Chaotic World Book-Chapter 254 - 249 I Treat You Especially Well

Zhao Changhe found it difficult to judge whether this was just a random encounter... If it wasn’t, and the man was specifically waiting here for him, that would be quite extraordinary indeed.

Eighteen Changhes had dispersed in all directions, and before this, he hadn’t even known which door he would take—it was a completely random choice. How could this person have predicted his movements? Or was he following behind, arriving first despite starting later, even faster than galloping through the snow on a Wuzhui?

Unable to figure it out, Zhao Changhe simply decided to treat it as a normal encounter, and sat down cheerfully opposite the old man: "Although I also enjoy a drink or two, old man, it’s not good to drink on an empty stomach in the morning."

"Who says I’m on an empty stomach? Aren’t there peanuts here?" the old man pushed the peanuts a bit closer to him: "Want some?"

Zhao Changhe snapped his fingers at the waiter: "Bring some steamed buns."

Soon, the steaming hot steamed buns were brought over, and Zhao Changhe pushed them towards the old man: "Help fill your stomach."

He grabbed a bun himself and devoured it quickly, then leisurely poured a cup of wine, treating it as a beverage to accompany the buns.

The old man also took a bun and ate slowly, watching Zhao Changhe wolf down his food without interrupting, a laughter twinkled in his eyes.

It wasn’t until Zhao Changhe finished one bun that the old man spoke: "You have a good appetite. As strong as a person, so is the blade."

Zhao Changhe, gnawing on the second bun, looked up at him: "Old man, you recognize this blade?"

"With such a unique blade, who wouldn’t take a second look, even if they had never seen it before?"

"Is the old man a high-ranking official?"

"Suppose so," replied the old man, sipping his drink, and counter-asked, "Does it not seem so?"

"It doesn’t really seem so, at least I’ve never seen a high-ranking official without even a single attendant."

"So, young brother, what do you think of such an official?"

Zhao Changhe squinted at him for a long while before slowly saying, "Whether an official is good or bad can’t be seen from this kind of place."

"How can you tell, then?"

Zhao Changhe pointed to the edge of the post station, where a beggar curled up in a corner, still asleep: "This is the Capital, under the foot of the Emperor, old man, don’t you find it quite an eyesore?"

The old man said: "Since it’s an eyesore, what if I kill him?"

Zhao Changhe’s gaze turned stern, but the old man remained nonchalant, continuing to pour and drink his own wine.

Yet Zhao Changhe suddenly laughed: "I think the barbarians are more of an eyesore, old man. How about killing some of them?"

The old man once again smiled, "Indeed, they can be killed too."

"What if I find the old man displeasing? Will you slash your own throat?"

"Then please, young brother, do the honor yourself."

"No one, no me, no one who cannot be killed?"

"It’s just that a fist is the argument. For instance, if you want to rid the world of beggars, first you must let others follow your method. If you can only ask others, then you can only get others’ methods. Even if you disagree, it’s useless because you have no control."

Zhao Changhe nodded slightly: "True."

"Young brother, where are you heading after leaving the Capital?"

"Yanmen."

"The beggars can only be dealt with in the Capital."

"The barbarians can only be dealt with in Yanmen."

"Is that so?" laughed the old man: "Just like killing beggars won’t make beggars disappear. Killing barbarians won’t make the barbarian threat vanish. To solve the root of the barbarian problem, it’s still in the Capital, not Yanmen."

Zhao Changhe was silent for a moment before slowly saying: "As you said, it’s useless for me to disagree in the Capital, I have no control."

"Were you originally planning to take control?"

Zhao Changhe, squinting at him, unconsciously nibbled on the bun, as if trying to eat quickly to gain the strength to deal with unexpected changes.

The old man chuckled meaningfully, then suddenly changed the topic: "Young brother, at the Zhang Family Tavern last evening, you drank a bowl of alcohol and punched someone. When the jar emptied, all were silenced; what joy that was. Why did you hurry away before dawn, seemingly with unfinished business, such a pity. Since we meet by chance, may I inquire the reason?"

Zhao Changhe cautiously said, "I was just in the Capital for some fun, and left when there was nothing else to do, what is there to linger for?"

The old man grinned: "Ending like that, is it not because there was unfinished business, and you left in regret?"

Zhao Changhe simply asked: "Old man, have you been waiting here for me to help me complete this unfinished business?"

"You could think of it that way."

Zhao Changhe swallowed the bun, almost choking.

His unfinished business was what?

It was to see Xia Longyuan with his own eyes.

Tang Wanzhuang and Huangfu Qing could both tell that their ruckus at the tavern was meant to catch Xia Longyuan’s attention and secure an audience... Regardless, he was surely aware that Zhao Changhe was the inheritor of the Six Harmonies Divine Skill and Dragon Sparrow. Since he let it happen, communication was not out of the question.

