm Xie An was, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of heroism.

A strong and passionate feeling arises spontaneously.

Comfortable, smooth and vigorous.

The loud and piercing "Thank you, Master Xiang" rang out one after another, echoing back and forth throughout the huge martial arts arena for a long time.

Later, when Tang Qingyun introduced the other three incense masters, the disciples were still shouting "incense master", but it was obviously not as intense as at the beginning.

Obviously, everyone has a scale in their heart to measure the weight of the Blood Ridge Incense Master.

After the disciples recognized the incense master and paid their respects, Tang Qingyun took the four new incense masters to the library, pharmacy, armory and other places, and asked the shopkeepers of each store to recognize the four incense masters.

Wherever Tang Qingyun went, the shopkeepers would greet him with great courtesy. And the person Tang Qingyun always introduced most was Xie An.

The shopkeepers could naturally understand the meaning and often gave Xie An a great gift. However, they gave the other three incense masters less generous gifts. Fortunately, the other three incense masters also took their positions properly and did not feel any discomfort.

After all, Xie An won the first place by relying on his hard power, how could they not be convinced?
Chen Qing was somewhat unhappy, but he didn't show it too much.

After recognizing the major shopkeepers, Tang Qingyun took the four of them to the central courtyard to pay their respects to Fang Baiyu.

The complexity of this process was beyond Xie An's expectations.

It's really like the imperial court.

No matter how much you criticize, you still have to go through the process.

Xie An followed Tang Qingyun to the central courtyard and saw Fang Baiyu sitting upright in the chief seat in the living room with a stern expression.

"Meeting Hall Master Fang."

The four incense masters stood in the middle of the living room and bowed to Fang Baiyu.

"Hahaha."

Fang Baiyu actually laughed heartily, "Great, you're all very talented. Much better than the previous four incense masters, and your spirits are very good too. With the four of you assisting me, Baiyu Hall will surely prosper."

Ziwen, bring it up."

At the command, Wang Ziwen immediately brought out a red wooden tray with four fine cotton bags on it. She then distributed one to each person.

"You have just taken office, so I'm sure you don't have much money, but your subordinates are all looking forward to your kindness. I will give each of you 200 taels to give to your subordinates as a reward, which will help you quickly gain a foothold."

Everyone expressed their gratitude.

Xie An also paid special attention to the expressions of the other three incense masters:

Chen Qing was fine, showing no emotion. He clearly didn't take the two hundred taels seriously. However, Xu Bin and Wang Liuhe were genuinely grateful.

Next, Fang Baiyu showed even more generosity and actually took out a treasure.

"Xu Bin, I see that you are good at swordsmanship, but your learning is disorganized and your foundation is not solid. If you can come here more often, I will give you more guidance, and I will surely help you improve your swordsmanship."

"Thank you, Master."

"Well, this Qingfeng sword was forged from the fine iron I obtained when I killed bandits in my early years. I'm giving it to you now. I hope you can train the cavalry well and make new contributions to our Baiyutang."

thump.

Xu Bin was so moved that he knelt on the ground. "Thank you for your kindness, Master Fang. I will work hard for you."

Fang Baiyu was very happy to see this and enthusiastically helped Xu Bin up. "Please stand up quickly. I have always been kind to others. There is no need for this."

When Xu Bin stood up again, his eyes were red. It was obvious that he was truly moved by Fang Baiyu. After all, Xu Bin, who was born in poverty, had never been treated like this before.

Wang Liuhe, who was standing by, actually showed an expression of envy and jealousy, and was obviously looking forward to receiving Fang Baiyu's reward.

However, Fang Baiyu did not continue to reward, but encouraged everyone and then announced the end.

When walking out of the central courtyard, Xu Bin couldn't let go of the Qingfeng sword, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Wang Liuhe was watching with great jealousy, and finally couldn't help but move closer, "Congratulations, Master Xu. You've earned the Hall Master's appreciation and respect on just your first day in office. Could you please lend me this precious sword?"

