Chapter 11: The Thoughts of the Two

The two elders entered the house; Feng Zi tied the plow ox to the corner of the courtyard, subconsciously looking toward the gate, his face as calm as water.

He had originally thought that the probing and overtures from various parties might follow one after another after the results of the Martial Tournament were announced.

But he had not expected that Lu Hanwen's actions would be so swift, far exceeding Feng Zi's imagination—

From the moment he finished registering for the Martial Tournament until the other party personally visited, no more than two hours had passed!

Although Feng Zi had never hidden his tracks, the quickness of this Young Master Lu's thinking and the decisiveness of his actions were evident.

"Such a talent, such a mind... no matter how one cultivates it, it cannot be 'taught'; what one relies on is still their innate talent.

"I fear that even the heirs painstakingly cultivated by those great noble families could not compare to him." Feng Zi felt a lingering fear in his heart.

Toward such a person, he also had the intention to befriend him.

Fortunately... the other party's thoughts should be the same.

But then again, although the matter that just occurred was properly resolved, it also sounded an alarm for Feng Zi:

Now that he was a Martial Master, he could no longer face the various forces of Wutai County with an ordinary mindset—

At the very least, he should quickly convert his status as a Martial Master into a bottom line to guarantee his parents' safety and stable life!

Speaking from the heart, Feng Zi truly did not want to be dragged into these schemes and intrigues.

If he were alone, he could naturally practice his fists as he pleased, without any need to worry about the probing of others.

But his parents lived here—the two elders had already sacrificed much to allow him to practice martial arts; Feng Zi could not let the two elders down!

Furthermore, Feng Zi also understood that Wutai County was simply too small.

Once the Martial Tournament ended, he would inevitably leave this frontier county to venture out and seek further opportunities.

When that time came, with his parents having no one to rely on, how could he protect them?

Watching the direction the carriage departed in, countless thoughts flashed through Feng Zi's mind.

Just as an initial idea formed in the depths of his heart, Feng Mu's voice came from inside the house: "Zi'er, come back and eat."

"Coming!" Feng Zi responded loudly, yet he sighed calmly, exhaling the gloom in his heart:

As his strength increased, the troubles he faced would only become more numerous; he could no longer continue to throw punches without worry as he once did.

Even so, Feng Zi's gaze remained bright—

What was there to fear? He had survived the most difficult times; naturally, he would not retreat now!

The carriage traveled leisurely along the street; Lu Hanwen gently tapped the folding fan in his hand, his tone filled with emotion:

"I truly did not expect that Brother Feng Zi not only possesses exceptional talent but also transcendent wisdom; it truly delights me!"

As his voice fell, no one answered.

After a long while, a calm voice sounded before him:

"A piece of advice—if you truly want to make friends, do not use such an aggressive attitude; it will only be counterproductive."

The owner of the voice was a lean man; just sitting there, he was like a long spear, radiating a sharp aura!

Hearing the other party's words, Lu Hanwen subconsciously rolled his eyes and tapped the other's shoulder with his fan:

"Look at what you're saying... am I the type of aggressive fellow?"

"You aren't 'like' one; you are one." The other party was sparing with his words, answering with extreme rigidity.

Lu Hanwen naturally understood the other's temper, shrugged helplessly, picked up an orange in front of him, and said: "Is there any need to be so heartless, Li Shou?"

At this moment, Lu Hanwen looked more like a youth of his age, completely different from the image he projected before Feng Zi.

And the depth of his friendship with Li Shou was far beyond what the outside world could imagine.

Facing Lu Hanwen's attempt to gloss over the matter, Li Shou took a deep breath and said helplessly:

"You can naturally treat those vulgar people that way, but you want to be friends with that Feng Zi; fortunately, the person was not his name, and this matter was resolved smoothly."

Regarding this insight, Lu Hanwen had to admit it, sighing: "You are right, I did indeed play a bit too much—

"That person's family background is not as good as yours or mine, yet he became a Martial Master at a younger age than us; such monstrous talent truly made me lose my head."

A person who could make Lu Hanwen evaluate them this way truly piqued Li Shou's interest: "Is he truly that strong?"

Seeing his friend so eager to try, Lu Hanwen smiled and shook his head: "My odds of winning... are at most forty percent."

Hearing this answer, Li Shou said eagerly: "Good!"

As a long-time friend, how could Lu Hanwen not know that Li Shou was a martial arts fanatic; hearing there was such a formidable opponent, he naturally intended to compete with him.

Although he knew the other would not be impulsive, Lu Hanwen still offered a reminder: "You must not be impulsive; the Martial Tournament is in seven days."

Hearing his friend's admonition, Li Shou subconsciously curled his lip: "I am a fanatic, not a fool."

Lu Hanwen was noncommittal toward this, simply continuing to peel the orange in his hand.

After a long silence, it was Li Shou who first broke it:

"Five years ago, you were the most dissolute young master in Wutai County; now, you are the one the County Magistrate trusts most—what exactly happened back then?"

Hearing this, Lu Hanwen said without lifting his head: "This is not the first time you have asked this question."

Li Shou said with an unchanging expression: "I know, but the Li Family is also a powerful clan in Wutai County."

Lu Hanwen did not answer the question immediately, but asked pointedly: "Li Shou, have you ever seen the sky?"

Regarding this question, Li Shou was very puzzled and asked with a frown:

"'The sky'? What kind of strange question is that? Are you talking about the sky above our heads, or the sky of this Wutai County?"

"Both." Lu Hanwen was noncommittal, telling the other frankly: "Some things, if you do not stand in the position of the Lu Family, you cannot understand—

"The sky that shelters Wutai County, His Highness Prince Yong, I fear he will not be able to hold on much longer."

"His Highness Prince Yong? That immortal?" Li Shou was full of disbelief upon hearing this.

After pondering for a moment, the other asked tentatively: "Could it be that this Great Xia, which has stood for ten thousand ages...?"

"The sky of Great Xia will not collapse yet!" Before Li Shou could finish, Lu Hanwen waved his hand.

Li Shou looked at him in confusion, waiting for Lu Hanwen to continue his explanation: "That Prince Yong who guards the northern border, however, is not necessarily so—"

"Five years ago, I accompanied my father to Zhenbei Dao and saw that the people there were in a state of panic; in these years, the movements of the border troops have far exceeded the past, and the apportioned tax burdens have become increasingly heavy."

"I only know that a chaotic era is approaching, and I can no longer be the dissolute playboy I once was,"

"Taking advantage of the time while my father can still hold up the Lu Family and hold up Wutai County, I must go out with the young talents of the county and become a sky capable of supporting our homeland!"

Li Shou looked deeply at his good friend, as if meeting him for the first time: "You should also understand that your demands are too lofty—"

"Even becoming a powerhouse at the Transformation Realm, or even the Grandmaster realm, is not enough to support your wish."

Lu Hanwen had long known this in his heart and waved his hand casually, saying:

"It doesn't matter; whether the one who reaches the end is me, you, or Feng Zi, I do not care, as long as I can protect this piece of homeland!"

Hearing this answer, Li Shou also made up his mind: "I will stand by your side."