The next day, East Arrival Restaurant.
The lower floors of the restaurant remained as bustling and clamorous as ever. But anyone who looked closely would notice that most of those seated there were sturdy young men.
Every one of them was tall and powerfully built, dressed in identical knee-length white round-collared robes. Their heads were wrapped in black headcloths, with red forehead bands tied outside, each embroidered with a winged tiger. They were clearly all from the same group.
The higher one went, the fewer people there were, and the more expensive their clothing became. On the top floor, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe stood gripping the railing. When he opened his mouth, his voice was not loud, yet everyone in the entire building could hear him:
"Brothers, today is my daughter's birthday."
"Yesterday, I hosted the Three Great Families of the Inner City as a matter of courtesy. Today, I host all of you brothers out of fellowship!"
"No need to stand on ceremony. Drink to your hearts' content!"
The moment his words fell, seventy or eighty men answered in thunderous unison:
"Many thanks, Chief Escort!!!"
The middle-aged man cupped his fists, turned, and entered a private room. Li Cunxiao watched it all from the corner of his eye, and his blood could not help but stir.
The realm was in turmoil, and war was about to rise—anyone with foresight could see it. The Flying Tiger Escort Agency could sit securely over both the Inner and Outer Cities of Chuqiu County precisely because it had this band of martial men.
If the world changed one day, all it would take was to armor these strong young men, and they would become a force of fierce soldiers. One had to know that Chuqiu County City's garrison numbered only two or three hundred.
Of course, the private armies of the Three Great Families of the Inner City were unknown to outsiders.
The thought that a true man ought to be thus flashed through his mind before an urgent shout came from behind him:
"Nezha?! Where's Nezha?!"
Li Cunxiao froze at first, then hurriedly ran back.
"I'm here."
The troupe manager had been growing impatient from searching, but when he saw the youth dart before him—leopard-headed, round-eyed, imposing even without anger—his irritation immediately faded by thirty percent. He sighed.
"You really do have a vicious face and evil look. Young man, you don't even need makeup—you're a living, breathing evil Nezha."
Without further nonsense, he hurriedly had someone change Li Cunxiao into a costume and explained what he needed to do when he went onstage.
In truth, this act, Heavenly King Joins the Battle, had a story behind it. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the current dynasty, an enemy nation beyond the borders launched a surprise attack on the frontier. They won battle after battle, and the court and countryside were thrown into an uproar.
As it happened, the eminent monk Master Amoghavajra set up an altar and performed rites, inviting Northern Vaishravana to join the battle. The Heavenly King then led his third son, Nezha, and five hundred Golden Armored Divine Soldiers to drive back the enemy troops.
Whether the tale was true or false was hard to say, but from then on, the Northern Heavenly King bore the title of God of War, while Third Prince Nezha also steadily rose to fame.
Yet this Crown Prince Nezha was no handsome immortal cast down from heaven. The Buddhist scriptures said:
"Crown Prince Nezha looks upon the four directions with evil eyes."
"When enraged, Nezha manifests three heads and six arms."
This meant that Nezha often wore a fierce and wrathful aspect. Some also said that Nezha was a Yaksha General, commanding hosts of ghosts and rakshasas.
As such tales spread far and wide, theater troupes gradually began seeking vicious-looking youths whenever they needed someone to play Nezha. Thanks to that, Li Cunxiao had landed this job.
In truth, Li Cunxiao had a leopard's head and ringed eyes. He looked fierce, but he was not ugly. Put him among military generals, and others might even praise him as a valiant warrior.
But who told Li Cunxiao he was still just a nobody?
"Little brother, stay obediently backstage. Big Brother will be back soon."
After applying his makeup, Li Cunxiao used the time before going onstage to give a few instructions.
Li Muxia was still a child, at precisely the age when he loved excitement. He had wanted to watch the play, so he could not help feeling disappointed at this, but he still nodded.
The troupe manager beside them heard and affectionately rubbed Muxia's little head.
"It's fine. Let him stay backstage. I'll have someone watch him. Cui Cui, come here!"
A maiden of sixteen arrived at once upon hearing the call. The moment she saw Li Muxia's adorable little face, her eyes lit up. Without waiting for Old Master Zhou to tell her, she took candied fruits and sweets from her bag, teasing him in a gentle, tender voice.
The other girls in the troupe saw this and gathered around as well. For a moment, warblers and swallows chirped together amid sweet laughter and playful chatter. Li Muxia had never seen such a scene before and panicked so badly that he kept calling for Big Brother, leaving the two people beside him dumbfounded.
Old Master Zhou's gaze shifted back and forth between the two brothers, as though asking, Did you two really come from the same womb?
Li Cunxiao was speechless for a moment. His little brother truly had the potential to live off women.
No matter what, someone was looking after him, so Li Cunxiao set his mind at ease. Once the earlier acts had ended and the gongs and drums sounded, Li Cunxiao followed the "Heavenly King" in paper armor before him and slipped onto the stage in a line.
Below the stage, the Chief Escort's family of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency was raising cups and drinking together.
