Chapter 35

  In the field, the pepper seedlings are growing very well. Originally, Cheng Dali was worried that the weather would be too hot, so he specially set up a canopy with tree trunks and straw to shade the seedlings. Now it seems that this hard work has not been in vain, the seedlings are lush and green, and they can be harvested in another one or two months.

  Cheng Dalai felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment in his heart. He thought back to his conversation with Huang San Yuan earlier and asked, "What news have you heard?"

  "The procession carrying the longevity gifts will pass by the foot of Qingniu Mountain in about ten days, and according to information from other mountain strongholds, Xue Banjiang should send Lu Hong to escort them."

  "What does he know? How much do you know about this person?" Cheng Dairen knew that Huang San Yuan was in Heishi City at the beginning, and he understood more about the personnel situation inside Heishi City than anyone else.

  "Lu Hong, about thirty years old this year, is good at using a big stick. He's an orphan and was taken in by Xue Banquan. This man has no father or mother, no relatives or friends, and nobody under the sky recognizes him except for Xue Banquan. He's a formidable character." said Huang San Yuan.

  "Of course, he's a formidable figure. If he weren't, Xue Banjiang wouldn't have let him take on this task." Cheng Dalai looked at the pepper seedlings in front of him and asked, "What do the other mountain strongholds plan to do?"

  "It's just a night raid, poisoning, and setting up an ambush on the road." Huang San said: "Anyway, cats have their own way, dogs have their own way, the master is in charge, why should we intervene?"

  Cheng Dalai thought for a moment, let out a long sigh and said: "A pack of dogs fighting over meat, with the few pieces of material we have in our Frog Village, if we want to fight, we must at least have the qualifications to fight with others."

  Standing high and looking down, the scent of gunpowder can be faintly smelled in the dense forest. Of course, Qingniu Mountain doesn't have a scent of gunpowder, but that restless smell has already spread everywhere.

  ……

  "Wan'er, Wan'er, come and see something good!" Li Xingzhe stepped into the house with big strides, beckoning to Li Wan'er.

  "Brother, can you not have that sly expression on your face? It makes me feel like you've stolen the maid's clothes again." Li Yuanni.

  "Can't we just forget about the past? Come on, let's go out and I'll show you something."

  "What's going on?" Li Wan'er reluctantly followed Li Xingzai out of the earthen house.

  Along the terrain of Hamao Village climbing up, finally a pond appeared in front of Li Yuanyu's eyes, covered with thatch.

  "Brother, what's this? For bathing, outdoors?" Li Yuanni said.

  "No, the key is what's inside the pool." Li Xingzhai looked very excited: "The spring water comes from the mountain and is diverted into the pool, which is covered with thatch to prevent dust and insects from entering. There are also broken stones and charcoal in the pool..."

  "Charcoal, with charcoal water can still be drunk?" Li Yuanner.

  "They say that charcoal can trap small insects in water."

  "Are there small insects in the water?" Li Yuanni said.

  "This... I don't quite understand either. But after going to so much trouble to dig this pool, it should be of some use." Li Xiangzhe said: "Let's go, I'll take you to see something else."

  Li Xingze pulled Li Yuanner down, and Li Yuanner frowned and said: "Brother, why did you bring me to the toilet, don't you think it's smelly?"

  "Go, go take a look." said Li Xingzai.

  "I won't!"

  "Alright, if you're not going, then don't go. Let's just chat." Li Xiangzai said: "Underneath this outhouse is connected to the horse and pig pens, and there's a big pit underground. They say that the outhouse also has small insects that fly out and enter people's bodies, causing illness. Later we can dig it up to make fertilizer fields."

  "Brother, what's this for?" Li Yuanyu was perplexed.

  "I... don't know what use it has, but I always feel that there's a great purpose in this." Li Xingze was excited and clapped his hands, saying: "Traveling a thousand miles, knowing a thousand things, Wan'er, do you still think this mountain stronghold is simple?"

