Chapter 88 of 100

Chapter 88

14 min read3,575 words

The old man laughed heartily and said, "A true man roams freely between heaven and earth, drinks from large bowls, eats meat in big chunks, lives a life of passion and righteousness, and revels in life. That is what a true hero and a real man are!"

Song Li gave a thumbs up and praised, "Old Brother, you are the purest man I have ever met! Absolutely! From now on, I will follow you."

The old man shook his head and said with deep meaning, "What do you mean by following me? Perhaps one day I will need your help. Don't underestimate yourself."

Song Li slapped the table heartily and said, "Whenever Old Brother needs help, as long as it's within my capabilities, I will do my utmost. No discounts!"

The old man pointed at him and laughed, "You said it! I'll remember that. If you try to back out, I'll have something to say about it."

Song Li pointed at himself, raised his head proudly, and said, "People of the Ming Wang Manor always keep their word! A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold!"

The old man slapped the table and exclaimed, "Brilliant! You're a good kid!" His eyes roamed over Song Li, finding him more and more to his liking.

Song Li felt that the old man's gaze was eerily similar to that of a wolf looking at a rabbit. He smiled and asked, "Old Brother, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something wrong with me?"

The old man laughed heartily and said, "Little Brother, I suddenly had an idea, but I'm not sure if I should say it."

Song Li said, "Old Brother, we hit it off at first sight. What I admire most about you is your heroic and generous spirit. Speak your mind; there's no need to be overly polite like those scholars."

"I want to become sworn brothers with you. What do you think?" The old man looked at Song Li's eyes expectantly.

If anyone knew the old man's identity, they would say Song Li was overstepping. But in the old man's heart, Song Li was someone who would affect his future and even his life. What could be more important than life? The reason he proposed the sworn brotherhood was, first, that he found Song Li to be a generous and chivalrous young man, something he hadn't encountered in a long time. Second, he wanted to get closer to Song Li. If they became sworn brothers, Song Li would surely do his utmost when the old man needed help.

Song Li was taken aback. He hadn't expected the old man to make such a request. Although he couldn't determine the old man's identity, from his heroic and generous demeanor and his straightforward actions, he was undoubtedly a remarkable person hidden in the world. Despite the old man's casual and even somewhat unkempt appearance, Song Li wasn't someone who judged people by their looks. He could see the old man's uniqueness.

Song Li was quite fond of the idea of becoming sworn brothers. In his previous life, he had read many martial arts novels where the main character often formed a deep bond with an older, skilled mentor, like Guo Jing with Old Childish, Yang Guo with Huang Yaoshi, and Linghu Chong with Feng Qingyang. Like most Chinese people, Song Li had a deep-seated love for martial arts. The old man's proposal made him feel like he was in a familiar scene from a martial arts novel, giving him a sense of the martial world. However, novels are novels, and reality is reality. The old man looked like he was in his twilight years, while Song Li was still a young boy. It would be quite shocking for the old man to be his brother.

"Old Brother, I am very willing, but you are a senior, and I am still young. Isn't it a bit disrespectful?" Song Li expressed his concern.

"Ha! I thought it was something serious! If you're willing, we don't need to worry about those formalities! Didn't I just say that a true man roams freely between heaven and earth, lives a life of passion and righteousness, and shouldn't be bound by the rules set by those pretentious scholars?" The old man laughed heartily. "If I think it's good, and you don't object, it's settled! Not even the Heavenly King can interfere!"

Song Li, naturally not a timid person, slapped the table and laughed, "If Old Brother doesn't think it's disrespectful, what do I have to worry about? I've heard that becoming sworn brothers involves cutting chicken heads, burning yellow wine, and kneeling to swear an oath. Should we have a ceremony?"

The old man shook his head and laughed, "A true man's word is as good as a nail. If we say we're brothers, we are brothers. No need for all that fuss. Little Brother, from today on, I am your Big Brother, and you should call me Big Brother!"

Song Li stood up, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Big Brother, please accept my bow!"

The old man chuckled and helped him up, saying, "Little Brother, I said no need for formalities. Why are you being so polite?"

Song Li said seriously, "We can skip the formalities, but as a younger brother, my respect for Big Brother must not be lacking."

The old man patted his chest and took out several jade talismans. The talismans were rectangular, with a radiant surface and faint runes, clearly imbued with spiritual energy. He handed them to Song Li and smiled, "Since you have bowed to me, I must return the favor. These talismans are called 'One Thought Talismans.' They contain a thread of my divine consciousness. If you are in danger, crush the talisman, and I will sense it even from a thousand miles away. I will come to your aid as soon as possible. The path of cultivation is long and arduous, full of dangers. Since I have recognized you as my brother, I will do my best to ensure your safety."

