Chapter 1
"The tea and snacks have been served, please enjoy at your leisure, honored guest."
The waiter placed the last plate of appetizers on the table, smiling and gesturing to the woman in blue robes sitting there. The woman waved her hand at her, but her gaze did not leave the people discussing downstairs.
Only to see several women gathered around a table, wearing coarse cloth shirts, their faces slightly flushed with alcohol, energetically chatting about the big events that had happened recently.
"I heard that this martial arts competition for treasure held by the Four Directions Association has attracted quite a few famous figures from the jianghu."
"The treasure is not trivial, so naturally there are many contenders, but... this Four Directions Association is quite generous, that Deerskin Map that everyone is fighting for, they're just giving it away so generously!"
"That's not quite right. Although the Deerskin Map is a treasure, it depends on whose hands it's in. If it's in the hands of an ordinary person, it's just a waste of paper." The woman said as she turned the wine cup in her hand, continuing softly: "Not only useless, but it will also bring fatal disaster."
Five Deerskin Maps, missing one and they're all waste paper, but if you can gather them all, it's a treasure. If you can't gather them all, then it's just grass. Those who came to compete this time were all either powerful and influential in the jianghu, or were heroes of certain status. With masters as numerous as clouds, for them, even if they couldn't gather all, obtaining one piece could bring enormous benefits.
"I heard..." a woman with a drunken red face glanced around and lowered her voice, "Two of these five pieces are in the Eternal Life Pavilion. What kind of place is the Eternal Life Pavilion? Wouldn't getting those two pieces be harder than ascending to heaven?"
"Tsk" "You also know it's the Eternal Life Pavilion. The Eternal Life Pavilion already has two pieces in hand, now with such a good opportunity, how could they let it pass?"
"That's true..."
The woman clicked her tongue twice again and sighed: "It seems the winner of this competition is predetermined before it even begins."
The others seemed to understand but not quite, just nodding along.
The blue-robed woman on the second floor withdrew her gaze, leisurely pouring herself a cup of fragrant tea, lightly sniffing and taking a sip.
It took half an incense stick's time before the blue-robed woman leisurely walked out of the inn. It was now the height of midsummer, and just at noon, when the sun was hottest. The dense crowd coming and going on the street seemed unaffected by the heat; even with their faces sunburned red, they still chatted and laughed with those around them, quite lively.
The blue-robed woman skirted around the crowd, heading towards the outskirts of the city.
The sounds of prosperity and bustle were left behind. After leaving the city gates, there were far fewer passersby, becoming quieter the further out she went, until she stopped in a grove some distance from the city.
She stood under a tree so thick it would take two people to encircle it, looking up at the colors surrounded by leaves. If one didn't look carefully, they wouldn't be able to tell there was a person there at all.
Shen Yao Xing, who was lying on a tree branch with her eyes closed to rest, had heard the sound from far away. She lazily rolled over, turning her back to the newcomer.
"Yao Xing, do you really plan to spend the day on this tree?" The woman's voice teased.
Shen Yao Xing's hand resting at her side scratched her leg, her eyes still closed, lazily "mmm"-ing in response.
The blue-robed woman under the tree sighed in feigned regret: "What a pity... This Taizhou City truly deserves its reputation as the second largest town outside the capital. The eight treasured delicacies and famous snacks inside really make one linger and dazzle the eyes..."
As she spoke, she glanced at the lazy figure in the tree. Sure enough, the hand scratching the leg paused, obviously somewhat tempted.
The corners of the blue-robed woman's lips curved upwards slightly as she continued: "I just tasted some and hurried over to find you to go together. You... really don't want to enter the city?"
Shen Yao Xing, who had been hungry for half a day, was truly tempted by her words, but then thought of something else and immediately suppressed her restless urge: "Then, I'll wait for the sun to set before entering the city."
"What will be left by sunset? Do you think they'll wait for you?"
The woman's cool voice shattered her fantasy. Seeing her still hesitating, she pretended to turn and leave: "If you're not going, I'm leaving."
"Alright, alright, alright!" Shen Yao Xing sat up on the tree branch with some irritation, using her foot strength to easily leap down from the tall tree, walking to the woman's side with her mouth curved downwards.
In her heart, she both didn't want to enter the city now and didn't want to miss those delicious dishes, feeling quite conflicted and annoyed.