After the Zhongyuan Period, it was a rare leisurely afternoon. The autumn wind blew through the courtyard, and the leaves rustled.
Facing the courtyard, in the training room with a wooden floor, Ning Yi wore a short suit and was seriously warming up with his hands on his hips.
On the other side, Watermelon had just returned from outside. She took a shower, tied up her hair, and wore a loose and comfortable light blue top and long skirt. She sat barefooted on a chair at the side of the room.
"This time, I originally wanted to spar with Old Eight … Sister Ti and Boss Du said earlier that he's even more powerful … Unfortunately, you sent him out on a mission …"
She retracted her right leg on the chair and hugged her knees. She watched her dignified husband throw punches vigorously as she spoke casually. Ning Yi did not pay attention to her nagging.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! " He jumped nimbly and threw a few punches. Although this series of moves was strange in the past, Watermelon, Red Grape, and the others were now used to it. After he finished warming up, Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng stood in the middle of the room. "You, get up."
"Ah?" Watermelon blinked and pointed at herself. After a while, she got up from her seat and jumped two steps forward. Her eyes narrowed into crescent moons. "Oh." She waved her hands and faced Ning Yi.
"I, Tyrant Saber Liu Watermelon, will have a fair competition." Martial Dao Grandmaster Ning Liheng raised his right hand and gestured to Watermelon.
"Uh …" Watermelon blinked and then raised her hand. "I, Tyrant Saber Liu Watermelon, will have a fair competition with Inner Demon Ning Liheng."
She thought for a while, spread her hands, and used the move "White Crane Spreads Its Wings."
In a fight between experts, it was rare to start with a lame move like White Crane Spreads Its Wings. Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng was insulted.
But he was expressionless and very mature.
"I sent Old Eight Qian to Jiangning."
"Oh." Watermelon reacted and nodded. "Yes, let him bring …"
As he spoke, the Great Grandmaster, Ning Liheng, suddenly charged forward and swept his leg toward Watermelon, who was standing on one leg. Watermelon's figure trembled, and her skirt fluttered in the air. She had already flipped backward, but before she could land steadily, Ning Yi rushed over in front of her. He was like a ferocious tiger, about to pounce on her and send her flying.
Watermelon took a step back, her hands grabbing onto the Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng's clothes. Under the huge momentum, the two of them were pulling each other as they spun. Watermelon's skirt was almost unfurled into a lotus. With three whizzing turns, the Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng rolled away. When he was twenty feet away, he pressed his hands against the ground and stood up. His head was slightly dizzy, but he immediately adjusted his vision. Very mature.
"You should have received the second sweeping kick. You shouldn't have pounced on me."
She clenched her fists and jumped.
"I was afraid of hurting you." Grandmaster Ning Liheng twisted his neck to both sides. "Now it's for real."
"Oh." Watermelon nodded. "… So, Old Eight led the team to Jiangning. Little Black and Yuwen also went … How do you plan to deal with He Wen?"
"I don't have any prejudice against him in the political arena. Whether he's a friend or an enemy depends on how things develop in the future."
As Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng spoke, he assumed an attacking posture. After all, he had come from a group of Grandmasters. When he assumed a posture, there was no flaw in his entire body, showing off the demeanor of a master. Watermelon assumed a tortoise boxing posture, just like someone who was selling his head.
"It's time to test his attitude. To be honest, everyone in the army doesn't have a good impression of him, especially after this Heroes Conference. They all want to beat him up."
"I think … Black Tiger Steals Heart!" The Great Grandmaster took him by surprise and began to attack.
"Tortoise climbs a tree!" Watermelon spread out her hands and suddenly jumped, scaring her opponent back.
"Is there such a move?"
"I can't go up, so I just jump a bit," she explained.
"… When you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense." Ning Yi nodded. "I thought you would prefer He Wen. After all, he's dividing the land. "
"In theory, of course I don't hate him, but I'm also a woman. I can't let him take advantage of me. "
"— Monkey Steals Peach!"
"I didn't."
In the room, Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng rushed forward. Grandmaster Liu Watermelon caught him with one palm and counterattacked. Their fists and feet were very fast, and they clashed with each other. This time, it was no longer Black Tiger Steals Heart versus Tortoise Climbs a Tree, but a well-organized fight. If the average master of the Jianghu was present, they would be shocked, because the martial arts of the two Grandmasters were extremely high. For a moment, they were evenly matched, and it was hard to tell who would win. It was a rare peak duel.
"He Wen's development is too fast. The conference is to stabilize his rule. There will be a lot of things happening inside …"
"If there's a chance, I also want to go to Jiangning to take a look. After all, it's your hometown …"
"Forget it this time. If it's not good, they'll beat the brains out … Hmph, you're quite skilled."
