The great river flowed, the sun shone high, the breeze caressed the grass and trees on the plains, the roads were bustling with horses and carriages, and people shuttled back and forth. Around the Dragon Boat Festival in the 14th year of Jinghan, the capital city became lively again.
After the destruction caused by the southern invasion of the Jurchen, the prosperity of the capital city this summer was very different from previous years. Merchants and pedestrians from other places filled up the streets and alleys of Bianliang, and inside and outside the city, people from different directions with different purposes were gathering and coming back and forth.
There were many things waiting to be done.
Fifth of May, Little Candle Square.
The sun was high, and the inside and outside of the semicircular building were full of people. On the arena in front of the building, two warriors were fighting fiercely, and the cheers of men and women could be heard from above and below the building from time to time.
Little Candle Square was one of the most famous brothels in the capital city, but today there was no singing and dancing performance in front of this building. The people who appeared and gathered upstairs and downstairs were mostly people from the Underworld and famous figures of the martial arts world. Among them, there were boxing masters and experts from the capital, famous elders from the Imperial Fist Dojo, and even more people from the Underworld who had different expressions and were dressed differently.
Some of them were tall and steady, with young disciples or attendants. These were the masters who opened schools and taught disciples in other places. Some carried swords and had arrogant eyes, often young people with some skills who had just come out to explore the world. There were monks, Taoist priests, and seemingly ordinary old people and women who were actually the most difficult to deal with. Today, hundreds of heroes from the Underworld gathered here for the Underworld Assembly in the capital city, and also for a way to become famous.
On the front of the building, some officials of the capital city and the leaders of the big families came to help promote and select talents. Although it was not the period of the Military Selection, the capital city had just been hit by the war, and martial artists had become popular. Hidden in all kinds of things, there was also such a grand meeting, which could be called the Martial Assembly. Although the chosen "Number One in the World" might not be able to convince the public, it was always an opportunity to become famous, so the martial artists who came to the capital city during this time flocked like ducks.
Sitting in the middle of the building slightly to the side, there was also a man holding the Gigantic Sword, sitting like a pine tree, and occasionally commenting with the people next to him. He was the chief constable of the Ministry of Justice, Tie Tianying.
*****
At the end of last year, the land around Bianliang turned into a battlefield, and a large number of people migrated away. When the Jurchen attacked the city, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians died in battles. As a result, when the Jurchen left, there were a large number of vacancies in the capital city, goods, and power.
When the Wu dynasty prospered, people from other places flocked in the capital city.
Merchants pursued profits and they feared wars and wars, but they could not escape. In the war between the Wu Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom, the Wu Dynasty had been defeated again and again. After negotiations, they had to pay the New Year's Coins. It was said that they had lost their sovereignty and humiliated the country. But after that, the two sides traded with each other, and the profits from the border trade filled up all the gaps. Jin Dynasty dynasty dynasty was, and, and the capital city. and again. Jin dynasty dynasty. and Jin dynasty dynasty dynasty dynasty dynasty. and it cities. Jin dynasty dynasty dynasty. The capital and and and, and dynasty dynasty dynasty dynasty dynasty.
Meanwhile, the nobles and nobles from other places coveted the power vacuum in the capital. They pushed their officials and merchants to enter the capital, seizing the opportunity to get a piece of the pie. The scholars and scholars who heard about the invasion to the south harbored the idea of saving the country. They came to the capital to promote the idea of saving the country, or to serve various high-ranking officials, trying to find an opportunity to become an official. In short, the capital became more and more lively because of this.
The situation in the open and in the open was already so prosperous, but the movements in the underworld and in the Lullaby were not peaceful either. Even if one could not enter the high and mighty Emperor's establishment, they could still find some rich and powerful families to hug the thighs of. This was often a way for the people in the Lullaby to survive. At that moment, all kinds of people from the underworld and the underworld had also gathered in the capital. Some of them were alone and wanted to make a name for themselves through martial arts. Some of them were in groups of various sizes, each with their own ambitions. After the death of the Female Zhenren, the promotion of martial arts also played a great role. As a result, during this period of time, there were often rumors of Grandmaster martial artists meeting each other in and out of the city. There were also some famous martial artists, or high-spirited young people who fought hard to make a name for themselves in the capital.
