Chapter 7: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The village head let out a grunt, looking at Liang Xiao with a smile that did not reach his eyes, his hands behind his back alternating between clenching and relaxing.

When King Wu raised his troops to rebel, Guangling City became the site of the oath-taking ceremony. The generals under his command would lead their troops into battle, while their families would be left as hostages in Guangling City. Later, after the Wu and Chu forces were defeated, the principal offenders were executed, the accomplices were captured, and the ordinary soldiers were pardoned, with most of them remaining in Guangling City, becoming the registered populace of the Jiangdu State

We are from Qingyun, my name is Liang Xiao, and he is called Tu Niu Er. We have come to Shili to find someone named Huan Sheng. I wonder if the old gentleman is familiar with him

Ah Xiao, what exactly did you see that made this old man so anxious

The village head raised his eyebrows and hesitated for a moment: "Is it true?"

As Tuhniu Er stated, Guangling City has never lacked fugitives. The Han Dynasty is not far from antiquity, and the atmosphere of wandering scholars is quite strong. Many individuals, in pursuit of wealth or to escape misfortune, attach themselves to powerful officials and noblemen, with the wealthy and esteemed feudal lords being their preferred choice. King Wu, Liu Bi, conspired to rebel, and for decades, he consistently recruited the lost and the rebellious. Since that time, Guangling City has become a paradise for various wandering scholars and fugitives

"Don't say too much, quickly ask if anyone with the surname Huan lives here," Liang Xiao said in a low voice. "I used to know that this area is a mix of good and bad, but I didn't expect to encounter someone like this today. Keep your mouth shut, and make sure not to let it slip; it could ruin their plans and bring about a fatal disaster."

Liang Xiao said with a smile: "How about this, let me go in and look for Huan Sheng, I will keep my mouth shut and pretend I have never seen the old man, how does that sound?"

Ah? Tuh Niu Er was greatly disappointed and pulled Liang Xiao to leave. "Let's go, we will ask again when we get back, to see if he made a mistake."

Liang Xiao cupped his hands and said: "May I ask where the old gentleman served, in the capital or at the frontier?"

Huan Sheng? The village head pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and scrutinized Liang Xiao and Tu Niu'er once more. "You have come to the wrong place; there is no one named Huan Sheng here, not even anyone with the surname Huan."

The village chief stared at Liang Xiao for a while and suddenly burst into laughter. "A little trick, I see you speak with some coherence, yet you lack even this basic understanding. How could the subjects of a vassal state possibly go to the capital and the border? I am stationed at Kuaiji."

Visiting a friend! Tuh Niu'er waved her arm dismissively and prepared to squeeze past Li Zheng. Li Zheng chuckled lightly, grabbed Tuh Niu'er's collar, and kicked her out from the inner door and the library.

Liang Xiao displayed an innocent smile that seemed harmless. "Old man, may I inquire about something?"

Do not search any longer; it is understandable that young people may not recognize him, but even those who are in their fifties or sixties and have lived here for decades do not know him. Either this person truly does not exist, or they are unwilling to speak about him

The calf fell to the ground on its back, its rear almost split into eight pieces, causing it to grimace in pain. It got up and shouted angrily: "Old killer, why did you ambush me? If you have the guts, come out and let us wager our lives against each other."

"Why won't you speak?" The cowherd looked bewildered, "Do we seem like bad people?"

The two individuals inquired at several establishments in succession, but did not manage to find anyone with the surname Huan, let alone anyone named Huan Sheng

Indeed, I served in the military for over ten years and just retired last year

The village chief squinted his eyes and said leisurely: "A little trick, you have a good pair of eyes. However, your mouth is not very cautious. Do you not know that words, once spoken, are like arrows; easy to release but hard to take back"

Liang Xiao shifted the topic: "Having served in the military for over ten years, I am in perfect health, with no scars on my face. If I were a personal guard, it would not be impossible."

Huan Sheng is indeed not in the stone; the prisoner likely dug a pit for him

"I fear that is not correct," Liang Xiao also laughed, with a hint of cunning. "In my opinion, if the old man is not in Kuaiji, then Kuaiji certainly does not have a structured cavalry." As Liang Xiao spoke, he pointed to the slightly bow-legged village chief.