Xu Bin hesitated, but finally gave the sword to Wang Liuhe, "Be careful, don't break it."

"It's said to be a precious sword, how can it be broken so easily..." Wang Liuhe smiled and pulled out the precious sword, waved it twice casually, and found that it was indeed a precious sword, which was several times better than his own sword.

Then his eyes became more envious and jealous.

After waving the sword for a while, Wang Liuhe reluctantly returned it to Xu Bin. "It is indeed a precious sword. Master Xu Xiang has a bright future ahead of him."

Xu Bin took back the precious sword and held it lovingly, not forgetting to encourage Wang Liuhe: "Master Wang Xiang will have one in the future. As long as you work hard, Master Fang is kind and will not treat you unfairly."

Chen Qing, who was not far away, glanced at Wang Liuhe and the other man, snorted softly, and walked away without saying anything.

Xie An naturally noticed the expressions of Wang Liuhe and Xu Bin, and heard their conversation. He was secretly shocked:
Fang Baiyu knows how to have fun.

If you reward four people at the same time, the effect will be limited and everyone will live in harmony.

And if Xu Bin, who was born in poverty, was singled out for admiration, it would immediately create a divide between the four great incense masters. It would also make Wang Liuhe jealous and envious, and he would curry favor with Fang Baiyu even more.

I'm afraid that it won't be long before Wang Liuhe will fall into Fang Baiyu's palm.

As for why Fang Baiyu chose Xu Bin, he must have done a background check and determined that Xu Bing was the easiest to break through. As for Chen Qing... he had Chen Qinglang's backing, so Fang Baiyu naturally wouldn't try to manipulate him. And Xie An... he'd repeatedly ruined his plans, so Fang Baiyu probably had Xie An's name written down in his notebook.

All the way out of the hall.

The major incense masters said goodbye one after another and prepared to go to the areas under their jurisdiction.

When Chen Qing left, he did not forget to say to Xie An: "Thank you, Master Xiang, please come to the dock to visit me when you have time."

Xie An agreed immediately, "Okay. If Master Chen Xiang is free, you are also welcome to visit Xueling. I will prepare a bed for you."

Chen Qing bowed and left.

Wang Liuhe and Xu Bin also came to greet Xie An and invited him to be their guest. After some pleasantries, they each left.

After bidding farewell to the incense masters, Xie An solemnly addressed Tang Qingyun, "If Elder Tang is not busy..."

Before Xie An could finish his words, Tang Qingyun waved his hand and said, "The end of the year is approaching, and the Tiger and Wolf Sect and Tang Family Fort have many things to do. I still have to go to Tiger and Wolf Mountain to report."

Then, Tang Qingyun took the green-maned horse led by the groom, stepped on the stirrup and jumped on the horse. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and said to Xie An, "Brother Xie, I have been to Wuqiao Town and know that Brother Xie has been a court official for half his life and has no family. The Chinese New Year is in half a month. When the time comes, bring Miss Yuhe to my Tang Family Fort to celebrate the New Year."

Xie An was very surprised when he heard this.

It seems that Tangjiabao has finally responded to the matter of Qi.

Inviting me to Tangjiabao for the New Year was an extraordinary treat, far better than an ordinary meeting.

Xie An quickly bowed and said, "I am just a rough man, how could I disturb the Tang Family Fort?"

Tang Qingyun was in a very good mood and laughed loudly, "Hahaha, if Brother Xie were a reckless man, there would be no smart people in this world. Brother Xie, there is no need to refuse. This is not my idea, but the old man's. In a few days, the invitation from my Tang Family Castle will be delivered.

The old man said that the New Year brings new beginnings, and it is a good time to meet when everything is revived. Thank you, brother, and see you on New Year's Day."

drive!
After saying this, Tang Qingyun raised the reins and whipped the horse. With the sound of horse hooves, a cloud of snow was splashed, and the horse sped away in a cloud of dust.