"Yu Wen brought a gun, right? I heard that Old Lin will go … Thank you."
"You, you're panting … It's not just Old Lin. This time, all the powers will send people. The people of the Jianghu are just actors on stage, and the water is very deep. Based on the rise of the five groups of people in the Fairness Party, if He Wen can't stabilize … Watch my fist!"
"… Dodged."
"If he can't stabilize, the army will directly start a massacre in Jiangning … That's possible. Monkey Steals Peach … "
"I didn't steal it."
"Double Dragon Goes to Sea!"
"Monkey Steals Peach!"
"Black Tiger Steals Heart!"
"Murder your husband — don't pull my skirt!"
"There's no such thing as murder your husband. If you make a mistake, you have to admit defeat …"
"Ah …"
The two of them fought fiercely in the middle of the hall. Then Watermelon screamed, grabbed her skirt and started to run. There was a tearing sound in the room. After a while, the Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng forced Liu Watermelon, who was also a Great Grandmaster, into a corner and threw him to the ground.
"You're randomly tearing things …" Watermelon punched him.
…
Great Grandmaster Ning Liheng won this fair fight. He was so tired that he was panting. He lay on the ground. Watermelon lay on the floor, opened her arms, and accepted this lesson of failure.
"It's Xiaoji's birthday in two days." She sighed softly. "Where do you think he is now?"
"… Based on that guy's personality, maybe Eighth Brother will meet him in Jiangning."
"You should have asked me to go. What if I met Old Lin …"
"Eighth Brother has a group of people with him. They're all good fighters. Even if they meet, they won't lose."
"You also said that it might become a battlefield …"
"I've mentioned it to Eighth Brother. If he sees that brat, tell him to run away or catch him …"
"I'm still worried …"
"You're confused because you're worried … Even if it's a battlefield, that guy has the ability to survive. Don't forget how many female Zhenren he killed when he was with Fourth Brother Zheng. He's smarter than a rabbit. He'll run at the slightest sign of trouble … "
"A place like a battlefield … Aren't you worried?"
Ning Yi also turned over. The two of them lay side by side and looked at the roof of the room. Sunlight shone in from outside the door. After a while, he spoke.
"Boys always have to go out …" He thought for a while. "It's all your and Red Ti's fault for teaching him martial arts …"
"It's all because you always told him that you're a martial arts master. Zhou Dong became sworn brothers with you, and Lu Tuo was killed by you with one palm strike …"
"Those are all real things. It's all your fault … "
The couple tried to shirk responsibility and bicker with each other. After a while, they waved their hands and hit each other. Watermelon laughed, turned over, and climbed onto Ning Yi's body. Ning Yi frowned. "What are you doing …"
"Let's do it again."
"… Did I win or did you win?" Ning Yi sighed. "You don't care about martial arts ethics."
"You won. It's all my and Sister Ti's fault …"
The autumn wind blew through the courtyard, and the leaves rustled. Their voices turned into soft murmurs and melted into the warm autumn wind.
…
On the same autumn day, more than two thousand miles away from Chengdu, the teenager who was cared about by the couple was traveling with a group of people to Tongshan County on Jinghu North Road.
It had been more than two months since he left Chengdu. He was still accompanied by several Confucian scholars led by "Promising" Lu Wenke, "Respect for Gods" Fan Heng, "Cold-Faced Scumbag" Chen Junsheng, and Wang Jiang and Wang Xiuniang, who had been traveling with them because of Lu Wenke.
It was not easy to travel in troubled times. Because of this, it was extremely precious to be able to find a few reliable friends to travel with. Lu Wenke and the others also cherished this kind of fate. In this way, they traveled for two to three thousand miles. Along the way, they saw the scenery of various places and experienced the folk customs. After more than two months, they became more familiar with each other and almost accumulated a relationship like that of a monk.
This was different from Ning Ji's fantasy of the outside world when he set off. But even in such a troubled world, it seemed that there was always a relatively safe way to go. Along the way, they heard news of mountain bandits and met relatively difficult officials. Even during the time they traveled along the south bank of the Yangtze River, they saw the sails of warships setting off to Jiangbei from afar. It seemed that there was a war in the north. But no major disaster appeared in front of them, so Ning Ji's dream of being a Jianghu hero was a little relaxed for a moment.
Before arriving at Tongshan County, they first passed through Jinghu North Road. The group traveled to the relatively prosperous places such as Jiayu, Ezhou, and Chibi. This place had always been a place of war. When the Goddess Zhenren came here, she suffered from the disaster of war. Later, it was taken over by Liu Guangshi. After gathering the power of local gentry and getting the "support" of the Huaxia army, the prosperity of the city was restored. Now there was a war in Jiangbei, but the atmosphere on the south bank of the Yangtze River was only slightly solemn.
