Chapter Twenty-One: A Probe

  Long Qi walked out with a teapot and cup, took several big gulps, sat back in the chair, swayed his body, and found the most comfortable posture: "Let me introduce him to you, his name is Tong Fei, but this guy is stupid and stubborn, he's definitely not going to fly for the rest of his life."

  Su Tang smiled and looked at the blacksmith called Tong Fei, who remained focused on his work, ignoring Long Qi's provocation.

  "Don't underestimate him, his skills are quite good. In our Miao Dao Pavilion, he's definitely among the top three."

  "Miao Dao Pavilion?" Su Tang asked in confusion.

  "Changshan County has Miaodao Pavilion, Kaiyuan County has Sihai Building, and even Tongtian City, which is famous for its grandeur, has Xiatu Platform. In fact, they are all the same in nature, just with different names." Longqi Road.

  "What usually happens at Miao Dao Pavilion?" Su Tang asked.

  "What else can we do?" Longqi said very seriously: "Helping others and doing good deeds."

  You... Su Tang's forehead is black with worry, are there still five lectures four beauties three loves?!

  "Cough... " Longqi coughed and laughed: "To put it bluntly, it's eight words: take people's money and spend it for them."

  Su Tang somewhat understood and somewhat did not understand: "Brother Long, can you be more specific?"

  "Tong Fei became famous at the age of nine." Long Qi changed the subject: "He was unfortunate, because his mother was promiscuous and unscrupulous, having affairs with many men outside. This wasn't a big deal, but one day, she couldn't resist the temptation of one of her lovers and together they strangled his father to death at night."

  "He witnessed the tragedy, silently endured, and waited for the opportunity. His mother and her lover got drunk, slept like dead pigs after being intimate, he took out the hammer he had prepared early, and sneaked over." Longqi suddenly paused: "Little fool, I remembered, the time interval between the two events... is about four months, you must have been busy, either secretly practicing your strength or cultivating some unknown martial arts, right? Hmm... you knew how to read at the age of nine? Hehe, your father had high expectations for you, with your family's financial situation back then, he actually spent money to let you learn to read."

  That ironworker, Tong Fei, still had no expression on his face, while Su Tang slightly furrowed his brow. Although he didn't understand the other party, he could sense that this was absolutely the greatest pain in the ironworker's heart. Long Qi was too ruthless, not only did he mercilessly expose the scars, but also used such things to mock him.

  "A thorough release... He hammered away for hundreds, thousands of times. Do you know what that's like? It sounds like nothing, but the neighbors who heard the noise and the soldiers who rushed to the scene either fainted on the spot or ran off to vomit uncontrollably." Long Qi said: "Later, he changed his name and came to Changshan County, starting from an apprentice blacksmith, until now... Haha... I bet he chose this profession because he got addicted to hammering. Look at his expression, how serious, how focused, completely absorbed in it..."

  Tong Fei, the blacksmith, stopped his movements and gazed thoughtfully at the roaring flames.

  "Come, Su Tang, sit down, you must be tired too, have a drink of water." Long Qi pointed to the side: "Today, let's get acquainted first, there will be plenty of time for interaction later, take your time to understand each other."

  Su Tang walked over slowly and sat down beside Long Qi.

  That ironworker, Tong Fei, suddenly raised his hammer again and slammed it down viciously onto the iron anvil in front of him. His force was so great that Su Tang could see the handle of the hammer bending slightly.

  "Ah…… A deafening explosion suddenly erupted, Long Qi was startled, the cup in his hand turned over, and the tea spilled out. He covered his ears with his hands, his face twisted in pain, and shouted: "Little runt, what are you doing?!"

  Su Tang's performance was much stronger than Long Qi's, although his ears were also ringing, but the hand holding the teacup was as still as iron.

  That ironworker named Tong Fei suddenly turned around, staring intently at Su Tang. Su Tang had already entered a state of alertness, but his expression was very calm, quietly returning the other's gaze.

  For a moment, Tong Fei's gaze fell on Su Tang's hand holding the cup, and he smiled slightly. He slowly turned back around, nonchalantly putting down the iron hammer, and said in a low, stifled tone: "He is stronger than you."

  Longqi was still complaining when he heard this sentence, and a smile reappeared on his face: "So, passed?" Then he looked at Su Tang again and said, "Okay, let's go."

  Until Longqi and Sutang left, Tongfei didn't take a second glance at them. Standing on the street, Longqi fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "Indeed worthy of being a great master, this ability to discern people is far beyond what we can compare to... Hehe... To be honest, I didn't think you could gain his approval."

  "Is this important?"

  "Of course." Long Qi replied calmly.

  "What exactly does he do? Is he really a blacksmith?" Su Tang asked, and Tong Fei stared at him with a thick murderous aura bursting out of his eyes. Fortunately, it was now, if it were the original Su Tang, he would have been scared stiff long ago.

  "Are you asking about daytime or nighttime?" Long Qi said.

