Chapter 10: Meeting Li Er

However, when faced with Li Er, he did not dare to act this way. One must understand, which emperor in history was a good person? Especially this one before us, who would kill his own brother for the throne. The seat beneath him is piled high with unseen bones, so the vendor fears that one careless move could lead to his demise

The vendor wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Brother Qin, your loyalty and righteousness are admirable! Come, Brother Qin, have a smoke!" After saying this, he lit a cigarette for Qin Qiong as well. The others learned how to smoke and came up to borrow a light, lighting their own cigarettes in the process, and took the opportunity to introduce themselves to the vendor. Only then did the vendor realize who these individuals were; the one smoking was Cheng Yaojin, and beside him was Yuchi Gong.

When the vendor returned, he found Li Er and a few others staring at a large black man, who was grinding his teeth and chewing on something. Then he stretched his neck vigorously and rubbed his throat up and down with his hand. The vendor was left speechless, realizing that he had misspoken earlier. Initially, he had said "try it," and then he stuffed a cigarette into his mouth, which led the large black man to think it was something edible

Step aside, I will personally deal with this assassin

The vendor approached Li Er and took out cigarettes to distribute to Li Er and the others nearby, saying, "Nice to meet you all for the first time. Please take care of each other in the future, and come try our hometown's specialties!" Li Er and the people around him received the cigarettes with confusion, examining them in their hands. The vendor guessed that they probably wouldn't smoke, so he put one in his own mouth and said, "Watch closely, this is how it's done!" After saying this, he realized he had forgotten to bring a lighter, so he turned around to get one.

Li Er was secretly pondering about the vendor, thinking that if he were a celestial being, he certainly did not appear as one. Celestial beings rarely exhibit such lowly postures in front of mortals, and the attire of the other party was quite disheveled. Although he was referred to as a Taoist, his hair resembled that of a monk. Nevertheless, his sudden appearance was indeed peculiar. Well, for now, let’s treat him as a celestial being. After coming to this conclusion, Li Er cupped his hands towards the vendor and said, "Esteemed immortal, you are too kind. I also wish to express my gratitude for your timely rescue. Had it not been for your appearance, I fear I would have perished long ago"

Li Er did not pay attention to the vendor's verbal slip and pauses, feeling that the other party was acceptable, just a bit unclear about the rules. "Hehe, there is no need for the immortal to be modest. I will always remember the grace of saving my life. May I ask where the immortal comes from and where you are headed?"

Wei Chigong did not spare his words, saying, "If you had choked to death just now, we would have had a reason to drink!"

After the tall man felt comfortable with his throat, he said, "It's a bit bitter, and a bit dry!" The others hesitated, unsure whether to consume it as well, when the vendor finally arrived and quickly stopped their thoughts, saying, "This is not for eating, this is how to use it!" After speaking, the vendor lit his own cigarette, took a deep puff, elegantly blew out a smoke ring, and then lit each of their cigarettes one by one. Li Er also imitated the vendor, taking a deep puff, "Cough cough, uh, cough cough..." He quickly stopped their thoughts, saying, "This is not for eating, this is how to use it!" After speaking, the vendor lit his own cigarette, took a deep puff, elegantly blew out a smoke ring, and then lit each of their cigarettes one by one. Li Er also imitated the vendor, taking a deep puff, "Cough cough, uh, cough cough..."

Seeing the polite vendor, Li Shimin also relaxed, saying, "General, you are too kind; I am just stumbling around..." This fellow, in his excitement, almost blurted out the saying about a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. Fortunately, he suddenly remembered that it was Li Yuanji who had died. If he compared him to a mouse, and someone took offense, claiming he was indirectly insulting Li Er, that would not be good. After all, the emperor is the true dragon of heaven. If this word got out that Niu Dabao said the emperor was the son of a mouse, it would be a disaster. Thus, the vendor promptly changed his words.

