Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 180 - The Heartbroken Senior Uncle (3)

On the other hand, Gu Baiying stormed into the Miaokong Hall. Xuan Lingzi had gone to play chess with the Daoist Yueguang, so the hall was empty. When Gu Baiying reached the backyard, he saw Zanxing about to leave.

Seeing Gu Baiying, Zanxing greeted, “Senior Uncle,” and tried to sidestep to leave.

Gu Baiying shouted sternly, “Stop!”

Zanxing turned to look at him.

The young man, with a fierce expression, said, “Have you forgotten something?”

“What thing?” Zanxing looked at him in confusion.

Gu Baiying was momentarily speechless.

He had a lot to say; he had planned to vent his anger and at least scold her, but now he could only muster, “Didn’t you say you were going to the Chu Hong Terrace to learn illusion techniques?”

Upon hearing this, Zanxing showed a moment of realization, slapped her forehead, and said, “Oh, I’ve been so busy lately that I completely forgot. It’s no big deal, Senior Uncle. Illusion techniques can be learned anytime. I have something else to attend to now, but I’ll find some time later to consult with you.” With that, she didn’t bother to see Gu Baiying’s expression and hurriedly left.

In Miaokong Hall, the persimmon tree was lush with leaves, and a yellow oriole was chirping endlessly on the treetop.

The young man stood there, his pearl-colored satin robe with red ruyi patterns strikingly beautiful, but it made him look pitifully alone.

Old Niu came over and comforted him, “Miss Zanxing has been quite busy lately. It seems she’s been discussing something with Young Master Mu. She’s been going out early and coming back late. It’s certainly not intentional that she forgot her appointment with you. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“Young Master Mu?” Gu Baiying looked at him incredulously.

“Yes, the Young Master Mu from next door, Mu Cengxiao.”

Hong Su pulled Old Niu aside, gave Gu Baiying a smile, and said, “No, Immortal Gu, you must have misunderstood.”

Gu Baiying stood there for a moment, then self-mockingly laughed, “So it seems there is someone else who wishes for such blessings.” With that, his expression turned cold, and he walked away.

After Gu Baiying left, Hongsu pushed Old Niu and complained, “Uncle Niu, why did you bring up Young Master Mu? Look, you’ve made Immortal Gu angry.”

“I was just speaking the truth,” Old Niu said, bewildered.

“Truth?” Hong Su picked up Mimi and shook her head, “No wonder you’re still single at your age. You can’t even see this clearly.”

*

In Pingyang Town, the nights are always exceptionally lively.

Since the Taiyan Sect is located on Gufeng Mountain, the town at the foot of the mountain, Pingyang Town, was more bustling than the average market. At night, thousands of lights illuminated the town as bright as day, with people drinking, dining, and listening to music, making Pingyang Town a scene of moonlight and flowers.

In the Hua Jin Pavilion, the atmosphere was lively. At night, the cultivators would change into their needed spirit stones and elixirs and often rest here. The proprietress, Jin Feicui, had a keen eye. When she bought the land, she specifically chose the riverside of the Lixiu River. On such a spring night, with moonlight filling the river, the spring breeze rustling the willows, and the sound of music filling the air, accompanied by a jar of strong wine, it was truly enchanting.

Jin Feicui stood at the counter, gently waving a silk fan while calculating with an abacus. The fan was made of gold threads, as thin as a cicada’s wing, and embroidered with a pattern of wealth and prosperity. The abacus was a golden one, and the clicking sound of its beads was crisp and pleasant.

The beautiful woman had many charms, and her actions with the abacus were both nimble and proficient. While people are often harsh and associate a woman’s love for money with “materialism” and “greed,” Jin Feicui was different. She practically had “money is everything” written on her face.

Her open attitude made men hesitant to criticize her.

Today was no different. After counting the previous day’s receipts, a young clerk came up to her and whispered something in her ear. Jin Feicui was momentarily taken aback, then waved her hand, closed the account book, and said, “I’ll go check it out.”

In a window-side position on the second floor, the beaded curtain shielded the hall’s lively music and laughter. Amid the noise, a young man lounged half-buried in a soft couch covered with wolf pelts, his eyes fixed on the river with a jug of freshly opened green wine on the table.

The evening mountains on both sides, the river’s spring water, and the young man’s thoughts.

“Baiying—” The beaded curtain was lifted, and a beautiful woman with a fragrant breeze swept in.

*

Gu Baiying shook off in disgust, “Don’t call me that.”

“I’m friends with your mother, so you should call me Auntie. What’s wrong with me calling you that?” Jin Feicui sat down opposite him and said nonchalantly, “Besides, when there’s no one else around, haven’t I always called you that?”

The young man expressed his resistance through silence.

Jin Feicui’s gaze lingered on the jug of green wine on the table before she looked at him with curiosity, “Why are you turning to alcohol to drown your sorrows? It’s rare to see you troubled. Why not tell me about it? Let me make you feel better.”

Gu Baiying replied, “I’m not troubled.”

“Oh, come on. Even the new twelve-year-old clerk in our building noticed you’re in a bad mood. What’s there to be shy about with me? Just tell me.”

“No.”

Jin Feicui stared at him for a moment before shaking her head, “Stubborn.” She changed the subject, “By the way, I heard that the expedition to the Li’er Country’s secret realm is quite dangerous. Fortunately, Xuan Lingzi’s new disciple—yes, the one who chose the spiritual weapon the last time she was at Hua Jin Building—has joined you. I thought then that it was rare for a female cultivator to use a staff, and she was quite unique. It seems I had good judgment.”

“With such spiritual roots and luck, if your Taiyan Sect nurtures her well, she might achieve something significant in the future. In your sect, Meng Ying is closely watched by Yue Qin and rarely leaves the mountain, but Miss Yang seems much livelier. If you build a good relationship with her, she could be a great asset here. Maybe I should give her something else. What does she like or dislike usually?”

Hearing this, Gu Baiying irritably grabbed the wine cup from the table and took a sip, “How would I know what she likes?”

“True,” Jin Feicui nodded, then gave him a reproachful look, “You’ve been together for so many days. Even if you were strangers before, you should be familiar with each other by now. How can you not care about her?”

Gu Baiying snorted, “Why should I care about her?”

“Why shouldn’t you care?” Jin Feicui waved her fan, “I heard that she was publicly rejected by her fiancé in Pingyang Town before. It must have hurt her self-esteem a lot. And now, one of your Taiyan Sect’s disciples says she’s infatuated with another disciple of Xuan Lingzi, who’s surnamed Mu. As her Senior Uncle, you should help matchmake them…”

With a loud bang, the wine cup on the table was slammed down.

Jin Feicui was startled.

“Matchmake, matchmake, matchmake—why does everyone want me to play matchmaker?” The young man, unable to endure any longer, exclaimed, “Am I her steward or matchmaker? What does it have to do with me!”

The surroundings fell into silence.

The music had stopped at some point.

The moonlight hung high, casting a clear, bright reflection on the river.

Jin Feicui stared at him quietly. After a while, she suddenly broke into a bright smile.

“I see.”