Dragon God Castle was built on the Curved Dragon River 20 miles away from Yongzhou City. There was a bustling town here — Curved Dragon Town.
Dragon God Castle was the local tyrant in the eyes of the people of Curved Dragon Town and the surrounding villages. In the eyes of the people, Dragon God Castle's words were more effective than the government.
The Curved Dragon River was more than 200 feet wide, and the water transport business was developed. The only dock in Curved Dragon Town was controlled by Dragon God Castle. With this dock, Dragon God Castle was very rich.
There were many people who relied on Dragon God Castle to make a living. Because of this, when the people in the town encountered disputes, they liked to look for their boss, Dragon God Castle.
Over time, even the public security of Curved Dragon Town was under the control of Dragon God Castle.
The current castle lord, Lei Zheng, had a fiery temper. He could not tolerate any mistakes, attached great importance to rules, and dealt with matters impartially.
He earned the reputation of "Thunder Lord".
"Thunder Lord" Lei Zheng was a Rank-5 martial artist who was good at using a broadsword. Different from Gongsun Clan Master, he was a boring person who did not lust after women.
He only liked to practice his saber every day. He would dive into the river bottom with a large machete and swing it. He would not go ashore until he had swung it 500 times.
The people in the town said that if they saw a section of the river surging one day, it must be the Thunder Lord practicing his saber in the river.
In the lobby of Dragon God Castle.
Lei Zheng took a sip of tea and touched the large machete next to him. His voice buzzed.
"I'm going to practice my saber. If you have something to say, make it short. Don't disturb me."
Lei Zheng was just over 50 years old. He was 1.9 meters tall, bald, and had bulging muscles all over his body. His physique was stronger than that of a young man. He gave people the impression that he was the kind of boor who would chop people with a saber at the slightest disagreement.
In fact, he was.
Next to Lei Zheng was Gongsun Xiangyang, who was fond of women. The playboy in his youth, smiled and said, "Let's go, Young Master.
"You've been practicing saber for so many years. How long will it take for you to reach Rank-4?"
Lei Zheng said with a cold face, "This has nothing to do with you."
Gongsun Xiangyang said with a smirk, "I have to be careful of you. What if you reach Rank-4 one day and cut me down with your saber?"
The Dragon God Castle had a shorter history than the Gongsun Clan. Back then, when the ancestors of the Dragon God Castle came to the Yong Province to conquer the world, they often had conflicts with the local tyrant, the Gongsun Clan.
The disciples of both sides fought every day, and many people lost their lives. Later, because the scale of the battle was too large, it affected the common people and had an extremely bad impact on the public security of Yongzhou. The Yongzhou government intervened and mediated.
Of course, that was over two hundred years ago. To this day, although there were still conflicts between the two sides, they were all within a reasonable range.
"Something has happened in the tomb."
Gongsun Xiangyang's words dispelled Lei Zheng's intention of sending the guest away. The bald Fort Master with bulging muscles frowned slightly.
"What does this have to do with me?"
The big tomb on the South Mountain had already been occupied by the Gongsun Family. Based on a tacit understanding, the Dragon God Castle would not interfere in it, unless the Gongsun Family invited them.
Gongsun Xiangyang told Lei Zheng about the situation at the bottom of the tomb and the green-clothed expert.
Lei Zheng's eyes widened. Just like Gongsun Xiangyang when he first heard the news, he felt a sense of crisis as if a bomb had been planted at the door.
After calming down, he stared coldly at the Gongsun Clan Head, "Why should I believe you?"
Gongsun Xiangyang said slowly.
"You can go to the tomb and take a look yourself. Hmm, if you're not afraid of death. I've already found out where the expert lives. It's at the Inn. He asked the Gongsun Family to watch over the South Mountain. The mountain was too big, and it would take a lot of manpower to guard it.
"The Dragon God Castle and the Gongsun Family are making a living in Yongzhou. You can't stay out of it. Also, whether I'm telling the truth or not, we'll find out when we pay the expert a visit. "
Lei Zheng snorted. "You want to go yourself, but you don't dare to, so you dragged me along to share the risk."
Gongsun Xiangyang chuckled and did not refute.
Lei Zheng stood up with his saber in hand. "Wait here for two hours. I'll go with you after I'm done with my saber practice."
"You're not taking the expert seriously?"
