Shi Qingjue raised a hand to feel his shaved head and discovered that the stubble had grown back. He decided to shave it off again later.
Gao Yang, sitting atop a pile of felt blankets, rubbed his own head too. He gulped down a mouthful of wine and sighed in comfort. "I'm finally alive again. Good brother, it's only been a few days since we last met, and you're already the boss of Iron Mountain. Back then, you could've beaten me to death and I still wouldn't have believed it."
A bright smile spread across Gao Yang's face, as if it had been coated in grease. It made his gaze look even more vicious, like a ferocious dog about to wolf down a feast.
A few days? Shi Qingjue was momentarily dazed. To him, it felt like a long time had passed—so long that he was no longer used to being called "good brother." "Don't talk nonsense. I'm not the boss of Iron Mountain. Iron Spear King is the young lady's son, and everyone is loyal to him. I only came up with a few ideas, and they took me seriously. They didn't treat me like an outsider."
Gao Yang gave him a knowing wink. "I get it. Don't worry, I've dealt with this sort of crowd before. Sooner or later, I'll get you a king's crown."
Shi Qingjue smiled. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
Gao Yang slapped his head. "Oh, right. This is for you." He reached down his trousers and rummaged around for a while before pulling out a small cloth bundle. "Here, take it."
Shi Qingjue did his best to hide his excitement—and his disgust at Gao Yang's antics. "You really got it?"
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I have asked you to come get me?" Gao