Sword Among Us

Chapter 913: Take Under His Wings

The plants Wondering Know-it-all planted in his front yard to calm minds were still there. For the first time, the elegant courtyard was lively but also filled with a somber air. There were more than twenty tables spaced out in the courtyard. The people in charge of the sects in Beijing and the famous players in Beijing were seated in a seemingly disorderly fashion that actually had some sort of order in them.

However, there was some attention to detail for their seating arrangement.

Most of the people outside were famous players in Beijing and some of the people in charge of sects who didn’t manage to achieve their ambition. Those who had great influence were not at the front yard.

But Wandering Know-it-all moved about the tables personally and exchanged some words with the people in charge of the sects. Meanwhile, he just left the quiet group of people in the hall hanging, and that included Class One Hall’s Vice Hall Master Barren Murderer.

Once they got to their seats, their expressions were sour and dark. They just stared at Happy sternly and nervously while he calmly moved his teacup around. The atmosphere was incredibly grave.

“Let’s sit outside.”

Clear Music and Musical Note swiftly reached a consensus and searched for a rather empty spot to be seated.

Wandering Know-it-all naturally saw this scene, but he said nothing. He made small talk with the people beside him, then picked up his wine cup before he sashayed to the Music sisters’ table.

“Palace masters, you make me honoured by gracing me with your presence.”

Clear Music and Musical Note were no longer as they were in the past. They quickly got up and smiled to greet Wandering Know-it-all.

“I hope that you won’t blame us for coming uninvited to your banquet, Master Wandering Know-it-all.”

“Haha! You’re far too courteous. I’m beside myself with joy that you came here. By the way, Class One Hall’s Vice Hall Master Barren Murderer and a group of sect masters are in the hall. Would you like to move over so that you can talk to them?”

There was a faint smile on Wandering Know-it-all’s face.

Clear Music and Musical Note smiled in anguish.

“We understand your kind will, master, but we think that the scenery at your front yard is better, so we won’t be going.”

They were trying their best in avoiding Barren Murderer now, and there was no way they will willingly enter the hall.

Wandering Know-it-all smiled knowingly.

“If that’s the case, I won’t spoil your mood. Allow me to go over and serve other guests.”

“Alright!”

They nodded and watched Wandering Know-it-all leave before Clear Music and Musical Note sighed in relief. Their gazes shot through the entrance and landed on a table in the hall with three people seated around it.

****

“Responsible Hero, I didn’t expect that you’d have time to come out today. Is your master well?”

“My master has always been well, thank you for being concerned about him. But a guest came over yesterday, and my master asked me to come out for a few days.”

Responsible Hero sat to Happy’s left. He was also the only person who did feel uneasy among the rest who sat in the hall. He just chatted with Happy using a conversational tone.

When he heard this, Happy felt his eyelid twitch.

“A guest? Ximen Chuixue doesn’t have a lot of good friends. Could it be…?”

“My master calls him Four Eyebrows.” Responsible Hero looked completely unconcerned. His tone and expression did not change in the slightest. “They seem to have a close relationship, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it. I heard that you came to Beijing, so I wanted to come and spar with you.”

Happy smiled. “Heh, I knew it’s him.”

Responsible Hero was constantly immersed in practicing the sword, and he might have never paid much attention to the matters around him. However, that Four Eyebrows was the target Happy had been searching for all this while.

Truly, these words were fact. A person can wear out shoes trying to search for something, but in the end, that item will come to that person without him or her even looking for it.

“I don’t mind sparring with you, but you’ll have to let me meet your master as well as his good friend.”

“You know him?” Responsible Hero was stunned. He looked over, and he saw a spark burn in Happy’s eyes.

“I’ve been looking for him for a long time.” Quite a number of people in the hall heard Happy’s words.

Including Barren Murderer, most of the people already guessed that Happy was searching for Lu Xiaofeng. This was a legendary man who can control Ximen Chuixue and was known as the most amazing, heroic constable in the Chinese plains.

