Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 491 - 149 Another New Year’s Eve Night (2/2)

Wang Anfeng nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite.

He just felt that Lao Li's mention of those elders, could it be that they had once met him? Otherwise, why would they feel joy at heart?

Li Qidao was unwilling to delve deeper, and so he didn't press on, unaware that these elders mentioned by the old man were all protagonists from the stories of his childhood.

Impartial as justice, his feats in battle uncountable, yet he surrendered for the sake of his soldier's lives, committing suicide the day after surrender; the famous general who led three thousand elite troops to defeat thirty thousand enemies, returning with only thirteen riders; and the strongman who single-handedly held back eight thousand of Yan Country's ferocious Tiger Roar Camp soldiers...

Li Qidao, alone, drank bowl after bowl.

Wang Anfeng stood by, holding the wine jar, which was already nearing empty again. He shook the wine jar and looked towards Li Qidao, saying softly,

"Uncle Li, will you stay in Great Liang Village after the New Year's festivities?"

Li Qidao drank down the wine in the bowl, wiped his mouth, and said,

"I can't."

"There are still some matters I need to attend to..."

Wang Anfeng caught the hidden meaning in those words. Uncle Li's martial arts were still unfathomable to him, clearly one of the rare grandmaster-level experts of Jianghu. The tasks Uncle Li had to do, he knew he would just be a burden if he followed.

After a moment of silence, Wang Anfeng put aside the chaotic concerns in his heart and laughed,

"Then... when will you leave?"

Li Qidao just kept drinking his wine, smacked his lips, and said,

"After the New Year."

"This time, it happened that I was passing through, so I stayed for a month. After a month, this old man has to take care of some things. After these trifles are handled, it's time to settle some old debts from the past."

"Heh, I left in a hurry back then and couldn't tie up some loose ends. Now that I'm old, it's time to settle them."

Wang Anfeng said nothing.

Li Qidao took another sip of wine and casually mentioned,

"Right, you said there's somebody from the Giant Whale Gang named Gongsun Jing, from a military family?"

Wang Anfeng nodded and said,

"Uncle Li, do you know him?"

Li Qidao let out a smirk and said,

"Know him, know him. Back when I roamed the world, I was quite familiar with that youngster."

"Let's not talk about that for now, have you fed him the pickled vegetables?"

Li Qidao's eyes were full of curiosity and anticipation. Seeing Wang Anfeng nod in confusion, the old man suddenly laughed heartily, his voice full of joy. He tipped back his head and downed the last bowl of wine.

That wine was pungent.

The Ancient Taoist asked Wang Anfeng to temporarily set aside his familiar martial arts techniques and every day in Copper Man Lane, he only practiced the martial arts taught to him by Li Qidao. Now, with the creator of those techniques right beside him, Wang Anfeng naturally wouldn't let the opportunity pass to ask for guidance. His proficiency with those several martial arts improved daily.

These were the basic entry-level Lei Dao martial arts originally created by Li Qidao.

Now, if put into the context of Jianghu, Wang Anfeng, who was neither big nor small as a martial artist, revisiting these basic entry-level techniques, naturally found them much simpler. However, Gang Thunder Force was different from fist, palm, and Qinggong techniques; like Inner Strength, it required time to refine meticulously, thus the progress was not as swift.

During the New Year's Eve, Wang Hongyi's son returned to Great Liang Village with his wife.

It was a delicately pretty girl, somewhat plump, wearing a red jacket, clearly blessed with fortune. By her side stood Wang Pengcheng, who previously had a temper in the village, now looking much more mature.

Wang Anfeng and Wang Hongyi prepared a table full of dishes and wine.

Feeling the effects of the alcohol, Wang Hongyi was slurring his words loudly, making the wooden table thunder with his slaps, saying,

"I told you, Anfeng, to chase after A Lian earlier. Now look, she's been taken in by some big family in the city, and their kids are already scrambling around everywhere."

"A man who hasn't married is just an immature boy..."

"Just look at Pengcheng; isn't he much more mature now?"

He bellowed as if afraid that others couldn't hear.

Wang Pengcheng's face was etched with a forced smile, while Li Qidao's face darkened. He glanced at the nearly half-empty jug of strong liquor on the table, and with his courage bolstered by the drink, seized it and began to force Wang Hongyi to drink, causing a bit of commotion.

Wang Anfeng stood by the window, holding a tea cup, gazing out at the night, lost in thought.

Compared to the New Year's Eve three years ago, Master Jiang Shouyi and his family were absent, yet Wang Pengcheng and his family were newly added. The number of people had not changed much, but the people themselves were no longer the same.

At his feet, there was a furry touch.

Wang Hongyi's big yellow dog lay at his feet.

Three years had passed, and now the big yellow dog's fur had turned white, yet it remained close to Wang Anfeng.

Under the table, people intentionally threw down scraps, and several cats moved spryly, darting amongst peoples' feet. Uncle Li, playing along, grabbed the wine jar, intent on forcing Wang Uncle to drink, leaving Wang Pengcheng and his wife floundering.

