bestfiction Chapter 38 Li Jiangli
Chapter 38 Li Jiangli
"What... a path? The path to immortality."
Zhong Ming smiled as he faced the burly man with the thick beard, ready to retrieve some odds and ends from his storage stone dentures to defend against the man's attacks.
Don't be fooled by the package on its back; besides a few pieces of dried meat, it also contains a mining mole. It might struggle to stop the cultivators' attacks, but a martial artist's slash might not be effective.
I ran my hands over the deep knife marks on the long table. No wonder! I was wondering why they used so much force to chop fish.
The straps wrapped around his arms did affect the degree of his joint bending, but they had a negligible impact on his speed.
Lean back slightly to ensure you can react faster than the other person if they make a move on either side.
They were too close; at shoulder-to-shoulder distance, an elbow strike is far faster than a punch or a drawn knife.
The two sides had different objectives. If the bandits were to make a move, they would definitely aim to kill him, most likely by swinging their broadswords and chopping off his head. Zhong Ming, on the other hand, only needed to elbow the two of them aside to create enough space to escape.
He looked confidently at the bandit leader, raised his arm, picked up a soup ladle, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and swallowed it in one gulp.
Oh, the waiter wasn't lying about this; it really is top-quality Shaoxing wine. It effectively removed the fishy smell and added a mellow aroma.
Zhong Ming looked at the other man with a half-smile. After he mentioned the path to immortality, the bearded man's face turned ashen.
"What's wrong? Paying for food is a matter of course, this soup is on me."
Zhong Ming scooped it up again, showing absolutely no consideration for the other person.
poison?
maybe.
One of my dentures can detoxify; I don't believe you can just pull out a deadly poison that even an antidote stone can't handle.
As he ate spoonful after spoonful of fish soup, he kept raising his arms while keeping his shoulders slightly lowered, ready to thrust them forward should an enemy attack from the side.
The leader's gloomy face vanished without a trace after a few breaths, replaced by a hearty laugh.
"Come, come, what are you all standing there for? The immortal master said he's treating us to this soup! Quick, this is an incredible blessing! Who would have thought an immortal master would treat us to soup?"
Several burly men immediately got to work, each taking a spoonful and a bowlful, thanking Zhong Ming profusely. Zhong Ming was so embarrassed by their kind words that he didn't dare to snatch the soup spoons from them.
The boss also began a series of flattering remarks, starting with...
"Oh dear, Immortal Master, there are no heroes of the common people these days. Under the rule of the Chen Dynasty, there is peace and prosperity. We are just... a patrol team of militia on the river."
"Militia patrol? Then what happened just now..."
"Just now, we busted a smuggling ship and confiscated all the cargo. They're going to hand it over to the authorities. Hehe, don't you think that's a great thing? It's like... keeping the enemy out of the country."
The burly man with a thick beard, who was also the owner of the shop, forced a smile. Coupled with the scar on his face, he looked exactly like a vengeful ghost used to scare children.
"Ah, then you are true heroes, protecting the peace of this region."
"Of course, Yunzhou is a place governed by the law. How can we allow those with ulterior motives to come and go as they please? But we are no match for heroes, how can we compare to you, Immortal Master?"
The burly man rambled on and on, actually trying to cover for the person sitting to Zhong Ming's left. That man was thin, but he was wearing tattered clothes, with the rough hemp on his arms stretched taut, making his arms look like curtains when he raised them.
He stood up to ladle out the fish soup, the "curtain" obscuring Zhong Ming's view and also the music score on the table.
A person on the side quickly flipped it open, rubbed his fingers together, understood what was going on, and quickly withdrew his hand.
He quickly kicked the boss under the table.
That's why they get along so well.
He's either a daring thief who stole something from a celestial master, or the kind of lucky person who escaped the celestial master's pursuit as a mortal, or he's a true celestial master.
Regardless of the level of an immortal's cultivation, the difference between heaven and earth lies in whether or not they possess spiritual roots.
Some will grow stronger and seek revenge later, some will simply live long enough to dig up your grave, and some will have their entire sect take turns coming to beat you up...
Either kill them all, or leave them alone.
“Immortal Master, where are you going? We may not be able to do anything else, but we are good at rowing a boat and might be able to give you a ride.”
"Head north, back to Maoshan Taoist Temple."
Upon hearing this, everyone became even more hesitant to move. The Cat Mountain Taoist Temple was right next door, and who knew what kind of monster lived inside? In any case, over the years, no matter how rampant the monsters in the water were, they had never harmed the temple in the slightest.
"Immortal Master, please do not be alarmed. Eat slowly. We have been sailing on the Yelan River for many years. If you do not mind, after you have eaten and drunk your fill, let my brother escort you to your destination."
After several rounds of back-and-forth between the "captain" of the "river militia patrol team" and Zhong Ming, Zhong Ming finally accepted the proposal.
The people next to him immediately announced that they were full and hurriedly walked towards the river, saying they were going to digest their food, but they were definitely going to move goods.
After a few spoonfuls of fish soup, Zhong Ming felt warm and then savored the salt and pepper fried fish scales, which had a unique flavor.
Just as the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves, a fine horse suddenly galloped by, landing with the sound of thunder, coming from afar along the banks of the great river.
"When the two dragons move the water, all people along the river must immediately disperse and retreat a hundred miles within a month. If any local officials fail to leave any people behind, they will be demoted three ranks. If any other person refuses to obey, all their property will be confiscated, and they will be responsible for their own life and death after a month."
The voice clearly reached everyone's ears, and by the time it was finished, the sound of horses' hooves had already faded into the distance.
Two dragons running through the water?
"Immortal Master," everyone looked at Zhong Ming, waiting for him to give an explanation.
Among them were hidden cultivators, martial arts masters, and merchants skilled in intelligence, but they still did not know the meaning of "two dragons running on water".
"Send me back immediately. I will go and invite my master. I will definitely return within eight days."
Yue Kaishan promised half a month, and he naturally kept his promise.
"Alright, since the immortal master has spoken, we will prepare the boat immediately."
Zhong Ming tossed out a silver ingot and turned to leave.
The burly man with the thick beard instructed his son to pack his things and then personally led the immortal master there.
There was only one small boat on the riverbank, its knife marks fresh and the bloodstains wiped away, but the faint smell of blood lingered.
"Immortal Master, this is our best brother who pilots the boat. He will take you to Cat Mountain Taoist Temple as quickly as possible. This is a small token of our appreciation, please accept it."
The burly man brought up a large package, but Zhong Ming did not accept it because he did not know what was inside.
Watching the small boat sail away, the big man sighed deeply.
The rapid shifts between joy and sorrow left him with a dreamlike feeling, albeit a nightmare.
What does it mean for all the residents to move away from the riverside? The riverside market would collapse immediately. Who would buy all the large quantities of goods they had brought in? Where would they be stored?
Since Heaven has bestowed wealth upon me, why does it send me calamity?