The Way of the World

The Wave-Pushing Gang... no, the Paibo Sect, has definitely expanded its membership to include many people by now. Although only a few hundred people live behind the mountain gate, the entire mountain has more than that.

Including the so-called outer disciples, those who came to become disciples, the women in the inner quarters, the guests who came to visit, and the numerous servants and laborers, there were actually several thousand people.

For many people, the so-called "Brother Li" is a complete stranger.

Because the name is rarely mentioned within the Paibo Sect, everyone knows that it was Li Qi who brought the Cultivation Method back then.

And what the Cultivation Method means... I suppose it doesn't need much explanation.

The origin of the Cultivation Method is unclear.

The reason for Li Qi's disappearance is also unclear.

So after privately speculating and discussing, the members of the Wave-Pushing Gang all believed that Li Qi had taken the blame for the Cultivation Method on them, and that's why they fled for their lives.

Therefore, they basically don't talk about Li Qi to outsiders, and they never mention that there was such a person in Paibomen. But all the old men are very clear that everything they have now is thanks to Li Qi.

Therefore, everyone was overjoyed when Li Qi returned.

They knew what this meant.

This means that Li Qi is no longer being hunted down, or that Li Qi now desperately needs their help.

Regardless of the outcome, those involved in the anti-wave movement readily accepted it and were willing to stand up for what was right.

They can finally welcome their brothers back.

Throughout the journey, Huang Si kept telling Li Qi about the recent progress of the Wave-Piercing Gate, the money they had made, the power they had expanded, and the good life they were living.

A life that boatmen could never have imagined: beautiful women, fine wine, delicious food, and a beautiful house.

The decoration here is extremely exquisite. Along the way, we passed through many pavilions and halls, winding corridors, and there was still more under construction.

Beside it were vermilion railings, filled with countless toys and trinkets, some for practicing martial arts, others for pure amusement.

Various precious trees are planted nearby, including willows, pines, elms, poplars, paulownia, bamboo, parasol trees, and locust trees, all around. Lotus flowers are planted in the green pond, their fragrance is incomparable. The trees are lush, and magpies chatter on the high branches.

"It's all because Brother Li brought us the Cultivation Method. We all remember it and haven't forgotten Brother Li! Now that you've gotten rid of the trouble and come back, we brothers can finally enjoy ourselves!" Huang Si happily patted Li Qi on the shoulder, showing him everything that Paibo Sect now possessed.

Li Qi did not look at the pavilions and towers that had already been repaired, but instead looked at the people who were building new ones.

They accepted money from the Paibo Sect to help them build new pavilions. Because of their Cultivation Method, they were able to move large amounts of stone, working tirelessly from morning till night.

They were the former "Wave-Pushing Gang".

Seemingly noticing Li Qi's gaze, Huang Si patted his chest and said, "Brother Li is kind-hearted, everyone knows that. You always shared meat with the children when there was any, and you always helped us whenever you could. So, Uncle Liu said that we should never forget our roots. We also started from the bottom, so we pay them 30% more than the market price!"

"Yes, that's good news." Li Qi nodded without saying anything more.

Huang Si seemed oblivious to Li Qi's emotions. After all, Brother Li had always been a calm person, and he was no different now.

Passing through these pavilions, we arrived at the inner courtyard.

Li Qi pushed open the door and entered, only to find that many of his former brothers were already standing inside, though there were only forty or fifty of them.

In the early stages of their business, Wave-Pushing Gang was bold and daring.

What this means is that many people died before the company was able to gain a foothold.

Uncle Liu's shoulders were much straighter now. He was dressed in silk and walked forward, offering Li Qi a bowl of wine. "Little Li."

Li Qi also put aside his previous thoughts, solemnly walked over, raised both hands, and accepted the bowl of wine. "Uncle Liu, I'm back."

After speaking, he drank it all in one gulp.

Cheers erupted from all around, and everyone cheered, raising their glasses and rushing towards Li Qi.

"Brother Li! I'd like to toast you!"

"Come on, drink!"

"Drink, drink!"

Dozens of people huddled together, laughing and drinking heartily. Then, dozens of servants, after receiving instructions, hurriedly brought dozens of jars of wine from the cellar. They also slaughtered five large, fat pigs with black skin and steel bristles, which required a strongman to split open with a giant axe, and put them into boiling water to cook.

All the things originally prepared for Huang Si's wedding banquet were used to welcome Li Qi.

