Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 58
>Chapter Title: Li Zhi
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“Clang clang clang!!” The extremely piercing bell rang out, instantly cutting off the shouting. Everyone present clutched their ears with agonized expressions.
By the time the bell’s sound slowly faded, Li Huowang’s sword was already resting on the man’s neck.
“Heh, Real Person, what are you doing?” Even with the sharp longsword pressed against his neck, the man remained calm and composed.
“You ask me what I’m doing? I should be asking you that! What god are you summoning!”
The soot-blackened blade pressed down slightly, immediately drawing a thin line of blood.
No matter what god this man was summoning, it was definitely nothing good. Ever since arriving in this godforsaken place, he hadn’t encountered a single good thing.
Sensing the misunderstanding, the man chuckled dryly.
“Real Person, you’re not from around these parts in Siqi, are you? I wasn’t summoning any gods. I didn’t even beat a drum—there’s no way I could summon one. I was just proving that I’m merely a great-god jumper.”
At this moment, Xiao Man walked over from the side and whispered, “Yeah, that’s right. Jumping the great god does require beating a drum.”
Li Huowang glanced at the colorful drum hanging from the man’s waist. Only then did he slowly draw his sword back, his face still full of wariness.
“Friend, it’s the middle of the night—don’t play these kinds of jokes. It’s easy to cause misunderstandings. You should go.”
The man sized up the wary-looking Daoist in front of him for a moment, then nodded awkwardly and turned to leave. “Alright then. I’m Li Zhi. See you around. Come on, E’ya, let’s go.”
With that, he said nothing more and led the woman covered by a red veil straight into the pitch-black path between the trees.
Li Huowang watched until they had completely vanished before turning back to the others. “No one sleep tonight. Stay on guard in case that guy hasn’t really left.”
It was wise to be cautious. For someone to pop up out of nowhere in the dead of night, who knew what their intentions were.
Amid scattered murmurs of agreement, the drug primers clutched their weapons and sat huddled together by the campfire.
Li Huowang grabbed a piece of dry wood and tossed it tumbling into the flames. The blazing firelight illuminated the uneasy expressions on everyone’s faces.
The long night passed in this torturous wait that felt like years. Apart from everyone looking utterly exhausted, nothing happened.
“We’ll rest until noon today, then hit the road again. Gouwa, you keep watch first.” With that, Li Huowang slowly closed his eyes.
He didn’t know how long he had dozed off when someone gently shook him awake. “Senior Brother Li, that guy’s back.”
“Hm? What?” The news snapped Li Huowang awake. He turned his head and saw last night’s Li Zhi standing not far away with his veiled wife, grinning from ear to ear.
“I thought about it half the night. I get it now—I scared you last night, didn’t I? Sorry about that. So I came specially to apologize.”
Sunlight filtered through the branches onto Li Zhi’s somewhat dark face, making the mole on it stand out prominently.
If you took away the drum at his waist, he looked no different from a farmer who toiled in the fields year-round.
In the bright sunlight, he seemed far less threatening than he had the night before.
After his thoughts raced through his mind, Li Huowang pinched a hand seal and returned the courtesy. “Brother Li Zhi, you’re too polite. I was the rash one yesterday.”
No matter what this man’s intentions were, since a great-god jumper had appeared right in front of him, it would be a waste not to pry some information out of him.
“I just heard this young lady say you’re surnamed Li too? What a coincidence. I’m Li as well. Who knows, maybe we’re distant kin from five hundred years ago.”
The affable-looking Li Zhi walked forward a couple of steps with easy familiarity and said to Li Huowang’s face.
“Brother Li Zhi, where are you headed?”
“Oh, my clan’s Black Three Great-Granny is celebrating her big birthday in a few days, so I’m rushing over early to offer my congratulations.”
Celebrating a birthday? Li Huowang thought to himself: Jumping the great god clearly isn’t the same as being a monk or Daoist priest—they haven’t escaped worldly obligations.
“And where might the Real Person be headed? With such a big group in tow.” Li Zhi’s eyes flickered as he glanced at the bloodstained Daoist robes on Li Huowang that hadn’t been washed clean.
“To Liang Kingdom,” Li Huowang answered concisely.
“Whoa, that far? The Real Person’s journey must be quite arduous.”
After chatting for a bit, relations between the two sides eased considerably—at least they weren’t at each other’s throats anymore.
The donkey cart’s wheels turned as the red embroidered shoe beside it moved forward together.
“There’s Half-Moon Gully not far ahead, with a village there. The Real Person can rest up properly for a few days. The next place to stay won’t come for at least fifteen days, as you know how the borderlands are—sparse population and barren land.” Li Zhi pointed things out enthusiastically, like an old friend.
“Thanks. May I ask, Brother Li Zhi, since you’re a great-god jumper, which immortal family does your household enshrine?”
At Li Huowang’s direct question, both Li Zhi and the woman under the red veil tilted their heads slightly.
“Heh, I’m a disciple of the Bei Clan. Since you’ve asked, I won’t beat around the bush. And may I ask which mountain and which sect the Real Person hails from?”
“Western Mountain Eastern Splendor Sect’s Clear Wind Temple, Xuanyang.” Li Huowang immediately recited Danyangzi’s old spiel.
He didn’t even know what the Western Mountain Eastern Splendor Sect was, but at least saying it like this would make others think he had a proper lineage rather than being a fake Daoist.
Li Zhi shook his head. “Heh, never heard of it. But that’s no surprise—the world’s so vast, no one knows everything.”
Li Zhi was incredibly chatty, especially with that constant smile on his face. Being around him actually lifted one’s spirits.
Before long, it was time for lunch. They set up a stove and pot to boil noodles again. The river by the roadside had widened, making it convenient.
Li Zhi didn’t take any food from his small bundle. He just squatted grinning by the road, watching them, which made Li Huowang’s group feel deeply uncomfortable.
“Brother Li Zhi, care for some?”
“Hey hey hey! That’d be great. I haven’t eaten all day yesterday.” Li Zhi rushed over excitedly and grabbed a bowl to ladle noodles.
One bowl after another poured in with a clatter. Bai Lingmiao frowned tightly as she watched.
“Senior Brother Li, that’s almost three jin already. How can he eat so much? Has he been cozying up to us all this time just for a meal?”
Everyone watched as Li Zhi fished out the very last strand of noodle from the pot. He felt not a shred of embarrassment, just squatted under a tree slurping away.
Li Huowang walked over to him and squatted down in the same manner. “Enough noodles? Want me to boil some more?”
“Oh man, I hate to impose, but yeah, I’m still hungry.” With that, Li Zhi gulped down a big mouthful of noodle broth.
“Boil two more jin of noodles!” Li Huowang shouted toward the iron pot.
“How come only you’re eating? What about your wife? Isn’t she hungry?” Li Huowang’s gaze shifted to the woman under the red veil. He noticed her nails were somewhat blackened, and very long.
“I’m the great god; she’s the second god. Me eating is enough.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
The slurping stopped. Li Zhi raised his right hand holding the chopsticks, wiped his mouth with his elbow, turned his head with a grin, and said: “Heh, Real Person, asking so many questions—are you looking to mount the horse?”
(End of chapter)