Chapter 1184: By a twist of fate, we're all old acquaintances (Part 2) [Seeking monthly votes]

How many strategists are slow-witted?

Liao Jia realized something in a flash, and his pupils trembled noticeably. He suppressed his excitement, took a deep breath to calm his wildly beating heart, and asked expectantly, "Is the reason why Your Majesty is asking this... is it because you have seen a similar jade pendant somewhere before?"

He stared intently at Shen Tang's lips.

He was afraid that the other party would give an answer that contradicted his expectations.

Shen Tang knew how important this matter was to Liao Jia, so she naturally wouldn't keep him in suspense and was ready to explain all the details. Just as she was about to speak, Cui Mi heard that Shen Tang had returned from an inspection and was preparing to discuss something with her. Stepping in with her left foot, Shen Tang pointed at him with her right hand: "I saw this jade pendant on Hou Bai."

Before Cui Mi could process what this meant, a dark shadow swept past him, and a face filled with complex emotions approached. He jerked back, raised his hand to refuse Liao Jia, and blurted out, "Wait, it's not me, you've mistaken me for someone else!"

Liao Jia's emotions came to an abrupt halt.

He stared intently at Cui Mi's face, trying to find a resemblance to an old friend in his features. After searching for a while, he felt that the other person's features were somewhere between similar and completely different, resembling a sea of ​​people: "I haven't even said anything yet, how do you know what I'm going to do? And how can you be so sure I've mistaken you for someone else?"

Cui Mi was only willing to answer the last question.

"You must have made a mistake, because the ages don't match."

Liao Jia's mind cooled down slightly.

Just as Cui Mi said, he was a few years younger than the person he was looking for. The latter was well past twenty, while the young man before him still had an unpolished childishness in his features. But, if the speculation that Cui Mi was the son of his deceased friend was ruled out, then why did he have half a jade pendant on him? Was the true owner of the jade pendant still alive?

Before Liao Jia could even savor his joy, the clues pointed to the worst possible outcome, the dramatic turn of events leaving him with a heavy feeling in his chest. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the throbbing sensation: "Young master, could you tell me how you obtained that jade pendant? And where is its original owner now? This matter is of utmost importance to me!"

Cui Mi said, "I found it while I was bathing by the river that day."

In the southwest region, there are over two hundred days a year that are either damp and cold or damp and hot. Even the lightest summer clothes will make you sweat profusely, let alone working under the scorching sun for hours on end. People who work like oxen and horses have inexhaustible energy and endless chores to do every day. After a day or two, their skin feels sticky, and they can't sleep well. Therefore, they bathe exceptionally frequently.

As evening approached, the martial artists, having finished their work, jumped into the water like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, regardless of whether it was river, stream, or any other type of water, just to have a good wash. Although Cui Mi came from a noble family, he wasn't so particular and would bathe outside like them.

That day, after showering, he sat on a rock by the stream waiting to dry off when he saw something floating downstream and getting stuck in a rock. Curious, he approached and pried it open, discovering it was half a jade pendant. The jade was of excellent quality, but its craftsmanship was even more remarkable. Judging from its shape, it should have had another half; the missing piece was cleverly carved, allowing it to be rotated and fitted together to form a complete piece. Cui Mi searched upstream but found no one, and could only return with half a jade pendant.

Liao Jia asked, "Where is the jade pendant?"

Cui Mi asked someone to fetch it from his room.

Liao Jia stared blankly at the two jade pendants that fit together perfectly. Despite the endless pain in his heart, he habitually hid it and analyzed: "The color of the pendant's cord is still bright. It should have been replaced within the last year. It is very likely that the owner lost it by accident while taking a bath... The person may still be in the county."

Cui Mi added information.

"That stream was just dredged last month. It was specially dug to facilitate irrigation of the newly reclaimed fields nearby. The area is noisy, so commoners aren't allowed to approach without permission. Therefore, the only people who might go there to bathe are martial artists. The person you're looking for might be among them." This might not be good news either.

Those brave warriors were all wandering knights.

The jade pendant may have been obtained by them in their "righteous acts".

Liao Jia could naturally think of this as well.

