Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 192 The Monkey King's Age + Lu the Hedgehog's Bloodline ==

Lu Qian glanced at the few strands of white hair fluttering on his forehead, smiled, and blew a breath upwards.

"My hair turned white prematurely, I was filled with empty sorrow, bitter hatred and worries consumed my heart and blood."

He flipped off the white tiger's back, flicked his whisk with his sleeve, and led the white tiger to sit at an empty table nearby.

"Master, are you from the Northeast? I've heard it's not a peaceful place there."

The waiter at the inn quickly brought over the cakes and tea that Lü Qian had ordered, his eyes flashing with a secret glint, as if he were trying to gather information.

Xiao Zhan opened the restaurant partly to gather information from various sources.

Lu Qian picked up the teapot, tilted his head back, and took a big sip. It was just an ordinary pot of tea, but he tasted it as if it were a century-old vintage.

People tend to drink more when they are young because wine is aged and has been refined over time. Young people need this sedimentation of time and also appreciate its fiery passion.

But as people grow old, they may come to enjoy tea, because tea, though seemingly lacking the mellowness of wine, has endured many hardships—the trials of nature, the ravages of climate, and the torment of fire and water...

Tea changes much like people; when people look back on the setbacks and hardships of their lives, they can always taste the sweetness or bitterness within it.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Lü Qian. He was just acting on impulse, letting his various insights into Daoist principles flow freely.

The Tao is non-action.

Lu Qian wiped his mouth with his sleeve, ignoring the waiter's probing, and said with a wave of his sleeve, "It's not just not peaceful, it's downright chaotic."

"I killed my way through, and I just killed to my heart's content."

After saying that, he picked up a pancake from the table and started eating it. The diners who were talking in the restaurant turned to look at him, and someone couldn't help but ask a question.

"But haven't we heard that the True Martial Emperor and the Plague God have appeared? Logically speaking, these Japanese should have retreated long ago."

The drinker's words were met with agreement from many, but also with considerable disapproval from others.

"Ha, you actually believe that?"

Lu Qian chewed on his biscuit and looked at the man in shock. "Brother, we are all extraordinary people. These tricks are fine for fooling ordinary people, but we can't fall into them ourselves."

"It's better to take charge of your own life than to pray to gods and Buddhas. You can't go far if you always rely on others."

"you!"

Before the guests could even get angry, Lü Qian's aura solidified, becoming like a giant mountain, exuding a magnificent and immense power that suppressed everything in all directions.

Now, he has retraced his steps and returned to the age of twenty. With the age of the Monkey King and the bloodline of Lu the Hedgehog, he is truly full of vigor.

"Afraid of you? Come on then, if you dare."

Lu Qian rolled up his sleeves, placed one foot on the bench, and his aura was like that of a bristling hedgehog. His sharp eyes swept over the disgruntled drinkers. "I've never tried killing beasts in battle before, let alone beating up scoundrels."

In this era, might makes right.

Moreover, heroes should not surpass ordinary people by too much, because such heroes are no different from gods in the eyes of ordinary people.

Because Lü Qian's methods were too ruthless, some conservative supernatural beings retreated into their shells.

Without truly witnessing the moment when China was destroyed, many people would rather remain immersed in a false sense of peace.

"Whoever comes, I'll give him a wake-up call."

"Master Dao, that was a slap."

"Um?"

"It's a punch, it's a punch."

The waiter in the restaurant looked at the approaching slap, the wind whistling past his cheek. He swallowed hard with his eyes closed and said from the bottom of his heart, "That's a fist, not a slap."

"This child is teachable."

Lu Qian slowly withdrew his hand and nodded in satisfaction. Just as he turned his head, a strong smell of alcohol wafted through the air and hit Lu Qian's nostrils.

"Master Lü Qian, please don't joke around. My inn's staff can't withstand your slap."

A somewhat drunken young man, carrying a gourd of wine, swayed as he leaped over the railing and jumped from the upper floor of the restaurant.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Wei, and I am honored to serve as the manager of this small inn."

The young man flipped through the air, his clothes fluttering as he stepped on several wooden beams and landed calmly on the bench next to Lü Qian.

After landing, he lifted the back of his long robe and sat down on a stool. "Sorry, I've had too much to drink, so I can only sit."

As he spoke, the young man Liu Wei raised his gourd again and took a sip, his whole body reeking of alcohol once more.

In Lü Qian's eyes, Liu Wei's demeanor resembled that of a drunkard, but his eyes were quite clear.

The shopkeeper waved to the waiter beside him, then turned and smiled at the customers behind him, "Master Lü Qian has been out of the pass in the Northeast for five years, killing many Japanese, and he has accumulated a lot of anger in his heart."

"We should be more understanding of those who drink and drown their sorrows all day long."

"If you haven't had enough to drink today, you can go and get another jar. Consider it my treat."

Liu Wei's face was flushed with drunkenness, and his slurred words contained a hint of sarcasm, yet he also implicated himself, belittling himself in the conversation. His behavior was quite tactful.

"Alright, I have a few more things to discuss with this Daoist Master Lü Qian. Please enjoy your drinks."

After saying that, Liu Wei looked at Lü Qian and said, "Daoist, could you do me a favor?"

"This guy is mostly muddleheaded, and he gets even muddleheaded after drinking."

"With the innkeeper showing up, I, Lü Qian, am certainly not putting on airs."

Watching Liu Wei perform his singing, recitation, and martial arts routines, resembling a character on a theatrical stage, Lü Qian began to speculate about the seemingly drunk shopkeeper.

In the original story, it was Xiao Zhan who traveled among the various forces, relaying messages and providing intelligence to each party for free, which led to the formation of a united front in the world of supernatural beings.

This Manager Liu claims to be a drunken fool, but anyone who believes him is truly quite drunk.

"Of course, Master Lü Qian's actions over the past five years are worth doing for Lao Liu. Going into battle to kill enemies is something that not many people in the world of supernatural beings do these days."

As Liu Wei spoke, he tilted his head back and took another gulp of wine, his expression becoming even more dazed. "I'm still hoping that Daoist Lü Qian can give us some hints and supplement our information about the Japanese."

"As the saying goes, 'An army marches on its stomach,' but in reality, intelligence work must be done thoroughly before the supply train can move."

"This humble inn relies on intelligence for its livelihood. Daoist Lü Qian, I wonder if you would be so kind as to ask for my help? I will certainly repay you handsomely."

Lü Qian understood Liu Wei's purpose. He had no time to dwell on personal grievances, as the country and its people came first.

For the past five years, Lü Qian has been dealing with the Japanese in Northeast China. With his ability to perform seventy-two transformations after the wind, he can be said to be the person in the world of supernatural beings who knows their movements best.

He straightened his Taoist robe and sat down, his expression becoming more composed. "May I ask what the inn intends to do with these?"

Liu Wei adjusted his glasses, let out a burp, and said, "Hey, I always feel that the Japanese have ambitious plans. They definitely have more than just these current schemes; they're preparing for the future."

"After all, our little shop sells intelligence, so we have to be able to predict the situation clearly and anticipate the enemy's moves."

Lü Qian nodded. "That's something we can discuss."

Hearing that Lü Qian had loosened his grip, Liu Wei knew that things were on the horizon, but the main hall was not a suitable place at the moment, so he changed the subject and talked about other matters.

"Speaking of which, did Daoist Lü Qian receive an invitation to the Lu family's birthday banquet during his trip south?"