Chapter 101
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The white-haired old man quickly regained his oblivious and intoxicated look. He rapped the floor with his cane, questioning the boy in front of him, “Kid, do you want to team up with those thugs to bully an old man like me?”
Ignoring the old man, Lu Qian coldly stared at the victim next to him and solemnly ordered, “Apologize.”
The victim looked bewildered at the boy, thinking he was picking a fight. So, mustering courage, he insulted, “Little swindler!”
Lu Qian immediately reached to grab the victim’s arm, but the white-haired old man intercepted his path.
“What are you up to, kid?” The old man grabbed the boy’s wrist.
Lu Qian struggled but found himself unable to break free from the old man’s restraint. He looked at the old man with a puzzled expression and replied, “Capture him.”
The old man raised an eyebrow and asked, “Capture him for what?”
Lu Qian didn’t answer.
This person falsely accused His Highness, and His Highness planned to bring him back to the capital to seek justice.
Yaoyao knew that His Highness was not a swindler.
Seeing the boy silent, the old man released his hand and laughed. “You deceive people into buying fake paintings, and when they come to seek justice, you beat them up. Now you want to capture him? Even in our Baixing Mountain, we uphold justice. If anyone should be captured, it’s your gang of swindlers.”
“He willingly made the purchase,” Lu Qian countered.
“That’s because you deceived him into thinking it was a genuine painting.”
“Your grandpa told him it’s a fake.” His Highness even explained the authentification method yet this person still went ahead and bought the painting.
That would be considered a voluntary transaction, not a violation of any laws.
Hearing the boy’s words, the unwitting victim suddenly remembered. The boy did indeed mention “fake” that day, even pointing at the painting and uttering some Chinese words he couldn’t understand. After that, the group of swindlers chased him out.
Perhaps, at that moment, the boy was genuinely trying to warn him that the painting was fake.
The victim suddenly felt a sense of shame, lowering his head in embarrassment. He was contemplating whether to apologize when a sudden commotion erupted outside the door.
Word had spread that Han Chinese were assaulting their fellow tribesmen. The tribe’s strong and young men brandished clubs, rushing to surround the small eatery. They clamored outside, demanding the Han Chinese merchants to come out.
The situation had escalated beyond expectations. Several merchants wore disgruntled expressions, turning to glare at the troublemaker, Liu Sanhu.
The leader furrowed his brow, straightened his attire and headpiece, then walked out to explain and apologize to the locals.
The situation couldn’t be resolved easily.
The outsiders here treated guests warmly and straightforwardly, but towards enemies, they were as cold and ruthless as harsh winter.
The local people demanded the swindlers to refund the money and return it in full.
The merchants were unwilling to return the money, but facing a multitude of people, they had no choice. The leader stepped forward, accompanied by Liu Sanhu, offering apologies. They refunded the money for the fake painting, compensated the tribal chief with several tens of taels of silver, and pleaded for forgiveness from the local folks.
Throughout the afternoon, Lu Qian stayed at the inn, not idling away but compelled to endure the constant chatter from the white-haired old man.
“Did you ever learn martial arts in the past?”
“Which school did you study under?”
“Who are these merchants to you?”
“You don’t seem to be part of their group.”
“Are they kidnappers? You tell Grandpa, and Grandpa will speak up for you!”
“You’re not really associated with them, are you?”
“Why, at such a young age, are you involved in these affairs?”
“Is there some difficulty at home?”
Throughout the afternoon, the white-haired old man unilaterally replayed the above interview questions in a continuous loop.
Lu Qian gave him a brief, unified response, “Is it any of your business?”
The old man felt that a child of this age shouldn’t be so reticent. Probably, he had experienced some kind of trauma, leading him astray.
In any case, the old man came up with any imaginable excuse on behalf of the boy.
After all, a martial arts prodigy like this was a rare find. The old man had searched for one his entire life, and suddenly, one dropped from the sky. It wasn’t something he could easily give up on.
The old man patiently enticed, narrating a local story of a fellow tribesman sacrificing themselves to save others, attempting to unearth the boy’s inherent goodness.
Lu Qian listened to the old man’s story with a blank expression.
The old man, with eyes filled with anticipation, awaited the boy’s response.
One old, one young, gazing at each other with profound meaning.
A moment of silence passed.
