Chapter 43 Deng Yuanjue
Although Qin Hui was an absolute villain, I have to admit that his analysis in this matter was spot-on. His ability to oversimplify things is something not everyone can do; it basically means assuming everyone is as despicable as him. I, Xiao Qiang, certainly couldn't do that. I remember Old Wu, who delivered our wine, refused my offer because he didn't want to waste the cartload of water he'd painstakingly hauled down the mountain, even though I offered him a good price. I didn't believe such a person would do anything underhanded.
But things had already come to this point, so I had no choice but to find a solution. Qin Hui's suggestion was to use torture to extract a confession, but I smashed a trash can in response. I've never seen anyone so wicked as to be so corrupt that they're practically oozing pus from their feet.
Before leaving, I pointed to the landline phone and told Qin Hui that whenever it rang, he should pick it up and listen to it; it would definitely be someone looking for him. Unexpectedly, the old man's eyes lit up and he immediately asked, "Then can I also find you through that?"
I sighed inwardly. No wonder this kid could kill without leaving a trace; he's got a sharp mind. He's the smartest client I've ever met, but unfortunately, he's never done anything good. I snapped, "What do you want from me? Stay put!"
Qin Hui feigned grievance and said, "Of course I won't look for you if nothing's wrong, but what if the house catches fire or something..."
I finally lost my temper and turned around to kick him twice in the butt. Qin Hui covered his butt with his hands while saying, "Really, really, I'm not threatening you. It's just that this house is shining everywhere, and it's making me really uneasy. What if it catches fire?"
Helpless, I could only teach him how to use the switch to operate the lights and write down my phone number. Qin Hui dialed the number, looked around, and then pointed at the TV, saying, "Is there opera in this? How do I do it?" Seeing my gloomy face, he hurriedly waved his hand, "Go away, go away, I'll figure it out myself—I'll contact you by phone." His words made me laugh in exasperation.
Stepping outside, I realized with a wry smile that two emperors and two heroes were crammed into a small house with me, while the heroic Liangshan outlaws and the loyal Yue Family Army could only live in single dormitories. Meanwhile, this infamous traitor, forever vilified, had a whole villa to himself. It seems history not only plays tricks on us, but reality does too.
The immediate crisis is at the bar. There's not much else we can do right now but find someone to follow Old Wu and see what's going on. I haven't decided on a candidate yet. If it's just a coincidence, there's no need to ask the heroes for help. If it's related to the Eight Heavenly Kings, we absolutely mustn't let them know for now, otherwise those bandits might do something outrageous.
It seems I'll have to do this myself. Just then, I received a farewell call from Tong Yuan. Her Crescent Moon team was leaving as soon as the martial arts tournament ended, the day after tomorrow. Actually, I'd received quite a few calls like this in the past few days. After this tournament, Yu Cai had certainly gained some notoriety. I'd made quite a few friends with the heroes; Duan Tianlang would have left too if he hadn't needed a couple of days to rest.
I chatted with Tong Yuan for a bit, telling her to be careful on the road. Just before hanging up, an idea suddenly struck me, and I asked, "Girl, do you bodyguards learn anything about surveillance?"
Tong Yuan said, "Nonsense. Do you think we bodyguards can only stop bullets?"
I said, "Could you help me track someone down?"
Tong Yuan said firmly, "My sister Baozi would never cheat on me!"
"...It's not that kind of thing."
"We won't do anything illegal or disorderly."
I had no choice but to explain my situation to her, and finally said, "Just treat it as a business deal, and charge according to your rules."
This time, Tong Yuan readily agreed, "Okay, leave it to me."
I wanted to tell her some other information, but she said impatiently, "Alright, alright, you can't even handle a water delivery tricycle, what kind of bodyguard are you?"
When I got home that night, Li Shishi pulled me aside and whispered, "Cousin, I have something to tell you."
"What's wrong?"
"I ran into some thugs today."
"Huh? What happened?"
"Don't worry, let me tell you slowly. Today, on my way back, I passed through a small alley and was blocked by four or five men. They first asked for my wallet, which I gave them, but then they tried to...bully me," Li Shishi said, blushing.
I rested my chin on my hand and looked her up and down, noticing no signs that her clothes had been torn, so I asked with a smile, "And then?"
"Then I slapped him across the face."
I said, "Well done!"
"Yes, that's what he said too."
I asked, puzzled, "Who?"
Li Shishi paused and said, "Just as those thugs were about to rush forward, a big bald man, about 1.9 meters tall, came over from the alley entrance. As he walked, he said, 'Well done.'"
I interjected, "Did those thugs say, 'Mind your own business'?"
Li Shishi glanced at me and said, "Before they could even speak, that bald guy came up and threw them all over the wall. As he threw them, he said that seeing these scumbags made him sick, and that this was called 'out of sight, out of mind,' Amitabha."
I asked in astonishment, "A monk?"
"It doesn't seem like it, it's just that the hair is very short."
I chuckled and said, "You're a hero saving a damsel in distress, but you didn't ask for his phone number..." As I spoke, I suddenly realized what was going on and grabbed Li Shishi's shoulders, shouting, "You're saying he took on several people by himself? How did he do it?"
Li Shishi pried my hand away and said with dissatisfaction, "Didn't I say four or five? He threw them all out of the alley."
I was secretly taken aback. Good heavens, this guy's strength was probably only slightly less than Xiang Yu's. I pressed on, "Did this person say anything to you?"
Li Shishi said, "That's the strange thing. After he saved me, he didn't even look at me. As he walked away, he said, 'Young lady, be careful in the future. I won't follow you anymore.' When he was almost at the alley entrance, he turned around and said to me, 'I saved you because you dared to slap me.' Then he disappeared."
I gasped. Judging from his appearance and skills, this man was most likely Deng Yuanjue, the Buddha of Precious Light, whom Wu Yong and the others had mentioned. He probably knew that Li Shishi had a connection with Liangshan, which was why he was following her. But even though they were enemies, this upright monk couldn't bear to see a girl being bullied, so he didn't hesitate to reveal his abilities to save Li Shishi. He certainly lived up to his reputation as a hero.
I asked Li Shishi, "Are you just going to let him leave like that?"
Li Shishi said, "I also felt that he was quite unusual, so I paid more attention to him. He was originally wearing a coat, but when he was fighting with someone, the buttons were popped open, and I saw a line of small words on his vest underneath."
I asked nervously, "Did you see it clearly?"
"Shenguang Machinery Factory!"
I excitedly patted her shoulder and said, "Well done, cousin!"
Just then, Baozi walked over and asked, "What did you do well?"
Li Shishi and I busied ourselves changing the subject. After Baozi left, I asked her, "Do you have time tomorrow?"
Li Shishi said, "They only start after 4 p.m.
"Okay, I'll contact you then, and we'll go to that place." I then realized that this girl was actually busier than me. I originally wanted to tell her about Qin Hui, but then I thought better of it. Although the two of them didn't have any direct grudges, Li Shishi definitely didn't like him. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, it would be troublesome if she leaked this information to Yue Fei's army.
After dinner, I spoke privately with the group of five, asking if they had been acting strangely lately. Liu Bang was busy trying to win back Black Widow's favor, so he was going out more often. However, this time the guy was being extra careful, changing taxis frequently. But he developed a special skill: he could stop the taxi just before the meter started ticking, which infuriated the drivers.