Chapter 134: Three Bandits... The Mask… Li Family in Pingzhou (2/2)

”Sh*t, no way. There are only three months before I'm leaving for Qinlingjun City. If I get involved again, I won't have time to practice!” Junior Leopard was distressed himself. ”I must solve it. The damned underground fire vein is just trouble for me!”

Walking on the street of Zhonghe City, Junior Leopard looked somewhat seedy. He turned a few curves and came to a marketplace.

It had been months since Jin recaptured Zhonghe City. The new mayor was also a rare capable official. Under his ruling, Zhonghe Prefecture began to flourish from the former dilapidation in a few short months.

This was the largest marketplace in Zhonghe City, similar to the petty commodity markets in Junior Leopard's previous life, stocked with all kinds of goods.

As soon as he turned into the street, he saw a crowd of people. The sound of selling, bargaining, quarreling, crying, and whining were mixed up into an unending loud noise.

Unconcerned, Junior Leopard walked slowly into the depths of the street. Most of the merchants on this street sold things by the roadside. He looked around as he moved forward, as if he was searching for something. After a while, he finally stopped in front of a small stall.

”What can I do for you, laddie?”

Junior Leopard had just come out of Wu Residence in a casual outfit, so it was normal for the street peddler not to recognize him. He was also young, so it was appropriate to be called a laddie.

”What are your masks made of?” Junior Leopard crouched down and picked up a mask, knocking on it. ”Wood?”

”Oh, most of them are made of vellum and wood. How about it, laddie? Will you get one?”

Putting down the mask, he looked over masks on the ground and pointed to one of them. ”Show me that one!”

Looking at the mask Junior Leopard pointed, the peddler immediately smiled and handed the mask over. ”Laddie, the mask is good and breathable. You can wear it for a long time!”

Junior Leopard looked at the mask over and over and tried it on. He then placed it down and said, ”Can you customize a mask for me?”

”Customize?” The peddler raised his head with puzzlement to look at Junior Leopard. He had been doing this for years, but no one had ever asked this of him.

Without another word, Junior Leopard took a piece of cloth from his pocket. The cloth was painted with an odd face and marked the color of each pattern. ”Can you make a mask according to this pattern? I need it to have good breathability. Is there any problem?”

”No problem!” Glancing at the mask, the peddler laughed. ”This face is really good. But laddie, if you want to customize it, the price may...!”

”Money isn't an issue. I'll pick it up the day after tomorrow, is that fine?” He took out ten wen and handed them to the peddler. The peddler grinned because the most expensive mask was only five wen.

He simply wanted to raise the price, but not more than eight wen. It was a small business and he did not expect Junior Leopard would give him ten wen.

”This is only half of it. I'll give you 10 more after I get it. Is that enough?”

”Enough! Enough!” The peddler nodded quickly. ”Don't worry. I assure you'll be satisfied with the mask when you get it the day after tomorrow, lad!”

”Good!” Junior Leopard nodded, stood up, and left the stall. He strolled along the street for another hour and went home after buying a large bag of stuff like sugar men, perfume and cosmetics, and gadgets.

These were for Zhou Hua'er and her children. After all, he was an uncle to the little ones.

Coming home with a bag of things led to a lot of grumbling. Zhou Hua'er told Junior Leopard not to waste money and to put it towards his savings or something. It gave him a headache. She had become a landlady, but she still did not allow others to waste money as she had done in the mountain village in the past.

Another nagging came. This time it was about the External Elixir hanging in Junior Leopard's ear. Of course, Zhou Hua'er did not know it was an External Elixir, so she disliked the thing that resembled an earring. Once again, Junior Leopard ran away.

”God, it's my External Elixir. I'll rely on it to survive in a few months. How can I live without it!” Junior Leopard muttered to himself when he was back in his room.

It was his house, so his room was the largest one situated in a small, separate courtyard.

Entering the yard, Junior Leopard stopped after a few steps.

Looking around with vigilance and shifting his facial expression, he opened his spiritual mind completely. After three breaths, the corner of his mouth twitched and he locked his eyes on the front of the stone table ahead.

”I don't know which method you're using to turn yourself invisible to me, but you'd better come out yourself or I'll hit you with a hammer!”

”Good spiritual mind! You're much better than I thought!”

Knowing that he was discovered, the man slowly emerged from hiding without hesitation.

At this point, Junior Leopard realized the person's appearance was like a chameleon that could merge with his surroundings. Even his spirit was consistent with the nature around him. This was why Junior Leopard did not immediately discover him when he entered the yard, but felt something was off. He did not find the man's trail until he used his spiritual mind.

”Who are you? What are you doing here?” asked Junior Leopard.

The man before him was not old. To be precise, he was very young. He looked about 14 years old, like Junior Leopard. He was handsome and boyish, but there was a hint of pride in his boyishness. His pride did not contain hubris, but rather was a kind of extreme confidence coming from the bottom of his heart. From Junior Leopard's experience in his two lives, this young man should come from a very good family and have considerable strength.

So that was why Junior Leopard was so confused why such a youngster would come to his house.

”I'm Li Xiu from Pingzhou. I came here to see your hammering skill!”

”Pingzhou, Li...?” Junior Leopard frowned. ”You're here to see my hammering skill? But I don't think I know you.”

”Uncle Yuan praised you to be one of the best among the young generation. I was curious to see how good you'd be to receive Uncle Yuan's compliment, so I ventured here. Please don't be alarmed.”

