bayedsolid Chapter 153 Qu You 9's Appearance
Chapter 153 Qu You 9's Appearance
The young man before them was about to draw his sword, its blade flashing as if it were about to slice through the sunset.
The atmosphere froze instantly, as if the air itself had been torn apart by the sword energy, creating a tense atmosphere that made it hard to breathe.
Little Si's heart nearly jumped out of his throat at the sight before him, and Little Fatty Horse staggered.
But she bravely overcame her nervousness and shouted:
"Hehe, young hero, you've misunderstood! This is my brother, Yu Zhanmo. Please don't get agitated; he's not a bad person!"
Her palms, which were gripping the reins, were already soaked with sweat, but she still tried to remain calm.
"Clear this misunderstanding quickly!! Otherwise, you'll be in for a sword wound or gunshot wound feast tonight!!"
Because Yu Zhanmo's weapon is a long spear.
Yu Zhanmo remained standing still, as calm as a stone statue, exuding an aura of "I'm not the kind of person you want to mess with," gripping his spear tightly, showing no intention of showing weakness.
The three stripes on Yu Zhanmo's head signified his helplessness, and this absurd scene left the taciturn man even more speechless.
Xiao Si watched as the two were on the verge of exchanging blows.
The young man narrowed his eyes, the tip of his sword still pointing at Yu Zhanmo, his gaze sharp:
"Oh? He can use a gun too?? Don't be afraid, little girl!! Hero, I'm here to save you..."
The boy's sword blade cut through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, "Whoosh—!" The sword light flashed like lightning, aimed directly at Yu Zhanmo's neck.
Yu Zhanmo reacted swiftly, flicking his spear and spinning it sharply at the tip, producing a low "hum" sound as he charged forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
The two clashed instantly, the sword and the gun colliding in the air with a clang of metal, sparks flying everywhere.
Yu Zhanmo shifted his feet slightly and swiftly swept his spear horizontally, the spear creating a whooshing sound as it swept fiercely towards the boy's leg.
Gao Shi was agile. Seeing the attack coming, he quickly leaped up, his body like a beast released from its cage. He suddenly took off, dodged the attack, touched the ground with his toes, and suddenly flipped over, using the momentum to slash out with his sword.
The atmosphere was tense and strained.
"STOP! Swords and spears have no eyes! STOP! STOP!"
The scream, coming from the little bull's mouth and in English, strangely stopped the two boys from their intense scuffle.
After exchanging blows, the two realized that the other was quite skilled and even admired him.
Xiao Si found these English words really useful, and she coughed:
"Hehe, swordsman, please don't misunderstand! My name is Zhen Xiaosi, and this is Yu Zhanmo. He's the military governor just because he has a white beard... We're really not bad people!"
Having said that, she felt she was close to turning the situation around with humility and a sweet smile.
After all, who can resist her "pure and beautiful smile"?
Upon hearing the words "military governor," the young man slightly withdrew his sword.
"Oh? It seems there was a misunderstanding... Hello, my name is Qu Youjiu!"
As he spoke, he jumped off his horse, drew circles on the ground with the tip of his sword, and said with great pride:
"These words, Qu Youjiu!"
Xiao Si asked curiously, "Is this character pronounced 'qu'? I thought it was 'geili' (meaning 'awesome')."
At this moment, Yu Zhanmo couldn't help but chuckle, "Worry-Free Wine??"
He thought to himself, "This person is very likely from a parallel universe of Li Bai..."
The boy was clever: "Pretty much, like a combination of 'powerful' and 'awesome'!! Hahaha..."
He burst into laughter, his clear, crisp laugh like a waterfall cascading down three thousand feet, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere around him!
"Haha, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. Misunderstandings happen all the time in the martial arts world, don't mind it, don't mind it!"
Yu Zhanmo returned to his expressionless state, like a robot who didn't know how to laugh, but the atmosphere relaxed without him even realizing it.
Qu Youjiu suddenly clapped his hands, his expression becoming more serious:
"Brother, your internal energy and martial arts skills are quite impressive. Could you help me chase after those thieves? I'll also treat you to dinner while I'm at it, how about it?"
Yu Zhanmo was slightly taken aback, then suddenly understood—oh, so those hastily departing cavalrymen really were bandits! This scenario is becoming more and more plausible…
Little Si's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly said:
"My goodness, Pudding Yu, you're such a genius! How did you know the roast chicken was the one he wanted to invite?... The stewed fish in an iron pot is settled again..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qu Youjiu had already ridden off at breakneck speed, faster than a rocket.
Yu Zhanmo followed.
Xiao Si followed closely behind, secretly chuckling to herself. Although she hadn't figured out what was going on, she felt that something strange was quietly sprouting within her.
