Free Web NovelChapter 179: Chapter 159: A Night of Heavy Drinking, Preparing to Depart
Step 1: Contextual Analysis
Literary genre: This appears to be a Chinese cultivation/xianxia web novel with elements of martial arts, intrigue, and urban fantasy. It contains references to "Qi and Blood" which suggests cultivation elements.
Language style: The original text has a mix of formal narrative and casual dialogue, with some traditional Chinese elements (like gift-giving customs, respect for elders).
Tone: Generally serious with moments of warmth and some tension. It’s focusing on personal relationships and impending danger.
Plot keywords: wedding celebration, hometown return, impending danger, evacuation plans, family bonds, martial artist protagonist
Characters:
- Wu Liangchen (武良辰): Male protagonist, powerful martial artist/cultivator, recently returned to Dinghai City, getting married
- Bai Erya (白二丫): Female, Wu’s new wife, seems gentle and obedient
- Liu Dongchuan (刘东川): Male, close friend of Wu, treats him like family
- Sister Liu (刘嫂): Female, Liu Dongchuan’s wife, caring and hospitable
- Third Granny (三奶奶): Female, elderly woman, treats Wu like family
- Third Master Liu (刘三爷): Male, elder family member of the Liu family
- Cui Qi (崔启): Male, former troublemaker who now works for Wu, has a "shark tooth" appearance
- Yuan Er (袁二): Male, former colleague of Wu when they were pulling carts, has moved away
Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing
Now I’ll proceed with the translation, keeping all the glossary terms consistent and ensuring natural English flow while preserving the original structure.
Starting translation now...
I notice this Chapter covers Wu Liangchen returning to his hometown with his new wife, celebrating with friends who treat them like family, and making plans to leave due to impending danger from the Cyan Cloud Mountain group.
For dialogue tags, I’ll make sure to use natural English constructions and avoid direct translations of Chinese speech patterns like "言道" which should be smoothly rendered as "said" or contextually appropriate alternatives.
I’ll also ensure all the terms from the glossary are used correctly and consistently. frёewebnoѵēl.com
The Chapter involves red envelopes (hongbao), Chinese wedding customs, and references to cultivation (Qi and Blood). I’ll translate these in a way that English readers will understand while preserving the cultural context.
The translation is complete. Let me do a final check for any remaining Chinese characters or Pinyin, and also verify logical consistency in meta-textual references. frёewebnoѵēl.com
I’ve checked for any character count references or other meta-textual elements that would need adjustment in translation, and there don’t appear to be any in this passage.
Let me check for any inconsistencies in names or terms:
- All names match the glossary (Wu Liangchen, Bai Erya, Dinghai City, etc.)
- "Qi and Blood" is used correctly
- Family terms like "Third Granny" are preserved as specified in the glossary
- Location names like "Cyan Cloud Mountain" are correctly translated
Final review complete. The translation is ready.
Upon entering the room, she saw it had been cleaned spotlessly. In the middle stood a large round table laden with various fruits and delicacies.
The fruit was fresh, the pastries were high-end—not a single item could be considered cheap.
Especially for the common folk of Dinghai City nowadays, this spread would be considered extravagant.
"Sit down, sit down!" Sister Liu ushered Erya to a seat, then busied herself pouring tea and serving water, fussing about cheerfully. This made Erya feel quite embarrassed. She tried to stand up several times, but was forcefully pressed back into her seat each time.
"Stay seated and don’t move. Today is the most honorable day in a woman’s life, so don’t do anything—just sit here and rest," Sister Liu said earnestly.
Erya lowered her head, feeling somewhat shy at these words.
Just then, Third Granny approached with two large red envelopes.
"Erya, this is a small token from your Third Grandfather and me. Don’t refuse it—it’s Dinghai City tradition that a new bride must receive red envelopes for good fortune." Third Granny spoke firmly when she saw Erya about to say something.
This custom did indeed exist among Dinghai City folk, but it was usually given by the groom’s parents. Third Granny Liu doing this clearly showed that she considered Wu Liangchen as her own child.
Wu Liangchen was deeply touched by this and quietly said to Erya, "Accept them. This is Third Granny’s goodwill—don’t disappoint her."
Bai Erya then received the red envelopes with both hands. "Thank you, Third Granny!"
"That’s a good child," said Third Granny Liu with a kind smile.
Just then, Liu Dongchuan walked in from outside, followed by several young waiters from the restaurant, all carrying food containers.
