Chapter 24 Li Rui (1/2)
Once they reached Ningping Town, Zhou Donghuang ordered the middle-aged guard, who was driving the carriage, to head straight for Qingyun Guild.
The guild master of Qingyun Guild was also a woman, a member of a side branch of the Li family of the prefecture capital named Li Yun, and a good friend of Lin Lan’s for many years.
“Aunty Yun, the goods and accounts are settled, I should be going,” Zhou Donghuang told Li Yun in the receiving chamber of Qingyun Guild as he put the money away.
He had a very good impression of Li Yun because he remembered that Li Yun had visited the Magnolia Guild several times, bringing him a gift each time.
“Donghuang, you don’t visit often, stay a night with Aunty Yun before you leave,” Li Yun said with a slight smile.
She and Lin Lan were close friends of many years, and they got along fabulously, each treating the other as a sister and loving everything that was dear to the other. She had never treated Lin Lan’s adopted son as an outsider.
“Aunty Yun, I don’t want to trouble you, I’m in a rush to get back.”
Zhou Donghuang shook his head, for he had never intended to stay the night in Ningping town.
Right now, Granny Lian was the lone level-one adept of Qi-gathering at Yunxuan Restaurant. His mother Lin Lan had already expended all her qi to start practicing the Technique of Everlasting Youth from scratch and did not have the abilities she used to.
He would not feel at peace if he were to delay his return.
“Then let’s have lunch this afternoon… it’s almost noon now. Donghuang, surely you won’t refuse to even have a meal with Aunty Yun?”
Li Yun tried again, “Or is it… now that you are the owner of Yunxuan Restaurant, you look down on Aunty Yun?”
“Aunty Yun, you know about that too?”
This was unexpected for Zhou Donghuang; he did not think Li Yun knew about him becoming the new owner of Yunxuan Restaurant.
“How could I not? The day before yesterday, I heard people who had arrived from Qingshan Town say that the owner of Yunxuan Restaurant, Zhao San, had given Yunxuan Restaurant away to you, Donghuang.”
Li Yun said with a sigh, “Yesterday, I also heard someone who had arrived from Qingshan Town say… you killed the second elder of the Wang family of the lesser families of Qingshan Town, a level-one adept of Qi-gathering, then killed with the grand patriarch of the Wang family, the one called the bloody-handed butcher, Wang Yukun!
“At first, I couldn’t believe it. But today, you Donghuang have safely delivered ten bracelets of pure gold all by yourself, so I cannot disbelieve it even if I wanted to.”
At this, a knowing look flashed across Li Yun’s eyes.
Encountering bandits was common on the road from Qingshan Town to Ningping Town, and if an ordinary person was not carrying anything of great value, he would be allowed to continue on his way after being searched for valuables and paying a toll to the bandits.
If the victims cooperated and did not resist, the bandits would usually not kill them. The bandits were worried that if they killed too many people, no one would even dare to leave the small towns.
Killing the goose that laid the golden egg was not a long-term strategy.
The fact that Zhou Donghuang was able to deliver ten gold bracelets without a hitch to Ningping town spoke volumes about his capability.
“Since Aunty Yun extends her warm hospitality, I won’t reject it.”
Seeing Li Yun look expectantly at him, and thinking that just having a meal would not take up too much time, Zhou Donghuang agreed.
“Excellent! Donghuang, wait here for a while, Aunty Yun will get someone to make arrangements.”
Seeing Zhou Donghuang agree, Li Yun broke into a radiant smile. She left the receiving chamber to make arrangements after exchanging greetings with Zhou Donghuang.
After about 15 minutes, Li Yun returned to the receiving chamber. With her was a girl who looked about the same age as Zhou Donghuang.
The girl wore clothes of light blue and had a beautiful face, and her forehead bore a slight resemblance to Li Yun’s. She stood there looking slim and graceful, but the slight frown on her face implied that she was not too happy to be there.
“Li Rui.”
Zhou Donghuang recognized the girl as Li Yun’s daughter, Li Rui, who was a year younger than him. They had played together when they were young, but they had not seen each other for the past few years and had naturally drifted apart.
“Li Rui, this is your Big Brother Donghuang, why haven’t you greeted him?” Li Yun frowned at Li Rui.
“Mother, he’s only a year older than me… can’t I just call him by his name?” Li Rui said with some displeasure.
“You…”
Just as Li Yun’s expression began to change and she was about to get angry, Zhou Donghuang smiled nonchalantly and said, “Aunty Yun, it’s just a title, I don’t mind anyway, so you don’t have to bother either.”
Then, looking at Li Rui, Zhou Donghuang smiled and greeted, “Xiao Rui, it’s been a long time.”
“What right do you have to call me Xiao Rui? Call me Li Rui!” Li Rui said with a cold snort of displeasure and a look of dissatisfaction.
She naturally remembered that Zhou Donghuang was the son of her mother’s good friend Lin Lan and was also a martial invalid who could not manifest his qi.
Although her mother said the Zhou Donghuang of the present could not be compared to the Zhou Donghuang of the past, she did not believe it at all, and neither did she believe the recent news concerning Zhou Donghuang.
How could a martial invalid become the owner of Yunxuan Restaurant, the most profitable business in Qingshan Town?
How could a martial invalid kill the grand patriarch of the Wang family of Qingshan Town, Wang Yukun?
Moreover, in her view, even if he was not a martial invalid, sixteen-year-old Zhou Donghuang could not possibly have the ability to kill Wang Yukun.
Wang Yukun was, after all, a level-two adept of Qi-gathering.