Flying Tiger Escort Agency, Nicknamed Nezha

The next day, at the East Arrival Restaurant.

The lower floors of the restaurant were as lively and noisy as ever, but if you paid close attention, you'd notice that most of the patrons were young, strong men.

These men were all tall and sturdy, dressed uniformly in knee-length white robes with round collars. They wore black headcloths, wrapped with a red forehead band embroidered with a winged tiger, clearly indicating they belonged to the same group.

As the floors went up, the number of people decreased, and the fabric of their clothes became more luxurious. On the top floor, a middle-aged man in brocade robes leaned on the railing. He spoke in a voice that wasn't loud, but everyone in the building could hear him:

"Brothers, today is the young lady's birthday."

"Yesterday, we hosted the three families from the inner city out of courtesy; today, we host all you brothers out of friendship!"

"Don't be reserved, drink to your heart's content!"

As his voice faded, seventy to eighty men responded in unison:

"Thank you, Chief Escort!!!"

The middle-aged man clasped his fists, turned, and entered a private room. Li Cunxiao watched this from the side, his heart stirred with excitement.

The world was in turmoil, and war was imminent; this was something any discerning person could foresee. The Flying Tiger Escort Agency could maintain its position both inside and outside Chuqiu County precisely because of these martial men.

If the times were to change one day, all it would take was to arm these young men, and they would become a formidable force. After all, the Chuqiu County City Guard numbered only two to three hundred.

Of course, the private armies of the three inner-city families were unknown to outsiders.

The thought of a true man should be like this flashed through his mind, and then he heard a hurried shout from behind him:

"Nezha?! Where is Nezha?!"

Li Cunxiao was stunned for a moment, then he quickly ran back:

"I am!"

The troupe manager, who had been getting frustrated searching for someone, saw the young man rushing towards him. With a tiger-like head, round eyes, and an imposing presence, his anger subsided by a third. He sighed, "You truly have a fierce appearance. You don't even need makeup; you look exactly like a fierce Nezha."

Without further ado, he immediately called for someone to help Li Cunxiao change into his costume and explained the details of his upcoming performance.

Actually, the act of the Heavenly King assisting had a story behind it. It happened during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of our dynasty when an enemy nation from beyond the borders launched a surprise attack on the frontier. They achieved victory after victory in a short period, causing widespread panic in the court and the country.

Coincidentally, a highly virtuous monk, Master Bukong, performed a ritual to invite the Northern Vaisravana Heavenly King to assist. The Heavenly King then led his third son, Nezha, and five hundred Golden Armored Divine Soldiers to repel the enemy forces.

Whether the story was true or not was hard to say, but from then on, the Northern Heavenly King was hailed as a God of War, and Third Prince Nezha also became increasingly famous.

However, this Prince Nezha was not some handsome immortal. Buddhist scriptures state:

"Prince Nezha observes all directions with fierce eyes."

"Suddenly, in his wrathful form, Nezha appears with three heads and six arms."

This suggests that Nezha often displayed a fierce and wrathful demeanor. Some also say that Nezha was a great Yaksha general, commanding hordes of ghosts and Rakshasas.

With such widespread legends, it gradually became customary for troupes to cast fierce youths as Nezha. It was fortunate that Li Cunxiao was able to get this role because of this.

In fact, Li Cunxiao, with his tiger-like head and round eyes, was fierce but not ugly. If he were a military general, people might even praise him as a valiant warrior.

But who could help it if Li Cunxiao was still just a nobody?

"Little brother, you stay safely backstage. Big brother will be back soon."

After finishing his makeup, Li Cunxiao instructed his younger brother before going on stage.

Li Muxia, being a child, loved excitement and was initially eager to watch the play. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed but still nodded.

The troupe manager, overhearing this, patted Muxia's little head with great affection:

"It's alright, let him stay backstage. I'll have someone watch him. Cui Cui, come here!"

The young girl, sixteen years old, arrived upon hearing the call. The moment she saw Li Muxia's adorable little face, her eyes lit up. Without needing the old manager's instructions, she took out candied preserves from her bag and playfully teased him in a gentle, soft voice.

The other girls in the troupe saw this and also gathered around. In an instant, there was a chorus of chirping and playful laughter. Li Muxia, having never experienced such a scene, became flustered and repeatedly called for his big brother, stunning both of them.

The old troupe manager's gaze shifted back and forth between the two brothers, as if asking, "Are you two really from the same womb?"

Li Cunxiao was speechless for a moment, thinking that his younger brother truly had the potential to live off women.

Regardless, with someone to look after him, he felt relieved. After the first few acts were performed and the gongs and drums sounded, Li Cunxiao followed the "Heavenly King" in paper armor in front of him and smoothly walked onto the stage.

Below the stage, the Chief Escort of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency and his family were toasting each other.

"Master, your disciple offers you a toast."

