Chapter 313 – Pot Helmet (d)

Translated by Gumihou

Edited by Gumihou

 

Expect more pretentiousness, AutoGumi, please help. Also, you should read Shiyu’s dialogue with Dracula’s accent for maximum impact.

 

Luo Diemeng looked at the invitation card with some interest, “This invitation card looks interesting. There’s neither time, date nor place, we don’t even know who we’re meeting. How are we supposed to meet them?”

Luo Dongting said, “The time, date and place are all clearly stated. Let us return first.”

After sending his sister, who was still lost in the clouds and mist due to the mysterious invitation, to the Temple Luo Dongting returned home.

 

Midnight that night, as the stars sparkled in the sky, he came out of the city alone and, under the light of the stars, came to a lake situated outside the walls of the city.

The name of this lake is called Snow Lake. The lake was formed from the collected snow melts from nearby mountains. Though the lake was not large, it was large enough for a single boat to float leisurely on its calm surface.

The winter nights were especially cold and the breeze that blew across the lake was made the already cold night especially chilly. Wrapped in a flame patterned fox fur, Luo Dongting stepped over the frozen snow towards this lake.

In fact, from a distance, he had already spotted a flickering light. [1] When he approached, he realised there was a small boat floating on the lake. Within the boat sat a person. Now and then, the sound of sizzling could be heard, followed by the smell of green scallions…

This…

Just what is going on? [1]

Luo Dongting stood there speechless for a long time. Just then, the boat happened to float to the shore and the person on the boat called out, “Do come in.”

He went in as ordered. [1] Yet, all he saw was a young girl sitting by a stove. She did not look much different in terms of age compared to the two youths from that morning.

Again, he looked around but saw no one else. [1] Finally, he could not help but say, “Where are your elders?”

[1] The girl gave a little hehe chuckle, “It is I who wish to see you tonight.” As she spoke, she pointed towards the stove in front of her, “At first, I thought I should try and reenact

 

Green foam on fresh, unfiltered rice wine

On a little terracotta stove [2]

 

since the atmosphere fits so nicely. However, once the wine warmed, I suddenly felt like having Pot Helmets and put away the wine for these instead. Do you eat scallions?”

Luo Dongting was silent for a long time, unsure how to answer.

Finally, he said, “You invited me here, surely it’s not just to treat me to a meal?”

“In part, in part,” the young girl finally introduced herself. “I am called Shiyu. I happen to stay at the teahouse opposite yours. Some days ago I attempted to buy your teahouse but failed. Surely you must have some impression of that little incident? Naturally, I’m not here to just inform you of my identity. I wish to negotiate a deal with you.” [1]

“A deal?” the merchant within Luo Dongting was immediately alert. Even under such an environment, his natural shrewdness was immediately restored. “This deal aside, you have already caught my attention more than a dozen days ago. Why wait until now to invite me to meet with you?”

“As I am new in town, it is not good to be rash. Still, I’ve had some people look into you. You are a mortal with some status in this Grand Martial City, a very powerful person of your own right. Naturally, I am not obligated to make this deal with you. I… sense that matters will go much easier for everyone if you do.

Surely you must have quite a few lines of information in your hands? No, no, don’t deny it, I understand the teahouse belongs to you and the purpose of it is for you to collect all manner of information. Since one such place exists, I’m certain a second and third does too. Moreover, you don’t look like an unambitious person. I want that intelligence system in your hands. In return, I can grant you something you wish.”

After hearing this girl’s arrogant words, Luo Dongting felt a bit amused.

He was able to live a good life in Grand Martial City thanks to this intelligence system. For her to be able to see this counts towards her ability to observe [3].

To make him hand over this card over just a few words was just too ridiculous.

As for his wish…

“I’m afraid it is something you cannot grant,”

Luo Dongting followed her example and took one of the freshly grilled Pot Helmets off the grill and bit into the plump pastry. The crisp skin broke easily under his teeth, releasing a filling of fragrant scallions and diced rabbit. The outside of the pastry was also sprinkled with a layer of sesame seeds. In the dead of winter, to suddenly bite into this piping hot pastry transformed the previous chill into a faint sense of satisfaction.

