Hua Jinrong, whose disguise had been shed without warning, had not yet recovered from his shock when the man familiarily clapped him on the shoulder and said:
"What's the matter? I merely changed clothes, how could Brother Ye not recognize me?"
With that, the man introduced himself:
"I am Gao Ming of Wolong Villa. Brother Ye, you previously intervened and saved me, allowing me to escape death by sheer luck.
Brother Ye's great kindness, Gao owes it entirely to you and will never forget it!"
Upon hearing this, Hua Jinrong's mouth twitched severely. Before he could utter a denial, someone beside him spoke first:
"So it's Brother Gao. I am Lin Jingxing, Brother Ye's close friend.
It is said that a friend of a friend is also a friend.
May I ask how you and Brother Ye met?"
Hearing that he was speaking to the savior's friend, Gao Ming clasped his hands and said, "Brother Lin, is it? This is a long story."
"Then please make your long story short, Brother Gao."
"Uh—
Brother Lin, your straightforward personality doesn't match your appearance!"
"Of course, we are people of the martial world, not bound by trivialities."
Gao Ming pondered for a moment and, as concisely as possible, explained:
"When I was out training, I unintentionally disrupted the affairs of a local gang. They pursued me for a full day and night. When my strength failed, I was fortunate enough to have Brother Ye come to my rescue."
"So that's how it was. As expected of Brother Ye, always so righteous and helpful?"
"More than that!
After rescuing me from the clutches of danger, Brother Ye not only found a doctor to treat my wounds but also provided me with travel expenses for my return journey.
However, he politely refused when I offered to repay him with a generous gift.
Brother Ye's compassion, helping others without seeking reward, is truly a model for us martial artists to follow!
But as the saying goes, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring!
Gao will not dare to forget Brother Ye's great kindness for a moment!"
Seeing Hua Jinrong's grim expression, a mixture of green and purple, Lin Qingge couldn't help but suspect that if the situation were to repeat itself, Hua Jinrong would not only refrain from saving this simpleton who rivaled Yan Tinghao, but would likely kick him while he was down, lest he be repaid with ingratitude.
As for why Hua Jinrong had refused Gao Ming's reward back then, it was probably because he was simply not short of money...
While Lin Qingge was lost in thought, the others also gathered around.
"Second Senior Brother, could this be the Brother Ye you often mention?"
"Precisely."
Gao Ming nodded and then introduced Hua Jinrong and the others one by one:
"This is Eldest Senior Brother Lan Yishi, Third Junior Brother Liu Chenfei, Fourth Junior Brother Su Mo, and Junior Sister Jian Xing."
Eldest Senior Brother Lan Yishi immediately stepped forward and solemnly clasped his hands in a deep bow:
"Lan, on behalf of my junior brothers and sister, thanks Brother Ye for saving Gao Ming's life. From now on, if Brother Ye encounters any trouble in the martial world, just give the word, and we five siblings will face mountains of blades and seas of fire, even if it means death a thousand times!"
Hua Jinrong, under everyone's gaze, had no choice but to put away his folding fan and return the salute by clasping his hands:
"You flatter me, everyone. It was merely a small effort, and Brother Gao is truly exaggerating."
After a round of pleasantries, Hua Jinrong, nearly drying up his saliva, finally managed to extricate himself from Gao Ming's overly enthusiastic greetings.
On the way back, Yongning, whose wish had been fulfilled, excitedly tugged at her good sister beside her, gesticulating wildly as she said:
"Siyun, the handsome men of Wolong are indeed as renowned as they say, each one exceptionally handsome, rarely seen in the world!"
"Is that so? But I feel that Young Master Bai and the others are still superior?"
"Siyun, you don't understand. Brother Bai is already beyond the realm of mortals, calling him a celestial being would not be an exaggeration, thus he can only be admired from afar.
Young Master Hua is also good-looking, but his mouth is too prominent, so much so that people often overlook his face.
Ling Han is too cold, Cousin Yan is too dull, and Brother Cousin is a blockhead who is unapproachable, only that fellow Zhou Zeli...
Forget it, that fellow is not worth mentioning.
In short, the handsome men of Wolong are different!
They are dazzling existences that we can see and touch!"
Xu Siyun, who couldn't quite understand, fell silent. Hua Jinrong suddenly slapped his forehead:
"That's right, I still have something to do. Please excuse me, I must take my leave first."
Lin Qingge cast a sideways glance at the showy peacock attempting to flee and said faintly:
"Young Master Ye is busy with affairs, and indeed must have many important matters to attend to.
However, before you go, does Young Master Ye have anything to say to us?"
"This, well..."
"Young Master Ye, you not only keep a group of skilled and elusive guards like An Yi and An Er, but you are also the founder of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, one of the six major forces in the martial world, known as the 'Omniscient of the Jianghu.'
To think that such a remarkable person is right beside me, it makes me so ecstatic that I want to punch someone.
Brother Hua, do you feel the same?"
Asked by Lin Qingge, Hua Jinrong habitually took out his folding fan and swayed it, answering with a composed demeanor:
"Brother Lin, you are truly jesting.
I do have a friend surnamed 'Ye,' and Gao Ming was indeed rescued by me.
However, I merely could not tolerate Gao Ming's overly enthusiastic nature, so I lied and used Brother Ye's name~"
"Brother Hua, do you know how a duck dies?"
"A duck?
Perhaps because it is slaughtered and cooked?"
Lin Qingge shook his head. "Wrong. It's because a dead duck's mouth is stubborn."
???
As Hua Jinrong looked bewildered, Murong Bai, standing beside him, said coolly:
"Brother Lin means that because he wants to know how hard a dead duck's mouth can be, he wants to kill the live duck to verify it."
"G-Great Brother wants to slaughter a duck? How can such crude work trouble Great Brother? Allow me to do it!"
With that, Yan Tinghao rolled up his sleeves.
"By the way, Great Brother, where is the duck?"
"Far away in the sky, yet close at hand."
"Great Brother, why don't I see it?"
Yan Tinghao looked around, while Lin Qingge narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly at Hua Jinrong, who was now waving his fan at triple the speed.
After spending some time together, Hua Jinrong, knowing that his lord, if not always acting on his words, was certainly unrestrained, was stared at for a long time and couldn't help but sigh:
"Brother Lin, some things are better left unsaid once understood~"
"No, I prefer things to be clear-cut."
Having received a tacit confirmation, Lin Qingge dropped this sentence and patted Yan Tinghao, who was circling around them:
"Alright, we won't slaughter the duck today. Let's have chicken instead."
"Yes, G-Great Brother!"
Lin Qingge walked back with Yan Tinghao. Yongning, after seeing the handsome men of Wolong, also followed, arm in arm with Xu Siyun.
Only Hua Jinrong and Murong Bai remained standing in place.
Murong Bai did not hurry to follow, but instead raised an eyebrow:
"Rong San, it's been a few years, your abilities have greatly improved?
How come I never knew you had the identity of 'Young Master Ye, the Omniscient of the Jianghu'?"
Seeing that there was no one else around, Hua Jinrong finally stopped being evasive and pouted:
"Hmph, it's all to help Big Brother Lin gather intelligence, and I accidentally overdid it."
"You were indeed quite careless, but the identity of 'Omniscient of the Jianghu' sounds very shady and suits you well.
Why don't you just use the identity of Young Master Ye from now on? It's much more impressive than the proprietor of Renji Hall."
"How can that be?"
Hua Jinrong's eyes flashed as he thought of something. "Bai Er, haven't I told you all?
No matter when, I am first an adopted son of the Hua family, and then anything else..."