The Ballad of Youth: Inheriting Daoji, Li Hanyi, the Escapee from Marriage

"Then the highly skilled cultivators of Wangcheng Mountain are adept at physiognomy and divination."

Upon hearing the young man named Li Fansong introduce himself, Xiao Se, who had already suspected something, began to have a flurry of thoughts.

“Interesting. Although I know the mad monk is more powerful, if his calculation is a legitimate method of divination within his sect.”

"Li Fansong is unlikely to win against him, but watching the spectacle wouldn't be bad either?"

"Wait... why would I want to watch something exciting right now? How am I going to pay for this meal?"

"This mad monk, could it be that he's planning to..."

Thinking that the cost of this meal was still unresolved, Xiao Se's relaxed brows furrowed once again.

Before he could speculate further, he saw Li Xiuyuan speak up.

"Oh dear, young benefactor, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you first. I wonder if you would be willing to answer them?"

"Sure, go ahead and ask," Li Fansong said cheerfully.

"Okay, let me ask you something: do you know me, the monk?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fansong replied, "I don't know him."

"Oh, you don't know me, monk... Well then, do you think I'm very impressive?"

"Well... it's not really that hard to tell."

Li Fansong replied again, "Okay, then here comes the biggest problem: you're not a monk like me, and you don't think I'm that great."

"How can you be so sure that what the monk said about calculating with his fingers wasn't just empty talk? Why did you come up to me and ask to spar?"

Li Xiuyuan's three consecutive questions left Li Fansong completely bewildered.

It's embarrassing, but thinking about it carefully, what the other person said seems to make sense, doesn't it?

I realize that I was too hasty, and my preconceived notion of Snow Moon City, the number one city in the martial arts world, which I had never been to but had heard of before, was too deep-rooted!

After all, the most amazing legend they heard on the mountain was that there was a seemingly insignificant beggar in Snow Moon City who suddenly appeared on the fifteenth floor of the Ascension Pavilion!

Well, in short, it was due to various reasons that when they arrived at the restaurant and happened to overhear Li Xiuyuan's calculations, their curiosity and impulse couldn't be contained, so they came up to get to know each other and have a friendly competition.

"Is that so? Okay, then I..."

Li Fansong felt inexplicably guilty and planned to run away, but at that moment, Li Xiuyuan, who had been looking serious and somewhat aggressive, suddenly smiled.

"Oh dear! Monk, it's not that I don't know how. I'm just teaching you principles. Don't be too hasty in everything."

"So, did you learn anything?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fansong nodded blankly.

"I've learned it... wait... Master, do you mean you're really proficient in calculus as well?"

"Yes, would you like me, the monk, to prove it for you? After that, we can have a proper sparring match?"

Upon hearing Li Xiuyuan's words, Li Fansong nodded repeatedly in response, much like a chicken pecking at rice.

However, it was also at this time...

"Oh dear, I also wanted to spar with you, but right now, I'm exhausted from traveling, hungry, and weak. You see..."

Li Fansong certainly understood Li Xiuyuan's implication, but he wasn't stupid.

He hadn't yet verified whether the other party truly possessed that divination technique, especially the Buddhist kind.

If I just hand over the money... wouldn't I be dumbfounded if I got scammed?

"Oh, don't worry, monks don't lie. Why don't you pay first and then watch me eat?"

"Or we could sit down and eat together. At worst, you pay the bill, and I'll prove myself first. What do you say?"

They said all this to Li Xiuyuan, even bringing up the principle that monks don't lie.

Li Fansong hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, paid the bill first, and then everyone pushed together a table and sat down.

…………

"Pork shoulder, braised pork, meat rolls!"

"Peach blossom wine, crabapple wine, red sorghum wine!"

"Hey Junior Uncle, I have a feeling you've been fooled. This guy is hardly a monk!"

"He keeps calling me a monk while simultaneously eating a big piece of fatty meat? What kind of monk does that?"

Inside the inn, about half an hour had passed.

As the dishes of wine and meat were served one after another, Li Fansong did not notice anything unusual at first. After all, there were also vegetarian dishes, and the two friends of the monk were normal people from the martial arts world.

He still thought the meat and wine were for them!

But now? When he saw that Li Xiuyuan was the one who ate the most meat and drank the most heavily, he was completely dumbfounded! If Feixuan hadn't been whispering to him, he wouldn't have been able to react so quickly!