Lu Wenke and other scholars had the desire to rule the world. Every time they went, they would not only visit the scenic spots, but also personally visit the places that had suffered from war. Looking at the ruins burned by the Jin soldiers, they became more determined.
After passing Jinghu North Road, they arrived at Tongshan County. This was the junction between Jinghu North Road and Jiangnan West Road. Tongshan County was not large. Because it had also suffered from the disaster of war, the city walls were still damaged. But there were scenic spots such as Jiugong Mountain outside the county. Two years ago, when the Goddess Zhenren swept over, the local army did not resist much, and most of the people went into the mountains to hide. Except for the county being burned, there were not many casualties. But this year, Liu Guangshi was going to war, so he took many able-bodied men here.
From Tongshan County to the south, they entered Jiangnan West Road. After another three or four hundred miles, they would arrive at Lu Wenke's hometown, Hongzhou. Along the way, he talked about returning to Hongzhou and using what he had seen and learned in the southwest one by one. But here, he was not in a hurry to go home immediately. The group toured Jiugong Mountain for two days and saw the place where the Jin soldiers set fire to Tongshan County that day. In the afternoon, they set up a hot pot in the courtyard of the inn. Everyone set up the venue, prepared the ingredients, and recited poems. They were having a great time.
This inn was newly built, but it had also suffered during the disaster of war. In the backyard, a large locust tree had been burned by the fire and was half withered and half flourishing. It was autumn, and the leaves on half of the big tree in the courtyard began to turn yellow. The scene was magnificent and meaningful. Fan Heng shook his head and said that this tree was just like the situation in the Wu dynasty. He recited two poems.
Lu Wenke and the others were also talking about the current situation of their country. Chen Junsheng occasionally interrupted, still in his sharp style of speaking to the point. In the courtyard, a few servants had set up a shed to shelter the fallen leaves. Wang Jiang had bought a large number of ingredients from outside and was preparing them with his daughter, Wang Xiuniang.
Ning Ji sat among the chatting scholars and listened to their nonsense. His eyes were fixed on Wang Xiuniang, who was cutting the meat. In order to prepare for the hot pot today, everyone had spent a lot of money and bought two large pieces of meat. At this moment, Wang Xiuniang was cutting them into thin slices. Ning Ji was tempted. After Wang Xiuniang cut half of it, she came over to greet everyone with a smile and pinched Ning Ji's cheek with her greasy fingers.
"Xiaolong, Xiaolong, you're always looking at me. Have you fallen in love with me?"
Ning Ji did not lower himself to her level. Lu Wenke, who was beside him, said, "I think he likes the meat."
After traveling together for more than two months, they finally had a consensus about Ning Ji's big appetite and gluttony. Hearing Lu Wenke's words, Wang Xiuniang smiled gently. "Then eat more later." No one knew whether she was talking about Lu Wenke or Ning Ji.
Along the way, the relationship between Lu Wenke and Wang Xiuniang finally developed some warmth. In fact, Lu Wenke was at the age of a romantic, and he had some family in Hongzhou. Although Wang Xiuniang was young and healthy, she was not worthy of him in terms of status. However, humans were not plants and trees, who could be emotionless? The two of them had been traveling together for more than two months, and a trace of subtle feelings had naturally been established.
Although Lu Wenke could not marry her, there was no harm in taking her as a concubine. For Wang Xiuniang, a prostitute in Jianghu, as long as Lu Wenke was reliable, it could be regarded as a good ending.
It was not yet night, so they chatted and ate some snacks. When talking about the local situation in Tongshan, Fan Heng, the middle-aged Confucian scholar who loved to teach Ning Ji, said, "Xiaolong came back from outside yesterday. Do you still remember the Li family's Castle Wu on the way?"
"Yes, I do." Ning Ji nodded.
"This morning, I asked around and found out that the most powerful clan in the area, as well as the most powerful Jianghu experts, came from the Li family's Wu Castle."
After traveling together for more than two months, Ning Ji's secret of gluttony had been exposed. As a young man, he did not deliberately hide his passion for martial arts. Although Fan Heng and the others were scholars, they regarded Ning Ji as a nephew worthy of cultivation. In addition, the Jiangning Hero Competition was a thousand years ago. Every time they went to a place, they would inquire about all kinds of interesting local stories.
At this moment, he laughed and said to the crowd, "It is said that the background of this local master is not simple. His father is a member of the Great Light Sect. He was originally one of the protectors of the Great Light Sect. He used to have a nickname, 'Monkey King', and his name is Li Ruoque. Don't think that the name is funny, but his martial arts are very powerful. I heard that there is a Big Monkey Fist, Little Monkey Fist … "
"White Ape Arm Fist," Ning Ji said.
