Chapter 12: Do You Want Your Family To Be Exterminated?

Sword Dynasty

Volume 2

Chapter 12: Do You Want Your Family To Be Exterminated?

The second day was the main day of the temple festival. From dawn, people were selling fried cakes along the streets.

The Zheng people's diet and lifestyle were very different from those of the Qin people. The Qin people mostly preferred wheat-based foods that could be processed into noodles, but the Zheng people preferred foods made from glutinous rice.

These fried cakes were made by grinding glutinous rice into flour, which was kneaded until smooth and pressed with a wide stone overnight. They were then rolled into balls the size of pigeon eggs and fried in oil before being coated with a layer of brown sugar.

This kind of food was too sweet for the people of Changling and Guanzhong to eat. They might even slam their bowls because the food stuck to their teeth.

Ding Ning did not mind this kind of sweet food. He held a rough porcelain bowl and asked for two, but when he prepared to pay, the woman selling the fried cakes firmly refused. “Since you are Old Master Feng's guest, we cannot accept money for these two unworthy items,” she said bashfully.

Ding Ning frowned slightly. He looked at the woman with a strong Zheng accent. He asked, “How did you know we were Old Master Feng’s guests?”

“This news spread throughout the city yesterday. Two of Old Master Feng’s guests from Changling are staying at this inn. You definitely have a Changling accent, and you’re exactly as described. You can’t be anyone else.” The woman explained honestly.

“It seems we’re destined to be hated today.”

While chewing on a sticky and sweet glutinous rice ball, Ding Ning watched the bashful woman leave. He turned to Xue Wangxu and said, “Now, everyone in Zheng City feels that we are Old Master Feng’s guests. If we, the guests, cause trouble for Old Master Feng, we will be very detestable in their eyes.”

Xue Wangxu smiled. “Sometimes it feels good when people detest you but they can’t do anything about you. Especially when you don’t have to care about their opinions.”

 

Fire symbolizes prosperity. The Zheng people worship the Kitchen God not only to keep their kitchen fires burning so they can eat their fill, but also to pray for more prosperous days.

Therefore, the ceremony is held at noon, when the sun is at its zenith.

However, the festival also includes the trade of various goods. Therefore, from early morning, Zhushan District becomes increasingly bustling with the gradual arrival of endless horse-drawn carriages and horses, and a sea of people formed.

When there was still an hour until noon, a cannon boom sounded simultaneously in the east and west of Zhushan District and the sound of drums and music began to play. People dressed in strange costumes and colorful masks sing and dance, moving through the streets.

These were the Zheng jumping shaman troupe. This method was said to allow people to communicate with ghosts and gods, allowing them to pray for health and peace.

Behind them, a group of people carrying a high altar filled with various offerings.

Traditionally, after the offering troupes depart, a group of men from the Kitchen God temple carries the Kitchen God statue out of the temple in a procession through the streets. Then, the paraded statue of the Kitchen God would be brought back to the Fire Virtue Hall of the Kitchen Temple to receive offerings. Afterward, the major families of Zhushan District and high-ranking individuals would take turns burning incense.

An altar with incense had been set up in front of the Fire Virtue Hall. Dozens of mahogany chairs were placed beside it.

A handsome young man in magnificent attire stood in an empty space near the incense altar. He was Old Master Feng's only grandson, Feng Qinghan.

Feng Futang walked quickly to Feng Qinghan and whispered. “Xue Wangxu and the young man named Ding Ning haven't shown any signs of leaving the inn.”

“They said they were leaving today, but they haven't left the inn yet. It seems they have other plans.” Feng Qinghan sneered disdainfully. “If they really have other plans, then they're truly inviting trouble for themselves.”

 

At the same time, dozens of carriages were waiting near a serene manor.

There was an elegant tower in the courtyard. Two female servants were helping a man who appeared to be in his fifties to bathe and dress.

A female servant placed a warm, medicinally soaked towel on the man's face and gently massaged it. Another female servant used an aloeswood comb to comb through the roots of his black hair.

This man was very patient waiting for the heat of the towel to penetrate his facial skin.

When the towel cooled and the female servant replaced it with a clean one dipped in clear water to help him wash his face and neaten his hair, he finally asked the middle-aged man standing at the doorway, “Xue Wangxu said that he was leaving but he still hasn’t left?”

The waiting middle-aged man showed no signs of dissatisfaction. His answer was short and straightforward. “There's no sign of him leaving at all.”

“Does he really want to wait for me?”

“He, Xue Wangxu, can afford to neglect the rest of his life, but I, Feng Qianzhuo, have a large family and business to take care of. Why should I lower my status to be in the same position as him?”

“When I show up, make sure he doesn't show up.”

