Chapter 71: An Enemy Arrives at the Door

  "Hahaha..." Someone outside the door burst into loud laughter. A scholar-like man, carrying a wine jug in one hand and a feather fan in the other, strolled into the courtyard with an air of leisure, looking around with his head turned from side to side. The several black-clad men on the ground lay there humming incessantly. Dian Wei pointed at them with his iron spear: "Who are you? Are you one of their gang?"

  That man chuckled and shook his head: "No, no! I'm just here to watch the excitement!" The man calmly picked up the small table that had been knocked over, found a cushion, knelt down beside the door, placed the wine jug on the small table, and fanned himself with interest as he watched the commotion in the room.

  Pang De threw away the broken sword in his hand and shouted: "Who are you? What brings you here?"

  "I've said it before, I just came to see the excitement! Didn't expect it to be exciting to this extent!" The man was not old, with a handsome appearance, but there was a black aura on his face, and he would often cough violently, indicating that he had a serious illness.

  Zhuge Liang furrowed his brow and said, "Is that from Yingchuan?"

  "Oh? Didn't expect there's another sensible person!"

  Upon hearing this response, Yu Ji and his group, who were already tense, became even more so. They exchanged glances with each other. Pang De said, "This place does not welcome people from Yingchuan, you'd better leave quickly! If something happens later, don't say we didn't warn you!"

  "It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter!" The man was talking and laughing, looking very interested, without any intention of getting up at all.

  Judging from the tone of the conversation, Long Fei understood that the man was not a member of Hei Bing, and seemed to have some distance with these people in Hei Bing. He spoke out: "May I ask your honorable surname and name?"

  "Alright! Alright, it's Guo Jia of Xiangyang, Guo Fengxiao!" Guo Jia nodded slightly towards Long Fei.

  A dragon flies, the sky spins and the earth rotates. What's going on today? Is it a grand gathering of talents? Sleeping Dragon Phoenix Chick is just a small dish, but Qinshan Sui is a big fish. Xu Shao is also a renowned figure. This old immortal Yu Ji in Jiangnan is called a god, and now another ghost talent Guo Jia has arrived. Whoever gets the help of these people, the world is nothing! Long Fei suddenly made a move to trap Guo Jia: "So it's Brother Guo, nice to meet you, I'm Long Fei!"

  Guo Jia bowed his fist, but did not respond to Long Fei's words. Pang De was hot-tempered: "Guo Jia, this is our family affair, I hope you will leave early today and go back to tell those four old guys that if they have any tricks, just bring them out, we'll take them on!"

  Guo Jia smiled and said, "Master Pang, you have taken away the talented scholar of Yingchuan from us. This time I came here on the orders of the four elders, please release Xu Yuanzhi, so that our two families can coexist peacefully like water and fire not interfering with each other. Otherwise, things will get out of hand."

  Long Fei was confused, what four lengths? What robbed Xu Shu? Xu Shu is a person from Yingchuan, no doubt, can't be related to Guo Jia. Dian Wei didn't understand at all, and rushed towards Guo Jia: "Don't waste words with these guys, wait for me to slaughter them all, you slowly find that Fangzheng, Yuanzheng, say, who will die first!"

  Things have reached this point, if Long Fei doesn't speak up, Dian Wei will definitely charge over and start killing wildly. At that time, it's not just the four old men of Jing Shan who will be in trouble, I'm afraid Wu Long will really fall down, and Feng Chong will never be able to fly again. Yu Ji looked at Dian Wei's iron spear which had already been raised. He said in terror: "Stop, stop!" Turning his head to look at Long Fei: "Alright! I agree! However, Long Fei, you remember this, you will have to pay the price for your actions today!"

  Long Fei smiled and nodded to Dian Wei, indicating that he should put down his iron pike. "Alright then, we'll exchange the goods for money! You notify me once you have any news!"

  Back in the courtyard, everyone unconsciously divided into three groups. Long Fei and his group on one side, Yu Ji's gang on another, while Guo Jia remained seated at a small table by the door, drinking wine with an air of satisfaction. Just as it seemed like blood was about to flow, the atmosphere suddenly calmed down again. Guo Jia's face showed some disappointment, and he let out a sigh: "I originally thought it would be a lively scene, but it turned out to be this kind of result. It seems I came out too early."

  "Hmph!" Duke Pingde snorted: "Yuan Zhidao voluntarily submitted to me, not because I forced him to stay. You mustn't bully people too much!"

  "No matter whether it's voluntary or not, our Congjiang Academy and you have had an agreement long ago, we cannot take in each other's personnel! Guo Jia's tone was very calm, his words were always gentle: "We have always upheld this, but you haven't kept your promise, the four elders are extremely angry. If both sides draw their swords, your plan that was promoted by a senior elder will probably be ruined!"

  "What do you want?"

  Guo Jia said calmly: "If Xu Yuanzhi is not released immediately, we will send people to the north. It is said that Yuan Shao is recruiting soldiers and buying horses to expand his own strength. The four elders seem to have the idea of sending someone into Ji Province!"

  "Yuan Shao?" Zhuge Xuan coldly laughed and said: "A good planner but indecisive, I don't believe the four elders will look up to him!"

  "Yuan Shao won't work? Then Yuan Shu! Yuan Shu is right next to you and me!" Guo Jia still spoke lightly.

  Pang De heard this and became anxious: "I've already said it before, Xu Yuanzhi voluntarily surrendered to me and wasn't forced by me. If you want him back, you'll have to think of a way yourselves!"

  "Alright! Where is he?"

  Pang De gazed at Long Fei and said: "He has already been sent to Chang'an! If you want to find him, you can go to Chang'an!"

