Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 129 Attending the Banquet

"A deal?" Xiao Rui raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. "What kind of deal?"

Jiang Xun didn't answer directly. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and asked, "Brother Xiao, what did you obtain in the Sword Ruins?"

Xiao Rui's smile froze slightly, and a dark light flashed in his eyes.

"What do you mean by that, Brother Jiang?"

"Brother Xiao, don't be in a hurry, let me finish." Jiang Xun waved his hand dismissively, "This trip to the Sword Ruins is extremely dangerous. One wrong move and you could die there. It's obvious that old man Huang Hu has ill intentions."

If I'm not mistaken, you must have obtained something valuable in the Sword Ruins, otherwise you wouldn't have given up so easily.

Xiao Rui stared at him, remaining silent for a long while.

The main hall was so quiet that you could hear the birds chirping in the courtyard, chattering as if they were arguing.

"And you?" he countered, his voice deepening. "What did you get?"

"Three Heaven-Seizing Pills." Jiang Xun didn't hide anything, frankly holding up three fingers. "But I've already shared them with Tuoba Feng. I got one, and he got two."

Xiao Rui's pupils contracted slightly.

Of course he knew what Tuoba Feng wanted to do with the Heavenly Pill—Tuoba Xiong had been paralyzed for so many years, who in the Northern Territory didn't know?

"Then why did you come to see me?"

"Although the Heaven-Seizing Pill is gone, I still have other things to trade." Jiang Xun crossed his arms and looked at him with a smile.

"What is it?"

Jiang Xun didn't answer immediately, but looked at the doorway and then at the window.

Xiao Rui understood his meaning and waved his hand.

The two guards standing at the door bowed and withdrew, and the door closed from the outside.

The two of them were left alone in the main hall. It was so quiet that they could hear each other breathing.

Jiang Xun stood up, walked up to Xiao Rui, and suddenly grinned.

"Brother Xiao, do you want to know where that brat Jin Yan went?"

…………

When we left the Lu residence, the sun was already high in the sky.

Jiang Xun walked down the street, feeling incredibly happy despite not having slept all night.

He touched his stomach; he was hungry.

There was a noodle stall by the roadside with two large pots, one for cooking noodles and the other for simmering soup, steaming hot.

Jiang found an empty seat, sat down, and ordered a large bowl of mutton noodles.

The noodles are hand-rolled, thick, and very chewy.

The broth was rich and flavorful, and the mutton, which had been stewed for who knows how long, was so tender that it melted in your mouth, and even the tendons were thoroughly cooked.

It's topped with chopped green onions and cilantro, all green and bright red, and the bright red chili oil makes it look incredibly appetizing.

He buried his head in his food and slurped loudly enough to be heard across two tables.

An old man next to him glanced at him, smiled, and said nothing.

After finishing his noodles and paying, Jiang Xun went for a stroll around the East Market.

The caravan led by the horse captain was still there, busy loading goods.

Several mules and horses carried furs and medicinal herbs, and the workers were working hard, their foreheads covered in sweat.

"Uncle Ma." Jiang Xun walked over and cupped his hands in greeting.

Ma turned his head, saw it was him, and smiled: "Young Master Jiang, what brings you here?"

"Just passing by, thought I'd drop by." Jiang Xun sat down on the wooden crate next to him. "When are you going back?"

"Today," Ma said, wiping his sweat, "we're leaving after loading the goods. What, you're going back?"

"Not necessarily," Jiang Xun said. "We'll see. By the way, could you please take a letter back to Tiebei Pass for me?"

"Sure, bring it here, I'll take it for you."

Thanks.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Jiang Xun took his leave.

He walked along the main street toward the west of the city, passed a baked bun stall, bought two more, and ate them as he walked.

Back at the house, Yingqi was nowhere to be seen; he must have gone somewhere to recuperate.

Jiang Xun didn't care. He had already told everyone he needed to. He lay down on the bed and fell asleep without even taking off his clothes.

I slept so soundly that I didn't even have a dream. It was like falling into a deep well; I couldn't hear anything and didn't want to think about anything.

When I woke up again, it was already dark outside the window.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, spreading a layer of orange-red light on the ground, as warm and soft as honey.

Jiang Xun sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stared blankly for a while, his mind empty, as if it had been washed clean by something.

Then he got up, filled a basin with water, and washed his face thoroughly.

The icy water splashed on my face, instantly waking me up.

He changed into a clean set of clothes—a dark blue robe made of ordinary wool with a gray rabbit fur lining, which was not particularly expensive.

On him, the collar was crisp, the cuffs were tightly bound, and a plain sash was lightly tied around his waist, making him look clean and neat, like a sword drawn from its sheath in the cold wind.

Jiang Xun looked at himself in the bronze mirror.

The person in the mirror was handsome and energetic, a completely different person from the rascal who was eating steamed buns during the day.

"Not bad," he boasted, hanging his black-sheathed longsword at his waist and pushing open the door to leave.

The evening breeze swept over him, carrying the dry chill of the North, causing his robes to flutter slightly.

He took a deep breath and strode into the depths of the afterglow.

At the entrance of the city lord's mansion, lanterns hung high, their orange-red glow spreading across half the street, illuminating even the dust in the cracks of the bluestone slabs.

Jiang Xun had just reached the door when he saw Sun Xing.

He stood inside the gate, dressed in a black outfit with an iron ruler at his waist, and was giving instructions to the guards to set up sentry posts in a deep voice.

Seeing Jiang Xun approach, he nodded expressionlessly, as if addressing any ordinary guest, his tone respectful but devoid of emotion: "Young Master Jiang, please come in."

The moment the two brushed past each other, something was slipped into Jiang Xun's hand.

A piece of paper, folded so tightly it was almost invisible, still warm from my touch.

He didn't stop, casually slipped the note into his sleeve, and followed the servant who was leading the way inside.

As he passed through the corridor, taking advantage of the servant's turn, he quickly pulled out the note and glanced at it. He was slightly startled, but showed no sign of it on his face. Before the servant could suspect anything, he stuffed the note back in and continued walking.

After passing through the front yard and around the screen wall, the main hall came into view.

The hall was brightly lit, as bright as day, and everyone had already arrived.

Helian Quan sat in the main seat, dressed in a black brocade robe, with a ruddy complexion and a beaming smile, looking to be in a very good mood.

Huang Hu sat next to him, holding a wine glass, her eyes squinting, like a pampered old cat.

Chen Lei sat at the head of the guest seat with a calm expression, but Jiang Xun noticed that his eyes were a little unfocused, as if he was looking at something, yet also as if he wasn't looking at anything at all.

Ye Qingying sat next to Chen Lei. Although she was wearing a fur coat, it couldn't hide her good figure.

When she saw Jiang Xun come in, she nodded to him and gently patted the chair next to her, gesturing for him to sit down.

Xiao Rui and Tuoba Feng were sitting opposite them.

The two were no longer separated by an empty seat, and occasionally they would exchange a few words in hushed tones, their relationship seemingly much more harmonious.

Jiang Xun glanced around but didn't see Helian Jun or Jin Yan.