As for the assassination and private fights that occurred because of various power struggles and conflicts of interest, hidden under this wave of martial arts, they broke out one after another, one after another.
Because of this, the famous and powerful figures of the underworld in the capital were also greatly impacted. The masters and big shots who survived the defense of the city were either challenged by newcomers or quietly retired. The new generation of the Yangtze River pushed on the old, and the new generation buried the old. There were actually not many who could survive during this period of time.
During this period of time, the struggle of the underworld, the conflict of interests in the officialdom, and the struggle of the rich and powerful gathered in Bianliang, this city of millions of people, in a complicated way. At the same time, there were all kinds of new things and new policies. More than 100,000 troops gathered outside the city had already begun to plan to strengthen the Yellow River defense line. The gathering of all kinds of voices and information also brought a huge workload and dizziness to the officials at all levels in the capital. Among them, several departments such as the Kaifeng Mansion, the City Patrol Department, and the Ministry of Justice were the first to bear the brunt. Several chief detectives of the Ministry of Justice, including Tie Tianying, Chen Qinghe, and Fan Zhong, were already overloaded and very busy.
There were a total of seven chief detectives of the Ministry of Justice. Usually, Chen Qinghe was in charge of the capital, and he was also in charge of major cases. However, in the past, there were many big forces in the capital, and the situation of the underworld was peaceful. Sometimes, if something really big happened, the chief detectives of the Ministry of Justice usually couldn't handle it, because the big forces would naturally solve it. Now the situation was different. Tie Tianying, who had originally returned to the Ministry of Justice to report, was left behind, and then Fan Zhong was transferred back to the capital. They were all first-class masters in Jianghu, and they were well-known. Being in charge here, they could intimidate many people.
Not long ago, Tie Tianying kept an eye on the Qin's Mansion and Ning Yi, which was the result of trying to figure out his superior's intention. The Office of Secret Investigations and the Ministry of Justice had many conflicts in the past. At that time, because the Northern Expedition was the main theme, the Right Minister's Residence was favored by the Emperor, and even Cai Jing consciously gave way to some extent. Wang Ci was even more astute. Later on, in the incident of the Seven Buddhas of Fang, Tie Tianying was also ruthlessly tricked by Ning Yi. Now that he had found the opportunity, he naturally wanted to get back at him.
After the incident of Su Tan'er, Tie Tianying suddenly realized that if the two sides fought to the death, he really couldn't get rid of the other side. He was wary of Ning Yi's eccentric character, but for Chen Qinghe, Fan Zhong, and others, they felt that he was making a mountain out of a molehill. After confirming that Su Tan'er was not dead, they were relieved and hurried to deal with other things in the capital.
Tie Tianying also had all kinds of things to deal with. He was so busy that he felt dizzy. But of course, the more things there were, the more benefits there were. Whether it was a big family or a fledgling who wanted to make a big career, if they wanted to stand in the capital, they would have to give face to the Ministry of Justice and clear up their connections.
The banquets went round and round. He collected so much money that his hands were cramping, or he encouraged newcomers with backgrounds, or he beat up those who crossed the line. In the midst of such busyness, Tie Tianying had always been wary of Ning Yi. However, after Qin Shaoqian was imprisoned, the case of the Right Minister had been dug deeper and deeper. Many people who had been watching from the sidelines had now recognized the situation and began to join the ranks of the Right Minister. In contrast to the prosperity of the capital, the Right Minister's faction was declining day by day and gradually collapsed.
Just as Ning Yi had said that day, they watched him build a vermilion building, watched him entertain guests, and watched his building collapse. For bystanders, each change of power seemed to be spectacular, but in reality, there was nothing special about it. Before or at the beginning of Qin Siyuan's imprisonment, the Right Minister's faction was still very active. Bystanders were still watching from the sidelines, but not long after, the Right Minister's faction turned to self-preservation. In reality, in the recent decades of the Wu dynasty, under the joint suppression of the Cai and Tong factions, there were not many officials who could resist.
