Xia Lan: From Meeting a Martial Arts Girl

Chapter 13 Descendants of the Xia Lan

The food was delicious.

Lu Siye ate three bowls.

It's not just politeness, it really is delicious.

He put down his bowl, looked at the empty plates on the table, and felt a little unsatisfied.

"Who made this?" he asked. "Xiaoman?"

Xiaoman was eating with her head down when she heard this, and her face turned red instantly. She shook her head repeatedly.

"No, it wasn't me..."

Baozi chuckled beside him, puffing out his chest: "I made it."

Lu Siye was stunned.

Looking at Baozi's round face and honest, simple appearance, he couldn't reconcile it with the dishes on the table.

The braised pork belly has a bright red color and is fatty but not greasy.

Sweet and sour pork ribs are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors.

The stir-fried vegetables were crisp, tender, and bright green, cooked to perfection.

Even the seaweed and egg drop soup was so delicious that I wanted another bowl.

"Did you do this?"

"Yeah, right?" Baozi said smugly. "Impressive, isn't it?"

Lu Siye was silent for two seconds, then asked, "Did you specifically study this?"

Baozi scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "It wasn't really something I studied specifically... I just got a certificate."

"What certificate?"

"Master Chef"

Lu Siye paused, his hand holding the chopsticks still.

He looked up at the steamed bun.

Baozi still had that same honest, smiling face, but at this moment, in Lu Siye's eyes, that face suddenly seemed a little unfamiliar.

Master chef.

He had heard the word before.

That's the highest professional title in the culinary industry; very few people in the entire country can pass the exam.

"you……"

Baozi waved her hand and chuckled, "Oh, it's nothing, I just enjoy cooking."

Lu Siye remained silent.

He turned to look at Zhou Che.

Zhou Che was slowly picking up food when he noticed his gaze and looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"And you?" Lu Siye asked, "You don't have some kind of background either, do you?"

Zhou Che adjusted his glasses and said in a flat tone, "Nothing special. I'm just a student at Tsinghua University, not yet graduated, and I applied for off-campus internship."

Tsinghua University.

Lu Siye fell silent again.

He looked at Xiaoman.

Xiaoman shrank back under his gaze and whispered, "I...I just..."

"What is it?"

Baozi chimed in from the side, "Xiaoman's dad owns a company, a pretty big one."

"What company?"

"I think it's called... Hengda Group?"

Lu Siye was stunned.

Hengda Group.

A nationally renowned real estate company, the kind that frequently appears in the news.

He looked down at the bowl in front of him and suddenly felt a little dazed.

He always thought that Baozi and the others were like him.

Ordinary people.

Either they are like Su Nian, descendants of the Xia Lan, and have been exposed to these things since childhood.

But now he finds out, that's not the case.

Baozi is made by a top-notch chef.

Zhou Che is from Tsinghua University.

Xiaoman is the daughter of a wealthy businessman.

And what about him?

He came from a village, his parents died early, and he was raised by his grandmother. He relied on scholarships for schooling and part-time jobs for living expenses. He could only afford to buy hard seats on the train.

They are not from the same world.

When this thought popped into his head, he felt a lump in his throat.

But what Baozi said next stunned him.

"Brother Lu, don't overthink it," Baozi said. "We're telling you this because you're already one of us."

Lu Siye looked at him.

Baozi smiled, a kind of honest and reassuring smile.

"Identity doesn't matter. You saved Xiaoman, so you're one of us."

Zhou Che pushed up his glasses and rarely spoke up: "Tsinghua University is nothing special, it's just a place to study."

Xiaoman whispered, "My dad is my dad, and I am me... I can't do anything..."

Su Nian sat beside her, without saying a word.

But her gaze fell on Lu Siye, and she remained calm.

Lu Siye looked at them and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he put down his chopsticks and spoke.

"My parents died young," he said. "I don't remember exactly how young. I grew up with my grandmother from the time I can remember."

Baozi and the others quieted down and listened to him.

"My grandma didn't have much money; she supported my education by farming. Half of my school money came from scholarships, and the other half came from her savings."

He paused.

"You all know what happened next."

The private room was quiet for a while.

Baozi spoke first, his voice muffled: "Brother Lu, you're better than me. I've studied for so many years, but when I actually get into trouble, my legs go weak. You haven't studied anything, yet you dare to rush in."

Zhou Che adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "Experiences aren't for comparison. You got to where you are today through your own efforts."

Xiaoman whispered, "I think... Brother Lu is amazing..."

Lu Siye raised his head and looked at them.

Baozi smiled at him.

Zhou Che nodded.

Xiaoman's eyes were bright, filled with admiration.

Su Nian remained calm, but there seemed to be something more in her eyes.

Lu Siye suddenly felt that the tightness in his heart had eased.

It's not because of what they said.

It's because of their eyes.

No mercy.

There was no underestimation.

It's about looking at an ordinary person, someone just like them.

He lowered his head and picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks.

"Steamed buns," he said.

