Chapter 516: I Owe You a Favor

Chapter 516: I Owe You a Favor

At the foot of Mount Emei, in the inn where Zhao Changhe once spent a day lifting weights.

Situ Xiao hugged a wine jar, gulping down from it with gusto. He claimed that he was going to treat Zhao Changhe to a drink, only to end up getting himself half-drunk first.

Zhao Changhe was speechless and ignored him, focusing instead on secretly pouring wine into his own gourd. He had been too embarrassed to ask Sisi for some wine to fill it, and the gourd had been empty for about a month now...

To be fair, this was the first time in the past year that, after a great battle and rising in the rankings, Zhao Changhe had not ended up as injured as a dying dog. The fact that he could actually come out to drink with friends was a significant improvement for him.

“Hey.” Situ Xiao finally put down the wine jar after drinking his fill. “Why aren’t you drinking?”

Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes. “I’ve never been a drunkard like you, okay?”

“If you’re not a drinker, then why carry a wine gourd?”

“Just because I enjoy a few sips every now and then doesn’t mean I’m a drunkard. Are you a binary thinker or something? Which forum did you graduate from?”

Situ Xiao: “?”

He did not understand the words coming out of Zhao Changhe’s mouth.

Zhao Changhe replied honestly, “Actually, it’s because carrying a saber on the shoulder and a wine gourd at the waist looks really cool. It fits the image of a wanderer in the jianghu very much.”

Situ Xiao laughed in disbelief. This is the powerhouse outshining everyone in his generation? What a joke.

He replied sourly, “You’ve even stolen my Drunken Steps, and yet you claim not to be a drunkard.”

Although he said it jokingly, he really was sour about Zhao Changhe learning his technique.

Zhao Changhe responded, “Hey, being friends doesn’t mean I’ll let you talk nonsense. I could sue you for slander. Back in Langya, I mimicked the Drunken Steps to put on an act, but I didn’t actually learn it, okay? How about you teach me? You already taught me the Wind and Lightning Palm, so why not this as well?”

Situ Xiao couldn’t help but laugh at his shameless attitude. “You really are... You’re already at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries, the top ranker on the Ranking of Man! I should be the one asking you for pointers, shouldn’t I? How do you still have the face to ask me to teach you anything?”

“Why do you sound so sour?”

Did he figure it out? Situ Xiao put on a sulky face and kept quiet.

“I can teach you something in return.” Zhao Changhe casually grabbed some paper and a brush from the inn counter, and quickly wrote something down before handing it to Situ Xiao. “Though I hardly ever used the Wind and Lightning Palm... Well, consider this an exchange.”

Back then, Situ Xiao had been helping a friend, happily teaching Zhao Changhe when he saw he wanted to learn about fist and palm arts.

This time, however, the roles were clearly reversed—it was Zhao Changhe helping him.

Situ Xiao, with a bellyful of thoughts about how times had changed, took the paper and glanced at it. Instantly, he spat out the wine in his mouth.

He frantically turned his head to avoid spitting on the paper, twisting his neck so much it nearly broke, all while coughing uncontrollably.

The paper revealed a body cultivation technique that granted rapid recovery.

He strolled in, grabbed his disciple’s wine bowl, and downed all its contents in one go.

Situ Xiao reached out pitifully, his expression full of heartache but not daring to say a word.

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Bang!

Li Shentong finished his drink with satisfaction, set down the bowl, and looked at Zhao Changhe with undisguised appreciation. “I didn’t manage to complete the task you entrusted to me. I feel a bit embarrassed now.”

Zhao Changhe replied, “Senior, are you referring to my request to look after Hongling?”

“Yes... I sent people to search, but they couldn’t find her. I couldn’t help at all.”

“That’s not your fault. Hongling was in Miaojiang. I ran into her myself. The fact that you remembered it is proof of your trustworthiness.”

“The fact remains that I failed to complete the task you entrusted me with. I owe you one. You can ask for another favor,” Li Shentong said with a hint of meaning. “As long as it’s not asking me to surrender to Xia Longyuan.”

Zhao Changhe paused for a moment. “What about if I asked you to surrender to someone else?”

Li Shentong smiled. “You?”

Zhao Changhe waved it off. “I’m just a wanderer of the jianghu... Senior, you must be joking.”

Li Shentong said slowly, “It all depends on who the other person is... As it stands, unless Tang Wanzhuang herself becomes the empress, no one else is worthy.”

Zhao Changhe’s eyes widened. There really are people out there thinking along these lines? Tang Wanzhuang as empress? That’s almost too beautiful to imagine.

The implication in Li Shentong’s words seemed to be that Zhao Changhe was not ready now, though he hinted at the young man’s potential for the future... but he would not say that directly. For him to come here and speak of such things was significant on its own.

Li Shentong continued, “Perhaps you’ve been in Miaojiang too long and you aren’t aware of the current upheaval. A few days ago, the Wang Clan and Huangfu Clan jointly proposed abolishing the canal transport and shifting to maritime routes. No matter what power plays lie behind it, it’s certain that chaos will follow. The Wang Clan will undoubtedly raise its banner, and Wan Tianxiong, who has roamed the Jianghuai region for so many years, won’t just sit back. The Tang Clan has already established itself strongly in Jiangnan... If they intend to compete for the throne, it’s not impossible. So wipe off that surprised expression.”

Zhao Changhe felt his heart skip a beat. So it’s finally come to this... The fact that this proposal was his own idea made his feelings about it quite complicated.

Situ Xiao clicked his tongue. “This treacherous plan to replace the canal with maritime routes—whoever came up with it must be an utterly heartless strategist born without a conscience...”

Zhao Changhe shot him a sidelong glance, half thinking of taking back the cultivation technique he had just given him.

“Regardless of the turmoil, the real crux is Xia Longyuan’s stance. Without him, it’s all just some play on a stage.” Li Shentong turned and walked away. “Alright, I won’t disturb you two anymore...”

Zhao Changhe no longer felt like drinking.

He almost wished he could grow wings to fly directly to the capital to see Tang Wanzhuang... and to see Xia Longyuan.

No, actually, I should go see Cui Wenjing first.

He had once promised Old Cui that after returning from the southwest, he would marry Yangyang. But with the world now in such upheaval, if the Wang Clan raised a rebellion, they would likely advance in one of two directions—west toward Puyang or south toward Xuzhou. If they move west, would Old Cui even still be in the mood to talk about marriage?