Drinking was at the old place, with the old rules—one jar per person.

After finishing both jars, both were slightly tipsy.

Bu Liu looked at Xie Zhifei, not blinking.

Xie Zhifei felt uncomfortable under his gaze: “Big Brother Bu, is something wrong with my face?”

Bu Liu shook his head: “Brother Xie, today the Ministry of War summoned me. His Majesty personally appointed my Bu family army to accompany him on expedition after March.”

Called it.

Xie Zhifei raised his bowl: “Big Brother Bu, nothing else to say—I wish you follow His Majesty in establishing meritorious achievements and returning safely.”

Bu Liu laughed heartily, tilted his head back to drain his bowl, then filled both bowls again.

“This bowl, I toast Brother Xie—first thanking you for that day’s life-saving grace, second thanking you for helping me investigate the true culprit.”

Xie Zhifei: “Big Brother Bu is too polite. I was also investigating for myself.”

Bu Liu leaned forward slightly, his gaze seeping with coolness: “So who exactly was he after?”

Xie Zhifei met his gaze, neither dodging nor yielding: “No matter who he was after, the result is that he wanted us dead.”

Bu Liu smiled soundlessly: “So Brother Xie had Zhu Qing bring word—you want me to help you take revenge?”

Xie Zhifei leaned close to Bu Liu and whispered: “My revenge, I’ll take myself.”

Bu Liu’s throat moved: “He’s a prince, imperial relative. How do you take this revenge?”

“Until the person dies, the grudge remains.”

Xie Zhifei slowly sat upright: “There will always be a day when it can be avenged.”

“Ambitious.”

Bu Liu shouted loudly: “Brother Xie, for those words alone, we must clink bowls.”

“Bottoms up.”

The bowls clinked, each drained. The intoxication deepened by half again.

Bu Liu’s hand rested on Xie Zhifei’s shoulder, seemingly casual: “Brother Xie’s excellent blade technique—who did you learn from?”

“My guard Zhu Qing. All my skills were taught by him.”

“You’ve taken no other masters?”

“No.”

Bu Liu’s eyes flickered slightly.

To investigate Xie Zhifei, he had secretly investigated the Xie family thoroughly, including his two personal guards.

Zhu Qing didn’t use blades at all—only swords.

He was lying.

Bu Liu’s eyes held a thin layer of coldness: “Brother Xie, Big Brother Bu has a request.”

“Just speak.”

“Could you have Zhu Qing teach me a few moves of his blade technique?”

He sighed: “Last time the sword pierced my abdomen, my vital energy was greatly damaged. On the battlefield blades and spears have no eyes. I, Bu Liu, have elders above and young ones below. I don’t want to be wrapped in a horse hide.”

“This…” Xie Zhifei’s thumb rubbed slightly.

“If Brother Xie finds it difficult, forget it. Looking at that blade technique, it’s clearly extraordinary—probably Zhu Qing’s unique secret skill, not to be transmitted outside.”

These words left Xie Zhifei in a bind—responding wasn’t right, not responding wasn’t right either.

After much deliberation, he said in a clear voice: “It is indeed Zhu Qing’s unique secret skill, not transmitted outside. After we finish drinking, Big Brother Bu and I can spar.”

Sparring meant letting someone steal the techniques.

Father had told him that except for the last two moves of the Zheng family blade technique which couldn’t be taught to others, the rest could be transmitted to anyone.

“Good brother, come, your elder brother toasts you.”

Bu Liu was overjoyed and consecutively toasted Xie Zhifei three cups.

…

An empty space, no one around—just right for sparring.

Having drunk, Xie Zhifei’s grip on the blade was somewhat unsteady. After Bu Liu executed several moves, he sensed something wrong.

Bu Liu was actually also using Zheng family blade technique.

Damn.

Could he have also learned it?

Before Xie Zhifei could think of how to respond, his back suddenly took a heavy blow from a blade’s flat side, nearly knocking out all the wine from his stomach.

Just as he was about to counterattack, his right leg took a heavy blow from a blade’s flat side.

This was his injured leg, just recently healed.

