The third floor of Hongyunzhai.
The door of Zhu Guo's box.
Chu Qingxiao stood there in astonishment, looking at the voice sitting in the box.
The other party looked up at him. Chu Qingxiao couldn't see clearly what kind of expression was on the face behind the mask, but he heard the other party say in a warm voice: "Come in, try this beef tofu, this is Hongyunzhai's signature vegetable."
As he spoke, the other party waved enthusiastically towards Chu Qingxiao.
Chu Qingxiao took a few breaths to regain his senses, then walked into the room with a calm expression and sat down on the opposite side of the man.
There are various ingredients placed on the round table made of red sandalwood. There is a copper pot in the middle, and a charcoal stove is placed below. It seems to have been burning for a long time. The soup in the copper pot is boiling, water vapor rises, and a fragrance comes with it. It poured into the tip of Chu Qingxiao's nose.
The man stood up, enthusiastically took out a piece of tofu that was white and tender as jade, put it into Chu Qingxiao's bowl, and said, "Try it, how does it taste?"
Chu Qingxiao was in a daze.
He looked at the copper pot in front of him, looked at the churning heat, and remembered that when he was in Wuling City, the best brothel in Wuling City at that time had a famous dish called beef tofu. He had never eaten it, but his father had a business trip. , Wang Che's father invited him to a banquet there and ate for a while.
After coming back, I talked to Chu Qingxiao with gusto for three days.
He said the food there was tender and beautiful, with endless aftertaste.
Chu Qingxiao once suspected that he was not talking about food, but people.
"What? Don't like it? I thought you would want to try this." Seeing that Chu Qingxiao didn't respond for a while, the man asked again.
Only then did Chu Qingxiao come back to his senses. He looked at the man with a strange expression and did not respond to his concerned inquiry. He just asked: "Did Mr. Meng invite me here?"
Yes, the person sitting in front of Chu Qingxiao at this moment was no one else. It was Mr. Meng from the Mirror Stage whom Chu Qingxiao had just met this afternoon!
Mr. Meng put down his chopsticks when he saw that Chu Qingxiao seemed to be uninterested in the food in front of him, and said with a smile: "No."
"Who invited you to the banquet? It's clearly written in the letter. I'm just here to receive Mr. Chu on their behalf, but this meal is indeed invited by them."
"What about them?" Chu Qingxiao looked around. The room was large but bright, and there was obviously no place to hide.
Mr. Meng stood up and walked to the window of the room and looked out the window: "The private room on the third floor of Hongyunzhai is one of the most popular among the restaurants in Tianxuan City. There is no other reason. Here you can overlook the scene of the entire Tianxuan Street. .”
Chu Qingxiao frowned, feeling displeased with Mr. Meng's care: "I thought people like Mr. Meng would disdain these extravagant pleasures."
Mr. Meng looked out the window and replied: "Human nature is to pursue pleasure. How can I avoid being vulgar if I am not a saint?"
"It's just that the reason why people are human is because they know how to restrain themselves."
"Sir, are you saying that we should keep away from human desires according to natural principles?" Chu Qingxiao asked.
Mr. Meng paused: "Is this what your husband taught you?"
Chu Qingxiao shook his head: "I do have a gentleman in Wuling City. He taught me a lot, but I am naughty by nature and don't remember much."
"He said that, but he also said that he didn't quite agree with it."
"He feels that the reason why people are human, self-denial is to restrain the animal nature in the body rather than human nature. To enjoy pleasure but not indulge in lust, to be free but not wanton, is to be humane."
After hearing this, Mr. Meng's voice seemed to be a little relieved: "It seems that you agree with your gentleman's words."
Chu Qingxiao did not shy away and said bluntly: "Mr. Luo is a very good person, and to me, he is the best gentleman."
Mr. Meng did not comment on Chu Qingxiao's remarks and continued to look out the window.
"Although I don't care about pleasure and have no desire for power, sometimes people have to go to high places and stand high enough to see the whole picture and know how to take their own path."
"It's like standing here."
"At a glance, all living beings can be seen before your eyes. Their happiness, anger, sorrow and joy suddenly become insignificant. Only at this time can you bid farewell to those trivial trade-offs and make the right choice."
Chu Qingxiao felt that there seemed to be something in Mr. Meng's words, but he couldn't figure it out.
"Today's master is here, why don't you come and take a look?" At this moment, Mr. Meng's voice sounded again.
Chu Qingxiao was stunned and a little confused.
But he still stood up at this moment, came to the window with Mr. Meng, and looked out the window.
Just like Mr. Meng said.
The views from this property are excellent.
Looking out from the window, the bustling scene of Tianxuan Street can be seen at a glance.
But this crowded scene did not appeal to Chu Qingxiao.
He was about to retract his gaze in disinterest, but suddenly he caught a glimpse of two unsociable figures suddenly appearing in front of the door of Jin Yutang, which was crowded with drinkers waiting for their drinks on the other side of the street.
They didn't have the silk brocades worn by the drinkers, just coarse linen clothes with a few conspicuous patches.
They were not as young, handsome, and high-spirited as those pedestrians, but with hunched backs and a head of frost and snow, they supported each other and slowly and difficultly walked through the crowd to the front of the Jinyu Hall.
It's the Bai family couple!
Chu Qingxiao recognized them at a glance.
His body unconsciously leaned forward at that time, and he grabbed the railing in front of him with both hands, his eyes alert.
He was vaguely aware that something was wrong.
The old couple of the Bai family were heading towards the Jinyu Hall, where Fu Zhengliang, the master of the White Camel Peak, was hosting a banquet for many officials from the capital of Great Xia.
"What are they going to do?" Chu Qingxiao turned his head and looked at Mr. Meng aside, his eyes were fierce and he asked in a cold voice.
Mr. Meng did not respond to Chu Qingxiao's question immediately. He just looked at the old couple getting closer and closer to the door of Jinyu Hall and asked, "Mr. Chu..."
"You said what if..."
"If one day, there are only two choices before you."
"One is living an ignoble life from now on, never asking about the past again."
"One is to risk everything and use your own life to seek justice for Wuling City and the swordsmen of the past. What will you choose?"
Chu Qingxiao frowned and said: "My life was given to me by Jianjia and the people of Wuling City. In order to help them get justice, I will not hesitate to sacrifice myself!"
"Is that so..." Mr. Meng nodded, his eyes falling on the old couple. At this moment, they had arrived at the door of Jin Yutang.
Mr. Meng whispered at this moment: "Then the same goes for them..."
Chu Qingxiao's heart trembled and he was about to say something.
But at this moment, outside the Jinyu Hall, the couple who were over seventy years old fell to their knees on the ground almost at the same time.
"The master of White Camel Peak, Fu Zhengliang, secretly refined the magic elixir and killed his disciples!"
"My lords, please redress the grievances of the untouchables!"
