A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 85 Start taking action

“Sister! Sister!!”

Tuoba Yun suddenly screamed, startling Li Weizhou. The surrounding maids also tensed up, first looking at Tuoba Yun, then looking to the west.

Tuoba Tuya slowly walked out of the room separated by the tiger-shaped screen on the west side.

Compared to yesterday, she had shed her fox fur coat and the curved sword at her waist, but she still couldn't hide her heroic and noble aura.

Her black hair was loosely tied into a neat high bun, secured only by a gold hairpin carved with a gyrfalcon, with a few stray strands falling casually by her ears, adding a touch of languor.

The earrings were two unpolished turquoise stones, simply threaded through with a deerskin cord, swaying gently with her movements.

"Sister, come quick! Come quick!!"

Tuoba Yun jumped up and down with excitement, then picked up the silver pot and poured hot water onto another brown lion. Soon, another golden lion appeared.

Before the invention of temperature-sensitive materials, what else could this be but a miracle?

Even someone as wise as Tuoba Tuya stared blankly at the lion, lost in thought.

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "These little gadgets I obtained by chance happen to match the Little Prince's name. Actually, if it weren't for that, these two lions wouldn't be so valuable."

Tuoba Tuya snapped out of her daze, stared at Li Weizhou for a long while, and then solemnly said, "No, even if it weren't for Tuoba Yun, these would still be a pair of treasures. Young Master Li, what do you desire?"

Li Weizhou waved his hand and said, "There is a saying in the Central Plains: 'The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water.' This means that friendship is valued for its simplicity, and that getting along is as natural as water. It is also because these two lions match the name of Tuoba Yun that I would not have given them as gifts so casually. If you insist on returning the gift, it will seem like a business transaction, which is not my intention, nor is it the friendship between me and Tuoba Yun. If we really calculate it like this, he is a prince and I am a commoner, and we will not be able to make friends."

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Yun, whose expression had been quite strained, beamed with joy and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, Li Weizhou, you're absolutely right! That's exactly it! But next time I give you a gift, you can't refuse! We're friends!!"

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "I certainly won't refuse something suitable, but don't give me a gift on purpose, that would be cliché."

With Tuoba Tuya's wisdom, it would have been easy for him to come up with a rebuttal to such a statement. Many of the princes and their brothers had studied Han culture and naturally knew the saying "reciprocity is the best policy".

But looking at Li Weizhou's handsome face and clear eyes, she suddenly didn't want to argue anymore.

Compared to Li Weizhou who was bundled up tightly yesterday, Li Weizhou looked much better today; he was arguably the most handsome man she had ever seen.

Its pristine appearance reminded her of the trickling streams after the snow melted from the mountains and the newly blooming Gesang flowers on the grassland.

After giving him a deep look, Tuoba Tuya turned and went back to the west room, never to come out again.

……

"Li Weizhou, who exactly are you?"

Tuoba Yun, perhaps suddenly enlightened, began questioning Li Weizhou after his sister's figure disappeared.

Li Weizhou didn't hide anything and told him about his background, and that he was able to come here entirely because of his cousin Li Changning's connections. He even clearly stated who Li Changning's master was.

Open and natural.

Tuoba Yun then asked Li Weizhou about his parents and family. Li Weizhou told him that he had lost his parents at a young age and had relied on his younger sister to survive through a lonely and difficult period. He also talked about how he had a sudden change of heart, had some extraordinary encounters, and finally took on the responsibility of being a brother. He said with some pride, "Ximei is doing very well now and is happy every day."

Tuoba Yun looked at Li Weizhou, who spoke eloquently, showing neither inferiority due to his background nor arrogance because of his extraordinary encounters that had greatly improved his life. Suddenly, he understood the word that his sister had taught him about Chinese classics the night before, a word whose specific meaning he couldn't recall at all:
A person of exceptional talent and elegance!
I'm so envious...

I wonder when he'll become like this...

Tuoba Yun took a deep breath, and just like in the scene he had seen before, he put on a very mature and old-fashioned demeanor and asked Li Weizhou about his future plans and whether it was possible for him to live on the grasslands.