Xie An stared at the receding figure in a daze for a long time.

It was not until Zhang Lin, Lin Yunyuhe and the other two came over and called Xie An's name that Xie An came to his senses.

Lin Yun said, "Thank you, Xiangzhu. Let's go back to Xueling. The brothers here all know that you are here to perform your duties today, and they are all looking forward to your return to celebrate with everyone."

Zhang Lin said, "That's right, that's right. Zhou Xing and the others have already prepared a celebration banquet and are just waiting for Master Xie to return."

Xie An nodded: "Okay, let's go back. However, in private, the two brothers should not call me Xiangzhu, just call me Lao Xie."

Although Xie An felt that being an incense master was a good thing, he really didn't care much about fame.

"How can this be possible? We must show proper etiquette."

"That's right. No matter how high or low you are, you still have to call me big brother."

Seeing the two men's stubborn attitude, Xie An knew that he couldn't force them, so he said, "I am a few years older than you. So I'll call you Brother Xie. This way, we can seem closer."

"Thank you, brother."

"Thank you, brother!"

Although they were a little embarrassed, Lin Yun and Zhang Lin still shouted out.

And Yuhe said, "Thank you, sir."

These three words made Xie An feel awkward, as they could easily be misunderstood as "Thank you, Master..."

"No need to say thank you, just call me Master."

"master."

Sure enough, it sounded very relaxing, and Xie An couldn't help laughing out loud.

The other three were also infected and laughed.

Since there were no outsiders here, everyone was no longer restrained and laughed in an especially relaxed manner.

Laughter is really contagious.

Xie An was originally only slightly happy, but now he couldn't help but become a lot more bold.

Yuhe brought the horses, and the four of them mounted their horses and headed towards Xueling.

架！
Four fierce horses galloped across the snow, trampling the snowflakes all over the sky...

……

Blood Ridge.

At noon, the entire black market was already bustling with activity.

More than thirty young men erected a canopy in the open air of the black market, built a stove, and lit a fire. They prepared the lamb, cattle, pigs, ducks, chickens, and geese for cooking. They also invited a chef to prepare a sumptuous lunch.

It’s even more lively than the Chinese New Year.

Liang Zhi led the procession, with Wang Xiang and Zhou Xing helping out. They bought red carpets and other festive items, borrowed twenty large round tables, covered them with red cloths, and the floor was covered with red carpets. The atmosphere was filled with joy.

Many black market shop owners were very surprised and came up to ask questions.

"Mr. Liang, today isn't a big day, but is there any big happy event?"

"Isn't it? Ever since the Second Deacon took charge of this place, every festival has only been a small gathering, never a large banquet. What's this?"

"It must be some great joy. Mr. Liang, please tell us about it and share some good luck with everyone."

"..."

Before Liang Zhi could speak, Wang Xiang excitedly explained the reason, "Our boss went to the hall early this morning. When he comes back, he will be the new incense master of the Blood Ridge Black Market. Isn't this going to be a big event?"

When these words were spoken, many shopkeepers were secretly shocked.

"I've heard that Deacon Xie shined in Water Lantern Town a few days ago, taking first place. I didn't expect him to be appointed Incense Master so soon. That would have to be a grand ceremony."

"Thank you, Deacon, for being here for a year. You've treated us, the shopkeeper, very well. With him as the incense master, we'll have a good life in the future."

"Mr. Liang, would you like to invite us for a drink?"

Liang Zhi smiled and said, "Of course, anyone who is on the black market today will be counted as one."

"Okay, okay, I'll go prepare the gift right away."

"Then I'll go too."

The shopkeepers and the guys who came to watch nearby were all very excited when they heard that they could attend the celebration banquet for the new incense master, and they all went back to prepare the gift money.

Wang Xiang saw all of this and said with a smile, "Brother Liang, it seems everyone likes our leader very much."

