Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter Fifteen: A Young Lady at the Tea House in South City Alley

The next morning.

Jiang Wang had not yet awakened.

The door to the room was pushed open by Xiaoyu.

She walked straight to the bedside and lifted the quilt.

Jiang Wang groggily opened his eyes. "What is it?"

Xiaoyu’s expression was cool and calm as she said lightly, "Old Xu is here looking for you, young master."

Jiang Wang turned over and got out of bed. Xiaoyu helped him dress neatly. Still drowsy and lazy, he muttered, "There’s enough clothing at home, and nothing urgent that needs new tailoring. Why did Old Xu come all the way here?"

Xiaoyu didn’t reply, only stood with her sword on her back and a knife in her arms. When Jiang Wang stepped out of the room, she casually closed the door.

In front of the Xunyang Marquis Residence.

Old Xu paced anxiously.

When he saw Jiang Wang’s figure, he excitedly ran over. "Found her! I found your wife!"

Jiang Wang half-opened his eyes and asked absentmindedly, "Found what?"

Old Xu said, "Your wife!"

Jiang Wang was speechless.

His sleepiness vanished instantly.

He had almost forgotten about this matter.

Old Xu was very excited. "Master, she’s not just beautiful, she’s absolutely perfect for you. You won’t find anyone like her anywhere in Huncheng."

Jiang Wang was utterly speechless.

You’re just saying what’s on your mind. Did the girl pay you a lot of silver?

Old Xu grabbed Jiang Wang and began walking outside Qixia Street, with Xiaoyu following closely behind.

"It’s fate, really. That girl isn’t from Huncheng. She was wandering the streets, and I spotted her right away. My eyes are sharp—I only saw her back, but I just knew she had to be beautiful. And sure enough, she looks like a fairy descended to the mortal world."

Old Xu had quite the talent for matchmaking; even before they met, he was already praising her to the heavens.

"I worked hard to persuade her to meet you. It wasn’t for the money—she’s not from Huncheng and didn’t even know who the young marquis was. You can’t accuse me of cheating."

Hearing this, Jiang Wang paused.

If what Old Xu said was true, the girl from elsewhere had no reason to pay for matchmaking and was even unwilling at first, only convinced by Old Xu’s persistent persuasion.

But seeing Old Xu’s excited expression, Jiang Wang still felt something was off.

The truth would become clear once they met.

The meeting place arranged by Old Xu wasn’t on Qixia Street.

It was in South City Alley, a street one block away.

South City Alley was the busiest street in southern Huncheng.

Shops lined both sides, and the street was crowded with people.

Jiang Wang was slightly out of breath. He grabbed Old Xu’s arm and looked at a nearby teahouse. "I’m tired. Let’s stay here."

Old Xu hesitated but knew Jiang Wang wasn’t in the best shape, so he nodded in agreement. "I’ll go fetch her."

Jiang Wang entered the teahouse with Xiaoyu and sat by the window.

A storyteller was inside, passionately recounting tales that the patrons had heard countless times.

Yet he told them so vividly and entertainingly that even those who knew the stories by heart were captivated—a true skill.

Not long after, Old Xu led a young lady into the teahouse.

The girl looked quite young, wearing a long green dress. Her bright eyes curiously scanned the teahouse, as if she had never seen the world before.

Her appearance matched Old Xu’s description; she could probably rival Jiang Wang in looks.

"Miss Shu, this is the young marquis," Old Xu politely introduced Jiang Wang.

The girl’s gaze shifted from the teahouse to Jiang Wang. Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips moved softly, murmuring, "So handsome..."

Old Xu said, "I’ve always been honest in business. You two are a perfect match—if you don’t marry, it’d be a pity."

Realizing what he said, Old Xu quickly looked at Jiang Wang with an awkward smile. "Ignore that first sentence. The latter is sincere—I truly feel that way."

Jiang Wang was speechless.

He cleared his throat and looked at the girl, who seemed to be daydreaming, and said calmly, "I don’t know what Old Xu told you, but you’d better not believe it. Girls should stay safe outside. Always be cautious of anyone and anything you hear..."

Before he finished speaking, the girl sat opposite him and, seemingly out of nowhere, produced a long spear, slamming it onto the table with a sharp crack.

Jiang Wang swallowed hard.

Xiaoyu’s eyes shifted slightly; one hand held the knife, the other rested on the sword hilt behind her back.

Miss Shu glanced at Xiaoyu but remained silent.

Jiang Wang quietly stared at the long spear across the table and asked calmly, "What tea do you want?"

