Chapter 331: Meeting an Old Friend in a Strange Land

Chapter 331: Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land

Li Huowang turned and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes.

Beside him, Hongzhong smiled thoughtfully as he pondered something. Just then, a monk walked over and said, “What nonsense are you thinking now? I’ll tell you straight—don’t even think about harming the Taoist. He’s a good man.”

“A good man, heh, a good man...”

That night, whether from drinking or not, Li Huowang slept deeply. When he awoke again, the sun had already risen high.

He yawned and began dressing and washing up.

Since Tuoba Danqing had told him to stay here for now, he would temporarily remain in Yinling City.

Besides, he didn’t have anywhere else to go.

How long he’d stay depended on Tuoba Danqing—but judging by past experience, it wouldn’t be too long.

“Steamed buns—delicious steamed buns!”

“Honey, hey—candy coated haws!”

“Sharpening knives—shhhhh—cutting vegetables!”

“Let me tell you about General Jiang, who stood eight feet tall with a waist four feet wide. When he stood before the enemy camp and roared, ‘Ah—hey!’—over a thousand soldiers were so terrified they died on the spot! You see…”

Li Huowang strolled slowly through the streets of Yinling, listening to sounds coming from all directions.

“Who sells steamed buns? How much each?”

“One coin apiece. Look how big they are—my buns are cheap and filling!”

Buying four steamed buns that looked like blooming mantou, Li Huowang held them in hand while walking and eating.

He wasn’t walking fast. His purpose was to let Li Sui learn the voices of those around him.

The way others casually spoke a few words and he remembered them so clearly proved that this kid could mimic not only his own voice but also others'.

Today, he wanted to test if exposure to more people would make Li Sui learn faster.

When faint echoes of mimicry reached his ears, Li Huowang felt he had guessed correctly.

But there was one difference—he mimicked everything, even vulgar street slang.

Hearing those harsh voices, Li Huowang frowned slightly and hurriedly walked away from where he was.

Standing in the middle of the street, looking at the bustling surroundings, he couldn’t help but admit: Great Liang truly was Great Liang—its prosperity was real. Everything was there.

Yet the rulers of such prosperity used things like beauty paper cups, a stark contrast indeed.

Though perhaps, precisely because of its prosperity, such things came into being.

Just as Li Huowang stood among the crowd, lost in thought, he suddenly saw something and his expression turned grave. He quickly strode forward.

To increase speed, Li Huowang even used his displacement ability among the crowd.

After weaving left and right, he slapped heavily on the shoulder of a man staring blankly at a dumpling stall. “Why are you here?”

The man turned, somewhat confused, but upon seeing Li Huowang, he shouted excitedly, “Master!”

Seeing Li Huowang’s intense emotion, Lü Xiucai almost leaped toward him.

“I ask you why you’re here—where is Brother Lü?”

Upon hearing his father mentioned, Lü Xiucai sneered, “I’ve been fed up with him for ages. Damn it, if it weren’t for me having a job now—”

Seeing Li Huowang’s cold gaze, Lü Xiucai shut his mouth immediately. “Master, I’m now someone with divine powers! How can I keep going back to perform opera with him? I’ve come out to make my mark!”

Li Huowang glanced around and pulled him to sit at a nearby dumpling stand.

“Make your mark? Do you have clothes to change into? Do you have money? Do you have a weapon? Are you going to make your mark with your bare hands?”

Hearing this, Lü Xiucai gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with resentment. “I definitely brought them! But yesterday some damn beast stole them! Don’t let me catch him! If I do catch him—”

“Alright, alright,” Li Huowang showed a trace of impatience. Lü Xiucai now reminded him of that neighbor's teddy dog—weak as hell yet incredibly arrogant.

Although the Zuisui Sword changed his personality, no matter how much it shifted, Lü Xiucai remained a seventeen-year-old boy still full of immaturity.

“Money stolen yesterday? Then you haven’t eaten all day, have you? Boss, bring two bowls of dumplings.”

When the dumplings sprinkled with sesame and small shrimp were placed before Lü Xiucai, he forgot everything else and almost grabbed them with his hands.

Watching Lü Xiucai grimace from the heat but unwilling to spit out the hot dumplings, Li Huowang frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, “How has the village been since I left?”

“Still—ha-ha—still the same.”

After swallowing the dumplings, Lü Xiucai said, “Everyone’s fine. That old bastard bought a few cows, planning to plant all the fields around the village next spring. He says we don’t have enough hands and is worried about finding tenants.”

“What about Miao Miao?”

“Miss Bai is doing well, eats and sleeps a lot, just sometimes seems distracted.”

Li Huowang exhaled deeply, leaned his elbows on his knees, closed his eyes, and washed his face with both hands. “Good, good...”

In the meantime, Lü Xiucai had already eaten half a bowl, his hunger eased. His spirit, once dull, lifted.

“Master! I want to follow you!”

Li Huowang shook his head decisively. “After finishing this meal, I’ll give you the money to return to Niuxin Mountain. Don’t go anywhere else—go straight back.”

He couldn’t carry a burden, especially one unrelated to him. Giving him money was already generous.

“I won’t go back! My older brother will definitely beat me into working in the fields!”

Li Huowang grabbed Lü Xiucai by the collar with one hand, glaring fiercely at him. “Only your father spoiled you. I’m not your father!”

My own problems are already enough to deal with! I don’t have time for you! If you say another word, believe me—I’ll break your legs and throw you on the street to beg!”

Lü Xiucai’s lips trembled. Facing Li Huowang’s stern gaze, he finally didn’t dare speak another word.

“After returning, don’t pretend you saw me.” Li Huowang slapped a silver coin the size of a thumb onto the table, then turned and walked away.

Watching Li Huowang’s figure fade into the distance, Lü Xiucai wore a look of deep dissatisfaction.

Just as he was about to disappear into the crowd, Lü Xiucai shouted excitedly after his back: “You said you’d teach me divine powers! But you only taught me sword techniques—you didn’t even leave me a sword! What kind of master are you?! You broke your promise!!”

Seeing Li Huowang turn around, Lü Xiucai immediately stuffed the silver into his pocket and acted like he was ready to run.

Li Huowang flicked his wrist, five black coins shot out like gold darts, piercing directly into the wooden table in front of Lü Xiucai.

Those were copper coins taken from his sword. Though only five, Lü Xiucai could control their power using the Xian Du Zi She Yin seal.

“Settled! Don’t call me master again!”

Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, Li Huowang lost interest in sightseeing and turned toward the inn.

“Miaomiao?” The voice of Heitaishuai echoed in Li Huowang’s ear.

“If Li Huowang is your father, then you should call this Miaomiao mother.” Hongzhong, who had returned to his playful demeanor, jumped beside Li Huowang and reminded him.

“Mother?”

At Heitaishuai’s words, Li Huowang froze for a moment. “Could it be that Li Sui can hear phantom voices?”

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