  Guo Jia nodded in agreement, turned his face and glanced at Long Fei a few times: "Long Fei, General Long, indeed has some means, the humble Black Ice Left Protector actually used military force to threaten the four great protectors of Black Ice, impressive, impressive!"

  "I'm embarrassed! I'm a man of reason, they just got there first!"

  "Hahaha......" Guo Jia burst out laughing: "Hei Bing has always been overbearing, this time he met his match, hahaha......"

  Guo Jia was the one who actively proposed to follow Long Fei back to Chang'an. Long Fei was overjoyed. Along the way, Guo Jia's casual personality and Long Fei's flamboyance complemented each other perfectly. Guo Jia was humorous in his speech and liked to chat, and as soon as they entered Wu Pass, he got along well with several of Long Fei's subordinates. Everyone liked this travel companion very much. During this time, Long Fei had shown a few times that he wanted to recruit Guo Jia, but Guo Jia changed the subject every time.

  They were just about to enter Chang'an. Long Fei mentioned the recruitment again. Guo Jia smiled slightly: "I'm used to being idle, General Long, don't force me!"

  Now that it's come to this, Long Fei can't open his mouth again. Since Dong Zhuo arrived in Chang'an City, tens of millions of people have appeared out of nowhere. Although the three auxiliary regions are a good place, they cannot support so many people either. Furthermore, the government doesn't care and lets those who came from Luoyang fend for themselves. Those with money and power can manage, but ordinary civilians struggle to make ends meet. Even ten miles away from Chang'an, lowly thatched cottages have appeared on both sides of the road, where shabbily dressed commoners lie or sit, staring blankly at these few horses. Further ahead, such people become more and more numerous, with many appearing on the roadside selling their children.

  As soon as they entered the Chang'an City, it was like entering a completely different world. The streets were neat and tidy, the people were dressed in bright clothes, and the vendors' cries of selling their wares filled the air. It seemed that this place and the outside of the city were two completely different places, one in heaven and the other in hell. Zhao Yun pulled at Long Fei's sleeve and pointed to a small alleyway beside them. Long Fei took one look and immediately understood. All the beggars inside the city had been chased into quiet little alleys like this one, no wonder not a single one could be seen. Patrols of soldiers marched by one after another, any beggar who dared to come out onto the streets would be beaten at best or killed outright.

  Long Fei had already sent Huang Zhong back to report, and as soon as he entered the city, Jia Xu, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huan were waiting at the gate. After exchanging pleasantries, Long Fei suddenly realized that Xu Shu was nowhere to be seen, and just as he was about to ask, Jia Xu whispered a few words in his ear. Long Fei's eyes widened in surprise, and he glanced at Guo Jia before dropping the matter.

  Dong Zhuo was quite good to Long Fei, although Long Fei was no longer in Chang'an. He still pleaded for Long Fei before the Emperor and granted him a former general's title of Xinping Hou, as well as a mansion, which was located on the right side of the Taishi Mansion. On the left was Lü Bu, and on the right was Long Fei, showing that Dong Zhuo considered Long Fei to be his trusted arm. The mansion was quite impressive, with three large courtyards, dozens of rooms upstairs and downstairs, adding up to around 50 or 60 rooms in total. At the back, there was a small garden and a martial arts training ground. Wang Qian stood at the entrance, her belly swollen with pregnancy, supported by Wang Yun. Dozens of servants were busy cleaning inside and outside.

  Just as he reached the door, Hua Tuo blocked Guo Jia's way, frowning and staring at Guo Jia's face. He stretched out his hand to grab Guo Jia's hand, and Guo Jia hastily withdrew it. Long Fei smiled: "Brother Guo, this is the divine doctor Hua Tuo!"

  Kuo Chia was taken aback and hastily made a bow. Hua Tuo smiled slightly: "I see that the young man's illness is not light, may I allow an old man to take his pulse?"

  "Can't find it!"

  Taking advantage of Hua Tuo's departure with Guo Jia, Long Fei grabbed Jia Xu and asked: "What's going on? Do Xu Shu and Guo Jia really have a grudge?"

  Jia Xu slightly shook his head: "Not very clear, Huang Zhong came back and said that Guo Jia was coming, Xun Yu immediately hid, we asked him again, he only said that an enemy had come, nothing else!"

  "Where is the person now?"

  "In the house in our own backyard!"

  Long Fei thought for a moment: "No matter what relationship they have, these two people are both talented, it's best to keep them all, does Wenhe have any way?"

  Jia Xu was taken aback, then smiled and said: "So the lord's intention is this! This is a bit difficult to handle! Looking at Xushu's attitude and this Guo Jia, it seems that there is indeed a deep hatred between them. It will be hard if both of them stay!"

  "Leaving one is okay too!"

  Jia Xian raised his eyes and glanced at Long Fei, saying: "Let me think for a moment!"

  Long Fei suddenly remembered something and asked: "In this more than a month, has anyone looked for me?"

  Jia Yu hastily said: "You didn't say, I almost forgot, a few days ago someone did come to ask for you, saying they were from Jingzhou, the leader's name was..."

  Gan Ning?

  "That's right! It was him!" Jia Yu nodded: "They came in the hundreds, so I had them accommodated in the barracks outside the city, with all expenses being the same as for our own troops!"

  "Great! Send someone over right away and tell them I'm back!"

  Occasional reunions after parting always bring extra joy. It's been less than a month since I went to Jingzhou and came back, but Wang Que's belly has already bulged up. It doesn't feel like she's only two or three months pregnant, more like five or six months. Wang Wei said that Hua Tuo took a look and said it's twins. It turned out to be twins, which made Long Fei extremely happy. Long Fei immediately kissed Wang Que on the face, causing everyone to burst into laughter, while Wang Que blushed with embarrassment.