"Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 37

A burst of wind appeared from nowhere, whistling past the drunkard’s ear, turning his head back, the drunkard only saw a large hole in the wall directly in front of him.

Zhuang Sheng staggered to get out of that hole, nonchalantly wiping the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth, sneering: “Your own weakness has been discovered by Wang Yun Feng, yet you take it out on me, do you think I’m an idiot?”

Jiu Fang Xi stood slim and straight, coldly saying: “Don’t think I don’t know those despicable thoughts of yours.” He singlehandedly grabbed air, a gale started up again, like this the already unstable Zhuang Sheng nearly flew into the claws of Jiu Fang Xi: “You really have feelings for that married woman, en!”

Zhuang Sheng’s ten fingers sunk deeply into the wall, still looking sloppy: “What nonsense is that. Isn’t the one who told me to seduce a married woman you, the martial arts leader? Now you’re actually saying I’m not acting but being serious, such a joke. How can I not know a flower thief is not sincere. Leader, I think you have fallen for that upper-class woman? Truthfully, that type of dignified and refined lady is very unusual to wander in the Jianghu, a silly girl who would only chirp and grumble with discontent when faced with a situation can evoke even more a man’s desire to dominate.” His shook out and arranged his clothes, standing straight: “Leader, don’t think not everyone can see your cheap trick of loosening the reins only to grasp them better.”

The fierce men of the Jianghu sitting around shouted in surprise having heard what was said, some people showed a pondering expression, clearly believing Zhuang Sheng’s instigation.

Zhuang Sheng still wasn’t done, “I’ve heard, before Wang Yun Feng took his family out, he bumped into Leader. The watchmen know, at that time it was the leader who personally sent them off. At this moment, they still haven’t returned so you hypocritically pushed it onto me. The Wang family have stayed so long in the manor, they might have thought of leaving? In fact, they only saw one side of the leader, then they disappeared. Leader, you intentionally allowed the Wang family to leave right?”

There were already the flapping sounds of people standing up, machetes firmly splitting the tabletop in half: “Jiu Fang Xi, you treat us like idiots!”

Xian Yun manor was a private estate bought with personal assets of the previous martial arts leader Han Yi Fan. After, Han Yi Fan was undefeated everywhere he went, becoming publicly known as the martial arts leader of the righteous sect, he wasn’t one to wrong himself, still living in the Xian Yun manor with the mountains and rivers, living here for over ten years, gradually in the Jianghu Xian Yun manor was treated as the manor of the martial arts leader, subtly and ineffably it changed from a private estate into a public estate. Han Yi Fan had plenty of money, he wasn’t worried about a very small manor, after he was defeated by Jiu Fang Xi, he also pronounced he would leave Xian Yun manor, giving his position to the new leader.

Martial artists aren’t idiots, without wasting a word they took over Xian Yun manor, Han Yi Fan also wasn’t a leader who remained silent. Even though the person had left, the tea was cold, his control of Xian Yun manor in secret was still highly visible. The original old servants had left, more than half of the new ones who had joined were still Han Yi Fan’s people, over the years it was an easy matter for the freeloading martial artists in the manor to instigate conflicting views with the new martial arts leader.

Tonight Jiu Fan Xi bitterly waited for Wang Yun Feng to come back, that was when he guessed the assassins tracking the Wang family maybe had already earlier been killed in the desolate countryside. Midnight finally arrived, after receiving news did he then start acting out violently, wanting to thoroughly investigate who the traitor was, naturally Zhuang Sheng who had delusions of Xia Ling Mei bore the brunt. Even though unexpectedly 

Zhuang Sheng was crafty, who lied to a lot of women, swindled even more men without a plan, saliva flying in all direction, swearing black is white, and white is black.

Finally everyone reached an unanimous agreement, to discuss it once more after they’ve caught the Wang family.

“Pei!” Zhuang Sheng on horseback was riding on one hand while incessantly spitting out blood. Jiu Fang Xi is his employer, naturally he wasn’t that harsh, ruining his big plans, he was already considered lenient by not killing Zhuang Sheng on the spot.

The drunkard urged on his horse keeping close to him, he asked quietly: “Is that imperial censor Wang really the front line sent by the court to bring the martial arts circles under control?”

Zhuang Sheng laughed happily: “Who knows. Supposedly Wang Yun Feng and Jiu Fang Xi have privately had tea together, how do we impertinent men know the details of their conversation, and we just do whatever the leader says. Even if he really wants to sell the martial art sect to the court, we can’t object anyway.”

“Then why does the leader want to hunt down imperial censor Wang?”

“Because Wang Yun Feng is a dog who doesn’t listen, he’s often an unscrupulous lone wolf, maybe the leader wants to misappropriate this large piece of the Jianghu, the court definitely would not agree. Wang Yun Feng’s subordinates must have sensed the leader’s intentions, that’s why they hurriedly guarded their own master and immediately escaped. 

Maybe not long later, the court will dispatch troops to eliminate us group of disobedient martial artists. Rather than waiting for Wang Yun Feng to put down the sect, why not have the martial artists first slaughter his entire family to offer to the heaven, then compete against the imperial court.”

The drunkard was speechless: “Such courage.”

Zhuang Sheng shot a glance at the drunkard: “Ah, you actually believe it?”

The drunkard still held a pot of good wine in his hand, drinking incessantly still on the horse: “It’s not important if I believe it or not, the most important is, Jiu Fang Xi will allow every martial artist to believe the imperial court will not tolerate us.” The drunkard did not feel himself, he had already started calling the martial arts leader by his taboo name. he apparently had thought of something, he suddenly jolted up, biting out two vague words: “Inner, confusion.”

