Chapter 12. Dinner with Qin Xingxuan

Qin Xingxuan's eyes brightened up as she smiled and said, "Oh. Alright. Then I will visit the Grand Clarity Pavilion after the lecture. My name is Qin Xingxuan."

Lin Xiang faintly nodded with a smile. "My name is Lin Xiang. Miss Qin, I'll be going now."

"Mhm." Qin Xingxuan nodded while smiling like a flower.

Lin Xiang didn't delay any longer, gently smiled and walked away.

Elder Senior Sister faintly nodded with a stern expression as she was sending Lin Xiang off with her eyes.

Staring at Lin Xiang's departing back, Qin Xingxuan felt incredibly curious. After hearing that Lin Xiang was staying in the Grand Clarity Pavilion she thought that he visited the Sky Fortune City only temporarily.

In fact, since her childhood days Qin Xingxuan had never before invited a boy of the same age as her to eat a meal, but she has been asked out countless times, all of which she rejected as she ate together with her close friend. Unknowingly, she felt very relieved that Lin Xiang accepted her invitation.

…

Sister Lan was dumbfounded as she stared at a magnificent carriage of the Marshal's family that just arrived before the restaurant from which the infamous Qin Xingxuan herself came out.

Earlier Lin Xiang approached Sister Lan and told her that Qin Xingxuan would come later to find him, but she took it only as a joke and laughed it off. Even after Lin Xiang attempted to convince her once again that he was serious, she still didn't believe it.

However, not long ago she received a voice talisman from Marshal's Quarters informing her in advance that Qin Xingxuan would indeed come. It couldn't be that she came here to have a meal with the deboning boy, could it?

Although Lin Xiang was a bit mysterious because he didn't even ask for a salary, but only for a place to stay and vicious beast meat meals, his family background was ordinary and his martial arts cultivation was not too exaggerated. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have had any dealings with the Marshal's Quarters. Why would Qin Xingxuan visit him personally to have a meal with him? Just how did that make sense?

Pushing this thought aside, Sister Lan rushed to greet Qin Xingxuan at the main entrance. "Miss Qin, I would like to personally welcome you to our establishment. If you would like to come in, we have already specially prepared a private room for you."

The Great Clarity Pavilion and other high class restaurants had special rooms prepared for dignitaries and other high profile guests. These guests often did not like to eat in the open, so in order to create a more comfortable environment for them, there were several private rooms that were set up.

"Xiao Lian, prepare the best blue spring tea we have, and inform the kitchen to prepare well. Bring out the best dishes!" Sister Lan continued as she turned to the waiters.

Although the Great Clarity Pavilion often entertained many honored guests; Qin Xingxuan was the absolute cream of society! The Marshal's Quarters had several executive master chefs that were beyond the skills of Great Clarity Pavilion's chefs; there was simply no need for her to come here to eat a meal.

Qin Xingxuan said, "Mhm. I came here to meet with someone. He's a fifteen to sixteen year old boy, just a bit taller than me, and his surname is Lin."

She said Lin Xiang's surname only because it was common practice for guests' rooms to only have their surname registered. For instance, Mr. Lin. She guessed that Lin Xiang might even be with his master, if so, then the registration wouldn't even be under Lin.

"A fifteen or sixteen year old youth, surnamed Lin..." Sister Lan thought about this, feeling dumbfounded. She coughed, raised her eyebrows and asked in an uncertain tone: "Miss Qin, it couldn't be Lin Xiang that you want to meet, could it?"

Qin Xingxuan's eyes lit up and she nodded. "Yes, his full name is Lin Xiang."

"..."

"Is there a problem?" Qin Xingxuan asked.

Sister Lan quickly shook her head. "No, I was only a bit surprised. Miss Qin, I will have someone call Lin Xiang. Please follow me to the room we prepared."

Qin Xingxuan lightly nodded and followed Sister Lan.