"Heh, whether he's an expert or not depends on what you say!"
Lei Zheng maintained a skeptical attitude. After all, he had never been to the tomb, nor had he eaten crabs at Yangbai Lake. Gongsun Xiangyang's words were enough to make him fearful?
Gongsun Xiangyang only mentioned the expert, but did not mention the poem. Otherwise, Lei Zheng's attitude would be much more upright.
…
In the restaurant.
Fresh poisonous herbs, a few porcelain bottles, and five taels of sesame were placed on the table. Xu Qi'an asked The Waiter for a mortar jar and threw all the poisonous herbs into it to mash.
Then, he poured in the venomous snake fluid and continued pounding.
Mu Nanzi, who was sitting by the window, sniffled and frowned. "What's that smell? It smells awful."
Xu Qi'an said, "Open the window and let the air in. I'm making poison pills."
As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of sesame and scattered it into the mortar jar.
The Princess opened the window, but she did not take the opportunity to breathe in the fresh air. Instead, she walked to the table and sat down. She arrogantly slapped away Xu Qi'an's hand and snatched the jar.
She dipped her fingertip into the venomous liquid and sucked on it. Then, she licked her lips.
"These poisonous herbs are not very effective, so they won't be of much help to you. The snake's venom, however, tastes good."
For the Flower God, poisonous herbs were still herbs, and poisonous flowers were still flowers. They were no different from ordinary flowers and plants.
Xu Qi'an called her an expert. The two began to discuss, as if they were discussing a common favorite food.
"This time, I went to the underground palace to borrow some venom from the ancient corpses. It's the essence of thousands of years old corpses. It can greatly stimulate the poisonous insects and make them evolve."
As Xu Qi'an spoke, he took out the jade bottle containing the venom from the ancient corpses and pulled out the stopper.
"The smell is too strong."
Mu Nanzi covered her nose and ran away.
Xu Qi'an tilted the small jade bottle, and the viscous greenish-black liquid slowly dripped into the mortar jar.
In an instant, the grass residue in the mortar jar was dyed a deep greenish-black. Just by looking at the color, people could associate it with poison.
Then, he put the mortar jar on a small charcoal stove and roasted it until it was slightly dry. Then, he stopped.
What he needed to do next was to roll them into small pills and take one every day.
The venom from the ancient corpses was too strong. With the poisonous insects' current level, they couldn't take too much at once, or else they would be poisoned to death.
After the pills were rolled up, Xu Qi 'an placed them on the table one by one and let them dry naturally.
The air was full of poison. If it was an ordinary person here, they would die in less than five minutes.
Mu Nanzi sat by the window, rolling her eyes while reading the book she bought in the busy street.
At this time, someone knocked on the door. The Waiter's voice came: "Sir, two masters are looking for you."
Looking for me?
Xu Qi'an was surprised, but he calmly replied to The Waiter: "Who?"
The Waiter said: "One of them calls himself Gongsun Xiangyang, the other Lei Zheng."
Gongsun Xiangyang, a member of the Gongsun family? Who is Lei Zheng … Xu Qi'an pondered for a while and said: "Invite them in."
He guessed that Gongsun Xiangyang was a senior member of the Gongsun family, or perhaps the Gongsun family's Patriarch.
According to the rules, if a reclusive master who had attained Dao for eight hundred years came to visit, the Gongsun family, a mere power in the pugilistic world, must be someone of virtue and prestige in the family.
It was impossible for them to send a junior or an insignificant figure in the family.
At the very least, it must be a successor like Gongsun Xiu.
As for Lei Zheng, Xu Qi'an had never heard of him. But since he came with the Gongsun family, he must be someone of status.
"Do you need me to hide behind the screen?" The Princess looked at Xu Qi'an.
"No need. Go and pull the door bolt."
The Princess curled her lips. She walked to the door and pulled the bolt, shaking her plump and alluring butt.
A moment later, two footsteps stopped outside the door. Then, a mellow voice said respectfully:
"Senior, I'm the Gongsun family's Patriarch, Gongsun Xiangyang."
"The door isn't locked," Xu Qi'an said.
The door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man dressed in embroidered clothes walked in. He had a smile on his face, and the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes were obvious. These were wrinkles caused by his habitual smile.
The other old man was a burly old man with a large machete on his back. He was bald and had a sharp aura, giving off a fierce and unapproachable impression.
