First Steps into the Jianghu

"Jeong-ah, I'm hungry."

"Yes, Master. Please wait just a little longer."

"But you keep telling me to wait..."

Yoo Jeong forced a troubled smile. His master seemed quite sulky. Though she remained quietly in his arms for now, she kept burying her face in his shoulder and rubbing against him to express her discontent. Yoo Jeong felt just as frustrated.

Was it because of the West Lake boating festival? The timing couldn't have been worse; let alone finding a room, there wasn't even a single empty table to eat at. On top of that...

Glance.

Perhaps because of the recent attack on the Wulin Alliance branch, the stares of the passersby felt exceptionally sharp.

A few inns even turned us away with apologies.

That was why he had carried his master all the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way to the outskirts, away from the bustling center of the city. Things might have been different if Namgung Sua, who could prove her affiliation with the Wulin Alliance, were with them, but...

Leaving with a playful meow, Namgung Sua had said she was going to look for members of the Beggar Sect. She had spoken with such gravity that he had let her go without a word of protest. But now, lost in unfamiliar streets where people fled at the mere sight of his sword whenever he tried to ask for directions, Yoo Jeong couldn't help but regret letting her go.

"Jeong-ah, I want to eat that."

"Ah, tanghulu? Just a moment."

"Hehe. Jeong-ah is the best!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

He managed to quiet his master down for a moment with a stick of candied hawthorn purchased from a street vendor. But this was merely a temporary fix. While his master was occupied with the sweet treat, Yoo Jeong quickened his pace to find an inn.

"Jeong-ah, do you want a bite too?"

His master offered the melting hawthorn, sticky and mixed with saliva. Her mouth and hands were already covered in sticky syrup. Yoo Jeong's clothes, naturally, had also fallen victim.

"No, I'm fine, Master."

"Mmm, *slurp*. But it's so good. Okay, Jeong-ah. I'll give you some later."

His master went back to sucking on the candy, but Yoo Jeong could already tell.

She's already getting tired of it.

It wouldn't be long before she lost interest entirely. 'I don't want to eat this anymore, so you eat it.' With that purely childish mindset, she would try to force it on him. And once that happened, her whining would start all over again.

Thus, Yoo Jeong's mind and body grew increasingly frantic. How much time had passed?

"Yes, we have rooms available, but as you can see, meals are..."

Fortunately, he managed to find an inn with vacancies, but another hurdle remained. Looking at the crowded interior of the modest inn, Yoo Jeong rubbed his tired eyes.

"Please secure a room for us first. Will the food take a long time?"

"Well, a sect has booked a large group reservation, so it might be difficult to serve you. If you go a little further down, there's the Hwangrok Inn. Their food is quite decent too."

The waiter grinned, whispering the recommendation quietly so the innkeeper wouldn't hear. But Yoo Jeong couldn't bring himself to smile.

"I just came from there."

"Ah, dear me."

The waiter gave an embarrassed laugh.

"It must be because of the West Lake boating festival. There are far more tourists than usual."

"Jeong-ah... Can't we eat here either?"

"It seems so."

Though the waiter was drenched in sweat from running around, he looked at them with pity, seeing how exhausted they were. To the waiter, the pair looked like a child carrying another child. After all, Yoo Jeong looked even younger than the waiter's youngest sibling.

Furthermore, the whining child with teary eyes looked like a divine child straight out of a fairy tale. Her eyes were so sorrowful that they could make anyone's heart ache.

"I want to eat Dongpo pork..."

"I shouldn't boast, but our inn's Dongpo pork is considered one of the top three in Hangzhou."

"See? I want to eat here. Jeong-ah, please?"

Unable to say anything to his master, who was vigorously tugging at his sleeve, Yoo Jeong glared at the waiter with resentment. Realizing he had poured oil on the fire, the waiter quickly excused himself and scurried away to attend to his duties. Yoo Jeong sighed once more. Just as he was about to soothe his master and head back outside,

"Excuse me. If you don't mind, would you like to share my table?"