Liang Xiao took a few steps forward, his heart stirred, and then he retreated again. The village head opened his eyes, lazily looking at Liang Xiao, and tilted his mouth. "A little trick, since you've left, why come back again"

The village head nodded slightly, slowly walked into the gatehouse within the inner door, yawned, and closed his eyes. Liang Xiao did not dare to be negligent and quickly pulled Tu Niu'er out the door. Tu Niu'er, while rubbing her bottom, looked at Liang Xiao with admiration.

Liang Xiaoxin thought to himself, you really don't seem like a good person. It's one thing for half of your face to be swollen, but you also walk in a strange manner. Whenever people look at you, their expressions are somewhat odd, either filled with fear or disdain, and as a result, I've received several strange glances myself. I truly wish I could pretend not to know you

"Let's talk about it outside." Liang Xiao pulled Tu Niu'er and they exited the stone house. As they passed the inner gate, the village head was still pretending to sleep, only slightly raising the corner of his mouth. Tu Niu'er was just about to turn back to look when Liang Xiao grabbed her. "Don't look back, do you still want to attract more trouble?"

The village chief, however, was completely unconcerned and disdainfully curled his lip. "With tricks like yours, wagering my life against an old book like you would only be degrading myself. Looking at your skills, it seems you've only learned a few flashy moves on the streets, which are not enough for me to fight with just one hand. Come back to challenge me when you've properly learned martial arts."

Liang Xiao let out a quiet sigh, feeling somewhat regretful. From the very beginning, when he heard the prisoner mention that his son used to live in the stone, he felt something was amiss. Upon encountering this clearly identity-concealing village head, his suspicions had already deepened. Now, hearing Tu Niu'er say this, he was certain that there was an issue at hand

Tuniuer touched her still painful stomach and nodded repeatedly

"Who are you visiting?" The village head asked casually, with his eyelids drooping, yet he still stood at the door, showing no intention of yielding. "Please state your names and addresses."

Liang Xiao felt that something was amiss, and he specifically asked several elderly individuals, yet he still gained no useful information. Tu Niu'er was about to inquire at the next household, but Liang Xiao stopped him.

The calf, grunting and groaning, got up again, ready to charge forward, but was stopped by Liang Xiao. Liang Xiao cupped his hands in salute and said, "Esteemed elder, we are indeed here to visit a friend, so I kindly ask for your understanding."

The village chief's cheeks twitched slightly, and his smile appeared somewhat forced, giving him a somewhat ferocious look. "I am the general's personal guard, often serving while riding a horse."

The village head nodded slightly but remained silent, only staring at Liang Xiao alongside the librarian, the smile on his face had vanished, and a hint of unease was evident in his eyes. All these gazes fell upon Liang Xiao. When Huan Sheng was mentioned earlier, he sensed something was amiss with the village head's expression, and now he felt even more convinced that there was an issue with the village head.

The area around Shili is where foreign travelers congregate, just as Tuniuer mentioned; those who speak with an accent from elsewhere may have once been fugitives. The village head just now is no exception; his experience indicates that he was likely once a member of the rebel forces of King Liu Bi of Wu, just like the prisoner Huan Jun.

A gentleman's word is as unchangeable as a team of four horses that cannot be pursued

However, after the old man retired, he did not accumulate any merits and could only be relegated to the position of a gatekeeper, which is somewhat strange. It is unclear whether the old man was timid, retreating in the face of battle, or if it was due to issues of status, making it difficult for him to receive rewards for his contributions

Liang Xiao pried open Tuhniu'er's hand, and the smile on his face grew even wider. "This old man, judging by your skills just now, you must have been in the military, right?"

"What trouble have I caused?" Tu Niu'er retorted nonchalantly, "Isn't it just a deserter or a fugitive? I've seen plenty of them. Such people are everywhere in Guangling City." As Tu Niu'er spoke, he gestured with his hand to draw a circle. "I dare say, within a radius of about ten miles from here, anyone with an accent from outside could possibly be a fugitive."