With the Right Minister's imprisonment, the most deeply involved was the prestigious Yao family in the capital. Many of the descendants of the great scholar Yao Zunian were arrested by the Ministry of Justice, and their foundation was shaken. Zen Master Jueming, who originally had a deep relationship with the Qin family, was ordered to reflect on his mistakes in the temple and could no longer appear in public. Some of the disciples and family members who had a deep relationship with Qin Siyuan were more or less affected. As for Ning Yi, in the four or five months when there were many newcomers in the capital, his Takeshi also closed down shops everywhere. Some people were egged on to go in and smash things up. Their shops were destroyed and never opened again.
If it wasn't for Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and the others paying attention to this person, under the background of the Right Minister's downfall, perhaps not many people would pay attention to this faction related to the Right Minister. No matter how big Takeshi's business was, his identity as a businessman would not attract too much attention. Every large and influential family would have such followers, but they were just pawns. It was also under the attention of Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and the others that high-ranking officials such as Wang Ci noticed this person with the most special status among the Qin family's advisors. He was not of high birth, but he always came up with ingenious schemes and made contributions in several major matters. However, after running around in the beginning, this person quickly settled down. Especially in late April, when his wife was affected and luckily survived, the forces under his command quickly quieted down on the lively stage of the capital. It seemed that he did not intend to cause any more trouble.
Everyone turned their attention back to the scene.
Only Tie Tianying still had a little bit of heart left. In the capital, 'Taiyi' Chen Jianyu rose to fame, the southern 'Godly Fist of the Eastern Heavens' Tang Hengsheng led his disciples to defeat 18 martial arts schools consecutively, the heroes of Longxi entered the capital, the Great Radiant Sect began to spread to the capital, and the factions fought twice a day. Every time he passed by Takeshi's shop, he would have a bad premonition.
From what he knew, for the past few years, with the power of the Right Minister's residence, 'Inner Demon' Ning Yi had an important position in the Bianliang Faction. Of course, he did not do childish things like challenging martial arts schools, but the few big shots in the capital back then did not dare to disrespect Takeshi. Of course, this was due to the Right Minister's reputation, but there were many people in the Blue Forest who wanted to kill him to make a name for themselves. Once they entered the capital, they would not be able to return. He had a grudge with the leader of the Great Radiant Sect, Lin Zongwu, and could even suppress the Great Radiant Sect in the south for the past two years. This was his strength.
For big shots like Cai and Tong, they could not even be bothered to look at this kind of low-level strength. However, after the Right Minister's fall, he had retained the most power. Although Takeshi's shop had been closed and many people had left, the core strength of the shop had not been touched.
Based on Tie Tianying's understanding of Takeshi over the past few days, the structure of the shop built by Ning Yi was very different from the shops in the outside world. Although the internal staff came from all walks of life, after entering Takeshi, after a series of 'favors' and 'favors', the core members were often especially loyal. For the past few years, they had mostly stayed together. They lived together and encouraged each other. Every few days, they would gather for a meeting and chat. Once in a while, they would even perform or spar with each other.
They had experienced a few major events, including the propaganda for disaster relief in the early days, and then the resistance against the Jurchens. The internal members of Takeshi had publicized these events in an especially passionate manner. If not for the fact that they did not have doctrines like the Manichaeism Sect and the Great Radiant Sect, Tie Tianying really wanted to mold them into an underground cult and report them to the higher-ups.
During this period of time, the area that belonged to Takeshi's guards was especially tenacious. A portion of them believed in Buddhism, and they often practiced asceticism. They were different from ordinary cultivators. The Ministry of Justice had preliminary information that they were once bandits from Liangshan who had repented and joined Takeshi to atone for their sins. Tie Tianying did not believe this. However, when these people fought with others, they took pleasure in torturing themselves. They were not afraid of death and were extremely troublesome. The other portion was the martial artists from the Underworld that Ning Yi had taken in. After experiencing a few major events, these people's loyalty to Ning Yi had risen to the level of worship. They always thought that they were fighting for the country, for the people, and for the people of the world. Tie Tianying scoffed at this, but for the time being, he did not know where to start if he wanted to instigate them to defect.