It was somewhat chaotic...

With smile tugging at his lips, Wang Anfeng turned back to look out the window. The sky was pitch-black, as if the edge where the stars had been exhausted, beyond which lay the endless night. Yet, if he lifted his gaze slightly upward, he could see another sight – the spectacular brilliance of the Milky Way.

Wang Anfeng raised his cup, which was filled with moonlight reflecting on the tea.

"Mr. Jiang..."

"May the New Year bring you peace and all your endeavors surpass your wishes."

In the village, homemade firecrackers were set off, piercing the tranquil night with their crackling pops, accompanied by the screams of country children, the festive air like an invisible beast roaming the muddy paths of Great Liang Village and every town in Great Qin.

Zhang Tingyun sat on the steps of the courtyard in the Zhang residence.

Three tables had been set up in the main hall, crowded with seldom-seen uncles and relatives, along with powdered and pampered youths and maidens, all gazing at her as if she were a rare treasure.

Some tried to approach the young girl, but they were either stopped by Qin Xiao, disguised as a young Taoist acolyte, or deterred by the overwhelming presence of an exotic black bear lurking in the courtyard, not daring to take another step closer.

In the snow-covered courtyard, a young girl in a white Taoist robe gently stroked the black bear.

The ferocious beast capable of shredding martial artists lay subdued and quiet.

The wind swept up the snow, and the black bear's fur rippled slightly.

For some reason, this scene made onlookers hold their breaths reflexively, and the whispering in the main hall gradually fell silent. Qin Xiao leaned against the doorway, watching the serene Zhang Tingyun, always feeling the distance between them widening endlessly.

Like the Heavenly God in ancient myths chasing the moon.

He wasn't even a Heavenly God...

Qin Xiao sighed like an adult, his handsome face wrinkling up, filled with a sense of helplessness.

If things continued this way, wouldn't he end up like his brother?

Thinking of Qin Fei, who could perfectly deflect any insinuation from Yu'er, even finding a dead end among ten paths of life, Qin Xiao shivered involuntarily and quickly cast the terrible thought to the back of his mind.

Children say the darndest things, children say the darndest things.

Heaven, please don't take it seriously...

The old Taoist glanced at the muttering young Taoist, one hand holding wine, the other gnawing on a pork hock, stepping out of the hall.

The Taoist Sect's ancestral temples were nothing compared to the secular world; there were no chefs skilled at concocting elaborate meat dishes. He had been eating to his heart's content at the Zhang residence, devouring a pork hock in the blink of an eye.

The old Taoist casually threw the pork hock remains into Qin Xiao's arms, wiped his mouth, and sat down next to Zhang Tingyun with a plop.

"Don't like it much?"

The old Taoist turned his head to look at Zhang Tingyun.

Zhang Tingyun nodded, her pale hand resting on the black bear's head.

The old Taoist said with a smile, "The secular world has its pleasures, but also discomforts. A life of asceticism has its solitude but also its freedom."

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"Where in the world can one have only the benefits without the drawbacks?"

"Even simply eating meat can make one fat, let alone dealing with worldly matters."

As he mentioned getting fat from eating meat, he casually pointed at Qin Xiao, who was now disdainfully throwing away the bone and wiping his hands, not far away. When Qin Xiao noticed Zhang Tingyun's gaze, he quickly hid his greasy hands behind his back, his face awkwardly smiling.

Zhang Tingyun withdrew her gaze, thought for a moment, and said,

"It's okay."

Despite the abrupt three words, the old Taoist understood.

She meant that as long as she could still see those she wanted to, the worries of the secular world didn't matter. Even if there were more, it was okay.

The elder chuckled, lifting his gaze to the night sky.

Although the night was dark, it was also adorned with stars and the bright moon.

When Zhang Tingyun was young, before joining their Taoist Sect, she had met two people she was quite fond of, one with an Innate Taoist Body. One of these people was very far away, and the other quite near. The old Taoist was quite interested in the person who could draw Zhang Tingyun's affection. After thinking for a moment, he said,

"Shall we go see him tomorrow?"

"After all, we from the Taoist Sect are renounced from worldly life, and we needn't mind those secular formalities too much."

"I imagine you wouldn't want to see those people either."

The old Taoist sounded a bit whimsical as he spoke.

Zhang Tingyun's eyes brightened slightly, and she nodded, humming in affirmation.

Qin Xiao, who seemed to hear something while cleaning oil off himself, quickly bounded to the front and called out,

"Where are we going?"

"I want to go too... Old Taoist, take me with you."

"Tsk, you fake Taoist, always wanting to go everywhere? No, no, that won't do..."

"Don't be so heartless, after all, my father was once of your Taoist Sect..."

Qin Xiao began to banter with the old Taoist while Zhang Tingyun gently stroked the black bear, a sense of anticipation rising in her heart. The gigantic black bear, now unlike before, seemed to sense some unease, shifting its body restlessly.

PS: Second update of the day…