Chapter 143: Smiling Tiger

Du Heng frowned, looking left and right. This corridor was a distance from the banquet area, and next to it was a garden. Lu Chengfeng had found him by asking the two other Du family members who came with him.

Master Wei was a very busy man today; even if he was just passing by, he wouldn't have waited this long. Du Heng remembered that Lu Chengfeng had talked about Mr. Ji for a long time before finally leaving.

However, Du Heng was slightly surprised to hear Wei Wuwei say he knew Mr. Ji.

In fact, shortly after they left Ning'an County, the nine of them were still in close contact. Of course, they all knew where Ji Yuan lived in Ning'an County and about the date tree in his courtyard. So, Wei Wuwei's words should be true.

"Master Wei, when did you meet Mr. Ji? After we left, Lu Chengfeng went back to look for him around the New Year and said the place was already empty then."

"Hehe, that Lu Chengfeng certainly knows how to play his cards right—only telling you after he went himself!"

Wei Wuwei chuckled, glanced towards the corridor, and then sat down next to Du Heng.

"Naturally, I, Wei Wuwei, met Mr. Ji in Ning'an County. I was there to buy tiger skin, and then I caught some bandits, so I was delayed in the county for a while. That's how I got to know Mr. Ji, and I received much valuable instruction from him!"

Du Heng was not from Desheng Prefecture; otherwise, he would surely have recalled the sensational event involving the demise of the Thirteen Bandits of Yan and their mastermind. That incident greatly boosted Wei Wuwei's reputation, making people realize that the new Wei family master's supposed lack of martial arts was merely a pretense—he was not only skilled in martial arts but exceptionally so.

After that incident, Wei Wuwei's nickname in the martial world, "Smiling Tiger," spread widely.

Wei Wuwei sat down beside Du Heng with a grin and looked him up and down.

"Did Mr. Ji really tell you back then that if you survive this tribulation, your future would be limitless?"

"Uh... when we rested halfway down the mountain, Mr. Ji did say something like that, but it was just to comfort me. Now, I, Du, am practically half a cripple..."

"Did Mr. Ji ever say that to anyone else, for instance, the illustrious Lu Chengfeng?"

Wei Wuwei pressed, and Du Heng thought for a moment before hesitantly replying:

"It seems... not."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Wei Wuwei kept his cheerful grin, even though he still didn't know how the Nine Young Heroes met Mr. Ji, whether it was before or after subduing the tiger, or how they brought Mr. Ji to Ning'an County.

But in a few words, Wei Wuwei was certain that although these Nine Young Heroes had met Mr. Ji quite early, they had no idea what kind of person he truly was.

The sight of the old turtle sighing sadly by the Chunmu River outside Chunhui Prefecture was something Wei Wuwei would never forget.

"I don't think Lu Chengfeng is all that impressive. Rather, it's you, Young Hero Du, hehehe... Since even Mr. Ji left you such a remark, you shouldn't belittle yourself!"

Du Heng gave a helpless smile.

"Thank you for your comfort, Master Wei. Over the years, I've come to terms with some things. When I first endured the pain of losing my arm, I harbored great ambitions, but now... even my own clan members no longer hold any hope for me..."

"Come to terms? Hehe, I doubt it!"

Wei Wuwei knew Du Heng's reluctance very well; he had been eavesdropping and peeking for quite some time.

"Furthermore, Mr. Ji's 'tribulation'—do you really believe you've already overcome it?"

Du Heng's heart trembled slightly. He looked at Wei Wuwei's perpetually smiling face and subconsciously reached for the empty sleeve of his right arm.

Wei Wuwei leaned closer and whispered into Du Heng's ear:

"I've studied some ancient texts about immortals. For divine beings like Mr. Ji, a 'tribulation' isn't just physical pain. Do you really think you've overcome it just because your broken arm healed? Heh, a tribulation, a tribulation... doesn't it seem even more like one now?"

Facing the somewhat mystical Wei Wuwei, Du Heng suddenly felt goosebumps rise.

Seeing the weathered young man lost in thought, Wei Wuwei paused, waiting for a moment of realization to appear on Du Heng's face before speaking again.

"Alright, now you can tell me how you met Mr. Ji. He also showed great kindness to me, and I'd like to learn more about my benefactor."

