V2C41

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The two of them sneaked into Fang’s house that night and took away all the clothes and parcels they left there.

They learned that those who had been chosen by the Fairy Goddess to go to the mountain had returned, and they told the story of what had happened to them on the mountain. They really were asked to put on wedding clothes and marry the Fairy Goddess at first, but she did not appear on the wedding night, and the next day, they were sent to the Yixin Garden in the back of the mountain to do the so-called spiritual training.

In the end, they really don’t know whether the Purple Fox’s actions were good or bad. However, the people of Zhong Li City still remembered her kindness in helping people, and kept the incense burning at the Gao Ancestral Hall. It is said that those who come to pray for blessings are always granted their wishes, but they do not know whether it is the Purple Fox.

Yu Sifeng’s plan is to go to Fuyu Island, tell Dongfang Qingqi about the Dinghǎi Iron Chains and the evil spirits, and then wait for Linglong and the others to come. The five of them had originally planned was to go to Fuyu Island, but now that they are separated, they will definitely choose to meet there.

They got out of Zhongliu City and headed north by Flying Sword, there are thousands of miles of forest and mountains, and beyong the endless mountains, they arrive at the magnificent blue sea.

Yu Sifeng held the map in his hand, his sleeves ruffled by the blowing wind, and he looked at it for a moment before saying, “We should pass through Jimo now, and after another flight we will reach Zhifu Mountain, and rest there for a day. Wait for the announcement.”

Xuanji nodded her head. Even though she had never been to Fuyu Island, she knew that it was an isolated island in the sea, surrounded by mountains, like a natural protective barrier. There is a huge sword net on Fuyu Island, so even a bird can’t fly into it, not to mention people. So, the only way to enter Fuyu Island is to wait for the notification at the small town under Zhifu Island, which is equivalent to the main gate of Fuyu Island.

“Sifeng, Sifeng – ” Xuanji waved to him furtively from her sword, her eyes shining brightly like a proud cat.

As soon as he saw such an expression, Yu Sifeng knew that she was thinking of something that she found pleasing, so he smiled and said, “Are you thinking of what delicacies to eat in town?”

“Ah, you guessed it.” Xuanji is so embarrassed. It seems like a fifteen-year-old adult shouldn’t have an appetite like this, and anyway, her mother and father always tell her that at her age she should be more stable now. But it’s not unstable to want to eat, right? Xuanji felt that she was already very stable, but she had been starving for most of the day and finally couldn’t hold her tongue before she spoke.

“Even a saint would be hungry, right?”

Yu Sifeng couldn’t help but tease her, “Do you know what kind of food there is in Zhifu Mountain? So happy.”

“Of course I know.” Xuanji proudly listed them out as if they were family treasures: “Dog meat in soy sauce, braised pork soup, pulled noodles….”

She was so hungry that she looked up and saw Yu Sifeng smiling at her, so she hurriedly added, “Linglong told me all about it, but I haven’t eaten it yet… she said it was delicious.”

Yu Sifeng stroked his chin and shook his head, “Looks like you’ve never heard of anything better. Oh, what a pity.”

“Is there anything more delicious?” Xuanji stared at him with round eyes, it seemed like Si Feng had been to many places, he was definitely right.

But he laughed and said, “You will know when I take you there.”

The town at the foot of Zhifu Mountain is really a “small” town, only about ten miles in radius. However, the sparrow may be small, but all it’s vital organs are there[1]. There are taverns, inns, and restaurants with everything needed available. The majority of the inns are run by the local residents themselves, and if you pay a few coins you can have hot soup and rice, and a warm bed.

Once he arrives at the town, Yu Sifeng takes Xuanji with him around and around on the not-so-wide streets. The town didn’t even have a name, but because it was near Fuyu Island, people from outside called it Fuyu Town. Probably due to the small size of the town, there are many forks in the road, and you may think that there is no road ahead, but when you turn a corner, there will be light again.

It turns out that many restaurants are rooted in the alleys, so it’s really dizzying if you don’t know where to find them. After walking for half a day, Xuanji followed Yu Sifeng and came to a small alley that was almost filled with restaurants, including those selling fried stinky tofu, barbecued meat, and pulled noodles.

It was just lunchtime, and as soon as she entered, she smelled the aroma, and Xuanji could hardly take a step.

“Si – Sifeng … where are we going?” Xuanji stared at the shiny roast meat on the shelf, and felt heart ache at the thought of leaving it.

He smiled lightly, “I’ll be right there. Come with me.” He grabbed her hand and walked to the end of the alley, turned a corner and entered a restaurant. Xuanji saw a hall with only two tables and a few benches, with a curtain hanging on the opposite side. It looked as if a family had vacated their own hall and turned it into a restaurant.

There were only one or two customers eating noodles with their heads bowed, and the smell of the noodles was so strange that their mouths watered at the first sniff.

“Here, sit down first.” Yu Sifeng wiped the greasy stool with his sleeve, pressed her to sit down, opened the curtain and went in. Who knows what he said to the owner, but after a while, he came out with two plates of green stuff.

“Appetizer, eat this first.” He put the plates down and handed her a pair of chopsticks.

It seemed to be a cold dish. Xuanji had never seen such a dish before, so she hesitantly put it into her mouth, only to find that the seasoning was sour and sweet, with a slight hint of spiciness. The vegetables had a refreshingly smooth and crispy texture, indescribably wonderful.

“Mmm, delicious.” As she ate, she asked, “What kind of vegetable is this?”

