Chapter 10: Evil begets evil

Li Leqi said strangely: "What a strange thing, I don't even know you, why are you hitting me!" He thought to himself: "Could it be that this fellow is the girl's lover, and knows that I teased her, so he is here to confront me? No, that girl doesn't recognize me, but this fellow does. What on earth is going on!"

Seeing Li Le standing outside the door, a servant called out: "Guest, you... oh, how could it be you"

After running a full two miles, he was utterly exhausted and could run no more, so he finally stopped to rest. After catching his breath, he began to jog again. It was only when he reached a bustling intersection that he felt completely relaxed. This was an exceptionally wide street, with about ten alley entrances on either side. If the city guards were to catch up to him here, Li Le only needed to find an alley to slip into, and he could escape once more

Seeing the associate charging at him aggressively with a wax wood staff, Li Le felt a surge of anger. Noticing the associate's fierce momentum, he sidestepped to evade and swiftly extended his leg to trip him, seizing the wax wood staff from his hands. He shouted, "I haven't provoked you, so why do you resort to violence the moment we meet? Do you think I'm easy to bully?" Although he pretended to act and play fight in front of Nianshan Song and the thugs, in reality, he was quite skilled in martial arts; his training in Jeet Kune Do was not in vain.

However, the young girl was not easy to deal with; her father was a well-known figure in the capital. Who would dare to offend her? This was the first time in her life that she had been teased by someone!

At that moment, someone in the shop said: "Father, it is him. He was just downstairs at our place, and he spoke to me a lot of shameless nonsense and *illustrated* crazy talk!"

He said to the young lady, "Thank you very much!" Following the direction of her finger, he turned and walked forward

A cold wind swept through the street, chilling not only Li Le's body but also his heart. Just a few days ago, he had awakened; although he was still not accustomed to his new identity, there was always a surge of impulse within him. The scenario of modern individuals traveling back to ancient times is a common trope in novels, where those who return to the past invariably find success, rise in rank, amass wealth, and marry beautiful wives, with gold and silver transported by carriages.

Little did he know that upon uttering these words, the fellow not only displayed no hospitality but instead panicked and shouted: "This is bad, the scorpions are at the door! Brothers, grab your weapons!" He swiftly picked up a wax wood pole as tall as a person and charged towards Li Le!

Li Le swallowed hard, truly a light beauty!

Lost in thought, suddenly something fell from the sky and with a thud, it struck Li Le on the head! Startled, Li Le jumped up from the ground, thinking that the city guards were after him! Looking around, he saw no soldiers, and when he looked down again, he discovered that what had hit him was merely a bamboo pole, over two feet long, the purpose of which was unknown.

The middle-aged man, upon seeing Li Le, immediately widened his eyes in anger and shouted: "Well, Yu Wen Muzhou, you really have some nerve, don't you? How dare you come to the West City to act recklessly and even dare to flirt with my daughter? Do you think I, a bronze-skinned rhinoceros, am easy to bully?"

In the girl's eyes, there was initially a hint of apology. However, upon hearing Li Le's words, the apology gradually faded, transforming into astonishment, which soon turned into anger. The hand that had been covering her mouth was lowered, revealing her features. She had a snow-white oval face, a delicate nose, and slightly fuller lips, which, from a modern perspective, could be described as alluringly sensual red lips. Her large almond-shaped eyes were adorned with two long, dark eyebrows, and her bangs framed her forehead. The light yellow floral dress accentuated her beauty even more.

Ah, my good sir, I apologize for disturbing you, I am truly sorry!" A woman's voice came from above.

The young girl snorted coldly: "Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to speak lewdly to me!" Her sharp tone and delicate appearance are completely two extremes

The young girl was upstairs, while Li Le was downstairs. She had the intention to catch him and give him a good beating, but was also afraid he might run away. With a quick thought, she changed her tone and said softly, "Esteemed sir, it is truly my fault for accidentally hitting you with the bamboo pole. Would you be so kind as to come to the front door? I would like to offer you tea as an apology." As she spoke, she extended her slender fingers and pointed towards the east.

He was not a frivolous person; having spoken in jest out of excitement, he immediately regretted it upon seeing the young lady's anger. He quickly clasped his fists in a gesture of respect and said: "Miss, I spoke out of turn; I hope you will not take offense!"

On the bluestone road, countless common people bustle about, with merchants and laborers moving to and fro, and various vehicles flowing continuously! The street is not only populated by Han people, but also by oddly dressed Hu people, as well as Europeans with blonde hair, with their numbers so great that there are thousands of them just in this stretch of the street!

Li Le was taken aback by the sight of the book and the image. "Hmm, she was so bold just now, why is she offering me tea now? Oh, could it be that this is a brothel, and this girl is trying to entertain me as a guest!" He felt a slight disappointment in his heart, thinking, "What a pity for such a fine girl!" Though he intended to ignore it, his mouth was indeed quite dry. After running such a long distance, he was parched. He thought to himself, "Well, I might as well have a sip of water, and then I'll be on my way!"

