Chapter 24 (1/2)

24 – Crisis

“…Respected customer, here's your broth.” The tea shop's waiter brought her the broth she just ordered.

Xia Xue wearing a short cloak smiled back.

“Please enjoy.” The shop's waiter said, looking a little shy.

The broth reflected Xia Xue's face. Although half of her face was hidden by the shadow of the cloak's hood, but her exquisite nose and pretty pink lips were still revealed. These two features coupled with the pleasant shape of her face were enough to catch people's attention. The reaction of the shop's waiter just now was the best evidence.

Xia Xue gently grasped the bowl and took a sip of the broth.

The broth was insipid. Obviously, it didn't contain enough ingredients.

However, you couldn't expect much from such small a tea shop on the official road.

But the broth could relieve the fatigue Xia Xue acc.u.mulated after hurrying for three consecutive days.

She breathed a sigh and tried to relax.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out. It was too noisy here.

She was currently huddled in a corner of the tea house. Because the shop was located on the busy official road, the small room overflowed with people.

This tea shop adjacent to the official road was frequented by all kinds of people, among whom it wasn't difficult to spot merchants and martial pract.i.tioners. After all, anyone walking the road would look for a place to rest after getting tired.

The people inside were talking about a variety of topics, making a lot of noise.

Although Xia Xue didn't have an aversion for such bustling. But at the same time, she wasn't interested in paying attention to their topics, nor taking part in their discussions. But…

“Hey, have you heard about what happened yesterday?”

“What happened?”

“Something big happened in the Heavenly Sword Gate.”

Huh? The three words ‘Heavenly Sword Gate' caught her attention, and she searched for the source of the voice.

Coincidence or not, but the two people discussing this topic sat opposite her.

Both were men – a young man and a teenager. From the way they dressed, they were clearly martial pract.i.tioners. They both carried a sword on them.

“The Heavenly Sword Gate? wasn't the banquet held yesterday… who doesn't know that?” The teenager, who looked to be 14 or 15 years old, replied disdainfully.

“Hey, Little Bro, so you don't know. Listen to this elder. Yesterday, there seemed to be a fight in the Heavenly Sword Manor.”

From the way they spoke, these two people shouldn't know each other. They were probably just sitting at the same table.

However, what Xia Xue was more concerned about was what the young man had said.

There was a fight? Could it be the Young Ancestor? Xia Xue thought of this possibility at once. After all, she couldn't be clearer about the relations.h.i.+p between the Heavenly Sword Gate and the Merak Palace.

“A fight? Who fought whom?”

The young man beckoned the teenager, “Come closer.”

The two leaned forward at the same time. The young man looked left and right, and then said in a low voice: “I evesdropped on an elder of the sect. Don't spread it… After the banquet concluded yesterday, Jinling City's gates were closed, so the Heavenly Sword Gate arranged residences for the guests, and then… It seems that during the middle of the night, in a villa of the Heavenly Sword Manor, someone started fighting. And it seems that two Heaven Realm experts were involved.”

“What did you say?” Started fighting, two Heaven Realm experts, due to these two utterances, Xia Xue got up reflexively and blurt out.

Startled by Xia Xue, the two male martial pract.i.tioners shuddered, looking like they have been caught cheating. At the same time, they stiffly turned their heads to look at Xia Xue.

Not caring whether she had scared the two half to death or not, Xia Xue approached them, “What did you say? Two Heaven Realm experts fought?”

“Young lady, don't you know that it's impolite to eavesdrop?”

Xia Xue frowned – my behavior seems to have provoked displeasure in the other party. How troublesome!

Not wanting to waste time here, Xia Xue simply lifter her hood and used her beauty to do the talking.

As soon as she revealed her appearance, she attracted a lot of gazes, and the two male martial pract.i.tioners in front of her were even more so stunned for a moment.

“Hey, you see that girl, she's such a treat for the eyes…”

“Huh, you're right.”

… The topics of conversation of the surrounding people changed to revolve around Xia Xue. In such a place, topics tended to change very fast.

“Can you tell me more about what you just said?” Xia Xue plastered on a smile, making herself look even more charming and beautiful.

At the same time, she pointed to the empty seat between the two and asked with her eyes if she could sit there.

The younger martial pract.i.tioner swallowed nervously, but didn't respond. Instead, the young man promptly half rose from his seat and said: “Please… please sit.”

Xia Xue smiled back, making the two fall into a trance.