However, this was much better than the initial needle-in-a-haystack search. Liao Jia eagerly took the jade pendant to look for the person, but Cui Mi reached out and grabbed his arm, their eyes meeting. Cui Mi's expression showed a brief moment of surprise, then he quickly pulled away as if he had been electrocuted.

"They should be taking a bath at this time."

They were all completely naked, making it easy for them to see everything.

Liao Jia realized that Cui Mi's abilities were extraordinary and subconsciously looked at his master. Shen Tang nodded to him: "Go ahead."

The subtext is that Cui Mi is temporarily trustworthy.

Liao Jia bowed and withdrew, but before even stepping across the threshold, she used the [Wind Chasing and Scenery Leaping] technique with a single hand gesture, transforming into a fleeting red shadow and disappearing in the blink of an eye. Cui Mi grinned and said, "Sister Chen, aren't you going to take a look?"

Shen Tang rolled her eyes, showing absolutely no interest in Cui Mi's suggestion: "What's so interesting about a bunch of butts?"

Bathing and washing hair by the water is a local specialty.

While taking a bath, one might also wash their clothes, including but not limited to undershirts and trousers. One day, when the temperature was unusually pleasant, Chen Tang went for a stroll and unexpectedly saw dozens of men bathing shirtless by the water. Those standing in the shallow water had only taken off their upper bodies, with their lower bodies covered or wearing trousers, while in the deeper water, only their necks and above were exposed… I won't go into the details of that scene. Besides the men, some married women and older women would also wash their clothes by the river and then take a bath.

Similar scenes are rarely seen in Northwest China.

It's not that the local customs are more conservative than here; it's simply that the Northwest is colder, and even a common cold can be fatal for ordinary people. Boiling hot water for a bath at home is too extravagant. Before Shen Tang promoted the use of earthen beds and built the perfume shop, bathing once a month was considered very clean. Indeed, the environment shapes the people.

Shen Tang seemed to realize something and smiled maliciously.

"However, it would be interesting to see Zunguang make a fool of himself."

Shen Tang didn't reveal Liao Jia's true identity to Cui Mi. The "Zun Guang" she spoke of was Liao Jia, but to Cui Mi it sounded like someone else: "Has Your Majesty guessed who the jade pendant's owner is?"

Cui Mi had only just learned the identity of the jade pendant's owner.

He saw several images in Liao Jia, and basically determined who the other party was looking for. Cui Mi didn't say anything simply because he didn't want to expose his abilities, nor did he like to get involved in other people's affairs. Even if he didn't say anything, it was only a matter of time before Liao Jia found the person.

Shen Tang said, "Why don't we go and see for ourselves?"

The two followed.

Shen Tang imagined Liao Jia hiding in the shadows, sneaking around looking for someone. His presence would eventually be exposed, and he would most likely be mistaken for a pervert by the bathing martial artists. If things got out of control, Shen Tang would then step in and rescue Liao Jia. In reality, Liao Jia simply walked calmly and openly to the water's edge, bent down to neatly place his wooden clogs on the shore, and naturally took off his outer garment.

The martial artists who were bathing and cooling off in the water initially paid attention to him, but seeing that he didn't do anything unusual, they all turned their attention away. Some were bathing, some were washing their clothes, some were chatting... and even when Liao Jia was half-wrapped in the water, they chatted with him: "This young man is unfamiliar, is he here because of your reputation?"

Liao Jia neatly tied her loose long hair back into her hair and said, "Mm."

His peripheral vision casually swept over the sides of everyone's waist.

He scanned more than a dozen people but did not find the birthmark he was looking for.

until--

A target appears in sight.

There was a birthmark on his waist, not very dark in color, and it was obscured by someone. Liao Jia wanted to get closer to see it clearly, but the person turned away, and the birthmark disappeared from sight. In its place was a well-defined abdomen and a network of old, crisscrossing scars, one of which was the most horrifying, running almost diagonally from his waist to his thigh, and the deepest mark of all. Liao Jia looked up at his face.

Meat Bun: "..."

