Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 79
>Chapter Title: Market
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“From now on, you’ll be called Gao Zhijian,” Li Huowang said to the Fool in front of him, who was carrying a wooden stick.
“I……I…I I…”
Li Huowang reached out and pressed down the thick finger he was pointing at his own chest with.
“No more I’s. Got it? You’re not called Fool anymore. Gao Zhijian is your name from now on. Hear me?”
“Aren’t you literate? Break off a tree branch and write it on the ground over and over until you’ve got it memorized.”
“Oh……” With no say in his own name, the Fool drooped his head dispiritedly and turned toward the woods.
Li Huowang watched his tall back and let out a light sigh.
“No matter what. Since I said I’d name him before, I have to follow through. Consider it a gift for his rebirth.”
Actually, Li Huowang had wanted to name the Fool for a long time. After all, constantly going “Fool this” and “Fool that” sounded awful.
It was just that after leaving Reed Island, he hadn’t come up with a suitable name, so it had dragged on until now.
The Fool lacked wits, so Li Huowang named him Gao Zhi, hoping the guy could gain some back through his name.
As for the final Jian, it was Li Huowang’s hope for him—that he could keep enduring his tragic life.
“Senior Brother Li! Senior Brother Li! Name me one too. He’s called Fool, which sounds bad, and Gouwa isn’t any better!”
Li Huowang, brows slightly furrowed, turned to look at the shifty-eyed youth beside him.
“He’s not all there, but are you not all there either? You’re a grown man—can’t you come up with your own name?”
With that, Li Huowang headed toward the campfire, but Gouwa chased persistently after him.
“Hey, Senior Brother Li, you know how to read. A name from you has to be better than one from a cowherd like me.”
“I’m not greedy. Just give me a big famous name—the grander the better.”
Li Huowang laughed. “Heh, a big famous one, huh? Call you Cao Cao—think you can handle that?”
Gouwa clearly didn’t get Li Huowang’s meaning. He clapped his hands excitedly and jumped high in the air.
“Good! Cao Cao’s a great name—sounds celebratory! I’ll be Cao Cao from now on!”
Before Li Huowang could say another word, Gouwa darted into the crowd like smoke and excitedly announced his new name to them.
Naturally, the others didn’t grasp the implications behind the name and stood up one after another to offer congratulations.
Watching this ridiculous scene, Li Huowang shook his head in speechless exasperation.
He looked up at the gradually brightening sky and spoke. “No more dawdling. Let’s get moving—we’ll aim to reach the town today.”
“Once we’re in town, we’ll have a proper feast. Sick of those wild veggies by now, right?”
The words instantly roused everyone’s spirits as they swallowed their saliva nonstop.
Previously, the dry rations had fallen into the water along with the donkey cart.
They had plenty of gold, but out in the middle of nowhere, there was no one to sell them grain.
Without grain, they could only eat wild veggies like the old monk. The whole journey had left their faces sallow from the stuff—not to mention that sometimes there weren’t even enough veggies to fill them up.
The drug primers, collectively gaunt from hunger, strode forward eagerly craving food.
Perhaps because food dangled ahead like bait, they covered the half-day journey in just two hours.
At the foot of a towering mountain peak shrouded in clouds and mist sat a lively little town.
The town was bustling to the point of overcrowding. Li Huowang and the others squeezed in and could barely find room to stand.
He tilted his head slightly to dodge an oncoming shoulder pole, then quickly lifted his right foot to avoid the chicken shit on the ground.
Braving the sticky din of hawking voices all around, Li Huowang pressed inward.
“Is this some kind of great place or what? Why so crowded?”
The already narrow stone-paved road was now crammed with squatting sellers and buyers haggling loudly.
Some sold homemade bamboo woven baskets, others mountain-hunted game, homegrown vegetables.
Chickens for sale, dogs for sale—even tree saplings.
The sellers and buyers all chattered in a deafening buzz. Li Huowang felt like a thousand flies were swirling around him.
“Senior Brother Li, Cao Cao knows! Today’s the first of the month—big market day—so folks from ten miles and eight townships have come to the fair.” Gouwa explained from the side.
Li Huowang nodded in realization. He’d almost forgotten—the people here held grand markets.
On the first and fifteenth of every month, they spontaneously gathered in one spot to form a market for trading with each other.
Gazing at the lively throng, Li Huowang suddenly felt an urge.
He wanted to shake that bell and see how many Wandering Lords had shown up at this grand market.
But it was just a passing thought. He wasn’t a child anymore—there were more important things to do now.
Li Huowang’s gaze rose gradually, past the dense crowd and distant buildings, until it fixed on a tall mountain peak.
This was Heng Hua Mountain. The nunnery atop it was Li Huowang’s destination—they might just be able to deal with the Danyangzi gradually eroding his body.
Li Huowang had just started forward when he saw the others all halt at once in front of a stall.
They stared fixedly at the items laid out atop it. Drool stretched long from the corner of the Fool’s mouth.
“What’s this?” Li Huowang walked over and knocked on the scorched-yellow round pancake, catching a whiff of wheat fragrance.
“Senior Brother Li, this is pot helm. You can eat it.”
Bai Lingmiao tried desperately to hold back her swallow but ultimately failed.
Seeing their pathetic, pleading looks, Li Huowang felt a pang of heartache. In the end, they were all just a pitiful bunch.
Li Huowang pulled some gold jewelry from the Fool’s bundle and swiftly sliced it into small gold nuggets with his iron-cutting sword.
“Buy! Everyone go buy! We’ve got money now—get whatever you want from this market!”
He placed handfuls of gold nuggets into everyone’s hands except Gao Zhijian’s.
Everyone flushed beet-red with instant excitement, unable to contain themselves.
Watching the suddenly flush drug primers rush the surrounding stalls to snap up all sorts of things they needed—or didn’t—Li Huowang glanced at Gao Zhijian beside him, who was gnawing pot helm, and said: “Come with me. Since we’ve got money, it’s time to upgrade our ride.”
Before long, two shiny new carriages stood beside Li Huowang.
The horses were tall and sturdy, remarkably clever too—as long as Li Huowang lightly tugged the reins, they followed steadily without bolting.
Nothing like those two sickly old donkeys from before.
When the others finished shopping and gathered near the carriages, Li Huowang noticed they’d all swapped their clothes and shoes for new ones.
They clutched all sorts of snacks in their arms—even Bai Lingmiao.
Joy beamed on every face. They were truly delighted, one could tell.
(End of chapter)