https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-105-An-Invitation-Turns-into-an-Extended-Stay-and-Everyone-Wins/12536126/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-107-Visiting-the-Hall-of-the-Divine-Blade/12536145/
Chapter 106: The Frontier Town
Chapter 106: The Frontier Town
Ximen Rou stayed at the Sword-Hiding Manor until after the new year before bidding her farewells.
Before leaving, she gave Lan Yueyi and You Longsheng an address, telling them to send a letter to that location if they ever needed to find her.
The children of the Jianghu are indeed decisive and straightforward; they say goodbye and are off.
However, when Lan Yueyi wanted to leave as well, You Longsheng held her back, "Ba Tianyu invited us to travel beyond the pass after the new year. You've never been there, right? Let's go together!"
You Longsheng added with a hint of melancholy, "You can't really use me as your emotional punching bag forever, can you?"
Lan Yueyi couldn't help but laugh, and "playfully" punched You Longsheng's chest, but she didn't refuse. Instead, she asked, "When are Ding Chengfeng and Bai Yun coming?"
"The Lantern Festival has passed, and I estimate they will be setting off soon," You Longsheng calculated the time of his appointment with Ding Baiyun. "It's just in time to catch the best season beyond the pass, when the snow begins to melt, and the grasslands are filled with cattle and sheep."
"Ba Tianyu also said that our horses aren't good enough. He wants us to come beyond the pass to find him, and he'll give each of us a fine horse," You Longsheng rubbed his chin. "You should come too. The more people, the more horses we get. It's a great deal!"
Lan Yueyi couldn't help but laugh, "Then I really should go. A good horse would be extremely useful when I return to Miaojiang."
You Longsheng nodded, "It would also be more convenient for me to find you."
Lan Yueyi smiled and nodded at You Longsheng's chest before giving him a coquettish look and a sweet kiss.
...
Half a month later, outside Yanmen Pass.
Three horses galloped towards the pass, with You Longsheng in the middle, Lan Yueyi on his left, and Ding Baiyun on his right.
Ding Chengfeng didn't come along this time because his wife was about to give birth to their second child, so he stayed home to accompany her.
He asked Ding Baiyun to tell You Longsheng, "Make sure to pick a good horse for me!"
Ding Baiyun was speechless, "My big brother wasn't like this before."
You Longsheng blinked, "This sentence sounds somehow familiar to me."
Upon hearing this, Ding Baiyun glared at You Longsheng, "You've corrupted us all!"
You Longsheng: ╮(￣▽￣)
╭
"We've arrived at the frontier town," Lan Yueyi pointed to a small city on the edge of the distant grassland.
Frontier towns, or borderland cities, often didn't have official names. They were scattered sporadically beyond the pass, affiliated with various powers and tribes. Most of their residents were people who had come from within the pass to make a living, along with a mix of Han and Hu people who relied on trade with the inner regions. Of course, there were also Han-influenced Hu tribes.
Among the numerous borderland cities beyond the pass, the one before them was considered relatively large, and that was because the owner of this city was none other than Ba Tianyu.
The Godly Blade Hall had risen to power beyond the pass only a few years ago, but it had already become a formidable force in the frontier, with its reputation spreading far and wide.
Many Hu tribes that had intended to take advantage of the chaos had been eradicated, and the Demon Sect, which had been biding its time for decades to re-enter the Central Plains and reestablish their dominance, was also blocked outside the pass by Ba Tianyu alone.
"Is the Godly Blade Hall in the city?" Lan Yueyi asked.
"No, the Godly Blade Hall is located on a mountain not far west of the small city. They've built a manor there. As for the Wan Matang's stronghold, it's about twenty miles north of the border city, in the middle of the grassland," Ding Baiyun said.
"This frontier town is a place for the Godly Blade Hall and Wan Matang to relax, entertain, and host guests," You Longsheng explained.
Lan Yueyi nodded, "With so many powers beyond the pass, we need to be extra cautious."
"Let's take a tour of the city first, and then we'll pay our respects to the Godly Blade Hall," You Longsheng flicked his whip into the air and urged his horse forward.
As they explored the city, You Longsheng even spotted several disciples from influential families within the pass.
"That's Qin Pengfei from the Qin family of Yunzhou," Ding Baiyun said, scanning the area and recognizing a few familiar faces. "And there's Zi Yi, the Spear Prince of Beiping Prefecture."
Lan Yueyi blinked, "Wasn't that a monk who just walked out of the brothel?"
You Longsheng sighed, "He's a disciple of Tie Da Shi from Wutai Mountain. I met him once at Yuan Qiuyun's wedding."
Although the Godly Blade Hall had only entered the pass last year, they had already interacted with numerous influential forces within the pass. Just like Ma Kongqun's Wan Ma Hall, which had stayed out of the Central Plains for twenty years but still struck fear into the hearts of the martial world.
You Longsheng and his companions recognized a few people, and naturally, some of them recognized the trio as well. However, as they were in a frontier town and not on familiar turf, they merely acknowledged each other's presence without exchanging greetings.
Nonetheless, news of the departure of the You Long Swordmaster and the White Cloud Fairy from the pass and their arrival in the city quickly spread.
Thus, as You Longsheng and his companions were indulging in a feast of grilled lamb chops and roast beef at a restaurant in the frontier town, a gentle and refined man dressed in white sat down at their table with a smile on his face.
"Master You, Miss Ding, Miss Lan, the food beyond the pass isn't as refined as it is in the Central Plains. Are you finding it agreeable?"
Lan Yueyi looked up at him, curious, "You know who I am?"
"Three years ago, when you killed Zheng Da Dao in Yan'an Prefecture, I was there," the white-robed man said.
Lan Yueyi racked her brains. She had indeed traveled to the North three years ago, where she had encountered a local bully who had failed to take the hint. She had stung his neck with her scorpion-tail whip, but she hadn't noticed any other skilled individuals around at the time.
"Not really," You Longsheng shook his head, bluntly assessing the food. "The meat from free-range sheep is too old, tough, and gamey. They didn't castrate the lambs, so the meat is pungent, and they skimped on the spices, only using salt. It's really not that great."
"For grilled lamb legs, you want to use three-month-old lambs that have been carefully raised," You Longsheng instructed. "Bleeding them with a single cut and piercing the meat all over with iron skewers, then marinating them overnight with salt, rice wine, and Sichuan peppercorn."
"When grilling, you need to maintain a steady temperature," he continued. "The goal is to achieve a balance that's fatty but not greasy, tender but not raw, crispy but not burnt. Of course, you can't skimp on the spices. Grind cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, cumin, and dried ginger into a powder and sprinkle it on generously.
If you like spicy food, sprinkle some chili powder on it just before serving, and you'll have a dish fit for the gods."
The white-robed man was left speechless by You Longsheng's detailed critique, unsure how to respond. All he could manage was a dry, "I didn't expect Master You to be such a connoisseur of cuisine."
"Don't mention it," You Longsheng said with a raised eyebrow. "What's the point of living if you can't even eat well? Don't you agree?"
"I suppose so," the white-robed man nodded, his eyes shifting as he searched for a new topic of conversation. Before he could speak, however, You Longsheng gestured to him, indicating the table laden with meat and inviting him to join them. "Come, join us. Don't be shy."
The white-robed man couldn't hold back any longer, "Aren't you going to ask who I am?"
Ding Baiyun and Lan Yueyi struggled to contain their laughter, while You Longsheng looked up, feigning surprise, "Aren't you Bai Tianyong?"
(End of Chapter)
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