Compendio de hombres apuestos en el mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 96

The man bowed in response and then disappeared.

Li Lingke held a wine cup in one hand, looking at her with a smile: "It's been so long since we last met, Luo'er, don't you have anything to say to me?"

Duan Chen looked into his eyes, his voice clear and cold like a mountain spring: "Thank you."

Ru Mo slowly raised her eyebrows: "Hmm?"

Duan Chen remained expressionless and said softly, "Thank you for saving me last time, and thank you also for the antidote."

Li Linge scoffed, slammed down the wine cup between his fingers, leaned back on the soft couch, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice with a hint of questioning, "You like that kid?"

Duan Chen frowned slightly: "It's none of your business."

Li Lingge narrowed his eyes, seemingly displeased: "Luo'er, you are deliberately trying to anger me."

Duan Chen's voice was indifferent and devoid of any emotion: "Our relationship isn't close enough for you to address me like that."

Li Lingke stared at her silently for a long time, then a smile suddenly bloomed on his lips, fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, but a ruthless look was revealed between his brows: "Do you know that even your master wouldn't dare to speak to me like that?"

Duan Chen's body tensed slightly, his fingertips clenching his palms tightly, but his face remained calm and composed: "I've said it before. My master is my master, and I am me."

Li Lingke gave her a meaningful look and said in a hoarse voice, "Of course I know that."

As soon as he finished speaking, the beaded curtain by the door swayed slightly, making a crisp sound. The young man who had been there earlier stood outside the curtain, holding a wine jar, his eyes lowered, and said softly, "Master, the wine has arrived."

Li Lingge downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, then glanced at the commotion at the teahouse across the street, a glint of something sinister flashing in his eyes: "Come in."

The man brought in the wine, then bowed and withdrew. Li Lingke flicked his finger, lifted the red silk covering the wine jars, and with a flick and a turn of his hand, the two wine cups were instantly filled with clear liquid.

He picked up the wine cup and took a small sip, the clear liquid swirling on his tongue before he slowly swallowed. Li Lingke held the wine cup firmly, his other hand resting on his bent knee, and said with a smile, "Try it, the best pear blossom white wine in Bianjing. It tastes clear and sweet, but the aftereffects are quite strong. Those who can't hold their liquor will get drunk after a few cups, indulging in its sweetness but ultimately missing out on its full flavor."

Duan Chen's expression turned slightly cold, but Li Lingke seemed to think that wasn't enough. He slowly slid his tongue over his inner teeth and chuckled softly, "Just like you, Luo'er, those who are not strong enough may know how to appreciate, but if they fantasize about possessing, they will only suffer in the end."

Duan Chen looked at him coldly and said, word by word, "I am not wine. I can choose what I want, and no one else has the right to interfere."

Li Lingke smiled leisurely and took another sip of wine: "Luo'er, that's why you're still too green. In this world, the strong rule, and the weak are always at the mercy of others."

Duan Chen's mind raced, and he curled his lips into a smile as he replied, "Then why were your men so careless, letting someone remove their heart without any resistance?" It's said that a strong general has no weak soldiers under his command. If that person was truly Li Lingke's subordinate, so weak and easily defeated, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Li family? Duan Chen said this partly to test Li Lingke's true intentions in inviting him, and partly to provoke him, hoping he would restrain himself and stop giving him ambiguous answers.

Li Lingke's hand holding the wine cup paused, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his azure eyes suddenly contracted. Then, he raised his head and laughed loudly, "Good, good, good!" He said "good" three times in a row. Li Lingke leaned forward slightly, his slightly hoarse voice containing a hint of amusement, and sighed, word by word, "I just like your personality!" After saying that, he looked at her with a half-smile, his expression somewhat subtle.

Li Lingke tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup, letting the clear liquid spill onto his half-open robe. With his eyes half-lowered and seemingly casually flicking his sleeve, he sent the wine jar on the table flying directly toward an open window of a teahouse across the street.

At this moment, pedestrians were coming and going on the street. Just as the wine jar was about to smash towards a young woman by the roadside stall, a snow-white figure suddenly darted out from the vermilion window. She caught the swirling wine jar with one hand, and at the same time, she flicked the folding fan in her sleeve, causing the jade-bone fan to open halfway and land steadily on the low table in front of Duan Chen.

Duan Chen reached out and pressed down on the spinning folding fan. She slightly raised her phoenix eyes and saw Li Lingke staring at her with a smile. The two of them looked across the street at the same time. Zhan Yun stood to the side, holding a wine jar in one hand. The woman in the light green dress next to him was smiling and thanking him.

