Young White Horse: I, Ye Dingzhi, offer sacrifice to the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Page 81

　(cdbj) The sound of bells rang out from the pavilion, and the long and solemn enthronement ceremony of the city lord finally began.

A young man in a blue robe landed on the city wall of Snowmoon City. He reached out and picked up a camellia flower, looking at the city with deep emotion: "Snowmoon City, as Master said, is indeed the best city in the world."

A strong wind blows, and camellias fill the sky.

Baili Dongjun tilted his head back and took a sip of wine, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he had become drunk in the spring breeze.

And in the martial arts world.

The name Ye Dingzhi is deeply etched in everyone's heart.

.......

Twenty years later.

Snowfall Manor isn't actually a manor, but rather an inn, and a very dilapidated one at that, the only one for miles around. It's nestled against a high mountain and faces a large river. Crossing the mountain takes a long time, and crossing the river isn't easy either, making it a must-visit resting place for travelers.

However, business at Snowfall Manor hasn't been very good these past few months. As its name suggests, a long, long snowfall has blocked the way in and sealed off the way out.

Xiao Se, wearing a white fur coat, leaned against the doorway, watching the snowflakes dancing in the sky outside the window, and sighed softly.

This sigh was as desolate as his name.

A few waiters were dozing off at their tables, occasionally waking up from the cold. They would shiver and look around, only to find that only the self-important and refined owner was still leaning there watching the snow. So they would wrap their worn-out coat tighter around themselves and go back to sleep.

Of course, they couldn't help but complain in their hearts: there were a few guests who originally planned to stay at the inn because they didn't want to travel in the snowy weather, but because the owner was reluctant to spend money to renovate the inn, every room was drafty. After being frozen for a few days, the guests were willing to endure the wind and snow and set off anyway.

The owner, named Xiao Se, once admonished them: "Our inn is backed by green mountains and faces clear waters. If the rooms had a bit more of a sense of decay, it would be even more elegant. This is the feeling that travelers crave."

The waiter, not understanding, asked, "So what exactly does it feel like?"

Xiao Se shook his head, feigning profundity: "Sigh, it just feels like being on the road."

The waiter nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

One day, a burly man on his journey couldn't stand the creaking windows that were being blown by the wind in the middle of the night, so he punched a big hole in the room.

Then, the boss kept me on as punishment and made me do hard labor for a month.

The burly man did put up a fight, but as soon as he raised his fist, Xiao Se knocked him out the door. He had barely stood up when Xiao Se grabbed a stick, and before the stick could strike, the man fell to his knees.

Actually, the waiters disagreed on whether the stick actually struck the inn. One sharp-eyed waiter said he thought he saw the stick tremble slightly, creating several illusory flourishes. At that moment, the crumbling inn seemed to shake.

But the man was unharmed, so no one could be sure whether the stick had actually struck him. For the next month, he didn't dare say a word. If anyone asked him anything, he would run away.

After letting out a sigh, Xiao Se began to do the accounting. He was considering selling the inn. After all, Master Li from Honglu Town, a hundred miles away, had mentioned it several times before, but even if he wanted to buy it now, he would have to find someone from his network first. Or he could lay off a few waiters, but in this freezing weather, a few waiters with little martial arts skills would probably have nowhere else to go after they were laid off.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through Xiao Se's mind. Since they had nowhere to go after dismissing the waiter, why not just stay somewhere? If they stayed, they would be guests and would have to pay. Wouldn't that solve the problem? A relieved smile appeared on Xiao Se's face.

Just as he had figured this out and felt a great sense of relief, he suddenly saw a red flash in the distance.

He blinked, thinking he must be seeing things, but the red was becoming increasingly clear. He blinked again and then lazily called out, "We have a guest."

Although the shout was delivered in a lazy tone, all the waiters were so startled that they instantly stood up.

The red figure had already flashed in front of Xiao Se.

"Sir, would you like to have a meal or...?"

The red blob had already drifted past Xiao Se.

Xiao Se felt that the snow was falling even more bleakly.

The waiters were stunned. In this snowy weather, the newcomer was only wearing a red shirt, with the chest brazenly exposed. Unfortunately, what was revealed was not an alluring bosom, but rather bulging muscles. The face was exceptionally handsome, and the person looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. The eyes were bright and sparkling, making the person even more beautiful than the average woman.

At first glance, he seemed to perfectly combine masculinity and femininity. But what was even more astonishing was that this person, walking in the snow in a thin shirt, was radiating warmth. He simply sat down, and the waiters saw a surge of heat rising from his body, instantly warming the chilly inn.

Xiao Se was in a bad mood because the boy was very impolite, and he was just as good-looking as himself.

