The Great Tang's King of Provisions

Chapter 24: Li Xuanba Suppresses His Anger

“Slurp! At that moment, the only sound in the backyard of the Plum Blossom Restaurant was the incessant slurping. The four of them had no time to speak; they simply ate the noodles in their bowls. Each of the three women ate just this one large bowl of oil-drizzled noodles, their little bellies bulging with food. After putting down their bowls and chopsticks, they once again stared blankly as Li Xuanba, like a whirlwind, devoured a portion of noodles enough to feed twenty people, stuffing it into his stomach, which didn’t even show a hint of fullness. “Haha! That was awesome!” After his hearty meal, Li Xuanba grinned and patted his belly contentedly. There was a classic saying from later generations—one he admired most: “An acre of land, two oxen, a wife, children, and a warm brick bed.” He didn’t have any of those five things, but being able to eat and drink to his heart’s content was enough to make him feel content. After the four of them had eaten their fill, they went to the main hall of the Plum Blossom Restaurant, opened the front door, and prepared to begin their first day of business. But this time, the moment the doors swung open, Li Xuanba received news that infuriated him. Standing before him were more than a dozen young beggars with black and blue bruises all over their faces, and lying on the ground was a young beggar he recognized—the one who had washed his face and little hands clean: Gouzi. Upon seeing Li Xuanba and the others, the young beggars rubbed their bruised cheeks and began to weep, “Wah, wah! Master, someone stole the vegetables we bought, and they beat us up too. Gouzi was badly injured trying to protect the eggs!” “Master! Please check on Gouzi right away—he looks like he’s about to die!” “Don’t panic! Big Brother will check on Gouzi first.” Seeing how battered and bruised these little beggars were, Li Xuanba clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with cold fury, but he didn’t rush to seek revenge. After taking a deep breath, he crouched down and began examining Gouzi. Name: Gouzi Gender: Male Age: 11 Status: Beggar Rank: Level 1 Condition: Seriously Injured (Internal Bleeding) Personality: Kind, mischievous, resilient [Base Attributes]: Strength: 3 Intelligence: 8 Leadership: 5 Political: 0 He simply took the dog’s pulse, and with Li Xuanba’s own masterful medical skills, he quickly discovered the source of internal bleeding. After the examination, Li Xuanba gently laid the dog flat. He plucked eleven strands of black hair from his own short hair, flicked his right hand, and made the strands stand straight as eleven tiny spears. With a buzzing sound, he thrust them into the dog’s chest and abdomen in a single sweeping motion. After stabilizing the dog’s internal injuries, Li Xuanba narrowed his eyes, gently lifted the dog, and gave its back a sharp jolt with his right hand. “Pfft!” As Li Xuanba moved, a mouthful of dark red blood spurted from the dog’s mouth, staining the ground a deep crimson. “Gouzi! Master, is Brother Gouzi all right?” “Gouzi!” Seeing Gouzi suddenly coughing up blood, the young beggars and Mei Hanxue’s group were startled. They hurriedly turned to look at Li Xuanba with concern, afraid they might hear something bad from him. Li Xuanba waved his hand. His voice sounded indifferent, yet his gaze was filled with concern. “It’s nothing. Gouzi just coughed up some stagnant blood from his abdomen. He’ll be fine as long as he gets plenty of rest.” No sooner had Li Xuanba finished speaking than Gouzi opened his eyes and looked at Li Xuanba weakly. With his freshly washed right hand trembling, he pulled a broken egg from his bosom and looked at Li Xuanba apologetically. “M-Master, this is the egg Gouzi saved for you. Cough, cough. But—but Gouzi didn’t protect it well. It’s—it’s broken.” “It’s—it’s okay!” Noticing Gouzi’s apologetic gaze and frail appearance, Li Xuanba’s heart ached. He pressed his lips tightly together and forced two words out. Looking at the little beggar standing before him, his face bruised and swollen, Li Xuanba’s tiger-like eyes turned red as he instructed expressionlessly, “All of you go inside the inn to rest. I won’t be coming back, and you’re not allowed to come out! Shuangshuang, you take care of them.” “Yes, Brother Xuanba!” Li Xuanba turned his head toward the Hongyun Casino on the other side of the street. Sparks of murderous intent flashed in his tiger-like eyes as he said coldly, “So this is Hong Dangtou! I’ve been meaning to pick a fight with you anyway. If my woman hadn’t stopped me, would you even be alive today? You actually dared to hurt my men. Who knows—I might just take your dog’s head today. Xingxuan, protect Sister Mei and the others. Once I’ve taken Hong Dangtou’s dog’s head, I’ll come back to protect you all!” “Yes! Xuan… Xuanba Brother!” Du Xingxuan had already begun to look up to Li Xuanba, and after being swept away by his domineering demeanor, she called him “Brother Xuanba” for the first time. She obediently held onto Mei Hanxue, who was trying to pull Li Xuanba away, and watched with shining eyes as he strode out of the Plum Blossom Inn. In reality, even if Du Xingxuan hadn’t stopped Mei Hanxue, she wouldn’t have dared to hold onto Li Xuanba anyway. Li Xuanba was so furious that he’d blurted out the words “my woman,” leaving Mei Hanxue deeply embarrassed. Her heart was pounding wildly, yet her eyes sparkled with joy. Li Xuanba paid no attention to the three women behind him. Once they had closed the door to the Plum Blossom Inn, he immediately released the “Ten Thousand-Mile Cloud.” “Neigh!” As if sensing Li Xuanba’s sky-high killing intent, Zhui Feng Wanli Yun leaped forward on its front legs, its hind legs tensed, and its entire body reared upright. Its jet-black, glossy mane fluttered in the still air, it let out an excited whinny, and its eyes sparkled with intensity. “Wanliyun! Follow me into battle!” After leaping onto the horse, Li Xuanba gripped the drum-sized golden hammer with both hands. Carrying the surging, churning malevolent energy born from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood rising from his body, he pointed the hammer at the Hongyun Casino. His murderous intent shot skyward, violently scattering the white clouds in the sky. “Clang! At Li Xuanba’s command, Wanliyun’s hind leg muscles tensed violently. With a powerful leap—as if defying the weight of Li Xuanba and the drum-jar-sized golden hammer—he soared ten zhang into the air, carrying Li Xuanba with him. “Crack!” No sooner had they landed than Zhui Feng Wan Li Yun lashed out with another kick, violently shattering the ground beneath its hooves. Its muscles bulged as it galloped, gradually reaching a speed so extreme it was impossible to follow with the naked eye. “Thud, thud, thud, thud!” The sound of hooves, swift as thunder, echoed continuously along the streets of Lantian County. Zhui Feng Wanli Yun transformed into a true bolt of black lightning, shattering the ground beneath him as he carried Li Xuanba on his back. With a whistling sound cutting through the air, he raced toward the Hongyun Gambling House. In just 20 seconds, Li Xuanba—alone on horseback, wielding his twin hammers—reappeared. But this time, he wasn’t there to gamble—he was there to kill! “Boom!” Facing the closed wooden door, Li Xuanba swung his golden right hammer with a blank expression. With a single blow, the entrance to the Hongyun Casino exploded instantly, and under the might of his Four Symbols Superhuman Strength, splinters of wood shot like lightning toward the interior. Amid the flying wood shavings, the Hongyun Casino was filled with cries of agony. “Oh no! My arm! Someone’s causing trouble!” “Ah! My eyes! That big winner is back!” “Boss, that big winner is storming in! Quick, cut him down!”