…

Around the time when Qin Xingxuan arrived, Lin Xiang was cultivating in his room. Not long later a waiter, with a strange expression, brought him to a room with Qin Xingxuan.

The waiter opened the door and a luxurious room with a table for two appeared before Lin Xiang's eyes.

Qin Xingxuan was already sitting at the table. She wore a white dress which greatly contrasted with her beautiful loose black hair and her fair complexion, causing her to look like an immortal fairy from a painting.

Meanwhile Lin Xiang wore a regular gray-black robe. His clothes were not fancy, but with his mature disposition, sharp and fairly handsome facial features and a fit body, he still looked like someone unordinary.

He had long jet-black hair that barely reached his shoulder blades. The top of his hair was bound into a practical half-ponytail, while neatly cut yet wild bangs adorned his forehead. His hair couldn't be called silk-like, but it still looked smooth and healthy.

Lin Xiang might have been at least half-a-step behind some rich handsome young masters like Zhu Yan appearance-wise, but he was still a bit handsome and pleasant to the eye. There was nothing that one could complain about.

Yes, it was the appearance that Qin Xingxuan was familiar with from back in the Zither Department. When she noticed Lin Xiang, she stood up, gently smiled and greeted, "Mister Lin."

"Miss Qin." Lin Xiang lightly smiled and walked in.

Calling Qin Xingxuan 'Miss Qin' was simply basic courtesy. They were not close and in fact there was currently a large difference in their statuses. Although Lin Xiang remembered that Qin Xingxuan was very reasonable, it would make him seem like an uncultured country bumpkin if he directly called her by name, not knowing the minimum manners of this world.

Meanwhile the waiter was dumbfounded. Miss Qin, Mister Lin? Wut?

Lin Xiang enjoyed the waiter's dumbfounded expression and chuckled. He looked back and sat at the empty seat opposite Qin Xingxuan.

Qin Xingxuan wasn't aware of the situation and only politely smiled. When Lin Xiang sat down, she intertwined her fingers in front of her and her smile deepened as she looked into Lin Xiang's eyes with curiosity. She said, "Mister Lin, thank you for finding the time to have a chat with Xingxuan. Our ages shouldn't be too far off. Can I simply call you by name? Is that alright?"

Lin Xiang faintly raised his eyebrows. She closed the distance awfully quickly!

"That's fine. Then I'll also simply call you Xingxuan," Lin Xiang said. He wanted to propose the same, because he did not want to continue calling her Miss Qin, which felt very distant and stiff, but Qin Xingxuan was unexpectedly first.

Qin Xingxuan smiled and asked, "Lin Xiang, I assume you're only visiting Sky Fortune City temporarily?"

Qin Xingxuan felt that Lin Xiang was only passing by Sky Fortune City, thus it was a rare chance for her to meet him today. Soon, he might resume traveling with his masters.

Lin Xiang faintly smiled. It was already in his consideration that Qin Xingxuan might think this. He didn't respond and instead sent a faint glance at the waiter who still stood dumbly in the door frame.

Having received a cold glance from Lin Xiang, the waiter's body shook as he woke up from his trance. He awkwardly smiled with a sorry expression, gently bowed and silently left.

Lin Xiang looked back at Qin Xingxuan and whispered, "Miss Qi… Xingxuan, can we talk about the inscription stuff only when we're alone?"

Qin Xingxuan understood from Lin Xiang's tone that he didn't want others to know about his Iscriptionist skills. She only politely nodded.

At that time various waiters scurried about, bringing in food and drink.

After sending them a look and a moment's pause, Lin Xiang said, "About your question, the truth is that I'm from Sky Fortune Kingdom."

Qin Xingxuan raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Lin Xiang continued, "I'm not sure how long I'll stay in Sky Fortune City, but at least for the next several months."

"Oh, is that it? Then we might have many chances to meet in the future. I believe my master would like to meet you as well," Qin Xingxuan said, politely smiling. She avoided the topic of Inscriptions and Lin Xiang's master for the time being.

