Chapter One: The Emergence of the Martial God (Seven)
Liu Hanyan remained silent, taking a seat opposite Li Yueqian, gazing at him with a smile. Li Yueqian, however, scrutinized Liu Hanyan coldly, his expression extremely unfriendly, and said: "Why did you harm me that day?" Liu Hanyan replied with a smile: "Brother Li has misunderstood me..." Li Yueqian interrupted: "Who is your brother? Why did you leave without saying goodbye that day? I have been looking for you for several days now"
"How have the matters I entrusted to you been handled?" Liu Hanyan asked Chief Steward Li. Chief Steward Li replied, "Miss, I have already sent a message via carrier pigeon to inform the Third Miss that she is to meet us in Yuezhou Prefecture in seven days." Liu Hanyan then inquired, "What is Wu Tianyuan's current situation?" Chief Steward Li hesitated and said, "It seems that Wu Tianyuan has returned to 'Baicao Cottage.'" Liu Hanyan furrowed her brow slightly and said, "What do you mean by 'it seems'? How are the people below handling their tasks now?"
Liu Hanyan's thoughts raced, yet her words flowed without interruption as she said: "Although your words are indeed correct, Zheng Qianli is an old hand at this. After escaping from the Liu residence, he chose to navigate through the small streets and alleys. We chased him around for quite a while, but in the end, we still lost track of him. Brother Li, your martial arts skills far exceed those of Zheng Qianli and me, yet after searching for so many days, you still have not found him"
Li Yueqian, however, was displeased and said: "How can you say I ate for free just now? You are so many people attacking just one person; do you think I don't understand? This is called 'tyrant's meal'! You hit me, and I didn't retaliate, so this counts as you giving me meal money. If you bring another table over, I will still let you hit me, I guarantee I won't fight back"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper deflated like a punctured ball, slumping to the ground, and said: "Sir, I beg you to spare me! My small shop has thin profits and cannot withstand your torment. I implore you! Please leave! That meal just now is on me, how about that?"
Liu Hanyan found this to be quite agreeable, but she shook her head and said, "That won't do! Brother Wu is a very formidable person. If he finds out that I was the one who took you away, he will definitely come looking for me, and I cannot afford to provoke him. You should hurry back home. If you are short on money, I can give you some." Li Yueqian, however, ignored her objections and reached out to grasp Liu Hanyan's hand, saying, "Sister Liu, I beg you! If you are short on money, I can give you some. Please just take me out to have some fun. My elder brother keeps a tight rein on me, and being with him is utterly dull. Even the meals we order at restaurants are not as good or as plentiful as what you would order."
Liu Hanyan was taken aback, retracting her hand to prevent Li Yueqian from grabbing it, and said, "So you knew I was a woman?" Li Yueqian smiled and replied, "Of course I knew long ago. You don't have an Adam's apple; it's obvious you're a lady... a young lady." Liu Hanyan realized he had originally intended to say the word "woman," but to please her, he had forced himself to refer to her as a young lady. She thought to herself, "It seems that as long as I nurture Li Yueqian properly, this boy is not beyond redemption." At that moment, she pretended to look troubled and said, "But if I encounter Brother Wu in the future, I won't have a good explanation to give." Li Yueqian reassured her, "You can rest assured; I will play for ten days or half a month and will definitely not let my elder brother come looking for you." Only then did Liu Hanyan nod and say, "Let's find a place to settle down first, and then we can discuss our future plans."
Liu Hanyan said: "Didn’t we run into him? That day when we saw Zheng Qianli, he didn’t say a word and quietly slipped away. I believe that everything that happened that day was instigated by Zheng Qianli, and with his departure, Brother Li is bound to be wronged. So we didn’t have time to greet you and just chased after him." Li Yueqian listened to her reasoning and his expression softened a bit, asking: "Did you catch up to him?" Liu Hanyan replied: "If we had caught up to him, we would definitely have taken him to 'Oriental Fortress' to clear Brother Li's name, and we wouldn’t be here talking to Brother Li."
Having said that, Liu Sihai remarked: "The 'White Lotus Sect' is preparing to make a comeback, and it seems that significant events will soon unfold in the Central Plains martial world. I have been idle at home for too long these years, and I am ready to venture into the Jianghu. Jian Nan, you will accompany me to gain some experience." Liu Jian Nan inquired: "May I ask when you plan to set off, Father?" Liu Sihai pondered for a moment and replied: "We will depart early tomorrow morning."
Li Yue, while eating, said: "Yes, after leaving the Liu family, I searched everywhere for you. Later, I got hungry and wanted to go to a restaurant for a meal. But when I checked my pockets, I found I didn't have a single cent. These past few days have really left me starving. Speaking of which, I must thank you for treating me to this meal. When I meet my elder brother, I will have him pay you back." Liu Hanyan smiled and said: "All men are brothers under heaven; Brother Li, you are being too formal with your words." Li Yue shook his head and said: "My elder brother has told me that one should not owe others a favor, and that whatever kindness one receives must be repaid in kind."