‘A plot-relevant quest.’

Almost everyone had this thought pop up in their heads at that moment.

Plot-relevant characters will help trigger plot-relevant quests. They did not expect that once Happy returned from the plains, he will be involved in a new plot-relevant quest. He killed people, slaughtered enemies on the battlefield, expanded his territory, and did plot-relevant quests. He missed nothing in the game.

This sort of enemy was too terrifying.

Many people had their expressions change slightly on the spot, and when they looked at Barren Murderer, their gazes were shining.

Barren Murderer said nothing. When he saw that the number of sect leaders in the front yard were increasing, his expression grew even more unpleasant.

Originally, he gathered these sect masters who were loyal to Class One Hall to enter the hall because he wanted to display their power before Happy took over and let him know that even if Mu Clan wanted to be involved in Beijing, he will have to pay a large price.

He did not expect that once Wandering Know-it-all issue his invitations, the sect masters who did not manage to get their ambitions realized in Beijing and to whom Class One Hall never paid attention to will also arrive.

Many of the sects had even secretly formed alliances with forces of power who were against Class One Hall.

This scene caused Barren Murderer’s emotions to surge in his heart. He could vaguely guess that Wandering Know-it-all’s action might be because he wanted to seize the initiative instead of being in a defensive position anymore. He wanted to use the local forces in Beijing to fight against Class One Hall’s local forces.

He was immediately unable to hold himself back and say, “Happy, you had Wandering Know-it-all help you set up a banquet and invite all the famous people in Beijing. Now, the people who should be here are mostly here. It’s time for you to reveal what’s on your mind. Let us know what exactly you are scheming!”

“Vice Hall Master Barren, are you in a hurry?” Happy’s calm question caused Barren Murderer to snort coldly, and he turned his head to the side.

Happy continued as if nothing had happened. “This is Beijing. I’m not in a hurry, and if I’m not, then you shouldn’t be, since you’re at your home territory. Besides, the master of the banquet hasn’t even started his feast just yet, so what exactly do you want me to say? I’m a guest, and taking over the role of the host is not a good habit. What do you think?”

Silence.

The group of people picked up their teacups or winecups, and no one dared answer that question

Responsible Hero finally sensed that there was an abnormal atmosphere in the hall. He looked around and said, “What’s going on with these people? They’re all acting like they have secrets.”

After all, he was still young, and he just practiced his sword everyday, which meant that he did not pay much attention to the matters in the game. Naturally, he did not know that these people were the leaders of sects who enjoyed endless glory in the game.

Once he said those words, a number of people by the tables instantly had their faces turn red.

‘Like they have secrets.

‘A group of people who act like they have secrets?

‘We’re all people here who can make Beijing tremble with just a stomp, and we’re regarded with scorn by someone younger than us?!’

But Happy was right by his side, but all of them only dared seethed in anger. They did not dare say anything.

Happy could not help but laugh loudly. “Haha! Well said. A group of people who act like they have secrets? I’ll tell you, all of these people here have tens of thousands of people working under them.”

“Oh?” Responsible Hero might not understand the matters in the game too well and was, in fact, a complete noob in it, he had a quick mind. When he heard this, he could not help but put on a flippant and conceited expression while he looked around at the sect leaders who puffed out their chests. He said, “I’ve been frustrated by the fact that I can’t find someone to spar with me. Since you have a lot of people under you, you definitely have a lot of amazing talents with you. Why don’t you recommend some to fight against me?”

With that one sentence, the group of sect leaders who had puffed out their chests because they had been feeling good about themselves instantly sagged. The muscles on their faces twitched, and they did not even look into Responsible Hero’s eyes.

Even Barren Murderer could not help but have his face turn red when he heard Responsible Hero’s provocation. He nearly cracked his own neck with how much he turned it to the side to pretend that he did not hear what Responsible Hero said.

