blogombal Page 295
Page 295
"I envy Young Master Zhang, who has many beautiful female companions, all of whom are very talented."
As for this dish served to Your Excellency, I have long heard that Madam Zhang's culinary skills surpass even those of the head chef of the Hong Mansion. Today, I, Wan, am truly honored.
"Rong'er's cooking skills have surpassed her teacher's, which is related to her interests."
Interest is the greatest aid to a person's progress, as the saying goes:
No pain No gain.
However, without talent and interest to delve into it, someone might end up putting in 99% effort, only to find that 1% of interest and talent is less important.
Haha, that's true!
There are 360 professions, each like a thousand sails racing; the one who reaches the top in the end isn't necessarily the one who worked the hardest!
They are all top-level figures who have seen countless masters.
Therefore, they understand that success is not necessarily guaranteed by hard work; interest and talent are more important.
"really!"
After a few bites, Wan Sanqian nodded and exclaimed in surprise:
"This steamed grouper is most famously made by Chef Yang, a renowned chef from Yangzhou."
"Madam Zhang's grouper dish today, while not necessarily superior, is certainly no worse than the one I had at Tianyi Restaurant last time!"
"Your Excellency Wan has praised it highly."
This steamed grouper is Tianyilou's signature dish, and it's usually very difficult to get a serving.
Most importantly, this is a famous dish that others have studied their whole lives, and it stands out from the crowd, renowned throughout the land.
Here, it's just a simple side dish.
"This time, Master Wan's visit must be more than just a short trip. Is it related to the Ancient Sword Soul?"
"I cannot hide it from Young Master Zhang. I am entrusted by the Divine Marquis to ask Young Master Zhang to arrange a meeting with the Golden-Faced Buddha, or to ask the Zhang family to take action personally."
After all, without eliminating the Ancient Sword Spirit, the Nine Provinces will never be at peace, and the martial world will inevitably be filled with endless bloodshed!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoshan shook his head immediately.
Even Wan Sanqian looked grim, not expecting Zhang Xiaoshan to refuse so decisively.
"The Zhang family has no intention of getting involved in this matter, and even the Buddha will not intervene."
Ultimately, Gu Jianhun is different from Xie Xun. Xie Xun killed innocent people indiscriminately in the martial arts world after a family feud.
Zhang didn't intend to interfere at the time, but the Dragon-Slaying Saber was of great importance, and Zhang didn't want to disrupt Zhang Zhenren's birthday celebration, so he took Xie Xun and the Dragon-Slaying Saber!
However, Gu Jianhun was hunted down by the entire righteous sects because of the Tathagata Palm, which led to a series of bloodshed in the martial arts world.
Buddhism teaches cause and effect; the ancient sword spirit has come for revenge, and naturally, the one who tied the knot must untie it!
"But hatred can cloud one's judgment. I fear that even if the Ancient Sword Soul kills all his enemies from back then, he might not put down his sword."
"Then just give him a scabbard."
scabbard?
Upon hearing this, Wan Sanqian looked at Zhang Xiaoshan and his eyes lit up.
He vaguely heard Zhang Xiaoshan's hidden message: Zhang Xiaoshan definitely knew something he didn't.
"Please enlighten me, young master, so that I may have an explanation to give to the Marquis."
"The one who tied the knot must untie it; the ultimate enemy of the Ancient Sword Soul must be one of those behind the scenes."
It is impossible for an ordinary person to restrain the murderous nature of the Ancient Sword Soul, but as far as I know, the Ancient Sword Soul has a bloodline still alive, which the Ancient Sword Soul himself may not even know.
Family ties are the scabbard of this demonic sword!
"The Ancient Sword Soul has bloodlines still alive? Is this true, young master?"
Even Wan Sanqian was excited and couldn't believe it.
"Back then, many people used their honey traps, and it was normal for one or two people to fall for it."
Wan Sanqian immediately understood upon hearing this.
Not bad, a honey trap!
