Chapter 22 Lie

In the inn, everyone was sitting around the table, quietly waiting for Lee Nianzu and Xiao Mei to return from the mayor's residence. Tam Liang watched Tam Kun pace back and forth between the table and the main entrance of the inn.

Tam Liang said, "Ah Kun, stop pacing, everyone is dizzy."

Tam Kun said, "I'm not dizzy, how can I make others dizzy?"

Tam Qiu said, "You two can stop. Ah Kun, your pacing does make some of us dizzy."

Tam Kun clenched his fists, "That Yi Guozhi... I can't wait to hit him in the face with a punch."

Yu Lei, "I agree."

Yang Bao said, "Ah Kun... Ah Lei behave yourself. We must abide by the rules. Tolerance is part of cultivation."

Xiao Mei shouted from the door, "We are back." Xiao Mei, Lim Junjie, and Lee Nianzu walked into the main dining room.

Yu Lei stood and asked, "Elder sister Xiao Mei, what do senior Lim say?"

Lim Junjie smashed the table violently, "Zhiqiang's reckless behavior will be punished. The punishment is that he did not eat or drink for three days and stood on the training ground to reflect on his mistake."

Tam Liang complained, "This time, senior Lim is being harsh."

Xiao Mei, "It cannot be help. The two sectors' leaders and deputy Zhong are there."

Lee Nianzu calmly said, "This is a fair punishment. Senior Lim don't take sides. If the punishment comes from the first master, it will be more severe than this."

Tam Kun agreed, "Yes. If it is the first or third master, then it will be twenty strokes and kneel down for ten days."

Guozhao Zhiqiang walked into the dining hall, "I accept the punishment, this time I was wrong."

Yang Bao, "Senior brother."

Guozhao Zhiqiang looked at Yang Bao and said, "Ah Bao, you take the most experienced junior out first, and I will follow you after the punishment is over."

Yang Bao, "Okay."

Guozhao Zhiqiang, "Ah Liang and Ah Kun stayed to guard Deming. Ah Qiu stayed to take care of the injured junior. Since it is late, let's set off tomorrow morning." He walked towards the door.

Lim Junjie, "Zhiqiang." He grabbed on Guozhao Zhiqiang's left arm. "Where are you going?"

Guozhao Zhiqiang, "The training ground."

The morning sun scorched Deming's eyes. Whenever he opened his eyes, he worried that he was in the dark dungeon. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the ceiling. He got up and saw Weici leaning on the bed.

Deming said, "Weici." He patted her on the shoulder lightly.

Weici yawned and stretched out both arms. She smiled and said, "Brother Deming, you are awake."

Deming, "I dreamt that a person came for me."

Weici sighed and frowned, "It's not a dream."

Deming looked around and found himself in Guozhao Zhiqiang's room, but Guozhao Zhiqiang was not in the room. He asked, "Where is he?"

Weici looked at Deming confusedly and asked, "He who?"

Deming said, "Brother Yang's senior brother."

Weici said, "I don't know, and I don't care. You shouldn't care either. I've been here since you passed out."

While the two were still talking, there was a knock on the door, and Weici shouted in frustration, "Come in, it's unlocked."

Tam Liang walked into the room and said, "Good morning brother Deming. Breakfast is already."

Deming looked at Tam Liang and asked, "Brother Tam, where is your senior brother?"

Weici looked at Deming angrily, "Why do you care if that person is dead or alive..."

Tam Liang smiled at Deming and said, "He is not here."

The hunters and the two friends are sitting in the main dining hall. Deming noticed Tam Kun, and Tam Liang did not eat.

Tam Kun complained quietly, "We are here sitting eating, while senior brother…"

Tam Liang, "Ah Kun!"

Tam Kun, "What?"

Deming looked at the people sitting at the table and asked, "Your senior brother, where is he?"

Tam Qiu said, "He is not here, continue to eat." She looked at her brothers and shook her head at them.

Tam Kun became agitatedly angry and said, "I don't understand why we should lie to him. I think lying is forbidden in the Guozhao principle."

Deming, "Lying to me?" He looked at the people sitting at the table. "What lie?"

