Chapter 3 - Welcome Back Banquet (Part One)
Upon receiving the good news, Fang Dingwu went to the wing room where Ye Beizhi was staying. There, he found that Ye Beizhi had already washed up and changed into a black outfit, likely brought over by the servants. His freshly washed face was not conventionally handsome, but his features were refined, and his eyes were as calm and deep as an ancient well. With his Tang blade perpetually slung across his back, he was in the middle of boiling water when Fang Dingwu entered the room.
Fang Dingwu patted Ye Beizhi's shoulder and said with a smile. "Brother Ye, the chief has invited you to the welcome back banquet tonight. He wants to examine you personally, but with your skills, I think there is nothing to worry about. The chief is just being pedantic."
Ye Beizhi nodded slightly.
Fang Dingwu continued, "But Brother Ye, why are you so reluctant to speak? When the chief asks you questions, please don't ignore him. I know you don't like to talk much, but you should at least respond a bit."
Ye Beizhi glanced at Fang Dingwu, then turned his head away and said, "Okay."
Satisfied with Ye Beizhi's affirmative response, Fang Dingwu nodded and said, "Since that's the case, I'll head back first. I'll come get you when it's time for the banquet tonight!" With that, he swaggered away.
When Fang Dingwu returned to Ye Beizhi's wing room later that day, he had changed into a new set of clean clothes. Even before entering the room, his voice boomed. "Brother Ye! I'm here to get you!"
As soon as he entered the room, he grabbed Ye Beizhi's hand and pulled him out; his face was flushed and he shouted, "Brother Ye, tonight we must drink a couple rounds together, you must tell me how you trained in bladesmanship to be so amazing!"
It was evident that he had already drunk quite a bit throughout the afternoon.
Fang Dingwu dragged Ye Beizhi to the courtyard outside the main hall. Eight or nine tables had been set up, with servants bringing out dishes one after the other. The two walked through the courtyard to the main hall, where there was an enormous table occupied by several people. Seeing Fang Dingwu and Ye Beizhi approaching, one person stood up and urged the former, "Dingwu, hurry up. Your wine has already been poured!"
Fang Dingwu laughed and replied, "Guo Xiaoliu, with your alcohol tolerance, you'll be under the table in two cups, yet you still dare to drink with me?"
The people at the table burst into laughter at Fang Dingwu's words.
Guo Xiaoliu's face turned red and retorted, "You are not that much better at drinking either!"
As they walked into the main hall, Fang Dingwu introduced everyone to Ye Beizhi. "This is Sun Song, a famous armed escort team leader in Jiading Prefecture. This is Zhao Feihu, one of the pillars of our escort agency, and this is Guo Tu, he was the sixth child in his family, so everyone calls him Guo Xiaoliu[1]. Brother Ye, you can call him Xiaoliu too!"
Then he introduced Ye Beizhi to everyone, "This is Brother Ye Beizhi, whom I told you about this afternoon."
Everyone looked at Ye Beizhi with interest, and he nodded at them before sitting down on a seat facing the front of the hall.
"Big Bro Dingwu! Big Bro Dingwu! I heard you brought back an interesting person? Where is he, where is he?" An excited voice chimed from the back of the hall, followed by a girl skipping over in a bright yellow dress.
She had an oval face, neat bangs, and eyes as enchanting as a lake under the moonlight. A small lock of stray hair framed the right side of her face, making her look somewhat innocent—that was Ye Beizhi's first impression of the girl.
Standing opposite Ye Beizhi, she began scrutinizing him from head to toe.
"He doesn't look much older than me. Big Bro Dingwu, is he really as skilled as you say?" She asked Fang Dingwu, giving him a sidelong glance full of suspicion.
Fang Dingwu could only wave his hand with a wry smile, not knowing how to answer.
A stern voice resounded from the back of the hall. "Stop with your nonsense! How can a little girl like you tell if he's skilled or not? Also, stop running around all day. What kind of behavior is that?"
Hearing the voice, the people at the table stood up in unison. An old man with graying hair walked out from the back of the hall. Despite his age, he maintained a straight posture, like a rusted yet unyielding iron spear. The old man entered and immediately honed in on Ye Beizhi, who was unaffected by the commotion and still seated at the table. Fang Dingwu discreetly tugged at Ye Beizhi's sleeve under the table, prompting Ye Beizhi to slowly stand up, although his eyes remained focused on the table.
"Are you Ye Beizhi? The one Dingwu brought back?" the old man asked somewhat playfully.
Ye Beizhi turned to look at the old man. After a long pause, he replied, "That's me."
The old man grinned as he sat at the head of the table, motioned for everyone to sit down, and asked, "I heard you can use a blade, well?"
Ye Beizhi's gaze returned to the table, and he nodded slightly. "Yes."
"Is something wrong with this guy? Why doesn't he say more than two words?" The girl from earlier commented.
The old man frowned and glared at her, making her purse her lips and look away.
Seeing that Ye Beizhi showed no signs of displeasure, the old man continued, "Your blade must be from a famous master. May I take a look?"
Ye Beizhi stared at the table without speaking or nodding.
Zhao Feihu, who was at the side, could no longer stand Ye Beizhi's apathetic responses and said, "You've been dawdling around without saying anything. Are you a man or not?!"
He then reached for the blade on Ye Beizhi's back.
Out of nowhere, a hand appeared and grabbed his arm. Zhao Feihu felt as if his wrist was clamped in an iron vise. No matter how he struggled, the hold on his wrist would not budge. Looking up, he met Ye Beizhi's emotionless eyes and felt as if he were drowning within those pools of stagnant water.
With a thud, Zhao Feihu stumbled to the ground. Only he knew if it was from pain or fright. The others at the table were finally jolted by this fall, slapping the table and standing up.
"Let go!"
"You brat, how dare you!"
"How dare you attack?!"
"I'll kill you!"
Still holding Zhao Feihu's arm, Ye Beizhi suddenly turned his head to stare at the man who had last spoken. Struck by Ye Beizhi's impassive gaze, the man was taken aback. Then, perhaps feeling that backing down would make him seem cowardly, he viciously doubled down, "What are you looking at!"
Ye Beizhi stared at him and said, "No."
The man, along with everyone else in the hall, was instantly confused. "Wha, what do you mean, no?" he stammered.
"You can't kill me," answered Ye Beizhi seriously.
A strange silence reappeared around the table.
"What an arrogant fool!"
"How dare you mock us like this! We must teach you a lesson today!"
"Two strikes from your Granddaddy are enough to chop you up!"
"Enough! Be quiet!" the old man demanded while he pounded the table, his voice like a foghorn. "Everyone, sit down. Look at yourselves! Young Hero Ye, could you let Feihu go? He hasn't really done anything excessive."
Ye Beizhi looked at the old man, then looked down at Zhao Feihu, whose face was now flushed red, and let go of his hand.
Zhao Feihu got up from the ground and rubbed his wrist. Glaring fiercely at Ye Beizhi, he turned around and stormed out of the hall.
Fang Dingwu felt very helpless. How did his perfectly good welcome-back banquet end up like this? He turned to look at Ye Beizhi, who was still staring at the feast on the table without saying a word.
1. Liu (六) means six. ☜
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