As a martial artist with unwavering courage, his perception of aura was naturally quite strong. Liao Jia watched him for over ten breaths, and he felt as if he were being pricked by thorns! Just as he was about to teach whoever had been so disrespectful, he saw a face he hadn't seen before. It was the red-robed scholar with the flower-adorned hairpin brought by that two-cent merchant! The same name, surname, and courtesy name as him—the same merchant superior who had caused him to lose his original name! Wait, is this guy crazy?

Did literary figures also get used to bathing in the wild?

Watching the other man's eyes shift from scrutiny and contemplation to realization and then excitement, he felt a chill run down his spine and was ready to rebel. Good heavens, this unscrupulous superior was not only ruthless, but also a homosexual? In a flash, an idea struck him.

He secretly gave his lackey a meaningful look.

The two lackeys understood each other perfectly and tacitly submerged into the water, pretending to swim. They planned to use underhanded tactics; unless they caught the culprit and provided evidence, he would have no choice but to suffer in silence, which would serve as a lesson to him. At that moment, Liao Jia pulled out an item that looked very familiar to him, and Roubaozi instantly flew into a rage: "So, you're the thief who stole my things!"

Liao Jia didn't even have a chance to say that she wanted to acknowledge her relatives.

Two forces suddenly came from his legs, pulling him down!

Hearing the commotion, the other martial artists, regardless of what had happened, only knew that Liao Jia was a thief who had stolen from their foreman! This was outrageous! Whether half of his body was submerged in water or his entire body was underwater, a single splash would send them tumbling towards him.

Liao Jia: "..."

Shen Tang: "..."

Cui Mi patted the stone and laughed so hard his mouth almost twisted.

Even though he'd already been spoiled about this scene, watching it again still left him utterly shocked! Liao Jia never imagined he'd be surrounded by dozens of naked men; the moment he was dragged into the water, he used a spell. Shen Tang keenly noticed the increased moisture in the air around him and knew without turning his head that Liao Jia had pulled a dirty trick.

He switched places with Cui Mi.

Who told this kid to laugh so loudly!

Shen Tang: "..."

Despite choking on a couple of mouthfuls of water, Liao Jia was in better spirits than ever before. Putting aside the chaotic scene, at least he had found the person. Liao Jia slowly put on his clothes: "That child from earlier is the one I'm looking for. He looks somewhat like her, and he also has a jade pendant and a birthmark on his side..."

You search high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly.

Liao Jia then asked, "That second young master of the Cui family has some special abilities. He knew I was looking for someone even though he didn't know me, and I almost mistook him for someone else... Perhaps he was just being prepared? It's a pity Luan Gongyi isn't here, otherwise I could have asked him what it was."

"You've offended him, be careful he doesn't cause you trouble."

The influence of the Cui family in the Qi state should not be underestimated.

Perhaps it was finding the son of an old friend that dispelled seventy percent of Liao Jia's pent-up frustration, and his mind became clearer: "So what if he can plan ahead? The future he sees is only one possibility, while I have three thousand treacherous schemes. How many can he defend against?"

Liao Jia's purpose in coming to Qi State was to stir up trouble.

"They've arrested the wrong person—"

"Stop it!"

Upon discovering that the person being besieged had changed from Liao Jia to Erlangjun, Roubaozi's heart nearly leaped away, his mind filled with the thought, "My life is over." After a chaotic commotion, the soaking wet Cui Mi was pulled ashore. Shen Tang didn't appear in person, but instead sent a telepathic message to Cui Mi and Roubaozi, instructing them to come find him with Liao Jia.

The meat bun thought a great disaster was about to befall him.

"County Magistrate Shen... was he here the whole time?"

Shen Tang said, "I came with Zun Guang to look for someone."

Cui Mi realized that the "Zun Guang" Shen Tang mentioned was not the same person he was thinking of, and his gaze fell on Liao Jia: "You're also called Zun Guang?"

Shen Tang: "Also?"

Cui Mi pointed to the meat bun: "His name is also Zun Guang."

Liao Jia used her literary skills to dry the water stains on her body.

