"I never expected... that a master would be standing before me." Di Wu's tone was complex.
Qin Ziwen said, "If you're willing to stay, the imperial court won't be able to find you."
Di Wu's eyes flickered, but he ultimately shook his head. "My two brothers and I still have families, so we won't stay." He turned his head to look at Du Yu. "Brother Du, Youzhou is a bitter, cold place. Being sent to the border frontier, wasting your whole life there... you should think it over carefully."
"Wouldn't staying here also mean hiding for a lifetime? What's the difference." Du Yu's eyes regained their calm.
Qin Ziwen said, "Who said you'd have to hide for a lifetime? Beyond these doors lies a whole new world. If you're willing to stay, you can witness something different.
I know you're disappointed with this unjust world because you killed a street thug and bully, yet were arrested by the authorities and sent to the frontier. So why not try living a different way?"
Du Yu frowned, then pondered. He looked around, his gaze finally settling on Qin Ziwen.
"Alright."
[You have successfully recruited a member]
[Please assign them a position]
The little glowing ball automatically floated out, and a selection box appeared before his eyes.
Level 1 Tavern: [Manager (0/1) Waiter (0/2) Cook (0/1)]
Qin Ziwen looked at these positions, pondered for a moment, then asked Du Yu, "Can you cook?"
Du Yu shook his head.
"Alright, then from now on, you'll be a waiter in our tavern."
Waiter (1/2)
Di Wu picked up the key and removed Du Yu's cangue and shackles.
Qin Ziwen raised his arm, pointing toward the door curtain in the distance. "Want to come out with me and take a look?"
Du Yu nodded, strode toward the door curtain, and stepped through.
Qin Ziwen followed closely behind him, leaving together.
Di Wu watched the swaying door curtain, his eyes somewhat dazed. He quickly stepped forward and lifted the curtain. Outside was an empty, uninhabited mountain path.
......
"You're saying that when I invited you, you simultaneously heard a voice in your head?" Qin Ziwen looked at Du Yu.
"I don't know. It was strange. It was like a sound, but also like it appeared directly in my heart." Du Yu nodded. "It told me some rules, gave me some understanding of this place. I thought staying here might be good, so I agreed."
Qin Ziwen suddenly understood. No wonder when he was questioning Du Yu earlier, the man kept looking around, frowning at times, seeming preoccupied and heavy-hearted. He had thought Du Yu was persuaded by his words.
So it turns out that as long as he extends an invitation, the other party receives the message.
"What dynasty is it over on your side?"
"Great Yong."
"Great Yong, the Seventh Year of Heshun?"
Du Yu was surprised. "The Seventh Year of Heshun? That's a reign title from the founding era. It's now the Fourth Year of Zhongping. Over a hundred years have passed in between."
Qin Ziwen understood now. This tavern could attract customers, but the patrons it drew were random, not from the same era.
He could extend invitations to them, and the guests would receive the message.
If they agreed, the guests could stay.
But currently, the Level 1 Tavern could only recruit a maximum of four people. After recruiting Du Yu, three spots remained.
That scholar from before was probably scared, maybe thinking the message that appeared in his mind was some ghostly, supernatural thing, so he fled in panic.
"Xiao Wu, make an extra portion of breakfast. This is Brother Du Yu. From now on, he's a new member of our household."
Qin Ziwen walked over, followed by the tall, imposing figure of Du Yu.
Du Yu was very tall, over 195 centimeters, with a robust build, broad chest, jet-black hair cascading over his shoulders, and sharp, stern features. Even in silence, he carried an intense aura of fierceness.
Following behind, Du Yu discreetly surveyed the living room environment, flashes of surprise occasionally appearing in his eyes.
Qin Ziwu looked at this burly brother cosplaying as a prisoner with astonishment, nodded, and verbally responded, "Alright."
Du Yu said in a deep voice, "Master, Di Wu and the others are still in the tavern. I'd like to bid them farewell."
"Alright, I'll go with you."
The two lifted the door curtain and returned to the tavern. The room was quiet.