"Um?"

"This braised pork is really delicious."

Baozi grinned: "Absolutely!"

After finishing their meal, the group helped clear the table and then returned to their seats.

It was completely dark outside the window, and the light from the streetlights shone in, falling on the corner of the table.

Yi Songjin brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for everyone.

"Since everyone's here today, I'll say something," he said.

Baozi's eyes lit up: "What are you talking about? What are you talking about?"

"The History of Xia Lan".

Everyone sat up straight.

Lu Siye, holding his teacup, also looked at Yi Songjin.

Yi Songjin took a sip of tea and slowly opened his mouth.

"Jiugongling has existed for much longer than you imagine. The Xia Lan appeared when Zero appeared. It has been passed down from generation to generation to the present day."

He paused, then continued, "In the history of Jiugongling, many powerful Xia Lan have emerged. But there is one who is the most special."

"Who?" Baozi asked impatiently.

Yi Songjin glanced at Su Nian.

Su Nian's face remained expressionless, but her brows furrowed slightly.

"Mo Zhanchi," Yi Songjin said.

Baozi paused for a moment: "Mo Zhanchi? That name..."

"Sounds a bit strange, doesn't it?" Yi Songjin smiled. "But this person is one of the strongest Xia Lan in the history of Jiugongling. He not only fought against the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, but also sealed the ancient ferocious beast Qiongqi."

Lu Siye was stunned.

Qiongqi.

That was the most powerful ferocious beast in legend, even more terrifying than the Taotie.

"Seal the Qiongqi?" he asked.

"Yes," Yi Songjin said. "That was a long time ago. There are no detailed records in the ancient books on how it was done. All we know is that after that battle, Qiongqi was sealed away, and Mo Zhanchi became the last leader of Jiugongling."

Zhou Che asked, "The last one? And then?"

"Later, Jiugongling disbanded," Yi Songjin said. "Two hundred years ago, for some unknown reason, Jiugongling suddenly announced its disbandment, and the Xia Lan members went their separate ways. Since then, Mo Zhanchi has never appeared again."

Baozi scratched his head: "So now he..."

Yi Songjin remained silent for a few seconds.

"The lifespan of a Xia Lan is about the same as that of an ordinary person," he said. "Two hundred years is too long."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was already quite clear.

Mo Zhanchi is very likely no longer alive.

Baozi gave a slightly disappointed "Oh".

Zhou Che pushed up his glasses but didn't say anything.

Xiaoman lowered her head, lost in thought.

Lu Siye suddenly asked, "What is the relationship between this Mo Zhanchi and Su Nian?"

Yi Songjin glanced at Su Nian.

Su Nian remained calm, but a hint of impatience flickered in her eyes.

"He is Su Nian's ancestor," Yi Songjin said. "The descendants of Mo Zhanchi and Su Chenyue have continued to this day. All members of Su Nian's family take their mother's surname."

Lu Siye was stunned for a moment.

Su Chenyue.

He hadn't heard of the name before, but it sounded like a woman's.

Takes the mother's surname...

He looked at Su Nian.

Su Nian finally spoke, her tone a bit sharp: "Dad, how many times have you said this? I'm sick of it."

Yi Songjin coughed twice and gave an awkward laugh: "I'm just explaining this to the newcomers."

Su Nian rolled her eyes at him and didn't say anything more.

Lu Siye remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "If we find that Xia Lan, is it possible to eliminate all the Zeros?"

The question caused a few seconds of silence in the private room.

Yi Songjin held his teacup, looked at the tea inside, and remained silent for a long time.

"I don't know," he said. "The battle between Xia Lan and Zero has lasted for thousands of years. Zero has an endless lifespan, while Xia Lan can only barely maintain a balance by piling up generation after generation."

He looked up at Lu Siye.

"Even if Mo Zhanchi were still alive, he couldn't eliminate all Zeros. Zeros and Xia Lan are like light and shadow. Where there is light, there is shadow. As long as darkness remains in people's hearts, Zeros will appear."

Lu Siye remained silent.

He remembered that sentence.

As long as darkness remains, the Xia Lan will live on forever.

It turned out to be the case.

It wasn't the Xia Lan who chose to fight.

It was the darkness that forced them to fight.

As long as darkness remains in people's hearts, zero will never disappear.

The Xia Lan clan can only continue fighting generation after generation.

It never ends.

A cool night breeze blew in through the window.

"Brother Lu?" Baozi's voice brought him back to reality. "What are you thinking about?"

Lu Siye raised his head and looked at them.

Baozi, Zhou Che, Xiaoman, Su Nian, Yi Songjin.

Five people, five pairs of eyes, were all watching him.

He suddenly felt as if he was no longer alone.

"It's nothing," he said. "I just think...that statement makes a lot of sense."

"Which sentence?"

"As long as darkness remains, the Xia Lan will live on forever."

Baozi paused for a moment, then grinned.

"Of course. As long as Zero exists, we exist."

He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it were a matter of course.

Lu Siye looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Um."