A man nearby saw Li Er take a deep drag from his cigarette, causing his face to flush and his neck to thicken, with veins bulging on his forehead. He suspected that the vendor had poisoned him, and with a shout, he drew out the weapon from his waist, startling the vendor so much that he fell to the ground. Yuan Tiangang quickly rushed over to protect him, saying, "General, please show mercy!"

Well, I don't know either! This question is directed at Old Yuan. Generally speaking, one rides on top of a mount; have you ever seen a deity burrowing into the belly of their mount

Cheng Yaojin, having smoked a cigarette, appeared to have a strong tolerance for it. He skillfully exhaled the smoke and mocked Yechigong, who was coughing beside him, saying, "Big Black, you can't handle it, look at you gasping, you'll definitely die before I do!" This brash fellow!

After the large piece was swallowed, someone beside asked, "Is it tasty?"

The vendor felt a great sense of pride on his face, as he had established a connection with the future emperor right from the start. Moreover, the other party had personally acknowledged that he had matters to discuss with him. This was indeed significant; the emperor's words were golden, and it was necessary to express gratitude. Of course, the vendor did not grasp that the other party mentioned what was within his capabilities, which made it difficult to understand. What matters were within his capabilities, and what matters were beyond them? Ultimately, it was all at the discretion of the other party. The vendor, filled with excitement, ran to the cart and felt around, then hurried to Li Er's side. The few people surrounding Li Er likely noticed that this fellow was dressed rather thinly and, assuming he was not a formidable character, did not obstruct him.

After speaking, he prepared to give the vendor a thorough cooling off. Li Er quickly stopped him, saying, "Uncle Bao, don't be impulsive, it's fine!" Only then did the vendor realize that this man was Qin Qiong, also known as Qin Shubao. Upon hearing Li Er's words, Qin Qiong also halted his actions, asking, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

That is only natural; in the future, should the immortal have any needs, I will not refuse within my capabilities

"Forget it, I will go and ask!" Li Er noticed that Yuan Tiangang was also unclear about the situation, so he mustered his courage and walked towards the vendor's cart, stopping about five meters away. He cupped his hands towards the vendor's cart and said, "This general is grateful for the life-saving grace of the Daoist. May I ask if the immortal can come out for a moment?"

Although Li Er spoke eloquently, the vendor did not dare to get out of the car boldly. The surrounding individuals, armed and watchful, were still eyeing him closely, ready to rush in and turn him into dumpling filling at the slightest hint of trouble. Therefore, the vendor cautiously opened the car door halfway, squeezed out from inside, and before getting out, he restarted the engine, preparing to jump back in and make a quick escape at the first sign of any disturbance.

"It's nothing, you don't say, this thing is quite exciting!" After saying this, Li Er took another puff. As expected of someone who is an emperor, his ability to accept new things is remarkable. Just a moment ago, he was coughing like a dog, and now after this puff, his eyes are squinted like a cat being scratched! Qin Qiong saw Li Er's expression and realized he had misunderstood. He reached out and pulled the vendor sitting on the ground up, saying, "Immortal, please don't take offense. Shubao was impulsive, and I apologize on his behalf! Please bear with us!"

However, the current situation is that both sides are afraid of the wolf, but fortunately, Li Er can be considered a magnanimous ruler who has not engaged in any sordid deeds. The vendor approached Li Er and, emulating the ancients, clasped his hands in a salute, saying, "That Qin Wang, oh no, General, greetings. I am Niu Daba, and this is my first time stepping onto this esteemed land. I hope you will forgive my impudence!" Do not be misled by the fact that this fellow calls even deities names like 'old man' or 'old bastard'; he knows that deities generally do not kill people outright, and it seems that his family's deity is also rather unconventional, showing no particular reaction to his indiscriminate manner of address.

I am neither from the river nor going to the river. Of course, I cannot say, "The place I come from is not easy to describe, but the place I have arrived at is the Great Tang. In the future, I hope that General will take good care of me!"