The first thing we need to clarify is that Zhou Li believed he was a good person. Of course, his definition of a good person might be different from everyone else's.
He was neither a super good man who would hold an execution by fire from a moral high ground, nor a dark will that believed "if I think it's good, then it is good." Zhou Li's definition of a good person was, in fact, not related to morality at all.
His definition of a good person was: someone with good deeds.
Yes, Zhou Li believed that people need to live, and to live is to survive and to accomplish deeds. A life of mere survival is rotten, boring, and hopeless.
Only by striving to exercise initiative in the blandness of survival and to pull off one tough or good deed after another, that is true living. And a good person is one who can accomplish good deeds.
So now, Tang Wan, by being here with Zhou Li, was a good person.
You even let me join the rotten deed contest up close, you're quite a good person.
"Do you trust me that much?"
Zhou Li was also frank, after all, he adhered to the principle of talking to people in their language and speaking frankly with straightforward people.
Therefore, Zhou Li looked at the girl in front of him with interest and said, "You've known me for less than a day, and you've revealed something as cool-sounding as the Pool of Rebirth and even gave me a commission?"
"I've heard my brother talk about you."
At this moment, Tang Wan's expression changed slightly, seemingly difficult to speak, but it was more of a sense of relief:
"My brother once told me that he had a friend named Zhou Li in Beiliang. He told me, if I ever found myself in trouble or in need of help near Beiliang, I should go to Wherever Pass in Liang City to find you."
"Your brother?"
Zhou Li was momentarily stunned at these words, then he remembered his old school friend and hurriedly asked, "What's his name?"
"Tang Cen."
After saying the name, Tang Wan sighed with a downcast expression, "My brother... was seriously injured in the Wuyi Galin in the Southern Territory a year ago and has been bedridden ever since."
"My visit this time is to seize the Pool of Rebirth to treat... my brother's injury. Earlier, I received information that a group of Horse Bandits had found the location of the Pool of Rebirth, so I've been tracking them. But..."
At this point, Tang Wan seemed to have some unspeakable difficulty, a hesitant look flashing across her face, then she composed herself, and said to Zhou Li:
"I overestimated myself. The Horse Bandits' second-in-command, Xu Ziyi, has entered the Fourth Realm and even awakened his gun spirit with the aid of Ling Jue, making rapid advances in strength. I'm no match for him upfront."
"Knowing that I'm not strong enough, I thought of asking the Government Office for help, but time is pressing and it would take a long time for the government to mobilize troops. I'm afraid that by the time they get here, those Horse Bandits will have already taken the Pool of Rebirth and left. So, I'd like to ask for your help in seizing the Pool of Rebirth."
"I see..."
It was only then that Zhou Li understood why Tang Wan trusted him and finally learned why his friend Tang Cen had suddenly disappeared without a trace. He took a deep breath and said, "In that case, I don't have anything to refuse, so..."
Wait a minute.
Suddenly, Zhou Li's brain was struck by lightning, and he jerked as if electrified. He had been so focused on Tang Wan's narrative that he had almost forgotten the most crucial matter.
What Pool of Rebirth? There's only spring water that turns people into beautiful young ladies on that mountain!!!
Zhou Li felt his body stiffen, after all, he hadn't expected that this Tang Family's girl wanted the Pool of Rebirth to save his long-lost friend. But the problem was, there's no such thing as the Pool of Rebirth on that mountain!
That's the Girly Piddle Spring!
"No, Tang Wan..."
Zhou Li forced himself to calm down, then pulled a strained smile and asked Tang Wan, "How's your brother's condition now?"
"He..."
Tang Wan's face flashed with sorrow and grief, and Zhou Li could tell it wasn't fake but heartfelt, proving how deep Tang Wan's feelings for Tang Cen were. Suddenly, Zhou Li felt his already scant conscience barking again.
"His condition is very poor. Although his life is not in danger, he can't speak or use language; it's as if his soul is trapped in another space, no longer himself."
Tang Wan's words had an artistic touch to them, but they also made it clear that Tang Cen's condition was very serious. Zhou Li immediately began brainstorming what to do next.
He could tell Tang Wan directly not to waste her efforts because the spring water on Spirit Vulture Mountain was Girly Piddle Spring, not the Pool of Rebirth, and that the water could do nothing but turn her gravely injured brother into a sister.
Then the question would come, at that time Tang Wan would definitely ask a soul-striking question.
How do you know the Pool of Rebirth is the Girly Piddle Spring?
At this point, Zhou Li, not wanting to expose himself, would be like a baked sweet potato on the bus; it has to be you even if it's not you. Therefore, he absolutely couldn't just tell Tang Wan straight up that the water on the mountain was not drinkable.
So, make up a lie to stop her?
This option was also quite terrible; Zhou Li found it hard to imagine that he could come up with any quick lies to deceive her, making her give up on saving her beloved brother and leave peacefully with him.
I certainly can't say that the Pool of Rebirth has passed its expiration date and has become the Yellow Spring Below, what if the other party doesn't believe and insists on tasting it?
What to do? Why am I faced with the choice between shit-flavored chocolate and chocolate-flavored shit again?!
In an instant, Zhou Li started a crazy brainstorm, and soon, he drew a conclusion.
