knife

Chapter 71 The Guy Who Always Makes You Angry

It snowed all night last night, but today, contrary to expectations, the sun was visible in the sky.

However, this is not good news for those who are in a hurry.

Everywhere you look, there is blinding white light. If you look at it for too long, your eyes will become sore and uncomfortable. Experienced people will use animal skin or cloth to make eye shields to protect their eyes.

Xiao Changche led his horse slowly forward. The snow was so heavy that the road was no longer visible. He didn't want his close companion to break his hoof by missing a step, so he went ahead to scout the way.

A wisp of smoke rose from the woods ahead, breaking the silence of this white world and instantly brightening his vision.

Without any hesitation, he led his horse toward the direction where the smoke was rising.

A dilapidated mud-brick and thatched house appeared in the woods ahead.

Inside the dilapidated courtyard wall, where only a few sections remained intact, a black horse was nudging the snow with its muzzle. When it saw Xiao Changche and his horse, it neighed loudly, leaped high on its forelegs, and then landed heavily, sending the surrounding snow flying.

Xiao Changche snorted coldly; he and his horse were both extremely domineering and powerful.

This black horse belongs to Li Dachui. It is entirely black without a single stray hair, but its name is really unworthy of its magnificent appearance; it is called Xiao Hei (Little Black).

Xiao Changche's warhorse was named White Jade Lion. It was entirely white, with one black and one white horse, exactly the opposite of each other.

"Xiao Hei, we're friends, be polite!" Li Dachui's voice came from inside the house. The somewhat irritable Xiao Hei immediately quieted down. After glancing at Xiao Changche and his horse, he snorted and then lowered his head to dig something in the snow.

Xiao Changche patted the white jade lion's head, then walked straight into the dilapidated house.

The fire inside the house was burning quite brightly, but the house was drafty from all sides, and there was a large hole in the thatched roof. Right below the hole was a thick pile of snow. The only slightly better place was the corner where Li Dachui was.

Carrying a long, narrow package, Xiao Changche walked straight to the opposite side of Li Dachui and sat down.

Li Dachui picked up the small purple clay teapot and poured a cup of tea into the small porcelain cup in front of him. The tea was golden in color, and both its color and aroma were just right.

"I started cooking around the time you arrived. How about that? I put a lot of effort into it, didn't I?" Li Dachui said with a hint of pride. "Don't worry, I boiled this cup with hot water, and it's absolutely brand new. Nobody has used it before."

Xiao Changche glanced at the other person, then tilted his head back and downed a cup of tea in one gulp: "Why are you telling me all this? I'm not the kind of person who's obsessed with cleanliness!"

Li Dachui snorted: "Really? Don't forget, I've been to your house. I can roughly tell what your habits are just by glancing at them. On the battlefield, you might not care much, but when you're not fighting, you're very particular! More particular than a woman."

Xiao Changche looked at Li Dachui, his expression gradually becoming sharp: "Have you planted spies in my home or in my army?"

"Guess?" Li Dachui asked with a smile.

Seeing Li Dachui's expression, Xiao Changche calmed down and held out his cup again, which Li Dachui then refilled.

"Aren't you afraid I might have actually planted a spy?"

"You want to make me paranoid, don't you? Forget about such a petty trick!" Xiao Changche said calmly.

Li Dachui chuckled: "Have you received all the grain you sent?"

"Received, thank you!" Xiao Changche's expression softened.

"No need to thank me, it's not a free gift, I have to pay for it." Li Dachui poured himself a glass of water and drank it slowly: "Speaking of which, you've owed me quite a bit of money these past two years."

“Once we conquer Baoping Prefecture, we’ll have the money to pay you back!” Xiao Changche said dismissively, “I’m not one to renege on debts.”

"No rush, and whether you pay it back or not isn't really a big deal. I know you're always short on cash," Li Dachui laughed. "You have plenty of ways to settle the debts, don't you?"

Xiao Changche narrowed his eyes: "How do you plan to settle this debt? Make me change into women's clothing and go dancing in Tai'an City?"

"It's not impossible to consider," Li Dachui's expression brightened noticeably, but seeing Xiao Changche's other hand already touching the cloth bag beside him, he immediately coughed: "Just kidding, don't take it seriously. By the way, is Zhang Ruo still any good?"

"Hmm!" Xiao Changche's expression softened, and he nodded, saying, "As expected of a high-ranking official in the court, he does have some ability. Compared to him, Liu Yi is nothing but trash!"

"You're lucky!" Li Dachui exclaimed. "This guy is really capable. He's been managing the accounts for the Great Qin Dynasty for the past two years, and he's managed to straighten out such a messy account. In my opinion, he's at least extended the Great Qin Dynasty's lifespan by five years. Now he's working for you. You should be laughing in your sleep."

"Is he really that good? Then why doesn't Linghu Ye use him?"

