Chapter 526
Chapter 526
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 526
>Chapter Title: Old Ox
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Hearing the deep distrust in Lv Xiucai's words, Gouwa spoke up with full confidence. "You shouldn't even ask. That's a whole string of cash we're talking about! If they find him, a beggar could turn their life around with that money, so those beggars are definitely going to search like mad for Senior Brother Li!"
"Plus, in the capital, these beggars know the streets better than anyone. Way faster than us stumbling around blindly."
After chatting for a bit, he added, "Little Yang used to be a beggar. He told me this trick. He said lots of people use it to find someone."
"So in the end, this wasn't even your idea." Lv Xiucai's face was full of disdain.
"It's still my method. I'm the one using it."
The two kept talking as they headed back. A hint of confusion appeared on Lv Xiucai's face. "It's been so long. Who knows if Master is even still in the capital. But say we do find him—what then? Have you figured out what to do?"
"After we find him?" Gouwa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If he's fine, great. Everyone's happy, and we all head back to Oxheart Village together."
"If he's really lost his mind, we use the chains we brought and tie him up until he snaps out of it."
"If he's run into some other trouble, Little Man gave orders to send word back to Oxheart Village right away. They'll come help."
"Worst case, if he's dead, we bring him back and give him a grand burial on Oxheart Mountain. I still have that burial suit from the coffin shop—we couldn't return it."
"My master can't possibly die!! He won't die!" Lv Xiucai replied firmly.
"Hey, I'm just saying worst case. I don't want him dead either. Hey, wait—Xiucai, isn't that your family's theater troupe up ahead?"
Gouwa's words made Lv Xiucai look down the street. Sure enough, there were his family members.
As soon as they got close, Lv Xiucai saw his dad looking terrible. His face was clouded with worry, and their three carriages were stopped by the roadside, as if they didn't know which way to go.
"What's wrong with the old man?" Lv Xiucai asked his older brother, Lv Juren.
Lv Juren, whose face was just as grim, let out a deep sigh. "Just now, Dad heard from a storyteller that in Great Liang, opera singers aren't allowed to read books or take the imperial exams. Here, the children and grandchildren of opera performers can only ever be opera performers."
"Take what exam! Damn it, are you blind? He won't learn real magic, but goes chasing that crap." Lv Xiucai was furious.
"You little punk who hasn't even grown pubes yet—what do you know!" Lv Zhuangyuan rarely got red in the face and thick in the neck, but he yelled angrily at Lv Xiucai, waving three fingers fiercely in front of his eyes. "The Lv family only has three sons total! You don't put all three eggs in one basket! Got it!!"
"I'll let you study magic, I won't stop you! But no matter how powerful that magic gets, it's still a dangerous path! Look at that little Daoist—how many times has he brushed death's door even with all his power? You think you can match him?"
"If you take that path, no other Lv can! Juren taking over the family troupe is the safe road! And Little Tongsheng aiming for the top exam is our family's real way out!! That way, if one road dead-ends, the others can keep going!"
Lv Xiucai stood there stunned as the words poured out like beans. Lv Zhuangyuan had never explained himself like this before. He'd always just ordered him around—what to do, what not to do—without reasons.
He'd always thought his dad looked down on him deep down and hated him studying those arts. But turns out, in his heart, this was still a path for the Lv family—even if it was a risky one.
For a moment, Lv Xiucai felt a mix of emotions.
"Hmm? Where'd this theater troupe come from? Coming to my Money Leopard's turf to cause trouble?"
A few slouching ruffians sauntered over, eyeing them lazily. "You paid your protection fee? If not, cough it up now."
"Get lost!" Lv Xiucai gripped his sword hilt, and the copper coins in his arms flew out, forming a blade.
Just as Gouwa thought these guys would scatter in fear, they burst out laughing instead.
The leader swaggered right up to Lv Xiucai, face full of arrogance.
"I've seen plenty of country bumpkins like you. Think learning a few tricks makes you hot stuff?"
"Know where you are? The feet of the Son of Heaven! The Supervisory Bureau's just a few streets over. Even if you're a dragon, you coil up for me. Tiger? You lie down. My bro guards the gate there! Go ahead, make a move! See if I don't call him and have you all thrown in the clink!"
At the mention of the Supervisory Bureau, Gouwa's face changed. Senior Brother Li had explained that office to him before.
He instinctively clutched his chest—inside was the Ruyi that Senior Brother Li had given him. It couldn't be found by the Supervisory Bureau.
The spooked Gouwa hurried to Lv Xiucai's side and whispered urgently. "Don't do anything rash! Just some street punks—not worth it, really!"
Lv Xiucai froze, his face flickering between emotions, sword neither slashing nor withdrawing.
"What? Making Grandpa wait? Hurry it up!!"
Just then, Lv Zhuangyuan came forward with a smile, some loose silver in hand. He said a few auspicious words and sent the ruffians packing.
Lv Xiucai gripped his copper coin sword tight and slammed it hard into the ground. "Let's go! This capital's too damn oppressive!"
All that hard work studying magic for so long, and in the capital, he still got bullied by a few punks. So humiliating.
"Go? Go where?" Lv Zhuangyuan, face full of wrinkles, pulled out his pipe and puffed away.
"Anywhere! If nowhere else, home! Back home, opera singers can take the exams! And theaters are cheaper there!"
"Gone... All gone." Lv Zhuangyuan sighed deeply. "Good thing we ran fast. The emperor back home got dragged out and beheaded. Heard Siqi's fallen too."
"Fallen... the country fell?" Lv Xiucai uttered the unfamiliar words in shock.
He didn't care much about what country he was from, but learning the place he'd lived for over ten years was suddenly gone forever still shocked him. "So we can never go back?"
"Not in the next ten years, that's for sure. Hou Shu's in chaos too. Who knows when this godforsaken world will settle down." Lv Zhuangyuan knocked the spent pipe against the webbing of his hand, then tucked it back behind his neck.
"Come on, kid. Let's find an inn to crash. This place is pricey—hope they have a cheap dorm bed."
After all these ordeals, Lv Zhuangyuan was still like an old ox, silently bearing it all, harnessed to his iron plow, trudging onward.