“A wild herb from Zhifu Mountain that has no name either. The local people call it ‘cat’s wild herb’.”

Yu Sifeng saw her eating happily and couldn’t help but laugh.

Xuanji nodded seriously and said, “Well, I used to think that the most delicious dishes were the famous ones, but now I find that the tastiest ones are the unknown ones. Just like dad always says, the great men are all secluded and hidden in unknown places. That should be the same principle, right?”

To associate food with hermits and great people, her mind thinks too well. Yu Sifeng shook his head with a smile and was about to say something when the owner brought two large wooden bowls with snowy white noodles cooked in some kind of soup, with a strange aroma and many crystal shrimps on top.

Xuanji no longer cared to speak and ate so much that her cheeks bulged. Yu Sifeng chatted with the owner and learns that the soup is a secret recipe inherited from his ancestors, and that the addition of herbs gives the soup a fragrant and refreshing aroma.

Seeing that the two young people liked the soup, the owner went in and prepared two small dishes for them to try, at no cost.

Yu Sifeng smiled and said, “Thank you, Uncle. We want to go to Fuyu Island, but I don’t know where to find someone to announce us.”

The boss shook his hand and said, “It’s better if you don’t go there. It seems that the island is not very stable lately, and the day before yesterday, I heard that the Island Master lost his temper and expelled several disciples who had grown up with him.”

Hearing this, the two of them stopped eating and looked at each other suspiciously. Dongfang Qingqi is a hero among men, he is also open-minded and generous, how could he be angry at his own disciples? And they had traveled with him for some time, and they knew that he was a man who protected his pupils, and that they were all good, so there was no question of expulsion.

And the old man said, “But if you have urgent business, you can go to the old Xi residence and look for them. If you want to go to Fuyu Island, go there and tell them, and someone will show you in. Even the disciples who were expelled from the master’s house were reluctant to leave, and they remained there … alas, the disciples who grew up there from childhood, when I see them, it makes me tearful…”

The two of them left the restaurant, recalling what the boss had said as they walked.

Xuanji suddenly pulled Yu Sifeng’s sleeve and whispered, “What do you think… could it be his wife… that thing…?”

Four years ago, during the Zanhua[3] Ceremony, they both recalled that they ran into Dongfang Qingqi’s wife having an affair with the island’s chief steward in the back of the mountain. The Island Master was completely in the dark about this matter, after four years, it is likely that the affair was discovered by him, so his mind was in turmoil, frustrated and angry, and the disciples who knew about it were expelled.

Yu Sifeng thought about it and shook his head and said, “The Island Master is not the kind of person who would expel his disciples just to save face. There is something fishy about this matter, let’s go to the island first and take a look.”

“Will he…not want to see us? Xuanji hesitated for a moment. After all, no one wants outsiders to know about this embarrassing family matter.

Yu Sifeng sighed, “There’s nothing we can do about it, but what is more important, the demon or this matter? We don’t know the origins of the others, and if we release a demon to harm the world, that would be a great crime.”

Xuanji nodded her head. They hurried towards the Xi residence with a heavy heart, but they heard the loud banging of the banging drums at the corner of the street, which turned out to be a performance inviting passers-by to join them. When Xuanji saw that it was so crowded, she couldn’t help but take a second look and saw passers-by jumping up from the pedestal to the yuzan flowers[2] hanging from the pole.

She saw that many people had signed up, but none of them could make it. The yuzan flowers were hanging high on the pole and was swaying in the wind, very charming. It is rare to see this kind of flower in the mountains of Zhifu, so many people are eager to try. The salesman even shouted, “It costs one coin to jump, one coin to jump! If you get the flower, its yours.”

Suddenly, Yu Sifeng took her hand and ran over, tossing the salesman a coin and smiling, “I’ll do it.”

The salesman hastily compensated, “Sir, please get on the footstool, be careful, don’t break your leg.”

He shook his head and said, “No need,” After saying that, he turned back and smiled at Xuanji, saying, “Wait, I’ll be right back.”

Xuanji was startled and watched him go forward. He gave his body a slight leap and flew up with his sleeves spread like a dragon and a phoenix. Amidst the overwhelming applause of the people below, he grabbed the pole with one hand and, with a little twist of his foot, deftly twisted the yuzan flower.

The young man, with black hair and black eyes and a jade-like jade ornament between his fingers, spun around and landed on the ground unconcernedly, without breaking a sweat. When Xuanji saw him walking towards her, she suddenly felt her heart beating so hard that it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. His black jewel-like eyes were warm as they looked at her, only looking at her. He walked up to her, pinned the yuzan flower behind her ear amidst the shouts and admiration of the crowd, smiled and said, “This is for you.”

She groaned vaguely in her throat and her face burned violently, finally feeling a hint of shame. She was so happy and surprised that she couldn’t speak for a moment.

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[1]: 麻雀虽小，五脏俱全 (má què suī xiǎo , wǔ zàng jù quán) – is an idiom which translates as ‘the sparrow may be small but all its vital organs are there‘ , meaning: small but complete in every detail

[2]: Yuzan Flower also known as Hosta Plantaginea is a plant species native to China.

Yuzan Flower

[3]: 簪 (zān)/ Hairpin 花 (huā)/ Flower. I’ve decided to switch back to the original Mandarin name instead of translating ‘Flower Hairpin’ Conference every time, as it sounds less awkward. All previous instances of the term will also be edited to reflect this change.

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