NOVEL WEB chapter 163
163. Lin Nuo, Actually Unspeakably Ugly
Early in the morning, Lin Nuo took Ling Meng out for breakfast.
“Today is our first step towards joining the righteous faction, let’s have a good meal before we set off.”
“Set off?”
Ling Meng felt something was off about this statement.
“Set off to subdue the beasts and establish merit, is there something wrong with that?” Lin Nuo retorted.
“No, Master is right.”
The master and disciple duo chose a corner spot in the inn and sat down. Lin Nuo ordered some common breakfast items: meat buns, vegetable buns, shumai, preserved egg and lean pork congee, soy milk, and Ling Meng’s favorite large wontons. As for the meat floss cakes, they were not available nearby, so they had to make do with what was in stock. Of course, having breakfast in the inn early in the morning meant that brewing a pot of fragrant tea was essential.
There were quite a few people who came for breakfast early in the morning, enjoying their tea and breakfast amidst lively chatter and laughter.
Usually, they liked to discuss interesting gossip, like how Old Wang was encroaching on Old Mei’s territory, or how Li Dagu from the city wall and Shi Dapo were in a shouting match from day to night, filling the entire inn with a joyful atmosphere.
However, today’s topic of conversation took a strange turn.
“Hey, did you know? There was a death yesterday, General Huang from the general’s mansion was killed, and two Taoist priests as well.”
“I heard it was the ‘Poison Bee’ who did it, he deliberately left a special mark on the victims.”
“That’s really a bad taste, making it seem like outsiders wouldn’t know it was him, but now his full appearance is still unclear, it’s terrifying.”
“Now the city has issued a conscription order, many experts have arrived, I wonder if the hero Lin Nuo who previously pacified the foreign tribes will come?”
“Are you talking about the hero Lin Nuo? I’ve heard of his deeds, if he comes he could definitely capture the ‘Poison Bee’.”
…
Suddenly, the entire inn’s direction of discussion shifted from the terrifying ‘Poison Bee’ assassin to singing high praises for Lin Nuo.
And Lin Nuo, sitting quietly in the corner, listened to the commoners’ discussions and calmly took a small sip from his teacup.
As a rational big villain, he forgave the ignorance of these troublesome citizens.
Forget it, the Lin Nuo you’re talking about is already here, but he certainly won’t help you catch any ‘Poison Bee’. Is playing with such things a matter of idle boredom?
Besides, I have no grudge against the ‘Poison Bee’, he’s just an assassin trying to make a living, why should I, Lin, go and smash his rice bowl?
Moreover, an assassin is a kind of villain, a colleague, perhaps even sharing the same world and dream, assassinating Su Kexin!
Sitting across from Lin Nuo, Ling Meng also listened to the commoners’ discussions, extremely angry, instantly squeezing the bun in her hand into a ball.
Lin Nuo was dumbfounded.
What the heck? Has this female disciple gone crazy again? You’re a villain, hey, when they talk about an assassin killing people, you also get indignant, wanting to promote justice?
Your positioning is all wrong.
Lin Nuo calmly asked, “What’s wrong? Did Baozi offend you?”
“No, it’s not Baozi.”
Ling Meng shook her head, trying to quell her anger, “I just heard a name that I despise.”
“What name? Poison Bee?”
“No, it’s Lin Nuo,” Ling Meng said earnestly.
Oh, thank goodness it’s not Poison Bee. I was worried you’d gone off the deep end, turning from a villain to a champion of justice.
Wait, what? She just said Lin Nuo???
What kind of deep-seated grudge is this?
Lin Nuo remained unflustered, keeping his composure:
“Why do you hate him?”
“Because he’s the enemy of the Demon Refining Sect. I heard he thwarted the sect’s plans in Fenghai Forest, leading to the demise of many of our disciples. He also has some dazzling achievements, whether it’s rescuing the princess or annihilating the enemy at Hu City, all showcasing his exceptional talent. What’s more infuriating is that he’s about the same age as me. Within our sect, he’s marked as an enemy that must be eliminated.”
“Oh, I see.”
Lin Nuo continued to drink his tea calmly, though inside, a stampede of thousands of alpacas was racing through his mind.
Damn it, not one of those things you mentioned was something I wanted to do! And it wasn’t me who did them!
And that incident in Fenghai Forest, it was you guys with your brain-dead inability to distinguish friend from foe, dying in your own infighting.
“What about you, Master? What’s your take on Lin Nuo?” Ling Meng asked.
“I have no personal dealings with him, no grudges or grievances. But I’ve heard he’s all bark and no bite, actually lacking in strength, merely elevated by coincidence and idle gossip. You shouldn’t think too highly of him.”
“One time could be a coincidence, twice could be a coincidence, but the third time definitely isn’t. He must have something exceptional about him. Besides, Master, you taught me to be cautious and not to underestimate an opponent. I can’t take him lightly.”
“…”
Sorry, but the third time was also a coincidence, personally verified, no deception intended.
And that caution you’re taught, it’s not meant to be used against me, right? Actually, you can totally underestimate this guy.
Lin Nuo continued to inquire, “You haven’t seen him, have you?”
“No,” Ling Meng shook her head, “What about you, Master?”
“I’ve seen him.”
“How does his appearance compare to yours, Master?”
“What do you think of Master’s appearance?”
“Handsome, dashing, suave! Master looks even better at night!” Ling Meng said, getting excited.
“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about the night during the day.”
Lin Nuo felt helpless, his female disciple’s mind was filled with all sorts of nonsense all day long.
At night, after removing his makeup, he looked more handsome, but if outsiders heard their recent conversation, they might get the wrong idea about what he does to her at night.
Lin Nuo coughed for a moment, then continued, “Lin Nuo is unspeakably ugly, far worse than me. If you ever see a handsome man named Lin Nuo, he’s definitely not the Xuan Yun Sect disciple you’re looking for.”
“Unspeakably ugly? That’s perfect, I’ll be able to kill him with pleasure,” Ling Meng said excitedly upon hearing this good news. She loved nothing more than slaying hideous enemies.
Lin Nuo: “…”
Thinking to himself, are you so obsessed with looks that you’d hesitate if the guy was handsome?
Ling Meng was quite naive, swayed by his persuasion, she came to believe that any handsome guy couldn’t possibly be Lin Nuo of the Xuan Yun Sect.
This move, a self-detriment for survival.
However, by listening to Ling Meng, he learned some significant news.
That is, his reputation, Lin someone, had already spread among various dark forces, becoming an enemy.
In his previous life, he was also treated as an enemy, but the reason for it in this life was vastly different.
In the previous life, he was a major villain harming their interests, but in this life, he was a major righteous force doing the same.
Damn it, why?
At this moment, the “Poison Bee” assassin was sitting at the table behind Lin Nuo, having breakfast. He enjoyed secretly assassinating targets and then wandering the streets during the day, secretly scoffing at these incapable commoners.
Sitting with his back to Lin Nuo, he also listened to the public discussing Lin Nuo’s deeds.
He was extremely angry; the public used to talk about his terrifying deeds, so why suddenly they started talking about that kid Lin Nuo’s glorious deeds!
In a fit of rage, he squeezed the bun in his hand into a ball.
“Are you kneading buns again?” Lin Nuo suddenly felt someone kneading buns.
“I’m not, Master,” Ling Meng innocently shook her head.