He then sent people to the market to buy roast duck, roast goose, cooked mutton, roast chicken, mutton head, rice noodles, candy, and other delicacies, setting up a grand feast for three days.

Several long tables were pulled out, on which were laid out various fruits and snacks, including meat buns, spicy soup, steamed shrimp and eggs, meatballs, persimmons, cherries, green beans, green plums, yellow plums, loquats, and golden apricots.

Later, there was a continuous supply of fried meat, fried liver, frozen fish, frozen dried fish, frozen meat, mustard cakes, glutinous rice balls, steamed rice cakes, chestnut rice dumplings, and all sorts of other foods that could be bought in Lizhou City.

Sunflowers and pomegranates vie for beauty, gardenias and mugwort compete for fragrance, glutinous rice dumplings are wrapped in gold, and calamus is cut like jade. They even specially invited a local Shaman to collect hundreds of herbs, make medicines, and hang them on the wall to ward off plagues and welcome the return of children.

Thus, dozens of lavish banquets were held, with thousands of lanterns and candles lining the streets, and everyone was so drunk that they wouldn't leave until they were completely intoxicated.

Although the food was not elaborate, it was plentiful of meat and oil, and everyone was full. The dishes were served in clean and exquisite containers, carved bamboo baskets. The feast lasted until dawn, and no one was tired of it.

This drinking and celebration lasted for an entire day.

Wine was spilled everywhere, and chunks of meat and grease were scattered all over the place. The members of the Wave-Pushing Gang were drunk, some simply collapsed on the ground and fell asleep, while others leaned against the corner of the wall.

There were also many servants and lackeys who stuffed the leftover oil, candles, leftover meat, soup, and leftover food into their pockets, and stuffed what they couldn't fit into their mouths.

The host had a grand feast, so naturally they could also eat some leftovers.

The members of the Wave-Pushing Gang ate until they were stuffed and drank until they were completely drunk, but a few of them remained conscious.

This included Li Qi and his Uncle Liu.

Needless to say, Li Qi only ate a tiny bit of food, and as for alcohol... this kind of pure, ordinary wine had almost no effect on Li Qi; no matter how much he drank, he wouldn't get drunk.

The reason why the martial artists of the Paibo Sect were so drunk was because they thought they had more people and wanted to get Li Qi drunk, but they didn't expect that Li Qi would make them all pass out on the ground.

Li Qi sat in the chair, sighed, looked at the moon in the sky, and said nothing.

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to scold anyone or lose his temper in public, thus spoiling everyone's fun.

Although doing so might wake up some people, Li Qi Qixin wasn't that tough.

The brothers in the Wave-Pushing Gang genuinely welcomed him back, but he simply couldn't bring himself to say it.

None of this can be blamed on the Wave-Pushing Gang.

"You look worried, but what is there to worry about now? Everyone has food and clothing, servants, wives, and houses. What more can a person do in their life? What is there to worry about?" Uncle Liu sat down next to Li Qi and patted him on the shoulder.

The members of the Wave-Pushing Gang tacitly agreed not to ask Li Qi where he had been all these years. They knew that Li Qi must have his own reasons, especially since he had brought back the Carp Flowing Intent Cultivation Method.

"Uncle Liu, the situation is very bad right now," Li Qi said, turning around to face his Uncle Liu.

"What? Are you still being chased? Who is it? Several of our brothers have reached the Innate Realm. No matter who the enemy is, they can always back you up. What's more, we've allied ourselves with the Thousand Mechanisms Sect this year. It's said that the sect leader has already surpassed the Spirit Intent Realm. When he unleashes his Fist Intent, it's incredibly powerful. He can injure people from ten miles away and can move a hundred steps in an instant. He can be considered one of the strongest in the world. Even the Carp Flowing Intent Divine Skill, when cultivated to its peak, is no more than this. No matter who your enemy is, you'll always have someone to rely on."

"Now, we don't need to let you run for your life alone anymore. If anything happens, the brothers can handle it." Uncle Liu said solemnly as he sat down next to Li Qi.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi felt no mockery, only a slight warmth in his heart.

Uncle Liu and the Wave-Pushing Gang are still the same as before.

When I fell to the shore and was swept away by the current, it was Wave-Pushing Gang saved me. For the next three years, whether I was trying to survive or find a way out, it was always the same.

However, he still spoke up, "Uncle Liu, you said the Thousand Mechanisms Sect Master is one of the strongest people in the world, but do you know how big this world is?"