Song Li was overjoyed. He knew the dangers of the path of cultivation. It wasn't just about who progressed faster; it was also about who lived longer. High-level cultivators often killed lower-level cultivators for profit, and even without profit, they might kill someone over a disagreement or a dislike. This was a world of the strong preying on the weak, where the strong ruled and the weak struggled to survive. Even an ordinary cultivator surviving in such an environment was a significant achievement. For someone like Song Li, who possessed a heaven-defying treasure, the dangers he faced every day were a million times greater than those faced by ordinary cultivators. With the One Thought Talisman from his Big Brother, it was like having a top-tier expert as a bodyguard. Although he couldn't determine the old man's level, someone who could create such high-level talismans was at least at the Golden Core stage. A thousand miles was nothing to a Golden Core expert, who could arrive in an instant. They could intervene before any danger occurred.

Song Li felt he had hit the jackpot. Not only had he found a thousand-year-old agarwood, a rare treasure, but he had also gained a highly skilled Big Brother who was willing to be his free bodyguard.

How had his luck gotten so good?

"Thank you, Big Brother. I will accept your gift with gratitude." Song Li took the One Thought Talismans and accepted them without hesitation.

The old man praised, "That's my good Little Brother. You should be happy to accept what Big Brother gives you. Why be so formal?"

Song Li laughed, "I won't be formal with Big Brother. Come, let me toast you again!"

The old man laughed heartily, "If you want to toast, let's do three bowls!"

Song Li slapped the table and laughed, "Three bowls it is! I'll drink first!" He picked up the wine jar and filled three bowls for both of them. Then he raised his head and drank one bowl, then another, and another. After three bowls, his expression remained unchanged, with only a slight flush on his cheeks.

"Good kid, you drink well, much better than your father!" The old man followed suit, drinking three large bowls in a row, and laughed heartily, "Painful! Truly, it's been a long time since I've felt this good!"

Song Li felt he had encountered a benefactor and had incredibly good luck. The old man felt the same. After decades of searching, he had suddenly found someone with a natural ability to control fire, which was even more exciting for him than for Song Li.

"Big Brother is a true hero and a real man! If I can learn even a third of your prowess, I can walk the world with confidence!" Song Li gave a thumbs up. He knew that although his drinking capacity was not bad, he would never be able to outdrink this remarkable person. A Golden Core expert was no longer a mortal, and ordinary wine could not affect them.

The old man pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Little Brother, although I have almost forgotten my name, since we are now sworn brothers, I should tell you. My name is Li, and my given name is Jing. I've lived so long that even my name feels strange. What a strange thing. Ha ha."

"Li Jing, Li Jing." Song Li repeated a few times and said solemnly, "Big Brother, I will remember it."

"Little Brother, I hope you won't tell anyone about our sworn brotherhood, and don't reveal my name. Can you promise me that?"

"Of course," Song Li smiled. "Our sworn brotherhood is a private matter. Why would we need to announce it to the world?"

Due to the long passage of time, Song Li had never heard of this name that had once been famous in the Holy Lion Empire. He just found it familiar, like the Li Jing from "Journey to the West," the Heavenly King with the Pagoda.

But the old man knew that although a long time had passed, there were still many people in the empire who knew of his existence. He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for Song Li, so it was better not to let others know.

The two brothers drank and chatted, opening their hearts to each other. They discussed current affairs, criticized the corrupt, and shared their insights. Song Li found Li Jing to be well-versed and sharp, often cutting to the heart of the matter with a few words, showing great foresight. He felt that a conversation with Li Jing was worth ten years of reading. Li Jing, on the other hand, found Song Li, despite his young age, to be remarkably well-informed. His insights were often surprising, and his ideas were so novel that even this centuries-old man found them refreshing. Song Li, who had lived two lives, brought a shocking impact to his thinking.

The old and the young talked so well that they didn't part until nightfall. They didn't set a specific time to meet again. Li Jing taught Song Li a spell. If he wanted to see him, he could use the One Thought Talisman and recite the spell, and Li Jing would sense the request through the divine consciousness in the talisman and come to meet him.

Song Li thought the One Thought Talisman was a great treasure. It could be used to call for help in danger and to contact friends in peace. Wasn't this like a "mobile phone" in the Star Cloud Continent? And it was free, with a signal everywhere. It was simply amazing.

The only drawback was that it could only contact Li Jing, and the "contact list" was a bit short. Ha ha.

---