Li Rui's arrival gave me a bad premonition. Unlike Li Jian, though both were petty, Li Jian was more focused on the bigger picture and wouldn't act rashly over temporary gains or losses.
Li Rui, however, was different. He was a complete scoundrel, not even waiting for the next day to seek revenge. Although I felt displeased by his appearance, I couldn't show it too obviously.
Through this trip into the mountains, I understood a principle: whether doing things or handling affairs, one must never wear their thoughts on their sleeve. Otherwise, you wouldn't even know how you died.
"We'll go after we eat. You should head back now!"
Li Rui smiled and nodded, saying it wouldn't take too long, then turned and left.
If it were before, he would have surely flown into a rage. But this time, not only had he changed his ways, he even knew to bow politely. This whole display left Zhang Dabiao and me somewhat dumbfounded.
"Did that guy's brain get damaged by the old fox? How did he change so much all of a sudden?" Zhang Dabiao murmured, watching Li Rui walk away.
I frowned, also a bit confused. A person's personality doesn't change in just a few days. It's like you can't stop a dog from eating shit by beating it once or twice.
Li Rui's sudden drastic change meant he either had ulterior motives or was harboring some sinister plan. We couldn't let our guard down against him.
Zhang Dabiao agreed wholeheartedly. As the saying goes, unsolicited kindness often masks ill intentions. If we faltered under his schemes, we might as well not bother with the feng shui circle anymore.
By the time we arrived, many people were already seated in the tent. Besides familiar faces like Li Zuoquan, Fang Niubizi, and Zhao Defu, there were also a few new ones.
This made me scrutinize them carefully.
There were two newcomers. One was as plump as Kang Pangzi, always wearing a smile. He even smiled at me when I entered, seeming easy to get along with.
The other had deep-set eyes and a hooked nose, and was stern-faced. Our arrival only made him raise an eyebrow before he closed his eyes again, displaying an indifferent attitude. However, based on his demeanor and appearance, I had already concluded he was from the border regions. His specific identity could only be learned from Li Zuo.
Li Zuoquan, shedding his usual gloom, wore a confident smile. Upon seeing us, he first laughed heartily, then said, "My apologies for summoning you so late. But we plan to enter the mountains tomorrow, and the route needs to be discussed again. So, I apologize for the disturbance..."
Li Zuoquan's flattering words were pleasant to hear, but they made me feel uncomfortable. With just a few sentences, he not only drew the attention of the borderlander towards me but also made the fat man put away his smile, looking at me with a strange expression.
I cursed Li Zuoquan, that old fox, in my mind. Even now, he hadn't forgotten to cast a shadow on me. It was clear he was trying to embarrass me in front of these two newcomers.
In the past, I would have been at a loss on how to handle such a situation, perhaps unable to even speak coherently. But after several encounters with Li Zuoquan, I knew I couldn't show him any kindness. I had to retort and push back when necessary, otherwise, my life would be difficult.
"Old Li is being too polite. I've been resting quite well these past few days. You've been sending us food and drinks constantly, making me gain a few pounds. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been late. My apologies..."
You imply we're arrogant and wouldn't come unless invited, so I'll retort that it's all your arrangement. I don't want to be labeled as conceited.
Facing my retort, Li Zuoquan's expression remained unchanged. He didn't dwell on the matter further but said sternly, "Now that everyone is here, let's discuss how to deal with the mountain spirits in the valley. I sent people to scout near the valley these past few days, but they were all driven back by the mountain spirits. Young friend Song is quite familiar with the habits of mountain spirits, so we've invited you to discuss specific strategies and how to pass through the valley smoothly."
"This..."
I frowned, looking at Li Zuoquan, wondering what this old fox was up to. Logically, after I had offered one suggestion that resulted in heavy casualties, he shouldn't be asking me for advice again.
Why bring this up now? Was this guy trying to set a trap for me? But the situation was beyond my control, so I had to brace myself and offer what ideas I could. After all, the mountain spirits would be leaving in a few days anyway, and whether my methods worked or not was outside my concern.
"Mountain spirits are vengeful, but they are still wild beasts. If we throw a large amount of explosives into the valley, I think it should scare them away!"
I didn't want to reveal the information that the mountain spirits would leave on their own in a few days, so I could only offer a commonly known piece of advice. However, Li Zuoquan clearly wasn't impressed with my suggestion and seemed to have something else in mind.
Before he could speak, the plump man beside him spoke first.
"Was the idea of using蛊虫 (gu worms) to incapacitate the mountain spirits yours?"
Despite the plump man's large build, his voice was delicate. If I hadn't seen him speak, I would have thought it was a young girl talking. It sounded so awkward.
"Who are you?"
"I am Kang Yuan's martial uncle."
I was startled and thought for a moment before realizing that Kang Yuan was indeed Kang Pangzi. Looking at his round physique, I couldn't help but laugh. As expected, birds of a feather flock together; they were all fat as balls.
"It was indeed my idea, but it was also agreed upon by everyone. You can ask Fang Niu... Daoist."
Fang Niubizi replied with a dark expression and a cold snort, "Yes, it was the best idea we could think of at the time. Unfortunately, ghost mountain spirits appeared in the valley, making it a completely terrible idea."
As soon as Fang Niubizi finished speaking, the borderlander beside him asked in broken Chinese, "Were my subordinates also sent into the valley because of your orders?"
Hearing this, my expression immediately turned grim. "You can eat more, but you can't talk nonsense. You shouldn't be asking me why your subordinates rushed into the valley; you should ask Li Jian."
"Ask Li Jian? How can I ask? He's still unconscious!" Li Rui, standing beside Li Zuoquan, suddenly interjected.
What the hell? I finally understood. These guys weren't here to discuss entering the mountains with me, but specifically to cause trouble.
Looking at Li Zuoquan, who was leisurely sipping tea in the main seat, I sneered, "Old Li, what do you mean by this? I've already explained about entering the valley before. Now you've brought two people to question me. I'll say it again, I've told you everything I know. If you don't want me to enter the mountain, you can let me leave now."
"Leave? Where are you going? My twenty-odd subordinates are gone just like that. If you don't give me a satisfactory explanation today, I don't think you'll be leaving here."
The borderlander suddenly stood up, his gloomy, hawk-like eyes fixed on me like nails, his right hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of the saber at his waist.
"Want to make a move?" Zhang Dabiao's eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of me, his right hand casually revealing the hilt of the mountain-splitting saber he wore behind his back.