Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 53: Old Age Passion; I Need to Go Bring Jin Feng Lamb Rice Noodles

Xia Liuqing's voice immediately made the three people present put down their cups and chopsticks.

They exchanged a solemn glance, but neither of them spoke.

"Nobody's going to say anything? Then I'll start."

Xia Liuqing coldly observed the chilly atmosphere on the table, then glanced around. "You probably received word of our arrival."

"Throughout the city, approximately ninety members of the Quanxing sect were brutally murdered, their bodies torn to pieces, each one a gruesome sight."

"That kid claimed to be from the Lü family, a Taoist from Wudang Mountain, and even issued a challenge to Quanxing, demanding that we hand over a man named Lü Liang."

"How should we handle this? You three, give me a straight answer."

As he spoke, he tapped the empty wine glass on the table, the celadon glass making a crisp sound as it collided with the wood.

"Haha, Brother Xia, according to the news from below, that brat named Lü Qian is only seventeen or eighteen years old. Although talent is very important in cultivation, we centuries-old ghosts are not lacking in anything. Is this century of accumulation just a joke?"

Sitting in the head seat, Zhao Ji covered his mouth with his water sleeve, pointed to himself, and then looked around at the other three old ghosts.

"The four of us combined are probably four hundred years old. Surely we can't possibly lose to a mere brat who hasn't even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet?"

A clear and melodious sound, like a wind chime, echoed in the private room. Zhao Ji then patted the table.

"If you ask me, who cares about these demons and monsters? The four of us are on our own. How can a mere kid compare to us old ghosts who are about to be buried in the yellow earth?"

After saying that, Zhao Ji sat in his seat and kept chuckling.

"Brother Zhao is right. Besides, it's impossible for a little brat to sweep through the entire Quanxing faction in the city."

"It must have been the Lü family or Wudang who stepped in to help. I don't believe that another extraordinary person has emerged in this world."

Sun Rong, who was chewing human flesh, stared with eyes bigger than copper bells. He swallowed the meat in his mouth and slapped the table in agreement.

"As for the Lü family and Wudang, the boys below have sent word that Lü Ci went to the company, and there aren't any powerful figures coming down from Wudang Mountain. I refuse to believe that the four of us can't take down this brat!"

"That's right. We're not bad at all, and we've also accumulated a hundred years of cultivation. I think we can leave something for that mad dog Lü Ci."

Li Ying held his wine glass, swirling the bright red liquid inside. His cheeks were flushed, and he spoke to Xia Liuqing across from him as if he were drunk.

"Old Xia, what do you think?"

Xia Liuqing glanced around at the lively atmosphere at the table, seemingly unaffected by the fervor. He blinked his white-eyed, black-rimmed eyes twice.

"I?"

"I'll go back and bring Jin Feng some mutton rice noodles."

As he spoke, Xia Liuqing stood up from the round stool, supporting himself on the table with both hands, and slowly walked towards the door of the private room with his hands behind his back.

Xia Liuqing's words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the room, instantly freezing the passionate atmosphere.

The other three people present were also taken aback by his seemingly random words. When they came to their senses, they found that Xia Liuqing had already walked to the door of the private room.

"Brother Xia!"

Zhao Ji's voice suddenly became high-pitched and sharp. He turned around and looked incredulously at Xia Liuqing, who was about to open the door.

"Old Xia, you really are as loyal as a golden phoenix."

Sun Rong picked up his chopsticks and pointed at Xia Liuqing, "Are you going to participate in this operation or not? Give the brothers a straight answer!"

Li Ying picked up the wine pot and refilled the cup. "Yeah, Lao Xia, these little brats have really gone too far as to bully us. Don't even think about running away now."

"Back in the day, our Quanxing sect overthrew the world's number one sect, the Sanyi Sect, and even severed their roots. Does this little brat from Wudang frighten you?"

Li Ying took a small sip of the fishy-smelling wine in her glass, then used a provocation tactic on Xia Liuqing.

"Squeak!"

The only response to the three was the sound of a wooden door turning. Xia Liuqing reached out and held the door, stepped out of the threshold with his left foot, and turned back to smile at the three of them.

"Grandpa Xia, I'm not afraid of a little brat. But judging from the way you're all planning to go all out, you're more than enough to handle this little brat. One more of me won't make a difference."

As he spoke, he stepped out of the doorway with his right foot and continued, "Last night, Jin Feng called me and said that the house was drafty and asked me to find someone to fix it. I thought that no one else's skills were as good as mine, so I rushed back to help."

"I booked my plane ticket last night, and I'm almost late. See you later!"

As she spoke, Xia Liuqing slammed the wooden door shut, then hummed a little tune and stepped down the wooden stairs.

"Jin Feng'er, I'm here!"

The people in the private room had strange expressions, sometimes furious, sometimes helpless.

"Enough of this infatuated fool. I wonder when Miss Jin Feng will finally turn around and see the truth."

Zhao Ji, dressed as a young female role, helplessly flicked her water sleeves and sat back down on the round stool, her charming voice full of helplessness.

"Brother Zhao, stop talking about Lao Xia. When will you be able to let go yourself?"

Sun Rong, sitting opposite him, stretched out her hand to pick up a few slices of meat while looking up at Zhao Ji.

"Yes, Brother Zhao, it's not that we're criticizing you, but you're not even as good as Old Xia."

Li Ying put down her wine glass and looked helplessly at the silent Zhao Ji.

"At least Lao Xia can still see Jin Feng, but how many times have you seen that person in the past few decades?"

"I long for your return!"

"You've chosen a rather tranquil name for your restaurant, but is your heart truly at peace?"

After saying that, Li Ying ignored Zhao Ji, who was covering his face with his water sleeves. He shook the wine pot and then poured himself another cup of blood wine.

"My two brothers, but I just can't let go of that person... that person..."

Zhao Ji wiped the powdered corners of his eyes with his water sleeve, removing the few tears that were about to fall. "And my two brothers told me to forget that person, have you forgotten that person?"

"In the end, none of us brothers have forgotten him. If the older brothers had forgotten him, they wouldn't be reminding me of this today."

Zhao Ji put away her water sleeves, picked up the wine cup in front of her with her fair hands, and tilted her head back to drink the whole cup while concealed by her water sleeves.

Then, with glazed eyes, he put down his wine glass, stood up from the stool, and waved his flowing sleeves in the private room, performing a passionate singing, recitation, and martial arts routine for the two people at the table.

"I am sick with longing for you, my heart is breaking with sorrow, I sit alone before my dressing table, lost in thought."

"I still think of you, I see you in my dreams, your red sleeves dance lightly as I long for your return."

"My heart aches for you, I long for your return, my tearful eyes gaze across a thousand miles."

"Longing is like cotton wool, swirling in my heart, I gaze to the ends of the earth, the road ahead seems endless."

"Sleepless with longing, the night grows late, and your image lingers faintly in my dreams..."

The clear and melodious opera singing echoed in the private room, and the two people at the table stopped what they were doing to the sound of the opera.

As they listened to the voice filled with sorrow and longing, they unconsciously closed their eyes, and the image of the person they could never forget seemed to appear before them.

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Can you guess who these three old ghosts are still thinking about?

This passage was written to highlight the man's almost seductive attraction to the entire sect, foreshadowing later plot developments.

The answer is in the comments section; feel free to look it up if you're interested.