Wei Wuwei tucked his hands into his opposite sleeves. With his chubby, smiling appearance, he looked less like a martial artist and more like a wealthy country gentleman. Yet, this sight reminded Du Heng of the man's rarely mentioned nickname in the martial world: "Smiling Tiger."

"Actually, we don't really deserve the title of 'tiger-slaying heroes' in Ning'an County... If it weren't for Mr. Ji that time..."

Du Heng no longer hesitated and slowly recounted what had happened back then.

The Nine Young Heroes, full of youthful vigor, went to eliminate tigers on the mountain. They encountered a strange man who warned them, but they paid him no heed. As a result, they almost lost their lives to a tiger demon...

The story was more convoluted than Wei Wuwei had imagined. He hadn't expected the white tiger skin was merely something the tiger demon coughed up and presented to the Nine Young Heroes, nor had he imagined that the refined Mr. Ji could also be disheveled at times. However, he then mused that it was not strange for an extraordinary person to choose any manner of appearance.

Forget about eradicating man-eating tigers; it was a huge stroke of luck that these nine managed to save their lives at all.

After hearing the entire story, up until the Nine Young Heroes left Ning'an County, Wei Wuwei finally confirmed that these nine individuals didn't know much about Ji Yuan—in fact, they knew far too little, much less than he did.

As for the agreement with the tiger demon, Du Heng's emotions didn't fluctuate much when he mentioned it, and his tone was even. From Wei Wuwei's experience with people, these individuals probably thought that Mr. Ji had merely concocted a plausible excuse to placate the tiger demon and save their lives.

"Since Lu Chengfeng went to Ning'an County around the New Year, did he tell you about the story of the date tree bearing fruit and being given to Mr. Ji?"

Hearing Wei Wuwei ask this, Du Heng frowned.

"What story? I've never heard of it."

"Oh, haha... perhaps Young Hero Lu didn't get a chance to hear about it himself, which is why he didn't tell you, hahaha..."

Wei Wuwei chuckled, offering an explanation.

The sounds outside grew lively, indicating the banquet was likely about to begin.

"Let's go, Young Hero Du. My son's full moon banquet is about to begin. As a father, I can't be absent, and neither can you. Don't drown your sorrows alone out here!"

Wei Wuwei patted his backside, stood up, and took a step ahead. His pot-bellied figure seemed to waddle as he walked. After a few steps, he suddenly turned his head to look back at Du Heng, who had also just stood up.

"Young Hero Du, I must warn you about something: that agreement with the tiger demon is very likely to be truly deadly. You've forgotten it in three years; what about thirty? We just met, but I feel a kinship with you, so I've spoken out of turn. Don't take it lightly, hehehe..."

After saying this, Wei Wuwei strode away. Beyond the garden, the banquet hall was filled with congratulatory remarks, and he politely returned greetings to everyone.

When Du Heng returned to his two clansmen, the banquet had already begun. The Wei family servants were serving dishes in rotation, and each table even had three copper hot pots heated by charcoal, adding warmth to the feast.

For the region of Jizhou, this style of eating was very novel. The guests were full of praise for the hot pot. Du Heng, breaking from his usual despondency, barely drank any wine and simply kept using his left hand to continuously dip and eat meat with his chopsticks.

"What's up with Brother Heng today?"

"I don't know, but it's really been a long time since I saw Brother Heng eat with such good appetite!"

"Let's eat too, or Brother Heng will finish it all!"

"Right, right, right! We'll be delayed on the way back for so long, we won't even make it home for New Year's, so we have to make up for it by eating well here!"

The two were collateral relatives of Du Heng, closer in kinship. After exchanging a few words, they also quickly started eating.

Du Heng, after all, was once a promising talent on whom the Du family placed great hopes. Even with his current setback, some elders in the family still cared about him and had considered having him abandon martial arts to manage other family businesses. However, his persistent reluctance and despondency had led to his current state of being an exception, not highly regarded.

While Wei Wuwei's words today didn't necessarily invigorate Du Heng, they did make him not want to continue wallowing in despair. Since he had come to Desheng Prefecture again, and since he wouldn't make it home for the New Year, after this full moon banquet, he might as well visit Ning'an County one more time!