"Mhm…" Lin Xiang picked up a glass of wine and took a sip. He was not a wine connoisseur, but he could feel a medicinal effect after he swallowed the wine; this wine was definitely really expensive.

He then started some small talk, wanting to kill the time while the waiters were still bringing in food.

When the staff of Great Clarity Pavilion heard that Qin Xingxuan was having dinner with Lin Xiang, everyone blanched.

What kind of person was Qin Xingxuan? She was the Marshal's granddaughter, a super genius with unparalleled status! Whether it was her background, wealth, talent or beauty, they were all top-notch.

But she was actually holding a meal with Lin Xiang?

What sort of background did Lin Xiang actually have? If his real background was not small, why would he willingly come to the Great Clarity Pavilion and help with deboning work?

As the saying goes - a gentleman stood far from the kitchen. The kitchen and especially the butcher's job was always despised and looked down upon by martial artists and scholars.

Lin Xiang had deboning skills that they admired, but it was difficult to say that it was a refined skill.

"What's the background of that little chopper Lin?"

"I don't really know…"

The two waiters who were serving Qin Xingxuan and Lin Xiang could not help but chat amongst themselves while they were serving. They were both dedicated staff that served the high-level guests, and were each around twenty years of age, with outstanding looks and also proficient at the fine arts of poetry and painting.

They first saw Qin Xingxuan enter the Great Clarity Pavilion and were shocked. After all, this type of honored guests was rare, and once it happened there was a reward of 10 gold taels for good service which was equivalent to two months of wages. But they had not actually thought that she came to meet Lin Xiang.

In the private room, the banquet dishes were simple but very exquisite in taste and texture.

The liquor was several hundred gold taels for a jar and was called red dragon liquor; it was specially prepared via a secret recipe and mixed in with a variety of rare herbs. A martial artist who drank this could cure their internal injuries and promote a stronger and fitter body along with a higher degree of cultivation. However, the brewing method was complex and the materials used were precious. Even the juniors of the Aristocracy could not afford to savor it.

Once the table seemed to be served, Lin Xiang stood up and locked the door.

Qin Xingxuan didn't react to that.

Once Lin Xiang came back, he sat down and said, "Sorry about this. I don't want too many people to know about my knowledge on Inscriptions."

"That's alright. Lin Xiang, your skill in inscriptions really impressed me. Can I know who your master is?" Qin Xingxuan asked with a gentle smile.

"My master… My master is a recluse. He found me when I was five years old and taught me Inscriptions and other things ever since. He's a very mysterious person, so I doubt you would know anything about him," Lin Xiang.

"Oh."

"Xingxuan, by the way, I heard about you before. Qin Xingxuan, Marshal Qin's beloved granddaughter, a Sixth grade martial talent and the number one Inscriptionist genius," Lin Xiang said with a friendly smile.

Qin Xingxuan's face appeared a bit embarrassed. She said, "Xingxuan's achievements in Inscriptions cannot compare to yours. My talent is too poor."

Lin Xiang understood that although Qin Xingxuan spoke in a self-deprecating tone and might have been impressed by him, she was only being polite and was still proud of her achievements

"Maybe, but don't look down on yourself. You study a variety of subjects and your cultivation is also pretty good. It's already impressive that you achieved as much as you did at your age with the inferior resources and techniques of Sky Fortune Kingdom," Lin Xiang lightly said.

Lin Xiang was honest in his praise. Qin Xingxuan is only a young girl barely fifteen years old, and not long ago she was still a child, but her cultivation was already at the peak of the 4th stage and she also seemed to be well educated and well versed in many fields. Even considering her 6th grade talent, her current level was still impressive considering her circumstances. She must have certainly worked hard in her training and studies since childhood.