An old man sitting alone at a table waved his hand.

"Thank you, Elder."

"Thank you!"

"Think nothing of it. I was starting to feel self-conscious occupying a whole table by myself anyway."

Sliding down from Yoo Jeong's arms, his master even bowed politely with her hands on her belly. Watching this warmly, the old man waved his hand in a humble gesture.

"As you can see, this old man ordered far too much food out of sheer greed. It's bound to go to waste, so please, join me."

Just as he said, the table was already laden with various dishes. They must have just been served; the untouched Hangzhou delicacies were still steaming hot. Though not overly luxurious, the chef's skill was evident—the vibrant colors and rich aromas were enough to make anyone's mouth water.

His master was already swaying her small head side to side in excitement. Her sparkling eyes pleaded desperately, asking if she could dig in. However...

"Thank you for your kindness, but we will order our own food."

"Jeong-ah... Can't I eat this?"

Seeing Yoo Jeong's firm stance, his master looked as if her world had crumbled.

"No. This food belongs to the elder here."

"But..."

There was a well-known maxim in the Jianghu: Beware of old men, children, and women. Even putting that aside, one had to be wary of unsolicited kindness. Hearing the suspicion in Yoo Jeong's voice, the old man chuckled heartily.

"At your young age, traveling with a younger sibling, it is only natural to be cautious."

Showing no offense whatsoever, the old man picked up his chopsticks with a pleased expression.

"Do not worry. The waiter literally just brought these hot dishes out. Besides, how could a frail old man like me harm a martial artist like you?"

The old man took a bite of Longjing Xiaren—stir-fried shrimp with Longjing tea leaves, a dish renowned for its delicate, refreshing flavor—and swallowed it before continuing.

"I simply saw your younger sister... Ah, is she your sister?"

"We aren't related by blood, but she is indeed my family."

"I see. I also have a girl who is like a granddaughter to me, though we share no blood. She was exactly that age when I last saw her, which is why I invited you to join me."

The old man had a refined appearance, dressed in scholarly robes. Despite his snow-white hair, his face was remarkably unwrinkled, giving him a somewhat strict, fastidious look. Yet, the nostalgic warmth in his eyes as he reminisced made him seem far from someone harboring malicious intent.

With a soft sigh, Yoo Jeong stood up and clasped his hands in a formal greeting.

"Please forgive my suspicion, Elder."

As the saying goes, a dagger hidden behind a smile—the possibility of a hidden trap behind that warm expression could not be entirely ruled out. However, treating someone who offered genuine hospitality with nothing but suspicion was a breach of etiquette. Yoo Jeong apologized, though he kept a sliver of caution tucked away in a corner of his mind.

"Haha, think nothing of it. Didn't I say it is only natural? I do not mind at all. Go ahead and eat, just like your sister is doing."

"Pardon?"

At the old man's casual remark, Yoo Jeong's head snapped around.

"*Munch, munch.* Hmm?"

"Ma— No, how could you just start eating like that?!"

With her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's, his master had been stuffing meat into her mouth. She froze like a statue under Yoo Jeong's gaze. Still frozen, she swallowed her food with a gulp. Sensing she was about to get scolded, she let out a sheepish, innocent grin.

"Hoho, Hahaha!"

Even the strict-looking scholar of an old man burst into a hearty laugh, his beard trembling. Her pure, innocent smile possessed a strange magic. Seeing this, Yoo Jeong also let out a helpless laugh and finally picked up his chopsticks.

"Then, we will gratefully enjoy the meal."

"Eat to your heart's content. Your sister is truly adorable. If only I had brought that child with me, they would have made wonderful friends. What a pity."

"Who is that child?"

"The granddaughter-like child I mentioned earlier. When I left, she was a little girl just about your age."

"Hmph. I'm not a little girl. Right, Jeong-ah?"