Zhuang Sheng noiselessly laughed, in the middle of the night, his pair of eyes glowed brightly: “If the imperial censor Wang dies in the hands of martial artists, how angry would the influential families which control over half the life line of the Dayan dynasty be? Xia Ling Mei as a daughter of the Xia family if she was raped then killed, the imperial consort Xia who controls the imperial harem, and General Xia who controls a sixth of the military, would they not force the emperor to dispatch troops to encircle and annihilate all the martial artists? Even if the imperial court could stand it and not react, the leader would still allow this matter to develop into a provocation between the imperial court and martial artists. At that time, even if the heroes of the Jianghu doesn’t take the martial arts leader seriously, they would still stay by his side, listen to his orders, and the imperial court would act measure for measure…”

Different from the drunkard’s bluntness, the word `leader` Zhuang Sheng spoke of was filled instead with mockery and distain, in this tranquil forest, it was like the sound of the satin skinned viper on the tree trunk wandering, making those who hear it shiver. And his eyes, were similar to the eyes of a wild animal in the middle of the night squinting at a lantern, unblinking for a while staring at its prey.

The drunkard felt there was a pressure in the air which made it hard to breath, he absent-mindedly thought of that little princess he had gone to Anguo Buddhist temple to see many years ago, if he was not wrong, that little princess’ surname happened to be Xia, the beloved person of the Zhao prince now. At that time, he had already belonged to Jiu Fang Xi, secretly gathering information on the Xia family. Obviously, year in, year out the Xia family wandered at the knife edge, a child facing an assassin could be unconcerned, not changing expression.

“These two days, the imperial censor Wang’s personal servant has continuously drank with me.”

Zhuang Sheng briefly laughed: “Do you know what imperial censor Wang is best at?”

“Speak.”

“From a small clue one can see something important. Maybe, he had earlier unconsciously found out…” Zhuang Sheng leaned towards the drunkard slightly, softly spitting out two words.

The truth, was concealed by the noise of the chaos of horses’ hooves, trampling everyone’s messy and frantically bewildered thoughts. Zhuang Sheng was considerably still calm in the rush, projecting the demeanour deserved of a famous flower thief.

En route, news didn’t stop coming, a group of black clothed men continuously crowded around Jiu Fang Xi, quietly, as if cheetahs were sprinting in the surroundings of this group of people.

They entered the small town, the coloured lanterns in the long, long river had already floated into the distance, a little bit bright and dark, as if it was leading departed spirits towards the end of the underworld.

Before Zhuang Sheng could get used to the smell, people in front were already causing an uproar, not too far away the middle of a high building was in flames, people calling for help, there was the sound of water putting out the fire, furthermore there was the stifling sound inside of swords cutting human flesh apart, the smell of blood and burning wood assailed the nostrils making people want to vomit.

Zhuang Sheng quietly and slowly took a step, slowly sticking to the belly of the horse, allowing the horse to take him along with everyone mounted as they rushed into the sea of people. Midway, he jumped from the horse, attentively distinguishing the shadows running in the wrong way in the middle of the night, following after.

After Wang Yun Feng led Xia Ling Mei to the tunnel, he had people set fire to the entire restaurant. Xia Feng was protected in Wu Sheng’s arms, his small beast like eyes cautiously watched everything Wang Yun Feng arranged, without a word. He felt, they were now entering into a battle with widely different strength, the opponents had taken a night attack, and my army had long ago been prepared. However, Wang Yun Feng was not a general, he knew his own weaknesses, he wouldn’t meet force with force, instead he had earlier on found the secret passage of that restaurant, entering with them, while destroying their trail.

Wang Yun Feng did not say, this restaurant actually belonged to Han Yi Fan. When he had chosen Xian Yun manor as the place for the leader to live in, almost all the surrounding small towns secretly became the Han family’s territory, this restaurant was one of the most important property, it had a secret tunnel, it could directly lead to the relay station for post horses on the government road. The first time he found Han Yi Fan, that person had given him that escape route, as if he had already at an earlier time predicted they would need to use this place.

“Jiu Fang Xi is the younger brother of Gu Sun Lan, back when they searched the Gu house and confiscated their possessions, he was not in the genealogical record, therefore he escaped the calamity.” Wang Yun Feng walked in front, Juan Shu clasped the night pearl illuminating the entire passageway.

“These few years the younger generation of the Xia family who by chance suffered from kidnapping and assassination, were all related to him somewhat. This is also the main reason why General Xia sent you to investigate the Jianghu.” He turned his head to glance at Xia Ling Mei who did not utter a word, as if he was making sure she was there, bearing it, he pulled her to his side to walk together: “Afterwards there was no news of you at all, father-in-law and all the older uncles had a discussion, deciding to take a risk out of desperation, using the small princess to expose the malefactor, this is actually the reason why the Zhao princess brazenly journeyed back to the Zhao prince’s territory with the small princess. Who would have known Fen Er would also come here, which made Jiu Fang Xi give up on the small princess and choose Fen Er.” He tightly grasped the softness in his hand, “I will protect you mother and son, don’t worry.”

Xia Ling Mei suddenly smiled: “Even though you’re good at literacy, your martial arts can still not compare to me, how can you protect.”

Wang Yun Feng stared at her: “You don’t have to try to be brave.” The two people’s hands struggled together, comparing strength, until they left the tunnel. Walking along another li long road, before seeing the government road, a not big not small relay station stood to the side of the government road, a little dusky lantern lit.

Wang Yun Feng did not walk to the front door, he lead everyone in through the back door, prematurely there was a soldier of the relay station trying to curry favour leading them to primary building.

On the road in the dead of the night, a flower thief dressed in black arrived.

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T/N: Finally a bit more to how things have come about!!! Slightly confusing but it's getting there.

P.S. A late update but if you follow my other translations there's a new chapter hehe