This man who was enjoying the service of the two female servants was the old master of the Feng Family, the most beloved Feng Qianzhuo of Zhushan District. After a few words, he looked at the middle-aged man and gave an order. “But to prevent any accidents, have the Eighth Mistress come along as well. Don't prepare a seat for her; just let her wait with you all.”

 

The group of dancing shamans had almost reached the Zheng Kitchen God Temple.

“Follow me closely.”

Seeing that the time was right, Xue Wangxu brushed off the peanut shells that had fallen on his clothes. He glanced at Ding Ning, who was not interested in the third plate of salted peanuts and stood up.

Most of the pedestrians had followed the group of shamans, so the streets around the inn were already quite deserted.

However, with Ding Ning following behind Xue Wangxu, after only a few steps, dozens of men dressed in gray robes walked out from the surrounding alleys. Metallic reflections glinted off the rooftops of the buildings around them.

A lean, strong man with dark skin carefully squeezed out of the crowd and approached Xue Wangxu and Ding Ning. Before he could speak, Xue Wangxu glanced at him coldly. He felt the man's gaze pounding into his mind like two giant hammers.

His knees involuntarily went weak, and he almost immediately sat down on the ground.

“There aren't many accomplished people in your Feng Family. No one can stop me unless Feng Qianzhuo comes personally,” Xue Wangxu said with little interest.

The thin, dark-skinned man spat out blood. He bit the tip of his tongue so that the pain would give him clarity of thought.

“We can't stop you, but we can die.”

The thin, dark-skinned man showed no fear whatsoever. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he drew a short sword and held it to his own neck. He sneered. “What will be spread after today is that Sect Master Xue has committed a massacre here for personal grudge.”

After a moment of silence, the thin, dark-skinned man looked at Xue Wangxu and said coldly, “I know that Sect Master Xue’s cultivation is very high, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to stop us all here from committing suicide in time. I must also remind Sect Master Xue that we are all Zheng people. Even if Sect Master Xue doesn’t fear Her Majesty the Empress’s wrath, if the commotion becomes too great, I’m afraid White Goat Cave will pay a heavier price.”

Looking at the vicious gazes of this thin, dark-skinned man and the people around him, Xue Wangxu frowned slightly. He had expected Feng Qianzhuo to prevent their meeting, but he had not expected Feng Qianzhuo to use such a method.

“You are members of the Feng family. By doing this, are you planning a major rebellion?” Ding Ning asked calmly as Xue Wangxu hesitated.

The thin, dark-skinned man and the people around him who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the Feng family looked at this young man from Changling in confusion. They did not understand the meaning of Ding Ning's words.

“Originally, we weren't interested in this temple festival at all. But yesterday, we heard your steward mention that this festival is different from previous ones. Most importantly, Her Majesty the Empress's calligraphy and paintings will be enshrined in the Fire Virtue Hall. We are going there now to pay our respects to Her Majesty the Empress's calligraphy and paintings.” Ding Ning looked at the people around him calmly and spoke slowly but clearly. “Even if you don't admit it now, if you die and there's an investigation in the future, they'll easily discover your connection to the Feng family. We wanted to go and pay our respects to Her Majesty the Empress's calligraphy and paintings, but you Zheng people won't allow us Qin people to do so, even holding us to the point of death. Is the Feng family trying to plot a rebellion? And you Zheng people… do you really want to die, and have your family exterminated?”

As he spoke, Ding Ning tugged at Xue Wangxu's sleeve and continued walking forward without looking at those people again.

Xue Wangxu glanced at his disciple admiringly and walked forward without saying anything.

The thin, dark-skinned man with the shortsword and the remaining Zheng people were thrown back at Ding Ning’s words. Cold sweat surfaced on their skin, drenching them in this cold weather.

“No wonder Wang Taixu admires you so much.” Xue Wangxu looked at Ding Ning and said softly with a smile. “You have the ability to part the fog and see clearly. You're also skilled at speaking cleverly and using righteousness to pressure others.”

Ding Ning smiled coldly. “How can people from a wild place like this compare to Changling in playing with power and using the principles of righteousness to frighten people?” he said disdainfully.

Xue Wangxu laughed heartily and said, “I just don't know what other tricks the Feng Family has up their sleeves.”

“We'll deal with them when they come.” Ding Ning looked at him. “I've heard that the best at arguing is the one who doesn't give others a chance to speak.”

Xue Wangxu thought for a moment and said, “That’s true.”

The moment he spoke, a gentle wave of primal energies of the universe emanated from his body.

He and Ding Ning walked as usual, but in the next moment, their figures moved incredibly fast. The pedestrians only felt a gust of wind blow past their heads. In the blink of an eye, they saw two faint figures flying past like cranes.

 

Notes:

This novel is not my work... I just translated it from a Chinese web novel written by Wu Zui

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