Side Story 5: The First Stop in the Martial World

Side Story 5: The First Stop in the Martial World

After leaving the capital, we headed west.

The scenery along the official road gradually changed from bustling city streets to desolate countryside.

Although the "Pei Family Duo" were full of ambition when they left home, vowing to roam the world, rob the rich and help the poor.

But reality is often harsh.

After galloping for only a hundred miles, before nightfall, the heroine Pei Niannian, who had vowed to "conquer the country and return," was already lying on her horse's back, starving.

"An'an..."

Pei Niannian weakly cracked her whip, her voice feeble:

"The world of martial arts is so far away... Haven't we arrived yet?"

"I feel like I've drunk my fill of all the wind in my life. I want to eat meat... I want to eat hot, big steamed buns..."

Pei An, following behind, remained upright with a blank expression.

He held the wooden sword in his arms, looked around at the desolate wilderness, then at his sister who was about to faint from hunger, and sighed helplessly.

"Sister, there's no village or shop ahead, let's hang in there a little longer."

"No! I want to eat it!"

Pei Niannian started to whine: "If we don't eat now, we'll starve to death! The Great Sheng Dynasty will lose a future heroine!"

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, bringing with it a faint aroma of meat.

Pei Niannian's nose twitched instantly. She sat up abruptly, her eyes shining as she looked ahead:

"I smell it! It smells like meat!"

I followed her gaze.

In a grove of withered trees beside the official road, there was indeed a tattered wine flag with four large, crooked characters written on it: "[Yuelai Inn]".

The lonely inn is built in this desolate wilderness, far from any village or shop in sight.

The walls were peeling, the window paper was yellowed, and two red lanterns hung at the door, swaying in the wind. No matter how you looked at it, it exuded a sinister and ghostly atmosphere.

"Yuelai Inn?" Pei Niannian was overjoyed: "As expected, there's always a way out! Let's go!"

"Sis, wait..."

Pei An frowned slightly.

His ears twitched; he heard some unusual sounds. The inn's appearance was too abrupt.

But Pei Niannian had already rushed over like a gust of wind.

...

"Sir/Madam! Are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"

As soon as I entered, a charming and seductive voice greeted me.

From behind the counter emerged a still-charming proprietress dressed in a red and green floral jacket.

She held a round fan in her hand, but it couldn't hide her shrewd and calculating triangular eyes. Her gaze swept over the siblings' fine clothes, and a greedy glint flashed in her eyes.

Fat sheep.

They were still two tender little lambs, without any adults around!

"Have a meal!"

Pei Niannian slammed her riding whip on the table, her voice filled with heroic spirit:

"Bring out all the best wine and meat in your shop! I have plenty of money!"

As she spoke, she took out a gold ingot from her bosom and tossed it in her hand.

"Oh! Alright! Please wait a moment, esteemed guest!"

When the proprietress saw the gold, she smiled so much that the powder on her face almost fell off.

She shouted towards the kitchen:

"Ergou! Quick! Top-quality beef! Daughter's Red wine! Prepare a welcome feast for our distinguished guests!"

Pei An also walked in at this moment.

He didn't sit down, but instead stood behind his sister, holding his sword, his cold gaze sweeping across the dimly lit hall.

A few greasy tables, a few waiters with shifty eyes, and a proprietress with a face full of wrinkles from smiling.

My heart is racing.

[Rapid breathing.]

[There's the sound of knives being sharpened in the kitchen.]

Pei An's ears twitched slightly, taking in all these subtle sounds.

Soon, the food and drinks were served.

A large plate of braised beef, a jar of Shaoxing wine, and a pot of steaming hot tea.

"Please enjoy your meal, sir. This is our shop's signature dish!"

The proprietress poured tea for the two of them attentively, but her eyes were fixed on the plate of beef, as if she was expecting something.

"It smells so good!"

Pei Niannian was already starving.

She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of beef, and was about to put it in her mouth.

"Wait a minute."

A long, slender, fair hand suddenly reached out and pressed down on her chopsticks.

Pei Niannian was taken aback and turned to look at her younger brother: "An'an? What are you doing? Aren't you hungry?"

Pei An remained silent.

He picked up the plate of beef with a blank expression and brought it to his nose to smell it.

He picked up his wine glass again and swirled it.

Finally, he dipped his finger in the tea and drew a circle on the table.

Seeing this, the proprietress's smile faltered: "Young man, what's wrong with you...?"

"sister."

Pei An put down his teacup, took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands, then looked up and said slowly in a tone that carried a hint of professional commentary:

"The beef is reddish in color, but there are fine white powder residues between the grains."

He looked at the proprietress, his voice cold:

"This is a commonly used sleeping potion in the martial arts world. It's a very strong dose; it can knock out an entire ox."

The proprietress: "!!!"

Before the proprietress could react, Pei An pointed to the jar of wine again:

"This wine contains datura pollen, it has a strange fragrance, and drinking it will cause hallucinations and make you as obedient as a dog."

Finally, he pointed to the pot of tea:

"As for this tea..."

Pei An frowned, seemingly somewhat disgusted:

"This contains croton oil and a strong laxative."

After completing all this analysis, Pei An turned to look at Pei Niannian, who was already dumbfounded, and made his final conclusion:

"Sis, stop eating."

He turned to look at the pale-faced proprietress, who was drenched in cold sweat, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips:

"This proprietress...is quite particular."

"No two medicines are the same."

The proprietress's round fan fell to the ground with a "thud".

She has been running a shady business for twenty years. She has seen people haggle, people are picky eaters, and people with some experience in the underworld.

But she had never seen anything like it before—

This monster could analyze all three of her family's secret medicines clearly just by smelling them, and even identify their ingredients!

Where did this little tyrant come from?

"You, you're talking nonsense!"

Enraged, the proprietress took a step back and roared, "Guards! Chop those two ignorant brats up!"

"Since you won't listen to reason, then you'll have to suffer the consequences!"

At her command, seven or eight burly men wielding cleavers rushed out of the kitchen and surrounded her menacingly.

Faced with this group of vicious thugs, Pei Niannian, sitting in the chair, was not afraid at all; instead, she slowly put down her chopsticks.

She looked at the plate of beef with added ingredients, the lunch she had been looking forward to.

Pei Niannian raised her head, and her almond-shaped eyes, which were originally full of appetite, instantly ignited with a raging fire.

That was extreme anger over wasting food.

"Dare to poison my food?"

She slammed her hand on the table, stood up abruptly, her red dress fluttering, exuding a murderous aura:

"An'an, step back."

"We can't have this meal today... Well then, let these clueless bastards be my 'extra meal'!"