"Master, your disciple offers you a cup."
A young man with a square face respectfully raised his wine cup. The middle-aged man seated in the place of honor smiled and nodded, but before the wine reached his lips, a voice spoke from beside him:
"Senior Brother, today is clearly Xiao Wu's and my birthday. Why aren't you toasting me?"
Following the voice, one saw four girls seated beside the beautiful married woman next to the middle-aged man, ranging from around twenty to around ten years old. The speaker was a ten-year-old girl with a clever, impish look.
The woman also held a three- or four-year-old little girl in her arms. She was clearly the "Xiao Wu" mentioned in the girl's words.
"Que'er, no manners at all!"
The middle-aged man scolded her, helpless yet doting. The beautiful woman, along with the other girls, all laughed, clearly accustomed to it.
That senior brother, however, truly replied in a serious and proper manner.
"That was indeed my oversight. Since it is Que'er's birthday, what gift do you want?"
"Senior Brother is the best! I want... I want..."
Que'er racked her brains for a moment, apparently unable to come up with anything. Acting shamelessly, she said:
"I haven't thought of it yet! Anyway, Father and Senior Brother both have to promise me one thing!"
Everyone burst into laughter. The whole family was enjoying themselves in perfect harmony when, in the distance, the troupe's gongs and drums suddenly rang out, and a group of performers surged onto the stage.
The lively performance quickly drew everyone's attention away. When the "Heavenly King" entered with his generals, Que'er immediately pointed, jumped to her feet, and cried out:
"Wow! That Nezha is so fierce and so ugly!"
Li Cunxiao onstage was instantly mortified. Seeing the others onstage struggling to hold back their laughter only made him angrier.
When the "Heavenly King" gave the order to fight and he exchanged blows with the "enemy soldiers," he could not help putting a little more force into it. The man fighting him inwardly wailed in misery.
You little brat, what do you know? This is called a leopard's head and ringed eyes, understand?!
After all, it was a last-minute addition to the play, so Li Cunxiao's Nezha costume was simple. He held a "steel trident," while a "tiger skin skirt" was wrapped around the outside of his trousers.
His bare upper body had been rubbed with some kind of mixed oil, making it resemble golden lacquer and throwing his distinct sinews and bones into sharper relief. His muscles were not especially powerful, yet they twisted and knotted like the roots of an old tree, quite frightening to behold.
"Tiezi, did you see that?"
The middle-aged man called softly. The senior brother named Shi Tie followed his gaze and immediately understood his master's meaning.
"I saw it. That little brother playing Nezha is a bit thin, but his sinews and bones are thick, his frame is upright. He should be promising martial material. And..."
Shi Tie looked at Li Cunxiao, whose face had unknowingly turned red as a date, and showed slight surprise.
"Anger turning the face red is blood courage. If this man trains properly, reaching completion of the Blood Qi Realm should not be difficult."
"As for going further, that will not depend only on his natural frame. It will depend even more on his spirit and will."
After hearing this, the middle-aged man said nothing. Once the entire play ended, he rewarded the performers with broken silver, then suddenly asked:
"Troupe Manager Zhou may not know me well, but I have watched your troupe perform quite often. This Nezha today—I've never seen him before. Why is that?"
Li Cunxiao had just received one tael of reward silver and was happily preparing to leave. At those words, his heart suddenly tightened.
Old Master Zhou's heart also skipped a beat. Today's performance had actually gone rather smoothly. That newly arrived Nezha had even performed unexpectedly well—after all, he did not need to recite any lines.
Where, exactly, had they offended Master Zhang?
He hurriedly stepped forward.
"Master Zhang, I... I..."
Strange as it was, Old Master Zhou had led theater troupes for so many years. He had served the young masters and ladies of the Inner City more times than he could count, yet never had he been as frightened as he was today, so scared that he could not even get the words out.
It was as if what stood before him was not a living man, but a man-eating tiger. Clearly, the other party had done nothing, yet merely standing nearby made his calves tremble.
Seeing this, Li Cunxiao knew that no matter what, the matter would eventually come back to him. Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward.
"Please forgive us, Master Zhang. The troupe manager had me play Nezha because he wished to win an auspicious start and add some joy to your young lady's birthday."
Zhang Lishi immediately found this interesting.
First, he thought the youth had considerable nerve. Second, he wanted to hear what explanation the other man had. Senior Brother Shi Tie and the female members of the household beside him also looked over curiously.
"Then tell me, what is this auspicious start?"
Facing everyone's gazes, Li Cunxiao's mind raced. Then inspiration flashed.
"I am the auspicious start."
"You?"
The moment those words came out, everyone could not help laughing. Even Old Master Zhou relaxed somewhat.
After all, a fierce-looking young man calling himself an auspicious start was as absurd as a crow claiming it had come to bring good news.
Everyone was laughing, but Li Cunxiao felt Zhang Lishi's gaze and knew he had not passed the test yet. Enduring the shame in his heart, he spoke with an honest, simple expression.
"In reply to Master Zhang, my childhood name is Nezha."
Before you continue