Chapter 111: Lingwu County

“Waiter, three bowls of shredded pork noodles, extra noodles, and add three fried eggs!”

Ying Du waved his hand grandly, his voice loud and exuberant, drawing curious glances from passersby.

A nearby child pointed at him and asked his mother, “Mom, is that the kind of person you always call ‘a poor show-off’?”

The child’s voice was just as loud, causing Ying Du’s face to turn a mix of blue and purple.

“Don’t speak nonsense!” The woman scolded the child, picked him up, and quickly walked away.

Seeing this, Ying Du laughed awkwardly and said, “Kids say the darndest things, kids say the darndest things.”

“Shredded pork noodles—is that the ‘hard dish’ you’ve been talking about this whole journey?” Liu Feixue remarked coolly.

Ying Du nodded. “Of course! The shredded pork is one dish, the noodles are another, the broth is yet another… and shredded pork with eggs is its own dish too…”

“Alright, alright.” Liu Feixue impatiently waved her hand. “If you keep going, you’ll probably start counting the scallions and lard in the broth as separate dishes too!”

Ying Du nodded seriously, “How did you know?”

Liu Feixue: …

“Three bowls of noodles, coming up!” The noodle stall owner, a middle-aged man, brought three bowls of shredded pork noodles to the table. After setting them down, he smiled and said, “Enjoy your meal,” but then stood nearby, clearly waiting for payment.

At the table, Ying Du acted as if he didn’t notice, slurping his noodles loudly.

Since they had agreed earlier that Ying Du would pay, Liu Feixue spoke up, “Stop eating for a moment. The stall owner is waiting for you to pay.”

“Pay?” Ying Du looked up, annoyed. “Who pays before they’ve finished eating? That’s way too impatient!”

The middle-aged man clasped his hands together apologetically. “My apologies, small business, you see…”

“Fine, fine!” Ying Du waved his hand dismissively. “How much for everything on the table?”

“Exactly ninety copper coins,” the man replied with a smile.

Hearing the price, Ying Du put down his chopsticks, his mouth agape. “Ninety copper for three bowls of noodles? Why not just rob me instead?”

The man pointed to the sign in front of his stall. “It’s all clearly written on the sign. One bowl of shredded pork noodles is twenty copper, extra noodles are five copper, and a fried egg is five copper… Three bowls total ninety copper!”

“My stall’s been here for years. I’ve never cheated anyone!”

After a glance at the sign, Ying Du fumbled around his pockets and finally pulled out thirty copper coins. “How about ten copper per bowl, brother?”

At this, the stall owner’s face darkened, and just as he was about to explode in anger, Liu Feixue immediately produced a piece of silver. “I’ll pay.”

For businessmen, the speed of changing expressions is practically a skill.

One second, the stall owner had been glaring furiously; the next, he was all smiles, saying warmly, “I’ll get your change right away.”

Shortly after, he returned with the change, thanked her, and went back to his stall.

An incense stick’s time later, Gu Ning’an and the others had finished their shredded pork noodles.

After finishing, Gu Ning’an handed his share of the payment to Liu Feixue, who accepted it without protest.

When Liu Feixue extended her hand to Ying Du for his share, he laughed awkwardly and said, “Next time, I’ll definitely treat everyone to a proper meal—it’ll be on me!”

Liu Feixue didn’t believe him, but seeing that he only had thirty wen on him, she didn’t press the matter.

At present, they had left the Jiangling Prefecture and entered Lingwu County, part of Lingzhou. To the east of Lingwu County stood a towering mountain, atop which was the Heavenly Sword Villa.

It had taken them about five days of travel to reach this place. By their calculations, there was less than a day remaining until the swordsmanship competition.

Except for those who had received special invitations, no one else was allowed to enter Heavenly Sword Villa before the competition officially began.

Thus, for the past few days, Lingwu County had become a temporary dwelling place for wandering swordsmen of the martial world.

On the streets, sword-wielding individuals of all kinds passed by, creating a dazzling spectacle for onlookers.

Perhaps because it was at the foot of Heavenly Sword Villa, the local residents showed little fear of these armed swordsmen.

If this were in a place like Lexiang County, anyone seen carrying a sword openly on the streets would likely have villagers scattering to avoid them.

After a long search, Gu Ning’an and his companions finally found a spot at a modest inn to rest.

With the scarcity of accommodations, prices had skyrocketed—an ordinary room now cost two taels of silver per night!

Gu Ning’an, having spent sparingly thus far, still had over ninety taels from his earnings from the snake catcher. Splurging on a single night’s stay didn’t bother him.

Liu Feixue, clearly someone who wasn’t strapped for cash, didn’t bat an eye at the cost either.

As for Ying Du, upon hearing the price, he turned and walked away.

Before leaving, however, he assured Gu Ning’an and Liu Feixue repeatedly that by the hour of the Tiger (3–5 AM), he would return to treat them to a fine meal.

…

As dusk fell, the narrow streaks of sunlight faded gradually into the horizon.

This was the busiest time for the inn. Gu Ning’an and Liu Feixue came downstairs early to secure a table in the dining hall.

True to his word, Ying Du appeared on time, calmly pulling a coin pouch from his waist and placing it on the table.

“Order whatever you like,” he declared.

The moment his words fell, Liu Feixue picked up the pouch, opened it, and chuckled, “Only five taels of silver? I thought you’d won a fortune.”

“That five taels is just what’s left over—I won eighty taels today!” Ying Du replied nonchalantly, sitting down and calling for a waiter to order food.

“Oh?” Liu Feixue was skeptical. “Seventy-something taels? Gambling and spending it all in such a short time—what did you spend it on?”

“What did I spend it on?” Ying Du stood up again, turning to the swordsmen dining around them, and called out loudly, “Everyone, how are tonight’s dishes? To your taste?”

His words drew attention. When the other swordsmen recognized Ying Du, many smiled and responded.

“Excellent!”

“Many thanks for Young Master Ying’s generosity!”

“Young Master Ying, when are you heading up the mountain tomorrow? Let’s go together!”

Hearing this, Ying Du exchanged pleasantries with the crowd, all the while winking at Liu Feixue.

The sudden burst of chatter soon dissipated as the martial artists resumed their meals after offering their polite thanks.

Sitting back down, Ying Du grinned. “Well? In just a few hours, I managed to network with nearly every noteworthy swordsman here.”

Liu Feixue frowned. “And you think a meal is enough to make these seasoned fighters support you?”

“Mr. Gu, do you know why I’ve done all this?” Ying Du turned the conversation toward Gu Ning’an.

After a brief pause, Gu Ning’an replied, “To build loose connections. For minor matters, you’ll have people willing to speak on your behalf.

For major issues, as long as you don’t harm their interests, these loose ties mean they’ll rarely act against you.

You used your winnings to cultivate these connections, and they, in turn, will serve as a modest yet valuable stake when you reach Heavenly Sword Villa.”

This man is truly extraordinary—he’s guessed my intentions so accurately with just a few words.

Could it be that I, Ying Du, have stumbled upon the green-robed immortal that the old man once spoke of?

After a moment’s thought, Ying Du gave Gu Ning’an a thumbs up and said with a smile, “Sir, you are remarkable!”