Chapter 55: Yan Sanniang's Past

"Gu Mo, I appreciate the kind thought, but please, please don't carve any more woodcarvings for me. Thank you very much!"

Yan San Niang followed Gu Chu Dong to the kitchen to cook. Before leaving, she didn't forget to give another reminder.

Gu Mo smiled wryly.

"Little Gu's Flying Dagger," a renowned skill, was actually being rejected.

He gently touched the woodcarving, frowned slightly, and muttered, "Is it really that ugly?"

He was actually imitating Li Xun Huan, using a flying dagger to carve human figures. Although Li Xun Huan used his flying dagger as a carving tool out of longing for someone, it was undeniably a highly effective way to hone one's dagger skills.

Carving human figures, in particular, required not just depicting outward appearance and clothing, but also meticulously focusing on expressions to achieve lifelike accuracy, such that one could feel joy when viewed from one angle and sorrow from another.

However,

Gu Mo could understand why his woodcarvings were disliked. He was blind and a beginner at carving. While his "Little Gu's Flying Dagger" had reached mastery and he had comprehended its profound intent, this didn't mean his carving skills would automatically be at the same level. After all, "Little Li's Flying Dagger" was a martial art, not a carving technique.

Gu Mo persistently continued carving in the courtyard.

However, he had a change of heart. Since he was new to it, he wouldn't attempt difficult human figures right away. He decided to start with the simplest carvings: wooden knives and swords.

Yan San Niang and Gu Chu Dong came out carrying dishes. Both breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing Gu Mo had given up on carving human figures.

"Sister Yan, I didn't expect you could cook! I thought ladies like you never did any housework. Who knew you could make such delicious dishes?"

Gu Mo sniffed the air and said, "It smells quite good."

Gu Chu Dong said, "Exactly! I was truly surprised inside. When Sister Yan first offered to help me cook, I thought she was joking."

Yan San Niang chuckled, "Little sister Chu Dong, who told you I'm a young lady from a wealthy family? I came from the slums, you know. If I couldn't cook for myself, I would have starved long ago."

Gu Chu Dong exclaimed in surprise, "The slums? No way! Didn't everyone in the martial arts world say you had a very deep background?"

Gu Mo was also curious.

As for Yan San Niang, the "Bone-Scraping Dagger," Gu Mo had often heard about her even before he lost his sight. She was definitely a prominent figure in the martial arts world of Linjiang Prefecture. Besides her beauty, what people most talked about was her seemingly immense connections, rumored to be so powerful that she could dine and chat with the Prefect of Linjiang.

Some rumors claimed she was the daughter of a high-ranking official in the capital, while others said she was the daughter of a martial arts grandmaster. However, the most prevalent rumors suggested she was the mistress and "dark enforcer" for some powerful figure. None of these claims had ever been definitively confirmed, but it was undeniable that she had an extensive network of connections, was highly influential in the martial arts world, and commanded respect from both the underworld and the authorities. Otherwise, as a mere woman, she wouldn't have been able to establish the Chasing Wind Tower, which relied entirely on intelligence, and intelligence, in turn, depended on background connections.

Yan San Niang slowly swallowed a mouthful of rice, then smiled faintly and said, "I might disappoint you, but I don't have the extraordinary background the legends claim. I'm an illegitimate child, raised in the slums by my mother alone. When I was in my teens, my mother passed away, and just as I was preparing to sell myself into servitude, my father found me."

"However, it's been over a decade now, and I've only met my father twice. We haven't exchanged a single word. I don't even know if he acknowledges me as his daughter."

Gu Chu Dong's face was filled with shock and disbelief.

Gu Mo was also slightly surprised. The renowned Yan San Niang, the "Bone-Scraping Dagger," actually had such a past.

"My father is indeed a powerful figure, but I cannot tell you who he is," Yan San Niang continued. "I lived in that grand compound for five years before I was sent away, supposedly because my presence was a 'bad influence.' Then he gave me a wine estate, the Bu Er Villa. You probably know that Bu Er Villa originally sold wine."

Gu Mo and Gu Chu Dong both nodded.

Earlier, when Gu Mo and Gu Chu Dong returned to Linjiang City with the head of the flower thief Zhou Tong to collect the bounty, they encountered Yan San Niang who tried to recruit them, and Gu Mo had even teased her about no longer selling wine.

Yan San Niang explained, "The reason there are so many rumors about my powerful background in the martial arts world all stems from Bu Er Villa. It was originally one of my father's properties, though not highly valued, its significance was different. When it suddenly fell into the hands of a woman like me, it naturally sparked all sorts of speculation."

"This was a good thing for me. I dared not reveal my true identity; as an illegitimate daughter, my family wouldn't acknowledge me anyway. So, when the rumors emerged, I didn't clarify anything. Instead, I secretly fueled them. When people asked, I neither denied nor admitted anything. But the more ambiguous I was, the more suspicious they became."

"Consequently, everyone, whether they believed the rumors or not, gave me some deference, operating on the principle of 'better safe than sorry.' I then leveraged this to my advantage, 'borrowing the tiger's skin to make a grand coat,' creating a snowball effect. More and more people came to believe I had powerful connections, and as believers grew, even those who initially doubted started to believe."

"In truth, my only real backing was A Qi. He's a very straightforward swordsman. He followed me out of gratitude because I saved his life. He always acts without restraint and has killed a few wealthy young masters. His decisive actions made others wary of offending me, assuming I had something formidable to rely on, and thus they dared not provoke me further. It was also because he killed those young masters that I mysteriously earned the nickname 'Bone-Scraping Dagger' in the martial arts world."

After speaking, Yan San Niang picked up her wine glass and drained it, then said with a smile, "So, Grand Hero Gu, little sister Chu Dong, are you a little disappointed?"

Gu Chu Dong shook her head and said, "Not at all disappointed. In fact, I feel closer to you, Sister Yan. You're truly amazing. Even though I've been in the martial arts world since I was very young, I have my brother who loves and protects me. No matter what, he's always there, shielding me. But you… you had nothing."

Gu Mo said nothing, simply raised his wine glass and said, "A toast to you, Miss Yan!"

Yan San Niang smiled charmingly, feigning shyness, and timidly said, "Thank you for the honor, Grand Hero Gu. This humble maiden is deeply flattered!"

Gu Mo drained his glass and said, "The martial arts world, you see, is always a place full of stories. If you don't have a few stories of your own, you'd be too embarrassed to even be a part of it."

Yan San Niang smiled and said, "Yes, there are many stories in this world, but few people's stories ever find an audience. However, Grand Hero Gu, your story is about to spread far and wide. My special cooking today is to congratulate you. Gaining fame in the martial arts world – it's a dream many wanderers yearn for but never achieve."

Yan San Niang raised her glass and said, "A toast to you, Grand Hero Gu!"

Gu Chu Dong's face flushed with excitement, and she also wanted to pour a glass of wine. Gu Mo pursed his lips and said, "Children shouldn't drink."

Gu Chu Dong immediately stopped giggling.

Gu Mo sighed and said, "Just this once. Don't let it happen again."

Gu Chu Dong instantly giggled again.

"To Grand Hero Gu, to Miss Yan!"

"To Grand Hero Gu, to Heroine Gu!"

"To Miss Yan, to Heroine Gu!"