Chapter 2

“The deerskin map,” Meng Xin Yi reminded.

“Oh, right. What is that?” Compared to earlier, Shen Yao Xing’s question was clearly a bit absent-minded as her eyes kept examining the dishes on the table.

Hmm, they taste better than the ones in the capital.

Meng Xin Yi didn’t mind. She took a sip of tea and continued explaining, “Before the Four Directions Conference and Changsheng Pavilion, there was once a senior who stood at the top of the jianghu world. She was the only person to date who could rally the warriors of the jianghu and have them at her command. Legend has it that before her death, she hid her life’s acquisitions in a place, and that place was drawn on deerskin, divided into five pieces.”

“Initially, the five deerskin maps were in one person’s hands. After that person was killed, the five maps were fought over by the world. Until now, two of them are held by Changsheng Pavilion, one by the Four Directions Conference, and the whereabouts of the other two remain unknown.”

“People have stopped at nothing for these few maps. Killing and seizing the maps were commonplace until the suppression by Changsheng Pavilion and the Four Directions Conference quelled the turmoil somewhat.”

Although people harbored ill intentions, they didn’t have the guts to snatch the maps, only able to suppress their wild ambitions and wait for an opportunity. Now that the Four Directions Conference was so generously letting the map go, their purpose was likely not simple.

Shen Yao Xing took a bite of the flaky pastry in her hand and mumbled indistinctly, “From what you’re saying, isn’t this thing a source of harm?”

Meng Xin Yi neither agreed nor disagreed.

“Eat more.” Seeing the person across from her only drinking tea and not eating, Shen Yao Xing picked up a piece of chicken breast and placed it in her bowl.

Meng Xin Yi glanced at the meat in the bowl and raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you full?”

“How could I be? I haven’t even started eating yet.”

With that said, she picked up another chicken leg and started gnawing on it. What a pity there was no chili pepper. Otherwise, dipping it in soy sauce and chili pepper would be the most delicious.

“By the way,” Shen Yao Xing wiped her mouth, feeling a bit disgusted by the greasiness on her hands. She wiped them vigorously before asking curiously, “Since so many people are fighting over that deerskin map, what’s hidden there must be some kind of treasure, right?”

“Naturally.”

“Then what exactly is it?”

What is it? Meng Xin Yi hesitated for a moment before slowly putting down her chopsticks. “As for what it specifically is, I don’t know either. Or perhaps, no one knows, because no one has ever found that place. I’m afraid the only ones who know what’s inside are that senior and the person who once held all five maps.”

Huh?

Shen Yao Xing forcefully swallowed the mouthful of food, somewhat in disbelief. “You’re fighting to the death without knowing what it is?!”

These people must be crazy to be so blinded by something unknown. For Shen Yao Xing, who was quite content with being able to eat, sleep, and live freely, it was completely incomprehensible.

Isn’t it better to live and eat a few more meals?

“It’s all due to human desire.” Meng Xin Yi said in a faraway voice. After saying that, she fell silent for a moment, observing the look of utter bafflement on the woman’s face across from her. Her eyes were as clear as those of a young lady sheltered and raised by a wealthy family, unfamiliar with worldly affairs.

Shen Yao Xing felt uncomfortable under her straightforward gaze. She clenched her hand into a fist, placed it near her mouth, and coughed lightly a couple of times. “Why are you staring at me?”

She had thought the woman would restrain her gaze after that, but she had underestimated the thickness of her skin. Meng Xin Yi’s lips curved into a deeper smile, half-jokingly saying, “Naturally, it’s because you’re good-looking. It’s just a pity that we’re both women. If you were a man, I would definitely marry you and enjoy the jianghu life with you.”

“……”

Shen Yao Xing’s clenched fist faintly burst with bulging veins. Her greasy claws slowly reached out and grabbed the woman’s lapel, pulling her close. A ferocious smile appeared on her face.

Her amiable expression made one’s heart tremble.

“If you dare to make such jokes again in the future, I’ll let you know what real enjoyment is.” Each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth. Meng Xin Yi knew she was truly angry and immediately stopped, repeatedly apologizing.

“Alright, alright, I won’t say it again in the future!”

It was strange. This person didn’t have a robust physique like other women, instead being as delicate as those young masters. But her strength was astonishingly great. Coupled with her skilled martial arts and profound internal energy, Meng Xin Yi was truly no match for her.

Shen Yao Xing snorted lightly before finally letting go of her.

