Eternal Saber

Chapter 580 - 1: Sending Him on His Way

After the New Year, Chen Tang bade farewell to Ye Yushi and others and headed towards Jingzhou Ferry with Ah Li.

In just one day, the two arrived at Lijiang Town.

Lijiang Town, the nearest small town to the riverside ferry, has several hundred households. Starting from here, it takes less than half a day to reach the riverside ferry.

At this moment, the night was deep, with wind and snow swirling.

For the two of them, this kind of weather was not much of a hindrance.

Ah Li slightly circulated her Inner Qi to resist the cold wind.

While Chen Tang circulated his Qi and Blood, making him feel like a large furnace, warm all over.

However, it was late, and the weather was harsh. Even if they reached the river, they might not find a boat to cross.

It would be better to rest here for the night and head out again tomorrow morning.

Chen Tang and Ah Li rode into Lijiang Town.

The cold wind was biting, mixed with rain and snow, and the sky was gray. The streets were almost empty, with people wrapped in cotton coats, hurrying by, eager to return home to escape the cold and warm themselves.

Every household in the town had smoke curling up from their chimneys.

The two hadn’t gone far before they saw an inn with lights on inside.

Lijiang Inn.

The wooden door of the inn was tightly closed, only occasionally opening as people entered or exited, bringing in a burst of cold wind and snowflakes.

"Let’s go in and rest for the night."

Chen Tang said, leading Ah Li to the inn. He took the horse to the nearby stable, tied it up, and fed it some fodder before entering the inn.

Pushing the door open, a rush of sultry warm air mixed with the smell of alcohol and food aromas greeted them.

Lijiang Town was not big, and the inn’s main hall was small and unobstructed.

Several wooden tables and long benches were scattered in the hall, with a few oil lamps on the tables, their light dim.

There were not many guests in the hall, only four people sitting around a stove, warming themselves. On the table beside, there were several jugs of fine wine and some side dishes, and they were enjoying themselves heartily.

"Come in quickly, young friends, and close the door. It’s drafty!"

The one speaking was the innkeeper, a somewhat plump middle-aged man, beckoning to Chen Tang and Ah Li from the counter.

Chen Tang and Ah Li entered the hall and closed the door tightly.

"Waiter, bring two pounds of beef, a few small dishes, and a corner of wine."

Chen Tang called out.

"Sure thing!"

The innkeeper readily agreed.

Chen Tang curiously asked, "Is the boss also doing the waiter’s work?"

A man in a fur coat nearby interjected, "Not just the waiter, the cook these days is also the boss himself."

"No choice."

The innkeeper shrugged and said, "It’s the end of the year, everyone wants to spend more time with their family, so I gave them a holiday to go home."

Chen Tang said, "It will be the Upper Yuan Festival in two days, won’t they be back?"

The innkeeper turned back into the kitchen, saying, "Yes, in two days it will be the Upper Yuan Festival, just enough to give them a few more days off."

"This boss seems nice, quite honest."

Chen Tang thought to himself.

Even in his previous life, as a worker he never had a half-month holiday during the New Year. Considering the travel time back to his hometown, there weren’t many days to actually stay at home.

It wasn’t long before the innkeeper brought out two plates of sliced beef, a corner of wine, and two sets of bowls and chopsticks to their table.

"Young brother, young lady, eat first. The small dishes need to be prepared and will take a while."

The innkeeper said, then went back to the kitchen.

"No need for small dishes, a bit of beef to accompany the wine is fine."

Chen Tang said with a smile.

During the big New Year, it didn’t seem right to see the innkeeper busy all alone, so he and Ah Li would just eat simply.

Chen Tang picked up a piece of beef, popped it into his mouth, took a sip of wine, and nodded to Ah Li, indicating it was fine.

Chen Tang then asked, "Boss, since you let them go home to reunite, what about your family?"

"Haha, he’s an old bachelor, all by himself!"

A bearded man by the stove laughed.

Among the four, the fur-coated man initially said, "Boss, it’s late, there probably aren’t many people coming. Stop busily working and come have a drink with us to warm up."

Next to the fur-coated man was a seven or eight-year-old child, and on the other side of the child, a middle-aged woman.

Looking at their seating positions, they seemed to be a family of three.

"You all keep talking, I won’t join in."

The innkeeper waved his hands repeatedly.

The middle-aged woman glanced at Chen Tang and Ah Li, noticing their thin clothing and feeling a touch of pity. She whispered to the child.

The child was initially hesitant but spoke up after seeing the encouraging look from his mother, "Big brother, big sister, come warm up by the stove."

"Yes."

The fur-coated man nodded, "It’s not easy to be out in weather like this. Everyone is working hard for a living, meeting is fate. Don’t be a stranger, come join us for a bit."

Chen Tang didn’t mind, but Ah Li wasn’t used to being too close to strangers.

"Thank you for your kindness, big brother."

Chen Tang cupped his hands, politely declining, "I’m just a bit tired and will eat a little before heading up to rest."

"Right, it’s important to be cautious while traveling."

The fur-coated man smiled, assuming Chen Tang was wary of them, and didn’t insist, turning to chat with the bearded man beside him.

"I heard the Profound Celestial Sect is finished, thanks to General Wang’s strategic planning to wipe them out altogether!"

"Indeed, with the Profound Celestial Sect gone, Nanxia is likely to enjoy a period of peace."

"The General Wang you’re talking about, is it General Wang Xiaobo, the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition Army?" asked the innkeeper.

"That’s him!"

The fur-coated man said, "I heard the two Sect Leaders of the Profound Celestial Sect were both killed by General Wang. The Northern Expedition Army has been invincible wherever they went; truly they are the iron-blooded force of Nanxia!"

"Where can one see this General Wang?" The child listened with admiration and couldn’t help but ask.

"Haha!"

Everyone laughed.

Figures like that aren’t people they could meet easily.

The middle-aged woman gently stroked the child’s forehead, softly saying, "Study well, and perhaps someday when you advance to the Capital City, you’ll get the chance to see this great hero!"

The four were chatting and drinking, with the innkeeper occasionally joining in the conversation.

Chen Tang listened for a while.

It seemed that after the battle in the Capital City, Uncle Wang’s status within the Court rose even higher.

His reputation in the Jianghu was also prominent, like the sun at midday!

The Profound Celestial Sect had plagued Nanxia for a long time, and neither the Court nor the commoners in the Jianghu could do much about it.

The battle in the Capital City firmly established Uncle Wang’s position. His prestige was second to none!

Just then, two people arrived outside Lijiang Town.

One of them was an old man in a dark robe, over sixty, with a lean face, sword-like eyebrows, and a dignified presence, riding a tall horse.

The other was a young man in his twenties or thirties, with long arms, a chiseled face with some bloodstains, a calm demeanor, and a competent look.

Both were in plain clothes, yet exuded a sense of iron-blood ferocity!

The young man looked puzzled and asked, "General, the Profound Celestial Sect isn’t completely eradicated yet. What are we doing here?"

This town didn’t seem to have anything special.

"The remaining remnants of the Profound Celestial Sect can be handled by Dao Jian."

The old man calmly said, "I brought you here to meet an old acquaintance. You should say your goodbyes before sending him on his way."