Suddenly, Lu Qian began recounting the story of “Houyi Shooting the Suns” to the old man!
After the surprisingly rapid narrative, His Highness nodded at the old man. “The story is finished. You can leave now.”
Each person told a story, and then they dispersed for free time. This was an unwritten rule during leisure hours for His Highness and Fifth and Sixth brothers.
His Highness thought that telling the story would be enough to rid himself of the old man.
The old man momentarily failed to grasp the boy’s intention.
Why suddenly tell a mythological story?
At this moment, the leader and Liu Sanhu returned to the inn with gloomy expressions. At a glance, they saw the drunken old man sitting next to Lu Qian.
Liu Sanhu, still seething with frustration, walked over, muttering to himself, planning to teach the drunken old man a lesson.
The old man leaped up like a rabbit, took a few steps to hop onto the window sill of the room. Turning back to shout at Lu Qian, he said, “Kid, if you’re willing to cut ties with these people, come down to the eatery at midnight tonight and meet me!”
With that, he leaped out of the window.
Liu Sanhu was dumbfounded. This was the second floor of the inn. Wasn’t the old man afraid of falling and getting killed?
Brandishing his knife, he chased forward, looking out the window, but the figure had long disappeared.
The leader approached Lu Qian and asked, “What did that old man say to you?”
Lu Qian, entangled throughout the afternoon, despairingly lowered his head and rubbed his temples, “He said everything.”
This was a man who talked even more than Fifth Brother.
Fifth Brother only discussed his own life with His Highness. The old man, however, discussed other people’s lives with His Highness.
His Highness was very tired.
Originally planning to set off at daybreak, these merchants woke up Lu Qian in the middle of the night, claiming they needed to hit the road early.
When they left the inn, the white-haired old man, who had been waiting outside, lit up with anticipation, thinking the boy had come to his senses and was heading down the mountain for the rendezvous.
However, the boy followed the merchants’ convoy, heading east into the woods, clearly intending to leave the tribe.
Still unyielding!
What a waste of a promising martial arts talent.
The old man sighed, his expression dim as he prepared to return to the mountain. Then he thought again—could the boy be under threat or coercion from those people? Would it be inappropriate to break away?
After a brief hesitation, the old man turned back, silently trailing the merchant caravan, intending to observe the relationship between the group and the boy.
After walking about three miles, the goatee man at the rear of the queue yawned, unable to suppress his complaint, “Why choose to travel in the middle of the night? I haven’t slept enough. Who can walk energetically?”
Liu Sanhu turned to him with a sly smile. “Stop whining. There’ll be benefits for you once we’re out of the mountains.”
The goatee man opened his eyes. “What benefits?”
Liu Sanhu lowered his head, lifting a corner of the felt on his own cargo cart, bringing the fire starter close, and proudly said, “Once we’re out of the mountains, we’ll split these treasures among us brothers. I, Liu Sanhu, will compensate double for the money our brothers lost today!”
The goatee man, taking quick steps forward to inspect Liu Sanhu’s cargo, saw numerous silver ornaments inside. His drowsiness vanished instantly as he eagerly asked, “Where did you get these treasures?”
Liu Sanhu grinned smugly. “I took them from the fool who bought the painting.”
The goatee man was taken aback. “Did you steal them from his house?”
“What do you mean steal?” Liu Sanhu scowled at him. “This is what that idiot owes us. His meddling ruined our business. He should compensate us for our losses, even if it means bankrupting him!”
Two other men around them joined in, marveling as they leaned closer, unable to hold back their amazement, “The fool’s house is filled with so many treasures, yet he haggled with us over a small amount of silver. What a scoundrel!”
Liu Sanhu sneered. “This time, I’ve emptied his house. Let him remember this lesson well, and see if he dares to be arrogant with us Han Chinese people in the future!”
In the distance, behind a large tree, the white-haired old man activated his inner energy, catching the conversation of the traveling merchants. A momentary flash of anger crossed his face.
These despicable and shameless bandits, committing such wicked deeds, shamelessly flaunting their power under the guise of Han Chinese people. They had tarnished the dignity of Han Chinese people and their civilized manners!
The old man wanted to rush out and teach these villains a lesson, but just a few days ago, he had promised the Sword Saint not to meddle in worldly affairs. If he were to bring these evildoers to justice now, the old Sword Saint would mock him for failing to see through it!