Meng Xin Yi sighed and raised her hand to smooth out her lapel, continuing, “I really don’t know what’s inside. It’s only because it was left behind by that senior. According to legend, it contains inexhaustible treasures, or earth-shattering divine weapons. Some even say it’s a medicine that grants immortality.”

Alas, the terror of rumors lies in how they spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred. Coupled with some people’s deliberate exaggeration, even a toothpick could be described as a divine needle that stabilizes the sea. Just thinking about it, if such a medicine truly existed, how could that senior have died?

“However…”

Before Shen Yao Xing could finish her lament, Meng Xin Yi’s voice paused slightly.

“However what?”

Meng Xin Yi lowered her gaze, her eyes falling on the tea in front of her. She tapped the table lightly with her finger, causing ripples to form on the calm tea surface. “However, there is one most reliable rumor. What’s hidden there… is the Jianghu Token that can command the jianghu world!”

Jianghu Token?

Just as Shen Yao Xing was about to ask more, she saw the originally composed person abruptly stand up and walk to the window in a few steps, her gaze falling on the main hall downstairs.

Shen Yao Xing turned her head, following her figure, her brows furrowed in confusion.

What’s going on?

“You…” Shen Yao Xing opened her mouth, but the words on the tip of her tongue came to an abrupt halt. It was only then that she realized the inn, which had been as noisy as a market earlier, was now unusually quiet. The faint sound of hawking from the distant streets could be heard.

Realizing that something might have happened, Shen Yao Xing hurriedly wiped her hands clean, looking as if she was afraid of missing out on the commotion. She leaned against the window and peered downstairs.

The people who had been whispering to each other earlier were now as quiet as chickens. Most of them had lowered their heads, and only a few women were staring at a certain spot with burning gazes. Shen Yao Xing curiously followed their line of sight, which landed on the counter directly below. She could clearly hear the shop owner’s voice, slightly stuttering as he tried to suppress his fear.

Shen Yao Xing propped her head up with her hand, tilting it as she examined the tops of the two people’s heads.

The skin exposed by the black clothes was exceptionally fair, especially against the contrast of the black fabric, appearing so pale that it seemed bloodless. Shen Yao Xing shook her head inwardly and shifted her gaze to the person in white behind.

The snow-white robe had silver-threaded floral patterns embroidered on the edges, with a jade belt around the waist. Despite the all-white attire, a blood-red crescent-shaped jade pendant hung from the waist, catching the eye. Looking from above, it was impossible to see their faces clearly. Even Shen Yao Xing, who had no interest in the men of this world, was somewhat curious about what the man’s face looked like.

Listening to the shop owner’s increasingly stuttering voice, could these two be “back-view killers”?

Were they extraordinarily ugly or stunningly beautiful? However, judging from the expressions of those women, Shen Yao Xing had already guessed it was the latter. Having lived in this world for so many years, her aesthetic and vocabulary had unconsciously changed. She no longer found any man more handsome than another.

A man who was stunningly beautiful…

Thinking of this, Shen Yao Xing couldn’t help but recall the neither-man-nor-woman who had approached her today, feeling a chill in her heart.

That couldn’t even be called a man.

Her curiosity instantly waned quite a bit.

“Who are they?” Shen Yao Xing still asked Meng Xin Yi in a low voice beside her. However, unexpectedly, before the person beside her could answer, the person she was curious about suddenly raised his head without any warning. His cold gaze collided with hers.

A pair of narrow, phoenix eyes entered her sight. The upturned shape of the eyes was extremely beautiful. From her angle, she could clearly see the dense, slightly upturned long lashes and the mole under the outer corner of his left eye. Complementing those enchanting phoenix eyes, it added a touch of charm. However, those dark pupils were like bottomless abysses, without a hint of emotion or fluctuation. The gaze that seemed to be looking at a corpse made one involuntarily shudder.

Since he was wearing a veil, Shen Yao Xing couldn’t see his face clearly, but the exposed brows and eyes were enough to stun someone. Even Shen Yao Xing couldn’t help but compliment, “Strangely good-looking.”

The man’s gaze only lingered on her face for a second before shifting away, as if it was just a casual glance.

Witnessing the two being personally escorted by the sweating shop owner into the adjacent private room, Shen Yao Xing smacked her lips. “Who are those two? Why are you all like this?”

Meng Xin Yi silently gazed at the neighboring room, seemingly not having heard her question. It was only after being called several times that she reacted in a daze. “What did you say?”

