Chapter 20

When Liang Xiao came out of the gate, he stopped and bowed to Li Zheng Wang Fengshi, who was patting his belly and burping.

"Good morning, Uncle Wang."

Wang Fengshi was taken aback and sized up Liang Xiao. "Kid, you didn't cause trouble again, did you?"

Liang Xiao chuckled. He indeed used to be disrespectful to Wang Fengshi and did many mischievous things behind his back, like putting water snakes in Wang Fengshi's chamber pot. Wang Fengshi found these half-grown boys very troublesome; being too lenient was ineffective, but being too harsh might lead to retaliation. These young hotheads were not easy to deal with; if provoked, who knew when they might strike back.

Being a village head was not an easy job.

"Uncle Wang, I was immature before and caused you a lot of trouble. Please don't take it to heart. My mother and I have benefited a lot from your care over the years. Thank you."

"Kid." Wang Fengshi put his hands on his waist, blocking Liang Xiao's path, and looked around. "Speak clearly. This is making me uneasy. You're not up to something, are you? Where's Niuer? I didn't see him yesterday. Is he hiding somewhere?"

"Uncle Wang, you're overthinking it." Liang Xiao was sweating, realizing how poorly he was viewed by Wang Fengshi. "I was immature before and caused you trouble. Now, thanks to Mr. Huan's guidance, I know my mistakes. Please be magnanimous, Uncle Wang."

"Oh." Wang Fengshi seemed to understand, nodded, and stepped aside. Liang Xiao smiled and bowed, then ran off. Wang Fengshi stroked his chin and chuckled, "This kid is fatherless, and women are just women. No matter how capable they are, they can't replace a man. With Mr. Huan's guidance, this kid still has a chance. I accidentally did a good deed, truly a virtuous act."

Liang Xiao didn't hear Wang Fengshi's muttering. However, there was a reason he suddenly became so polite to Wang Fengshi. As the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn't suppress the local snake. Wang Fengshi was the local snake in Qingyun. If he caused trouble outside and enemies came looking for him, Wang Fengshi, as the village head, could still play a role.

Before, he didn't want to get close to Wang Fengshi for two reasons: Wang Fengshi wasn't a good person, and the Liang family was weak and couldn't curry favor with him. Now, things were different. Mr. Huan was determined to take him as a disciple, and since he couldn't refuse, he decided to fully utilize this relationship. Mr. Huan was introduced to the Liang family by Wang Fengshi, and it was hard to believe that Wang Fengshi didn't know Mr. Huan. By mentioning Mr. Huan, Wang Fengshi would have to give him some face.

Liang Xiao didn't leave the village directly but took a detour to Shi Li to find Zhongli Qi.

Shi Li was in the northwest of Guangling, and the Hu family was also in the northwest. If Hu Lai wanted to leave the city, he would have to pass by Shi Li, and Zhongli Qi wouldn't miss it.

Zhongli Qi seemed to be prepared for Liang Xiao's arrival and nodded at the food tray on the table. "Have you eaten? Do you want some?"

Liang Xiao smiled and took out two boiled eggs from his sleeve, placing them in front of Zhongli Qi. "For Uncle Zhongli, don't mind them."

Zhongli Qi looked at the eggs, then at Liang Xiao, and grinned. "You want something from me?"

"I want to ask Uncle Zhongli about something."

"About Hu Lai?"

"Uncle Zhongli is wise."

"Ha!" Zhongli Qi laughed, pointed to the bamboo mat opposite him. "Sit. At your young age, you already know to gather intelligence. Not bad, not bad." He glanced at Liang Xiao, his eyes flashing with insight, and suddenly said, "Hey, what did you eat this morning?"

Liang Xiao blinked, looking puzzled. "Uncle Zhongli, what do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing." Zhongli Qi cast a suspicious glance at Liang Xiao and then started talking about Hu Lai.

Liang Xiao saw the doubt in Zhongli Qi's eyes but didn't say anything. He didn't want to reveal his secret. He was a beginner in archery, but he was an expert in learning. Hard work combined with smart work, using both hands and brain, was his trump card besides his insight into historical trends. Understanding the essence of "body not leaving the bow" in just four days was both a stroke of luck and a necessity.

Zhongli Qi had keen eyes and noticed the changes in Liang Xiao's movements, but he never imagined the reason. He could only admire Mr. Huan, wondering why he valued Liang Xiao so much, even taking the initiative to take him as a disciple. Such talent was one in ten thousand, and Mr. Huan's ability to recognize talent was truly remarkable. A general is a general, and he was far beyond his reach.

While drinking porridge, Zhongli Qi recounted Hu Lai's situation. Given his special status and proximity to the Hu family, he would have paid attention even without Liang Xiao's request.

"Hu Lai is mischievous but skilled in martial arts. He is strong, has a solid base, and is agile, making him a good wrestler and boxer. The Hu family has many wandering knights, and Hu Lai's sword skills are also good. If you fight with swords, you're no match for him. However, this kid is likely to choose wrestling or boxing because of his strength."

Liang Xiao nodded. He trusted Zhongli Qi's judgment. Wrestling and boxing were unarmed combat techniques, and people who excelled in them enjoyed the feeling of hitting their opponents until they were bruised and swollen, just like how Zhongli Qi beat Niuer into a pig's head yesterday.

With his martial skills, subduing Niuer was easy, and he didn't need to beat him that badly.

"How do you plan to deal with him?"

"Mr. Huan told me yesterday that one can be reborn from the brink of death." Liang Xiao left it at that. "I have some confidence in dealing with Hu Lai alone, but I'm worried that if he loses, he might be angry and resort to unfair tactics, using numbers to overwhelm me. That would be troublesome."

"That's entirely possible. How do you plan to handle it?"

"Run if I can't win. As long as I'm alive, I can always find a way. A gentleman can wait ten years to take revenge. Uncle Zhongli, do you agree?"

Zhongli Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Where do you plan to run to?"

Liang Xiao thought for a moment. "It's not that I don't trust you, Uncle Zhongli, but the Hu family is powerful, and I'm afraid of involving you. So, I won't tell you." Liang Xiao stood up to leave. "Uncle Zhongli, I'll go check the terrain. Goodbye." Without waiting for Zhongli Qi to respond, he ran off.

Zhongli Qi held his bowl of porridge, stunned for a while, then burst out, "General, you really made a mistake this time. This kid is so cunning, he doesn't seem like someone who can achieve great things. He asks for help but doesn't reveal anything, truly devious."

From a distance, Liang Xiao heard Zhongli Qi's curses and couldn't help but laugh. He believed that Zhongli Qi wouldn't let him be killed by Hu Lai or watch him flee. Mr. Huan had put so much effort into him; how could he let him escape so easily?

With Zhongli Qi, a skilled expert, on his side, even if Hu Lai acted recklessly, he still had some means of resistance.

Of course, this was far from enough. As Sunzi said, the best strategy is to win without fighting. Making Hu Lai lose with no excuse to lash out would be the perfect plan.

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