Dai Mubai heard him, and the tension in his lips slowly eased into a faint smile.
He shot Ma Hongjun a sidelong glance.
"Just what I had in mind."
The two exchanged a smile and immediately saw eye to eye.
As for their teacher's instructions and their companions' hard work, they had long since tossed them out of their minds.
Inside an unassuming tavern in Heaven Dou City.
A few simple drinking dishes sat on the wooden table, along with two pots of warmed yellow wine.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun sat across from each other, drinking and trading cups, utterly at ease.
"Boss Dai, you really get me!"
Ma Hongjun downed his wine in one gulp, a satisfied flush spreading across his face.
"Xiao San and the others are still out there running around like fools, while we're here drinking and eating meat. What a beautiful life!"
Dai Mubai heard him, and a wicked smile tugged at his lips.
"Of course."
"Let them handle the hard work."
They exchanged a knowing smile, their laughter brimming with smugness and understanding, then clinked their cups together again with a crisp sound.
After several rounds of wine and a full sampling of the dishes,
Dai Mubai leaned back in his chair, his Evil Eye half-lidded as he studied Ma Hongjun through the haze of alcohol.
"Fatty."
"Hmm? Boss Dai?"
Ma Hongjun was picking up a piece of braised beef. He answered indistinctly, his mouth full.
"Come to think of it, I'm kind of missing those twin sisters we met last time."
There was a hint of mischief in Dai Mubai's voice.
"Once we're done here, want to go cut loose again?"
A knowing, roguish grin crossed his face—the sort of joke any man would understand.
Normally, Ma Hongjun would have heard