Chapter 20: The Guide

After about ten minutes, a middle-aged man around forty years old hurried in behind Xue Jiu. Seeing the girl, he fell to his knees and said respectfully, “Greetings, Grand Exalted.”

“Long Qi, it has been two months. Do you still not want to change your mind?” the girl asked, frowning.

“Grand Exalted, I am already over forty. I no longer have the desire to compete and win like I did in my youth. Moreover, my talent is too poor to be developed, as you know,” the middle-aged man said with a bitter smile. “Now, I only want to find a warm and caring wife, raise a few children, and spend the rest of my life in peace.”

“You are only in your forties? From the way you speak, you sound like an old man in his sixties or seventies.” The girl’s smile was somewhat helpless. “You possess great wisdom; it would be a pity for you to leave like this. However, everyone has their own goals, and I will not force you.”

“Thank you, Grand Exalted.” The middle-aged man’s expression relaxed instantly.

“This is Su Tang. He will take your place,” the girl said, pointing to Su Tang.

The middle-aged man glanced at Su Tang and said, “Grand Exalted, you will stay here for a few days, right? I will find people to clean up the courtyard immediately.”

“I will leave shortly,” the girl said. “I originally didn’t want to enter the city, but I felt some reluctance and wanted to take one last look. Mount Peng… is too far.”

The middle-aged man froze, then knelt on the ground again and kowtowed several times, saying in a trembling voice, “Long Qi has received great kindness from the Grand Exalted. I should have forgotten my own life and death to follow you, but unfortunately, my talent is too shallow, and I cannot…”

“We have known each other; do not say these things.” The girl seemed somewhat sad. “Alright, all of you go out. I want to be alone for a while. Long Qi, take Su Tang for a walk and let him get familiar with the environment here.”

“Yes, Grand Exalted.” The middle-aged man stood up, gave Su Tang a forced smile, and turned to walk outside.

Su Tang hurried after the middle-aged man. Why did it feel like a final farewell? It seemed as if the girl would never return after she left.

“Long Qi, take care of yourself,” the girl said softly as the man reached the door.

The middle-aged man’s body visibly trembled. He wanted to look back, but halfway through, he slowly turned back around.

Su Tang clearly saw tears in the middle-aged man’s eyes. He intentionally slowed his pace and pretended to admire the scenery in the courtyard, falling far behind.

By the time Su Tang dawdled to the courtyard gate, the middle-aged man had returned to normal and was waiting for him with a smile.

“Brother Long, I am dull. I hope Brother Long can give me much guidance,” Su Tang said hurriedly.

Long Qi could not help but laugh. “You don’t look like someone who could gain the trust of the Grand Exalted.”

“Why?” Su Tang was stunned. He had shown total goodwill, yet the other party mocked him in return. This seemed a bit too much.

“The Grand Exalted is easy-going by nature and loves nature. If you always speak like that in front of her, you will definitely be scolded. If you don’t change, you might even get beaten. Do you believe me?”

“Heh…” Su Tang gave a dry laugh.

The girl’s strength was unfathomable, and her mind was sharp and clever. Great wisdom? Since she gave him such a high evaluation, the Long Qi before him was definitely not a simple character.

Therefore, Su Tang had been observing him carefully. The middle-aged man had handsome features and bright eyes, with a straight nose and a wide mouth. However, his beard and hair were graying, giving him the appearance of someone aging prematurely.

Walking out of the courtyard gate, Long Qi looked back and sighed softly, “It is quite a nice place, what a pity…”

Su Tang thought Long Qi was talking about the desolate and ruined state of the courtyard, so he nodded. “Yes, Brother Long, you must help me find some people to clean it up, otherwise it really cannot be lived in.”

“What?” Long Qi was stunned. “The Grand Exalted… gave this courtyard to you?”

“Yes.”

“I thought the Grand Exalted would destroy this place.” Long Qi’s expression changed slightly, and he looked Su Tang up and down seriously several times.

“Why destroy it?” Su Tang asked, puzzled.

“Sometimes, one must remove ties and forget the past to go further,” Long Qi said softly. “Cleaning the courtyard is a small matter; there are many more important things. Come with me. Su Tang, what did you do before? I mean your experience. Of course, you don’t have to say if you are unwilling.”

“I was at Little Forest Castle before…” Su Tang’s tone was somewhat conflicted. What experience did he have that he could actually talk about?

“Little Forest Castle? I think I’ve heard of it,” Long Qi said. “And after leaving Little Forest Castle?”

“After leaving Little Forest Castle, I came here.”

“Oh… oh??” Su Tang suddenly stopped walking, and the tone of the two “ohs” was completely different. “Then in Little Forest Castle…”

“Since I became sensible, I have been working hard at Cultivation,” Su Tang said shamelessly. This was not a lie, because there was a prefix: “since I became sensible.” He had only become sensible a month ago, so what of it?

“I see.” Long Qi suddenly understood. “The Grand Exalted has always liked to discover talent. Haha… Changshan County will have another Battle Fighter.”

“I am not a Battle Fighter…” Although Su Tang had a very tough will, he still felt a sense of shame. “Nor am I a Martial Artist.”

Long Qi’s expression became extremely strange. He stared for a moment, then turned to look at Su Tang. This was the third time he had appraised Su Tang. After a while, he revealed a smile, “So you are like me; you can only survive by using your mouth…”

Su Tang’s gaze swept over Long Qi. Long Qi’s clothing was very exquisite, with a bright red jade pendant hanging from his chest and golden double-fish ornaments at his waist, which probably weighed over three taels. This was called “surviving by the mouth”?

“Do you know who I am?” Long Qi’s face became solemn. Without waiting for Su Tang to answer, he continued, “Do you know what kind of person you will become?”

“I ask Brother Long for guidance.” Su Tang also became serious.

“The plan needs to be changed. Come with me.”

The two of them strolled forward along the long street. Long Qi asked Su Tang if he had ever been to Changshan County before. Su Tang shook his head, and Long Qi began introducing the area as they walked. He was very serious, just like a dedicated tour guide.

After walking for about twenty minutes, Long Qi turned into a blacksmith shop by the roadside. Although it was still early, there was only one blacksmith working in front of the furnace in the shop. There were no customers, and business seemed to be very bad.

Long Qi naturally pulled over a chair and sat down comfortably. “I’ve been talking for so long that my throat is almost smoking. Shorty, do you have any tea?”

The blacksmith turned and glanced at Long Qi with a cold expression, then turned back to continue his work, ignoring Long Qi completely.

“Forget it, I’ll find some myself.” Long Qi shrugged and stood up to walk toward the inner room.

Su Tang was observing the blacksmith. His physique was extremely unique; one glance was enough to imprint it firmly in the mind, making it impossible to forget. First, the blacksmith was very short, only about 1.3 meters tall, but his body was thick and strong, looking exactly like a wooden stump. His hands were ridiculously large, and each finger was as thick as a large sausage.