When these people were added together, it was rare for them to meet a worthy opponent in the capital. Currently, many of the remaining people had even faced the test of the Jurchens on the battlefield. Now that there were many new talents in the capital, they had already restrained themselves and were lying low in the dark. Ever since Ning Yi had said to him, "I won't give you the heads of the Seven Buddhas anymore," Tie Tianying had always had a premonition that this man would not give up.
Even if his wife was safe, he would still choose to take revenge.
Because of this feeling, in the days between the end of April and the beginning of May, he had been dealing with various matters in the capital. On the other hand, he had been trying to find out and infiltrate Takeshi's thoughts and arrangements. Unfortunately, after the Jurchens attacked the city, the Ministry of Justice was short of manpower, and he did not have much free energy to do this for the time being. Under the circumstances where Chen Qinghe and Fan Zhong were unwilling to get involved in these muddy waters, at the end of April, he wrote another letter to Zong Feixiao, asking him to pay more attention to Takeshi's movements.
A few days ago, it was Zong Feixiao who had forced Su Tan'er into the river. If Ning Yi wanted to take revenge, he would definitely be the first to bear the brunt. Tie Tianying believed that Zong Feixiao would understand the severity of this matter.
On one hand, he was doing these things. On the other hand, it seemed that Qin Siyuan's trial in the capital was coming to an end. There was still no movement from Takeshi. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Tie Tianying was invited to the Little Candle Lane's martial arts assembly. Then, he heard someone talk about Ning Yi.
That person was a famous figure from the Huainan Underworld, nicknamed 'Red Fist' Ren Hengchong. After entering the capital, he challenged two famous martial artists. When commenting on the martial artists in the capital, he said, "Before I came to the capital, I heard of the infamous' Inner Demon 'in Jianghu. This person is hiding in the capital, using the power of the Right Minister to commit all sorts of crimes. During this period of time, the capital has gathered tigers and dragons, and the situation has changed. I have not heard of his name."
Someone beside him said, "This person is famous for relying on his power. Now that the Right Minister's notoriety has spread, and his reputation is in tatters, how would a lackey like him dare to be arrogant again? Moreover, I have heard of the name 'Inner Demon'. Most of the time, he uses unorthodox methods and borrows power to win. All the knowledgeable people in the world disdain to mention him. Now that all the heroes in the capital have gathered, this person is probably hiding. "
"He is indeed hiding." Not far away, someone spoke. This person was holding a sword, and his figure was as straight as a pine tree. He was' Taiyi 'Chen Jianyu, who had risen to fame in the capital in the last two months. His nickname was originally 'Taiyi Sword'. Later, people felt that this person's name already had the word 'sword' in it, so they removed the word 'sword' from his nickname, and used 'Taiyi' instead. He had the faint ambition of being the world's number one, and that showed his imposing manner.
Everyone looked at him. Chen Jianyu looked at the battle on the arena and said, "If you want to find out where Xin Mo lives in the capital, it's not a secret. He lives in Huangbai Alley. His mansion is heavily guarded. He's probably afraid of revenge, so he doesn't even dare to make a name for himself. Recently, many people have come to challenge him. Yesterday, I went over and openly issued a challenge. Hmph, this person does not dare to accept the challenge, and only dares to reply as a housekeeper … In the past, I have heard people say that this Inner Demon has killed countless people in the Underworld Underworld, and can vaguely compete with Grandmaster Zhou Dong for the world's number one. Only now do I know that he is not as good as his reputation. "
"Hahahaha." 'Red Fist' Ren Hengchong laughed. "How can he be the world's number one? Years ago in the Underworld, there were traitors Fang La and Fang Qifo who were famous in Tiannan. Although they were traitors, their martial arts were really good. Sikong Nan's Lightness Skill was superb, and the God-searching Saber was impossible to defend against. Grandmaster Zhou's Iron Arm was invincible, and although the beauty of white hair was short-lived, it was a solid reputation. What is going on now? How can a person famous for his scheming be touted as the world's number one? In my opinion, these Grandmasters in the Underworld have all become withered flowers. There are a few people who can compete, such as the traitor Chen Fan, who is the disciple of Fang Qifo. When he avenged his master, he killed Sikong Nan with his own hands, so he can be counted as one … "
"If we really want to talk about the world's number one, this old man knows someone who is undeniably worthy of the title." Before Ren Hengchong could finish his sentence, someone sitting not far away interrupted him and interrupted. It was Tang Hengsheng, who was known as' Eastern Sky Godly Fist '. This person had founded the' Eastern Sky Dojo 'and had many disciples in the Southeast. He was well-known, but at this moment, he said, "If we want to talk about the number one, it would be the leader of the Great Radiant Sect, Lin Zongwu. Not only is he skilled in martial arts, he is also a kind and righteous person who saves the poor in times of need. Now, other than him, there is no one else who can be the world's number one."
