Chapter 52 The Meeting of the Century
"Xiao Xing, driving while distracted is a big no-no. If you keep doing this, I'm going to take away your right to lift me up."
Lu Yusheng patted his heaving chest and casually complained with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Today's experiences were far too thrilling; compared to her mundane daily life since coming into this world, it was still quite exciting.
Sikong Zhaixing knew he was in the wrong and didn't argue. After checking her over and finding her alright, he was relieved.
He then continued, "Chu Xiangshuai became famous much earlier than me, but by the time I made a name for myself, he had disappeared again. So, although we belong to the same lineage, we have never had any direct contact. I never expected to see him in your shop today, Xiao Lu."
Unlike other rising stars in the martial arts world, he was not rude and had no hostility towards his predecessors who had become famous earlier than him. In fact, the reputation of the entire industry at that time was brought up by Chu Liuxiang alone.
He himself had once witnessed the scene of Chu Liuxiang departing under the moon.
Therefore, even though Sikong Zhaixing later achieved an unparalleled status in the art of "stealing," he still retained some respect for Chu Liuxiang.
After hearing this, Lu Yusheng nodded as if he understood but not quite. She had only said it casually and didn't really mean to blame him. Now that he had finally fulfilled his dream, she was happy for him.
But when the idol of the person working in the store comes, that will truly be a dream come true.
Fortunately, there weren't many sections left, and it wouldn't look good if her guests saw her carrying someone the whole time, so Sikong Zhaixing withdrew her inner strength and walked with Lu Yusheng on this last short stretch of road.
"By the way, aren't you and Chu Liuxiang both masters of lightness skills? Who's better?"
As soon as Lu Yusheng spoke, he realized something was wrong and quickly added, "It's a rational discussion, not a competition."
Sikong Zhaixing scratched his head: "It should be fifty-fifty."
After all, they had never actually competed, but based on the one time he had witnessed it, what Xiang Shuai could do, he himself was not much worse off now.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yusheng's next sentence was somewhat unexpected.
"Then tell me, can I learn it?"
Although her words were somewhat disjointed, considering the previous mention of Sikong Zhaixing, it wasn't impossible to understand what she meant, so she subconsciously replied, "This kind of craft has always been passed down only to family members."
Thinking he had been politely rejected, Lu Yusheng sighed, "You know what, I used to really hope to become your apprentice."
When she mentioned it, Sikong Zhaixing couldn't help but recall the other person's warm and enthusiastic manner when they first met, and couldn't help but smile as well.
"I can explain the basics to you when I have some free time."
"Really? No wonder he's the King of Thieves, his vision is far beyond that of ordinary people." Overjoyed, Lu Yusheng couldn't help but add a few more words of praise.
His smile grew even brighter, clearly very pleased with Xiao Lu's progress.
The two were already much more familiar with each other than when they first met. This was the reason why Sikong Zhaixing had agreed to help, not to mention that she had also helped them in this incident.
Fearing she might be anxious, he added, "I happen to have some free time these next couple of days. I'll find some paper and pen and write it down for you later."
As they chatted and laughed, the two had unknowingly arrived at the shop entrance.
The meeting itself went surprisingly smoothly.
Chu Liuxiang was no longer on the second floor at that time. Although he no longer played the game, he had personally promised Lu Yusheng when Lu Yusheng asked him to stay, so there was no reason for him to leave without saying goodbye.
These two young men, both renowned in the martial arts world, hit it off immediately.
Although Sikong Zhaixing was a thief, he was also a man of principle who never did anything immoral or immoral, nor did he steal out of greed for other people's gold and silver treasures. Chu Liuxiang also admired him to some extent.
After chatting for a while, the two agreed to go into town to buy wine and bring it back for a good drink at noon.
This place is actually not far from Hangzhou, but it's inconvenient for Lu Yusheng to travel around while guarding the shop, and since he's an unregistered resident, he's afraid of being caught in some kind of inspection, so he chooses to trade with the surrounding farmers.
