He Yuzhu returns in Siheyuan

Chapter 753 Liu Qi prepares to test

With that, Li Chuan didn't linger, fearing the danger of speaking too much. He turned and walked out. His steps were quick and steady, but his mind was racing: This "Heping" restaurant doesn't look like a clean place, with all sorts of people, so it's best to stay out of sight. If someone with a sharp eye recognized him and followed the clues to find out his true identity, it would be a huge trouble, and it might even ruin the overall plan, which would be more trouble than it would be worth.

After Li Chuan left, Liu Qi sat alone in his armchair, rubbing his fingers over the stubble on his chin. Suddenly, he sneered. He'd been around for so many years, what kind of people had he not seen? That Li guy had claimed to be a merchant from the north, but the air of dignified and unconcealable integrity he exuded made it clear he was a government official. But so what? In Liu Qi's territory, as long as the money was paid, it didn't matter if the person was from the government or the underworld, he would do his job, and no one would try to ruin his business.

He immediately shouted into the inner room, "Call those two guys!" Soon, someone answered and delivered the message. He was looking for two men dressed particularly strikingly—he had recently recruited them from a remote mountainous area. They were ruthless and possessed a sinister nature. They rarely appeared in public, only being called upon at crucial moments. Liu Qi made a plan: let them test He Yuzhu to see if he was an ordinary person and if he had any special abilities. They would know for sure.

But then he remembered what Li Chuan had specifically told him before he left—injury only, not killing. He needed to explain this to those two guys. After all, they were wild, like two untamed beasts, and they wouldn't hold back when they went crazy. If they killed someone, not only would they not make any money, they would also be embroiled in a lawsuit, bringing themselves into enormous trouble for no reason. It wasn't worth it.

A short while later, two men in unusual attire walked in. Their clothes were loose, rough, and embroidered with crooked animal patterns, making them look different from ordinary people. In reality, these two men were outer disciples of the Tiger Sect, but they had long since left the sect's control.

A few years ago, the Tiger Sect suffered heavy losses in a major war, and its former glory had long since faded, so they never returned. These two, Zhang Qi and He Yao, were originally the most insignificant outer disciples of the sect. They had been part of the sect's last campaign to annihilate the demon race, but shortly after the battle began, He Yao snuck off with Zhang Qi, claiming he was going to a nearby town to find some beautiful women for pleasure.

By the time they had enough time to go back, the battle was already over, and the sect was in chaos. Zhang Qi was thinking about returning to the sect to report, but He Yao grabbed him and sneered, "Zhang Qi, are you stupid? Why go back now? The sect has just gone through a major change, and they will definitely need to check the number of people. When they ask us where we were during the war, what are you going to say?"

Zhang Qi was stunned for a moment, a little hesitant: "But...but if we don't go back, if the people from the sect find out that we are still alive, will they come looking for us?"

He Yao patted his shoulder and smiled slyly, "You're still so honest. Think about it, what's become of the sect now? They can't take care of themselves, so how can they have time to care about us two peripheral disciples? In my opinion, we should have been recorded on the sect master's list of casualties long ago. Why go back? And suffer that? It's better to be free and easy outside, with wine and meat, wouldn't it be happy?"

Zhang Qi was moved by what he said and opened his mouth to argue, but after thinking it over, he felt that what He Yao said was indeed reasonable. Returning would inevitably lead to punishment, and he might even be treated as a deserter. It would be better to just hang out outside and have some peace and quiet. So the two of them completely gave up on returning to the sect, wandering around until they finally joined Liu Qi.

Zhang Qi patted He Yao's shoulder vigorously, his strength somewhat ostentatious, his eyes gleaming with undisguised pride. "Of course! With our brothers' abilities, we'll have a good life out there. Who within a hundred miles would dare not give us some respect?"

Seeing him pick up on the topic, He Yao immediately smiled knowingly, a glint of understanding flickering in his eyes. Later, the two of them left the sect together, hoping to make a name for themselves with their martial arts skills. Unexpectedly, during a street argument, they ran into Liu Qi. Liu Qi was a prominent figure in the local area, with many followers under his wing. Seeing Zhang Qi and He Yao's extraordinary skills, who easily defeated their opponents, he immediately became interested in winning them over, promising them numerous benefits.

The two, anxious about where to stay, decided to join Liu Qi's group. Their days were free, free from the daily training they'd endured in the sect, and free from the chores of sweeping and fetching water. Liu Qi would only intervene when he encountered a problem he couldn't resolve—like a dispute with another gang over territory, or when someone came looking for trouble. Over time, the two men had long since shed their initial restraints in the sect, completely letting go, completely disregarding the rules and regulations of the sect, the teachings of their teachers, and the rules of the sect.

In order to avoid being recognized by the people of the Tiger Sect - after all, they had sneaked out of the sect in the first place, and their departure was not glorious. If they were found by people from the sect, they would inevitably cause trouble, and they might even be stripped of their martial arts and taken back to the sect to be punished - the two of them deliberately changed their appearance: their hair was left long and tied casually behind their heads with a thick rope, and the loose hair on their foreheads covered their eyebrows; their clothes were also changed into the most eye-catching martial arts style, with a washed-out cloak covering their short tights. They walked with the wind, and compared with their previous plain sect clothes, they were completely different people.

Liu Qi looked at the two "masters," feeling somewhat helpless—they were both capable and arrogant, refusing to drink anything but fine wine or eat anything but delicious food—but he didn't dare neglect them. After all, many difficult matters would be difficult to handle without them. He personally poured each of them a cup of the finest Biluochun tea, the tea soup clear and fragrant. Then he stood up, a perfectly placed smile on his face, his tone earnest: "This time, I really need your help."

Zhang Qi took a sip of tea from the cup, letting the warm water flow down his throat. He then slowly raised his eyes to look at Liu Qi, his tone somewhat nonchalant. "Boss Liu, if you have something to say, just say it. You know, we brothers don't act rashly. If it's just a trivial matter, don't bother us."