A young man with a square, honest face respectfully raised his wine cup. The middle-aged man seated at the head of the table smiled and nodded. However, before he could take a sip, a voice from beside him interjected:

"Senior Disciple Brother, today is both my and Xiao Wu's birthday. Why aren't you toasting me?"

Following the sound, they saw that next to the beautiful woman seated beside the middle-aged man, there were four girls, ranging in age from about twenty to ten. The one speaking was a ten-year-old girl, who looked mischievous and clever.

The woman was also holding a three or four-year-old girl in her arms, clearly the "Xiao Wu" being referred to.

"Que'er, don't be disrespectful!"

The middle-aged man scolded her, but with a helpless and doting expression. The beautiful woman and the young girls beside him all laughed, clearly accustomed to this.

The Senior Disciple Brother, hearing this, was indeed proper and serious.

"It was my oversight. Since it is Que'er's birthday, what gift would you like?"

"Senior Disciple Brother is the best! I want, I want!"

Que'er was deep in thought for a moment, seemingly unable to come up with an answer, and resorted to a bit of playful stubbornness:

"I haven't decided yet! Anyway, Dad and Senior Disciple Brother both have to promise me one thing!"

The crowd burst into laughter, the family of several people enjoying a warm and joyous moment. Just then, the sounds of gongs and drums from a distant opera troupe filled the air, and a group of people swarmed forward.

The lively performance quickly captured everyone's attention. When the "Heavenly King" and his generals appeared on stage, Que'er immediately pointed and shouted:

"Wow! That Nezha is so fierce and ugly!"

Li Cunxiao on stage felt incredibly embarrassed. Seeing that the others on stage were also suppressing their laughter, he became even more annoyed.

When the "Heavenly King" ordered the battle, and he clashed with the "enemy soldiers," he couldn't help but put a little more force into his movements. The person fighting him couldn't help but inwardly lament.

This brat doesn't know anything! Do you understand what 'leopard head, ring eyes' means?!

After all, it was an impromptu addition to the play. Li Cunxiao, playing Nezha, was dressed simply. He held a "steel trident" and wore a "tiger skin skirt" around his waist over his trousers.

His bare upper body was smeared with some unknown oily substance, resembling gold paint, which further accentuated his well-defined muscles. Although not robust, his muscles were coiled like the roots of an old tree, quite intimidating.

"Iron, did you see that?"

The middle-aged man called out softly. Senior Disciple Brother Shi Tie followed his gaze and immediately understood his Master's meaning.

"I saw him. Although the young brother playing Nezha is a bit thin, his bones are thick and his posture is upright. He should be a promising martial arts prospect, and..."

Shi Tie looked at Li Cunxiao, whose face had unconsciously turned a deep red, and was slightly surprised:

"Anger turning the face red is a sign of brave spirit. If this person is trained properly, reaching the peak of the Blood Qi Realm should not be difficult."

"As for progressing further, that will depend not only on his innate foundation but also on his mental fortitude..."

The middle-aged man listened without a word. After the entire play was over, he rewarded the performers with some silver fragments and suddenly asked:

"Troupe Manager Zhou might not recognize me, but I've watched your plays quite a bit. I've never seen this Nezha before today; why is that?"

Li Cunxiao, who had happily received a tael of silver and was about to leave, felt a jolt in his heart upon hearing this.

Old Troupe Manager Zhou's heart also skipped a beat. Today's performance had actually gone quite smoothly, and the new Nezha had even performed better than expected—after all, he didn't have any lines to recite.

Which part has displeased Master Zhang?

He quickly stepped forward:

"Master Zhang, I, I..."

It was strange. Troupe Manager Zhou had been leading his troupe for so many years, serving young ladies and lords from the inner city countless times, yet never before had he been so terrified that he couldn't speak.

It was as if the person before him was not a living human but a man-eating tiger. Even though the other party had done nothing, just standing nearby made his knees tremble.

Seeing this, Li Cunxiao knew he couldn't avoid the situation. Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward:

"Master Zhang, please forgive us. The troupe manager had me play Nezha to bring good luck and add some festive cheer to your esteemed daughter's birthday..."

Zhang Lishi found this amusing.

Firstly, he thought the young man had a lot of nerve. Secondly, he wanted to hear the man's explanation. Senior Disciple Brother Shi Tie and the womenfolk nearby also looked over curiously.

"Then tell me, what is this good luck?"

Facing everyone's gaze, Li Cunxiao's mind raced, and a flash of inspiration struck him:

"I am the good luck..."

"You?"

As soon as he said this, everyone couldn't help but chuckle, and even the old troupe manager's mood seemed to lighten a bit.

After all, it was quite comical for a fierce-looking youth to claim he was good luck, like a crow saying it was bringing auspicious news.

Seeing everyone laughing, Li Cunxiao sensed Zhang Lishi's gaze and knew he hadn't passed the test yet. He suppressed the shame in his heart and spoke with a simple, honest expression:

"Replying to Master Zhang, my childhood nickname is Nezha."