Chapter 50  : Chapter 050 An Old and a Young

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While Flame City buzzed with tales of Yang Zhen, the ‘mysterious’ young man, Yang Zhen was engaged in a staring contest with an old man.

Under Lan Fangyue’s guidance, Yang Zhen climbed into Changyue Tower and was left alone in what appeared to be a lounge. Lan Fangyue departed, leaving Yang Zhen to himself. &

The room was a wooden one, seeming completely different from the grand, ancient Changyue Tower. Style of the wooden house was low-key and somewhat simple, lacking any monumental presence.

At first, Yang Zhen waited patiently. However, as the time ticked away reaching nearly a quarter of an hour, he started to grow impatient. Not only had Lan Fangyue not made a second appearance, there wasn’t even a hint of a whisper.

Yang Zhen took initiative to pour himself two cups of tea. The sweet scent filled the room as he took his first sip.

The tea was good, but Yang Zhen couldn’t quite appreciate it. The taste started to lose its appeal the more he drank. He decided to pocket the tea box and began to leave. However, before he could step out the door, a messy old man barred his way.

The old man seemed to have ran there, panting heavily. He glared at Yang Zhen, wild-eyed and disheveled.

With a strange expression, Yang Zhen asked sternly, “Is this the way Changyue Tower treats its guests? Keeping them waiting for fifteen minutes, it doesn’t seem like the Tower welcomes me. Goodbye!”

“You little thief!” The old man glared at him, standing at the door, almond-shaped eyes round with shock. “You are ungrateful! Do you have any idea how much the tea you just drank costs?”

“How much?” Yang Zhen gave the old man a sideways glance, stealthily tucking the tea box deeper into his pocket.

This man was tough to age, he looked to be sixty or seventy years old, yet his vigor belied his years. Especially remarkable was his large red nose matched with ruddy cheeks – the very image of a comic actor.

He was indeed full of pep, yet a bit peculiar to Yang Zhen. He had disheveled clothes and gave off a weird mix of fragrant and foul smell—a bizarre combination.

Upon hearing Yang Zhen’s question, the old man grunted, shooting a disdainful glance at him without answering.

Yang Zhen curled his lips, attempting to push the old man aside. “If you’re not answering, get lost!”

The old man widened his eyes in surprise, seemingly not anticipating Yang Zhen making a move. Caught off guard, he was pushed by Yang Zhen. “Huh?” Yang Zhen looked at the old man surprisingly. Although he hadn’t used much force, fearing he might accidentally knock down the strange old man, any normal person should’ve moved under his push.

The old man looked proud as he regarded Yang Zhen. “Young lad, you do have some conscience. If you’d pushed just a bit harder, you’d be dead by now.” Yang Zhen only nodded. “Thank you, elder, for sparing me. Goodbye.” “Alright, alright… Hey, you’re really leaving?” The old man stumbled back a few steps, a shocked expression on his face. “Aren’t you afraid that the entire Changyue Tower will come after you if you hurt me?”

The old man didn’t try to stop him, comfortably leaning against the door. He chuckled mischievously, “Young thief, you could build another Changyue Tower in Flame City with the cost of those two cups of tea you you drank. Plus the tea in your pocket, that’s not even enough for ten Changyue Towers.” Yang Zhen almost hit the doorframe. He turned to glare at the old man. “Are you trying to swindle me?”

“So what if I am? The tea is in your pocket. Get someone to search and you’ll see… You little thief!” the old man said, completely pleased with himself as if he’d gotten the best of Yang Zhen.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Yang Zhen screamed, falling to the ground clutching his head. “Help! Changyue Tower is trying to murder me! Oh my word, my head hurts, I need to go to the hospital, I need a brain CT, listen here, you old geezer, you’re bullying me because you’re more powerful. If anything happens to me, even if I die, it’ll be your fault.”

The old man was startled by Yang Zhen’s outcry, and stared in bewilderment at Yang Zhen on the floor. “Why would I be the criminal?” he said with a bewildered expression.

“Are you stupid?” Yang Zhen glanced at the old man. “Think, I’m a VIP guest of the Changyue Tower, I’ve taken on a task for Changyue Tower. If I die mysteriously here at Changyue Tower, how do you think practitioners in the world would react?”

“How…would they react?”

“Why does the Changyue Tower cry out in the middle of the night? Why did the young practitioner suddenly die? Why have the clothes of Widow Li’s house frequently disappeared? Why do the girls in Flame City not leave their houses at night, casting sorrowful glances at Changyue Tower… What caused all this, what do you think the practitioners throughout the world will think?”

The old man’s mouth fell open, his hair rising, a shock of fear in his eyes. “Lad, don’t talk nonsense, what do Widow Li’s clothes have to do with Changyue Tower? And those girls… Why would they cry when looking at Changyue Tower if they’re afraid to leave their homes … you… you don’t ruin the reputation of my Changyue Tower.”

Yang Zhen stayed down on the ground: “All these questions will be all over the streets by tomorrow if I even lose a strand of hair or if a goose bump breaks on my skin. Plus, I will make sure there’s a catchy song about it that teaches the children of Flame City to sing”

“Shut up!” The old man glared. “You little devil, shut up!”

“I refuse to!” Yang Zhen turned his head. “You want me to shut up, but I refuse.

That would be very embarrassing, then…everyone would say tyhat ‘Oh my, that’s what Changyue Tower is like, there’s a strange old man in Changyue Tower who’s really strange.’

“Stop, stop it!” The old man cried, tearing at his messy hair. He sighed in defeat. “Alright, kid, you win. I’ll give you the plum blossom!”

Yang Zhen couldn’t help but laugh. He stood up, slapped the old man on the shoulder, and said, “What’s a box of Many A Plum Blossom? Next time, I’ll treat you to some Bi Luo Chun, or, if you prefer, some Iron Goddess. Or some top-grade Maofeng Fat Sea Kelp. And let me tell you secretly, some teas are rootless teas, they’re the finest teas in the world!”

The old man’s eyes suddenly lit up. He grabbed Yang Zhen and asked, “Is it true that Iron Sea Kelp and Fat Guanyin are good tea? Also, what is a rootless tea?” Yang Zhen leaned over to the old man’s ear, “As it happens, rootless tea is a tea that should be enjoyed in heaven. It’s collected from the tip of a beautiful woman’s tongue.”

“Hehe, well…” The old man hugged Yang Zhen’s shoulders and said, “I didn’t expect that we’re on the same wavelength.”

“Uh-huh” Yang Zhen winked at the old man, “Big brother, you are indeed free-spirited.”

“Free-spirited?” The old man paused, then beamed, “I like you, your words are comfortable and pleasant.”

“I don’t like you.”

The two scoundrels, old and young, were chuckling away, leaving Lan Fangyue watching in disbelief from another room.

In the water curtain, the entanglements of Yang Zhen and the old man were clearly displayed before Lan Fangyue. Lan Fangyue was staring, dumbfounded at the water curtain, muttering to herself:

“Wasn’t he supposed to discipline him? Wasn’t he going to teach this thief a lesson? Why did you run out and end up becoming his friend?”

As she kept listening, Lan Fangyue’s face turned red, and she spat out, “You two shameless people!”