He confidently assured them that the grassland was top-notch, and even described it according to the four seasons.

Blue sky, white clouds, swans, grasslands, lakes, hunting...

Most importantly, a great young man like Li Weizhou will attain a very high status and power, and will own his own pastures and herdsmen...

Li Weizhou smiled sincerely and said, "I aspire to be a merchant who travels the world, so that I can build a career while searching for my parents. My younger sister is still young and should be cared for by our parents. Besides, the world is so big, with countless beautiful sights and scenery, and I want to experience it all."

I am a person without great ambitions, unlike you, Prince, who bears the future of an entire tribe on your shoulders. You have worked very hard. If I find any new and interesting curiosities in the future, I will ask someone to send them to you to ease your burden a little.”

Tuoba Yun was moved again upon hearing this. After listening to Li Weizhou's description, he wanted to travel around like him. Fortunately, the final praise made Tuoba Yun straighten his chest again, and he said with a serious expression, "I have a very important mission. I am the future of the Qinghu tribe. I must protect my sister and my people!" However, he changed the subject and asked sincerely, "Don't you really want to come to the grasslands? The grasslands are really fun!"

Li Weizhou said happily, "I will go. The grassland is so vast, and the scenery you described is so beautiful. I will definitely go in the future. But I heard that you need a waist token to cross between different tribes? It might be more convenient for me to go when you become the ruler of the entire grassland."

Tuoba Yun said speechlessly, "Then when will we be able to wait..." Fortunately, he had a plan. In the Qinghu King's tent, there were several identity tokens from other kings' tents. When the time came, Li Weizhou could use these tokens to cross their territories and come to the Qinghu tribe to play with him!

He even meticulously planned the route for Li Weizhou...

The Green Fox tribe resides in Qingqiu, three thousand miles to the east, requiring them to traverse the territories of several royal camps; they cannot afford to be careless…

……

It was nearly dusk when I left the Green Fox King's tent.

Li Weizhou had a very fruitful day, and Tuoba Yun was extremely grateful to him, cherishing the two lion figurines like precious jewels.

If Li Weizhou were to propose to his sister today, and if he could make the decision, Li Weizhou would probably be home with his sister by now.

The two addressed each other as brothers, ate roasted lamb leg, drank milk tea, and chatted about everything under the sun.

He politely declined all the treasures that Tuoba Yun offered him, but they discussed the procedures and details of the Han and Hu people's raids on the grasslands very thoroughly.

The grasslands and valleys of the various princely mansions and sects of the Great Qian Dynasty were where secret transactions took place. While the parties might not understand each other's languages—some royal tents didn't even allow the use of Han language—Li Weizhou gained a great deal of knowledge about how to communicate using hand gestures and how to bargain!
Besides the immortal herb, what the Green Fox tribe wanted most this time was food. Tuoba Yun was attending the horse market for the first time, and being competitive, he did his homework in advance and knew everything about it.

They were all a little reluctant to part, until Li Weizhou promised to visit the Qinghu tribe a year from now.

However, in the end, he still gave him a 500-year-old ginseng king and a box of 100-year-old ginseng as a parting gift.

Even in Donghu, a 500-year-old ginseng king is the best of the best, a treasure that is hard to come by.

Given the pride of the royal court, how could they accept a gift and not reciprocate?

Li Weizhou knew, of course, that this was prepared by his sister Tuoba Tuya, so he didn't refuse too much.

……

"elder sister!"

After seeing Li Weizhou off, Tuoba Yun returned to his tent and saw Tuoba Tuya playing with his lion. He immediately became nervous and took a few steps forward, forcing a smile as he tried to take it back.

However, after Tuoba Tuya glanced at him, he immediately became obedient.

Tuoba Tuya poured hot water evenly over the lion, and after it turned golden again, she asked her brother, "Do you like this Han Chinese so much?"

Tuoba Yun pursed his lips and nodded, saying, "I think he's no ordinary person."

