Chapter 21

After leaving the city, Liang Xiao took a detour by the river on his way to Jin Kui Mountain.

According to some scholars, the Han Dynasty was still a city-state, with more than half of the population living in cities, including farmers, who rarely lived in rural farmhouses. Apart from the farmland near the city, there were vast stretches of wilderness where foxes, wolves, and other wild animals were commonly seen.

The city of Guangling at this time was not only close to a major river but also had lush vegetation, with reeds densely covering the riverbank. There were not only many fish but also plenty of waterfowl such as ducks and geese. Liang Xiao didn't spend much time before he managed to shoot two large fish, a wild duck, and even found a nest of bird eggs.

Liang Xiao brought his spoils to Jin Kui Mountain, where Tu Niu'er and a few other young men had just woken up. They were covered in dirt, lying down in their clothes, too exhausted to open their eyes. As soon as they saw Liang Xiao, they immediately perked up. Tu Niu'er instructed the other young men to gather firewood and start a fire, while he took Liang Xiao to inspect the results of their work from the previous night.

Tu Niu'er, hands on his hips, pointed at the landscape. "A Xiao, take a look. Is there anything wrong? I can have them fix it."

"Very good, the guys are all experts."

"Of course, all my friends are skilled." Tu Niu'er's face was flushed with pride, and even the sticky eye crust couldn't hide his satisfaction. "But, A Xiao, these graves are all old pits, with nothing valuable. We dug all night for nothing."

Liang Xiao glanced at him, and the slight satisfaction he had just felt vanished. This guy dug all night and still didn't know what it was for?

Has he been hit on the head by Zhongli Qi?

Liang Xiao thought for a moment. "Niu'er, I need to trouble the guys a bit more."

"Tell me what to do, and I'll tell them."

"After they finish eating, have them go back to the city and spread the word about the duel between me and Hu Lai. The more people who come to watch, the better. The most important thing is to let everyone know that it's a one-on-one duel."

Tu Niu'er was confused, his eyes darting around as he raised an objection. "Invite people to watch? A Xiao, if you lose, and so many people see it, how can we still have a face to show in Guangling City?"

Liang Xiao was speechless. At this point, you're still thinking about your reputation?

"Don't worry, I won't lose the one-on-one. I'm afraid Hu Lai will cheat. If he doesn't play fair and gangs up on us, how can we possibly win? Niu'er, you just became a disciple of a master. Do you want to be killed now, or do you want to wait, learn some skills, and then take revenge?"

Tu Niu'er's eyes darted around, and he understood. "A Xiao, I'll follow your lead. Let's be like Chu Wang Xin and endure for now, and then take care of him when we're strong enough."

"Chu Wang Xin?" Liang Xiao was stunned. "Who is Chu Wang Xin?"

Tu Niu'er looked at Liang Xiao with disdain. "A Xiao, you don't even know the war god Han Xin, and you want to be a general?"

"I... what the heck. Han Xin is Han Xin, why did you say Chu Wang Xin?"

"Did I say it wrong? Did I say it wrong? Was Han Xin ever the King of Chu? If I just said Han Xin, you might think it's another Han Xin. If I said Chu Wang Xin, is there a second Han Xin who was the King of Chu?"

"Hehehe, that's enough. You're getting worked up." Liang Xiao pointed at Tu Niu'er's still swollen face. "If you keep talking, I'll puncture your big talk."

Tu Niu'er covered his face and jumped to the side, shouting in frustration. "A Xiao, can you stop mentioning my face? I already have no face because of this. Inviting a few people to help is one thing, but you want to invite the whole city. How can I show my face again?"

Liang Xiao finally understood what Tu Niu'er was thinking and couldn't help but laugh. Tu Niu'er's face turned bright red, and he was almost ready to fight. After much persuasion, Liang Xiao convinced him to send the young men to spread the word, while he stayed behind. Tu Niu'er reluctantly agreed.

The young men, who were often out and about, were familiar with outdoor activities. They quickly cleaned the fish and wild duck and started roasting them over the fire. As for the nest of bird eggs, they didn't even bother to cook them, eating them raw, showing their bold and adventurous spirit.

After eating and drinking their fill, they wiped their mouths and split up to go into the city to spread the word for Liang Xiao.

Liang Xiao didn't leave. He and Tu Niu'er walked around Jin Kui Mountain. They circled it several times, deliberately choosing difficult paths, and Tu Niu'er was starting to struggle. When Liang Xiao once again stepped onto the path they had dug up, Tu Niu'er called out.

"A Xiao, what are you doing? We've already dug these graves, and there's nothing. Can't we find a grave with something in it? We called a few brothers to help, and they worked all night, but got nothing. How can I face them next time?"

"Go rest, and help me keep watch." Liang Xiao ignored him. "Why hasn't Hu Lai shown up yet? Did you hear wrong?"

Tu Niu'er looked at the sky, feeling uncertain. "I'll go check." He ran off, afraid that Liang Xiao would call him back. Liang Xiao didn't pay him any attention, walking the escape route twice to ensure he remembered every detail, then climbed a tree on the mountain and sat down.

Soon, a few figures appeared from the direction of Guangling City. They climbed the mountain and saw Liang Xiao sitting alone in the tree. Those who knew him greeted him, while those who didn't found a high and open spot to stand. Some sat together in groups, chatting, and some even set up gambling tables.

After waiting for a long time, about thirty to fifty people had gathered, but Hu Lai still hadn't shown up. Some people were getting restless, frequently looking in the direction of Guangling City.

The Hu family was a wealthy family in Guangling, but they were known for their unscrupulous behavior. Hu Lai himself had a bad reputation among the young people. Those who came to Jin Kui Mountain were either hoping to see Hu Lai humiliated or to cheer for Liang Xiao. Seeing that Hu Lai was taking his time, they became increasingly agitated. Some even started cursing and insulting Hu Lai's female relatives.

Liang Xiao was also getting anxious. Has Hu Lai changed his mind?

Just then, Tu Niu'er and a young man who had gone to the city to spread the word ran up the mountain, out of breath.

"He's coming, he's coming. Hu Lai has left the city."

Hearing this, the spectators finally felt reassured and found new spots to sit, waiting for the show to begin.

Liang Xiao didn't move. He leaned against the tree trunk, arms crossed, and even closed his eyes, adopting a calm and composed posture. Seeing Liang Xiao's composure, the young men looked at him with admiration.

"This kid has some guts."

"Good, good. Just for daring to accept Hu Lai's challenge, he's a real man, and he hasn't disgraced the heroes of our Southwest Gang."

"Exactly. Every member of our Southwest Gang is a real man, unlike the Northwest Gang, who only bully the weak. If it comes to a one-on-one, they're not even as good as women."

Just as they were talking, a young man nearby jumped up and shouted, "Who has the nerve to spout such nonsense and look down on our Northwest Gang? Step out, I'll take you on in a one-on-one."

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