Unable to resist, he took a few more bites and quickly finished the small pastry in his hand. The young girl handed him a pot of wine and said vaguely, “Pour for yourself if you wish to drink.”

At this, Luo Dongting laughed as he poured himself a drink and said, “Are we really talking about making a deal here?” [4] 

All they did thus far was eat and drink, there was not even a fraction of seriousness that one should allocate to talks about deals. If it were not for the matter earlier today, he might have believed that someone was playing a trick on him.

“I am not here to wait for you to make your request, [4]” the girl ignored his question. “I know I am good at what I do and you may take a few with you later. Let’s not keep eating right now. Don’t you feel that this lake breeze is quite chilly?”

Luo Dongting was shocked. How did it become him dragging the time now?

He looked at her again [4]. She was wearing summer clothes, a faint yellow flame was glowing around her body. She has a calm demeanour that showed no fear.

A Cultivator, ah!

How enviable.

He poured himself another glass of wine and sipped it slowly, “I can almost believe it. Just tell me, who was it that taught you to wait for me here? Was it Zhao Chengye or Zhang Guo who asked you to perform this drama? Surely the person who wishes to see me haven’t arrived yet, right [1]?”

He looked at the girl opposite him again and continued, “Although I am an ordinary person, I do have some knowledge about Cultivators. You are about the same age as my sister and she hasn’t broken through to Core Condensation realm yet. I suppose you should be about the same level as her. Now you say you wish to make a deal with me, apologies but I cannot believe you.”

When Shiyu heard this, she became a little vexed.

Finally, she simply grabbed him by the arm and stepped into the air and suddenly, they were in the sky overlooking the Grand Martial City looking down on the living beings inside.

“Look,” she pointed at the sleeping city under her feet, “you should know most of these people, right?”

Luo Dongting’s body had stiffened a little.

How could he not know?

Right now, they were floating over the holiest land within Grand Martial City — Grand Martial Temple.

“Would you like to take a seat on the roof?”

Before Luo Dongting could reply, he found his body moved and suddenly he was standing on the highest roof of the Grand Martial Temple.

“It is as you’ve said, my age is comparatively young, making it difficult for others to trust in my sincerity. However, I have many methods of proving that my offer is no mere daydream. Well? Feels nice to stand in such a high place, yes? Won’t you like achieve this kind of height with your own power?”

As she stood in the wind, Shiyu’s clothes fluttered in the breeze. Her voice too reached Luo Dongting’s ears with a slightly misty atmosphere.

Naturally, if the girl had not been chewing on her Pot Helmet while she was speaking, the atmosphere would have been perfect.

His heart rate picked up. Partly because this was the first time he had ever been so high and partly due to her words.

To gain the power to stand on the wind with his own strength…

Did she even know what she’s talking about!

Only Divine Condensation masters could stand on the air as though it is level ground. As for him… he is merely an ordinary person without a spirit root.

 

[Gumihou: …I guess we finally come to the point where all this melodrama leads to? Or is this just the opening chapter to more melodrama?]

We now have Glossaries for Character, Cultivation Terms, Clan Names, Restaurants & Places

 

tashcakes.com/2017/04/chengdu-guo-kui-recipe.html

 

[1] Haaaahhhhhhh……. 彡(-_-;)彡 Gumi is actually embarrassed for Shiyu.

[2] It’s a Bai Juyi poem on inviting a friend to have wine. Gumi used the translation from the link below

https://eastasiastudent.net/china/classical/bai-juyi-liu-shijiu/

[3] …like, I don’t know what’s so special about her observation skills since Ling Xiaoxiao also noticed it right away? Let’s leave Mr. Usagi out of the equation here.

[4] … they might be a pair of chicken and ducks talking, with dialogues coming out of shit-holes instead of pie-holes, and random sentences dedicated to ‘Wow, Count Shiyu Amazing!!’

 

If you love my translations, do consider dropping a comment at novelupdates!

Gumihou loves reading your comments, so gimme, gimme ~

( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

Or Supporting me via Patreon or Ko-fi ~

໒( ́ ۝ ́ )७