"She used to say that all the time too—insisting she wasn't a child. Seeing you makes me miss her dearly."

His tone was thick with deep, aching longing. Tilting her small face, his master asked,

"Is she dead?"

"Pardon?"

"*Pfft!*"

Her blunt question, asked with wide, innocent blue eyes, caught both the old man and Yoo Jeong completely off guard.

"You shouldn't say things like that!"

"But if you miss her, you can just go see her."

"It is not that simple."

"Why?"

"Because she is very far away."

The old man gazed toward the far west. His master craned her neck to look in the same direction, following his gaze. However, there was nothing to see but the solid wall of the inn.

"Far? How far?"

"Well... perhaps about ten thousand li."

Ten thousand li. Even to Yoo Jeong, it was an unimaginably vast distance. His master began counting on her tiny fingers, but the number was far too large. She quickly gave up, her eyes spinning in dazed confusion.

"I don't know. But if you want to see her, you have to go see her."

"Haha. Thank you."

*Trickle.*

Smiling warmly, the old man poured tea into a cup. The clear, jade-like liquid was beautiful. His master, swallowing a piece of Dongpo pork, watched with sparkling eyes.

"It's pretty."

"Would you like some too?"

"Mmh. Is it tasty?"

"West Lake Longjing tea is truly exquisite."

"I want to try some!"

"Here, take it."

Holding the cup poured by the old man with both hands, she took a big sip. But perhaps the taste was not what she had expected. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she tilted her head.

"It just tastes like grass."

"Hahaha! You are indeed still a child."

"Grandpa, do you really find this tasty?"

"Of course. When you grow a bit older, you will understand the four beauties of Longjing."

"Four beauties?"

Having only heard of Longjing in tales of heroes, Yoo Jeong had been quietly listening, and now his attention was fully captured by the old man.

"First, its delicate jade-green color captivates the eye. Second, its rich yet pure aroma. Third, its savory, sweet, and clean taste."

"It's still just grass taste."

"And that is why you are still a child."

"I'm not a child..." she muttered. Still, she had been counting them on her fingers when she suddenly gasped and stood up.

"There's no fourth one!"

"The last is this: the beauty of the floating tea leaves."

"Grass is pretty?"

"Fufu. It is a beauty that can only be found when you gaze deeply, fully immersed in the charm of Longjing. It is still too difficult for you to understand."

Having enjoyed his Longjing tea, the old man stood up, even though plenty of food still remained on the table.

"Well, then. This was a truly pleasant meal."

"Are you leaving already?"

The old man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nodded silently. His gaze was fixed on Yoo Jeong's master.

"I have a small appetite to begin with, and I dislike noisy crowds."

Just as he said, the inn was gradually filling up with more customers, growing increasingly loud. Seeing that they all carried swords, they seemed to be the group reservation the waiter had mentioned. A few of them cast glances toward their table.

"The atmosphere in Hangzhou has been quite turbulent lately, so be careful. I hope to see you both safe and sound the next time we meet."

"Thank you, Elder."

At those words, the old man waved his hand, just as he had when they first thanked him. With a warm smile at the little girl waving her small hand at him, he stepped out of the inn.

Almost immediately, a crude whistle and catcalls echoed through the inn. The sound was so loud and sudden that his master, who was sipping soup, choked in surprise. Hearing such vulgar noises unfit for a child's ears, Yoo Jeong frowned and looked for the source. Unsurprisingly, it was the group of martial artists.

They were throwing dirty jokes toward the entrance of the inn. Following their gaze, Yoo Jeong's eyes widened.

A beauty with round eyes and soft eyebrows, whose cold, unfitting expression only added to her allure, was walking past the entrance straight toward Yoo Jeong.

"Lady Namgung?"

It was a face he had never seen before. However, her exposed jawline and the white martial robes adorned with blue tassels were incredibly familiar. At Yoo Jeong's bewildered voice, the woman offered a faint smile and spoke.

"We have a problem, Young Hero Yoo."