Li Qingshi eyed the withered old man suspiciously, deeply convinced that this humiliating incident had actually happened to the old man himself. Unfortunately, he had no evidence, and he knew that no matter how he tried to fish for information or pressed him with questions, the old man would never admit it.
In their daily interactions, Old Liu had told him many stories from the past. Whenever something impressive, formidable, or attention-grabbing had happened, he had done it himself. But whenever something disgraceful or embarrassing had happened, it had always been one of his friends.
When Li Qingshi was young and innocent, he believed everything the old man said. Later, he gradually began to feel that something was off and questioned him several times. Yet every time, the old man’s stories were detailed and convincing. Even his embarrassing friends had names: Zhang Wuji, Wei Xiaobao, Duan Yu, and Yang Baihuan.
So Li Qingshi truly could not tell whether the old man really had such a group of hopeless friends.
“Old Liu, are you sure those Brutal Bandits won’t come down from the mountain and attack tonight?”
After Li Qingshi killed the burly man wielding the saber, the master and disciple returned to Baitou Village. The old man said nothing. As usual, he first went to the latrine and took an ordinary dump, then fried a plate of peanuts and sat in the courtyard drinking wine.
At first, Li Qingshi thought Old Liu was so calm because he was a master among masters and therefore had nothing to fear from those Brutal Bandits raiding the village. But after thinking it over, he felt that something was wrong. Even if Old Liu could single-handedly defeat the entire group of Brutal Bandits, he had said he wanted to use those bandits for sparring practice. If they all charged down the mountain together and Old Liu killed them all, then what the hell would he spar with?
After turning it over in his mind again and again, he could only reach one conclusion: Old Liu was certain that those Brutal Bandits would not dare come down the mountain.
The old man ignored him and merely gave him a look of exasperation, as though he were beyond saving. Though he said nothing, Li Qingshi understood perfectly. The look clearly meant: What a damn fool.
Li Qingshi had no choice but to figure it out himself. In the next moment, he understood why Old Liu was so certain.
Zhao Fenghu had sent someone out to scout the way, but the scout had been gone for so long that they would certainly suspect something had happened. They had only just arrived and were unfamiliar with the area. After an incident like this, they would undoubtedly become twice as cautious and would never dare act rashly again.
Li Qingshi was not stupid. On the contrary, he was actually quite clever. It was just that for some reason, whenever he was with Old Liu, he did not like using his own brain.
Li Qingshi changed the subject. Afraid the old man would ignore him again, he put on a cautious, ingratiating smile and asked, “Old Liu, just how high is your martial arts cultivation? You wouldn’t happen to be a Great master of the Hongmeng Realm, would you?”
The old man gave him that same look of exasperation and said irritably, “All you know is the Hongmeng Realm, huh? Do you think I’m that weak? Today, I’ll let you in on the truth. I’m a genuine super Great master of the Small World Realm!”
Li Qingshi froze for a moment, then rolled his eyes.
He was damn well bragging again.
Old Liu had previously told him that the path of martial arts consisted of four realms, from lowest to highest: the Hongmeng Realm, the Qiankun Realm, the Small World Realm, and the Immortal Realm.
At first, of course, he had not suspected that the old man was deceiving him. Later, when he went to Qingshui City, he happened to hear a storyteller say that martial arts had only two realms: the Hongmeng Realm and the Qiankun Realm. He then found several other experienced and knowledgeable storytellers to verify it, and they all said that the path of martial arts indeed had only those two realms.
It was said that the old immortals with the highest seniority among the Three Mountains, Five Sacred Mountains, and Twelve Grotto Heavens, who rarely showed themselves in the mortal world, were all peak figures of the Qiankun Realm.
Yet in Old Liu’s mouth, the Small World Realm and the Immortal Realm had appeared out of nowhere.
And a super Great master of the Small World Realm, no less. Had he granted himself that title?
Li Qingshi did not expose him. Since the old man liked dreaming, he might as well let him dream.
He said, “Since you’re so powerful, you must also know Old Manor Lord Niu of Clearwind Manor’s ability to examine a person’s aptitude, right? Can you teach me?”
The old man curled his lips and said arrogantly, “At my realm, I can examine someone’s aptitude with a single glance. Touching a person’s head is such a crude method that I stopped using it long ago.”