Shen Yao Xing repeated her previous question.

Meng Xin Yi furrowed her brows slightly, seeming a bit disbelieving. “You don’t recognize him?”

Shen Yao Xing didn’t know whether she meant the man in black or the man in white. She simply shook her head honestly.

“Clad in snowy robes, a blood moon hanging from his waist. Even those outside the jianghu world should know of him…”

“……” Shen Yao Xing found this person’s rambling increasingly nonsensical. She wasn’t his father, mother, or even a tapeworm in his belly, so why must she recognize him?

Meng Xin Yi let out an imperceptible sigh and slowly said, “He is the Young Master Mingyue I mentioned to you before.”

Young Master Mingyue?

This name sounded extremely familiar. Shen Yao Xing knitted her brows in deep thought, vaguely recalling that along the way, she seemed to hear people mentioning this name from time to time. There was also a title…

Seemed to be something like the jianghu world’s number one… beauty?

The two characters “beauty” rushed into her mind, making Shen Yao Xing feel dizzy. Before she could fully process it, Meng Xin Yi continued.

“He not only has the reputation of being the number one beauty but is also the young master of Changsheng Pavilion. The pavilion master of Changsheng Pavilion is his mother.”

Huh? Shen Yao Xing’s forehead-rubbing motion paused.

Wasn’t that the modern-day equivalent of a rich and handsome (or beautiful) person plus a second-generation official? Already at the pinnacle of life in mere minutes.

Shen Yao Xing listlessly grabbed a piece of sugar pastry from the table and took a bite, hunching her shoulders and muttering, “Whatever, it has nothing to do with me anyway. Let’s hurry up, finish eating, and leave.”

“Leave? Where to?” Meng Xin Yi’s puzzled expression made it seem like she had said something foolish.

Shen Yao Xing suddenly had a bad feeling. With a strange expression, she pointed at the ground with her index finger. “You don’t plan on staying here, do you?”

“Of course not.”

Shen Yao Xing was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard her continue.

“I’ll go down later and have the shop owner open two rooms for us. We can rest in the rooms for a while.”

“……” Shen Yao Xing felt a bit irritated and frustratedly scratched her hair. “Didn’t we agree to go to Meihua Creek and play for a few days? What’s the point of staying here!”

Although she sometimes enjoyed watching the commotion, she really didn’t like staying in crowded places for too long.

“We can go to Meihua Creek a bit later, it won’t be too late.” Meng Xin Yi sat down at the table and picked up the blue-and-white patterned teacup, her gaze slowly turning towards her. “The treasure hunt competition is in a few days. Don’t you want to go and watch the excitement?”

Shen Yao Xing didn’t listen to her persuasion and covered her head, her voice tinged with grievance. “Since when did you become interested in such things?”

She clearly remembered that this woman lived even more freely than her. She wouldn’t even bother sparing a glance at matters unrelated to her. In the past, it was always Shen Yao Xing who dragged her to see the commotion.

Meng Xin Yi lowered her gaze to look at the tea in the cup, a hint of interest curving her lips. “Indeed, I have no interest, but going to take a look isn’t impossible.”

Shen Yao Xing waved her hand helplessly. “Do as you wish.” With that, she turned and left the private room, leaving a message before departing. “I’m going out for a while, I’ll be back later.”

What she meant by “going out for a while” was actually running to a tall tree outside the city and taking a nap. Only when the sky had darkened did she leisurely stroll back into the city. Who would have thought that even on the sparsely populated streets, she would encounter a farce.

The initial setting of the male lead is a bit different from the synopsis. At the time, I only had a general outline of the plot for the synopsis. The moment I started writing, my mind took an unexpected turn. Being aloof, arrogant (ruthless and emotionless) seemed more fitting. I won’t change the synopsis for now, as the difference isn’t significant. I’ll wait until I’ve determined the male lead’s initial personality before finalizing it. ∠(?」∠)＿

Thank you to the little angels who cast overlord tickets or watered me with nutrient solution during the period from 2020-03-09 23:59:46 to 2020-03-10 23:37:51~

Thanks to the little angels who voted for landmines: Nan Xiaobai, Qinghe Mu Ah, Duijiu Dangge, Orange 1;

Thanks to the little angels who watered nutrient solution: Yuan Bai 10 bottles; jkjk, Mo Zhi Mo 2 bottles; Wufeng 1 bottle;

I’m very grateful for everyone’s support, I will continue to work hard!