What to do?
Just as he hesitated, the old man heard a familiar voice from above.
“Remarkable, truly remarkable. Master Xu hasn’t intervened to punish evil and eliminate villains. It seems he has truly attained enlightenment.”
Upon hearing this, the old man’s ears turned red. He looked up and scolded in a low voice, “You old thief! Sneakingly following me! Are you trying to steal my disciple?”
A low, amused laughter came from the tree, then a slender figure dressed in moon-white robes gracefully descended.
In the moonlight, a face with abundant charm and handsomeness displayed a mocking smile. The eagle eyes fixed on Xu Fengchun, the former master of the Qinglong Sect. “This saint was merely curious about the so-called once-in-a-millennium martial arts prodigy. Until now, I still haven’t figured it out. Master Xu, are you interested in those thieves who stole people’s belongings, or are you eyeing the little thief who hasn’t fully woken up yet?”
“He’s not a little thief!” Xu Fengchun waved his hand, vehemently defending, “I’ve been watching from outside the inn. The boy never left the inn. He didn’t steal anything!”
The Sword Saint raised an eyebrow, looking at Master Xu. “True, he probably needs to grow up a bit more to master the art of theft.”
Xu Fengchun glared at the Sword Saint, huffing in frustration. He knew he couldn’t outtalk the quippy old man. Angry with himself for misjudging the situation, he turned sharply, intending to return to the mountain.
At that moment, voices of the merchants were heard in the distance.
Both Xu Fengchun and the Sword Saint turned their heads simultaneously, realizing that the group seemed to be in some kind of altercation.
Exchanging a glance, they swiftly moved closer, stealthily hiding behind a large tree near the merchants.
“Have you had enough of life, rascal!” Liu Sanhu, livid, pointed at the wealthy young master blocking his cargo cart. Through gritted teeth, he threatened, “Get out of the way!”
Lu Qian, still expressionless, stood in front of his cart, repeating his command, “Return the items.”
“No way!” Liu Sanhu attempted to draw his sword but was restrained by his surrounding brothers, advising him to ignore the clueless young master.
Fueled by the desire for the 2,500 taels of silver from the capital, Liu Sanhu finally roared, suppressing his anger. He led the horse, turning the cargo cart around, bypassing the foolish boy.
The foolish boy kept his head low, unmoving.
Smart move on his part.
Everyone continued pulling their cargo carts forward. From behind, the persistent voice of the boy lingered—
Lu Qian stood his ground. “Your grandpa will say it one last time, return the items.”
Liu Sanhu spat at him. “Go sow your wild oats in your mother’s womb, you little beast!”
“When people’s faults are pointed out, each one is loyal to their own group.” Lu Qian spoke a phrase the merchants couldn’t comprehend. He turned, locking his icy gaze onto Liu Sanhu and continued, “By observing these faults, one can understand what benevolence is. Eldest Brother has mentioned that for those who are deceitful and wicked, there is no forgiveness for their sins.”
As he spoke, Lu Qian kicked a pebble into the air and delivered a flying kick towards Liu Sanhu’s face—
With a muffled “thud,” Liu Sanhu, caught off guard, was hit on the bridge of his nose by the stone, falling to the ground.
The two old men hiding in the tree were instantly stunned!
Xu Fengchun was so excited he couldn’t find the words, pointing at the boy on the ground, stuttering to the Sword Saint, “L-loo-look at this force and accuracy!”
“Shh,” the Sword Saint hushed the old beeper.
Liu Sanhu, covering his bleeding nose, couldn’t bear it any longer. Ignoring his brothers’ attempts to restrain him, he unsheathed his knife and swung it at Lu Qian!
Lu Qian, with an impassive face, approached him. He effortlessly sidestepped Liu Sanhu’s attacks, skillfully evading the blade. He moved forward, grabbed the reins, and turned the cart around, intending to return the items to their rightful owner.
Liu Sanhu, infuriated, swung his knife desperately, following behind Lu Qian.
Strangely, the boy seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. He casually dodged each strike, calmly guiding the cart back.
Now, the two old men in the tree were completely dumbfounded!
“This kid… this kid!” Xu Fengchun was so excited he couldn’t articulate properly. “See that? Old Qiu, I told you! He must be… he must be…”
“Innate constitution,” the Sword Saint murmured the two words quietly.
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