  "How was your day?"

  "Ball-peen hammer."

  "What about tonight?" Su Tang's heart already had a vague answer.

  "He's a night owl." Long Qi said: "But sometimes he also does it during the day, these things can't be taken for granted."

  "Is he... a killer?" Su Tang felt more and more that this Miao Dao Pavilion was very likely to be an organization with underworld nature.

  "Assassin? You think too simply." Longqi smiled and stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brow: "Just now I was so happy to help you pass the test that I forgot one thing."

  "What's wrong?"

  "What makes him say you're better than me? What's so great about you?" Long Qi said, "No way, I have to go back and ask him!" After finishing speaking, Long Qi turned around and walked away.

  Su Tang couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, is it worth being so serious over just a casual remark?

  After walking a few steps, Long Qi turned back and said, "Forget it, we can look for him later, let's focus on the main task at hand."

  Su Tang let out a breath of relief. Long Qi walked alongside him and said, "Earlier, I intentionally brought up Tóng Fēi's past. Did you feel that I was being excessive?"

  "That's a bit too much." Su Tang replied very frankly.

  This answer was somewhat beyond Longqi's expectations, he looked at Su Tang in surprise and sighed: "I have to do this, because I can't betray Da Zun's entrustment, also because I must make him completely trust you."

  "What does this have to do with trust?"

  "You will understand later."

  "What if he just doesn't trust me?"

  "That will get us into big trouble sooner or later," said Long Qi.

  Su Tang stopped asking and quietly followed Long Qi. Before long, Long Qi pushed open a black gate and stepped into a small courtyard. He was very familiar with this place and didn't go to the main hall, instead passing through a side door and heading towards the back yard.

  Su Tang glanced around, although this place was a bit remote, but the land was large enough. The owner of the yard should have a high status in Changshan County. Following Long Qi into the backyard, Su Tang suddenly heard the pleasant sound of bells coming from the front, and he couldn't help but smile. He had thought that he would meet someone as gloomy as Tong Fei, but after seeing the scenery, he realized that he was wrong. The owner must be a refined scholar.

  Under the eaves, in the midst of a vast bamboo forest, rows and rows of wind chimes hang, and when the breeze blows by, countless wind chimes will sway with the wind, producing an enchanting heavenly music.

  In front of the bamboo forest, there is a pavilion. Inside the pavilion, apart from stone tables and chairs, there is also a reclining chair. On the stone table, a small wine jar is placed, which has been opened, and the fragrance of mellow wine wafts through the air with the sound of wind chimes.

  There was a person on the chaise longue who heard footsteps and turned their head this way, then revealed a warm smile.

  "I'll introduce you, this is Su Tang, and from now on, I'll leave everything to him." Long Qi said, then sat down naturally on the stone chair: "His name is Xiao Bu Ni, this...this guy is very mysterious, where he's from, what he did before, and what he did after meeting me without telling me, I don't know at all, really don't know. He often disappears, but always appears when I need him most, so, I can forgive him."

  Xiao Bu Hui smiled and nodded to Su Tang, who also nodded in response. He then walked to the front of the bamboo forest, curiously fiddling with a wind chime. The material of the wind chime was very strange, it was very light, like wood, but also very hard, like stone. It felt very smooth to the touch, and had been carefully polished. Su Tang looked at it for half a day, but still couldn't figure out what material it was made of.

  "I've always thought, and still think now, that this guy is absolutely the most despicable person in Changshan County." Long Qi revealed a sarcastic smile and said slowly: "Su Tang, be careful. I liked these wind chimes too when I first came here, but by the time I left, I was so angry I wanted to chop off my own hands. I hope you won't end up like me."

  "What?" Su Tang looked at Xiao Buqi in confusion.

  "This guy has a particularly disgusting habit, every time he kills someone, he makes a wind chime." Long Qi looked at Su Tang's face: "That's right, all the wind chimes are made of human bones!"

  Longqi's words had barely fallen when Xiao Buwu also turned his head and looked towards Su Tang.

  In Su Tang's field of vision, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed dramatically. The pleasant bell sound turned into a terrifying ghost cry, and the warm sunlight disappeared instantly, turning into a thick darkness that made him unable to see anything.

  In the blacksmith's shop, upon hearing the sudden loud noise, Su Tang instinctively entered a state of alertness. Now, he clearly sensed the danger of death. The two spirits in his mind simultaneously burst forth with radiance, and endless killing intent surged out from the depths of his soul.

  But just for a brief moment, the sunlight reappeared and the bell sound returned to normal, as if nothing had happened before, it was just his illusion.

  "It was made of human bones after all." Su Tang said in a low voice, "However, the sound is quite pleasant." After finishing speaking, he gently shook the wind chime in his hand.

  Su Tang's expression remained unchanged, Long Qi felt a little disappointed and puzzled. Xiao Bu regretted it at this time and smiled: "Are you really going to quit?"