Nodding slightly to the unfamiliar woman, Zhan Yun turned halfway around to look at her, his crescent-shaped eyes half-clouded with gloom, and his handsome face showing anger. Li Lingke, however, deliberately raised an eyebrow, a hint of provocation flashing in his azure eyes, and a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Zhan Yun glanced away coldly, but when she looked at Duan Chen again, her expression had returned to its usual gentle tone, a faint smile playing on her lips, as if to reassure her. Looking at the others by the window, they had just sat back down, their expressions not very pleasant.

Li Lingge chuckled softly, "What are we going to do? You gave away a whole jar of the finest pear blossom wine to your sweetheart. What will Luo'er give me in return?"

Duan Chen withdrew his gaze, knowing that this person was deliberately teasing him. He boldly met the other person's eyes with his clear, cold phoenix eyes, and said softly with a slight smile, "Tell me everything you know, and I'll help you find the murderer."

Li Lingge feigned difficulty by frowning slightly, but calmly tapped the table with his index finger: "I see...it seems I'm at a disadvantage..."

Duan Chen looked at him without changing his expression: "After finding the real culprit, if you have the ability to get ahead of the government officials..." Seeing Li Linke raise one eyebrow, Duan Chen continued softly, "I can pretend I don't know anything." As long as Li Linke has the ability, whether to kill or punish the murderer is entirely up to him.

Li Lingke remained silent for a long time, staring intently at the person, his smile growing ever wider. Turning his head to look at the group of people at the teahouse across the street, Li Lingke sighed softly, "You've made quite a few good friends these past few years away."

Duan Chen didn't reply. Li Linke turned his head, his brows furrowing with regret: "I really hate to let you go."

"Although Western Xia is located in the northwest, it has become increasingly prosperous over the past few decades. While it may not be as gentle as the water towns of Jiangnan, it has its own unique charm..." Li Lingke said, toying with the empty wine cup between his fingers, a hint of loneliness showing between his brows. "There are all kinds of people in this world, but a woman as interesting as you is truly rare..."

Hearing his words, Duan Chen noticed that they were not as frivolous as before, but rather showed a rare sincerity, and his expression softened slightly.

Li Lingke suddenly smiled, his rosy lips curving into a sly smile: "However, the situation is still uncertain, and it's too early to say anything. Perhaps one day, Luo'er, you will bear my Li family name!"

Duan Chen's eyes turned slightly cold, and he remained silent, pursing his lips.

Li Linke took in the changes in her expression, slammed down the wine cup, let out a long sigh, and smiled with a hint of helplessness: "You little girl, do you know how much effort I've put into you... only to have that brat beat you to it? No one would be willing to accept that."

Duan Chen remained expressionless, glancing sideways at the window, his cold gaze locking onto the snow-white figure. His health wasn't fully recovered, and his earlier exertion of internal energy, coupled with his obvious anger, might have damaged his vitality…

Li Lingke narrowed his eyes, following her gaze, then turned to stare at her slightly aloof face. Feeling slightly displeased, Li Lingke tossed a wine cup, the pale blue beaded curtain making a crisp sound. The cup was caught in time, and the person from before appeared at the door with their head bowed.

"The person you want. If you ever need to see me in the future, just come here to find him." Li Lingke's voice was slightly hoarse, his deep blue eyes fixed on the woman across the table.

Duan Chen turned his gaze to him, nodded slightly, and then got up and walked outside.

Looking at that slender figure, Li Lingke couldn't help but scoff, a faint mockery appearing in his eyes. In this world, there are people even more heartless than himself!

Following the man to the outer room, Duan Chen stopped and said softly, "I have some friends waiting for me at the teahouse across the street."

The young man nodded: "Please go ahead, sir."

Soon, the group followed Duan Chen to the Green Gauze Shop and carefully inquired about the deceased's basic information. Zhan Yun borrowed paper and ink from the shopkeeper and wrote down everything the man said.

It was noon, and the group said goodbye to the man and found a restaurant nearby for lunch.

As usual, Duan Chen sat between Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting, followed by Zhou Yufei, Xiao Changqing, and Zuo Xin. While waiting for the food, Xiao Changqing opened his eyes wide and asked Duan Chen, "Little Duan, I noticed that guy surnamed Li laughed several times while he was talking to you. What were you two saying?"

The others also looked at Duan Chen. Duan Chen pursed his lips, his phoenix eyes lowered: "It's nothing. I just made a deal with him."

Duan Chen looked up at Zhao Ting and Zhou Yufei: "I told him that once the real culprit is found, if he has the ability to arrest people before us, let him be, we won't ask him for the people."

Zhou Yufei raised an eyebrow, his peach blossom eyes glancing at Zhan Yun with a hint of mockery, then he smiled at Duan Chen: "Duan Chen, what you did wasn't very ethical. For your Xingzhi, you even betrayed me and Lord Cao!"