Guilin basked beneath a blazing sun.
A party traveled along a winding horse trail, threading their way among verdant mountain peaks.
"Want to use me as bait to lure Yang Second into your trap? In your dreams!"
Yang Tiansheng rode in the middle of the party on a Red-Charcoal Fire Dragon Steed, its knotted muscles resembling those of a burly body-hardening practitioner. Toying with a glossy red wine gourd inlaid with gold and silver, he gave Wei Xin a roguish grin. "You really think I've got no brains?"
At his words, Wei Xin instinctively looked back at the red banner fluttering behind them, emblazoned in black with "Yang Erlang is here," and covered his face in shame... A closer look revealed a line of small writing between "Yang Erlang" and "is here": "'s elder brother, Yang Tiansheng."
All together, it read: "Yang Erlang's elder brother, Yang Tiansheng, is here."
Noticing Wei Xin's little gesture, Yang Tiansheng demanded indignantly, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Wei Xin never lied in front of Yang Tiansheng, so he chose to tell the truth this time as well. "I've seen plenty of shameless people, sir, but someone as shameless as you... This is a first."
Yang Tiansheng gave a disdainful snort. "Would getting pinned to the ground and beaten to a pulp give me dignity? Or would getting captured by the Five Poisons Cult and making Yang Second trek all the way to the southern borderlands to ransom me give me dignity?"
Wei Xin weighed that up, then raised his thumb admiringly. "Incense Master, you truly conceal great wisdom beneath apparent foolishness, unmoved by either honor or disgrace. I was too caught up in appearances."
Yang Tiansheng harrumphed, the grin tugging at his lips harder to suppress than an AK's recoil.
Wei