Chapter 260: Thing

Chapter 260 Things

Listening to Gouwa boast repeatedly with pride, Scholar Lu finally reached his limit, slamming the bucket onto the ground with force and glaring fiercely at him.

"What's so special? You just rely on your senior brother, right? If not for that woman glancing at you?"

"Hey! You actually hit the nail on the head! I do rely on my senior brother~! But I have one, and you don't~!" Gouwa was extremely proud of this.

"What's so special... I don't even care! Wait until my father buys the opera house......." The indignant Scholar Lu picked up the bucket again, pouting as he walked toward the room.

Having barely escaped Qingqiu and traveled such a long distance covered in dust, Li Huowang could feel the exhaustion of the others, so he decided to let them rest here for a few more days before continuing.

Conveniently, there was an opera troupe nearby, perfect for their entertainment.

During these days, Master Lu went every day, always moving to the very front of the stage, his gaze upon the troupe as if he wanted to swallow them whole.

At night, inside the empty granary, Li Huowang sat on a quilt, studying Han Fu's coin sword with intense focus.

From the Nascent Soul's mouth, Li Huowang learned this sword had significant origins. It also possessed the ability to slay evil spirits.

During his duel with Han Fu, Li Huowang saw the coins on this sword could scatter. If he truly mastered this blade, at least regarding ranged attacks, he wouldn't have to shave off his fingers every time.

Truth be told, when facing danger, what he used most was still the Record of the Great Thousand with its severe side effects; Li Huowang always wanted to replace this unhealthy method of self-preservation.

However, he hadn't found someone to test it on yet, so he couldn't use it temporarily.

Li Huowang turned his head to look at the things beside him that belonged to him.

The torture tool bag crafted by a blacksmith, the longsword he'd carried from Qingfeng Temple all along, the Purple Tassel Sword obtained from the Abbess, and the gourd containing nineteen Yang Shou pills.

And lastly, the Heavenly Book that had been useless all this time.

Li Huowang's eyes slowly swept over those items, finally settling on Dan Yang Zi's Heavenly Book.

He picked it up, examining it inch by inch, occasionally pressing it with his hand.

Yet ultimately he confirmed it was still a stone tablet inscribed with words urging people to be good; he found nothing else.

Li Huowang sighed, tossing the heavy Heavenly Book onto the ground. Now he felt sick himself, carrying a rock for over a thousand li for no reason.

"Should I just throw it away?" Li Huowang thought for a moment, then directly picked the stone back up again.

"No, however useless this thing is, at least its hardness is decent; it should come in handy somewhere."

Looking left and right, Li Huowang focused his gaze on Gao Zhijian, who was playing with Mantou.

"Zhijian, come here for a moment, I'll give you a heart mirror."

Soon, the stone tablet bound with chains hung on Gao Zhijian's chest; as for where the iron chain came from, naturally it was the one previously used to bind Li Huowang.

Regarding Senior Brother Li hanging such a precious item on him, Gao Zhijian was very nervous and couldn't help wanting to take it off.

"Don't take it off, from now on this thing stays with you. Anyway, it serves no purpose with me, but with you it has some value."

Li Huowang drew the Purple Tassel Sword, aimed at Gao Zhijian's chest and stabbed, finding only a white mark remained.

But watching Gao Zhijian look left and right before him, it still felt awkward; with only a stone tablet hanging on his chest, it was like a baby's open-bottomed bib, covering too little area.

"Isn't Peng Longteng's armor on the ox cart? Put it on and see," Li Huowang said to him.

The armor plates on that madwoman were good stuff; they could block his own killing-intent-filled Purple Tassel Sword.

Hearing Li Huowang say this, Gao Zhijian shook his head, stuttering, "Too... too... too heavy!"

"Who told you to wear it all? Pick a few lighter pieces, just protect key areas like shoulders and neck."

Gao Zhijian scratched the back of his head with his hand, turned around, and walked toward the ox cart outside.

Soon, silver heavy armor plates covered Gao Zhijian's body. As he pulled the faceplate down over his face and hoisted the heavy spiked club onto his shoulder, a fearsome beast instantly appeared before Li Huowang.

Li Huowang looked at his masterpiece, nodded satisfactorily, "Let's go! Go out and try it!"

Soon clear metal clashing sounds came from outside the courtyard. Li Huowang was surprised to find that this version of Gao Zhijian could hold his own even against him without using the Record of the Great Thousand.

Panting heavily, Li Huowang stood firm, looking at Gao Zhijian before him. "Good. In the future if trouble comes, remember to dress like this; it will surely come in handy."

The faceplate opened, revealing Gao Zhijian's honest face. He nodded, reaching back to scratch his head again, but scratched the smooth helmet instead.

"By the way, everyone else went to watch the opera, why didn't you go?" Li Huowang sheathed his sword.

"Not... not... not good to watch!" Gao Zhijian, soaked in his own sweat, stripped off the heavy layer entirely. He walked over to Mantou squatting nearby, easily flipped her over, and scratched her snowy white belly with thick fingers.

Seeing someone play with her, Mantou was very happy. She stuck out her tongue, wriggled her body, and kicked her limbs continuously.

Watching the man and dog before him, Li Huowang shook his head, lifting his sword and walking toward the room.

Hanging the items from the ground onto himself one by one, Li Huowang finally hesitated over the three swords before him: one was the Abbess's Purple Tassel Sword, one was Han Fu's Coin Sword, and the other was the sharp sword of Senior Brother Changming from Qingfeng Temple back then.

He wasn't a blacksmith anyway, plus carrying three swords was simply too heavy.

Just as Li Huowang was hesitating, Scholar Lu, with a green leaf hanging in his hair, rushed straight in.

When he saw Li Huowang alone, he eagerly knelt directly before Li Huowang, banging his head heavily three times. "Master Daoist! I want to become your disciple! Teach me supernatural powers!"

"Hmm?" Li Huowang looked at him confused, not knowing what game he was playing. Was he so entranced by the opera? "Stop bowing, I can't teach you."

Li Huowang spoke the truth. Whether he wanted to learn his dislocation ability or how to use the Record of the Great Thousand, Li Huowang couldn't teach him.

What he could teach others, besides his half-baked alchemy skills, was proficient torture techniques, but that probably wasn't what this kid wanted.

"Master Daoist, just teach me! If you don't teach me, I... I won't get up!" Scholar Lu bowed heavily again.

"Then keep bowing." Li Huowang turned around, re-examining the three swords on the ground.

Just then, one-armed Chun Xiaoman came in from outside. Seeing this woman covered in black fur, Li Huowang thought for a moment, picked up the sharp sword that had accompanied him the longest, and threw it directly over.

(End of Chapter)