dognovel Chapter 327 The Rope Breaks
Chapter 327 The Rope Breaks
Luo An's hidden blade? The sword his mother sent to him at Heaven on Earth before she left? Xu Sheng took it?
Xu Sheng released his folding fan, which flew through the hidden sword towards Luo An. Luo An did not move his feet, but tilted his body slightly. The folding fan flew past his ear, carrying a sharp wind.
Luo An's fingers, which were binding the thread, twitched slightly, and the hidden sword circled around Xu Sheng. The sword rope wrapped around Xu Sheng from his feet upwards, three times around his neck.
Even the slightest struggle from Xu Sheng could feel the rope tightening. The soft, semi-white rope, like a steel cable, cut painfully into him. The small, sharp hidden dagger stopped an inch from Xu Sheng's nose.
Their eyes met in mid-air. Even though Luo An's gaze was as calm as his expression, Xu Sheng seemed to hear the mocking voice in Luo An's heart.
Scholars can be killed but not humiliated!
Xu Sheng gathered all his strength and let out a long roar that reached the heavens. The sword rope binding his body snapped in the shock, and the sword in his sleeve flew into the sky.
Xu Sheng was overjoyed and leaped up to grab the hidden sword in his hand: "You lost!"
The rope, which was flexible and could not be burned by fire or cut by a knife, was now completely and evenly severed. Each piece of broken rope was about an inch long, curled up, struggling and twisting, like a painfully writhing caterpillar.
Luo An picked up a piece of sword rope and held it in his palm, watching it slowly shorten and shrink, turning into crystal-clear rice beads. He looked down at the ground, and saw the other broken ropes doing the same.
Xu Sheng was equally shocked. He was about to squat down and pick up the rice beads to examine them closely when a sudden gust of evil wind, accompanied by billowing smoke and dust, came from nowhere and went straight towards the Jingjiang River, stirring up thousands of waves.
The two instinctively raised their sleeves to cover their faces. After the wind stopped, the ground was clean, with no trace of Mi Zhu. They both looked towards the Jingjiang River, which slowly returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
Xu Sheng held the hidden sword in his hand and waved it, breaking the silence: "If you don't pay, then use this sword to settle the debt."
Luo An, unable to contain himself any longer, asked, "What do you need money for?"
Xu Sheng said, "Master Luo, Young Master Luo, you've stayed in Heaven and Earth for too long, and you've become out of touch with the realities of life? What doesn't cost money? I don't need money to buy the pearl, and I don't need money to support him?"
Luo An looked in the direction Xu Sheng was pointing. He saw Hailuo and Huzi sitting on the rocks on either side, happily munching on sugarcane and watching the commotion.
Xu Sheng said, "The sugarcane they eat is Taoshan sugarcane, a tribute from Nanyue, costing a hundred taels of silver per stalk. What do you think I need money for?"
Tiger was so shocked that the sugarcane in his mouth fell out, and he asked tremblingly, "Two taels of silver for one bite?"
Xu Sheng pointed at the conch: "He gets two taels of silver for each bite, but you get eight taels."
It seems Xu Sheng is really short of money! Even if Xu Sheng is really short of money, we can't just target him. Do we think he's easy to bully? Luo An turned and left.
Xu Sheng followed behind him, reminding him again, "If you really don't give it back, I won't return the sword. I'll pawn it later, and you'll have to redeem it..."
Without turning his head, Luo An tossed a golden object behind him: "I don't want the sword anymore, it's yours. You're her son, this sword should have been yours, and today it's returned to its rightful owner."
The sword sheath was made of pure gold, densely engraved with scriptures. Xu Sheng put the hidden sword into the sheath and watched Luo An turn into the tea room.
Conch followed closely, asking anxiously, "Why did you buy a sugarcane that costs a hundred taels apiece when you have no money?"
Xu Sheng smiled and patted his head: "Don't worry, you won't go broke from eating this."
