Chapter 74: Tricked by Cheng Yaojin!

By the time Li Yi left the bank, dusk had already fallen. Riding on Juechen, he made his way home at a leisurely pace. Sitting atop his steed, Li Yi mulled over recent events. Much had happened, and he had accomplished a great deal, yet many problems remained unresolved. For instance, the shadowy forces had yet to reveal themselves—they were surely scheming something. Unless he dealt with them, they would remain a lingering threat. The business alliance was on the verge of being established, but there was a pressing shortage of capable people. Li Yi had no intention of recruiting just anyone to run the alliance; he planned to train a group himself. Though this would take longer, every beginning is difficult and the foundation must be solid—especially since he intended to foster the image of the cultured merchant. The outward appearance had to be impeccable. Charity work, too, needed to be set in motion soon.

The special forces’ “Tunnel of Death” training was already more than halfway through. To Li Yi’s relief, the quality of these men was truly excellent—not a single one had fallen behind, including the two young ones. These two could now be said to have been completely reborn; their training regimen was no less than anyone else’s. Li Yi planned to take them into the mountains for genuine special forces training once they survived the tunnel. Then there were Changle’s illness, Sun Simiao’s medical texts, and the question of his grandfather Li Jing coming out of retirement—all these matters left Li Yi feeling he had overreached himself. He was beginning to realize that his ambition was outstripping his ability, and now, even walking home counted as a rare moment of rest.

“Sigh! I was born to a life of toil—what else can one expect when one is so capable!” Li Yi was still lost in his musings when Juechen suddenly neighed loudly. Li Yi looked up, and his soul nearly fled in fright—he had unconsciously wandered right to the gates of Cheng Yaojin’s residence. There stood Cheng Yaojin himself, blocking the road with his three young scamps, forcing Juechen to halt.

“Haha! What a horse! Damn, what a fine horse!” As soon as Juechen stopped, Cheng Yaojin strode forward, his eyes gleaming greedily as he stroked the horse’s broad head.

Li Yi dismounted, steadied himself, and swallowed nervously. “Um, Uncle Cheng, is there something you need from your nephew?”

Cheng Yaojin cast a reluctant glance at Juechen. Perhaps he knew that a steed of such caliber would never change hands, so he reined in his covetous gaze and turned to Li Yi, feigning surprise at seeing him. “Ahaha, so it’s my worthy nephew! You’ve come at the perfect time. I’ve just started a banquet at my house. Come, since you’re here, join me for a few drinks!” With that, Cheng Yaojin grabbed Li Yi and marched him toward the mansion.

Li Yi’s face twitched. Damn it, how is this me visiting? It’s you who stopped me! Are we even that close? Shameless old codger!

Still, complaints were one thing, but he couldn’t afford to offend Old Cheng. Who knew what this old rogue might do if crossed?

So, Li Yi followed Cheng Yaojin into the residence, step for wary step. As they passed the three scamps, he shot them a questioning look. Unexpectedly, they responded with a “good luck, you’ll need it” gesture, leaving Li Yi with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Cheng Yaojin led Li Yi straight into the dining hall. The three young troublemakers followed. Once all five were seated, the servants began to bring out the dishes. What made Li Yi particularly uneasy were the several large barrels of what appeared to be wine—good grief, just what was this old rascal planning? There was enough wine here to drown ten oxen!

After the food was served, the servants brought out bowls the size of a man’s head. Ignoring Li Yi’s horrified stare, Cheng Yaojin picked up a wine barrel, set out five giant bowls, and began pouring, filling each to the brim without spilling a single drop—clearly a skill honed by long practice.

“Come, my worthy nephew! Let’s not say anything else—down three bowls first!” Cheng Yaojin declared, then drained his own in one gulp. The three young rascals followed suit without hesitation. Li Yi’s stomach lurched watching them—this was wine, not water, and even if the alcohol content was a bit low, it was still wine! No one drank that way, even with water! He wanted to refuse, but a glance at Cheng Yaojin, who kept a sharp eye on him, told Li Yi there would be no escaping this ordeal.

“To hell with it! Isn’t it just wine? I’m a man, I can’t back down!” Steeling himself, Li Yi raised his bowl, closed his eyes, and downed it in one go.

After one bowl, Li Yi felt as if his tongue and stomach no longer belonged to him.

He tried to reach for some food, but Cheng Yaojin had already refilled the second bowl. No excuses—down that one too. Before Li Yi could catch his breath, the third bowl was already at his lips.

Three bowls in, Li Yi’s face had turned green, stars danced before his eyes, and his mind was in a complete fog. He slumped down in his seat.

Seeing Li Yi collapse, Cheng Yaojin chuckled and began plying him with more wine while probing for information. He hadn’t learned much about the business alliance, but Cheng Yaojin was an old fox; from Li Ke, he already knew this was no simple matter. However, his three young scamps were no better than Fang Yiai’s lot— they only remembered the broad strokes and couldn’t answer any specifics. That’s why today’s little scheme had been set: in order to extract more from Li Yi, the old trickster resorted to his signature move. And he was quite satisfied with the results. Although Li Yi’s answers were similar to what he’d told Fang Xuanling, it was enough for someone of Cheng Yaojin’s caliber.

Li Yi was now dizzy and only wanted to sleep. He hadn’t thought much about it, but had he known Cheng Yaojin’s true intent, he would have pointed at the old rascal’s nose and cursed him out. Damn it, if you wanted to know, just ask! It’s not even a secret—was all this really necessary?

To his credit, Cheng Yaojin did have some conscience. Once he got what he wanted, he ordered Cheng Chumo to escort Li Yi safely home. Cheng Chumo delivered Li Yi to his gate, but didn’t dare go inside—after all, having gotten someone’s grandson this drunk, who knew what would happen if he entered?

Sure enough, when Red Whisk saw Li Yi being carried home, she unleashed a torrent of abuse in the direction of Cheng Yaojin’s house. If Li Jing hadn’t held her back, she’d have stormed over there herself. For all his bluster, Cheng Yaojin remained meek in front of her.

Li Jing’s expression was also rather grim, but there was little he could do. After so many years of friendship, he knew Cheng Yaojin’s character all too well. If he were to confront him now, the old rogue would apologize on the spot, but then revert to his old ways soon after—so what was the point? Besides, Li Yi didn’t seem to be in any real danger, just a little too much to drink. After a night’s sleep, he’d be fine. All that could be done was to let it go for now and issue a warning later.

Bingyu, her eyes red with worry, tended to Li Yi, bringing him tea and water. Even as he drifted off to sleep, the little girl was still muttering curses at that old Cheng scoundrel.

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