But he quickly calmed down when he saw the bag behind the boy. It was a very, very long and very large bundle. In this kind of weather, ordinary people wouldn't carry many things, and if they did, they would carry very valuable items.

Therefore, the contents of this bundle must be very valuable! Therefore, this customer must be very wealthy!

"What would you like, sir?" The waiter, naturally familiar with this principle, immediately greeted him with obsequiousness.

The red-clad boy's voice was also strong and clear: "A bowl of plain noodles, a bowl of braised pork!"

Xiao Er slipped and almost fell, and Xiao Se's arm, which was leaning against the door, suddenly went numb.

The young man in red glanced at the waiter and frowned slightly: "What?"

The waiter forced a smile and tentatively asked, "Wouldn't you like anything else? Our pork belly and peach blossom wine are our signature dishes..."

"Pork belly?" The boy in red licked his lips, swallowed, and then hesitated, "One serving is definitely too expensive. Could you give me a piece to add to my bowl of plain noodles?"

Xiao Er couldn't help but look up to see Xiao Se's reaction.

Xiao Se turned around resolutely and stared blankly at the snow falling all around him.

He looked around for a long time, and then he heard the sound of eating noodles coming from behind him. Xiao Se also felt a bit hungry. Just as he was about to call the waiter, he saw some figures moving in front of him. He looked closely and realized that there seemed to be more than a dozen people.

He wanted to laugh, but he quickly stopped.

These people looked very poor. Although the boy in red was stingy, Xiao Se could tell at a glance that the red robe was made of Phoenix Fire material. Even in a large shop like Yuxiufang in the capital, buying a single bolt of that material would be a huge effort. Meanwhile, these people were wearing coarse cloth coats, had menacing faces, and were all carrying knives.

They did take a good look at Xiao Se for a few moments before going inside.

Those glances made Xiao Se realize that these people were the truly impolite ones. He was angry, but he still smiled; after all, he was the owner of this inn, and he had to make a living.

Although these tasks are usually done by the boss's wife.

The waiter went to greet them one by one, and the men shouted loudly, "Bring us your most expensive wine and the best meat!"

The waiter nodded hurriedly: "How much do you want!"

The burly man at the head of the group shouted, "Bring as many as you can!"

"This..." the waiter hesitated.

"What?" The burly man glared at him angrily.

"Esteemed guests, we always require payment before serving, so it's best to agree on the exact amount of meat and wine beforehand," Xiao Se said with a slight smile.

The burly man glared at him: "Who are you?"

"My name is Xiao Se, and I am the owner of Snowfall Manor." Xiao Se maintained his smile, his tone extremely polite.

"I have no money." The burly man threw the knife in his hand onto the table.

"Oh?" Xiao Se responded indifferently.

“But you must be rich!” The big man pointed at Xiao Se.

Xiao Se shook his head violently: "To be honest, the shop hasn't been open for almost a month. We're already behind on wages..."

"I don't care!" The big man slammed his hand on the table. "Even if you have no money, this fur coat of yours is worth at least a hundred taels of silver."

"Nonsense!" Xiao Se suddenly changed his expression, glared angrily, and shouted.

The burly man trembled with fear.

"A dappled horse, a thousand pieces of gold! This fur coat of mine was custom-made by Yuxiu Workshop in the capital. It took three months to make and another month to transport. A hundred or so taels of silver? Not even enough to buy a sleeve of mine." Xiao Se spoke with a strong and resounding voice.

The burly man was stunned for a few seconds after what he said, but he finally recovered, drew his knife, and cleaved the table in front of him in two: "I said, did you even understand what I said!"

"Two taels of silver!" Xiao Se frowned.

"What two taels of silver?" The big man's arrogance was extinguished once again.

“I said this table costs two taels of silver!” Xiao Se scolded.

The burly man was instantly enraged, his face turning blood red: "You brat, I'm here to rob you today! Not to grab a bite! Give me the best wine, the best meat, and hand over your valuables, or I'll kill your men and burn your shop down!"

Chapter 77 The Heavenly Dao Shattered! A Mysterious Black Hole!

"Robbery?" The boy in red put down his bowl and wiped the soup from the corner of his mouth.

The burly man glanced at him and brandished his knife: "So what if it is?"

The boy in red stood up solemnly: "Then I have no choice but to take care of it."

"Who are you?" the big man asked him.

The boy in red smiled slightly and raised his head: "Lei Wujie!"

He spoke with confidence, loud voice, and even a hint of arrogance. The dozen or so burly men were all startled: "Lei Wujie!"

The boy in red nodded: "Exactly!"

Only the burly man at the head of the group frowned, and continued, "Who...is it?"