"This world... I've heard that besides the Great Deer Kingdom, there's the Song Kingdom, and there must be other great powers as well, spanning millions of miles. Thinking about it, it really is vast. I'm afraid I won't even be able to leave one of these kingdoms in my lifetime," Uncle Liu sighed.

"This world... is much bigger than you can imagine, and compared to the entire universe, it is... too small," Li Qi said.

"What is the universe?" Uncle Liu asked, somewhat puzzled upon hearing the term.

He had never heard the word 'universe' before; it seemed to be some kind of special word. So he had no idea what Li Qi was talking about, nor could he understand what 'bigger than imagined' meant.

"It's alright, you'll understand later, Uncle Liu. The Great Deer Kingdom is no longer suitable for you to stay. Do you want to come with me?" Li Qi said to his Uncle Liu.

This is the solution Li Qi came up with.

In the Great Deer Kingdom, no matter how much the Wave-Pushing Gang struggles, they will only sink deeper into ruin. Such is the trend of the times, such is the way of the world.

The world...

Li Qi suddenly realized something.

The great shaman Mi Xin once said to him, "I want to use my wisdom, my abilities, and my knowledge to transform the world into the way I desire it."

"I want to shape this world into the form that conforms to my worldview—not just one world, but all the worlds within my sight. I like the world as it is, and I want to make it that way." (Note: See Chapter 269)

The so-called "way of the world" refers to the way that society and groups operate.

Li Qi suddenly realized why Dao Lineage would establish their own spheres of influence, and even divide the world into Nine Lands of the World.

However, before Li Qi could gain any insights from his reflections, his Uncle Liu interrupted his thoughts, saying, "Leave here? What place? Everyone's settled down here, where else can we go?"

"Let's not talk about this today. Tomorrow, when everyone is up, I'll trouble you, Uncle Liu, to gather the brothers you trust. They don't have to be the old brothers from before; those you trust now will do," Li Qi said.

"You want it?" Uncle Liu asked, puzzled.

"I want to give my brothers a better future," Li Qi said.

Li Qi stood up. "Uncle Liu has also drunk quite a bit today. Go to bed early. We can talk about it tomorrow."

After saying that, he left and walked towards Old Ma's direction.

Uncle Liu watched Li Qi's retreating figure and suddenly shivered.

Why do I feel... a sudden sense of pressure emanating from this kid?

He had only ever felt a similar sensation with the leader of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect.

The current Li Qi... might be quite something.

In the dead of night, the moonlight shines down.

In the stable, Li Qi was brushing the Old Ma's mane and feeding it some spiritual herbs and seeds.

After all, it is already a ninth-grade Dragon Steed. Eating ordinary grass, millet and beans can hardly make up for its daily consumption. Now the Old Ma eats spirit herbs.

He could actually eat meat, after all, the Dragon Steed's sharp teeth were no joke, but he didn't like the taste of meat, saying he couldn't stand the smell of meat.

Old Ma snorted and knelt on the ground, taking Li Qi's service for granted.

Just as Li Qi could rightfully ride on his back, everyone was responsible for their own affairs.

Just then, a stable boy suddenly came in, seemingly to clean the stables.

But when he saw Li Qi, he shuddered.

"Sir! How could I let you do such rough work?!" The stable boy was startled and rushed over. Ignoring the dirt on the ground, he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Please go and rest. If the gentlemen find out I made you wash the horses—"

As he spoke, the horse groom trembled all over, his body stiffening at the thought of that fate, and he could no longer continue.

"I like doing it myself. It's fine. If anyone questions me, just say I told you to do it this way," Li Qi said, stopping his work.

"But, sir...!" The stable boy remained kneeling and did not get up.

He'd been hosting a banquet all day, and he'd heard from others that this man before him was someone even Master Huang Si called "Big Brother." If he let him just sit there like this and get caught...

Even if they come up with an explanation, they probably won't escape their fate.

"So, you're afraid of them, but not of me, is that right?" Li Qi glanced at the horse herder.

These words sent a chill down the horseman's spine. He immediately kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "My lord, my lord, please have mercy on me!"

He didn't know how to resolve the matter, but compared to facing Huang Si and his gang, he preferred to pray to this seemingly kind adult.

Li Qi sighed.

"Then go and fetch me some water. If anyone asks, just say I told you to. I didn't make you stand there like an idiot," Li Qi said.

The horse herder finally relaxed and quickly got up to help Li Qi pour water and wash the Old Ma's body.

Through this incident, Li Qi gained a clearer understanding of the current situation of the Great Deer Kingdom.

Sure enough, resolving this kind of thing isn't that simple.