With that, the bloodline was basically clear, and Wan Sanqian couldn't help but cup his hands to Zhang Xiaoshan and say:
"Thank you for your advice, sir!"
"I only hope that Master Wan will treat her kindly."
It should be understood that this is a shackle, but it could also be the trigger that leads to complete descent into evil.
Furthermore, to restrain the Ancient Sword Soul, it's also necessary to make it acknowledge this bloodline, since the events of that year might have affected its acceptance of it.
But blood is thicker than water, and ultimately, it can restrain the ancient sword spirit's bloodlust!
"I understand!"
Wan Sanqian took Zhang Xiaoshan's suggestion very seriously.
Bai Qing'er, standing to the side, seemed lost in thought. She hadn't expected such a secret to exist; the Ancient Sword Soul actually still had bloodlines in the world.
After several rounds of drinks, and having finished all the dishes on the table, Wan Sanqian finally got up to take his leave.
This news is absolutely shocking. Although they didn't manage to get Zhang Xiaoshan to help, these two pieces of news are definitely worthwhile for Wan Sanqian.
···
"Does the Ancient Sword Soul still have any bloodline in the world?"
The next morning, the Dragon Guardian Manor received a reply from Wan Sanqian, and was immediately shocked.
Who is the bloodline of the Ancient Sword Soul?
In the afternoon, the intelligence from the Dragon Guard Manor had already been delivered to Zhu Wushi.
If it were someone else, Zhu could simply recruit and train them.
But this bloodline actually belonged to the eldest daughter of Tu Jin and his wife, and was also a disciple of Changli Island in the East Sea. As such, it was impossible to hide it from Tu Jin and his wife.
"Gentlemen, this is the message Wan Sanqian sent this morning, and the results of the investigation conducted by the Dragon Guard Manor this afternoon!"
Inside the main hall, a group of experts gathered.
Zhu Wushi relayed the message and results to the various experts for their review.
Everyone who saw the result had a slight change in expression, never expecting that Tu Jin's eldest daughter was actually Gu Jianhun's daughter.
Tu Jin and Sun Biyun were also shocked when they saw the news.
What was originally thought to be something no one would discover has actually been discovered by the Zhang family, and is now being used against the Ancient Sword Soul.
"Master Tu!"
"Xuehua is my daughter, and she is definitely not of Gu Jianhun's bloodline. Yanxia Manor 133 can guarantee this with its reputation."
Seeing Tu Jin's angry expression, Zhu Wushi remained silent.
According to the information he gathered, Tu Xuehua was almost certainly a descendant of the Ancient Sword Soul.
In terms of cause, Sun Biyun disappeared for a period of time back then, and she was the only 'beauty' who had gotten close to the Ancient Sword Soul; in terms of timing, Tu Xuehua was a premature baby, born at least three months early; in terms of treatment, Sun Biyun didn't care for her eldest daughter at all, but doted on her second daughter...
Tu Jin's agitation stemmed from his view of Tu Xuehua as his own daughter, and naturally he did not want his daughter to become a victim in this incident.
"I understand Lord Tu's feelings!"
"Furthermore, Master Tu, rest assured, we have no intention of harming Miss Xuehua. We simply wish to reunite her with her father, hoping to resolve the malevolent energy of the ancient sword spirit through familial affection."
"Yes, Master Tu, Master Wan also said in his letter that this matter should not be taken too seriously."
Whether the Ancient Sword Soul acknowledges this bloodline is another matter, but blood is thicker than water, and he won't truly harm the child. This is also the only way to resolve the Ancient Sword Soul's grudge!
···
At this moment, although the righteous martial arts practitioners wished they could kill this 'bastard,' the girl was now of great importance.
If the murderous aura of the Ancient Sword Soul cannot be neutralized, the entire martial arts world may be wiped out by the Ancient Sword Soul.
Moreover, once this girl gains the approval of Gu Jianhun, she will become his weakness, and everyone has their own agenda.
Greed is everywhere!