"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together!" Li Dachui said, "This man is extremely loyal to the Great Qin. Think about it, Linghu Ye is planning a rebellion. Putting this man in front of you is just asking for trouble. I was hoping you would kill Zhang Ruo with one blow, but I didn't expect you wouldn't fall for it!"

"Does Linghu Ye think I'm that stupid?" "You're not stupid, but a gentleman can be deceived by his principles. This Zhang Ruo, there are some things about him that are quite annoying." Li Dachui said, "Now you've seen his capable side, but later you'll discover his detestable side!"

Xiao Changche's handsome eyes darted around for a moment, then he looked at Li Dachui and asked, "How are things going with your wife?"

"Huh?" Li Dachui was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "What's wrong? Why are you interested in her? That's strange."

“After all, Zhang Ru is working for me now, so what’s wrong with me showing some concern for his daughter?” Xiao Changche picked up his teacup and took a sip. “If you start something and then abandon it, I’ll beat you up!”

"Tsk tsk!" Li Dachui clicked his tongue twice: "You talk as if you can beat me."

"Whether we can win or not, we'll find out soon enough!" Xiao Changche's hand reached for the cloth bag again.

"Alright, alright, even if we were to fight, it wouldn't be now!" Li Dachui waved his hands repeatedly: "Let's have a proper showdown after we've dealt with the Tiele."

"Have you confirmed that the Tiele have entered Baoping City?" Xiao Changche asked.

“Confirmed!” Li Dachui said, “There are ten guards accompanying us. You are familiar with Luhe and Gro, but don’t worry about the rest of the nobodies.”

"People like the Tiele travel with only these few people? No other arrangements?"

"He thinks this trip is extremely secretive!" Li Dachui sneered. "Even if there are other arrangements, do you think the two of us can't handle it?"

Xiao Changche remained silent.

Li Dachui is right.

He himself was a ninth-rank Xuan Yuan expert. Although Li Dachui's true strength was unclear, he was definitely no weaker than him. With two ninth-rank Xuan Yuan experts working together, what couldn't they do? Where couldn't they go?
"I can't help but feel uneasy!" Xiao Changche said.

"Put your mind at ease!" Li Dachui laughed. "Everything is ready, except for the final push. If I don't take the Tiele's lives here this time, I'm not Li!"

Xiao Changche rolled his eyes: "Your surname isn't Li, it's Zhou."

"Who said that? My surname really is Li!" Li Dachui said seriously.

This time, it was Xiao Changche's turn to be stunned: "Aren't you Lord Zhou's son?"

“Just because I’m his son doesn’t mean I have to take the surname Zhou. Can’t I be his godson?” Li Dachui pulled out two steamed buns from his bundle, skewered them with a twig, and put them over the fire to bake.

Xiao Changche stared at Li Dachui, increasingly unsure whether the man was telling the truth or not.

If Li Dachui really isn't Zhou Zhi's son, then there's a lot more to this than meets the eye.

"Stop looking, you can't see anything special!" Li Dachui stroked his thick beard. "My face is fake. Even if I were to show you the real one, it would be ugly as hell compared to yours. Unlike your face, which is quite a feast for the eyes!"

Hearing these frivolous words, Xiao Changche's eyebrows slowly rose again, and his anger surged in waves.

He took a deep breath, and then another.

For some reason, I can never control my emotions when I'm with that damn Li Dachui.

"I have a sharp tongue, don't be angry!" Li Dachui was the typical guy who would hit you with a stick, then give you three sweet dates, hitting and touching you until you had nowhere to vent your anger. Seeing that Xiao Changche was about to lose his temper, he immediately softened his words: "The kind of martial art you practice, the Heaven-Slaying Technique, will naturally accumulate more and more malevolent energy in your body. You should pay more attention to cultivating your character. Back then, Li Muyi would go to the temple to worship the Bodhisattva when he had nothing to do. Wasn't that because of this?"

“I don’t worship Buddha!” Xiao Changche said coldly.

“I know you don’t believe in heaven or ghosts and gods, you only believe in yourself!” Li Dachui said, “But the Heaven-Slaying Technique is just like that. It won’t be able to do anything to you just because you’re stubborn. Aren’t you on good terms with Old Man Fu? Hasn’t he mentioned any solution?”

Even if I had a solution, would telling you it work?

"That's hard to say!" Li Dachui laughed. "If you need my help, just give the order. Even if you need my old man, it's just a matter of a word from me. We're friends, comrades-in-arms, and brothers now, well, let's not call us brothers."

Why can't we be brothers?

"You're too beautiful. If I have you as my brother, I'll have a hard time finding a wife! So I try to spend as little time with you as possible."

Before he could finish speaking, a flurry of punches appeared before him. Li Dachui laughed and moved his body, which was sitting on the ground, back several feet, causing all the punches to land on empty air.

Having failed to land a punch, Xiao Changche withdrew his fist, then casually picked up a piece of firewood and threw it into the fire. Li Dachui, meanwhile, moved back to his original spot and said, "I knew you had a bad temper, so I've been on guard against you all this time!"

(End of this chapter)