Miss Shu stared intently at Jiang Wang’s face and said, "I don’t drink tea."

Jiang Wang’s neck stiffened as he turned to Old Xu, who looked as if he was stunned by the girl’s sudden action.

Old Xu snapped back to reality and stubbornly said, "A girl who knows martial arts... that’s more reliable."

Seeing Jiang Wang’s fierce gaze, he awkwardly whispered, "Miss Shu clearly wants to marry. Although she seems a bit forceful, she’s beautiful, and I fulfilled your request strictly..."

Unable to withstand Jiang Wang’s intimidating stare, Old Xu quickly said, "You two talk. I have to leave first."

He dashed out of the teahouse in a flustered manner.

Jiang Wang was silent for a moment, then looked at the girl seriously and said, "I’m very capable."

Miss Shu raised an eyebrow and rested her arms on the table. "An old man told me that you have the whole Huncheng under your control, and there’s nothing you can’t do."

Jiang Wang twitched at the corner of his mouth.

He wanted to fetch the fleeing Old Xu back.

"So..." Jiang Wang looked into Miss Shu’s eyes. "You came to Huncheng with a purpose."

Miss Shu nodded. "It’s my first time here, but the old man was very enthusiastic. He said if he helped me find the most influential person here besides the town’s governor, I would pay him three hundred taels of silver."

Jiang Wang relaxed. "Quite wealthy, but I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong person."

Miss Shu said, "I’ve been to the governor’s office. I heard you fought Cai Tanggu from the Fish Abyss Academy. When people mention you there, they fall silent. I used some means to get them to speak honestly. The old man didn’t lie."

"But since you want to marry, and the old man could guide me, it was just a strategy."

Jiang Wang felt troubled.

He knew Old Xu’s nature well.

Though eager to earn money, Old Xu genuinely wanted to find a good wife for him.

Only he never cared whether Jiang Wang agreed.

Moreover, according to Miss Shu, even without Old Xu, she would have found him soon enough.

"If you can make the governor’s office obey you, you must be someone extraordinary. They’d help you anyway—why come to me?"

Miss Shu said proudly, "I came to Huncheng for an important matter and naturally must find the most powerful person."

Jiang Wang fell silent for a moment. "This is Huncheng. The governor’s office is the highest authority. Isn’t it possible that the governor’s office is the most powerful?"

Miss Shu snapped, "You’re just twisting words!"

Jiang Wang replied, "I’m just being reasonable."

They stared at each other.

In the end, Miss Shu yielded because her eyes grew weary.

Jiang Wang had already roughly guessed.

Someone capable of making the governor’s office submit and coming with a purpose could only be one of the seekers of immortality, as the green-robed and white-robed cultivators had said.

According to the green robe cultivator, these seekers of immortality were drawn by the "Mirage" hanging high above Qixia Street, believing it to be a celestial omen.

The "Mirage" seemed to be inside his mind. Jiang Wang knew he could never be an immortal. If these seekers discovered anything, endless trouble would follow.

This was different from wanting Cai Tanggu’s revenge. Involving immortals was beyond Jiang Wang’s control.

If he provoked some transcendent being, not only could he not control the power behind the "Mirage," but he might perish prematurely.

Although since the "Mirage" appeared, Jiang Wang hadn’t been defeated by monsters or cultivators, he nearly lost to Cai Tanggu. He was not yet confident he was invincible.

Facing seekers of immortality, it was best to avoid them.

How could he let one stay nearby?

While Jiang Wang pondered a plausible reason to send Miss Shu away, another person entered the teahouse.

An old man with a weathered face, wearing coarse linen clothes, holding a short knife with a worn sheath.

Upon entering, he seemed to carry his own aura, and a gust of wind swept into the teahouse.

The old man’s eyes briefly swept over Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang shivered involuntarily.

Killing intent?!

He became alert.

This killing intent reminded him of the veiled wanderer from before.

He never expected that after resolving the Du family matter, something like this would still happen.

Could Du Zicheng be causing trouble again?

Jiang Wang could be ruthless to enemies but never killed innocents. If it was Du Zicheng, then he truly intended to uproot the Du family.

This was South City Alley, not Qixia Street.

Du Zicheng’s "benevolence" had arrived at a bad time.

At the Du family’s place, Du Zicheng sneezed several times in a row. Confused, he muttered, "Is someone cursing me? It must be Old Du!"

He angrily finished three bowls of rice.

Wondering if he should run away from home.

But in his current state, doing so would probably mean dying outside.

He sighed. Better to endure for now—calm would return, and he’d get used to it eventually.