"Lord of Divine Dragon Castle, Lei Zheng."
The bald old man cupped his fists and said in a loud and clear voice.
Xu Qi'an nodded slowly and gestured with his hand. "Sit."
At this moment, his gaze was gentle, and his eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of time. His attitude was calm, but there was a natural majesty to it.
It was a pity that two streaks of white were missing from his temples.
Gongsun Xiangyang swept his gaze across the room, and his gaze fell on Daibun's number one beauty before he sat down in a reserved and cautious manner.
Lei Zheng was much more carefree, and he looked at Xu Qi'an with a scrutinizing gaze.
He had been to the underground palace, but only walked around the periphery. After all, he did not venture into the main tomb. Therefore, he was still skeptical of Gongsun Xiangyang's words.
"Thank you for saving my daughter's life. The Gongsun family has no way to repay your kindness. We will guard Nanshan Hill well and not let anyone enter the tomb."
It was also Gongsun Xiangyang's first time seeing a master, so he was as curious as Lei Zheng. He looked at him vaguely, but he did not see anything special about this master.
But that was why he was even more respectful.
Lei Zheng asked tentatively, "Master, what is the identity of the ancient corpse in the underground palace?"
Xu Qi'an's voice was gentle. "Just a nobody."
A nobody? That evil ancient corpse at least of the third rank was just a nobody in his eyes … Gongsun Xiangyang was shocked. Just as he was about to speak, his nose suddenly twitched, and he felt dizzy. He stood up in shock.
"It's, it's poisonous …"
Lei Zheng also stood up and took a few steps back. The two of them looked at the black pill on the table.
"What is this thing? I can't stand its smell alone …" Gongsun Xiangyang was shocked.
At the fifth rank of Transforming Strength, most poisons in the world could be detoxified by the strong liver function. These poison pills in front of them could probably kill a fifth rank martial artist.
Xu Qi'an's tone was gentle and apologetic. "I've just made a few poison pills, and I'm going to eat them as snacks. I'll put them away now."
After saying that, he picked up a pill, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.
"Eat, eat it …" Gongsun Xiangyang was dumbfounded. His face was stiff, and he felt a chill down his spine.
Lei Zheng's pupils contracted violently, and his hair stood on end. He was so frightened that he was about to explode.
The two fifth rank martial artists stared at Xu Qi'an, his mouth, and his throat. Seeing his Adam's apple move, it meant that the pill had been swallowed.
"Why did he eat poison pills as snacks? "No, that's not the point. The point is that he is indeed a terrible person, a top martial artist in seclusion …" Gongsun Xiangyang silently straightened his back.
"Gongsun Xiangyang didn't lie to me …" Lei Zheng was deeply shocked. He quickly reviewed his attitude and felt worried and annoyed for his previous carelessness. He was afraid that he had aroused the dissatisfaction of this seemingly gentle martial artist.
"Done!"
Xu Qi'an put the small jade bottle into his arms.
In fact, in terms of real combat power, he could not beat a fifth rank martial artist, unless he had a way to put poison directly into the stomach of a fifth rank martial artist.
In addition to poison, he lacked an effective way to break through copper skin and iron bones.
Of course, martial artists could not beat him either, because the Poisonous Insect of Seven Absolutes had too many ways to make it invincible.
"When I digest all these poison pills, I should be able to beat a fifth rank martial artist …" Xu Qi'an thought in his heart, but he still looked calm on the surface.
"Just in time. Even if you two didn't come, I was going to pay a visit."
Gongsun Xiangyang and Lei Zheng looked at each other, and the former immediately asked respectfully, "What can I do for you, senior?"
Xu Qi'an looked at the two with gentle and calm eyes.
"I would like to ask for your help to hold the Yongzhou Martial Arts Assembly in one and a half months."
This was a plan he came up with not long ago. Instead of aimlessly looking for the host of Dragon Breath, it was better to find a way to gather them and capture them all.
Although the Martial Arts Assembly was for the people of Jianghu, with the nature of humans to join in the fun, there would definitely be people from rich families coming to participate in the assembly.
The reason why he asked Gongsun family and Dragon God Castle to take the lead was to keep a low profile. He had to guard against Xu Pingfeng's backup plan, so hiding behind the scenes was the best choice.
As for the time of the assembly in one month, it was considering the spread of the news and the inconvenience of transportation. It would definitely take a lot of time for people from all over Yongzhou to receive the news and rush to Yongzhou.
"This … can I ask the reason?"
Gongsun Xiangyang probed.
Xu Qi'an originally wanted to say that he could use the "influence" of the heroes of Yongzhou to suppress the ancient corpse, which would make him seem unfathomable. But on second thought, as an expert who had obtained eight hundred autumns, he still needed the help of the heroes of Yongzhou to suppress the ancient corpse.
This in itself was very low-class and had no style.
So, he smiled faintly, "Because it's interesting."
Gongsun Xiangyang and Lei Zheng were momentarily speechless.
"If we want to hold the Martial Arts Assembly, we must have a gimmick to attract people …"
"How about this, our two families jointly make a list of the top one hundred martial arts in Yongzhou, invite heroes from all over Yongzhou to participate in a written test, and set the ranking. This is an irresistible temptation for those Jianghu people who love fame …"
"And there must be a big reward …"
Gongsun Xiangyang and Lei Zheng chattered on, while Xu Qi'an drank tea and listened with a smile on his face.
After half an hour, the two of them who had reached a conclusion stood up and said goodbye.
After the two of them left, Mu Nanzi looked at him and asked directly, "Were you pretending to be Wei Yuan just now?"
Xu Qi'an ignored her and said, "We will leave Yongzhou City tomorrow and take a look around Yongzhou."
…
Fuyang County.
The little mare was led by its owner, trotting along. The person on the back of the horse changed from the most handsome man to the most beautiful woman.
Mu Nanzi sat on the back of the horse, looking around. This was a small county that was not very rich, whether it was the streets that had been in disrepair for years, or the houses that were equally old, they all showed this.
The clothes of the pedestrians were not glamorous enough, the style and the material were relatively ordinary.
But the yellow wine of Fuyang County was famous in the whole Yongzhou.
Xu Qi'an came this time to drink, and the princess also liked to drink, so she readily agreed. The two of them trotted along the Jianghu, eating and drinking wherever they went.
They passed by a small river, on which there was a stone bridge with white walls and black tiles. The water flowed under the small bridge. If there was a misty rain with a beautiful woman holding an oil-paper umbrella, it would be perfect.
Xu Qi'an led the little mare on a stone bridge, and suddenly heard a scream from not far away.
"Someone is diving, someone is diving!"
He and the princess looked over, upstream, a woman was sinking and floating along with the river water, her situation was extremely critical.
The pedestrians on both sides of the river were either pointing, or finding bamboo poles to extend to the woman, trying to save her.
The woman choked a few mouthfuls of water, her face contorted as she struggled to save herself, but the current was too fast, and she was not good at swimming, the more she struggled, the more water she choked.
Gradually, she was left with half a life.
"Save her, quickly save her …"
The commoners saw someone on the bridge, and immediately shouted.
Jumping off the bridge, grabbing the woman's shoulder, his toes tapped on the water surface, and lightly floated back to the shore … Xu Qi'an completed a series of actions in his mind, and then he jumped off the bridge.
"Plop!"
He crashed into the cold river water, and swam towards the woman with all his might.
Among the seven abilities of the Seven Absolute Gu, none of them could fly.
With so many commoners around, Xu Qi'an dispelled the idea of using Dark Gu to save the woman in front of so many people.
Sometimes, the crude Warrior can be more elegant than other systems … The moment he picked up the woman, such a thought appeared in Xu Qi'an's mind.
"Young man, hold the bamboo pole!"
An old man stood on the shore, and extended a bamboo pole towards Xu Qi'an.
With the help of the old man and the passersby, Xu Qi'an grabbed the bamboo pole, and was pulled ashore with the woman.
The woman choked on her saliva, and was in a daze.
Her face was pale, but her facial features were quite good, she was an extremely beautiful woman.
Xu Qi'an slapped her back.
"Ugh …"
The woman vomited a large mouthful of saliva, and regained her consciousness, but she did not feel the joy of escaping from death, instead, she cried bitterly.
"Let me die, it will be a clean death, I beg you …"
She cried while covering her face.
"Isn't this Cripple Zhang's wife?"
"Why did she jump into the water for no reason?"
"Sigh, she is such a pitiful person …"
The surrounding commoners discussed softly.
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