"Okay, I accept this commission."
Yes, Zhou Li chose to accept the commission and decided not to tell the other party that the spring water on the mountain was actually the Pool of Rebirth. After analyzing, Zhou Li concluded that the horse bandits' lead might be correct, but the details were problematic.
So, as long as he and Tang Wan went up the mountain to fight the bandits, then he "accidentally" demonstrate the effects of the Pool of Rebirth on some lucky individual, this would dispel Tang Wan's thoughts, and he might even extract some intelligence from them.
Perfect.
With this in mind, the gloom in Zhou Li's heart dissipated, and the speed of his tossing and turning with the ladle increased. That's right, during his conversation with Tang Wan, he had already washed, chopped, and stir-fried the vegetables all in one breath, his actions being so flawless that they were a pleasure to watch. Putting down the wooden spatula he had snapped off, Zhou Li turned to Tang Wan and offered:
"Want to eat something?"
"These Horse-loving Bandits are currently climbing high peaks with their beloved steeds. Right now, they're in the Central Valley, with little cover, so you can easily be spotted. Eat something now, to preserve your strength."
Zhou Li's explanation was sensible and approachable, providing a perfect excuse to eat. Meanwhile, the mustard stir-fried rabbit in Zhou Li's wok was full of flavor and color, instantly whetting one's appetite. After some hesitation, Tang Wan nodded and sat down in front of Zhou Li.
"Thank you for your kindness. I'll gratefully accept your offer."
"Hey, I'm good friends with your brother, no need for formality, it feels too distant."
Zhou Li waved his hand and then passed the bowl and chopsticks to her. Just then, the rice he had picked from the nearby paddy fields and steamed in a stone pot was also ready.
It goes without saying, Zhou Li's cooking skills were pretty decent. Although it hadn't reached such levels that roasting a fish could have a cave's Divine Dragon begging in worship, as if the roasted fish was laced with ice, but to let Da Ming experience the raw savagery of nature was more than sufficient.
Tang Wan may have appeared as a lady of high society, but in these respects, she very much fit the character of those in the jianghu, namely being not so concerned about the minor details. After taking the bowl and chopsticks, she rinsed them briefly with water and started to heartily enjoy the meal with Zhou Li.
During the meal, Zhou Li noticed that Tang Wan seemed to prefer holding the chopsticks at the end rather than in the middle, a habit that was very much like his good friend Tang Cen, which made Zhou Li more certain of her identity.
"Indeed, as delicious as ever."
After finishing her meal, Tang Wan placed her bowl and chopsticks aside, her delicate cheeks showing a satisfied smile. She pressed her hands together in a salute to Zhou Li, her words filled with gratitude:
"My brother has always said that Brother Zhou's cooking skills are unmatched, and today I saw that it is truly well deserved."
"You're too kind."
Zhou Li waved his hand, too lazy to clean up since these things were pretty much single-use. After casually burying the traces in a pit, Zhou Li cocked his head and, having received a message from Bidiao, said to Tang Wan:
"Let's go, by the time, they should have reached near the mountain top."
Tang Wan nodded, stood up, and without any regard for Zhou Li nearby, casually pulled off her lake blue gown and threw it aside, revealing a light blue close-fitting outfit underneath.
Although Tang Wan was somewhat petite and delicate-faced, the snug outfit still hinted at her curves.
Of course, Zhou Li didn't pay too much attention, after all, she was the sister of a friend, and he was worried Tang Cen might fight him to the death when he woke up.
Once they were ready, the two set off toward the mountain top. As a member of the Tang Sect, tracking and counter-surveillance were Tang Wan's specialties, and coupled with Bidiao's all-encompassing perspective, Zhou Li and Tang Wan had an unobstructed journey, avoiding all the traps the other party had left behind, perfectly infiltrating.
"Six."
After knocking out the last sentry by pushing him into the ground with a punch, Tang Wan heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Zhou Li and the horse bandits plugged into the ground behind him, saying with some emotion, "Brother Zhou's infiltration method is really useful."
Yes, the traps were avoided, but they hadn't said they would avoid the people.
Xu Ziyi, no matter what, was still second in command of the horse bandits, and even if it was just a small outfit, he had his methods.
When he went up the mountain, he had two layers of arrangement, one was the traps, and the other was the sentries. The traps were shallowly buried, but there were certainly sentries behind them. Sentries would always be stationed at the side rear of the traps, and if one avoided the traps, they would certainly be discovered by the sentry.
Of course, Zhou Li and Tang Wan, being experienced and professional, saw through these tricks at a glance. Initially, Tang Wan wanted to infiltrate slowly, entering from the blind spots of vision, which would take a lot of time.
Then Zhou Li taught her that killing all those you can see clear is the true form of infiltration.
Watching Zhou Li leap over traps and descend from the sky to compress a sentry into a RAR file with a single stomp, Tang Wan immediately understood his meaning.
If your sentry is only focused on the sides of the traps, whether someone might circle around, then it would be easy to handle.
Those on defense should always look up.
Having resolved the six sentries with a descent from the sky, Zhou Li and Tang Wan's path was clear ahead. The next challenge they faced was the thirteen Horse-loving Bandits.
However, what Zhou Li and Tang Wan did not expect was that this time, there would be masters among them.