Chapter 245: Box

Chapter 245 The Box

"What's wrong? Senior Brother Li, could the thing we worked so hard to retrieve actually be fake?"

Seeing Li Huowang stop there, Gouwa's nervous tone shifted.

He desperately hoped this thing would come in handy; a sick Senior Brother Li was too much trouble to handle.

Li Huowang frowned tightly, shook his head, holding that Black Tai Sui, stopping right where he stood.

"What am I hesitating about? That place is merely an illusion."

Thinking this, he raised the Black Tai Sui to stuff into his mouth, yet once again stopped abruptly.

Everyone in the tent could see that Senior Brother Li, just recovered from a major illness, was pondering something; what that thing was, only he knew.

When Chun Xiaoman returned from sword practice and leaned close to Bai Lingmiao to whisper inquiries, Li Huowang slowly pushed the meat in his hand back onto the Black Tai Sui.

"Miaomiao, how much gold do we have left in our travel funds?"

Although Bai Lingmiao found it strange he would ask such a question, she answered truthfully.

"We exchanged some silver at Woman Mountain before, probably around several tens of taels."

"Several tens of taels? Not enough, a bit not enough."

Li Huowang muttered to himself, then suddenly turned his head to look at Sun Baolu.

"Your clan must have quite a bit of hard currency, right? Can you borrow some for me? Don't worry, just borrowing for a moment, I'll return it after use."

Sun Baolu rarely showed hesitation on his face. "Fine, I'll go ask."

"Senior Brother Li, what do you need so much gold for?"

"Yes, our travel funds are enough to reach the Liang Kingdom."

Facing these inquiries, Li Huowang sighed, shook his head, turned, lifted the curtain, and walked out of the tent.

"Don't ask, it has nothing to do with you. Is there any food? I'm hungry."

Sun Baolu's efficiency was far faster than Li Huowang expected; he had barely started his first meal when he entered the tent carrying a small round bundle in his arms, accompanied by his mother.

Sun Baolu did not speak first, but instead cast an inquiring glance toward his mother.

Upon seeing his mother nod slightly, he carefully pulled open the cloth in his arms. Instantly, the golden light nearly dazzled everyone else's eyes.

It was an oval-shaped gold box, palm-sized, inlaid with various high-quality agates and green jade.

Inside this gold box lay several gold ingots and gold jewelry.

It didn't look large, but one must know gold is extremely important; this handful of things was quite valuable.

Seeing Li Huowang surprised by the value of this thing and guessing how an ordinary person could possess something so precious, Sun Baolu's mother spoke up: "True Person need not be reserved, this isn't something from a tomb, but my dowry, given by the main family back then."

"Given by the main family?" Li Huowang reached out to grab it and weighed it in his hand, almost dropping it; gold is truly heavy.

The woman's expression was somewhat complex. "Yes, given by the main family. After all, those who can afford Beauty Paper are either wealthy or noble. To common folk this thing is worth a city, but in some eyes, it is nothing."

"True Person, you saved my son, consider this repayment. We hope you will graciously accept it."

"I didn't say I wanted it, I just meant to use it, and return it after use." Judging by the posture, the other party seemed to want to completely buy off the favor with this thing.

That woman seemed unwilling to interact with Li Huowang too much, respectfully performed a grand bow, and backed out facing away from the curtain.

"What's wrong with your mother? Why such a huge change in attitude before and after?"

Sun Baolu stammered, as if having something difficult to say. He thought to himself: "Senior Brother Li, how many people were scared by your return? Surviving coming out of that place, and bringing back two strangely shaped things, the clan members must be spreading rumors behind your back."

"Forget it, I don't want your family's things. Wait until I finish using them, then you take them back. Did you hear clearly?"

Sun Baolu wore a look of difficulty. "Then Senior Brother Li, when do you plan to use this gold?"

Hearing this, Li Huowang, holding the gold box with both hands, showed a slight slump in expression.

"Wait, I don't know when either, Baolu. I trouble you during this time; perhaps we still have to stay here for a while."

"Senior Brother Li, saying that makes us strangers. You saved my life."

During the following period, the other senior brothers and sisters discovered that Senior Brother Li, recovering from injuries, kept that gold box beside him at all times, like a miser. Yet he was clearly not that kind of person.

Among these people, only Bai Lingmiao knew some details; she knew why he acted this way.

Night. Bai Lingmiao rolled over and saw her pillow partner had sat up at some unknown time, sitting on the bed in the middle of the night like a wooden statue, holding that gold box motionless.

Bai Lingmiao sighed softly, slightly turned her body, and faced him with her back.

"Senior Brother Li, are you very reluctant to leave that place? Or do you still feel that place might possibly be real?"

Li Huowang in the darkness did not reply.

"Then Senior Brother Li? Do you ultimately hope that place is real, or hope that place is fake?"

Li Huowang sighed deeply, his extremely tired hoarse voice slowly echoed within the tent. "To this answer, I also wish to know."

Days passed one by one. With the passage of time, with repeated shifts, Li Huowang, whose appearance was utterly changed, gradually returned to his original self.

His wounds were mostly healed. Just as Li Huowang prepared to interrogate Han Fu's little head, Baolu, dressed back in Qingqiu attire, came looking for him.

"Senior Brother Li, the Clan Chief asked me to ask you about something." He said as he came to Li Huowang's side.

"What's wrong?" Li Huowang quickly ran through his mind; recently Qingqiu was calm, seemingly nothing happening.

"It's about those women you saved from the village. A few have feelings for the young men inside the clan. The Clan Chief's intention is basically to sound you out. If you don't nod and agree, those people dare not act recklessly."

"Sure, why not."

Looking at Baolu's mother's demeanor, this place counted as a peaceful good destination, better than following him running east and west.

Back at the border, because of Peng Longteng, several died already. If these women followed along further, heaven knows how many would remain upon reaching the Liang Kingdom.

"Alright! I'll go tell the Clan Chief right now!" Baolu, returned to normal, was no longer silent as before, his personality much more cheerful.

Excited Baolu turned his head ready to leave, but Li Huowang's large hand tightly gripped his arm, instantly pinching his arm purple and blue.

Sun Baolu turned his head and saw Li Huowang looking at him with a ferocious expression. "Quick! Quickly have Zhi Jian bring the chains over!!"

"Ai! Okay!"

Feeling everything around begin to change, Li Huowang stuffed that gold box into his bosom at the fastest speed.

The noisy bustling tent camp was replaced by a quiet white hospital ward. Yet this side was night.

Li Huowang stared blankly at his mother sleeping on the recliner nearby; she was covered with the small quilt used in his room.

"Mom."

(End of Chapter)