Chapter 252: Baolu

Chapter 252 Baolu

When Li Huowang awoke once more, it was already the afternoon of the second day; sufficient sleep had restored his spirits to a fullness not felt in ages.

After washing up and dressing neatly, he made his way toward the tent's exterior, "Senior Brother Li, where are you going?"

Li Huowang turned back to look at Bai Lingmiao, who was sewing clothes, "I am going to bid farewell to Sun Baolu; since the affairs are finished, it is about time to depart."

The Black Tai Sui had been found, and Han Fu's Nascent Soul had also been cleansed thoroughly; there was no necessity to remain longer, it was time to leave Qingqiu.

After inquiring around the nearby tents, Li Huowang finally found Sun Baolu on the outer grasslands; he was riding a horse, flying a kite with his childhood companion from Qingqiu, and his hearty laughter could be heard from afar.

Seeing Li Huowang approach, he hurriedly stuffed the string in his hand into the hands of his beloved, stepped on the stirrup with his foot, and flipped directly off the galloping horse.

"Senior Brother Li, are you seeking me?" Walking to Li Huowang's side, Baolu asked, breathless.

Li Huowang surveyed Sun Baolu before him anew, "Stayed long enough, I leave tomorrow."

"So quickly?" Strong reluctance surfaced on Sun Baolu's face.

After all, they had shared hardships for such a long time; to claim there were no feelings would be false, especially since the other party had traveled thousands of miles from so far away to escort him home, and even rarer was that they did not reject him due to his appearance.

"Senior Brother Li, stay a few more days, everyone is quite content staying here."

"What difference does it make to stay a few days more or less? Do you intend to reside here for a lifetime? Slaughtering sheep and cattle daily, do you not wish to live your lives?"

"No worries! Sheep in Qingqiu are so cheap! And easier to raise than elsewhere! Once eaten, simply go to Woman Mountain to purchase some lean sheep and lambs to breed; before long, there will be another great herd!"

Li Huowang smiled faintly, "Enough, no time for idle chatter with you, let us discuss serious matters. That night, what we witnessed inside the cave, do not spread it abroad."

"Especially that Lion Dance Palace; treat them as you treated them before, simply pretend you did not discover they are a band of monsters."

Since the Lion Dance could exist naturally in Qingqiu, regardless of what the Great Khan of Qingqiu thought, regarding the Lion Dance's flaunting themselves, he must have tacitly approved it.

Perhaps these monsters dwelling within the underground rock caves are the noble orthodox clans of Qingqiu.

Offending them is unwise; if one does not wish Sun Baolu to invite trouble, then the best course is not to provoke them.

Seeing Li Huowang's grave demeanor, Baolu nodded earnestly. "Understood, Senior Brother Li, I know."

Having settled these matters, Li Huowang surveyed the youth before him once more. "Does your woman know of your physical condition?"

Upon hearing this, the bright smile on Sun Baolu's face froze; he nodded somewhat bitterly. "She knows, it is fine, she does not despise it."

"Very well, come with me." Finishing his words, Li Huowang turned and walked toward the tent. Sun Baolu was initially startled, but suddenly he recalled something, and his expression became exceptionally agitated.

"Gouwa! Where the hell did you vanish to? Come out!" Li Huowang's shout echoed through the air above the tent.

Half an hour later, inside a tent, Li Huowang held white tufts, cautiously shifting various organs upon Sun Baolu.

Suddenly the tent flap was lifted, Sun Baolu's mother led a large group of Qingqiu people bursting in violently.

Gazing at Sun Baolu's naked body on the bed, which was all disordered, shouts of shock and sharp intakes of breath rose and fell continuously.

Li Huowang glanced at them, slowly pushing with both hands, moving Sun Baolu's buttocks from the front to the rear.

Gouwa, assisting on the side, also carefully moved the organ Baolu used to relieve himself from under his armpit to the position where it should rightfully exist.

Gradually, silence fell within the tent; everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, many casting looks of extreme reverence toward Li Huowang.

Sun Baolu was not Li Huowang; he could not chisel it back into place with a blade, more or less it remained slightly askew.

Yet even so, he was so joyous he could not contain himself, jumping about in excitement.

Even if askew, these things had finally returned to where they belonged; he was not a monster!

His defect, unspeakable for over a decade, finally vanished at this moment.

When he attempted to kowtow to Li Huowang and was stayed by him, the ecstatic Baolu, naked, spread his arms and endlessly circled around the tent. "I am healed! I am healed! I am not a monster! I am human!!"

That night inevitably a grand feast was set once more, a group devouring mutton, drinking wine and honey, celebrating Sun Baolu's return to normalcy.

Sun Baolu's parents raised their cups with both hands, simultaneously toasting Li Huowang; other Qingqiu people who approached Li Huowang were all respectful, not daring to neglect him in the slightest.

They had previously guessed this man bearing two swords on his back was extraordinary, but when they truly beheld it, that was another matter entirely; for a moment, various rumors ran wild among the Qingqiu people.

"Senior Brother Li, this place is so wonderful, why not remain here? How could Liang Country compare to this?" Gouwa, clutching a lamb leg and gnawing on it, moved to Li Huowang's side and whispered a suggestion.

"Eat your meat, meat cannot even stuff your mouth; if you wish to stay, I shall not hinder you." Li Huowang picked up a piece of marbled mutton sizzling with oil and stuffed it into his own mouth.

Hearing this, Gouwa was clearly tempted, he began to ponder.

A large hand suddenly covered his shoulder; that was Gao Zhijian's hand. Gouwa turned his head to look and saw him speaking with a very serious expression: "Don't... don't... don't stay! This... this... this place has... has problems."

"What problem is there? Baolu was born and raised here, what problem is there?"

Gao Zhijian looked solemnly at the senior brothers and sisters normally consuming beef and mutton in large mouthfuls, watching their throats bobbing, pushing those meats sprinkled with rich spices into their stomachs. "No... no... don't know... just... just... just has problems!"

"You cannot even speak clearly, yet you have the mind to advise others; with this effort, practice speaking more, fix your stutter properly."

Upon seeing Li Huowang look toward him, Gao Zhijian scratched the back of his head with a large hand, returned to his seat, and drained the ant nectar in the cup in one gulp.

As the final night, that evening they made much noise for a long while; when Li Huowang and others sobered up, and placed all items onto the ox carts, it was already noon.

And the writhing Black Tai Sui was tightly bound onto an ox cart with thick cowhide and sinews.

"Senior Brother Li, until we meet again!" Sun Baolu, whose eyes were somewhat red, embraced Li Huowang heavily.

"Better if we never meet again; I always feel encountering me is not a good omen for you."

After patting him on the back, Li Huowang turned and departed with the others.

(End of Chapter)