  "There were six people in total, what else could be simpler?"

  "Yes, a total of six people, why make such a big fuss...” Li Xingzhai's eyes flickered with an unusual glow: "The owner of this mountain stronghold has great ambitions."

  "Brother, can't you stop staring at the toilet with that lecherous look on your face?" Li Yu'er covered her nose: "And another thing, you're also..."

  "Shh, be quiet!" Li Xingzhe's expression turned stern, his voice lowered.

  In the evening, candles were lit inside the earth house, and the candlelight spilled out through the paper windows.

  "How's the writing going?" Cheng Dairen walked into the earthen house at this time.

  "I've been writing all along." Li Xingzai said: "This is what I saw and heard in Jingzhou."

  "Keep writing."

  Cheng Daire seized a finished paper, greedily devouring the information of this world. The thirteen states and one hundred and eight cities of the Empire, where each state and city was located, Cheng Daire knew nothing about. Moreover, regarding the history of the Empire, it was also something Cheng Daire wanted to know. He had learned some things from Su Qing, but Su Qing's knowledge was clearly no match for Li Xiangzhe.

  "Master, what's going on with all this?"

  "Write a book." Cheng Dalai said casually.

  "Write a book!" Li Xingzhe and Li Yu'er both widened their eyes.

  "You're a poet, I'm a writer, and my dream is to write a masterpiece that will be passed down through the ages." Cheng Dalai raised his head: "Don't I look like one?"

  Li Xingzai and Li Yu'er were stunned, wanting to say it was like him but it went against their conscience, wanting to say it wasn't like him, but now they were under someone else's roof.

  "Aren't you a poet?" Cheng Dalai said: "Write a poem, let me see."

  "Ha! I've actually written a few poems too. Let the master of the house take a look and give his opinion, and let's discuss it with the young scholar."

  Li Xingzai pulled out a few pages from the stack of paper and handed them over to Cheng Dalie.

  Cheng Dalai looked at Da Zuiba and immediately grinned, making strange noises with his mouth.

  "What's wrong, isn't my poem good?" Li Xingzhai still had some confidence in this regard. In Jingzhou, he was known as a poetic genius without equal, and a connoisseur had praised his poetry for having the sound of swords and spears.

  "This can also be called poetry..." Cheng Dairen's mouth quickly curled up: "The empire's poetic talent, tsk, it's really worrying."

  "Hey, don't you understand? My brother's poems are famous throughout the entire capital." Li Wan'er said indignantly.

  "Alright, alright, let me show you what it means to write poetry." Cheng Da Lei picked up his brush, dipped it in thick ink, and raised his head to see Li Xing Zhe and Li Wan Er staring at him: "Ah, with this one sentence, if it gets out, I'm afraid all the talented scholars of the empire won't dare pick up their pens again."

  "Hmm, quite an attitude you have there."

  Li Wan'er let out a cold hum, her gaze still fixed on Cheng Dairen's pen tip, slightly dazed, but thinking to herself: With this kind of tone, I wonder what he has in his stomach.

  Cheng Dalai gripped the pen tightly, and the pen tip moved on the paper, producing a few lines of crooked and twisted characters. When Li Yuanyu saw his handwriting, she couldn't help but burst out laughing, just as she was about to mock him, but when she clearly read the content on the paper, her eyes suddenly widened.

  Cheng Dairen stopped writing and looked at the two of them with a stunned expression, then said calmly: "Alright, it's getting late, go to bed early."

  "Just one sentence, why just one sentence?" Li Yuanni couldn't help but say.

  "One sentence is enough, I'm afraid if I say more, you'll all be scared to death." Added Cheng Dairen as he walked to the door.

  Li Xingzai had already lost his spirit, holding the crooked and twisted characters in his hands, muttering to himself: "Not to mention being a prodigy of the world, with this one sentence, at least for the rest of my life, I won't be able to lift my pen."