The Demon Lords

Chapter 1049: Chapter 251: Wine, Sword, Dragon, Tiger_3

"What about the other person?" Zheng Fan asked.

If there was another person, it would be inconvenient for Zheng Fan.

"That person fell ill due to the acclimatization process just after entering Chu State, and is still there recovering. I came alone."

"It’s good that you’re alone. Let’s go, we haven’t seen each other in a while, and I’ll treat you to a meal."

Mr. Chen didn’t refuse; his relationship with Zheng Fan was at that level.

"Actually, I planned to head north to Snow Sea Pass to find you after delivering this gift. I know the Sword Saint of Jin State is with you."

Mr. Chen is a swordsman fanatic, and the Sword Saint is a role model for all swordsmen.

If, during the era of the four great swordsmen, the Sword Saint was just one among them, then after the battle at Snow Sea Pass, the Sword Saint had surpassed the other three and stood alone as a supreme master.

"No problem, we’ll go together then. Let me tell you, at Snow Sea Pass, he and his wife and kids live next door to me. I’m very familiar with him, and there should be no problem introducing you. I’ll have him teach you some of his most treasured skills."

Saying this, Zheng Fan put his arm around Mr. Chen’s shoulder and walked forward with him.

Today is indeed a good day,

Opening the window for some fresh air and coincidentally running into him,

Lord Zheng is currently in need of people, and Mr. Chen just perfectly delivered himself at the right time.

Putting aside the first meeting where Mr. Chen almost killed him with a sword, after that, Mr. Chen has been a timely rain for him.

Lord Zheng enjoys spending time with honest people the most.

"My intuition tells me, with you being so enthusiastic, and this being Chu region, you..."

"Yeah, I want to make use of you."

"Oh, alright."

"Let’s go with this place. It should be the highest-class pavilion in this city."

Zhou County is only so big, and this Drunken Wind Pavilion is indeed the largest, but if this pavilion were in Xiayong, it wouldn’t be much to speak of.

The Fan Family enjoys luxury, but it’s not without purpose. Siniang has mentioned that the Fan Family’s extravagant spending actually revitalizes the entire Xiayong City, and many citizens rely on the Fan Family’s business to make a living.

If the Fan Family lived frugally and kept a low profile, Xiayong City would be as desolate as Zhou County.

Zheng Fan understood Siniang’s point, roughly equating it to currency circulation in future generations. Money isn’t best left buried in a cellar.

This is similar to Snow Sea Pass, where the Fan Family’s extravagance means that almost half of Xiayong City’s citizens are busy because of the Fan Family, and the silver they earn is mostly spent back at the Fan Family’s shops in Xiayong City, with the money flowing back to the Fan Family.

The treatment of soldiers at Snow Sea Pass is excellent, comparable to the Jingnan Army’s pay, with extra benefits during festivals. Nevertheless, Snow Sea Pass is surrounded by desolate lands with no other significant town, so the soldiers and their families still have to spend their wages on industries owned by the Earl’s Mansion in the city.

In the Drunken Wind Pavilion, Zheng Fan ordered a table by the window on the second floor and sat face to face with Mr. Chen.

The dishes were chosen by Lord Zheng, featuring a few specialty dishes and a pot of wine.

Mr. Chen wasn’t adept at social niceties, so Lord Zheng poured the wine himself.

After lightly clinking their cups,

Lord Zheng asked:

"Will the gift be delivered tomorrow?"

Mr. Chen shook his head and said, "It will be exchanged here."

"Oh, where?"

Mr. Chen blinked and said, "Right here, at Drunken Wind Pavilion."

Saying this,

Mr. Chen took a chopstick from the holder, placed it horizontally on top, and pointed to it,

and said:

"This is the signal."

Lord Zheng’s hand trembled slightly as he held his wine glass,

and said:

"Why does it feel like meeting with an agent?"

An agent refers to a series of personnel from the intelligence government office.

Mr. Chen nodded slightly and said, "The person coming to receive the gift is from Phoenix Nest."

"..." Zheng Fan.

As he spoke, Mr. Chen pulled a letter from inside his coat and placed it on the table.

Judging by the thickness of the letter, it seemed to be more than just a simple poem.

Zheng Fan took a deep breath, suddenly finding it amusing, pointing to himself, and said:

"Why didn’t you say earlier?"

You are connecting with an agent from Chu State’s Phoenix Nest, why didn’t you say so earlier?

Mr. Chen looked at Zheng Fan somewhat puzzled and said:

"Didn’t you know?"

"How would I know?" Lord Zheng replied, seemingly baffled.

"I thought you knew why I was here, so you were specifically waiting for me. Otherwise, why was it such a coincidence that when I walked below your inn, you happened to be standing by the window on the second floor, looking at me?"

"It was truly a coincidence."

"I thought it was all under your control, so I didn’t plan to resist and was going to cooperate."

"..." Lord Zheng.

Zheng Fan believed that Mr. Chen was telling the truth; he had no intention of drawing his sword against him. In fact, upon seeing Zheng Fan, he was just going through the motions, and the letter was already placed before Zheng Fan, whether it was poetry or anything else inside, Zheng Fan could freely take it and see for himself.

Because Mr. Chen once vowed to Zheng Fan never to draw his sword against him.

He is a Qian person, and he wouldn’t help Zheng Fan kill a Qian person, but he could allow Zheng Fan to capture him.

Lord Zheng was at a loss for words,

standing up,

planning to leave the place first, just in case he really ran into someone from Phoenix Nest later.

However,

just as Lord Zheng stood up, the sword that Mr. Chen had earlier put down on the side chair suddenly emitted a trembling hum.

"What’s the matter, are you going to draw your sword on me?" Zheng Fan felt it was absurd.

Mr. Chen shook his head and said,

"When a sword meets a kindred spirit, it sings in response."

Meaning the sword sensed a "friend," thus it involuntarily emitted a tremor as a call.

Lord Zheng wasn’t familiar with swords, so he directly asked,

"Who is it sensing?"

Mr. Chen answered, "Who in this world could be considered a kindred spirit by most swords with a spirit?"

Upon hearing this question,

three words immediately popped into Lord Zheng’s mind:

Master Swordsmith!

...

At this moment, outside the inn, the Master Swordsmith was accompanying a middle-aged man walking over.

The middle-aged man walked in front, while the Master Swordsmith followed half a step behind.

"Drunken Wind Pavilion, sir, is it this place?"

"Yes, it is indeed this place."

The middle-aged man nodded,

smiling:

"Hehe, I’m really eager to see Master Yao’s new verse."