Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 110 A Visitor in the Middle of the Night

When Jiang Xun led Tuoba Feng back to the house in the west of the city, the moon had already risen.

He pulled out a rusty iron rack from behind the stove; it had been left behind by the previous occupant, but it was still usable.

They set up the frame in the yard, grabbed a bundle of firewood, and fetched a bucket of water to wash the lamb leg clean.

"You can do this too?" Tuoba Feng leaned against the door frame, watching him busy himself.

"I learned a bit at the Chunshui Sect." Jiang Xun didn't turn his head, put the lamb leg on the fire, flipped it over, and then spent three months in the mountains, after which he knew everything.

Flames licked the surface of the lamb leg, sizzling as fat dripped onto the charcoal, sending up plumes of white smoke.

The aroma of cumin and chili filled the courtyard, mingling with the cool night breeze, creating an indescribable sense of comfort.

The firelight reflected off Jiang Xun's face, flickering on and off.

Tuoba Feng didn't say anything more, just watched as if admiring a beautiful landscape.

Jiang Xun kept turning the lamb leg, sprinkling a layer of seasoning with each turn, his movements unhurried, as if he were doing something of great importance.

"Alright." He cut off a small piece of lamb leg and handed it to Tuoba Feng. "Try it."

Tuoba Feng took it, took a bite, chewed it, and then took another bite.

"How is it?" Jiang Xun looked at him expectantly.

Tuoba Feng didn't speak, but took another bite. After a moment, he nodded: "Okay."

Just one word.

But coming from Tuoba Feng, these words carried considerable weight.

Jiang Xun grinned and cut off a piece to eat.

The outer skin is crispy and fragrant, while the meat inside is tender and juicy. The flavors of cumin and chili powder permeate every strand of meat, and every bite is bursting with aroma.

"It's really good," he boasted. "Much better than what you get at the market."

Tuoba Feng didn't reply, but he ate the mutton much faster.

Jiang Xun then pulled out a jar of wine from the house. It was mare's milk wine, a specialty of the Northern Territory, which he had bought on the street yesterday. It was sweet and sour, and had a strong aftereffect.

The two huddled around the fire, enjoying their meal immensely.

After finishing half a leg of lamb, Jiang Xun wiped his mouth and steered the conversation back to the main topic.

"What's the background of that Black Flag Gang?"

Tuoba Feng threw the bone into the fire, and the flames licked it, making a "crackling" sound.

"They are a local gang, but they also do business. They deal in everything from medicinal herbs and furs to ironware. Ma Zhong is the gang leader; he's been in Shuofeng City for over a decade and has hundreds of men under his command."

"Do you know Ma Zhong?"

"I've done business before. The Tuoba family has had dealings with the Black Flag Gang a few times. He gave me face not because he was afraid of me, but because he didn't want to offend the Tuoba family."

Jiang Xun nodded.

Although the Tuoba family had declined, they still held a prominent position in the northern border region.

"What other forces are behind the Black Flag Gang?"

Tuoba Feng glanced at him, his gaze not intense, but Jiang Xun could tell he was considering something.

"I don't know much about my clan's affairs. If you need, I can look into it."

Jiang Xun was stunned for a moment.

Tuoba Feng was a cold and aloof person. His initiative to inquire about it was probably about the same as someone else patting their chest and saying, "Leave it to me."

"Thanks," Jiang Xun said sincerely.

Tuoba Feng didn't reply, but just hummed in response.

The firewood in the bonfire continued to crackle, sparks shooting upwards, flashing a few times in the moonlight, before going out.

"You went to see the Black Flag Gang today on purpose, didn't you?" Tuoba Feng suddenly spoke up.

Jiang Xun chuckled: "You can see through nothing."

Why?

"It's a secret," Jiang Xun mumbled, stuffing a piece of mutton into his mouth.

Tuoba Feng looked at him but did not ask any further questions.

Jiang Xun knew he wouldn't ask any further questions.

This person has one good point—he won't ask a single extra question if he shouldn't.

Being with him is not tiring.

"You came to Shuofeng City for the Sword God's successor's martial arts competition?" Jiang Xun changed the subject.

Tuoba Feng nodded: "Yes."

"You really want that legacy?"

Tuoba Feng was silent for a moment before saying, "It's not that I want it, it's that I need it."

