Chapter 13

The end of the year is approaching.

The heavy snow seemed to have no intention of stopping, falling for a day and a night in one breath, diluting the New Year atmosphere quite a bit.

Pedestrians on the road were sparse, but there were several times more government catchers patrolling than usual.

"Divine Soldier Talisman Jiang Linxian, Jiang Linxian, she is actually the daughter of Jiang Linxian, otherwise how could she have the Divine Soldier Talisman."

In a courtyard in Qinghe City that had long been abandoned, Xu Hua was no longer as handsome and dashing as before, his face had several bloody marks, and the most eye-catching was his left hand, which was empty, and the sleeve dangling in the wind.

Miserable to the extreme.

Although the Divine Soldier Talisman didn't kill him, it still cut off one of his arms.

If it weren't for the Ghost Sect people taking action, he would probably have died under Han Qin's Falling Flower Sword.

He coldly swept a glance at the Zhu family not far away.

"Dare to touch my things!"

Xu Hua had already been to that ruined temple before, and the secret method he brought from the Huaqing Sect and hid in the Buddha hall had long since disappeared.

He returned to Qinghe City.

He wanted to take back what belonged to him.

"Then I will find them one by one!"

Li Rui's days returned to normal.

Practice martial arts, raise horses, that's all.

The Zhu family's eldest young master didn't even stay until New Year's Day, and returned to the Huaqing Sect with Han Qin and the three that day, without the slightest nostalgia.

It is said that not long after they left Qinghe, experts from the Huaqing Sect arrived in Qinghe, met with the County Magistrate, and now government catchers patrolling the streets can be seen everywhere.

But all this has no great relationship with him.

What can an old man of seventy do?

Without Jiang Yan's peeking, Li Rui was much more at ease.

Compared to achievement and life, which is lighter and which is heavier is self-evident.

"Ah Zhao, mix the feed finer; listen to me from now on, and I guarantee you'll have meat to eat."

Li Rui looked at Wang Zhao with concern.

He had two apprentices in total; Ma Yang was already dead, and if Wang Zhao also died of illness, he would definitely get the name of a 'heavenly star lonely star'.

Must protect this only seedling well.

Wang Zhao was honest and was brought up by him; he sincerely treated this apprentice as a son to teach, so of course, he didn't want Wang Zhao to have an accident.

"Master, I can still do many things."

"..."

Li Rui always felt that his apprentice's answer was a bit off the mark.

Wang Zhao aimed at the dark black section at the root of Li Rui's silvery-white hair.

If one didn't mention Li Rui's age, most people would definitely think he was only in his early fifties; others might not be able to notice it if they didn't spend much time with Li Rui, but Wang Zhao had truly watched Li Rui 'rejuvenate' with his own eyes.

"Master was eaten by a monster, and now the Master in front of me is a monster in disguise?"

An absurd idea appeared in Wang Zhao's mind.

In short, Master is not normal!

In the end, it was Li Rui who used an imperative tone, and Wang Zhao left the stables.

Only he was left alone.

Li Rui shoveled the hay skillfully and poured it into the manger.

"Dawan horses can eat more."

Thinking of those four sweat-blood treasure horses, he, an old groom who had raised horses for a lifetime, was always itching to try.

Just as he shoveled a shovel of hay—

A shadow appeared at his feet.

"Did you kill Ma Yang?"

A sudden sentence, but Li Rui's shovel paused just right, then he turned around in panic: "Second Master, don't joke; Yang-wazi died of illness, many people saw it."

"Besides, I treated Yang-wazi like my own child, so how could I do such a thing as killing a relative."

The man who appeared in the stables was the Zhu family's Second Master, the younger brother of the Zhu family head, Zhu Ping—Zhu Lie.

If Zhu Ping is a smiling tiger, then Zhu Lie is a wolf.

No one in the Zhu residence was afraid of him, especially the scar on Zhu Lie's face, which was a full foot long and extremely terrifying.

There has always been a saying in the Zhu family.

"Don't fear the little ghost crying, fear the Second Master smiling."

When Zhu Lie smiled, the scar trembled, scarier than the evil ghosts in purgatory.

Zhu Lie looked at Li Rui with a fake smile: "Better not be."

Li Rui acted out being cautious and timid vividly: "Second Master, you must believe the old servant."

Life is like a play.

At this time, showing appropriate panic is the most natural reaction of a person, not being calm and composed.

Zhu Lie snorted coldly: "Bring the horses to me."

Li Rui looked troubled: "Second Master, you know the rules of the stables; you must have the Master's hand-written letter to take the horses away."

"Old thing!"

Zhu Lie was furious and wanted to act, but held back.

He didn't know what kind of wind his eldest brother had caught; he had been very concerned about this old groom recently, often asking about his well-being, so he really couldn't act.

"Trash!"

He cursed in his heart.

The trash naturally refers to Ma Yang dying at the wrong time; why didn't he get rid of this old groom before dying.

Zhu Lie was of course bluffing Li Rui just now, in order to shock the other party and take the horses, but didn't expect Li Rui to be soft and hard to eat; as for saying Li Rui killed Ma Yang.

Even he himself didn't believe it.

An old thing of seventy who is nearly in the grave, even peeing is difficult, let alone killing.

"I want to see how long Big Brother can protect you!"

Zhu Lie glared at Li Rui fiercely and left after throwing a ruthless sentence.

Li Rui shook his head.

Every family has its own difficult scriptures.

Don't look at the Zhu family thriving, with business reaching Anning Prefecture, but this residence has never been peaceful.

In the early years, the Zhu family wasn't that big, and the two Zhu brothers relied on mixing side-door businesses to make a fortune; later, the eldest master Zhu Ping wanted to wash clean, but Zhu Lie disagreed, and the two brothers had differences.

Until now, Zhu Lie still has close relations with those at Hengmen.

Hengmen is also called 'ringing horse' in some places; since it's a ringing horse, of course, there must be horses.

Zhu Lie wants horses, of course, to do unspeakable things.

Over the years, Li Rui has offended Zhu Lie quite a bit because of this, but even if he offended him, these horses must not be borrowed; otherwise, once Zhu Lie has an accident, he will definitely be implicated.

Just surviving in the cracks.

Before, Ma Yang dared to act against him, besides his temperament not being firm, it also had to do with Zhu Lie's instigation.

"This account will be settled sooner or later."

Li Rui's progress in practicing the knife was a thousand miles a day.

In just ten days, he had realized a trace of the essence of the White Ape Cloak Knife; if the Huaqing Sect expert who created this knife were still alive, he might have taken him as a closed-door disciple.

If he didn't mind the age...

"Refreshing!"

Li Rui's long knife swept up pieces of snow, the knife intent vented, and the depression in his heart was swept away.

Finished practicing the knife.

He didn't bring the knife back to his residence, but buried it in the snow; it is currently the twelfth lunar month, so he doesn't worry about the snow melting at all.

Putting the knife in the room would inevitably be seen by others, causing trouble.

It would also implicate Yang Yong.

After burying the knife tightly, Li Rui walked toward his residence in the Zhu family.

But just as he walked to the door, he saw Yang Yong anxiously circling in front of his house; he saw Li Rui just as he arrived.

"Old Li, it's not good, Wang Zhao was beaten."

(End of chapter)