Chương 40: Getting Acquainted with Wu Yi

Giant Willow Village. Mirror Lake.

"A'Que, are you planning to start a horse trading business?!" Just as Song Que was lost in thought, Zhong Hong's voice rang out. He jolted, his expression changing instantly. Danger! He hadn't expected Wu Yi to enter the village today, and he hadn't had time to hide these horses! The other horses were fine, but he remembered clearly that Zhao Hu was riding one of them! If these beasts were identified and traced back to him, how long would it be before his cover was blown?

Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Song Que's forehead. I need more time!

"Ah, I bought them because I wanted to learn how to ride." But realizing it was too late to hide them, he needed to stay calm and find a countermeasure. Forcing himself to remain composed, Song Que gave a dry laugh and changed the subject:"Brother Hong, shouldn't we go out and greet Constable Wu?"

"Mm, sure, no problem." Zhong Hong didn't notice his strange reaction and nodded in agreement. Wanting to assess the situation firsthand, Song Que hurriedly stood up, and the two headed out. At worst, I'll just temporarily hide in the Great Ridge Mountains. Unless Feng Han comes personally, I have nothing to fear. Give me a few more months, and I'll be able to sweep across Yellow Leaf Town! Who would dare gossip then? Song Que thought to himself. Fortunately, the outcome wasn't as disastrous as he feared....

On the other side. Wu Yi had already finished questioning the villagers. The conclusion of this case wasn't difficult to reach. In his career of investigating cases, he had seen it many times: once honest people are pushed to the brink of madness, they become far more terrifying than the most vicious thugs. There is only one truth. Having reached a conclusion to report back, Wu Yi felt relaxed. He had left the town on this trip to avoid being caught in the crossfire of the gang war, so he was in no hurry to return.

"Brother Yi, is everything finished?" Seeing Zhong Hong approaching with someone, Wu Yi smiled:"It's done. I just need to go back and write the report. And this is...?"

"Brother Yi, this is my good brother, Song Que! Don't underestimate him; his skills are immense! He single-handedly captured a 500-catty Jade-Eyed Tiger alive and brought it back without a scratch! My old man is still keeping the tiger pelt as a souvenir; it covers an entire bed!" Hearing this, Wu Yi's eyes lit up, and he extended his hand:"Truly a young hero!" Seeing no unusual reaction from him, Song Que hurriedly shook his hand:"Brother Yi, a pleasure to meet you."

He secretly increased the strength in his grip, but seeing the other party's expression remain unchanged, Wu Yi's smile deepened. Only then did he release his hand and say warmly:"I heard the villagers talking about you. They said you were the one who fought off the bandits and saved the culprit?"

"You praise me too much, Brother Yi. There are always desperate people in the wild mountains looking to reap without sowing. Before the New Year, our village encountered a group of over thirty bandits. Luckily, we managed to fight them off." Seeing his tone was conversational rather than interrogative, Song Que felt somewhat relieved. Maintaining a calm expression, he subtly shifted the topic. The villagers nearby chimed in:"That's right, Lord Wu!

That time, thanks to Master Song stepping in, those thirty-plus bandits were subdued! It was also Master Song's mercy to only break one of their arms. Who knows how many lives those thugs would have taken otherwise!" Hearing his 'teammates' provide the assist, Song Que was thoroughly satisfied. He committed the man's face to memory. This one is truly to Our Majesty's liking. Seeing Grandee looking at him with appreciation, Ma Fei felt like he was floating. Could it be that my luck has finally arrived?!

Will I get to hug the golden thigh just like the Li family?! Thinking of this, his face flushed red with excitement. Hearing this, Wu Yi's admiration grew even more. Young, highly skilled, kind-hearted, and finding joy in helping others! This person is worth befriending deeply! He began chatting enthusiastically with Song Que. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Brother Yi, come to my house in a bit. I'll prepare a banquet to welcome you properly."

"Brother Yi, you're in for a treat! This kid's wine is absolutely peerless! The 'Knife-Burner', the 'Hundred Fragrances Brew'... compared to his, they taste like plain water!" Brother Hong didn't forget to farm some goodwill points.

"Haha, alright! Once I finish wrapping up the case details, I'll come impose on Brother Song Que."

"You're too polite, Brother Yi. Having you grace my humble home is my absolute honor. How could it be an imposition?"

"Wait here, big brothers. Let me go home and prepare." Song Que said this and instructed Zhong Hong to bring Wu Yi over to his old house later. He definitely didn't dare bring Wu Yi to Mirror Lake; there were far too many secrets hidden there! Parting ways with the two, Song Que casually asked around and finally breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that after the Zhao father and son died, the women in their household didn't even bother mourning them and immediately began dividing the property!

After a long argument, they all grabbed whatever they could carry, swept up all the horse and donkey carts, and fled the village. Who knows where they were now? These women knew the Zhao family had made many enemies and were afraid of being bullied if they stayed. By doing so, they inadvertently did Song Que a massive favor! That's one hurdle temporarily crossed. But living in constant fear like this isn't a solution. The most important thing is to increase my own strength! Song Que reminded himself.

Having temporarily relieved his burden, Grandee hurried back to his old house. He wanted to personally cook a welcome banquet for Wu Yi and the others. Yesterday, when cleaning up the scene, he had tossed a donkey into his Storage Space. Now was the perfect time to put it to use! Checking the donkey meat, which was still as fresh as ever, Song Que happily made his decision. Preparing food for Husky and Mengmeng, he had Li Xin take it over to them.

