BSI Chapter 46 A Remnant of a Rural Village
Chapter 46 A Remnant of a Rural Village
The burly, dark-faced man paused, not understanding.
"The pavilion chief means..."
"Is this how you treat pedestrians?"
Li Sheng's tone remained calm, yet it conveyed a strong sense of pressure to the soldiers.
The burly man with the dark face lost all his imposing manner as he watched Li Sheng relentlessly press forward.
"This Li Sheng... what a strong spirit! Is he really the peasant from the rumors?"
Li Sheng, unaware of his thoughts, simply continued to ask.
"They order people around when they're taking a break, and kick out anyone who doesn't suit their taste?"
The burly, dark-faced man hung his head and stammered.
"Chief Li... this... this isn't a big deal, is it? Those mud... those common people, they're just lowly people anyway..."
He didn't continue, because Li Sheng's gaze changed.
The gaze wasn't fierce, but the dark-faced man suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being stared at by something dangerous.
Li Sheng looked at him for a moment, and then said something that caught all of them off guard.
"From this day forward, you lot are no longer guards."
The room was deathly silent.
The burly, dark-faced man stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, unable to react for a long time.
"Wh...what?"
"What Brother Sheng means is that you have been...dismissed."
Liu Lu finished the sentence for him, his tone filled with undisguised satisfaction.
The dark-faced man's expression changed completely.
"Why should I?!"
His face flushed red, and his voice rose several octaves.
"We've served at Siyang Pavilion for years! How dare you, a newly appointed pavilion chief, dismiss us with just a few words?"
The other soldiers at the outpost were also in an uproar.
"Exactly! Why should I?!"
"We haven't done anything wrong!"
"You lucky brat, you really think you're something special?"
The last voice was very soft and came from a corner. The soldier who spoke shrank his neck and obviously dared not face Li Sheng directly.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Li Shi, who had been silent all along, pointed directly at him.
Li Shi had already reached the soldier, grabbed his right hand with one hand and pressed down on his shoulder with the other, forcibly pulled him out of the crowd, and slammed him to the ground.
With a "thud," the man fell face-first into the mud, his mouth full of dust.
Li Shi was not talkative, but he was quite strong, second only to Li Sheng in strength among his brothers.
The other guards were so frightened that they took several steps back. The burly man with the dark face had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but looking at Li Sheng's expressionless face, he ultimately did not dare to draw it.
Li Sheng didn't even look at the soldier who had fallen to the ground; he simply spoke calmly.
"You don't need to explain."
The burly, dark-faced man gritted his teeth, staring at Li Sheng with a sinister gaze, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Li Sheng, you'd better think this through. We've been working at Siyang Pavilion for years; we're not without connections. Although the previous pavilion chief was transferred elsewhere, the Xu family is still around. You know the Xu family, right? The biggest family in Xiapi County..."
"The Xu family?"
Liu Lu chimed in, a playful smile on his lips.
"The Xu family again?"
The burly man with the dark face thought they were scared, so he straightened his back a bit.
"That's right! It's the Xu family, the 'Hidden Tiger' of Xiapi. If you know what's good for you..."
"So what if they don't know their place?"
Li Sheng interrupted him.
The burly, dark-faced man choked.
The burly, dark-faced man finally realized that this young man was unlike any of the village chiefs they had ever met.
He was not afraid of the Xu family, did not care about the Xu family's influence in Xiapi, and did not even give them a chance to explain themselves.
"This guy couldn't possibly be from humble beginnings! But there's no Li family among the powerful clans in the surrounding counties either."
He had absolutely no idea who Li Sheng was, and his fear grew even stronger.
Li Sheng glanced at him, his tone indifferent.
"Leave everything in the pavilion—all the utensils, documents, and weapons. Do not take anything with you."
The burly man with the dark face turned ashen, his lips trembled a few times, but he ultimately said nothing.
He lowered his head, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, but dared not look at Li Sheng, and turned to walk quickly toward the duty room.
The other guards slunk behind, and the one who got up from the ground covered his neck and ran away with his tail between his legs.
After a short while, the four of them, each carrying their own belongings, walked out of the inn's gate alone.
As he was leaving, the burly man with the dark face turned back for a glance, his gaze complex.
"Li Sheng! I will never forget this grudge!"
After the figures of those people disappeared on the official road, Liu Lu laughed heartily.
"That felt good! Sheng-ge, you didn't see the way that dark-faced guy looked when he left, like his mother had just died!"
Li Shi's lips curled up slightly, but he didn't say anything.
Li Sheng turned around, his gaze falling on the side room in the corner of the courtyard.
The servant boy had returned sometime earlier and was standing under the eaves, as if he were there to welcome Li Sheng.
Li Sheng strode over.
The servant bowed deeply to Li Sheng.
"Li Zili, a soldier at the post station, pays his respects to Li, the post station chief."
Li Sheng reached out and helped him up.
His gaze fell on Li Zili's face, looking intently into his eyes.
"Li Zili?"
Li Sheng felt a strange sense of déjà vu about the name and his identity.
At this moment, Liu Lu came over, looked him up and down, and then turned to Li Sheng with a smile.
"Brother Sheng, this is your kinsman."
Li Sheng ignored Liu Lu's teasing and kept his gaze fixed on the servant, with a hint of scrutiny.
"Li Zili... I have a question for you, answer honestly."
"May I ask, Pavilion Chief?"
"Why were you so attentive to the three of us alone when there were so many people resting there?"
Li Zili did not answer immediately.
He raised his head and looked at Li Sheng, his gaze neither evasive nor obsequious.
"Because the village head doesn't look like an ordinary person."
His voice became more composed, showing none of the humble demeanor he displayed when serving pedestrians.
"I've lived in Tingyi for many years and have seen many people. Officials, merchants, itinerant travelers—all sorts of people, coming and going. But I've truly never seen anyone like the three of you..."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted slightly downwards, landing on Li Sheng's feet, before quickly returning to his own.
"Especially the pavilion chief's shoes."
Upon hearing this, Li Sheng looked down at the soft shoes on his feet.
The shoes were made of a blend of silk and linen, with fine stitches and sturdy soles. They were a congratulatory gift from the local landlord after he heard that he had been appointed as the head of the village. He put them on casually when he went out today, without giving them much thought.
Li Sheng raised his eyes and looked at Li Zili again.
"You have a good eye."
Li Zili bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Having seen so much, one naturally gains some confidence."
Liu Lu, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject.
"You could tell just by looking at the shoes?"
Li Zili shook his head, his tone sincere.
"It's not just about the shoes. The demeanor and style of these three are different from ordinary people. Especially Chief Li..."
He paused, seemingly considering his words.
"The way Li Tingzhang looked sitting there didn't resemble an ordinary farmer; he looked more like a gentry lord... on an inspection tour."
Li Sheng looked at Li Zili, who was speaking eloquently, with admiration in his eyes.
Who says there are no talented people without relying on a prestigious family? Isn't there one right now?