Liang Zhi rolled out the red carpet and said with a smile, "Of course. Everyone has benefited from what the boss has done over the past year. Business is good, everyone is making money, and there aren't so many dirty tricks, so everyone naturally recognizes the boss.

Oh, right, go to the black market and call out, get every guy to come. Also call out those who made mistakes or were injured. Let's have some fun together."

"Okay, Zhou Xing, you go and call the guys in the black market to come for dinner, and I'll go and call those guys who made mistakes and got injured." Wang Xiang made further arrangements.

"Okay." Zhou Xing immediately did as he was told. Initially, Zhou Xing's status was similar to Wang Xiang's, perhaps even higher. But there was no other way; Zhou Xing's boss...wasn't as powerful as Wang Xiang's. Now, he had no choice but to accept it.

What's more, Xie An was quite nice to Zhou Xing. Far from feeling unhappy, he was actually very grateful.

……

In a dark woodshed.

The ground was damp, and the straw on the ground was moldy, emitting a pungent musty smell. The door was closed, leaving only a small window to let in light.

Li Shaoyun sat on the straw in a daze, looking up at the window where only light came in. His cloudy eyes became very depressed.

After nearly half a year of confinement, Li Shaoyun no longer had the same high spirits as before.

The cruel reality dealt him a heavy blow.

What archdeacon?

What about the martial arts examination three years later?
He felt that he was overthinking.

Now all he wanted was to quickly leave this cold and damp place. Then he could return to the Li Mansion and be a good young master. He no longer cared about his ambitions.

At first, the new deacon only said that he would be put in solitary confinement for a few months, but he didn't specify how many months...

Suddenly, Li Shaoyun heard footsteps approaching.

Li Shaoyun immediately went to the door.

He was so hungry.

I thought it was the food delivery guy.

Click.

The sound of a key being inserted into the lock rang out, and the door was soon pushed open. Bright, glaring light poured in, causing Li Shaoyun to squint instinctively. It took him a while to adjust. He saw that it was Wang Xiang who came in, and he didn't even have lunch in his hands.

Li Shaoyun suddenly panicked.

He had secretly learned Wang Xiang's martial arts out of impatience and was subsequently punished with solitary confinement. Now that the real culprit had come to him, Li Shaoyun instinctively thought that Wang Xiang was looking for a reckoning.

With Wang Xiang's "brutal" methods, beating himself up would be the least of his worries, even breaking his legs wouldn't be a big deal.

Thinking of this, Li Shaoyun was very scared and immediately leaned over, "Brother Wang, I'm sorry, it was my fault before."

However, Wang Xiang did not attack Li Shaoyun. Instead, he smiled contentedly, "What's the point of talking about those little things? Come out and have dinner with me."

After leaving a word, Wang Xiang turned and left.

Li Shaoyun just stood inside the door, not daring to go out. The threshold was clearly right in front of him, and it was very short, so he could easily step over it. However, Li Shaoyun felt that the threshold was particularly high, and he dared not step over it.

Ok?
After taking a few steps, Wang Xiang found that no one was following him. He looked back and saw Li Shaoyun standing timidly behind the threshold, with fear in his eyes.

Wang Xiang knew that Li Shaoyun was afraid of being imprisoned. "Look at you. How could you be so bold before? You even dared to secretly learn the martial arts of the Tiger and Wolf Sect. This is a capital crime, don't you know? If it weren't for the steward's concern for you, according to the rules... at the very least, your bones would be broken and your martial arts skills would be abolished. At the worst, you would be beaten to death. Oh, no, now you should be called the incense master."

Why are you so timid now? Come out quickly. Today is the day when the boss becomes the incense master. Let's celebrate together. Come with me to meet the incense master."

Li Shao understood the reason, and his worries dissipated. He tiptoed over the threshold and asked, "Is the new deacon the incense master?"

