Chapter 138 Unexpected Complications

Miss Zhu looked at Hall Master Yu and his men, and then at Qu Buping and the others. Frowning, she said, "Master Hua, I think neither of these two sides looks like good people. Whoever I follow, misfortune is bound to follow. It seems I had better stay right here in the tavern and wait for my family!"

Hua Sanxiao smiled and said, "Little girl, it is very easy for you to encounter bad people while waiting in a tavern, and besides, your family might not be able to find you immediately. Leaving you here alone like this would make us rather uneasy."

Miss Zhu thought for a moment and said, "Ah, I know what to do! I think I'll just go with Master Hua! Master Hua, you are a man of striking appearance and absolute virtue. Only by following you will I avoid being taken advantage of."

Hearing this, Hall Master Yu was filled with anger and resentment, yet he managed to restrain himself. Because the Hundred Flowers Manor was renowned throughout the martial world and dominated the Jiangnan region, their own chief, Wu Yijie, made a point of sending gifts and paying respects to the Hundred Flowers Manor every year to secure their backing. Thus, Hall Master Yu and his men had no choice but to swallow their wrath.

Qu Buping felt even more outraged and jealous upon hearing this. He could not help whispering to Xiaoyu, "It seems all our effort was wasted. This little wench has taken a fancy to Master Hua instead. Damn it all, what terrible luck."

Hearing this, Xiaoyun whispered back to him, "Brother Qu, you usually brag endlessly about your own brilliance. Now it seems the only one who thinks you have any skill is yourself, while others clearly see things differently. Judging by Peach Blossom and Miss Zhu, you fall far short of Master Hua."

Qu Buping, stung with shame and anger, retorted, "Women are long on hair and short on insight. Just because they've taken a fancy to the fellow surnamed Hua doesn't necessarily mean I am inferior to him."

When Hua Sanxiao heard Miss Zhu's words, he quickly said, "I am deeply flattered by Miss Zhu's regard. However, if Miss Zhu chooses to accompany me, I fear I might inadvertently overstep proper bounds. I hope Miss Zhu will think this over carefully."

Despite saying this, a look of smug satisfaction crossed his face. Indeed, being admired and praised by a beautiful young woman was certainly something to be pleased about.

Hall Master Yu said, "Since this young lady is willing to follow Master Hua, we have nothing more to say. We shall take our leave now."

Hua Sanxiao said, "Hold on. I am extremely grateful to Hall Master Yu for honoring me by overlooking my humble status. To show my appreciation to Hall Master Yu, there is one more small matter." He turned to his pageboy and instructed, "Hua Lan, give Hall Master Yu a hundred-tael silver note."

Taken aback, Hall Master Yu asked, "What is the meaning of this, Master Hua?"

Hua Sanxiao replied indifferently, "Hall Master Yu, several of your men were injured because of this young lady. Now that she is willing to follow me, I feel rather embarrassed. To express my apologies, please accept this hundred taels of silver to cover their medical expenses. If there is anything left over, treat my friends here to some wine."

Hall Master Yu said, "Master Hua, you are far too courteous. I am truly too embarrassed to accept. This hundred taels of silver is something I simply cannot take."

Hua Sanxiao smiled. "Hall Master Yu, if you think well of me and wish to count me as a friend, please accept it."

With a laugh, Hall Master Yu replied, "Master Hua is truly bold, loyal, and a true friend. I am honored to climb high and call you a friend! On behalf of my brothers, I thank Master Hua here and now. Should Master Hua ever have any commands in the future, I will certainly lend my full assistance. We shall part ways here, and we will surely meet again."

Hua Sanxiao also said, "No need for formalities. Until we meet again."

Seeing this, Xiaoyu could not help whispering to Qu Buping, "Did you see that? That is the true bearing of the strong. As long as you possess status and wealth, anything can be resolved with ease. Otherwise, no matter how desperately you fight, it is all for nothing."

Qu Buping nodded inwardly. Judging by the way Hua Sanxiao had handled the situation, the man was undeniably a person of remarkable talent.

Originally, Hua Sanxiao could have simply ignored the matter. Even if he chose to intervene, given his personal martial prowess and illustrious family background, he could easily have forced Hall Master Yu's group to back down through intimidation. Instead, he treated Hall Master Yu with utmost courtesy and spared no expense in silver.

Not only did this resolve the issue cleanly, but it also left Hall Master Yu and his men deeply grateful to him. More importantly, by such a gentle and subtle method, he had brought Miss Zhu completely under his own control.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would likely reap substantial benefits from this young girl surnamed Zhu. His handling of the affair was absolute perfection. What Qu Buping had failed to achieve despite exhausting all his efforts, Hua Sanxiao had secured effortlessly without ruffling a feather.

Qu Buping let out a soft sigh. Xiaoyu looked at him with a wry smile, and Qu Buping nodded helplessly. Now, the two of them truly admired Hua Sanxiao's brilliance. There was so much they needed to learn from him—not just his formidable martial arts, but far more importantly, his methods of dealing with the world.

Xiaoyu cupped his fists toward Hua Sanxiao and said, "Thank you, Master Hua, for lifting us out of our predicament. Now that Miss Zhu is under Master Hua's care, we can rest easy. We shall take our leave now."

Qu Buping added, "Master Hua, my thanks. I truly admire your brilliance. Until we meet again." With that, he grabbed Xiaoyun, intending to depart.

Just as Xiaoyun took a step away, she could not resist turning her head back to say, "Master Hua, congratulations, congratulations! Miss Zhu, take good care of yourself... Oh, and by the way, Peach Blossom, you had better watch your step!" With these words, the three of them walked out.

Suddenly, Miss Zhu called out, "Wait! Stop right there."

Qu Buping and the others turned back. They heard Miss Zhu say, "The jade bracelet on my wrist is gone. You must have stolen it!"

Furious, Qu Buping barked, "You little woman, you look down on us so damn much! We may not be heroes, but we certainly aren't common thieves!"

Peach Blossom sneered, "That's hardly certain! When you first laid eyes on me, weren't you trying to steal from me too? Fortunately, I was sharp-witted, or else you would have made off with my belongings. One look at your shifty faces tells me you're veteran pickpockets."

Qu Buping cursed, "Wicked woman, you keep accusing us of stealing! We never had a secret romance with you, so what are you flapping your gums for?"

Blushing fiercely with embarrassment, Peach Blossom snapped, "Shameless scoundrel!"