"Kid, what are you thinking?"
When the middle-aged man's attention turned to me again, I felt an urge to curse him out. He was the one who had been fighting with Fang Niubizi, not me. Why was he bothering me so much? Was he bored?
I glared at him. "I am young and inexperienced, so I have no right to speak. You are all elders, and I should just listen to what you say."
The middle-aged man seemed to miss the sarcasm in my words and nodded in agreement. "So you know you're young and inexperienced. I thought you didn't! If you know you're young, just stand aside and watch, and don't butt in. Understand?"
I was so amused by his condescending tone that I almost laughed. I had seen shameless people before, but never someone as shameless as him, who couldn't even tell when I was being sarcastic and was acting like an elder. I wondered if Aunt Liang had given him courage.
Looking at his half-smiling face, I really wanted to slap him a couple of times. But I had already caused a scene. If I got into another fight with this middle-aged fatty now, I was afraid Li Zuoquan wouldn't let it go. Moreover, he was someone close to Fang Niubizi of Longhu Mountain, and even Li Zuoquan turned a blind eye to him. It was better to avoid provoking him.
With that thought, I smiled at him, then cupped my hands in a junior's salute and said, "I have learned my lesson."
Since you want to be an elder, let me be a good junior. My age is indeed the youngest among these people. Besides, being a junior doesn't hurt. Even if I say something wrong, no one will pay too much attention to it, after all, my age is a factor. Sudancn.com
The middle-aged man was a bit stunned, seemingly unable to comprehend why I had suddenly backed down. Although his eyes were filled with confusion, he could only grunt and nod, acknowledging me as his junior.
I glanced at Li Zuoquan and saw him smiling at me, seemingly satisfied with my actions.
I cursed the old fox in my heart and said no more, fully playing the role of a "junior."
Zhang Dabiao nudged me and gave me a thumbs-up, saying "High," then also turned into a block of wood, imitating me by being young and inexperienced and staying silent.
At this point, Li Zuoquan also had Li Jian put away the map on the table, perhaps fearing that everyone would remember its contents. He then ordered tea and some fruits to be served.
"Everyone, you've seen the map and confirmed its dynasty. I don't need to tell you how valuable the items inside are; you all know it clearly. To avoid any further delays, we will prepare to depart tomorrow night. If anyone needs any equipment, please state it now, and I will have it prepared."
Fang Niubizi stood up. "A sword by my side is enough. I am a bit tired today, so please arrange for me to rest."
The middle-aged man beside Fang Niubizi naturally followed his lead. "I'll pass. With this, I should be able to handle any unexpected situations." As he spoke, he took out his wave drum and shook it a couple of times.
The sound was muffled, and when it reached the ears, it felt as uncomfortable as if someone was striking the heart with an iron hammer.
"Enough."
With Fang Niubizi's words, the middle-aged fatty stopped shaking, and I finally felt much more comfortable.
I glanced at Zhang Dabiao beside me and found that he showed no unusual expression. However, Zhao Defu's face had turned pale, as if he had just suffered a severe blow. I guessed that my own face wouldn't look much better at the moment.
After scolding the middle-aged fatty, Fang Niubizi turned and left the reception hall. The middle-aged man followed him, giving me a deliberate look as he left, revealing four large yellow teeth, seemingly in a good mood.
I kept a dark expression and said nothing, but I remembered the insult from the middle-aged fatty. A gentleman's revenge is never too late.
After a while, Zhao Defu finally spoke. "I need some donkey hooves, the older the better. I also need some aged glutinous rice..."
Zhao Defu listed over a dozen items, and Li Zuoquan agreed to all of them, having Li Jian, who was following him, write them down. He then told Zhao Defu that these items would be ready tomorrow, and Zhao Defu left.
In the reception hall, only I, Zhang Dabiao, Li Zuoquan, and Li Jian remained.
Li Zuoquan smiled at the two of us. "Do you two need any equipment?"
As I hesitated about what to ask for, Zhang Dabiao spoke first. "I need lightning-struck wood that is over a hundred years old, at least 500 years old."
I almost bit my tongue. I looked at Zhang Dabiao with surprise. Was this still the Zhang Ge I knew?
Lightning-struck wood over five hundred years old was practically a divine artifact against evil spirits. According to current market prices, it would cost at least over 5 million, and even then, it was hard to find.
Li Zuoquan squinted his eyes, thought for a moment, and then replied, "It might be a bit difficult to find. I remember there's one in the storeroom, right?" He then turned his gaze to Li Jian.
Li Jian's expression changed slightly.
"Second Uncle, there is indeed one in the storeroom, but if we give it to him, we'll be at a huge loss."
Hearing this, Li Zuoquan's face immediately fell. "Is this your house, or is it mine?"
"Of course, it's yours."
"Remember, wealth is external; only people are important."
Scolded, Li Jian reluctantly ordered someone to get the lightning-struck wood from the storeroom. Then Li Zuoquan turned his gaze to me.
"Young friend, what do you need?"
"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll tell you later."
While we were talking, someone knocked on the door. Li Jian opened the door and brought in a long object wrapped in red cloth. After bringing it in, he didn't hand it directly to Zhang Dabiao.
"Second Uncle, are you sure you want to give it to him?"
Li Zuoquan glared at him, startling Li Jian. Then, without saying a word, he handed the red-cloth-wrapped object to Zhang Dabiao.
After receiving it, Zhang Dabiao didn't stand on ceremony and directly pulled off the red cloth. A piece of wood, as thick as a child's arm, black with a hint of red, appeared.
Zhang Dabiao held it in his hand and had no intention of letting go. At this moment, he was so excited that he almost threw the wood away.
"Thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood."
"Thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood?"
"Wh-what? Thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood?" Li Zuoquan's body in the wheelchair trembled slightly, and then he slapped Li Jian on the back of the head. "You prodigal son, why didn't you say it was thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood earlier?" He then gave Li Jian another slap, unable to vent his anger.
Li Jian was so wronged that he almost cried. Being reprimanded in front of two outsiders at the age of sixty-something felt heartbreaking just thinking about it. "Second Uncle, you can't blame me for this. I did remind you, but you..."
Li Zuoquan glared at Li Jian, cutting off his words. Li Jian could only lower his head and accept his fate.
"Cough, cough... Well, you asked for hundred-year-old lightning-struck wood, and mine is thousand-year-old. How about you return it to me, and I'll get you a different one?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao immediately hid the lightning-struck wood behind him. "Once something is given, there's no reason to take it back. This is not something a highly respected elder should do." Although his words seemed to praise Li Zuoquan, his darkened expression showed how displeased he was.
"So be it!" Li Zuoquan sighed, then turned his gaze to me, indicating it was my turn.
I looked at Li Zuoquan with some embarrassment. "The things I need, you probably can't get. I think I'll just forget about it!"
Li Zuoquan was stunned for a moment, then perhaps felt that his stinginess in asking for the lightning-struck wood made me feel that he wasn't sincere.
"Just ask, don't be polite."
"Then I won't be polite. I need Heavenly Mandate Ganoderma, Meteorite Stone..."
Like Zhao Defu, I listed over a dozen materials. But this time, Li Zuoquan didn't readily agree. Instead, he looked at me with an unfriendly gaze.
"Are you trying to fool me into being a sucker?"