The five-minute buffer—meant for communication and strategy with the client—had been completely wasted.
Before Leo could discuss their next move with Roxie, the temperature plummeted. They had seamlessly materialized in the world of Xiao Li Feidao.
Without modern heating, the temperature inside the border town tavern hovered around seven or eight degrees below freezing.
Charcoal sputtered and popped in a small stove, but the feeble heat it produced did nothing to warm the cavernous space.
A gust of cold wind made Roxie shiver violently. Having grown accustomed to the climate-controlled comforts of the modern world, she had never endured such misery.
Her eyes instinctively darted to Leo's thick, padded coat. She hugged herself, chattering, "Alba Li, I'm your client. Shouldn't you give me the coat? If I get sick, you won't be able to complete your mission!"
"If you get sick, you can be treated. If I get sick, we both die," Leo said, his eyes scanning the tavern's patrons, all armed with swords and sabers. He rejected her plea without a second thought.
This was Leo's first time escorting a client, armed with only two garbage-tier skills.
He had to protect himself, protect his client, and somehow complete the mission. On the surface, he was as cool as a cucumber, but inside, he was panicking like a cornered stray.
What a despicable man!
Roxie glared at him, wanting to argue but finding herself at a loss for words.
Now that she was in Li Xunhuan's world, her fate was no longer in her own hands. Even though Leo was forcing her to complete that mortifying task, he was the only one she could rely on.
She had no desire to face this terrifying world alone.
Roxie conveniently chose to forget that the wish to have Li Xunhuan's child had been her own.
All she could remember were Leo's two different faces—the one he showed before she signed the contract, and the one he showed after.
This was a lesson she would carry for a lifetime.
Leo's Ming Dynasty attire fit the setting.
Roxie, however, was a jarring note in every possible way, completely disrupting his plans.
Her skin was fair, her makeup exquisite. Even covered in goosebumps, she couldn't hide her captivating charm.
Modern cosmetics and skincare could make a woman blossom with ultimate beauty, and Roxie, coming from a wealthy background, paid meticulous attention to her upkeep.
In the minute since she'd appeared, the eyes of every man in the tavern had scanned her from head to toe countless times.
In the world of a Gu Long wuxia novel, beauty was a magnet for trouble.
Roxie was like a full moon in a starless sky, drawing every gaze.
The way the wandering martial artists looked at her, it was as if they wanted to devour her whole.
Roxie instinctively pressed closer to Leo, complaining in a low voice, "Alba Li, are you reliable or not? At this rate, I'll be finished before Li Xunhuan even shows up! Their stares are terrifying. I feel like I'm not wearing anything!"
In this era, with what you're wearing, you might as well be naked, Leo thought, too weary to voice the comeback. He lowered his voice. "Stay calm. I'm here."
"But can you actually handle this?" Roxie muttered, pressing even closer. Only then could she find a sliver of warmth and security.
"Don't get so close. Li Xunhuan could show up any second. If he sees this, you can forget about having his babies," Leo said, subtly shifting away.
"You—!" Tears welled up in Roxie's eyes. She was cold, she was scared, and she suddenly felt like the most miserable person in the world. She stubbornly stopped trying to get close to him and demanded in a low voice, "Why didn't we wait on the main road? Why did we have to come to this filthy place?"
"I wasn't sure which road Li Xunhuan would take," Leo glanced at her. "Besides, the entry point has to be set at a specific location."
"Hey, kid. Sell me your bag and your sword. And have the girl come over and have a drink with us."
Clang!
A small silver ingot landed on Leo's table with a sharp sound.
The silver was tossed by Zhuge Lei. A life lived on the edge of a blade had made him confident in his ability to size people up.
Leo and Roxie were physically weak, their breathing chaotic and undisciplined. A single glance told him they were two lambs who had never practiced martial arts.
In the middle of nowhere, slaughtering them would be just that.
There would be no trouble.
The two taels of silver were merely a pretext.
Speak of the devil…
The blood drained from Roxie's face, and she gripped Leo's arm tightly.
The other patrons automatically settled into spectator mode. This sort of thing happened all the time; they were long past being surprised by it.
Step in and help?
Given the typical disposition of characters in a Gu Long novel, you'd be lucky if they didn't kick you while you were down.
Leo glanced toward the tavern entrance.
No sign of Li Xunhuan.
He sighed internally. If Roxie were the protagonist, Li Xunhuan would definitely appear at this very moment, perform a heroic rescue, and then Roxie would pledge her life to him, they'd get married, have children, and Leo would smoothly complete his mission…
Unfortunately, that all depended on Roxie being the main character.
For now, it was up to him.
Leo tightened his grip on the Green Lotus Sword. "Zhuge Lei, your price is too low."
"You know me?" Zhuge Lei froze.
"'Swift Wind Sword' Zhuge Lei of the Golden Lion Escort Agency. The proudest moment of your life was your encounter with the 'Four Tigers of Taihang Mountain.' At the time, they said, 'As long as you, Zhuge Lei, crawl on the ground, we brothers will let you pass. Otherwise, we'll keep not only your goods but also your head.' Yet, before their blades could fall, your sword had already pierced their throats…"
Leo calmly recounted the man's life story. Unlike Roxie, he had carefully studied the original work and analyzed every character's personality.
Roxie let out a soft sigh of relief. Leo's composure eased her frayed nerves slightly.
"You've been investigating me?" Zhuge Lei's face darkened. "Kid, who sent you?"
NPC! Do you even need investigating?
Leo tilted his head and let out a long sigh of derision. "If nothing unexpected happens, that story is probably the only thing you'll have to brag about for the rest of your life!"
"Kid, you're looking for death!" Zhuge Lei roared.
