Xu Qingyang silently poured a glass of wine for Ye Tian opposite him, and then poured one for himself. This time, it was his turn to down it in one go.
"Manly, huh? I listen and I even think I’m pretty manly, heh, but I feel I can’t just die , at least not now, after all... I’ve still got unfinished business on my shoulders. You don’t know, when I first came back, I was in Huaizhou, not far from Tianhe City, just south of it, a city right next to it. Then..." Ye Tian looked up at the ceiling and pursed his lips, "To survive, I ran away, like, like a dog."
Since ancient times, heroes have faced numerous tribulations, leaving home young and returning as mature men.
Before the age of twenty-four, Ye Tian thought he was a hero, but after that, after returning from the battlefield in North Africa, he felt he wasn’t a hero anymore, even more of a bear than Bear; in the past, he’d have strangled himself.
Xu Qingyang never thought the Ye Tian sitting opposite was actually Ye Tian. He’s a staunch skeptic, always suspecting, wondering if "he is lying to me" and the like. So when he heard Ye Tian say these things, his main thought was, "It’s just the old trick of appealing to emotions and reasoning, who are you fooling?" Theoretically, he should be colder than Ye Tian, even if Ye Tian was committing suicide by slitting his wrists, he would think it was a ruse.
"Being a dog isn’t shameful; the key is surviving. But if one can’t turn from a dog back into a human, then it’s truly disgraceful."
The landlady brought over a few plates of appetizers, all cold dishes. She glanced at the two men and thought they were both quite odd, but said nothing. Those who come out to drink in the dead of night are usually taxi drivers, and occasionally some love-stricken men, nothing unusual.
After finishing two glasses, Ye Tian poured another round for both.
"I’ve never been one to complain to others about my hardships. Everyone has their difficulties, and many have it worse than me. When I speak of these things, at least it proves I’m still alive, so I’m doing alright. I want to tell you, Qingyang, I’m sitting here not because I’m particularly distressed or because life is too hard. That’s not why I’m here. What I’m saying is, I’m not using you just for the sake of using you. I’m not one to talk about honesty or integrity. I’m no different from others, like the late Dong Cheng, Zhen Yulin, Liu Ping and so on. If I were them, I’d be even crueler, more ruthless. The age-old principle holds: in one’s position, one wields authority. What I want to say is, I want to achieve something impossible. The opponents I will be facing in the future aren’t just one person or a simple vague organization. The people I’ll be up against... are truly formidable. I want, yes, that’s right, I want to work with you, Big Bull, Li Jing, and others to accomplish something impossible."
"The impossible thing still revolves around you, doesn’t it?"
Xu Qingyang isn’t dumb, even though he always has Zhang Daniu, the simple-minded giant, by his side, he is always the wisest one. He sees people and things sharper than anyone, all because of his persisting skepticism within.
"Yes, you’re right, it’s for me. For the things I shoulder."
Xu Qingyang took a drink, its spiciness unmatched, then shook his head, "Li Jing might, Big Bull might, but I can’t. Li Jing’s sister, Big Bull’s brother, those two, in any case, have already gotten more or less involved with you, lost as participants, clear as bystanders. I’m neither of them; of course, I know there’s a play of affection involved. Even if you spend over a million for Li Ruoshui, it’s not a small number. But rest assured, I won’t talk, not because I agree with what you’re doing, I just can’t be bothered to say. What you’re going to do, I don’t know, nor do I want to know. The reason I’m still with you is simply that I have no plans to go elsewhere yet and Big Bull is still here. The two of us have always been together."
"So, you agree to join me..."
"I could leave anytime, make sure you understand that."
Ye Tian grinned and extended a hand, "Welcome!"
Xu Qingyang reluctantly reached out for a handshake and said, "Actually, if you said these things to Big Bull, he would definitely kneel on the spot and swear to follow you to the death. Unfortunately, I am an optimistic pessimist. I always expect the worst, so all I can think of now is that you’re deceiving me."
"At least with you here, the Sanqing Sect won’t come and bother me again."
Xu Qingyang gave him a look and buried his head in the dishes. Ye Tian didn’t mind his attitude and started to eat as well, he was starving.
Ye Tian and Xu Qingyang huddled in the car and slept for a few hours, waking up at 7 o’clock. After calling Li Jing, Ye Tian dropped Xu Qingyang off at the entrance of Slow Rock then immediately headed to Shen Xuepei’s residence. He was going to accompany Shen Xuepei in her swordsmanship practice. After all, he’s practically the secretary’s godson, so it was essential to leverage that relationship, or he’d be punished by the heavens.
At 7:30 in the morning, Ye Tian arrived on time in the Grand Cherokee. Li Jing, because he lived closer, arrived early and had been waiting for a while, evident by the damp patch on his shoulder from the autumn humidity.
"Why are you here so early? Didn’t we say 7:30 was fine?"
Li Jing, leaning on the car seat and resting with his eyes closed, replied faintly, "Don’t give me that. Aren’t you happy that I’m obedient?"
Damn, who said he’s a fool! Xu Qingyang, get over here, who said he’s a fool!
Caught off guard, Ye Tian sulkily turned his head away. After waiting for ten minutes, he saw Shen Xuepei walk out of the gate wearing a white practice uniform, holding a sword with a red scabbard, looking graceful. She had told Ye Tian before that today they were going to a park to watch a master practice swordsmanship and also learn a set of Swordsmanship.
"How long have you been waiting?"
Ye Tian came out of the car and was already waiting at the gate before Shen Xuepei emerged.
"Not long, just a few minutes."
Shen Xuepei always had an indifferent attitude, meeting everything with a faint smile, inscrutable.
"Ye, you should consider changing this car," Shen Xuepei said to Ye Tian seated next to her.
This Grand Cherokee was driven from Zhen Yulin’s place. Although it wasn’t his own, Ye Tian rather liked the car’s style. Men love bold and domineering things, like Jeeps, like Wranglers, their rugged and unrestrained design immediately drawing men’s attention.