Wang Xiang introduced them proudly, "Of course not. Our leader is amazing. A few days ago, in the hall's examination, he defeated Hong Lie, who was at the second level of the Jingrou realm, and came out on top. Today he went to the hall to officially take up his position, and when he returns he will be the full-fledged Master of the Blood Ridge."

hiss.

Li Shaoyun was horrified when he heard this.

No one would have thought that a newly appointed deacon would take the position of the Blood Ridge Incense Master in just one year.

Li Shaoyun, who grew up in Wuqiao Town, knew very well that among the four great incense masters of Baiyu Hall, the Xueling incense master was the most prominent.

If the future head of Baiyu Hall leaves, the person who will take over as head will be either the deputy head or the head of Xueling Incense.

No matter what, the Master of the Blood Ridge Incense is considered a top-notch boss in the six towns.

"Don't stand there in a daze. You are at least a nominal deputy deacon. Come with me outside and prepare to welcome the return of the incense master." Wang Xiang scolded.

Li Shaoyun finally woke up from his dream and nodded quickly to follow.

Arriving near the pavilion, Li Shaoyun heard everyone talking about the new incense master. He could tell that everyone had great respect for the new incense master, recounting his deeds and calling him "Thank you, incense master."

Thank you, old man, you are a late bloomer...

All this information combined made Li Shaoyun very curious. "Brother Wang, what is the name of this new incense master?"

"Xie An. He's from Wuqiao Town."

Li Shaoyun was greatly surprised.

Could it be Xie An, the court attendant in the Li Mansion?
impossible……

It is absolutely impossible.

The old man had suffered a stroke before, and although he recovered, he was already very old. When he redeemed himself, he had hit him with a bamboo stick. His attitude was also cold. Moreover, in order to curry favor with Zhang Biao, Li Shaoyun had proactively provided Li He with the opportunity to capture Xie An's disciple He Chunli and tortured him severely... He Chunli was almost beaten to death.

If the new incense master of Xueling is really Xie An, does he still have a chance to survive?
The more he thought about it, the more scared Li Shaoyun became.

At this moment, a disciple came running in from the canyon entrance and shouted to Liang Zhi from a distance: "Brother Liang, the incense master's horse is a few miles away and will be here soon."

Snapped!
Liang Zhi put down the bench in his hand and waved his hand, "Quick, everyone come here, line up neatly, and wait for the new Blood Ridge Incense Master."

Wow.

The crowd was restless.

The firemen, the cooks, the woodcutters, the meat cutters, the vegetable washers...all put down their work and lined up neatly, each one full of energy. The hundreds of shopkeepers and their attendants, though less disciplined, also gathered around, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the feast.

Countless pairs of eyes stared at the canyon entrance ahead. The ground was still covered with thick snow, and the cold air was oppressive. However, everyone's heart was warm.

finally--

drive!
The sound of horse hooves rang out, stirring up gusts of snow. Four fierce horses came galloping from afar. Soon they were right in front of him.

Sigh! Lulu!

Xie An, the leader, was the first to stop his horse. He was quite surprised by the scene before him. Before he could say anything, he heard Liang Zhi lead the way in bowing, "Welcome Master Xie Xiang."

Others began to speak, their voices booming.

"Welcome to Master Xie Xiang!"

"Welcome Master Xie!!"

Everyone was overjoyed.

Only Li Shaoyun... was so scared that he sat down on the ground, trembling and feeling a chill down his spine.

Is it really the Li family's... Master Chaofeng!?

That old man who used to call me Young Master!
Li Shaoyun stared with his eyes wide open in disbelief at Xie An who was sitting upright on the horse: he was wearing a clear brocade robe, a jade belt, a blood-red jade pendant, a green jade hairpin, and a head full of black hair. How could he look old at all?
The sitting posture is as straight as a spear, the spirit is as majestic as pine and cypress, and the noble character is followed by slow movement!

The smell of a generation of heroes and knights hits you in the face.

How... is this possible!?
(End of this chapter)