“You may not need it, but I do. I don’t have your cultivation level. That crude method is perfect for me, so hurry up and teach me.” Li Qingshi put on a sincere smile and coaxed him like a child.
The old man glanced at him. “The traces left by touching someone’s head are too obvious. We’re Physicians, so I’ll teach you a method for examining someone’s aptitude while taking their pulse.”
Li Qingshi dropped his teasing expression and listened attentively.
By the time all the saber wounds on his body had healed, the old man had finished teaching him.
Li Qingshi climbed out of the medicinal tub and sauntered over to Liu Beidou’s side as though nothing were amiss. Without making a sound, he reached for the old man’s wrist.
The old man kicked him in the butt. “Get lost, get lost! If you could probe my depths that easily, I’d have wasted my whole life.”
Li Qingshi chuckled. While the old man was not paying attention, he felt his wrist. Perhaps because he had acted too hastily, he indeed failed to determine the old man’s depth.
He walked to the opposite side of the table, settled into that strange Horse Stance, poured himself a bowl of wine, and asked the old man about his past experiences wandering the Jianghu.
In fact, Liu Beidou had often told him stories about his past. Li Qingshi had always assumed he was bragging and had never taken them seriously. Now that he knew the old man truly practiced martial arts, he thought back over those stories and began to feel that they might really have been his own experiences.
After drinking until he was slightly tipsy, Li Qingshi suddenly remembered something and said, “Since those Brutal Bandits won’t enter the village, shouldn’t we call the villagers back? There are too many mosquitoes in the mountains. Staying up there is terribly uncomfortable.”
The old man stared blankly with a pair of hazy, drunken eyes. Whenever he got drunk, he always looked like this, and no one knew what he was thinking. Li Qingshi had asked him several times, but he had never said.
Coming back to himself, he said, “To be safe and sound, it’s still better to let them stay in the mountains for a few more days.”
Li Qingshi thought that made sense. Those Brutal Bandits were vicious and cruel, and who knew whether they might do something unexpected? If they disregarded everything and slaughtered their way down the mountain, then no matter how high Old Liu’s martial arts were, he would probably have difficulty protecting everyone.
The next day, because of the fierce battle the day before, Li Qingshi got up somewhat late. When he stepped outside, he saw Old Liu plucking a hen.
He asked, “Where did you get that chicken?”
“From Wang Dagen’s house. Get it stewing first; when we come back at noon, it’ll be perfect with our wine.” The old man swiftly finished plucking the feathers, then gutted the chicken.
“You dared to steal his chicken? When they come back, won’t his wife, Zhang Cui’e, curse you to death?” Li Qingshi admired Old Liu’s courage, while also suspecting that this opportunistic act was revenge.
Previously, the old man had probably grown tired of eating fried peanuts and developed a craving. So, while Wang Dagen’s family was out working in the fields and no one was home, he had stolen one of their chickens. Unfortunately, his technique had been less than expert, and he had left evidence behind, allowing Zhang Cui’e to catch him red-handed.
Zhang Cui’e was a notorious shrew in the village. She had blocked the withered old man’s door and cursed him for an entire day. The old man, who usually carried himself like an Expert while bragging and chatting, had hidden inside and dared not come out, not even letting out a fart. In the end, Li Qingshi had taken out the few copper coins he had painstakingly saved, and only then had the matter been settled.
“That chicken was left there unattended, which clearly means they didn’t want it anymore. I picked it up to eat. What’s there to be afraid of?” The old man stuck out his neck and argued defensively.
Then he instructed, “Find somewhere to bury these feathers and the rest. Do it cleanly, and make absolutely sure you leave no trace.”
Li Qingshi was dumbfounded and speechless. He suddenly felt that the true meaning of the old man’s words yesterday—“To be safe and sound”—was that he had refused to call the villagers back so that his chicken theft would be safer.
What the hell kind of old man was this? He was already so old, yet he still held grudges like this?
Liu Beidou happily set the chicken to stew, and the master and disciple then wandered out together.
Over the next several days, Li Qingshi could not tell whether they were lucky or unlucky. Guidang Mountain was enormous, yet while wandering around blindly with Old Liu, they kept running into bandits who had come out to scout the way.
After several fierce battles, Li Qingshi’s sword techniques grew increasingly polished, and wielding the longsword became more and more effortless.
Within four days, he killed another nine Brutal Bandits.
In less than five days, he had killed ten people in total and opened ten major acupoints.