Fantasy: I Am the Villain.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Useful or Useless

"Although the Song and Liao are irreconcilable enemies, they are still guards brought by Brother Qiao. Let's lend a hand and send someone to escort them back to Liao."

Xu Zhu turned to Bai Ke and explained. Bai Ke nodded to indicate that he understood, and looked at the 18 somewhat nervous warriors with a curious expression.

Speaking of Qiao Feng's 18 Khitan guards, they were really unlucky. Although the Liao and Song dynasties were at peace and there had been no major wars for many years.

However, conflicts often occurred on the border, and it was common for the border troops of Liao and Song to raid each other's territory.

Every conflict could very well lead to a major war between the two countries. Although the Liao Dynasty was strong, the Song Dynasty had a more profound foundation, so neither country really wanted to fight.

This is how peace was maintained for so long. The 18 of them followed Qiao Feng to the Central Plains to rescue A Zi. They didn't feel anything when they arrived.

But as Qiao Feng went away with his father, the 18 Khitans felt like they had thorns in their backs, and they couldn't wait in peace.

Left with no other choice, Atu, the leader of the 18, decided to lead his brothers away temporarily, and wait for their king to return once they found a safe place.

It was quite safe when they first left, but later, in order to clear his name, Quan Guanjun turned his attention to Qiao Feng and the remaining 18 Khitan warriors.

Their situation became difficult, as they were constantly challenged by hot-blooded young people along the way.

The 18 men fought and retreated, but were unable to defend themselves effectively. They had no choice but to ride their warhorses into the dense forest, where they finally found some peace.

However, because the warhorses could not move freely in the dense forest, the 18 people had to proceed slowly, leaving marks as they went, waiting for Qiao Feng to return.

Unexpectedly, they encountered another group of Beggars' Sect disciples who were looking for Zhuang Juxian, also known as You Tanzhi. By sheer coincidence, the two groups met and were immediately surrounded.

When Atu saw another group of people arriving, he thought he probably wouldn't be able to escape this time, but Xue Fang's new group actually helped them drive away the Beggars' Gang members.

He was incredibly surprised. He looked closely at the leader of the group and discovered that it was his king's sworn brother.

It seemed, it seemed, was called something like Xu Zhu. He was overjoyed and quickly dismounted to thank Xu Zhu.

Xu Zhu reached out and helped Atu up, asking him about his journey. After listening, he sighed softly:

"Alas! When will this cycle of revenge end? Even I, a humble monk, am at a loss as to what to do about this conflict between our two countries. My plan is to send someone to escort you back to Liao. Are you willing?"

The other Khitan warriors, who did not understand Chinese, stared at Atu, who knew a little Chinese, frowned and thought for a while before shaking their heads and rejecting Xuzhu's suggestion.

"We are very grateful for your help, Master, but my king's fate is now unknown. How can we return alone?"

After listening, Bai Ke asked Atu in confusion, "So, you have a way to contact your king?"

Atu smiled smugly, "Of course, we Khitan warriors naturally have unique secret methods passed down within our tribe that allow us to contact each other."

Bai Ke knew that what they were talking about was probably a kind of secret code, so he didn't ask any questions. He just scanned the surroundings with his divine sense.

He then noticed an inconspicuous mark under a large tree nearby, which he assumed was their code.

After thinking it over, Bai Ke advised Xu Zhu to let them stay, as he had been worrying about how to get Xu Zhu and Qiao Feng to meet.

Since these Khitan warriors have a way to contact Qiao Feng, we absolutely cannot let them leave alone.

We have to wait until Qiao Feng returns, though he didn't say that to Xu Zhu outright. He simply told him:

"That's fine. If we send someone to escort them back to Liao, the journey is long, and if anything happens to them, how can we explain it to Brother Qiao Feng?"

"Why don't we leave them here? Either they can go to your Lingjiu Palace, or to my Jianhu Palace on the back mountain of Wuliang Mountain. When Brother Qiao Feng returns, we'll have a better explanation."

Xu Zhu thought for a moment and felt that Bai Ke's words made sense. He then said to Bai Ke, "Then let's go to Brother Bai's Sword Lake Palace. My place is full of women, so it might be inconvenient."

Bai Ke teased Xu Zhu, "Your father is a highly accomplished monk, so naturally he can't stay at your Lingjiu Palace. Why does it seem like you want to come along too, little master?"

Xu Zhu said embarrassedly, "If Brother Bai were to know, I am the only male in Lingjiu Palace since it was passed down to me by my grandmother. I am a monk, how could this be?"

"You've already returned to secular life, what kind of monk are you? You're just a hypocrite!" Bai Ke curled his lip in disdain.

Xu Zhu was extremely anxious, "Brother Bai, how can you say that? One day, this humble monk will turn Lingjiu Palace into Lingjiu Temple! And make all these fairy sisters become nuns!"

Bai Ke smacked his lips with a regretful expression, "You really don't understand romance. If it were an ordinary person like me, I would probably have been enjoying the bliss of having two wives by now."

You actually want them to become nuns... What a waste! Have you ever seen nuns living in a monastery?

While the two were bickering, the stretcher was already prepared, along with the horses brought by the 18 Khitan warriors. The Xingxiu Sect disciples, eager to show off, even made a carriage.

Bai Ke looked at the brand-new carriage with a wry smile and said to Xu Zhu, "I didn't expect that your group of Xingxiu Sect disciples, who only know how to flatter, would actually be of some use?"

Xu Zhu also exclaimed in amazement, "I heard from my elders that everyone has their uses. These Xingxiu Sect disciples must have been influenced by Ding Chunqiu to only know how to flatter and fawn."

Now that they've left Ding Chunqiu, they're still capable young men with their own skills! How could they be useless? As the Buddha said, all beings are equal; this is precisely the principle.

As he chanted Buddhist mantras, Xu Zhu couldn't help but think of himself, being driven out of the Shaolin Temple, and his face darkened.

Bai Ke had finally managed to lighten the mood, but Xu Zhu suddenly fell silent again for some reason.

So he asked, "Brother Xuzhu, what's wrong? He was fine just now, how come he's like this now...?"

Xu Zhu said dejectedly, "It's nothing, it's just that I just thought of what the Buddha said, that all beings are equal, but I clearly have the Buddha in my heart, yet I was driven out of the house."

Ironically, that cunning old monster Ding Chunqiu, despite his wicked nature, was content to spend his days in quiet solitude, surrounded by the ancient Buddha and the flickering lamp. One couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Bai Ke was dumbfounded. What was going on? Being a monk can be addictive? This Xu Zhu is just too bizarre...

Instead of being overjoyed at finally returning to secular life, he was saddened and depressed, which he couldn't understand at all, leaving him speechless.