"Is your knife blind?" Bai Huai Shui paused briefly on Hu Li's long knife, then lifted his hand to flip it over and examine it.

"The knife isn't blind," Hu Li picked up the sheath he had thrown aside, sheathed the knife, hugged it to his chest, and said stubbornly, "But my nephew seems to have a pair of eyes."

Was he mocking him for being blind? Bai Huai Shui's eyelids twitched, maintaining a calm demeanor, trying hard to look like an elder.

At this moment, Xu Ji walked out with a cane. His aged eyelids drooped as he strained to open them, looking around and asking, "Are they gone?"

In times of crisis, Xu Ji would always stay behind, letting his eldest disciple handle things. When things calmed down, Xu Ji would come out to tidy up the mess and say a few comforting words to conclude the matter.

Having seen it all before, Hu Li raised an eyebrow and said, "Next time, if they're gone, you better not come out, the dust is too much."

Xu Ji's eyebrows twitched, barely able to contain his anger. As the master, how could he not see through his disciple's intentions? This eldest disciple of his had grown up by his side since childhood, and Xu Ji could see through his intentions at a glance. His disciple was telling him to stay indoors quietly and pretend not to know anything that was happening outside.

"The doctor told me to walk outside more and breathe fresh air," Xu Ji said stubbornly, pretending not to understand.

But unfortunately, a gust of wind blew, and the three of them in the courtyard breathed in a mouthful of dust. Xu Ji forced himself to hold back the urge to sneeze, his face turning pale.

Hu Li sneezed lightly, wiping his nose with his hand. "Take care, Master. I'm going inside first."

After sarcastically teasing his master and master uncle, Hu Li went inside.

Bai Huai Shui glanced sympathetically at his senior brother Xu Ji, brushed off the dust on his sleeves, and said, "I'm going inside too, Senior Brother."

At the third watch of the night, the white wax burned.

Hu Li opened a book at the desk and began to read it word by word.

The white wax was brought back from the capital by Bai Huai Shui. If it were an ordinary oil lamp, it would be dry, but this cheap uncle still had some use for it.

Say Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives. Bai Huai Shui leaned against the door, and when Hu Li looked up, he raised his hand unnecessarily and knocked on the door. Before anyone responded, he walked into the room with a bowl in hand and went to the desk.

Bai Huai Shui placed a bowl of tea on the table and explained, "Couldn't find a teapot, so we use bowls in the martial world."

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Hu Li didn't take his eyes off the book, knowing that his uncle probably didn't have anything serious to discuss with him. Judging by his appearance, it didn't seem like he would say anything serious.

Bai Huai Shui, oblivious to the fact that he was annoying someone, sat down on a nearby chair and started chatting with Hu Li. "That damn Knife Gate, do they have a grudge against us?"

Bai Huai Shui was wholeheartedly tying himself to Hu Li. Although Hu Li listened to him speak in human language, he glanced at Bai Huai Shui and was about to answer.

But Bai Huai Shui didn't even look at him, still staring at the ground, and after a moment of contemplation, asked, "Did you steal their wives?"

Back to square one.

"Worse than stealing wives," Hu Li put the book down on the table and smirked, then briefly explained to Bai Huai Shui, "A few months ago, Black Horse Escort Agency held a contest and issued ten waist plaques. I got the tenth place, and Xu Cheng of the Golden Blade Gate got the eleventh."

"This is a failed attempt at reform, and now they're lashing out," Bai Huai Shui said confidently.

That night, Bai Huai Shui didn't leave Hu Li's room until the hour of the pig (around 9 pm).

Hu Li closed the book and blew out the candle.

The curtains fell, and the night passed without dreams.

The weather in the northwest was fine, the sun was high, and the dust was flying.

Hu Li rode in front on a donkey.

Bai Huai Shui followed behind on a white horse, the donkey's tail swaying in front of Bai Huai Shui's face, making him feel annoyed. He tried to flick it away to clear his face of the light and the dust coming from all directions, but failed.

"Where are we going?" Bai Huai Shui sped up to catch up with Hu Li, riding alongside him and asking.

The person who had disturbed him last night, preventing him from reading, was now energetically following him out of the house early in the morning. Hu Li ignored Bai Huai Shui and just glanced at his magnificent white horse.

Bai Huai Shui noticed Hu Li's gaze and proudly patted the horse's head. "Isn't its tail swaying beautifully?"

"How did it manage to survive until now?" With Bai Huai Shui's martial arts skills, how did this white horse not end up as horse meat? Hu Li could only conclude that this horse was exceptionally lucky.

Bai Huai Shui coughed lightly, intending to boast but ended up embarrassing himself.

Bai Huai Shui had a shiny golden sword with gems of various sizes embedded in the scabbard, and the hilt was probably eighty percent gold, but it was so ugly that it hurt the eyes. After losing the eye-offending scabbard, Bai Huai Shui could only use the sword to intimidate the ruffians who didn't know martial arts.

A few years ago, Hu Li asked Xu Ji how his uncle, who couldn't do anything and couldn't eat enough, managed to join the sect.

Xu Ji glanced at Hu Li and said, "Thanks to your uncle bringing a box of gold and silver jewelry up the mountain. Otherwise, where would you have a house to live in since childhood? Uncle Bai is your parents for food and clothing, and you will have to support him in his old age in the future."

Hu Li looked at his "parents" Bai Huai Shui, pursed his lips, as if suddenly enlightened, knowing that he had to compliment his uncle from time to time. He said, "Go get the money with the waist plaque."

Bai Huai Shui absent-mindedly responded twice, then suddenly asked, "Where's the Yanran Mansion located?"

"North of Changhong Street," Hu Li said, pointing in the distance.

Bai Huai Shui bent down, touched the donkey's head, and coaxed, "Come on, don't look back. Remember to take a detour when you see the mansion in the future."

Hu Li glanced at Bai Huai Shui. He didn't know what was wrong with his uncle this time. Bai Huai Shui straightened up, his eyes shifting over, and added, "You too, remember to take a detour when you see the mansion in the future. You can't afford to provoke the demons and ghosts inside."

There was no need for Bai Huai Shui to teach him this; Hu Li always kept it in mind.

The two arrived at the gate of the Black Horse Escort Agency.

Hu Li found a spot for the donkey and saw Bai Huai Shui standing at the gate, holding the horse. The wide road, with Bai Huai Shui standing in the middle holding the horse, looked like he was blocking the way.

"Quite imposing," Bai Huai Shui noticed Hu Li returning and squinted, making increasingly absurd remarks, "One comma and he's so imposing, clearly wanting someone to rob him. Truly wealthy but corrupt."

The two guards at the gate looked at Bai Huai Shui, their eyes full of hatred, wishing they could send him away.

Bai Huai Shui casually greeted the guards, showing no signs of embarrassment, as if he hadn't just said those words.

Hu Li left him standing there, instructing him to wait in place, then showed his waist plaque to the guards and entered the escort agency.

Two strong men stood on either side of the hall door, with knives at their waists, not looking away. If they sensed anything wrong, their knives would strike, and with so many skilled escorts in the agency, one strike would draw blood.

So unless someone was extremely evil or desperate, no one would dare to provoke the escort agency.

Many people came in and out of the escort agency, some familiar, some unfamiliar.

A servant led him into the main hall, where the steward set up a long table. Hu Li approached and handed over his waist plaque.