Even though they are currently being hunted, their obsession with the Tathagata Palm technique remains extremely strong.
If even Gu Jianhun didn't know about the bloodline's existence, or even acknowledge this bastard, they would have wanted to capture Tu Xuehua right now and force Gu Jianhun to hand over the Tathagata Palm.
These are the heroes of the righteous path!
The distinction between good and evil is not simply black and white.
In the world of martial arts, only the victor reigns supreme!
Zhang Xiaoshan also knew that these righteous masters were not to be trusted, so the Zhang family's policy of not interfering in martial arts affairs was precisely to guard against these people.
Chapter 357 Zhang Xiaoshan's Scheme: The Eastern Sea Longli Sect
"To restrain the Tathagata's Palm? You really dare to dream of that!"
In the Red Mansion, a beauty graces his arms, her soft skin warm and fragrant.
Zhang Xiaoshan didn't expect that the first thing Dongfang Bubai asked him for was a way to counter the Tathagata Palm.
The Tathagata Palm is the supreme martial art of our time, and it is countered by the Heavenly Crippled Divine Skill. Even though Zhang Xiaoshan is skilled in martial arts, the Nine Cauldrons Mountain and River Fist can still easily defeat him.
Moreover, it requires at least the peak of the Eight Cauldrons realm!
"The Tathagata Palm is too domineering. Apart from speed, the Sunflower Manual is hard to compete with it!"
Moreover, I saw an ambition slowly brewing in Gu Jianhun's eyes. If it couldn't be contained, it would eventually become a dangerous threat.
After meeting Gu Jianhun last time, Dongfang Bubai was extremely wary of him.
He felt a slight worry about the trouble caused by Zhang Xiaoshan leaving behind the Ancient Sword Soul.
Once the Ancient Sword Soul grows stronger, it will eventually become a wolf cub to the Zhang family. Now is the time to eliminate it.
"Don't worry, I've already planned it out."
"Didn't you want to find an assistant? I've already found one for you: Gu Jianhun's daughter—Tu Xuehua!"
Because he obtained the Heavenly Crippled Divine Skill, Tu Xuehua did not encounter Duan Fei and was still cultivating on Changli Island.
Zhang Xiaoshan's pointing out of Tu Xuehua was also malicious.
After all, Zhang Xiaoshan wasn't comfortable with male experts placed around Dongfang Bai.
And truly skilled women who are both reliable and exceptionally capable are extremely rare.
After meeting Gu Jianhun last time, Zhang Xiaoshan began to make plans.
"Ancient Sword Soul's daughter?"
"Yes, Gu Jianhun had a daughter back then, and even Gu Jianhun himself was unaware of it..."
Zhang Xiaoshan revealed Tu Xuehua's background, and even Dongfang Bubai couldn't help but smile upon hearing it.
So that's how it is. Zhang Xiaoshan has schemed against both the righteous and the demonic paths.
In the end, it seems the Zhang family didn't gain any benefit, but undoubtedly, the Sun Moon Cult became the ultimate beneficiary.
Moreover, with Tu Xuehua's involvement, Gu Jianhun and the Sun Moon Cult also have an extremely close connection.
"Thank you for protecting me!"
Seeing the alluring eyes of the beauty before him, Zhang Xiaoshan failed to maintain any gentlemanly demeanor.
When Zhang Xiaoshan and Dongfang Bai went to Wushan, Gu Jianhun also received the news.
However, this news was deliberately spread by Zhu Wushi, including Tu Xuehua's birthday. As long as Gu Jianhun knew Sun Biyun, he would know whether the news was true or false.
Moreover, Zhu Wushi may have considered using a fake 'Tu Xuehua' to gain Gu Jianhun's trust.
But after thinking about it, I realized it wasn't necessary.
Because Tu Xuehua's identity is beyond doubt, and there is no time to look for her now.
The relationship between Tu Jin and Tu Xuehua alone could be leaked if not handled properly, so it would be better to let the father and daughter recognize each other.