Qin Xingxuan gently smiled, feeling flattered. Although she spoke in a self-deprecating manner and was completely outdone by Lin Xiang in Inscriptions, she was naturally still very proud of her own progress.

"Xingxuan, can you tell me about the Inscription situation in Sky Fortune City? I heard that there's an Inscription Association, but I didn't look much into it…" Lin Xiang said, picking a random subject.

Following that, the conversation picked up pace and intensity as the two began fervently talking about Inscriptions, Inscription lines and symbols, and so on.

However, the two-sided talk quickly transformed into Lin Xiang being the main one to talk, sharing his knowledge and insights with Qin XIngxuan.

In turn, Qin Xingxuan was very absorbed in the talk and carefully listened to Lin Xiang's every word. She soon found out that Lin Xiang's theoretical knowledge was even more advanced and profound than she previously thought. His skill in drawing the inscription symbols was shocking, but his actual knowledge was also simply out of this world!

She completely understood now why Lin Xiang called the resources and techniques of Sky Fortune Kingdom 'inferior'. The school and techniques of Inscriptions that he studied were not something that Sky Fortune Kingdom's Inscription Techniques could compare to.

Qin Xingxuan greatly benefited during this conversation. Not only did she learn a lot, but also her horizons were significantly broadened.

Meanwhile Lin Xiang was full of confidence as he smoothly talked and explained. His confidence came from the fact that his theoretical knowledge on Inscriptions indeed did far surpass the greatest masters of this world. At the same time, Qin Xingxuan's absorbed and amazed expression eased most of his feelings of anxiety and caused him to feel very relaxed when talking with her.

Apart from talking about Inscriptions, Lin Xiang also asked Qin Xingxuan various questions to give her a chance to talk as well. The questions were either about the Inscription techniques of the Sky Fortune Kingdom, the Seven Profound Martial House, or about Qin Xingxuan's childhood, training, experiences and opinions.

During the meal Qin Xingxuan didn't eat much and only tasted a few things. She was too absorbed in the talk and Lin Xiang's knowledge to care about eating.

Meanwhile Lin Xiang ate normally. He ate some of the vicious beast meat and vegetable dishes while he allowed Qin Xingxuan to talk about herself.

Lin Xiang knew that the best way to get someone to like you is to make them talk about themselves, and in particular about their childhood. He wasn't anxious or in a hurry to get Qin Xingxuan to like him, but he simply wanted to be polite and allow her to also participate in the conversation. In addition, having good connections with her and her sympathy could surely greatly help him in the near future.

He genuinely enjoyed talking with her and had also shared a bit about himself and his life, things that he was able to reveal.

At the very least, these non-inscription topics caused them to feel comfortable in each other's presence as if they were long-time friends.

Like this, two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

After looking at the clock in the room, Lin Xiang forced a smile and said, "Xingxuan, it's a bit embarrassing, but it seems that I'll need to trouble you with something."

"Mhm?" Qin Xingxuan raised her eyebrows, silently telling Lin Xiang to continue. After chatting closely together for all this time, she was still graceful and polite, but wasn't as formal as before.

Lin Xiang let out a wry smile and continued, "My master is a bit eccentric and never gave me any money. I'm afraid I might not be able to pay for this meal."

"Oh…" Qin Xingxuan was enlightened. Seeing Lin Xiang's embarrassed expression, she waved her hand and said, "It isn't a problem for me. I was the one who invited you for the meal, so I'll pay for it."

Qin Xingxua gently smiled. Compared to the knowledge she gained from Lin Xiang, the price of the meal was nothing at all. At this moment she also became very curious about Lin Xiang's mysterious master now that he finally mentioned him again.

"Thank you," Lin Xiang said earnestly. After a moment's pause, he continued, "On that note, I have a small favor to ask you."

Qin Xingxuan raised her eyebrows again, but before she said anything she saw Lin Xiang pull out a piece of paper from his bosom. She could instantly tell by the look of it that it was an Inscription symbol paper.