Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 412 The Yuan Surname
Zhou You continued toying with the sword, speaking without even looking up.

Who is your parent?

He spoke very rudely, even blatantly impolite. Upon seeing this, some of the soldiers nearby immediately tried to speak up, but were quickly stopped by the officer.

Then, he continued respectfully.

"I'm so sorry, there are too many people around here, it's really not the time to reveal my identity, but the lord specifically instructed me before sending me here that he is a friend of Master Feng."

To his surprise, Zhou You simply rolled his eyes.

"It seems you've done some investigation. I've been brazenly charging in all this time, not intending to hide anything from anyone, but..."

"Shang Jun has so many friends, how can I possibly keep track of them all? No, no."

Seeing that someone was about to turn and leave, the officer hurriedly said something.

"Also, the master once said that he has something that Master Feng Er has entrusted to him. If you have time, it would be best if you went there."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou You interrupted.

“My job is to escort Shang Jun. Now that they’ve said they don’t need me anymore, why should I go and do it? No way, no way!”

Hearing these blunt words, one of the soldiers finally lost his temper and raised his crossbow to threaten him.

"You rascal, you're asking for trouble, aren't you? My master is a man of great stature; it's an honor for you to be invited like this."

However, a large fist suddenly slapped him on the back of the head.

"Are you an idiot?! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you! Even that old scoundrel Yu was defeated by this guy, and he didn't even break a scratch the whole time. Are you trying to kill us all?!"

After reprimanding him, the officer looked up and cried out in a panic.

"Wait, sir, just a moment. Oh, right, our master's surname is Yuan. Master Feng must have mentioned it to you."

He had already given up hope, but upon hearing those words, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Then, she turned around and looked at him calmly.

"You said your father's surname is Yuan?"

Yes, him.

"what is it call?"

The officer's face immediately showed a conflicted expression.

"This... it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that I really can't mention it, but you'll find out as soon as you come along—oh, right, there's also this token, it's something Second Master specifically used to make contact, please take a look."

However, Zhou You only glanced at it and walked straight past the officer before turning around and speaking.

"What are you waiting for? Aren't you in a hurry? Hurry up and go."

"Hey!"

After a while, the place quieted down.

Lei Hun and his men had all been moved away, leaving the pristine white ground stained with stark, glaringly red bloodstains. The returning civilians dared not touch them, simply circling around them from a distance.

But in any case, there will always be some minor rumors and gossip.

Seeing that no one was paying attention, the snowdrift by the roadside thumped a few times, and a disheveled head popped out from it—it was Zhang San.

He wiped the snow off his face, looked around, and then recalled the figure from earlier. A thousand thoughts finally converged into one sentence.

"Damn, this is amazing!"
-
Meanwhile, Zhou You casually entered the city with his troops.

He wasn't worried about an ambush. First, the officer had indeed produced a token of the revolutionaries. Second, he was now mostly well-equipped, especially with the Buddha's relic in hand. If he really wanted to break out, it wouldn't be difficult.

Fortunately for him and for these people, the soldiers didn't seem to have that intention.

The officer treated him with utmost respect throughout the journey. To put it nicely, he was treated with courtesy; to put it bluntly, he was treated like a grandfather.

It felt good, but Zhou You was also a little curious about it—how much had his reputation been spread in just a few dozen days?
Upon hearing this question, the officer lowered his head and answered respectfully.

"It is good that you have heard that the whole Northland has heard that the old thief led all the elites of the evil path, with a hundred or so people, to surround and kill you. In the end, not only did he fail, but his entire army was wiped out, and even his fate is unknown. You have single-handedly brought decades of peace to the Northland. Such merit is immeasurable. People have already begun to set up memorial tablets and statues for you."

He paused, then looked at the heads hanging at the end of the line and gave a mocking smile.

"That Lei Hun is too stupid. If he had asked a few more questions, he would have cowered like a quail and would never have dared to come and talk about revenge."

As they spoke, the group passed through the second city gate and arrived at the relatively quiet inner city.