When they returned, they also brought back the braised beef that Lu Yusheng had specifically requested. There were very few people in the village who slaughtered cattle, and she had been unable to buy any from several farmers who passed by.
She cut off a large portion for them to enjoy with their drinks, and then stewed the rest.
Although this meal was originally prepared for Ye Guhong, we must also entertain our friends when they come.
In the end, Lu Yusheng tidied up the separate computer desk and divided all the cooked dishes into two plates, preparing a separate table for him.
Ye Guhong was naturally a loner, and he was actually quite happy to sit alone in peace and quiet.
During the meal, she naturally sat at the same table with Sikong Zhaixing, whom she was more familiar with, while Chu Liuxiang, carrying a wine pot, naturally sat down not far away.
The two had much more to talk about than Lu Yusheng had imagined. At first, they exchanged thrilling experiences from their careers, until Chu Liuxiang brought up a major case he had solved.
Sikong Zhaixing had also solved several strange cases with Lu Xiaofeng, and this coincidence made the two of them get along better and better.
"I remember now."
Lu Yusheng, who had been quietly listening to them share their strange tales, suddenly remembered where that sense of familiarity came from and nodded, saying, "This is a bit like Neil and Peter."
Her sudden voice attracted Sikong Zhaixing's attention, and Chu Liuxiang also looked over, curiously asking what she was referring to.
Although the two had been drinking, they were both people with a very high alcohol tolerance, so they were not drunk at this moment and were both looking at her curiously.
Lu Yusheng didn't rush to answer, but instead asked, "What are the names of the law enforcement agencies here that are even more powerful than the government, and the official titles within them?"
Sikong Zhaixing had no real relationship with the other constables of the Six Doors, except for Jin Jiuling, whom he was somewhat acquainted with thanks to Lu Xiaofeng.
Upon hearing the question, the first thing he said was "Six Doors".
"Miss Lu isn't from the Central Plains?" More than the question itself, Chu Liuxiang noticed the other implications in Lu Yusheng's words.
She nodded and explained in general terms: "This is also a drama from my hometown. It mainly tells the story of a talented criminal who is imprisoned and is appreciated by a constable who helps him get out and redeem himself. The two of them then work together to solve many cases."
After saying that, she glanced at the two people nearby and became even more certain: "This protagonist has also stolen jewelry and famous paintings, and is extremely skilled at forgery. He is also very popular with women because of his handsome appearance. However, he is also very sentimental and once had his sentence extended for his lover."
"Oh, right..." Lu Yusheng added at the end, "This person also does not advocate violence, does not kill or harm the innocent."
The same story can evoke different feelings in different people.
"What a novel topic! And the person in this story is a rare and wonderful individual." Speaking of loyalty, Chu Liuxiang couldn't help but think of himself, and the principle of not harming the innocent perfectly aligned with his beliefs.
If the opera troupes performing this play weren't mostly located in foreign countries, he probably would have been interested in watching it.
Sikong Zhaixing's eyes lit up as well, but with others around, she didn't say anything more.
He was also very interested in the story. Chu Liuxiang was unaware of it, but he knew that some of the plays drawn by Lu Yusheng could be viewed anytime, anywhere.
Since he is "skilled in imitation," he is probably also skilled in disguise. Although Sikong Zhaixing himself doesn't have much luck with women because he often appears in other people's appearances, when it comes to handsome looks, he is probably the best.
——————
As they parted, Lu Yusheng watched Chu Liuxiang's departing figure, hesitant to speak, but ultimately called out to him before he could turn around.
"The day before he left, he seemed to have bought some water bags made of cowhide, perhaps in preparation for going to some places where water was scarce."
The reason she still remembers this is because after Hu Tiehua filled the water bag with water, he also bought her a few bottles of herbal tea, but didn't drink them right away, presumably taking them with him on the way.
But she didn't say anything earlier because she wasn't very confident in her guess. If it really was an arid area, if she said that, Chu Liuxiang might not only come up empty-handed, but also face some dangers in the natural environment.
