Chapter Forty-Eight

Zhou Yu rubbed his ear and turned to the crowd, asking, “Was I cool just now or what?”

Everyone looked at each other, but no one said a word.

A bit annoyed, Zhou Yu muttered, “Hey, I’m talking to you guys, aren’t I?”

Nian Yu frowned and said, “Zhou Yu, can’t you just ask a question normally? Why do you always act like a street punk?”

Zhou Yu glared at her. “Whose wife are you, anyway? Why are you always lecturing me? Besides, it’s not like you’re any better—you’re always swearing up a storm.”

Nian Yu’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t that because I learned it from you? What, I can’t give you a hard time?”

Seeing the sharp look in her eyes, Zhou Yu awkwardly relented, “Alright, alright, you win. No need to shout.”

He then mumbled under his breath, “Fine, I won’t stoop to arguing with a woman.”

Nian Yu frowned again but didn’t say anything else.

Xiao Jie chimed in, “Zhou Yu, maybe you shouldn’t ask like that. Why not start with Wang Kui?”

Zhou Yu’s eyes lit up. Right, asking Wang Kui, the wooden one, would be perfect. He turned and said, “Wang Kui, tell me, was I cool or not?”

Wang Kui’s eyes shifted as he replied, “Your blade work just now was pretty impressive—and very practical, too.”

Zhou Yu frowned. That’s not right. I asked if I was cool, and you’re telling me my blade work was cool? That’s not the point.

He pressed, “I’m asking if I was cool, not if my blade work was cool.”

Wang Kui replied, “I was only watching your blade work, because that’s what I want to learn.”

“So you didn’t even see me at all?” Zhou Yu retorted.

“Nope, just the blade work,” Wang Kui answered.

Zhou Yu was exasperated. “You blockhead! And you still want me to teach you blade skills? Just wait and see.”

Wang Kui had no choice but to give in. “Fine, fine, you were cool. Happy now? Why do you have to threaten people?”

Zhou Yu grinned. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that last bit, ha!”

He turned to Zhao Yan. “Hey, Zhao Yan, was I cool just now?”

Zhao Yan hurriedly replied, “Cool, very cool.”

Zhou Yu burst out laughing. “See, now that’s how you answer!”

Suddenly, with a smack, Nian Yu gave Zhou Yu a flick on the head.

Zhou Yu looked aggrieved. “Wife, why did you hit me? And on the head, too—what if you knock me silly?”

His expression sent everyone into laughter. Even Xiao Jie was quietly giggling on the side.

Though Nian Yu felt secretly pleased hearing people praise Zhou Yu’s coolness, she simply couldn’t stand the way he strutted around, pleased with himself.

Nian Yu said, “Even when you’re showing off...”

Zhou Yu pursed his lips and declared, “Wang Kui, you’re not cut out for blade work, so I’m not teaching you.”

For the first time, Wang Kui’s expression changed. He spoke, a little agitated, “Why not? Why am I not suited for it?”

Zhou Yu’s tone turned serious. “You’re a sniper. Your weapons should be sniper rifles and pistols. If you want to learn close combat, I can teach you some techniques with short blades. But if you’re carrying around a broadsword, aren’t you just asking to be spotted by the enemy? Besides, it doesn’t really fit you.”

Wang Kui frowned. “I know how to use a dagger. It just feels useless—the blade’s too short.”

Zhou Yu shrugged. “Fine, let’s try this: I’ll use a dagger, you use my broadsword, and we’ll see how it goes.”

With that, Zhou Yu tossed the broadsword over.

Wang Kui hurried to catch it, but the moment he grabbed it, he felt a heavy weight sink into his arms. He hadn’t expected a broadsword to be this heavy.

Stunned, Wang Kui exclaimed, “How do you swing such a heavy blade around? I can barely move it with one hand, and you’re not even built that big...”

Zhou Yu replied, “This is just my first sword, you know. It’s not that heavy—only about seventy pounds.”

Everyone was astonished. Seventy pounds, and he swung it as easily as if it weighed just a pound or two. That was truly monstrous.