Chapter 23: Home
Learning to control the barbarians by adopting their techniques.
Even as Liu Chengqi writhed in agony, his eyes snapped open in shock at Chu Huaixu’s “divine move.”
This was clearly the first stance of the Boundless Heaven-and-Earth Eight Trigrams Palm, which he himself had taught!
Liu Chengqi, lying on the ground, was severely wounded and completely unable to retaliate.
He choked, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and a sharp pain shot through his chest.
However, the look he gave Chu Huaixu gradually changed, as if he were looking at a dead man.
“Don’t look at me like that. I can guess you have some background,” Chu Huaixu said, crouching down, his expression unchanged.
He raised his right hand and gently patted Liu Chengqi’s right cheek, saying as he did:
“Teaching martial arts is still being associated with ingratitude.”
“Didn’t I pay? Hmm?”
“Answer me!”
With each word, Chu Huaixu lightly slapped his face.
Liu Chengqi had never endured such humiliation, his eyes burning with fury.
He struggled to raise his right hand, his severe injuries still fueling a desperate strength.
However, Chu Huaixu, still crouched, was much faster. With a crack, he broke this arm as well.
“This was the hand that was being meddlesome, right?” he asked, his voice still calm.
Only the screams of the fractured Liu Chengqi could be heard.
Han Shuangjiang watched from the side, her fingers clenching involuntarily.
This was the first time she had seen this side of Chu Huaixu.
Indifferent, ruthless, decisive!
Since the other party had made the first move, he would show no mercy.
The four words replayed in her mind—a raven’s heart in a crane’s guise!
Given that Liu Chengqi had attempted to make an indecent advance, Han Shuangjiang felt no sympathy for him.
Among the four main characters of The Borrowed Sword, she was playing the main heroine, and certainly not a nauseating saint.
Since Chu Huaixu had stepped in for her, she would clearly declare her allegiance.
After a moment of stunned surprise, the poor wretch’s immediate thought was: “An hour is a class session, and this has only been the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. That’s ten taels of silver! Ten taels…”
The next moment, she saw Chu Huaixu extend his right hand, pat Liu Chengqi’s cheek again, and stare at him as he said, “Cancel the class, you hear me?”
Seeing Liu Chengqi’s lack of reaction, he continued to stare at him, his gaze growing colder, and the hand patting his cheek subconsciously increased in force with each repetition.
Before long, Chu Huaixu left the small courtyard with Han Shuangjiang, satisfied, and returned the ten taels of silver to his Storage Token.
He had his own set of rules and didn’t take a single tael more.
After this minor incident, the two returned to the marketplace.
It was already noon, and Chu Huaixu spotted a small stall, intending to sit down for a meal, but Han Shuangjiang pulled him away.
He glanced down at her delicate hand grasping his sleeve, and Han Shuangjiang immediately let go.
“Let’s still… let’s still buy groceries,” she insisted.
Learning mortal martial arts had almost cost 20 taels of silver. Because of the other party’s lecherous intentions, it was only ten taels.
This made Han Shuangjiang increasingly feel that their “spare provisions” at home were not abundant, and their financial situation was unhealthy.
Chu Huaixu never expected that Han Shuangjiang, the heroine loved by countless female players in The Borrowed Sword, would be so stingy at her core.
Since it was his money being spent, her tone when expressing her opinion was no longer cold, but laced with a hint of negotiation.
“Alright,” Chu Huaixu agreed, and the veteran escort added, “Whatever you say.”
These simple words brought joy to the poor wretch, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
During the grocery shopping, the glacial beauty also seemed more talkative than usual, insisting on comparing prices everywhere.
She, who was usually a person of few words and always maintained a cold expression before paying, haggling as much as possible.
“She’s quite good at managing household finances,” Chu Huaixu mused.
Along the way, the two passed a wine shop.
Someone was hawking outside: “Erlang Wine, excellent Erlang Wine!”
Han Shuangjiang watched as Chu Huaixu stopped in his tracks.
A terrifying thought flashed through her mind.
—They’re going to spend extravagantly again!
“Erlang Wine, isn’t that a famous wine from the Moon Country?” Chu Huaixu stopped and asked.
“That’s right, this junior brother is quite knowledgeable. The earliest techniques for this wine originated from Erlang County in the Moon Country,” the vendor said.
Chu Huaixu nodded slightly, recalling the famous Langjiu from Earth.
Langjiu got its name because it originated from Erlang Town in Sichuan Province.