"Come, set everything up!" Liu Dongchuan instructed.
The waiters opened the containers, revealing numerous exquisite dishes that quickly filled another large table.
Liu Dongchuan had specially ordered this high-class feast from Hongfu Building, the finest restaurant in Dinghai City.
All to properly host Wu Liangchen and Erya.
"Come, I’ve already taken leave from work. Today, brother, we drink until we can’t stand!" Liu Dongchuan said with a smile as he opened a jar of well-aged wine.
Wu Liangchen felt another wave of warmth flow through him.
Because in the Liu family, he found a long-missing sense of family comfort.
"Alright, I’ll gladly share a few drinks with Brother Liu."
The wine was excellent, the food delicious.
Especially after the women finished eating and went to another room to chat, Third Master Liu, Liu Dongchuan, and Wu Liangchen drank with even greater enthusiasm.
Just as the drinking reached its peak, someone walked in from outside. Upon seeing Wu Liangchen, he immediately stopped and gave a deep bow.
"Master Wu, you’re back!"
Wu Liangchen looked up and discovered the visitor was none other than the shark-toothed Cui Qi.
This fellow had once set up a honeypot trap but was beaten by Wu Liangchen and subsequently became his informant.
Before leaving Dinghai City, Wu Liangchen had instructed Liu Dongchuan to recruit these men.
Because one should never underestimate these street rats—sometimes they could be incredibly useful.
He hadn’t expected that Cui Qi would hear the news and come today.
"Yes, I’m back!" Wu Liangchen replied.
"I heard you’ve taken a wife, and the brothers all wanted to come congratulate you. But I was afraid they’d be ill-mannered, so I didn’t let them come."
"This is a small token from us. It’s not much, but I hope you’ll accept it."
Cui Qi then produced a red envelope and nervously handed it over.
His mood was extremely uneasy.
For good reason—Wu Liangchen’s reputation was simply too fearsome.
When he left last time, he had nearly turned all of Dinghai City upside down.
Even now, various legends about him circulated among the common people, who discussed them with great interest.
So upon hearing that Wu Liangchen had returned, Cui Qi felt his scalp tingle, not knowing what this deadly master had come back to do.
It wasn’t until he heard that Wu Liangchen had merely returned to take a wife that he finally relaxed. He then gritted his teeth, took out nearly all his savings to make a generous red envelope, and came to offer his congratulations.
Although nothing would likely happen if he didn’t come, one could never be too polite—especially now that most of his brothers worked under Liu Dongchuan, making it all the more important to be cautious.
Liu Dongchuan spoke up: "Xiaowu, I told them about this. You don’t mind, do you?"
Wu Liangchen smiled, "Brother Liu, you worry too much. This isn’t some state secret—why keep it hidden?"
The situation now was completely different from six months ago.
Too much had happened during this time, and with Wu Liangchen’s own power having increased dramatically, even if Dinghai City’s officials and prominent families knew of his return, they would pretend not to know.
After all, when even the once-illustrious Xiao family had fallen from grace, who would be foolish enough to provoke this hardened nail?
Wu Liangchen then reached out to accept the red envelope. "Very well, you’ve shown your sincerity. I’ll take the envelope."
Cui Qi was overjoyed, feeling as if a heavy stone had finally dropped from his heart.
"Would you like to sit and have a few drinks?" Wu Liangchen invited.
Having spent years navigating the jianghu underworld, Cui Qi naturally understood social cues and immediately declined.
"No, no, I still have some business today. Another time I’ll treat Master Wu to some wine myself."
Wu Liangchen nodded, and Cui Qi turned to leave.
After exiting the door, Cui Qi finally exhaled deeply, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still pounding.
Though Wu Liangchen had merely been sitting there, the pressure he exerted on Cui Qi was intense, even creating the illusion that he could hardly breathe.
It seemed this master had further improved his abilities during his half-year absence.
Given enough time, who knew what he might achieve?
Cui Qi walked back while pondering this. After turning a corner, he found his brothers, including his sister, all waiting there.
Seeing him return, they quickly gathered around.
"How did it go? Did you see him?"
"Of course I saw him. Master Wu even invited me to drink with him," Cui Qi boasted proudly with his head held high.
The group all looked at him with envy.
Especially Cui Qi’s sister, whose eyes gleamed as she asked, "Did you see the bride? Is she pretty?"