Liu Jiandong said: "There is no animosity between 'Haotian Fortress' and 'Dongfang Fortress'; I believe Liu Hanyan must have ulterior motives." Liu Sihai nodded and said: "Indeed, in recent years, 'Haotian Fortress' has not been thriving. Moreover, the fortress master Liu Qianshan has been seriously ill for many years, and 'Haotian Fortress' is primarily supported by Liu Hanyan alone. In the martial world, Liu Hanyan is known as 'the Female Zhuge'; over the years, she has managed 'Haotian Fortress' in an orderly manner, with its financial resources ranking first among the five great families of the martial world. However, the Liu family still lacks a capable figure who can command respect among the heroes. It is said that Liu Qianshan established a family rule that the five daughters of the Liu family are only allowed to marry into other families, not to marry outside. I think she may have set her sights on Li Yueqian."
The waiter, with a mournful expression, said: "Our establishment is small and cannot afford to serve a great benefactor like you. You might as well go elsewhere for your extravagant meal." Li Yue replied: "That won't do. If you don't bring me another table, I might just have to let you experience my fist." The waiter, seeing his imposing stature and fists that were as large as vinegar jars, thought to himself: "If I take a punch from you, I might lose half my life." However, if he truly served him food, he feared that the owner would not let him off easily. Just as he was in a dilemma, he heard someone say: "Serve him; I will cover the cost of the drinks."
The innkeeper turned his gaze in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome scholar and a middle-aged man entering; it was Liu Hanyan and Manager Li. Liu Hanyan said to Manager Li, "You go and pay the bill." Manager Li immediately took out a stack of Ming dynasty banknotes from his pocket to settle the account. Seeing that someone was willing to pay, the innkeeper was naturally overjoyed and hurriedly began to arrange for food and drinks.
In the hall, Li Yueqian was seated prominently beside an octagonal table, which was laden with dishes. Without raising his head, Li Yueqian continuously sent food from his hands to his mouth like a flowing stream. His manner of eating suggested that he had not eaten for several days. Surrounding him were ten burly men, who were punching and kicking him. As they struck, they shouted. Some said, "Let you eat for free!" while others exclaimed, "This kid has tough skin and thick flesh; he can take a beating."
Liu Jianbei said, "What a pity! What a pity!" Hearing him repeatedly express his regret, Liu Jianxi could not help but ask, "What is it that you find regrettable?" Liu Jianbei replied, "I regret that our father did not have a daughter; otherwise, we could have invited Wu Tianyuan to marry into our family. That would indeed be comparable to 'Haotian Fortress'.
Liu Hanyan said: "Manager Li, rest assured, this person has such a large appetite that as long as we search the various restaurants at mealtime, we are sure to find him. Our informants say he is coming from this direction, so it should not be wrong. However, we must find him before Wu Tianyuan does." Manager Li smiled wryly and said: "I fear that Wu Tianyuan may have already found Li Yue ahead of us." Liu Hanyan sighed and said: "It all depends on human effort! It is not easy to have such an extraordinary candidate beyond my imagination; I will not give up until the very last moment."
Li Yueqian did not retaliate, treating the actions of these individuals as mere scratches. A burly man, seeing that this was not a solution, shouted, "This kid is not afraid of being hit; let’s grab our weapons." With that, everyone rushed inside to find sticks, iron chains, and other items to strike at Li Yueqian. As the crowd approached, Li Yueqian waved his hand, and with an unknown technique, he seized all the weapons from their hands and threw them at their feet. Without their weapons, the crowd had no choice but to resort to fists and feet. After a while, these men grew weary and gradually stopped. Li Yueqian also finished all the food and drink in front of him. He smiled at the stunned shopkeeper not far away and said, "Waiter, please bring me another table of the same food and drink."
Li Yueqian nodded and said, "It seems that I have indeed wronged you. Then you will accompany me to find my elder brother and clarify the matter." Liu Hanyan smiled and said, "There is no rush to find your elder brother. I just wonder why Brother Li has fallen into such a situation? It seems as if you haven't eaten for several days." As they spoke, the food and drinks were already served on the table, and Li Yueqian immediately began to eat and drink voraciously.
Chief Steward Li hurriedly said, "Wu Tianyuan's movements are too swift; he was in Shandong today and will arrive in Henan tomorrow. Our informants are struggling to keep up." Liu Hanyan, with a cold expression, replied, "The most important thing now is Wu Tianyuan's whereabouts. Relay my orders: everyone must keep their eyes wide open and closely monitor him. I need to know his detailed movements every day. If anyone cannot manage this, they should inform me in advance, and I will replace them immediately! This is to prevent any disruption to my major plans!" Chief Steward Li responded repeatedly, "Yes! Yes!"