Cold sweat poured from Xie Zhifei’s pain: “Big Brother Bu, this is…”

Just beginning to speak, his chest took another blow from a blade’s flat side.

Xie Zhifei staggered backward several steps. The defiance in his heart, together with the alcohol, surged upward. The blade in his hand instantly became sharp and fierce.

After several exchanges, both men’s eyes turned red with battle fury.

Suddenly, Bu Liu shouted explosively. His blade turned, heading straight for Xie Zhifei’s head.

In the distance, Zhu Qing was scared out of his wits: “Third Master, watch out!”

Xie Zhifei’s spirit sharpened. The long blade in his hand instinctively swept up, deflecting and striking back toward Bu Liu’s head.

Bu Liu was already prepared. His head quickly dodged, but his neck was still scraped by the blade edge. Blood flowed like a fountain.

No one expected this scene.

Zhang Kui rushed over: “Boss!”

“Get lost!”

Bu Liu swatted Zhang Kui aside, his face iron-blue as he walked before Xie Zhifei, grabbed his collar, and dragged him into the distance.

“Boss?”

“Third Master?”

Bu Liu twisted his head, fierce as a malevolent spirit: “No one follow. For every one who follows, I kill one.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t understand what had provoked this man: “General Bu, what are you doing? Let’s talk properly…”

“Who are you?”

Bu Liu threw Xie Zhifei hard to the ground, then pounced on him, pressing down firmly, his large palm gripping his throat.

“I’m asking you—who are you?”

“Xie Zhifei.”

Intense blood color burst from Bu Liu’s eyeballs. Xie Zhifei heard cracking sounds from his bones.

“Big Brother Bu…”

An iron fist smashed down, grazing Xie Zhifei’s ear and hitting the ground. The frozen earth was punched into a crater.

Bu Liu breathed heavily several times, his expression like a wild beast.

“Speak! Who exactly are you? Why can you use the last two killing moves of Zheng family blade technique?”

Xie Zhifei’s drunkenness completely cleared.

He never dreamed Bu Liu would actually know the last two killing moves of Zheng family blade technique, much less that he’d exposed a flaw by using one move.

No, wait.

Last time when they encountered danger, he’d also used this move.

So today he invited him for drinks, got him half-drunk, then lured him into sparring—all to force him to reveal the truth?

Damn it, looks like a martial man but actually has a mind finer than needles. No wonder he won His Majesty’s favor.

So then.

Speak?

Or not speak?

If he spoke, was the person before him trustworthy? Would he turn around and sell him out? How great was the risk?

If he didn’t speak, how to deal with this situation?

No way to deal with it.

Once suspicious, he’d definitely investigate thoroughly. Zhu Qing didn’t use blades at all. When he’d just set the verbal trap, he’d exposed another flaw.

What were the consequences of being unable to deal with it?

The connection he’d worked so hard to establish with Bu Liu would be severed abruptly.

Not only that—Bu Liu would guard against him.

Even because of this, he might turn to befriend the Prince of Han.

In a flash of thought, Xie Zhifei instantly made his decision.

His voice was so low it was almost squeezed from his throat: “This year on the fifteenth of the seventh month, where did you go?”

Bu Liu’s anger reached its peak. This brat actually dared… question him?

“Want to know who I am? Answer honestly.”

Hey!

This brat still has the upper hand!

“Ghost Festival—this old man went to burn paper offerings for the General.”

It’s him!

It’s really him!

That pile of ashes before Grandfather’s grave—he left them.

“Every year?”

“Qingming, Ghost Festival, every year. If this old man doesn’t burn them, who else in this world will burn offerings for them?”

Bu Liu’s breathing grew heavier and heavier, his eyeballs nearly bulging out: “Speak! What relation are you to the Zheng family?”

Xie Zhifei struggled to extend his hand, hooking Bu Liu’s head, pulling down, further down.

Until Bu Liu’s ear pressed against his lips.

Only then did he speak softly.

“I’m that boy who from birth never left the Haitang Courtyard of the Zheng estate—Zheng Huaizuo.”