"How the hell would I see her? And I’m telling you all, not a word about today to anyone. If you anger this master, hmph, hmph—you figure out the consequences yourselves," Cui Qi warned sternly.
Although Wu Liangchen might not care if his whereabouts were revealed, whether he cared was one matter, and how Cui Qi should act was another.
Hearing this, the group shrunk their necks and dared not make a sound.
...
The drinking session lasted from noon until dusk. Third Master Liu and Liu Dongchuan were completely drunk.
Wu Liangchen was still fine, though to maintain that slightly tipsy feeling, he deliberately avoided circulating his Qi and Blood. Otherwise, with his powerful physique, he could have purged the alcohol from his system in the blink of an eye.
"Xiaowu, the room is ready. You and Erya will stay here. The bedding has just been freshly washed by me—it’s very clean," Sister Liu said.
Wu Liangchen nodded, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister."
"Oh my, there’s no need for such formality between family." With that, Sister Liu smiled and left, leaving only Wu Liangchen and Erya in the room.
"Have some tea to sober up." Erya poured Wu Liangchen a cup of tea.
Wu Liangchen took it and drank a few sips before suddenly saying, "Erya."
"Yes?"
"In a few days, I want to take you and your father away from Dinghai City."
Erya’s body trembled, but she immediately nodded firmly. "Alright!"
No questions about why, not even asking when they would leave—Erya simply sat down beside Wu Liangchen and rested her head on his shoulder.
Only after a long while did she speak softly.
"Brother Xiaowu..."
"Hmm?"
"Is something bad going to happen in Dinghai City?"
"Yes." Wu Liangchen didn’t hide it, and proceeded to tell Erya about Cyan Cloud Mountain’s plans to target Dinghai City.
After hearing this, Erya’s face showed concern. "But what about Brother Liu and Third Granny if we leave?"
Wu Liangchen sighed. "Yes, I’ve been thinking about that too."
Though he always said people had their own paths and couldn’t be forced, Wu Liangchen couldn’t possibly stand by and watch the Liu family fall into danger.
If nothing else, his conscience wouldn’t allow it.
Seeing the worry on Wu Liangchen’s face, Erya gently massaged his shoulders while softly comforting him.
"My father always says that solutions appear when needed. Third Granny and the others are such good people—Heaven will surely protect them."
Heaven’s protection...
Wu Liangchen inwardly scoffed. If there truly were Immortals and deities in this world, they would be in league with the powerful and privileged.
That’s why Wu Liangchen firmly believed that relying on oneself was better than praying for divine intervention.
"Go to sleep. I have my own plans for this matter."
"Mmm!"
The night passed peacefully.
The next day, Wu Liangchen took Erya to bid farewell to Third Granny before returning to the Bai family home.
Upon arriving home, Wu Liangchen said to Erya:
"Spend these two days packing your belongings. Take only the most important items—leave behind anything bulky or common."
"I understand, Brother Xiaowu."
Though they were essentially husband and wife now, Erya still habitually called Wu Liangchen "Brother Xiaowu."
After giving a few more instructions, Wu Liangchen left the Bai residence and headed directly to Yuan Er’s former dwelling place.
Upon arrival, he discovered the place empty. After inquiring with neighboring residents, he learned that Yuan Er and his family had left Dinghai City two months earlier to return to their rural hometown.
The reason, they said, was that Yuan Er had earned some money transporting coal and had purchased land in the countryside before taking his wife and children there to live.
Hearing this, Wu Liangchen couldn’t help but feel emotional.
Just last year, they had been pulling carts together, but now everything had changed.
Yuan Er’s decision was actually quite correct. During minor troubles, head to the cities; during moderate troubles, go to the countryside; during major troubles, flee to the mountains.
With Dinghai City’s situation becoming increasingly unstable, retreating to the countryside was indeed an excellent choice for those with relatives and land there.
Wu Liangchen had planned to visit Yuan Er and warn him to prepare early. Now seeing that he had already left the city, Wu Liangchen felt relieved and prepared to return.
But just as he reached the main street and hadn’t gone far, a carriage suddenly came racing from the distance at great speed.
Pedestrians scrambled to get out of the way. Wu Liangchen frowned and stopped, standing under the eaves of a building at the roadside, coldly watching the speeding carriage pass by.
Just then, the carriage suddenly slowed down and, amidst the whinnying of horses, came to an abrupt halt right in front of Wu Liangchen.
The carriage curtain lifted, revealing a face full of surprise beneath it.
"So it’s you!"