Moreover, if their current location is not significantly different from modern terrain, it must be extremely far from those places.
Upon hearing this, Chu Liuxiang's eyes immediately lit up: "Thank you, you've really been a great help."
Lu Yusheng still didn't let him leave, explaining all his concerns and finally letting him decide for himself before he felt at ease.
Chu Liuxiang didn't care about any of that. Even if he searched a wider area, it wouldn't be as effective as his previous aimless search around the world.
Moreover, given his understanding of Hu Tiehua, he would surely be able to find him if he really wanted to. It's just that the process of going from zero to one is bound to be difficult. With this clue, it shouldn't be long before he finds him.
On the contrary, her sense of responsibility in considering her own interests won him some favor, so he said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, miss. You can come to me if you encounter any trouble in the future."
Lu Yusheng was taken aback. She didn't mean anything by revealing these things, but since he brought it up, another thought couldn't help but pop into his mind.
"I usually run my own small shop, so I shouldn't encounter any trouble."
Indeed, Chu Liuxiang also felt that he had been a bit presumptuous. Just as he was about to say something, he heard the girl opposite him stammer and speak again, somewhat awkwardly: "But in the future, when I introduce the game to people, can I say... this is Chu Xiangshuai's heartfelt recommendation?"
After saying this, Lu Yusheng turned his head away awkwardly, looking at the sky and the ground but not daring to look at Chu Liuxiang standing opposite him.
She only turned around in surprise when she heard the other person say "okay".
His smile remained unchanged as he readily agreed, "As long as you don't exaggerate, it's naturally fine."
As the figure finally disappeared into the distance and at the edge of the dense forest, Lu Yusheng withdrew his gaze that had been watching them all the way. He turned around to go into the shop, but unexpectedly bumped into a solid wall of people when he turned back.
She looked up and met Sikong Zhaixing's downcast gaze.
He had been staring at me with deep eyes, but after we made eye contact, he looked up and sighed.
Seeing this, Lu Yusheng's heart inexplicably jumped, as if he had some important things to say.
Just as he was about to say something to interrupt the gathering of strength, he heard the questioning voice already uttered.
"Xiao Lu...why don't you ever use me as a selling point?"
She knew it!
Lu Yusheng was so embarrassed that he was completely dumbfounded. How many words had they actually exchanged on their way to buy wine? They even brought up the part where she had been bragging to Chu Liuxiang.
"I have a game here that can help you practice light-footed skills. Little Star, would you like to try it?"
With cold sweat almost pouring down his face, Lu Yusheng finally came up with an excuse to change the subject.
But as soon as she finished speaking, she glanced up and saw that Sikong Zhaixing's eyes were still filled with resentment: "Am I really that bad as the 'King of Thieves'?"
Lu Yusheng quickly explained, "It's because I saw that constable was looking for you, and I was afraid that mentioning his name might cause you trouble."
Without waiting to be told whether he believed her or not, she pulled him up to the second floor, enthusiastically introducing the new game along the way.
Although Sikong Zhaixing did not resist, she shook her head, looking like she was not to be trifled with, and said, "I am heartbroken now, heartbroken, do you understand? This is not like a wound on a body, incurable. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
Knowing he was in the wrong, Lu Yusheng didn't dare interrupt him. Seeing that there seemed to be a turning point in his words, he quickly chimed in.
"Show me that thief or spy you just mentioned."
Lu Yusheng: ...Isn't this a bit of a stretch?
Although I really wanted to play it for him, I knew that if I suddenly jumped from a 3D Chinese ancient style show to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Western metropolis, I wouldn't be the one who couldn't accept the difference.
So she firmly refused and tried to persuade him with a sincere apology.
"Huh? You really don't have any?"
Seeing Lu Yusheng's reaction, Sikong Zhaixing believed her somewhat and decided not to torment her any longer. So she compromised and said, "Let's go up and check out the game."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