The reason this guy was able to persuade him about the monk's promise not to lie was because that statement was a Buddhist precept.

But what about now? Drinking alcohol and eating meat are also breaking the rules, and the other party doesn't seem to hesitate at all.

If that's the case, wouldn't it be easy for the other party to tell a lie? How can there be any credibility in that?

"This……"

Upon hearing Fei Xuan's words, Li Fansong was slightly speechless, and his suspicions grew even stronger.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to ask Li Xiuyuan.

“This… Master Daoji? Didn’t you just say that after I paid, you would prove your divination skills?”

"Look now, you've eaten enough and you're not weak anymore, so why don't you take advantage of this time..."

Li Fansong's tone was tactful, but his suspicion was obvious.

Upon hearing his question, both Xiao Se and Lei Wujie wore a strange expression.

If they remembered correctly, what Li Xiuyuan had just calculated was that someone would be paying for this meal!

And now... as a prerequisite for Li Xiuyuan to prove himself, he seems to have completed the verification, right?

But, did they use some underhanded tactics?

Of course, Xiao Se and Lei Wujie had no doubt that Li Xiuyuan was indeed capable of divination.

They were just curious how Li Xiuyuan would handle the situation if he really used this as proof.

Is he sure he won't get beaten up for saying that?

Thinking this, the strange expressions on Xiao Se and Lei Wujie's faces deepened.

They exchanged glances, and even the simpleton Lei Wujie understood what the other meant: they weren't going to stay silent, hurry up and eat, and then... be ready to run away at any moment.

"Master Daoji, is there something inconvenient?"

Seeing that the other party did not respond immediately, Li Fansong asked in an even more questioning tone.

"Oh dear! Don't be in such a hurry. Actually, didn't we just prove my divination skills?"

"What the monk just said about calculating with his fingers meant that someone would be paying for today's meal!"

“Look, we only have a few copper coins left, but we still dare to come to this kind of restaurant to eat.”

Doesn't that prove everything?

Li Xiuyuan spoke with a grin, leaving the two naive young Taoist priests opposite him completely dumbfounded.

"You! You're lying!"

"Damn it, you're lying! If you hadn't said you could perform divination, why would my junior uncle have paid you!"

Fei Xuan was the first to react, and then, with righteous indignation, he denounced Li Xiuyuan's deceptive behavior!

However, Li Xiuyuan's expression remained unchanged, and he spoke with a smile.

"Hey! Young benefactor, you're making baseless accusations! If you don't believe me, ask them. That's exactly what I said back then!"

"You just didn't hear it!"

Because of Fei Xuan's questioning, Li Fansong also snapped out of his daze. He was quite calm, and after hearing Li Xiuyuan's answer, he turned to look at Lei Wujie, who was closest to him.

Lei Wujie got goosebumps from that look.

His eyes darted around before he gave a weak reply.

"Um... While it is indeed the truth, Daoji, I actually feel like you're lying to me."

Lei Wujie, that little blockhead, honestly expressed his feelings.

"Look! Even your companion couldn't stand it anymore and told the truth. Do you still dare to deny that you're a liar?"

"Hmph! How despicable!"

Xiao Feixuan was so angry that his face turned red.

Being inexperienced in the ways of the world, this was the first time he had suffered such a blow from society.

Seeing that the little guy's voice was getting louder and louder, making everyone in the restaurant want to look this way, Li Xiuyuan also showed a helpless smile.

"Alright, alright! I was just joking, monk. I'll recalculate for you now!"

Actually, Li Fansong had already sensed something was wrong before he heard Li Xiuyuan say those words.

Because he couldn't see a trace of guilt in the other person's eyes!

Not only that, after Fei Xuan exposed him, he did not get angry or turn around and run away!

Based on these two points alone, Li Fansong felt that the other party might actually have some skill.

However, it's unclear whether it's a lot or a little.

"Alright Feixuan, I also feel that Master Daoji really does know some divination techniques."

"Now that he wants to recalculate, why not give him a chance?"

Hearing his young master say this, Fei Xuan calmed down, crossed his arms, and stared intently at Dao Ji. His face was still flushed, indicating that he had not yet cooled down.

"Ugh, this is really difficult. Okay, okay, then I'll just start, alright?"

"What do I mean... I'll just say it's you!"

Li Xiuyuan pointed to Li Fansong and said this.