After the chaos, the tearful family reunion segment was impossible to stage; Liao Jia only wanted a definite answer. He asked the young man beside him, "Your name is Liao Qian, Liao Zun Guang? Which elder in your family gave you this name?"

The meat bun pursed its lips and said nothing.

Liao Jia asked a series of questions: "Is it your father or your mother? Or do you not remember? You should have an older sister. Where is your older sister? Is she with you?"

The real Liao Qian frowned: "Why are you asking these questions?"

Liao Jia opened her palms, revealing two jade pendants to Liao Qian. In Liao Qian's memory, each pendant was only half a piece—one was his, and the other half naturally belonged to Liao Jia. There must be some connection between the two: "Who are you?"

“From your mother’s side of the family, I am your uncle.”

“From your father’s perspective, he is also your uncle!”

"If you'd like, you can just call me uncle."

Liao Qian merely took a step back, finding it absurd, and said warily, "Without any proof or evidence, you think you can claim kinship based on a jade pendant? What uncles and aunts? Your family relationships are truly chaotic..."

He has little memory of the past.

I only vaguely remember that my childhood was quite difficult. My older sister would hold my hand, and the two of us would hide and run, so hungry that we would pick up anything to eat. Liao Jia's attire and demeanor are no less than those of a gentleman from a noble family. If there is a connection, why did the siblings suffer such a fate?

Liao Jia said: "..."

He was speechless in response to Liao Qian's assessment.

He then asked, "Where is your older sister?"

"I'm at home."

"Your mother entrusted your elder sister to me back then, without mentioning what would happen to you. You've grown up and are barely able to protect yourself. I won't interfere with whichever path you choose. If you encounter difficulties in the future, just come to me. I'm taking your elder sister with me."

Liao Qian picked at his ear, thinking he had misheard.

"You want to take my sister away? What gives you the right?"

Liao Jia said, "Just based on this letter from your mother."

A letter he carried with him for many years was also his lifelong regret. The son of the old friend that Liao Jia always remembered was Liao Qian's older sister, not Liao Qian: "Her lifelong regret was that her ambitions could not be realized, which caused your father to waste his life and lose his life. What she missed, her descendants must seize."

Liao Qian said he didn't care, but in his heart he was eager to see what was written in the letter. He had no memory of a mother, only an older sister who was like a mother to him, but that didn't mean he didn't want to know what the stranger had to say.

Upon opening the letter, one is greeted by scribbled handwriting.

It's clear that the writer's wrist was weak and that he wrote in a hurry.

"What was her life's ambition?"

Liao Jia said, "She has the ambition to enter officialdom and strive for advancement."

Liao Qian returned the letter to Liao Jia: "But everyone has their own ambitions. Regardless of whether what you said is true or not, even if it is true, and our mother is indeed her, it doesn't mean that my sister has to take the path she wants to take, right? It's her business if she has ambitions to enter officialdom, and my sister is not her substitute. My sister is most comfortable with a club, not a sword or a pen."

When the current ruler ascended the throne, he considered the possibility of his elder sister cultivating, not seeking great strength, but only to improve her health and prolong her life. He felt it was worth trying even with the slightest hope. However, his sister said: "Your world is too complicated. I won't go. Whether you're a martial artist or a scholar, aren't you all human? Ordinary people are still human! We're all human, so why differentiate between classes?"

That older sister can only stay with me for another thirty or forty years.

His older sister hit him on the head with a stick.

[It's not about becoming someone like you to make your life complete and fulfilling. I'm already exhausted after living my life. Ordinary people's desires are easily satisfied; they're content with just being fed and watered. But being like you means you'll never be satisfied, no matter how much you get. Just thinking about it makes me feel suffocated. Nothing in this world is difficult if you're willing to give up…]

In her eyes, scholars and warriors were all ordinary people, nothing noble about them, and there was no need for them to pursue it deliberately.

|ω`)

I only slept four or five hours in two days and 48 hours. I feel like I'm about to ascend to heaven. Today was the funeral procession. The sun was blazing and scorching, and I got heatstroke on the spot... I felt nauseous and uncomfortable. During the banquet afterwards, everything made me want to vomit.

As far as I can remember, the last time I had heatstroke was a long time ago.