Tam Kun smashed his chopsticks heavily on the table, "That's it. I can't do this anymore. In fact, senior brother was being punished. Because of you." He pointed his finger at Deming. "He must stand in the training ground for three days without eating or drinking." Tam Liang grabbed Tam Kun's down, but Tam Kun still stared at Deming. "He doesn't want you to worry about him, so he told us to lie to you, saying that he is hunting with second senior brother." He exhaled. "Now I feel better."

Tam Liang grinned madly, "You can't keep any secret with your big mouth."

Tam Kun, "Second master is absolutely correct about secret will eat you alive."

Tam Liang, "You…"

Tam Qiu, "Stop you two."

Deming, "Because of me."

Tam Qiu, "Not entirely, you broke down, so senior brother lose control. It was originally the fault of the man in black."

Tam Liang, "It's been a whole day and night. He only has two days left." He smiled at Deming. "Senior brother is tough, he has gone ten days without food."

Tam Kun, "It made me really angry to let those two sectors guard senior brother. I know they will try their best to humiliate him."

Deming knew that he was part of the reason Guozhao Zhiqiang was punished. He could tell from the Tam brothers and sister's voices that they were not satisfied with this situation. He knew that everyone treated him well because of Guozhao Zhiqiang, and now, part of the reason Guozhao Zhiqiang was punished was because of him, so there was no reason for everyone to treat him well. He said, "I'm still very tired, I will go to rest after breakfast."

Tam Qiu smiled at Deming and said, "Sound good."

Deming returned to Guozhao Zhiqiang's room and waited for about two hours. Then he walked to the back door, slowly opened the back door, and closed the door behind him again. As he was about to walk down the street, Weici voice startled him.

Weici leaned against the wall, "Brother Deming, where are you going?"

Deming turned around and said, "I'm leaving."

Weici frowned, "Liar. Are you going to the training ground?"

Deming hesitated, "I…"

Weici, "Do you even know where it is?"

Deming, "No."

Then the back door opened, and Tam Liang and Tam Kun walked out.

Tam Kun looked at Deming and deliberately said, "Heh, didn't you say you want to rest more?"

Weici said unhappily, "We are going to the training ground."

Tam Liang, "Why?"

Weici said, "Brother Deming wants to go to the training ground."

Tam Kun already knew that after they told Deming the news, Deming would go to the training ground to see Guozhao Zhiqiang, so he said, "We are going to the training ground too. If you two are going to the same place we are heading to, then let us go together. I will not let those two sectors humiliate senior brother."

When the two hunters and two friends arrived at the training ground. They saw the disciples of Snow Sector and Golden Gate Sector sitting in two tents eating and drinking happily.

Yi Guozhi mocked, "Heh, it's the Tam brothers and your look alike, brother Hu." He looked at Hu Dingxiang.

Hu Dingxiang stood up and greeted the two hunters and the two friends. He even offers put them in his tent, but both hunters and the two friends refused.

When Guozhao Zhiqiang heard Yi Guozhi's voice and opened his eyes, he saw Deming standing there looking at him. He smiled at Deming. Then he closed his eyes again.

Deming stared at Guozhao Zhiqiang, but for some reason, his heart ached. He kept telling himself to hate this man, but deep down, he didn't know why he should hate this man. Should he hate this man who loves him? Should he hate this man who wants him to be his life partner? Should he hate this man who didn't come to save him? Should he hate this man for sleeping with him? He searched for the answer deep in his heart, only to realize that he didn't hate this man at all. He was very angry with this man because he thought he was a substitute for Hu Dingxiang. He exhaled deeply, blowing out all the anger in one breath. With that, he walked to Guozhao Zhiqiang's side and began to wipe Guozhao Zhiqiang's sweats with his right sleeve.

Guozhao Zhiqiang opened his eyes and stared at Deming's eyes, sternly, "Enough, you can go back."

Deming apologized sadly, "I'm sorry, you were punished because of me."

Guozhao Zhiqiang smiled and said, "Go back with them. I will be fine. I am practicing swords and chanting spells. They don't bother me in any way. Two days will pass quickly." He looked at Tam Liang and Tam Kun. "Take him back."

Deming have no choice but to leave with Tam Liang and Tam Kun, leaving Guozhao Zhiqiang behind."