"Yes, there is also the White Ape Arm Fist," Fan Heng said. "This Li Ruoque has been famous for almost 20 years, but his family business was not big back then. After all, before Jingping, the world valued literature and looked down on martial arts. The Li family also had a great feud with the Inner Demon in the southwest. Before the Inner Demon killed the king, many masters of the Great Light Sect entered the capital. 'Monkey King' Li Ruoque was one of the generals under Lin Zongwu, 'Piercing the Forest North Kick'. He died under the cavalry of the Huaxia Army. It seems that monkeys can't outrun horses … "
Fan Heng was a scholar and did not have much respect for martial arts. After a moment of silence, he chuckled. "After Li Ruoque died, the one who inherited the family business was called Li Yanfeng. This person's ability was even better than his father's. After Li Ruoque died, not only did he quickly make a name for himself, but he also expanded the family business by several times. In such a chaotic world, it was the people of Jianghu who took advantage of it. He quickly organized the local villagers to enter the mountains. After they came out of the mountains, the biggest family in Tongshan, hehe, became the Li family. "
"The current Li Yanfeng is a favorite of General Liu Guangshi. He built Castle Wu and organized the villagers. The path he took … can you see it? He imitates the Miaojiang Tyrant Blade of the past. I heard that in this war in the north, he sent the Li family's soldiers to General Liu's tent to listen to the proclamation. As for the Jiangning Hero Assembly, Li Yanfeng himself went there to be his assistant … Xiaolong, if you go to Jiangning, you might be able to meet him. "
He spoke frankly with assurance. Chen Junsheng, who was at the side, thought for a moment. "This time, I heard that the Lin Family's leader is also going to Jiangning. There must be something going on in between."
Lu Wenke nodded. "In the past ten years, I heard that the leader of the Great Radiant Sect has been organizing resistance against the Jin Dynasty in the north. The affairs in the south are indeed a little messy. If he goes to Jiangnan this time, all the major forces in the world will have another group of people joining them. It seems that the Jiangning Hero Assembly this time will indeed be a fierce battle. "
"A chaotic situation is not a good thing. At Xiaolong's age, it's better not to join in the fun." Someone was worried for Ning Ji.
Fan Heng nodded.
Lu Wenke said, "Why don't we take a look first? When we reach Hong Province in a few days, I will ask the elders in my family to make more inquiries and ask about the tricks in the Jiangning Hero Assembly. If there is really danger, Xiaolong might as well stay in Hong Province for a while. You don't have to rush to your hometown to take a look. "
Ning Ji did not intend to explain to him. He reached out and scratched his cheek. "We'll talk about it later."
Chen Junsheng smiled and said to Lu Wenke, "You should say that there is enough fat."
"Enough? Of course there is enough."
Everyone burst into laughter. Ning Ji also laughed. He liked this kind of atmosphere, but the people in front of him naturally did not know that the matter of going to Jiangning was not something that could be swayed by a few pieces of fat.
Amidst the laughter, the setting sun shed a golden afterglow on the backyard of the inn. Above the yard, trees were swaying and leaves were falling. When Wang Xiuniang came over with the food and placed it on the table, everyone made fun of Ning Ji again. It was a happy scene.
The next day was July 19th, which was also a day for everyone to take a break. Several scholars got up a little later. In the morning, Wang Jiang and Wang Xiuniang, father and daughter, took advantage of some time to go to the streets of the county to perform and earn some money. Wang Xiuniang and Lu Wenke's relationship had not been settled, so they had always been self-reliant like this. Lu Wenke did not stop them.
Everyone discussed in the inn whether to go out to play in the afternoon. According to the owner of the inn, the Li family's Wu Castle was not closed, and it was quite a martial spirit. Although many people had been sent to cross the river to fight, there were still people practicing martial arts in the castle. Occasionally, people from Jianghu or passers-by would go there, and they would also be allowed to visit and even practice. It was always okay to go and take a look.
It was noon, and when it was time to eat, the street outside seemed quiet. Suddenly, someone rushed into the inn with blood all over his body and shouted, "Help!"
A group of people were sitting in the hall of the inn and playing cards. When he saw this scene, Ning Ji flew over and supported him, quickly identifying the injury. Meanwhile, Wang Jiang was still running in the direction of the scholars. "Help! Help … Save Xiuniang … "
As he spoke, a few people who looked like bailiffs also rushed into the inn. One of them shouted, "The criminal is committing murder. Run away, take him down!"
Someone had already waved a chain and pointed it at Lu Wenke and the others who were standing up in the lobby. "No one is allowed to move! Whoever moves will be punished as the criminal! "
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