”Sh*t!” Junior Leopard cursed mentally, seemingly understanding what was going on. This youngster was here to challenge him. In the past six months, Junior Leopard had done a lot of things, and any one of those things was enough to propel him to fame in martial arts world. This was his way to be famous. In martial arts world, many people wanted to be famous. The best way to achieve fame was defeating celebrities. Junior Leopard was now a celebrity. It was just that he was too young and seemed to be a hard nut to crack with a good background, so no one came to bother him.

There was no one before, but there was one now.

This youngster was evidently unsatisfied that Junior Leopard was famous at his young age. What gave Junior Leopard the most trouble was that Li Xiu seemed to come from a prominent family. Li family in Pingzhou was a very famous family with power and influence in the world. Junior Leopard's immediate superior, Li Yuan, the Admiral of Zhonghe Prefecture, came from a branch of Li family. The youngster addressed Li Yuan as Uncle Yuan. Evidently, he had a deep relationship with Li Yuan. There were scruples in Junior Leopard's mind. Even if they competed, he would not dare to go all out.

Hence, Junior Leopard had a headache hearing Li Xiu's words.

”You said you're going to hit me with a hammer. But you don't have it on you!” It was clear that Li Xiu was not as complicated as Junior Leopard thought and he just looked at Junior Leopard. ”I didn't expect you would go around without your weapon on you at all times!”

As he talked, he held his sword on his waist tighter, as if he was afraid his sword would disappear. Almost at the same time, a sharp Qi force emanated from his body.

”Hiss!” Junior Leopard was so shocked that all his hair stood up under this morale. He moved slightly and made a small step back. He frowned even more. The youngster was very young, but he had made great achievements in swordsmanship. His cultivation seemed similar to Junior Leopard's, merely the Top of Level Three, but his Qi Power had been condensed into substance. His whole body was like a sword drawn out of its sheath and the sword intent had already taken shape.

The sword intent!

How could Li Xiu pull off such a difficult thing at such a young age? He had cleared sword intent with his Level Three cultivation! How could that be?

Such a thought flashed through his mind. Now, he kind of understood the horrors of the Elders of Jian Family, Pei Family, and Luo Family after watching him condensed fist intent in the underground fire vein that day.

It was because he had already condensed fist intent that he knew the difficulties better than anyone else. He condensed the fist intent because of his magic eyes. He would have never been able to do it without them. But unexpectedly, this boy about his age also condensed his intent. Did he also have the Fiery Eyes?

”What's wrong? Am I not worth your time?”

After explaining his Qi Power, Junior Leopard looked initially shocked with uncertain expression, but there was no sign of the action. This irritated Li Xiu a little.

”No, no. You're the strongest opponent I have ever met!” Junior Leopard shook his head. ”But you should know that it's impolite and uneducated to rush into someone's home for a challenge!”

”Well...!” Li Xiu's Qi Power suddenly dissipated.

Li Xiu's Qi Power died after hearing Junior Leopard's words. As a future star from a millennium family, he had been receiving a good education since young. He was burdened with high expectations. His every move represented the Li family in Pingzhou, and all his words and actions should conform to the norms that the children of his family should have. He should not be the one rushing into someone's house and pointed at someone with his sword and forced him to compete. It was rude as per Junior Leopard's words.

He had initially come to Zhonghe City to relieve boredom. He unexpectedly overheard Li Yuan praising Zhou Bao, as if there was no other talent among the younger generation. Angered, he rushed over without even thinking if his behavior would have a bad effect on him or his family.

There would definitely be some bad effects.

As the young master of Li family in Pingzhou, he suddenly came to the house of a rough youngster from a mountain village and pointed at his nose with a sword to ask him to compete. If it were to spread, Li family's and his face would be lost. Whether he won or lost their fight, he had lost.

These thoughts turned around in his mind, and after thinking through them, his expression became unpleasant.

Junior Leopard raised his eyebrows and laughed in heart. He had a lot of experience in the previous life dealing with such a face-saving man from a well-known family. Seeing the change of Li Xiu's expression, he naturally realized that his words had worked. While Li Xiu was distracted, he added, ”But if you came here by chance because you weren't familiar with the place and accidentally encountered me, then itched to compete with me, it's innocuous.”

Li Xiu's eyes suddenly lit up, ”oh, yes! Yes, that's it! I was wandering the streets and accidentally met you. And y-you were graceful w-w-with heroic spirit, so...!”

”That's enough!” Hearing him stammer, Junior Leopard's mind was a little confused and he interrupted him. ”It's not that I can't compete with you, but it's a little boring to just compete.”

”Then, what do you have in mind?”

”Why don't we bet on something?”

”Stake? What do you want to bet?” Now that Li Xiu had recovered his peace of mind, he calmed down. He was in a panic earlier after Junior Leopard brought up his mistakes. Seeing that Junior Leopard did not make a fuss and seemed willing to compete with him, his mind was naturally clear.

”I need a sword, an upper class Genuine Weapon. If I win, you're need to get me a good sword of Genuine Weapon class and you can't tell anyone. Of course, I won't put you at an disadvantage. If I lose, I'll give you five Spiritual Stones of fire property. You should know they're not worth less than a Genuine Weapon!”

”Deal!” Li Xiu's eyes lit up.

The Spiritual Stones.

Though he was the young master of the Li family in Pingzhou, Spiritual Stones would not multiply because of his precious position. It was hard even for him to encounter a Spiritual Stone. Now there were five of them at stake. They were better than a Genuine Weapon. Therefore, he consented readily.

...

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