With the great calamity approaching, the Mirror Country and the Moon Country, which had always been in conflict, had slightly eased their relations in recent years.
Even during times of extreme hostility, trade between the two countries was unavoidable. Now, it seemed they were in a honeymoon period, with even more frequent trade.
Even the taxes had been reduced somewhat.
Therefore, it was not surprising to see Moon Country’s fine wines for sale.
He even suspected that this wine shop was an official establishment of the Daoist Sect.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Huaixu deliberately did not ask the price and said, “Give me a jar.”
Startled, the ice mountain behind him hurried forward and began to bargain.
After all, the money was his, and she only had the right to suggest, not to decide.
Looking at Han Shuangjiang’s demeanor, he found it increasingly amusing.
After teasing this world protagonist, Chu Huaixu accepted the Erlang Wine handed to him by the vendor.
“Let’s go, we’re going home,” he said.
Hearing the words “going home,” Han Shuangjiang was momentarily stunned.
The two returned laden with goods, and halfway back, Chu Huaixu suddenly stopped, looking to the east.
“If I remember correctly, Steward Niu’s courtyard is in that direction, right?” he calculated the time in his mind and asked.
“Mm.” The ice mountain lost its liveliness and nodded in simple agreement.
“Take this jar of wine to Steward Niu,” Chu Huaixu instructed.
“Me? Take it?” She frowned, confused.
Han Shuangjiang wasn’t refusing to be bossed around; she simply didn’t understand. The money was his, so why should she deliver it alone?
Chu Huaixu did not answer, only looking into her beautiful eyes, wanting to see if this world protagonist could figure it out.
A few seconds later, she spoke, “Are you afraid…”
She stopped, trailing off.
Back at that courtyard, Chu Huaixu had said to Liu Chengqi, “I can guess you have some background.”
From all indications, Han Shuangjiang could also sense this.
At this moment, Chu Huaixu nodded at her, indicating that she was correct.
Instantly, Han Shuangjiang’s pretty face sank, and that feeling that made her incredibly uncomfortable surged back into her heart.
The incident had started because of her.
No matter how beautiful the world was decorated, it was ultimately a world where the strong preyed on the weak. Being beautiful and weak was inherently a sin!
This was also one of the reasons why she yearned to cultivate and become powerful.
Unexpectedly, Chu Huaixu chuckled at this moment, “Oh, who are you putting on that expression for? With my tall and handsome appearance, do you think I haven’t encountered many problems? Just get used to it!”
Hearing this, Han Shuangjiang felt that the fox-like face before her was incredibly irritating.
She took the Erlang Wine from Chu Huaixu and, following his instructions, walked towards the east.
After only a few steps, she suddenly stopped and called out, “Chu Huaixu.”
“Hmm?” Chu Huaixu turned to look at her.
“Why aren’t you going with me?” she asked.
If he had already guessed that there might be potential danger, why would they split up?
Chu Huaixu looked at her as if she were an idiot, “There’s no such thing as guarding against a thief for a thousand days!”
“What if, I’m just saying hypothetically. Liu Chengqi wants revenge, and he definitely has some background. If they saw us visiting Steward Niu’s home today, would they make a move tonight?”
“But there’s always a tomorrow, do you understand?”
“You can’t be sure he’ll just let this go, can you?”
Han Shuangjiang felt that it made sense. She couldn’t place all her safety on the enemy’s rationality.
Chu Huaixu had always believed that the world was a giant makeshift stage, and there was no such thing as someone acting irrationally while wearing a “brain-dulling halo.”
How many perfectly rational people were there in the world?
In fact, many people were born purely because their fathers had acted impulsively during conception.
Humans were, after all, governed by emotions.
Chu Huaixu knew that trouble was bound to arise, so he chose to severely insult Liu Chengqi instead.
Not only did it satisfy himself, but it also allowed the other party to quickly cause trouble, letting everyone resolve things quickly and avoid having to constantly be on guard.
At this moment, Han Shuangjiang looked at the young man standing not far away and spoke again, “So you chose to go home first, letting them actively seek you out, luring yourself into danger, and then asked me to get help?”
“Ahem!” Chu Huaixu responded.
“You’re certain that Steward Niu will intervene?” Han Shuangjiang asked.
“Certain,” Chu Huaixu replied. He thought Old Niu might be even more anxious than her.
“Alright.” The cold-faced girl replied.
Then, she quickly walked forward, handed the wine jar back to Chu Huaixu, her expression serious and resolute, and stated with utmost conviction:
“I’m going home, you go deliver the wine.”
(End of Chapter)