Li Yueqian shook his head and said, "No! Your skills and those of the person next to you are no less than Zheng Qianli's. Your family's lightness skill, 'Flowing Cloud Flying Steps,' is a unique marvel in the martial world; how could you possibly be unable to catch up to Zheng Qianli?" Liu Hanyan was taken aback, thinking, "So this kid has long known the foundation of my martial arts. It seems he is already aware that I am a disciple of 'Haotian Fortress.' This kid has a keen eye; how did he manage to discern the origins of my martial arts skills without even making a move?" She thought, "So this kid has long known the foundation of my martial arts. It seems he is already aware that I am a disciple of 'Haotian Fortress.' This kid has a keen eye; how did he manage to discern the origins of my martial arts skills without even making a move?"
Liu Hanyan said: "A drop of water shall be repaid with a fountain of water." Li Yueqian replied: "Indeed, that is the saying. You are young, yet your knowledge is quite impressive, comparable to my elder brother." Liu Hanyan asked: "Did your elder brother not teach you these things?" Li Yueqian responded: "Both my father and elder brother taught me to read and write. However, I found it rather troublesome, as it hindered my focus on martial arts, so I did not pursue it further." Liu Hanyan inquired: "Do you know where your elder brother went to look for you?" After pondering for a moment, Li Yueqian said: "He might think I have returned to the 'Bai Cao Lu', so he should be going back to look for me."
Liu Hanyan said: "But why didn't you go home and instead came to Suzhou?" Li Yueqian replied: "Elder brother, you are wronging me. I was very angry at that time and didn't want to go home, so I just walked southward." As he spoke, he was still quite upset. Liu Hanyan asked again: "Are you still angry with Brother Wu?" Li Yueqian nodded and said: "I am still a little angry." Then he added: "I see you seem quite wealthy; why don't you take me around to have some fun? I will spend your money, and my elder brother will pay you back later." Liu Hanyan asked again: "Are you still angry with Brother Wu?" Li Yueqian nodded and said: "I am still a little angry." Then he added: "I see you seem quite wealthy; why don't you take me around to have some fun? I will spend your money, and my elder brother will pay you back later."
Chief Steward Li expressed some concern, saying, "However, we deceived Li Yueqian that day; if we encounter him, he will most likely turn against us." Liu Hanyan replied with a smile, "You need not worry about this matter; with my silver tongue, I can certainly turn Li Yueqian into Li Yuehou." Chief Steward Li sighed and said, "Miss, at such a young age, you bear a heavy burden; these years must have been hard on you." Liu Hanyan responded, "Since I am the eldest daughter of 'Haotian Fortress,' I should do something for the family. Oh! What is happening up ahead?" Chief Steward Li followed Liu Hanyan's gaze and said, "Miss, at such a young age, you bear a heavy burden; these years must have been hard on you." Liu Hanyan replied, "Since I am the eldest daughter of 'Haotian Fortress,' I should do something for the family. Oh! What is happening up ahead?" Chief Steward Li looked in the direction Liu Hanyan was gazing and saw a crowd gathered in front of a tavern, unsure of what had occurred inside. The two hurried over to take a look, and Liu Hanyan smiled.
Liu Jiannan said: "If 'Haotian Fortress' were to invite Li Yueqian to marry into the Liu family, with Li Yueqian's martial arts skills combined with the financial resources of 'Haotian Fortress', it is likely that 'Haotian Fortress' would become the foremost among the five great families." Liu Sidao replied: "Not only that? As far as I know, Li Qingshan had no relatives during his lifetime, and Wu Tianyuan was also an orphan. These two brothers relied on each other for support, and their bond goes without saying. As long as we can bring Li Yueqian into the Liu family, it would be equivalent to bringing Wu Tianyuan into the Liu family as well. Liu Hanyan's move is indeed a brilliant strategy that achieves two goals with one action; I am truly ashamed of myself."
It is already noon, yet the sky remains overcast, and we have not seen the sun for several days. Liu Hanyan said softly to the middle-aged man beside her. The middle-aged man replied, "Since the beginning of this spring, the weather has been cold and freezing, with continuous rain and snow. I have heard that the court has already dispatched funds to assist the impoverished in various regions, so they can purchase firewood." As Liu Hanyan walked along the street, she looked around and said, "It seems that Zhu Yuanzhang treats the common people quite well." The middle-aged man said, "Miss, we have been pursuing Li Yue for several days now. Is it possible to find him this way?"
Liu Sihai laughed and scolded, "You fool, Wu Tianyuan is not Li Yueqian; he is not someone who can be easily controlled. The Liu family wants to bring Li Yueqian into the fold, but whether Wu Tianyuan will allow that is still uncertain. It is not as simple as you say."