Di Wu and the two constables who had been lying drunk on the floor had all disappeared. Only an unfinished jar of wine and three empty pottery bowls remained on the table. The three officers had left long ago.
Now Du Yu understood—the other two had been pretending to be drunk earlier.
Besides the empty wine bowls, a single ingot of silver emitting a yellowish glow was also left on the table. Judging by its size, it was also three taels.
Returning to the living room, the four of them ate breakfast.
After opening up and chatting freely, Qin Ziwen realized Du Yu was truly a talented individual.
Abandoned in a village as a child, he grew up eating meals from a hundred households. When he was a bit older, he entered a temple and became a martial monk for eight years. Later, he offended a powerful official and was expelled from the temple. Returning to his hometown to settle, he had no farmland to farm, so he apprenticed under a hunter and lived in seclusion in the mountains for three years. Afterwards, because a tiger was plaguing the county and injuring people, he went up the mountain to hunt it, gaining great fame. A nobleman from the prefecture took notice of him and invited him to his residence to become a retainer.
In the prefectural city, he saw someone publicly harassing a decent woman on the street. Displeased, he rushed forward to teach the man a lesson, accidentally killing him in the process. Since the man had some background, he ended up in this situation.
"So you're proficient with blades and staffs, skilled at hunting, and also know some archery?" Qin Ziwen clapped his hands together. This was a professional, technical talent!
Du Yu said modestly, "I dare not claim to be skilled at hunting. I only learned some superficial knowledge."
Qin Ziwu's eyes lit up. "So you admit you're proficient with blades and staffs."
This honest man, Du Yu, was stumped. He felt admitting it seemed somewhat arrogant, but not admitting it would be lying. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
After breakfast, after some thought, Qin Ziwen decided to have Du Yu accompany him up the mountain. Li Tieshan would stay at home, which was perfect for having Li Tieshan forge a suitable weapon for Du Yu.
Du Yu's height and aura were already eye-catching, plus with his long hair, Qin Ziwen suggested cutting off the long hair.
Du Yu had no objections to this, because he had been a monk before. When he was a monk, his hair was shaved clean. Now it was just a matter of cutting it short.
Having had the previous experience of cutting Li Tieshan's hair, Qin Ziwen could feel that cutting hair with scissors, especially cutting a crew cut, was difficult.
So this time he didn't cut it very short, instead giving Du Yu a shoulder-length haircut.
Messy, shoulder-length layered hair, a tight-fitting white T-shirt, layered with a slightly-too-small black leather jacket, plus form-fitting black sweatpants and sneakers.
He looked like a completely different person from the long-haired ancient man in prisoner clothes from just over ten minutes ago.
If there was one major issue, it was that years of exposure to wind and sun had left his skin rough and his complexion dark.
After the five of them gathered downstairs, they took their gear and set off directly.
Qin Ziwen introduced Du Yu to Deng Guang and Zhao Pu. "This is Du Yu. From now on, he's also a member of our team."
Deng Guang nodded amiably. "Hello."
Zhao Pu extended his hand and shook hands with Du Yu.
With yesterday's experience, the five of them ascended the mountain at least twenty percent faster today.
They successfully reached directly below the mountain cave before noon.
"Caw!" Above their heads, several black falcons circled.
Du Yu took the long spear from Qin Ziwu, holding it steadily with one hand. He walked at the front of the group. "Everyone, follow closely. I'll provide cover."
"Caw!"
From the diagonal rear, a black falcon swooped down in an attack.
"Thud!"
Du Yu stamped his left foot on the ground, coiling his waist like a rope, his shoulders and back violently rotating with the momentum.
In the instant he twisted back, the long spear shot out like a coiled snake striking from its den, viciously probing forward!
A dull thump sounded.
The black falcon attacking from the rear seemed to actively fly into the spear tip itself. The spear point pierced straight through its chest and abdomen, emerging from its back!
Du Yu flicked his wrist, and the black falcon slid off the spear shaft, a few drops of crimson blood flicking away.
......