Chapter 32

Hu Lai sighed.

Liang Xiao was already troubled by Liu Ling's tenacity. Suddenly, he heard Hu Lai's long sigh, turned to look at him, and suddenly smiled, saying, "Mr. Hu, there is one thing that has puzzled me for a long time. I wonder if Mr. Hu can help me understand it."

Hu Lai hesitated for a moment, secretly glanced at Liu Ling, and saw that Liu Ling was smiling at them. He had no choice but to stiffen his resolve and force an unnatural smile. "I dare not."

"Although we are of similar age, there is a huge gap in wealth between us, and we have not interacted much. Why did you ambush me on Jinguishan, causing me to be severely injured and lose my memory, and then renege on our duel, trying to kill me? If there is indeed a deep-seated grudge, we could have made a life-or-death pact and fought openly. Even if I were to die in defeat, I would die with honor. What kind of hero resorts to such treachery?"

Hu Lai's face immediately turned red, and he was speechless.

The people of Qingyun were instantly angry. Liang Xiao's words successfully stirred up the already severe wealth disparity.

The Hu family was a prominent household in Guangling. After several generations of operation, one-third of the land in Guangling County belonged to the Hu family. When many families were on the brink of bankruptcy, the Hu family not only deliberately lowered land prices to seize land through deceit, but also colluded with the government to monopolize official positions, squeezing out the already limited opportunities for government service, blocking many people's paths to advancement.

The wealth disparity had already caused serious conflict, and the Hu family was one of the representatives. Ordinary people had long harbored resentment against such powerful families, but they dared to be angry but not to speak. Now, hearing about Hu Lai's misconduct, they were indignant and showed their anger.

Most people only knew that Hu Lai had broken the rules in the duel, using numbers to bully the few, and intended to kill Liang Xiao, thinking it was just because Hu Lai was desperate. They did not know that Liang Xiao and Hu Lai had deeper grievances—Hu Lai had also ambushed Liang Xiao, causing him to be severely injured and lose his memory.

An ambush, by definition, was not a fair fight and was extremely despicable.

Naturally, this matter escalated to the level of the Hu family oppressing the poor and trying to eliminate the few talents among the poor.

Wang Fengshi was angry and asked in a stern voice, "Hu Lai, is this true?"

Hu Lai's face turned bright red. Being directly questioned in front of everyone was a difficult humiliation to bear. His hand rested on his sword, ready to react. Liu Ling frowned, and Lei Bei stepped forward, quietly pressing Hu Lai's hand. "Mr. Hu, is there a misunderstanding here?"

Hu Lai's heart shuddered. He could disregard Wang Fengshi, but he dared not disregard Liu Ling. The ordinary people did not know Liu Ling's background, but he could guess. He was determined to climb the tree of the Huainan Prince's mansion and dared not offend Liu Ling.

Seeing Hu Lai sweating profusely, Feng Ji quickly squeezed in, bowed to Lei Bei, and smiled, "Mr. Lei, it was indeed a misunderstanding, a momentary slip. If Mr. Hu really wanted to ambush Mr. Liang, he would have taken his life when he was already severely injured. How could Mr. Liang still be standing here talking? It was a misunderstanding."

Lei Bei found this reasonable and turned his gaze to Liang Xiao.

Liang Xiao secretly smiled. He deliberately asked this question not to make Hu Lai admit anything—Hu Lai would never admit it. He had two purposes: one was to tell Liu Ling that his conflict with Hu Lai was deep, and they could not work together, so he should not come again. The second was to make Hu Lai publicly admit that there was no deep-seated grudge between them, and that he, Hu Lai, had been in the wrong.

He did not know why Hu Lai wanted to kill him, but it was definitely not just a slip. Perhaps he had offended Hu Lai without knowing it. Regardless of the reason, as long as Hu Lai did not say it now, he could not bring it up again in the future, at least not so openly.

An open attack is easy to avoid, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against. He was alone and weak. If he did not make Hu Lai wary, he would eventually die in some unknown ditch.

Could Hu Lai say it? Liu Ling had not been able to invite him twice and was coming for a third time. Could he offend him? If he said Liang Xiao deserved to die, where would that leave Liu Ling's face? Hu Lai could act arrogantly in Guangling, but in front of Liu Ling, he could not stand up straight.

After hearing Feng Ji's explanation and seeing that Lei Bei believed it, Liang Xiao also showed a look of realization. "I see. In the future, Mr. Hu must be more careful and not make such mistakes again. Human life is precious and should not be taken lightly. Injuring my life is a small matter, but ruining Mr. Hu's future would not be worth it."

Hu Lai gritted his teeth in hatred but had to force a smile and nod repeatedly.

Liu Ling, seeing this, seemed to understand something and smiled. "Mr. Liang has a great capacity for forgiveness. Such a big matter, and he can laugh it off."

Liang Xiao smiled. "The people of Wu and Chu are fierce. Today they fight to the death, and tomorrow they drink together. This is common. Besides, those who aim for the swan do not shoot at the pheasant. If the Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, had killed the butcher in the market, how could he have later commanded a million troops and dominated the world? Mr. Hu, do you agree?"

Liu Ling raised an eyebrow, deep in thought.

The people of Qingyun, who were initially unhappy that Liang Xiao did not pursue Hu Lai, were instantly relieved upon hearing Liang Xiao's words.

Although Han Xin was officially a rebel, everyone knew he was more innocent than Liu Bi. Seeing Liang Xiao use Han Xin as an example, they not only did not think it was inappropriate, but also felt that Liang Xiao had ambition and wanted to be a great general commanding a million troops, while Hu Lai became the butcher who provoked Han Xin, a pheasant in the grass, and they felt vindicated.

Moreover, the nobleman who came to invite Liang Xiao nodded in agreement. What more could they say? They all praised Liang Xiao for his ambition and for not holding a grudge against Hu Lai.

Hu Lai had come to Qingyun with a proud attitude, but he was unexpectedly mocked by Liang Xiao and a group of poor people, his face turning as red as a pig's liver. He felt a surge of anger in his chest, ready to burst.

Feng Ji, seeing this, promptly pressed Hu Lai's shoulder, shielding him behind him, and smiled at Liang Xiao. "I have heard that although Mr. Liang is young, his archery skills are at the peak. Soon, there will be a shooting ceremony in the village, and we will look forward to seeing Mr. Liang's performance."

Liang Xiao's eyebrows slightly raised, knowing that a greater challenge was coming.

After Liu Ling's two visits, he had already gained a small reputation, and Feng Ji's methods to deal with him had escalated. The shooting ceremony might not be life-threatening, but he could not afford any mistakes. If he made a mistake, he would be seen as impolite, and his reputation would quickly be ruined, and he would be reduced to his original state.

However, Liang Xiao could not refuse, as gaining fame in the village was a necessary step.

"If there is an opportunity, I will certainly join and learn the rites from the elders of the village." Liang Xiao bowed, smiling insincerely. "Although I am of humble birth and uneducated, I have a heart for learning. I hope Mr. Feng will not hesitate to teach me."

Liang Xiao's words were polite but carried a hidden challenge. The crowd felt even more vindicated. Even Liu Ling nodded in approval, a hint of admiration in his eyes. Hu Lai, hiding behind Feng Ji, saw this clearly and felt even more frustrated, his chest tight and his throat sweet.

Tuniu, seeing this, was delighted, his face contorted with excitement, and he could hardly contain his joy.

---

Please recommend and collect!

---

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends