In the world of martial arts, people are straightforward and direct. Xu, whose surname is mentioned, immediately received his due retribution. In addition to getting a mouthful of spit, he was also assigned to the cheapest, narrowest room at the inn, sharing it with the most junior member of the gang. Xu Fengnian remained silent and uncomplaining about this arrangement. His roommate was called Wang Dashi, unfortunately, his physique and character were completely opposite to his name. He was short and thin as a bamboo pole. Far from being as stubborn and foul as a stone in a latrine, he was very timid and docile. However, his father had died in a gang fight years ago, showing utmost loyalty to the Yulong Gang. Remembering this loyalty, Elder Liu, the gang leader, insisted on accepting Wang Dashi into the gang, despite his poor constitution, against everyone else’s objections.
This young man might not have had the slightest talent in martial arts, but he was willing to work hard and was exceptionally diligent. He would give his all without slacking off even a bit. He often took on dirty tasks like cleaning the chamber pots or washing clothes for the senior apprentices, never complaining. Over the years, he had suffered countless oppressions, but this young man was naturally optimistic, always cheerful and never bitter or resentful. Once, Liu Nirong accidentally saw him being mistreated and took extra notice of him, giving him a bit more care, which slightly improved Wang Dashi’s situation. On this journey, among the many factions within the Yulong Gang, Wang Dashi was the only one who could offer Xu Fengnian a smile, perhaps because of their shared plight. This time staying in the same room with Xu Fengnian, Wang Dashi didn’t have to worry about the seniors’ disapproving glances. After closing the door, he proactively addressed Xu as “Master Xu” and took out the Xiqizi cake, a specialty from Daomaguan, which he had just bought at the market. Actually, he had bought two portions. The visible portion weighed over a jin, while he secretly kept less than three taels. The former was naturally taken by the seniors. If not for this, Wang Dashi, who loved sweets, wouldn’t even have been able to taste this small delicacy. This was Wang Dashi’s small cleverness in finding joy amidst hardship.
In front of the quiet and reserved Xu Fengnian, Wang Dashi clearly felt a strong sense of inferiority, so much so that he didn’t know how to hide it. He took out all the oil-paper-wrapped fine chess piece cakes and, with a red face, asked, “Master Xu, would you like to taste some?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head. Wang Dashi wasn’t surprised and sat at the table eating by himself. As soon as he took a bite, several seniors entered the room without knocking. Wang Dashi turned around in shock, instinctively swallowing the bite of cake. He knew he was in trouble; once the seniors found out he had secretly kept some cake, they would definitely make him crawl on all fours and bow his head again.
Three burly seniors entered the room. They searched Wang Dashi, who was stunned and wide-eyed, but found nothing. One of the seniors, disappointed, took out his anger on Wang Dashi, slapping him on the forehead and scolding, “You little brat, you didn’t even manage to hide a few pieces of cake. Are you stupid or what?! You made me lose half a tael of silver to that little pepper Li Dou. Half a tael of silver must come from you. When the money comes, you’d better pay it back to your senior. Got it?!”
Still confused, Wang Dashi nodded woodenly. As the senior was leaving, he slapped Wang Dashi again and slammed the door, cursing, “What bad luck!”
After the seniors left, Wang Dashi, like a thief, locked the door and pressed his ear against it. Not hearing any footsteps, he finally relaxed from his fear, wiped his mouth, and smiled foolishly with secret relief. He had no awareness at all that the cakes were his to keep since he had paid for them. This kind of weakling, who couldn’t stand up for himself, seemed to deserve being bullied as a matter of course. It would be strange if things ever turned around for him after thirty years. Wang Dashi looked at the empty table and was at a loss. At this moment, Xu Fengnian, who had unknowingly done a good deed, reached out and placed the missing cake back on the table, which he had taken at the critical moment. Wang Dashi ran back to the table, sat down, and was so grateful he didn’t know what to say.
Xu Fengnian, who had unknowingly done a good deed, still had no expression on his face and didn’t try to get closer to Wang Dashi. He just pulled the chair to a window position, closed his eyes to rest, as if he were a monk in deep meditation.
In a first-class room, Liu Nirong, her master Xiao Qiang, guest master Gongsun Yang, and a steward surnamed Hong were sitting on four sides of the table.
Xiao Qiang, who had a double sword in its sheath on the table, smiled lightly and said, “Nirong, you should carefully describe the sword techniques of that white-robed swordsman. Those little brats described it vaguely, without any clarity.”
Liu Nirong had studied swordsmanship with Xiao Qiang for many years, and since childhood, she had been influenced by her grandfather, Elder Liu, and various high-level martial artists, including many skilled swordsmen. Her insights were quite unique. She described the details of the sword techniques, and at a few key moves, she couldn’t help but use her finger as a sword, drawing them in the air slowly.
Xiao Qiang was not a swordsman who sought fame and fortune. His double swords in one sheath were most impressive because, once drawn, the mother and son swords could spin around him within a range of one zhang, providing both attack and defense. This was certainly not the supreme sword technique of controlling the sword, but rather a clever sword technique. Xiao Qiang humorously admitted that it wouldn’t impress the masters of swordsmanship, but in the Yulong Gang, it was already considered extremely mysterious. Even Liu Nirong, who had seen much, sincerely admired it. After years of hard study, she could only manage to make a single sword spin within three chi, and even that was more for show than practical use in actual combat.
Xiao Qiang was one of the few experts in the Yulong Gang who could rank among the top second-tier martial artists in Lanzhou. He was not far from Elder Liu’s first-line level and was indeed the best swordsman in the gang. Liu Nirong had chosen him as her master, and Xiao Qiang was not unworthy of the title.
After Liu Nirong finished describing the duel, Xiao Qiang smiled and said, “If I’m not mistaken, that white-robed swordsman is Cheng Yiche, who has been gaining a lot of attention on the border recently. I thought it was just some superficial skill to fool the common people, but it turns out he really has some skill. Too bad he left in a hurry. Otherwise, I could have had a friendly match with him. If he could join our Yulong Gang as a guest master, that would be even better.”
Liu Nirong sighed lightly and said, “What a pity.”
Xiao Qiang looked at Gongsun Yang, whose expression was dull, and smiled, saying, “This Cheng Yiche may have high skills, but compared to our old silent Gongsun, he still falls short. Nirong, do you remember how your Uncle Gongsun…”
Gongsun Yang laboriously lifted his eyelids, his expression as calm as still water. He interrupted his old friend Xiao Qiang, who was about to reveal old secrets, and waved his hand, saying, “There’s no such thing, so don’t bring it up.”
Xiao Qiang was helpless and said, “I haven’t even said anything yet!”
Gongsun Yang bent down and stood up, speaking softly, “Miss, I’ll go back to my room first.”
Liu Nirong stood up to see him off, but Gongsun Yang shook his head and stopped her, walking out of the room alone. Everyone in the Yulong Gang knew that this senior guest had a damp poison on his right toes. It was difficult for him to walk, and it was said that even when he slept, he couldn’t take off his shoes. Therefore, he walked with a slight limp and rarely appeared in public. Among the senior members of the Yulong Gang, he was the only one who had not taken a single apprentice. It was only rumored that the old man could perform the extraordinary feat of shooting five arrows in a row, but no one had ever had the chance to witness it. That large bow made of cow horn was always dusty, hanging on the wall, and no one knew if it was just for show. After Gongsun Yang left, Xiao Qiang finally revealed some hidden stories. Liu Nirong then learned that Gongsun Yang had once performed the feat of grabbing the city gate with both hands and lifting a fierce horse into the air while riding into the city. If that was indeed the case, then at his peak, Uncle Gongsun was completely no less than her grandfather. Liu Nirong wondered whether his martial arts cultivation had declined over the years. She deeply understood that on the path of martial arts, one must constantly strive forward. One day of slackness would result in the loss of a month’s worth of effort. Just like a pearl that has been left in the dark for too long, even after being polished again, it would not regain its former luster. The saying “old pearls turn yellow” is precisely this principle. Pearls have life, and martial arts cultivation also has an indescribable spirituality that cannot be squandered.
Xiao Qiang hesitated for a moment and then said solemnly, “Nirong, today your master saw a familiar back on the street.”
Liu Nirong’s heart skipped a beat, and she asked softly, “Is it your master’s enemy?”
Xiao Qiang nodded, “It’s not a problem with just one person, but I’m worried about several people gathering together.”
Liu Nirong’s tone was calm as she smiled and said, “What’s there to be afraid of? The distance from the inn to the pass is so short, do they dare to cause trouble openly? Besides, with Master and Uncle Gongsun as our backing, these vermin can come one, two, or three at a time, and we’ll kill them all.”
Xiao Qiang was also infected by Liu Nirong’s tone and felt a surge of heroism that had been overshadowed by weariness. He laughed and said, “We who practice swordsmanship should have this kind of boldness. Nirong, your future cultivation will surely surpass mine by more than one level!”
Liu Nirong smiled slightly.
However, when night fell, the Yulong Gang could no longer smile.
They had intended to stay in the bustling market area to make the petty villains lurking in the shadows feel apprehensive. Who knew they would end up being caught like fish in a barrel?
Liu Nirong stood by the window, her face pale. Outside the inn, torches illuminated the night as if it were daytime. There were three factions with intentions against the Yulong Gang. One was the enemy of the second gang leader, Xiao Qiang, with five or six people, none of whom were riding horses. Obviously, they wanted to take revenge on Xiao Qiang before he retired from the martial world. There were three unwritten rules in the martial world. The first was that generational grudges could be avenged by descendants, but generally, one should not harm the wives and daughters, as causing a massacre would not only lead to government pursuit but also be condemned by the martial world. The righteous men of the martial world, if capable, might even intervene to teach a lesson. The second rule was that once you became a disciple, your master was like your father for life. Changing masters, even for any reason, would be a lifelong stain, let alone being a “three-surname house slave” who changed masters casually. Therefore, becoming a disciple was almost the most important matter for martial artists, not inferior to the scholars’ coming-of-age ceremony in the scholarly world. The third rule was that once you completed the retirement ceremony, placed the golden basin, and poured out the water in the bowl, all ordinary grudges should be abandoned.
The second force was not unexpected; it was the woman with the sable fur on her forehead, each riding a fine horse.
The last force was enough to make the Yulong Gang feel desperate and shocked. It was the eldest son of the Pass Zhechong Deputy Commander, Zhou Ziran, followed by eight or nine cavalry and more than twenty infantry soldiers.
Under the torchlight, Zhou Ziran’s handsome face was shining. He looked up at Liu Nirong on the second floor and slowly said, “Arresting bandits, bystanders should retreat on their own.”
The woman with the sable fur on her forehead spoke without restraint, not minding whether the Yulong Gang in the inn would hear her. She coquettishly said, “Master Zhou, we’ve agreed, that Liu girl is yours, but you mustn’t hurt that young man with the single saber at all.”
Zhou Ziran frowned and did not respond.
The woman, sensing his reluctance, tugged at the corner of her mouth, suppressing the disrespectful words that were already on the tip of her tongue. She sat on her horse, languid and seductive, one hand resting on her waist, her index finger rhythmically tapping the patterned head on her jade belt.
On this border, who can escape from my palm?
Why can men have thousands of concubines in their harem, but women are not allowed to have three hundred male attendants?
I will have them, no matter what!
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