The Unruly Immortals

Gao Zhijian, his face flushed red with exertion, summoned all of his strength, trembling as he hoisted the gigantic halberd back onto the ox cart.

Without even stopping to catch his breath, he grabbed a piece of cloth and wrapped up the sharp head of the halberd.

Li, his senior brother, had told him that after practicing with the halberd, he must always wrap it up, because its previous owner had been a general from the Huo Shu, and if someone from the officialdom of Qingqiu recognized it, it could cause trouble.

Looking at the wrapped-up giant halberd, he scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit helpless.

He'd been practicing for so long, yet he could only just lift it; yet in that woman's hands, it seemed as light as paper.

He measured the length with his hand and thought that perhaps shortening it a bit might make it lighter and, if he was to use it, one zhang and two chi was too long.

The specifications of one zhang and two chi were only necessary for cavalry weapons. Unless you were a spearman, such length was too unwieldy for ground combat, making it difficult to counterattack if an enemy got in close.

Lifting the curtain of the ox cart, he picked up the heavy armor that was haphazardly piled inside and examined it carefully, occasionally trying it against his body.

Able to withstand Senior Brother Li's sword, Gao Zhijian understood these armor plates were no ordinary pieces.

It was just that the woman was much bigger than him; if he wanted to wear the armor, he'd have to get a blacksmith to alter it.

There was also the weight to consider; the full set of body armor weighed hundreds of jin, so he'd need to build up his strength before he could wear it.

"Idiot, what are you doing? Come over here, I've got something to talk to you about. It's good news!"

Gao Zhijian turned around with a displeased expression, looking down at the speaking dog, Mantou.

"Look, do you see those women? There are a few who seem to be interested in you."

Gao Zhijian looked up and saw a group of women who were sneaking glances at him. When they realized he had noticed them, they quickly withdrew their heads.

"Hey, idiot, do you want a wife? If you do, I, Cao Cao, will play matchmaker and help you tie the knot."

With a miserable face, Gao Zhijian turned back and continued to fuss with the armor plates, completely ignoring Mantou.

"Are you somehow finding them dirty? You're disgusted by them, yet they haven't even called you an idiot. With people like us, we shouldn't be picky; just find someone and settle down, or you'll miss the chance altogether."

"I'm telling you, I've got a prospect. It won't be long before you can feast at my wedding."

"Go... go... go..." Gao Zhijian stuttered out.

"Going? Fine, let's go over and take a look then."

"Go... go... get lost!" he shouted so loudly that he startled Mantou.

"I'm treating you like a brother and worrying about your future here. You might not even find someone someday."

Gao Zhijian pushed forward with his palm, causing Mantou to stumble and fall to the ground.

With an annoyed expression, Mantou cursed under his breath as he walked away, then headed over to Zhao Wu, who was on another ox cart.

"Gnaw gnaw gnaw~!" Gao Zhijian made noises to attract the dog, who was resting under the horse-drawn carriage.

Hearing the sound, Mantou stretched his front paws and yawned vigorously, then with his ears flattened against his head, he shook his head and waddled towards Gao Zhijian.

Gao Zhijian carefully cradled the dog in his arms, repeatedly stroking it and relishing the sensation of the soft fur brushing against his palms, and he couldn't help but chuckle heartily.

He reached into his bosom and took out half a piece of yellow cake, teasing Mantou with it. Seeing there was food, Mantou's tail immediately began wagging even more eagerly.

Gao Zhijian pinched off some crumbs from the cake with his hand, placed them in his palm, and quietly savored the feeling of Mantou's tongue continuously licking his palm.

Mantou ate quickly, and soon the half-piece of cake was gone. Gao Zhijian closed his eyes and buried his head in the dog's fur, rubbing it constantly.

He liked dogs, dogs were better than people, Gao Zhijian even thought he would like Brother Li to give this dog to him.

After rubbing for a while, he opened his eyes and carefully took out the book on military tactics from his bosom and started to read it intently.

He didn't understand why he never tired of reading it over and over, even though there were parts of it he didn't quite comprehend. Yet, he always felt a familiar sensation from the book.

In the distance, Bei Feng watched Gao Zhijian hugging Mantou, shook his head helplessly, and sighed, "Ah, this fool really hasn't come to his senses. He has women available but prefers playing with a dog."

"Bei Feng, I advise you to behave yourself. If you get rough with those women, Brother Li may not have time to deal with you now, but Chun Xiaoman will definitely chop you down with one sword," Zhao Wu, who was holding an old abacus and counting supplies, advised.

"What are you talking about? If I didn't follow, that'd be the end of it, but you still slander me? Do I, Bei Feng, need to get rough when finding a wife?"

"When it comes to dealing with women, I'm very skilled! Just you wait and see, before we reach Liang State, I'm definitely going to charm one! What do you want to bet?"

"Alright, alright, you're incredible, okay? Hurry up and charm someone, and stop bothering me. I still have accounts to settle here. If I don't get them sorted, you'll be out in the cold for your next meal," Zhao Wu retorted.

Bei Feng scratched the vitiligo on his face, then looked at Zhao Wu, whose shoulders were uneven, and still tried to persuade him persistently, "You really won't come with me? People like us need to know our own worth. If you don't seize the chance, you'll end up a bachelor your whole life."

Zhao Wu was quite irritated, "Brother Li is hurt like that, and you still have the leisure to talk about this?"

"His hand was broken but it grew back, what's there to worry about? You all are worrying needlessly," Bei Feng dismissed.

"I've come to understand something following this journey, Brother Li is like this!" Bei Feng held his thumb up high. "Don't worry, even if King Yama himself came for him, he'd be fine."

A hint of worry flashed in Zhao Wu's eyes as he recalled everything he had witnessed recently. No matter how he looked at it, Brother Li didn't seem to be in any trouble.

They all had their imperfections, but Brother Li's infirmity was invisible and perhaps the most severe of all.

"Why do you worry? Brother Li is already halfway to being an Immortal, knowing so many Divine Skills. Even if there were real trouble, what could we help with?"

"Zhao Wu, didn't I just say it? People need to recognize their own limitations. I know I'm not capable, so I amusingly don't dwell on that concern."

"How can you be so lacking in ambition?"

"Come on, as if you're one to talk about ambition. Aside from Brother Li, anyone with ambition would've been killed by that leper in the cave." Bei Feng's face was full of disdain.

The sound of beads on the abacus suddenly stopped as Zhao Wu spoke hesitantly, "Bei Feng, do you think Brother Li could teach us those Divine Skills?"

As soon as Zhao Wu spoke, Bei Feng immediately clutched his stomach and started walking away, "Oh, oh, my stomach hurts, I need to go take a dump, let's chat another time."

He had understood long ago that Brother Li's Divine Skills were not without cost. Chun Xiaoman had lost his hand just using them once, which was terrifying.

Moreover, it was possible Brother Li was becoming increasingly insane because of those Divine Skills, and Bei Feng certainly didn't want to end up like that.