Tiger, following behind, breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Your Highness, do you still have sugarcane? I'll bring two for Eighth Sister."
Xu Sheng said irritably, "You only remembered to bring some for Eighth Sister after you finished eating. There isn't any."
Conch looked at Xu Sheng and then at Hu Zi, but didn't say anything.
Xu Sheng stood at the entrance of the tea room, staring at the curtain without moving: "Who put up this curtain?"
Tiger said, "Eighth Sister sewed it, and I filled it in. My little rascal likes to play in it, and Eighth Sister was afraid he would get cold. She's the most virtuous woman."
Luo An was playing chess, moving his left hand one move at a time, and didn't even look up when they came in.
Xu Sheng sat opposite him for a while and said, "In our next round, if you win, I'll return the sword to you; if you lose, you'll give me twenty million."
Luo An then looked up at him, his expression suggesting that he was overestimating himself.
Xu Sheng picked up a black piece and placed it on the chessboard: "Don't look down on me. We agreed beforehand, twenty million. A bet is a bet, don't renege on it."
Tiger added charcoal to the brazier and came over to watch the game, but he had absolutely no interest in it. He watched for a while, then patted Conch's arm and pointed towards the door.
Conch followed Tiger out: "What's wrong?"
Tiger whispered, "Hey Conch, do you still have any sugarcane?"
The conch shell hesitated for a moment.
Tiger's eyes lit up: "Just two, just two will do. I'll have Eighth Sister make you something delicious later."
A bundle of sugarcane was in the study opposite the teahouse. Hailuo gave Tiger half of it. Tiger didn't stand on ceremony and took the sugarcane with him.
Xu Sheng clearly said no, but he turned around and gave it to Hu Zi. Hai Luo felt sorry for Xu Sheng, so she obediently sat in the study writing and reciting.
This was the study task Xu Sheng assigned him: copy one page of a book and read it three times every day.
Nianyao stuffed the last bite of rice into her mouth, put down her chopsticks, and asked, "And then?"
Tiger pointed to the corner of the small hall: "Then I put the sugarcane there. Would you like some, Madam?"
This is like talking to a brick wall. Nianyao rubbed her stomach, somewhat helplessly: "I asked about the chess game. Who won?"
Tiger shook his head: "I don't know. I walked to the moon gate and saw you fly past like lightning. When I got to the door, Eighth Sister came over and said you were awake, but you weren't dressed, wearing shoes or socks. So I asked her to find some clothes and bring them to you..."
Nianyao corrected him: "I'm wearing clothes, just not a coat."
Tiger said, "In this cold weather, what's the difference between wearing an undershirt and not wearing one at all?"
Nianyao stood up: "I'm going back."
"Wait a minute." Hu Zi called out to Nian Yao, went into the kitchen and brought out a large food basket: "It's all hot, for the young master."
Nianyao took it and casually said, "He hasn't woken up yet."
Tiger said, "He'll wake up when you get back. The young master is proud and easily embarrassed, so let him eat in his room."
Is the young master arrogant and thin-skinned? Is the young master arrogant? Is the young master thin-skinned? The young master is eating in his room? What does that mean?
Nianyao realized something was wrong as she walked to the door with the food basket: "Xu Sheng said these things?"
Tiger exclaimed, “The Prince is truly a prophet; he can foresee everything. He said if you could guess that it was him, he would have me remind you that the young master is frail and not like us… It’s all about moderation; a little is fine for pleasure, but too much can harm your health…”
Nianyao retorted, "If I can't guess, then I don't need to remind you?"
Tiger said, "The prince said that only intelligent people deserve his reminders."
That's definitely Xu Sheng's style. Nian Yao wasn't angry, and calmly asked, "What else did he say?"
Tiger thought hard: "He also said, he also said, ah, he said that men should be frugal, otherwise women will be like wolves in their thirties and tigers in their forties..."
With a snap, Nianyao closed the door and left.