Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 52 The Old Ghost of Quanxing Appears

Northern Central China, Bianliang City

With a river overhead and six cities beneath your feet, this is exactly what this place is all about.

This is a major city in northern China. Despite the rapid development in the south, it remains prosperous and thriving.

Quanxing naturally took root here, which also became their main base for radiating influence throughout Central China.

Inside the city, in a rather secluded restaurant

The restaurant is antique and elegant, with intricate details, carved beams and painted rafters, and the lingering aroma of wood testifies to its long history.

It was daytime and the weather was fine, but the restaurant was closed with a sign that read "Closed for Business" hanging outside. Some elderly people passing by shook their heads and sighed, then turned and walked away.

But in the backyard of this restaurant, there was a great deal of noise.

The back door of the restaurant opened onto a secluded alley. Unlike the front door, the five-foot-wide back door was now wide open and welcoming many people in.

Many casually dressed people strolled to the door, then walked in with their heads bowed, seemingly showing great respect and fear for the restaurant's owner.

After entering the restaurant, these people did not make a lot of noise. They sat down in groups of three or five around several square tables in the backyard, covering their mouths and talking quietly, as if afraid that their voices would disturb someone.

"Has Old Zhao not shown up yet?"

"No, I heard that several seniors from the Quanxing Sect have come this time. It seems that Elder Zhao is entertaining them in the building."

"Brother Yu, you're so well-informed! Do you know which senior figures have arrived?"

"That's right, Brother Yu, tell us what happened!"

Many people looked curiously at the man surnamed Yu, who was dressed as a Taoist priest. He glanced around at the curious gazes with a smug look, and then dared not keep them in suspense any longer.

He lowered his head and lay on the table. After looking around at the Quanxing members who had approached him, he nodded and said, "As far as I know, three have already come."

"Which three? Yu Feng, stop keeping me in suspense!"

Seeing that he had been interrupted, Yu Feng felt a surge of anger and was about to vent it, but then he thought that this was not a place for him to run wild, so he could only glare at him sullenly and then said, "Several seniors from the Lower Eight Sects have come: Paper Demon, Fierce Fly, Man-Eating Owl, plus Elder Zhao. It can be said that all the old people who have been active in Quanxing in the past two years have come."

"Wow, such a big fuss?"

The Quanxing members present were all surprised when they heard Yu Feng's words.

In the upheaval a few years ago, nearly 90% of the older generation of Quanxing were involved, and in the end, they all perished on that mountain in East China.

There are only a handful of the older generation who are still able to move around.

The Quanxing members present all turned their heads to glance at the restaurant behind them, and then quickly looked away.

They never imagined that this small restaurant would now be filled with these remaining elders.

With this in mind, they all quietly sat down, their voices becoming even softer.

After all, the Quanxing sect is known for its irrationality. If these old ghosts were upset about what happened last night and killed a few Quanxing members present, that would be perfectly reasonable.

Quanxing does whatever makes them feel good, regardless of ethics, morality, or legal norms.

The backyard of the restaurant became much quieter after Yu Feng's words, but the restaurant itself was filled with laughter.

Inside the restaurant, in the best private room, four old ghosts from the Quanxing sect were sitting in the backyard, discussing something.

Four figures sat around a round table, which was laden with fine food and fresh dishes that were still steaming hot.

A delicate hand, with its orchid-like fingers, lifted the porcelain wine pot on the table. The slender hand paired with the white jade-like wine pot created a unique charm.

"Hehehe, Brother Xia, it's been so long, I've missed you terribly."

The delicate voice was even clearer than that of a young nightingale. A female opera singer dressed in a plain-colored costume and with her face powdered was holding a wine pot in one hand and pressing the spout with the other. She was about to pour wine for a stylish old man on her right.

"No thanks, Old Zhao, I dare not drink the wine you poured."

The old man to the right of the actress was wearing a baseball cap. He looked up at the graceful actress, covered the mouth of the wine glass with his left hand, and directly blocked the wine pot that was tilting in mid-air with his right hand.

When the old man looked up, his strange appearance was immediately revealed. His eyes had white pupils and black irises, which did not look like human eyes, but more like the eyes of a deity statue in a Taoist temple.

"Brother Xia, I am truly hurt by your words. We are both actors and performers, but judging from your behavior, it seems as if you look down on me, Zhao Ji."

The actress put away the wine pot, held it to her chest with both hands, lowered her head, and looked pitiful, as if she was about to cry, which made people feel sorry for her.

"Although I, Zhao Ji, have spent my whole life in the brothel, I am still a clean and honest person. How can I be treated like this?"

As he spoke, the female performer gently placed the wine pot on the table, flicked her sleeves, and several feet of white silk ribbon flew out from her cuffs. She held the ribbon in her hands and wiped her eyes, then gave the old man a resentful look.

That glance seemed to contain a thousand charms, but the old man clearly didn't accept it, and immediately trembled and roared angrily.

"I, Xia Liuqing, have never suffered such humiliation in my entire life!"

"Alright, are you guys having fun?"

Just as Xia Liuqing was about to shout angrily, the old man opposite the actress spoke up.

The old man was wearing a short shirt and a white cloth around his waist. He picked through the dishes on the table with chopsticks, stopping Xia Liuqing and Zhao Ji without looking up.

"Hmm? This is the taste. Brother Zhao, you've really gone to great lengths to entertain your old brother."

The old man quickly spotted a plate of meat dishes, picked up a piece of meat and threw it into his mouth. He closed his eyes, chewed it, and then looked up and gave the actress a thumbs up.

When the old man eating meat looked up, his face, which resembled an owl, was revealed.

"Hehehe, of course, it's Brother Sun Rong who understands me best."

As she spoke, the actress put away her water sleeves, picked up the wine pot in front of her, stood up, and poured a cup of wine for Sun Rong opposite her.

"I specially found this for you last night when I heard that my brother was coming. It's the flesh and blood of a baby less than a month old. I still remember my brother's taste."

"Unlike Brother Xia, whose heart is entirely devoted to Miss Jin Feng. He has been waiting patiently for decades, but she has never even glanced back at him."

After pouring the wine, the actress glanced at Xia Liuqing and then poured wine for the old man on her left.

"Brother Li Ying, don't you think Brother Xia looks pitiful?"

He joked as he poured the wine.

"Alright, you two really live up to the old saying, 'Those in the same trade are enemies.'"

An elderly man named Li Ying helplessly stopped the two from their pointless bickering. He was pale and beardless, and his exposed skin was eerily white. He picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

"Hmm~, it's really kind of you, Brother Zhao, to remember my taste. The grains for brewing the wine were soaked in the blood of living people for a sufficient amount of time. After this sip, I feel much warmer!"

After she finished speaking, a little red appeared on Li Ying's pale cheeks.

"If you two brothers are happy, you are welcome to come and stay with me often in the future. I will definitely welcome you at the door."

As he spoke, the actress poured herself a cup of blood wine and drank it down in one gulp.

Xia Liuqing watched silently as the three men ate human flesh and drank human blood, without taking a bite. After a long while, he tapped the table.

"Alright, let's get down to business. What should we do with that brat from the Lü family?"