Song Que then set up tables and chairs in the courtyard, sitting and closing his eyes to wait for his guests. Not long after, Zhong Kui, Wu Yi, and Zhong Hong arrived together.

"Little Brother Song, sorry for the intrusion."

"You're too polite, Brother Yi. Just call me A'Que. Everyone, please take a seat."

"Haha, then I'll take the liberty of calling you A'Que." Only Song Que, Li Xin, and the three guests sat at the table. Aunt Li and Er'ya weren't very comfortable meeting outsiders, so Song Que didn't force them. Looking at the table filled with a bizarre assortment of items and plates of entirely raw meat, Old Zhong frowned. Thinking Song Que hadn't had time to prepare, he hurriedly tried to smooth things over:"Little Song, what kind of eating method is this? We have an esteemed guest; we can't be this sloppy."

"Uncle Zhong, there's no need to be so polite. You're treating me like an outsider," Wu Yi smiled indifferently. Song Que smiled mysteriously:"Uncle Zhong, you're wrongly accusing me. Today, I'm introducing everyone to a brand new way of eating! It's called 'Hot Pot.' I guarantee it won't disappoint." Hearing this, everyone grew curious and hurriedly sat down to see what this eating method was all about. Song Que lifted the lid of the large pot placed in the center of the table over a glowing charcoal stove.

The broth inside was bubbling vigorously. He guided everyone on how to dip the meat and vegetables and mix their own dipping sauces. After the first taste, everyone got the hang of it. Eating such a piping hot, incredibly fragrant meal on a cold day had everyone shouting in satisfaction.

"Excellent! Truly marvelous! A'Que, your invention of this eating method is ingenious! There's nothing better than eating this in winter!"

"Haha, how can good food lack good wine? Everyone, try my newly brewed liquor!" That kid Li Xin was quite perceptive. He quickly took over the job of pouring the wine from Song Que. The strong, pungent aroma of the liquor instantly wafted out, making the group of alcoholics practically salivate with impatience. Raising his cup for a large gulp, Wu Yi, unaccustomed to such strong liquor, ended up coughing violently, making the whole table burst into laughter.

"A'Que, your skills are getting higher and higher! The wine you brew is getting even better!" Zhong Hong sighed in admiration, savoring the aftertaste. Old Zhong, in a rare moment, voiced his agreement. Actually, neither of them knew he just bought wine and re-distilled it. Last time, he had splurged on the most fragrant wines available to distill, which was why these jars tasted so exceptional.

"This wine... even the County City doesn't have anything like it! I can say with certainty that this is top-tier wine even in the entire Lingjiang Prefecture! With this skill, A'Que, you'll never have to worry about money." Wu Yi finally caught his breath and praised.

"Haha, if my wine ever doesn't sell, I'll definitely come looking for Big Brother Yi!"

"Remember not to go back on your word! If you need it, I can even help you distribute it!" Wu Yi promised him very solemnly. With excellent food and superb wine, the banquet was incredibly joyful. In the end, Old Zhong, unable to handle the alcohol, got dead drunk and had to be supported inside to rest. Li Xin cleared the table, while the remaining three sat around, happily talking about everything under the sun. Coming from the County City, Wu Yi had a broad perspective.

Combined with Song Que's unique insights and Zhong Hong's talkative nature, the three hit it off perfectly, chatting enthusiastically. After a long while, Song Que finally posed his question:"Brother Yi, our vision is narrow. Could you explain martial arts to us?"

"A'Que, you don't know martial arts?" Wu Yi asked in surprise.

"I won't hide it from you, Brother Yi. I only possess raw physical strength. I've always wanted to learn martial arts but never had an avenue. That's why I asked Brother Hong to introduce me to you." Hearing this, Wu Yi wasn't offended. He had an incredibly good impression of this youth. In every aspect—personality, character, skills, and talent—he was top-tier. This person would definitely become a shining jewel in the future! Wishing to befriend him, Wu Yi wouldn't miss this opportunity to grant a favor.

He laughed heartily and shared what he knew.

"Martial arts, generally speaking, is the path of refining essence into qi, and refining qi into spirit."

"There are tens of thousands of cultivation methods, collectively known as martial arts."

"Those who practice them are called martial artists."

"But martial artists vary in strength, and cultivating martial arts is a gradual process. Therefore, martial artists in this world are divided into Three Tiers and Nine Grades."

"The Third Tier focuses on external refinement, the Second Tier on internal refinement, and the First Tier on refining Qi."

"The Ninth Grade is the highest, and the First Grade is the beginning. Anyone who hasn't entered the First Grade cannot be truly called a martial artist. Grades 1 to 3 belong to the Third Tier, Grades 4 to 6 belong to the Second Tier, and Grades 7 to 9 belong to the First Tier."

"Above that is the Grandmaster Realm, and the legendary Great Grandmaster Realm. But those are too far removed from us. We only know they possess heaven-defying power and are hailed as terrestrial immortals." Just practicing martial arts was this complex! Hearing his words, Song Que's heart pounded wildly, filled with immense excitement. A magnificent picture of a turbulent martial world unfolded in his mind.

He couldn't help but ask:"Brother Yi, then what realm is the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang currently in?"