Zhou You looked around and, not knowing what he saw, suddenly sighed.

"Judging from this city, your parents are doing a good job governing it."

—This is not just a polite remark.

Due to the Qing government's inaction, coupled with several major disasters this year, many places have reached the point of cannibalism, and hundreds or even thousands of people have abandoned their homes and fled.

And this city
It wasn't exactly a great situation, and many people were malnourished, but there weren't many corpses of those who had died violently, and there were soup kitchens for disaster relief on some main roads.

Upon hearing this, the officer's face immediately revealed an arrogant expression.

"That's right. Our lord is a rare good person in this chaotic world. Everyone else would rather these disaster victims die as far away as possible, but he doesn't care about age or status. He takes in as many as he can, and even those he can't take in are placed near the military camp so that they at least have something to eat."

Looking at the proud expression on that face, and recalling what Zhang San had just said, Zhou You shook his head and did not answer, but changed the subject.

"Where is your master's residence located, and when will you arrive?"

The officer quickly whispered something.

"Please keep your voice down, sir. My master's status is rather special, and the Qing court has been suppressing him, so he doesn't live in the Marshal's Mansion. Instead, he found a secluded courtyard as his residence. Although we don't have to worry about that now, my master says he's used to it and is too lazy to move. You see, we've arrived."

Upon hearing this, Zhou You looked up and saw only an elegant mansion.

From the outside, it doesn't look unusual at all; it seems to be just an ordinary wealthy family, except that they live in a very remote place, and there isn't a single person in sight around.

However, the soldiers all stopped in their tracks. Some took the bloodied heads to the yamen to close the case, while others became guards on the spot, hiding in various corners. Only the officer remained by their side, gesturing for them to enter.

Zhou You nodded and stepped in first without hesitation.

Just as he had expected, there was indeed something special inside the courtyard.

The courtyard is a three-section structure with hanging flower gate towers opening one after another, and covered corridors winding like a dragon's spine. Although I did not examine it closely, I could feel an air of overwhelming wealth and power from afar.

Furthermore, in some places, there are traces of magical formations, most of which are very well hidden, but they are clearly set up by experts.

"Gathering energy, generating wealth, protecting the home, warding off evil, serving as a warning, and this dragon-gathering formation set up by the feng shui compass... Hiss... Could it be..."

Zhou You muttered to himself, and after entering, the officer did not rush to lead the way, but instead spoke respectfully.

"Sir, you must be tired from your long journey. This place is relatively safe now. Would you like to rest first, take a nice bath, and freshen up, or..."

Zhou You answered directly.

"Go see your parents first."

Without questioning, the officer led Zhou You through several winding covered walkways, finally arriving at a section of the mansion. It was a small courtyard with a small artificial lake in the center, though it was frozen solid in the dead of winter, and a delicate pavilion beside the lake.

Among them, two people seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

The officer didn't approach, but instead saluted from a distance and walked out. Zhou You, on the other hand, merely glanced at him, then walked in with a smile and without any hesitation.

Then, he sat down as if he were very familiar with the place, sniffed the dishes that were clearly prepared in advance, and suddenly laughed.

I don't know what method the host used, but even though the temperature was almost freezing, the dishes on the table were still steaming. Zhou You picked up his chopsticks and casually picked up a piece of beef—when he put it in his mouth, he could even feel its delicate and chewy texture.

But eating meat alone wasn't enough, so he glanced at a wine pot on the table, picked it up without asking the two men, and poured himself a cup—

But after only one sip, he spat it out.

It's not that there was any poison in it, but the taste is just too damn bland.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou You took off the wine gourd from his waist, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and then exhaled a satisfied puff of white air.

At this moment, a middle-aged man sitting in the main seat in the pavilion finally spoke with a smile.

However, the first sentence was not addressed to Zhou You, but to the old man next to him who was over fifty years old.

“Old Cheng, I’ve already told you to prepare some strong liquor when entertaining guests, but you wouldn’t listen and insisted on serving this bland stuff—see, people aren’t happy about it, are they?”

