Chapter 23 Shaoliang City in Dazhou

The young master said he would reason with them. Generally, something like this happened frequently in other fictions. Those scholars seemed to like writing such plots. But after thousands of years, such scenes were watched repeatedly and were stereotyped. To reason with others was just to play the bully. Before practicing swordsmanship, Li Fuyao was a storyteller, so when he heard the words “reason with you”, he thought it would be like the plots in the fictions. But after the young master in gorgeous clothes started talking, Li Fuyao found that he was trying to reason as he said.

The young master sat down and then began his long speech. Perhaps he thought he was reasonable, he didn’t notice Li Fuyao’s face getting straight.

As always, Qing Huai ignored this young master who was like an annoying fly. She finished drinking tea and then looked into the distance alone, turning a deaf ear to his voice.

It made the young master’s attendant show a thumbs-up sign in secret. In Shaoliang, nobody even from a wealthy family could ignore his master.

Li Fuyao listened for about five minutes and heard the young master talk about the history of this tea house and the local customs and practices in Shaoliang City. At last, he was fed up with it and then frowned, “Sir, you have reasoned with me for a long time. Don’t you drink some tea to moisten your throat?”

The young master had beautiful eyes which could bend upwards. He stared at Li Fuyao with curiosity and praised, “You are the first one in Shaoliang City who can let me speak so much and doesn’t interrupt me. Obviously, you are more capable than the young men from noble families in the city. You have a machete on your back. Are you a warrior with weird hobbies?”

Li Fuyao didn’t reply.

But the young master introduced himself soon, as if he was familiar with the other party, “My name is Ji Baiye and I live in Shaoliang City. What’s your name?”

Li Fuyao stayed silent for a minute and then responded in a low voice, “I am Li Fuyao, from Baiyu Town.”

Hearing the words “Baiyu Town”, Ji Baiye just answered, “Oh.” After all, that place was too remote, and the young noblemen in Shaoliang City, the capital of Dazhou, wouldn’t know it. He asked Li Fuyao, “Many people from other places come to Shaoliang recently. Did you come to fight for the chance to be the emperor’s son-in-law, too?”

Li Fuyao shook his head and answered with a smile, “As a civilian in Dazhou, it’s not surprising for me to pay a visit to Shaoliang City. I will stay in the city for only a few days and then continue to go to the north. How can I have time to be a candidate?”

Ji Baiye expressed in confusion, “You don’t look like a civilian from Dazhou.”

Li Fuyao laughed and looked into his eyes. “Mr. Ji, why did you say that?”

Ji Baiye was straightforward, “I can see that you are not like a person from Dazhou. You don’t have our style.”

Li Fuyao pursed his lips and didn’t say a word. Ji Baiye turned to glance at Qing Huai and tut-tutted, “She seems to be from Dazhou.”

Qing Huai kept quiet. This genius girl from the demonic land didn’t talk much and wouldn’t speak to strangers easily. In fact, with her character, if somebody offended her, she wouldn’t mind starting a fight. However, since she had agreed with Chen Sheng, an immoral swordsman, to send Li Fuyao to the border between Yanling and Dayu, she had to restrain herself, in case that she made this boy suffer to death before they reached the border.

Ji Baiye gazed at Li Fuyao who stopped talking, and Qing Huai had never talked to him from the beginning. He felt bored and stood up, saying helplessly, “It’s another silent man. Why are you the same as those people in my family? It’s not fun.”

The attendant who followed this young master out of the city showed a smile which could hardly be noticed and remembered that his master was in low spirits at home. But because of his identity as a servant, he didn’t say anything.

Li Fuyao glanced at Qing Huai, who understood and stood up to leave. Then he got up and saluted Ji Baiye to say goodbye. He just walked with her into the city and totally ignored the two men.

Ji Baiye stared at the teenager’s back and whispered, “This guy is interesting. No wonder Xie Ying holds him in high esteem.”

The young attendant echoed, “General Xie is a young talent, and the man he can value must be extraordinary.”

Ji Baiye looked into the distance with a sigh, “But that guy just wants to risk his life on the frontier and was even unwilling to see me in the city. Now my father is going to arrange my marriage.”

The young attendant smiled and didn’t say more. The story between this person and the talent from the Xie Family was being told everywhere in Dazhou, but who knew what exactly had happened? Maybe only the two parties could make it clear.

Right, Princess Anyang in Dazhou was actually anxious to marry somebody in a lower position, but the man was actually unwilling to.

……

When they were at the city gate, Qing Huai said, “That is Princess Anyang.”

Li Fuyao kept quiet for a short while and then responded calmly, “I know.”

“So you talked about that with her?”

Li Fuyao was annoyed, “I don’t want to know about what happened between Xie Ying and her, but she found us outside the city in advance, so this matter seems to be related to me. With the relationship between the Xie Family and the emperor of Dazhou, I doubt that they didn’t reveal my whereabouts to Shaoliang City. Moreover, the emperor evidently admires the cultivators and will come to see me after we enter the city. I can ignore any ordinary people, but I truly want to see the emperor. After all, I am always curious about the character of the people in Dazhou.”

Qing Huai stated peacefully, “Dazhou is so poor and even wants to win over a swordsman at the Intent Stage.”

But Li Fuyao could understand them, “When you can afford to treat only one person to dinner with all your money, and you happened to meet that person, why not treat him? Only when you have enough money and can invite many people to dinner, you won’t care if some people don’t come. A poor family has its plan, which is not surprising. Moreover, the emperor of Dazhou is quite ambitious.”

Qing Huai turned her head and laughed out of the blue, “But you can’t stay, so this deal has died a natural death.”

Seeing Qing Huai laughing, Li Fuyao also grinned, “It doesn’t matter. I will stay for a few days.”

Qing Huai didn’t give a response, and Li Fuyao murmured, “If I have a presentable sword, I will look better than I am in this outfit and at least I can fool the emperor, but now, probably even I myself don’t believe that I am a swordsman.”