I'm just trying to reassure my client! Otherwise, who'd bother with you?
Leo shot him a dismissive look.
He needed to build up Roxie's confidence so she would trust him without reservation and follow his instructions.
Zhuge Lei was just the chicken he needed to kill to scare the monkey.
Boom!
Laughter erupted from all sides. The way the onlookers looked at Zhuge Lei had changed.
But more of them had eyes full of mockery. These martial artists were sharp; they had long seen that Leo and Roxie were nothing more than two weaklings.
An arrogant weakling only dies faster.
Over the years, they had seen plenty of naive young masters who, after learning a few clumsy moves, ventured out into the world. Their ends were usually tragic.
Everyone seemed to see Leo and Roxie's miserable fate, yet no one intervened. It wasn't worth making an enemy of Zhuge Lei for two strangers.
It was just a pity about the girl, as beautiful as a flower.
"Kid, there's a path to heaven but you refuse to take it, and no gate to hell but you charge right in. Today, Grandpa Zhuge will send you on your way." Enraged, Zhuge Lei drew his sword and rushed forward.
"Taste my sword!"
Leo shouted, abruptly raising his Green Lotus Sword.
At that moment, he was possessed by the spirit of Li Jing.
Zhuge Lei's sword was less than three feet from Leo's throat.
Leo's sword was just above his head.
If nothing went wrong, his throat would be pierced long before Leo's sword could touch him.
A contemptuous sneer crossed Zhuge Lei's lips. Fool, doesn't even know how to use a sword!
But in the next second, Zhuge Lei's smile vanished.
As Leo's sword came down, he suddenly dropped his own thrusting blade, knelt on one knee before Leo, and raised both hands to catch the blade.
Leo didn't know how to use a sword.
But was Cinematic Disarm a sword technique?
NO!
On the surface, it was swordplay, but in reality, it was the power of a rule!
The power of a rule was not something human strength could resist.
Behind Zhuge Lei were Zhao the Second and another escort from the Golden Lion agency.
Both of them were frozen in the same pose as Zhuge Lei—on one knee, hands raised high. Their faces were twisted in horror, trying to struggle but held fast as if they were statues.
Since he was making a move, it had to be group control.
Otherwise, if Zhao the Second attacked from the side, he'd be dead for sure.
The skills on the list might be garbage, but their effects were 100% genuine.
The tavern fell silent.
The bustling crowd seemed to freeze in place, stunned by the bizarre scene unfolding before them.
Roxie's eyes widened in amazement, and she blurted out, "Cinematic Dis—"
Ahem!
Leo coughed loudly, cutting her off and shooting her a fierce glare. Idiot! This is my life-saving technique. If you expose it, how am I supposed to survive?
Roxie paused, then understood, sheepishly sticking out her tongue.
Who am I?
Where am I?
Why did I just catch his sword?
And in such a humiliating pose!
Why am I stuck in this position?
Shouldn't my sword be piercing that damn brat's throat?
"Kid, what sorcery did you use?" Zhuge Lei asked, his face pale and trembling. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Even more bewildered were Zhao the Second and the other escort.
It was one thing for Zhuge Lei to catch the sword, but they hadn't caught anything!
Why were they stuck in the same pose?
"Not sorcery. Swordsmanship," Leo corrected him, word by word.
Pfft!
Roxie burst out laughing. In the gray tavern, her smile was like a blooming rose.
But no one was paying attention to her anymore.
Most eyes were still fixed on Leo and the kneeling Zhuge Lei and his men.
The event was so strange, it was beyond anyone's comprehension. It looked as if the three men were putting on a play with the young master.
But everyone knew it was no act.
Roxie sidled up to Leo, nudged his back, and whispered in his ear, "The Golden Silk Armor is on him. Should we grab it? It's a divine life-saving artifact!"
"Big Sister Tang, aren't you cold? Instead of the Golden Silk Armor, shouldn't you be more concerned with stripping them of their padded coats?" Leo gave Roxie a helpless look. This silly woman never got her priorities straight.
Glancing at the clothes on Zhuge Lei and his men, Roxie frowned in disgust. "No way. I, Roxanne Tang, would rather freeze to death than wear the clothes of these stinky men! Achoo!"
"…" Leo was speechless and decided to ignore the foolish woman.
He pulled a small iron hammer from his belt and tentatively aimed it at Zhuge Lei's temple.
Cinematic Disarm only worked on bladed weapons. He had already prepared a backup plan. The hammer wasn't large, with a rubber handle and an octagonal carbon steel head, weighing about a kilogram in total.
The client could carry up to one kilogram, while the intern Dreamweaver could carry no more than four. To bring more items, Leo had chosen lightweight objects.
But even a small hammer was enough to crack a skull.
Leo hesitated slightly. He had come to a wuxia world prepared to kill, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
The hammer moved back and forth between Zhuge Lei's temple and the crown of his head. Zhuge Lei's eyes darted with it, his terror palpable.
Despite the freezing weather, sweat poured from his face like a fountain. The feeling of being on the brink of death was not pleasant.
Gulp!
Zhuge Lei swallowed hard, forcing a bitter smile onto his ugly face. "Young hero, don't be rash. We can talk this over. I have gold on me…"
Just then.
The door curtain was lifted, and a burly, bearded man and a handsome, middle-aged man walked in.
The bearded man said as he walked, "Young Master, you rest here. I'll go arrange for our rooms."
Motherf—!
Seeing Li Xunhuan's handsome face, Leo nearly coughed up a lungful of blood.
What the hell!
Not earlier, not later, but right after I make my move!
Are you here to clean up the mess?
If you had just come one step sooner, I had the whole hero-rescues-the-damsel scene planned out!