The name itself carries a touch of domineering power, and the boy spoke it with arrogance, so much so that they all felt that the name should belong to a very powerful person, but they just couldn't remember it!

The young man in red laughed and said, "I'm new to the world of martial arts, so naturally you haven't heard of me. But that's alright, soon this name will be very famous."

The young man in red raised his eyebrows, his expression full of arrogance.

But the burly men were enraged.

It turns out he was just a greenhorn who had just entered the world of martial arts!

"What Lei Wujie! How dare some nobody act like a big shot in front of me?" A burly man picked up a knife and slashed at the boy.

The boy flinched slightly, lightly touching the blade with his finger, but quickly retreated using the burly man's strength.

The burly man was startled, for he felt as if the boy's slight touch on his blade had drained all his strength, rendering his blade unable to advance even an inch further! Even though advancing just a little further would have severed his hand! He watched helplessly as the boy so easily dodged his attack.

He was not convinced and wanted to pursue the matter.

But then he suddenly heard a voice.

A very light, faint sound came from his knife.

Not only did he hear it, but everyone present heard it.

It sounded like the fine cracking of a blade, but the sound, though initially faint, suddenly grew faster and more intense...

The burly man at the head of the group hurriedly shouted, "QQ group, throw away your knife!" (78)

The man quickly recovered and threw the knife into the air.

A loud bang was heard, and the knife was instantly blown into dozens of pieces in mid-air, sparks flew everywhere, and sharp blades danced. The people in the hall hurriedly took cover, and the waiters immediately crawled under the tables.

Only the young man in red stood there leisurely with his hands behind his back, a smile on his face, watching the dumbfounded men.

Lei Wujie was by no means an unknown figure. At least his surname was well-known in the martial arts world, so much so that people who heard it had to keep their distance, otherwise they might not even have a complete corpse to die in.

"The Lei family of the Thunderbolt Hall in Jiangnan, who have sealed their swords and hung their blades!" The burly man at the head of the group squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.

The boy in red nodded: "That's right, Lei Wujie of the Lei family."

"Since we've offended the Thunderbolt Hall, we know this matter can't be resolved peacefully. Even if we're no match for them, we can't just sit here and wait to die!" The leading burly man knew that the Thunderbolt Hall never showed mercy to those who offended them. He steeled his heart and gripped his knife tightly.

Lei Wujie smiled and shook his head: "I just sprinkled a few thunderbolts on that brother's knife. If you dare to be disrespectful again, then I will..."

"Go!" The leading burly man brandished his broadsword, and the dozen or so men swarmed forward.

"You!" Lei Wujie's eyes widened. "Aren't you afraid at all?"

Three swords simultaneously cleaved down towards Lei Wujie's head.

Enraged, Lei Wujie swung his fists upwards, cleaving three steel blades in two with a single blow, sending the three men flying.

"What powerful gunpowder!" everyone exclaimed in surprise.

Lei Wujie roared, "It's not gunpowder, it's my Wufang Fist Technique! Of course, if you want to see gunpowder..." Lei Wujie leaped up, a flash of black light in his hand, and several marbles were already scattered down.

Several loud explosions were heard, and the burly men were blown into the air one by one. When they fell to the ground, they were bleeding profusely and could not stand up.

Lei Wujie leisurely landed from the air, his hands behind his back: "Well? Do you remember me now? Remember this well, my name is Lei Wujie! Now get lost!"

The burly men were taken aback by his words and exchanged glances. They had thought the young man would surely take their lives, but judging from his tone, it seemed he was going to spare their lives.

"Get out of here!" Lei Wujie frowned. He had expected these people to be running away in a panic, but instead they were stubbornly refusing to leave.

Upon hearing this, the burly men hurriedly struggled to their feet and, supporting each other, fled as if their lives depended on it.

Lei Wujie nodded in satisfaction, retrieved his bag from the ruins of a pile of tables and chairs, slung it over his shoulder, and prepared to leave. But a hand stopped him.

Lei Wujie looked up and saw the handsome boss, who was lazily huddled in his fox fur coat, only extending his right hand and waving it slowly and lazily to block Lei Wujie's way.

Lei Wujie hurriedly clasped his hands: "I can't thank you enough! It's only right to help those in need! There's no need to be so polite. I'm in a hurry to get on my way. I hope we'll meet again!"

Xiao Se narrowed his eyes and frowned: "A great favor? No thanks? Helping you out?"

Lei Wujie was also very puzzled: "If it weren't for me, those big men would have already robbed your shop, and you might even have lost your lives. Isn't that a great favor?"

Xiao Se pointed to the pile of ruins and said angrily, "Take a closer look!"