“As expected of sect leaders. You refuse to even acknowledge an unknown kid like me.” If Responsible Hero had said those words with an aggrieved tone, the people in the hall might feel better, but his tone was incredibly contemptuous and mocking, and he caused the sect leaders to have their faces turn red. They could not even drink the tea in their cups.

‘What a smart boy!’

When he saw how Responsible Hero managed to crush Barren Murderer and the others’ imposing mannerisms with just one sentence, Happy cannot help but gasp in amazement in his heart, and at the same time, he began making plans in his head.

One month ago, when he ran into Responsible Hero in Beijing, he was very aggressive, and he drew his sword to kill. If the path of the sword also shaped the swordsman, then in the past, Responsible Hero was someone who easily suffered setbacks, but now, this boy had clearly become much more roundabout in his actions. He was still as fierce as ever, but that should mean that his sword skills had reached another level and realm.

The current Responsible Hero should be even stronger than Silver Wolf, and he might even rank among the International Influential Rank of the Strong. If he can draw him into Mu Clan, he will definitely be a powerful ally in protecting an entire area!

“Young Hero, if I offer you the position of the branch master for Mu Clan’s branch in Beijing and make you in charge of the northern territory, will you be willing to do it?”

Responsible Hero was first stunned before he cried out in surprise. “Ah!”

Barren Murderer turned his head around stiffly, and he stared at Happy with surprise. His gaze moved back and forth between their faces.

The sect leaders in the hall all held their breaths, and they cannot believe that Happy had so easily put the question they were most concerned with on the table.

And what was most unbelievable was that he will actually have a brat take care of the branch.

‘The branch master of Beijing and the person in charge of the entire area in the north?’

Even though Responsible Hero had great fame and his sword technique had transcended the realm of the ordinary because he was Ximen Chuixue’s disciple, those were just undeserved reputation, and anyone can stomp those down under their feet at any moment.

But if he were the person in charge of an entire region for Mu Clan, it meant that he will have great substantial benefits and absolute status. This status might even surpass the status everyone in the hall held.

When the group of people heard Happy’s words, they were stunned, and they just stared at Happy and Responsible Hero dumbly.

Silence reigned.

Responsible Hero suddenly felt that the bench under his butt had turned into needles, and he felt uneasy.

He originally practiced the sword so that he will not be bullied, but after he gained some achievements for his sword technique, he just thought about all he can become as cool as Happy and affect the entire game with his actions alone.

But he also knew that with his personality, it was impossible for him to become a lord of an entire region. He will need too much time and effort for it. This time, he joined Wandering Know-it-all’s banquet because he wanted to have Happy witness his sword technique in the name of a spar and enter Mu Clan while he was at it.

However, he did not expect that before they even crossed swords, Happy had already thrown a great responsibility on him, and he was caught off guard.

But Happy’s expression and tone made no one suspect whether he was telling the truth.

Responsible Hero might be delighted, but he cannot help smiling wanly. “Boss Happy, I’m afraid that I’m not suited for that. I can’t even manage a few people, let alone such a large territory. Besides, don’t you have Master Wandering Know-it-all in Beijing? I don’t have the right to do so.”

“Mu Clan already has its own system and laws after developing to this stage. It has strict regulations and has a clear set of rules when it comes to punishments and rewards. You just have to act according to the system. Besides, you don’t have to personally take care of everything. By then, I will send some people to help you manage the branch. All you need to do is to maintain and protect the system so that no outside interference can affect it. This is something that I believe you will be able to do. As for Master Wandering Know-it-all, he’s a hermit who is not attached to any organization. His ambitions are not in this sort of thing.”

Happy smiled while he stared into Responsible Hero’s eyes. When he saw the gradual delight and confident spark light up in the youngster’s eyes, he knew that the matter was settled.

A young and powerful swordsman was now in Mu Clan’s hands.