Xiao Si rushed to the scene and saw Qu Youjiu surrounded by a group of robbers. Where was Yu Zhanmo?
The young man was about to kill someone in ten steps, but he didn't pay attention to the thief behind him and was about to be slashed!
Seeing the little ox from afar, Xiao Si was extremely anxious and immediately whipped it to speed up, forgetting that he knew nothing about martial arts.
Upon arriving, the little fat horse saw the scene and refused to move...
Just as she was anxious but dared not step forward, Yu Zhanmo's dart pierced the air like lightning and struck the last thief in the throat with perfect accuracy.
The last thief collapsed on the spot, blood gushing out.
Qu Youjiu's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and gratitude in them:
"Impressive! So this is the power of a military governor! His darts are so accurate! He's not only good with a spear."
Yu Zhanmo was lost in his own thoughts, but his expression remained cold and stern.
As night fell, Qu Youjiu, who had some silver in his pocket, treated the two to a meal.
During the meal, he finally revealed his past, and everyone learned that this dashing and fearless young man had once had a "pure" past—
Qu Youjiu's past can be described as a typical example of "a talented man who loves solitude".
In his youth, he was exceptionally talented, his mind filled with poetry and romance, yet he often felt that everyone else in the world was like someone with a moldy straw hat pressing down on their head, utterly devoid of creativity.
He wanders alone among the mountains and rivers, not to pursue "independence of the soul".
"Until one day, he met Wu Zhinan..."
"Materialistic guy?" Xiao Si found the name interesting.
"Wu Zhinan is more materialistic than I am, but that's just a man's nature... It's hard to transcend it like Gao Shi and I."
Xiao Si had a feeling that she was about to encounter those famous figures of the Tang Dynasty literature, and she continued to listen to the boy recount his past...
Qu Youjiu (slightly narrowing his eyes, speaking in a low voice):
"Destiny has ordained us, and life is but a fleeting moment... Was all of this predetermined?"
Materialistic man (looks up, slightly impatient):
"Oh, you're thinking about those 'fate' and 'meaning of life' nonsense again? Aren't we all just trying to live better and richer?"
(He flipped through the ledger and pointed to a line of numbers.)
"Look, if we could open a restaurant along this stretch of road and sell a few bottles of fine wine, we could probably earn five or six hundred taels of silver every day! And—could we make this wine a bit more expensive, or add some rare spices? That way, the price could double!"
Qu Youjiu (with a dazed look in his eyes):
"Can't you even think about your life's ideals for a moment? Money, power, and luxury are just fleeting things."
Look—that moon, doesn't it also evoke the sentiment of my poem "Ancient Ballad of the Moon," possessing both the profound truth of "The yin essence is thus obscured, its passing is no longer worth seeing," and "What virtue does the moonlight possess? It dies and is reborn?"
Materialistic guy (couldn't help but laugh):
"Haha, buddy, are you out of your mind? You don't understand. Life is about tangible benefits. If you only think about 'poetry and distant places,' you'll starve to death in the end. I don't care about any 'Tang poetry and ancient methods,' those are just tools for making money."
(He picked up the abacus and began to move the beads with a clanging sound.)
"Pragmatists understand that the key to wealth is what makes one rich!"
Qu Youjiu (sighs, turns to look out the window):
"People say women are materialistic, but I think women are mostly kind. They are often moved by small details. What can truly touch people are those subtle acts of kindness."
Materialistic man (waving his hand dismissively):
"Tenderness? Haha, what men crave deep down is plunder, like those thieves who stole my bones."
They try to take what they can't earn themselves from others, like hyenas.
Look at those petty thieves, they get furious and enraged when they can't out-rob or gain an advantage! It's like everyone owes them eight hundred coins!
(He looked down and continued flipping through the ledger)
"Let's not talk about that. How much can we make from this trip? I don't want to end up like you, Qu Youjiu, always wearing the hat of a romantic poet."
Qu Youjiu (smiled helplessly):
"All you care about is money and power. So how do you see our future? One day, we'll have to make a choice—poetry and distant places, or fleeting fame and vanity?"
Materialistic man (patted the ledger)
"I only care about these land deeds, how much they're worth, and how much gold I can exchange for them. As for 'dreams,' let's talk about that after we've earned enough."
At this point, Xiao Si asked, "If you are so surprised, how can you become friends?"
"Hahahaha," Qu Youjiu continued to laugh heartily, "He is indeed more materialistic than me, just like my old man!! He likes to say that women are materialistic, but in reality, women are easily moved by small details and small acts of kindness, such as opening a bottle cap or giving someone an umbrella."
But men are inherently fond of plunder, just like those thieves who just stole his bones.
"If you don't have the ability to earn it yourself, like a hyena, as my friend said, you'll get furious when you can't get the better of someone—that's human nature."