Chapter 271 - 170: Sound of All Things

Chapter 271: Chapter 170: Sound of All Things

Xie Yunliu’s intimidating presence in Yunhe Village came entirely from his thick hair.

After Xie Yunliu had all his hair shaved off by someone unknown in the dead of night, he became a completely different person.

In the words of the blind man:

If the Second-in-Command were to put on women’s clothes and makeup, he’d surely be prettier than the Big, Big, Big, Big, Big, Big Leader.

Zheng Xiu’s status in Yunhe Village was rising by the day.

Firstly, he was a scholar.

Of course, this wasn’t because the bandits believed in the saying "all professions are lowly, only scholarship is noble." Rather, it was because among a crowd of illiterates, Zheng Xiu’s scholarly air made him seem like a panda in a zoo—rare and precious. If they accidentally killed him, they’d never find another scholar willing to stay in their stronghold and tell stories.

Secondly, he was Xie Luohe’s exclusive Painter.

Life in the bandit stronghold was incredibly dull. As the bitter cold drew near, the number of traveling merchants on the roads dwindled as they all went to prepare for winter. This left the bandits of Yunhe Village with less "work," and they had all this pent-up energy with no outlet. Whenever they were idle, they would form a circle and start betting on fistfights.

Holding feasts for entertainment became a nightly ritual for the bandits. Amidst the vast, white snow, the blazing red bonfire dyed the falling snowflakes crimson, making it seem as if red flowers were drifting down from Heaven. And against this hauntingly beautiful backdrop, with a crowd of mountain bandits watching him with rapt attention, Zheng Xiu would unhurriedly tell one strange and captivating story after another.

Zheng Xiu sat down on a leather drum, and a quick-witted bandit handed him a cup of hot tea. Zheng Xiu skillfully used the lid to skim the floating leaves, a gesture that always made the bandits feel this poor scholar lived like a rich lord from the city. He took a sip and smacked his lips. ’Tastes awful.’

"Where did we leave off last time?"

The mountain bandits raised their wine jars and shouted in unison, "Ice and Fire Island! Ice and Fire Island!"

"Right, Ice and Fire Island! Last time, I was telling you how I, all by myself, roamed to the ends of the earth. I piloted a lone skiff, riding the wind and waves, until I came to a place called Ice and Fire Island."

"BOO—"

Hearing this, the bandits burst out laughing with a unified chorus of boos.

Everyone knew the Scholar was full of it.

’If he was so badass, how did he get dragged into the stronghold sideways?’

But even so, the bandits loved listening. Who could blame them, when the Scholar’s tall tales were so damned entertaining?

It was only at times like these that they admired scholars.

’They’re soft everywhere else, but damn, they’ve got tough mouths.’

’Can’t beat anyone in a fight.’

’But when it comes to bullshitting, they can make it sound like the absolute truth.’

’Just yesterday he was saying he once shattered a mountaintop with a single slash. Who the hell believes that?’

"On a starless night, Ah Zhen fell in love with... ah, no, the Lion King met a gorilla."

Zheng Xiu spun his nonsensical yarn, not stopping until he got to the part where the mother gorilla gave birth to a litter of nine, leaving him parched.

The bandits were once again drunk and dizzy.

Nearby, a drunken Xie Yunliu was stroking his own smooth, bald head, muttering through half-closed eyes about which bastard had shaved him while he was passed out.

Zheng Xiu slipped away from the crowd, his conscience pricking him.

Just then, not far from the latrine, Zheng Xiu ran into Chu Chengfeng, who had just finished taking a piss and hadn’t yet washed his hands.

"Brother Chu."

Zheng Xiu smiled and saluted Chu Chengfeng.

Chu Chengfeng’s expression tensed. He glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he beckoned to Zheng Xiu. "Younger Brother Gongsun, a word in private."

"Alright."

The two walked to the stronghold’s entrance.

Chu Chengfeng kept glancing up toward the peak, clearly extremely wary of Xie Luohe.

A cold wind blew, and Zheng Xiu pulled his robe tighter.

Chu Chengfeng had a small wine jug tucked into his belt. He pulled the stopper out with his teeth and took a large swig.

"Want a sip to warm up?"

Chu Chengfeng offered him the jug.

Zheng Xiu shook his head with a smile.

"You must have a lot of questions you want to ask, don’t you?"

Zheng Xiu first nodded, then shook his head. "No need to ask."

Chu Chengfeng leaned closer. "How are things going between you and the Big Leader?"

Zheng Xiu was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"

Seeing Zheng Xiu playing dumb, Chu Chengfeng gave a sly chuckle and made a strange hand gesture. "Aren’t you and the Big Leader..."

Zheng Xiu was speechless. "I’m just painting for her."

"Painting?"

Chu Chengfeng looked skeptical.

"Yes, painting. What else?"

"That’s it?"

"Yes."

Chu Chengfeng looked disappointed.

"You snuck over here just to ask about this?"

Zheng Xiu was exasperated by Chu Chengfeng’s attitude.

’What kind of person does he take me for?’

Just as Zheng Xiu was about to leave, planning to wash up and get some sleep, Chu Chengfeng stared at his back with a determined look.

"Younger Brother Gongsun, aren’t you curious why I would join Yunhe Village?"

"If you want to tell me, you will. If you don’t, there’s no point in asking."

The more indifferent Zheng Xiu acted, the more Chu Chengfeng’s curiosity burned.

Chu Chengfeng gritted his teeth, took a step forward, and pulled Zheng Xiu into a corner.

Chu Chengfeng asked, "Younger Brother Gongsun, I’m a few years older than you, so I’ll be shameless and call myself your elder. Let me, Brother Chu, ask you: what are your ambitions?"

The tone in which Chu Chengfeng asked this question vaguely reminded Zheng Xiu of a talent show judge shouting at a young contestant: "What is your dream?"

Of course, whatever Zheng Xiu said at this moment would be a lie.

’He didn’t belong here.’

So, Zheng Xiu thought for a moment and said, "To be well-fed, well-clothed, and live to be a hundred."

Chu Chengfeng had considered a thousand possible answers, but he never expected Zheng Xiu to be so... blunt. The reply left Chu Chengfeng stunned for a full thirty seconds before he could gather his composure. "Didn’t you say before that you wanted to pass the imperial exams and earn a title?"

Zheng Xiu smiled and asked in return, "And what is the purpose of earning a title?"

Chu Chengfeng shook his head, looking lost.

Zheng Xiu said, "To become an official."

Understanding dawned on Chu Chengfeng.