Jiang Xun looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"The martial arts we practice are special. Only exceptionally powerful martial arts can unleash the strongest effect of internal energy and slow down the rate at which internal energy grows." Tuoba Feng rarely added, "Among the legacy left by the Sword God, there is a sword technique that is said to be able to be used in conjunction with special internal energy to reduce the impact of internal energy on the meridians."

Jiang Xun was stunned.

He had always thought that the Sword God's inheritance was just a powerful sword technique that could improve one's martial arts cultivation.

But from Tuoba Feng's words, he discerned another meaning—this inheritance was a matter of life and death.

Both the Buzhou Tianyin Technique and the Great Nirvana Heart Sutra face the same dilemma—the internal energy grows too quickly, the meridians cannot withstand it, and the body eventually explodes and dies.

The legacy left by the Sword God may be the key to solving this problem.

Jiang Xun's expression turned serious.

For the first time, he truly took this duel between the successor of the Sword God seriously.

Jiang Xun suddenly remembered the great demon Yin Wuxie that Ying Qi had mentioned, and wanted to ask Tuoba Feng if the Great Nirvana Heart Sutra he cultivated was related to Yin Wuxie, but the words that came out were: "Then you should compete well. With your strength, you should have a great chance of winning."

Tuoba Feng glanced at him: "It's a pity you can't participate."

Jiang Xun smiled, a slightly sly smile: "How did you know I wasn't participating?"

"I've seen the list..." Tuoba Feng seemed to realize something, staring at Jiang Xun for a long while. "You want to participate?"

Jiang Xun chuckled and was about to speak when a knock came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Tap tap tap." Three taps, neither too light nor too heavy.

Jiang Xun and Tuoba Feng both fell silent and exchanged a glance.

"Who?" Jiang Xun stood up, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

"It's me." A pleasant yet somewhat aloof voice came from outside the door.

Ye Qingying.

Jiang Xun immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to open the door.

Two people stood in the moonlight.

Ye Qingying changed into a light blue fur coat, her hair simply tied up in a bun. The moonlight fell on her face, making her look as cold and beautiful as someone who had stepped out of a painting.

Behind her stood Chen Lei, a handsome man who nodded slightly to Jiang Xun.

"Miss Ye, Brother Chen?" Jiang Xun stepped aside and smiled, "Why are you here so late?"

"Looking for you..." Ye Qingying stopped mid-sentence, her gaze passing over Jiang Xun and landing on the courtyard.

She noticed Tuoba Feng, paused slightly, then smiled politely: "Brother Tuoba is here too?"

Tuoba Feng nodded without saying a word.

He stood beside the fire, the firelight reflecting on his face, revealing something indescribable about his usually stern expression.

Ye Qingying shifted her gaze from him to the fire.

"Where's the roast lamb leg?"

"Hmm." Jiang Xun followed behind, grinning as he asked, "Want some?"

"We've already eaten."

Chen Lei also came in.

He was slightly taken aback when he saw Tuoba Feng, and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Brother Tuoba, it's been a long time."

Tuoba Feng returned the greeting: "Long time no see."

Jiang Xun glanced at Tuoba Feng strangely—why was this guy so indifferent to Ye Qingying, but so polite to Chen Lei?

How utterly clueless about romance!

"Come on, come on, sit down!" he said casually, bringing out a few chairs from inside the house. "It's rare for us to get together, don't stand."

Without any hesitation, the group sat down around the fire.

Jiang Xun cut off a few slices of mutton and enthusiastically pushed them towards the guests: "Try it, I grilled it! Brother Tuoba said it was delicious, you should try it too."

Chen Lei had already eaten dinner, but he couldn't resist Jiang Xun's enthusiasm, so he picked up a piece, chewed it, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"It's really good," he praised sincerely, "even better than what we ate at the inn."

"That's right." Jiang Xun smiled smugly. "This is a skill I've formally learned."

Ye Qingying also picked up a small piece, ate it slowly, and praised it as well.

The atmosphere quieted down again.

Chen Lei glanced at Tuoba Feng and said with a smile, "I didn't expect Brother Tuoba and Brother Jiang to be such good friends."

Jiang Xun glanced guiltily at Ye Qingying, of course not telling the truth, only saying, "That Tuoba guy, don't let his cold demeanor fool you, he's actually quite loyal. If it weren't for him today, I would have almost been ambushed by the Black Flag Gang."

Ye Qingying didn't expose them, but asked curiously, "The Black Flag Gang? What do they want with you?"

"Who knows?" Jiang Xun shrugged. "Maybe they're just trying to collect protection money because I'm a new face."