Ren Hengchong said, "Old Tang, the world's number one can only be known after fighting. It is not determined by one's character."
Both of them were famous for their fist techniques. Although Tang Hengsheng was skilled in martial arts and had a great reputation, his red fists were not easy to deal with. It was not strange for people in the martial arts world to be different. At this moment, Tang Hengsheng laughed. "Brother Ren, what do you think of my fist techniques?"
On this matter, Ren Hengchong was not willing to offend him too much. He cupped his hands and said, "Teacher Tang's fist techniques have already reached perfection. I am also a person who practices fist techniques, and I am quite impressed by this."
Tang Hengsheng laughed proudly. "My fist techniques cannot be said to be the world's number one, but I have a clear understanding of the realms of martial arts. At the beginning of last year, I had sparred with the leader of the Great Radiant Sect, and a few years ago, I had also asked Zhou Dong's master for advice on fist techniques. I will not hide it from everyone. I have lost both times, but with regards to the realm of martial arts, I am still able to speak. "
The Iron Arm Zhou Dong and the leader of the Great Radiant Sect, Lin Zongwu. These two people, one in front of the other, could be considered as people who were respected by the people in the martial arts world. Half a year ago, there was still the position of the Inner Demon. Now that Tang Hengsheng was able to spar with these two people, it was no wonder that he could fight all over the capital. Everyone looked forward to it, and stopped to listen to him.
He was heard to say, "Zhou Dong, Zhou Shifu, the Old Tang has always held Zhou Dong in high esteem. In terms of martial art skill, these two have reached perfection. But if we really want to judge who is superior, the Old Tang believes that Lin Jiaozhu's martial art skill is unprecedented, surpassing Zhou Shifu by half a notch. All of you have not had the luck to spar with Sect Leader Lin, so if there is a chance in the future, you can take the initiative to ask him for advice. Sect Leader Lin is an open-minded and modest person. Towards those who spar with him, not only does he not get angry, he even gives them many pointers. I have once received pointers from Sect Leader Lin, and have benefited a lot. There are many talented people under him, such as Mad Tiger King Nan Tuo, Quick Sword Lu Bingyuan, Monkey King Li Ruoque, and the others. They are all masters … But today, when we talk about the Inner Demon, they are just like chickens and dogs. But since we are here today, why don't we go to the Inner Demon's place for the next two days, and issue a challenge to him. "
As Tang Hengsheng spoke, he suggested. Everyone here was going to be famous, such as the "Taiyi Sword". Previously, he did not invite anyone to challenge him, so others did not know that he had challenged the Inner Demon, but was avoided by the other party. He felt it was a pity that he mentioned it at this gathering. Now that someone had suggested it, everyone agreed, and decided to go to the Inner Demon's house together tomorrow, and issue a challenge.
Hearing their discussion, Tie Tianying's heart moved. His intuition told him that Ning Yi would not be moved at all. But no matter what, if he could cause trouble for the other party, and force him to fly into a rage, he might be able to find some loopholes, and grab hold of Takeshi's weakness. Maybe he would also have a chance to see the power that Takeshi was hiding. With this thought, he immediately spoke up to encourage them.
These people were, of course, from the side sects in the capital that could not be shown in public. Tie Tianying and they did not expect that a few days later, a huge battle involving Takeshi's power, which they could not participate in, would appear in front of them.
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