During these days when Li Le was recuperating in bed, he contemplated that with his knowledge spanning over a thousand years and his understanding of the course of history, he could achieve great success given the right opportunity. Even if he could not attain noble titles, becoming a wealthy gentleman would certainly be within reach. He envisioned building a grand house, acquiring thousands of acres of fertile land, marrying a beautiful wife, and keeping several charming maidens. How wonderful those days would be!

Li Le was deeply afraid of being caught by the city patrol, as that would spell disaster! Not having seen Yu Wen Shu, he would first suffer a beating, which was simply not worth it. He hurriedly left the main street, initially managing to maintain his composure, but as he turned into a narrow alley, he immediately broke into a frantic run. He did not care where the small path led; whenever he encountered a fork in the road, he would choose the more obscure route.

Ah, luck, unexpectedly encountering a bad girl from ancient times! Although Li Le's knowledge of history is not very good, he still possesses the common sense that a girl styles her bangs and a young woman ties her hair in a bun. He realizes that referring to her as a "husband" essentially labels her as a married woman, which provokes her anger

Li Le gazed for a long time, marveling in his heart at how truly prosperous the Sui Dynasty was. It seemed that the phrase "nations come to pay tribute" was not merely a boast by the Chinese; it was indeed the case! He looked towards the street and realized that the place where he stood was the front gate indicated by the young girl, but it was not a private residence; rather, it was a shop. The storefront had three openings, and the sign hanging under the eaves bore the large characters "Xi Family Herbal Medicine Shop"

Li Lexin thought, "Why can't it be me!" He felt a bit embarrassed to directly say that the young girl had invited herself for tea, but he had nothing else to say. He could only force a smile and say, "The business in the shop is doing well, congratulations!"

Li Le looked up; it was a two-story small building. There was a tall window on the upper floor, slightly ajar. A young girl was propping the wooden frame of the small window with her left hand, while her right hand covered her mouth. Her two large, watery eyes gazed down at Li Le, revealing a hint of apology in her expression

Li Le raised his eyes and saw a large group of people emerging from the shop. Among them were two individuals: one was the young girl from earlier, and the other was a middle-aged man, exuding a bold presence and possessing a massive build, resembling a yak.

Ah, you hit me on the head with a bamboo pole used to prop the window, and still call me "my lord". Do you take me for Ximen Qing? Li Le's originally gloomy mood was instantly lifted, and he felt that the affairs of the world are truly beyond comprehension! He laughed and said, "Miss, is your surname Pan, and is your given name Jin Lian? I wonder where your husband Wu Da is now?"

After turning a corner and exiting the alley, he arrived at the front! As soon as he reached the front, his eyes were immediately brightened by the sight of a vast long street, which was several times larger than the one he had just been squatting in! This street runs from south to north, and whether looking south or north, it stretches endlessly, leaving one unsure of its actual length. As for its width, it is at least over one hundred meters, making it impossible to discern the appearance of the pedestrians at the other end of the street.

Li Lexin thought: "Besides fencing, I also know a bit of Jeet Kune Do. Why not open a martial arts school, recruit a few hundred disciples, and conveniently sell some strength-enhancing pills? In this day and age, there shouldn't be too many people in the business of strength-enhancing pills, right?"

How obedient, what street is this, it has such an impressive demeanor

In business, without capital! Steelmaking and glass production, lacking the necessary skills! When it comes to a specialized skill, apart from his verbal prowess, the only thing he can truly showcase is his thrusting technique. In the past, he had a major client who particularly enjoyed engaging in knife duels. To secure the business, Li Le specifically studied thrusting for half a year, and his skills were quite decent. Later, when he faced off against that client, he surprisingly defeated him. The client, having lost the duel, was instead pleased, claiming that he finally found someone who could defeat him, and he awarded a significant business deal to Li Le.

However, as soon as he stepped out today, he felt a chill in his heart. The people of ancient times were not as intellectually deficient as described in books; on the contrary, they were cunning and astute. It is not easy to rise through one's own intellect. Moreover, finding a powerful ally is even more challenging; how can one rely on a support when one cannot even meet Yu Wenshu?

Finding a corner by the wall, Li Le sat down on the ground, panting heavily. Although the weather was cold, after running such a long distance, he was still drenched in sweat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and unbuttoned his clothing to fan himself.

He smiled again, thinking that I, Ximen Qing, am not running a medicine shop, but that little sister Jin Lian has opened one! Fortunately, it is not a brothel! He hurried a few steps and strolled to the entrance of the shop, peering inside. He saw that there were quite a few customers in the shop, along with about ten attendants.