Tuoba Tuya smiled and said, "How could an ordinary person possess such a divine object?" She paused, then added in a slightly unfriendly tone, "So, you plan to sell me to him?"

Tuoba Yun's eyes lit up; she understood... Then she jumped up and cried out, "Sister, I didn't mean that at all! I meant he could come to our tribe! It would be more convenient for us to have a Han Chinese help us buy food. Sister, Li Weizhou also lost his grandfather and family at a young age, but they were siblings, and we are brother and sister. Besides, he's not as good a brother as you are! I wanted him to come and learn from you, so that Ximei wouldn't suffer!" She patted her chest and swore, "My sister has never made me suffer!"

This hypocrisy made Tuoba Tuya laugh in exasperation. She said, "You haven't misjudged him. This person is indeed extraordinary. So, unless one day you become the ruler of the grasslands and the ruler of the world, he will not do what you say he will do for you."

Having said that, he wasn't bothered by the scorching hot surface of the lion figurines at all. He picked one up, examined it closely, put it in his sleeve pocket, and got up to leave.

Her pristine white feet trod on the magnificent carpet, yet not even the finest fibers bent, as if floating on air, each step a lotus blossom, as she returned to the west wing.

When Tuoba Yun saw him, he was filled with admiration and worship!

The reason his sister was able to protect her younger brother and remain firmly in the Green Fox King's tent amidst the treacherous Donghu region was because of this!
Even though he lost one of his beloved lions... he wasn't angry at all!

Seriously, I'm not angry at all!

Wiping away his tears, Tuoba Yun carefully hid the remaining lion.

An old woman in the corner of the royal tent, who had never spoken, nodded with satisfaction upon seeing this scene. She glanced at the White Tiger Hall to the west, her eyes filled with envy.

There is a small group of people in this world whose talent is so exceptional that it inspires despair.

The saying "the dragon gate is hard to leap" is a joke to such people.

If Li Weizhou were here, he would understand people like this very well, because he knows many people like that.

For example, Schrödinger at nineteen, Gauss at nineteen, Bohr at twenty, and Dirac in his early twenties, and so on.

They're all the same kind of jerks, and he can't be bothered with them at all...

……

As dusk fell, the wind and snow returned.

The Han-Hu Grand Competition starts tomorrow. I wonder if the fourth brother has invited the Commander of the Capital Region to oversee it.

However, these were not things she could interfere with. Li Weizhou took out her makeup box and began to apply makeup.

After applying foundation to whiten her face, drawing eyebrows, wearing colored contact lenses, drawing eyeliner, and applying blush, she put on a tall hat to cover herself up and quietly went out.

After passing several secluded corners, Li Weizhou quietly changed into the long gowns worn by the eunuchs of the Prince of Jin's mansion.

Oh, and I also sprayed Mendolos's Blood perfume into my crotch.

It's described as perfume, yet it blends a strong, sharp, and urine-like ointment-like scent...

With his orchid-like fingers raised, who dares to say he isn't a genuine eunuch?

Suppressing his swagger, Li Weizhou took out the waist tokens he had previously looted from the five eunuchs of the Prince of Jin's residence and put them in his sleeve pocket, ready to react at any time.

On the streets, many people carrying large and small bags were walking around, mostly people from the Prince of Jin's residence.

Li Weizhou blended in quietly, completely inconspicuous in the darkness and howling snow...

This horse market camp is a gathering place for countless masters from all the great sects and clans in the world, but because of this, there are hardly any people patrolling the streets.

This proves the saying that the most dangerous place is the safest place.

When they stopped in front of a gatehouse on the east side of the stone platform, which had a blue fox carved on its gate, a large coarse cloth bag appeared behind them. Inside was a large box of silver ingots that had been prepared in advance, as well as a box of high-quality dendrobium.

The curtain suddenly opened a crack, and a hand reached out from the gap. Li Weizhou handed over a waist token engraved with the character "Jin". A moment later, a middle-aged Hu man who looked like a shopkeeper appeared and politely welcomed him inside...

……

(End of this chapter)