The man called Old Man Cheng tugged at his goatee, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly said.

"That's not right. People from the White Gate usually eat a light diet to avoid being exposed to yin energy. How come this kid eats both meat and vegetables?"

The middle-aged man was just joking. After saying that, he turned his head, looked at Zhou You's wine gourd for a while, and then suddenly said something.

"Hey buddy, I haven't had this kind of strong liquor in a while because of health issues. If you don't mind, could you bring me some?"

"Master, you..."

Before Cheng Lao could stop him, Zhou You casually filled a cup and then pushed it over with his greasy hands.

The middle-aged man didn't pay any attention, pressed the bottle down, sniffed it, and then drank it all in one gulp.

After a long while, he finally uttered a sigh.

"Excellent wine! It's rare to see such strong liquor!"

Zhou You was gnawing on a leg of lamb at the moment, and said something indistinctly.

"You just accepted it like that? Aren't you afraid I'll poison the drink?"

The middle-aged man responded with the same words.

"Brother, you just casually took your seat like that. Aren't you afraid I'll poison the food?"

They stared at each other for a few seconds, then burst into laughter simultaneously.

Then, the middle-aged man stood up first and introduced himself.

"My surname is Li, and my given name is... well, I don't need a pseudonym anymore. My surname is Yuan, my given name is Chengwen, and my courtesy name is Xi'an. I am the fourth child in my family. Young man, no, I should say Mr. Zhou—if you don't mind, you can call me Yuan Si."

After saying that, he pointed to the old man next to him.

"This is a guest retainer I hired. Like you, young brother, he is a member of the Nine Schools of Thought. His name is Cheng Hua, and you..."

Suddenly, Old Cheng clasped his hands in a fist salute and then spoke.

"In feng shui, the Dragon Gate seeker, Chenghua, I wonder how the old man who holds the banner of the White Gate is doing now?"

Zhou You finally stopped eating, stood up, and calmly returned the greeting.

"Bai Men, disciple Zhou You—Thank you for your concern. My master is doing well, eating, drinking, playing, and having fun as he pleases. He's now happily swindling and cheating everywhere, and has a beautiful young woman by his side."

Old Cheng's expression darkened slightly.

"Is Li Zhangfan still stuck in that cycle? Oh well, if we happen to run into each other again, please give him my regards."

However, before he could finish speaking, the sound of a glass being tapped rang out from the side.

Turning around, I saw Yuan Chengwen tapping his porcelain cup, feigning complaint.

"Hey, Mr. Cheng, this is supposed to be a banquet I hosted, why are you two being so polite?"

Old Cheng bowed awkwardly and stepped back, while Zhou You looked at the middle-aged man and suddenly spoke.

"I said, aren't you named Yuan Shikai?"

The question was so abrupt that it startled the middle-aged man.

However, he quickly realized what he meant and replied with a smile.

"This brother has probably mistaken me for someone else. This is my name all my life, I've never had it before."

However, someone interrupted again.

Do you have a family member named Yuan Shikai?

"No, as far as I know, there isn't any, but I'm not sure about those beyond the fifth degree of kinship."

"Do you plan to change your name to Yuan Shikai later?"

—What is the question?
This time, the middle-aged man was completely speechless. He remained silent for a long time before answering seriously.

"Sir, my name was given to me by my parents. Although it's not a very nice name, I have no intention of changing it."

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Zhou You simply shrugged and gave up.

"Then one last question."

"Sir, please speak."

"Why did you go to all this trouble to find me?"

Yuan Chengwen was slightly taken aback, but did not answer directly. Instead, he sat down and also picked up a piece of food.

"Sir, could you give me some more of that wine?"

Zhou You simply poured another full glass and then pushed it over.

Yuan Chengwen accepted the drink again, but this time he didn't drink it all at once. Instead, he took a few sips and then said.

"Actually, wills and discussions are just pretexts."

"My purpose this time is simply to see what you look like, sir."

"And let's see who exactly was sent off on his final journey."

"That's all."

(End of this chapter)