It seemed highly likely that Xia Longyuan had a clear understanding of what transpired between him and Xia Chichi from beginning to end... Having come all this way, Zhao Changhe felt it better to meet directly rather than hide anything.

But visiting the gambling house for intelligence had scared him... If Xia Longyuan would consider killing his own son, his mental state might be questionable, and the consequences of a meeting uncertain. Together with information from Huangfu Qing, it seemed Yuan likely that the Xia Longyuan he could meet wouldn’t be genuine, and meeting a fake could be worthless, perhaps even more inclined to kill him.

Tang Wanzhuang knew what worried him most was His Majesty.

The situation did not align with prior expectations, so leaving seemed best. Thus, the journey ended ineffectually, and he slinked away into the night, abandoning the notion of meeting Xia Longyuan.

Yet, the person before him then claimed to be there to help him finish his unfinished business.

Damn it!

Don’t tell me this is Xia Longyuan!

Not only was it Xia Longyuan, but it also was the real deal! At the very least, it was genuinely setup for an exchange.

However, Zhao Changhe felt the significance of sending someone was minimal. Finding a subject more loyal than Tang Wanzhuang was not easy; she was the best messenger, making it unnecessary to send anyone else. Since he’d come to meet, it was most likely him in person.

Previously, even though Zhao Changhe had speculated countless times about this elder’s identity, he had never imagined encountering Xia Longyuan under these circumstances, looking all smiles like an old man by the roadside just here for a chat. Completely unprepared, he was utterly baffled.

If this guy wanted to kill him, he might as well just wash up and go to sleep.

Holding onto the last bit of hope, Zhao Changhe cautiously ventured, "We’ve spoken at length, yet I don’t know your esteemed name."

The elder’s smile was mirthful yet not, "Whoever you think I am, I am."

Dammit.

Zhao Changhe bluntly said, "Someone as incredible as you, just speak straightforwardly, why pretend to be some high official or old man, testing and probing? Does it hold any value? It only lowers your stature."

"Yes," Xia Longyuan replied nonchalantly. "For many, many years, no one treated me just as an old man, advising me not to drink so early in the day, to eat something first, even buying me buns to eat."

Zhao Changhe relayed, "You masters really love testing people, don’t you?"

Xia Longyuan remained silent.

"But I don’t think, someone like you would regard people differently for such trivial reasons. In your eyes, this probably doesn’t matter; anyone under your gaze is measured by their strengths and weaknesses."

"Is this how you see Xia Longyuan?"

"Isn’t it? When I said that beggar was an eyesore, your reaction was to have him killed."

Xia Longyuan thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Maybe you are right. At least I won’t spare you simply for a kindly offered bun."

"So, you’re not killing me because of something else? My son, perhaps?"

"Don’t you think I’ve been exceptionally kind to you?"

"?"

"Look, I know you came here with regrets, so I specifically came to fulfill what you sought in coming to the Capital, to let this trip be successful without wasting your efforts. Wouldn’t you say I’ve been good to you?"

Zhao Changhe responded speechlessly, "When you put it that way, definitely."

Xia Longyuan leisurely sipped his drink, continuing, "My cultivation technique, my daughter, my most loyal minister, and even my nominal imperial concubine, look, they are all yours. Have I ever troubled you? If I’m not kind to you, who in this world would be? A blind man?"

Zhao Changhe remained silent.

This Xia Longyuan was quite different from what he had imagined... but that was because the conversation had not delved deep, and the bigshot was still playing around.

No matter how much fun he poked, Zhao Changhe had finally met the only person in this world who could converse so casually about blind men with him.

He thought his trip to the Capital had been a mistake, utterly pointless, and had left in disarray.

Yet the true meaning lay waiting here.

"You should have come sooner. A bunch of kids speculating wildly, frightening themselves, it’s laughable. Who has the patience to scheme with a bunch of delusional ants?"

"..."

Xia Longyuan drained his cup, then stood up and said, "The autumn day is perfect, and the morning sun cheers the spirit. Shall you walk with me, father?"

Zhao Changhe was astonished.

After drifting for half a lifetime...

No, you were just discussing your daughter, which means you know everything. How did you suddenly claim to be the father?

The world’s foremost martial prowess wasn’t visible, but its leaps were indeed hard to follow. Zhao Changhe took a deep breath and hurried after him, "I haven’t acknowledged anything, don’t falsely claim kinship."

"Is a father-in-law not a father? If you dare, then don’t address me as such."

"..." When it comes to being the world’s foremost, indeed, he is unmatched, effectively killing the conversation with a single sentence.

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